Don't Betray the Mafia Princess

I was in the living room, handling some work, and casually asked the smart assistant to play some music. "Alexa, play some jazz." "Sure. By the way, just a reminder—four days from now, at ten in the morning, you're scheduled to accompany Sienna to her prenatal checkup." My hand froze midair. My name is Victoria. And I'm not pregnant. Jonathan was walking out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair. He saw the look on my face and pulled me into his arms. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" I casually darkened my phone screen and smiled. "Nothing. Just a little tired." Jonathan kissed my forehead, his eyes tender and full of love. "Go get some sleep. Don't miss your birthday party tomorrow—you're the star of the night. I can't wait to spend it with you." I leaned into his chest, my lips curling into a cold little smile. My dear husband, you'd better not have done anything to betray me. Otherwise, you're about to find out exactly what it costs to betray the daughter of a mafia family. Chapter 1 Late at night, with Jonathan sound asleep beside me, I slipped out of bed and took my phone into the private bathroom. The screen lit up. My best friend Sheila had sent a string of encrypted files and screenshots. Sheila: [Victoria, I found her. The woman's name is Sienna Vance. She's a dancer at Jonathan's casino. Four months pregnant.] Then came the bills. Luxury cars. Designer watches. And a beachfront mansion in Malibu. Over two million dollars in total. That wasn't all. Next came screenshots of Sienna's social media. The first was an ultrasound, captioned: "My little miracle. Daddy's coming with me to the checkup in four days." The second was a selfie of Sienna wearing a diamond necklace. The exact one I'd told Jonathan I loved a month ago. He bought it for someone else. My eyes stopped on the third photo. Sienna in a barely-there lace nightgown, stroking her slightly rounded belly, giggling as she lounged on a luxurious leather sofa. Caption: "I know. Sooner or later, you'll be mine." That sofa was the anniversary gift Jonathan had ordered from Italy for me last month. Was she talking about the sofa or the man? Probably both. Sheila's message popped up again: [This is too much, Victoria. Want me to take a crew over right now and catch Jonathan and that bitch in bed? We could chop them up on the spot.] I gripped my phone and took a deep breath. Then I replied: [No. Killing him outright is too easy. I want him to taste what it's like to fall from heaven straight into hell.] I closed the encrypted app and dialed the family's private line. Uncle Luca picked up. "Miss? What can I do for you at this hour?" I got straight to the point. "Uncle Luca, Jonathan betrayed me. He betrayed the Carpentier family. I need a full reckoning." There was the sound of a lighter sparking against a cigar on the other end. Then my father's calm, commanding voice took over. "Victoria. I'll ask you for the whole story after it's done. For now, tell me what you need." I stood in front of the mirror, staring into my own eyes, and said: "Make the traitor pay." My father let out a low chuckle. "Understood, sweetheart. Get some sleep. Daddy will take care of him for you." I hung up and walked back to the living room, stopping in front of the steel safe hidden behind the oil painting in the corner of the study. Only Jonathan and I knew the code. I calmly entered it. Beep. The safe clicked open. Inside lay all the ledgers from Jonathan's underground dealings, the list of firearms kickbacks, and hard evidence of the assets he'd secretly been moving. I pulled out my phone and photographed every page. I'm a mafia daughter. I won't just cry and run to my father. When it counts, I'm crueler than he is. Jonathan, the game's started. Chapter 2 My birthday party was over the top. Jonathan had shut down the entire underground high-end casino, laid out red carpets and fresh red and white roses flown in specially. Everything dripped with money. All the guests crowded around me, their eyes full of envy. "Victoria, Mr. Thorne treats you so well!" "I swear, you won't find a more devoted husband in all of New York." I stood at the top of the VIP balcony, smiling as I raised my champagne glass, listening to all the flattery. Inside, I felt nothing but cold contempt. Jonathan pressed up behind me and asked quietly, "Sweetheart, are you happy with everything tonight? As long as you're happy, it's all worth it to me." "Of course I'm happy." I turned around, smiling, and looked deep into his eyes. "And in return, I've got a gift for you too." Jonathan froze. Then his face lit up with surprise. He'd always dreamed of getting real access to the core of the Carpentier family's power. And he thought his patience was finally paying off. Then came the performance. The jazz band kicked in, and the casino dancers took the stage. They wore elaborate costumes made of feathers and rhinestones, twisting and swaying under the lights. And front and center, I spotted her immediately. Sienna Vance. She looked younger than in the photos. Her eyes burned with ambition. Even in the tall stage costume, you could still make out the small swell of her belly. I tapped my champagne glass lightly. The room went quiet. The music stopped. I pointed at Sienna on stage. "You. Come here." The second the words left my mouth, Jonathan's face went stiff. On stage, Sienna wobbled on her feet. Their eyes met for a split second in the air. "Sweetheart, maybe not the best idea?" Jonathan hurried to wrap an arm around my waist, his voice urgent. "They're covered in sweat. They're just ordinary staff. Not worth your time. Don't let these rough types ruin your mood." "Relax, Jonathan. I want to thank her." I smiled and pushed his hand away, then snapped my fingers. "Bring her up." Jonathan gritted his teeth and gave his men a look. Soon enough, Sienna walked up to me, trembling. She kept her head down, panicked, not even daring to glance at Jonathan. I stood up and walked over to her, calm and unhurried. I asked,"What's your name?" She stammered, "Sienna. Sienna Vance—" I reached out, slid a custom ring off my finger, and in front of everyone, placed it on Sienna's cold, shaking hand. She froze. "You dance beautifully." I smiled. Then I turned to face the entire banquet hall, raised my voice, and announced: "In the Thorne family's businesses, any employee who works hard and stays loyal gets exactly what they deserve!" The room erupted in applause and cheers. People gasped: "Did you see that? That was a diamond ring!" "It has to be worth at least a million! Mrs. Thorne is so generous!" In the blind spots no one else could see, Jonathan and Sienna's faces were twisted. "Alright, darling. Come stand by me." I reached both hands out to Jonathan, my voice warm. "I told you, I've got a bigger surprise for you tonight." Jonathan rushed to my side like he'd just been pardoned, fighting to hide his panic, forcing a smile. I faced the entire room—the top brass of the Carpentier family, the city's elite—and announced with a smile: "Since everyone's here tonight, I have a decision to make public. Starting tomorrow, the Carpentier family's most vital, most profitable asset—the Brooklyn underground docks, along with full independent control of all arms trafficking—will be officially placed in the hands of my husband, Jonathan Thorne!" The room went dead silent. Then it exploded. That was the lifeline of the Carpentier family. Whoever held it held unshakable wealth and power in the underworld. Jonathan froze completely. The shock on his face flipped into pure, wild ecstasy. Every trace of panic vanished, replaced by the arrogance of a man whose ambition had finally been satisfied. He lost it. He yanked me into his arms and, in front of everyone, kissed me hard and desperate. "Victoria! My God—thank you!" I let him hold me. But over his shoulder, through the noise and the crowd, I looked across the room at Sienna. She stood in the shadows, staring at the two of us kissing, clutching that ring so tight her knuckles went white. The jealousy and hatred in her eyes was about to spill over. I slowly closed my eyes, hiding the cold, venomous glint beneath them. Go on. Celebrate. Rejoice, Jonathan. You've swallowed the bait. Chapter 3 It was already late when we got home from the party. The second we walked in, his personal secretary handed him a medical report from the hospital. Jonathan's and my checkup results had been filed together. He flipped through casually, then his face changed. He'd seen the result. Oligospermia. Of course, I'd faked it. I asked innocently, "What's wrong, sweetheart?" His eyes flickered. He smiled, leaned down, and kissed my cheek. "Nothing, darling. Just some casino paperwork. I'll go handle it. You get some sleep." Then he took the report and walked straight into the study. I didn't go back to the bedroom. I walked to the study door and pressed my ear against the cold, hard wood. Inside, his voice came through—half hysterical, but pressed low: "—Are you sure this report is right? Oligospermia? Sperm motility under five percent? You're telling me I can barely get a woman pregnant for the rest of my life?" A beat of dead silence. Then the secretary seemed to make a call. And then Jonathan let out a low, almost sick laugh. There was no despair in it. It was relief. Pure, desperate relief. "Thank God. I still have Sienna." He was breathing fast, his voice shaking with excitement. "Listen. No one else hears about this. Get my most trusted men and move Sienna to the Malibu safe house right now—" Then Sienna's call came through. Jonathan picked up: "Baby, I was just about to tell you the good news. Let's go on vacation. No, don't worry about Victoria. You're nothing like that barren waste of a woman—" I let out a cold laugh, shut off the recorder, and walked back to the bedroom. My phone buzzed on the table. An encrypted video call from Uncle Luca. "Miss. I've got some bad news." Uncle Luca's voice was as cold as ever. "Jonathan's not just keeping a woman on the side. Since he married you three years ago, he's been quietly moving assets through the companies under your name. The bastard was only ever using you from day one." I sat down at the vanity and looked at my face in the mirror. I thought I'd feel something. Sadness, maybe. I didn't. I'm a mafia daughter. I will never cry over a traitor. "How's the contract coming?" "It's ready." Uncle Luca tapped the table. "The second he signs it and swears loyalty to the Carpentier family, we can wipe the traitor clean. But if you think it's too dangerous, I can put a bullet in him right now." Traitor's reckoning. Anyone who joins the Carpentier family and betrays them in business gets erased from this world. No trace left behind. "No, Uncle Luca. This is my game." I touched my face in the mirror. All I felt was cold. "I'll wait. He hasn't hit his peak yet. If he falls now, it won't hurt enough. It won't be brutal enough." Uncle Luca laughed. "Whatever you say, Miss. You're just like your father." I hung up. Before I could put the phone down, an unknown number with no caller ID rang through. But a woman's instinct told me exactly who it was. I answered. Hit speaker. Said nothing. A familiar, delicate voice came through the line. "Mrs. Thorne? This is Sienna Vance." She paused. There was something she couldn't hide in her voice. Excitement. "I think there's something about your husband Jonathan I should tell you." Listening to her voice, I looked at myself in the mirror and slowly smiled. "Sure," I said softly, a laugh in my voice. "Let's meet tomorrow." Jonathan. Your hunting game has begun.