Liana POV:
The VIP ward of the Syndicate's private hospital smelled heavily of antiseptic and the cloying sweetness of expensive funeral lilies.
Sienna and I moved down the long, heavily guarded corridor. Men in dark suits lined the walls, their hands resting over holstered weapons, their heads turning in unison to follow our progress.
We reached the double doors of Camilla's room. Through the rectangular glass viewing panel, I could see Gabriel by the bed. His suit jacket was gone, and his white shirt was stained with Camilla's blood. He was holding her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles with a gentleness I had never known him to possess.
Camilla was awake, a bandage wrapped around her head and an IV dripping fluids into her arm making for a pitiful sight.
I drew a slow breath and pushed the door open.
The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor in the ward ceased for a half-second. Gabriel, who had been stooped over the bed, straightened his spine with a jerk, his shadow falling across the white sheets as his gaze fixed upon Sienna. He dropped Camilla's hand and drew a gun from his waistband in one fluid motion.
He pointed the barrel directly at Sienna's chest.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in your heart right now," Gabriel said, his voice a low rasp, like stones grinding together. "You tried to murder my unborn child."
Sienna did not flinch. Her hands remained relaxed at her sides.
"I didn't touch her, Gabriel," Sienna said, her tone completely flat. "She grabbed my coat and threw herself backward. There are street cameras on that corner. Pull the footage yourself."
Gabriel's finger tightened on the trigger, the skin of his knuckles stretching white under the harsh fluorescent lights.
From the hospital bed, Camilla let out a weak, trembling sob.
"Gabriel, please," Camilla cried. Her voice was fragile, an instrument perfectly tuned to break his heart. "She called our baby a bastard. She said she would make sure I never walked again if I didn't leave the city. I was just trying to apologize to her. I slipped because I was so scared."
It was a flawless performance-she had weaponized her tears with the skill of a master.
Gabriel lowered the gun slightly, but his glare remained fixed on Sienna. He stepped back to the bed and placed a protective hand over Camilla's stomach, a silent vow of retribution.
"The alliance with the Consigliere's faction is severed," Gabriel declared, the words echoing off the sterile walls. "My father will inform the Commission tonight. Sienna, you are dead to me."
Then, he turned his face toward me.
"Liana," Gabriel said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You will marry into my family in three days. The contract will be fulfilled through your Capo father's bloodline."
Sienna sneered at him. "You are a blind, arrogant fool, Gabriel."
I put my hand on Sienna's arm to silence her. I advanced not upon him, but toward the bed, planting my palm on the cold metal frame where the butt of his pistol had just scraped the enamel.
"I accept the blood pact," I said, holding his gaze.
Gabriel looked taken aback. His eyes narrowed, searching my impassive face for a trap.
"But I have conditions," I continued. "If I am to be your wife, we will adhere strictly to the Old Ways. You will personally escort the bride from my father's heavily guarded estate. You will not send your soldiers to fetch me like a package."
Gabriel scoffed. "Is that all?"
"No," I said, pointing a finger at the woman in the bed. "Camilla must formally apologize to Sienna right now. She disrespected a Made Man's daughter in public. That demands restitution."
Camilla's eyes went wide. She looked up at Gabriel, her bottom lip quivering in a pantomime of terror.
"Gabriel, I didn't mean to," Camilla stammered, her voice cracking. "I was just so frightened. I don't know the rules of your world."
Gabriel's demeanor darkened. He holstered his weapon and crossed his arms over his chest.
He looked at me and Sienna with pure disgust, as if we were filth on the soles of his expensive shoes.
"You two are pathetic," Gabriel said, his voice dripping with venom. "You are consumed by petty jealousy. Camilla possesses a purity that neither of you will ever understand. She doesn't belong in this filth. It sickens me that the Commission is forcing me to tie my life to a woman like you."
I kept my face a blank mask. I forced myself to count the slow, deliberate ticks of the second hand on the wall clock-one, two, three. There was no cold sweat, no dizziness.
"Do you wish to abandon the Syndicate's arranged marriage entirely?" I asked him, my voice betraying no emotion.
Gabriel moved toward me, his height casting a shadow that fell across my face.
"I do," he admitted, his voice a harsh whisper. "I want nothing to do with you. But I need the Western territories, so I will play this game. But understand this, Liana-if you ever step out of line as my wife, if you ever look at Camilla the wrong way, you will face my brutal discipline. I will break you."
I looked up at him, at the man who had locked me in a cage for years. But this time, I knew I held the key.
"I acknowledge your terms, Don Gabriel," I said coldly. "My father's estate will be ready for the ceremony in three days. I advise you not to be late to your own wedding."
Without waiting for his dismissal, I turned around and walked out of the room.
Sienna followed right behind me. The heavy hospital doors swung shut, cutting off the sound of Gabriel murmuring comforts to his mistress.
We walked down the corridor in a taut silence until we reached the elevator banks.
The moment we were alone, Sienna grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face her.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sienna demanded, her fiery temper finally breaking through her calm facade. "Why are you willingly walking back into his cage? We know how this ends, Liana. He will destroy you again."
I looked at my former rival, a woman who understood the depths of Gabriel's cruelty as much as I did. I saw the genuine fear in her eyes.
My lips curved into a slow smile, but the expression did not reach my eyes.
"I'm not the one taking the vow," I whispered.
Before Sienna could process my words, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Two imposing figures emerged from the shadows near the stairwell: my father, the Capo of the Western faction, and Sienna's father, the Consigliere.
Their faces were red with fury; they had heard about the chaos on the street and the severed alliance.
"Liana!" my father roared. His massive hands seized my upper arms, his grip tight enough to bruise. "What kind of mess have you dragged our Family into?"
Beside him, Sienna's father grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her away from me.
"You are both coming home right now," the Consigliere barked. "This foolishness ends tonight."
The elevator doors slid shut, cutting off Sienna's panicked face. I closed my eyes, counting down the hours until I would hand Gabriel Rossi a bride he never expected.
