I am about to book a room at a hotel owned by Luca Conti, a consigliere under my command, when a sharp voice suddenly cuts in from behind me.

"Aspetta. That's not your price."

I turn around. A woman wearing a manager's badge stands there with her arms crossed, scrutinizing me as if I am an unsightly stain she can't wait to wipe away.

"We don't allow prostitution here," she says coolly. "If you're receiving clients, there will be a fine."

As she speaks, she hands me a penalty notice.

The charges are clearly listed on the paper.

"Illegal guest reception fee: 350 thousand dollars.

"Special soundproofing fee: 150 thousand dollars.

"Special cleaning fee: 100 thousand dollars.

"Total fee: 600 thousand dollars."

Receiving clients?

I have simply come straight from a Mafia cocktail party without changing clothes—that's all. What exactly does she take me for?"

I lift my gaze and answer evenly, "You're mistaken. I am not that kind of person. You can contact the hotel owner, Luca Conti, and ask him who I am."

A sneer flickers through Sofia Rossi's eyes. She spits to the side, full of contempt.

"Still claiming you are not a puttana? Women like you come here every week. Every single one of them swears she knows him.

"Our boss is the consigliere to the Russo family, the most powerful Mafia family in Seneriffe. Do you really think he needs someone cheap like you?

"I suggest you pay up now, subito, before your client loses patience and drags you into the street and rapes you."

I do not waste another word on her. I take out my phone and send a message directly to my secretary, Marco Bianchi.

"Notify Luca. Either this manager, Sofia Rossi, disappears from this city, or he does."

It was Thanksgiving. I had given my personal guards the night off, telling them to go home, eat a proper meal, and be ordinary people for a few hours.

And that was how I ran into this mess.

The woman in front of me rolled her eyes coldly.

"Ms. Hooker, if you can't even afford a room to receive clients, then hurry up and get out. Don't dirty our hotel lobby."

Her voice was loud enough to draw everyone's attention. Some people even started taking photos and recording videos.

I took a deep breath. I had no interest in explaining myself. I dialed Luca Conti directly.

The ringtone sounded again and again—no answer.

Very well. Ignoring a call from the Donna of the famiglia? Luca, you were so dead.

I put my phone away and raised my hand, showing her the obsidian signet ring on my finger.

"Look carefully. This is the Russo family crest. My name is Talia Russo. I am Luca's superior. If you still don't believe me, go check the transfer documents for this hotel's operating rights. My personal signature is on them."

I thought that would be the end of it, but I was wrong.

Instead of apologizing, the woman let out a cold laugh. She stepped forward and stabbed a finger hard into my shoulder.

"You filthy bitch, still putting on an act? What family ring? That's the payment you spread your legs to beg from my boyfriend, Luca.

"I noticed a long time ago that you're the only one he pinned at the top of his chat app."

"I didn't want to deal with you, but you dared to storm into his hotel, flaunt that vulgar ring in front of me, and dress like this to provoke me? You must have a death wish."

At that moment, I finally understood.

The woman spitting accusations at me was Sofia Rossi, the so-called secret girlfriend Luca had been seeing.

This farce about fines had never been a misunderstanding. She had decided I was the woman coming in between them and wanted to teach me a lesson.

I had to admit, Luca had a poor taste in women.

"I will say this one last time. I came here to book a room after a meeting, just to rest at a nearby family hotel. I have no interest in your boyfriend at all. I didn't even look at him as—"

I didn't get to finish. Sofia cut me off, her voice rising, "Since this lady insists on challenging the rules of the Russo family, then I will handle it secondo le regole."

She clapped her hands. Two burly men burst out of the shadows like guard dogs.

One clamped a hand over my mouth, leaving me gasping for air. The other wrenched my arm brutally behind my back, my bones crying out under the strain.

I struggled and reached for the gun strapped to my thigh. Sofia spotted it instantly and screamed, "You're still lifting your skirt at a time like this? Who do you think you're seducing? Break her hands."

Two sharp cracks rang out. My wrists dislocated, and my arms dropped limply at my sides.

They dragged me without mercy into the hotel's garbage room. The door slammed shut behind me with a bang, cutting off the cheerful Thanksgiving music outside.

"Ha! You finally walked right into my line of fire." Sofia hooked a finger under my chin and forced my head up. Her gaze raked over my body like a blade.

A sharp blow cracked across my face.

"Tell me. How many times did you book rooms with my boyfriend?"

Another strike followed, just as hard.

"How many things did he buy you? How much money did he spend on you?"

Her hand came down again, fierce and humiliating.

"Is this how you usually dress, wearing clothes this revealing to seduce my boyfriend?"

Every question came with a slap. My cheeks burned, and blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. I clenched my teeth and swallowed every cry of pain.

Then, Sofia lazily waved a hand at the two men behind her.

"Go. Put one of those trash bags over her. I want to see who she can still seduce when dressed in filthy garbage."

A black trash bag was yanked over my head, sealing my mouth and nose tight. The world plunged into darkness. Then fists fell like hail—fast, heavy, and merciless.

I was certain several ribs snapped.

Only when my vision dimmed and I was on the verge of passing out did Sofia lift her hand to signal a pause. She planted her foot on my dislocated wrist, ground it down, tore off the family signet ring, and tossed it into the trash.

"Filthy bitch! This is what happens when you dare touch my man.

"You'd better pay up immediately. Otherwise, even if someone dies here today, Luca will clean it up for me. Capito?"

I curled on the floor, gasping, my voice hoarse as I said, "I'm Luca's superior. If you don't stop, you'll pay for this."

Sofia's expression darkened instantly. She kicked me hard in the stomach.

"You're Luca's superior? Then, I might as well say I'm the Donna of the Russo family. Lying without a shred of shame. I'll show you your place."

The two brutes understood at once. Their blows grew even heavier. They even cinched the trash bag tighter, and suffocation washed over me. I coughed up bloody foam and realized that if this continued, I might truly die at the hands of this madwoman.

I gave up on useless explanations and chose the only option left, asking for mercy.

"Stop. I won't book the room. Let me go."

Sofia laughed. "Now you know how to beg? Too late. You're booking this room whether you like it or not, and the price just went up. One million dollars."

At that moment, my phone rang. It was my secretary, Marco Bianchi.

Sofia motioned for the men to keep hitting me, snatched the phone away, and answered it herself.

"Hello? Which client of this bitch are you? She tried to seduce my boyfriend, so I locked her up and taught her a lesson. If you want to save her, bring one million dollars immediately."

A sharp, frightened intake of breath came from the other end.

"What? I will come right away," Marco said urgently. "One million dollars. No, I will give you two million dollars. Please, do not hurt her."

The moment Sofia heard two million dollars, unconcealed greed flared in her eyes. She hung up and pinched my thigh viciously.

"Filthy bitch! You have quite the appeal, huh? Knowing you're seducing other men and they are still willing to send money for you. What kind of dirty tricks did you use? Hey, teach me your ways."

My entire body shook. I said nothing.

It didn't take long before Marco burst through the door with two soldati from the Russo family.

The moment he saw me lying on the floor, wrapped in a trash bag, and my wrist bent at an unnatural angle, his eyes reddened as if he might cry.

"Madonna… What did they do to you…"

"Enough," I snapped, forcing the words out with what little strength I had left. "Pay her. Get me out of here."

Marco rushed forward and carefully helped me up. Behind him, the Russo family soldati set down case after case of cash, the sharp smell of fresh ink filling the room, heavy and unmistakable.

Sofia lunged at the boxes, laughing wildly, saliva almost spilling from her mouth.

"So, even a whore like you can make this much just by selling yourself. Get lost!" she barked, clutching the money to her chest. "And if I find even one fake bill, next time it will not just be a trash bag. I will chop you up and dump you in a landfill."

I didn't answer. I was afraid the moment I opened my mouth, a scream would escape.

Every inch of my body hurt, especially my hands. The pain had gone so deep they were nearly numb, as if they were no longer a part of me.

Marco and the soldati didn't waste a second. They lifted me into the car.

Once inside, Marco immediately reset my wrist with practiced efficiency and fed me painkillers, helping me swallow them with water.

"Boss, how are you holding up?"

The pills slid down my throat, and clarity slowly returned.

"This kind of injury will not break me," I said through clenched teeth, letting out a cold laugh. "But Luca really knows how to pick a girlfriend."

I dialed Paolo Ferraro, the Russo family's Capo degli Affari.

"Five minutes," I said calmly. "Replace the manager of our Central Street family hotel. Sofia is done for."

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a hesitant voice that sounded almost pleading.

"Boss, that manager… Sofia was personally appointed by Consigliere Luca. If we remove her, Consigliere Luca may be displeased."

"Oh?" I interrupted softly.

"So, you're afraid of Luca, but not of me?"

Paolo's voice immediately began to shake. "No, no, absolutely not. I would never disrespect you. I only wanted to inform you. I will handle it at once."

I ended the call and went straight to the hospital.

When I saw the report listing three fractured ribs, wrist joint damage, and extensive bruising, the fire in my chest burned even hotter.

This account would be settled face-to-face—with Luca.

I turned to Marco. "Where's Luca now?"

"At the St. John underground casino."

That made things simple. The casino was under my name.

By the time we arrived at the glittering entrance, the gambling inside was clearly reaching its peak. Luca's drunken, arrogant shouts as he placed his bets carried through the crowd.

No wonder he hadn't answered my calls. He was enjoying himself far too much.

Then, I heard Sofia's voice. She was speaking in a sugary tone, playing the victim as she clung to him.

"I only told her the room price. That hooker could not afford it, so she went crazy, hit me, cursed at me, and even found one of her patrons to try to get me fired…

"She's openly challenging your authority, slapping you in the face. She has no respect for you at all.

"Luca, you have to help me."

Luca grabbed Sofia's hip and laughed. "Which idiot dares to mess with my woman? Don't worry, sweetheart. Once I win this round, I'll personally find her and settle the score. I'll show her what a real mafia man can do."

Laughter and cheers rose from the crowd.

"Consigliere Luca, say the word, and we'll drag that bitch here."

"Who knows, one of us might even be her patron? Don't get soft then, hah!"

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. A bullet shattered a whiskey bottle. With that, amber liquid exploded outward, splashing across their faces.

As they wiped themselves off, they cursed and turned in anger.

"What the hell? Who fired a gun? Do you know who this is? This is Consigliere Luca of the Russo family!"

They froze. A row of dark gun barrels was aimed straight at their heads.

I slowly removed my sunglasses and smiled at them.

"I just heard someone say they wanted to settle a score with me. I'm here," I said quietly. "It's time to put an end to this."