Her Dark Reign — Episode 7

I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down uncontrollably. He had no idea. The reason Russo had risen so spectacularly in just three years. It was all me.

I was the one who'd secretly leveraged my family's network, opened the arms channels for him, laundered the casino revenue, bought off members of the commission. Even the agents who'd been poised to come down hard on the Russ family.

They'd backed off as a personal favor to me. I had planned to tell him everything tonight. After we celebrated my birthday, I was going to reveal my true identity. Serafina Ferraro.

Sole heir of the most powerful of New York's five families. Not some orphan from the slums. Then I would take him back to New York to meet my father, and help him consolidate the entire East Coast underworld.

But hearts changed too fast. I'd misjudged him. I'd overestimated his character. I sat up, and before I could get a word out,

Giada rushed forward and slapped me across the face with everything she had. You bitch! Accept your fate! Now, you either can't pay the bill and get stripped and thrown out, or she jerked her A bodyguard ripped the leash off a dog cradled in some socialite's arms and tossed it at my feet.

You get on your knees, kiss my shoes, then put on the leash and crawl out. Keep stalling and I'll make the choice for you! I slowly raised my face, wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my and looked at Cesare one final time.

Cesare, are you really going to stand there and let your assistant keep humiliating me like this?