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.

The aftermath of the announcement was swift and merciless.

Marco Moretti, ever the pragmatic predator, burst into a roaring laugh that cut through the nervous murmurs of the room. He stood up, raising his glass high.

"A masterstroke!" Marco declared, his sharp eyes gleaming with pride as he looked at his eldest son. "Nikolai secures the primary legal trust of the Hart estate! The council vote is settled! The line of succession remains intact!"

My father looked as if he had suffered a stroke. He stumbled around the head table, rushing toward me, his face red with anger.

"Evelyn! Have you lost your mind?!" my father demanded, his voice low and furious. "You disgraced this family by marrying his older brother behind our backs! You were supposed to step aside gracefully!"

Nikolai stepped smoothly between my father and me, his height towering over my father, his dark posture instantly projecting a wall of pure violence.

"Watch your tone, Arthur," Nikolai said, his voice dropping an octave into a low, terrifying growl. "You are speaking to Mrs. Moretti. You no longer control her assets, her name, or her life. If you raise your voice to my wife again, I will foreclose on your firm's commercial loans by midnight."

My father gasped, stepping back as if he had been slapped. He looked at me, pleading with his eyes. "Evelyn... tell him to stop. We are your family!"

I stepped out from behind Nikolai, looking at my father with complete indifference.

"Family?" I asked quietly. "Ten minutes ago, you told me it was 'for the best' when Julian handed my ring to Serena. You traded me away for a Moretti alliance. I simply chose the Moretti who actually knows how to run this city."

Serena rushed forward, her eyes streaming with genuine tears of rage. "You did this to ruin my night! You've always been jealous of me, Evelyn! You couldn't bear to let me have Julian, so you bought his brother!"

I looked down at my younger sister—the girl who had taken my clothes, my friends, my parents' love, and finally my fiancé.

"I didn't buy Nikolai, Serena," I said, reaching out to gently touch the black diamond necklace resting on my collarbone. "He chose me. Just like Julian chose you. The only difference is... my husband owns the building you're standing in, and yours lives on an allowance."

Julian looked as though he wanted to physically attack Nikolai, but two of Nikolai’s personal bodyguards stepped up behind us, their jackets pulled back slightly to reveal heavy silver holsters.

"Get out of my sight, Julian," Nikolai commanded softly. "Take your fiancée and go back to the side table where you belong."

Julian gritted his teeth, grabbing Serena’s arm violently. "This isn't over, Nikolai! The council hasn't formally voted yet! I still have friends on the board!"

"You have creditors, Julian," Nikolai corrected smoothly. "And as of five minutes ago... I bought your debt."

Julian froze, horror dawning on his face as he realized the absolute trap Nikolai had sprung. Without another word, Julian dragged a sobbing Serena out of the dining hall, followed by my pale, trembling parents.

As the room erupted back into loud chatter, Nikolai turned to me. He reached down, taking my hand in his, his thumb tracing smooth circles over my knuckles.