Chapter 48: Whispers in the Hall

IZZY'S POV

One morning, I walked down the long corridor toward my father’s office, my heels clicking against the marble. That’s when I heard them.

Two guards, standing near the corner. They thought I was far enough away not to hear, but their voices carried.

“She’s not ready,” one of them whispered.

“She got the title, didn’t she?” the other said.

“Only because Marco failed. Everyone knows it. The council just wanted a name to put on paper.”

I froze. My chest tightened, but I didn’t move.

“Don’t say that too loud,” the second guard muttered. “What if she hears?”

The first one snorted. “So what? What’s she gonna do? Stare me down? She’s no Vincenzo. People are saying the council is already waiting for her to trip up.”

My hands curled into fists. They didn’t even bother lowering their voices after that. They just kept talking, throwing doubt around like it was free.

“She doesn’t have the same presence. You saw her in that meeting. Half the room was laughing at her. If her own people don’t believe in her, what’s gonna happen when the outside families test her?”

That was enough. I stepped forward, heels louder now on purpose. Both of them went rigid. Their heads whipped around, and when they saw me, their faces drained of color.

“You’ve got something to say?” I asked, my voice sharp.

“No, Miss Izzy,” the first one stammered, suddenly standing straighter.

“Really?” I tilted my head. “Because it sounded like you had a lot to say. Say it again, right now. To my face.”

They exchanged a panicked look. The second guard cleared his throat. “We didn’t mean anything by it. Just talking.”

“Talking?” I stepped closer. “Talking about how I don’t deserve this? Talking about how you’re waiting for me to fail? That kind of talking?”

The first one swallowed hard. “We didn’t mean disrespect.”

“Disrespect is exactly what it was,” I shot back. “And don’t think for a second I didn’t hear every word. You want to compare me to my father? Fine. But remember this, my father trusted me enough to name me heiress. And if you think I won’t remember your faces the next time loyalty is tested, you’re dumber than you sound.”

They bowed their heads quickly. “Yes, Miss Izzy.”

I let the silence hang for a moment before I finally turned and walked away. My heart was racing so fast I thought it might crack my ribs, but I didn’t let them see it. Not once.

By the time I reached my father’s office, Janet and Serena were already there. Janet was leaning against the desk, arms crossed, while Serena sat in one of the chairs flipping through papers. Both of them looked up the second I walked in.

“You look like you’re about to kill someone,” Janet said bluntly.

“I just might,” I muttered, slamming the door behind me.

Serena raised an eyebrow. “What happened now?”

“Two guards,” I snapped. “Standing in the hall, talking about how I don’t deserve to be heiress. Saying the council is just waiting for me to fail.”

Janet’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Does it matter?” I shot back. “It’s not just them. If they’re saying it out loud, then others are thinking it too. Maybe everyone.”

Serena leaned forward, folding her hands together. “You expected this. It was never going to be easy.”

“I expected outside enemies,” I said, pacing the room. “I expected other families trying to test me. Not betrayal inside my own house. Not whispering behind my back in my father’s halls.”

Janet pushed off the desk. “Then root it out. Find who’s spreading it.”

“I don’t want to start accusing people without proof,” I muttered.

“Then what? Let them walk all over you?” Janet shot back, her voice sharp.

“Janet..” Serena’s tone cut through, calm but firm. “Let her think. Izzy, listen. This is part of leadership. People will doubt you, they’ll test you. That doesn’t mean you throw accusations around, but it also doesn’t mean you stay quiet. You have to decide what kind of heiress you’ll be. Fearful? Or firm?”

I stopped pacing and stared at her. My throat felt tight, but I forced the words out. “Firm, always firm.”

Janet smirked a little. “Good. Then start acting like it. Call a meeting and make them face you. Don’t let rumors grow in corners. Drag them into the light.”

I hesitated. “If I call a meeting, I’m giving them power. I’m showing them I care what they think.”

“No,” Serena said quietly. “You’re showing them you’re not afraid.”

I sat down heavily in my father’s chair. The leather was cold under me, too big for me still, but I forced myself not to shrink into it. “Fine, tonight, all of them. I want the council here, the senior guards, everyone who matters. If they’ve got something to say, they can say it to my face.”

Janet’s smile widened. “Now you sound like Vincenzo’s daughter.”

I shot her a look. “Don’t push it.”

Serena gave me the faintest nod. “It’s the right move. But you’d better be ready, Izzy. They won’t hold back. Some of them will want you to crack.”

“Then I won’t crack,” I said, more to myself than to them.

That night, the dining room had been cleared. The long table was set up with chairs on both sides, every seat filled by someone who thought their opinion mattered. The council, the senior guards, and a few old advisers.

I stood at the head of the table, not sitting. My father’s chair was empty behind me. I wasn’t ready to sit there yet.

The room buzzed with low voices until I finally said, “Quiet.”

They all looked at me. Some with interest, some with doubt, and some with boredom.

“You called us here,” Councilman Vance said. His tone wasn’t unfriendly, but it was careful. “So speak.”

I took a breath. “I hear things. Whispers in the hall and doubts. People saying I don’t deserve to be heiress. People saying the council is waiting for me to fail. So if anyone here has something to say, say it now to my face.”

The room went still. A few men shifted in their chairs. Then Marco leaned forward, smirking. Of course.

“Well,” he said, drawing out the word, “if you insist. You want honesty? Fine, you don’t deserve it.”

Several heads turned toward him. Some looked shocked, others looked like they’d been waiting for someone to say it out loud.

I kept my voice steady. “Why?”

“Because you’re too young,” Marco said. “You have no real experience. You’ve never led men. You’ve never handled outside families on your own. You got Ricardo Leone to pay because you g

ot lucky, not because you scared him. And now you think you can run this empire? No. You’re not your father.”