Page 69 of Fierce Hearts

Mr. Juan Ference and Miss Sofia Savoca

request the honor of your presence

at a celebration of their engagement

The date was exactly one week away. My stomach churned as my heart plummeted.

"It's the engagement party invitation," I said quietly, surprised that it was actually handwritten.

Gray emerged from down the hall with Canzio, joining us in the living area. "What is it?"

I handed him the invitation. He read it, his jaw tightening.

"I'm going with you," he stated.

"Gray, you can't. Ernesto would?—"

"I don't give a fuck what Ernesto would do," Gray interrupted. "I'm attending as your date."

"That's suicide," I protested. "If you show up at our engagement party?—"

"We have a plan in place," Leo cut in, his voice calm. "A power move."

The cold way he said it had me glancing uneasily at Mer, who looked just as concerned as I felt. "That sounds dangerous."

Leo shrugged. "This life is dangerous, Sofia. You know that better than most. Calculated risks are part of it."

I wanted to argue, but he was right. I'd grown up in this world. I knew its rules, its dangers, its costs. I'd just fooled myself into thinking I could escape them.

"It's not a terrible plan, and it could alter things in the trajectory we'd like.” Canzio stepped forward. "Sofia, I've been wanting to chat with you properly. Back when the Savocas were in Ironstone and Antonio ran things, we had mutual respect for one another."

I blinked, surprised. My father's ways, much like the rest of the family, didn't align with the morals and code of the Donati. In a way, the Donati saw themselves as superior to all other families thanks to their code, and they valued those who held up to a similar code more.

"My father was..." I searched for the right words.

"A hard man," Canzio finished for me. "But he stuck to his word with business dealings. That's not always the case in our world, so I respected him.” He released my hand. "From what I heard of Marco, I wish he had run things from the beginning. He seemed to know what he was doing and had better morals."

A genuine smile tugged at my lips. "He was a good man. He gave me my freedom."

Canzio took my hand again, patting it in an almost grandfatherly gesture. "Is anyone ever truly free these days? Even the average person is chained with laws, taxes, and the price of living." His ice-blue eyes held mine, seeming to pierce right into the depths of my soul, like he could see everything. "Freedom is no longer something easily gained."

The truth of his words struck hard, more than I would've thought. But he was right. I'd never been free, not really. I'd just been hiding, pretending I could outrun my past.

"My son tells me you were once your father's underboss," Canzio continued. "That's unusual."

I felt Gray's eyes on me. "It was temporary. After my uncle made a mistake that cost lives, my father needed someone he could trust while he looked for a permanent replacement. He died before he could."

"Yet you walked away from that power."

"I wanted a different life." I glanced at Gray. "I wanted to help people, not hurt them."

Canzio nodded, thoughtful. "Noble. But perhaps misguided. Power, used correctly, can help many people."

"Or destroy them," I countered softly.

A smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "You remind me of my wife. She never hesitates to speak her mind, even to me." He turned to Gray. "She is a strong one, Gray. Best remember that."

Gray moved to my side, his hand finding the small of my back. "Sofia's strength is what drew me in from the beginning."

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