Chapter 1 No.1

Adelaide POV

The crystal chandelier above the Grand Ballroom of the Hebert Estate glittered like a thousand judging eyes, casting a harsh, artificial light on my humiliation. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, cigar smoke, and the metallic tang of betrayal.

I stood in the shadows of a marble pillar, my fingers clutching the rough fabric of my ill-fitting grey dress. It was a stark contrast to the emerald silk and diamonds adorning the other women-the wives and daughters of the *Cosa Nostra*. I was neither. I was Adelaide Rice, the collateral, the ward, the girl Andrew Hebert had promised to protect.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Andrew's voice boomed through the microphone, silencing the murmur of the crowd.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. *Don't do it, Andrew. Please.*

He stood on the raised dais, looking every inch the golden heir of the Hebert family. But his eyes, usually warm when he looked at me in private, were now fixed on the woman beside him. Fawn Garrett. She preened under his gaze, her red lips curved in a smirk that I knew was directed solely at me.

Andrew placed his hand possessively on the small of Fawn's back. "I am proud to announce the union of our two families. A toast to my beautiful fiancée, Fawn Garrett."

The words were a physical blow. A dagger twisted into my chest.

*Fiancée.*

Applause erupted, a thunderous sound that drowned out the shattering of my world. Fawn's laughter rang out, sharp and triumphant, the same laugh she used when she cornered me in the hallways. Andrew hadn't just chosen a political alliance; he had chosen my tormentor. He had paraded me here tonight to show the world that I was nothing more than a discarded toy.

I couldn't breathe. The walls were closing in.

I turned and ran. I didn't care who saw. I pushed past the waiters with their trays of champagne, ignoring the whispers, and fled into the dimly lit corridor. I didn't stop until I burst into the library, the heavy oak doors slamming shut behind me, muffling the sounds of the party.

Here, in the silence of dust and old leather, my legs finally gave out. I sank to the floor, gasping for air, tears burning my eyes.

"A waste of tears for a man like him."

The voice was deep, dark, and vibrated through the floorboards.

I froze, looking up.

From the deepest shadows of the bookshelves, a figure emerged. Damien Maddox. The Capo of all Capos. The Dark Don. He was a myth made flesh-tall, broad-shouldered, radiating a lethal power that made the air in the room drop ten degrees. His eyes were voids of darkness, devoid of mercy.

He shouldn't be here. The Maddox family was a predator to the Hebert's prey.

He extended a hand, holding a pristine white handkerchief embroidered with a black 'M'.

I stared at it, trembling. Before I could reach for it, the muffled sound of Andrew's voice drifted through the door, continuing his toast. "...to a future built on strength..."

That voice. The voice of the man who lied to me. It broke something fundamental inside me.

My knees buckled, and I began to fall. But I never hit the ground.

Damien moved with a speed that was terrifyingly inhuman. His arm, hard as steel, wrapped around my waist, hauling me up against his chest. He smelled of rain, expensive scotch, and danger.

I looked up into his cold, predatory face. He was the monster mothers warned their daughters about. He was the only thing powerful enough to burn the Hebert legacy to ash.

"Take me with you," I whispered, the plea tearing from my throat.

Damien stared down at me, his gaze intense, calculating. "Once you walk out that door with me, Adelaide, you can never come back. You will belong to me."

I didn't hesitate. I had nothing left to lose. "Take me."

He nodded, a grim satisfaction settling over his features. He guided me not to the main doors, but to a servant's passage hidden behind a faded tapestry. As we passed a blinking security camera, he pulled me into his coat, shielding my face, claiming me before we even left the grounds.

Outside, the night air was biting. A matte black, armored Maybach waited like a beast in the dark.

The ride was a blur of city lights and silence. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I reached for the crystal decanter in the center console, pouring myself a glass of amber liquid. I drank it in one burning gulp. The alcohol hit my empty stomach, mixing with my rage, clarifying my thoughts into a single, razor-sharp point.

I didn't just want to escape. I wanted to destroy. I needed a shield that Andrew Hebert would fear to look upon.

The car stopped. We took a private elevator to a penthouse that overlooked the city like a throne.

Inside, the space was cold, modern, and imposing-just like its owner. I turned to Damien. The alcohol gave me a courage I didn't possess.

"Marry me," I blurted out.

Damien didn't blink. He didn't look surprised. It was as if he had been waiting for those exact words.

He walked to the wall, sliding aside a modern abstract painting to reveal a safe. He punched in a code, the beep echoing in the silent room. He pulled out a document and a heavy fountain pen, placing them on the marble console table between us.

"Sign," he commanded. His voice was low, leaving no room for argument. It was a Don's command.

I looked down. The words *Marriage Contract* stared back at me in bold letters.

He had this ready. The realization should have terrified me. Instead, it felt like destiny.

I picked up the pen. My hand shook, but I forced the nib to the paper. With a jagged, desperate scrawl, I signed my life away.

*Adelaide Rice.*

No. *Adelaide Maddox.*

The pen clattered to the table. The adrenaline, the alcohol, and the heartbreak crashed over me all at once. The room spun. Darkness encroached on my vision.

The last thing I felt was Damien's strong arms catching me again, holding me tight as I slipped into the abyss. I had sold my soul to the devil, and now, he had come to collect.