Chapter 6

I looked at Valerie lying there, and for a second, I almost felt like I was looking at a demon.

The whole ward had gone insane.

Ricci rushed in and pulled Valerie up, while several BlackSword members immediately grabbed me and forced me to the ground.

“Apologize to her right now!” one of them shouted. “She’s bleeding because of you, Thalia. Stop acting crazy and admit what you did!”

My face felt completely numb.

Then I smiled.

“Okay,” I said quietly. “I’ll apologize.” I walked toward Valerie.

She took a step back, pretending to be frightened. “Thalia, I don’t know why you’re treating me like this—”

I kicked her hard.

She went crashing through the open balcony doors and disappeared from sight.

Everyone froze.

“Valerie!”

Ricci’s face changed instantly. He looked at me with shock and anger, but I didn’t care anymore. “Thalia, what the fuck did you just do?”

I reached for the diamond ring on my finger.

The ring he’d placed there five years ago when the sun was setting and he’d promised we’d stay together forever.

I pulled it off.

Then I threw it out the window.

The diamond hit the pavement below, bounced several times, and disappeared into the mud.

Our marriage lasted five years.

The ring lasted a few seconds longer.

I turned around.

Ricci grabbed my wrist. “Thalia, wait! Don’t walk away from me like this.”

I looked down at his hand, then looked at him.

For years, I’d pretended I was weak whenever he touched me.

Not anymore.

I twisted his arm, stepped behind him, and threw him over my shoulder. He slammed onto the floor.

The entire ward went silent.

Nobody moved.

Ricci stared up at me in disbelief.

I’d never let him see this side of me.

Maybe I should’ve shown him sooner.

I walked out without another word.

I went straight to Ricci’s superior, a senior BlackSword commander who’d known me only as his quiet wife.

“I need a secure line to Naples.”

He stared at me. “Mrs. Santiago, I know you’re upset, but that communication line is restricted. Only the Naples heir is authorized to use it.”

I smiled.

It wasn’t a nice smile.

“I’m not asking for permission. I’m giving you an order. Contact our informant in Naples and tell him his contact is Huntress.”

The room went completely quiet.

The commander stared at me. “H-huntress?”

“Yes.”

He looked at me for several seconds, then slowly stood. “Understood.”

He walked out.

A few minutes later, a large man I’d never seen before entered the room. He lowered his head respectfully. “Young Miss, I heard you were looking for me.”

Young Miss.

The words sent a strange chill through me.

I studied his face carefully.

Something felt wrong. Who was this man?

I took one step backward.

Then I heard a faint click.

My eyes widened.

The man had already triggered something hidden beneath the rubble.

“Get down!”

BOOM!

The blast tore through the damaged building. Concrete crashed from above, and smoke swallowed the room.

I tried to move, but a heavy piece of debris slammed into me.

Pain shot through my body.

My knees gave out and everything faded.

…

When I opened my eyes again, everything hurt.

I was trapped under a pile of broken concrete, and my arms were tied behind me with thick rope. Dust filled my mouth, and every breath felt like swallowing fire.

Then I heard voices outside.

Valerie.

Her voice was excited, almost cheerful.

“It was this man who helped Thalia leak our operation and worked with the rival mafia to kidnap Huntress. That’s why BlackSword couldn’t find her anywhere.”

She sounded so convincing.

Then she added, “Ricci, what are we going to do? The Naples factions are already demanding an explanation. If we don’t hand someone over, this could turn into a full-scale war.”

“Don’t worry. Someone has to pay for what happened.”

My heart stopped.

He continued, “He screwed up our operation, so we’ll use his body to give Naples the explanation they want. If that’s what it takes to calm those bastards down, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Footsteps came closer.

I could barely move my head, but I saw Ricci standing over me.

His eyes were cold.

“Get the explosives ready,” he ordered. “Blow this place apart and bury him under the rubble. Then send word to Naples that the traitor paid with his life.”

My blood ran cold.

“Let her blood be our apology to Huntress,” he added. “If we’re the ones who killed the person responsible, Huntress won’t have a reason to come after us.”

Won’t come after you?

I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood.

I was Huntress.

I was the hidden heiress of the Naples mafia family, the woman my twelve uncles had spent years preparing to inherit everything. And my own husband was about to kill me to avenge me.

How fucking ridiculous.

I forced myself to move.

My wrists were burning, and my legs barely worked, but I crawled through the rubble. I had to get out. I had to tell them who I was. Ricci had to know.

Surely, once he knew the truth, he’d stop.

Wouldn’t he?

I finally saw an opening and dragged myself toward it.

Then I heard a click.

Someone had triggered the explosives.

My eyes widened.

“No...”

The blast came.

Fire swallowed everything around me.

In those final seconds, my mind stopped thinking about Ricci.

I saw my parents.

I saw my twelve uncles.

I saw the people who’d raised me, protected me, and waited for me to come home.

Then I saw my wedding.

I was wearing a white dress, smiling like an idiot.

Ricci stood across from me, young and handsome, his eyes full of tears.

The priest smiled. “Thalia, do you take Ricci as your husband? Will you stay with him through good times and bad, and love him for the rest of your life?”

I smiled through my tears.

“I do.”

I do.

The words echoed inside my head.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

But this time, I couldn’t tell whether it came from grief or the heat.

Then everything disappeared.

BOOM!