After my fiancé cheated on me, I married his mafia godfather

For five months, Victor Romano had been openly flaunting a socialite named Lena Halls. I pushed open the doors to the Romano family's underground casino. Lena was practically wrapped around Victor like a snake. Resting between her exposed breasts was a ring. My breath caught. I recognized it instantly. Our engagement ring. The Falcone family's heirloom blue diamond. When Victor slid it onto my finger, he had sworn he'd never betray me for as long as he lived. Now he lounged back with a careless grin, tapping Lena's collarbone with one finger. "Let's play a game. Pick it up with your mouth, and it's yours." Lena's eyes lit up immediately. "Mr. Victor, you're so ." The room erupted with laughter. "Do it!" "Pick it up!" Lena licked her bright red lips and leaned forward. With a teasing flick of her tongue, she hooked the ring and lifted it. Then she eagerly slipped it onto her finger. "Victor, does that make me your fiancée now?" Victor laughed and shamelessly squeezed her waist. "Of course." Lena giggled and leaned in to kiss his cheek. The two flirted openly, their clothes becoming increasingly disheveled. One of Victor's friends shouted from across the room. "So if Lena's your fiancée now, what happens to Miss Falcone?" Victor took a long drag from his cigar. Smoke drifted around him as he sneered. "A woman needs a little fire in her. Chloe's too good, too predictable. If my family hadn't forced this marriage alliance, I wouldn't have looked at her twice. Honestly, thinking about spending the rest of my life with a boring little good girl like her feels like a prison sentence." He pulled Lena closer. "Girls from the slums know how to have fun. They're exciting." The words dragged me straight back to two years ago. I had just finished a four-hour surgery. The patient didn't survive. The family lost control in the hallway. They smashed the nurses' station and screamed that they wanted my life in exchange. I was so exhausted I couldn't even speak. Victor had rushed in and driven them away. Afterward, he'd secretly arranged protection for me. He'd smiled and said, "Chloe's timid, and she's too kind for people like that. She can't handle that kind of trouble. No matter what happens, I'll protect her." Back then, he'd felt like a wall standing between me and the world. Now that wall had collapsed. And it landed directly on me. My chest tightened as if an invisible hand had wrapped around my heart and squeezed. The pain spread all the way to my fingertips. Even so, I forced myself to keep walking. I stepped into the private room. The laughter stopped instantly. Silence swallowed the room. Several street soldiers immediately stood up and moved aside to make a path. "Miss Falcone, Victor's just joking around. Don't take it seriously." His lieutenant hurried to explain. I didn't even look at him. My eyes locked on Victor. Lena was still sitting on his lap, her arms around his neck. There wasn't a trace of shame in her eyes, only triumph and provocation. She deliberately lifted the hand wearing my ring. Yet her voice came out soft and pitiful. "Miss Falcone, please don't be angry. Victor was just bored. He came to me for a little fun." She started sliding off the ring. "I'll give it back." Then Lena reached over and picked up a golden Browning pistol. "Oh, and this too." My stomach dropped. I knew that gun. The Romano family crest was engraved into the gold. It was the handgun reserved for the future mistress of the Romano family. For four years, Victor's family had repeatedly urged him to give it to me. Every time, he'd found an excuse. Once, when I brought it up myself, he stopped talking to me for six months. Now I finally knew why. He had already given it to someone else. I looked at Victor. "Do you actually love her?" Victor shrugged. His arm remained around Lena's waist. "She's great." He even smiled at me. "But don't worry. My family would never let me marry her. The position of Mrs. Romano is still yours. You should be grateful." Lena's expression darkened instantly. Her eyes reddened. She pouted in obvious frustration. Victor only seemed more amused. He lowered his head and coaxed her affectionately. "My sweetheart's upset? If I can't give you that, I'll make it up to you another way. Tell me what you want." Every word stabbed deeper than the last. Something inside me cracked. For four years, I convinced myself that enduring everything was love. Only now did I realize how much of myself I had sacrificed, how many sharp edges I had sanded away just to fit into his world. Today, Victor was supposed to help me choose my wedding dress. I had called him dozens of times. He ignored every single one. Now I'd caught him red-handed. And he didn't feel guilty at all. I stared at the two of them. I felt the curious eyes around the room, everyone waiting for a show. Slowly, I unclenched my fists. Then I walked to the table. I grabbed the entire bucket of bourbon packed with ice. Without hesitation, I dumped it over both their heads. Ice and whiskey crashed down on them. Lena let out a piercing scream. "AHHH!" "Chloe! What the hell are you doing?!" Victor jumped to his feet, soaked from head to toe. The room fell completely silent. Everyone held their breath. Victor's hand moved toward the golden Browning. A second later, the barrel was pointed directly at my forehead. My heart trembled. For a brief moment, my body went numb. Four years of being engaged, and this was how it ended. Then calm settled over me. I reached forward suddenly and grabbed the gun. With one violent twist, I turned the barrel away. The room erupted into terrified gasps. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger. Bang! The gunshot exploded through the room.