Chapter 1 - The Unexpected Proposal
The words hung in the quiet hallway, heavy with a danger I had only ever read about.
Nikolai Moretti did not make jokes.
He stared at me with eyes as cold and dark as the Chicago river at midnight.
I looked back toward the ballroom doors, where my family was currently celebrating my humiliation.
"You want to marry me just to punish your brother?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.
Nikolai adjusted the cuffs of his tailored suit with slow, deliberate precision.
"Punishing Julian is merely a bonus, Evelyn," he replied smoothly.
"I am a businessman, and I only invest in assets that yield absolute power."
He reached out and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, his touch burning my skin.
"Walk back into that room on my arm, and I will make you the untouchable queen of this city."
I thought about my mother's warning to stay quiet, and my father's pathetic acceptance of my ruin.
They wanted me to fade into the background so Serena could shine.
"I accept," I whispered, feeling a dangerous spark ignite in my chest.
Nikolai smiled, a rare and terrifying expression, before offering me his arm.
We pushed the heavy mahogany doors open, stepping back into the sparkling grand ballroom together.
The music abruptly stopped as hundreds of wealthy guests turned to stare at us.
Julian dropped Serena's hand, his smug expression instantly replaced by genuine terror.
Nikolai commanded the room without raising his voice, announcing that I was now under his personal protection as his future wife.
My father rushed forward, his face pale and sweating under the crystal chandeliers.
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"You cannot do this, Nikolai," my father stammered, pulling a crumpled document from his tuxedo pocket.
"The old syndicate contract explicitly states that whoever marries Evelyn inherits the entire Hart family voting shares, and Julian was supposed to sign it tonight!"
