The Bite That Changed Everything

At my engagement dinner with Greg Willis, the Rossi mafia family’s underboss, his assistant, Sydney Carlson, casually tossed a half-eaten cookie on his plate in front of everyone. Greg didn’t react. In full view of the guests, he calmly picked it up and ate it.

That night, after we returned, I told him I wanted to call off the engagement. He rubbed his brow with his fingertips, his voice steady in that familiar, composed way of his, yet there was distance beneath it.

“All this,” he said, “over a cookie?”

“She already took a bite,” I corrected him.

He fell silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, “Zoe, you’ve always been sensible. Why get hung up on something so small?”

“I’m not hung up,” I said evenly. “I just don’t want to settle.”

When he saw that I wouldn’t back down, something complicated flickered in his eyes. Then, his tone hardened, almost like a warning.

“Think it through carefully. Don’t you regret it.”

He was certain I couldn’t leave him. After all, he was a mafia underboss. There were countless people eager to take the position of Mrs. Willis, and I was nothing more than a minor employee at his company.

What he didn’t know was that I had never coveted the title of his wife. All I ever had for him was love. But now, that love was gone, and once I turned away, I would never look back again.

I turned around, went back to my room, and called my parents.

“Dad, Mom,” I said calmly, “I’ve thought it through. I’ll accept the family’s matchmaking plans.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before my parents spoke again, their voices hesitant.

“Zoe, are you sure?” Mom asked softly. “You spent three years pursuing him just to be with him. Are you ready to give that up?”

“I’ve made my decision,” I interrupted firmly.

Dad sighed before speaking with unmistakable relief, “Good. Your mother and I never thought that the underboss was reliable to begin with. He’s just a mid-level leader, yet so arrogant. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was the Don.”

Then, he continued, “Do you remember Julian Rossi? The mafia boss based in Florence, Italy?”

My phone buzzed as he sent me a photo. The man in it was tall and striking, with sharp features and an imposing presence.

I was surprised. I had met him before. He was Greg’s superior.

“When you were little, our families arranged a marriage between you two,” Dad explained. “But later, when you insisted on being with Greg, no matter how much we tried to talk you out of it, we had no choice but to put it on hold.

“Now that you’ve agreed,” he said decisively, “we’ll contact their family and start discussing the wedding immediately.”

My family was the world’s largest arms dealer, and I was one of the top investment experts in the financial world. Our status among the elite was unquestionable. However, for Greg’s sake, I had never once mentioned my background to him. I had tried to protect his pride, and that consideration became the very reason he looked down on me.

“Okay,” I said, nodding as I spoke to Dad.

Over the next few days, Greg gave me the full silent treatment. He blocked every way of contacting him. It was a tactic he used to control the situation as he was certain that I would be the one to give in first. Yet, this time, I didn’t want to bow down to him anymore.

A week later, it was Greg’s birthday. I hadn’t planned on going, but considering the delicate balance between my family and the mafia organizations, I decided to attend anyway to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Inside the private room, Greg sat at the head of the table. Sydney was seated right next to him, the two of them whispering to each other and smiling. I chose a seat in the corner and sat down quietly. I hadn’t brought a gift.

Greg scanned the room before his gaze finally landed on me. A knowing look crossed his face. He walked over, dressed in a black suit that made his presence sharp and commanding, as if everything was still under his control.

Stopping in front of me, he glanced at my empty hands, disappointment slipping into his tone.

“Zoe, did you forget what day it is?”

“No,” I replied, my eyes flicking briefly toward Sydney, who was half-hidden behind him.

“I just thought you had plenty of people celebrating with you.”

Sydney’s eyes instantly reddened. She twisted the hem of her dress nervously.

“Zoe, you’ve misunderstood,” she said softly. “I’m just Greg’s–”

“Just what?” I cut her off. “You’re just an assistant? Do assistants usually share food that they’ve bitten into with their boss?”

Whispers immediately filled the room. Several of Greg’s friends leaned toward each other, their looks sharp as knives.

“Here she goes again. Who’s she putting up the act for?”

“Exactly. Everyone knows she stood in the rain for three hours just to pursue Mr. Willis back then. And now she’s acting all high and mighty.”

“She’s not even his wife yet, and she’s already putting on airs. Does she really think she deserves him?”

Sydney’s tears fell as her body trembled. Greg immediately pulled her behind him, shielding her.

“She’s timid,” he said gently. “Don’t scare her.”

However, when he turned back to me, his expression turned icy.

“Zoe, have you had enough?”

I stood up and met his gaze head-on.

“Have I had enough?” I asked calmly. “Greg, ask yourself this. Everything she’s done these past few days… does that really look like just an assistant to you?”

“I-I’m just used to it,” Sydney sobbed harder. “After all, Greg and I grew up together. I never had any other intentions…”

People immediately gathered around her, offering tissues, patting her back, and glaring at me with open disgust.

“Does Zoe really think she’s that important? If she drives Mr. Willis away, won’t she still end up begging him to come back?”

“When has she ever been different? She talked so tough about canceling the engagement, yet here she is again.”

Greg’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he listened. He, too, believed that everything I said before had just been words spoken in anger and that I could never truly leave him.

When our eyes met, he only said coldly, “Zoe, that’s enough. Don’t make things harder for me.”

I didn’t bother arguing anymore. I grabbed my bag and turned to leave.

As I passed Sydney, she suddenly reached out and grabbed my arm.

“Zoe, please don’t go…” she sobbed. “This is all my fault. Don’t blame Greg…”

Annoyed, I tried to shake her off. Before I could do it, she suddenly collapsed onto the floor, crying even harder.

Gasps rang out around the room.

“Zoe!” Greg roared as he rushed forward to help her up. “This is too much!”