The Chosen Woman

​That evening, the atmosphere in my private suite was electric.

​"Wow, Rose!" Claire, the estate's head stylist and my closest confidante clasped her manicured hands over her mouth.

"Even dressed in strict formalwear, you still brighten the entire room. You look like a queen."

​I giggled as I stood before the mirror, taking in the reflection. I wasn't wearing a dress. The box Saga had left on my bed contained a flawlessly tailored, midnight-black silk suit.

The trousers hugged my curves perfectly, flaring slightly at the ankle, while the deep-V velvet blouse underneath hinted at femininity beneath the severe masculine cut of the jacket. It was a power suit. It was the armor of a true partner in crime.

​I twirled.

"Do I look good, Claire? Honestly?"

​"Yes, my girl," Claire beamed, stepping forward to adjust the lapel.

"Mr. Ronway is going to have a hard time letting you out of his sight tonight. With an outfit like this, matching his aesthetic so perfectly? He must be getting ready to finally confess his feelings to you in front of the whole family."

​My stomach erupted into a swarm of frantic butterflies. "You really think so?"

​"I know so," she winked.

"Now go claim your man."

---

​The Grand Azure ballroom was a spectacle of blinding opulence. Crystal chandeliers the size of small cars dripped from the frescoed ceiling, casting a golden glow over the syndicate’s elite.

Politicians on the payroll, rival bosses under truce, and the wealthiest socialites in the underworld mingled over crystal flutes of vintage champagne.

​I navigated the sprawling room, scanning the crowd until I found him.

​Saga stood near the grand staircase, looking terrifyingly handsome in a bespoke, charcoal-grey three-piece suit. The silver tie pin glinted in the light.

He commanded the space effortlessly, speaking with an infuriatingly charming smile to a group of federal judges.

​I approached, suddenly feeling hyper-aware of my dark clothing amidst a sea of colorful, flowing evening gowns worn by the other women.

I looked like an anomaly. A soldier playing dress-up. But as I neared, the murmurs began.

​"Look at her," I heard a capo’s wife whisper to her companion.

"Matching his power. They really are two halves of the same blade."

​"I heard there’s an announcement tonight," a state senator muttered to a bodyguard.

"Ronway is finally securing his legacy. Making the enforcer his queen."

​The whispers fueled my courage. I stepped up beside him.

"Saga."

​He paused his conversation, glancing down at me. I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly, and tried to slip my hand into his. I wanted to anchor myself to him, to project our unity to the hungry wolves watching us.

​Instead of wrapping his fingers around mine, Saga smoothly slid his hand downward, stepping back half an inch to check his diamond-encrusted watch.

The rejection was subtle, a phantom movement to anyone else, but to me, it felt like a bucket of ice water. He had never actively avoided my touch before.

​Is he just nervous? I reasoned desperately. It must be part of his surprise. He can't show affection until the grand reveal. I forced my racing mind to calm down, plastering on a confident smile.

​An hour later, the string quartet abruptly stopped playing. The crystal glasses ceased clinking. A hush fell over the magnificent ballroom as Saga confidently ascended the steps to the stage at the far end of the hall.

He tapped the microphone. The sharp screech of feedback demanded total silence.

​"Family. Friends. Honored guests," Saga’s voice boomed through the speakers, rich and commanding.

"Thank you all for gathering tonight on such short notice. The Ronway syndicate has always valued loyalty, strength, and above all, legacy."

​My breath caught. I stood in the center of the crowd, my hands clammy. This was it. Ten years of blood, sweat, and unrequited devotion were finally culminating in this exact second.

​"For years, I have navigated this treacherous life alone," Saga continued, his gaze sweeping over the audience.

"But a king cannot build an empire without his queen. I have been looking for this specific person for a very long time. And recently, fate intervened. I have finally found my special one."

​The ballroom erupted in a flurry of excited murmurs. Heads instinctively turned toward me. The crowd naturally parted, creating a clear, dramatic aisle between where I stood and the marble steps of the stage.

The heat rushed to my cheeks. The anticipation was intoxicating.

​Saga lifted his hand, pointing directly toward the center aisle. Toward me.

​"I ask that person to please come to the stage."

​Tears of pure joy pricked the corners of my eyes. I took a deep breath. I lifted my chin, preparing to take that first, monumental step into my new life.

​Before my bespoke heel could even touch the floor, a blur of pristine, ethereal white silk moved from my left side.

​A girl stepped directly in front of me, cutting off my path.

​"Saga..." Her voice was like wind chimes, soft, delicate and sweet.

​She glided forward, moving with a fragile grace that seemed entirely alien in this room full of killers.

She wore a breathtaking, custom-made white sweeping gown intricately beaded with pearls that caught the chandelier light like scattered diamonds.

It was a stark, agonizing contrast to the masculine black suit Saga had ordered me to wear.

She looked like an angel descending into hell.

I looked like the demon meant to guard the gates.

​She had cascades of long shining chestnut hair framing a face of perfection. She was undeniably beautiful.

​I couldn't breathe. The air had been violently sucked from the room. My mind violently rejected the visual input.

Who is she? A relative? A distraction? A target?

​Saga didn't wait for her to reach the stairs. He descended halfway, his usually stoic face breaking into a smile so tender and unguarded that it felt like a physical blow to my sternum.

He reached out, taking her gloved hand in his, gently guided her up the remaining steps. He positioned her center stage, wrapping a protective arm around her slender waist.

​"Everyone," Saga announced, his voice vibrating with undeniable pride.

"Allow me to introduce my fiancée. Sapphire."

​---