I stared at Dominic, stunned.
He had actually come.
Was he here… for me? I shook my head hard.
I needed to stop getting ahead of myself.
He was only doing this because I was his wife. Because I carried his name.
The venue fell into stunned silence for several seconds. Then chaos erupted.
"Oh my God. When did Lydia become Mr Sinclair's wife?"
"That's Dominic Sinclair. The godfather of the most powerful mafia in the city. No wonder she dared to stand up to Miles. That's who's backing her."
The color drained completely from Tessa's face.
How was this possible?
The girl she had once mocked for being fat and ugly had not only transformed, but married Dominic?
Even Miles had to look up to him.
Miles looked like he'd been struck by lightning. He pointed at Annie, furious.
"Annie! Is this your doing? Did you convince Mr. Sinclair to play along with this just to help your best friend?"
Before he could finish, one of Dominic's guards stepped forward, eyes locked on him. Miles's bravado evaporated instantly.
This was the godfather of the Sinclair family.
Miles, a mere second-in-command in another syndicate, wouldn't last a second against him.
Sweat beaded on Miles's forehead.
"Mr. Sinclair, please don't misunderstand. I was just… surprised. This must be some kind of misunderstanding, right? Lydia… she couldn't possibly—"
Dominic didn't even glance at him. He spoke calmly to his assistant.
"It's too noisy. Remove anyone irrelevant. Do not disturb my wife's graduation."
"Yes, Godfather."
Tessa screamed and tried to pull Miles back, but she was escorted out as well.
In seconds, the two who had been so arrogant were gone.
Annie pressed a hand to her chest, finally processing what had happened.
She rushed over and grabbed my hands, shaking them wildly.
"Lydia! St-Stepmom? Oh my God. My dad… you two… I'm not dreaming, right?"
My cheeks burned. My heart pounded violently.
I had barely nodded when Dominic leaned closer, his lips brushing near my ear as he murmured, "Go on. The stage is yours."
He gave a soft laugh.
"Outstanding Graduate Representative, Lydia Prescott."
My heart skipped.
I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and walked toward the podium step by deliberate step.
I stopped at the podium and let my gaze sweep across the hall.
I saw Annie waving wildly with tears in her eyes. I saw my classmates' expressions shift from disdain to respect.
Finally, I looked back at the one person who steadied me most.
He watched me with calm certainty. I met his gaze.
I lifted the microphone and began my speech.
From that moment on, I was no longer the insecure fat girl hiding in Miles's shadow.
I was Lydia Prescott. Confident. Radiant.
When I finished, the applause thundered.
I stepped down from the stage. Everything felt almost unreal.
Five years of loving Miles in silence ended completely in that moment.
From now on, I was Dominic's wife. And I would shoulder the responsibilities of the Sinclair family's godmother.
"What are you thinking about?"
I snapped back to reality and realized Dominic was standing in front of me.
Before I could answer, he held out a bouquet.
I stared at the flowers, then up at him.
Dominic… bringing flowers?
The man rumored to be ruthless, cold-blooded, feared across the underworld?
He was doing something this romantic?
As if sensing my disbelief, the corner of Dominic's lips curved faintly. He nudged the bouquet closer.
"Happy graduation, Lydia."
