The gardens of the Moretti estate were lit up, and all the core family members had gathered to celebrate my twenty-third birthday.

The thought that I would never again receive a birthday gift from my papa was a sharp, stabbing pain in my heart.

"Happy birthday, my love."

Robin wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing my ear.

I leaned back against him, as if he were the only thing holding me up. "When my papa passed, I thought my world would collapse."

My voice trembled with a perfectly calibrated fragility.

"But it didn't," I said, turning to gaze at Robin with the most adoring eyes in the world. "Because I have you."

Robin's chest puffed out, his face a mask of undisguised pride and satisfaction.

"It was you, Robin, who became my light in my darkest hour," I said, placing my free hand over his on my arm. "To my fiancé. My protector. My everything."

I drained my champagne glass.

The great hall erupted in applause. Robin, completely melted by my performance, leaned down and whispered possessively in my ear, "Soon, they'll all be calling me Don Gallo."

The hunger for the Moretti family's wealth and power was practically boiling over in him now, an ambition he could no longer hide in his eyes.

Three days until my revenge.

I simply smiled at him, then turned to my brother, Marco.

"Brother, I feel a little dizzy," I said, pressing my fingers to my temple and swaying slightly.

Marco understood immediately. He steadied me. "My sister needs to rest." He spoke to Robin with a tone that left no room for argument, then guided me through the crowd toward the back of the estate.

We didn't go to a guest room.

We went to my papa's study, through a secret door hidden behind a bookshelf, and into the true heart of the family's power—a soundproof, windowless chamber.

A man was already waiting for us.

Dante Falcone.

Even in the dim light, his silhouette was flawless and dangerous. A black suit, ice-blue eyes, and a face that had captivated countless women.

But it was obvious that, as my future husband by arrangement of our family, I wasn't here to admire him today.

"Don Falcone," I said, closing the door behind us. The frail woman from moments ago was gone, replaced by someone standing ramrod straight. I finally let the smile fall from my face.

"Miss Moretti," he acknowledged with a slight nod, his eyes sweeping over me. "My condolences."

"I'm not here for your condolences," I said, walking directly across from him and taking a seat. "I'm here to make a deal."

Dante raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "Oh?"

"Robin Gallo. My 'fiancé'," I said, the word tasting like ash. "He murdered my papa."

Dante's expression didn't change, but he sat up straighter. "A bold accusation. He was your project, wasn't he? You're the one who made him."

"I raised a dog that bites its master," I said coldly. "Now, I'm going to put him down myself."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I'm turning my wedding into his execution," I said, my voice calm but laced with venom. "I will try him and sentence him in front of every family. I want everyone to see what happens when you betray the Morettis."

"And for that, Don Falcone, I need your help," I said, looking him directly in the eye.

Don Falcone was silent for a moment, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest of his chair. "It sounds entertaining. But why should the Falcone family risk making enemies of half the underworld to help you clean house?"

"In return, every racket under Robin's name—the casinos, the docks, the smuggling routes—our families split it all, fifty-fifty."

A cold smile finally touched Dante's lips. He stood, walked over to me, and extended his hand.

"I've always admired people who believe in an eye for an eye," he said, looking down at me, his gaze filled with the approval of one predator for another. "Especially a woman who collects her own debts. We have a deal."

I reached out and shook his hand.

His palm was warm and strong, a world away from Robin's deceptively gentle touch.

"A pleasure doing business with you, Don Falcone."

Dante raised an imaginary glass. "Then I trust it will be… an unforgettable wedding."

One day left until my revenge.

"Isabella, are you sure you want me to handle the port operations?"

Robin stood behind me, his voice a mix of probing excitement and disbelief.

"Of course," I said, turning to face him with a look of absolute trust. "Without my papa, I need someone I can rely on. And you are that person."

I handed him a document. It was the transfer of control for the port's smuggling routes.

Robin's hand trembled slightly as he took it. "Bella, I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything," I whispered, caressing his cheek. "We're getting married soon. A husband and wife should share everything."

He leaned in and kissed me tenderly. For a fleeting second, I almost felt a ghost of the man I thought I loved, the one who genuinely wanted a life with me.

"I'll protect all of this," he promised in my ear. "I'll protect you, and I'll protect our future."

Our future?

He really thought he had one.

The moment Robin left, I dialed Marco's private line.

"Did Sal find anything?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

Sal, Marco's Consigliere, had a way of making people talk.

"He did," Marco's voice came through the phone, seething with a rage he could barely contain. "Papa was a devout Catholic. He would never have suspected Father Romano. Robin paid him half a million dollars to add a specialized substance to Papa's holy water."

"He said he just wanted to weaken the old Don, to give himself a bigger role in family affairs. But that substance—it's known to induce a fatal cardiac arrest."

"The evidence?"

"We have it all. Bank transfer records, receipts for the chemical purchase, and…" Marco paused. "Sal has his full confession on tape. The priest sang like a canary to save his own skin."

If there was even a shred of hope left in me for Robin, Father Romano's confession annihilated it.

Every memory of his love replayed in my mind, each one transforming into the image of my papa, choking for air.

I was bidding farewell to the last five years of my life. I was a new Isabella now.

My phone vibrated. Ava again.

This time, the photo showed her in a pure white gown, an elegant and expensive design. Robin stood beside her in a deep blue suit, their arms wrapped around each other in an intimate embrace.

The setting was a suite in a high-end hotel.

The caption was a single line: Having a little wedding rehearsal with the future Don.

They were rehearsing our wedding.

The wedding that was supposed to be mine.

I said nothing. I just forwarded the photo to Dante with a single word attached: Prey.

Dante's reply was instant: Received.

In the days that followed, Robin became even more attentive. He came to the estate every day, "helping" me manage various family affairs.

He thought he was taking over the Moretti empire.

In reality, he was digging his own grave.

Every document he signed, every contact he made, every transaction he oversaw was meticulously recorded.

Marco was secretly rerouting our entire network of power. What Robin was taking over was nothing but an empty shell.

True power had never left the heart of the Moretti family.

The night before the wedding.

I sat alone in the estate's study, the room where my papa used to work.

The calendar on the desk showed tomorrow's date.

Less than twelve hours until my revenge.

"Isabella?"

Robin's voice called from downstairs. I had almost forgotten he had a key.

"In the study," I answered.

The footsteps grew closer. Robin pushed the door open, his face a mixture of excitement and nerves, just like when we first got together.

"Tomorrow's the big day," he said, sitting beside me. "Why aren't you resting?"

"I can't sleep," I murmured, leaning my head on his shoulder.

Robin held me close. "Me neither. Just think, after tomorrow, we'll finally be a real family."

His phone buzzed.

A message notification.

Robin glanced at it and quickly shut off the screen, but I had already seen the sender's name: Ava.

"Are you busy working?" I asked.

"Nothing important," Robin said, kissing the top of my head. "The only thing that matters right now is you."

I knew it would be the last lie he ever told me.

After he left, I picked up my phone.

I dialed Marco's number.

It was answered on the first ring.

"Brother," I said, my voice as still as dead water. "It's time to close the net."