"I need to know." I gave each word deliberate weight.

Lorenzo laughed.

"Isabella, that's you," he said gently. "The cross mark is a natural flaw in the marble. It looks exactly like the injury you had as a child. You may not remember, but I remember it clearly."

His tone was persuasive, almost sincere, but I knew my own body. I had never injured my ankle like that.

He stepped closer and reached for my cheek. I recoiled before I could stop myself.

There was a time when Lorenzo treated me well. We had known each other since childhood. When I hurt myself during training, he oversaw my care and summoned the best doctors. When rumors spread about me, he never asked who started them. He reached for his gun first.

I still could not identify the exact moment he changed.

A bitter ache rose in my throat and pulled me back to the present.

I drew a slow breath.

"If you truly care about me, why not say it plainly?" I asked quietly. "The invitation had no name."

Lorenzo hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"I know how Anna feels," he said softly. "I left your name off because I did not want to wound her pride. She is your sister, after all. I don't want the two of you turning against each other because of me."

His lips curved. "Is that why you refused? Were you jealous?"

We both knew the truth. Anna did not love him the way I once had. She loved the rivalry. As children, she fought me for jewelry, clothes, and our mother's affection. When that no longer satisfied her, she began competing with me for men.

My silence seemed to please him. He turned toward me fully, his gaze warm enough to draw someone in.

He said, "Don't overthink it. The one I have always loved is you. In three days, I'll send a car for you. Do not refuse again. I have waited far too long.

"After we marry, I'll bring you red velvet cake every day. Your favorite. What do you think?"

My heart stumbled.

Red velvet cake?

I forced a smile.

"All right," I said lightly. "I'll come. But there's no need to send a car. If Anna finds out, she'll cause trouble. I'll wear a mask. If someone sees me and tells her, it will create unnecessary drama."

Lorenzo nodded without hesitation.

"As you wish," he said. "As long as you come."

…

When I returned home, Anna and our mother were waiting by the door.

After I told them what had happened, Anna struck me across the face.

"Have you lost your mind?" she demanded. "You're going back to that psychopath? Was having your legs broken not enough for you?"

I pressed a hand to my cheek. For the first time, I did not argue.

I looked at both of them and spoke calmly. "The Don said someone from the Rossi family must attend the ballet."

I let the words settle before I continued.

"But it will not be either of us."

Anna froze.

"So what are you saying?" she asked, unease sharpening her voice. "We send a maid in your place?"

I shook my head. "If we send just anyone, Lorenzo will know immediately. It has to be the person he truly loves."

Anna sagged back, frustration flashing across her face. "Only God knows who that is. Besides us and the maids, who else could he possibly love in this house?"

My mother spoke at once. "Could it be…"

Her voice faltered. The color drained from her face.

In the same instant, the answer settled in my mind.

I met her gaze. "Mom, I think I know who Lorenzo loves."

At first, I had no idea. Lorenzo had acted so devoted that part of me still questioned whether any of it had been real.

But he slipped in the gallery.

It was the red velvet cake. I despised red velvet cake. Only one person in this house loved it obsessively. Only one person here bore a cross-shaped scar on her ankle.

Once I noticed it, everything fell into place. Rather than prolong a bloody standoff with Lorenzo, I chose a different approach. I would give him the love he claimed to want, even if that love could never withstand public scrutiny.

I leaned close to our mother and whispered my plan into her ear. Her eyes widened in horror.

She clenched her jaw and nodded. Without another word, she hurried off to make arrangements.

Anna slumped over the table and let out a hollow laugh.

"We fought for years," she said. "If we lose to someone like that, can you live with it?"

I smiled, steady and composed.

"No," I said. "I cannot. But more than pride, I want revenge."

Anna leaned in until her lashes nearly brushed my cheek.

"Then we stop fighting each other," she said. "This time, we work together and punish the Don."

She spoke without heat.

Sending that person in our place was a statement in itself.

Lorenzo claimed he loved her, desired her, longed for her. Fine. I would see how he responded when she arrived at the theater in person.

Our mother returned soon after, breathless and flushed.

"We are fortunate," she said. "The Capone family agreed to help us. They have enough power to stand against Lorenzo."

With the Capone family's backing, relief eased the tightness in my chest for the first time since the invitation arrived.

No matter how powerful the Don was, he had limits.

…

On the third night, long after dark, Anna and our mother dressed the masked figure and guided her into a black sedan.

I turned and stepped into another car waiting at the curb.

"Lorenzo, this time you are going to get exactly what you want."