LA CAMORRA / MAFIA ROMANCE

CHAPTER THREE

Diego Herrera
Monza, Italy

The night air was crisp as I stood on the balcony, the city light sprawling out beneath me like a sea of fireflies. The Herrera estate sat on a hill, giving me a perfect view of the empire my family had built over generations. The streets below—those dimly lit veins running through the city—carried the lifeblood of everything we'd fought for. Power, control, respect. And soon, it would be stronger than ever.

But not without a price.

Maria Delvina. Her name lingered on my tongue, like the taste of whiskey before it burns down your throat. A bitter reminder of what I was about to sacrifice for the sake of power. But sacrifices had to be made in this world, and if tying myself to the Delvina family meant securing our future, so be it.

Still, she was more than I'd anticipated.

The fire in her eyes had caught me off guard—though it shouldn't have. She was her father's daughter, and I'd been warned she wasn't one to be underestimated. But there was something else in the way she carried herself, something that set her apart from the others. She wasn't afraid to challenge me, to look me dead in the eye as though I were just another piece on the chessboard. And that... intrigued me.

I poured myself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the moonlight, and took a slow sip. The warmth spread through my chest, but it did little to dull the sharp edge of my thoughts. Maria thought this was a game. That much was clear from the way she stood up to me, her eyes flashing with defiance. But she didn't realise the stakes yet.

This wasn't just about control—at least, not entirely. There were forces at play that went beyond our families, forces Maria couldn't begin to understand. And I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep them at bay.

I set the glass down on the railing, the sound of the crystal clinking softly in the cool night. The Delvina's were powerful, yes. But they weren't invincible.

And neither was I.

The breeze picked up, carrying the scent of pine from the trees surrounding the estate. It did little to calm the restlessness coiling inside of me. I couldn't help but wonder if Maria had any idea of what was coming. She was smart, id give her that. But smart wasn't always enough. This world chewed up and spat out the smartest people, especially those who thought they could control it.

Still, she spiked my interest. She wasn't like the others—the ones who cowered in fear or tried to flatter their way into my good graces. No, Maria had met me head-on, unafraid to show her teeth. And that made her dangerous.

I couldn't afford to think less of her. Not now, not ever. If this marriage was going to work, I'd need to find a way to keep her in check. But how? Maria wasn't the type to bend easily, and I wasn't the type to break.

A dangerous combination.

"Diego."

My father's voice cut through the quiet, and I turned to see him standing in the doorway of the study, his silhouette sharp against the warm light spilling from inside. His face, as always, was blank. The same stern expression he'd worn since the day I'd learned to recognise him as more than just my father. He was the head of the Herrera family first. A man I was expected to become, but never quite would be.