The Outcast Who Saved the Five Families and Paid With Her Life
The False Heiress and the Registration Deadline
After a rat compromises East Coast safe houses, the Commission orders every associate to register at a neutral church within seventy-two hours. Only registered names secure seats on the evacuation convoys. Viola Romano appears and declares she is the Chairman's daughter, insisting a spot has been reserved for everyone. Associates cancel their registrations one by one, gambling on her claim.
Matteo Russo Dismisses the Warning
The narrator urges friends to register as insurance, but Viola brands the warning as jealousy. Matteo Russo, the narrator's boyfriend, declares she fails to understand power and belongs among ordinary members. His dismissal seals the group's reliance on Viola's unverified promise, leaving no backup plan if the claim collapses.
Rebirth After the Convoy Betrayal
In the previous life the narrator reports the deception to the Commission. Viola is exposed, everyone registers in time, and she dies in an FBI raid. After relocation Matteo shoots the narrator dead while rescued associates watch coldly, claiming arrest would have been preferable. The narrator awakens again on the day Viola first made her promise.