He might not be my favourite person right now, but the thought of just how thoroughly he’s been used by the women he’s loved… I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
With a curse, Matt comes up behind me, his hand resting on my shoulder. I lean into it, letting the warmth anchor me as Isabella continues, her frantic brown eyes locked on mine.
“She told me that the only reason she stayed with Ciaran was to make sure the marriage contract was signed. That she needed to guarantee Matt would eventually be brought into the Cosa Nostra. And once that was done… she stepped back. ButPapà… he wanted someone close enough to feed him information.”
“Jen.” The name slips out of my mouth like a curse, sharp and raw, hanging in the air as the pieces to the puzzle finally start fitting together. Una was feeding him information, but with the divorce, they lost their connection to Jonathan’s inner circle.
Matt stiffens immediately, every muscle tight as if ready to snap. His hand tightens on my shoulder, and I can feel the tension radiating from him.
“Those motherfuckers,” he spits under his breath, jaw working. His eyes flash, dark and stormy, fixed somewherebetween Isabella and the thought of the people who manipulated all of this.
Isabella swallows, trembling, but keeps going. “Everything… it was planned. From the start. Mum was supposed to follow Matt to Turin once he married Gianna. AndPapàhe… they”—her voice cracks, and I have to resist the urge to reach for her again—“they were supposed to be together. That was the plan.”
I glance at Matt. His fingers dig into my shoulder. His breathing is slow, measured, but the heat radiating off him is lethal, and I know he’s holding back the kind of rage that could burn the walls down.
“They wanted you ready for Nico,” Isabella continues, her words rushing now. “WhenPapàwas gone, when Nico took his place, you’d be his second. Everything was planned with that in mind.”
“Jesus Christ,” Aidan hisses under his breath. Liam grunts in agreement, and one look at Jonathan’s face and his fury is obvious.
“I… I was supposed to help,” Isabella whispers, almost inaudible. “They wanted me to be active. To guide things, make sure it all stayed… on track. But I never wanted any of it. I tried to stay out. I tried to be invisible. They”—she swallows hard—“they threatened me if I didn’t cooperate.”
Matt presses his lips together, eyes darkening, jaw flexing. The room is frozen, the weight of every revelation pressing down on us.
“Every piece of this,” he mutters, voice low, barely contained fury, “every last fucking piece… they wanted to use me. They wanted to use everyone I care about. And they thought they could just… orchestrate it all.” He exhales sharply, breath hot on the back of my neck. “They thought wrong.”
I reach up and squeeze his hand, feeling the tremor of anger rolling off him like a wave, but I don’t speak.
Isabella swallows hard, voice barely above a whisper. “I hated them for it, hated knowing what they wanted from you, from me. But I grew up hidden, and they knew my greatest weakness was craving a family. They used that against me.”
Jonathan leans forward on the stack of crates he’s perched on, elbows resting heavily on his knees. “You’re telling us Antonio and Una were behind all of this. But what happens now? To the ring? To the Cosa Nostra?”
Isabella swallows, trembling, then lifts her gaze to meet Jonathan’s, and finally ours. Her voice is quiet but firm, carrying over the tense silence of the room.
“They never made a backup plan,” she admits. “Papàwas so sure he had thought of every angle, he never considered the consequences. With him and Nico gone… there is no next in line. Unless Gianna or I want to claim it, I suppose. The men will have to fight to see who’s strongest or… the whole thing disbands.”
The weight of her words settles like stone. For a moment, we’re all silent, absorbing the reality—that an empire built on fear, manipulation, and blood has no successor.
Liam exhales slowly, running a hand over his jaw. “What about the buyers? His men, the ones he planted in our ranks?” he asks. “Anyone we need to worry about?”
Isabella shakes her head, dark hair slipping loose around her face. “The buyers won’t stay,” she says quietly. “The moment it goes dark, they’ll disappear. They’re cowards. Rich ones, but still cowards. As for his men…” Her mouth tightens. “You find them the same way you find the girls. Look for the brand. It’s hidden under their other ink, but you should be able to find it with the right tools.”
Brennan cuts in, voice sharp as steel. “And Vera? Gianna? Carlo? We know he was at our docks.”
Isabella swallows, then lifts her chin, gaze steady. “They didn’t know anything.Papànever trusted Vera with anything that mattered, he just used her when it suited him. Gianna…” Her mouth tightens. “Her only role was to be Matt’s wife. Nothing more. Everything else—everything that counted—was orchestrated by Mum andPapà. Jen seduced Ciaran on his orders. She kept him close, and fed him information. Mum helped Jen move the girls to the docks without drawing attention. After that…” Her voice dips. “It was up to Nico andPapàto deal with them. And Carlo just did what he was paid to do. No questions asked.”
Something ugly loosens in my chest.
Relief, tangled with grief and fury.
This is what winning looks like.
Scars and wounds still raw, but every girl like Niamh and Alice now has a chance.
Every nightmare ended.
Every girl who didn’t make it… finally avenged.
Matt’s hand slides from my shoulder to my forearm, slow and steady, grounding me. A silent reminder that I’m here. That I’m breathing. That I’m safe. I curl toward him, letting the warmth of his body bleed into mine, steadying me in the aftermath of everything we survived.
