Chapter 1 - The Outrageous Proposal
My fiancé stole my sister on the very night he was supposed to propose to me, and my own mother told me not to embarrass the family. Ten minutes later, his older brother—the most feared Mafia Boss in Chicago—made me an offer so outrageous it would change every powerful family in the city forever.
That night was supposed to be the beginning of my future.
The grand ballroom of the Halston Hotel overlooked the Chicago River, glowing beneath crystal chandeliers and filled with white roses, champagne, and the city's wealthiest families. Society reporters waited near the entrance because they all expected the same announcement.
Evelyn Hart.
Julian Moretti.
The perfect engagement.
Instead, Julian arrived forty minutes late.
He wasn't alone.
He walked into the ballroom holding my younger sister Serena's hand. She was wearing the white dress I had chosen for myself. And on her finger... was my engagement ring.
For several endless seconds, nobody moved. Then whispers spread across the ballroom like wildfire. My father stopped speaking to a judge. My best friend Penny gripped my wrist so tightly it hurt.
My mother leaned close enough for only me to hear. "Don't embarrass us, Evelyn."
Not... I'm sorry.
Not... You deserve better.
Just don't embarrass the family.
Julian smiled as though he had rehearsed the moment. "Good evening, everyone." His confident voice carried effortlessly through the silent room. "I know tonight was meant to celebrate Evelyn and me."
My heart slowly turned to ice.
"But sometimes life reveals the truth later than we expect." He lifted Serena's hand. "And the truth is... I fell in love with the real Hart sister."
The real Hart sister.
My heart didn't shatter. It simply stopped feeling anything at all.
Serena looked toward me with tears carefully balanced in her eyes. "Evelyn... I never wanted to hurt you."
She always sounded innocent. Even while destroying someone else's life.
I searched the room, waiting for someone... anyone... to defend me. Instead, my father looked across the ballroom and quietly mouthed: Maybe this is for the best.
Something inside me died.
My mother's fingers tightened around my arm. "Smile."
I gently removed her hand. "I need some air."
Ignoring everyone calling my name, I walked across the ballroom with my head held high because dignity was the only thing nobody could steal from me.
Penny hurried beside me. "Service hallway. Left of the stage," she whispered. "I'll deal with anyone who follows."
For the first time that night... I almost smiled.
The hallway behind the ballroom was quiet, smelling faintly of polished wood and fresh coffee drifting from the hotel kitchens. I leaned against the wall. No tears came. That surprised me.
Maybe I hadn't truly loved Julian. Maybe I had simply loved finally being chosen in a family where Serena had always been everyone's favorite.
She was beautiful. Effortless. Perfect.
I was dependable. Invisible. The daughter who fixed problems instead of becoming one.
Then a calm voice broke the silence. "You're wasting an excellent exit."
I turned.
He stood beneath the soft yellow lights wearing a perfectly tailored black suit with no tie, one hand resting casually around a glass of whiskey.
Tall. Controlled. Dangerously calm.
I recognized him instantly. Everyone in Chicago knew Nikolai Moretti.
Julian's older brother.
To the public, he owned luxury hotels, shipping companies, and real estate across the city. Behind closed doors... he ruled one of the most powerful Mafia organizations in the Midwest.
Businessmen lowered their voices whenever they spoke his name. Politicians smiled a little too quickly whenever he entered a room.
"You’re his brother."
"I am." The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "The better brother."
Despite everything that had happened... I laughed. "So you're here to enjoy the show?"
"I came expecting my brother to embarrass himself." He looked toward the ballroom. "I didn't expect him to do it this completely."
For some reason... that honesty hurt less than everyone's sympathy.
"Congratulations," I replied quietly. "You got front-row seats."
Nikolai slowly walked closer but stopped several feet away, leaving enough space for me to breathe. That surprised me. Men like him usually invaded every room they entered. He respected mine.
"My brother doesn't want a wife," he said. "He wants an image."
I folded my arms. "What difference does it make now?"
"My father's council votes in three weeks." His eyes never left mine. "Julian believes marrying a respectable woman will convince everyone he's ready to lead the family."
"He chose the wrong sister."
For the first time... Nikolai actually smiled. "Yes."
May you like
A long silence settled between us. Finally, I asked the only question that mattered. "Why are you telling me this?"
He looked straight into my eyes. "Because if Julian wants your sister..." He paused just long enough for my heartbeat to quicken. "...then I'll marry you instead."
