Melissa’s POV

The prison gates opened as I stepped out into the sunlight. It was warm on my face, making me close my eyes and breathe in the air.

Free.

After all this time, I was finally free.

Angelo was waiting by the car. He looked terrible.

Thin.

Pale.

He smiled when he saw me, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"Melissa," he said. "Welcome back."

I walked to the car as he opened the door for me. I got in. He got in the driver’s side.

We drove in silence for a while.

I watched the city go by. Everything looked the same, but different, like I had been gone for a hundred years instead of one.

"Did you do it?" I asked finally. "Did you execute the plan?"

Angelo’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I did what you asked. I met with Ariana, and I told her what you said to tell her."

"And? How did she react?"

"She looked like someone had killed her." He glanced at me. "It was cruel, Melissa. That’s what you wanted, right?"

I smiled. "Yes. That’s exactly what I wanted."

Angelo was quiet for a moment.

Then he said, "Why? Why did you have me lie to her? Asher is her son; he’s Dante’s son. You know that, I know that."

I turned to look at him. "Of course it was fake. You think I would let you use a real test? No. The real test would prove Asher is Dante’s son. That’s not what I need."

"I don’t understand. Why would you want her to think her son isn’t hers? What does that accomplish?"

I leaned back in my seat. "It gets in her head, Angelo, I mean, think about it....Ariana has spent fourteen years raising that boy, and she finds out he might not be. The doubt will eat at her. She’ll look at him and wonder. She’ll look at Dante and wonder. She’ll question everything."

"I’ve been in prison for a year, Angelo. A year of thinking and planning. I lost everything: my son, freedom, life, and Ariana got everything. Dante, the mansion, money... heck, the perfect family."

"She didn’t take anything from you. You did that to yourself."

I laughed. "You sound like a priest. Save the sermon for someone who cares."

Angelo pulled the car over. He stopped on the side of the road and turned to face me. His eyes were tired.

"Melissa, I’m dying. I have maybe six months, I don’t want to spend them playing your games."

"Then don’t. You already did what I asked. You told her the lie. Now I’ll take it from here."

"What are you going to do?"

I smiled. "I’m going to set up a meeting with Ariana, just the two of us, and I’m going to tell her that I know the truth. I’m going to tell her that since Asher isn’t Dante’s son, he’s not the heir. That Leo is the only real heir to the Russo fortune."

"But that’s not true."

"It doesn’t matter if it’s true. What matters is what she believes. What matters is what she’s afraid of." I looked at Angelo. "She’s a mother. A mother will do anything to protect her child, and right now, she thinks Asher is not Dante’s son. She thinks that if Dante finds out, he’ll reject Asher. He’ll take everything away from him and give him out to the orphanage."

Angelo stared at me. "You’re going to blackmail her."

"I’m going to give her a choice," I said, as if it were simple. "She does what I want, or I tell Dante the ’truth.’ I tell him that she’s been deceiving him all these years. That Asher isn’t his child. That she tricked him into raising another man’s son."

"But——" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"She’ll be too scared to call my bluff because what if I’m right? What if I have proof? What if Dante believes me? She can’t take that risk, not with Asher’s future on the line."

Angelo shook his head slowly. "You’re more twisted than I thought. Prison didn’t change you. It made you worse."

I smiled. "Prison taught me patience, it taught me how to wait, plan, and how to strike when no one expects it."

"What do you want from her?"

"Money and everything she has... I belong in Dante’s world and not hers. She took everything from me, and I will not rest until I do the same."

Angelo laughed. It was a hollow sound. "You think she’s going to let you near Leo? After everything you did?"

"She doesn’t have a choice. If she wants to protect Asher, she’ll do exactly what I say. She’ll give me the money and let me have my son, and she’ll keep her mouth shut about the lie."

"And if she doesn’t?"

"Then I go to Dante, I tell him his wife has been lying to him for fourteen years."

Angelo was quiet for a long time.

"You know what your problem is, Melissa?" he said finally. "You think everyone is like you. You think everyone lies and schemes and manipulates."

I reached over and patted his cheek. "Cut the crao and drive. I have a meeting to arrange."

Angelo didn’t move; instead, he just sat there, looking at me with those tired, sick eyes.

"You’re going to break them," he said.

"I’m going to take back what’s mine."I felt something cold settle in my chest. "I’m his mother; they don’t have a choice."

Angelo sighed and started the car, pulling back onto the road.

I pulled out my phone I had a new number. Untraceable. I typed out a message to Ariana.

We need to talk about Asher. Meet me tomorrow. Alone. If you tell anyone, I’ll go to Dante, and we both know what happens then.

I hit send.

Sat back.

Waited.

The reply came faster than I expected.

Where?

I smiled. She was already scared and already under my control.

This was going to be easier than I thought.

I sent her the address.

Angelo glanced at me. "She agreed?"

"She agreed." I put my phone away. "Tomorrow, I get everything I want."

"Or you lose everything you have left."

I laughed. "I have nothing left to lose, Angelo. That’s what makes me dangerous."