My fiancé, Dominic, heir to the Carvalho crime family, vanished for four days. I thought a rival family had put a bullet in his head.

Then I saw his ex’s Instagram story.

A shot of them in bed. The caption: He still knows every inch of me.

His face was hidden, but his hand wasn't. And on it, the ring I gave him, resting on her skin.

That night, Dominic came home. He brought me white roses, my favorite.

I asked him why. Why he'd lie. Why he'd sleep with her. He brushed it off. Just a "misunderstanding."

I was done. I threw the ring in his face. Burned the wedding dress. Told him we were over.

He thought I was just throwing a fit.

He didn't get it. Not until he realized I was walking away for good.

Then he panicked. Begged me to come back.

My fiancé, Dominic Carvalho, heir to Chicago's most notorious crime family, was a ghost for four days. I found him not in a ditch, but on Instagram, tangled in the sheets of a Peninsula suite with his ex. Both of them covered in hickies.

So I burned my hundred-thousand-dollar wedding dress, called off the engagement, and told him to get the hell out of my life.

For four days, Dominic, who usually smothered me with attention, was a ghost.

My calls went to voicemail, my texts were left unread.

I was sick with worry, convinced he’d been snatched by a rival family.

I had my father’s men scouring the city for him.

Then I saw the Instagram story from his ex, Vivienne.

A selfie. A messy bed.

Her bare shoulder. His hand on it. I knew those knuckles anywhere.

On his ring finger was the Cartier LOVE ring—one half of our one-of-a-kind engagement set.

The caption read: "He still remembers every inch of my body. Four days in heaven."

That son of a bitch.

The only thing I heard was the roar of my Lamborghini.

I floored it, heading for the top-floor suite of the Peninsula Hotel, right where Vivienne had tagged her location.

I stormed into the lobby and ran right into her.

She was stepping out of the elevator, hair still damp, lips swollen and red.

The hickey on her neck was so fresh it looked like it was still bleeding. She was dangling a set of keys. Dominic’s Ferrari keys.

Our eyes met.

She didn’t even flinch. A slow, triumphant smile spread across her face. "Sienna. Fancy seeing you here."

"Is he upstairs?" My voice was shaking.

"Mhm." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, her voice a lazy drawl. "He's exhausted, though. Resting. You know how men can be… so wild."

She dragged out the words "exhausted" and "wild." Each one was a bullet to the chest.

"I'm sorry you had to see this," Vivienne said, stepping closer. Her voice was soft, like a snake hissing. "But some things have to end. Dominic's heart never really left me."

I stared at her smug face, bile rising in my throat.

I spun around and bolted from the hotel, nearly throwing up in the fountain out front.

We met three years ago. A family thing. He pursued me like a man possessed.

He was gentle, thoughtful, and treated me like a princess. All of Chicago knew it.

He even let me run a stupid, sappy social media account for us—documenting our perfect life to feed my vanity.

I thought I was his everything.

Turns out, his vows were worthless.

I tore through the streets of Chicago, trying to outrun the humiliation.

When I got home late that night, Dominic was already there.

He was standing in the living room, holding a huge bouquet of white roses. My favorite.

He looked impossibly handsome in his suit, like a god, but his eyes were tired.

"Baby, I'm so sorry I made you worry." He moved to kiss my forehead. I turned my head away.

I could smell it on him. Vivienne's jasmine perfume.

"Closing a family deal? In a bed at the Peninsula?" I asked, my voice ice.

His face froze. Panic flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by something darker, more complicated. "Sienna, listen to me. It's not what you think."

"Not what I think?" I laughed, a bitter, ugly sound. "Then tell me what it is. Is Vivienne's Instagram lying? Am I blind?"

"It's complicated." He tried to take my hand, his voice strained. "I can't explain everything right now. Telling you would put you in danger. You have to trust me. Please."

"Danger?" I yanked my hand away. It was the lamest excuse I'd ever heard. "Dominic, you spent four days and three nights in a hotel suite with your ex. And now you're telling me you can't explain because you're protecting me? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No!" His voice cracked, full of pain. "I admit I made a mistake. A terrible one. But Vivienne is the past. You are my future. Sienna, I love you. I really do. I'll handle this... and I'll make it right."

"You love me?" I laughed again, tears stinging my eyes. "Is this your love? Four days in her bed? And then feeding me this bullshit?"

"It's not bullshit—"

"Enough." I walked to the drawer and pulled it open.

An envelope sat inside. My acceptance letter to the Paris College of Art. Full ride.

I’d shoved it in here and forgotten about it. For him.

I grabbed it and tore it to shreds right in front of him.

Then I pulled the six-carat diamond off my finger and threw it on the coffee table.

It made a cold, sickening sound.

"We're done."

Dominic stared, his face a mask of disbelief. "What did you say?"

"The engagement is off. Now, get the hell out of my house."

"Over a misunderstanding?" He stepped closer, his handsome face filled with hurt. "Sienna, don't do this. Don't throw away everything we have. We love each other..."

"Don't you dare say that word to me again." I stared at the face I once adored. "Get. Out."

Dominic froze. He saw the look in my eyes, and the pain on his face hardened into a cold disappointment.

He didn't argue anymore. He just gave me one last, deep look that made my heart ache.

Then he turned and slammed the door on his way out. The roar of his engine faded into the night.

After he left, I lost it. I threw all of his things into trash bags—his custom suits, his Patek Philippe watches, his entire collection of rare cigars. Everything.

But it wasn't enough.

From the back of my closet, I dragged out the Vera Wang wedding dress.

One hundred thousand dollars. A dream I once couldn't wait to live.

I dragged it onto the balcony and took out a lighter.

The flame kissed the silk, and my white dream turned to ash.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

I looked through the peephole. It was Dominic, holding takeout from my favorite Italian place.

I opened the door.

The apology died on his lips the moment he saw the black smoke billowing from my balcony.

His face went white.

"What are you burning?" He pushed past me and ran onto the balcony.

He saw the charred remains of the dress and spun around, his voice shaking. "You burned the dress? Sienna... that was our future. Don't you think you're taking this too far?!"

"There is no 'us' anymore," I said calmly.

"You're really calling it off?" He stared at me, his eyes full of shattered pain. "Over a... a misunderstanding?"

I looked right at him. "No. For myself."

I shut the door in his face. Locked it. Slid the chain across.

I could hear him pounding on the door, his raw, guttural yells full of a pain he deserved.

But I was never opening that door for him again.

Three days later, I had blocked his number and wiped our photos from existence.

His texts, his calls, the messages from friends begging me to take him back—I ignored them all.

I called my old professor in Paris. He'd been disappointed when I turned down the offer.

When he heard I'd changed my mind, he immediately found me a position as an Art Director at a prestigious gallery.

Work was the only drug that worked.

Until my best friend Harper called.

"Babe, Marcus is having a party on his yacht tonight. You have to be there."

"I don't want to see anyone from that circle."

"If you hide, you lose. That's exactly what Vivienne wants," Harper said, her tone serious. "You're going. You're gonna wear your hottest dress, your killer makeup, and you're going to show everyone that you're thriving without Dominic Carvalho."

She was right. I wasn't going to let them see me as a joke.

But the moment I stepped onto the yacht's deck and saw him, my heart still seized up.

Dominic.

He was leaning against the railing in a white linen shirt, holding a glass of whiskey, staring out at the black water.

He looked wrecked. Stubble shadowed his jaw.

Those blue eyes, usually so full of confidence, were just tired and anxious.

He saw me and stood up straight, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

It died the second he saw the ice on my face.

I turned to leave, but Harper grabbed my arm. "Chin up, chest out, Sienna. You're a queen walking into her kingdom. Act like it."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay.

The host, Marcus, walked over, looking awkward. "Sienna, so glad you could make it." Soon, a crowd formed.

"Sienna! You look amazing! See? A little lover's quarrel is good for the soul."

"Dominic's been going nuts without you. Stop torturing the guy."

"Yeah, we're all family here. Just kiss and make up!"

It was a fucking chorus. Like I was some misbehaving child, and they were all waiting for me to follow the script, accept Dominic's apology, and take his arm again.

I walked to a quiet corner, grabbed a glass of champagne, and stared out at the sea, deliberately ignoring the eyes I could feel burning into my back.

Finally, Dominic walked over, a drink in his hand.

"Sienna." His voice was raw. Pleading. "Can we talk?"

The whole party held its breath, ready for the show.

I took his champagne, stood up, and looked around the deck. Then I smiled at the crowd. "Since you're all so concerned, I'd like to take this opportunity to make a formal announcement."

I raised my glass, my voice carrying across the deck.

"My engagement to Mr. Dominic Carvalho is officially terminated."

The air went still. The color drained from Dominic's face.

"And as of today, my family's business with the Carvalhos is over. That includes all art authentication and secure logistics my father provides. We're done."

I looked at Dominic's stone-white face and Marcus's shocked expression next to him. "In plain English: we're done. Personally and professionally."

I downed the champagne and slammed the empty glass on the table.

"Thanks for all your 'concern'."

I walked towards the gangway in total silence.

Harper ran up and hugged me tight. "You killed it."

As I walked down to the parking lot, I heard Marcus's voice, low but clear.

"I tried, man. She's not fucking around this time. What the hell happened with you and Vivienne? Was it worth all this?"

I stopped, hiding behind a thick concrete pillar.

Then I heard Dominic's voice, cold and full of agony.

"Worth it? I just lost everything. She won't listen. She doesn't get that I did it to protect her. The bastards after Vivienne… if they knew Sienna was my real weakness, they'd use her to get to me. I had to create a smokescreen, make everyone think Vivienne was still the one."

Marcus sounded incredulous. "Protecting your fiancée by sleeping with your ex? What kind of fucked-up logic is that, Dom?"

"It was a misunderstanding!" Dominic's voice was filled with regret. "But she'll come back. She has to. She loves me. Once this is all over, I can explain everything."

The sea breeze felt like ice against my skin.

Protection? A smokescreen?

What an arrogant, pathetic excuse.

He still thought he was in control. He thought my love was so cheap he could trample all over it and then win me back with a few words.

I didn't storm out. I calmly took out my phone.

Then I stepped out from behind the pillar, the click of my heels echoing in the silent lot.

"Dominic!"

He whipped around. When he saw me, his face went ghost-white.

I held up my phone. The screen glowed. Recording.

I smiled, walking toward him, one slow step at a time. My voice was quiet, but every word was a knife.

"You were saying? Why don't you say it again. Into my phone."

"Tell me again how you protected me by fucking your ex. Say it. Right into the camera."

Dominic stared at my phone, his face ashen.

Marcus coughed awkwardly. "Sienna, how much did you hear?"

"Enough," I said, stopping the recording. "Thanks for the material."

Dominic finally found his voice, a raw whisper. "Sienna, you don't understand—"

"Oh, I understand," I cut him off. "I understand exactly how fucking arrogant you are."

I turned and walked away.

I heard his footsteps chasing after me, but I didn't look back.

The Lamborghini screamed through the Chicago night.

My mind flashed through the last two years.

The full scholarship to the Paris College of Art. I gave it up. He said three years was too long to be without me.

The recommendation letter from Anselm Kiefer's lead assistant. It expired.

I changed how I dressed. Traded my bohemian, free-spirited style for the elegant look he preferred.

I learned to make his favorite Old Fashioned, just the way he liked it.

I gave up my weekends in the studio to attend his boring family functions. I even learned to quiet my laugh because he said it was "unladylike."

I erased myself, piece by piece, to become his perfect fiancée.

And for what? It was never enough. I was never his only choice.

The light turned red. The tears finally came.

Not for him.

For the Sienna I had lost.

At midnight, I found myself parked outside "The Night Library," a 24-hour indie bookstore.

My old sanctuary. Before Dominic.

The store was quiet, just the rustle of pages and the low hum of the coffee machine.

I found a corner in the art section and opened a book on Van Gogh.

The swirling cosmos in The Starry Night felt like a scream.

The burning yellows of his Sunflowers were like a soul on fire.

This was who I used to be. Passionate. Real. Uncompromising.

Now I was a painting that had been painted over so many times, it was unrecognizable.

Two hours later, I felt calmer. At least I wasn't crying anymore.

As I left the bookstore, I heard a familiar voice from the bar across the street.

"Sienna! Sienna, where are you?"

My body went rigid.

Dominic.

He was leaning against the wall, completely drunk, his white shirt a mess.

"I love you, Sienna! I fucking love you!" he yelled at the empty street. "Come back! Please, come back!"

A few people stopped to watch, whispering.

I looked at this man, once a king, now a pathetic stray dog.

I felt nothing. No pity.

Just disgust.

I walked faster toward the parking lot, desperate to escape this circus.

Just as I reached the corner, a Maserati pulled up to the curb.

The window rolled down. Vivienne's flawless face.

She looked radiant, her lips painted blood-red.

"Sienna," she cooed. "All alone so late at night?"

In the passenger seat, Dominic was passed out, his head lolling against the seat, mumbling my name.

"Wandering the streets alone. You look so pathetic," Vivienne said, faking concern. "Need a ride? I'm taking Dom home anyway. It's on the way."

She stressed the nickname "Dom." The smugness practically poured out of the window.

"No, thanks." I didn't even glance at Dominic. "I'm afraid your cheap perfume might rub off on me."

Vivienne's smile froze. "What?"

"That jasmine perfume. It's so cheap you can smell it from a block away," I said, my voice dripping with disdain. "That kind of stench clings to everything."

Her face turned ugly. "You—"

I was already walking to my car.

Inside, my phone rang. Harper.

"Sienna! Are you okay?" she said, her voice full of worry. "I got mobbed at the party and by the time I got free, you were gone."

"I'm fine."

"Marcus said Dominic got wasted and was looking for you. Vivienne picked him up." Harper's voice dropped. "Whatever you do, don't run into them. It's better not to see it."

I gave a bitter laugh. "Already did."

"What? What'd they say?"

"Nothing. Just confirmed something for me."

"What?"

"They deserve each other," I said, watching the Maserati disappear in my rearview mirror. "A self-important bastard and a fake-ass bitch. A match made in hell."

Harper was silent for a second. "Sienna, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm great," I said. "Never been clearer."

After I hung up, my phone buzzed.

A text from Dominic's mother.

"Dearest Sienna, it's Elena. I've missed you. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I'd love for you to come over. I have something to talk to you about. There will always be a place for you here. Mama's promise."