Chapter 5

Dawn broke. The encrypted comm buzzed.

A confirmation code from her Swiss broker: all bearer bonds and offshore funds scrubbed clean, fully routed into the island's private defense account.

Three days until full handover.

Aurelia locked the screen and headed down to the car waiting for the cliffside estate.

Tonight was the pre-wedding alliance banquet between the Sterlings and the Castigliones.

The grand hall blazed with light. The long table was packed with the elders and capos ruling San Francisco's underworld.

The second Aurelia walked in, sharp laughter cut through the air.

Right at the center, right beside the Don, sat Bianca. She wore a bold, backless scarlet gown with a long train. Glass in hand, smiling bright, she poured drinks for the Sterling heavyweights.

"Bianca knows how to show respect. Sweet mouth, sharp curves. That's a real mob girl," a Sterling elder barked with a laugh, his eyes cutting sideways to Aurelia. "Look at your bride-to-be. Walking around like she's at a wake. Lucian, were you blind when you picked her?"

A wave of dirty chuckles rolled around the table.

Alessandra sat at the head. She didn't lift a finger to defend Aurelia. Instead, she smirked into her wine. "The block of ice spends all day buried in dock ledgers. Can't even learn proper respect. Nowhere near Bianca's charm."

Aurelia stood in the doorway, completely numb.

Twenty years of this exact humiliation.

She didn't argue. She walked to the far end of the long table and took the lowest, emptiest seat.

The bosses kept talking loud. One even cracked a joke straight to Lucian's face: "Bianca's the one who fits your arm. Three days until the wedding.Still time to swap them."

Lucian sat right beside Bianca in a tailored black suit.

He said nothing. He swirled the amber liquor in his glass, a lazy smirk on his lips, letting every cruel cut land square on his fiancée's head.

The banquet ended under a howling sea wind.

Heavy storm clouds dropped. A vicious downpour slammed into the cliffside terrace.

Guests hurried into armored rides under security umbrellas.

Near the top of the stone steps, Bianca lost her footing on her four-inch stilettos. She let out a sharp gasp: "Lucian! The rain... my dress is soaked!"

The second that whimper dropped, Lucian snapped around.

He shoved straight past Aurelia and took the stairs two at a time.

A wide black umbrella snapped open against the gale.

Lucian didn't care about the mud ruining his designer boots. He locked his arm around Bianca's waist and swept her up into his chest.

The storm hit sideways.

Lucian's broad back took the brunt of the downpour. His jacket turned heavy and black with water. Yet the umbrella never wavered over Bianca, keeping her bone-dry.

"Don't look. Close your eyes," his deep voice coaxed gently.

He carried her straight toward his Aston Martin up front. A bodyguard yanked the door open and slammed it shut behind them.

Under the dripping stone overhang, Aurelia stood dead alone.

The wind ripped through her collar, freezing her to the skin.

She stared at the sleek black coupe washed in sheets of rain. She saw the two shadows pressed tight behind the tinted glass.

She didn't wait. She stepped off the curb, straight into the freezing deluge.

Ice-cold water plastered her dark hair to her face, rushing down her jawline.

She trudged through the mud, crossing the empty courtyard toward the beat-up escort car parked at the very rear.

She opened the back door and slid inside.

Rainwater dripped from her hair, soaking dark patches into the leather seat.

She pulled a dry napkin and calmly blotted her cheeks.

The door was ripped open with raw force.

A heavy rush of rain and masculine cologne invaded the cab.

Lucian climbed in, his hair slicked back and his jacket half-drowned after tucking Bianca away.

The cab was dim.

Lucian looked over at Aurelia, soaked to the bone. Water dripped steadily from her pale chin. His gaze flickered away for half a second.

"Bianca just finished her respiratory therapy. She can't catch a chill," Lucian muttered, loosening his wet tie, his tone dropping back to cold indifference. "You're built tougher than her. Stop fighting her over petty shit."

Aurelia's hands went still.

She didn't turn to look at him. She kept her eyes fixed on the black rain streaming down the glass:

"Save your breath. I don't care."