“What? Bride?” Xander wrinkled his brow. “What are you talking about, Blair? There is no other bride. It’s always been you. I’m just busy right now… things are complicated. I can’t focus on a wedding until everything is sorted.”

I stared at him, the calm façade I held barely masking the storm inside me. “Stop,” I said, shaking my head.

“Stop what?” he asked, feigning confusion.

“Stop with your shit already,” I snapped. “I know everything, Xander. You think I don’t know Italian? You really thought you could stand there and talk about marrying Elise Reid to save your company while I was in the room?”

His face fell. “Blair, I—”

“No,” I interrupted, anger rising as I remembered. “You and your friends. All those times you laughed at me. You made me a joke, thinking I wouldn’t understand.” My fists clenched as the words poured out. “But I understood it all, Xander. Every single word.”

He froze, his mouth opening and closing as if he were searching for the right thing to say. “Blair, wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen this way. I… I had no choice.”

“No choice?” I asked.

Xander exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I have to marry Elise,” he admitted, his tone almost pleading. “It’s for the family. If I don’t, the company will collapse. Do you understand what that means? Winfield Insurance is the number one healthcare insurance company in America. If I can’t save it—if I can’t fix this—everything will be gone. The business, my father’s legacy… everything.”

I folded my arms, refusing to let him see the crack forming in my resolve. “So, that’s it? You just marry her, and I’m supposed to wait on the sidelines?”

“It’s not like that,” he said quickly. “It’s not serious. It’s just… an arrangement. Blair, I still love you.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “You love me, yet you think you can throw me scraps while you play the perfect husband for Elise? What am I? Your barbie doll?”

Xander stepped closer, his hands reaching out as if to reassure me. “Blair, please. You don’t understand the pressure I’m under.”

I took a deep breath, forcing my emotions to the side. “What if I could help you?”

He blinked, surprised by my words. Then, to my disgust, he laughed.

“Help me?” he asked. “Blair, this isn’t a game. Do you even understand the scale of this problem? This isn’t something you can fix. You don’t have the money. You don’t have anything.”

The words hit me like a slap, but I refused to let him see how much they hurt. I sighed, shrugged, and forced a cold smile. “Fine, Xander. Do your business.”

I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there.

The bar was dimly lit, the hum of low conversation mixing with the clink of glasses. I sat in the corner, nursing a drink and trying to drown the ache in my chest.

How had I let this happen? How had I spent so many years with someone so blind, so selfish?

I swirled the liquid in my glass, the ice cubes clinking softly. All I could think about was the betrayal, the lies, the man I’d wasted so much of myself on.

Then my phone buzzed.

I picked it up, expecting nothing more than a message or spam call. But what I saw made my grip tighten around the glass.

A wedding invitation.

From Elise Reid.

I opened it, my stomach twisting as I read the elegant script. The wedding was formal, grand, dripping with all the luxury her family could afford. And she had sent this to me directly.

It wasn’t a mistake.

It was to provoke me.

We had all gone to the same high school, years ago. Elise had always wanted Xander. But he had chosen me back then. And Elise was furious because she lost to someone like me, a no one as they weren't aware of my real identity since.

Now, she was rubbing it in my face. She had finally gotten her chance to take him from me, and she wanted me to see it firsthand.

My chest burned with anger. I placed the phone down and picked up my drink, finishing it in one bitter gulp.

A cold resolve settled over me as I dialed a number I hadn’t used in years.

The line clicked, and a familiar voice greeted me. “Miss Gallo?”

“It’s me,” I said evenly to my butler. “Prepare the most expensive wedding gown you can find. And bring out the full set of jewelry from the family vault.”

There was a pause. “A wedding gown, Miss Gallo?”

“Yes,” I said, my lips curling into a smile. “I have a wedding to attend.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The ceremony is about to begin,” the announcer’s voice echoed through the grand hall.

I stepped through the towering double doors, deliberately late, just as the guests settled into their seats.

Gasps rippled across the room.

“Is that a wedding gown?” someone whispered.

“It can’t be,” another murmured.

“Wait… look at her neck! That’s the Cartier gold necklace!”

“The limited-edition one? There were only three made!”

“The last time it was seen, the Lady of the Gallo Clan was wearing it. Who is she?”

I didn’t look at anyone. My gaze was fixed on the couple at the altar—Elise Reid and Xander Winfield. Xander’s posture stiffened as his eyes met mine,. Elise, however, wasn’t so composed. Her smile wavered, her hands clenching the bouquet tighter.

I walked forward, the gown’s train gliding behind me. Each step seemed to pull the air from the room, leaving only whispers in its wake.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said smoothly as I reached the front. I tilted my head slightly, meeting Elise’s glare with a faint smile. “I wouldn’t miss your big day for the world. Wishing you both well.”

Elise’s nostrils flared as she forced a smile. “You’re wearing white,” she said, her voice low and cutting. “Only the bride wears white. Surely you know that?”

“Oh,” I said, glancing down at my gown with a feigned look of surprise. “I didn’t mean to. But white is such a lovely color, don’t you think?”

Her mask cracked. The tension in her shoulders was visible now, her composure slipping. “Lovely or not,” she snapped, “you’re out of place. Where did you even get that gown? Or that necklace?”

Her tone shifted, louder now, meant for everyone to hear. “Let me guess—a fake? Or did you take out a loan to pull this little stunt?”

A few chuckles broke out from the crowd, her insult hitting its mark. I smiled, calm and unbothered.

“You don’t know, do you?” I began. “I am the daughter of the Gal—”

The loud bang of a gunshot cut me off.

The crowd froze. The laughter stopped.

“What was that?” someone whispered.

“Was that… a gunshot?” another voice followed, rising with panic.

The room erupted into chaos. Guests screamed and scrambled toward the exits, their heels clicking frantically against the marble floors. Xander grabbed Elise by the arm, pulling her toward the hallway. And he left? That's it!

What an asshole. With not much choice, I followed the crowd.

The hallway was a mess. Bodyguards lay lifeless on the floor, blood pooling around them. Screams echoed as more people ran, trying to escape the scene.

I quickened my pace, the chaos making it hard to focus. Then came another explosion—a deafening blast that shook the building and sent debris flying.

I stumbled but managed to steady myself, coughing through the dust. The hallway ahead was blocked by rubble, forcing me to turn back.

Gunfire erupted again, closer this time.

I moved cautiously, drawn by a mix of fear and curiosity. A partially open door caught my attention, and I peeked inside.

A tattooed man in a hoodie stood in the center of the room, a gun in his hand. The faint scent of gunpowder lingered in the air.

On the floor was Alexus Winfield, Xander’s father and CEO of Alliance Insurance Company. Blood seeped from his chest, staining the expensive carpet.

My breath hitched, and I heard footsteps from behind.

When I slowly turned around, what I saw made my heart stop beating.

I saw a man, a young man, his sharp gaze locking onto mine.

I spun to run, but before I could take a step, his hand gripped my arm, yanking me back. “Not so fast, young lady,” he smirked.

The man’s grip tightened on my arm as I stared at the lifeless body on the floor. Blood pooled beneath Alexus Winfield, staining the once-pristine carpet. My chest heaved, my mind struggling to process what had just happened.

Then it hit me, all at once. The gunshot. The blood. The murderer standing right in front of me.

I opened my mouth and screamed. “Help! Somebody help! Call the police!”

The man didn’t flinch. Instead, he laughed—a low, cold sound that sent chills down my spine.

“Go ahead and scream,” he said. “No one’s coming to save you. Not after that explosion. Everyone’s too busy running for their lives. You’re stuck with me.”

His words made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to stand tall. “What do you want? Are you going to kill me too?”

“Kill you?” He raised an eyebrow, amused. “Why would I kill my alibi?”

“Alibi?” I repeated, my voice trembling. “No. You’re not going to use me as your alibi. You just killed a man, and I want no part of this!”

He chuckled again, his grip unwavering. “You think you have a choice? You saw everything. Do you really think I’m going to let you walk out of here and ruin my perfect crime?”

“Perfect crime?” I scoffed, glaring at him despite my fear. “There’s no such thing. The police will find you. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll testify against you.”

His eyes darkened, the amusement fading. “Then I guess I have no choice but to take you with me,” he said flatly. “You’re not going anywhere until I’m done.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I said, my voice sharper now. “Do you have any idea who I am? I’m the—”

I stopped myself just in time, the words catching in my throat. My identity. If he knew who I was, he could use it against me. I clenched my fists, swallowing hard, and said nothing more.

The man tilted his head, watching me closely. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

I ignored his taunt, my voice steadier now. “Why are you doing this? Why did you kill him? Who even are you?”

He smirked, his eyes flicking briefly to Alexus’s lifeless body. “He deserved to die. Do you know how many people lost their lives because of him? Because of his healthcare scams?”

“That doesn’t justify murder!” I snapped. “What you did is illegal!”

The man laughed again, shaking his head. “Illegal?” he echoed, his tone mocking. “There’s no legal in this field.”

I stared at him, my confusion mounting. “What does that even mean?”

He shrugged, the smirk still on his face. Then he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“Ever heard of a mafia?”

My blood ran cold.

I blinked, stunned. “Mafia?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The man’s smirk deepened, but he said nothing.

I’d heard of mafias before, of course. Stories, rumors—people talked about them in hushed tones, like ghost stories from a time long past. But I’d never thought they still existed, at least not here in this city. Thugs, criminals, sure, but a full-blown mafia? That felt like a relic of history.

“You’re… you’re a member of a mafia?” I asked, my voice hesitant.

Before he could answer, the door burst open, and another man stepped in. He was lean but muscular, dressed in black, his face grim.

“Boss,” the newcomer said, his tone urgent. “Elevator’s working. We can go now.”

The tattooed man nodded. “What about Xander?”

The other man hesitated, glancing at me before answering. “We couldn’t get him. He’s down with a lot of people from the ground floor so it’s not save to shoot him.”

I blinked. He was also going to kill Xander?

The tattooed man let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “Smart boy,” he muttered. Then his gaze shifted back to me, and the amusement returned to his expression. “At least I got his loving girl.”

I froze, the words slicing through me like a blade. “Excuse me?” I said. That felt like an insult right now. “You’ve got the wrong girl. Xander doesn’t care about me. He’s busy with his new bride!”

The man tilted his head, his smirk widening as he studied me. He stepped closer, the weight of his presence suffocating.

“Then,” he said, his voice low and smooth, “I’ll make you my bride now.”

My heart stopped.