Chapter 01: The Mafia Don and I.

Austin, you’re a monster! You took everything from me. I loved you! But this is your payback? You’re going to kill me?"

The wind howled around us, a chilling force against my trembling body. I stood at the edge of the rooftop, my heart hammering in my chest as Austin towered over me, his once-familiar face now void of any emotion. The man I had loved, the man I had sworn my life to, was nothing more than a cold, calculating monster.

He held the gun with steady hands, his gaze sharp, unwavering. Behind him, his men stood like statues—silent, obedient, indifferent to the cruelty unfolding before them.

I should have seen it earlier—the way my family's empire crumbled piece by piece, the sudden deaths of my parents and siblings, the way Austin had always been there, pretending to pick up the pieces with me. It had all been a game. A carefully orchestrated plan to leave me vulnerable, alone.

And now, I was the last piece to be removed.

"You were so easy to manipulate," Austin mused, almost amused. "I didn’t even have to try that hard. You trusted me. You loved me. And look where that got you."

I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat, my hands instinctively going to my stomach—protecting the tiny life growing within me.

"If not for the baby, would you have at least spared me?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the wind.

His smirk deepened. "You’re too naive, Athena. This was never about emotions. You were just another piece on the chessboard, and now, you’re in my way."

The metallic click of the gun’s safety being released sent ice through my veins.

"Austin, please—"

The gunshot echoed through the night.

A sharp, searing pain erupted in my chest, stealing my breath away. My body jerked backward, the force of the bullet sending me over the edge.

The world tilted.

The wind roared in my ears.

Falling.

Falling.

A strange calm settled over me as the cold night sky blurred into darkness. Was this death? Would it end like this?

But something was wrong.

The darkness wasn’t empty. It wasn’t the abyss of nothingness I had expected. Instead, a strange sensation washed over me, like being submerged in warm water, a weightlessness pulling me in every direction. I felt… suspended.

Then—

A sound.

A voice.

Soft at first, then growing louder, familiar.

"Athena, hold still, they need to adjust your dress!"

I gasped.

Air rushed into my lungs as I jolted upright, my body surging forward. My hands grasped at soft fabric—satin? My heart pounded wildly as I took in my surroundings.

White. Flowers. Chandeliers.

The scent of lilies and roses.

A mirror stood before me, reflecting my wide, terrified eyes.

I was back in my wedding dress.

Breath hitching, I lifted trembling fingers to my chest, expecting to feel the wet warmth of blood. Nothing. No bullet wound. No pain. Just the erratic thumping of my heart.

No. No, this isn’t possible.

My gaze darted to the vanity table beside me. My phone. My hands shook as I grabbed it, unlocking the screen.

February 14th.

The day of my wedding.

The day everything went wrong.

I jerked my head up, my breath shallow. The same room. The same scent. The same people.

A sudden gasp drew my attention.

A waitress, her tray tilting—

The sharp crash of glass.

Juice spilling onto a guest’s expensive suit.

Exactly as it had happened before.

I sucked in a shaky breath, my fingers gripping the table for support.

This wasn’t a dream.

This wasn’t some strange illusion.

Time had reset.

The realization hit me like a tidal wave, cold and unforgiving. My pulse pounded in my ears as my mind raced, piecing together the impossible.

If I was truly back in the past, then I still had time.

I still had a chance.

My stomach twisted as Austin's face flashed in my mind—the man who had destroyed me, killed me. He was waiting for me downstairs, ready to recite the same vows, to pull me into his trap once again.

I needed to get out.

I pushed away from the vanity, ignoring the startled calls of my bridesmaids. My legs moved on their own, my body fueled by a singular thought—escape.

But then I hesitated.

Running wasn’t an option.

Austin’s family was too powerful. If I fled, they would find me.

I needed something stronger.

Someone more powerful than Austin.

And then I saw him.

Kael Visconti.

Standing tall, exuding an aura of quiet authority, Kael Visconti was a man whose mere presence commanded attention. A tycoon, a billionaire—his name alone sent whispers through elite circles, but it wasn’t just his wealth that made him feared. There were rumors, dark and persistent, that the Visconti family wasn’t just powerful in business but had ties to something far more dangerous. Some claimed they were the unseen force controlling the city's underworld, their influence stretching into places no law could reach. And at the center of it all was Kael Visconti himself—the rumored mafia don.

But that was just it—a rumor. There was no proof, no scandal, no single piece of solid evidence that could pin him to the criminal empire people whispered about in hushed voices. If the Viscontis truly held such power, they had kept their tracks meticulously clean. No arrests, no leaks, no betrayals. Just an empire so vast and untouchable that people couldn’t help but speculate what lurked beneath its pristine surface.

But no one had proof.

Not even Arabella, his fiancée.

She believed Kael was nothing more than a business opportunity, a perfect match to elevate her status. But I knew better. In my past life, I had learned the hard way that Arabella and Austin were accomplices. They had worked together to destroy my family.

But this time, I wasn’t walking blindly into my fate.

This time, I would fight back.

I moved toward Kael, but his security intercepted me immediately.

His guards weren’t just ordinary bodyguards. Their posture, their silent intensity—it sent a chill through me. They were more than hired protection.

Kael lifted a hand, signaling them to let me through. His sharp, calculating gaze locked onto mine.

"Ms. Wilder," he greeted smoothly. "Quite the sight to see the bride running toward me on her wedding day."

There was a glint of amusement in his tone, but his expression remained unreadable.

I steadied my breath. "We need to talk."

His brow arched slightly. "This is neither the time nor place. And considering you’re moments away from exchanging vows with another man, I doubt your groom would approve."

He turned to leave, dismissing me.

I took a step forward, voice low but firm.

"It’s about Arabella."

That made him pause.

I swallowed hard. "She’s not coming."

His piercing gaze studied me, searching for deception. When he found none, a slow, knowing smile touched his lips.

"Interesting."

Without another word, he motioned for me to follow.

As we walked away from the crowd, my resolve solidified.

I wasn’t the same naive woman who had walked down the aisle blindly.

Not anymore.

This time, I wouldn’t be the victim.

This time, I would take control.