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Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I watched silently as Dad presided over the table, raging at how our capos were content with the truce. Adriano shifted his gaze to me every two seconds as if silently asking me to make sure Dad didn't completely lose it in front of everyone. He had been warning me about Dad's erratic behaviour but I didn't listen. Joey, as a Caporegime of the Outfit, has inherited his family's longstanding authority over the city of Rockford. They've been overseeing operations for years, faithfully serving the Outfit's interests. Dad trusted his word the most but right now I could see that he was pissing him off. "Capo, this truce has been golden for business. Our shipments are smooth as silk, and the heat's off our backs. It's like we got a free pass through their turf. We're printing money. Our guys and their guys, we're all counting the green. No unnecessary bloodshed, just business booming," he said with a content grin, "Less murders means less cops breathing down our neck
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Vincenzo came back into the room a while later while I freshened up for bed and changed into my nightwear. I was applying moisturizer onto my legs when he entered, looking a little distracted. His gaze locked onto me, causing my breath to hitch. Swiftly, I diverted my attention back to my legs, feeling the weight of his eyes on me. He slowly took off his jacket, his tie, and his cufflinks, and then he popped open a few buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves with deliberate precision. I mustered up the courage to glance at him once more and found him still staring at me as if he were trying to decipher me. "What?" I asked. He finally looked elsewhere, grabbed all of his meticulously placed stuff, and walked into the closet. His room was an oasis of order, every item meticulously placed. Strangely, not a word escaped his lips regarding the chaos of my belongings strewn across the space. I finished moisturizing and made my way to our bed. I slid under th
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅We were escorted directly to the hospital where Allegra and Scott were. Stepping into the hallway, relief, and excitement flooded me as I saw Alessandro there. He likely accompanied Capo, but the timing couldn't have been more perfect.Approaching him, our eyes locked, and I couldn't restrain my eagerness. I swiftly moved past everyone and wrapped my arms around Alessandro, hugging him like he was the one I missed the most. I smiled, burying my face in his neck as a guise to discreetly whisper in his ear, "I need to talk to you urgently. Meet me in the ladies' room in an hour—I'll explain everything." Alessandro, though momentarily surprised, nodded gradually in acknowledgment. I pulled back with a wide smile, and Alessandro, still seemingly stunned, responded with a smile of his own. "I missed you too, Cindy," he finally said. Someone cleared their throat from behind me, and I instinctively knew who it was. Turning, I saw Luca shooting daggers at Alessandro, t
Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I found it hard to concentrate, especially after the way she left earlier this morning. My eyes shifted to the ring gracefully placed on my desk. It baffled me why this one held more value for her than our wedding ring. I hadn't seen her treating our symbol of marriage with the same degree of attention as she did with this particular one.Antonio strode into my office, a subtle nod acknowledging my presence. In his hands, he held a bundle of documents, meticulously bound together with leather straps.He carefully placed the documents on my desk, meeting my gaze with a respectful nod. "Boss, we've compiled the latest financial reports, specifics on the upcoming shipments this week, and an update on the territories you've had your eye on... Indianapolis."Indianapolis stood as a reminder of the territories my father and grandfather lost in the war against Luciano Costello. Reclaiming it held personal significance for me, part of a larger strategy to expand our influ
Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I grabbed the next diary and began reading. It unfolded her life, delving into her inner thoughts, the ones she never shared with anyone.Each entry whispered the secrets she had kept guarded, offering a raw and unvarnished glimpse into the woman behind the facade I thought I knew. For everyone else, she seemed like this lively, wild, and slightly out-of-control twenty-something trapped in a teenager's spirit. But looking into this diary, she was a person carrying a lot of sadness. She appeared more grown-up and intelligent than she let on.I froze as I spotted my name inked in her diary. A hesitation gripped me; I was reluctant to dive into those words. The fear lingered—I didn't want to uncover how she might have played me, viewing me merely as an opportunity. The prospect of what those pages held felt like a weight on my chest, and I wasn't sure if I could handle it.But perhaps, just maybe, I could finally grasp the motive behind it all. If it was about savin
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅"I need to go see him!" Alessia yelled for what felt like the hundredth time as Adriano drove us back home.I sat in the car disbelief, words trapped in my throat. A deathmatch? The Cosa Nostra might've placed bets on underground cage fights, but they never directly immersed themselves in it.I didn't know that Vincenzo was into cage fighting. He has never said a word about it. The gritty world of illegal cage fighting seemed a far cry from the polished veneer of Vincenzo. I struggled to reconcile the two, wondering if there was an even darker side of him I had yet to uncover.It suddenly dawned on me how gently he'd trained me for combat before our mission to confront Santino, realizing he'd held back, perhaps to shield me from some aspects of his life. Adriano stepped into the foyer and Alessia marched behind him while I numbly followed the two, "He specifically instructed me to make sure that you two were safe at home." "I don't care what he said, Adriano! if y
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅The cage was a hexagonal space enclosed by a sturdy steel cage, standing about 8 feet tall. Its steel bars were designed with sharp angles and the lighting only highlighted the cold, shiny floor. Around the cage, there were elevated seating arrangements for the audience, offering a clear view of the fight.The buzz in the arena was electric. The most anticipated fight of the night was about to happen, and the crowd, a wild sea of eager faces, erupted into a chant that reverberated like a heartbeat: "Blade! Blade! Blade!" The rhythmic mantra echoed off the walls, a collective fervor that only intensified my growing anxiety. I never asked him why they called him that... Why Scott or someone else would occasionally call him Blade, I thought it was just a nickname these Men of honor all seemed to have. I thought it was harmless and given to him because he was obsessed with knives but I could have never imagined this. We were escorted to the seats that were reserved f
Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Bruto let out a guttural roar, the sound reverberating through the air, and brought the mallet down with brutal force aimed at Vincenzo. I couldn't bear to watch; so I shut my eyes.A hot tear rolled down my cheek...Then, his roar abruptly stopped, replaced by a harsh, gasping noise followed by strained wheezing.The sudden shouts and cheers of the crowd made me snap my eyes back open. The scene before me had completely shifted, Vincenzo was now standing before Bruto, his knife buried deep in his throat. It was the same blade he had used to cut me out of my wedding dress on our wedding night. The mallet slipped from his grasp and thudded to the mat, echoing through the space. Bruto's hands futilely struggled with the blade. He was gasping and choking on his own blood, staggered, his legs giving way beneath him. I don't think I'll ever forget this sight.Vincenzo's eyes blazed with a savagery beyond words as he mercilessly twisted the knife, I winced and struggle