Chapter 2 - The Morning After
I did not sleep a single second that night.
Nikolai's security team had escorted me directly from the hotel to his heavily fortified penthouse in the sky.
I sat on the edge of a massive velvet bed, staring at the loaded gun he had slipped into my pocket.
Why would a mafia boss give a weapon to a woman he had just met?
The answer came when the bedroom door clicked open just as the sun began to rise over Lake Michigan.
Nikolai walked in wearing a fresh white shirt, his sleeves rolled up to reveal dark, intricate tattoos on his forearms.
"I see you found my wedding gift," he said, nodding toward the gun resting on the nightstand.
"Most men give diamonds, Nikolai."
He poured two cups of black coffee and handed one to me.
"Diamonds cannot stop a bullet, Evelyn."
He sat in the leather chair across from the bed, his demeanor entirely businesslike.
"Julian is furious that we humiliated him in front of the families."
Nikolai took a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving my face.
"He called an emergency meeting with the council to dispute my claim to the syndicate's leadership."
I gripped my coffee cup tightly.
"Can he win?" I asked.
"Not if we are legally married by noon," Nikolai replied.
A team of stylists arrived thirty minutes later, bringing a rack of the most expensive wedding dresses in the world.
I chose a sleek, simple silk gown that made me look like royalty rather than a victim.
The ceremony took place in Nikolai's private library, officiated by a nervous judge who clearly owed the Moretti family a favor.
When Nikolai slid a massive, flawless diamond ring onto my finger, his thumb gently caressed my knuckles.
"For better or worse," he whispered, and for a terrifying second, I actually felt a spark of real connection.
The reception was a private lunch on the penthouse terrace, attended only by Nikolai's highest-ranking lieutenants.
I was sipping champagne when a heavy hand roughly grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
Julian stood there, his face red with uncontrollable anger, smelling heavily of stale alcohol.
"Did you really think you could play this game and win, Evelyn?" Julian snarled, leaning close to my face.
"I am not playing a game, Julian," I said, keeping my voice perfectly steady.
"He does not care about you," Julian laughed bitterly, glancing toward Nikolai who was speaking with a guard across the terrace.
"Our grandfather left a multi-billion dollar trust that can only be unlocked by the first brother to marry a respectable woman."
Julian sneered, his eyes filled with absolute venom.
"He bought you just to get the money, Evelyn."
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Before I could process the betrayal, Julian pulled a small, silver switchblade from his pocket and pressed it against my ribs.
"And if Nikolai is a widower by sunset, that money defaults directly to me."
