Romano’s POV

The gala took place in the luxurious estate of one of the city's most prominent Mafia Dons. To a stranger, it would have looked like an ordinary ballroom, but it was nothing of the sort. This was a theater where power was traded, where an introduction could mean a new ally or a new enemy, depending on how much influence you commanded.

John pushed the big, polished wooden doors open. The sounds of a hundred conversations, clinking glasses, and soft music died down the moment I ...