The aftermath of the gala didn’t settle like dust. It spread like wildfire.

By morning, headlines across both legitimate and underground channels blared with one name: Elena Valenti. Not as the Mafia King’s consort, but as the woman who shattered years of silence in a single night.

“Heir to the Valenti Empire Exposes High-Ranking Traffickers at Gala” “Valenti Queen Risks Death to End Decades of Corruption” “The Mafia Has a New Enemy — And She Lives in Their House”

And somewhere among the chaos… Elena sat alone in Cristiano’s office, staring at the ancient family crest carved into the desk. The golden lion, the blood-red sword.

She didn’t feel like...