Isabella POV
The solarium of the Moretti estate was a breathtaking architectural marvel. Sunlight poured through the massive glass dome, illuminating the exotic orchids and lush ferns that filled the humid air with a heavy, sweet fragrance. It was a place of warmth and vibrant life, yet as I sat at the white rattan table, sipping my Earl Grey tea, the atmosphere felt as cold and brittle as ice.
I knew she was coming. After my little revelation in the rose garden yesterday, Mona and Julian would be panicking. They were losing their grip on their favorite pawn.
Right on cue, the glass doors opened. Mona stepped inside, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She had perfectly applied a touch of pale powder to her cheeks to look exhausted, and her eyes were already swimming with manufactured tears.
"Izzy," she breathed, rushing toward the table but stopping just short of touching me, perhaps remembering my cold dismissal yesterday. "I couldn't sleep all night. Julian is beside himself. He is so heartbroken over what that savage gangster is doing to you."
I didn't offer her a seat. I simply took another sip of my tea, letting the silence stretch until she shifted uncomfortably. "Go on, Mona."
Encouraged by my lack of immediate hostility, she leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Julian and I stayed up all night trying to find a way to save you. And we found one. But I need your help, Izzy."
She took a deep, dramatic breath. "You need to write to Father. If you beg him to officially recognize me, to give me the Valeriano name and my rightful share of the trust, I can finally enter high society properly. I can use that influence to rally the press and the politicians. I can force Damien Moretti to release you. I can give you back to Julian."
I stared at her. It was almost fascinating how deeply her greed ran. Julian Hayes needed a wife with a spotless pedigree for his upcoming Senate run. Mona, the dirty little secret, the illegitimate half-sister, was a political liability. This entire charade, wrapped in the guise of a rescue mission, was nothing but a desperate grab for my birthright.
She looked at me with wide, hopeful eyes, waiting for me to fall into her trap, just as the old Isabella would have done.
I carefully set my porcelain teacup down on the saucer. The sharp *clink* echoed loudly in the quiet room.
"So," I began, my voice eerily calm and flat, devoid of any sisterly warmth. "You want me, the woman held captive by the most powerful man in Chicago, to risk his displeasure by contacting my father... to grant you a name and a fortune? All so you can become a more suitable wife for Julian?"
I tilted my head, locking my gaze onto her suddenly trembling form. "Tell me, Mona, what's in it for me?"
The color drained from Mona’s face so fast she looked like a corpse. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. The beautiful, tragic mask she had worn since childhood dissolved, leaving behind nothing but naked, horrified realization.
She stared at me as if looking at a stranger. The naive, easily manipulated sister she had mocked behind closed doors was dead. In her place sat a woman who was quickly learning to thrive in the shadows of the Dark Don.
"You... you know," she finally choked out, her voice trembling with a toxic mix of humiliation and sudden, sharp fear.
"I know exactly what you and Julian are," I replied softly, leaning back in my chair. "And I know that you are standing in my house, breathing my air, and insulting my intelligence."
"You're insane," Mona hissed, her hands balling into fists, the facade of the loving sister completely abandoned. "Damien Moretti will kill you once he gets bored of you! You have nothing without us!"
"We will see about that." I stood up, smoothing the skirt of my dress. I looked down at her, letting all the contempt I held for her bleed into my eyes. "Leave. But if you want my final answer regarding Father, come find me in the rose garden tomorrow afternoon. Don't keep me waiting, Mona."
I turned my back on her and walked out of the solarium, leaving her standing alone among the beautiful, suffocating flowers. The war had officially begun, and tomorrow, I was going to end it.
