Chapter 12
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The negotiation meeting between the families was tense, with only high–ranking members from both sides invited, so I was thankfully excluded.
When Moretti soldiers spotted me in the hallway later, they all looked shocked at my presence alongside Antonio.
I just nodded politely and kept moving, pretending I didn’t notice their suspicious glances.
But their whispered conversations were impossible to miss.
I stepped onto the terrace for some air, only to overhear a conversation in the adjacent balcony between Ethan and some captains discussing my presence.
“I thought Emma betrayed the family and wasn’t speaking to you? Did she actually defect to the Vasquez family?”
Ethan snickered darkly.
“She’s just throwing a tantrum. She always comes back eventually. We’ve raised her since she was a child–she’d never actually betray us completely.”
His captain mused, “Emma’s actually pretty valuable. You guys have history, and she’s always been loyal to the family. We were all surprised by her disappearance.” “On one hand, you’ve got your childhood companion who knows all our operations, on the other, a strategic alliance with the Rossi family. Tough to manage both… so what’s your plan if she’s truly defected?”
Ethan was silent for a moment before responding.
“Honestly, Emma has always been useful, I know that.
“But she needs to understand her place. I’m a Moretti by blood, and what kind of captain gets tied down to one woman his whole life? That’s not how we expand our territory and influence.
“I need to secure the Rossi alliance… but Emma has always been a reliable asset. Whenever I need her skills, I know there’s someone keeping operations running
smoothly.”
His captain fell silent.
After a while, he lowered his voice.
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4:44 PM Fri 18 Apr
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“If she’s truly with the Vasquez family now, your father will consider it a betrayal worthy of severe consequences.”
I couldn’t listen anymore and quietly moved away.
The evening breeze hit me, and I couldn’t help sniffling as my eyes grew hot with
unshed tears.
I hated myself for being so blind, for believing I ever meant anything to the Moretti family beyond being a useful tool.
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