Chapter 1

Astra’s POV

I was ambushed by my family’s rival gang at a party. In the chaos, I saw Nolan—my boyfriend of five years—and Riven, my best friend since childhood, rushed to my cousin Anna’s side. I watched them shield her, protect her… while I was dragged away screaming.

I was locked up for hours before a secret man rescued me and brought me home.

Later, Nolan and Riven showed up, trying to apologize. But the second Anna shed a tear, they were gone again—rushing back to her side.

So while they were away, I called my father and accepted the arranged marriage I once swore I’d never agree to.

Just days after the ambush—barely healed—I received an invitation to Anna’s birthday party.

I hesitated, but then I remembered what Mother said about looking after Anna while she was in the city—so I went.

“Astra,” Anna greeted me the moment I arrived, her smile warm but eyes not. “It means so much to have you here today.”

I lifted a glass of champagne. “Happy birthday.”

She shifted closer, “I hope you don’t blame Nolan or Riven for what happened that night. You know they were just trying to protect me.”

So that’s what they called it—just protecting her. Watching me get taken while whispering, Wait for us. We’ll come back for you.

But Nolan and Riven never come for me.

Someone else did. A man whose name I still don’t even know.

I smiled, not let my emotions showing, “Isn’t it odd, though? My boyfriend. My best friend. Both ran to your side. And all three of you just… watched.”

“It wasn’t like that,” she said quickly, coughing.

To be fair, Anna had always been fragile. Her health wasn’t great, and she needed the extra attention—I understood that. But it didn’t mean I deserved to be left behind like collateral damage.

“I’m sorry, Astra,” she whispered, coughing harder now as she stepped backward, unsteady on her heels.

I saw the champagne tower behind her. It was tall, glittering—and one wrong step away from disaster.

She stumbled, and I reached for her without thinking. But Anna didn’t take my hand.

A second later, glass shattered—and the tower came crashing down around her.

“What the hell?” Nolan shoved past me, nearly knocking me over. He fell to his knees beside her. “Anna! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, blinking up at him. Then, turning to me, “Astra didn’t mean to…”

Didn’t mean to?

I stared at Anna. I realized that she knew exactly what she was doing. That fall wasn’t an accident.

And for a split second—just a flicker—I saw it, something that looked a lot like hatred flashing past in Anna’s eyes.

“For God’s sake, Astra,” Nolan snapped, turning on me like I was no more than a stranger. “Are you seriously holding a grudge because we chose to protect Anna instead of you—so now you want to hurt her on her birthday? She’s your cousin. Your family. You, of all people, knew how fragile her health was. Can you stop being so... cruel?”

“I didn’t push her,” I said simply.

But Nolan just huffed, clearly not believing me.

Riven came up beside him and bumped my shoulder on purpose. “When did you become so childish and cruel, Astra?”

Nolan, Riven, and I had grown up together. Nolan confessed his love three years ago, and we’d been inseparable ever since. Riven stayed close too—best friends with both of us.

Everything was perfect until Anna came back one year ago. She was the orphaned cousin who once stayed with me when we were kids. Back then, Nolan and Riven barely tolerated her. Said she was too quiet and too breakable, that they didn’t want to hang out with a doll.

We were raised in mafia families. Fragility wasn’t a compliment.

But something shifted when Anna came back this time. Suddenly, Nolan and Riven were always looking after Anna, calling her family. “We see Anna as a sister now,” they told me. “With her family gone, it’s on us to protect her. You get it, right, Astra?”

And at first, I did. Because I saw Anna as my family too.

But then came the missed dates, the unanswered calls. Nolan started canceling at the last minute. Riven began keeping secrets.

I should’ve seen the signs long before that ambush. I should’ve known I’d be the one left behind.

And now, watching them both rush to Anna’s side without a second glance—without even hearing my side before casting me as the villain—I felt that same hollow ache I’d carried since the night no one came for me.

When did my two best friends—one of them the man I loved—become people I no longer recognized?

“Nolan. Riven.” My voice was calm, but my heart pounded. “You weren’t even here when she fell. And yet you just assumed I pushed her? Am I really that awful in your eyes?”

Riven scoffed. “We assumed? No, I saw the way you looked at Anna when we rushed to protect her and those men dragged you off. You knew why we protected her. She has no one. No family. Unlike you.”

His words sliced deeper than he knew.

“Come on, Astra, we both knew that those thugs weren’t going to hurt you,” he went on. “They know what your father’s capable of. You could’ve taken one for the team—for Anna. Why do you always need to be the center of everything?”

I stared at him, stunned.

So that was what they told themselves. That I’d been spared, that the thugs were too afraid to touch me.

They didn’t know…They didn’t know the first thing those men did was lock me in a pitch-black room, douse me with freezing water, and slap me so hard I saw stars.

They didn’t know about the bruises, the fear, the silence. They didn’t know I begged to be let out—just once—so I could breathe.

I let out a short, bitter laugh. There was no point in explaining to them now. Especially not when all they saw was fragile, helpless Anna... and spoiled, dramatic me.

“I didn’t push Anna,” I said, voice flat. “Believe it or don’t. I’m done here.”

I turned to leave.

But before I could take two steps, a hand clamped around my wrist.

Nolan.

For a heartbeat, I almost thought—maybe he’d realized. Maybe he was even sorry for how he spoke to me?

But then Nolan spoke.

“You haven’t apologized to Anna yet,” he said, his grip tightening. “Where are your manners?”

I tried to pull away, but he held firm.

“If you don’t apologize,” he warned, voice low, “We’re done. I won’t marry a rude, mannerless woman. I won’t bring someone like that into my family and make her my Donna.”