I didn't have time for her bullshit. I stood up and walked straight toward the man.

Isabella was clearly not used to being ignored. Her smile froze.

I tossed the marriage contract onto the table without ceremony. "Robin Kane? I'm Zora Romano. Your fiancée. The contract's right here. If there are no problems, show me to a room. I need a shower and a rest."

Robin’s eyes flickered from the papers to my face. He said nothing.

Isabella looked horrified, probably because she’d never seen anyone speak to the Don like that. She tugged on his sleeve, her voice full of hurt. "Robin... I don't think she likes me..."

If she'd pulled that on Elena, my sister would have been stammering apologies.

But I'm not Elena.

"And who are you?" I cut her off, my voice laced with impatience. "Why should I like you? You've got a lot of mouth for an outsider in this house."

Isabella froze.

I turned back to Robin, tapping a finger on the table. "Or is it Kane family policy to let an outsider run the house?"

Finally, Robin moved.

He pulled his arm free from Isabella's grasp, ignoring her shocked expression. A slow smile touched his lips.

"Butler, show the lady to the master bedroom."

As I followed the butler upstairs, I could hear Isabella starting to sniffle behind me.

I smirked. If she couldn't handle that, she was in for a rough time.

The master bedroom was huge, immaculate, and ridiculously opulent. I took a long shower, changed into fresh clothes, and felt a hell of a lot better.

Three days later, the engagement party was held in the estate's garden.

Every major crime family in New York sent a representative. It was a big deal.

When I appeared on Robin's arm in a custom-made black gown, all eyes were on us.

"The bride is stunning."

"It's an arranged marriage, but they look good together…"

And right on cue, Isabella started her act again.

She was wearing a pure white dress, her eyes red-rimmed, looking fragile and pitiful.

"I'm so jealous of Zora," she said, her voice trembling. "All it took was a piece of paper to become the lady of the Kane family. Unlike me… I'll only ever be under Robin's protection…"

The implication hung in the air, and you could feel the shift in the crowd's whispers. She was making it clear they had a special bond.

I glanced at the man beside me. His face was still a blank mask.

Figures. The man has a mouth but won't speak for himself.

Fine. If she wanted a show, I'd give her one.

I spun around, wrapped my arms around Robin's neck, and in front of everyone, I kissed him, hard.

The garden went dead silent.

When I pulled back, I shot Isabella a smug look and raised an eyebrow. "You're right. I'm the woman who deserves this spot."

Her face went pale, and tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"And another thing," I added. "At least I don't have to play the victim to get attention."

She was speechless. All she could do was turn to Robin for help. "Robin, tomorrow is the anniversary of my father's death. You'll pick me up, right? We've spent that day together for years…"

My nails dug lightly into the back of Robin's neck. A silent warning.

To my shock, he frowned and then nodded. "I'll have everything ready tomorrow."

Rage flared in my chest. I tightened my grip on his neck, used the momentum to pivot, and threw him over my shoulder.

A dead silence fell over the garden.

Even the cellist in the string quartet dropped his bow with a clatter.

"Zora! Are you crazy?" Isabella shrieked, pointing at me. "How could you do that to Robin!"

I tilted my head back, a cold smile on my face. "I just did. So what?"

I knew this was the first power play Isabella pulled on Elena in the last life—yanking her new husband away the day after their engagement. I wasn't about to let her get away with it this time.

Surprisingly, Robin didn't look angry at all.

He got to his feet gracefully and dusted off his suit.

"Just a little game between husband and wife," he announced to the stunned guests, before his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

He turned to the still-gaping Isabella, his tone flat. "We'll go with you tomorrow."

"Wh-what?" Isabella's eyes widened. "But, Robin…"

"She is my fiancée. The future lady of this family," Robin cut her off. "It's only right that she be there to pay respects to your father."

Isabella covered her mouth and ran off, sobbing.

Robin leaned in, his lips practically brushing my ear. "Satisfied? Let's get through this. I'll explain later. Be a good girl, my little wildcat."

"Don't call me wildcat." I stomped on his foot. Hard.

The party ended. It was our wedding night.

The opulent master bedroom was covered in rose petals, a lame attempt at romance.

I sat on the edge of the bed, methodically cleaning the custom Browning I'd just pulled from the thigh holster under my dress.

The door opened.

Robin walked in, loosening his tie. He saw the gun in my hand and raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice of lingerie."

"I don't like to waste time," I said, raising the gun until the black muzzle was pointed squarely between his eyes. "Robin Kane, I hate men who play games. If you think you can have your wife at home and your mistress on the side, or if you're trying to find some kind of salvation in Miss Isabella, we can call this off right now. Men are a dime a dozen. I, Zora Romano, am not."

He didn't flinch. He walked right into the barrel until the cold steel pressed against his forehead.

"Call it off? Not a chance."

"So you want to have your cake and eat it too?" I sneered. "Impressive, Don. Trying to have it all?"

Robin sighed. For the first time, the cold man actually looked a little weary. He reached up, gently gripped the barrel of the gun, and lowered it. He sat down next to me.

"Isabella's father was an elder who saved my life. I promised him I'd look after her. It's a duty, not love." He looked me straight in the eye, his expression dead serious. "I married you. You are my only wife. In the Kane family, there's no divorce. The only way out is in a box. And I will not let anyone disrespect my wife."

He paused, his voice dropping lower. "I will keep my distance from her. That's my promise to you."

I stared into his eyes and saw nothing but honesty.

"If you break your word," I said, holstering my gun, "I'll be the one to put a bullet in you."

"Of course," Robin said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.

The next second, he pushed me back onto the soft mattress.

The coldness was gone, replaced by a raw, masculine energy.

"Now that the terms are clear," his fingers traced my collarbone, "it's time to consummate the deal."

I looked up at his handsome face, so close to mine, and my heart skipped a beat.

To hell with playing coy.

I reached up, hooked my hands around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss.

This one was wilder than the one in the garden.

The temperature in the room shot up. Robin's hand slid up my dress, his breathing ragged.

He whispered in my ear, his voice hoarse. "You're mine now, my wife."

Just as I was about to nod…

BANG, BANG, BANG!

A frantic pounding on the door.

"Boss! It's an emergency!" a guard yelled from outside. "Miss Isabella left a suicide note! She's gone!"

Robin went rigid. The heat between us vanished instantly.

He shot up and started buttoning his shirt. "I'm on my way."

So much for his promise.

I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his back.

"Are all the guards in this family useless? Does the Don have to go find her himself? Robin Kane, have you forgotten what night this is?!"

Robin caught the pillow, pausing for a second.

Then he walked to the wardrobe, grabbed my trench coat, and strode back, draping it over my bare shoulders.

"Get dressed," he said. "You're coming with me."

I blinked. "What?"

"I'm not breaking my promise," Robin said, grabbing my hand. His palm was burning hot. "If I don't go, I'll have the family elders on my back. But I swear to you, once we confirm she's alive, I'll let you deal with the rest."

He added, "And you're right. This mess is on me. When we get back, I'm all yours."

That sounded more like it.

I put on my clothes, my face a cold mask. If this was the game he wanted to play, I'd see it through.

Robin held my hand tightly as we rushed out of the mansion with a team of guards.

The butler handed him a note. "Don, Miss Isabella left this."

Robin scanned it and passed it to me. In neat, delicate handwriting, it said: Robin, I can't be a burden to you anymore. I'm going to be with my father. Don't look for me.

"Split up," Robin ordered immediately. "Check the river and the rooftops first."

The guards scattered.

I didn't say anything, but I had to hide a smirk. Knowing Isabella, there was zero chance she'd actually kill herself. This was just another pathetic play for sympathy and a way to ruin our night.

We searched the riverbank and several abandoned high-rises. Nothing.

"Don, what about the old warehouses by the docks?" one of his men suggested.

An idea sparked in my mind. For Isabella's plan to work, she'd need a place that was both "hidden" and easy to be found in. A warehouse was perfect.

"I'll check it out," I volunteered.

Robin frowned. "It's too dangerous."

"Trust me. I'm a professional."

Ten minutes later, I found Isabella in a dusty, remote warehouse. She was perfectly fine, perched on a stack of cardboard boxes. When she saw it was me, the damsel-in-distress look vanished from her face.

"You?" she stood up, her eyes filled with hate. "Where's Robin?"

I walked toward her, a cold smile on my face. "Great performance. The suicide note was a nice touch."

Isabella's face paled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Cut the crap," I said, stopping in front of her. "You think if I hadn't shown up, you'd be the one who's the lady of the Kane family, right? Too bad for you, he didn't choose you."

The mask was completely off now. "That's right!" she snarled. "If it wasn't for you, you bitch, Robin would have married me! I've been by his side for years! Why should some outsider like you get everything?"

"Because Robin is my husband, and you're just a pathetic charity case," I mocked. "Get a grip, Isabella. Even without me, he would never love you."

I turned to leave, done wasting my breath on her.

Suddenly, she lunged forward and grabbed my arm. She leaned in and whispered venomously, "Let's see if Robin still wants you when he finds out what a vicious monster you are."

Before I could react, Isabella slapped herself across the face—hard. Then she pulled a small dagger from her purse and dragged it across her own arm, drawing blood.

It all happened in a flash. I never thought she'd be that ruthless with herself.

Before I could even process it, she screamed toward the warehouse entrance behind me.

"Help! Robin, help me! Zora's trying to kill me!"