Chapter 1
Chapter 1 It was the 99th wedding I had planned with the mafia boss, Daniel Reed. The venue was a private yacht anchored just off the coast of Valemont Harbor. A custom white carpet stretched across the rear deck, and in the distance, the Statue of Concord stood quietly over the golden sea. This time, I didn’t send out invitations. I didn’t ask a single friend to come. Only a few close family members attended, treating it more like a routine gathering than a wedding ceremony. Just a few days earlier, I had been ambushed during a family meeting by Daniel’s longtime enemy. I escaped alone, twisting my ankle in the process. It was still swollen, so I couldn’t wear my heels. Still, I pushed through the pain and confirmed the final vow sequence with the bishop. Daniel didn’t seem to care at all. His face stayed blank, and I couldn’t see even the slightest concern in his eyes, for me or the wedding. During the pre-ceremony break, he didn’t come to the bridal suite. He didn’t even glance at my injured foot. He stayed in the VIP lounge on the main deck, crouched down, placing a bandage on his Gen Z assistant, Emily Jennings. She had scraped her toe on the way there. He held her foot in his hands and gently blew on the wound, as if calming a startled animal. From across the deck, my mother watched the scene with a stormy expression. “He never did that for you,” she said quietly. “This isn’t a wedding; it’s pure humiliation.” Still, I put on the wedding dress that had waited with me through 99 failed ceremonies. At sunset, I stood at the yacht’s stern, waiting for Daniel to take my hand and walk with me down the white-rose lined aisle. Minutes passed, but he never came. When I approached the VIP lounge, two armed guards blocked my way. “The boss has an urgent matter to handle,” one said. I held back my emotions and asked, “What urgent matter?” The door opened. Daniel stepped out, supporting Emily, his expression tight with worry. “Her foot’s infected. I need to take her to the ER,” he said. “Let’s put the wedding on hold. Once she’s feeling better, I’ll be completely there for you, alright?” Without even glancing at me, he helped Emily into the helicopter. That year marked our sixth anniversary together. It was also the 99th time he had canceled our wedding because of Emily. In the past, I would have broken down. I would have screamed, chased after him, and tried everything to stop him from leaving. But this time, I simply stood there and smiled faintly. “Sure. Emily’s foot can’t wait.” Daniel paused, clearly surprised by how calmly I responded. “When I come back, I’ll bring you fresh lilies. I know they’re your favorite.” But I had never liked lilies. Once at a banquet, I had an asthma attack triggered by lily pollen and needed to be rushed to the hospital. Daniel had panicked. He carried me into the car and held the oxygen tank the entire way. He whispered to me, “I’m sorry. I’ll never let you near lilies again.” He said he would remember it for a lifetime, but it didn’t even last six years. The helicopter rose into the sky, taking him and Emily with it. The blades stirred my veil and lifted the rose petals off the deck. A bitter, silent smile touched my lips as I faced the guests. “The wedding is canceled,” I announced. Then, I raised the scissors in my hand and cut through the dress I had worn 99 times. The white satin fell quietly onto the deck, like a graceful funeral. I stared at the spot where the helicopter had vanished and muttered, “Daniel, six years of waiting should end here, just like this wedding dress.”
Chapter 2 It wasn’t until the very end that my mother finally spoke up to persuade me. “Sweetheart, come back with us to Wexley.” It wasn’t the first time she had said it. Sitting at the edge of the yacht deck, I looked up, meeting her hopeful gaze. In truth, my father was the Don of Wexley’s largest mafia syndicate. I was raised within its ranks, with the understanding that I’d one day inherit the business. They had hoped I’d stay and gradually take over, but when I entered college, I met Daniel. I left everything behind for him and followed him to Valemont, a city filled with greed and betrayal. Daniel came from nothing and hated it when anyone brought up his background. To protect his pride, I never told him the truth. In his eyes, I was just a woman from a struggling neighborhood. Over the past six years, I worked my way up from the lowest ranks of his syndicate, starting as a grunt. Step by step, I became a recognized member seated at the long table. Together, we led our division to complete some of the toughest jobs three years in a row. People in the syndicate often joked that we were the deadly duo—ruthless in business and unstoppable in love. We worked in perfect sync, and I once thought the time had come to finally tell him everything about where I came from. But I never found the right moment. Now, it didn’t matter anymore. I sighed and whispered, “Alright, I’ll go back with you.” Mom’s eyes lit up. She and Dad pulled me into a tight embrace. “Don’t worry. Your father’s already arranged everything. We won’t let you suffer again.” After settling her in, I returned to where Daniel and I lived. The apartment was still cold and lifeless. I made a quick pot of pasta and opened Instagram on my phone. The first thing I saw was a new photo from Emily. She wore a tight mini dress, smiling sweetly, pressed close against Daniel. The caption read, “Tricked the stoic boss into playing golf with me. He pretended to be annoyed, but when I said I’d make him roasted lamb ribs at my place, he agreed right away.” Seeing this, I felt my stomach churn. I knew Daniel wouldn’t be coming home tonight, just like so many nights before. Luckily, we had never even gotten a marriage certificate. It was time to end this relationship for good. The next morning, I packed my bags and went to the headquarters. I submitted a formal request to leave the syndicate. The Capo in charge of my division tried to convince me to stay, praising my sharp instincts and stable earnings. He said it was a waste to walk away now. As he spoke, Daniel walked in with a stack of files in his hand. I glanced at him. There were clear hickeys on his neck and collarbone. He reeked of that same sweet scent. It was obvious he had enjoyed his night. I remembered how he used to hate it when I left marks on him, saying it would ruin his image. Back then, I held myself back for his sake. It turned out, it wasn’t the marks he hated—it was that they came from me. As soon as he entered, the Capo sighed and gestured toward me. “Boss, perfect timing. Talk to your girlfriend. She’s trying to leave the syndicate. Did you two argue again?” “It has nothing to do with him,” I said. “You’re really quitting?” Daniel asked. We spoke at the same time. I could feel his eyes locked on me, his voice tense with restrained anger. “So this is about me canceling the wedding again?” The Capo noticed the tension and quietly excused himself. As soon as the door shut, Daniel stepped forward, his voice rising. “I already told you, Emily hurt her foot. That’s the only reason I canceled the wedding. Why can’t you try to understand?” I stayed calm and answered, “I’m not angry. I’ve just been exhausted lately and need a break. I want to rest somewhere new.” He frowned in disbelief. “If you’re tired, just take some time off. Why leave the syndicate? You’re making it look like this is about Emily. How is she supposed to hold her position here if people think she caused this?” He had completely forgotten that all my vacation days were spent cleaning up the messes after his canceled weddings. All he cared about was Emily’s reputation. I said nothing more, but my eyes fell to the hickey on his neck. He noticed and instinctively raised his hand to cover them. “It’s just a mosquito bite. Don’t overthink it.” He tried to explain, but I found it laughable. If it had been before, I would’ve believed him. Now, I simply nodded and stayed quiet. When I didn’t explode in anger, he smiled and leaned in, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “There we go. My woman should know how to let things go. “Come on, no more drama. Tonight, I’ll take you to dinner at Per Se. Just let me make it up to you, alright?” I didn’t respond. He assumed my silence was agreement. I decided not to say goodbye. I didn’t want him to know I was leaving Valemont for good. “Daniel!” Emily burst into the meeting room without knocking, sweetly calling out his name. Startled, Daniel quickly pulled away from me. Emily giggled. “Oops, I didn’t mean to interrupt. But I really can’t figure out this deal.” Without hesitation, he walked over, took her papers, and leaned in close to explain. She leaned in close, whispering sweetly to him right in front of me, as if I didn’t even exist. When she finished, she wrapped her arm around his and led him out, flashing a smug smile my way before closing the door behind them. The room fell silent. The next second, the bracelet on my wrist slipped off and hit the floor. It was the gift he had given me on our first anniversary. He told me he wanted our relationship to be as strong as the diamonds on it. I stared at it for a long time before picking up the broken pieces. Then, I threw it in the trash, along with the last of my feelings for him. Chapter 3 After submitting the departure request to the Capo, I began handling the final project handovers before leaving. The person taking over my assignments was Wynne Hart, a trusted member of the syndicate who had always been on good terms with me. When she found out I was leaving, she looked genuinely disappointed. “Elara, are you seriously leaving?” she asked. “That means I’ll have to watch those two shameless people flirting right in front of us every single day.” Her eyes flicked toward the meeting room. Emily was bent down beside Daniel’s chair, practically leaning against his leg. She looked slightly upset, like she had just been scolded. Daniel suddenly pulled a Cartier bracelet from his pocket and gently placed it on her wrist. Her expression lit up with joy as she admired the gift. Only then did Daniel notice me watching. He froze slightly, then stood up. “Elara, don’t take it the wrong way. Nothing is going on between me and Emily. It’s just a bracelet.” The moment those words left his mouth, all eyes in the room turned to us. In six years of dating, Daniel had never given me a single decent gift. He always assumed I came from some rural background and knew nothing about brands like Cartier. Everyone around him thought the same. They all believed I was easy to please. Even Wynne, standing next to me, couldn’t hold back her anger. “You two are still together? He really thinks you’re dumb enough to buy this?” I gently patted her hand to calm her down and then looked at Emily. “That bracelet is lovely. It suits you.” Emily seemed startled that I wasn’t angry. She looked uneasy. “It’s just a regular bracelet. Please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean anything by it…” I smiled faintly. A misunderstanding? There was no misunderstanding. I had more Cartiers than I could count—custom pieces, even—locked away in the family vault back in Wexley. What I felt wasn’t jealousy. It was pain. I had given up a better life and helped him build his foundation in Valemont, but in the end, all I received in return was betrayal. My calmness caught him off guard. But instead of making things right, he quietly sat back down next to Emily. Wynne leaned over and whispered, “You’re really letting this go?” I shrugged, packing away another folder. “Yeah. I’ve already decided to end things with him.” We had 99 weddings, but not one was completed. I was tired. After we got home, Daniel surprisingly came over and helped carry a box of files to the car. “I booked Per Se for eight o’clock tonight. We’ll make it.” He glanced at my wrist and frowned. “Where’s the bracelet I gave you?” “I was worried it might break, so I left it at home.” He let out a breath of relief and chuckled. “You used to wear it every day. What, learning to take care of things now?” I was still thinking of a lie to cover the truth when Emily skipped over with a grin. “Boss, I’m all packed!” Daniel’s attention snapped to her immediately. He nodded and told her to wait in the car. I watched as she casually climbed into the back seat and sat beside Daniel. He once told me the seat was reserved for his future wife, and I could only sit in it after we married. Emily shot me a smug smile. I lowered my head and stayed silent. My heart had already turned cold. At the restaurant, they sat on one side and ordered together. No one asked what I wanted. I didn’t mind. I just watched the night outside the window, thinking that starting tomorrow, this city would have nothing to do with me anymore. When the food arrived, Daniel peeled a bowl of shrimp for me. “These are pretty good,” he said. I froze for a second, then looked up at him. He was giving me the kind of warm smile I hadn’t seen in years. Before I could react, Emily chimed in with a laugh. “I’m the one who recommended it! Last time we came, he ate three whole plates!” Daniel looked awkward and muttered, “Don’t say that in front of her…” Emily grinned and turned to me. “Just a joke. Don’t go home and fight with Boss, okay?” The two of them giggled right in front of me. I looked down at the bowl of shrimp, and my stomach twisted. I forced myself to take a bite, but I couldn’t swallow it. I pushed the bowl away. “I don’t like shrimp. You two can have it.” The laughter stopped. Daniel looked concerned. “Are you upset?” I shook my head. “No. It’s just too fishy. Not my taste.” Just like the two of you—reeking. After dinner, Daniel brought a tipsy Emily home. I stood by the door and watched them enter before gently closing it behind them. As soon as the car arrived, I headed straight for the airport. On the way, Daniel was still messaging me on WhatsApp, talking about rescheduling the wedding and saying he wanted to take care of everything himself. “Don’t worry,” he wrote. “This time, nothing will go wrong. No one will interrupt us!” I replied expressionlessly, “Okay.” But I knew that wedding would never happen. Just before I boarded my flight, he sent another message. “Emily drank too much. She’s not feeling well. I’m staying over to look after her. Lock the doors and windows, alright?” I let out a quiet laugh and typed my last reply. “No worries. You can come back whenever you like. I’ve already moved out. From now on, we’re done. Goodbye, Daniel.” I hit send, then blocked and deleted him. As the plane took off, I watched the lights of Valemont fade in the distance. Meanwhile, Daniel finally started to panic.