Chapter 1

It was the Moretti Family's annual gathering, and everyone at the table was allowed to choose one dish.

When it was my turn, Bianca, a young woman who had only recently been taken under the Family's protection, suddenly snatched the menu from my hand.

"We've ordered enough. You don't need anything else."

I ignored her and looked at the waiter.

"I'll have the mac and cheese."

Before the waiter could respond, Bianca slammed the menu straight into my face.

"I said you're not ordering. Who the hell do you think you are?"

The hard edge scraped across my cheek, leaving a sharp sting behind.

My temper snapped.

I grabbed the menu and struck her across the face with it.

Bianca shrieked and stumbled back, clutching her cheek.

"Do you have any fucking idea who I am? My father is Wesley Modine, head of the Modine Family. He's the Morettis' most powerful ally!"

Her face twisted with rage.

"Even the Don shows him respect. And you dare put your hands on me? One word from my father, and I can have you stripped of your place in this Family. I'll make sure no crew in this city dares take you in!"

I stared at her, genuinely confused.

Wesley Modine was my biological uncle.

He was forty years old.

And as far as I knew, he'd never had a wife, a mistress, or even a serious girlfriend.

So when the hell had he gotten a daughter this old?

……

Seeing me go quiet, Bianca mistook my confusion for fear and grew even more smug.

"What? Scared now? A woman like you, who only got this far by showing her face to the right men, should be grateful the Family even lets you sit at this table. And you think you deserve to order whatever you want?"

Got this far because of my face?

I was up before dawn checking ledgers, spent half my days in warehouses and on docks negotiating shipments, and had been out in the sun so much my own mother joked she barely recognized me anymore.

And this bitch thought I survived on my looks?

I pushed my chair back and stood, staring straight at her.

"Watch your mouth. Everything I've earned in this Family came from my own work. Everyone sitting here knows that. You don't get to insult me."

I glanced at the table.

"And this is a Family dinner. You're not paying for it. If I don't have the right to order, you sure as hell don't."

I looked her up and down.

"No wonder I smelled something rotten when I walked in. Turns out it was just your mouth."

Several people around the table lowered their heads, trying to hide their laughter.

They had been sick of Bianca for weeks.

She had only been under Moretti protection for a month, yet she already treated everyone around her like servants.

Not long ago, when Meg Wheeler, one of the younger women working for the Family, refused to fetch her coffee, Bianca had dumped the entire cup over her head.

The coffee was hot enough to blister Meg's scalp.

Bianca hadn't apologized.

Instead, she'd pointed at Meg and threatened her.

"Try making me apologize, and I'll have you thrown out of the Family."

In the end, the Morettis quietly paid Meg's medical expenses.

I'd wanted to step in at the time, but the others stopped me.

Back then, I couldn't understand why everyone was furious but too afraid to confront Bianca.

Now I did.

They were all afraid of the supposed daughter of Wesley Modine.

Bianca's face turned scarlet. She thrust a finger toward my face.

"Bitch, stop pretending you're tough! Without my father, the Morettis would've lost half their territory years ago. At this table, I call the shots. If I say you don't order, then you don't order!"

Her voice rose even higher.

"Who the hell do you think you are to challenge me? Order one more dish, and I'll make sure you're out of this Family by tomorrow!"

The waiter had heard everything. He looked at me uneasily.

"Ma'am... would you still like me to put in the order?"

"Yes."

I answered without hesitation.

This was ridiculous.

I'd brought millions into the Family's legitimate businesses and helped secure some of its most profitable deals.

And now I wasn't even allowed to order one damn dish?

"What the hell is all this noise?"

A cold voice cut across the room.

Don Cody Godlock walked in, his expression dark.

"This is a Family gathering, not a street brawl. What's going on?"

Before anyone else could speak, Bianca hurried over to him, instantly putting on an aggrieved expression.

She twisted the entire story in her favor.

I didn't even get the chance to explain before Cody's cold gaze settled on me.

"Phoebe, you've been with the Family for a year. You should know we don't tolerate waste."

His tone hardened.

"Bianca was only thinking about the Family. Is skipping one dish really going to kill you?"