Chapter 1

The Don of the Russo family lay on the brink of death following a hit by a rival syndicate.

On his deathbed, surrounded by the family's Capos, he made his final will: Whichever of his two sons made it to the hospital first and slipped the black onyx ring onto his finger would inherit the multibillion-dollar mafia empire.

As the eldest son, Cassian was only a thirty-minute drive away. The throne was practically handed to him.

Instead, he chose to throw a lavish birthday party for his precious sweetheart, Julia, on a private yacht. She told him she wanted no interruptions, so he shut off his phone.

In my previous life, I took a speedboat, stormed the yacht with a crew, and dragged him back to the hospital by force, securing his seat as the Don.

But because he left her midway, Julia stood on the deck crying all night, caught a nasty fever, and threatened to break up with him when she woke up.

Once in power, Cassian was driven mad by guilt. He called me a cold-blooded, heartless bitch, had my feet set in concrete, and threw me off the Brooklyn Bridge.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in that hospital hallway, with the family lawyer desperately urging me to make the call.

I looked down at my phone. On Instagram, Cassian had just posted: "Even if the sky falls, I won't leave your side tonight."

I calmly double-tapped the screen to like his post.

Then, I sent a text to my exiled brother-in-law, Matteo: "Wanna make a deal, future Don?"

……

"Valerie, what are you zoning out for? Call Cassian now!"

The family lawyer beside me was beside himself with panic.

"The Don gave his word! Whoever gets that black onyx ring on their finger before he takes his last breath rules the Russo family!"

"It is a thirty-minute drive! If Cassian leaves right now, this billion-dollar empire is his!"

I masked the cold hatred in my eyes.

In front of a room full of Capos and doctors, I dialed Cassian's number.

It rang for a long, long time.

Just as the lawyer started sweating, the call finally connected. Deafening party music blasted through the speaker, followed by Cassian's furious voice.

"Valerie, are you out of your mind? How many times do I have to tell you? It is Julia's birthday, and I am staying with her!"

I suppressed the urge to laugh, keeping my voice flat. "Your father was shot. They are trying to save him in the hospital..."

Before I could even mention the will, a weak, delicate cough came from the other end.

"Cassian... are you going to leave me again?"

It sounded like Julia had snatched the phone. "Valerie, it is my birthday. I just want him for one night. You really do not need to make up such twisted lies. Do I have to get on my knees and beg you to let him stay a little longer?"

Cassian's voice instantly melted into pure tenderness. "Don't be scared, Julia. I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere."

When he spoke into the phone again, his voice turned ice-cold. "Did you hear that? It is just one night. Can you drop the jealous-wife routine for once? Julia is fragile. If you stress her out and make her sick, I swear I will make you regret it!"

Hearing this, the lawyer's veins popped on his forehead. He snatched the phone from my hand.

"Cassian, it is the family lawyer! Valerie is not lying. The Don was actually hit. He is in the hospital right now. You need to get here in thirty minutes, because the Don said—"

"Oh, the family lawyer, huh?"

An arrogant male voice suddenly cut in. It was Jax, Cassian's lackey and Julia's younger brother.

Jax laughed mockingly through the speaker. "Valerie, you really pulled out all the stops today, hiring actors and everything. Too bad you miscalculated!"

"I got a buddy on the payroll in that precinct. He said the streets are dead quiet tonight. No hits, no nothing. Valerie is just a jealous bitch paying actors to put on a show so you will go crawling back to her!"

Cassian bought it instantly. He was furious.

"Valerie, using my father's life for a cheap stunt... you disgust me."

The line went dead.

The lawyer stood frozen, staring at the phone in absolute disbelief. "How... how could he be this stupid?!"

Before anyone could say another word, the hospital room door was violently shoved open.

"Valerie, you fucking curse!"

My mother-in-law, Carmela, stormed in with bloodshot eyes, raising her hand to slap me across the face.

In my past life, I was too panicked to react and took the hit. This time, I was ready. I sneered and took a step back.

Carmela swung too hard, missed, and stumbled hard into a chair with a shriek.

Ignoring the pain, she pointed right at my nose and screamed, "Where is he?! Where is Cassian?!"

"How could my son marry such a useless bitch! If Cassian doesn't make it back, if the family falls into someone else's hands, I will sell you to the brothels myself!"