The Mafia King Never Expected a Bride Like Me

Lyra's POV

After being reborn, the first thing my sister and I did was swap our grooms.

In our past life, my gentle sister Elara married Felix Hawthorne, the mafia godfather of Marconi City. Surrounded by a domineering sister-in-law and a scheming, manipulative other woman, she was slowly driven into a corner and died of a broken heart.

Meanwhile, I married the polite, illegitimate son of the Graves family. He was a perfect gentleman, but he just didn't love me. Our marriage lasted three years, and we were separated for two and a half of them.

Then one day, Elara and I woke up at the exact same moment—we had been reborn, back to the very morning we were supposed to sign our marriage agreements...

"Felix Hawthorne is a mafia boss!" Elara's eyes were red. "Lyra, even if we marry into the Hawthornes, the Kingsley family is nothing to them!"

"Elara, you're too kind. You can't outplay that woman." I stared at her. "But I can! I’m crazier than her, and I can be far more ruthless!"

"Orion is a gentleman; he’s a much better fit for you. Leave that cold-blooded don to me."

I uncapped my pen and, without a second thought, signed my name on the Hawthorne family's marriage contract—Lyra Kingsley.

Elara knew my temper. Once my mind was made up, nothing could stop me.

She threw herself at me, pulling me into a desperate hug.

"Lyra, promise me you'll survive," she sobbed, her voice hoarse.

I gently patted her trembling back.

I knew behind those tears, beyond her fear for me, lived the quiet relief of someone finally free.

Three hours later, my flight landed in Marconi City. The moment I turned on my phone, the screen exploded with notifications—all from my mother.

The second I answered, her voice hit me like a slap. "Lyra! You reckless, suicidal fool! How dare you steal your sister's husband! If you piss off Felix, the entire Kingsley family goes down with you! Get back here right now!"

I grinned and strode toward the exit.

"Mom, read the contract." My voice was light. "The marriage agreement says 'a daughter of the Kingsley family.' That includes me."

"Do you really think a mafia don is that easy to fool—"

"I'll play by their rules, and I'm already married," I said lightly. "So what if Felix is a mafia boss? That doesn't mean I can't handle him. If he kicks me out one day, you can just support me."

Before she could reply, I raised my hand to hail a cab.

"Alright. I've really enjoyed our little chat." I pulled the car door open and hung up.

Outside the Hawthorne Estate's towering iron gates stood two rows of armed guards, each one looking like a reaper. Seeing me step out of a cheap taxi, the head guard drew his gun. "Get lost. This isn't a place for you to screw around."

I didn't blink. I pulled the contract from my bag and smacked it against his face.

"Look closely. I am the bride from the Kingsley family—Felix Hawthorne's fiancée. Figure out who has the right to tell who to get lost."

The guard's eyes landed on the red seal. He stepped back, jaw tight.

I scoffed, snatched it back, and walked in.

The moment I stepped inside, cedarwood and liquor hit me. Rich people and their signature smells.

Before I could take a breath, a voice cut down from the staircase above.

"I thought we were getting a high-class heiress. Turns out it's just a wild stray."

I looked up. A lavishly dressed girl was clicking her way down in high heels—Aurelia, Felix's notoriously spoiled younger sister.

She stopped in front of me and dragged her gaze over me like I was something she'd stepped in. "You've got a decent slutty face, I'll give you that. Too bad my brother absolutely disgusts cheap trash that throws itself at him."

Something animal woke up in me.

"A wild stray? Cheap trash?" I met her gaze, a smirk pulling at my lips. "This contract was agreed upon by both families. Whether I'm a slut or trash, I've already signed it. Whether your brother is disgusted by me—we'll find out in bed tonight. And as for you—"

I knocked her shoulder aside and headed for the sofa. "Remember to knock. You wouldn't want to walk in on something you shouldn't see."

Aurelia stumbled, her face turning a sickly shade of pale green. "Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you speak to me like that?!"

She spun around, raised her hand, and swung hard, aiming a slap right at my face!

In the next second, I caught her wrist in a vice grip, and backhanded her with a slap twice as loud!

"You hit me?!" Aurelia shrieked, clutching her cheek, and lunged at me like a madwoman!

I gritted my teeth, grabbed a fistful of her perfectly styled curls, and ruthlessly slammed her head against the nearby wall!

Her shoulder crashed hard against the pillar alongside it, and she cried out in pain.

Just as I was about to give her a harsher lesson, a delicate, exaggerated gasp echoed from the top of the stairs.

"Oh my God—Aurelia!"

I paused and looked up.

Vesper Hayes.

White dress, flawless makeup, hurrying down the stairs like a wounded angel. Her face was grief itself—except for the satisfaction flickering in her eyes.

"Miss Lyra, whatever your feelings about this marriage—you beat his sister on your first day here?"

She stopped in front of us, gaze drifting slowly over my torn buttons and tangled hair.

She covered her mouth. "Torn clothes. Messy hair. You walked into the Hawthorne Estate looking like you just lost a bar fight."