The castle was quiet.
Too quiet.
Gianna had been gone for two hours. No guards, no warnings, just… disappeared.
Kai paced the penthouse like a lion, shirt undone, fists clenched. He'd combed through security, called Marsh, even checked the rooftop.
Nothing.
He was angry. Not scared. Not worried.
Just furious.
She was his wife now — if not in heart, then by law and Mafia treaty. That came with rules. Territory. Loyalty.
And Gianna Moretti was allergic to all three.
When the door finally creaked open, she strolled in like she hadn't just vanished from one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the city.
"Where the hell were you?" Kai demanded.
She dropped a duffel bag on the marble floor. "Took a walk."
"A walk? Through whose graveyard?"
Gianna raised an eyebrow. "You should be thanking me. I just intercepted a La Rosa Nera hit scheduled for tomorrow night. On your casino."
He froze.
"You're lying."
She stepped closer. "Am I? Check the footage from Pier 9. Or better yet — call your father and ask him who else in this building could've handled a six-man ambush in stilettos."
Kai hated her. Hated that she was smart. Lethal. Dressed like a goddamn runway model while throwing knives with precision.
But what he hated more… was that he wanted her.
Not in a soft, romantic, roses-on-the-bed kind of way.
He wanted her pressed against the wall, spitting venom, challenging everything he believed in, and daring him to do something about it.
"You could've told me," he said quietly.
Gianna tilted her head. "Oh, now we share battle plans?"
"We're married."
"No," she said, stepping into his space, "we're at war."
Their faces were inches apart. Again.
Always.
He looked down at her lips. She didn't flinch.
"You're playing with fire," he murmured.
Gianna smirked. "Then burn me."
And just like that, he kissed her.
Hard. Fast. Nothing soft, nothing tender — just teeth, anger, desperation.
It lasted five seconds.
He pulled away first. Breathing hard. Eyes wide.
"What the hell are we doing," he muttered, stepping back.
Gianna touched her lips. "Regretting it already?"
He didn't answer. Just turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
---
The next morning, the city exploded.
Newspapers screamed headlines in red ink.
"Castellano Bride Silences Six Attackers."
"La Rosa Nera Bride Gone Rogue?"
"Enemies Turned Lovers or Spies?"
Lorenzo sat in the Castellano war room, flipping through the articles like they were children's books.
"She's becoming a liability," he said coldly.
Marsh cleared his throat. "She saved the casino."
"She made us look weak. Like we need saving from a Moretti. From her."
Kai, standing nearby, said nothing.
Lorenzo turned to him. "You want her gone, say the word. We'll make it clean."
Kai looked at his father — the man who raised him like a weapon — and said, "No."
Lorenzo's eyes narrowed. "No?"
"I said no."
There was a pause. A long, terrifying silence.
Then the don smiled, just slightly.
"Careful, son. Loyalty can blur the lines."
---
That night, Gianna stood on the penthouse balcony, watching the city burn beneath its neon lights.
She'd been quiet all day. No sarcasm, no jabs. Not even a glare at dinner.
Kai joined her, two drinks in hand. She took one without a word.
He leaned on the railing. "They think you're a traitor now."
She didn't respond.
"Your father will come for you."
"I know."
"Do you care?"
She finally looked at him, and her voice was soft. "I don't know what I care about anymore."
He watched her closely. "You kissed me back."
Gianna turned away. "Don't flatter yourself."
"Too late."
Silence stretched again, but this time it wasn't heavy. It was… honest.
She whispered, "What happens if I choose your side?"
Kai's jaw tightened. "Then you're no longer the enemy."
"And if I don't?"
He looked straight ahead. "Then I'll treat you like one."
She nodded. "Fair."
---
Far away, Alessio watched the footage of their kiss on a stolen security feed. The lip-readers had transcribed every word.
He smashed the laptop against the wall.
"She's losing control," he hissed. "She's forgetting."
"No," said a voice from the shadows — his consigliere, Matteo. "She's remembering who she is. A Moretti."
Alessio's eyes gleamed. "Then it's time to remind her."
He turned to a soldier.
"Tell her brother to come home. It's time we shift the balance."