Gemma’s POV

What a nightmare. I stepped out of the restroom and walked straight into Marcus Frost lurking in the hallway outside the private dining room of the club that served as neutral territory for family business meetings. His grip on my arm was firm and unwelcome, his fingers digging into my skin like a predator marking his prey. That disgusting exile made my flesh crawl, but I forced myself to maintain composure before heading back to our table. The last thing our group needed was more drama, especially with Ivy already devastated after learning that Yara Rossi, daughter of a rival family, claimed to be carrying Caleb’s heir.

"Everything alright, Gemma? You were gone forever," Lila questioned the moment I slid into the plush leather seat. That sharp-eyed girl never missed a detail, probably why she’d survived this long in our dangerous circle.

"Yeah, just fine. Mom called," I fabricated smoothly to explain my extended absence.

"Oh Gemma, I’m absolutely dying to meet your mother. Frost won’t stop raving about her cooking," Zoe chimed in with enthusiasm, swirling her martini. As Dominic’s lieutenant and information broker, she had access to details about everyone in our orbit.

"We should definitely arrange something at my place," I suggested, forcing brightness into my voice despite the lingering dread from my encounter with Marcus. The girls immediately warmed to the idea, their chatter providing a welcome distraction from the cold fear settling in my chest.

After countless cocktails and endless conversation about territory disputes and family politics, we finally called it a night. I had already planned to crash at Lila’s fortified apartment since I desperately needed someone to confide in about everything spiraling beyond my control. Lila’s place was one of the few locations in the city where we could speak freely without worrying about surveillance or family ears. The second we walked through her reinforced door, she launched into interrogation mode.

"Gemma, what’s really going on with you?"

"Lila, I’m absolutely terrified."

"What do you mean?"

"I’ve gotten more letters from Nick."

"Hold on, is that street rat even permitted to contact you from inside?"

"I met with the family’s attorney recently. He confirmed that those letters couldn’t have been sent through official prison channels. Someone on the outside had to smuggle them out and mail them on Nick’s behalf. Someone with connections."

"Any clue who might have done it?"

"None whatsoever. The lawyer’s informing the judge though. We’ll see what the family decides to do next."

"What exactly did he write, Gemma?"

"Pure threats. The first letter demanded I visit him in prison. The other letters promised he wouldn’t leave me alone and swore he’d make me pay for putting him behind bars. He knows things about my daily routine, Lila. Things only someone watching me could know."

"That’s incredibly serious, Gemma. Have you discussed this with Dominic or your mother?"

"My mom’s considering moving in with her boyfriend outside the family’s territory. If I tell her about this, she’ll abandon those plans, and that wouldn’t be fair to her. As for Dominic, he’s drowning in his own problems right now with the money laundering operations under federal scrutiny. I refuse to add to his burden."

I explained to Lila about Marcus’s return to the city and how tense Dominic became whenever his exiled father surfaced. I described the uncomfortable dinner at Nadia’s place and today’s incident at the club.

"I knew something had happened when you came back to the table," Lila observed. "Why didn’t you mention it at the club? Why keep it from the other girls?"

"You saw Ivy’s condition after that scene with Yara. I won’t dump my problems on her when she’s already suffering from all the family politics. She needs our support right now."

"Gemma, that’s what this circle is for - we protect each other’s backs."

"I understand, but Ivy needs our solidarity right now. Besides, I can count on you, can’t I?"

"Always, absolutely. But you need to tell Dominic that his father cornered you."

"No way, Lila. Dominic would put a bullet in Marcus’s head without a second thought, exiled father or not. Marcus may be a vile excuse for a human being, but I won’t be the reason Dominic has blood on his hands from family business."

"Gemma, that’s his father we’re talking about. You’re his woman. In this world, he has every right to know when someone threatens what’s his."

"I realize that, but I refuse to make his situation with the family more complicated. He’s already walking a tightrope with the federal attention."

"Gemma, you’re considering everyone except yourself. You’re shutting out the people who love you most. Do you honestly believe that’s the right approach in our world?"

"Lila, I simply don’t want to burden anyone with my problems. These are mine to handle."

"You don’t have to face them alone though. I’ll respect whatever you decide, but consider whether you should let the people who care about you choose if they want to help rather than forcing them to watch you struggle in isolation," Lila said with complete seriousness, her words cutting through my defenses. "Just remember that while you’re protecting everyone else, I’m here for you no matter what. In this life, loyalty is everything."

"Thank you, Lila." I squeezed her hand with genuine affection.

Opening up to Lila felt incredibly liberating. Beyond just listening and offering support, she provided the kind of street-smart perspective that came from surviving in the family’s world. Having a true ally’s backing made all the difference when navigating the dangerous waters of mafia politics.

The days blurred together, and Dominic and I could barely manage brief conversations. My schedule was packed with work at the boutique and supporting the girls since Ivy remained in terrible shape and needed constant attention while the family sorted out the Yara situation. Dominic was juggling his money laundering operations while dealing with increased federal surveillance, plus managing whatever threat Marcus represented to family security. According to Zoe’s intelligence network, Marcus continued making Dominic’s life miserable with his presence in the city. Our conversations had become painfully short, usually just me talking while he listened with the distracted air of a man calculating risks and body counts. Something about Dominic’s behavior was making me increasingly anxious. Things felt different, but I couldn’t identify exactly what had changed in the family dynamics.

When Ivy began seeing Parker, a soldier from a neutral family, her mood improved significantly, and our after-work gatherings at secure locations returned to occasional instead of daily crisis management sessions. My evenings and weekends were finally free again.

However, Dominic seemed busier than ever with family business.

I’d call his encrypted cell phone, but he never answered, always responding with a text saying "I’ll call you back" and never following through. When I called Zenith Systems, his legitimate business front, his secretary would claim he couldn’t come to the phone, always in meetings or handling sensitive calls, promising to "pass along your message." Weekends were supposedly consumed by emergency family operations. I knew something was seriously wrong but didn’t want to involve others in my suspicions about what might be happening in the family’s inner circle. Then Vincenzo called me.

"Hey there, gorgeous Auntie," he said with forced cheerfulness when I answered.

"Sweetheart, how are you doing?"

"Completely stressed, Auntie. It’s finals week and I’m drowning in textbooks. Just taking a quick break for food and to call you because I miss you terribly. You’ve completely vanished from family dinners. Seems like you only have time for your girlfriends these days."

"Things were chaotic for a while with all the territorial issues, but they’ve settled down recently. Why haven’t you and your uncle visited?"

"What do you mean? I was going to ask why you skipped Sunday dinner at the compound. Uncle Dominic said you were busy with your friends and family obligations."

"I think your uncle might be confused about his schedule."

"Auntie, are you having problems? The family’s been asking questions."

"Not that I’m aware of. Your uncle’s been incredibly busy with the federal heat lately, maybe that explains the miscommunication."

"Is something wrong, Auntie? Because if someone’s threatening you, the family needs to know."

"No sweetie, we’ve both just been working constantly. You know how it is when the feds start sniffing around our operations."

"Should we plan something for this weekend? Maybe a family dinner where we can all talk?"

"Just let me know when works best for everyone."

We chatted a bit longer about his studies and family gossip, and when I hung up, devastation washed over me like ice water. If I had suspicions before, now I was certain something was terribly wrong, and Dominic was actively deceiving me about his whereabouts and activities.

I attempted calling Dominic again, but he didn’t answer his encrypted line, sending the usual "I’ll call you back" message. I called Zenith Systems and received the standard "I’ll pass along your message" from his secretary. So I called Zoe, who answered with her typical sharp efficiency.

"Hey beautiful, how’s everything going in your corner of paradise?"

"Everything’s fine, Zoe. Caleb and Ivy are still navigating the Yara drama, but she’s doing much better since she started seeing Parker."

"Yeah, that alliance has been really beneficial for everyone involved. But what about you? Why are you calling me during business hours? You know I’m usually coordinating surveillance operations right now."

Now I needed a convincing cover story because Zoe wasn’t gullible. Her survival in the family depended on reading between the lines. But how could I get the information I needed without her realizing something was wrong between Dominic and me?

"Nothing major, Zoe. I’m just thinking about planning a surprise for Dominic and wanted to check which day would work best, since I know you usually coordinate late-night operations."

"Thank goodness we haven’t been running late operations recently. Things have been so quiet on the federal front that Dominic even left early today to spend the afternoon shopping with Vincenzo at the mall. So you can pick whatever day you want for your surprise."

I was completely baffled. What did she mean he was at the mall with Vincenzo? I had just spoken with Vincenzo, and he was studying for exams. The secretary told me he was in sensitive meetings. Something was definitely very wrong with this picture.

"Gemma?" I heard Zoe’s voice calling from the other end.

"Sorry Zoe, I just got an urgent message from the boutique and need to handle it. Don’t mention to Dominic that I called since it’s meant to be a surprise."

"Don’t worry, beautiful. If you need anything else, just let me know. You know the family takes care of its own."

I said goodbye to Zoe and felt my heart sink into my stomach. I made one final call.

"Lila, if you’re near Ruby, step away without mentioning it’s me calling," I spoke rapidly when Lila answered.

"Okay, you can talk freely now, friend. What’s wrong? Your voice sounds like you’ve seen a ghost."

"It’s Dominic, Lila. Can I come over tonight so we can talk without any surveillance?"

"I’m going to destroy that manipulative bastard. Of course you can come, Gemma. I’ll make sure we have complete privacy."

"Lila, don’t say anything to the other girls yet."

"Don’t worry about it. But Gemma, if he’s playing games while you’re dealing with threats, there’s going to be consequences."

I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. I needed a moment and escaped to the boutique’s back room. A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind about family politics, federal pressure, and dangerous games. Had Dominic grown tired of the complications I brought to his operations and decided to just disappear from my life? That would be unforgivably low, even by mafia standards. But I was determined to get to the bottom of this situation, though I had no idea how dangerous the truth might be.