Trading Souls to the Mafia King

Cassie POV

I trusted him more than anyone else. Now, he was pointing a gun at my head, as if I never meant anything to him.

The rain poured down heavily, slapping my face like a blow of humiliation from the sky.

I looked up, staring into his eyes—eyes that were once filled with a warm glow, now looked cold and heartless.

"Why, Wisley?" My voice was barely audible amidst the sound of the rain and my frantic heartbeat in the midst of this surprise attack.

In fact, earlier I had refused to do this mission; I wanted to quit. But, he convinced me by promising that this was the last mission we would do together, after which we would leave the group and start a new life.

Right... the last mission he said was true, but I wasn't sure about the sentence after that. Start a new life? Did he mean with the woman beside him?

My mind went back to the incident a few weeks ago...

"The world is too dirty for a child, Cassie," Wisley said back then, sitting on the edge of the bed with a cigarette tucked in his fingers. "I'm not even sure we can last long, let alone bring a child into it."

I swallowed, trying to hide my disappointed expression.

"I just thought... it would be nice if we could live a normal life." My voice sounded small, almost drowned out by the sound of the rain outside.

"I want a normal life too," he replied, his brown irises fixed on me, I could see the warmth there, he was trying to comfort me. "I promised you that we would get out. But for the presence of a child we can't. Not now."

I wanted to tell him. That I was pregnant with our child. That I had seen two lines on the test pack this morning. But the words just evaporated on the tip of my tongue.

I waited. I believed in his promise.

That this was the last mission.

After this, we would come out of the underworld and live happily, like any normal couple.

But now, in the middle of the endless rain, I stood before him with the muzzle of a gun pressed against my forehead.

My gaze shifted to the woman beside Wisley.

Rachel Frances.

The daughter of the owner of Europe's largest drug cartel. She was supposed to be dead tonight—the last target before Wisley and I could leave the group and start a new life.

But she was still here. Standing elegantly in her kneelength white dress, contrasting with my disheveled appearance, her fingers wrapped in long lace gloves held the umbrella elegantly, while her other hand was perched on Wisley's arm. As if signaling ownership.

I wanted to be angry.

I wanted to scream, to ask what this was all about.

"So, everything was a lie?" But I could only whisper while looking away from Wisley.

Wisley looked at me without emotion. "I didn't know the target of our mission this time was Rachel," he said. "I can't kill a woman carrying my child."

His confession pierced me deeper than any bullet he could have fired into my head.

I was struck, but more than that, I didn't understand.

"I..." My voice choked. "I thought you didn't want children."

However, my mind went back to the day I had accidentally found Wisley's little notebook. Rachel Frances—I had obviously heard that name before. Why didn’t I realize it? No wonder it didn’t sound familiar when I received this mission.

I obviously knew. Wisley's first love was a woman named Rachel, they loved each other until Rachel's whereabouts were declared missing. I thought his first love had died. But I finally understood, life as the daughter of a drug cartel owner made her have to move around.

But that had nothing to do with destroying my happiness. She definitely left Wisley back then. But now? She's back with his child?

I almost laughed. So that's the reason? That's what made him side with Rachel and betray me?

I wanted to ask, what about my child? Our child?

But I swallowed back the words. There was no point.

Because more than that, I was too hurt to realize that Wisley was sleeping with another woman.

Was it because she was the daughter of the biggest drug cartel owner?

The woman we were supposed to kill?

Wisley would live safely with her, even with a child.

But me?

I'm alone.

There was no guarantee of protection for me. There was no safe place for me to give birth to this child.

What hurt even more was that Wisley was looking at me with a disgusted expression.

"Don't think I don't know, Cassie," he said coldly. "You slept with Max Nolan, right?"

I stared at him, unable to believe what I had just heard.

Max Nolan. Our boss. The fortyfiveyearold man who was more my father than my cheating partner.

I chuckled, almost choking on the sting that was building in my chest.

"You're such an asshole," I muttered.

Rachel suddenly took a step back, her fingers gripping Wisley's arm as if I could strike her at any moment. Her eyes were rounded, filled with pretense.

"Honey, I'm scared," she whispered, her voice trembling dramatically. "What if she attacks me? I'm carrying your child in my stomach..."

My blood boiled.

Rachel saw me as a threat, even though she was the one who had taken everything from me.

I bit my lip, restraining myself from breaking her manipulative smile.

Rachel clung even tighter to Wisley, tilting her face up with a pleading expression. "Kill her now, darling."

Without hesitation, Wisley raised his gun.

A click soundedthe bullet was loaded in the barrel.

"Goodbye, Cassie."

I closed my eyes.

Not because I was afraid of dying.

But because for the first time, I realized... I had loved the wrong person.

I wanted to scream, but I was too broken to make a sound. In fact, I wanted to laugh because of how ironic this was.

I was pregnant with his child. But he chose another woman who was also pregnant.

However, the gunshot that rang out did not come from Wisley’s gun.

Instantly, the atmosphere became chaotic.

I heard footsteps approaching, then a familiar voice echoed through the rain.

"Put down your weapons, or I'll take all three of you out."

I recognized the voice before I even saw him.

Thomas Alison.

Max Nolan's righthand man. The man who never hesitated to finish off anyone who betrayed the group. He came with several of his confidants.

I saw Wisley step back, his eyes widening, while Rachel let out a small squeal.

"Damn," Wisley whispered softly.

"I finally found you guys." Thomas' voice was deep and sharp, echoing through the rain. His eyes circled the three of us with a look full of contempt. "I thought who would be stupid enough to stab the group in the back, turns out it's you, Cassie... Wisley."

My heart pounded.

I should have known. Wisley had not only betrayed me, but also our group.

But why did Thomas mention my name too?

"Stop talking nonsense, Thomas."

Thomas just chuckled. "Nonsense?" He shifted his gaze to me for a moment, then back to Wisley. "I'll skip the pleasantries. Where is that document?"

I frowned. What documents?

Thomas grinned. "Don't play dumb. You two stole an important group document. And planned to hand it over to Frances, didn’t you?"

I was stunned. "What? I didn't"

"Don't be stupid, Cassie." Wisley suddenly cut me off. "Thomas won't believe you."

I turned to him, looking for any other signs of a lie that I might not have caught yet.

But before I could digest the situation, Wisley glanced back at me and said, "I don't know. Maybe Cassie brought it."

I turned to him in shock. What?!

But I didn't have time to speak. Because the next second, everything happened so fast.

Wisley suddenly yanked Rachel behind him and shouted, "Rachel, run!"

Rachel ran, and I caught a glimpse of her triumphant grin before she vanished into the darkness.

Wisley chose to save Rachel and left me behind.

Anger and hurt burned in my chest, but before I could do anything, I could see Thomas' gaze on me turn darker, sharper. I could see the anger stored there.

"So this is your partnership? Max paired you two for this mission because he believed in your cooperation. Apparently, he wasn’t wrong—but he wasn’t right either," he said, his voice now lowermore dangerous.

I shook my head hard. "I don't know anything about that document! I"

"Shut up."

I saw Thomas raise his gun againand this time, the muzzle was pointed at me.

I froze before taking a step back.

"Thomas, I don't"

BANG!

A muffled scream escaped my lips as searing pain shot through my arm. I turned aroundblood was starting to seep from my shirt, mixing with the rainwater.

I'm... shot.

My heart is racing. I had to escape.

With all my might, I turned and ran, despite the pain radiating through my body.

I heard Thomas shouting orders for his men to chase me, but I didn't care.

Before, I didn't really care if I died at Wisley's hands; when he pointed a gun at me, I was too shocked and beaten to fight back.

But now I realize, this child in my belly is innocent.

I must protect it.

I must live.

Limping, I entered the apartment I used to call home. My breathing was heavy, blood flowed from the wound on my arm, and my body felt weaker and weaker.

I just hope they don't think they can find me here, because I need to get here first before going anywhere.

This place was already falling apart. I can smell the gun smoke and the trail of destruction Thomas' men left behind.

It seemed like they had come here first to search for the documents Thomas mentioned earlier, before finally tracking down Wisley and me when they didn’t find them.

I stepped into the bedroom. The first thing I saw was the wideopen wardrobe, its contents disheveled.

I didn't have much time to ponder. Quickly, I opened the drawer of the bedside table.

My fingers trembled as I found what I was looking fora small black box hidden under a pile of old documents.

I opened it.

Two silver rings glittered inside.

I held my breath.

I remembered finding them in Wisley's drawer a few weeks ago. He always said that after the last mission, we would get out of this world and live a normal life.

I was stupid. I believed it. I had even imagined what life with Wisley would be like in a more peaceful world.

But now I realized, it was all a lie.

My hand trembled as I picked up the ring. Instead of throwing them away, I took a thin chain from another drawer and slipped both rings into it.

I stare at them for a moment before draping them around my neck.

I wasn't going to wear them on my fingers like I had imagined. No, I would keep them hereright on my chest, as a reminder.

Every second of Wisley's betrayal will always be with me.

I forced myself up, grabbed a small backpack, and stuffed it with a few essentials—a fake passport, emergency cash, and the small knife Wisley had given me.

I touched the handle, then without hesitation slipped it under my jacket.

Wisley probably thinks I'm dead. But I'm still here.

I ran through the dark alley behind a rundown hotel—a place where no one asked for my identity as long as I had the cash.

The receptionist only gave me a quick glance as I threw a few bills onto the counter.

The small room I was staying in only had a rickety bed, a sink with a cracked mirror, and an old wooden table.

I locked the door, took a deep breath, then sat on the floor with my back against the wall. My hands trembled as I pulled a small knife from my jacket.

I tried to tilt my body while raising my shot arm. My breath catches as the tip of the knife touches the skin, then stabs slowly.

Heat ran through my arm. I bit my lip, holding back a scream.

Flashes of the past hit me.

Back then, it was Wisley who sat beside me just like this. His hands worked swiftly as he pulled the bullet from my body, his eyes filled with worry.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again," he said back then, his voice trembling. "I swear I'll kill the bastard who did this to you."

And he kept his promise. He killed for me.

Back then, that Wisley was mine.

But now, he accused me of treason. Accusing me of having an affair.

Now, he was the one who stuck the knife in my back.

I opened my eyes, coming back to reality. My hands trembled as I poured vodka over the wound.

The pain is excruciating.

My body trembled, my vision blurred, and before I knew it, everything went dark.

I could see Wisley looking at me with a small grin, holding out a piece of chocolate he had stolen from the convenience store.

"Don't tell me you still have doubts about us," he said, his eyes full of his signature confidence.

I accepted the chocolate, even though I knew we shouldn't be here. We had a darker world to live ina world that demanded we trust no one.

But back then, I wanted to think that Wisley was an exception. That maybe, just maybe, with him I could find something more than just survival.

"If I leave," I whispered, "will you come with me?"

He didn't answer. Just smiled faintly before pulling me into his warm embrace.

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that all of this was real.

However, the memories suddenly fell apart. His warm gaze turned cold. His smile faded away. In an instant, the sweet chocolate in my hand turned into a gun pressed against my forehead.

"Why, Wisley?"

I jerked awake.

Sunlight streamed through the small window of this cheap room, piercing my eyes.

Breathing heavily, cold sweat beaded down my neck. My chest rose and fell rapidly, as if my lungs refused to accept that I was still alive.

The pain in my arm was still there—sharp and piercing. My lips were dry, my body limp.

But that's not what's bothering my mind right now.

The damn dream!

I take a deep breath.

Hormones. It must just be the pregnancy hormones.

I'm not an emotional person. I've survived this far with a cool head, running away from their pursuit, suppressing all the fear and pain as if it wasn't mine.

But now?

I suddenly feel... homesick.

Stupid.

My hand touches my stillflat stomach. I couldn't feel him yet, but I knew he was there. The little heart that beats at the same time as mine.

Wisley's child.

Was I supposed to tell him?

I bite my lip. I knew this was a bad idea. Wisley wasn't someone I could trust. Not after everything that happened. Not after I saw him with Rachel.

But still...

I reach into the bag on the side of the bed, pulling out the disposable cell phone I keep for emergencies.

This wasn't an emergency. I knew that.

But why did I still turn it on?

My hands tremble as I type in a number I don't even need to see anymore. I could just throw this phone away right now, go back to my plan, disappear without a trace like I should. But my fingers are already moving faster than my brain.

The first ring.

I can turn it off now. I can still

Second ring.

Shit.

Third ring.

I hold my breath.

Click.

Someone picked it up.

My words tumbled out without me being able to stop them. "Wisley, I'm carrying your child"

The female laughter on the other side sounded light, almost playful, but enough to make my entire body tense up.

It wasn't Wisley who picked up the call.

"Cassie, dear... do you really want to tell him?"

Rachel.

My blood froze.

My hand gripped the phone tighter.

"Where's Wisley?" my voice was hoarse.

"Taking a shower," she replied casually. "Should I tell him to come out?"

I held my breath.

Rachel giggled. "I want to confess something to you. I actually never carried Wisley's child. I only said that so he wouldn't kill me. I loved him. I didn't want him to leave. And you know what's even funnier? We met a month ago... alcohol makes things easier, you know?"

I felt something hit my chest.

"You're lying."

Rachel giggled again. "The funny thing is, Wisley believed me."

My heart skipped a beat.

"He said you're not like me," Rachel sighed contentedly. "Not as pretty as me. Not as graceful as me. He could never even imagine you wearing a dress like me. Oh, and one more thing..."

I heard her sly laughter before she lowered her voice.

"I still remember the look on his face when he saw the photos of you and Max Nolan."

I gripped the phone tighter. "What...?"

Rachel laughed. "That photo was very real, Cassie. Do you know how easy it is to make a man like him believe?"

I hung up instantly, throwing the phone across the room as if it could erase the fact that I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.

I shouldn't have called.

Three days and three nights I've been hiding in this hotel while waiting for my body condition to improve, but I need to see the situation outside.

Finally, tonight I forced myself out. I wore a black hoodie, hiding my face as far as possible.

As I walked through the city, slipping into dark alleys, something made me stop.

It was a flyer taped to the corner of a wall.

My blood froze.

My face.

Big and clear.

And next to it, Wisley's face.

"Fugitive," it said in large letters. "Dangerous. Report if you see them."

I bit my lip. No wonder the streets felt more dangerous tonight. Not just the police, but the underworld was after me.

Max Nolan has connections with the higherups. As long as I was a member of the group, the police would turn a blind eye to the crimes Nolan ordered.

But now? Nolan considers me a traitor. That means I'm not only being hunted by the law, but also by bounty hunters who want to extract a huge reward from Nolan.

They want my head. They want Wisley's too.

But I knew the difference.

They wanted Wisley alive.

They wanted me dead.

I took a deep breath, stroking my still flat stomach.

No one can catch me.

I must continue to survive.

But just as I turned into a dark alley to head for the secret locker storing my spare weapons, something else caught my eyea group of men stood in the corner, talking in low tones.

Their gazes were directed at me, and then I realized something that made my heart beat faster.

They weren't just looking.

They recognized me.

Before I could react, a hand grabbed my arm from behind.

"Shit," I muttered.

"Look who's still breathing," the voice mocked.

I didn't recognize them. But I knew that they weren't Thomas's men, probably crazier peoplebounty executors or bounty hunters.

"Max Nolan wants you taken dead or alive," one of them approached, the muzzle of a gun pointed at my forehead. "But if you resist, we can have some fun first, right?"

I didn't answer. I waited.

When he was close enough, I made my move.

My hand snatched the gun, twisting his wrist in the wrong direction. He screamed as he heard a crack. Quickly, I thrust the knife into his stomach, twisting roughly before pulling it out.

Blood spurted onto my face. He staggered, then fell.

"Damn it, she killed Hector," one of them hissed.

I didn't have time to process the incident when someone slammed into my stomach from the side.

Something worse happened.

Excruciating pain radiated through my body. I screamed.

Then, everything went dark.

But before I lost consciousness completely, I heard something.

"Are we taking him to Max Nolan?" someone asked.

"No," another voice replied.

I felt my hands being cuffed.

Then, the voice came again.

"Our mission isn’t just to capture her. Frances wants to make sure she loses the baby first."

My blood froze.

Rachel.

This was all her doing.

But before I could process everything, another voice spokecolder, more menacing.

"She killed one of Nostra's men. Let's just turn her over to Stilliam."

I knew that name.

Anyone who worked in the underworld would know Stilliam's name.

I woke up not to pain, but to the sound of approaching footsteps—rhythmic, steady, and eerie.

I tried to move, but my body was restricted by the chains that bound my wrists and legs.

The sound grew closer, then the door opened with a bang, letting a sharp light hit my eyes.

I looked up, trying to focus on the figure that appeared in the doorway.

A man stood there, his body erect and his aura of power so strong it almost felt like physical pressure.

I knew who he was.

Stilliam Albert Nostra.

Compared to Thomasnonot even compared to Max Nolan... this man was far more dangerous.

His name alone was enough to make anyone in the underworld tremble in fear. The leader of the Nostra family, who was said to have no qualms about taking out anyone who got in his way.

He was known not only as a mobster, but also a king who ruled the dark world with cruelty and deceit.

His sharp eyes looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"So, you killed Hector?" His voice was low and firm, as if the question was just a formality. "Cassie Moonstone. The traitor who managed to get everyone's attention."

He approached, his steps calm and powerful, as if this underworld belonged to him.

I tried to look at him, even though I was bound and full of wounds. Cold sweat ran down my forehead, but I tried not to show my fear.

If there's one thing I've learned from this world, it's to endure pretending not to be afraid of people who should be afraid of you.

But then I realized.

Something was wrong with my body.

My lower abdomen felt empty. Not just the pain of torture, but deeper than thatit was as if a part of me had simply disappeared.

My bound hands reflexively clenched into fists. Memories began to return like shards of glass piercing my mind.

Blood.

I remember the blood.

I remember the pain that radiated so violently before I lost consciousness.

I remember how I held my stomach, how fear wrapped my body as I knew something precious was being taken away from me.

I lost my child.

My chest tightened, as if my lungs refused to function. I wanted to scream, wanted to curse the world, wanted to let this grief out in any way.

But I couldn't.

I was still bound. Still in his presence.

Stilliam assessed me from top to bottom, like a predator observing its prey before tearing it apart.

"I didn't kill him on purpose," I said hoarsely, trying to defend myself.

Stilliam laughed softly, as if hearing an unfunny joke. "Then what makes you feel like someone worth living for?" he asked in a sharp tone.

I looked at him deeply. Horror began to creep into me.

"I was just defending myself from the person who tried to kill me. I can't just stand by when someone is ready to point a gun at me."

Stilliam looked at me, then smiled faintlya smile that didn't make me feel safe. "You're interesting, Cassie Moonstone. Not many people can escape from the underworld with so many people wanting to kill you."

I swallowed.

Of all the things that happened, of all the losses I experienced, this is what he still cares about?

"I could kill you right now," he said, walking closer. "But I won't."

Then what will you do to me?

The question was stuck in my throat, but Stilliam had already answered it first.

"You have two choices, Cassie Moonstone," he said softly, but clearly. "Marry me... or die."

My blood almost froze when I heard those words.

I stared at the man I feared the most, hoping that I had just misheard. But no. His gaze remained cold, sharp, as if he had just offered a nonnegotiable business deal.

I should have prepared myself mentally for the worst—torture, interrogation, even execution. But marriage?

I chuckled, bitterly, more to myself. "You're joking, right?"

Stilliam didn't answer right away. He simply crouched in front of me, his cold fingers outstretched, lifting my chin gently. The touch felt like another shackle on my body.

"I never joke," he said softly, almost a whisper.

My heart beat so fast that I feared he could hear it.

I could see his eyes more closely nowblack, deep, mysterious. There was no sign of tenderness there. No hatred either. Just an attraction that made me feel even more trapped.

"I could kill you right now," he continued in a tone so calm it was as if he was discussing the weather. "But I won't."

I swallowed, trying to control my raging thoughts.

"Why?" I asked, trying to understand his game.

A faint smile was etched on his face. "Because I've been watching you for a long time, Cassie Moonstone."

I froze.

What do you mean?

Stilliam didn't answer directly. Instead, he stood up and walked around the chair I was tied to, like a tiger circling its prey.

"You caught my attention a long time ago," he finally said. "And now that you're here, I see this as an opportunity."

I felt as if I'd fallen into a trap I never even realized was there.

Marriage? To a man whose very name made the underworld tremble?

This wasn't a choice; this was an ultimatum.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and images of Wisley filled my headhis sweet promises, his soft words, then his betrayal.

I foolishly believed that he would marry me. But in the end, he went off with another woman, leaving me behind like trash that was no longer useful.

And now, another man offers marriage. Not with the promise of love. Not with happiness. But with threats.

I raised my face, looking at Stilliam with all the strength I had left in me.

"And if I refuse?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Stilliam smiled, but that smile was anything but reassuring. "You know the answer, Cassie."

I bit my lip, trying to control the tremors in my body.

I lost my child.

I lost my future.

Now I have to lose my freedom too?

Do I really have a choice?

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 losingI 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 smiledthinly, 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 thereinterest, 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 surviveif I wanted to get back at WisleyI 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 neckthe 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 mea 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 clothessomething 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 doubleedged 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.

Warm... I could smell the soft fragrance in my arms. My eyes were too heavy to check what I was hugging. It was too cozy.

"Cassie?"

However, along with that voice calling my name, I could also hear the sound of glass shattering into pieces, my eyes instantly opened to search for that person... the voice of someone I knew very well. Wisley ....

But it wasn't Wisley I saw—just a black wall full of holes. I fell into the darkness. There was no feeling of comfort like before, the smooth and soft thing I was hugging before was also nowhere to be found.

"It's all your fault Cassie, why didn't you tell me sooner when you found out you were pregnant?"

Wisley's voice filled my ears again, but I couldn't see where he was at all, my body was still being pulled by gravity, my mind was in turmoil.

"You lost it, Cassie. You killed our child." Wisley's voice was getting clearer.

In fear and confusion I stroked my flat stomach, I shook my head violently as the memory of the blood came back, when I lost my child.

I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, sweat dripping down my temples. I tried my best to push the bad memories away.

"No... Don't..." I mumbled to get rid of the scene that kept repeating itself. I... Didn't even get to hold my baby's tiny hand, and I had already lost it.

"Right, it's all your fault, your fault Cassie ...." Wisley's cold voice came back.

Somehow the oxygen supply in this place was getting thinner the longer I resisted the fact that I had lost my baby.

"Mom, I... It's okay."

Time seemed to stand still as the little girl's voice rang out. I gasped. My eyes fully opened and the first thing I saw was the face of someone I didn't expect to be sleeping right in front of me.

"You had a bad dream," Stilliam said as he wiped the sweat from my temples.

My previously ragged breathing began to stabilize as I realized the current situation.

That's right, after the wedding reception ceremony this afternoon, tonight I had officially become the bride of the Mafia King. I don't know when I fell asleep, I should have stayed alert, especially after the assassination attempt this morning.

My eyes immediately fell on Stilliam who was still faithfully wiping the sweat off my face.

'I should also be wary of this man,' I thought.

"Why? Falling for me already?" Stilliam asked without taking his gaze off my temple.

I immediately dismissed his hand and stomped backwards.

Stilliam chuckled, I didn't get a good feeling from that laugh.

"On the first day you said you couldn't sleep comfortably because it was like sleeping in a snake's nest. Today I thought you wouldn't let your guard down, but after the party was over I suddenly found you fast asleep in our bed," Stilliam said while emphasizing the word 'our bed' at the end of the sentence.

"Don't mock me," I said while giving him a sharp look.

Stilliam just shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I originally wasn't going to touch you until you were willing to give yourself to me. When I saw that you were already asleep, I was about to go to the other room, but you pulled my hand and hugged me very tightly," he explained with a flat expression but somehow I was very offended to hear it.

"Then you don’t mind if we sleep in separate beds, do you?" I asked.

"Are you kidding me? You've held me hostage for most of the night in your arms. Take responsibility," he said.

This guy really knows how to piss someone off in an annoying way.

But my gaze accidentally fell on the scars on his muscular body wrapped in the satin fabric of the robe he was wearing.

Stilliam seemed to notice my gaze. "It's already 2am, but are you still interested in spending the first night as a couple."

I looked back at him sharply.

This man seems to enjoy it, he likes to see me lose my temper because of his actions.

"Why? Isn't it natural as a married couple to spend the night together?" This time he spoke right next to my ear, I could even feel the warmth of his breath brushing against my neck. Damn it I didn't notice his movement, since when did he come closer?

I slammed him into the mattress hard, it was a reflex movement I often did when fighting. As someone who had been a hitman, I clearly knew that this man was on a different level.

However, in just a split second Stilliam managed to turn the tables, his movements were so fast, in an instant I was already in his cage.

"You really want us to do it?" He asked with a faint grin, there was no predatory look like he had done to me during our first meeting, but this situation annoyed me many times over. Would my life still be saved if I hit him in the face just once?

No, it wouldn't. I had to hold back.

"The last thing I remember is putting on my nightgown, then taking a sip of water from that glass, after that, I don't remember anything," I said simply while pointing at the glass on the nightstand beside the bed.

Stilliam raised one eyebrow.

"It seems like a small insect has dared to enter the lion's cage," Stilliam muttered while staring at the glass that was already half full. "But more than that, why did you drink it unsuspectingly?" He asked while looking back at me.

I couldn't say that I drank it because I was thirsty that he would mock me even more, and anyway I didn't think a servant would dare to mess with the drinking water in the room of a Stilliam Albert Nostra when their lives could be lost at any time here, so I drank it without thinking.

Seeing me silent, Stilliam asked again, "then, why are you staring at my body with that hungry gaze? After hugging me like that, now you're acting like a victim."

"Watch what you say, I'm not interested in your body, I'm just... Curious about the many wounds there. Then, you're the one who's not wearing your robe properly, don't blame me for being able to see it," I said simply.

"Oh this." Stilliam finally moved away from my body and felt the wound, the next second he took off his robe. "You can look at it all you want," he said as if we were discussing the weather.

But... I was transfixed by the many wounds on that body, that proportionate body full of muscles was also covered with cuts and gunshot wounds. Of course, I also had some wounds like that on my body, but his were so... Brutal.

Exactly what kind of life had this man who held the title of Mafia King lived?