1. The Night My World Shattered

I inhaled the fragrance of the rose bouquet in my hands. The flowers Dimitri, my fiancé, gave me when he arrived at the house earlier. Hmm… its scent was as beautiful as the future I had imagined with him someday.

I couldn't wait for the official announcement of our engagement in front of the guests soon. Dimitri had proposed to me just a week ago, on my 18th birthday.

Even though our engagement was wrapped up in the alliance between our two families, I didn't care about that. What mattered most was that I could leave this house and live more freely.

I was sick of being watched by my stepmother, Evelina, who had acted like the lady of the house for the past three years.

Not to mention her twin sons, Nathaniel and Gabriel, who always gave me looks as if they wanted to rip me apart whenever we met. Thankfully, they were off at the academy. For the past three years, we have only seen each other at Christmas.

"Anna, where's Dimitri?" That call startled me.

I turned to my father, who was already standing beside me. My eyes shifted to the guests who were mingling, drinking, and enjoying the food before the event started. But where was Dimitri? I didn't see him.

"I don't know." I stood up.

"We need to start the event right away, Anna." Father glanced at his watch. "We're already twenty minutes behind schedule."

"Yes, just a moment. I'll find him."

I brushed past Father—and Evelina, who trailed him everywhere. Her blonde hair was pinned up neatly, but her expression was as annoying as ever.

"You don't want to keep the guests waiting, do you, Anna?" Evelina's voice dripped with mockery.

"I know!" I snapped under my breath.

I left the hall, pausing to glance left and right. Where could Dimitri be?

He didn't really like crowds, preferring solitude in quiet places. I knew Dimitri's habits so well—we'd been together for two years. We were schoolmates, and his father was my father's right-hand man in Nightshade.

Nightshade was the dark organization my father had run for decades. To cover it up, he also ran legal businesses, though their profits were nothing compared to Nightshade's.

Like it or not, I, Anastasia Lancroft, had to accept the reality of being born the daughter of a mafia kingpin. Few knew, except those in the same world as my father, Alistair.

Some maids pushing food carts toward the hall stopped when they saw me.

"Have you seen Dimitri?" I asked.

They shook their heads. "No, Miss Anna."

Oh, God. Where could he be? This was supposed to be our big moment.

Then it hit me—he always liked the library. We'd often spend time there whenever he visited. Reading… and sometimes making out. Sometimes we made out there, too.

I rushed toward the library, weaving through the long corridors. At moments like this, the house felt too large. Once I'm married, I'd ask Dimitri for a smaller one.

With a garden full of flowers. We had a yard where we could grow plants because he loved gardening. Dimitri was a shining example, raised with kindness and dignity by his father.

And I love him so much.

I saw the library door slightly ajar, and I immediately stepped inside. Passing the tall bookshelves, I headed to the sitting area in the corner. There, I heard soft whispers.

Who's there?

As I peeked from behind the shelf, I saw a woman straddling someone, her back to me. Her gown had slipped down to her waist. Her body moved wildly back and forth, accompanied by breaths so heavy they made my skin crawl.

"What the hell?!" I screamed.

Both figures jolted in shock, turning toward me.

"Dimitri? Victoria?" I gasped in disbelief.

A sharp pain ripped through my chest. No. No, this couldn't be happening. This had to be a nightmare.

"Anna! I can explain!" Dimitri's voice cracked.

He scrambled to his feet, fumbling with his pants, his shame still exposed. Victoria, on the other hand, calmly pulled up her gown, as if nothing had happened.

"Why? I trusted you, Dimitri! You were everything to me!" My sobs tore out of me.

"Anna, it's not what you think." Dimitri managed to pull on his pants, though his manhood was still sticking out from them. "This was just—"

"Mistake?" Victoria cut him off with a smirk. "We've done it plenty of times, Dimitri. This isn't a mistake. We wanted it."

My fists trembled at my sides as I stepped closer.

Oh, I was fully aware that a betrayal was always between two people, never just one. I had already been a victim of infidelity once before—my father and Evelina.

But never in my life did I think it would happen again.

"Dimitri is my fiancé, you knew that very well, Victoria! How could you do this to me?" My vision burned as I tried to hold back tears.

"Maybe Dimitri wanted someone better. And I am better than you, Anna." Victoria's mocking laugh made my blood boil. "Proof? He always comes to me, not you."

"You're sick! Both of you!" I screamed, backing away, wiping tears I hated spilling for trash like them.

"Anna, wait! Anna!" Dimitri called after me, but I ignored him.

I ran back to the hall, sobbing. Dimitri had been the one I trusted most, the one I had promised to be with forever.

And now this? Why Victoria of all people? They barely even knew each other.

Victoria was my stepmother's niece, who often came by here. But I rarely spoke to her.

How? How is this possible?

When I burst into the hall, I saw Father speaking with some guests. I ran straight into his arms, crying.

"Father!" I sobbed.

"Anna?"

But instead of holding me, he pushed me away.

"Anna, what's wrong?"

I pulled back, choking on my sobs. "Dimitri was making out with Victoria in the library! You have to punish them! They betrayed me! Fire Dimitri's father—I don't want to see them here ever again!"

Everyone gasped at my outburst, while Father only looked at me with a cold expression. Suddenly, he pulled me out of the crowd, dragging me to a corner where the plates and utensils were kept. Evelina followed us.

"Can't you control yourself?" Father hissed, shoving my arm away.

"But—"

I thought Father would defend me; I thought he would be furious with Dimitri and Victoria. Instead, his face told me I was the problem.

"There's no way Victoria would do such a thing! Victoria is an honorable girl!" Evelina sneered, glaring at me with disdain.

"Honorable, you say? I saw with my own eyes, your niece sucking Dimitri's dick with her vagina!!" I snapped furiously.

Smack!

Evelina's hand struck my face so hard I staggered. My cheek burned and went numb.

"Old tramp!!" I hissed.

"How dare you speak that way!! You filthy little bitch!"

"You're the bitch here!" I screamed back.

"You immoral brat! Your words disgust me!" Evelina raised her voice. "No wonder Dimitri prefers my niece over you!"

I turned to Father—silent, as if he agreed with her. My heart cracked. Why wouldn't he defend me?

"Alistair, this engagement should be canceled. Poor Dimitri, burdened with such a spoiled daughter!" Evelina's voice dripped with venom.

Hearing Evelina's words, I suddenly snapped. My gaze landed on the stack of utensils nearby. I could listen to Evelina going on and on, mocking me, cornering me in front of Father.

I grabbed a knife and lunged at her, pressing the blade to her cheek.

"Shut up, Evelina!"

"Alistair! Alistair!" she shrieked, terrified.

Father yanked me back, and in the struggle, the knife sliced across her cheek. Evelina screamed louder.

"Anna tried to kill me! That crazy girl! Help!"

I struggled to free myself from Father's grip. Then, thud! A solid punch landed on my face. The last thing I saw was darkness swallowing me whole.