The truth was, marrying into the Castellano family had never been entirely about honoring my brother's arrangement.
As the Don's eldest daughter, Rosalia could secure a Commission-backed franchise with almost no effort.
With that franchise, I could move shipments as far as the European ports and no one would interfere.
Now that Rosalia had cast me aside, the franchise was gone with her.
My gaze drifted toward another estate on the west side of Kingsport.
The younger Castellano daughter. Rosalia's sister.
In truth, she was the one I'd been meant to marry in the first place.
My brother and I had each been matched to one of the two Castellano daughters.
But Emilio ran off on his own, and to save face with Rosalia, who held the greater standing within the family, the Ferraros had no choice but to send me in his place.
In the year since, Elena Castellano had remained unmarried.
The door opened, and I looked at her.
"Elena. The old arrangement between our families. Does it still stand?"
I had prepared myself.
If she refused,
I would bow and leave without another word.
After all, it was the Ferraro family that had slighted her first.
Elena studied me for a long time.
"It stands."