The Mafia Principessa’s Nine Knights Chapter 05

The Mafia Principessa’s Nine Knights Chapter 05

Angelica thought she’d won.

For lunch on Monday, she texted Luca and asked him to lunch.

Luca went.

If anything, he acted warmer than usual.

Bought her favorite dessert.

Pulled out her chair.

The knot in Angelica’s chest loosened.

Exactly as she’d thought.

The kid sister hadn’t said a word.

And even if she had, he wouldn’t have believed her.

What man would side with his kid sister over his girlfriend?

She took a bite of tiramisu, smiling. “Luca, when I was at your place, Bella was so sweet.”

“Hmm.”

“I think she’s just shy. She didn’t really talk to me much.”

“She’s shy around new people.”

Luca topped off her wine.

“Just give her time. She’ll warm up.”

Angelica smiled behind her glass.

See?

Not a thing.

That girl was too scared to open her mouth.

She picked up her phone and texted the group chat.

[Done. The spoiled brat didn’t make a sound.]

Three seconds later.

The chat blew up.

Lisa Thorne: [Holy crap, you actually hit her?]

Eva Sterling: [Are you out of your mind? That’s the Marino family’s little princess!]

Angelica: [So what? She’s not his girlfriend, I am. A seventeen-year-old hanging all over him 24/7? That’s weird.]

Angelica sent a voice note: “What’s he gonna find out? I hit her, smiled, and walked away. The girl literally froze. Couldn’t get a word out. By the time Luca came back she’d already stopped crying.”

Eva: [Girl, you’re something else… But honestly, with a family like the Marinos, Bella’s always going to be a problem for you. Better to put her in her place now.]

Angelica: [Exactly.]

Her thumbs flew over the screen.

She had no idea…

One person in that chat had been recording every word.

Serena Caldwell.

Angelica’s old college friend.

Antonio had reached out to her the night before.

She and Angelica weren’t close.

She’d been added to the group chat years ago and never bothered to leave.

Her reason for helping Antonio was simple.

He offered her a job.

Marketing director at one of the Marino family’s subsidiaries. Three times her current salary.

All she had to do was stay in the chat.

Act natural.

Record everything.

Send it to Antonio.

Right now, Antonio was in his office.

The screenshots landed on his phone one after another.

He forwarded them to the family group chat.

The one Carlo had named “The Princess Detail.”

Every cousin was in it.

Dante: […She’s bragging about it?]

Carlo: [She sent a whole voice note? Is she trying to make this easy?]

Vincent sent an emoji. A single knife.

Antonio: [Video, audio, chat logs. We’ve got everything. The case is airtight. Don, give the word.]

Luca’s reply was one word.

[Wait.]

Carlo: [Wait for what?]

Luca: [For her to do something worse.]

Carlo: [WTF?]

Dante got it immediately.

Dante: [You want her to do it again. In front of witnesses.]

Luca: [Exactly.]

[Not proof gathered behind closed doors.]

[Witnessed. In real time. By everyone who matters.]

[No room to deny it. No room to spin it.]

The chat went quiet for a few seconds.

Carlo typed slowly.

Carlo: [Don, you used to be the calmest one out of all of us. Now you’re the scariest one in the room.]

[Love it.]

[Carry on.]

…

Meanwhile.

I didn’t know any of this.

On Monday, I went to school like any other day.

Senior year. The workload was brutal.

When the last bell rang, a black car was waiting outside the school.

I recognized the driver.

It was Luca’s personal chauffeur.

Usually it was Grandpa’s driver who picked me up.

“Miss Bella, Don Luca sent me to take you home.”

“…Oh.”

I got in.

There was a cup of hot cocoa waiting in the back seat.

From my favorite shop.

I held the cup and watched the city blur by outside the window.

My phone buzzed.

A message from Luca.

[Let me know when you’re home. I’ll be back early tonight.]

I sent back, [Okay.]

Then another message came through.

[Bella. Is anyone giving you trouble?]

I stared at the message for a long time.

I typed, [No.]

Hesitated.

Then added, [Luca, don’t worry about me.]

His reply came fast.

[I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about whoever’s dumb enough to mess with you.]

[If someone does, I can’t promise I’ll stay calm.]

My throat tightened.

But I didn’t cry this time.

I just pressed the phone against my chest and closed my eyes.

The heat from the cocoa seeped through the cup and into my hands.

It’s okay.

Luca’s here.

I’m not afraid of anything.

That’s what I told myself.

But I didn’t know yet.

The real storm hadn’t even begun.