The Principessa's Vow of Ruin

The night before our wedding, my fiancé, Julian Thorne—the Thorne family heir—demanded his mistress, Chloe, have a seat of honor at the main table.

To everyone's surprise, I calmly agreed. I even personally selected an evening gown for Chloe and let her take my place as his date at the pre-wedding party.

In my past life, my vehement objections led to Chloe’s “accidental” miscarriage, and Julian blamed me for it. He used my father’s port as a springboard, colluding with our enemies to seize control, and then stood by and did nothing as a heart attack took my father’s life.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the moment Julian was asking my father for access to the port.

This time, without the Valerius family's port, let's see how Julian Thorne carves out a place for himself in New York.

————————

1

"Papa, I agree to his arrangement."

The moment those words left my mouth, my father's expression instantly darkened.

The Valerius family was one of New York's Five Families, and I, an art restorer with a degree from Columbia, was the family's only Principessa.

Our wedding was an event everybody who was anybody in New York would attend; even the Don of the Reyes family in Miami—my godfather—was flying in for it.

This was not just a slap in my face; it was a blatant humiliation of the entire Valerius family.

Julian Thorne, however, was ecstatic.

"Cassia, I knew you'd understand. We grew up together, after all. You're the kindest woman I know, so I knew you'd be reasonable about Chloe."

"Don't worry, you'll always be the one I love most. Once this is over, she'll disappear quietly and won't be a problem."

I lowered my eyes, concealing the hatred that threatened to boil over.

The pained, desperate face of my father during his heart attack, his cold, stiff body—the scenes flashed before my eyes.

I stared at Julian's hypocritical face, fighting the urge to wring his neck with my own hands.

I smothered my murderous rage and forced a smile.

"It's just a seat. As long as you're happy, I don't care."

Julian froze, studying me with suspicion. "Cassia, you're not being sarcastic, are you? If you're really unhappy, then… then I'll tell Chloe she can't come. It will just be you and me."

He watched me, testing the waters, but I caught the flash of malice in his eyes.

He knew better than anyone what this marriage alliance meant to him.

His family's cash flow had long since dried up. One wrong move and the entire Thorne family would be torn to shreds by creditors and enemies.

To fill this enormous hole and survive the crisis, he had to rely on the Valerius family.

In both this life and the last, he was so bewitched by Chloe's pitiful, innocent act that he couldn't face the reality of his own desperation.

"Julian, we've known each other for so many years. Do I look like I'm angry?"

"You know I've loved you since we were kids. Marrying you is my dream come true. And I know you're only doing this out of sympathy for Chloe. You're so kind… it makes me proud."

A brilliant smile spread across Julian's face, and he grabbed my hand.