Left To Burn, She Rose A Queen

Left To Burn, She Rose A Queen

Lila

5.0
Comment(s)
323
View
19
Chapters

I was the Chicago Outfit's princess, and Luca and Matteo were my sworn protectors. We had mixed our blood at ten years old, promising that nothing would ever touch me. But that oath turned to ash the night Sofia Ricci aimed a Roman candle at my chest. The firework slammed into my shoulder, igniting my silk dress instantly. As I rolled on the concrete, screaming while the flames ate into my skin, I waited for my boys to save me. They didn't. Instead, I watched through the smoke as they rushed to Sofia. They wrapped their jackets-the ones meant to shield me-around the girl who had just set me on fire, comforting her because the "kickback" had scared her. They let me burn to keep her warm. When I woke up in the hospital with permanent scars, they brought me a letter of apology from her and defended her "accident." They even cut their palms to pay her debt, ignoring the fact that I was the one in bandages. That was the moment Elena Vitiello died. I didn't scream. I didn't beg. I simply packed my bags and defected to the one place they couldn't follow: the arms of Dante Moretti, the lethal Capo of New York. By the time they realized their mistake and came crawling back to beg in the rain, I was already wearing another man's ring. "You want forgiveness?" I asked, looking down at them. "Burn for it."

Left To Burn, She Rose A Queen Chapter 1

I was the Chicago Outfit's princess, and Luca and Matteo were my sworn protectors. We had mixed our blood at ten years old, promising that nothing would ever touch me.

But that oath turned to ash the night Sofia Ricci aimed a Roman candle at my chest.

The firework slammed into my shoulder, igniting my silk dress instantly. As I rolled on the concrete, screaming while the flames ate into my skin, I waited for my boys to save me.

They didn't.

Instead, I watched through the smoke as they rushed to Sofia. They wrapped their jackets-the ones meant to shield me-around the girl who had just set me on fire, comforting her because the "kickback" had scared her.

They let me burn to keep her warm.

When I woke up in the hospital with permanent scars, they brought me a letter of apology from her and defended her "accident." They even cut their palms to pay her debt, ignoring the fact that I was the one in bandages.

That was the moment Elena Vitiello died.

I didn't scream. I didn't beg. I simply packed my bags and defected to the one place they couldn't follow: the arms of Dante Moretti, the lethal Capo of New York.

By the time they realized their mistake and came crawling back to beg in the rain, I was already wearing another man's ring.

"You want forgiveness?" I asked, looking down at them.

"Burn for it."

Chapter 1

The moment I pressed the 'Confirm' button on the university portal, my life in Chicago was over before my heart even had a chance to stutter.

The screen flashed a sterile green banner: Enrollment Finalized: Columbia University, New York City.

My hands didn't shake.

They should have.

I was Elena Vitiello, the only daughter of the Chicago Outfit's Underboss, raised in a gilded cage where loyalty was the only currency that mattered, and betrayal was a debt paid in blood.

Moving to New York wasn't just a transfer.

It was a defection.

Because New York belonged to the Famiglia. It belonged to Dante Moretti.

Even a thousand miles away, the name tasted like gunpowder and aged scotch-acrid, rich, and lethal.

And I was voluntarily walking into his lion's den. Because the wolves in my own house had already started to eat me alive.

My phone vibrated against the mahogany desk. A new notification from Instagram.

It was Sofia.

The caption read: VIP treatment at the Gala. So grateful for my boys.

I tapped the photo.

There she was, standing between Luca Rossi and Matteo Bianchi.

My Luca.

My Matteo.

They were my sworn protectors, the soldiers who had cut their palms and mixed their blood with mine when we were ten years old, promising that nothing would ever touch me.

In the photo, Sofia was wearing a white silk gown.

My custom-made gown.

Around her neck hung a string of rare pink pearls.

My mother's pearls.

The ones kept in the biometric vault in my wing of the estate. The vault only three people had access to: Me, Luca, and Matteo.

A cold sensation spread through my chest, like someone had replaced my blood with liquid nitrogen.

This wasn't just theft.

It was a usurpation.

My phone buzzed again. A group chat named The Trio.

Sofia: OMG, the lighting in here is amazing! Also, thank you for the new MacBook and the iPhone 15 Pro! You really didn't have to.

Luca: Only the best for you, Sof. You need it for school.

Matteo: You looked like a queen tonight.

A queen.

I stared at the words until they blurred. I was the Vitiello Princess, but they were crowning a rat.

My fingers moved with mechanical precision.

Elena: Who opened the vault for her?

The typing bubbles appeared instantly. Then stopped. Then appeared again.

Sofia: Oh, Elena! I didn't know you were awake. The boys just let me borrow a few things. I wanted to fit in. You have so much, I didn't think you'd mind sharing, right?

Luca: Don't start, Elena. She needed a dress. You weren't using it.

Matteo: We'll buy you a new one. Stop being a brat.

A brat.

I closed my eyes and let out a breath that shuddered in my lungs. Ten years of friendship. Ten years of them scaring away boys who looked at me wrong. Ten years of us against the world. Erased for a girl who knew how to cry on cue.

A notification from Venmo pinged.

Luca Rossi sent you $5,000 - For the dress. Chill out.

He had put a price tag on my dignity.

He thought cash could cover the stain of treason.

I didn't reply. I walked over to the full-length mirror. Taped to the glass was a polaroid from three years ago: me in the middle, Luca and Matteo kissing my cheeks. Written at the bottom: Blood Brothers & Their Queen.

I ripped the photo off the glass and walked to the shredder by my desk. I fed the photo into the machine's teeth and watched their smiling faces turn into confetti.

Then I opened my banking app and transferred the five thousand dollars to a charity for retired racehorses.

I didn't need their money.

I needed out.

Continue Reading

Other books by Lila

More
Predictive Text Couldn't Predict Our Love

Predictive Text Couldn't Predict Our Love

Fantasy

5.0

My world was painted with words nobody else could see, predictive text shimmering over everyone, even future adoptive families. When the chance came to pick a family, the perfect Hendersons offered sunny picnics and acceptance, but the text over Liam Henderson screamed a crimson warning: "AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Heartbreak." Instead, it pointed to Blake Sterling, a boy drowned in the corner, with a soft blue message: "RECOMMENDED. A cold and difficult beginning. This boy is broken, but you are the key to his healing." I chose him, stepping into a life of cold silence, a museum of a house, and a father who disappeared even when he was home. What started as quiet mutual support quickly devolved. Blake's mother's death, a supposed "wellness program," became his obsession, fueling a terrifying need for revenge against the Hendersons and Dr. Evelyn Reed. He was falling apart, spray-painting their mansion, self-destructing. Desperate, I confessed my secret, my ability to see the "text," telling him it warned me about his dangerous path. Then, the true horror unfolded: the 'wellness program' wasn't just for his mother. Blake found a list, and my name was on it. The text I saw, my supposed "gift," wasn't magic-it was a side effect of the same experimental trial that killed his mother. I was a lab rat, just like her. And then, his father-Mr. Sterling-came into focus. Not only had he known the program was dangerous, he' d taken money to keep quiet about the 'wellness program' and its child victims, including me. The connection between Blake and me shattered, a bond born of shared pain now poisoned by his father' s monstrous betrayal. Blake turned on me, his eyes filled with terror, accusing me of being part of the conspiracy, a living symbol of his family's betrayal. I was alone again, more lost than in the orphanage, the text over my head a flat, dead gray: "Connection Severed." But then, a terrifying alert flashed, not for Blake, but for the man who had destroyed us both: "CRITICAL ALERT: STERLING SENIOR. ALCOHOL AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG INTERACTION. LETHAL PROBABILITY: 95%." Our personal tragedy was about to be eclipsed, and I knew-we had to save him.

From Trailer to Tycoon: A Billionaire's Secret Legacy

From Trailer to Tycoon: A Billionaire's Secret Legacy

Billionaires

5.0

The splintered wood of my trailer door vibrated with each heavy blow from Spike' s thugs. "Sarah! Open up! We know you're in there!" they roared. Inside, my "best friend" Jessica pressed a waiver into my hand, her manicured nails digging deep. "Sign it, Sarah! Renounce Ethan's estate, his debts! You'll be free!" she urged, her voice a desperate whine. My blood ran cold. This was the exact moment it happened before-the trap that destroyed my life. In my past, I foolishly signed that paper, believing it was my salvation. But it freed me only to an unimaginable hell. Because Ethan Vance, my "poor" handyman husband, was no struggling family man; he was a billionaire, and Jessica, his secret partner, was set to inherit everything. They orchestrated my ruin, stealing my future and burdening me with debt. The gravest cost was my precious son, Leo, lifeless due to their cruel machinations. My world collapsed, leaving me with nothing but ghosts and despair. The memory of that betrayal, a searing brand, ignited a cold fury within me. I had been a pawn, fed lies, while they laughed in their luxurious hidden life. The injustice was a physical ache, begging for retribution. But now, I was back. Returned to the very precipice of their deceit, armed with brutal foresight. This time, I would not sign their treacherous waiver. I opened the shaking door, ready to face my tormentors, not as a victim, but as the architect of their downfall. Let their nightmare begin.

Beyond the Billionaire's Shadow

Beyond the Billionaire's Shadow

Fantasy

5.0

The air in the small living room was thick, heavy, mirroring the cold dread gripping my stomach. My father, Richard, cleared his throat, his eyes avoiding mine, avoiding my mother' s. "Emily, the papers are signed," he said, his voice flat. "It's done." He then looked at me and my younger sister, Jessica. "Girls, you need to decide. Who you want to live with." I was Sarah, and this was my second chance, my second life. The memories of the first one were branded into me. Jessica, beside me, shifted, her eyes holding a greedy flicker I recognized from before-she remembered a life she called poor, a life she hated. "I choose Dad," Jessica said, her voice far too quick, too eager. "Victoria will be pleased," Richard affirmed, a thin smile on his face. Victoria Sterling. The tech billionaire, my future stepmother, her name a scar. In my first life, she had chosen me. I remembered the endless lessons, the cold praise, the constant pressure to be perfect. She broke me down, piece by piece, until Jessica, twisted by Victoria' s influence, ended my life. No. Not again. My father urged me to be "sensible," to consider the "opportunities" Victoria offered. Jessica scoffed, "You're an idiot, Sarah. You want to stay in this dump? With her?" She chose the fire, thinking it was gold, unaware of the torment that awaited her. But I knew the price. I looked at my mother, her eyes full of pain, but also a quiet strength I hadn't truly seen before. This time, I would protect her. I would protect myself. "I choose Mom," I declared, my voice clear and firm, irrevocably altering the script of my reborn life.

You'll also like

The Mute Heiress: Her Cold Silent Revenge

The Mute Heiress: Her Cold Silent Revenge

Tu Tu
5.0

The Pierre Hotel smelled of old money and stale ambition, but all I could taste was the copper of my own rage. I stood in the back of the ballroom, a "mute" shadow in a silk dress, watching my sister Brande play the grieving saint on stage. She wiped away a fake tear, telling the crowd I was too "unstable" to attend my own engagement party. In reality, I was watching her share a secret, intimate squeeze with my fiancé, Chase Sterling, right under the blinding spotlight. When I finally hit "execute" and projected the video of them together in a hotel suite for the entire elite crowd to see, the room went cold. But the nightmare was just beginning. Instead of apologizing, my father crushed his scotch glass and told me to fix the mess. He demanded I issue a public statement claiming I had a mental breakdown and "hallucinated" the whole thing. "If you don't corroborate the Deepfake story, I'll have you committed to a facility with barred windows," he hissed. Brande just smirked from the corner, mocking me for being a "mute waste of space" who didn't even realize my own trust fund had paid for the diamonds around her neck. I realized then that in this family, silence wasn't a disability—it was a target. They thought because I didn't speak, I didn't have a voice. They thought they could use my silence to bury the truth and save their precious stock prices. They were wrong. I didn't just leak a video; I had the keys to every secret they ever tried to hide. I walked out of that hotel and straight into the black sedan of Julian Curtis, my father’s most ruthless rival and the only man who knew what really happened the night of the blizzard in Aspen. I handed him the encrypted files that would trigger a hostile takeover of my family’s empire. As the city blurred past, I looked at the man who held my future in his hands and typed one final message on my phone. "I'm not here to be saved. I'm here to be the knife."

Betrayed Bride: Claimed By The Brother

Betrayed Bride: Claimed By The Brother

Reilly Mcardle
5.0

I arrived at the hotel with Julian's favorite takeout, ready to surprise my fiancé before our big merger. But the moment I swiped the keycard, the silence of the hallway felt heavy and wrong. Inside, a red-soled stiletto lay on the marble floor-the same one I'd watched my best friend Lila try on at Saks last week. Through the cracked bedroom door, I watched Julian's back arch as Lila looked me straight in the eye and smiled, wrapping her legs tighter around him to mock my heartbreak. I fled to the penthouse to hide, only to find Grafton, Julian's "crippled" brother, waiting in the dark. To my horror, the man who was supposed to be paralyzed stood up from his wheelchair, gripped my chin with cold fingers, and forced me to sign a contract that gave him control of my family's shares. He knew about my mother's secret medical bills and used them to buy my silence, effectively turning my life into a calculated game of corporate chess. The betrayal tasted like acid, and the injustice of it all burned in my throat. My fiancé was a liar, my best friend was a thief, and the man now controlling my fate was a predator who had been faking his disability for years. I couldn't understand how everyone I trusted had turned out to be a monster. I was trapped between a man who cheated on me and a man who wanted to own me, with no way out and no one to turn to. But when Julian came looking for me, Grafton didn't hide; he stood tall, looming over me with a possessive glint in his eyes. "Help me destroy Julian," I rasped, realizing that to survive the Faulkner men, I had to become the most dangerous player of them all.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
Left To Burn, She Rose A Queen Left To Burn, She Rose A Queen Lila Mafia
“I was the Chicago Outfit's princess, and Luca and Matteo were my sworn protectors. We had mixed our blood at ten years old, promising that nothing would ever touch me. But that oath turned to ash the night Sofia Ricci aimed a Roman candle at my chest. The firework slammed into my shoulder, igniting my silk dress instantly. As I rolled on the concrete, screaming while the flames ate into my skin, I waited for my boys to save me. They didn't. Instead, I watched through the smoke as they rushed to Sofia. They wrapped their jackets-the ones meant to shield me-around the girl who had just set me on fire, comforting her because the "kickback" had scared her. They let me burn to keep her warm. When I woke up in the hospital with permanent scars, they brought me a letter of apology from her and defended her "accident." They even cut their palms to pay her debt, ignoring the fact that I was the one in bandages. That was the moment Elena Vitiello died. I didn't scream. I didn't beg. I simply packed my bags and defected to the one place they couldn't follow: the arms of Dante Moretti, the lethal Capo of New York. By the time they realized their mistake and came crawling back to beg in the rain, I was already wearing another man's ring. "You want forgiveness?" I asked, looking down at them. "Burn for it."”
1

Chapter 1

31/01/2026

2

Chapter 2

31/01/2026

3

Chapter 3

31/01/2026

4

Chapter 4

31/01/2026

5

Chapter 5

31/01/2026

6

Chapter 6

31/01/2026

7

Chapter 7

31/01/2026

8

Chapter 8

31/01/2026

9

Chapter 9

31/01/2026

10

Chapter 10

31/01/2026

11

Chapter 11

31/01/2026

12

Chapter 12

31/01/2026

13

Chapter 13

31/01/2026

14

Chapter 14

31/01/2026

15

Chapter 15

31/01/2026

16

Chapter 16

31/01/2026

17

Chapter 17

31/01/2026

18

Chapter 18

31/01/2026

19

Chapter 19

31/01/2026