The next day, Enzo left the estate before dawn.

I ripped off the annoying black veil and stared at my clear, sharp eyes in the mirror.

Sofia entered, holding an encrypted tablet. “Donna, Manager Antonio sent the financial records for the past three years.”

I swiped the screen open.

Three years ago, I mobilized my family’s network to cover a disastrous loss from one of his arms deals.

Two years ago, I used my personal fortune to buy two top-tier casinos in the city’s core district, registering them under the Valenti family’s name.

One year ago, thirty million dollars were secretly funneled from an underground account to build that villa at Silver Lake.

My grip tightened on the tablet as I read the words “Silver Lake.”

“Who’s hidden away in that villa right now?”

Sofia bowed her head, her voice trembling. “Donna, it’s Clara. The one Enzo publicly calls his frail, adopted sister.”

“Adopted sister?” I laughed coldly. “I always thought it was strange how fiercely he protected an orphan with no connections.”

Sofia held out the tablet, whispering, “Forgive me, Donna. I only found this in the off-the-books ledgers. Clara isn’t an orphan. She’s the illegitimate daughter of the Russo family, the most powerful local family.”

My nails dug harder into the screen. So that was it.

No wonder Enzo was sucking me dry while secretly marrying her. Through this union, he had secured the support and votes of the old-guard local capos. A brilliant move, securing an alliance for nothing.

Sofia continued, “Mr. Enzo withdraws a large sum of cash from the money-laundering network every month and has it delivered to that villa.”

“And… I’ve heard that Clara… is pregnant.”

I slammed the tablet face down on the vanity.

Pregnant.

He was bleeding me dry, using my dowry to support his mistress and their bastard.

The profits from the arms and drugs under my name became his personal slush fund, financing the love nest he built for her.

I looked at Sofia, who stood frozen and trembling. “Don’t just stand there. Open my private vault.”

I walked into the climate-controlled vault in the basement.

It was filled with the rare treasures of the Moretti family, every piece a part of my dowry.

I gave a cold order to a few of my loyal men. “Pack up all the casino deeds and bearer bonds.”

The captain of my security detail asked in a low voice, “Ma’am, are we moving all these assets tonight?”

I snapped shut a blast-proof case filled with South African diamonds. “Yes.”

“Everything that belongs to the Moretti family. I’d rather toss it in the ocean than leave a single dime for that ungrateful bastard.”

As we were packing, a bodyguard ran in to report. “Donna, Clara is here.”

“She brought her own men and is insisting on seeing you, says she’s here for a visit.”

I put the black veil back on and, with Sofia’s help, slowly walked into the drawing room.

Clara was sitting on the main sofa as if she owned the place.

Seeing me enter, she stood up with a perfunctory air. “Stella, you look terrible.”

I stumbled clumsily to the armchair opposite her, acting disoriented. “You should be at home. What are you doing here?”

“Enzo told me your episodes are getting worse. I went through the black market to get you some special tranquilizers.”

She strode closer in her high heels, her voice dropping to a mocking whisper. “That broken brain of yours. I bet you’ll never have a lucid day again, will you?”

I replied coolly, “The doctor said I just have to avoid interacting with anything filthy.”

She missed the insult entirely and let out a theatrical sigh. “You poor thing.”

“This Valenti estate is so large. Now that you’re out of your mind, you can’t even comprehend who’s really in charge here.”

“Enzo is so cruel, isn’t he? Just keeping you here like a trophy on a shelf.”

Her red-nailed hand reached out to pull at my veil. I jerked my head away.

“Don’t trouble yourself, Miss Clara.”

Clara awkwardly retracted her hand, then deliberately jutted out her slightly protruding belly.

“Actually, I came today to inform you of something.”

“Enzo doesn’t think the Silver Lake villa is safe enough. He’s going to clear out a suite for me in the main house.”

“Which master bedroom do you think has the best light?”

I said clearly, “Miss Clara, you are not married. It would be against custom for you to live in the Valenti main house.”

“Who cares about custom? Enzo said that as long as the Donna agrees, no one will dare say a word.”

Clara tittered. “Besides, it’s not yet certain who really runs this family.”

Enzo’s voice boomed from the doorway.

“Clara, what are you doing here?”

He strode across the threshold, rushing straight to Clara’s side and protectively hovering a hand near her back.

Clara immediately dropped her arrogant facade, her expression shifting to one of delicate weakness. “I just came to see Stella.”

“She’s all alone in the estate, and with her mental state… she must be so confused.”

Enzo frowned. “This is foolish. There are turf wars going on. What are you doing running around?”

He glanced at me, a guilty look on his face. “Stella, Clara doesn’t know any better. I’m sorry she disturbed your rest.”

I lifted the espresso cup beside me and took a sip. “She was just telling me you plan to give her a suite in the main house.”

The muscles in Enzo’s jaw tightened instantly. He shot a vicious glare at Clara.

Clara bit her red lip, looking aggrieved.

Enzo rushed over to me, explaining urgently, “Stella, don’t listen to her nonsense.”

“She’s just being childish and talking foolishly. The security at Silver Lake is excellent. There’s no need for her to move.”

I let go of the cup. The fine bone china cup clattered against the marble table.

“The way she was talking, you’d think she was in charge of this family.”

“She seems more like the Donna than I do.”

Enzo took a deep breath, his tall frame looming over me.

“Stella, you’re being too sensitive. You are the only Donna. This will always be your domain.”

“She’s just a spoiled girl. Why are you lowering yourself to her level?”

I shot to my feet. “If she’s an outsider, she should know the rules of this family.”

“Sofia, show Miss Clara the door.”

Clara was trembling with rage. Enzo shot her a sharp, warning look.

Clara stomped her foot and stormed out with her bodyguards.

The vast hall fell silent, leaving only me and Enzo.

I turned my face to the side. “Enzo.”

“The eighty-million-dollar payment for the port shipment the Moretti family fronted you is due. When do you plan to repay it?”

The smile on Enzo’s face froze.

He gave a dry laugh. “Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“Expenses have been high with the recent turf wars. I used that money to bribe some higher-ups in the joint task force.”

“Once the port business is stable, I’ll have the finance department reimburse you.”

I didn’t back down. “How long is ‘in a while’?”

Enzo yanked at his collar. “What are you getting at?”

“We’re husband and wife, bound by a blood oath. My business is your business. Are you accusing me of trying to cheat you?”

I laughed coldly. “Even blood brothers settle their accounts. That money belongs to the Moretti family.”

“If I don’t see the account balanced by the end of the month, I’ll have no choice but to let my legal department handle it.”

Enzo’s face turned ashen. He stepped forward and squeezed my wrist.

“Stella, are you using the Moretti’s power to pressure me?!”

“Don’t you forget, you’re just the daughter of a merchant from a remote coastal town on the West Continent! In this world, you wouldn’t survive a day without my protection!”

I ripped my hand from his grasp. “Don’t you worry about me.”

“The blood of ruthless merchants runs in my veins. I have never relied on a man’s charity.”

I turned my back on him, my posture resolute. “You should go. I need to rest.”

Enzo stared at my back, grinding his teeth. “Fine. Stella, don’t you regret this!”

He slammed the door on his way out, the roar of his V8 fading violently into the night.

A few days later, it was time for the Valenti family’s grandest event, the Saint’s Festival banquet.

The capos of every major family in the city and Enzo’s mafia allies all gathered in the casino’s main hall.

Accompanied by Sofia, I walked slowly into the glittering, opulent ballroom.

The moment I stepped through the doors, the raucous celebration came to a dead halt.

A mafia boss from the South District sneered through a cloud of cigar smoke. “So this is Enzo’s crazy Solarian trophy?”

Enzo’s voice, unconcerned, drifted over. “Watch your mouth, my friend.”

The boss roared with laughter. “Did I say something wrong?”

“An outsider is an outsider. No matter how rich her family is, they’re just new money from some backwater port. All the designer clothes in the world can’t hide the stink of it.”

“And she’s always wearing that black veil, trying to hide her crazy stare with all that drama.”

Sofia was trembling with rage, her hand moving to her gun, but I placed my hand on hers to stop her.

Clara, in a stunning white couture gown, sauntered over.

“Donna, you’ve finally arrived.”

“There are a lot of steps here. You should take your seat.”

Clara made a show of trying to take my arm. I sidestepped her as if she were a viper.

“I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Miss Clara. Sofia will help me to my seat.”

I walked straight to the head table and took the high-backed chair next to Enzo, the seat reserved for the Donna of the family.

Clara was left standing, her face a mixture of green and white.

Enzo frowned. “Stella, Clara was trying to help. Why are you putting on airs?”

I replied coolly, “I’m not used to being touched by strangers.”

Enzo’s tone hardened. “She’s not a stranger, she’s my adopted sister! And your sister, too!”

I ignored him and picked up the champagne in front of me.

The boss from the South fanned the flames. “Clara might be a Russo bastard, but at least she’s local. With the Russo family backing her, she has the real claim.”

“Doesn’t even have a marriage certificate, yet she acts like she’s the Valenti Donna.”

I slammed my champagne flute down on the table.

The entire casino hall fell silent.

I raised my hand and tore the black veil from my face. The blank, vacant stare was gone. My sharp, lucid gaze locked onto the face of every person in the room.

The wine glass in Enzo’s hand shattered on the floor, the crimson liquid ruining his custom-tailored suit.

I stared at him, my gaze unwavering. “Thanks to you, my mind is finally clear.”

“What’s wrong, my dear Don? Not happy to see my sanity has returned?”

Enzo swallowed hard, forcing a grotesque smile. “Happy. I’m happy.”

“Stella, your mind is better… why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

I shot back, “If I’d told you sooner, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the show, would I?”

I turned to the South District boss. “What was that you said about me not having a certificate?”

The boss blustered, his voice rising. “What, was I wrong?”

“You’re just a merchant’s daughter from Solaria. What right do you have to the Valenti family trust?”

I turned back to Enzo. “Enzo, since everyone here thinks I’m not qualified…”

“Then let’s settle this now, with all the families as our witness. Bring out the marriage certificate from City Hall. Let everyone see it for themselves.”

Enzo shot to his feet, his face ashen.

“Stella, have you lost your mind? This is the family’s most sacred gathering!”

I stared into his eyes. “I haven’t lost my mind.”

“I just want to know. For three years, I’ve risked my life and spent my fortune to help you build this empire. What exactly is my status here?”

Clara clutched at the hem of Enzo’s suit in panic. “Enzo…”

Instinctively, Enzo pulled her behind him, shielding her completely.

Watching his subconscious, protective gesture, I found the sight repulsive.

Enzo lowered his voice. “She’s in a delicate condition, don’t scare her. We can talk about the marriage certificate in private.”

I raised my voice, shouting, “In private?”

“In private? Like how you use my money to keep her at that villa in Silver Lake?”

“In private, like how the marriage certificate at City Hall is in her name, Clara’s name?!”

The room erupted. The mafia bosses looked at each other, whispering and pointing.

Enraged and humiliated, Enzo raised his hand. The crack of his palm against my face echoed through the hall.

The force of the blow snapped my head to the side. The taste of iron filled my mouth as a trickle of blood ran from my lip.

Enzo pointed at me, roaring, “You crazy bitch!”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Clara has a clean reputation. How dare you humiliate her in public like this.”

I held my stinging cheek and wiped the blood from my mouth.

“Enzo Valenti, you’ve got some nerve.”

“That slap severed the last thread between us.”

I turned and walked toward the exit.

Enzo bellowed, “Stop right there!”

“If you walk out that door today, you will never set foot in the Valenti family again!”

I didn’t look back. Sofia stuck close, guarding me.

As I passed Clara, I paused.

She was hiding behind a wall of bodyguards, a smug, triumphant smirk on her lips.

I snatched a glass of red wine from a nearby table and threw it in her face.

The scarlet wine bled across her white couture gown. Clara shrieked, clutching her stomach.

I dropped the glass and strode out of the smoke-filled hall. “Consider it a parting gift.”

Back at the main house, I had Sofia bolt the oak door from the inside.

Sofia’s eyes were red as she gently pressed a cloth-wrapped piece of ice to my swollen cheek. “Ma’am, your face...”

I stared at the finger marks forming on my reflection in the mirror. “It’s nothing.”

“What’s happening downstairs?”

Sofia wiped away her tears. “Mr. Enzo is with Clara, taking her to the top-floor suite to change her dress.”

“The entire underworld is laughing at the Valenti family.”

I pulled stacks of money-laundering ledgers and Swiss bank statements from the safe. “Let them laugh.”

They clearly documented every dollar I had poured into the Valenti family.

One and a half billion dollars in total.

“Sofia, go get the captain of my security detail.”

Ten minutes later, he entered the bedroom through a secret passage and bowed his head. “Ma’am.”

That’s right. He was one of my men.

I leaned back in the velvet chair. “Has the family vault been cleared out?”

The captain reported in a low, steady voice, “Ma’am, your overseas accounts and offshore trusts have all been secured.”

“The deeds to the casinos and docks have been liquidated into foreign currency, ready for departure at a moment’s notice.”

“Good. Have the cars waiting at the private airstrip for me. Noon tomorrow.”

I handed him the thick stack of black ledgers.

“Make a hundred copies. Tomorrow at noon, get them to every family in the city and to our informants with the joint task force.”

The captain drew a sharp breath. “Ma’am, are you planning to…”

I raised a hand to cut him off. “I’m going to bring the Valenti empire to its knees.”

Just as I finished, a violent banging came from the hallway.

Enzo was outside, shouting for me to open the door.

I nodded at Sofia, signaling for her to open it.

Enzo kicked the door open and stormed in, slapping a document down on the table.

“Stella, you threw that tantrum tonight all because you were jealous of the marriage certificate.”

“Clara is in a state of severe shock. Her health is fragile right now. You shouldn’t have done that.”

I leaned back in my chair and let out a cold laugh.

“Fragile? Her, or the bastard in her belly?”

Enzo went rigid.

Pure shock and panic flashed in his eyes. He thought the pregnancy was his perfect secret.

“You… how did you know?”

“You take suitcases of cash from the money-laundering network every month to support your pregnant whore in that villa. Did you really think I was completely out of my mind?”

The lie was completely exposed.

The look of affection vanished from Enzo’s face. He tapped his long fingers on the document. “Since you know everything, let’s cut the crap. Sign it.”

It was a “Deed of Asset Stewardship and Confidentiality Agreement.”

Enzo loomed over me. “Acknowledge Clara and the child, and sign over control of the family finances.”

“If you do as you’re told, I can overlook the scene you made tonight. You will remain the one and only Donna of the Valenti family.”

I shoved the worthless paper aside. “In your dreams.”

Enzo slammed his hand on the vanity, cracking the mirror. “Stella, don’t push your luck!”

“Do you really think you can control me just because of the Moretti money?”

“Let me tell you, in this city, I call the shots. If you don’t sign, we’re getting a divorce!”

I answered calmly, “Don Enzo must be confused.”

“We don’t have a marriage certificate. Who, exactly, are you planning to divorce?”

He was so choked with rage that his chest heaved.

I pulled a letter from my platinum clutch and slapped it on top of his agreement.

“This is something I prepared especially for you.”

Enzo looked down. The large words at the top read: DECLARATION OF SEVERANCE.

I spoke clearly. “Enzo Valenti, as of today, all ties between us are severed.”

“You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

Enzo stared at the paper, his eyes turning red.

He let out a loud, crazed laugh. “Severed? You think you can just walk away?”

“Stella, you’re a woman I’ve kept for three years. How long do you think you’d last without my protection?”

I didn’t answer. “That’s no concern of yours, Don Enzo.”

He tore the declaration to shreds, the pieces fluttering to the carpet.

“You’ll live as a Valenti, and you’ll die as a Valenti. You want to leave? Dream on.”

He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and violently threw me onto the large velvet bed.

He turned and roared at the guards outside the door. “Seal this door shut!”

“Without my order, not even a fly gets out!”

The door was locked. Enzo strode off, heading to the Silver Lake villa to comfort his pregnant whore.

I sat up on the bed and straightened my silk nightgown.

“Donna, Don Enzo has locked us in. How will we leave tomorrow?”

I wasn’t worried. “Relax. A pathetic cage like this can’t hold a Moretti.”

The next day, after settling Clara down, an exhausted Enzo returned to the estate.

“Don, there hasn’t been a sound from the bedroom all night.”

Enzo snorted and signaled for his men to undo the complex lock.

The door swung open.

He stepped inside and froze, his boots rooted to the spot.

The luxurious suite was empty. Not a soul in sight.

All that remained was a cold, black wooden desk. A single sheet of paper was pinned to the desk with a dagger.

Enzo’s breath caught. He strode over, ripped the dagger out, and snatched the paper.

It contained only a single, short sentence.

When Enzo read it, his pupils contracted violently.