Chapter 2

"Find another groom?"

"Nina, don't be ridiculous."

Damian chuckled, clearly not taking my ultimatum seriously.

"You've been with me for eight years. Everyone in New York knows Nina Sullivan belongs to Damian Rossetti."

"Besides me, who would dare marry you?"

He wasn't entirely wrong.

The wedding of the century had attracted the attention of the entire city. The Rossetti Family's influence extended throughout New York's underworld. Every allied family, every rival organization, and every influential figure knew that I was about to become the Donna of the Rossetti Family.

No man would willingly risk provoking the most powerful Don on the East Coast by taking his bride.

At least, that's what Damian believed.

Before I could respond, a soft female voice drifted through the phone.

Then he hurriedly spoke again.

"Be good. Don't throw a tantrum. I'll come as soon as I finish taking care of things."

The call ended abruptly.

The dark phone screen reflected my carefully applied bridal makeup.

Natalie's spare phone, resting inside my clutch, vibrated again.

A new message appeared in the group chat titled [A Surprise for Sabrina].

Damian: [Nina seems a little upset. Can one of you go calm her down?]

I stared at the message.

Less than two seconds later, Natalie replied.

[Don't worry, Don. Leave it to me.]

[You're about to exchange rings. Don't keep Sabrina waiting!]

Damian: [Thanks.]

I recognized the familiar accounts in the group.

Damian. Sebastian. Natalie's main account and her spare one.

I locked the screen and lowered my gaze to my left hand.

My ring finger was still bare.

Damian had once told me that he'd commissioned an independent designer in Paris to create our wedding rings. He wanted them kept away until the very end of the ceremony, so he could personally slide mine onto my finger in front of everyone.

Now that I thought about it, perhaps that ring was already on Sabrina's hand.

Not long afterward, the bridal suite door was pushed open.

Natalie rushed inside, carrying the bridesmaid dress I'd personally had tailored for her.

"Nina! Thank God you're already done with your makeup!"

She was breathing heavily, her expression full of concern.

"The lead SUV broke down on the bridge, and then there was a rear-end collision behind the convoy. The entire road is blocked!"

"Damian was furious. He was practically tearing the steering wheel apart. He had me come ahead to keep you company."

As she spoke, she immediately called over the makeup artist in the corner and asked her to touch up my face.

Then she turned around and took my hand.

"Nina, please don't be angry with Damian."

"He's barely slept for the past few nights because of this wedding. He's been personally overseeing everything, from the arrangements to the Family's security."

"He was so anxious on the road that his eyes were practically red."

"These things happen. Nobody could have predicted it. When he finally gets here, just give him a little room to explain, okay?"

That was my best friend.

Every word out of her mouth was an excuse for Damian.

Every sentence pushed me further onto the pedestal of the understanding, forgiving future Donna who was expected to swallow every humiliation without complaint.

I let the makeup artist gently press a powder puff against my cheeks.

"I'm not angry."

"I'll wait here."

Natalie visibly relaxed.

She retreated to the sofa in the corner, took out her phone, and began typing rapidly.

Under the pretense of straightening my wedding dress, I slipped the spare phone into my palm and glanced at her messages.

Natalie: [Don't worry. It's handled. She won't make a scene.]

[And she actually said she'd find another groom. I'm dying laughing. That lovesick fool would rather spend her entire life chained to Don Rossetti than leave him!]

[All I have to do is give her some excuse. She won't suspect a thing. She's obedient as a dog.]

A new message immediately appeared.

Sebastian: [Thanks for your trouble, Natalie. Once everything is over, I'll make sure Damian gives you a generous bonus.]

Natalie: [Honestly, Sabrina's couture wedding gown looks absolutely stunning today. Compared to that, Nina's dress from some little independent American label looks downright cheap. What a difference!]

The two of them continued trading messages, one praising Sabrina while the other joined in to mock me.

They didn't even bother hiding their contempt.

I stared at the screen, my fingers slowly tightening around the phone.

The people I'd trusted most were sitting somewhere celebrating another woman's wedding.

And here I was, still dressed in white, waiting for a groom who had no intention of coming.