Chapter 1
A year ago, my ex abandoned me when I was broke and buried in debt, choosing the Russo family heiress instead.
On the day of his engagement party, he sent me a vicious text: "Wear a wedding dress to Plaza Hotel. Changed my mind. You're marrying me."
I showed up in white.
Luca and his crew waited at the entrance, ready to watch me humiliate myself.
He thought this was my degradation.
But what he didn't know was—I was getting married.
Just not to him.
To Dante Valentino—the most dangerous man in this godforsaken city.
Elena's POV
"Boss, she actually showed up!"
The moment I stepped into the Plaza Hotel in my wedding dress, Luca's men swarmed around me.
"Come on, bride! Your groom's waiting!"
Amid the shoving, they dragged me into the third-floor banquet hall.
Pink balloons. Gold ribbons. A champagne tower glittering under the spotlight. Dozens of guests turned their heads, eyes gleaming with the thrill of watching a spectacle.
Then I saw him.
Luca leaned against the champagne tower, cigar between his fingers, that smug smile plastered on his face.
A year later, still the same fucking asshole. Compared to Dante, Luca was trash trying to pass as treasure.
"Elena, you actually came?" He blew out smoke, strolling over. "Like his little lapdog. I thought you'd at least have some spine."
I bit my lip, suppressing the urge to laugh in his face.
"Boss's text was cold as fuck! And she FELL for it!"
The bleach-blonde lackey doubled over laughing. "A year ago, Boss dumped your ass at the church, and you cried like a baby. Now you come crawling back—talk about desperate!"
The guests began whispering.
"So she's Luca's ex? I heard her father ran off with gambling debts..."
"Dirt poor. Of course Luca chose the Russo girl."
I took a deep breath, nails digging into my palms.
Don't get angry, Elena. Don't get angry. After today, they'd all know who the real joke was.
A year ago, when Father fled from his gambling debts, he left me alone to face those thugs. Back then, Luca was just a common enforcer. We'd been together five years. He swore he'd marry me, said he'd protect me forever.
But when the Russo family proposed the alliance, he didn't even hesitate. Right at the church entrance, he took Sofia's hand instead.
"Elena, you're too poor. I need a woman who can help the family, not dead weight."
Now he was a Capo of the Conti family, commanding over twenty men, carving out his little piece of the underworld.
And me? He thought I was still that pathetic little bitch who'd cry over him.
"Elena," a voice called from the crowd. Tony, Luca's right-hand man, coughed awkwardly. He looked uncomfortable—we used to be on good terms. "You doing okay? Your father's debt... did you pay it off? Boss had us try to find you back then..."
Luca's expression froze for a second. He whipped around. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Tony immediately lowered his head.
I knew what he meant. This past year, Luca had sent people looking for me—not to reconcile, just to confirm I wasn't dead. After all, when he abandoned me, Father still owed fifty grand in loan shark debts. If I'd actually died in some gutter somewhere, it wouldn't look good for his reputation.
But he'd clearly worried for nothing. This past year, Dante had treated me like a goddamn princess.
Luca took a deep drag of his cigar, his posture relaxing back into lazy arrogance. "Today's my engagement party with Sofia. Elena, what the hell are you doing here in a wedding dress? Want to be a bridesmaid?"
He paused, eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Or... are you here to crash my party?"
The hall erupted in laughter again.
They thought I was still hung up on him.
I raised my head and said calmly, "I'm not here for your engagement party."
"I'm here for my own wedding."
The laughter stopped for three seconds.
Then—
"HAHAHA! Her wedding? Marry who? Some bum she picked up off the street?"
Luca crossed his arms, his smile dripping with contempt. "Elena, if you're gonna lie, at least make it believable. Did you just grab some random guy off the street? Trying to make me jealous?"
He stepped closer, looking down at me. "Too bad I don't give a shit about you anymore. No matter what stunt you pull, you can't get my attention."
I looked at this man who once swore to marry me, disgust rising in my chest.
He thought the whole world revolved around him, thought I couldn't survive without him. Fucking pathetic.
A guest with gold-rimmed glasses spoke up quietly, "Wait... there are only two weddings at the hotel today. One is Mr. Conti's engagement party on the third floor, and the other is..."
His voice grew smaller and smaller, swallowing hard, not daring to continue.
I said flatly, "The wedding I'm attending is on the top floor."
The banquet hall suddenly fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at me, their expressions shifting from mockery to shock.
Luca's smile slowly froze. "Top floor?"
A woman in an evening gown gasped. "Top floor... the top floor is Godfather Moretti's wedding!"
I nodded, spelling it out. "Yes. The man I'm marrying is Dante Moretti."
