Chapter 1

Eva’s POV

My boyfriend tried to sell me off to pay his debt—except the mafia Don he picked was my brother. And that idiot had no idea just how protective my brother was… or how brutal he could be to anyone who dared hurt his family.

Whatever was in the car knocked me out the moment I got in. Time passed—I could feel that much—but my body stayed limp, weak. Eventually, I felt my mind clawing its way back. Not fully, but enough to hear.

Miles was on the phone. First call, he was yelling at someone for pushing him to repay a debt. Then the second call, it was a call to his mother, telling her he wouldn’t be making it to Christmas dinner.

The third call was different. Miles’s tone dropped, soft and submissive. “Sir, I know it was generous of you to let me leave and try to gather the money I owe the casino, but I still couldn’t come up with everything. So—like you said—I brought my girlfriend tonight. Maybe we can try that thing you mentioned… you know, handing her over to your Don.”

He hesitated. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to clear my debt.”

A pause. “Of course, I’ll make sure she behaves. I’ll tell her it’s an honor to be chosen by you. I know how much grace you’ve shown me by giving me this chance. See you soon.”

Panic crawled under my skin.

I tried to move, to sit up—but I didn’t have the strength to lift even an inch. Soon, the car jolted to a stop, and Miles leaned over, cupping my cheek. I forced my eyes shut tight.

“Eva, you looked so stunning tonight. I knew you wore that dress because I said I was taking you home to meet my family…” He lowered his voice. “You know my tuition debt’s a mess. I thought maybe I could hit a lucky streak at the casino. I never meant to lose everything… but now I owe money to a thug who threatened to kill me and my family. But luckily, he said you’re just his boss’s type. I owe him twenty grand, Eva. I can’t let him go after me and my mom…”

His voice dropped, almost guilty. “Don’t blame me, Eva. Blame yourself—for being too damn pretty.”

“Just one night. Mr. Snake said it’s only for one night. Then I’ll come get you. I swear, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. I’ll take you to meet my mom. I’ll marry you. Please, Eva… don’t hate me.” He sighed, like the weight of it was crushing him. “And most importantly—when we get to that casino, don’t fight back. Please. Things will only get worse if you do.”

I managed to twitch my fingers. They brushed against the hem of the dress I was wearing tonight. Miles was right. I had put it on just because he finally invited me to spend Christmas with his family.

I remembered how I smiled, how hopeful I was, how foolish to think we were actually moving forward. Turns out, he was just selling me off.

Twenty thousand. That’s all I was worth.

Miles could’ve asked me for help and I would’ve given it. But instead, his pride decided betrayal was easier.

My thoughts spun, scrambling for a plan. I remembered the bracelet on my wrist—the one with a hidden alarm. One press, and it would send an SOS to my brother, along with my location.

The problem? I was still too weak to move.

So I decided to wait for now, gathering what little strength I had left.

Whoever this boss Miles was trying to hand me off to—if I had the chance to mention my brother, they wouldn’t dare touch me.

And if that didn’t work? I still had the bracelet.

A few minutes later, the door opened beside me. Rough hands pulled me out of the car.

“I brought her—just like you asked,” Miles said, his voice trembling with fake pride.

A rough voice answered, laced with amusement. “I gotta admit, even in my line of work, I didn’t think you’d actually sell your girlfriend. But…”

A hand grabbed my chin, tilting my face up. “You were right. She’s very pretty.”

“Not just pretty,” Miles added quickly—eager, pathetic. “The prettiest. She was even voted best-looking in our class. But too proud—always had her nose in the air. Took me nearly a year to win her over.”

“And you’re willing to hand her over to me?” The man sneered.

“I cared about her,” Miles said with a sickening laugh, joining Snake’s. “Just not as much as I care about myself. Besides—look at that body. And her fingers? She’s a pianist. Real flexible, too… if you catch my drift. She’ll make your Don more than happy.”

The men around us laughed, crude and revolting.

“If our Don is pleased, your debt’s cleared,” the man said coldly.

“Thank you—thank you so much, Mr. Snake” Miles stammered.

“Don’t thank me yet,” The man snapped. “Let’s just hope he accepts her—our Don’s picky, doesn’t like women handed to him, which is why I told you to bring her to the casino tonight so he can decide for himself; he’s already on his way.”

My chest tightened.

Mr. Snake.

I’d heard the name before—my brother had recently mentioned recruiting someone called “Mr. Snake” to help run our family’s casino.

So Miles hadn’t just sold me to a stranger—he was trying to sell me to that Snake.

And the “Don” Snake kept referring to? He was my brother.

What were the odds?

I forced my eyes open just a sliver—and there it was, clear as day: the sign of my family’s casino.

Miles—and everyone else around me—had no idea I was actually part of one of the most infamous mafia families in town.

Before I left for school, Theo made me promise never to share anything about our family with anyone. He was afraid that if people knew who I really was, they’d try to use me.

So I took my mother’s last name—Quinn—instead of Crowe.

Still, none of this felt like luck—because Mr. Snake had never seen me before. He wasn’t going to save me.

And knowing my brother as well as I did, I started to worry I might not even get the chance to see him tonight.

Snake had it all wrong. My brother didn’t turn women away because he was picky. He turned them away because he was loyal—to the girl he loved, the one who died ten years ago.

Nothing they planned was going to work.

So my only hope now would be the small button on my bracelet. If I pressed it, my brother would know I was at the casino. And if he was as sharp as ever, he’d realize something was off—because I’d never come to the casino on my own.