Chapter 1 - The Betrayal
Rocco stared at the men he had paid to protect his family.
They had their weapons drawn, but none of them were aimed at Victoria.
They were formed in a tight, protective ring around Marcus.
Marcus, his trusted underboss and closest friend, calmly adjusted his silk tie.
"I told you the boy was a liability, Rocco," Marcus said smoothly.
Rocco pulled Noah tighter against his chest, shielding his crying son.
"You bought my men," Rocco growled, calculating his odds of making it to the door.
Marcus chuckled, stepping forward as the terrified wedding guests backed away in horror.
"I didn't buy them, Rocco, I simply offered them a future where a three-year-old doesn't inherit the city."
Victoria pushed herself up from the sofa, her face pale and trembling.
"I tried to stop it," she whispered, looking at Rocco with tears in her eyes.
"The hearing aid was bugged, Rocco, it was broadcasting your private conversations to his network."
Rocco realized Victoria hadn't destroyed the device to hurt Noah, but to sever the audio feed.
Before Rocco could thank her, a gunshot shattered the crystal chandelier above them.
Maria Collins, Rocco's beautiful bride-to-be, stepped out of the shadows holding a smoking pistol.
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She didn't aim it at Marcus or the guards, she aimed it directly at Rocco's head.
"Hand over the boy, darling, or you don't leave this room alive," Maria smiled.
