A woman mocked for her weight catches the eye of a powerful mafia don who sees her differently from everyone else. As he pulls her into his dangerous world and claims her as his wife, she must navigate rival criminals, judgmental outsiders, and her own doubts about whether his fierce devotion is real.
My father wasn't home, so they tied me up and dragged me outside. You stay in that water, Adele. You don't come up until Bella's fever breaks. If you want the Marino name, you play by my rules, and you treat Bella with the respect you'd give an By the time my father arrived, I'd passed out in the water.
But now? I don't need it anymore. I stayed out of their argument. Instead, I calmly stepped up to the drawing box.
No one's drawing? Then I'll be first. Panic flashed across Vito's face. The excuse he'd prepared died on his lips. My composure had caught him off guard, without an outburst for me to seize on.
He couldn't do what he'd done in years past. Accuse me, then demand that the dawn punish me by making me draw last. If I went first, how could he rig the box? What if I actually drew red?
Vito walked over and grabbed my hand. Adele, you know Bella can't handle the cold. Why don't we let her go first?