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Chapter 3

Author: Peachy
"Alright." I nodded calmly, without a second of hesitation.

Cassius frowned hard.

He stared at me, an inexplicable sense of irritation and disappointment in his eyes.

He probably thought I'd cry and throw a jealous fit. But I didn't.

My compliance was like a punch landing on cotton. It bugged him.

Swallowing his nameless rage, he grabbed Bianca's waist and walked toward the liquor cabinet.

I went into the master bedroom and dragged out a safe full of money-laundering ledgers to move to my private study.

They were the Family's deepest secrets, and proof of my blood, sweat, and tears over the past three years.

The safe was heavy as hell. I hugged it with both hands, blocking my view.

As I stepped out the door, a sharp pain shot through my ankle—lingering nerve damage from a gunshot wound I took covering his retreat a few months ago.

I lost my balance.

Crash!

I hit the floor hard, pulling the safe down with me.

The heavy metal corner smashed right into my ribs, while the base crushed my injured leg. Scabbed wounds ripped open, and blood quickly soaked my pants.

Pain. Piercing pain.

Cold sweat drenched my back. I bit my lip hard so I wouldn't scream.

Footsteps outside.

Cassius heard the crash. He whipped his head around, saw me in a pool of blood, and his face drained. Instinctively, he took a huge step toward me.

"Camilla!"

But right before he reached me, Bianca clutched her chest and let out a weak moan.

"Cassius... my heart hurts. I can't breathe..."

Cassius froze in his tracks. He hesitated between us for half a second before turning to catch the swaying Bianca.

"Hold on, I'm taking you to a doctor!" His panicked voice echoed down the hall.

Before leaving, he threw me one last line: "Bandage yourself up! Stop trying to act so tough all the time!"

The front door slammed.

Sitting in my own blood, I managed a pale smirk.

I remembered how it was with the Family. If Bianca so much as pricked her finger trimming roses, Cassius would call in a whole medical team.

Me? I was made of iron. No love needed.

Even if I bled out right here, it wouldn't beat her "chest tightness."

Alone, I pushed the heavy safe off my leg, washed the wound with rubbing alcohol, and swallowed my tears along with the blood.

That afternoon, I called in an armored truck.

Clothes, jewelry, ledgers. I tossed everything that belonged to me into the back, completely emptying the master bedroom that had been my cage.

When Cassius came back that evening, he stared at the empty room with furrowed brows. "What are you doing?"

"Burning old junk," I brushed him off coldly, avoiding his eyes. "Making room for you two."

At dusk, Cassius changed into a black tuxedo.

He walked over to me and tossed an ugly black suit onto the sofa. His tone was an absolute order.

"Put this on. There's a Syndicate summit tonight. Every Don in North America will be there."

He looked at my pale face and his voice softened just a fraction, but stayed firm. "As my 'legal financial advisor,' you have to show."

I looked at the blood seeping through my bandage and didn't fight him.

Only one month left.

In this final stretch, I needed to take full control of the books to make a clean break.

The banquet was at an obscenely lavish underground club. Glitz, glamour, and pure excess.

The host, Jade, was a shrewd boss. She walked up with a champagne flute, eyeing both me and Bianca.

"Don Marino, welcome." Jade smiled and pointed to the center of the long table. "I prepared the main seats for you and the Donna. Always heard you got married in secret. Nice to finally meet her."

Several other Dons shot us curious glances.

Cassius's face instantly darkened.

He stayed quiet for two seconds.

"You misunderstood. Tonight, Bianca is my date under my protection."

The whole room went dead silent.

The blood froze in my veins, cutting off my breath.

He denied our marriage.

Then, without skipping a beat, Cassius took Bianca's hand and pulled her into the light.

"Let me introduce you. This is the Family's princess, Bianca."

Jade froze awkwardly, her eyes shifting to me. "And this is...?"

Cassius glanced at me. There was a flash of possessiveness he didn't even notice, but his words cut straight to the bone.

"Camilla. My accountant. She handles the dirty work."

Bianca covered her mouth, letting out a smug little giggle.

I walked alone through their mocking, probing stares, heading for the darkest corner at the end of the table.

Sitting down, I forced back the taste of blood in my throat.

I wasn't mad. The words of a man who didn't love me couldn't hurt me anymore.

But right then. Maybe because of everything that had happened.

A sharp, relentless cramp shot through my lower stomach.

Gripping my stomach, I slipped into the VIP lounge. I looked like I was running for my life.
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