Chapter 4 - The Vow of Silence
|
The next morning, the city woke to the news. The engagement between Dante Leone and Gemma Rizzo was officially broken.
Nadia sat at the massive dining table in the penthouse, staring at the front page of the newspaper. Her name wasn't mentioned, but the rumors were already blazing. The mysterious new bride. The true heir to the silk.
The elevator chimed, and a tall, heavily scarred man walked into the room.
“Leo,” Dante said, entering from his study. “Meet your new priority.”
Leo was Dante’s underboss. He looked at Nadia with cold, assessing eyes. He didn't see a queen; he saw a liability.
“The Rizzo family is mobilizing on the south side,” Leo reported to Dante, though he didn't take his eyes off Nadia. “They burned two of our distribution trucks overnight. Gemma is telling everyone the new bride is a cheap whore who seduced you.”
Nadia flinched, looking down at her hands.
“Let them talk,” Dante replied calmly, sitting at the head of the table. “Prepare the armored motorcade. We are taking Nadia to the syndicate tailor. She needs a wardrobe suitable for a Leone.”
“It’s too dangerous to move her, Boss,” Leo argued.
“If we hide her, we look weak,” Dante stated, his tone leaving no room for debate. He turned to Nadia. “From this moment on, you do not speak to the press. You do not flinch when you hear gunfire. You walk with your head up. You are the most untouchable woman in this city.”
“I don't know how to be untouchable,” Nadia confessed quietly.
May you like
Dante reached across the table, his hand covering hers. His grip was warm and anchoring.
“You already are,” he murmured. “You just have to let them see it.”
