Chapter 49: Enemies Move in the Shadows

IZZY’S POV

I didn’t flinch. “You’re right. I’m not my father but I’m his daughter and unlike you, he trusted me.”

That got a few murmurs. Marco’s face tightened, but he pushed on.

“You think trust is enough? Outside families are already testing us. The Romano family sent a message this morning. They want to renegotiate their territory deal. You know what that means? They smell weakness. They’re circling and you’re giving them reason to.”

Councilwoman Dina spoke up then, her voice sharp. “He’s not wrong. The Romano family has never asked for changes before. They wouldn’t risk insulting Vincenzo, but they’re not afraid of you.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. “Then we make them afraid.”

Marco laughed bitterly. “With what? Harsh words? Glares? You think you can scare men who’ve run their families for twenty years?”

Councilman Vance raised his hand. “Enough, Marco. She called this meeting to hear us out, not to be shouted down.”

Marco ignored him. His eyes stayed locked on me. “You want to prove yourself? Then prove it. Handle the Romanos. Handle them without Janet or Durk cleaning up after you. Show us you can keep them in line.”

The room was buzzing again, voices overlapping. Some were nodding, others shaking their heads.

I lifted my voice. “I don’t run from tests. If the Romanos want to challenge me, I’ll face them myself. And when I do, you’ll see that I don’t need to be my father to lead this family.”

A few people went quiet at that. Not out of agreement, but because I didn’t back down.

Dina crossed her arms. “Words are cheap, action is what counts.”

I stared straight at her. “Then watch me.”

Janet, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “She’s already done more than most of you gave her credit for. Ricardo Leone paid half of what he owed already. That debt was considered dead.

Everyone here wrote it off, she didn’t. So don’t talk to me about action when she’s the only one who got results.”

Marco’s face darkened. “Leone was different. He respected Vincenzo. That’s the only reason he paid.”

“Wrong,” I snapped. “He paid because I didn’t bend. He paid because I showed him I wasn’t afraid to walk into his home and demand what was ours. You all want to say it was luck? Fine but luck doesn’t get a man like Leone to part with money he’s been holding for years. Respect does.”

Vance leaned back, studying me. “You’re saying you can earn that respect from the Romanos too?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “And anyone else who tries to test me. I won’t sit here and wait for rumors to eat me alive. I won’t wait for outside families to chip away at us. If they want to see if I’m weak, I’ll show them the opposite.”

The room grew quieter.

Finally, one of the older advisers, Carmine, cleared his throat. “And what if you fail?”

I looked at him. “Then I fail but I’ll fail fighting, not hiding.”

There was silence after that. Heavy, long.

Then Marco spoke again, softer this time. “You talk a good game, but words don’t make an heiress. Blood does and power does. And you haven’t proven you can hold either.”

I took a step closer to the table. “Then give me the chance. You think I can’t do it? Fine. Watch me, doubt me. I’ll still prove you wrong.”

Vance finally broke the silence. “Enough for tonight. The Romanos will send word tomorrow. If Izzy says she’ll handle it, then we’ll let her and we’ll see the result.”

Marco muttered under his breath, but he didn’t argue further. Dina looked away, unsatisfied. Some of the others kept whispering to each other.

But a few, just a few were watching me differently. Not with trust yet, but with curiosity. Like they wanted to see if I would actually pull it off.

The meeting broke apart slowly. Chairs scraped back, voices rose as people filed out. Janet came to my side as I stood frozen in place.

“You did well,” she murmured.

“They still don’t believe me,” I said quietly.

“No,” she admitted. “But they’re starting to see you. That’s the first step.”

Serena came up next, her expression unreadable. “They’ll give you the Romanos, don’t waste it. One mistake, and Marco will rip you apart in front of everyone.”

“I won’t make a mistake,” I said. My voice sounded more confident than I felt.

Serena studied me for a long moment, then gave the smallest nod. “We’ll see.”

When the last of them had left, I sat down in my father’s chair for the first time. It felt too big, too heavy. But I didn’t move. I forced myself to stay there, even when my heart was pounding in my throat.

The whispers hadn’t stopped. If anything, they were louder now. But tonight I hadn’t run from them and tomorrow, I’d face worse.

I didn’t sleep much that night. I kept thinking about the way everyone had looked at me in the council meeting. Like they were waiting for me to go on a trip. Like they wanted me to fail.

By morning I was pacing in my room. My hands were shaking and I couldn’t stop grinding my teeth. I kept hearing the same thing over and over, There’s a leak, someone’s talking to the Romanos.

A knock came at the door.

“It’s open,” I muttered.

Janet walked in, holding two cups of coffee. She put one on the dresser. “You’re going to make yourself sick walking in circles like that.”

“I don’t care,” I said, not slowing down.

She raised a brow. “Alright. What’s eating at you now?”

I stopped, turned to her. “You’ve heard it, haven’t you? The whispers?”

She frowned. “What whispers?”

“That someone inside is leaking information.”

Janet sighed and set her cup down. “Izzy, half the house gossips every time you breathe. You can’t let every whisper get to you.”

“This isn’t gossip,” I said sharply. “Think about it. How do the Romanos always seem to know what I’m doing before I do it? How do they keep pushing at just the

right moment?”

Janet crossed her arms. “So you’re saying one of our own is working with them?”