Chapter 3

The next day, the leaders of the syndicate were gathered in Nikolai’s estate to wait for the Mafia heads to declare their territories because none of them were allowed to attend the meeting.

Conversation faltered, then died down to a sharp whisper as Nikolai stepped through the grand archway.

He looked every bit the rising supreme leader—tailored charcoal suit, silver cufflinks glinting under the lights, and an unmistakable aura of ruthless confidence.

But it wasn't Nikolai alone that had every head turning. Gliding beside him on his arm was Steffy. She looked breathtaking in the emerald-green, backless silk gown I had selected for her the night before.

Murmurs rippled through the room like wildfire.

"Wait... where is Maria?" Capo Vane muttered, swirling his scotch while staring at the pair. "Since when does Nikolai walk into a High Council meeting with a club manager?"

"Is there anything wrong between Maria and him?" another syndicate elder chimed in, leaning across the table. "For five years, Maria was the only one allowed at his right hand. Everyone in the city knew they were practically dynamic partners... we all assumed she'd be taking the crown as his Donna once the council unified."

"They were supposed to get married eventually, weren't they?" a female boss whispered softly. "She built his logistics network. To replace her with a girl from the private club..."

Nikolai heard the whispers. He always did.

Stopping in the center of the vault floor, he rested a hand possessively over Steffy’s waist, drawing her flush against his side. A cold, dismissive smirk played on his lips as his gaze swept across the gathered leaders, shutting down the room's mounting curiosity with sheer disdain.

"Let me clear up any delusion floating around this council." He swirled the bourbon in his crystal glass, chuckling dryly.

"Maria?" Nikolai scoffed, his tone dripping with patronizing arrogance. "She was never my partner, nor will she ever wear my ring. Our families are close, and she is like a sister to me who kept clinging to me. Nothing more."

Nikolai tightened his grip on Steffy’s waist, raising his glass in a grand gesture. "Moving forward, if you wish to speak to my inner circle, you go through her. Address her properly. Steffy is my Donna now."

Just then his gaze met mine. A flicker of something like hesitation crossed his eyes before they relaxed, like it was nothing.

He felt no remorse for degrading me in public, and for what? Just to chase a new girl?

Even if I had decided to cut all ties with him, his ruthless words still ached my heart.

Later in the evening, as the council dispersed into private lounges, Steffy found me standing on the balcony overlooking the grand skyline.

"Maria..." Steffy started softly, biting her lip. "I... I overheard the leaders talking earlier. I didn't realize... I didn't know you and Nikolai used to date. If I had known there was history between you two—"

“There is no history between us…” I cut her off. “We have never dated before. Those are senseless rumors.”

It was never made public. My existence only belonged to his apartment, at night whenever he felt horny. That's it.

Could it even be considered dating?

By now, several curious syndicate leaders who had drifted toward the terrace overheard the exchange and paused near the glass doors, watching intently.

"So you really don't care about him anymore?" Capo Vane asked, stepping out onto the terrace with an intrigued grin. "Word travels fast, Maria. If you're not pining over Nikolai, does that mean the harbor's brightest strategist is officially single?"

"I didn't say I was available," I smiled softly. "I just said I don't care about him."

"Then who is it?" Steffy asked, caught off guard by my absolute composure. "Who could possibly pull your attention away from the man running the syndicate?"

I didn't answer right away. I turned back to the balcony and casually lifted my finger, pointing across the rain-slicked city bay toward the glowing skyline.

Every eye on the balcony followed the direction of my hand, even mine.

Directly across the harbor, towering above the surrounding skyscrapers, was a massive, glowing digital billboard illuminating the night sky. The high-definition screen flashed a striking portrait of a man with razor-sharp features, cold, piercing eyes, and an aura of absolute dominance—framed by the crest of the rival syndicate.

Julian Vance.

Nikolai’s arch-nemesis. The brutal, untouchable kingpin who controlled the northern territories and had spent the last decade tearing Nikolai's trade routes to shreds.

Underneath Julian’s commanding portrait, the billboard flashed a single, high-profile headline announcing his return to the city tonight.

The balcony went dead silent.

Steffy gasped, her breath catching in her throat, while the syndicate capos stared in utter disbelief.

"If I'm going to back a King," I murmured softly, tossing my empty champagne glass into the trash can, "it certainly won't be a boy playing dress-up in his father's vault.”