"Because," Carina said, the smile audible in her voice, "you killed your own child with her just to have our own child."

The question hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I stood frozen in the hallway, my hand clamped over my mouth to stifle the scream that was clawing its way up my throat. I waited for Tavio to deny it.

I waited for him to shout at Carina for suggesting such a monstrous thing. I waited for the man I had married to defend the life we had created.

Instead, Tavio laughed.

It was a low, chilling sound that scraped against my nerves. "Guilty? Why would I feel guilty about removing a parasite?"

My knees buckled. I had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.

"I wanted the child gone," Tavio continued, his voice casual, as if discussing a shipment reroute. "A baby complicates things. Custody claims, emotional attachments... it's messy. I couldn't risk her getting attached to a brat and fighting me for the Family. It was easy enough. A few pills in her morning smoothie for a week. High dosage. Nature took its course."

The room spun. The nausea returned, violent and sudden. He had poisoned me. He had murdered our baby while smiling across the breakfast table, kissing my forehead, and telling me to drink up for my health.

"If only I could kill her, too," Tavio added with a sigh. "It would be so much cleaner. Just one tragic accident. But I can't. Not yet."

"Why not?" Carina asked. "She's weak. She's vulnerable."

"Because of the trust," Tavio explained impatiently. "If she dies now, the holdings go into a blind trust until an heir is found or the Commission redistributes the territories. Her parents were paranoid. Salvatore built the whole thing with tripwires. But if she is declared unfit to lead and signs over power of attorney to me... then I control everything. The rackets, the fronts, the offshore accounts. I need her to transfer the Family seat to me first. I need her broken, not dead. At least, not yet."

"And then?" Carina's voice was eager. "Then we get married, right?"

"Of course we will," Tavio replied. I could hear the smile in his voice. "From the start, it's been you, Care. You know that. I just wanted her empire. I've spent five years playing the doting husband to a woman I can barely stand to touch. I've earned this payout."

My world didn't just crack; it shattered.

I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to vomit. Five years.

I flashed back to when I was seventeen. I was a freshman in college, naive and grieving the recent distance from my parents who were always traveling between the Family's territories. I met Tavio in the campus library. He dropped his books. I helped him pick them up.

He looked at me with those blue eyes and told me I was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He was nobody, wearing a frayed sweater, working two jobs. I thought it was romantic. I thought he loved me for me, not for the Santoro name.

I remembered the dates on park benches because he couldn't afford dinner. I remembered defending him to my friends who said he didn't belong in our world. I remembered thinking we were building something from nothing.

And Carina?

We met in high school. We were inseparable. She was the sister I never had. When Tavio and I started dating, she was the one who encouraged it.

She was the one who told me to ignore the whispers. She was the one who held my dress in the bathroom at my wedding.

Stealing her man? No, it was worse than that. She hadn't just stolen him; she had been working with him the entire time. They were partners. I was the mark.

A memory, sharp and painful, surfaced from the depths of my mind. It was the last time I saw my parents alive.

It was three years ago, right before the wedding. My father, a man of few words but immense perception, had sat me down in his study. The room smelled of old leather and cigar smoke, and the heavy curtains were drawn against the city lights. My mother stood by the window, looking grim.

"Ambra," my father had said, his voice stern. "We cannot bless this union."

"Why?" I had demanded, furious. "Because he's not one of us? Because he doesn't come from your world?"

"No," my mother had interrupted, turning to face me. Her pearl ring caught the lamplight as she held it up, turning it slowly, studying something only she could see. "Because he is a wolf, darling. We had him investigated. There are gaps in his past. He is a chameleon. He mirrors what you want to see, but there is nothing behind his eyes but greed. He doesn't look at you with love; he looks at you like a meal."

"You're wrong!" I had screamed at them. "You're snobs! You just want me to marry some soldier from one of the other Families!"

"Do not trust Tavio," my father had warned, slamming his hand on the desk. "If you marry him, do not merge your holdings. Keep the Family operations separate. Promise me that." I remembered the weight of his hand on my shoulder, a single firm squeeze before he let go. His way of saying he would not fight me further. His way of saying he would still come back.

I hadn't promised. I had stormed out. Two weeks later, their private jet went down over the Atlantic. I inherited everything. The territories, the rackets, the legitimate fronts, the network of alliances my father had spent a lifetime building. And in my grief, I turned to the only two people I thought I had left: Tavio and Carina.

I had been so blind. So stupidly, willfully blind.

"I can't wait to be your wife," Carina giggled.

The sound of their laughter snapped me back to the present.

I could walk in there. I could scream. I could grab a knife from the block and attack them. I could tell them I knew everything.

But what would that achieve?

Tavio was right about one thing: I was physically weak right now.

No. I couldn't fight them with force. I had to fight them with the one thing they wanted.

I took a deep breath, forcing my heart rate to slow. I stepped backward until I was inside the master bedroom.

I was done crying. The tears had dried up the moment he admitted to killing my baby.

I dialed a number. It rang twice before it was answered.

"Miss Ambra?" The voice was gravelly, familiar. It was Arturo. He wasn't just an advisor; he was the Family's Consigliere, the man who had run my parents' world for thirty years. He was the only person left who was loyal to the bloodline.

"You are supposed to be in the hospital. Is everything alright?"

"I need you to initiate Protocol Zero. Immediately."

There was silence on the line. I heard the faint sound of reading glasses being folded shut, a single precise motion. When he spoke again, his tone had shifted from concern to something colder, older, professional.

"That will freeze the Family's operations. It will alert the Commission. It requires immediate liquidation of all accessible holdings."

"Do it," I commanded. "I want every penny moved. I want the estate placed into the blind trust. I want the vehicles transferred. I want the joint accounts drained. Move everything to the holding company in the Caymans. Put it in your name temporarily if you have to, just get it away from him."

"Him? You mean Mr. Nero?"

"Make it clean," I whispered, glancing at the bedroom door. Down the hall, their laughter continued, muffled, careless. "Tavio cannot know until the money is already gone."

"And the reason?"

I looked at the wedding photo on the nightstand. Tavio's smiling face. The lie.

"Because I am divorcing Tavio," I said.

And I am going to leave him with exactly what he had when I met him. Nothing.

"Divorcing?" Tavio asked. His voice was dangerously quiet. "What do you mean, divorcing me? Who were you talking to?"

Panic flared in my chest, hot and sharp. Had he heard the part about the accounts? Had he heard me authorize the transfers?

I forced myself to breathe.

"You humiliated me," I sobbed, the tears coming easily now. "In the hospital. In front of everyone. You blamed me for losing our baby. You said I was incompetent. You said I couldn't be a mother."

"Baby," he said, taking a step into the room. "Please. I was upset. I was grieving too."

"By blaming me?"

"I'm sorry," he pleaded, dropping to his knees in front of me. He looked up with those blue eyes, the same ones that had fooled me for five years. They were wet with unshed tears. It was a masterclass in manipulation. "I am so, so sorry. I love you. I was out of my mind with grief. Please, don't leave me. Not now. Not when we need each other the most."

I looked down at him. I saw the desperation. It wasn't love; it was fear of losing his claim to the Santoro empire.

"You hurt me, Tavio," I whispered. "You really hurt me."

"I know," he said, kissing my hands. "I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Just... don't do this. Don't throw us away because of one bad day. Let me fix it. Let me take care of you."

"Okay," I said softly. "I... I can't just forget it. But I don't want to be alone right now."

"You won't be," Tavio said, standing up and pulling me into a hug. His grip was tight, possessive. "I'm right here. How about we go out? Just us. A quiet dinner. Get out of this house for a bit. We can talk properly."

"Okay," I nodded against his chest. "I'll forgive you. For now."

"Great," Tavio exhaled, the tension leaving his body. He pulled back and smiled, that charming, boyish smile. "Go get changed. I'll make a reservation at Il Giardino. Your favorite."

"Do you love me?" I asked, looking him directly in the eyes.

"More than anything in the world," he lied without blinking.

"Okay," I said, forcing a weak smile. "I'll get ready."

He kissed my forehead and left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, my smile vanished.

When I went downstairs, Carina was waiting in the foyer. One of the Family's soldiers stood by the front door, hands clasped, eyes elsewhere. She rushed over to me, her face a picture of concern.

"Ambra!" she cried, pulling me into a hug. "Tavio told me what happened. Oh my god, are you okay?"

I stiffened in her arms. I could smell her perfume. It was the same scent that had been lingering on Tavio's shirt for months.

"I'm fine," I said, pulling away. "Just... tired."

"Don't be harsh on him," Carina said, wiping a fake tear from her cheek. She tucked her hair behind her left ear with a quick, almost nervous motion. "He's really torn up about the baby, Ambra. He loves you so much. Men just... they handle grief differently. You have to forgive him."

It took every ounce of my willpower not to slap her.

"I know," I said. "We're going to dinner to talk things through. Actually..." I paused, an idea forming. If I wanted to torture them, I needed to play their game. "Why don't you come with us?"

Carina blinked. "Me? Oh, I couldn't. It's a date night."

"Please," I insisted, grabbing her hand. "I need my best friend. It will help keep things calm. Tavio won't mind. He loves having you around."

"Okay," she said, squeezing my hand. "If you're sure. I'll come."

The dinner was a farce.

We sat at a corner table in the back of Il Giardino, the kind of table where the Family ate because no one could approach from behind. Tavio sat next to me, his hand on my thigh under the table. Carina sat across from us, sipping her wine and watching us with a tight smile.

I played the part of the devoted wife perfectly. I leaned into Tavio. I laughed at his jokes. I fed him a bite of my dessert. I kissed him on the cheek, lingering, whispering that I loved him.

Every time I touched him, I saw Carina's eye twitch. Every time I laughed, her grip on her wine glass tightened. She was jealous. She was furious that the "broken" wife was suddenly reclaiming her territory.

"I need to use the powder room," Carina announced abruptly, standing up. She didn't look at me. She looked at Tavio, her eyes burning.

"I'll join you," I said, standing up as well.

I followed Carina to the restroom. It was empty, thankfully. As soon as the door closed, Carina spun around to face me.

"You are being too much," she snapped. "Honestly, Ambra. Your husband is grieving and you're practically climbing into his lap in public. It's desperate."

"Desperate?" I asked, leaning against the sink. "I'm just loving my husband, Carina. Is that a problem?"

"It's fake," she hissed. "You were screaming about divorce an hour ago. Now you're all over him? It's pathetic."

"I'm trying to save my marriage," I said calmly. "Unlike some people, I don't give up when things get hard. Tavio needs me. He loves me."

"He feels sorry for you!" Carina shouted. Her mask was slipping. "He's only with you because he pities you!"

"Is that what you think?" I stepped closer to her. "Or are you just jealous because you're alone, Carina? You've always been jealous of me. My clothes, my house, my life. And now, you're jealous of my husband."

"I am not jealous!" she shrieked. "I'm your best friend! I'm trying to help you see reality!"

"The reality is," I said, my voice dropping to a cold whisper, "that you are a leech. You've been living off my generosity for years. And frankly, I'm tired of it."

Carina stared at me, her mouth open. Tears of rage were welling up in her eyes. "How dare you? After everything I've done for you?"

"Done for me?" I laughed. "You mean taking my hand-me-downs? Eating my food? Living in the guest house on Santoro grounds rent-free?"

Carina burst into tears. Real, ugly tears of frustration. She stormed out of the bathroom.

I waited a beat, checked my reflection, and followed her.

Back at the table, Carina was grabbing her purse. Tavio was standing up, looking panicked. The waiter who'd been hovering nearby had retreated. In a place like this, people knew when to disappear.

"What the hell is wrong?" Tavio demanded, his voice rising. "Are you picking a fight with your best friend? Now? After everything today?"

"Yes," I said, sitting down and picking up my wine glass. I took a slow sip.

"Why?" Tavio asked, looking at Carina who was sobbing into a napkin.

"Because she's toxic," I said simply. "And I'm also cutting her from the Family's operations."

Tavio froze. "What?"

"She's incompetent," I said, shrugging. "She's been mishandling the front accounts for months. I've been meaning to do it, but today just clarified things. I don't need negative energy in my life, Tavio. And neither do you."

"You can't do that," Tavio stammered. "She's... she's family."

"No," I said, setting the glass down. "She's an associate. And she's out."

I sat in the dark of my walk-in closet, the glow of my tablet illuminating my face. On the screen, a grainy black-and-white video played. It was a live feed from the hidden camera I had installed in Tavio's study.

"I can't believe she fired me!" Carina shrieked. "After everything I've done! I've been covering for you for years, Tavio! I've been feeding you inside information! And she just... cuts me off like a dead limb?"

"Calm down," Tavio said, pouring himself a drink. "She's unstable. The miscarriage messed with her head more than we thought. It's just a tantrum."

"A tantrum?" Carina laughed. "She locked me out of the communications network, Tavio! She revoked my access to the Family's front operations! I can't even get into the social club to delete the files! If she finds the dummy accounts... and what if she already knows about us?"

"She won't," Tavio assured her, walking over to wrap his arms around her. "If she does, surely she will not sit tight, and confront me."

"I want her dead," Carina sobbed into his chest. "I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of pretending to be her friend. I want her gone, Tavio. Now."

"It's okay, baby," Tavio cooed, stroking her hair. "We're close."

"When?" Carina demanded, pulling back to look at him.

"The Family Feast," Tavio said. His hand moved to his tie, smoothing it with a slow downward stroke from knot to sternum. "Next Friday. It's the perfect stage. She'll be surrounded by the Commission, the press, every Boss in the Northeast. I've already planted the seeds about her mental instability. We'll stage a breakdown. A public, undeniable psychotic break. I'll have the doctors ready to commit her that night. Once she's in the facility, I get power of attorney by default."

"And then," Tavio kissed her forehead, "she'll be ruined. And I'll get everything. The Family, the estate, the empire. And you."

They kissed. It was hungry and desperate, a celebration of my impending destruction.

I turned off the tablet, my hand trembling slightly.

My phone buzzed in my lap. It was Arturo.

"Everything is ready, Madam," Arturo's gravelly voice came through. "The offshore accounts are active. The domestic holdings have been liquidated and transferred. The estate deed has been moved to the blind trust. The separation papers are drafted and ready for filing."

"Good," I breathed. "And the forensic accounting on Carina's operations?"

"Complete. We have evidence of embezzlement, infiltration, and fraud. It's enough to put both of them away for twenty years."

"Hold onto it," I said. "I want to drop the hammer when it hurts the most."

"And your departure, Madam? When will you leave?"

"A few days," I said, glancing at the closed closet door. "Prepare the lake house. The one my parents gave me for my twenty-first birthday. It's off the grid. Tavio doesn't even know it exists."

"It will be ready. Be careful, Ambra."

"I will."

I hung up and took a deep breath.

I walked downstairs. Tavio was in the living room, nursing a scotch. He looked up as I entered, his face instantly composing itself into a mask of concern.

"Hey," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I lied. "I'm sorry about dinner. I just... I snapped."

"It's okay," Tavio said, standing up. "But Ambra... we need to talk about Carina."

"There's nothing to talk about," I said, walking past him to the kitchen. "She's out."

"She has nowhere to go," Tavio pleaded, following me. "She's been living in the guest house because she can't afford a place in the city. Her cut from the Family was her only income. If you fire her and kick her out... she'll be on the street."

"She should have thought of that before she became incompetent," I said, pouring myself a glass of water.

"She's your blood-sister!" Tavio argued. "She's been there for you through everything! The funeral, the wedding... she loves you, Ambra. You're punishing her for trying to help."

"I'm protecting my Family," I shot back. "And frankly, Tavio, I don't care where she goes."

Tavio opened his mouth to argue, but his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and frowned.

"It's the hospital," he said, answering it. "Hello? Yes, this is Tavio Nero. Who? Carina?"

I watched him. His face went pale. He looked at me with wide, accusing eyes.

"Oh my god," he whispered. "Is she... okay? We're on our way."

He hung up, his hand shaking.

"Carina is in the ER," Tavio said, his voice trembling with manufactured outrage. "She tried to kill herself. She took a bottle of pills."

I felt a cold knot in my stomach. It was a move. A desperate, manipulative move to force my hand.

"This is on you," Tavio spat, pointing a finger at me. "You pushed her to this! You fired her, you humiliated her, and now she's lying in a hospital bed because she felt like she had nothing left!"

We drove to the hospital in silence. When we arrived, Carina was awake, looking pale and fragile in the hospital bed. Her wrist was bandaged — a hesitation mark, I noted. Enough for attention, not enough for death.

"Ambra," she croaked when she saw me. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I just... I didn't know what else to do."

Tavio stood by her side, holding her hand. The nurses looked at me with thinly veiled judgment. I could hear the whispers in the hallway.

The narrative was already spinning. If I didn't act now, I would be the villain before the Feast even started.

"I'm so sorry, Carina," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I didn't know you were struggling this much. I was just... I was projecting my own pain onto you."

"It's okay," Carina sniffled. She tucked her hair behind her left ear with a quick, almost nervous motion. "I just want my friend back."

"You have her," I said, taking her other hand. "And you have a home. You can't stay in the guest house alone. It's too isolated."

Tavio looked up, surprised. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying she should move into the main house," I said, looking Tavio dead in the eye. "With us. Until she gets back on her feet. I'll reinstate her in the Family's operations, too. On probation."

"Really?" Carina asked. "You'd do that?"

"Of course," I smiled. It was the warmest, most loving smile I could muster. "We're famiglia, aren't we? Families stick together."

"Thank you, Ambra," Tavio said, squeezing my shoulder. "You're doing the right thing."

"I know," I said.

But as I walked out of the hospital room to get some air my smile remained.

In just a few days, they will be ruined.