Crawling from the Gallo Family
Julia was Marco's childhood friend. After discovering my fatal childhood allergy to a rare shellfish extract, she slipped it into my seafood risotto.
The moment I swallowed, a burning tightness seized my throat. My breathing grew ragged as the allergic reaction tore through me, every nerve screaming.
In a panic, I reached for the life-saving epinephrine in my handbag—a special auto-injector my father had prepared for me years ago, just in case.
But the medication inside had been replaced with a useless saline solution.
The color drained from my face, and all strength fled my body. I collapsed, clutching desperately at my fiancé Marco’s leg.
"Please—I'm having a reaction. That shellfish extract… you have to help me—"
Marco hesitated.
But Julia just crossed her arms and purred. "Marco, your fiancée is such a drama queen. It's just risotto. I've been around this family for years; no one reacts to a meal like that."
The other family members chimed in. "Stop making a scene! It's just a bite of food." "She's just jealous of Julia, trying to ruin Marco's big night."
Marco's expression hardened. "Julia grew up with me. If there were something wrong with the food, she would know. You'll be fine."
I stopped begging. With the last of my strength, I shakily pressed the emergency call button on my phone—a direct line to my father, the Don of Chicago, Alessandro Volkov.