The night my family’s rival gang stormed the mafia ball, I was taken as leverage.

My boyfriend, Nolan, and my closest friend, Riven, stood only steps away. But they chose to shield my cousin, Anna, instead.

I was being saved by a secret man hours later—bruised, shaken, and already forgotten. No one asked what had been done to me. Nolan only said, “Anna was scared. She needed us more.”

Days later, Anna invited me to her birthday party. I went out of courtesy—only to watch her cast me as the villain of her story.

Nolan and Luca stood by her, protecting her again.

That night, I said yes to the marriage alliance my family had prepared years ago.

When I left the city, Nolan finally texted—angry, wounded, offended. “You’re really leaving?"

I replied with just one line. “You’re more than welcome to my wedding.”

Astra’s POV

I was ambushed by my family’s rival gang at a party. In the chaos, I saw Nolan—my boyfriend of five years—and Riven, my best friend since childhood, rushed to my cousin Anna’s side. I watched them shield her, protect her… while I was dragged away screaming.

I was locked up for hours before a secret man rescued me and brought me home.

Later, Nolan and Riven showed up, trying to apologize. But the second Anna shed a tear, they were gone again—rushing back to her side.

So while they were away, I called my father and accepted the arranged marriage I once swore I’d never agree to.

Just days after the ambush—barely healed—I received an invitation to Anna’s birthday party.

I hesitated, but then I remembered what Mother said about looking after Anna while she was in the city—so I went.

“Astra,” Anna greeted me the moment I arrived, her smile warm but eyes not. “It means so much to have you here today.”

I lifted a glass of champagne. “Happy birthday.”

She shifted closer, “I hope you don’t blame Nolan or Riven for what happened that night. You know they were just trying to protect me.”

So that’s what they called it—just protecting her. Watching me get taken while whispering, Wait for us. We’ll come back for you.

But Nolan and Riven never come for me.

Someone else did. A man whose name I still don’t even know.

I smiled, not let my emotions showing, “Isn’t it odd, though? My boyfriend. My best friend. Both ran to your side. And all three of you just… watched.”

“It wasn’t like that,” she said quickly, coughing.

To be fair, Anna had always been fragile. Her health wasn’t great, and she needed the extra attention—I understood that. But it didn’t mean I deserved to be left behind like collateral damage.

“I’m sorry, Astra,” she whispered, coughing harder now as she stepped backward, unsteady on her heels.

I saw the champagne tower behind her. It was tall, glittering—and one wrong step away from disaster.

She stumbled, and I reached for her without thinking. But Anna didn’t take my hand.

A second later, glass shattered—and the tower came crashing down around her.

“What the hell?” Nolan shoved past me, nearly knocking me over. He fell to his knees beside her. “Anna! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, blinking up at him. Then, turning to me, “Astra didn’t mean to…”

Didn’t mean to?

I stared at Anna. I realized that she knew exactly what she was doing. That fall wasn’t an accident.

And for a split second—just a flicker—I saw it, something that looked a lot like hatred flashing past in Anna’s eyes.

“For God’s sake, Astra,” Nolan snapped, turning on me like I was no more than a stranger. “Are you seriously holding a grudge because we chose to protect Anna instead of you—so now you want to hurt her on her birthday? She’s your cousin. Your family. You, of all people, knew how fragile her health was. Can you stop being so... cruel?”

“I didn’t push her,” I said simply.

But Nolan just huffed, clearly not believing me.

Riven came up beside him and bumped my shoulder on purpose. “When did you become so childish and cruel, Astra?”

Nolan, Riven, and I had grown up together. Nolan confessed his love three years ago, and we’d been inseparable ever since. Riven stayed close too—best friends with both of us.

Everything was perfect until Anna came back one year ago. She was the orphaned cousin who once stayed with me when we were kids. Back then, Nolan and Riven barely tolerated her. Said she was too quiet and too breakable, that they didn’t want to hang out with a doll.

We were raised in mafia families. Fragility wasn’t a compliment.

But something shifted when Anna came back this time. Suddenly, Nolan and Riven were always looking after Anna, calling her family. “We see Anna as a sister now,” they told me. “With her family gone, it’s on us to protect her. You get it, right, Astra?”

And at first, I did. Because I saw Anna as my family too.

But then came the missed dates, the unanswered calls. Nolan started canceling at the last minute. Riven began keeping secrets.

I should’ve seen the signs long before that ambush. I should’ve known I’d be the one left behind.

And now, watching them both rush to Anna’s side without a second glance—without even hearing my side before casting me as the villain—I felt that same hollow ache I’d carried since the night no one came for me.

When did my two best friends—one of them the man I loved—become people I no longer recognized?

“Nolan. Riven.” My voice was calm, but my heart pounded. “You weren’t even here when she fell. And yet you just assumed I pushed her? Am I really that awful in your eyes?”

Riven scoffed. “We assumed? No, I saw the way you looked at Anna when we rushed to protect her and those men dragged you off. You knew why we protected her. She has no one. No family. Unlike you.”

His words sliced deeper than he knew.

“Come on, Astra, we both knew that those thugs weren’t going to hurt you,” he went on. “They know what your father’s capable of. You could’ve taken one for the team—for Anna. Why do you always need to be the center of everything?”

I stared at him, stunned.

So that was what they told themselves. That I’d been spared, that the thugs were too afraid to touch me.

They didn’t know…They didn’t know the first thing those men did was lock me in a pitch-black room, douse me with freezing water, and slap me so hard I saw stars.

They didn’t know about the bruises, the fear, the silence. They didn’t know I begged to be let out—just once—so I could breathe.

I let out a short, bitter laugh. There was no point in explaining to them now. Especially not when all they saw was fragile, helpless Anna... and spoiled, dramatic me.

“I didn’t push Anna,” I said, voice flat. “Believe it or don’t. I’m done here.”

I turned to leave.

But before I could take two steps, a hand clamped around my wrist.

Nolan.

For a heartbeat, I almost thought—maybe he’d realized. Maybe he was even sorry for how he spoke to me?

But then Nolan spoke.

“You haven’t apologized to Anna yet,” he said, his grip tightening. “Where are your manners?”

I tried to pull away, but he held firm.

“If you don’t apologize,” he warned, voice low, “We’re done. I won’t marry a rude, mannerless woman. I won’t bring someone like that into my family and make her my Donna.”

Astra’s POV

It didn’t feel like my heart broke. It felt like it turned to ash in my chest.

I looked Nolan in the eyes. “And I thought you knew me. I’ll apologize—if I’ve done something wrong. But Anna?” I glanced toward her, still curled in Riven’s arms, looking all startled and frightened. “I won’t apologize to someone who fell on her own. Not even if it means losing you.”

After I said those words, I saw something flicker in Nolan’s eyes—uncertainty, maybe even regret.

But it vanished quickly. All that remained was anger and disgust.

“Then you should leave,” Nolan said coldly. “You’re not welcome here anymore.”

I lifted my chin. “That makes two of us.”

“Astra, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to—” Anna rushed toward me, grabbing my wrist with both hands, eyes wide, desperate.

Nolan peeled her off me gently. “You’re not the one who needs to apologize, Anna.”

“Exactly. Why is Astra always so condescending?”

The crowd stirred, whispers turned into accusations. Just like that, the tide turned against me—just like it always did with Anna.

A glass of champagne hit my face. Cold and sudden.

I didn’t even see who threw it.

I heard the sharp inhale from Nolan. Saw the way Riven tensed. For a second, they looked like they might come over.

But then Anna let out a small, delicate cough. “Oof—my ankle…”

And just like that, their attention shifted.

“She deserved it,” someone muttered. “Didn’t she shove the birthday girl? A glass for a glass.”

Nolan stayed by Anna’s side. So did Riven. Their brows were drawn, but neither of them moved.

“Nolan…” Anna’s voice was soft, selfless. “I’m okay. Please… go check on Astra…”

Nolan shook his head. “No, come on. Let’s get you into something dry. You’re the birthday girl—you shouldn’t be in a soaked dress.”

He turned to me for half a second, eyes unreadable. Then he took Anna’s hand and walked the other way.

I gave them one last glance—just one—then turned away.

Nolan’s voice followed me. “I’m disappointed in you, Astra. We’ll talk soon. I want an explanation.”

I didn’t stop until I reached my car.

The driver blinked, startled. “Miss Quinn, what happened?”

My dress clung to me, soaked and heavy. I didn’t need a mirror to know my mascara had smeared down my cheeks.

“The party’s over,” I said quietly. “Drive me back to the Manor. I’m tired.”

I leaned back, letting the silence swallow me, my mind still replaying everything.

I’d been too nice and too forgiving. Nolan and Riven didn’t deserve all the chances I’d already given them.

When I stepped inside the Quinn Manor, I didn’t hesitate.

I picked up the phone and called my father. “Papa,” I said. “About that arranged marriage... I’m ready. Go ahead.”

He sounded relieved on the other end. “You’ve finally thought it through? Nolan was a good kid, but he was never right for you.”

Papa was right, Nolan wasn’t. Every time I needed him to stand beside me—every time it mattered—he chose someone else.

A man like that didn’t deserve me. Not now. Not ever.

So I guess this is goodbye, Nolan.

I’m marrying someone else. And this time, you don’t get to be sorry. You might not even get an invitation.

…

In the two days that followed, I moved quickly.

I released every maid, every driver—made sure they found good homes, families that would treat them well. Then I started sorting through my own things.

The Manor had been mine alone for years. My parents had moved to Italy not long after I started college.

So now, with plans to leave, I was selling the Manor—and everything in it. I wouldn’t need any of it once I joined my parents in Italy, where the wedding would be held.

My fiancé—a man I’d never met—was called Silas Monroe, the heir to a powerful mafia family in Italy. My father spoke of him like he was a prize.

I always thought I’d marry for love. But now, I’d become the kind of girl I used to hate—marrying for family interests. Still, that felt better than wasting another second on Nolan and his endless excuses.

While packing, I realized the necklace my mother gave me was missing. I remembered then—I must’ve left it at my office, the one inside Nolan’s casino.

I hadn’t planned on stepping foot in that place again. But I needed that necklace.

I took a deep breath and hoped—really hoped—I wouldn’t run into Nolan or Riven. I didn’t have the energy for another round of judgment and blame.

The moment I stepped through the casino doors, I felt it—curious glances, hushed whispers.

“Miss Quinn,” one of the front desk girls said gently. “Mr. Cross said you can’t go inside without his permission. We’re calling him now to let him know you’re here.”

A few minutes later, Nolan appeared, “What are you doing here?”

I brushed past him. “Just picking up some things from my office. Don’t worry, I won’t linger.”

He followed me into the elevator. “Astra, about that day—”

The doors slid open two seconds later, and I stepped out without a word.

I didn’t need to hear the rest. I already knew. Nolan was going to ask me to apologize to Anna again.

Nolan had followed me to my office but didn’t say another word.

I found my mother’s necklace in the drawer, right where I thought it would be. Then I looked up and saw them—photos pinned to the vision board. Me and Nolan. Me, Nolan, and Riven. We were all smiling so brightly back then. Now, it just felt like a cruel joke.

One by one, I tore them down. And then I tore them apart.

“What the hell are you doing?” Nolan snapped, rushing toward me. He tried to grab the pictures from my hands, but it was too late. They were already in shreds.

He stared at me, shock and fury flickering across his face. “Astra Quinn, I want an explanation. Right now. Why are you acting like a child?”

I met his eyes—calm, steady and unshaken. “Nothing. Just felt like redecorating. Those were trash. I don’t want them in my office again.”

Then I shook off his hand, tossed the torn photos into the trash, and cracked open a can of Coke. Without hesitation, I poured it over the pile until the paper turned soggy and blackened.

“Trash?” Nolan’s voice spiked. “Those were our memories. You took every one of them. Framed them. Guarded them like they were sacred. And now you’re saying they’re garbage? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Astra’s POV

I didn’t answer.

Nolan exhaled hard, his tone softening. “If this is about Anna and the ambush—I get it. Me and Riven—we screwed up. We should’ve been there for you. But Astra… think about it. You had your parents, right? You had us too. Anna had no one. We had to protect her.”

He took a step closer. “And about her birthday—think how many people were watching. If I didn’t insist you apologize, what would they think? You know how much reputation matters in our world.”

Still, I said nothing.

Nolan’s voice dropped again, almost coaxing. “Come on, Astra. You’re the one I love. You’re the one I want to marry. Anna? She’ll always be an outsider. We’re going to be a family.”

A pause.

“How about this—come with me to my mother’s party tomorrow night? I’ve got a surprise for you.”

I hesitated. Right—Nolan’s mother. She’d always been kind to me, treated me like a daughter even before Nolan and I were official. And now that I was leaving the city for good… the least I could do was give her a proper goodbye—and an explanation.

“Alright,” I said quietly.

Nolan’s face lit up. He probably took my answer as forgiveness. He didn’t even seem to be mad about the ruined photos in the trash anymore.

“I’ll pick you up myself,” he said, smiling, and leaned in, trying to kiss me like nothing had changed.

I turned my head just in time, and his lips brushed empty air.

…

I wasn’t planning to impress anyone tonight, so I slipped into a simple silver gown and added just a hint of makeup.

“I’ve arrived. Come out when you’re ready,” Nolan’s text read.

I stepped outside, heading toward the first car. But Nolan stopped me, his expression stiff—awkward.

I frowned.

Then Anna’s voice drifted from inside the car. “Astra!”

I froze.

Anna was already seated in the front car.

I turned to Nolan, my voice caught somewhere between disbelief and exhaustion. “What is happening?”

If Anna was already with him, why did he bother picking me up? Was I supposed to play the fool again?

Nolan leaned in, voice low. “You knew Anna had been staying at my Manor recently. I didn’t plan to bring her tonight. But she saw me getting ready, so…”

Of course good-hearted Nolan couldn’t say no to poor, helpless Anna. And now she was riding in the first car, like she was the guest he’d personally chosen to bring to the party.

Riven stuck his head out of the window. “I’m not sitting with the mean queen. Put her in the second car, Nolan.”

Nolan hesitated for a second, then pointed to the car behind the first.

“It’s just a twenty-minute ride. Nothing will go wrong.” He looked at me. “Please?”

The second car was older, a little dingy.

But I didn’t hesitate. I walked over and got in.

It was too late to call my own driver, and Nolan was right—it was only twenty minutes.

What could possibly go wrong?

…

I realized how wrong I was just ten minutes later.

A black car had been following us for a while. At first, I thought I was imagining it. But at every light, every turn, it stayed locked behind the second car like a shadow.

The driver was just about to cross the intersection when the light turned red, so he stopped.

Nolan’s car had already made it past the crosswalk. I reached for my phone, wanting to tell him to wait—just to stay close, in case.

But Nolan didn’t answer.

That’s when the black car pulled up beside us. A man rolled down the back window.

I saw a mask—then the glint of a gun. Before I could move, the shot rang out. My driver slumped forward, blood blooming across his shirt.

And Nolan’s car? It kept going. No brakes. No turning back. Not even a pause. Just… gone.

I scrambled for my phone, hands shaking, breath caught in my throat. I didn’t even manage to dial before another shot cracked the air.

I ducked on instinct, but the bullet still tore through my shoulder, slicing just beneath the collarbone. The pain was instant—blinding—a white-hot burn that knocked the breath from my lungs.

Just when I thought it might be the end, I heard it—shouting, the thud of fists, the sound of a struggle.

Then... silence.

A second later, the handle on my door was yanked open. Light spilled through the crack.

“Please, don’t hurt me!”

“It’s okay now.” A man stood there, silhouetted against the glow of streetlights. He extended a hand toward me. “Are you hurt? The gunman’s been taken care of. You’re safe.”

I hesitated, still curled beneath the seat. But when I reached up, his hand was warm and strong.

He pulled me out gently.

I blinked against the light, and that’s when I saw him clearly—sharp jawline, slicked-back hair, a perfectly tailored black suit. And those eyes, blue, striking, but oddly familiar.

“Thank you…” I murmured, glancing at the lifeless body on the ground. The gun still clutched in the man’s limp hand.

If this man hadn’t shown up, I would’ve died in that car today.

“Have we met before?” I asked, reluctant.

There was something about him—something familiar I couldn’t place. I’d seen him before. I was sure of it.

But every time I tried to remember, pain lanced through my skull, sharp and blinding.

“Thank you for saving me. I’m Astra Quinn. What’s your name?” I asked again, steadier this time.

He smiled faintly and shook his head. “Not important right now. Let’s get you to a hospital.”

The mention of it brought everything back at once.

The adrenaline drained from my body, and the pain came rushing in—hot and raw, blooming from my shoulder like fire.

I staggered slightly.

He caught me. “I’ve got you,” he said softly