- 20 minutes ago
Married My Ex's Dad, Now I'm Mafia Queen
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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00My name is Isabella Carlson.
00:00:03My father sells me to buy peace in Chicago, and today, I am marrying a man who doesn't love me.
00:00:11The son of a mafia don, Alex Marino.
00:00:17I walk down the aisle alone. There is no groom at the altar.
00:00:21My only friend, Faye Nichols, pale as paper, grabs my arm.
00:00:25Izzy, you need to know, Alex ran off.
00:00:27An hour ago, he boarded the train to California with that singer from the Green Mill.
00:00:31He runs away, humiliating me in front of the entire mob.
00:00:35Sophia Marino, the matriarch of the Marino family, stands up.
00:00:39Isabella, this is not the place. Alex?
00:00:41Alex runs off with a whore. He breaks the pact. He insults your name and mine.
00:00:46We will retrieve him. He will do his duty.
00:00:49I don't want him. I will not take a coward into my bed.
00:00:53The pact requires a union between Carlson and Moreno.
00:00:58Do not think you can walk away from this.
00:01:03I'm not walking away.
00:01:04The contract states a Carlson daughter must marry a Moreno son.
00:01:08It does not specify which one.
00:01:09Since your heir is unfit, I demand a replacement.
00:01:12For your family's honor, I will choose the one myself.
00:01:15All unmarried men of the Moreno bloodland, stand up.
00:01:19Two stiff boys stand up.
00:01:21One is Mateo, Alex's best friend.
00:01:23If I marry him, I sleep next to a man who will hate me.
00:01:25The other is Luca, slim and trembling.
00:01:28He won't even meet my eyes.
00:01:29A coward.
00:01:30A brute or a coward.
00:01:32Those are my choices.
00:01:34If I pick either, I am dead.
00:01:36But I am done being a victim.
00:01:39No.
00:01:40I reject these two.
00:01:42Isabella, do not test my patience.
00:01:44You are in no position to be picky.
00:01:47I am the bride.
00:01:49And I am choosing the only man in this room who can restore the honor your family lost today.
00:01:55I lift my hand.
00:01:57My finger passes over everyone and points at the man sitting alone in the front row.
00:02:02He is Alex's father.
00:02:04The Don of the Moreno family.
00:02:06The most powerful man in all of Chicago.
00:02:08Damien Moreno turns his head, his eyes locking onto mine like obsidian.
00:02:14I choose him.
00:02:15I choose the Don.
00:02:19The cathedral falls dead silent.
00:02:21My hands tremble, but I pretend not to be nervous.
00:02:25You cannot be serious.
00:02:27Isabella, he is the Don.
00:02:29He is not an option.
00:02:30Why?
00:02:31You said any unmarried Moreno man.
00:02:33Is the Don married now?
00:02:35No, but...
00:02:36Then he is an option.
00:02:36I will not marry a boy who trembles at my glance, nor a man who will beat me.
00:02:40I need a husband who can uphold the weight of this alliance.
00:02:45I need the head of the family.
00:02:47I heard Damien's heart is dead.
00:02:48After his first wife died, he never touched another woman.
00:02:51No mistresses.
00:02:52No women at all.
00:02:53This will be a cold transaction.
00:02:55I will be safe.
00:02:56He won't touch me.
00:02:57More importantly, if I marry Damien, I become the matriarch.
00:03:01When Alex crawls back to Chicago, he will find a stepmother who outranks him.
00:03:05Isabella, be careful what you wish for.
00:03:08I am not wishing.
00:03:10I am demanding what is owed.
00:03:13Sophia stiffens, or is the word of the Moreno family, broken twice in one day.
00:03:18She looks at me, then turns to her son.
00:03:21Damien!
00:03:22Damien stands up.
00:03:24He is taller than Alex, broader in the shoulders.
00:03:28He stops in front of me.
00:03:31Up close, he is dangerous.
00:03:33You invoke the pact.
00:03:35I do.
00:03:37You understand what you are asking?
00:03:41You are asking to belong to me.
00:03:45I am asking for a husband who keeps his word.
00:03:48A muscle in his jaw twitches.
00:03:50Our family keeps its word.
00:03:53Are you certain, Isabella?
00:03:55I am.
00:03:56Then let us not keep God waiting.
00:03:59He extends his arm and leads me toward the altar.
00:04:03I have won.
00:04:04I have saved myself and gotten my revenge.
00:04:08But what I don't know is, I have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.
00:04:14After the wedding, Damien takes me to the Moreno estate and enters his private quarters.
00:04:21This is where you will sleep.
00:04:23And you?
00:04:25Damien doesn't look at me.
00:04:26He goes to the wardrobe.
00:04:28Takes out a thick file and a black handgun.
00:04:32I'll be in the study.
00:04:34Panic pierces through me.
00:04:36He is leaving.
00:04:38Once he walks out that door, tomorrow the whole household will know the Don doesn't touch his bride.
00:04:44I will become a joke with no standing at all.
00:04:47No!
00:04:50Excuse me?
00:04:53Is it a Moreno family tradition to run after making a vow?
00:04:59First the son, now the father?
00:05:05Watch your tongue, Isabella.
00:05:06You are pushing boundaries.
00:05:08You chose a king, not a lover.
00:05:11Did you expect me to hold you?
00:05:14To comfort you?
00:05:16I expect respect.
00:05:18I don't want your affection, Damien.
00:05:20I don't want your body.
00:05:22I chose you because you are cold.
00:05:25Because you are a machine.
00:05:28I didn't want a husband who would love me.
00:05:31I wanted one who wouldn't destroy me with feelings.
00:05:35You think my indifference makes you safe?
00:05:37It makes us functional.
00:05:39I will be the wife you need.
00:05:41I will bear your name.
00:05:43But for that to work, you cannot leave this room tonight.
00:05:47Sleep on the floor for all I care, but you stay!
00:05:50Damien stares at me.
00:05:51The mockery fades from his face, replaced by a sharp, calculating assessment.
00:05:55The floor is beneath me.
00:05:57He moves to the velvet chaise lounge at the foot of the bed, shrugs off his jacket,
00:06:02loosens his tie, and sits down.
00:06:03Go to bed, Isabella, before I change my mind.
00:06:07I climb into the massive, empty bed.
00:06:10The sheets are cold, and the space beside me is a void.
00:06:14But across the room, the dark outlie of the dawn remains.
00:06:18I have won the first round.
00:06:21But as I lie in the dark, listening to the steady breathing of the monster I married,
00:06:26I wonder, have I simply locked myself in the cage with the beast?
00:06:35I wake from a restless sleep.
00:06:37Damien stands at the foot of the bed, fully dressed, watching me.
00:06:43You manipulated the situation last night with a skill I didn't expect.
00:06:48From a girl barely out of the schoolroom.
00:06:50I did what was necessary.
00:06:54Why me?
00:06:56You could have run.
00:06:57You could have begged for a payout.
00:06:59Instead, you walked into the lion's den and locked the door behind you.
00:07:03Why?
00:07:03This is the test.
00:07:05If I lie, he will see through it.
00:07:07Because marrying anyone else makes me a tragedy.
00:07:10The poor girl left at the altar.
00:07:12By the dawn's son.
00:07:14A victim.
00:07:15A punchline.
00:07:17But, marrying the dawn makes me a queen.
00:07:21It was the only choice that guaranteed my survival.
00:07:24In this world, power is the only shield that matters.
00:07:29Ambitious.
00:07:30But, ambition without purpose is just vanity.
00:07:33I have a purpose.
00:07:35And it makes me his mother.
00:07:37Alex?
00:07:38Alex Moreto stripped me of my honor in front of all of Chicago.
00:07:43As his new mother, I will teach him the respect he failed to show.
00:07:48It's a matter of family honor.
00:07:50A debt to be paid.
00:07:52I have just asked the most powerful man in the city for permission to go to war with his own
00:07:56son.
00:07:57You think you can handle him?
00:07:58I think he's a boy playing at being a man.
00:08:01He needs to learn that actions have consequences!
00:08:05He is a disgrace to the Moreno name.
00:08:07He lacks discipline.
00:08:09He lacks spine.
00:08:10In the next moment, Damien leans down, bracing his hands on the mattress, trapping me.
00:08:16He is your problem now, Isabella.
00:08:18As his mother, teach him his place.
00:08:21Break him if you have to.
00:08:23I don't care.
00:08:28What I don't expect is that before Alex is dragged back, I have to deal with the servants of this
00:08:34house.
00:08:36They are eager to put me in my place.
00:08:38Your coffee, ma'am.
00:08:40And the silk robe you requested.
00:08:43We couldn't locate it in the laundry.
00:08:45It seems to have been misplaced.
00:08:49I lift the cup.
00:08:51Stone cold.
00:08:53The steam has long since vanished.
00:08:59After the door closes, the young maid Clara hiss in anger.
00:09:03They are laughing at you.
00:09:05That coffee has been sitting there for an hour.
00:09:07And I saw the robe in the linen closet this morning.
00:09:10They hid it.
00:09:10I know, Clara.
00:09:12Then why didn't you say anything?
00:09:15You are the Dawn's wife.
00:09:16If I scream over a robe, I become the hysterical girl they want me to be.
00:09:21We wait.
00:09:23Wait for them to make a mistake that cannot be hidden.
00:09:28Only actions can be punished.
00:09:30The morning sun struggles to pierce the heavy velvet drapes.
00:09:34Damien left the estate before Dawn.
00:09:37This is my chance to establish my authority in this house.
00:09:42Take them down.
00:09:44Are you sure, ma'am?
00:09:46The Dawn prefers the dark.
00:09:47No one has touched this room since he took the title.
00:09:50I am not no one.
00:09:52I am his wife.
00:09:54Strip the bed as well.
00:09:56The grey linens are dreary.
00:09:58Use the white Egyptian cotton.
00:09:59The drapes fall.
00:10:01Sunlight floods in.
00:10:02The room instantly feels larger.
00:10:04But the light also illuminates he sneers on the faces of the two older maids by the wardrobe.
00:10:08They think the noise of the renovation masks their whispers.
00:10:12Look at her.
00:10:13Acting like a real queen.
00:10:15She forgets she was the collateral the heir threw away.
00:10:18Let her play.
00:10:19The Dawn hasn't let a woman choose so much as a spoon in this house for fifteen years.
00:10:23He'll throw her and her silk curtains out onto the street before nightfall.
00:10:27I turn.
00:10:29The sound of my heels on the hardwood floor cuts through their snickers.
00:10:35Repeat that!
00:10:37The fake smile on the maid's face vanishes.
00:10:40Ma'am, I was just saying the silk is very... delicate.
00:10:44No.
00:10:45You were predicting my eviction.
00:10:48You called me collateral.
00:10:49We meant no disrespect, Mrs. Moreno.
00:10:52Just idle talk.
00:10:54Idle talk is for the market.
00:10:56In this house, words have consequences.
00:10:58Please, ma'am, we didn't mean...
00:11:00You meant every word.
00:11:04And now...
00:11:07We wait for him.
00:11:10Since you are so certain of his reaction...
00:11:13You should have no fear...
00:11:15In repeating your predictions to his face.
00:11:18I point to the center of the room where the sunlight pools.
00:11:22Kneel.
00:11:23They sink to the floor, trembling.
00:11:26You said the Dawn would throw me and my silk curtains out onto the street before nightfall.
00:11:32Is that right?
00:11:34Ma'am, please.
00:11:36Is that right?
00:11:38Yes.
00:11:39Good.
00:11:40Clara, you are loyal.
00:11:43Loyalty should be rewarded with authority.
00:11:46Slap them.
00:11:47Ten times each.
00:11:49Let them feel the consequence of disrespecting the Moreno name.
00:11:54Clara steps forward.
00:11:56The first slap is light.
00:11:58Harder.
00:12:00The second slap is brutal.
00:12:03Then the third.
00:12:04The fourth.
00:12:07Suddenly, the heavy doors swing open.
00:12:10Damien stands in the doorway.
00:12:12Dawn!
00:12:13Dawn, save us!
00:12:15She's mad!
00:12:17She's hurting us!
00:12:18We were just doing our jobs, sir!
00:12:21Please!
00:12:23Damien says nothing.
00:12:25His face dark.
00:12:27He walks toward me step by step.
00:12:30Damien steps past me and stops in front of the kneeling women.
00:12:35She gave you an order for ten slaps.
00:12:38How many has it been?
00:12:40Ten, sir.
00:12:41Then give them ten more.
00:12:47The maids' wails are cut short as Damien raises a hand.
00:12:52And when you are finished, take them to the cat house laundry on the south side.
00:12:57They will work there until they forget their own names.
00:13:05Damien's trusted man, Enzo, moves in to drag the sobbing women away.
00:13:10Damien walks toward me.
00:13:12I think you would mind this.
00:13:14At least until you knew the full story.
00:13:17No.
00:13:18I don't need to know.
00:13:19I gave you authority over my son's re-education, Isabella.
00:13:25Do you think I would grant you power over my own blood, but not over a maid?
00:13:31Damien looks at the spot where the maids melt, then lifts his gaze.
00:13:36This ugliness.
00:13:38It is not something a wife should have to deal with.
00:13:41On her second day.
00:13:43My heart skips a beat.
00:13:45He is apologizing?
00:13:48I understand the terms of our arrangement, Damien.
00:13:51I don't mind.
00:13:52You don't mind?
00:13:54Your protection and your name are enough.
00:13:57You have nothing to apologize for.
00:14:00Damien stares at me.
00:14:02Then he takes a step closer.
00:14:03Then another.
00:14:08Your understanding is appreciated, Isabella.
00:14:12He reaches out, his callished knuckles grazing my jaw.
00:14:16You focus on running my house, little queen.
00:14:19Leave the ugliness to me.
00:14:21He walks out of the room.
00:14:25I have done it.
00:14:27I have secured my position.
00:14:29We have a deal.
00:14:30A partnership devoid of desire.
00:14:33A partnership devoid of desire.
00:14:33It is exactly what I wanted.
00:14:36But why does the place he touched still burn?
00:14:39Since that day, no one in this estate has dared to provoke me.
00:14:43The title of Mrs. Moreno seems secure.
00:14:46Then Clara comes running to me in a panic.
00:14:49Madam, he's back.
00:14:51I don't need to ask who.
00:14:53Alex Moreno.
00:14:55The boy who left me at the altar.
00:14:57He has no idea that the woman he abandoned is no longer his fiancée, but his stepmother.
00:15:06Enzo brought them ten minutes ago.
00:15:08They are in the dawn study.
00:15:11I stand up.
00:15:12A cold smile touches my lips.
00:15:15I step inside the study.
00:15:18In the center of the Persia rug kneel two figures.
00:15:21Alex and the girl.
00:15:24Bound back to back.
00:15:26Alex's gaze locking onto mine with venomous disdain.
00:15:31Isabella, I should have known you'd be lurking around.
00:15:36Did you come to beg?
00:15:38Or did my father drag you here to watch?
00:15:42I don't know what lies you've told yourself, but this, us, it's never happening.
00:15:47I love Casey.
00:15:49You need to accept that.
00:15:52I'll have my father grant you an annulment.
00:15:55An annulment?
00:15:57That would be difficult, Alex.
00:16:04Considering I haven't married you.
00:16:09What are you talking about?
00:16:10The pact!
00:16:14The pact required a union between a Carlson and a Moreno.
00:16:19It did not specify which Moreno.
00:16:22I gesture to Enzo standing by the door.
00:16:28He immediately bows his head to me.
00:16:31Madam.
00:16:32Alex's eyes dart between me and the soldier.
00:16:35The color drains from his face, leaving him ashen.
00:16:40No.
00:16:42No.
00:16:43No, you didn't.
00:16:48I found a man who doesn't run.
00:16:53Alex, is that any way to speak to your mother?
00:16:59You...
00:16:59You married him?
00:17:02You married Damien?
00:17:04I tell Alex a fact, but he doesn't seem willing to believe it.
00:17:09You're insane.
00:17:11You think my father, the Don, would touch the woman I cast aside?
00:17:16Watch your tongue, or I will have it cut out.
00:17:20You fucking bitch!
00:17:22You couldn't have me, so you went for my father?
00:17:25You'd rather be my mother than admit you were thrown away like trash?
00:17:29I stand tall, letting his rage wash over me.
00:17:32It doesn't sting.
00:17:33You think this is a game?
00:17:34You think marrying my father makes you anything other than a whore climbing the ladder?
00:17:38You are nothing, Isabella.
00:17:40Nothing!
00:17:41Enzo.
00:17:43In the Moreno family, what is the punishment for disrespecting the Don's wife?
00:17:47Loss of a finger for a first offense, madam.
00:17:49I turn back to Alex slowly, a cold smile on my lips.
00:17:53You see, son?
00:17:55Family rules.
00:17:56You wouldn't dare.
00:17:58I am the heir.
00:17:59I am the future of this family.
00:18:02You touch me, and the Capos will revolt.
00:18:04You think being the heir makes you untouchable?
00:18:07You forget, Alex.
00:18:09You are adopted.
00:18:11Loyalty is everything.
00:18:12And you chose to betray it for this.
00:18:16My gaze flicks to Casey.
00:18:18The girl is trembling so violently.
00:18:23Please.
00:18:24We just want to leave.
00:18:26We won't bother you.
00:18:27Please, let us go.
00:18:28Silence.
00:18:29Don't talk to her like that.
00:18:31She's worth ten of you, you venomous bitch.
00:18:35My father will never let you hurt me.
00:18:37He needs me.
00:18:39Does he?
00:18:40The voice doesn't come from me.
00:18:42Damien steps out of the shadows behind the desk.
00:18:44I straighten immediately, walk to Damien's side, placing a hand on his arm.
00:18:49Damien, your son.
00:18:51He refuses to show his mother the proper respect.
00:18:54He calls me names.
00:18:55He questions your judgment.
00:18:57Father, she...
00:18:58She trapped you.
00:18:59She's manipulating you.
00:19:01I came back for...
00:19:02You were dragged back.
00:19:03Like a dog that ran off its leash.
00:19:05I love her.
00:19:06You have to understand.
00:19:08You can't let this woman...
00:19:09This woman is my wife.
00:19:11And you are a disgrace to the Moreno name.
00:19:14Damien looks at me.
00:19:15There is no softness in his eyes.
00:19:18But there is approval.
00:19:19He lacks discipline.
00:19:21He has forgotten the weight of the name he carries.
00:19:24Isabella.
00:19:25As his mother.
00:19:26Teach him his place.
00:19:28Alex's face twists.
00:19:29His fear morphing into a desperate, reckless fury.
00:19:31How can you stand there and let her speak to me like that?
00:19:34Father!
00:19:34She is nothing but my discarded trash.
00:19:37And you...
00:19:37You picked her up and put a crown on her head?
00:19:39Where is the dignity?
00:19:41Because she understands honor, Alex.
00:19:42And you, quite clearly, do not.
00:19:44You have broken the pact and insulted the family name.
00:19:47In this family, we bleed for such errors.
00:19:50Isabella, do whatever you want with him.
00:19:51A shiver of dark triumph races down my spine.
00:19:55The Don has just handed the whip to me.
00:19:59Don't worry, darling.
00:20:00I'm going to be a very hands-on parent.
00:20:04Enzo.
00:20:0420 lashes.
00:20:06Father, no.
00:20:07Stop this woman.
00:20:08I'm your son.
00:20:09You are a disappointment.
00:20:11Consider this mercy.
00:20:12Enzo drags Alex toward the door.
00:20:14He twists his head back to look at Damien.
00:20:16There is a deep hatred in his eyes.
00:20:18I turn to the girl huddled on the floor.
00:20:20Casey.
00:20:21She looks small and pathetic.
00:20:23Please.
00:20:23I didn't know.
00:20:25I just love him.
00:20:26We just want to be together.
00:20:28You think this is a fairy tale?
00:20:29You think if you cry enough, you'll become a princess?
00:20:32I cast a questioning look at Damien.
00:20:34Damien.
00:20:35What should be done with this...
00:20:37thing?
00:20:38She is yours to judge, Mia Regina.
00:20:40I crouch down, forcing Casey to look me in the eyes.
00:20:44I...
00:20:44I could be a good wife.
00:20:47Or...
00:20:47Or even just...
00:20:48I don't mind not being the wife.
00:20:50I can be his...
00:20:52His...
00:20:52His...
00:20:53His Guma?
00:20:54You won't be his wife.
00:20:56You won't even be his whore.
00:20:58An outsider who brings shame to the Moreno name has no place in this world.
00:21:03Her face crumbles.
00:21:04We have a cath house on the south side.
00:21:06They are always in need of girls for the laundry.
00:21:09It's honest work.
00:21:10You will work there until you pay back every cent of the damage you've caused to my family's honor.
00:21:16No!
00:21:17You can't do that!
00:21:18I'm a singer!
00:21:20My hands!
00:21:21Your hands are now property of the Moreno family.
00:21:26Get her out of my sight.
00:21:28The soldier gags Casey with his hand and drags her limp body toward the exit.
00:21:33I stand, smoothing the silk of my dress.
00:21:36Damien pushes off the desk and walks towards me.
00:21:41Ruthless.
00:21:42I learn from the best.
00:21:44The heavy oak doors are inches from clicking shut when a scream tears through the wood.
00:21:49You!
00:21:50Let this venomous bitch poison you against your own blood!
00:21:54She's twisting your mind, father!
00:21:56Bring him back.
00:21:58The doors swing open immediately.
00:22:00Enzo and the other soldier drag a thrashing Alex and a sobbing Casey back onto the Persian rug.
00:22:06A venomous bitch.
00:22:09You stand in my house, having disgraced my name, and you dare to slander my wife?
00:22:15It's the truth!
00:22:16If she were truly a venomous bitch, a cheap singer like this would never have made it past the gates.
00:22:24She would be buried in the Pine Barrens.
00:22:28And you would be mourning a ghost.
00:22:30You still don't understand, do you, Alex?
00:22:35You think you can play house with this girl?
00:22:38You think if you beg enough, she becomes a Moreno?
00:22:41I crouch down again, bringing my face level with his.
00:22:46Let me teach you a lesson from the old world.
00:22:49A girl you propose to with her family's blessing, with a ring on her finger and a contract on the
00:22:56table,
00:22:57that woman becomes your wife.
00:23:00She carries your honor.
00:23:02But, a girl who runs away with you in the middle of the night?
00:23:06A girl who helps you humiliate your family?
00:23:10She is a Guma, a mistress.
00:23:13It is the rule, son.
00:23:16She is not a mistress.
00:23:19She is the only woman I want.
00:23:23It doesn't matter what you want.
00:23:25When your punishment is over, I will find you a proper wife.
00:23:29And this girl can remain in the shadows where she belongs.
00:23:36No!
00:23:39I won't do it!
00:23:42I won't marry anyone else!
00:23:45Alex crawls on his knees to Damien.
00:23:47I swear it on my life, father.
00:23:49I will take no wife.
00:23:50I will never sign a marriage contract.
00:23:52Let me keep her.
00:23:53Not as a wife.
00:23:54Fine.
00:23:55As a Guma.
00:23:56But I will have no other.
00:23:57No political matches.
00:23:59Just her.
00:23:59The room goes silent.
00:24:00Because it is a vow of self-destruction.
00:24:03An heir who refuses to marry for Alliance is useless to the family.
00:24:06You would forsake your duty for her?
00:24:10Yes.
00:24:13Very well.
00:24:14If that is your choice.
00:24:17One month in the cellar.
00:24:19Recite the Vendetta.
00:24:20If you survive, she can move into the guest cottage.
00:24:30As your Guma.
00:24:32Alex slumps in relief.
00:24:35Sobbing thank you.
00:24:37Casey weeps into his shoulder.
00:24:40They don't see it.
00:24:42But I do.
00:24:43Damien hasn't agreed.
00:24:44Because he has moved.
00:24:45He has agreed because Alex has just proven.
00:24:48He is unfit to lead.
00:24:54Get them out of here.
00:24:55And Enzo.
00:24:57Prepare the crypt.
00:25:00The family needs to witness this.
00:25:03The doors close on Alex's weeping gratitude.
00:25:08Damien looks at me.
00:25:11I only hope he won't regret this one day.
00:25:15He made his choice.
00:25:18Now we must make ours.
00:25:20Damien nods.
00:25:21From this moment on, Alex is no longer a child of this family.
00:25:24He is a traitor.
00:25:25The Moreno family crypt is a place where sunlight never touches.
00:25:30Dozens of thick white candles flicker in the wall niches.
00:25:33In the center of the room, kneeling before the obsidian sarcophagus of the first dawn, is Alex.
00:25:39He looks small.
00:25:41I stand to Damien's right.
00:25:42My hands clasped demurely in front of me.
00:25:46This is a brutal, bloody theater.
00:25:49And I have the best seat in the house.
00:25:59Father, please.
00:26:06A Moreno man answers for his actions.
00:26:17Surely there is another way.
00:26:19He is just a boy in love.
00:26:21To humiliate the air like this, is it necessary?
00:26:25The woman speaking is Francesca, Alex's aunt.
00:26:28The man beside her is her husband, Antonio, a capo in the family.
00:26:32They have been eyeing Damien's position.
00:26:35The honor of this family is not a small matter, Francesca.
00:26:39Don, Francesca speaks from a place of care.
00:26:42But consider the optics.
00:26:44A public punishment of the air this severe.
00:26:46Our rivals in Chicago and New York may see it as a sign of instability.
00:26:51Perhaps a private reprimand would suffice.
00:26:53A family that cannot discipline its own blood is the true sign of weakness.
00:26:58Disorder breeds disrespect.
00:27:00And disrespect breeds rebellion.
00:27:03He will learn.
00:27:04Under Damien's authority, both of them shut their mouths.
00:27:11Alex Moreno, for the crime of breaking the pact, for bringing shame upon our name, and for the disrespect shown
00:27:17to my wife, your queen, you are sentenced.
00:27:2425 strashes, administrated by the enforcer.
00:27:28Following this, you will be confined to the old wine cellar for one month.
00:27:33You will see no sunlight.
00:27:35You will speak to no one.
00:27:38You will recite the history of every vendetta our family has executed for 300 years.
00:27:45Until you understand the weight of the blood you so carelessly risked.
00:27:5225?
00:27:53Father, please.
00:27:54Please.
00:27:57Silence.
00:28:02The enforcer steps forward.
00:28:05The leather of the rip creaking.
00:28:08Alex crumbles.
00:28:09He thought his father's love would save him.
00:28:13But in this room, there is no love.
00:28:18There is only the law.
00:28:24Watch.
00:28:25And remember.
00:28:27I don't look away.
00:28:28I watch as the enforcer raises his arm.
00:28:35The first crack of the whip sounds like a gunshot in the confined space of the crypt.
00:28:40Alex screams.
00:28:44The whip screams faster, and everyone covers their eyes.
00:28:48But I don't flinch.
00:28:50By the tenth lash, Alex screams turn into wet, ragged sobs.
00:28:55By the twentieth, he is silent.
00:29:0025 finished.
00:29:02Take him to the wine cellar.
00:29:04He stays there for a month.
00:29:05Bread and water.
00:29:14Before the soldiers can even move, someone speaks up.
00:29:20Don Damien.
00:29:22The boy is in bad shape.
00:29:24The cellar is damp.
00:29:26Infection will set in quickly.
00:29:33Perhaps we should move him to his quarters.
00:29:35The family doctor can attend to him better there.
00:29:39The prisoner of this family stays in the family's prison.
00:29:45He lost the privilege of his own room the moment he chose Dishonor.
00:29:50If he dies, he dies learning a lesson.
00:29:53Antonio retreats into the shadows.
00:29:55Francesca presses a handkerchief to her lips, as if stifling a sob.
00:29:58But as the soldiers drag Alex past her, her hand lowers slightly.
00:30:02For a split second, I see it, a twitch of a smile she can't quite suppress.
00:30:05With Alex broken, the line of succession is open.
00:30:08Her son Mateo is now the strongest candidate.
00:30:10She isn't mourning the tragedy.
00:30:12She is celebrating the opportunity.
00:30:14Leave us.
00:30:14The room empties quickly.
00:30:16The heavy iron doors groan shut.
00:30:17Damien turns to me.
00:30:19Was it too much for you?
00:30:22No.
00:30:27Will you go to him?
00:30:30He-
00:30:31He looked like he might not wake up.
00:30:33He's in the hands of the family doctor now.
00:30:36My presence won't heal him.
00:30:38Aren't you afraid that he might not survive the night?
00:30:42You seem more concerned than his own father.
00:30:45Be careful with your concern, my queen.
00:30:47I know you hate him.
00:30:51I saw your face when the whip struck.
00:30:54You enjoyed it.
00:30:58My breath hitches.
00:30:59In fact, he knows everything I am thinking.
00:31:03Do not go near that cellar.
00:31:05And do not think for a second that I will look the other way if you decide to finish what
00:31:11I started.
00:31:12Come.
00:31:12My mother is waiting.
00:31:14A fire crackles in the hearth.
00:31:16Sophia sits in a velvet armchair near the fire.
00:31:20Not like a grandmother waiting for news, but like a judge waiting to deliver a verdict.
00:31:26Is it done?
00:31:28It is.
00:31:29He is in the cellar.
00:31:3225 lashes, Damien.
00:31:34The servants are already whispering.
00:31:38You nearly flayed the boy alive.
00:31:41Was it necessary to break him so thoroughly?
00:31:45He is still your heir.
00:31:49A broken heir is better than a disloyal one.
00:31:53He needed to learn that disrespecting my wife carries a price higher than he can ever pay.
00:32:02He needed to feel a fear of her that would last a lifetime.
00:32:08My heart skips a beat.
00:32:10I thought the punishment was about enforcing his authority.
00:32:13But he is building a fortress around me.
00:32:17You are more like your father than you admit.
00:32:20Sophia turns to me and takes a slow sip of her coffee.
00:32:24You think your marriage to my son was an accident.
00:32:26A result of Alex's foolishness and a hasty clean-up.
00:32:31But you are wrong.
00:32:32This union, it was the original plan.
00:32:37I don't understand.
00:32:3912 years ago, your father, Don Luciano, went to see Don Carlson.
00:32:44He wanted to unite our families.
00:32:47He didn't ask for a match for Alex.
00:32:51He asked for a match for you, Damien.
00:32:53I look at Damien.
00:32:55Genuine surprise cracks his stoic mask.
00:32:58He doesn't know either.
00:33:00Why didn't it happen?
00:33:02Because your grandfather was a cautious man, Isabella.
00:33:05He refused.
00:33:07He said the age gap was too significant.
00:33:10But that was a polite lie.
00:33:14The truth?
00:33:16He was terrified of you, Damien.
00:33:18He feared that if he gave his granddaughter to you, the Moreno family would swallow the Carlson legacy whole.
00:33:26He wanted a weaker man for you, Isabella.
00:33:30Someone he could control.
00:33:32That is why he agreed to betroth you to Alex instead.
00:33:34Silence descends on the room.
00:33:37I stare at my husband.
00:33:39The man I was forced to marry.
00:33:41The monster I once feared.
00:33:44A specter my grandfather tried to keep at bay.
00:33:47It seems that what belongs to me finds its way back eventually.
00:33:51The air between us has changed.
00:33:53We are no longer just allies bound by a contract.
00:33:57We are a correction of history.
00:33:59An inevitability.
00:34:02Isabella.
00:34:03Sophia stands and removes the ring from her right hand.
00:34:06A massive blood-red ruby surrounded by diamonds.
00:34:10The Moreno matriarch's ring.
00:34:11She walks to my side.
00:34:14Give me your hand, child.
00:34:17I glance at Damien.
00:34:19He is staring at me.
00:34:20You are Mrs. Moreno now.
00:34:23Wear it.
00:34:24I extend my hand.
00:34:27Sophia slides the ring onto my finger.
00:34:30Cold.
00:34:31Heavy.
00:34:33Terrifyingly heavy.
00:34:34May you have the strength to bear its weight.
00:34:36Before I can even recover from the cold weight of the ring, Sophia turns the conversation.
00:34:42Now that we have established the past, we must secure the future.
00:34:46We need to discuss Alex.
00:34:48And the question of the bloodline.
00:34:50Sophia is not one to dwell on sentimentality.
00:34:53Her gaze is fixed firmly on the future of her house.
00:34:58Alex has disgraced us.
00:35:00But we cannot change his blood.
00:35:02He is still the heir.
00:35:04Once his confinement is over, we must secure a new match.
00:35:08Immediately.
00:35:09We need a girl from the old world.
00:35:12Someone raised in traditions.
00:35:14Someone who understands that a wife's duty is to bear sons and look the other way.
00:35:20I sit perfectly still.
00:35:23Minutes ago, I learnt I was meant for the dawn.
00:35:28Now I am listening to them plot to sell another girl.
00:35:32And the girl he ran off with?
00:35:34The Putana?
00:35:36Let him keep her as a Gooma if he must.
00:35:39I look at Damien.
00:35:40I expect him to agree.
00:35:42It is the logical move.
00:35:44Marriage is a business transaction.
00:35:46And Alex is a failing asset that needs to be propped up by a strong alliance.
00:35:50No.
00:35:54Excuse me?
00:35:56There will be no marriage.
00:35:59I will not bind another innocent family to Alex's mess.
00:36:02I will not sacrifice another good girl to his foolishness.
00:36:07Only to have him humiliate her as he did Isabella.
00:36:10You speak of mercy?
00:36:13Since when does the dawn of the Murano family...
00:36:19Care about the feelings of teenage girls?
00:36:23He claims he loves this case.
00:36:26He claims he cannot live without her.
00:36:29Very well.
00:36:30I grant him his wish.
00:36:32He can have her.
00:36:34He can be faithful to her.
00:36:37He will not marry anyone else.
00:36:39This is about power, Damien.
00:36:41Without a wife, without heirs, Alex is weak.
00:36:46Let them.
00:36:48You are letting Alex win?
00:36:53You are rewarding his rebellion?
00:36:56He made his choice.
00:36:58Let him live with it.
00:36:59Sophia slams her cane against the floor.
00:37:02But she falls silent.
00:37:03She recognizes the tone of the dawn's command.
00:37:06It is final.
00:37:07He isn't showing Alex mercy.
00:37:08He is severing his future.
00:37:10I return to my quarters and sit at the vanity.
00:37:13I know I have a long way to go in this house.
00:37:16Every step must be cautious.
00:37:18A senior maid named Gina is smoothing the sheets.
00:37:22She has served Francesca for 20 years.
00:37:26Gina.
00:37:29Yes, Donna Isabella?
00:37:31I hand her a sealed envelope to the florist.
00:37:34A mundane task, but a test.
00:37:38At once, Donna.
00:37:41As the door closes, Clara practically vibrates with tension.
00:37:46Why her?
00:37:47She was Francesca's eyes and ears.
00:37:50You cannot trust her.
00:37:52I could have done it.
00:37:54Come here, Clara.
00:37:57A queen who only trusts one pair of eyes is a blind queen.
00:38:03If I only use you, the others will never fear me.
00:38:08And they will never serve me.
00:38:10I just, I don't want you to be vulnerable.
00:38:14Not after today.
00:38:15I am not vulnerable because I have you.
00:38:18I need to know if Gina will bite the hand that feeds her.
00:38:21Or if she is smart enough to recognize the shift in power.
00:38:25I am not vulnerable because I have you.
00:38:25It's not just the maids I worry about.
00:38:29Alex, when he gets out, he will be like a wounded animal.
00:38:34He hates you.
00:38:37He will seek revenge for what the Don did to him.
00:38:40Let him try.
00:38:42According to our laws, I am his mother now.
00:38:46If he disrespects me, he disrespects the Don.
00:38:50And it is a mother's duty to oversee her son's re-education.
00:38:55Hours later, the estate is silent.
00:38:58I dismiss Clara and climb into the vast, empty bed, expecting another night alone.
00:39:04A sudden shift in the mattress jolts me awake.
00:39:08Damien is there.
00:39:09He lies on the other side of the bed, his obsidian eyes tracing the line of my shoulder where the
00:39:14strap of my silk nightcog in has slipped down.
00:39:16When our eyes meet, he doesn't look away.
00:39:18We have an arrangement, Damien.
00:39:22But staring is not part of it.
00:39:26If you want to look, just look.
00:39:29I am your wife.
00:39:31I am willing to do my duty.
00:39:33I think offering myself is a safe bet.
00:39:35I am wrong.
00:39:36He moves suddenly.
00:39:38He leans over me, bracing his weight on one arm, caging me against the mattress.
00:39:42His lips brush my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
00:39:45Are you saying you wish to perform your duties as my wife, Isabella?
00:39:49I only meant for the family.
00:39:53To secure the legacy.
00:39:55Sleep, Isabella.
00:39:57Before you offer things you cannot afford to give.
00:40:01He turns his back to me.
00:40:03I lie in the dark, my face burning.
00:40:07Hours later, I can't sleep.
00:40:10I turn toward him.
00:40:11My gaze falling on the jagged scar running from his elbow to his wrist.
00:40:16As if driven by some unseen force, I hold my breath, slowly reach out.
00:40:22My fingers trace the ridge of the scar.
00:40:25In a flash, his hand shoots out and clamps around my wrist.
00:40:29I thought you were asleep.
00:40:33I never sleep when there is a threat in my bed.
00:40:36Or a temptation.
00:40:40The next morning, the humiliation hasn't faded.
00:40:43I walk into the breakfast room, expecting to eat alone as usual.
00:40:47But as the doors open, I freeze.
00:40:50Damien sits at the head of the long table, extends his hand towards me.
00:40:54Sit.
00:40:55I take the seat across from him.
00:40:58Determined to salvage whatever dignity remains.
00:41:02Did you enjoy the view last night, Don Moreno?
00:41:05You tell me, Mia Regina, who was the one who couldn't keep her hands to herself.
00:41:10How did it feel?
00:41:14It was educational.
00:41:16It was educational.
00:41:17I was merely inspecting the merchandise, ensuring the family's assets are intact.
00:41:22I am always happy to provide my wife with an education.
00:41:26Though I suggest next time, you ask before you touch.
00:41:30I might not be so restrained.
00:41:32He finishes his coffee, dabs his mouth.
00:41:35He leaves me alone with my burning cheeks and a cold cup of coffee.
00:41:39Thirty minutes later, I pace the length of my quarters.
00:41:42The anger from breakfast churning inside me like vile.
00:41:46I need a target.
00:41:48I need to feel powerful again.
00:41:51My lady, the doctor has just left the old wine cellar.
00:41:55It's Alex.
00:41:56The whipping took a toll.
00:41:58He's burning up with fever.
00:42:00The guards say he hasn't moved from the cot since yesterday.
00:42:03A slow, cold smile spreads across my lips.
00:42:07Is that so?
00:42:09My stepson is ill.
00:42:11As his mother, how can I rest until I've seen to his comfort?
00:42:16Walking down into the old wine cellar feels like stepping into a grave.
00:42:20In the furthest alcove, Alex lies on a narrow cot, stripped to the waist, his back a road map of
00:42:27angry welts.
00:42:28He is shivering.
00:42:29He looks nothing like the arrogant air.
00:42:33You come to gloat?
00:42:36I came to check on my son.
00:42:38You look terrible, Alex.
00:42:40Does it hurt?
00:42:41Get out, you witch.
00:42:44Is that how you speak to your mother?
00:42:47We are a perfect tragedy, you and I.
00:42:50You made me a queen and I made you a prisoner.
00:42:54It seems fair, don't you think?
00:42:58You think you've won?
00:43:02You're nothing.
00:43:05You're just a piece of meat my father bought to warm his bed.
00:43:09And yet, I am not standing.
00:43:12And you are the one rotting your door.
00:43:15You venomous bitch!
00:43:20You're nothing but a rat from a dying family.
00:43:24You should have died with your mother.
00:43:27You struck my heart.
00:43:29At least you knew how to rot quietly.
00:43:32The wound of my mother's death has never fully healed.
00:43:36When I am at a loss, Damien appears and stands behind me.
00:43:39His eyes are voids.
00:43:41Divide of mercy.
00:43:42Fixed entirely on his son.
00:43:45You dare?
00:43:46Father, she...
00:43:47She provoked me.
00:43:48She came here to...
00:43:49Silence.
00:43:50You insult my wife.
00:43:51You insult the dead.
00:43:53Is this the honor of a Morano?
00:43:55Damien grabs my arm and drags me out.
00:44:00The iron door clangs shut behind us.
00:44:04In the corridor, he stops and turns to me, his dark eyes scrutinizing.
00:44:09Did his words hurt you?
00:44:11He is just a child lashing out.
00:44:14Do not lie to me, Isabella.
00:44:16You went there to twist the knife.
00:44:19You enjoyed it?
00:44:20He deserved it.
00:44:22Perhaps.
00:44:23Play your games, Mia Regina.
00:44:26But know that...
00:44:28A cornered wolf will still bite.
00:44:31And I won't always be there to pull you from the fire you start.
00:44:34The warning in Damien's eyes is a dark, turbulent sea.
00:44:37But I don't look away.
00:44:39I need to know where the line is drawn.
00:44:41The line of his loyalty in this twisted family.
00:44:43Perhaps I was too harsh.
00:44:45He is your blood, Damien.
00:44:46To see him in such a state.
00:44:48Maybe we should...
00:44:49He is a disgrace to the Morano name.
00:44:51My concern is that he is unworthy of yours.
00:44:55If he is unwilling to learn, then as his father, perhaps you should...
00:44:58He has proven he is beyond education.
00:45:00He is your problem now, Isabella.
00:45:02As I said...
00:45:05He walks ahead with long strides, and I follow.
00:45:09A small, victorious smile touches my lips.
00:45:13Afternoon sunlight filters through the cream curtains.
00:45:16I sit at my vanity, Clara brushing my hair.
00:45:20The rhythmic strokes are soothing.
00:45:21But my mind keeps racing.
00:45:24Clara, tell me about Alex.
00:45:26Before all this...
00:45:28What do you wish to know, Mia Regina?
00:45:31I want to know what the others see.
00:45:33The Capo's wives?
00:45:35Francesca?
00:45:36What do they think of the heir?
00:45:39They...
00:45:40They...
00:45:41Adore him, ma'am.
00:45:42In public, Master Alex is different.
00:45:45Charming, respectful.
00:45:47He kisses the hands of the elders, and speaks of honor as if it were his religion.
00:45:51A saint in the parlor, a devil in the dark.
00:45:54Precisely.
00:45:55He has a way of making him feel special.
00:45:58It is why no one believes the room is about his cruelty, until they experience it themselves.
00:46:03A facade.
00:46:04Alex isn't just a brute.
00:46:06He is a politician.
00:46:07That makes him dangerous.
00:46:09It means my war with him won't just be physical.
00:46:11It will be a battle for the narrative.
00:46:14A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.
00:46:17An older maid named Emma enters with a tea tray.
00:46:20She sets it down with stiff efficiency.
00:46:23Casting a disapproving glance at Clara.
00:46:25You are digging your own grave, girl.
00:46:35Forring over her like that.
00:46:37Do you think she will last?
00:46:38She is an outsider.
00:46:40Open your eyes, Emma.
00:46:42Did you not see who held the whip?
00:46:44The Don flayed his own son for her.
00:46:46Her word is the Don's will.
00:46:49She is just a new toy.
00:46:51Look at her hand.
00:46:52She wears Donna Sophia's ruby.
00:46:55Do you know what that means?
00:46:56I turn slowly, lifting the teacup to my lips.
00:47:00Emma stares at the blood-red stone on my finger, the color draining from her face.
00:47:07The household ledger will be hers before the month is out.
00:47:10Francesca is the past.
00:47:11She is the future.
00:47:17Is the tea to your liking, Donna Isabella?
00:47:20It is perfect, Emma.
00:47:22See that it stays that way.
00:47:26She nods frantically and backs out of the room.
00:47:29The lines are being drawn, not just in the dungeon, but in the heart of the estate.
00:47:34And I intend to hold the pen.
00:47:37Hours pass.
00:47:38The ledger lies open before me.
00:47:42Thousands of dollars are being siphoned off monthly under security enhancements and external logistics.
00:47:49The payments go to shell companies owned by Antonio Moreno's associates.
00:47:56This isn't just petty thief by a greedy housewife.
00:47:59This is embezzlement on a massive scale.
00:48:02They are building a war chest right under Damien's nose.
00:48:06If I expose this, I won't just embarrass Francesca.
00:48:11I would be declaring war on a powerful faction within the family.
00:48:15But they think I am just a naive girl.
00:48:17What they don't know is, by handing me the house, they have handed me the weapon to destroy them.
00:48:23I arrive at the rose garden on the south side of the estate and encounter Francesca, who is admiring the
00:48:29flowers.
00:48:32The white roses are particularly lovely this year, don't you think?
00:48:36They are.
00:48:38Though I've always preferred the red.
00:48:44They hide the blood better.
00:48:45Francesca's smile doesn't waver.
00:48:48She steps closer.
00:48:50I heard you requested the household ledgers.
00:48:52All of them.
00:48:53The accounts are terribly complex.
00:48:56And Tony always says it takes a real head for numbers, not just a pretty face, to make them balance.
00:49:01Damien said the household answers to me now.
00:49:05That includes its accounts.
00:49:12Or does the word of the Don mean less in this wing of the estate?
00:49:16Francesca stiffens.
00:49:18Invoking Damien's authority is a shield she can't pierce.
00:49:21On the contrary, I find the ledgers fascinating.
00:49:24It's amazing what one can learn about a family's priorities by following the money.
00:49:29Her eyes drop to my hand, to Sophia's blood-red ruby ring.
00:49:34A flicker of genuine alarm flashes in her eyes.
00:49:39Well, I'm glad you find it so... engaging.
00:49:44If you have any questions, Cara, you know my door is always open.
00:49:48I'm sure it is.
00:49:50But I find the numbers speak for themselves quite clearly.
00:49:53She turns and walks away.
00:49:55Her posture rigid.
00:49:56She came to test the new queen.
00:49:59Hoping to find cracks in the porcelain.
00:50:02Instead, she cut herself on the shards.
00:50:06Back in my room, the doors click shut.
00:50:09Shutting out the prying eyes of the Moreno estate.
00:50:13Clara is pacing by the window.
00:50:16When she sees me, she rushes forward.
00:50:19Madam, a woman who claims to be your friend...
00:50:23has come to see you.
00:50:28At the private suite at the Drake Hotel,
00:50:30my only friend, Faye Nichols, sits across from me.
00:50:36Her eyes, red and swollen.
00:50:38I can't believe he did this to you.
00:50:41Alex, that bastard,
00:50:44leaving you at the altar like that.
00:50:46It's done, Faye.
00:50:50There is no use crying over spilled champagne.
00:50:53How can you be so calm?
00:50:55You're married to him.
00:50:57To Damien Moreno.
00:51:01My uncle Luca says he was mangled in the clan wars years ago.
00:51:05That he's broken.
00:51:07Cruel.
00:51:08He is not a monster, Faye.
00:51:10And he certainly isn't mangled.
00:51:13You don't have to lie to me.
00:51:16I know you're just trying to be brave.
00:51:18A strange defensive anger flares in my chest.
00:51:21I pull my hand back.
00:51:22I am not lying.
00:51:24And I am not terrified.
00:51:27Then why?
00:51:28You could have run!
00:51:29You could have come to me!
00:51:32Why is Shaq's self to a nightmare just because Alex humiliated you?
00:51:36Because, Faye.
00:51:38The best revenge against a prince isn't to run away.
00:51:42It's to become his mother.
00:51:44Faye recoils.
00:51:46She looks at me.
00:51:47Not with pity now, but with fear.
00:51:50Become his...
00:51:51Mother?
00:51:52Isabella, do you hear yourself?
00:51:55You sound like one of them.
00:51:58Like a Moreno.
00:52:00I sound like someone who intends to survive, Faye.
00:52:04Alex is a prince in this city.
00:52:07He has soldiers, money, and his father's blind tolerance.
00:52:15If I had married a cousin or a soldier, I would have been nothing more than a nuisance Alex could
00:52:20swat away.
00:52:21But as the Dawn's wife, I am untouchable.
00:52:25It's not worth it.
00:52:26Not if it means living with a monster.
00:52:29My uncle Luca told me that Damien Moreto hasn't been with a woman in years.
00:52:33Not since the war that killed his first wife.
00:52:36They say he was damaged.
00:52:38That he's incapable of...
00:52:39He is not a monster, Faye.
00:52:42But he is certainly not a saint.
00:52:46Does he...
00:52:48Does he hurt you?
00:52:52No.
00:52:53Aside from being a lechard, he's...
00:52:57Tolerable.
00:52:58A lecher?
00:52:59But Uncle Luca said,
00:53:01Your Uncle Luca sees the Dawn in the boardroom, not the bedroom.
00:53:05If he is so uninterested in women,
00:53:07why is the Marino estate filled with maids who look like they walked off a runway?
00:53:11A man who isn't interested wouldn't surround himself with temptation.
00:53:14I lower my voice, leaning closer.
00:53:18And he watches me.
00:53:19At night.
00:53:21I suspect the rumors about his injury are partially true.
00:53:25He surrounds himself with beauty he can't touch.
00:53:28So he satisfies himself by looking.
00:53:30He's a voyeur, a frustrated, lecherous old man trapped in a broken body.
00:53:37Oh God, that's...
00:53:39Repulsive.
00:53:40It is what it is.
00:53:42Better a watcher than a hitter.
00:53:45I walk toward the door, checking my reflection in the mirror.
00:53:50The woman staring back is beautiful, composed, and utterly hollow.
00:53:55I have convinced Faye, and perhaps I have even convinced myself.
00:53:59What I don't know is that the walls of the Drake Hotel are thin.
00:54:03And judgment has a way of echoing back when you least expect it.
00:54:15I open the door and look up.
00:54:17Damien is standing in the doorway of the room next door.
00:54:21Behind him is a man carrying an old reel-to-reel recorder.
00:54:25His name is Luca, whom Faye had just mentioned.
00:54:28He is also Damien's consultant.
00:54:33Oh God, Isabella, it's him.
00:54:36Faye hides behind me.
00:54:38Clutching my arm, she is terrified.
00:54:41Luca looks annoyed and murmurs something I almost catch.
00:54:45Mixed up.
00:54:46Sorry, Dawn.
00:54:49So this isn't aimed at me.
00:54:51The surveillance was meant for someone else, but their equipment picked up the wrong room.
00:54:55They accidentally overheard me insulting their Dawn.
00:54:59Damien doesn't look at me.
00:55:01He just stands there.
00:55:02Face like stone.
00:55:04Not saying a word.
00:55:06My own words crawl back up my throat like snakes.
00:55:10A letcher.
00:55:11A frustrated, broken old man.
00:55:13A voyeur.
00:55:14He heard everything.
00:55:16Damien's eyes are locked on me.
00:55:19Waiting for a reckoning.
00:55:21Luca steps forward and clamps his hand around Faye's arm.
00:55:27Faye, we have a family matter to discuss.
00:55:30Now.
00:55:34Uncle Luca, I...
00:55:35Not a word.
00:55:37He drags Faye away.
00:55:39I am alone in the hallway with Damien.
00:55:42Shall we?
00:55:42It isn't a question.
00:55:44It is a command.
00:55:46I nod.
00:55:47My legs like lead.
00:55:48Falling into step beside him.
00:55:50He doesn't touch me.
00:55:51He doesn't offer his arm.
00:55:53He just walks, and I follow.
00:55:55The door clicks shut, sealing us inside the leather-clothed interior.
00:55:58The silence turns heavy, suffocating.
00:56:01The driver pulls away.
00:56:03The partition glass already raised.
00:56:06So, a letcher.
00:56:08Is that what I am for you, Mia Regina?
00:56:11My head snaps up.
00:56:14He isn't looking at me.
00:56:16He is staring out the window at the passing city.
00:56:21The humiliation hits like a physical blow.
00:56:24My cheeks burn.
00:56:26He heard everything.
00:56:28The speculation about his impotence.
00:56:31The pity.
00:56:32The mockery.
00:56:37You were eavesdropping?
00:56:41Eavesdropping implies I have to make an effort to hear you.
00:56:45Your friend has a rather loud voice when she's agitated.
00:56:48The walls of the drake are not as thick as you seem to think.
00:56:52My stomach plummets.
00:56:53I have been so careless.
00:56:56Explain yourself, Isabella.
00:56:58And choose your next words very carefully.
00:57:03I am protecting our agreement.
00:57:05Faye.
00:57:05She is worried.
00:57:07She thinks men like you are monsters.
00:57:09She was terrified for my safety.
00:57:11I need to convince her that our marriage is purely transactional.
00:57:15That there is no danger of intimacy.
00:57:20So you paint me as a broken king to your friends.
00:57:24To make yourself feel safe.
00:57:28Isabella.
00:57:30Do not mistake your fear for strategy.
00:57:33The car stops at the estate.
00:57:35I hide in my room and collapse onto the vanity stool.
00:57:39Kicking off my heels.
00:57:40Clara begins unpinning my hair.
00:57:43Her hands shaking slightly.
00:57:48Madam.
00:57:49Recent rumors in the manor suggest that the Godfather suffers from sexual dysfunction.
00:57:55Is it true?
00:58:00I don't know where Clara heard about this, but whether it's true or not, I must cover Damien's
00:58:05shame.
00:58:06I don't know, Clara.
00:58:09I'm not gossiping.
00:58:11Alex Moreno.
00:58:13He is the heir.
00:58:14Everyone knows he hates you.
00:58:16If something happens to the dawn, and you have no son of your own, Alex will not let you live.
00:58:23Clara is reckless, but she isn't wrong.
00:58:27As long as Alex Moreno is the undisputed heir, my life hangs by a thread.
00:58:32I need insurance.
00:58:35There are ways.
00:58:37In Sicily.
00:58:38There are orphanages.
00:58:40Funded by the family.
00:58:42A boy.
00:58:43A smart boy with the right look.
00:58:45If you were to bring one here.
00:58:48Raise him.
00:58:50Make the dawn love him.
00:58:53Stop.
00:58:54Do you have any idea what you are suggesting?
00:58:57Treason.
00:58:58If Damien heard you plotting to replace his bloodline, he would have us both skinned alive.
00:59:06I only want you to be safe.
00:59:08Without an heir.
00:59:09You are vulnerable.
00:59:11The knock on my bedroom door sounds like a gavel, striking a judge's bench.
00:59:18My conversation with Clara about the secret heir vanishes instantly.
00:59:23It was Damien who sent someone to call me.
00:59:25Damien sits behind the desk.
00:59:27The room smells of aged tobacco, expensive leather, and gun oil.
00:59:32Close the door.
00:59:34I obey.
00:59:35I walk forward and stand before the desk, waiting for him to bring up the rumors about his veracity.
00:59:41He stops writing, reaches under his desk, and places a dark, rusted iron box onto the surface.
00:59:47Open it.
00:59:50I lift the lid.
00:59:52Inside are stacks of baroner bonds, thick wads of cash, and a heavy ring of antique keys.
00:59:57But at the bottom, there are also leather-bound books.
01:00:00The keys to the family vault.
01:00:03The deeds to the warehouses on the docks.
01:00:05The operational accounts for the legitimate holdings.
01:00:09Why are you showing me this?
01:00:12Because you are my wife.
01:00:14And because you seem to think your position here is precarious.
01:00:18He stands and walks around the desk, leaning against the edge so he is just inches from me.
01:00:25The heir becomes suffocating.
01:00:34This is power, Isabella.
01:00:37Real power.
01:00:38Damien covers my hand with his.
01:00:41A queen should not have to worry about money, nor should she have to beg for authority.
01:00:47You proved you could handle the house.
01:00:49Now, you handle the empire.
01:00:51Do not disappoint me.
01:00:56I pull the heavy box against my chest, and turn to leave.
01:01:05Back in the room, I set the box on the table, and lift the lid.
01:01:10Clara gasps, staring at the stacks of cash, the barer bonds, and the leather-bound ledgers.
01:01:18Madre di Dio.
01:01:20The don?
01:01:21He gave you this?
01:01:23It is a sign of great trust.
01:01:25He treats you as a true equal.
01:01:27A true queen.
01:01:29It's a transaction, Clara.
01:01:32He cannot give me affection, cannot give me a real marriage.
01:01:36So he gives me this, instead.
01:01:39Compensation.
01:01:43Whatever the reason, you are safe now.
01:01:45You have the means to live like royalty.
01:01:47We must order new dresses.
01:01:49Silks, velvets, things that fit properly.
01:01:51Not like these rags.
01:01:52The dowry Beatrice sent over was an insult.
01:01:55Cheap fabrics.
01:01:56Cuts that were out of fashion five years ago.
01:01:58I freeze.
01:02:00The mention of my stepmother usually brings nausea.
01:02:03But this time it brings something else.
01:02:05I suddenly remember Mr. Henderson, my mother's old lawyer.
01:02:10On my 18th birthday, he slipped me a notarized copy of my mother's original trust, the one Beatrice claimed had
01:02:17been lost in the market crash.
01:02:19Clara, forget the dresses.
01:02:21I don't need a seamstress.
01:02:22I need a telephone.
01:02:23My lady?
01:02:24I walk to the window, looking out over the Moreno estate.
01:02:29Somewhere in the city, Beatrice and my father are likely celebrating the sale of their unwanted daughter.
01:02:36I need to contact Mr. Henderson, and then prepare my things for tomorrow morning.
01:02:41Are we going shopping?
01:02:42I reach into the iron box and pulls out a thick stack of cash.
01:02:47It feels like ammunition.
01:02:50No.
01:02:51We are going home.
01:02:53I have a debt to collect.
01:02:56Beatrice stole my mother's jewelry, money, and legacy.
01:03:00She thought she was safe because I was powerless.
01:03:04But I am no longer Isabella Carlson.
01:03:07I am Isabella Moreno.
01:03:09Morning light filters through the curtains.
01:03:12I sit at the desk.
01:03:13To my left, the wedding gift list Beatrice sent.
01:03:16To my right, the notifies copy of my mother's trust.
01:03:20The three speakeasies on State Street?
01:03:23Gone.
01:03:24Replaced with a 20% stake in a textile mill that has been shuttered since 28.
01:03:30And the jewelry?
01:03:33Not a single piece listed.
01:03:34According to Beatrice, the Swiss safety deposit box was empty.
01:03:41She erased my mother's existence to fund her own lifestyle.
01:03:46The Duesenberg idols in front of the Carlson brownstone.
01:03:50The soldiers open my door.
01:03:53I step onto the pavement.
01:03:57The house looks smaller than I remember.
01:04:00In the drawing room, my father Joseph stands by the fireplace, a glass of scotch already in his hand despite
01:04:06the early hour.
01:04:08Beatrice sits on the sofa, flanked by my stepsister Amelia.
01:04:19Isabella, we didn't expect you.
01:04:21Is everything alright?
01:04:24Has something happened at the Moreno estate?
01:04:26Everything is perfect, Beatrice.
01:04:29I simply came to correct an error.
01:04:32An error?
01:04:33What error?
01:04:34You should show more respect, girl.
01:04:38You are still a Carlson.
01:04:40Am I?
01:04:41I am a Moreno now, father.
01:04:44I came because I reviewed the wedding gift documents you sent over, and I found them lacking.
01:04:50Lacking?
01:04:51Times are hard, Isabella.
01:04:53The market clash took a toll on everyone.
01:04:56You should be grateful for what we could scrape together.
01:05:01Grateful?
01:05:02For a few thousand dollars and a plot of mud in a swamp?
01:05:05It was all there was!
01:05:08Your mother's investments failed years ago.
01:05:11We supported you out of our own pockets!
01:05:14My husband provides for me, Beatrice.
01:05:17Which is more than I can say for my father.
01:05:20I reach into my handbag and pull out the notarized copy of the trust.
01:05:24I let it drop onto the coffee table.
01:05:26It splays open to reveals the list of assets Beatrice thought she had buried forever.
01:05:32You seem to be forgetful, Beatrice.
01:05:34So I brought a reminder.
01:05:36I suggest you start reading.
01:05:38Beatrice stares at the document as if it were a venomous snake coiled on the rug.
01:05:43She doesn't reach for it.
01:05:45When she looks up, the mask is back.
01:05:48Forty.
01:05:49Dismissive.
01:05:50Utterly fake.
01:05:51Where did you get this piece of fiction, Isabella?
01:05:55Did your new husband teach you to forge documents to extort your own family?
01:06:01Is that how the Muranos do business?
01:06:04It is a notarized copy of the original trust my mother signed, three days before she died.
01:06:11Every asset listed there was meant for me.
01:06:15For my wedding.
01:06:19Lies!
01:06:21Lies!
01:06:22Mother would never steal from you.
01:06:24You're just jealous because you were sold off to a monster.
01:06:29You promised to keep it safe.
01:06:32Instead, you liquidated the shares in the speakeasies on State Street.
01:06:38You empty the safety deposit box in Zurich.
01:06:42Joseph, are you going to let her speak to me this way?
01:06:45That is enough, Isabella.
01:06:47Beatrice raised you as her own.
01:06:49She took you in when your mother passed.
01:06:52Is this how you repay her?
01:06:54With slander in my living room?
01:06:56She raised me on scraps while she wore my mother's jewels.
01:07:01And you, father, watched it happen.
01:07:06Don't pretend this is about family honor.
01:07:09It's about greed.
01:07:12At my urging, Joseph raises his hand.
01:07:16The Moreno soldiers by the door shift, and he freezes, lowering his fist slowly.
01:07:21You are insolent!
01:07:22You think because you married a Moreno you can come here and dictate terms?
01:07:26You are still a Carlson by blood.
01:07:29I am a Moreno by law and by loyalty.
01:07:32And the Morenos do not tolerate thief.
01:07:36Joseph snatches the document from the table and scans the pages frantically.
01:07:40Suddenly, a triumphant sneer twists his lips.
01:07:43You are not as clever as you think, girl.
01:07:45Look at this paper.
01:07:46It's crisp.
01:07:47The ink is fresh.
01:07:48It smells of the printer.
01:07:49This isn't a 17-year-old trust.
01:07:51It's a forgery.
01:07:52A fake drawn up yesterday to humiliate us.
01:07:54I knew it.
01:07:55A forgery.
01:07:57Did Damien put you up to this?
01:07:59Did he tell you to fabricate a list of fantasies to squeeze money out of us?
01:08:03Get out of my house, Isabella!
01:08:05Take your lies and your goons with you!
01:08:10You want to talk about proof, father?
01:08:12Be careful what you ask for.
01:08:14Amelia steps forward, her face flushed with rage, clutching Beatrice's hand.
01:08:20Isabella, Mother has done nothing but pray for you since you left.
01:08:25And now you come back, waving fake papers to extort the woman who fed you?
01:08:31You want to destroy us because you're miserable!
01:08:35A lie is still a lie, Amelia.
01:08:39No matter how beautifully you dress it in tears.
01:08:42As she moves, the light catches the pendant at her throat.
01:08:48A predatory smile curves my lips.
01:08:52That is a stunning piece you're wearing, Amelia.
01:08:57Mother gave it to me for my 18th birthday.
01:09:00It's a symbol of our family's taste.
01:09:04Something you wouldn't understand.
01:09:07Oh, I understand it perfectly.
01:09:09A rose gold chain set with a rare Sicilian pink diamond.
01:09:17Custom cut in 1910.
01:09:20Theatress freezes.
01:09:22Her nails dig into Amelia's sleeve.
01:09:26Item number 17 on my mother's trust fund list.
01:09:29The very list my father just claimed was a forgery.
01:09:33Mother?
01:09:34What is she talking about?
01:09:37Coincidence?
01:09:38There are thousands of pink diamonds in the world.
01:09:41You think you own the color pink now?
01:09:43That list is still a fake written yesterday by your husband's lackeys.
01:09:50Is it?
01:09:52Father, my mother's trust was established under Sicilian law.
01:09:56When my grandfather married his daughter to you, he did not trust you.
01:10:01This is a copy.
01:10:03The original notarized document is kept by my mother's family advisor in Palermo.
01:10:12You expect me to believe a document held by some old Sicilian gangster across the ocean?
01:10:18They'd say anything for a price.
01:10:20That proves nothing in this country.
01:10:24I thought you might say that.
01:10:27You might not respect Sicilian law, father.
01:10:31But do you respect your own father?
01:10:40Leave the dead out of this.
01:10:45I can't.
01:10:47Because he signed this.
01:10:49A letter from your father, the late Don Carlson, to my grandfather.
01:10:54In it, he confirms he personally verified the wedding gift inventory to ensure the union was equitable.
01:11:02At the bottom of the page, the wax seal of the Carlson family crest is clear.
01:11:06Beside it, the signature and the witness, his closest ally at the time, Don Costello.
01:11:13Joseph's face goes gray.
01:11:15The name Costello is law in this city.
01:11:17To call a document he witnessed a fake is a death sentence.
01:11:20An insult to the history of the outfit itself.
01:11:23The ink isn't fresh, father, but the shame certainly is.
01:11:27Let me see that.
01:11:28If these documents are indeed authentic, Isabella, then as the head of this house, it is my duty to verify
01:11:34them.
01:11:34Hand them over.
01:11:35I will ensure justice is done.
01:11:38Hand them to you so you can destroy them?
01:11:41I think not.
01:11:42Isabella.
01:11:43You have so much now, Isabella.
01:11:46You married a king.
01:11:47Why do you begrudge your sister a simple necklace?
01:11:50You are insolent.
01:11:52You come into my house, disrespect your mother...
01:11:56Stepmother.
01:11:58...and wave papers around like a petulant child.
01:12:01We are family, Isabella.
01:12:03These matters are handled internally, not with threats.
01:12:07Internal matters require trust, father.
01:12:10You have none of mine.
01:12:11You have three days.
01:12:12Three days?
01:12:13Three days to return everything.
01:12:16The diamonds, the bonds, the property deeds.
01:12:19Every last item on my mother's list.
01:12:21If not, my husband, Don Marino, will come to collect it himself.
01:12:28And I assure you, he will take more than what is owed.
01:12:35You wouldn't.
01:12:36You would bring an outsider down on your own blood?
01:12:40You bring shame to the Carlson name!
01:12:43Honor is earned, father.
01:12:45A capo who robs his own blood has no honor to demand.
01:12:49You speak of shame?
01:12:51Look in the mirror.
01:12:52It was necessary.
01:12:54The business is bleeding.
01:12:55I needed liquidity to keep heads.
01:12:57You are a mafia queen now, Isabella.
01:13:00You have millions at your disposal.
01:13:02Consider your mother's property a contribution.
01:13:04A tax for the family that raised you.
01:13:06Let it go.
01:13:07The audacity steals my breath.
01:13:09He wants me to subsidize his incompetence with my mother's legacy.
01:13:16A truly moving performance, father.
01:13:19But a woman's wedding gift, her mother's legacy, is her own.
01:13:23It is not the family's slush fund.
01:13:25You are not a Don protecting his family.
01:13:29You are a thief who robbed his own daughter.
01:13:34Isabella!
01:13:37Three days, Joseph.
01:13:38Tick-tock.
01:13:41I turn and walk out of the drawing room, the heavy oak doors closing behind me.
01:13:46I leave them in their crumbling castle, with nothing but their fear, and the ticking clock
01:13:52to keep them company.
01:13:54The drive back to the estate is arduous.
01:13:57I use Damien's name as a weapon, a shield, a sword.
01:14:00But I also issued a threat on behalf of the most dangerous man without his permission.
01:14:04I need to tell him.
01:14:05I need to control the narrative before Joseph tries to spin a lie.
01:14:09I told them they had three days.
01:14:10I told them that if they didn't return every cent, you would come for them.
01:14:13I used your name, Damien, without your permission.
01:14:18And did they understand?
01:14:20They will.
01:14:22But it isn't just the money.
01:14:25Beatrice gave my mother's jewelry to her daughter.
01:14:30Amelia was wearing it.
01:14:32Like a toy.
01:14:33Theft is business.
01:14:36But wearing a dead woman's jewels in front of her daughter?
01:14:42That is an insult.
01:14:45The phone on the desk buzzes.
01:14:50Damien presses the speaker.
01:14:53My father's voice comes through, breathless.
01:14:57Don Marino, thank God.
01:14:58I need to speak with you immediately.
01:15:00It's about Isabella's visit.
01:15:03I am not interested in your family drama, Carlson.
01:15:06Three days.
01:15:07Everything.
01:15:08Plus a 20% inconvenience tax.
01:15:1120 per, but...
01:15:13Or I will burn your house to the ground with you in it.
01:15:17Do not test me.
01:15:19Damien ends the call.
01:15:21He stands and walks around the desk,
01:15:23closing the distance until he towers over me.
01:15:27He reaches out,
01:15:29his large hand cupping my jaw.
01:15:33His thumb brushes against my cheekbone.
01:15:38You did well today, Mia Regina.
01:15:41But from now on,
01:15:43you don't have to fight your battles alone.
01:15:46Their disrespect to you
01:15:48is a declaration of war against me.
01:15:50I lean into his touch,
01:15:52stepping closer
01:15:53until my forehead rests against the solid wall of his chest.
01:15:56His arms come around me,
01:15:58pulling me into the heat of his body,
01:16:00an impenetrable shield against the world.
01:16:02Thank you for defending me.
01:16:04I want to bridge the gap.
01:16:07I think of the rumors.
01:16:09The woman who left him after he was wounded.
01:16:13The woman who left you after you were wounded.
01:16:17She was a fool.
01:16:19She didn't deserve a man
01:16:20who would protect his family at any cost.
01:16:24The air in the room turns frigid.
01:16:27Damien turns away from me.
01:16:29His eyes, not grateful, but mocking.
01:16:32Who told you she left me?
01:16:35You listen to too many whispers, Mia Regina.
01:16:39Let's talk about another story.
01:16:41The one where your husband is a crippled lechard
01:16:43who can only look.
01:16:47I...
01:16:48Did you believe it?
01:16:50Is that why you walked down the aisle without tears?
01:16:55Because you thought you were marrying a Gildan?
01:17:00Yes.
01:17:01Go on.
01:17:03I thought it meant I would be safe.
01:17:05I thought if you couldn't touch me,
01:17:07then I wouldn't have to be a wife in the way I feared.
01:17:10Anyway, I just wanted a shield.
01:17:13Damien doesn't get angry.
01:17:14He laughs.
01:17:16A dark, rough, terrifying sound.
01:17:20A shield.
01:17:22You are colder than you look, Isabella.
01:17:25Good.
01:17:26You will need that ice.
01:17:28Three days later.
01:17:29There is a truck from the Carlson estate.
01:17:32Romero, one of Damien's most trusted lieutenants,
01:17:36steps inside,
01:17:37holding a thick leather satchel.
01:17:40He upwards the satchel onto the table.
01:17:44Swiss bank key.
01:17:46Property deeds.
01:17:47Cash.
01:17:48Bonds.
01:17:50And the tax?
01:17:52Paid in full, plus an extra envelope,
01:17:54with a letter of apology from Joseph Carlson.
01:17:57Burn the letter.
01:17:58Take the assets to the family vault.
01:18:00Have the consigliere verify the deeds by morning.
01:18:02Morning light filters through the curtains.
01:18:05I sit at my vanity, waiting.
01:18:09Clara slips into the room.
01:18:12She closes the door and approaches me.
01:18:16It happened exactly as you said.
01:18:19Donna Isabella,
01:18:20my cousin who works in the Carlson's,
01:18:22said the screaming started before dawn.
01:18:24Tell me.
01:18:25Your father cornered Mrs. Carlson in the library.
01:18:28He demanded her personal accounts.
01:18:31She refused at first,
01:18:33screaming that it was for her children.
01:18:35Mr. Carlson told her that a wife's duty
01:18:37is to cover her husband's debts.
01:18:39He said if she didn't sign,
01:18:41she could pack her bags
01:18:42and leave without a penny
01:18:43and without her children.
01:18:45She signed.
01:18:46She was weeping on the floor
01:18:48when the courier left with the check.
01:18:51But Mr. Carlson just stepped over her
01:18:53to pour himself a drink.
01:18:54Afternoon.
01:18:55The iron box Damien gave me
01:18:58sits on the desk
01:19:00next to the recovered ledgers
01:19:02of my mother's estate.
01:19:05Damien enters.
01:19:09You summoned me, Mia Regina?
01:19:11I didn't summon you.
01:19:13I asked for a moment of your time.
01:19:16I have my mother's inheritance now.
01:19:19It is more than enough.
01:19:22I do not need your charity, Damien.
01:19:24I want to return this.
01:19:26Charity?
01:19:28You think this is charity?
01:19:31It is a loan I no longer require.
01:19:36I can stand on my own two feet.
01:19:38You are a Moreno.
01:19:40You do not stand alone.
01:19:41My money is your money.
01:19:43My power is your power.
01:19:45This is not a gift.
01:19:46It is your arsenal.
01:19:48Learn to use it.
01:19:50If I keep this
01:19:51and the inheritance,
01:19:52it's too much.
01:19:56Won't this affect your
01:19:57operations?
01:19:59Damien rounds the desk
01:20:00in two strides.
01:20:02His hand cups my jaw,
01:20:03his thumb brushing over
01:20:04my lower lip.
01:20:05Already trying to control
01:20:07your Don's finances,
01:20:08Mia Regina?
01:20:11You're a fast learner.
01:20:12Keep it.
01:20:13Buy whatever you want.
01:20:16Burn it for warmth
01:20:17if you have to.
01:20:19But never insult me
01:20:21by returning what is yours.
01:20:22He leans down,
01:20:24pressing a brief searing kiss
01:20:25to the corner of my mouth,
01:20:26then pulls away.
01:20:27I look at the box,
01:20:29a fortune that could buy
01:20:30half of Chicago.
01:20:32Then at my reflection,
01:20:33the girl who arrived here
01:20:35with nothing is gone.
01:20:38I stand before the full-length mirror,
01:20:40barely recognizing
01:20:41the woman staring back.
01:20:42The drab gray woolens
01:20:43Beatrice forced upon me
01:20:45are gone.
01:20:45In their place is a storm
01:20:47of begonia red silk.
01:20:49The door opens.
01:20:52Damien stands in the doorway.
01:20:55His gaze sweeps
01:20:57from the hem of my dress
01:20:58up to my face.
01:20:59I spent two million dollars
01:21:01this morning
01:21:01on the dress,
01:21:03the jewelry,
01:21:04the shoes.
01:21:05It is an obscene amount of money.
01:21:07Good.
01:21:08Good?
01:21:08It's a fortune, Damien.
01:21:10A queen's appearance
01:21:11is an extension
01:21:12of the Don's power, Isabella.
01:21:14When they look at you,
01:21:16they should see my wealth,
01:21:18my influence.
01:21:20Spend whatever is necessary.
01:21:22Bankrupt the city
01:21:23if you have to.
01:21:25I take Damien's hand
01:21:26and walk to the restaurant.
01:21:31Bellissima!
01:21:32Come here, child.
01:21:34Let me look at you.
01:21:35Thank you, Nana.
01:21:38You have the fire
01:21:39of a true Sicilian matriarch.
01:21:44Your mother would be proud.
01:21:49She pulls a heavy gold bracelet
01:21:52from her shoal pocket.
01:21:55The Moreno family crest.
01:21:57A lion devouring a serpent.
01:22:00This was given to me
01:22:01by my mother-in-law
01:22:02when I buried
01:22:04my first enemy.
01:22:06Now,
01:22:07it is yours.
01:22:08Wear it, Isabella.
01:22:10Let them know
01:22:11that the elder
01:22:12stands with the queen.
01:22:14Francesca sits in the corner,
01:22:16her face ashen.
01:22:18The girl who was sold
01:22:20by her father for peace
01:22:21is dead.
01:22:23The woman who lives
01:22:24is the queen
01:22:25of the Moreno.
01:22:27Alex is still rotting
01:22:28in the wine cellar.
01:22:30Francesca's ledgers
01:22:31are still in my drawer
01:22:32and the secret
01:22:33of Damien's first wife
01:22:34perhaps darker
01:22:35than I imagined.
01:22:36The war is not over,
01:22:38but at least today
01:22:39I wear the crown.
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