Chapter 3

Watching Neal cradle Tania so carefully brought back a memory I would rather have forgotten.

Two years ago, I had stayed awake for two nights straight to secure one of the biggest deals the Moretti Family had ever landed.

By the time I returned to the estate, I could barely stand.

My blood sugar crashed in the middle of Neal's study, and I collapsed right in front of him.

He didn't even reach out to catch me.

Because there were other Family members in the room.

Because he wanted to "avoid suspicion."

He simply watched as my forehead struck the corner of his desk.

The scar was still hidden beneath my bangs.

And now?

Tania pretended to faint, and he held her like she was something precious.

Around us, sympathy quickly turned into accusations.

"Ivy, Tania practically begged you to stop. Why did you have to push her that far?"

"Exactly. It's just credit for one deal. Is it really worth all this? You're obviously jealous of her."

I swept my gaze across the ballroom.

These people could twist right and wrong without hesitation as long as it pleased their Don.

Then I noticed something.

Tania's eyelids fluttered.

The corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly against Neal's chest.

She was awake.

"Don't let her fool you."

I looked straight at her.

"She's not unconscious. She's acting."

The words had barely left my mouth when Neal's hand came down.

Slap.

My head snapped to the side.

Burning pain spread across my cheek, and within seconds, I could feel it beginning to swell.

I slowly turned back.

Neal stared at me, his face twisted with rage.

"Ivy, shut your mouth."

His voice echoed through the ballroom.

"Apologize to Tania right now, or I'll strip you of your position as underboss."

Something inside my chest broke.

I looked at the man I had loved for five years.

Then, strangely, the pain began to disappear.

"Neal."

I met his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to choose her side?"

Something in my expression seemed to humiliate him.

His face darkened.

He turned toward the Family accountant and several of his capos.

"Effective immediately, Ivy Pruitt is no longer underboss."

The room went still.

Neal wasn't finished.

"Starting tomorrow, she works downstairs with the servants. Cleaning floors, washing dishes, scrubbing bathrooms. Whatever needs doing."

Laughter erupted around me.

Some didn't even bother hiding their delight.

The Moretti underboss.

Reduced to scrubbing toilets.

I should have been humiliated.

Instead, I started laughing.

I laughed until tears filled my eyes.

Five years.

I had given Neal five years of my life.

When the Moretti Family had been drowning in debt, I had poured the inheritance my parents left me into keeping it alive.

I had helped him build this empire from almost nothing.

Deal by deal.

Alliance by alliance.

And this was how he repaid me.

By ordering me to scrub his floors.

What a joke.

I turned toward the doors.

Neal immediately followed.

He caught up with me before I reached the hallway and lowered his voice beside my ear.

"Ivy, just apologize."

I kept walking.

"I'm trying to protect you."

His voice became softer.

"It's only a month. I'll have you work downstairs for a month, just for appearances. Once everyone forgets about tonight, I'll put you back where you belong."

I stopped.

For appearances.

Avoid suspicion.

It was always the same excuse.

Every time he took something from me.

Every time he humiliated me.

Every time he expected me to swallow another injustice.

All because he needed to "avoid suspicion."

I turned and looked at him.

"Neal, I don't need your protection."

He frowned.

"I quit."

For the first time that night, Neal looked genuinely stunned.

"What?"

I didn't answer.

I turned around and walked out of the Moretti estate without looking back.

Behind me came whispers.

Laughter.

Insults.

I didn't care anymore.

My phone vibrated in my hand.

A message from the Romano Family appeared on the screen.

[Ms. Pruitt, welcome to the Romano Family.]

[Effective immediately, you will take charge of our legitimate operations and answer directly to Don Romano. You will have full authority over all negotiations and business affairs.]

I stared at the message.

Slowly, I smiled.

[Looking forward to working together.]

I had barely reached my car when my phone rang.

Paddy Finch.

Don Romano's consigliere.

"I knew you'd finally come around, Ms. Pruitt."

There was satisfaction in his voice.

"I've told you for years that wasting your abilities on Gilbert for the sake of a man would get you nowhere."

I opened the car door.

Paddy continued.

"With you handling negotiations, I have no doubt we can secure the Runhao Group contract."

My hand paused.

"The five-hundred-million-dollar one?"

"The very same."

He chuckled.

"You'll have the full backing of the Romano Family."

My smile deepened.

Five hundred million dollars.

The Runhao Group contract.

Oh, I knew that deal very well.