"Drive."
Dante guns it, tires squealing against asphalt. Sophia sits rigid beside me, her breathing too controlled.
"How did they know?" Her voice stays steady, but her hands shake in her lap. "We changed venues twice. Used fake names."
The leak. The timing. The location. It clicks into place, a cold, hard certainty. I look at Sophia and see the same realization dawning on her face. Her eyes go wide.
"Francesco."
"He leaked it." I pull out my phone, already seeing the damage. Photos flooding social media—us entering the venue, my hand on her lower back, her looking up at me.
Fuck.
She looks at me like she means it.
The compound gates loom ahead. I help her from the car, noting how she straightens her spine before walking inside. Learning to wear her mask like armor.
Pietro's fist slams the conference table hard enough to rattle the water glasses.
"Explain to me how forty photographers just happened to appear at a private venue viewing."
The meeting room feels smaller with all of us crammed inside. Dante and Liam stand guards at the door. My brothers occupy their usual positions. Pietro pacing, Nico typing furiouslyon his tablet, Bruno watching from his wheelchair. Vittoria and Nora sits beside Sophia, offering silent support.
"Francesco orchestrated it." I keep my voice level despite the rage simmering in my chest. "Classic manipulation. Make the engagement public before we do, force our hand."
"Now every enemy we have knows exactly where to find her." Pietro's jaw works like he's chewing glass. "Where to find both of you."
"Maybe that's not entirely negative."
Everyone turns to stare at Bruno. He hasn't voluntarily contributed to a family meeting since the shooting that put him in that chair.
"Explain." Pietro's tone holds surprise more than anger.
Bruno's fingers drum against his wheelchair arm—his thinking gesture since childhood.
"Public engagement means public protection. Every family in Chicago now knows she's under Sartori protection. To move against her is to move against us, openly. Francesco may have accidentally given us an advantage."
"Or painted a target on her back before they get married." Pietro resumes pacing.
"The target was already there. You were going to make it public in a few days. It changes nothing." Bruno's eyes lock onto mine. "Now it's visible. We can plan for visible threats."
Nico looks up from his tablet. "The photos are already viral. Three million views in the last hour."
"Then we control the narrative," I say, the idea forming as I speak. "If we're public, we're very public. Visible. Protected. Untouchable."
"More appearances." Pietro stops pacing, processing the strategy. "More events. More exposure."
"More convincing displays of affection." I say.
"Can you sell it?" Pietro asks bluntly. "Make it believable enough that no one questions the alliance?"
Sophia's chin lifts. "We'll need practice."
The word hangs in the air like a lit match near gasoline.
"Then practice." Pietro slices his hand through the air, a gesture of finality. "Whatever it takes. I want this so convincing that even you two believe it."
He has no fucking idea.
