Rejecting the Mafia Boss at the Altar

Chapter 2

My phone buzzed on the coffee table early the next morning.

Winni: River Street Teahouse. 10:00 a.m. Use the back entrance.

Winni was one of the most powerful women in the city's old mafia circles. Her late husband had once been the don, and after his death, she had fought ruthlessly to remain independent. Even Alvin treated her with respect.

The teahouse sat at the end of an old street behind a weathered storefront.

I slipped in through the back entrance and found Winni sitting in a leather booth at the far end. Black lace gloves covered her hands. She looked up from her tea, her gaze calm and sharp.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Breaking the alliance at the altar means more than cutting your palm in front of everyone. You'll lose the protection of both families. This city won't be safe for you anymore."

"I'm sure, Mrs. Ashford." I gave her a bitter smile, but held her gaze. "I don't want to live like this anymore."

Winni sighed. "I did some digging on Lina Parker for you. Seven years ago, she was nearly beaten to death near the border. Alvin led the rescue team himself. At the company, she's practically running the show. She has access to the family's most sensitive files and even issues orders in Alvin's name. Nobody says it to your face because you're his fiancée, but behind your back, they've treated her as the real Mrs. Hawthorne for years."

My fingers tightened around the teacup.

For seven years, I'd been clinging to the empty title of fiancée. I'd molded myself into the gentle, accommodating woman Alvin wanted, so much so that I barely touched a gun anymore.

All the while, he'd been letting another woman sink deeper and deeper into his world.

"If you walk out now, you're handing her your place on a silver platter."

I looked up with a faint, self-mocking smile. "It was never really mine to begin with. If she wants it, she can have it."

Winni studied me for a moment, then gave a slight nod of approval.

"I'll help you get out of the city. The wedding is your best shot. With all those witnesses and the old rules binding him, Alvin won't be able to stop you by force." She slid a small case across the table. "The Severance Blade and the oath are inside. Keep them safe."

After taking the silver dagger, I stopped by Hawthorne Tower that afternoon so Alvin wouldn't get suspicious. I brought him a document he'd left behind in the living room.

When I pushed open the door to the top-floor conference room, the senior leadership team was in the middle of a meeting. Alvin sat at the head of the table in a broad leather chair. Lina was in the deputy's seat beside him, a thick bandage wrapped around her neck.

The moment I stepped in, Lina looked up, a flash of smug challenge crossing her face.

"Leave the document and go. We're still in session," Alvin said flatly, not even looking up.

I said nothing. I just turned and closed the door behind me.

Late that night, the doorbell rang.

When I opened the door, Lina was standing there in a beige cashmere coat. The bandage around her neck had been swapped for an elegant silk scarf, and she was holding an elaborately wrapped gift box.

"Ms. Sterling, I brought you a wedding gift. Alvin helped me pick it out himself." She lightly touched the scarf at her neck. "Truth is, Alvin's always been very good to me. If it weren't for the alliance between your families, I'm sure I'd be the one marrying him."

I almost laughed.

"What's so funny?" Lina snapped.

"That you've worked this hard just to end up with my leftovers." I tossed the gift box onto the coffee table. "You want to be Mrs. Hawthorne that badly? Fine. I hope you get your wish tomorrow."

Lina stared at me, searching my face for some c***k, some sign she'd gotten under my skin.

She found nothing.

Her jaw tightened. She turned on her heel and stormed off.

The front door slammed behind her.

I walked over to the vanity and looked at myself in the mirror.

Tomorrow, it would finally be over.