A Crown Made of Scars

Rainy nights in Sicelia were always thick with the stench of rust and gunpowder.

Rumors had circulated that the newly appointed Don of the Romano family, one of the most powerful mafia clans, had been badly disfigured in a fire. His temper had grown brutal, and three fiances had already been driven to terror.

When the news reached the Deluca family estate, my so-called sister had collapsed in tears and begged me to take her place and honor the engagement.

I had watched her act in silence before kicking her to the floor.

I had said calmly, "When I was brought back into this family, you were afraid of losing your status. You rushed to secure the marriage alliance to protect your position. Now that your fianc is disfigured and you can't bear to face that scarred monster, you want to shove me into the flames instead?"

At that moment, my childhood sweetheart had burst through the door. He bent down and helped my fake sister to her feet, his concern plain to see.

"Elena, don't be so ungrateful," he snapped. "This marriage was yours from the beginning. Now it's simply returning to its rightful owner. Tomorrow, I'll be holding a grand wedding with Rosa. As for you, you can obediently go and serve that monster."

My parents had stormed in as well, pointing at me and cursing without restraint.

As I looked at the selfish faces before me, I drew a slow breath. Resolve hardened in my eyes.

"Fine," I had said quietly. "Then all of you can come down to hell with me."

Chapter 1

In the Deluca family's grand hall, the tension was palpable, only pierced by the occasional snap and pop from the fireplace.

I had just planted my stiletto heel into Rosa Deluca's chest, with the sharp point driving into her like a nail into wood.

She did not even have a chance to scream before she stumbled backward, shattering the expensive crystal coffee table behind her.

The glass shattered, slashing across her once-prized face.

Marco Conti stormed in just in time to witness the aftermath.

His eyes were wild with fury as he whipped out his Beretta and pointed it straight at me.

"Elena! You've got a death wish!"

My parents were right on his heels, taking in the wreckage and their injured foster daughter.

My father, Dante Deluca, was shaking with rage. "This is outrageous! Grab this monster!"

The bodyguards started to close in, but I gave them a chilling look and a mocking smile.

"Go ahead, make your move. We might just all end up dead."

I smoothed out my black dress and pulled a silver switchblade from my thigh holster, flipping it around with a practiced ease.

"If I'm not back with the Romanos by dawn tomorrow, they'll send a hit squad to wipe out the Deluca family."

Rosa was sobbing pitifully, cradled by the family, and I could not help but feel disgusted.

With a casual toss, I sent the knife skimming past Rosa, silencing her sobs.

"I wondered if my dear old dad would rather offer up Rosa or just let everything burn."

Dante's hand, which had been raised in anger, hung frozen in the air. I ignored it and strode over to the long wooden table with grace, slamming down the "Severance Agreement" I had prepared with a satisfying thud.

"If you're going to throw me to the wolves, you better make it worth my while. 50 million dollars. The moment that contract is signed and the cash hits my offshore account, I'm in with the Romanos tonight."

Dante was seething, but he had to keep it under wraps.

He never saw it coming. The girl who had always been so meek, the one who clawed her way up from the slums, the real deal heiress, was showing her true colors then, all teeth and claws.

"50 million? In your dreams! Who do you think you are?"

"Dreams are optional." I whipped out my phone, the screen showing a ticking countdown to send.

"This is Rosa's health report. It says her kidneys are in perfect health, and that the whole sick act was just a con to snag my kidney.

"And here's the dirt on your family, too: five years of smuggling, tax dodging, and skimming off the top, all behind the mafia Commission's back. The email is ready to be sent to the Commission."

My finger was poised over the send button, my grin both bright and brutal.

"So, will the Deluca go bust and get wiped out, or will you cough up 50 million for a clean slate? Your call."

Silence. Total, heavy silence.

The only sounds were Rosa's muffled sobs and Marco's labored breathing.

Dante's expression changed from one of fury to horror, then disbelief.

He stared at me like I was some stranger.

Three minutes ticked by.

The ping from Swisswell Bank cut through the quiet like a knife.

[Your account has been credited with 50,000,000 USD.]

I signed my name with a flourish, then tossed the contract onto Marco's shocked mug.

"A bad girl and her lackey, bound for eternity. May your wedding tomorrow be as cheery as a wake."

Chapter 2

Meanwhile, over at the Romano family's sprawling estate, the place was nothing like a swanky estate. Rather, it felt more like a fortress bristling with security.

High walls were laced with live barbed wire, and armed guards were posted every 30 feet.

The servants, clad in black, moved with heads down and without a sound, like ghosts drifting through the halls.

Upstairs, in the master bedroom, the door was left ajar, letting out a heavy stench of blood that even overpowered the room's fancy cedar scent.

A man sat in a wheelchair among the broken ceramics and bloodstains, fiddling with a scalpel still wet with blood.

Next to him, a traitor shivered on his knees, his throat cut, twitching as death crept closer.

"Another one comes to meet their end?"

His voice was gritty and dark, laced with a sinister delight for bloodshed.

I shut the door with a flick of my wrist, turned the lock, and shut out the prying eyes.

"Don Romano, I'm Elena," I announced. "Here's a token from the Deluca family."

The wheelchair turned slowly to face me.

Even prepared, I caught my breath for a split second at the sight.

His face was a study in contrasts. The left side was chiseled perfection, but the right was hidden behind a silver mask, with burn scars creeping out like red, twisted centipedes.

It was truly a horrifying sight, a mix of the divine and the monstrous.

Wade Romano lifted his hand.

In a flash, the scalpel streaked by my ear, snipping a lock of hair with deadly precision before sinking deep into the wooden door behind me.

He chuckled, his one good eye gleaming with malice. "You didn't flinch?"

I yanked the scalpel from the door, cleaned the blade, stepped forward, and leaned in close.

The blade's point rested lightly on the pulse of his throat.

"Don, the knife work was lethal. If you'd truly meant to kill me, I wouldn't be here breathing."

A flicker of madness in Wade's eyes froze for a split second before he erupted into a wild laugh.

His laughter twisted the scars on his face into something even more sinister.

Out of nowhere, he lunged and clamped down on my wrist. His grip was so strong I thought my bones might snap as he tried to shake me off.

However, the moment his fingers brushed the inside of my wrist, he froze.

There, an ugly burn scar marred my skin. It was an old wound, shaped like a scorched butterfly.

Wade's eyes were glued to that scar.

The fury in his eyes suddenly swirled into confusion, shock, and a tremor so faint it might be missed.

"Where'd you get this?" he rasped, his breath heavy.

I tried to wrench my hand free, but his grip was punishing.

"Ten years back, in the old Milanex City, during a nasty clash." I recounted with a detached air, as if it were someone else's story.

"I was just passing by when I heard some noises under the debris. I was young and reckless, and thought I could play the hero. Got a nasty burn from a beam that came down."

Wade's pupils shrank, as if I had hit a nerve. "Did you manage to save anyone?"

I let out a bitter chuckle.

"Nah, the blaze was too fierce. All I saw was this 'little dirty dog' pinned down. He was nearly gone, and I was about to pass out from the smoke. I tossed him the only thing I had: a strawberry candy.

"Told him it'd make the pain go away if he ate it. Then the firefighters showed up and dragged me out. I heard later that the whole place came down. That kid probably turned to dust."

The air hung heavy.

Wade's gaze bore into mine, swirling with emotions I could not read.

Shock, wild joy, the madness of finding something once lost, and a possessiveness fierce enough to set the world on fire.

He held on for a moment before letting go, his calloused fingers brushing over the scar with the tenderness one might use for a priceless artifact.

"So It was you."

His voice was a whisper, and then he fished out a black and gold card from his jacket, a card that held the Romano family's highest authority, and tossed it into my lap.

The harshness in his voice was gone, replaced by a chilling command.

"Pay your family a visit tomorrow. If it's you, then I'll make the Deluca family pay back what they owe you, a thousand times over."

I blinked in surprise. "You know who I am?"

Wade's lips twisted into a smile that was both devilish and gentle, his scarred face strangely captivating.

"Elena, you once gave a Swisswell strawberry-flavored candy to that 'little dirty dog'. I never eat sweets, but I've remembered the taste of that candy for ten years. It was the only sweetness in hell."

Chapter 3

Early the next morning, I stood before a full-length mirror, clad in a custom-tailored black gown that would not be out of place at an Italon mafia funeral.

However, I loved it.

Wade was in his wheelchair, his mask still in place, hiding half his face. Yet, his eyes had lost the darkness from the day before. It was replaced by a lazy amusement, as if he were an audience to a play.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered as I donned a black veil hat that hid half my face, leaving only my chin with its fiery red lips visible.

I felt powerful, like the Grim Reaper ready to claim souls.

"Let's go, my Donna," Wade said, his voice deep. "It's time to play the Grim Reaper for the Deluca family's last rites."

At the Deluca family estate, amidst the wedding festivities.

That was meant to be Elena and Wade's engagement celebration.

The scene had shifted to Marco and Rosa's wedding ceremony.

To hide an embarrassing secret, the Deluca family spun a tale about their real daughter being sick and seeking treatment abroad, leaving the stand-in daughter to marry.

Naturally, her groom was Marco, the Deluca family's less-than-desirable son-in-law.

A red carpet unfurled, swarmed by the press.

Marco and Rosa played their parts on stage, a picture-perfect love story of the elite.

"Rosa, you're my one and only, come what may. Together, we'll take the Deluca family to new heights."

Marco's words dripped with emotion.

Then, a thunderous crash tore through the facade.

A souped-up, armored SUV bulldozed the villa's gates.

It steamrolled the ornate flower arch and barreled down the red carpet.

Guests shrieked and scattered, a champagne tower crumbled, and chaos reigned.

The SUV halted with a screech, a mere half-meter from the stage.

The doors swung open.

A phalanx of armed guards in black leaped out, submachine guns at the ready, seizing control.

Wade, seated in a wheelchair, was wheeled out.

I stood by him, clad in black with lips painted a fierce red.

My high heels crushed rose petals beneath, like a harbinger of doom.

"Elena"

Rosa went ghostly white, gripping Marco's sleeve, shaking like a leaf.

Marco tried to keep his cool, bellowing. "Elena! This is my wedding day! Are you trying to stage a coup right now?"

I let out a soft laugh and clapped my hands.

Four guards hoisted a massive golden broadsword into view.

It landed with a resounding thud on the stage, splitting the wooden floor.

A gift from the Grim Reaper.

"How's that for a showstopper? A grim reaper in solid gold?" My smile was serene, but my gaze was lethal.

Dante clutched at his chest, his body slumping into the chair as he shook and pointed a trembling finger at me.

"Damn you!"

Marco, his face a mask of humiliation, snatched up the cake knife and lunged for me.

"You're asking for it!"

The sharp report of a gunshot cut through the tension.

Marco's scream pierced the air as he collapsed, his hands clasping his thigh, the white fabric of his pants blooming with blood.

Wade stood calmly, a silver Colt still smoking in his grip.

He casually blew away the wisp of smoke curling from the barrel.

"Think you can mess with my people? Well, think again."

Silence choked the room.

No one moved. No one even thought to call the cops.

They all knew the man with the gun: Wade, the madman.

I strode over to Rosa, my heels pressing into the white of her wedding dress.

"This house? It's mine, and I'm taking it back. You've got three hours to pack up and leave. If you're a minute late, Marco loses a leg. Two minutes? I'll take one of your ears."

I leaned in close, my whisper a devilish caress against her ear. "Welcome to hell, sis."

The Deluca family was in shambles.

The guests had scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving behind chaos and that gleaming golden knife.

Dante was carted off with a heart attack, sirens wailing.

Rosa's mother, Gabriella Rossi, was a tempest of tears and curses, branding me a heartless traitor.

I ignored her, lounging on the plush leather sofa, the family's prized red wine on my lips.

Wade was by my side, swirling the gun in his hand like a toy.

Three hours ticked by.

Right on cue, the bodyguards sprang into action.

Antiques, paintings, and furniture, the Deluca' treasures, tumbled out the door.

There was Rosa, still in her once-lavish, now-stained wedding gown.

She stood at the roadside, soaked to the bone, mud splattered up to her knees.

Marco, his leg swathed in bandages, glared at her from his wheelchair with venom in his eyes.

"Don't you dare gloat, Elena! The Contis may lean on the Deluca for support, but we've got our own allies in the police force! And the Romanos won't stand for your wild antics!"

With a smirk, I strolled to the front gate, towering over the unfortunate couple.

"The police, you say? You'd better check your phone."

Marco, taken aback, fumbled for his device.

In an instant, his face went ashen, the phone slipping from his grasp and clattering to the ground.