Chapter 2

Serena

When I woke up, Enzo's side of the bed was completely cold.

I didn't linger. I grabbed a coffee and drove straight to campus.

It was a local state college. Walking through the quad felt like stepping into an alternate reality. It was a place where the biggest crisis was a failed midterm, worlds away from the guns and blood I lived around.

At lunch, I sat with my best friend, Chloe. Before we even touched our food, the loud chatter from the next table drifted over.

"Did you see? Sienna Moretti is back in town. She and Enzo Falcone are officially back on."

"Total power couple. They ran this city before she left."

Chloe dropped her fork onto her tray and rolled her eyes.

"Serena, I'm gonna say this one last time—stop wasting your life on him."

She leaned across the table, lowering her voice. "You had a full ride to Columbia. You threw away the Ivy League to stay at a state school, just to be near him. And for what? So he can keep you on a leash?"

The truth hurt.

My dad used to run numbers for the Falcone syndicate. When my parents died in a car wreck ten years ago, the Don took me in to clear his conscience.

Growing up, I worshipped Enzo. I sacrificed my own ambitions just to fit his schedule. It was an open joke among the made men that I was his loyal little pet. Enzo never shut those jokes down. I was naive enough to think his silence meant I actually had a chance.

Last night had completely slapped me awake.

I met Chloe's gaze and forced a smile. "It's fine. I'm over it. I finalized the Florence exchange paperwork with Professor Davis today. I'm leaving."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Wait, really? Serena, that's the best news I've heard all year!"

Right on cue, my phone buzzed on the table. A text from Enzo.

Welcome back gala for Sienna tonight. Be there.

I didn't plan on telling him I was cutting the cord. I didn't want him interfering.

To keep up the act, I suffered through my afternoon classes and drove to the syndicate's private banquet hall.

The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The usual casual greetings vanished, replaced by sharp, mocking stares from the mafia wives and capos.

Enzo stood at the center of the room. When he saw me, his dark eyes brushed over me—completely detached—before returning to Sienna, who was leaning against his chest.

I kept my head down and retreated to a dark corner. Through the crowd, I watched them put on a show. They drank from each other's glasses, laughing, their lips brushing while the mobsters cheered.

My stomach twisted. I felt like an absolute idiot for showing up.

Deciding I'd had enough, I grabbed my purse to slip out the side exit.

But before I could take two steps, a sharp stiletto stepped heavily onto the hem of my dress.

Sienna.

"Little Serena," she said. Her voice was sweet, but her eyes were dead cold. "Look at you, all grown up."

She took a sip of her champagne. "Got a boyfriend yet? Or are you still hovering around Enzo like a lost puppy? I could set you up with one of the guards if you're desperate."

"I'm good, Sienna. Back off," I said, keeping my voice flat.

She didn't like that. The fake smile dropped. She stepped into my personal space and lowered her voice.

"Drop the innocent act, sweetheart. We all know you opened your legs for him. Think you're special?"

She leaned in. I could smell the expensive liquor on her breath. "He told me sleeping with you felt like a chore. Said it was the most revolting thing he's ever done."

Before I could even process the insult, Sienna looked past my shoulder.

Then, she raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the cheek.

Crack.

The sound cut sharply through the music. Sienna gasped, stumbling backward and holding her face.

Enzo stepped between us.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Serena?!"

He shoved me out of the way, his hands instantly catching Sienna. She buried her face in his suit, crying on cue.

"I was just trying to say hi... I don't know what I said wrong... she just snapped!"

It was a flawless act. Enzo's jaw clenched. His eyes were pure murder.

"I've let you get away with plenty, Serena, but laying your hands on her?"

The room erupted into nasty whispers.

"Stray dog biting the hand that feeds."

"Thought she could trap the boss."

"Total psycho."

Humiliation burned my skin. For a split second, I looked at Enzo, hoping for a single flash of doubt in his eyes.

Nothing. Only disgust.

Something inside me just died. I lost the urge to even defend myself. I turned to walk away, but Enzo grabbed my wrist. His grip was a steel vise, digging into bone.

"Apologize to her. Right now."

"I didn't touch her!" I yelled, struggling against his grip. "She did it to herself! Let go of me—"

Smack.

His backhand caught me across the jaw before I could blink.

The force threw me to the floor. I crashed into a heavy marble side table. A massive crystal vase tipped over and shattered.

Jagged glass sliced straight into my palms as I caught myself. Bright, hot blood immediately pooled on the white carpet.

My hands bled, but inside, I felt absolutely nothing.

"Still lying to my face?!" Enzo sneered.

He didn't even look at the blood.

Years ago, if I got a simple papercut, this man would hold a gun to a doctor's head to make sure I was okay.

Tonight, I was bleeding out at his feet, and he looked at me like I was trash.

Ten years of loyalty. Eight years of love. All of it dead on that floor.

I didn't let him see me cry. I pressed my bleeding hands against the floor, pushed myself up, and walked straight out of the banquet hall without looking back.

Outside, the freezing rain was pouring. I walked right into the storm, letting the water wash the blood from my hands.

The girl who loved Enzo Falcone died on that carpet.