BELLA'S POV

"Did you send the picture?" I asked eyes glued on the map spread across the table. The maps are pretty colourful but old, territories marked out with colors.

Lucia paused mid-pour. "Which picture, principessa?" She asks with her thick Italian-russian accent. I glanced up briefly

"The one of me in Sicily." Realization crossed her face, she smiled, chuckling quietly.

"Sì. It reached him yesterday. His men have been scrambling since." She nodded satisfied

Good, I nodded repeatedly, returning my attention to the map.

I traced the territorial lines with my pen. Red for Caruso. Blue for what used to be Sovereign. So much red, all meant for Dante currently. Most are mine.

"He'll come looking for me in Sicily," I said, still focused on the paper.

"And find nothing." Lucia sat across from me, laughing wholeheartedly, she is in her element- deceiving people.

Of course, I'm no longer in Sicily. The safehouse was two hours north, now isolated.

It's been three weeks here already, learning and training, something Dante would never be prepared for. Before I enter the real world, I have to learn how the real world works.

"Tell me about the five families," I said.

Lucia leaned back, she was always ready to answer me like a robot. "Caruso, Vitale, Romano, DeLuca, Moretti. Your father's Sovereigns made six. After the massacre, Dante absorbed your territories. Made Caruso the strongest."

"Until now." I said tapping on all of Dante's territories.

"Until now," she agreed.

Pathetic.

"Lorenzo killed fifteen of my men, during the warehouse attack" I said to Lucia, concealing the rage that filled my heart as I remembered that day, that kind of mistake won't happen again.

I promise.

I stared at the map with a new found determination. "Lorenzo thinks I'm dead." That's the best for now... I need him distracted.

"For now. But word spreads." Lucian said, shrugging, gently sipping her coffee, watching me keenly with some kind of amusement. I'm used to it now but I can't help but wonder why she stares at me amused.

She slid a picture to my side, a photo of Dante in his office, looking like he hadn't slept in weeks.

My chest tightened. He looked unkept, why cant he just shave his beards, or get some sleep.

Shameless! isn't it?

I mean I'm shameless, I still feel for this pathetic man. My chest tightened even more, my hands tightened as I glared at the picture of the man who still has this much effect on me even one month post divorce.

I hope he dies suffering.

"When was this taken?" I managed to ask.

"This morning" Lucia narrated everything, how the picture got to him through Gianna – his sister.

"He's obsessed," Lucia concluded. "Won't sleep in your bedroom. Watch footage of you leaving. Over and over."

Good. Let him suffer.

A knock echoed in the hall, making us turn our attention towards the sound.

Tommaso entered, face grim, that expression...... isn't always good.

My heart skipped a bit, what again this time?.

"Principessa. We have confirmation."

My pulse quickened. "The attack?" I asked, ignoring what he said.

"Successful." He nodded firmly "Three explosions at the Caruso building. Twenty-seven casualties. Dante survived, but his empire felt it." He started walking to stand beside Lucia.

I sighed. Thank God.

I walked to the window, staring at the reflection in the mirror beside the window. My white suit and my burgundy hair makes me look like a completely different person. I have changed, maybe it's for the good or bad, I don't know. My younger self won't recognize me currently, but I know it's for the best.

I would play this game well,

Chess, not checkers.

"Casualties on our side?" I turned to face Tommaso.

"Two. Minor injuries. Already extracted."

Perfect. The plan worked.

I smiled suddenly, for a while though.

"Media?"

"Gas leak cover story. But the families saw Dante Caruso get hit in his own building."

Good.

Isabella Sovereign was coming for everything he stole.

"Double security," I ordered. "Eyes on all Vitale holdings. If Lorenzo moves, I want to know."

"Sì, principessa." Tommaso bowed slightly, walking towards me.

"We have an issue" he whispered, handing over a phone

Unknown number.

Nicely done with the explosions. But you're playing a dangerous game, little Sovereign. Dante's not the only one watching. – L.V.

My blood went cold. He knew I'm alive, and Lorenzo knew about the attack.

Oh no!

I showed Lucia, who walked up as she saw my pale face.

Her face paled. "Merda. If Lorenzo knows you're alive..."

"Then the timeline moves up." I grabbed my father's gun, hidden in my thigh. "Tommaso!"

He was instantly alert.

"Lorenzo knows I'm alive. We accelerate everything. My training, the reveal, everything."

"You're not ready..."

"I don't have time to be ready." I checked the chamber. "We have two enemies. They both want me dead."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want war," I said, thinking about how far I have come and what I need to achieve. "And I want them both to know exactly who they're fighting."

Tommaso smiled. "How?"

"By making an entrance they'll never forget." I looked at the map. "It's time for Isabella Sovereign to rise from the dead."

Give me a few months.

BELLA'S POV

Three months!

Three months since I'd walked out of Dante's penthouse with divorce papers and a gun.

I have changed a lot.

Ninety days of transforming from the girl who cried at sad movies into someone who could pull a trigger without flinching. Months of training is about to be tested.

I was about to find out if the transformation was complete.

"They're here," Tommaso said through the earpiece. I shifted uncomfortably in my squatting position. I have been like this for thirty minutes, laying ambush.

"Five vehicles. Twenty men, maybe more. Vitale colors."

I checked my gun for the hundredth time. Loaded. Safety off. Hand steady. I mentally ticker the boxes Enzo had taught me.

Good.

We'd been expecting this, waiting for them to walk into the trap we laid. Lorenzo had been quiet for weeks after his message. Too quiet. Now he was making his move, hitting our supply route outside Naples, far away from the warehouse.

Big mistake. We intentionally diverted their attention here to buy more time.

"Positions," I ordered into the comm. I need to get used to using a commanding tone. Everyone depends on my commands.

My team scattered, taking cover behind shipping containers. Fifteen of us against twenty-plus of them.

The math wasn't great, but I'd learned something these past months.

I numeri non avevano importanza.

Numbers didn't matter when you fought like you had nothing to lose.

And I had nothing left to lose. Absolutely nothing, not even my life.

The vehicles screeched to a stop. It's show time.

Doors flew open. Armed men poured out, weapons raised.

"Cani sovrani!" one shouted in Italian. "Lorenzo sends his regards!"

They opened fire.

Bullets tore through metal. Glass shattered. The sound echoed through the peaceful night. The night exploded into chaos.

I ducked behind a container, adrenaline spiking through my veins. My heart hammered, but my hands stayed steady. Now is the time to show what I've been taught.

Enzo had taught me well.

I rose slightly from my protective barrier, aimed at one of the brightly dressed men, and fired.

The first shot went wide. I didn't feel familiar with the training ground. This was real.

Fuck.

The second shot found flesh. The man dropped, clutching his shoulder, cursing in Italian as he scurried away.

Not a kill. But close.

"MOVE UP!" Tommaso roared into the earpiece.

We pushed forward, moving as practice. Coordinated and precise.

We were certain they weren't expecting any actual resistance. Lorenzo probably thought we'd scatter like we did at the warehouse.

He was dead wrong.

I fired again. Each shot was more confident than the last. Yes!

A man rushed from the left. Too fast.

The training kicked in in a split second.

I pivoted, squeezed the trigger.

The bullet caught him in the chest.

He staggered, falling forward.

Didn't get back up.

Wow! Just like that?

I stood there, gun still raised, staring at the body.

My first kill.

A strange surge of cold satisfaction rose in my heart. My first kill!

I seem lost in my trance.

"ISABELLA!" Tommaso grabbed my arm. "Focus!" he yelled, snapping me back into reality.

Right. I need to fight.

The fight raged. Shots echoed into the night. So far none of my men were killed. We were winning, pushing them back. Lorenzo's men weren't prepared for the Sovereign daughter who'd learned to fight back. I'm certain he sent his weakest men.

I walked around a container. I found out Lucia was injured. A bullet wound on her shoulder. Looking around, I sighted a figure in the dark, a gun pointed towards Lucia.

I didn't think twice. Didn't even hesitate.

Three shots. Center mass.

He dropped. Great!

I felt nothing but ice in my veins. I guess I have built the resistance needed to handle a gun.

The remaining Vitale soldiers retreated, abandoning some bodies. Engines roared. They fled into the night.

Silence fell, broken only by ringing ears and heavy breathing. We made them run.

"Check for wounded," Tommaso ordered.

I lowered my gun slowly into its case in my waist. I looked at my hands.

No shaking. No trembling.

Just the steady hands of someone who'd crossed a line she could never uncross.

Lucia appeared beside me. "You okay, principessa?"

Of course!

"I should ask you." I rushed over. Your hand is bleeding. Lucia smiled sweetly. "Yes, piccolo." She raised her free hand to brush my hair.

"I killed them." My voice sounded distant, looking into her eyes. "Two men. I killed them."

"Sì." She studied my face. "And?"

"And nothing." I looked up. "I feel nothing."

"Good." Lucia smiled. "Feeling nothing keeps you alive." She tapped my hand lightly.

Maybe. Or maybe it just proved I was already dead inside.

The girl who married Dante believing in love and happy endings was gone.

In her place stood someone who could kill without hesitation.

Without regret.

I was becoming my father's daughter.

Il Diavolo's true heir. I have become my father's true daughter. Lucia tells me that often.

My phone buzzed. Unknown number.

My blood chilled.

"Principessa?" Tommaso approached carefully. "We need to move. Police will be here soon."

"Give me a minute."

He left.

I walked around the container, looking at the abandoned dead body.

It was this man. I saw him that day during the attack at the warehouse.

I knew I had seen him somewhere. I can't place it, but I know I did. Taking a few pictures, I left the scene. Tommaso and Lucia were in the car that was supposed to convey me back to the Chrysalis.

Lucia's wound was attended to as it wasn't that serious. After fifty minutes, we were back to the safe house.

I kept on staring at the pictures, then it clicked.

He works with Marco.

My heart jumped. Not again!

Not another evidence against Dante!

BELLA'S POV

I couldn't stop thinking of the possibilities of Dante not being involved in this attack, I really wanted to believe he wasn't involved, but it's not possible for anyone to carry out orders outside Dante's knowledge.

I can remember clearly the day Lilo authorized the payment of jewelry I found while shopping. Lilo was supposed to be with me for the day. I saw a pretty Vancleef bracelet, and I decided to get it. The price of the bracelet was a thousand pounds more than the initial amount in the card. I convinced Lilo to allow me use the company credit card, which he accepted. That was the biggest mistake of his life.

Dante never starved me of money, gifts, or presents, I thought that extends to the company's card too.

Lilo was sacked because of that. Not since the event happened without clarifying from Dante first. This led to the dismissal and probably death of Lilo. The appearance of one of Caruso men only means one thing. It was authorized by Dante.

I kept on staring at the picture, the dead man's face, frozen in death. Eyes open. Blood pooled beneath him. I couldn't stop staring at him.

And the Caruso family crest tattooed on his inner wrist.

Dante's men all had that tattoo. Loyalty branded into flesh.

Why the fuck was he attacking me with Vitale soldiers?

Coward!

It just doesn't make sense, does he know my whereabouts?

That's not possible, my mind is spiraling.

"Principessa?" Lucia's voice broke through my thoughts, she entered the room clutching her injured arm. "You should rest. It's been a long night."

"I can't." I zoomed in on the tattoo again.

I turned to look at Lucia, "I know this man", I recounted how I met him doing one of Dante's suspicious meetings.

"This man works for Caruso. He was one of Marco's personal guards."

Lucia leaned over my shoulder, studying the screen. Her face paled. "Are you certain?"

"Positive." I pulled up another photo from my phone. One I'd taken months ago at a family dinner. Marco in the background, flanked by two guards.

The dead man was on his left.

"Merda," Lucia whispered.

"Exactly." I set down the phone, mind racing. "Why would Marco's man be with Lorenzo's soldiers? Attacking me?"

"Perhaps he defected. Switched sides."

I almost laughed, they aren't that generous.

"Marco doesn't let people defect. He kills them." I stood, pacing, recounting Lilo's incident . "No. This is something else."

Something worse. It's either they are hunting Bella Russo or hunting the last Sovereign.

"I need to talk to Tommaso." I scurried towards the door. My mind raises at the thought of what could possibly go wrong.

I found him in the armory, cleaning weapons used earlier.

"We need to talk." I hurried towards him, pointing the phone towards him.

He looked up, saw my face, and set down the gun. "What's wrong?"

I showed him the photo. "This man. He works for Marco Salvatore. Dante's right hand." The name irks me.

Tommaso took the phone, studied it. His jaw clenched. "You're sure?"

"I've seen him at the penthouse. Multiple times. He's one of Marco's personal guards." I leaned against the table, my fingers pressed against my temple. "The question is why was he attacking us with Vitale soldiers?"

Tommaso was quiet for a long moment.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?," I asked, studying his face

"That Dante is using Lorenzo as cover for his own attacks?" Tommaso's voice was grim. "Sì. It's possible."

"It's more than possible. It's the only explanation that makes sense." I pulled up the Lilo story, explaining how Dante controlled everything. "Nothing happens in his organization without his knowledge. Nothing. He micro-manages every detail."

"Then this was deliberate." Tommaso rested on the wall, crossing his arm across his chest.

"This was calculated." I felt the familiar lump rising again, I need to stop letting him determine my emotions, but I can't help it.

"He killed my family, and now he's trying to finish the job by making it look like Lorenzo did it." What is going through his mind.

Tommaso studied me carefully. "What do you want to do?"

"I want proof." I straightened. "Real, undeniable proof that Dante ordered this. That he's been playing both sides."

"And when you have it?"

I thought of the gun in my hand tonight. The two men I'd killed without hesitation. The blood on my hands that didn't bother me anymore.

"Then I stop playing defense." I met Tommaso's eyes. "And I make him pay for every lie he's ever told."

Tommaso nodded slowly. "I'll put people on it. See if we can trace the connection between Dante and Lorenzo's attack."

"Do it quietly. If Dante has men in Lorenzo's organization, he might have men in ours too."

I shivered at the thought, my men?

How deep did his reach go? How many people around me were reporting back to him?

"Trust no one," I said. "Not until we know for certain."

After Tommaso left, I sat alone with the photo.

Dante's man. Dead on the ground. Wearing Vitale colors but bearing Caruso marks.

The evidence was damning.

My husband-ex-husband-was trying to kill me while pretending to search for me.

The man I'd loved. The man I'd given six years to. The man who'd promised to protect me with his life.

He'd been my enemy all along.

And I'd been too blind to see it.

I walked weakly back to my room. I'd always said I was free from him, but his betrayal hurts Everytime.

What can I possibly do?