The heavy stack of bills hit the marble floor with a sickening thud.
The classical music seemed to fade. The clinking of champagne glasses stopped. The silence in the banquet hall was deafening.
Every eye in the room turned to me. The city’s elite, the mafia wives, the corrupt politicians—they all watched me like I was a circus act.
Then, the whispers started.
"Isn't that Don Ralph's ex-wife?"
"I heard she went completely crazy after losing her baby."
"How pathetic. Stalking him to beg for money."
I stood perfectly still, my nails digging into my palms so hard they almost drew blood.
Kate played her part flawlessly. She shrank back, hiding behind Ralph’s broad shoulders, her hands protectively covering her swollen belly.
"Ralph, please," she whimpered loudly, making sure the entire room could hear. "She’s scaring me. I think she’s been following us. What if she tries to hurt our baby out of jealousy?"
Ralph wrapped a protective arm around her, glaring at me like I was a rabid dog.
Then, Kate stepped forward. She fumbled with her diamond-encrusted clutch, letting it drop to the floor right at my feet.
"Oh, my purse," she gasped softly.
As she bent down to pick it up, she shifted her weight. Her sharp stiletto heel ground directly into the scattered hundred-dollar bills—and right into the delicate silk hem of my custom emerald gown.
She leaned in close, the smell of her sickeningly sweet perfume filling my lungs.
"You'll always be trash beneath my feet," she whispered venomously, where only I could hear.
Those words. That tone.
It pulled me violently back to the past.
Not just to the hospital. But to the nights I used to sit on the edge of Kate’s bed in our mansion, gently brushing her hair while she cried about being a worthless orphan. I had wiped her tears. I had given her a home. I had bought her the very first designer dress she ever wore.
"You're like a sister to me, Entice," she had sobbed into my shoulder just months before my world ended. "I owe you my life. I could never, ever repay you. I'd rather die than hurt you."
I had held her, completely blind to the cold, calculating look in her eyes. Blind to the fact that she was already staring at my husband behind my back.
Blind to the way she would unbutton her blouse and slip into his study the second I went to sleep.
I had believed her innocent act. Just like I had believed Ralph loved me.
He was a Don, a ruthless mafia boss to the rest of the world, but to me, he had been gentle. Protective. I thought I was the exception to his cruelty.
Until the night I brought tea to his study.
The heavy oak door was slightly ajar. I was about to push it open when I heard his underboss speak.
"You're getting soft on her, Boss. The men are talking."
Ralph’s laughter had chilled me to the bone. It was cold, hollow, and utterly devoid of love.
"Soft? Don't be an idiot," Ralph had sneered. "Her father owed the Syndicate five million. He couldn't pay with cash, so he paid with his daughter. She’s just collateral."
My hands had started to shake. The teacup rattled against the saucer.
"She thinks it's a real marriage," the underboss chuckled.
"Let her think whatever keeps her compliant," Ralph replied flatly. "She's just a pretty little incubator to give me a legitimate heir. A debt paid in blood. Once the kid is born, I'll get rid of her."
I had stood in the dark hallway, my heart shattering into a million pieces. Every kiss, every touch, every whispered promise—it was all a transaction. I wasn't a wife. I wasn't a sister to Kate. I was a breeding mare bought to settle a mafia debt, and a stepping stone for an orphan who wanted my crown.
The memory faded, snapping me back to the blinding lights of the banquet hall.
Kate stood back up, clutching her purse, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.
Ralph sneered at me, pointing to the exit. "You heard my wife. Pick up your money and get out before I have my men drag you out by your hair."
My blood roared in my ears.
Three years ago, I would have cried. I would have broken down and run away.
But I wasn't that naive, debt-sold girl anymore.
I looked down at the dirty bills scattered across my shoes, then slowly raised my eyes to meet Ralph’s. I didn't flinch. I didn't cower.
"Keep your filthy money, Ralph," I said, my voice eerily calm, carrying clearly through the silent hall. "I don't need it. I have a husband who takes care of me."
Kate let out a dramatic, mocking scoff, but I ignored her, keeping my eyes locked on the man who had destroyed me.
"Like I said, I'm not here for you," I continued, my tone dripping with ice. "I'm just waiting for him. So, if you'll excuse me."
I turned on my heel, the silk of my gown swishing elegantly as I walked away, leaving his dirty money on the floor. I could feel the stares of the crowd burning into my back, but I kept my head high, my spine straight.
I only made it halfway across the room before a heavy hand clamped down on my bare arm like a vice.
I was violently yanked backward, stumbling slightly before I caught my balance.
It was Ralph. His polite, arrogant facade had completely cracked. His jaw was clenched so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek, and his dark eyes were blazing with a possessive, irrational fury.
"You dare remarry?" he hissed, his grip bruising my skin, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "What happened to crying on your knees? What happened to swearing I was the only man you would ever love? The only man in your life?"
He expected me to tremble. He expected the old, broken Entice.
Instead, I looked at the furious mafia boss, tilted my head, and let a slow, wicked smirk spread across my lips.
"Guess I lied," I whispered back, staring right into his eyes. "I also cheated... just like you."
