The sky above the old cemetery was gray, heavy with silence. A cold wind brushed against Grazia Alessandra Bianchi's black dress as she stood in front of two marble gravestones her parents' names carved into them like wounds that would never heal.
Matteo stood a step behind her. He had once been her father's assistant, but to Grazia, he was more than that. He was family.
"Miss…" Matteo's voice was low, careful. "Are you certain about this? Disguising yourself as a maid in the mansion of El Rey Oscuro is not a small risk. That place is a fortress."
Grazia didn't turn around immediately. She knelt and traced her fingers over her mother's name.
"If I don't walk into the lion's den myself," she said quietly, "who will drag the lion out?"
Matteo exhaled slowly. "Vincenzo Aurelio Marzano does not forgive mistakes. He does not give second chances."
Grazia rose to her feet, her eyes turning cold. "He didn't give my parents one either."
Silence fell between them.
"I will not step back, Matteo," she said firmly. "I will avenge Mom and Dad. No matter the cost."
Matteo bowed his head slightly. "I will always support you, Miss. Even if it costs me my life."
Her head snapped toward him. "Don't say that. I've already lost too much."
"It was my promise to your father," Matteo replied gently. "To protect you."
She swallowed the emotion rising in her throat and looked back at the graves.
Mom… Dad… watch me. I won't cry anymore. I'll make him pay for everything.
Turning back to Matteo, her expression hardened.
"Have you prepared everything I asked for?"
"Yes, Miss."
"The official maid agency from Milan?"
"Arranged. The foundation is legitimate and respected. The owner owes your family a favor. Your name has already been placed on the list of domestic workers scheduled for Vincenzo's mansion."
"And my identity?"
"Changed." Matteo handed her a brown folder. "You are no longer Grazia Alessandra Bianchi. From now on, you are Alessia Romano. Trained in Milan. Clean record. No past."
She skimmed through the documents quickly. "Security in the mansion?"
"Tight. Cameras everywhere. Armed guards. Background checks for every employee."
"Good," she murmured. "The stronger the fortress, the sweeter its fall."
Matteo studied her face. "Revenge changes people."
Grazia gave him a faint smile one that didn't reach her eyes. "I changed the day they died."
The men stationed around the cemetery stepped aside as they walked toward the black car waiting by the road.
Before entering, Grazia turned one last time to the graves.
Wait for me. I'll come back… when it's done.
Matteo opened the car door for her.
"We're heading straight to meet the foundation owner in Milan?"
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "The sooner I enter El Rey Oscuro's mansion, the sooner this game begins."
The car pulled away from the cemetery, leaving the silence behind.
Inside, the atmosphere was heavy.
"If anything goes wrong—" Matteo began.
"I won't fail," Grazia cut in sharply.
"But if—"
"I won't fail," she repeated, softer but unshakable.
Matteo nodded slowly. "Then let us prepare the stage for a king's downfall."
Grazia leaned back against the seat, staring out the window as the city lights began to blur past.
Vincenzo Aurelio Marzano… I'm coming for you.
The car stopped in front of an old yet well-preserved building in the heart of Milan. Beside the large wooden doors, a brass plaque read:
Fondazione Domestica Santa Lucia – Milano
Grazia stepped out first, the soft click of her heels echoing against the stone pavement. Matteo followed closely behind her.
The heavy doors opened before they had the chance to knock.
A man in his early forties, dressed in a neat gray suit, bowed politely.
"Welcome, Signorina Grazia. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lorenzo Bellini, director of Fondazione Domestica Santa Lucia."
Grazia slowly removed her sunglasses, her sharp gaze locking onto his.
"From now on, you will call me Alessia Romano."
A subtle smile curved on Lorenzo's lips.
"Of course. As of this moment, Grazia Alessandra Bianchi no longer exists."
Matteo stepped forward slightly.
"I trust everything has been handled professionally, Signor Bellini."
"Discretion is the foundation of our institution," Lorenzo replied calmly. "We fully understand the risks involved in this arrangement."
Grazia crossed her arms.
"Do you?"
She stepped closer, her voice lowering.
"Because if even one detail is wrong, I won't be the only one in danger."
Lorenzo did not break eye contact.
"All documents have been reconstructed. Birth certificate. Training certifications. Employment history in Milan and Florence. Clean background checks. Alessia Romano is flawless."
"References?" Grazia asked shortly.
"Two fabricated families in Como and Bergamo. If contacted, they will praise you as an exemplary worker."
Matteo gave a small nod.
"And the Marzano mansion?" Grazia continued. "How exactly did you get me in?"
Lorenzo gestured for them to enter the dimly lit office.
"El Rey Oscuro recently dismissed two members of his staff," he explained. "He requested replacements from foundations with the highest credibility rating. We are one of only three official agencies authorized to supply personnel to the Marzano estate."
A faint smile appeared on Grazia's lips.
"How convenient."
"It was not simple," Lorenzo admitted. "His security team conducted secondary screenings. Fingerprints. Facial verification."
Matteo stiffened.
"That was not part of the initial agreement."
"It has been handled," Lorenzo said evenly. "A minor system intervention. Temporary database substitution. Your biometrics now correspond to Alessia Romano's identity."
Grazia tilted her head slightly.
"You've taken quite a risk."
"Your late father once saved this foundation from bankruptcy," Lorenzo replied quietly. "Consider this our repayment."
Silence filled the room.
Grazia walked toward the window, gazing at the Milan sky.
"When do I leave for the Marzano mansion?"
"Tonight," Lorenzo answered. "You will travel with two other maids. You must blend in. Speak little. Observe everything."
She turned sharply.
"I don't need to be taught how to survive."
"Perhaps not," Lorenzo said carefully. "But Vincenzo Aurelio Marzano is not a man who should be provoked."
Her gaze darkened.
"I'm not going there to provoke him."
Matteo looked at her with concern.
"Miss…"
Grazia kept her eyes on Lorenzo.
"You know your task. Get me inside that mansion. After that, you disappear."
Lorenzo nodded.
"We will escort you to the Marzano estate gates. After that, their head of security will take over."
"And if something happens?" Matteo asked.
Lorenzo's expression hardened.
"Once she enters the mansion… our person inside will assist Miss Alessia."
The words lingered heavily in the air.
Grazia smiled cold and fearless.
"Good," she said softly. "That's exactly how I want it."
She extended her hand.
"Then let's begin."
Lorenzo shook it firmly.
"Welcome to your new life, Miss Alessia Romano."
As the final documents were signed, Matteo leaned closer and whispered,
"It's still not too late to turn back."
Grazia's voice was barely audible.
"I didn't come to Milan to turn back."
Matteo stopped Grazia just before she stepped fully into the car.
"Miss… call me if anything happens. Anything at all. I don't want something happening to you."
Grazia let out a quiet breath and looked at the man who had been like a father to her.
"You're overreacting, Matteo. I can take care of myself."
"That's not what I mean," Matteo said, his voice tightening. "Since the massacre five years ago… since the night everyone was slaughtered and you were the only one who survived… I've lived every day afraid of losing you too."
For a brief second, Grazia's expression softened.
"Matteo… I know you're worried. But I'm not doing this recklessly. I'm doing this to avenge my parents. They died because of a power struggle. And the man responsible is still alive… still sitting on his throne."
Matteo clenched his jaw.
"Revenge doesn't always bring peace, Miss."
"No," Grazia replied coldly. "But it brings justice."
At that moment, Lorenzo stepped forward, followed by two young women dressed modestly like domestic staff.
"Miss Alessia," Lorenzo said formally, "allow me to introduce Bianca Ricci and Sofia Conti. They will assist you in carrying out the mission inside the mansion."
The two women bowed politely.
"It's a pleasure to work with you," Bianca said.
"We've already been briefed," Sofia added. "We understand our roles."
Matteo looked at them seriously.
"I'm entrusting Alessia to you. She's like a daughter to me."
Bianca answered firmly, "Of course, sir. We will protect Miss Alessia."
Sofia nodded. "We also have someone inside the mansion. If there's an emergency, we know who to contact."
Matteo's gaze sharpened. "I don't want empty promises."
"And you won't get any," Bianca replied calmly.
Grazia opened the car door herself.
"That's enough," she said. "We're not saying goodbye forever."
Matteo forced a faint smile. "To me… it feels like we are."
She paused, then looked at him deeply.
"I'll come back. But when I do… everything will be finished."
Matteo could only nod.
"Let's go," Lorenzo said briefly.
The three women Grazia, Bianca, and Sofia entered a different car, a simpler vehicle that matched their new identities as household staff.
The car began moving toward the Marzano mansion.
Inside, Bianca turned toward Grazia.
"From now on, we must look close. Comfortable with each other. No distance. No elegance."
Sofia added, "You are Alessia Romano. Born in the outskirts of Milan. Parents were factory workers. You entered domestic training at eighteen."
"And my personality?" Grazia asked calmly.
"Quiet. Efficient. Observant," Bianca answered.
"Not curious. Not confrontational," Sofia continued. "You follow orders."
Grazia leaned back against the seat.
"Repeat the story," she said.
Bianca immediately complied. "The three of us met at the Santa Lucia training center. We've worked together for a year in two private homes in Milan."
"And we applied for placement at the Marzano mansion because of the high salary," Sofia finished.
"No hidden motives. No suspicious past."
Grazia closed her eyes briefly, memorizing every detail.
"Good," she said at last. "From now on, I'm Alessia. And you're not just my colleagues."
Bianca gave a slight smile.
"We're sisters in this."
The car drove farther from the city center, heading toward the elite district where El Rey Oscuro's mansion stood in silent dominance.
Grazia slowly opened her eyes.
"The game begins tonight," she whispered.
And no one in the car doubted the weight of her words.