by john1208·Translated by Novel AI Studio
The black velvet box left on my doorstep contained an antique wedding veil and a cowardly letter from my parents: *We offered you to the Cernak Syndicate so they would spare us. Forgive us.* They thought they were sending me to a gruesome death. They were right to be terrified, but they severely underestimated me. I didn't weep. I packed my bags, walked into the estate of Obrezha's most lethal mafia king, and began calculating exactly how to use his men to butcher my own family. Davorin Cernak is a monster who paints the coastal streets red, yet he looks at me with a dark, suffocating devotion. He orders me to stay hidden; I walk out. He orders intruders killed; I deliberately tend to a bleeding rival soldier just to watch Davorin's jaw clench. He utterly adores my defiance. But neither of us is speaking the truth of our hearts, and time is running out. I don't know about the ancient syndicate law demanding a bride's execution if she doesn't assassinate a rival within ninety days. And when corrupt police raid our compound while I am left alone, will Davorin burn the city to ash in time to save me?
