On the eve of my wedding to my fiancé, mafia heir Lorenzo Griffin, his legal counsel asked me to sign a prenuptial agreement.

An agreement twenty pages long.

First, I was not to enter his study without permission.

Second, I was not to interfere with any of the family's business.

Third, I was not to do anything that might displease Lorenzo.

The agreement was densely packed with clauses like these.

Suppressing my anger, I finished reviewing all the terms. Then, I turned to the man sitting ramrod straight beside me.

"Lorenzo, can you explain Attachment Fifteen? What exactly do you mean by, 'I am required to raise your heir, regardless of who gives birth to them'?"

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1

Before I was born, my father promised my hand to Lorenzo Griffin. He swore an oath to Lorenzo's father, Salvatore Griffin—the former Don of the Griffin family. The moment I came of age, I was to become Lorenzo’s wife and the family’s next Donna.

I had met Lorenzo as a child. Back then, he was polite, gentle, and the most perfect boy I had ever known. Therefore, I willingly accepted this marriage, arriving in Chicago discreetly, wearing a token to mask my identity.

I just never expected them to present their future Donna with such a degrading contract.

Lorenzo’s gaze was filled with undisguised contempt. In an icy tone, he asked, "You didn't actually think some woman from a backwater family would be worthy of bearing the Griffin heir, did you?"

Rage simmered in my chest, but I swallowed it down and offered Lorenzo a practiced, hollow smile.

"I'm sorry, Lorenzo," I said. "I will never sign such a ridiculous agreement."

The moment the words left my mouth, Lorenzo glared at me. He exuded an oppressive air of entitlement.

"Are you defying me?" he said. "Don't forget, I am the heir to the Griffin family. You're just from some declining offshoot. If my father wasn't holding my inheritance over my head, you wouldn't even have the right to be in this room. If you want to stay, you obey. It's that simple."

Domineering. Arrogant. What a disappointment.

Was this really the boy I once adored? He didn’t even remember me.

I sneered inwardly. This wasn't the boy I remembered. This man was just an unreasonable, selfish tyrant—a caricature from a bad play.

I shot him a cold glance. "No Donna in any family is required to sign an agreement like this. I will never sign it."

"Come find me when you've come to your senses," he said before turning to leave.

Not a chance.

I frowned, staring at his retreating back.

His legal counsel, Rocco Vance, shot me a mocking look. "Future Donna," he sneered, his tone impatient, "...or not quite. I'd think it over fast, Genevieve. No one who defies Mr. Griffin ends well."

I gave Rocco one last withering look, then turned on my heel and headed for the exit.

But when Rocco signaled, bodyguards moved to block my path. His cold gaze swept over me.

"The event isn't over, Miss Thorne. You can't leave. Besides, if Mr. Griffin doesn't marry you, you'll never be our Donna. Don't say I didn't warn you; life for an outsider in Chicago can be very difficult."

I asked indifferently, "Your heir has already left. Why can't I? If becoming your Donna means signing that agreement, I'd rather give it up."

As soon as I spoke, whispers rippled through the surrounding guests. "My God, not only is she arguing with Rocco, but she's also refusing to become the future Donna. How foolish."

"Our Mr. Griffin is the most eligible man in Chicago. A woman from nowhere should be on her knees thanking him for this chance. Why does she have such an attitude?"

"So ungrateful. So what if Mr. Griffin doesn't want her to bear his heir? Isn't being the Donna of the Griffin family enough?"

Their whispers reached Rocco's and my ears.

He looked at me smugly. "Can't bear to leave now, can you, Genevieve? Becoming our Donna is the highest honor. Only a fool would defy Mr. Griffin."

I glared at him impatiently. "I have no interest in being your Donna. Now, get out of my way!"

Rocco was infuriated by my answer. "You're a nobody! What gives you the right to lecture me? You just wait—I'm going to report your disrespect to Mr. Griffin!"

I snorted. "Be my guest."

Rocco glowered at me, then ordered his men, "Take her to Mr. Griffin. Let him deal with this insolent woman!"

Immediately, a group of men in black suits closed in, roughly escorting me to the hotel's penthouse suite.

When Lorenzo saw me, a flicker of disdain crossed his face. "I knew you wouldn't give up on becoming my wife. Have you come to your senses about the agreement?"

My expression was frigid. "You're mistaken," I said, my voice as cold as my gaze. "I haven't changed my mind. I will never sign that agreement."

Lorenzo sized me up impatiently. "So stubborn. Since you have no intention of obeying, then as the heir to this family, I am ordering you to sign it!"

His words left a bitter taste in my mouth. I asked, word by word, "Lorenzo, do you remember me? When we were children, by the lake—"

He cut me off before I could finish, his displeasure obvious. "You're lying! You're not from Chicago. How could I have ever met you? I'm warning you, the Griffin family hates being deceived more than anything. Tell one more lie, and I guarantee you'll pay the price!"

He took a step closer, his tall frame casting a shadow over me, his eyes locking onto mine like a predator.

What was I even expecting from him?

A fresh wave of disappointment crashed over me.

Lorenzo was indeed handsome, the epitome of Italian-American masculinity. I would have been happy to have him as my husband.

However, he had forgotten our past. He'd told me he liked me, that he'd marry me when we grew up.

My mother was right. You can't trust a man's promise, not even a boy's.

I had planned to tell him my identity, but now it seemed pointless.

The man before me only saw a gold-digging opportunist.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself against the storm raging inside me.

"Even if you've forgotten me, I am still your fiancée," I said calmly. "You have no right to treat me with such disrespect on the eve of our wedding."

Hearing this, Lorenzo took half a step back, though his eyes were still filled with contempt.

"You still dare call yourself my future wife. You and your family buttered up my father, convincing him to agree to our union and make it a condition of my inheritance. If it weren't for that, do you think you'd even have the right to set foot on Chicago soil?"

"Don't think you'll have any say in this family's affairs once we're married. You will stay in the manor and go nowhere. As for who I choose to bear my children, that's my decision to make. You will obediently raise my heir. Understand?"

I clenched my fists, staring at him coldly. "Since you're so dissatisfied with me, why force yourself to marry me? Let's cancel the wedding. Don't worry. I'll speak with your father. The Griffin family won't be affected—"

Lorenzo cut me off furiously. "Enough, you cunning woman. Don't play me for a fool. You're just trying to use my father against me. Our world respects strength. A scheming woman like you... you would be a disgrace to this family."

I almost laughed. His imagination was running wild.

My suggestion had been sincere, but he'd twisted my words and given them a different meaning.

I sighed helplessly. "How about this. Let's go find your father right now. We'll tell him we're canceling the wedding, and that I'm the one refusing to marry you."

Everyone else was stunned by my words.

They finally understood that I wasn't joking about giving up the marriage.

"Oh my God, she really refused Mr. Griffin. How dare she?"

"I've never seen such a stupid woman. If I could be the Donna of the Griffin family, I would never give it up so easily."

My good intentions were completely misinterpreted.

I am my father's only child, the Principessa of the Vipera Syndicate. He intended for our children to one day rule the united syndicate. However, it seemed that was no longer on the table.

I wasn't meant to be some man's Donna; I was born to be a Queen.

Still, what a shame. It was Salvatore who had gone to great lengths to meet my father. He had convinced my father to agree to my marriage with Lorenzo in order to use the Vipera Syndicate's influence to further solidify the Griffin family's position.

And all his efforts were for nothing.

Lorenzo turned to me, his eyes red and filled with surprise. "You really want to cancel the wedding? To give up being my wife?"

I smiled, tossing the expensive brooch that served as our engagement token onto the marble table.

The entire room fell silent. No one had expected me to be so bold. Their faces showed nothing but shock.

Lorenzo stared at me in disbelief. For a moment, helplessness flashed in his eyes.

Seeing this, Rocco hurried to his side. "Mr. Griffin, since she's so ungrateful, there's no need to accommodate her. A woman from nowhere was never worthy of being your wife in the first place. Forcing yourself to marry her will only damage your reputation."

Lorenzo agreed with him, regaining his composure.

However, he frowned again. "But all of Chicago knows I'm announcing my marriage tonight. Everyone is waiting to see my bride. If I cancel now, I'll be a laughingstock."

A smile spread across Rocco's face, a cunning glint in his eyes. "Mr. Griffin, Bianca Sterling, the daughter of the Sterling family who visited a few days ago—she is the epitome of elegance and class. With all due respect, only a woman like her is worthy of you."

"The Sterlings are new money, but they're powerful. Bianca is their only daughter. An alliance with them would be a massive boon for our family's enterprise."

Lorenzo suddenly asked, "Does she have blonde hair?"

I froze, not understanding why he would ask such a question. Did he have a preference for blondes?

Unfortunately, I was only blonde as a child. As I grew up, my hair had darkened, eventually turning a deep black like my father's.

Rocco immediately understood Lorenzo's implication. He quickly replied, "Of course, just as you remember. And she has a fondness for white dresses."

"But… will she agree to marry me?"

Lorenzo was clearly tempted. Seizing the opportunity, Rocco hastily added, "Don't worry. The moment she saw you, she felt you were very familiar, as if she had fallen in love with you long ago."

"She even came to the engagement party just for a glimpse of you. She's waiting outside right now. With just a word from you, you can continue the announcement with her and make her your bride."

Noticing the excitement on Rocco's face, I finally understood.

He'd been picking a fight with me on purpose.

Although Lorenzo was domineering and rude, he didn't seem like the type to come up with that agreement.

Moreover, I'd watched Lorenzo's expression as Rocco read the terms; he seemed blindsided by several of the clauses. I had suspected something was wrong then. It was obvious now: Rocco, the family's Consigliere, was the one pulling the strings.

He must be on Bianca's side, trying to drive a wedge between Lorenzo and me, all to put Bianca in the Donna's seat.

Realizing this, I said coldly, "Mr. Griffin, regardless, our marriage has been made public. Even if we are to cancel it, you can't just swap brides at the last minute. Don't you think that's insulting?"

"Also, I'd like to know who came up with that agreement. Could it be that your Consigliere was so against me becoming your wife that he fabricated those clauses to make things difficult for me?"

Instantly, both Lorenzo and Rocco became uneasy, exchanging a flustered glance.

Suppressing his guilt, Lorenzo replied, "An outsider like you has no right to question me, let alone my Consigliere. Spout any more nonsense, and I'll have you thrown out of Chicago."

Their reaction confirmed my suspicions.

I sighed deeply. Salvatore Griffin was brave and cunning; he had led the Griffin family out of trouble and restored their glory. How had Lorenzo not inherited a single shred of his father's wisdom?

For Salvatore's sake, I would give him one last chance. It was more than he deserved.

"Lorenzo, do you really think everything Rocco is doing is for your own good? Have you ever thought about the consequences you'll face for suddenly changing your choice of bride—"

Before I could finish, Lorenzo roared in fury, "Genevieve Thorne, I told you, you have no right to doubt Rocco. Who do you think you are? Do you think you can manipulate me just because you have my father wrapped around your finger? Let me tell you, even if you begged me now, I would never marry you."

Rocco added, "That's right! How dare an outsider like you speak to our heir like that! Men, throw her out of Chicago."

I glanced at him indifferently. "You're laying it on a bit thick. Is the mastermind planning to stay in the shadows for the main event too?"

Just as I finished speaking, a blonde woman in a white gown strode into the room.