1

"Who were you talking to?"

I'd just ended the call when Luciano knocked and walked in, his eyes fixed on my phone.

His perfectly tailored suit made him look even taller and more striking. The warmth and gentleness in his eyes softened his chiseled features, almost making me forget that the man before me controlled New York's entire criminal underworld.

I pretended nothing was wrong and forced a smile.

"It was nothing. I was just asking the maid to set up a spa day for me."

He didn't seem to care. As if by magic, he produced a fruit tart from behind his back.

"Darling, I made this myself. Try it."

On any other day, my heart would have melted.

But the strawberries and mango on the tart reminded me that just an hour earlier, Luciano had shared the exact same dessert with Eileen. Her caption read:

"My favorite. It took him dozens of tries to get this fruit tart right."

I didn't take it. "I'm allergic to mango."

Luciano smacked his forehead when he realized his mistake. "Sorry, darling, I forgot. Next time I'll try a different recipe."

I shook my head.

"Don't bother. Luciano, have you ever thought about taking me out for afternoon tea? Just once, somewhere public, like a normal couple?"

He hesitated for a beat, then immediately refused.

"Darling, I can't let you take that risk."

"Oh, I just heard that the alterations to your wedding dress are finished. Change into something you can wear out, and the driver will take you to the shop for a fitting."

I watched him walk out the door, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.

He said he kept our relationship secret for my protection. He had too many enemies. Every person who knew my face put me in greater danger and gave him one more thing to worry about.

In more than five years together, the only person in his circle who knew about me was his personal butler.

Whenever he got together with the guys in his crew, I waited at home alone for him to come back.

When he talked business, I wasn't even allowed to pour the wine.

Even after we got engaged, he kept putting me off whenever I asked to meet his parents. "My family is huge, and people talk. I don't want to put you at risk."

But after looking through Eileen's page, I discovered that he'd only known her for six months, yet he'd shown her off to the world right away.

He'd shown up at her birthday party with a whole army of bodyguards and danced with her in front of everyone.

He'd given her a yacht named after her and taken her from Chelsea Piers to Long Island on vacation, for the whole world to see.

And during the five years we'd been together? He'd given me a winery. He'd hired a top band to play for me in a private concert hall. Even though he was Italian, he'd agreed to try Hawaiian pizza at my suggestion.

But he wouldn't take a single photo with me, let alone post one online.

He said, "Baby, photos give away a lot. I don't want anyone following the trail back to you.

"Once I've cleaned everything up, when the time is right, I'll tell the whole world about us."

I actually believed him.

I was even touched, believing he faced all the darkness in the world alone while keeping me safely sheltered from it.

Until I saw on Eileen's Instagram that he'd had the Marino family crest engraved on a pendant and given it to her with a promise:

"Anytime, anywhere, if you're ever in danger, just show them this, and you'll be safe."

Only then did I understand. With all his power, enemies or not, he could keep the woman he loved perfectly safe.

He hadn't been overprotecting me. He just didn't love me that much.

The maid wheeled in a rack of dresses for me to choose from. When no one else was around, I slipped off my engagement ring and pressed it into her hand.

"This pink diamond is worth ten million dollars. Take it to Chinatown and sell it for cash. Then find a discreet travel agency and book me a flight to London three days from now. Keep the rest as a tip."