The first deaths I witnessed were those of my parents. They were shot dead in front of my eyes, slaughtered by the men who broke into our house. At that time, I was only five years old.
I didn’t remember everything clearly, just the sound of gunshots, screams, and blood running down the wooden floor. We had just moved into the house a few days before the tragedy happened. I knew no one, belonged to no one.
Years later, I lived by stealing food to survive. I wandered the streets, learning how the world worked in the most brutal of ways. Until I met Max Nolan.
Back then, I tried to break into his car—a stupid decision that would have killed me if he hadn’t seen something in me. Instead of finishing me off, he offered me something even more dangerous: a place in his pack.
I learned to fight, to kill, to survive. But deep down, I never wanted to be trapped in this dirty world forever. I just didn't have a choice.
Or at least, that's what I thought.
Back then, I thought I was used to losing-I thought I was numb. Until this day came. The day I felt the warmth inside my body disappear.
The day I lost my child.
I never got to see their face. Never got to hear their first cry.
All that was left was emptiness.
As if something inside me had been forcibly ripped out, leaving an emptiness nothing could fill.
And now, before me, stood a man far more dangerous than anyone I had ever met. Stilliam Albert Nostra.
Marrying him doesn’t just mean losing my freedom—it means being shackled for life. But dying is not an option either. Not now. Not before I finish what I started.
Not before I make Wisley and Rachel pay for what they’ve done.
I took a deep breath, calming myself. I must not falter. There was no time to cry. Not in front of this man.
So, I smiled-thinly, coldly, like someone considering an attractive offer.
"I didn't expect a man like you to be interested in someone like me," I said, trying to buy time.
Stilliam looked at me expressionlessly. "You underestimate yourself, Cassie."
I chuckled. "Or maybe I just don’t want to be deceived again."
His thin smile did not fade. "I'm not Wisley."
My heart sank. How did he know about Wisley?
Stilliam leaned in, too close for me to feel the heat of his breath. "I know more about you than you realize."
I refrained from reacting.
"Do you really want me to marry you, Stilliam?" I lifted my chin, looking at him straight on. "Or is this just another game to see how long I can last?"
His eyes narrowed, there was something there-interest, perhaps. He liked a challenge. He liked that I didn't immediately submit to him.
"You can think of it as a game," he said softly. "But remember, Cassie... I always win."
I clenched my fists. I wasn't going to let myself lose.
If I wanted to survive-if I wanted to get back at Wisley-I had to play this game better than anyone else.
I took a deep breath before uttering the words that would change my life forever.
"Alright." I smiled faintly. "I will marry you, Stilliam."
For now.
***
I thought Stilliam would give me time to adjust. I was wrong.
The next day, I was moved to a spacious room in the Nostra mansion. There were no more chains on my hands, but the guard was still tight. Two men stood outside the door, making sure I wouldn't go anywhere without permission.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was still Cassie Moonstone, but the reflection in front of me felt like a stranger.
I touched the locket around my neck-the only thing from my past that I still had.
My hands were shaking.
I should have worn this on my finger while holding my child. I shouldn't have been alone.
But in fact, I'm here. Alone. Again.
The door to my room opened without a knock. I didn't need to turn around to know who came. Stilliam.
"I hope you slept well," he said lightly.
I looked at him through the mirror. "No, I didn't. It was like sleeping in a nest of snakes."
He chuckled, stepping closer to stand directly behind me. I could see our reflections in the mirror—me, a bird in a golden cage, and him, the one holding the key.
"Our wedding will take place in a week."
I held my breath. That soon?
"You're in a hurry," I muttered.
"I don't like delaying things that are certain."
I wanted to laugh. Of course I did. In the world of Stilliam Albert Nostra, his wishes were the law.
I turned to face him, looking into his cold, controlling eyes. "Why me?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if not understanding my question.
"There were many women who wanted to be queen by your side. But you chose me-a woman who killed your men. That is not a reasonable choice."
Stilliam was silent for a moment, then bowed his head slightly, as if to reveal something.
"You're not just a choice," he finally said. "You're fate."
My heart skipped a beat.
Not because his words sounded romantic. But because I didn't know if it was a good or bad sign.
***
I didn't recognize the reflection in the mirror.
Normally, I only wear practical dark clothes-something that makes it easy for me to fight, escape, or kill.
But today, I was wearing a white satin dress.
I was the bride of a mafia king.
I touched the locket around my neck, gripping it tightly.
"If I can't be a mother to my child..."
I swallowed, holding back the sting that crept into my throat.
"At the very least, I can be someone strong enough to get back at them."
The sound of a knock on the door distracted me. But before I could answer, the door opened, and someone lunged at me with a sharp dagger.
I instantly moved, dodging the attack. This damn dress impeded my movement.
I barely dodged as the dagger slid swiftly towards my stomach.
My stomach.
The place where my child should be.
My reflexes moved faster than my mind—my hands shot up, protecting something that no longer existed. The emptiness hit me harder than any attack.
Until the sound of a gunshot woke me up.
The person collapsed in front of me, blood beginning to flood the marble floor.
"That dress looks good on you."
The cold voice made me turn my head.
Stilliam stood in the doorway, dressed in an elegant black suit, his eyes sharp as the dagger that almost killed me earlier.
He fiddled with the pistol in his hand as if nothing had happened. "It would be nice if there were no bloodstains. Clean this corpse," he continued to an aide next to him.
I snorted, trying to calm my breathing. "I'd prefer something that doesn't restrict my movements when I'm about to be killed."
Stilliam smiled a little, but there was something in his gaze that I couldn't quite decipher. "She was Hector's lover." His eyes stared at the corpse before me. "It won't happen again," he continued as he stepped closer.
I looked at him sharply. "Are you sure? I seem to have a lot of people who want to see me dead."
He raised his hand, touching the pendant around my neck with his fingers.
"I won't let that happen," he said softly.
My chest and throat felt tight.
I didn't know if it was because of the threat I'd just been through—or because of the way he said it, as if I were something precious.
But I couldn't let myself get trapped any further.
This marriage is a double-edged sword. I don't know what Stilliam wants from me. But I do know one thing-
I cannot die.
No, I won't.
I will avenge everything.
I will make sure Wisley feels the same pain—no, worse.
As much as I once loved him, I will avenge them, even if I have to sell my soul to the devil.
I wasn't afraid, because I had already lost all my precious possessions.
I lifted my chin. "Then, we have to make sure this wedding goes smoothly, don't we?"
Stilliam smiled wryly. "Oh, that's for sure, my wife."
My heart was racing.
Cassie Moonstone, you've just declared war.
And this war has just begun.
