Evelina

(xxxi)

Evelina

I woke to the bite of cold air, my body stiff and sore. "Finally awake, Queen?" Klaus's voice oozed with mockery, slicing through the silence.

I forced my eyes open, finding him leaning casually against a table, his smirk both infuriating and unnerving.

"Your family managed to escape," he said, his tone almost bored. "Your precious Elizabeth is safe... for now."

My heart thudded in relief at the mention of Lizzy, but it faltered just as quickly. "W-What about Tony?" My voice was barely a whisper, betraying my fear.

Klaus's smirk widened. "Oh, Tony... Well, I won't spoil the surprise, but here's a clue: someone close to you was shot in the head and bled out like a dog." He paused, savoring the tension. "But don't worry. I won't take your daughter away just yet. In fact, I've sent some of my men to fetch her. She'll be here soon."

"You bastard," I hissed, tugging at the ropes binding me.

His laughter echoed through the room as he pulled out a thick contract, the pages fluttering in his hand. "Now, let's cut to the chase. Sign this, and you can walk out of here alive. Refuse, and..." He trailed off with a shrug.

I narrowed my eyes, forcing my trembling hands to stay still. "What's in the contract?"

He tossed it toward me, the pages landing in a messy heap at my feet. "Your signature will give me everything: control of the Italian and American mafias. Oh, and in return, I'll let you live. Fair trade, isn't it?"

I flipped through the pages, my anger bubbling to a boil. "You'll never get the American Mafia," I spat, throwing the contract to the floor.

Klaus chuckled darkly. "Your naïveté is charming. Do you think your biological family's bruises and broken pride were accidents? I forced them to sign over their power to you. The contract between our mafias states that I can't inherit their empire directly, but you? You've already made that possible for me."

My blood ran cold. He had manipulated everything. "You'll never get the Italian Mafia. That will go to Vincenzo."

He shook his head, amused by my defiance. "Wrong again. Your daughter, Elizabeth, is the eldest granddaughter. When she comes of age, she will inherit everything. Which is why I need your signature. I won't kill you—I need you to raise her, let her grow into the perfect young woman. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she'll come to me."

"You'll never lay a finger on her," I snarled, struggling against the ropes. "I won't sign anything. I'd rather die."

"Ah, Evelina," Klaus sighed dramatically. "You're so predictable. But you'll change your tune." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Her eighteenth birthday will also be your death day. And after that? She'll marry into the German Mafia. She'll marry me."

My stomach twisted, bile rising in my throat. "Over my dead body," I growled. "Elizabeth will marry someone she loves. Not a monster like you."

Klaus straightened, his smile returning. "Enough talk." He barked something in German, and a man entered, dragging a lifeless, battered body behind him.

My heart stopped.

The body was bruised, burned, and nearly unrecognizable, the scar on his hand was unmistakable. The scar Tony had earned the day he declared me his Donna, his equal.

"T-Tony?" My voice cracked as I stumbled forward, tears blurring my vision. His wedding ring caught the dim light, glinting like a cruel taunt.

Klaus grinned like a wolf. "Meet your late husband, Evelina. You're a widow now."