Chapter 1

Halfway through the wedding, Don Adrian Moretti's most trusted lieutenant, Serena Blake, snatched the microphone and proposed a game.

"Let's play 'Patch the Wedding Dress.'" Serena was giddy with excitement. "Everyone tears a piece off the bride. Name your price. Boss Adrian has to buy every piece back. Then we stitch all those blessings into a brand-new gown."

The words had barely left her mouth before she reached over and ripped the thin strap from my shoulder.

I nearly flashed the entire room.

Serena held up the scrap of tulle, winked at me, and aimed her phone at the giant screen. "Like this. I'll start the bidding at five thousand."

Adrian looked at her, smiled that indulgent smile of his, took the strip of fabric, and transferred the money on the spot. The payment confirmation flashed across the screen, and the banquet hall erupted in cheers.

"Classic Serena!"

"True love means spending big!"

His men and the guests fed off each other's frenzy.

I clenched my fists and was about to refuse when Adrian leaned close and murmured, "Serena just wants to liven things up. Don't be a killjoy."

I froze.

Three months ago, Serena had stuffed a balloon under her dress, pretended she was pregnant, and tricked me into listening for a heartbeat. The balloon exploded right next to my ear and left me with intermittent hearing loss. Adrian said it was just a funny prank.

On our engagement night, she deliberately dumped my drunk, unconscious body on a street corner at three in the morning. Adrian said the same thing—she was just being playful, having a bit of fun.

In the eyes of Don Adrian Moretti, everything Serena did was fun.

The next second, someone rushed up and tore at my skirt. A swath of white fabric was ripped away, and the man waved the shred overhead, shouting with glee. "Quick! Thirty thousand!"

I locked eyes with Adrian and spoke through gritted teeth. "You transfer that money, and the wedding is off."

Adrian frowned. "Everyone's here to celebrate. Vivian, behave. Don't make a scene."

Serena pouted beside him. "Seriously. So boring."

A heartbeat later, the chime of thirty thousand dollars hitting an account rang out. Screams and laughter surrounded me, yet a strange calm settled over me.

Serena was right.

This really was boring.

She raised the microphone and announced, "Let the games begin!"

The crowd surged forward all at once. I grabbed the mic and shouted as loud as I could. "Nobody touch me! The wedding is off!"

But the microphone was dead silent.

My warning drowned under the roar of excitement around me. I stared at Adrian in disbelief. He had cut my mic beforehand.

He stood below the stage as if he had anticipated my rebellion all along. He even smiled.

Then he took two steps back, pulled Serena behind him, and let countless hands reach for me.

A high-pitched ringing flooded my ears.

The day before, Serena had lured my family and friends to a private island nearby under the pretense of a wedding rehearsal. The island was registered under the Moretti family name, and their people controlled the dock and every boat.

Right now, not a single person in this room was truly on my side.

All because she thought it was fun.

A loud rip cut through the air.

Another large panel of tulle was torn away. I finally snapped back to reality, scrambling backward, screaming until my voice cracked. "Stop! The wedding is off! I'm calling the police!"

The crowd went quiet for a split second. Even the person who had just torn my dress hesitated.

But Serena threw her arms around Adrian's neck, laughing, half-draped over him, and waved at the man. "The bride's kidding! Whoever tore that piece, come get your money!"

Adrian's lips curled, his eyes full of nothing but indulgence for her.

The man stepped forward, uncertain. The transfer chime sounded, and the crowd screamed and lunged at me again.

Soon I had nowhere left to retreat. My voice was swallowed whole. Countless hands pulled, grabbed, shoved. The fabric covering my body grew thinner and thinner.

"Adrian!"

I shrieked his name and wrapped my arms around myself, curling into a ball. Through a gap in the crowd, I saw Adrian finally glance at the pile of shredded white fabric heaped beside him. The smile slid off his face.

"That's enough."

The crowd was a pack of animals. They wouldn't stop.

"I said enough!"

The Don had spoken. Several of his men stationed along the edges of the hall moved in immediately. The crowd parted, reluctant and unsatisfied. Half my petticoat had been torn to pieces.

Someone snickered under his breath. "Couldn't beat those women to the good scraps, but getting to feel up a bride that gorgeous—not a bad deal."

Another voice chimed in. "Perks of working for the Don of the Moretti family..."

Adrian's expression went ice-cold.

He shrugged off his suit jacket and walked toward me. When he saw the red scratches streaking my arms and legs, his gaze turned dangerous. "Didn't I tell you people to have some goddamn restraint?"

Fear finally flickered across their faces. Uneasy murmurs rippled through the hall.

Then Serena sneezed. "Is the AC always this cold?"

Adrian stopped mid-stride. In the next instant, he turned and draped his jacket over Serena's shoulders.

A chill ran through me. Goosebumps prickled up my arms.

Serena made a show of shrugging the jacket off. "Don't, Boss. I'm not that delicate."

Adrian pressed down on her shoulder. "Behave."

Serena gave a soft huff. "Fine."

I took a deep breath, yanked the floor-length curtain from the nearest window, and wrapped it around myself as I stood. The moment I took a step, Adrian seized my arm.

"Where do you think you're going? The wedding isn't over."

I let out a cold laugh. "You really think this wedding can continue?"

He studied me for a few seconds, then suddenly let go and smiled. "Fair enough. The new dress will take a bit of time to piece together. Go rest in the room."

In that instant, a thousand things rushed to the tip of my tongue. In the end, I said only one.

"Adrian, we're done."