The city was never silent.


    Even at night, the distant hum of cars, the occasional sirens, and the murmurs of the underworld filled the air. For most, it was just background noise.


    For Isabella Rossi, it was a reminder that she had no time to rest.


    Not when her family had just given her an order she couldn’t refuse.


    She sat in the back of a sleek black car, gripping the armrest as the city lights blurred past.


    Across from her, Enzo Rossi, her uncle and the head of the Rossi family, watched her with the cold, assessing gaze he always had.


    “She’s alive,” he said, tapping a cigar against the car door. “And that’s a problem.”


    Isabella already knew who he was talking about.


    Luca’s mother.


    The Moretti family had suffered heavy losses in the past years, and her family was responsible for some of them. But none had hit them harder than the death of Bianca Moretti—the woman who had held the Moretti empire together like an iron fist in velvet gloves.


    Isabella’s father had ordered the hit.


    Her uncle had carried it out.


    And now, she was expected to finish the job.


    “We need leverage over them,” Enzo continued. “Find out where Moretti’s next shipment is. And if you get a chance to take out Luca…” He leaned forward, smirking. “Don’t hesitate.”


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Isabella clenched her jaw.


    This wasn’t about revenge anymore.


    It was about getting even before the Morettis did.


    And Luca Moretti?


    He was now her biggest threat.


    Her surroundings pulsed with life, but for Isabella Rossi, it felt suffocating.


    No matter how much she tried to distract herself—working at Carmine’s Café, pretending she still had a normal life—her mind kept drifting back to that night.


    To him.


    To Luca.


    Her body had healed, but her thoughts refused to settle. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him again—standing in the shadows, watching as his men tried to kill her.


    She needed to move forward.


    But first, she needed answers.


    And she knew exactly where to get them.


    The underground club was packed, filled with the usual mix of criminals, mercenaries, and gangsters drowning their sins in overpriced liquor.


    Isabella slid onto a barstool, keeping her hood low.


    She wasn’t here for drinks.


    She was here for Marco, a mid-tier informant in the Moretti family—someone who owed her a favor.


    Marco glanced at her warily. “This isn’t a good time, Isabella.”


    She ignored him, swirling the whiskey in her glass. “Then make it quick.”


    Marco exhaled, running a hand through his graying hair. “There’s a contract on your head.”


    Her grip on the glass tightened.


    “I need to know who signed off on it,” she said coolly.


    Marco hesitated.


    Then he sighed. “Luca.”


    A slow chill crawled up her spine.


    “So it’s true. He didn’t stop them. He’s the one hunting me now.”


    She had suspected it.


    But hearing it out loud?


    It made her blood turn to ice.


    Marco shifted in his seat. “He’s not the same guy you used to know, Isabella. You should disappear before this gets worse.”


    Isabella threw back the whiskey, savoring the burn.


    “Disappearing isn’t an option.”


    She placed the glass down, stood, and walked out.


    She had work to do.


    Across the city, Luca Moretti stood in his father’s office, staring down at the streets below.


    Ricardo Moretti’s voice was cold, unwavering. “She needs to die.”


    Luca didn’t flinch.


    “She’s been a problem for too long,” Ricardo continued. “Her family cost us everything. Your mother, half our empire—do you need me to remind you of the hell we went through?”


    Luca’s jaw tightened. He didn’t need a reminder.


    His mother’s murder had shattered the Moretti empire, forcing them into a war they still hadn’t recovered from.


    And Isabella’s family had been responsible.


    “This isn’t just about business,” Ricardo added. “We’re getting even. Killing her is justice.”


    Luca exhaled.


    He had been given orders his whole life.


    Following them had never been a problem.


    Until now.


    Isabella adjusted the sniper scope on the rooftop, keeping her breathing steady.


    She had followed Luca’s men to their latest weapons shipment—a perfect opportunity to hit them where it hurt.


    Her orders were clear: Disrupt the Morettis. Send a message. Make them bleed.


    And yet—


    As she locked onto Luca’s silhouette below, something inside her twisted.


    She could pull the trigger.


    End this.


    But she didn’t.


    Not yet.


    Because deep down, she knew—this wasn’t over. Not yet.