"They were best friends," Matteo continued, his voice softening with memory. "More like brothers. They built the family business together."
"The mafia," Isabella said quietly, the word tasting bitter on her tongue.
The word stayed in the air between them, heavy and dangerous like a loaded gun.
Matteo nodded slowly. "Our fathers believed in loyalty above all else. Family first. Always."
He turned the pages with gentle fingers, revealing more photos of the two men through the years—at parties, in business meetings, standing beside expensive cars. They were always together, always smiling, bound by something stronger than friendship.
Then Isabella saw her.
In some photos, a beautiful woman stood beside Antonio. She had long dark hair and gentle eyes, her face hauntingly familiar like an echo from a dream.
