"My Fiance Stole My Sister at Our Engagement Party, So His Feared Mafia Brother Stepped Up and Proposed the Ultimate Revenge"

Julian was standing near the grand champagne fountain, whispering frantically to my mother and father. Serena stood beside him, clutching her white dress with both hands, her eyes wide with carefully manufactured distress as she prepared her next round of innocent tears.

The moment the crowd noticed Nikolai walking through the archway, conversations died like extinguished candles.

Because Nikolai didn't just walk into a room—he conquered it.

And beside him, wearing a sapphire silk gown that clung to every curve, walked the daughter the Hart family had written off five minutes ago. I held my head high, my shoulders back, my hand resting comfortably over Nikolai's forearm. I was no longer the quiet, dependable Evelyn waiting to be noticed. I was walking on the arm of the most feared man in the state.

My mother was the first to break away from Julian, marching toward us with her heels clicking sharply against the polished marble floor. My father followed close behind, his face flushed with nervous anger.

"Evelyn!" my mother hissed under her breath, stopping three feet away, her eyes flashing with fury. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you clinging to Nikolai? You are making this situation ten times worse! Julian and Serena are trying to smooth things over with the reporters!"

"Smooth things over?" I asked, my voice calm, smooth, and chillingly clear. "Why would they need to smooth things over, Mother? Serena got what she wanted. She got my dress, my ring, and my fiancé."

"Evelyn, don't be hysterical!" my father interjected, casting a nervous glance at Nikolai before looking at me. "Julian explained everything. It was a mistake of the heart! We must protect the family reputation! You need to step aside gracefully so we can announce Serena’s engagement officially!"

"She won't be stepping anywhere, Richard," Nikolai’s deep baritone cut through my father’s words like a steel cleaver.

My father stiffened, shrinking slightly beneath Nikolai’s towering presence. "Nikolai... please. This is an internal Hart family matter—"

"The moment your younger daughter placed that ring on her finger, it ceased to be a private matter," Nikolai said, his voice echoing across the quiet surrounding tables. "You broke a sworn covenant with the Moretti family tonight, Richard. An insult that usually requires... significant compensation."

My father went pale. "Now wait a minute, Nikolai—"

"However," Nikolai continued, turning his gaze toward me with an expression of intense, unquestionable devotion, "Evelyn has agreed to resolve the breach."

My mother blinked, utterly baffled. "Evelyn? How can Evelyn resolve a syndicate breach?"

Nikolai raised his hand, gently taking my fingers in his and lifting them to his lips, pressing a soft, deliberate kiss to the back of my hand while keeping his eyes locked on my father.

"By becoming my wife," Nikolai announced.

A collective, gasping shock swept across the surrounding guests.

My mother stepped back as if she had been slapped. My father’s mouth hung open, completely speechless.

A few feet away, Serena let out a sharp, horrified squeak, her carefully orchestrated tears freezing instantly on her cheeks. Julian looked like he wanted to crawl under the nearest table and disappear forever.

"Y-You're marrying Evelyn?" my mother stammered, her voice squeaking in high-pitched disbelief. "But... but Julian is the one taking over the family! Julian is the groom!"

"Julian is a boy who plays with toys," Nikolai replied, his voice laced with absolute contempt. "I am the head of the Moretti enterprise. And in two weeks, Evelyn Hart will be the undisputed matriarch of the Chicago Syndicate."

Nikolai didn't wait for their response. He wrapped his arm firmly around my waist, guiding me toward the grand center stage where the microphone stood waiting for the night's announcements.

As we walked past Serena, I stopped for a brief fraction of a second.