Chapter 1

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bridal boutique, studying my reflection carefully.

The handmade lace gown was exquisite, its full skirt flaring from my waist, studded with expensive diamonds. But right then, it felt like a set of shackles.

As the attendant adjusted the skirt for me, I lowered my eyes and checked my phone once again.

The screen was empty, with no new messages waiting for me.

Enzo was nearly two hours late.

Our wedding was only three days away.

The Don of the Falcone family was about to marry the princess of the De Luca family, and the entire New York underworld was waiting for what was supposed to be a spectacular wedding.

The only person who did not seem to think it was particularly important was the groom himself.

“Miss De Luca, would you like to sit down and rest for a while?” the attendant asked carefully. “You've been standing for almost an hour.”

“No,” I said. “I'll wait a little longer.”

I continued staring out the window.

The bridal boutique was located on one of the busiest streets in the neighborhood, and beyond its floor-to-ceiling windows, pedestrians came and went while black sedans passed one after another.

A moment later, Enzo's black Bentley finally appeared.

He stepped out of the driver's seat, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door.

Emily climbed out and looked up at him with a smile.

My heart immediately began to race, and almost without thinking, I called Enzo.

“Linda?” Enzo answered.

“Where are you?”

“I...” He paused for a moment. “I'm out. Something came up.”

“Enzo,” I said as I stared through the window at him and Emily, “do you remember what today is?”

The other end of the line went silent.

I heard him quietly tell Emily to wait before walking a few steps away, and when he spoke again, his voice was full of apology.

“Oh God, Linda, I'm sorry. I forgot. Emily kept calling me today and saying she wasn't feeling well. I was worried she might be sick, so I took her out to get her mind off things. I'm really sorry. I'll definitely go with you tomorrow, okay?”

“She's sick again?” I asked with a cold laugh.

“You know she hasn't been doing well lately.” Enzo looked exhausted, as though I were making things difficult for him by bringing it up. “Linda, you should understand.”

When it came to Emily, that was always what he asked of me.

Ten years ago, Emily's parents had been shot dead in the street by a rival family during a mob conflict.

Nine-year-old Emily had watched with her own eyes as her parents collapsed in a pool of blood.

Enzo's father and Emily's father had been close friends, so Enzo had taken it upon himself to protect her.

Whenever Emily called, Enzo would drop whatever he was doing and rush to her side.

Even though I was supposed to become his wife in three days, Emily could still call him away from me whenever she wanted.

Outside the window, Emily had already walked into the luxury boutique next door, and Enzo followed behind her like a knight.

“It's fine,” I said. “Stay with her.”

The relief in Enzo's voice was obvious.

“Really? You're not angry?”

“I'm not.”

“Pick whichever wedding dress you like and order it. Don't worry about the price.” His tone became noticeably lighter. “If you like something, just get it.”

“Okay,” I interrupted. “I'm hanging up.”

A few minutes later, the attendant approached me carrying a black velvet tray and bowed respectfully.

On the tray rested an unmarked black card embossed with the Falcone family crest.

“The Don instructed us to put everything you purchase today on his account.”

Before I could refuse, my phone vibrated.

It was a bank notification confirming a transfer, followed almost immediately by a message from Enzo.

“The card has no limit, so if you see something you like, just get it. If you need more money, tell me. I'm really sorry, and I hope you won't be upset. I promise I'll go with you tomorrow. Love you.”

It was always like this. Whenever he let me down, there would be a card, a bank transfer, and a casual apology waiting to make up for it.

He always tried to compensate for his absence with the most expensive things he could buy, whether it was an entire floor's worth of couture, extravagant jewelry, or sometimes even a limited-edition car.

After that, he would go right back to giving all his patience and all his time to Emily.

I used to coax him into giving me a little attention. He would patiently reassure me for a while, then turn around and be far more tender with Emily.

Eventually, I understood that crying and arguing changed nothing, because in Enzo's heart, I would always come after Emily.

So this time, I did nothing.