Rising From Ashes: The Syndicate Queen's Comeback

My Mafia Capo boyfriend's childhood friend, Serena, had a sick obsession with playing "the scorned fiancée."

Every time I was assigned to oversee a new Syndicate front company, she would bring her thugs to raid my office.

The first time, her stunt caused the Syndicate bosses to question my integrity, and I was stripped of my duties.

When I furiously confronted her, Giovanni shielded her behind his broad back and made excuses.

"Serena is just young and playful," he told me. "It's no fun if you take a joke so seriously."

The second time, the vicious rumors she spread forced me to step down from my position.

Giovanni called me overly sensitive.

"A clear conscience fears no whispers," he said. "If you have nothing to hide, why are you so afraid of people talking behind your back?"

Until I finally landed my dream position-a promotion into the Don's inner financial circle.

Serena pulled the exact same stunt, storming my office with a pair of corrupt cops.

This time, I directly called the actual authorities.

Giovanni arrived at the exact same time as the police.

Instead of defending me, his first reaction was to blame me for making a scene.

He even went as far as slamming a Family-sanctioned betrothal contract directly onto the boardroom table.

"Serena was just playing a joke on you. Did you really have to make such a humiliating scene?" he reprimanded me coldly.

"Besides, she wasn't wrong. You are the other woman."

Chapter 1

Siena's POV

His tone was eerily calm and absolute.

The room fell dead silent for a moment. The surrounding Syndicate associates, who had just been speaking up for me, immediately changed their expressions.

Their strange, cold stares made my skin crawl.

"Giovanni, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I know you want to cover for Serena, but you don't have to lie like this."

He didn't even look at me. He simply pushed the thick, cream-colored document toward the corrupt cops.

"This is a Family-sanctioned betrothal contract between Serena and myself," he stated with chilling indifference. "I apologize for wasting police resources on an internal Family matter. It won't happen again."

My accusations died in my throat. My mind went completely blank.

Serena snatched the document back and waved it triumphantly right in front of my face.

"Giovanni said that to put a homewrecker in her place, one must have the righteous title, so he got the Don's official seal for us," she laughed, a sharp, vicious sound. "Sorry, Siena. Looks like you really are the homewrecker this time."

The corrupt cops handed the document back to Giovanni and gave me a warning glare before leaving.

"Filing a false report is a crime," the lead cop sneered. "Next time, we won't be so lenient."

The Syndicate handler, who had personally escorted me upstairs just moments ago, now had a face stripped of any warmth.

He looked as if he couldn't wait to sever all ties with me.

"I apologize, Ms. Siena, but the Syndicate needs to re-evaluate your clearance," he said, swiftly pulling my promotion dossier out of my reach.

"Your induction into the inner circle is suspended. Please go home and wait for our notice. We will inform you as soon as the Underboss reaches a decision."

His rejection was polite.

But standing there, I felt as if I had been slapped across the face in front of everyone.

The pain and humiliation were suffocating.

Seeing this, Giovanni reached out and grabbed my upper arm, pulling me toward the exit.

"Since you don't have to work today, I'll take you home. It's on my way," he said, acting as if nothing had happened.

I violently ripped my arm out of his grip, my voice trembling.

"When exactly did this happen?"

Giovanni tightened his jaw and tried to deflect.

"We will talk about this at home. Aren't you afraid of making a fool of yourself with so many people watching?"

"If you are already legally bound to Serena by the Syndicate, why did you propose to me last month and promise me a grand wedding by the end of the year?"

Before Giovanni could answer, Serena burst into laughter.

"Are you talking about that little wager?" she asked.

My blood ran cold, my voice dropping a few octaves. "Wager?"

Serena linked her arm through Giovanni's.

He didn't pull away.

"Everyone said you were desperate to marry Giovanni, so I just wanted to see if it was true," she mocked.

"But I never expected you to be so cheap that you would actually accept a mass-produced cubic zirconia placeholder! It's so pathetic."

I turned deathly pale, my hands clenching into tight fists at my sides.

Because of that cheap ring, I had once questioned his sincerity.

But Giovanni had held my hands, looking at me with such genuine guilt.

"The custom blood-diamond isn't ready yet, but I'm just too impatient to make you my wife," he had told me. "Will you despise me for this, Siena?"

Seeing his sincere expression, I had accepted his proposal.

But I never got the custom ring.

Instead, I got his official betrothal contract with Serena.