Chapter 2

The night of my birthday banquet.

It wasn't until the senior capos started to leave that Gabriel finally arrived late with Mila.

Mila looked slightly out of breath, and Gabriel was casually adjusting his crooked tie.

Anyone who wasn't blind knew exactly what had happened between them.

In my past life, I would have lost my mind. Their closeness would have set me on fire. I would have made a huge scene.

Then, the others would just laugh and whisper behind my back. "She is acting crazy again. Mila and Gabriel just arrived together."

It was a sick game. They always made me feel like the insane one.

But now, I just gave them a casual glance and turned my head to continue chatting with the person next to me.

Gabriel saw me staring at their necks. He quickly shielded Mila behind him, as if he expected me to blow up like I did before.

But he waited and waited, and nothing happened.

A quick flash of anger crossed his face, and he forced a loving smile.

"Kiara, are you playing hard to get because you think I'll back out?"

"You don't have to force yourself. You are always in my heart. Mila just needs someone to take care of her. As a future mafia wife, you have to learn to share."

"You behaved well today, so I will give you your gift in advance."

With that, he pulled a velvet jewelry box from his suit pocket.

Just as he was about to hand it to me, Mila snatched it away.

"Oh my god, it's so beautiful! Isn't this that rare pink diamond necklace? It's priceless!"

Gabriel's eyes softened, and he looked at Mila with affection. "Do you like it? Then keep it and wear it."

Mila pretended to decline. "I couldn't. This is your birthday gift to Kiara. I couldn't take it."

She said that, but her eyes challenged me. She looked incredibly smug, like a thief claiming her prize.

"It's fine, take it. Kiara is very understanding. She won't fight with you over little trinkets. I will pick something else for her later to make up for it."

"Besides, she loves anything I give her."

When he said those arrogant words, the people around us began to chuckle softly.

The memories of my previous life that I had forcefully buried suddenly surged up.

For a moment, I was in a daze. Wasn't that exactly how pathetic I used to be?

As long as it was from him, no matter what it was, I treated it like a holy relic.

Once, I went to his family's estate to deliver something and got caught in a downpour.

He casually tossed me an old shirt of his, but I treated it like a treasure and kept it for years.

Later, he even caught me hugging his shirt and spacing out, as if I were holding him.

He gave me a smug smile and patted my head.

"Kiara, you don't have to try so hard to please me."

My deepest feelings were exposed. I wished the ground would swallow me whole.

At the time, his grandfather, the kindly old Don of the Falcone family, scolded him with a cold face.

"What kind of nonsense is that? How could you embarrass Kiara like that?"

On the surface, he stayed quiet. But behind my back, he exaggerated the story until everyone in the underworld knew. He bragged to anyone who would listen that I loved him so much that I threw away all my pride.

I became the laughingstock of the families.

Thinking of this, I felt tired. I turned around and prepared to leave.

But Gabriel blocked my way.

"Are you mad? You can't keep up the act, can you?"

"I knew it. You act generous, but you are insanely jealous on the inside. Kiara, don't push it. Don't throw a tantrum here."

I looked down at his hand gripping my wrist and forcefully shook it off.

"Gabriel, back off."

Gabriel froze. "Back off? Kiara, haven't you been dreaming of being in my bed? We are about to get married, and you still want to play hard to get?"

"Who told you I was going to marry you?"

The remaining heirs of the allied families around us were quiet for a moment, and then burst into loud, mocking laughter.

"If you don't marry him, who will you marry? You are obsessed with him. You would never accept another man."

"Our princess has high standards. Out of all the heirs, who else besides Gabriel could catch her eye?"