Some say the worst day of your life begins in silence.

I say they’re wrong.

Mine begins with the shrill ding of the school bell—mocking, ordinary, sharp enough to cut through the fragile peace I’ve built.

If anyone had told me I’d end up here—single mother, teaching in a small-town school—I would’ve laughed, cried, and cursed all at once.

Surely I wouldn’t have believed that the man I loved with my whole heart would one day see me as nothing but filth.

The memory still feels like a scorpion's sting, but today, I refuse to spiral. My therapist’s voice echoes in my head: Breathe.

So I do.

I open my cupboard to stash homework but something slips from a textbook.

My pulse stills.

A photograph. Our wedding photograph.

Me in flowing white lace, Dante in his tailored suit, his arm snug around my waist, his finger tipping up my chin…both of us smiling like forever was guaranteed.

That day had been magical. His first day as Don of New York’s most feared mafia family. Our first day as husband and wife. We had finally begun to believe in our happy ending. Until everything…

What happened to us? How did the man who once worshipped me wake up one morning and call me a cheater, a whore?

He divorced me immediately and left me in ruins. After everything we'd been through. The lies I told for him. The blood I shed.

A month later, I found out I was carrying his child.

I tried to reach him, begged him for a chance, but Dante cut me off completely.

So I gave birth in a town where no one knew my name. Where I could hide from his vicious anger and raise the son he never wanted.

With a sigh, I shove the photo into my bag. I should shred it into pieces, but I can’t.

One day, Luca will ask about his father. I’ll have to tell him about the Don who doesn’t even know he exists.

Locking my office, I turn toward Luca’s classroom. As I round the corner, a small body slams into my legs.

“There’s my boy!” I laugh, scooping him up. My Luca. My light.

His blue eyes sparkle as he beams at me, eager to spill every detail about his day. My heart twists. He looks so much like his father it hurts.

I squeeze him in a hug, and he giggles excitedly.

Sometimes I forget this is the whole point, but Luca's laughter grounds me, reminding me why I kept going. Why I will never stop risking it all for him.

“How was school today?” I ask, taking his hand.

“Cool! I learned fractions. And Marcy gave me a flower, but it died.” His lips pout.

I smile faintly. Good things never last forever, honey. I’m living proof.

We leave the building. Cold air whooshes up my spine, and I tilt my head toward the dark, brooding sky. Rain is coming fast.

Since I came in late this morning, I’d parked down the block. Just five minutes away. What could go wrong?

We walk in silence, save for the scuff of Luca’s shoes against the pavement.

“Mommy, I want a dinosaur.”

I chuckle. “And why’s that?”

“Mrs. Bridge said they were big and strong…but they had to leave earth for us and it made them sad. I want to bring one back and make it my friend. Then I’ll ride it to school. Do you think Mrs. Bridge will let me park it outside?” He pauses to jump over a small pothole.

I pretend to think. “Might be hard to fit.”

Luca giggles. “Nooo, Mommy. They can sit. I’ll say, ‘Stay here, Rexy.’ Dinosaurs eat grass, right?”

As he rambles on, I notice his shoelaces dragging in the dust. Kneeling to tie them, I freeze.

A man in black shades is walking up behind us. Tall. Broad. Purposeful.

On a normal day, I won’t care. But something about the set of his shoulders makes my blood run cold.

Has Dante found me? Is this an assassination attempt?

My car is just around the corner. My heart hammers. We can make it in time. I just need to—

The man’s hand disappears behind him. Panic fires through me. I scoop Luca up and turn sharply on my heels.

“Ma’am!” the voice rings out.

Adrenaline surges through my spine. I jog faster.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Luca whispers. “He’s following us.”

“Close your eyes, honey. Everything’s fine.”

I round the corner. Relief washes over me when I spot my car. My fingers fumble with the keys as I strap Luca into the backseat.

If he shoots, if Luca gets caught—God, please…

I slam the door and look back. The man is speaking into a walkie-talkie—the kind Dante’s soldiers used. His eyes lock on me. He steps off the curb.

My stomach churns. Think, Isabella, think.

Then I hear it—Sirens.

A police car screeches to a halt in front of me. Tears prick my eyes. I stumble into the road, waving frantically.

“Officer! Please—this man is following me—”

A woman in uniform steps out, but instead of suspicion, she nods at him. The man mumbles something and they turned sharply to me.

My world tilts.

The man closes in.

“What’s going on?” I stammer, backing against my car.

He lifts his hand. It’s not a gun. It's a badge.

Feds? My heart hammers violently. How—no one should know who I am.

“Isabella Romano?” He echoes, and goosebumps spread across my skin.

The name I haven’t heard in six years slices through me like a blade. Romano. The name I buried the night Dante Mancini made me a ghost.

I back up against the hood.

“You’ve made a mistake. I’m Sarah Cole,” I place a hand on my chest to steady my pounding heart.

The lie tastes bitter. The truth will always taste like blood.

His gaze doesn’t flicker.

“We know who you are, Isabella.” His voice is low, final.

“You’re under arrest for murder.”