The sound of the gun didn't bounce back. It landed heavy.
Sienna Moretti knew it deep down before she fully understood what she was seeing happen.
Williams, her oldest brother, was standing in the middle of the dimly lit storage building, his chest rising and falling in a scary, calm way.
At his feet was Kent's wife, her body limp, and her eyes stuck open in fear.
Sienna wished she hadn't seen how the woman's hands were still reaching out, as if trying to protect her children even after death.
But the most awful thing was that it didn't stop there.
"Next," Williams said, his voice even. Cold.
Two shaking children were holding onto each other with wide eyes, unable to help themselves.
Sienna's knees bent a little. She didn't move, couldn't move at all.
Her father stood next to her, his presence strong and still. He was the Don. The boss.
The one who carried out the punishments, even if not officially.
And he didn't say anything to make it stop.
Williams lifted his gun again.
Sienna's breath caught in her throat. "Please,"
Her father squeezed her shoulder hard, stopping her from saying anything else right away.
This is who we are, his grip seemed to show.
This is what you'll have to get used to.
But she couldn't do it. Not today, not now, or ever.
The gunshots came one right after the other, precise and quick.
Williams didn't even blink or hesitate.
Blood landed on his face, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand, like it was nothing.
Only the youngest member of the family was left: a baby boy about a year and a half old who had somehow slept through most of the awful event, wrapped in a blanket on the floor.
When Williams turned toward him, Sienna jumped forward without even thinking.
"Stop!" Her voice broke. "He's just a baby!"
The whole room went silent.
Williams' eyes shifted to her, dark, annoyed, and almost feeling sorry for her. It was the kind of look you give to a kid who doesn't know how the world works.
Her father breathed out slowly. "Sienna."
That's all he said. Her name. The warning in it was enough to make her insides feel like ice.
Williams waited. He didn't do anything without permission, especially something this serious.
Her father nodded, but you could barely see it.
And the last shot rang out.
The baby's head moved once. The quiet that followed was too much to bear.
Sienna held back a scream that felt like it was tearing her throat from the inside.
Something inside her broke, so smoothly and quietly that she hardly knew herself at that moment.
A part of her, the part that still thought in good things, in kindness, in limits, simply ended.
Williams put his gun away calmly, which made her feel sick. "Traitors pay with blood," he said simply. "All of them."
Her father nodded like he was pleased. "Let that be a lesson, Sienna. Being loyal keeps you alive. Feeling sorry for others does the opposite."
Compassion.
As if it was a bad thing.
Sienna didn't say a word. Her mouth felt like it was stitched shut. Her heart also hurt, filled with feelings she couldn't quite understand: disgust, guilt, fear… and hate.
Not for everyone. But for the people she was related to.
For the people she was told to think of as family.
The days that followed became a blurry, numb experience.
The large house was filled with celebration, food, music, and expensive drinks.
Her family laughed and made toasts as if they hadn't killed innocent people just hours before.
It was as if that wasn't why her stomach hurt every time she closed her eyes.
Sienna stayed away, quietly moving from one hallway to another like a ghost.
She overheard people talking, maids gossiping, and guards laughing about "the engagement." She guessed it was about one of her brothers.
Until she was called in.
Her father was sitting at the head of his office table, looking tired, or just old.
Williams leaned against the wall behind him, looking calm and ready to pounce.
Her other brother, Magnus, cleaned his gun while humming quietly and looking bored.
"Sienna," her father began, his voice strangely gentle.
"We have some good news."
Good news from him always seemed like something bad disguised as something sweet.
"You are going to marry Adan Micasso."
Hearing that name was more shocking than any gunshot.
Adan Micasso.
The Micasso Monster.
A man whose terrible acts were talked about even in the shadiest areas of Mexico.
Her throat felt tight. "Why… me?"
Her father didn't like being questioned, but this time he was kind enough to give her an answer.
"It makes our connections stronger. It increases our land. It keeps our power safe. You should be honored."
Honored.
To be given to a killer as a way to make peace.
She felt Williams watching her, enjoying her silence.
Magnus didn't even look up from his gun, as if the decision had already been set in stone.
Her father stood up and put his hand on her face. His touch felt cold.
"You will do this, Sienna. And you will do it without complaining. It's time you help this family."
Help.
Do what you're told.
Belong to someone cruel enough to be like them.
She felt something inside her twist and break apart.
She lowered her head, not because she agreed, but because it was the only way to hide the anger in her eyes.
The meeting was over.
But her life felt like it was already finished.
That night, the Moretti mansion was lively with celebration, music filled the halls, and guests laughed as they congratulated her on a future she didn't want.
Sienna sat on the edge of it all, watching men raise their glasses to her "good luck."
The woman smiled and held her hands, whispering about how fortunate she was to marry a powerful man.
Lucky.
If only they knew how scared she felt every time she thought of Adan Micasso's name.
She didn't fit in here. She never had.
Her mother died when she was born. Her father hardly ever spoke to her unless he could get something out of it.
Her brothers were raised to be like wolves: violent, protective of their territory, and without feeling.
And she… she was the mistake that grew into a woman with a sense of right and wrong. A problem. A weakness.
Being kind and caring was not something that fit with her family.
But tonight showed that staying would end her life.
While her brothers drank and acted proudly and her father was being congratulated, Sienna moved through everyone without being seen.
Being ignored for years had taught her to move without anyone asking questions.
She went into the back hallway, her steps quiet on the marble floors.
She was shaking as she opened the back door to go outside.
The cold night air went into her lungs, making her feel alert and steady.
Her heart beat fast as she walked across the back garden, the party lights behind her looking like faraway stars she didn't belong with anymore.
Her bag was already hidden under the bushes, filled with the things she needed that she had quietly gathered each day.
She got down on her knees, took out the bag, and checked what was inside one last time. Fake IDs. Money. Clothes. Nothing that made her feel emotional.
There was no room for feelings when trying to survive.
She looked back at the big house. The windows looked warm and bright; she could hear laughter coming from inside.
Her father had no idea she was leaving. Neither did Williams or Magnus.
"Good," she said quietly to herself.
"Let them believe I was happy tonight. Let them believe I accepted what was going to happen to me."
She held her bag tighter.
She didn't have to give her life to this family.
Not after what she had seen.
Not after what they wanted her to become.
The gate made a quiet noise as she opened it. She walked into the darkness, each step showing the end of who she used to be.
Sienna Moretti, the Don's daughter, died when that
baby died.
And the woman walking into the night was a completely different person.
Someone who didn't want to be found.
Someone who would hide her bloody past so well that not even the devil would find it.