Chapter 3 Giuliana’s POV

Power had a scent.

It wasn’t just the cigars and aged whiskey that clung to the air like ghosts of old men nor was it the polished mahogany or the faintest trace of gunpowder embedded in the stone walls. It was something deeper and older and it was woven into the very foundation of the Leonetti compound.

It smelled like blood in this place. Like betrayal. Like history.

The gates groaned shut behind the Mercedes as it drove past it and seemed to seal my past and my future within these walls. 

The Leonetti estate stretched for thousand of acres and was a sprawling testament to generations of wealth that had been built on fear and respect. 

It hadn't changed much. The ivy still crawled up the stone walls, the vast terraces still overlooked the Sicilian coastline and the watchful eyes of soldati still tracked every movement with quiet menace.

Despite its majestic beauty, I knew that the heart of the estate had long since rotted.

When I stepped out of the car and held my son's right hand, I walked inside the mansion like I owned the place. 

The grand foyer was as I remembered—marble floors were polished to a blinding shine, chandeliers were dripping with crystals and the echo of my heels cut through the hushed whispers that followed me as I walked. 

The wives had gathered. They had all gathered for me. 

It was amusing to see. 

Francesca stood at the center of them and acted poised like a queen among her courtiers. She hadn't aged a day and was still exuding that perfectly sculpted elegance. Her figure was wrapped in a designer dress that cost more than most men’s lives but her beauty was like a blade—sharp and dangerous and meant to cut rather than captivate.

The other women circled her like well-trained jackals and their expressions as they stared at me had a mix of intrigue and contempt.

“Giuliana,” Francesca purred while her red lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “I see America has treated you well.”

Savouring the taste of war as it came to my mouth, I met her gaze evenly as I said coolly, “Yes. America rewards those who know how to take.”

A flicker of something passed through her cold blue eyes. I didn't exactly know what it was. Amusement? Displeasure? Perhaps it was both.

I didn't give a damn about it though. 

One of the wives, a sleek brunette with diamonds glinting at her throat, exhaled a false laugh as she said, “We were just talking about how unexpected your return was after all these years.”

“Unexpected?” I tilted my head as I studied her calmly. It was going to be easy to destroy her, I thought. 

“Funny. I’ve always believed a Leonetti should never be surprised.”

A tense silence stretched between all of us in response. Some of the wives looked at one another as they silently asked who was ready to face me next. 

It was Francesca who broke it with a chuckle that was as smooth as silk. “Of course. But so much has changed, cara. This isn’t the same home you left behind.”

I stepped closer to her and sniffed at her intoxicating and loud scent even as I lowered my voice so only she could hear. “No, Francesca. It’s exactly the same.”

Her nails curled against the crystal glass she held but her expression remained neutral as she looked at me. 

I smiled and walked past them and my presence, as I did so, felt like a ghost they had tried to exorcise and failed.

***

Don Giovanni Leonetti's study smelled like age and regret.

Stacks of books lined the dark wooden shelve and their spines looked cracked from heavy use. The massive oak desk still bore the weight of countless decisions that had been made in blood.

The old man, who was her grandfather, sat behind with his back hunched. The years had dealt heavily with his once-powerful frame. Once upon a time, many years ago, there was an assassination attempt on his life and even though he had barely escaped, it had left its mark—his left hand trembled slightly, his face was more lined than I remembered and he was confined to a wheelchair. 

But his eyes… his eyes were still the same.

They were Cold. Calculating. Dangerous.

“You have nerve,” he said in a voice that sounded raspier than before but was still carrying that quiet authority that had once made men kneel.

I took my time to sit and cross my legs with the kind of confidence that came from knowing I was no longer at his mercy. “So I’ve been told.”

His gaze flicked toward Giorgio who stood by the door. The little boy was silent but observant as he stared back at the old man. “And you bring a child into this world of wolves.”

I smiled in a manner that was slow and deliberate. “You would know all about that, wouldn’t you, Nonno?”

After speaking though, I turned towards Giorgio who nodded calmly and left the study room.

Just then, a humorless chuckle rumbled from my grandfather’s chest and through his chapped lips. “Perhaps.” He leaned back on the leather of his wheelchair as he continued. “Do you know why I summoned you?”

“I assumed it wasn’t to welcome me home with open arms.”

His expression darkened in response. “This is your home.”

I tilted my head as I studied him. “I don't suppose that is a fact that y’all find fascinating.”

He exhaled sharply through his nose and said roughly, “There is an arrangement to be made.”

I exhaled as well. There it was…the reason I was here.

I waited for him to let him out. 

He clasped his fingers and said, “Teodoro Lucchese.”

The name sent a slow burn of irritation through my veins but I masked it well.

“Teo?” I mused. “Ah, yes…the Lucchese family. They do control the Naples ports, don’t they?”

Giovanni’s face twitched involuntarily as he said, “A marriage between you and Teodoro would be mutually beneficial.”

I let the silence stretch before I leaned forward while I rested my chin on my hand. “Interesting choice. Considering Teo was personally responsible for that little… incident with the Moretti family.”

Giovanni’s face betrayed nothing but the slight shift in his breathing told me I’d struck a nerve.

“Ah,” I said while I feigned realization. “But of course, we don’t speak of such things. How silly of me.”

His jaw tightened in response. “This marriage is bigger than you, Giuliana.”

I leaned back in my chair as I smiled sweetly at him. “Of course it is. But you see, I’ve never been one for strategic sacrifices. Not when there’s another way.”

His patience frayed just then and he glared at me. “You think you can negotiate your way out of this?”

I exhaled and shook my head slightly. “No, Nonno. I think you’re in no position to dictate.”

Immediately, the room chilled way below zero Celsius at what I said. 

“I heard about the Leonetti finances,” I continued in a voice that was soft and lethal at the same time. “Not doing so well, are we? The legitimate businesses are crumbling, the underground operations are tangled in too many alliances and Francesca—” I smiled, “—well, she’s making quite the empire for herself, isn’t she?”

My grandfather’s grip tightened on the armrests of his wheelchair.

I stood just then and with a casual flick of my fingers, smoothened my dress. “So tell me, Nonno. How much is this marriage really worth?”

His silence was answer enough.

I turned toward the door but before leaving, I glanced back at him over my shoulder with a smile that barely concealed my fury. 

“This time, I set the terms.”

And with that, I walked out and left him to stew in the knowledge that the girl he once abandoned had returned—not to obey but to rule.