Playing different sides.

Maria enters the room quietly, but Bella doesn't turn. She already knows her friend is there. Maria's presence is a constant now, a reminder that Bella isn't alone, though it often feels like she is.

"You're quiet tonight," Maria observes gently, her voice soft but laced with concern.

Bella doesn't respond immediately. She lets the silence stretch between them, the weight of her own thoughts pressing down on her. Then, she finally speaks, her voice distant.

"I'm tired, Maria. I'm so tired of this."

Maria takes a step closer, watching her with those perceptive eyes. "Tired of what, Bella?"

"Of pretending. Of fighting a war that's already lost before it's even begun," Bella murmurs, her voice tinged with a bitterness that feels foreign to her. "I'm not sure I can do this anymore. I'm not sure I can keep standing beside a man who doesn't see me. Not really."

Maria doesn't answer right away, giving Bella the space to gather her thoughts. When she finally speaks, her voice is soft, almost tentative. "I know you love him, Bella. I know you always have. But you're not the same person you were when you married him. He's changed, and so have you."

Bella's heart aches at the truth in Maria's words. It's hard to admit, even to herself, but the man she married is slipping further away from her grasp with each passing day. She doesn't know who he is anymore, and worse, she's not sure she knows who she is in relation to him.

"You've been carrying this weight on your own for so long," Maria continues, her words gentle but firm. "Maybe it's time to put it down."

Bella turns away from the window, her eyes meeting Maria's with a mixture of exhaustion and uncertainty. "And what if putting it down means losing everything? What if walking away from Roberto means everything we've built, my father's empire, our future, falls apart?"

Maria steps closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Isn't that the risk you've always known you'd have to take? If you stay in this world, Bella, it will eat you alive. It's already starting to."

Bella feels the sting of truth in Maria's words. She's always known this life comes with consequences, dangerous, painful consequences, but it's only now, as the pieces of her life start to crumble, that the reality hits her. Power doesn't come without a price. And that price has always been her soul.

A soft knock on the door interrupts her thoughts.

"Come in," Bella calls, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her.

The door opens, and Vito steps into the room. His presence fills the doorway, and Bella's heart skips a beat. It's been days since she's seen him, and there's an intensity in his eyes now that unsettles her.

"Bella," Vito says, his voice low. "We need to talk."

Bella looks between him and Maria, sensing the gravity of the moment. Maria steps back, her eyes flickering between them, before silently exiting the room, leaving them alone.

"What is it, Vito?" Bella asks, her voice sharp with a mixture of curiosity and dread.

Vito closes the door behind him, his expression unreadable. "It's about Roberto. And about what he's been hiding from you."

Bella's pulse quickens. Her thoughts race, wondering what more she could possibly learn about the man she married, what secrets could possibly be left. She already knows too much. But Vito's face tells her that what's coming will change everything.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, her voice tinged with an edge of fear she can't quite hide.

Vito takes a deep breath, as if preparing himself for something difficult. "There's a cartel, one you haven't heard of. It's an external group, a powerful one. Roberto's been working with them behind your father's back. And it's not just for business. He's making moves. Bigger moves. Moves that could tear down everything we've fought for."

Bella's head spins. "You're telling me that he's been playing both sides? But why?"

"Because he's playing for power," Vito interrupts, his voice dark with anger. "He's not just trying to control the empire; he's trying to take it all. And if he thinks you'll stand in his way, he'll destroy you, us without hesitation."

The words hit Bella like a physical blow, knocking the air out of her lungs. She stumbles back a step, trying to process what Vito has just revealed.

"So, this, this isn't just about business? This isn't just about keeping peace between families?" Bella's voice is barely above a whisper, her mind racing to piece it all together.

Vito's jaw tightens. "No. It's about domination. And if you think Roberto will hesitate for one second to turn on you, on all of us, then you're wrong."

"So, what do we do now?" she asks, her voice steady, but her insides are a storm. "What's the next move?"

Vito's eyes darken with resolve. "We fight back. And we do it before he can finish what he's started."

Her brother's words are clear, but one thought stands above the rest, if she takes this step, there's no going back. If she chooses to fight, it's a battle to the death.

She meets Vito's gaze,"let's begin."