Chapter 17
The white ceiling greeted me like a ghost.
I blinked slowly, my body heavy, breath shallow. Pain rippled across my ribs as I pushed myself up from the bed, every movement stiff and sore. I gritted my teeth and held my side. Whatever they hit me with… it numbed everything but the ache.
“You shouldn’t be moving.”
The voice came from my left.
A man in a clean white coat was jotting something down on a digital pad, calm as if I hadn’t just walked through hell.
‘The anesthetic dose was high,” he added. “We had to subdue you fast. You should still be
unconscious for another six hours.”
narrowed my eyes.
‘Ivanna, Aria, Jisoo…” he murmured, listing the aliases I used while in hiding. “So, which one are
you now?”
turned to him fully, voice sharp. “You’re from the Mafia Council, aren’t you?”
He didn’t deny it.
What do you want from us?” I asked. “Why did you capture us?”
He finally stopped typing and met my gaze. “Don’t you know already? You broke a rule, Ms.
Rossi.”
My jaw clenched. “Don’t call me that.”
He tilted his head, deliberating.
You are a Rossi,” he said flatly. “Whether you like it or not. And you don’t have the right to order anyone here. You’re a prisoner-”
‘Not yet.”
The doctor blinked. “…I beg your pardon?”
eased off the bed, ignoring the burning in my limbs. “Is it the reason you capture us because we use the mafia hunters and pirates to cause trouble for Rossi’s family?”
‘Precisely.”
let out a dry laugh. “Then I didn’t break any rules.”
raised my brow and added firmly, “Under Council Law, during the Ranking Month, mafia families are allowed to use any means necessary to challenge higher-ranking families. Outsiders included. It’s written.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Leaking route maps to hunters isn’t just ‘any means.’ You gave them access to paths the Council itself uses. Also using the hunters means you’re aligned with them, it same as betraying the entire mafia society.”
I wagged a finger at him. “Says who? Got proof I’m the one who leaked it?”
He opened his mouth, confused, but I was already yanking the monitor cords off my arm.
This Time I Won’t Die By Your Hand.
12:08 am PPPP.
‘Where are you going?” he asked.
‘To the court. Aren’t they on trial?”
He hesitated, then nodded to the guards at the door.
They let me through.
MAFIA COUNCIL COURT
This wasn’t the courtroom I expected.
The place was grand-built from old stone, with gold trim and marble pillars-but the air was
eavier than elegance. It was politics. Old, bloody, and lethal.
And there he was.
.othario.
Sitting like a king in front of the Council. Calm. Proud. Unbothered by the sharp glares from riva
amilies.
His eyes lit up when he saw me.
He stood immediately and crossed the room. “You’re awake,” he said under his breath, worry ir is eyes. “You okay?”
nodded stiffly. “I should be asking you that.”
He chuckled softly, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. “You scared me, you know.”
looked away, clearing my throat. “Who says I care?”
Mm.” He smiled.
Behind us, Sam cleared his throat as he was escorted into the court. He gave us both a look,
alf-exasperated, half-amused. “You two gonna flirt in the Council hall?”
rolled my eyes.
More families arrived-one after another. Even the Fiore family, now stripped and splintered, too! heir seats. The Rossi branches filed in stiffly, faces pale. But one name was missing.
scanned the room. “Chris…?”
He’s still unconscious,” Lothario leans in and whispered.
swallowed hard, then shoved his face away when he smirked at my worry.
The room fell silent as the doors opened.
The President of the Mafia Council entered-Mr. Noir. A tall man with a cane and a terrifying calmness. He sat, and the trial began.
A mafia-appointed lawyer began listing everything: Don Matteo’s crimes, the cover-ups, the false accusations against me, Marian’s role in my framing, and how Lothario had helped me enact revenge. My aliases. My tactics. The chaos that took down Rossi and Fiore,
When it all ended, Mr. Noir finally spoke.
“We do not interfere in internal family affairs. But under Council Law 11, any family that loses a war must merge under the winning party.”
He looked directly at Lothario.
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“Do you, Don Lothario, wish to merge the Rossi and Fiore territories into your own?”
Gasps rippled through the chamber. Tension snapped tight.
Lothario stood.
And shook his head.
The Rossi branches exhaled in visible relief. Falling in rank was better than losing their legacy to
a rival.
But then-
‘Rather than mine,” Lothario said, “I nominate the territories to be merged under Aria Desmonte.
Silence.
Eyes flew toward me.
Mr. Noir raised his eyebrows. “Aria? You mean Ms. Ivanna’s other identity? That won’t work. Sh has no established family ties, and even if she wants to lead the Rossi family, it’s impossible- she doesn’t carry the Rossi bloodline.”
The Rossi family members nod their heads in agreement.
rose to my feet. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Aria Desmonte, heiress of the Black Organization. The moment Ivanna was shamed and left for dead, I cast that name aside long
go.”
Everyone looked confused and murmurs exploded like thunder.
Aren’t Desmonte family the first mafia family? How come Ivanna became the heiress of that ancient family?
Explain,” Mr. Noir said, eyes narrowing.
vanna-no, Aria-smiled, owning the name as her final truth. “My mother was the long-lost heiress of the Desmonte family. And now that she’s gone, I, her daughter, inherit that legacy.” She glanced at the others’ stunned faces. “As for the merger Lothario mentioned, yes-I intend to absorb their territories. But I have no intention of feeding my enemies.”
Mr. Noir nod. “Then, Fiore and Rossi territories should be obtained by Aria Desmonte at once.” Mr. Noir nodded slowly. “Then from this moment, the Rossi and Fiore lands fall under Desmonte authority.”
‘NO!” Don Richard-Rupert’s father-rose to his feet. “This is outrageous! Those territories belong to us!”
Murmurs erupted as others joined in, voicing their protests. The room buzzed with unrest-until Mr. Noir slammed the table with a gavel-like force.
“Silence,” he said, calm but commanding.
The noise died instantly.
“As per Council law-which I trust you’re all familiar with-when a family falls in battle, its territory is to be merged with or claimed by the victors. Now, unless you’re all prepared to defy the Council, I suggest you hold your tongues.”
Some swallowed hard and fell silent. But one voice remained defiant-the former head of the Fiore family, Rupert’s father.
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“Mr. Noir,” he said sharply, “is it even legal for a criminal to claim territories? We submitted a report-Ms. Aria, or Ivanna, leaked one of our key stations to the Mafia Hunters. Isn’t that a direct violation of the rules?”
Aria watched them in silence as the crowd’s eyes turned to her-accusatory, blazing-before the shouting began again. “Who says I did that?” she asked coolly.
Don Richard stepped forward. “There’s no use denying it anymore-we have the proof.”
He motioned to someone, and I wasn’t surprised when the doctor from earlier stepped forward.
He raised his phone.
And played the recording:
The doctor blinked. “…I beg your pardon?”
eased off the bed, ignoring the burning in my limbs. “Is it the reason you capture us because we use the mafia hunters and pirates to cause trouble for Rossi’s family?”
Precisely.”
let out a dry laugh. “Then I didn’t break any rules.”
raised my brow and added firmly, “Under Council Law, during the Ranking Month, mafia amilies are allowed to use any means necessary to challenge higher-ranking families. Outsiders included. It’s written.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Leaking route maps to hunters isn’t just ‘any means.’ You gave them access to paths the Council itself uses. Also using the hunters means you’re aligned with them, t same as betraying the entire mafia society.”
The room buzzed with tension.
Sam leaned toward me. “Really? You just said that out loud?”
Don Richard pressed harder. “There it is! She admitted it. She even tried to justify it with Council aw. This is treason.”
didn’t speak.
didn’t need to.
Because just then-
The court doors slammed open.
Boots echoed against marble.
Everyone turned.
And someone entered.
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