The rain had stopped by the time Matteo's convoy returned to the DeLuca mansion.
Dawn was just beginning to break across the horizon, painting the sky with faint shades of orange and grey. But despite the calm morning light, the atmosphere inside the car was heavy.
Isabella sat quietly beside Matteo in the back seat.
Her hands still trembled slightly from the kidnapping.
Matteo noticed.
Without saying anything, he gently took her hand in his.
"You're safe now," he said quietly.
She nodded, but the fear still lingered deep inside her chest.
"Luca… he said something before you arrived," she murmured.
Matteo's eyes darkened.
"What did he say?"
Isabella hesitated.
"He said you weren't meant to rule… that someone else should have the throne."
Matteo looked out the window, his expression unreadable.
For a long moment, he didn't respond.
Then he finally spoke.
"Luca believed the DeLuca empire should belong to someone stronger."
She frowned.
"But you are strong."
Matteo gave a small, humorless smile.
"In our world, strength isn't just about power."
His voice lowered.
"It's about blood."
Isabella felt a chill.
"What does that mean?"
Matteo didn't answer.
Instead, he simply said, "There are things about my family… you don't know yet."
When they arrived at the mansion, the staff rushed to greet them.
Maria immediately ran toward Isabella.
"Oh thank goodness you're safe!" she cried.
Isabella hugged her briefly.
"I'm okay."
But inside, she wasn't sure if that was entirely true anymore.
Because Luca's betrayal had changed everything.
If someone that close to Matteo could turn against him…
Who else might be hiding secrets?
Later that morning, Matteo gathered his top men in the large meeting room inside the mansion.
The atmosphere was tense.
Everyone had already heard about Luca's betrayal and death.
Enzo stood beside Matteo near the head of the table.
"The situation is worse than we thought," Enzo announced.
He placed a folder on the table.
"Before Luca died, we tracked several calls he made to an unknown number."
Matteo crossed his arms.
"Who?"
Enzo hesitated slightly.
Then he said the name.
"Viktor Petrov."
The room went silent.
One of the men muttered under his breath.
"That's impossible…"
Isabella, who had quietly entered the room, noticed the sudden fear on everyone's faces.
She stepped closer to Matteo.
"Who is Viktor Petrov?"
Matteo's expression hardened.
"He's the head of the Petrov Bratva."
Her eyes widened.
"The Russian mafia?"
Matteo nodded slowly.
"For years, they've tried to take control of our territory."
Enzo added grimly, "And if Luca was working with them… that means this kidnapping wasn't just betrayal."
Matteo finished the sentence coldly.
"It was the beginning of a war."
Across the ocean, inside a luxurious penthouse in Moscow—
A tall man stood by the window overlooking the city.
His dark coat hung perfectly over his broad shoulders.
A glass of whiskey rested in his hand.
Viktor Petrov.
One of the most feared mafia leaders in Europe.
A young man entered the room nervously.
"Sir… we received confirmation."
Viktor turned slowly.
"And?"
The man swallowed.
"Luca Romano is dead."
For a moment, Viktor said nothing.
Then he laughed softly.
"So Matteo DeLuca handled the problem himself."
He took a sip of whiskey.
"Impressive."
The young man hesitated.
"Should we proceed with the next stage of the plan?"
Viktor's cold eyes gleamed.
"Yes."
His smile slowly widened.
"Because now… Matteo will be angry."
He set the glass down.
"And angry men make mistakes."
Back in Italy, Isabella sat quietly in Matteo's private office.
She had just learned more about the dangerous world he lived in.
Mafia alliances.
Rival families.
Bloody wars fought for power and territory.
It was terrifying.
But now she was part of it.
Because of the baby.
Matteo entered the office a few minutes later.
His expression softened slightly when he saw her.
"You should be resting," he said.
"I couldn't sleep," she replied.
She hesitated before asking the question that had been haunting her mind.
"Matteo… are we going to be safe?"
Matteo walked toward her slowly.
In the quiet room, his powerful presence filled the space.
"I won't lie to you," he said.
"Things are about to get dangerous."
Her stomach tightened.
"But I promise you one thing."
He gently placed his hand over her stomach.
"No one will harm you or this child."
His voice became deadly serious.
"I will burn the world before I let that happen."
Isabella searched his eyes.
For the first time, she truly understood something.
Matteo wasn't just protecting them because of responsibility.
He was protecting them because he cared.
Deeply.
And that realization made her heart race.
That evening, while security prepared for the coming war, Isabella walked alone through the mansion library.
Her mind was full of questions.
About Matteo.
About his family.
About the dangerous future waiting ahead.
As she browsed the old shelves, something caught her attention.
A large leather-bound book labeled:
"The DeLuca Family History."
Curious, she opened it.
The pages were filled with photographs and records dating back decades.
Then suddenly—
She froze.
One photograph made her heart skip a beat.
It showed a young Matteo standing beside an older man.
The caption beneath it read:
Antonio DeLuca — Former Boss of the DeLuca Family
Isabella stared at the picture.
Because the man beside Matteo looked strangely familiar.
Too familiar.
Her hands trembled slightly as a memory surfaced.
She had seen that man before.
Years ago.
At an orphanage fundraiser.
Where he had donated a large sum of money.
But that wasn't what frightened her.
What frightened her was something else.
The orphanage she grew up in…
Had been funded by the DeLuca family.
Her heart began to pound.
A terrible realization forming in her mind.
Had Matteo's family been connected to her life long before they ever met?
And if so…
What other secrets were still waiting to be uncovered?
Meanwhile, far away in Moscow—
Viktor Petrov stood in a dark room staring at a photograph pinned to a board.
It was a picture of Isabella.
Pregnant.
Standing beside Matteo.
Viktor smiled slowly.
"Soon," he whispered.
"Everything Matteo loves will belong to me."
The war had begun.
And Isabella was at the center of it.