The next morning, I woke up sore all over.

Fragments of last night rushed back into my mind.

Miles and Tessa's engagement party. The liquor at the bar that burned down my throat. My reckless proposal.

And the heated entanglement inside the car. The forceful kisses. That overwhelming, almost devouring possessiveness…

My cheeks burned violently.

I had slept with Dominic?

The untouchable mafia godfather. My best friend's adoptive father?

I let out a strangled groan and looked around. The unmistakably masculine bedroom, the soreness in my body, all forced me to accept reality.

I turned on my phone. It was flooded with missed calls and messages from Miles.

"Lydia, I'm giving you one hour. Get back here. Otherwise I'm freezing your cards."

"Fine. You want to keep this up? Let's see how long you last once your cards are shut off."

As expected, in his eyes everything I did was childish drama.

I swallowed the bitterness and deleted every message without replying.

I got out of bed and studied the unfamiliar room. Dominic seemed to have already left.

A note lay on the table, written in bold, sweeping handwriting.

"There's an issue within the family. I had to rush back to handle it."

Relief washed over me.

At least I didn't have to face him right now. That would have been mortifying.

"Everything you might need has been prepared. This is my private number. If you're missing anything, call me directly."

Below it was a string of numbers.

Before I finished reading, my phone suddenly rang, startling me.

Annie's name flashed across the screen.

The moment I saw her name, guilt surged through me.

I had slept with her father. How was I supposed to face her?

I stared at her name on the screen, my fingertips icy.

Only when the call was about to disconnect did I gather the courage to answer.

"Annie, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I was drunk last night, I—"

Before I could finish, Annie's furious voice burst through the speaker.

"I heard Miles froze your cards. Who does he think he is—wait, Lydia, why are you apologizing to me? We were both drunk last night. Luckily my dad's people brought us back. Hey, but why didn't I see you this morning?"

Hearing her defend me warmed my chest.

But when she mentioned last night, guilt choked me into silence.

Just as I struggled to speak, Annie suddenly shrieked.

"Oh my God, Lydia! My dad just transferred me a huge amount of money! He even texted me saying he's taking you on vacation. Since when are you and my dad this close? I heard he came back last night. Don't tell me it was love at first sight?"

My heart jolted. I hadn't expected Dominic to be so direct. How was I supposed to explain this?

I steeled myself and shut my eyes. Maybe I should just confess. Things had already gone this far.

I gathered my courage and started to say, "Annie, actually, your dad and I—"

But Annie's carefree voice cut in again.

"Who cares what he's thinking? The money's here. Perfect timing since you're heartbroken. I'll take you on a trip to clear your head. Wait, what were you saying? Never mind. Where are you? I'll come find you. We'll talk in person."

Interrupted, all my courage evaporated.

When Annie said she was coming over, I glanced at the house filled with Dominic's presence and panicked.

"No. Let's just meet at the hospital entrance. Aren't you supposed to come with me to see the doctor?"

Annie sounded confused but agreed quickly.

I freshened up, put on the clothes Dominic had prepared for me, and went to meet her.

Annie was still furious about Miles's behavior. Only when she saw that I looked normal did she relax.

"Lydia, don't overthink it. When my dad gets back, I'll make sure he teaches Miles and Tessa a lesson. They've got some nerve bullying my best friend."

Hearing her mention Dominic stepping in again made guilt prickle under my skin. I responded vaguely.

Just then, my appointment was called. I quickly pulled Annie inside.

After the examination, the doctor looked at the test results and smiled.

"Ms. Prescott, your indicators have mostly returned to normal. You can stop the previous medication. It seems your mood has improved recently. However…" The doctor cleared his throat lightly. "You're young. It's good that your emotional state has improved, but you should exercise moderation. Get more rest. Don't… overexert yourself."

Annie's eyes widened in alarm as she looked at me.

"Lydia… what happened? Don't tell me you weren't the one taken advantage of last night? Which bastard was it? I'll skin him alive!"

The memory of last night made my face flare crimson. I had been taken advantage of… except I was the one who made the first move.

And the "bastard" was her disciplined, self-controlled father.

How was I supposed to say that?

I stammered for a long moment before finally managing, "No. I agreed to it…"

Seeing my expression, Annie suddenly understood and lit up with excitement.

"Lydia, you've got some nerve! But this is a good thing. At least you've finally come to your senses and decided to dump that jerk Miles!"

She grew more animated by the second, gripping my arm and shaking it.

"Tell me everything. What does he look like? Is he handsome? Tall? Does he treat you well? How did you meet? And last night… was it intense?"

My face burned even hotter. The barrage of questions left me dizzy with embarrassment.

But Annie genuinely cared about me. I couldn't lie to her.

"Actually… last night…"

Just as I was about to say his name, my phone screen lit up.

It was Miles.

My heart clenched. I instinctively tried to hang up, but Annie reacted faster. She snatched the phone and put it on speaker.

Miles's impatient reprimand blasted through the speaker.

"Lydia! Why didn't you answer my calls last night? You didn't reply to my messages either. It was just a joke. How long are you planning to keep sulking over this?"

In the past, words like that would have sent me into a panic. I would have apologized without thinking.

But now, I had already decided to let him go.

And maybe… maybe I would soon marry someone else.

The thought of Dominic made my cheeks flush again, but my gaze hardened. It was time to end this properly.

I took the phone back and spoke slowly, clearly. "Miles, I made it very clear last night. We're done. You can treat that proposal like some meaningless performance, but I can't. From now on, where I go and what I do is none of your business."

There was a sharp pause on the other end. Then Miles exploded.

"Lydia! Say that again. Done? Who gave you permission to end this unilaterally? Don't forget who's been supporting you all these years. Get back here right now. Don't push me—"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Miles, I'm not something you get to keep and control. I was naive before. Not anymore."

Without waiting for his response, I hung up and decisively blocked his number.

Annie stared at me, stunned, then broke into a thrilled grin.

"Yes! Lydia! That was perfect! You should've done that ages ago. Let him rot!"

I looked at my friend, who seemed even more excited than I was, and forced a faint smile.

"Annie, I've finally escaped that misery. I'm going to let myself live a little."

Annie looped her arm through mine and chimed in.

"Exactly! We're doing whatever you want. To celebrate your escape and your brand-new life, I'm taking you out to go wild."

I nodded firmly.

Then I brought Annie to the gym.

She looked completely baffled.

"The gym? Since when do you come here? You hate working out."

I changed into workout clothes, stepped onto the treadmill, cranked the speed to the highest setting, and started running like I was trying to outrun my own thoughts.

Sweat soaked through my hair in minutes.

I clenched my teeth as images flashed through my mind. Miles's cold expression. Tessa's smug smile. Dominic's deep, unreadable eyes…

I would make Miles regret it. And I would make myself worthy of Dominic.

Over in the weight area, Annie half-heartedly lifted the lightest dumbbells available while watching me with concern as I pushed myself almost to self-punishment.

Worried as she was, she still called out encouragement at the right moments.

Just then, a commotion erupted at the gym entrance.

Miles stormed in with two of his men, his face dark.

His gaze immediately locked onto the familiar figure on the treadmill, sharp and ominous.

He strode over and slammed his hand onto the control panel, stopping the machine.

I stumbled to a halt, breathing hard.

"Lydia, you've gotten bold, haven't you? Blocking my number?"

He looked me up and down with open contempt.

"You come to a place like this to embarrass yourself? Look at you, drenched in sweat. What a sight. Come back with me."

The familiar tone of disgust cut deep. Even though I had chosen to let him go, the words still tore at me.

"I told you. We're done."

I wiped the sweat from my face, stepped off the treadmill, and tried to move past him.

Miles grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like my bones would crack.

"You don't get to decide that. Lydia, I've supported you all these years. You think you can just walk out of my control?"

"Let her go!"

Annie couldn't stand it anymore. She dropped the dumbbells and rushed over, trying to pry his hand off me.

"Miles, have you no shame? Picking on Lydia makes you feel powerful?"

"Miss Sinclair, this is between me and Lydia. You'd better stay out of it."

Miles cast Annie a sideways glance, his tone far from polite.

Although Annie was the adoptive daughter of the city's most powerful mafia godfather, Dominic, Miles, as the second-in-command of the city's second most powerful mafia family, did not think much of her.

At his signal, his men stepped forward and blocked Annie.

"You—!"

Annie's face flushed with anger, but she couldn't break free.

Miles ignored her and dragged me toward the exit.

"Come back with me. Don't make me use force."

I struggled with all my strength, but I was no match for him. I was seconds away from being hauled out.

Just then, a low voice sounded from outside the gym.

"Mr. Calloway, please release Ms. Sinclair."

Everyone turned toward the voice. Two imposing men in black suits had appeared without anyone noticing.

They were Dominic's personal guards.

Miles froze. His expression shifted.

"Mr. Calloway, the godfather has given his order. Ms. Prescott is now the godmother of the Sinclair family and under his protection. Please. Let go."

Miles froze.

"Ha... Godmother?"

He burst into laughter, but his eyes were dark enough to drip venom.

"Lydia, I'll give you that. You'd go this far just to spite me? You think teaming up with Annie and hiring two guys to put on a show will scare me? Wake up. Looking like that, you think Dominic would ever want you?"

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

So this was how worthless I was in his eyes.

The two guards ignored his mockery completely.

The leader stepped forward again and repeated calmly, "Mr. Calloway, please release her. This is the godfather's order."

The muscles in Miles's face twitched. Of course he recognized them. They were Dominic's most elite personal guards, not people Annie could simply deploy at will.

Could it be… Dominic had truly stepped in?

Miles abruptly released my wrist.

"Fine. Very fine. Lydia, you've climbed up the ladder, huh? You really think Dominic would be serious about you? You're just a temporary amusement. Don't forget who gave you everything you have. Without me, how many days do you think you'd last? Your education. Your lifestyle. Those ridiculous dreams of yours. What would support them? Tell me."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You really think you can smoothly claim what your dead father left you? Without me, you wouldn't be able to protect a single thing."

The pain spread from my chest to my fingertips. I was trembling with anger.

My father had seen him wrong.

How could trash like Miles ever deserve the trust and favor he'd been granted?

I took a deep breath and met his gaze without fear.

"Miles, I graduate next month. The trust fund and inheritance my father left me will automatically unlock once I turn twenty-two and complete my studies. They will be managed by an independent legal team and asset managers I designate. And if I remember correctly, Mr. Sinclair was one of the witnesses when my father arranged all of it."

I tilted my head and let out a soft scoff.

"So tell me, in what capacity do you think you can control my father's estate or interfere in my life after graduation?"

Miles's face turned ugly in an instant.

He had always known my father had left contingencies in place. He just hadn't expected them to be this airtight.

"You…" He faltered, anger flaring from humiliation.

I stopped looking at him and turned to the guards, giving a slight nod.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

The guards stepped back respectfully.

Miles shot me one last venomous glare.

He knew he wouldn't be taking me today.

If he pushed further, he would only humiliate himself and risk fully offending Dominic.

With a cold snort, he finally backed down and stormed out with his men, face livid.

"Wow, Lydia! That was incredible!"

Annie jumped up first and rushed over, grabbing my arm and shaking it excitedly.

"Did you see his face? He looked like he'd just bitten into something rotten! That was priceless! You actually talked back to him! And the inheritance thing, you should've used that against him a long time ago!"

She kept chattering, flushed with triumph, then suddenly noticed the two guards standing nearby.

Blinking, she leaned in and lowered her voice. "Godmother? That's what my dad's men are calling you? My dad's impressive. Full commitment to the act. Even the title was arranged. Look at how it scared that idiot Miles. But seriously, Lydia, if you actually ended up with my dad, that would be perfect. Miles wouldn't even be in the same league. My dad might be a little cold, but he's responsible, ridiculously good-looking, in amazing shape, and more capable than anyone I know. He's basically walking, talking security. If you became my stepmom, let's see who'd even dare try to bully you."

Her half-joking, half-serious words made my heart tighten. The heat that had just faded from my cheeks threatened to return.

I wanted to tell her this wasn't an act. It was real.

But the words stalled. Seeing Annie's pure excitement for me, and then catching my own disheveled reflection in the mirror, I swallowed everything back down.

"Annie, don't say things like that…" I lowered my head, avoiding her searching gaze, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Sinclair… he just helped me out because of you."

"Really?" Annie tilted her head, unconvinced but not pressing further. "Whatever. Today's a major win. Come on, let's celebrate. Shower first, then I'm treating you to a huge meal. You deserve it."