My name is Marco de Bello, eldest son of the de Bello crime family in Italy. My parents see my younger brother as the golden child—married, successful, everything they wanted in an heir—while I’ve always been the one who disappointed quietly. I’d been away on business for weeks when I heard news that caught my attention: a girl, taken from childhood and turned into a weapon before she was even allowed to be human, forced into the military, sold and passed around like property until there was nothing left of her but obedience. When I finally saw her standing in our home, she didn’t look at anyone, her posture stiff, her eyes hollow but alert, like she was still waiting for the next command. I’ve seen killers, soldiers, and monsters—but she wasn’t any of those things.