Everyone in the Chicago underworld envied me. Sophia Rossi.

Just the daughter of a minor family, I had somehow landed the Kane family's Underboss, Xavier Kane.

On my birthday, he booked an entire private estate and illuminated the sky with millions of dollars in fireworks, spelling out the birthday girl’s name.

It was beautiful.

Too bad my name wasn't Serena Vance.

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1

On an encrypted channel, one of Xavier’s men messaged him:

[Boss, Miss Serena is about to come back. Why are you still throwing a birthday party for this woman from a less prominent branch of the organization?]

Xavier's expression was a mask of playful affection, but his cool eyes held nothing but contempt for me.

"I have high needs," his reply read, "and Serena’s body can’t handle it. This little blind girl, though? She's a spitfire. Whisper a few sweet nothings, and she's willing to try anything in bed. Serena is a proper lady. She doesn't know half these tricks. This one is dumb and obedient, so I'll just keep her around for fun. It's not like she can see anything anyway."

His Soldato messaged back hesitantly:

[What if she finds out?]

A mocking smile played on Xavier’s lips as his long fingers danced across the screen.

[So what if she finds out? She’s an orphan and she's blind. She can’t leave me.]

[Besides, her surgery couldn't be performed with anesthesia. She’s terrified of pain, she'd never dare go through with it.]

But Xavier didn’t know. To be worthy of him, to stop the whispers and mockery about him marrying a blind woman…

I had endured the excruciating agony of that surgery, so weak I needed a ventilator for a full week, just to restore my sight for him.

Seven years ago, I’d been injured saving him in a gang war, and I lost my sight. After that, I feared the dark and the cold more than anything. Xavier Kane was the only light in my world, my sun.

He once held me tightly, promising he would always be by my side.

“Sophia, don’t be afraid. You still have me. From now on, I’ll be your eyes.”

Yet this was the same man who now treated me like a disposable toy, a mere plaything for his amusement.

My breath hitched. I bit my lower lip until I tasted blood, just to keep myself from breaking down.

“What’s wrong? Not happy?”

Noticing my stiffness, Xavier set down his wine glass, his well-defined hand gently pinching my cheek. "Who's the fool that upset you? We're about to be married. Who dares to make the future Mrs. Kane unhappy?"

As he spoke, he reached out to wipe away a tear I didn't know had fallen. On his left ring finger, he wore a wedding band.

I froze, a tiny, foolish spark of hope igniting in my chest. I asked, my voice barely a whisper, “Xavier, your hand…”

He snatched his hand back, quickly slipping the ring off and tucking it into his pocket before casually changing the subject. He’d grown careless, assuming my blindness was absolute, that I wouldn't notice such a detail.

Looking at his smug expression, the chat log replayed in my mind.

‘This little blind girl is a spitfire, and she's willing to try anything in bed.’

In that instant, my stomach churned as if I’d swallowed something rotten. I fought back the urge to vomit and forced a smile that felt more like a grimace.

“It’s nothing. The wind is strong, and it’s a little chilly.”

He pulled me tighter. “Then I’d better hold my Sophia close, so the wind doesn’t blow you away.”

The oblivious guests cooed, teasing Boss Xavier for being so affectionate, unable to bear being apart from his fiancée for a single moment.

Xavier, looking pleased, kissed my cheek. “Of course. I can’t live without my Sophia. If she disappeared for even a minute, I’d be worried sick.”

I tried my best to keep the tremor out of my voice and asked him softly, “Xavier, can you… can you tell me what it looks like today?”

His eyes filled with doting affection as he gently ruffled my hair and whispered intimately in my ear.

“Sophia, the estate is filled with your favorite roses. A white dress with red roses, it suits you perfectly.”

Tears welled up and spilled over, splashing onto his wrist in large, hot drops.

He was suddenly at a loss, fumbling to wipe them away.

“Sophia, why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?”

I flinched away from his touch, swallowing the scream that rose in my throat, and shook my head, trembling.

“Xavier, I’m fine. I’m just… I’m so moved.”

My stomach lurched again. I couldn't help but dry heave, feeling as if I might retch up my own insides.

When I looked up, a hint of pleasant surprise lit Xavier’s eyes.

“Sophia, are you…”

“It’s nothing, I’m just a little dizzy.”

I turned away, my hand gently stroking my flat abdomen.

It would never swell now.

His expression relaxed, and he poked my forehead playfully, oblivious to my pale face.

“Look at you, always so sensitive. So quick to cry. When we get married, you’ll probably cry a river of tears, won’t you?”

But Xavier, the fireworks didn't spell my name. The estate was filled with lilies, a flower whose scent I'm allergic to. And the dress I wore was red, the color I’d hated most since the day I went blind.

Everything here was for Serena Vance. Nothing was for me.

Xavier held me, murmuring reassurances until his patience began to fray. Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and his expression shifted to one of panic.

“Sorry, Sophia, some family business came up. I have to go handle it. I’ll have someone send you home.”

I didn’t need to guess who was calling.

But I still wanted to gamble on that one-in-a-million chance.

“Xavier, will you come back tonight? To be with me?”

He ruffled my hair. “I will.”

He said he would. So I waited. And waited. Until the clock struck midnight.

In the dark, silent living room, the lock on the front door clicked.

He was back.

I shot up from the sofa and ran toward the door.

It swung open, and the cold night air hit my face, sobering me instantly.

It wasn’t Xavier. It was the Soldato who was always trying to push him toward Serena, his face a mask of impatience and disdain.

His circle had always looked down on me. To them, I was just the daughter of an Associate who'd gotten lucky with an Underboss, a gold digger after his money and power.

“Hey, blind girl. I don’t know what spell you’ve cast on the boss. He’s with Miss Serena—taking her damn dog to the vet, getting a late-night snack—and he still remembers to have me check if you’re asleep.”

The Soldato sneered. “Can you stop playing the victim? That whole weak, damsel-in-distress act is getting old. Take a good look at yourself. Do you really think you’re worthy of the boss?”

“Now hurry up and get to bed. And don’t forget to call him, or I’ll get an earful for not doing my job.”

I lowered my head in silence. After he slammed the door shut, I collapsed to the floor, hot tears falling silently onto the cold wood.

When the Kane family’s business was in trouble, it was Serena who broke up with him first. It was Serena who ignored his calls and fled to Europe. It was Serena who let him race through the streets in a desperate attempt to catch her, nearly getting himself killed by rivals.

I was the one who stayed. I was the one who helped him rebuild. I was the one who lost my sight saving his life.

My phone screen lit up with three words: Xavier Kane.

The moment I answered, a bucket of ice water crashed over me.

It was Serena’s voice on the other end, dripping with triumph.