Never have I ever imagined myself to be torn between the two most dangerous men in this city, and most certainly not as the woman sworn to both of them.
A blood-oath betrothal binding one woman to two brothers is rare in our world. Perhaps that's why the women around me have always been so jealous, their sidelong glances sharpening over the years from envy into something that looked more like threat.
The Valenti twins, Caius and Milo, are complete opposites.
The older one, Caius, is rough and strict and has a reputation for ruthlessness that even other Families speak of in careful tones. He's the type to always prioritize the Family's name, and he will destroy anyone who dares to harm the ones he claims to care for.
Milo, on the other hand, is wild and restless and carefree. He thrives on risk, on the present moment, and couldn't care less what tomorrow brings. He's the more approachable of the two, quicker to laugh, quicker to charm. But also quicker to lose his temper in ways his brother never would.
I am Serafina Nero, a Don's daughter. When my father was assassinated when I was seven, my uncle seized control of what remained of our operation. Luckily, my mother's closest friend, the Donna of the Valenti Family, took me in and raised me as her own.
And that's how I met the Valenti twins. They are Donna Vittoria's sons.
Despite the fact that half the women in our circles would have killed for either one of them, neither twin would hear talk of marriage. They do not like commitment or starting a family, and the word marriage became the one they both despise the most.
However, the next evening at my twenty-eighth birthday gala, the two of them made a public declaration of betrothal. Well, not to me. To a Capo's daughter, Luciana Corsi, right in front of every assembled guest. Right in front of me.
And that's not the worst thing that happened that night: I accidentally drank a poisoned wine meant for the Don of the Valenti Family, the husband of my mother's dearest friend.
This enraged the Don and the culprit was eventually caught.
However, the Valenti twins' actions were enough to ignite something within me. After being treated by the Family's private physician, I called my mother, who had married my uncle years ago, and demanded, "I'm now agreeing to marry Don Dante Castellano of the Castellano Syndicate."
………………
The crisp autumn wind bit at my fingers the moment I stepped out of the clinic.
But that was the least of my concerns.
My phone began ringing. I glanced at the screen before answering.
"Where the hell are you, Serafina?"
Caius's voice was sharp enough to cut glass.
I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard him speak to me like that.
"Do you really think you can run away from your responsibility to apologize by leaving?"
"What?" I snapped. "What responsibility?"
His voice dropped lower, the kind of tone that could make seasoned soldiers stand at attention.
"Get back here and apologize to Luciana."
A bitter laugh escaped me.
"Okay."
I cleared my throat dramatically and lifted my chin.
"Tell Luciana I'm sorry."
Sarcasm wasn't usually my style, but I couldn't help myself.
Luciana was one manipulative little hellcat.
"You—"
Before Caius could continue, I heard Milo demanding the phone.
"Serafina, why are you doing this?" he asked. "Luciana said you accused her of poisoning you. Of poisoning our father. She said you're the one spreading rumors that she did it. Have you lost your mind? How could you blame an innocent woman?"
I nearly laughed at the absurdity.
"What are you talking about? I never said any of that. And I certainly didn't accuse her of anything. She's the one who's out of her mind if she thinks I'm trying to frame her."
Caius snatched the phone back.
His roar was so loud I had to pull it away from my ear.
"Sera, do you have any idea how fragile Luciana is? We need to protect her in every way possible. She can't even fucking eat because of you!"
Then Milo took over again, launching into another lecture.
According to him, I'd changed.
I'd become irrational.
Luciana was once just like me, so I should understand her.
I shouldn't threaten her.
I shouldn't upset her.
On and on he went.
The same exhausting nonsense.
The truth was, I knew there were women who envied me.
For twenty years, I'd held the attention of the Valenti brothers. For twenty years, I'd remained at the center of their world.
But Luciana?
Luciana wasn't jealous.
She was calculating.
Every move she made was deliberate.
Every tear carefully timed.
Every smile strategically placed.
It was obvious she wanted what had once belonged to me.
Whether it was stealing the twins' affection or positioning herself as the fragile little dove every man in the Family felt compelled to protect, she knew exactly what she was doing.
"Bullshit."
That was my only response.
Then I hung up.
A few minutes later, my mother called.
She wanted to know whether the decision I'd made last night was final.
"Of course it is, Montero," I replied. "I wouldn't have said it if I hadn't already thought it through."
Even though my mother insisted she had managed to tame my uncle, it still wasn't enough to convince me to return to the Montero Syndicate.
Still...
I missed home.
I missed the scent of the sea that surrounded our coastal territory.
I missed the feeling of warm sand beneath my feet.
I missed the cool summer nights and the sound of waves breaking against the shore.
The Castellano Family had been seeking stronger ties with our operation for years, especially since Donna Vittoria had been born a Castellano before marrying into the Valenti bloodline.
My mother informed me that she had already promised my hand to the Castellano heir.
Even so, she left the final choice to me.
If I wanted to break the engagement, she would support me.
Back then, I still believed in true love.
I believed love could conquer anything.
I thought I'd found it with the Valenti brothers.
But looking at my life now, true love felt like nothing more than a beautiful lie.
A fantasy.
A convenient illusion they fed me so I would stay loyal.
So I would remain available whenever they wanted me.
Their spare-time amusement.
Their kept woman.
The woman with no ring and no status.
I almost pitied Luciana.
Because I was willing to bet they were doing exactly the same thing to her.
One day, sooner or later, she'd end up exactly where I was now.
Broken.
Discarded.
Replaceable.
As if my thoughts had summoned her, a social media notification appeared at the top of my screen.
I opened it.
There she was.
Smiling brightly for the camera.
On her fingers sat two engagement rings.
One set with a ruby.
The other with an amethyst.
Valenti stones.
The stones that should have been mine.
A sharp ache twisted in my chest.
I wasn't going to lie to myself.
I was jealous.
Furiously jealous.
Twenty years.
Twenty years of devotion.
Twenty years of loyalty.
Twenty years of believing I mattered.
And in the end, it had all been for nothing.
My fingers drifted instinctively to the hollow of my throat.
To the place where my glass pendant used to rest.
The little Murano wolf my father had given me before he died.
It wasn't there.
It hadn't been there for a very long time.
The emptiness felt heavier than ever.
Swallowing hard, I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
Then I blocked her.
