"Then I'll Marry You Instead": When an Arrogant Fiancé Slipped an Engagement Ring Onto Her Sister's Finger at the Halston Hotel and Her Mother Demanded She Not Embarrass the Family, Chicago's Most Feared Mafia Boss Triggered Total Destruction

I sat cross-legged on the rug, wearing an oversized hoodie, scrolling through the digital front pages of every major Chicago newspaper and gossip blog.

The internet was in an absolute frenzy.

‘WEDDING DISASTER AT THE HALSTON: Julian Moretti Dumps Bride for Sister Serena in Shocking Society Switch!’ screamed the headline of the Chicago Chronicle.

Photos of Julian and Serena leaving the ballroom hand-in-hand plastered every social media feed. Comment sections were overflowing with gossip, speculation, and harsh public ridicule directed at my family. But buried beneath the society gossip was a secondary, much darker current of news that made my phone buzz every thirty seconds: ‘Moretti Holdings Announces Emergency Board Meeting; Sources Confirm Leadership Shift Imminent.’

Penny walked out of the kitchen holding two fresh mugs of coffee, looking like she hadn't slept a wink. She dropped one mug near my hand and collapsed onto the sofa with a groan.

“I still can’t believe you did it,” Penny muttered, rubbing her temples. “You didn't just walk away from a bad breakup, Ev. You traded up to the head of the mafia syndicate. Are you out of your mind? What if Nikolai is playing you? What if this is some twisted Moretti family game?”

“It’s not a game, Penny,” I said calmly, taking a sip of the bitter coffee. “Julian humiliated me publicly because he thought I had nowhere to go and no power to fight back. He forgot that the Hart family real estate portfolio—the assets that actually back half of their speculative investments—were entirely tied to my name through trusts my grandfather set up before he died.”

Penny sat up straight, her eyes widening. “Wait. Does Julian know that?”

“No,” I smiled coldly. “My father and Julian assumed those trusts would automatically transfer to Serena once she married him. But the legal paperwork requires my explicit, notarized signature as primary trustee. Without my signature, Julian’s grand venture capital expansion is completely unfunded as of midnight last night.”

Before Penny could answer, a sharp, authoritative knock echoed at the loft’s heavy metal front door.

Penny froze, instantly grabbing a heavy cast-iron skillet from the kitchen counter like a makeshift weapon. “Did they find us? Are the hit squads here already?”

“Put the pan down, Penny. Hit squads don't knock politely,” I sighed, standing up and walking toward the door.

I unlocked and pulled open the heavy steel door.

Standing in the hallway wasn't a squad of armed enforcers, but a tall, immaculately dressed woman in a sharp gray pantsuit carrying a sleek leather garment bag and an expensive leather briefcase. Behind her stood two of Nikolai’s silent, towering security guards.

“Evelyn Hart?” the woman asked, her voice crisp and professional.

“Yes.”

“I am Victoria Vance, senior legal counsel to Nikolai Moretti,” she introduced herself briskly, stepping past me into the loft with total confidence. “Mr. Moretti sends his regards and has instructed me to facilitate your immediate relocation to a secure, neutral residence downtown ahead of tonight’s family council dinner.”

Penny dropped the skillet back onto the counter with a loud clang. “Relocation? We haven't even had breakfast!”

Victoria didn't blink. She unzipped the leather garment bag, revealing a breathtaking, midnight-blue silk evening gown designed by an exclusive Italian fashion house that wasn't even available to the public yet.

“Mr. Moretti’s instructions were very specific,” Victoria continued, opening her briefcase and placing a heavy, notarized document on the coffee table. “Tonight, the family council meets at the Moretti estate. You aren't just attending as a guest, Miss Hart. You are arriving as Nikolai’s intended wife. And we need to make sure your wardrobe sends the appropriate message.”