"She Begged Heaven for a Husband at Midnight—The Mafia Boss in the Shadows Answered."

When the oak doors swung open and the announcer called out, "Mr. and Mrs. Cade Moreno," the entire room seemed to hold its breath.

Nora descended the grand marble staircase on Cade’s arm, wearing an emerald-green silk gown that hugged her curves and caught the light of the crystal chandeliers with every step. Her auburn hair was styled in soft, cascading waves, and around her neck rested a simple diamond pendant that Cade had presented to her that afternoon with no explanation other than, "It matches your eyes."

She looked every inch the billionaire's wife. Inside, however, her stomach was a knot of raw nerves.

"Remember," Cade murmured softly, his lips brushing the shell of her ear as they reached the parquet floor. "You don't have to smile at anyone who bores you. And if Senator Vance looks at you sideways, tell me and I'll end his political career before dessert."

A nervous, breathless laugh escaped Nora's lips. "You're terrifying, you know that?"

"Only to people who matter," he replied with a dangerous smirk.

As they moved into the crowd, the sharks began to circle. Business associates came to pay homage, offering polite smiles and calculating glances. But the real test arrived twenty minutes later when a tall, sharp-featured man with thinning gray hair and cold eyes intercepted them near the champagne tower.

"Cade. Magnificent turnout," Victor Vance—the lead federal prosecutor heading the financial investigation into Moreno Hospitality—said smoothly, though his eyes darted immediately to Nora. "And Mrs. Moreno. How delightful to see you out of the diner uniform and into high society."

The air around them dropped ten degrees.

Cade’s arm tightened around Nora’s waist, a wall of pure muscle and protective steel. "Prosecutor Vance. I didn't realize the Justice Department allocated travel budgets for social mixers."

"Oh, I go where public interest takes me, Mr. Moreno," Vance replied, his smile thin and venomous. He turned his attention squarely to Nora. "It’s quite a Cinderella story, isn't it? A late-night diner waitress marries a billionaire hours before a family court custody hearing. One has to wonder, Mrs. Moreno—was it love at first sight, or just excellent timing?"

Nora felt every drop of blood rush to her face. She opened her mouth to deliver a sharp retort, remembering the legal briefings Cade's lawyers had drilled into her, but before she could speak, a familiar, ice-cold voice cut through the music.

"I believe my wife’s personal life is none of your concern, Vance."

A second figure stepped out of the crowd, flanked by two private security guards. It wasn't Cade.

It was Marcus Sterling—Miriam Dent’s high-priced attorney from the family court case, looking flushed and desperate. But standing beside him was someone far more dangerous: Miriam Dent herself.

Miriam pushed past the prosecutor, her face twisted in bitter fury as she pointed a manicured finger directly at Nora.

"Don't listen to him, Mr. Vance!" Miriam shrieked, drawing the attention of half the ballroom. "It’s a fraud! A complete and total sham! That girl married a criminal just to fabricate stability for a court order! Ask him! Ask Cade Moreno how much he paid to buy a bride and rig a custody hearing!"

The ballroom went instantly dead silent. The string quartet stopped playing mid-note. Dozens of high-society guests turned to stare, whispers rippling through the crowd like wildfire.

Nora felt the floor drop out from under her. The old, deep-seated shame—the fear of being exposed as an impostor, of losing Maya, of dragging Cade down—threatened to suffocate her.