Chapter 7 –The Sweetest Lies

The Illusion of Innocence

I spent the next few days weaving my mask carefully.Covering my true mission with a facade.Forcing myself not to be noticed about my change in character.

A soft smile here. A demure nod there.

I played my role as Isabella Romano—the obedient Mafia Princess—flawlessly.

The sweet, fragile girl who never questioned her place. The naïve heir who had no real power of her The foolish girl,that can be a pawn to anyone.

They watched me, waiting for me to trip, waiting for me to Waiting for me to make a mistake.

What they didn't realize was that they weren't watching Isabella De Luca at all.

They were watching the ghost of who I used to be.

And ghosts didn't make mistakes.

They haunted.

They hunted.

And when the time was right… they killed.

And when they are determined to kill,they did it without hesitation.

---

Matteo's Return

Everywhere in my father's study smelled of aged whiskey and smoke, the air was thick with the scent of old leather and power.

It was the perfect setting for what will come next.

I was standing beside the fireplace,with my fingers wrapped around a glass of bourbon I had no intention of drinking.I was just patiently waiting for Matteo.

The door opened.

Then footsteps.

Then finally his voice.

"You asked to see me, bella?"

Matteo.

I turned slowly, schooling my features into something soft, unsure—the perfect illusion of longing.

I let my eyes linger on him.In a way that he will think I still have feelings for him.

The broad shoulders, the perfectly tailored suit, the confident smirk.

In my past life, I had been desperate for his love.

Now?

I only wanted his obedience.That is the only thing I wanted.

"Matteo," I whispered, taking a careful step forward. "It's been a while."

He smirked, stepping closer. "I've been busy. Business, you know."

I let my lashes lower, feigning disappointment. "Too busy for me?"

Matteo hesitated.

It was subtle, but I saw it.

A flicker of doubt, a shadow of guilt.

Because in my first life, he had abandoned me.

I had needed him, and he had looked away.

But this time?

I would own him.

I reached out to him, while brushing my fingers against his wrist just a touch, just enough to remind him of what we had once been.

He inhaled sharply.

Hooked.

Good.

"I don't want us to be strangers," I murmured, intentionally letting my voice to waver just slightly. "Not again."

Matteo swallowed, his eyes darkening with something dangerous, familiar.

He had always wanted to be the one in control.

But this time?

He was already mine.

---

A Spy in the Shadows

After Matteo left, I didn't celebrate.

Not yet.Is not yet the time for that.

This was only just the beginning.

I had planted the seed.

Now, I needed eyes and ears in places that mattered.

Alessia found me in my private lounge, reclining on the velvet chaise with a book I wasn't reading.

She didn't knock. She never did.

"You're playing with fire, cara mia," she said, flopping into a chair across from me. "Matteo is dangerous."Very dangerous and you need to avoid him at all cost.

I tilted my head. "So am I."

She smirked, but her eyes were sharp. "You're still building your network?"

"Yes," I said simply.

Alessia stretched, studying me. "I have someone for you."

I raised a brow. "Oh?"

"A hacker," she said. "Goes by the name Viper."

I closed the book, intrigued.

"I like him already."

---

Meeting Viper

Finding a hacker in our world wasn't hard.

But finding one who wouldn't betray you?

That was another game entirely.A different story all together.

Viper operated out of a high-end underground club, the kind that catered to the elite's darkest vices.

The bass of music was vibrating under my skin as Alessia and I stepped in through the entrance

I can perceive in the air was the scent of the expensive liquor, that of sweat, and desire.

As Alessia led me toward a private booth, where a man sat casually with a cigarette between his fingers.

He wasn't what I expected.

No heavy scars. No dark, brooding aura.He was totally different,dad from what I have in mind,I was actually expecting the opposite of all this entirely.

What I just saw was a guy in a leather jacket, with his boots propped up on the table and a lazy smirk plastered on his lips.

"So, you're the infamous Isabella Romano," he drawled, exhaling smoke. "Didn't think you'd be this pretty."

Alessia rolled her eyes. "Viper, shut up."

I slid into the seat across from him, resting my elbows on the table.

"You're good," I said.

He grinned. "I'm the best."

I leaned forward slightly.

"Prove it."

Viper bring out his phone with a wife grin plastered on his face.

Seconds later, my own device buzzed in my pocket.

I glanced down.

An incoming text—from Matteo.

Matteo: I miss you.

I looked up sharply. "How the hell—?"

Viper smirked. "I told you. I'm the best."

I exhaled, impressed.

"Alright," I said. "You're hired."

Viper flicked his cigarette away. "Smart choice, princess."

Alessia snorted. "She's not a princess."

Viper raised a brow. "No?"

I met his gaze, my smile razor-sharp.

"No," I murmured. "I'm a queen."

---

The First Domino Falls

That night, as I walked through the halls of the Romano estate, I let the truth settle in.

The game had begun.

Matteo was hooked.

Viper was mine.

And Lorenzo?

He was about to lose everything.

I stepped onto the balcony, breathing in the cool night air.

Far below, Rafael Moretti's car pulled into the driveway of his own estate.

I watched him from a distance, hidden in the shadows.

He was my biggest mystery. My greatest temptation.

I didn't know where he stood yet.

But soon, I would.

Because the thing about predators?

They always recognized their own kind.

And Rafael Moretti was about to realize that I wasn't his prey.

I was the real threat.