And the reason I had never conceived an heir in all those years of cold marriage was not fate. It was design. They had bribed the surgeon. While I was sedated for a routine procedure, they had hollowed me out. Removed the possibility of legacy from my body entirely, so that no Genovese blood would ever complicate their plans. They did it to prove their devotion to her. A tribute of flesh, offered at my expense.
In this new life, I swore a single, unbreakable oath to myself.
Stay away from all of them. Survive. Rise. And live on my own terms.
The sound of tearing paper filled the empty classroom like a gunshot.
My teacher stared at the shredded remains of the Blood Invitation from the Valenti Family's territory, the prestigious acceptance into their domain that every young operative in Riviera City would have killed for. Her face drained of color.
"Seraphina, what are you doing?"
This year, four from our training grounds at the Primo Liceo had earned passage into Valenti territory. I was the only one who had done it by placing first in the city's Proving Grounds, the highest score across every district and every Family's jurisdiction. Not only my teacher, but every handler and instructor in the school had staked their reputations on my future.
I kept my voice level. Calm. The way Nonna had taught me to speak when the world was watching.
"I'm not going to Valenti territory. I've applied to La Rete. The National Syndicate's elite network. They've accepted me." I paused, letting the weight of it settle. "They've also promised to send their own medical personnel to care for my Nonna full-time. Private physicians. Round-the-clock protection."
My teacher's eyes widened. La Rete. The name alone carried a gravity that even the Valenti couldn't match. A shadow organization that operated above the Families, recruiting only the most exceptional minds in the country. No one applied to La Rete. La Rete chose you.
"I see." She exhaled slowly, adjusting her glasses. "We all know your family's circumstances are... difficult, Seraphina. Your Nonna raised you alone after everything that happened to your parents. You study hard in this new life. Build something worthy of the Genovese name. And repay that woman's devotion. She deserves that much."
I nodded. There was no time to dwell on the ghosts of my first death.