Chapter 2

One hour after my reported death, Damian ordered the search teams to stop.

During the second hour, he froze every account I held inside Russo territory.

During the third, he called in his capos and handed the forged ledger to the families of the twelve dead men.

"Serena sold the route to the Cavanaugh family."

Damian stood beside my framed photograph.

"I loved her for ten years. I never thought she would send our own men to their deaths."

The woman at the front was Maria Romano.

Her husband had managed the Russo docks. He was one of the twelve men killed in the ambush.

Maria lifted a glass of red wine and threw it across my picture.

"My husband took three bullets for you."

"How could you betray him?"

Other family members tore up photographs of me and demanded that my name be removed from the Russo records.

Camilla stepped in front of them with one hand over her stomach.

"I found the messages between Serena and the enemy."

"When she realized I knew, she tried to kill me and the baby."

Her story made her the brave woman who had exposed a traitor and protected the heir.

I became a dead woman who could not defend herself.

Nico shut off the security feed.

"You protected those people."

"Now they want your body burned."

I coughed until the pain in my chest eased enough for me to speak.

"They only see what Damian wants them to see."

"I want them to see who really sent their husbands into that ambush."

I told Nico to contact Theresa, the senior housekeeper at the Russo compound.

Theresa had worked for the Vitale family for twenty-five years. She was one of the few people inside the compound who had not believed Damian.

She told me Camilla had already moved into my bedroom.

She had thrown out my clothes, placed her perfume on my vanity, and ordered the staff to call her Mrs. Russo.

Damian had also given her the wedding gown made for me.

"Ma'am, Damian is still looking for the Donna's ring."

The real ring was still on my hand.

"Have a copy made."

"Let him believe he found it."

After the call, I had Nico bring up the asset agreement from ten years earlier.

The ports, casinos, and five Commission votes had never belonged to Damian.

The Vitale trust had only granted the Russo family temporary use of them.

After our wedding, I had planned to make that authority permanent.

It was the gift I had prepared for him after ten years together.

I had already signed the papers. They only needed the final Vitale seal.

Now those same papers would become a blade at Damian's throat.

"Trace the money meant for the widows."

"Prepare the orders to freeze the casinos and ports."

"Then make sure every head of the Five Families attends the funeral."

Nico studied me.

"You are not only planning to clear your name."

"Of course not."

"Damian wants to stand on my grave and take everything."

"I will take it all back when he believes he has won."

On the security feed, Damian fastened my black diamond necklace around Camilla's throat.

"The wedding will continue after the funeral," he told her.

"Her place, her assets, and her power will all be yours."

I closed the laptop.

"Wear my dress, Camilla."

"It will be the last time you touch anything that belongs to me."