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“Eat,” he orders, ignoring my comment.

I roll my eyes but pick up the fork. “You ever take a break? Or is this your idea of fun?”

“Keeping you alive? Yeah, it’s a blast.”

“You’re hilarious,” I deadpan.

He smirks, leaning back in his chair. “You’re the one who keeps things interesting.”

As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve started to depend on him in a way that scares me. He’s a constant presence, steady and unyielding, and I’m not sure if I can imagine life without him anymore.

But I have to.

When Remo leaves for Moscow for work, the house feels emptier than ever. I’ve gotten used to him being around, his quiet strength filling the space. Without him, it’s just me and my thoughts, and they’re far from comforting. I start exploring the house, partly out of boredom, partly out of something else. A need to understand him, maybe. Or a need to find something—anything—that can help me make sense of the chaos he’s dragged me into.

Then, that’s when I find it. The hidden ledger Leone threatened him with, tucked away in his office, filled with names, dates, and numbers. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what it is: evidence. Proof of the Cosa Nostra’s crimes.

My hands tremble as I flip through the pages. This is it. This is my way out. My chance to break free from this world and take him down with it. But as I pick up the phone and dial, doubt creeps in.

The sound of the 911 operator’s voice sends a chill down my spine when she asks, “What’s your emergency?”

I hesitate, my throat dry, but then I say, “I—I have information. About the mafia.”

The line goes quiet for a moment before the operator responds, her tone neutral. “Please hold.”

As the silence stretches, I realize there’s no turning back. This decision will change everything. For me. For him. For both of us.

And I’m not sure if I’m ready for what comes next.

Chapter 26

Remo

As I storm into my house, the front doors barely stay on their hinges, and the sound of them crashing open feels like an echo of everything that’s gone wrong.

The place smells wrong now, like burned paper and the sickly sweetness of too many bodies packed into one space. My men are scrambling, their voices echoing in the halls, but I can’t make sense of it.

Federal agents. They’re everywhere. They’re like ants, flooding into my house and swarming every inch, every shadow I used to control.

The government doesn’t just freeze the bank accounts. They dismantle everything. Every illegal front, every operation I’ve run—gone. They’ll use my ties to the mafia to pull me into endless investigations and charges for racketeering, money laundering, and tax evasion. They’ll expose every deal, every connection, and make sure no one ever trusts me again. They’ll lock down my empire, suffocate it, and force me to watch as they tear apart my world. Anyone connected to me will be dragged in and forced to testify, turning on me to save their own skin. And if I don’t break, they’ll keep going until I have nothing left but a life full of enemies and regrets.

That sinking feeling in my gut? It’s the truth slamming into me, something worse than anger.

“Where is she?” I snap. My voice is harsh, but I can barely hear it over the shouts and hum of confusion.

Marco’s face turns pale. “She left as soon as they came, Boss.”

I look around at all the men, at my empire falling apart. And at that moment, I don’t want to think, don’t want to feel. I want to scream, but instead, I press the cold metal of my fist against my temple. “Tell me how.”

Marco shifts uncomfortably, but then, as if he can’t hold it in anymore, he spits the truth out. “One of ours got ambushed, and they took him. The ledger, everything, she handed them over.”

Everything. It’s gone.

I don’t ask for more details. I don’t need to. The truth is clear as daylight now. Daniela. The woman I thought I could trust. The woman I let in. The woman who looked at me like I wasn’t the monster I was. She’s the one who just brought everything I’ve built to its knees. Betrayal tastes like ash in my mouth.

I move without thinking. My feet practically don’t touch the ground as I get to the car. I don’t even notice the cold. I’m boiling from the inside out, my rage mixing with something else, something worse. Something I don’t want to admit.

The drive through the city is a blur. But I know where to find her.