Chapter 2

The driver didn't dare say another word.

He slammed the steering wheel hard.

The heavy van scraped the narrow tunnel wall with a deafening screech.

The chassis shook violently. He forced the vehicle to whip around,stepping on the gas,moving further and further away from the underground chapel.

The exact moment we turned our backs on the wedding,my phone vibrated like crazy. The cold screen glowed in my palm. It made my eyes sting.

I took a deep breath. I slid the screen open.

It wasn't a late apology. It wasn't a panicked question. It was a block of text from Silas.

I had the convoy leave you behind on purpose. Don't follow us.

That first sentence turned my blood to ice. I stared at the screen. My knuckles went white from gripping the phone.

Tell your driver to slow down. Don't arrive at the chapel at the same time as Gia. She hates it when people steal her spotlight. Also,enter through the secret security doors in the kitchen.

Gia is fragile. If people see you two in the same room,it'll look bad for her.

I looked at the text. My stomach cramped with pure disgust. I wanted to vomit.

The kitchen?

The secret security entrance?

This was a high-profile wedding watched by the entire North American underworld. Yet,he wanted his bride to sneak in like a fugitive. He wanted me to crawl through grease,smoke,and trash.

"Ma'am,are we going straight back to the Moretti estate?" the driver asked quietly. He was already slowing down.

I didn't answer. I just mocked myself with a bitter smile. Tears welled in my eyes. I forced them back.

Every single word. Every single thought. He only cared about Gia.

He worried she would be embarrassed. He worried it would look bad for her. He even remembered exactly what kind of spotlight she liked.

But twenty minutes ago,he dragged me out of my own bridal car. He threw me into this piece-of-shit prison van in broad daylight. Why didn't he think about my dignity then?

In that moment,every bodyguard and driver in the Syndicate saw it happen. Tomorrow,the entire underworld will be laughing at the Moretti princess.

But Silas didn't care. He thought it was perfectly fine.

For the past seven years,whenever Gia was involved,I had to back down. Always.

I balled my fists. I wrinkled my custom gown.

The cold fabric rubbed against my skin,mocking my foolish hope.

My devotion to him,my final wish for this marriage,shattered into pieces with those few lines. A giant hole opened in my chest. The freezing wind rushed right in.

I used to think Silas was just cold. I thought he was a ruthless mob boss who didn't know how to be gentle.

Now I understood.

He knew exactly how to care.

He just saved all his softness and attention for another woman.

For me,he only had cold suspicion and orders.

"Ma'am?" The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror. His voice was careful.

Even for a seasoned Syndicate vet, this was messed up. He’d never seen a future Godmother swallow this kind of disrespect.

Riding in a literal prison van? It was a sick joke.

He shook his head. The Don had completely lost it. Didn't he care about the family backing her? Her people were going to burn this city to the ground.

I took a deep breath. I pushed the tears away for good.

My heart was dead,but my mind was terrifyingly clear.

I looked down at his profile picture. I opened the chat. I didn't type my usual submissive "Understood." I didn't ask him why.

I typed it out,word by word: The wedding is off. Do whatever the hell you want.