Chapter 1
The dining hall of the Vitale estate was a masterpiece of modern luxury, bathed in bright, cinematic colors that radiated life and opulence. Natural, brilliant lighting poured through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a pristine glow over the imported marble floors without a single trace of a dull yellow tint. Every detail of the room felt vivid and sharp. Around the massive mahogany table sat the elite of the Vitale crime family. They were all white American adults, their fair and rosy skin illuminated beautifully under the crystal chandeliers. The ambient noise of the room was a symphony of clinking silver, crystal wine glasses, and the low, confident hum of sharp American accents discussing syndicate business.
At the far end of the table sat three-year-old Sophie Vitale. She was a vision of absolute innocence in a den of seasoned predators. Her fair, rosy cheeks flushed with the warmth of the room, and her bright eyes observed the adults with quiet curiosity. She wore an elegant family-dinner dress tailored perfectly for her small frame, paired with a soft white cardigan and immaculate little flats. She sat quietly, her small hands resting politely on the edge of the table as she waited for her dinner to be served.
But not everyone at the table viewed the child with affection. Seated to her immediate right was Bianca Vitale, Alessandro’s sixty-two-year-old aunt. Bianca was a woman whose soul had been entirely corrupted by decades of Mafia politics. She wore a luxurious, floor-length formal gown that shimmered under the bright lights, her neck and wrists draped heavily in flawless pearl jewelry and glittering diamond rings. Despite her elegant attire, her expression was twisted into a mask of bitter, unfiltered contempt as she glared at the little girl.
A server placed a beautifully plated dish of roasted chicken and vegetables in front of Sophie. The little girl smiled, picking up her small silver fork.
Without a fraction of a second’s warning, Bianca’s arm shot out. She violently knocked Sophie’s pristine porcelain dinner plate right off the table. The plate crashed against the marble floor, shattering into a dozen jagged pieces as the warm food splattered across the stone.
"Hey!" a younger capo muttered from across the table, shocked by the sudden outburst, but a sharp look from Bianca silenced him instantly.
Sophie gasped, her blue eyes widening in terror as she instinctively scrambled off her tall chair, dropping onto her knees beside the ruined meal.
Bianca did not stop there. With a cruel, sociopathic swiftness, she reached down beneath the edge of the table and retrieved a large, heavy metal dog-food bowl filled with cold, congealed scraps. With a vicious shove, Bianca pushed the large metal bowl directly toward the weeping little girl.
The heavy metal scraped loudly against the marble, stopping right in front of Sophie’s knees.
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Bianca leaned over the armrest of her chair, her pearl necklace swaying as she looked down at the terrified child. Her rosy face morphed into a mask of pure malice.
"Hungry?" Bianca asked, her American accent dripping with mocking, venomous cruelty. "This is the kind of food that suits you."
