#04 - Hero or Villain

Caterina Bellini

When I finally dialed the number on my cell phone, adrenaline rushed through my veins.

I was nervous, but I felt that the old Caterina, the one who loved taking risks and breaking rules, was still alive inside me.

"Who is this, and how did you get this number?" Luca’s voice came harshly from the other end of the line.

"This is Caterina Bellini. A few years ago, I saved your nephew during a shootout, and you gave me this number. You said you owed me a favor, and I could call it in."

"Miss Bellini, it’s been a while since we last spoke." His voice was gentler now. "Just be brief. I’m in the middle of an operation."

This was my first real chance.

I spoke with conviction. "I need one call, just one, with Don Leone. Only he can help me get back what’s mine, and I know he would listen to you. This is a matter of life and death."

"Stay close to the phone. I’ll call you back on this same number." He paused for a second. "And Caterina, I hope you know what you’re getting into."

He hung up.

I stayed silent, frozen, imagining when I would finally get to speak to the Don. I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

I didn’t even wait for the second ring.

"You have three minutes." The deep, striking voice that echoed in my ears made it clear this was not Luca and made me forget everything I had planned to say.

But I held my ground and tried not to waste the opportunity.

"I'll get straight to the point. When I got married, the families were merged. My family’s crest ended up in my husband’s hands, Adrian Monti, and that gradually erased the Bellini name. I can’t accept that anymore. I need to take back my soldiers, my fortress. And I can’t do it alone, especially now, when I know I’m about to be betrayed."

I heard a low, hoarse laugh echo from the other end, and that sound made my skin crawl.

"How can you be so sure you’re going to be betrayed?" he asked.

Being murdered and coming back to life would be enough proof, but what credibility would I have if I just dumped that tragic and insane story on him? I couldn’t risk it.

"With all due respect, Don Leone, a woman’s intuition should never be doubted. I see more than my eyes can see, and I hear more than my ears can detect. But most of all, I’ve been noticing, more and more each day, in my husband’s actions, what I refused to believe. That’s why I give you my word, and the Bellini word has always carried value. If I have your support, I’ll have a chance to change my story."

Silence settled on the other side, and I began to wonder if the call had dropped.

My hands were sweating, and then, finally, came the answer.

"You speak well, but you don’t seem very aware of who I am. Do you think I have time to get involved in a couple’s fight?" His voice was deeper than before, and I could tell how impatient he was. "You should have thought about the fact that merging families is always a problem. You can’t undo it like breaking a contract. These are the consequences of your actions. Own them."

Hearing that felt like a punch to the stomach. I gripped the phone tightly to keep myself from throwing it against the wall. I had spent my debt with Luca to get three minutes with Vincenzo Leone, and his answer was simply that I should accept my fate and move on.

No way.

"You’re right. I didn’t have a clear vision before, when I allowed this merger to happen, and not even now, when I decided to spend my debt to talk to you. I thought the great Don Leone would understand the price of betrayal among our own, but I was wrong. Sorry for wasting your time, Don Stronzo."

Maybe insulting the biggest mafia boss in the country by calling him an idiot wasn’t the smartest idea when all I wanted was allies, but it was done, and there was no turning back.

POV: Vincenzo Leone

"You're setting me up with crazy women now, Luca? You used to be a better capo." I handed him the phone as we walked through the North Cove marina. "Who is she?"

An important shipment was taking place on our boats, and I didn’t understand why Luca was making me waste time with that woman.

He laughed, walking beside me, though still keeping an eye on the movement around us. Soldiers passed by with their heads down, carrying insulated boxes as a front for the ammunition inside.

"Caterina is a woman with a combative personality, yes. She’s not the kind who plays the victim or bows to anyone. I met her a long time ago. She saved my nephew, and I owed her. Don’t blame me for being a man of my word."

I smiled, even though I could still hear those words echoing in my head. She did seem determined. I had to admit that.

That call was short, but her boldness and stubbornness in speaking to me that way, knowing who I am, made me want to know more about who she was.

POV Caterina

After spending a long time trying to digest the conversation with the Don, I decided to go check how things were around the house. After all, I still had a home to manage.

Adrian remained locked in the office, most likely jeopardizing the connections my father spent years building due to the impulsiveness and aggression characteristic of the Monti family.

The Bellini were good at politics. Culture and art served as a front for larger contacts. The Monti, on the other hand, had a more aggressive approach. Involved with casinos and trafficking, they spoke the language of the streets.

I tried to ignore that for now, pushing aside my anxiety about reasserting myself in the business.

I went to the kitchen and asked them to prepare some pasta for dinner.

Some followed me to the dining room as we organized details, and then, like an inconvenient ghost, Nathalia appeared, leaning against the wall like a dying woman dragging herself through her deathbed.

"I just wanted to say that I understand your decision not to let me stay here. Not even in my dreams would I dare to interfere with such a beloved couple like you and Don Monti."

I subtly rolled my eyes at that and tried not to respond, choosing to swallow all that cynicism and falseness wrapped in sugary words. The others kept themselves busy, but I saw the curious looks to see how I would react.

Would I be the hero or the villain?

That made me think about my past life. About how I followed those same steps and ended up betrayed and ignored for standing up for myself.

Maybe I needed to make a few changes.