The plates had been cleared. The wine refilled. And despite the awkward current running under every smile, Rodrigo stood tall at the head of the table like a man who still thought he was in control.He lifted his champagne glass with flair. “To unity,” he declared, voice booming just slightly too loud. “To legacy. And to the future Mrs. Maxwell Costello, my daughter, Elizabeth.”Everyone paused mid-sip.Max didn’t stand.He didn’t smile either.Suzi was sitting smaller than ever, her shoulders curled in, her hands folded in her lap like she was praying not to exist.Max set his glass down gently.“Before we celebrate,” he said, his tone calm but slicing through the room like a blade, “I need to say something.”Antonio arched an eyebrow, and Valerie gave her son a measured glance.Max stood.He didn’t bother with theatrics. Just a slow inhale, then…“I’m not marrying Elizabeth.”Silence.“I’m sorry if that’s awkward,” Max added, scanning the table, “but I want to be clear. I won’t be m
The roast had gone cold by the time Rodrigo lifted his glass.“To new beginnings,” he said with forced enthusiasm. “And to the future union between our families.”Antonio nodded politely. Valerie smiled and clinked glasses with her son. Landon smirked behind his wine, and Daphne just watched it all like she was mentally noting who would survive if this dinner turned into a shootout.Max barely touched his plate.Across the table, Elizabeth looked pleased with herself. Her posture was perfect, her smile just shy of smug. “I assume you aren’t too thrilled about this arrangement,” she whispered to Max.Max raised an eyebrow. “Are you, Elizabeth?” he whispered back.Elizabeth shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what I think. Not when my father is a tyrant and my future husband is in the Mafia.”Max chuckled under his breath and looked around the table.There were six places set at the table. Six. No seventh chair. No forgotten plate. No one had even asked if they should wait for someone el
The black convoy pulled up to the Myers estate just past six. Polished, silent, and too expensive for the neighborhood.Rodrigo stood waiting in the doorway, his best smile slapped on like a mask. Irina hovered a few steps behind him, her hands clutched so tight the knuckles had gone white.Tonight was the night Elizabeth’s fate would be decided.From the first car, Antonio Costello stepped out, buttoning his jacket like he had all the time in the world. Next came his wife, Valerie, tall, elegant, and sharp-eyed. Landon followed, glancing around with a bored look, but the woman at his side, Daphne, watched everything. Even her smile looked like it came with a warning label.And then came Maxwell.He stepped from the second car like he didn’t belong to anyone but himself. Black slacks, dark shirt rolled to the elbows, and a gold chain that glinted just beneath his collar. His face gave away nothing. But his eyes…forest green, framed by lashes far too dark, looked around curiously.Rodr
The night before…Rodrigo Myers poured himself some scotch before noon. That wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was the third glass he set on the table, the one he wiped twice with a cloth that still had a dry-cleaning tag attached.Everything had to look clean today.He paced the sitting room, straightening things that didn’t need straightening, adjusting the curtains so the light would hit just right. There was no pretending the house was anything more than what it was, gaudy and cold, but Rodrigo tried anyway.Because Antonio Costello was coming.La Viperia.The name was never spoken above a whisper. The man himself even less. He’d built his empire with blood and charm, and not always in that order. Rodrigo had only met him once, years ago, in a dim cigar lounge where deals were made with nods instead of signatures.He owed Antonio more than money now. His debt had teeth.The front gates buzzed. Rodrigo checked his watch, exactly on time.He rushed to the door, a smile across his fac
The curtains were closed again.Suzi didn’t remember when she closed them last, or if it had been her at all. Maybe her mother had done it quietly while Rodrigo shouted at the housekeeper in the hall.Or maybe the wind had pushed them shut the way it sometimes did in this old house, as if even the weather understood shame.She sat cross-legged on the carpet in her room, an open sketchpad in her lap and charcoal dust on her fingertips. The page stared back at her, half-finished, like always. A single eye. A curl of hair. A mouth, slightly parted. The kind of face people might stop for. She always stopped before the rest of it came.Because she never knew how to draw the other side.Her hand paused near her cheek. The skin there always felt warmer. She didn’t need to look to know it was red today. It always flared up when she was nervous. Or sad. Or simply… breathing.She scratched lightly at the edge of her birthmark, then pulled her sleeve back down even though no one was watching.“S
One month later…Daphne stood by the window. She wore a soft gray knit sweater, paired with simple jeans and ankle boots. It was cute, casual, and approachable. Not intimidating. At least that was the goal.She adjusted her earrings. Then took them off. Then put them back on.Behind her, the bedroom door creaked open.“You look perfect,” Landon said, leaning in the frame like he’d been watching her fuss for longer than he’d admit.Daphne turned, caught his reflection over her shoulder. He was in a dark sweater and jeans, hair still damp from the shower, sleeves pushed up like he was born to make hearts stop. He didn’t look nervous. Of course, he didn’t. Landon Costello could charm a SWAT team if he wanted to.She, on the other hand, was sweating through her shirt.“I’m not panicking,” she said.He walked over slowly, that smug half-smile tugging at his mouth. “Didn’t say you were.”“They probably think I’m some tattooed criminal who kidnapped their son.”“Technically, you only kidnapp