Chapter 1
Lilly Collins
I still can’t believe it’s been fifteen years since I left my home behind. Fifteen years of struggling, studying, and chasing a dream that once felt impossible. And now… I’m finally a doctor.
A smile touches my lips as I think about the man waiting for me in the States. My fiancé Kyle Smith, must be counting the days until I arrive. I’ve waited long enough. I’m ready to start the new chapter of my life—the one I always dreamed of.
But fate has other plans. On my way home, I never expected my life to collide with danger.
Inside the train, my eyes fall on a man coming towards me —a stranger covered in blood, his breathing heavy, his body clearly injured. I don’t know who he was or why trouble follows him, but the fear in his eyes tells me one thing: he’s running from something deadly.
And then I see them. Men chasing after him.
Before I can understand what’s happening, the injured man reaches me. His sharp eyes lock with mine as he presses a gun against my stomach.
“Cover for me,” he whispers coldly. “Kiss me… or go down with me.”
My heart stops.
“What?” I stare at him, unable to believe what I’m hearing.
I refuse. I don’t even know this man. But when his grip tightens and the danger around us grows closer, I realize I have no choice.
Fear takes over. I give in.
My hands tremble as I pull him closer to kiss and pretend to be someone who belongs with him. The act becomes more convincing than I ever intended as I end up sitting in his lap. His lips brush against my neck, making my mind go blank for a moment.
Then the footsteps approach. The men searching for him finally find us.
“Show us his face,” one of them demands.
I pulled him closer, pressing his face against my chest to keep up the act. I shouted …
“Seriously?” Haven’t you ever seen two people making out before?” I snap. “Leave us alone.”
They hesitate before walking away.
What they don’t know… and what I don’t know either… is that the man I just saved isn’t an ordinary stranger. He is Albert Rizzuto. A name feared in the underworld. A Mafia King.
I slowly move away from him, my heart still racing from everything that happened. But before I can ask him anything, his body goes limp. He collapses.
And suddenly, I’m left with a wounded mafia boss unconscious in front of me. I have no choice. I take him home. Later, sitting beside him in the car, I glance at the unconscious man beside me and panic.
My fiancé is waiting for me in the States. What will he think if he sees me with another man? My life was supposed to begin a new chapter… not become a disaster.
I look at him and whisper angrily, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this situation.” I left Albert in the car and walked toward the house, determined to finally see the man I had been waiting for all these years.
Kyle. My fiancé. The person I had sacrificed everything for.
My heart was racing as I reached the door. I imagined his smile, his arms around me, and the life we were finally going to begin together. But the moment I unlocked the door, everything shattered.
A sound stopped me. A sound I never expected to hear. My breath caught as I realized what was happening inside. Someone was with him. And then I saw them.
Kyle.
With … Amelia Langford.
My hands went cold. “What’s going on here?” I asked, my voice trembling in disbelief. He froze.
Before he could say a word, the woman beside him looked over at me. “Who’s that?” She asked casually. Then her lips curled into a mocking smile.
“Oh… wait.” She looked me up and down, amused. “You’re that village girl, aren’t you? Kyle’s ex-girlfriend?”
Her laughter filled the room. My heart sank.
Then she raised her hand, showing me her ring. “He is my husband.”The words hit harder than any wound. She tilted her head and smiled. “You should probably leave.”
But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t accept what I was seeing. I looked at him, searching his face for the man I knew.
“Kyle… what is this?” My voice broke. “I left my job, my home, my entire life behind for you. I came here because I believed in us. How could you do this to me?”
For a moment, I waited. I waited for him to deny it. To say there was some misunderstanding.
But instead, he looked away. “That was all in the past,” he said coldly. “I never asked you to sacrifice everything for me.”
My heart cracked. Before I could respond, she laughed. And then he joined her.
They stood there together, laughing at the girl who had spent fifteen years dreaming of coming back to him.
The girl who had no idea she was already too late. I couldn’t take it anymore. The years of waiting. The sacrifices. The promises he had made. Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand moved.
Slap. The sound echoed through the room.
He stared at me in shock, his hand touching his cheek. “What the hell was that?” he snapped. “Why did you hit me?”
My eyes burned with tears, but my voice was steady. “This slap is for every promise you made.” I stepped closer, my anger replacing the pain.
“For convincing me that one day we would get married. That we would build a life together. For making me believe that all these years of sacrifice meant something.” My voice trembled.
“I supported you when you had nothing. I paid for your expenses. I helped you reach the place where you are today. You’re standing here in States because I believed in you.”
His expression hardened. “Those things are in the past,” he said dismissively. She rolled her eyes. “You should leave. None of this matters anymore.”
I looked at them both, unable to believe how easily they erased everything I had done. “I know you work at a hospital in New York, Kyle,” I said coldly. “Either return every dollar I spent on you all these years, or I’ll tell everyone the truth.”
He frowned. “The truth?”…
“Yes,” I replied. “That you built your life here on my sacrifices… and then betrayed me the moment you didn’t need me anymore.” She stepped forward angrily.
“How dare you threaten us?” She laughed arrogantly.
“Do you even know who we are?” She lifted her chin proudly.
“My father has direct connections with Mr. Rizzuto. The Albert Rizzuto. The most powerful mafia figure in this country.” Her smile turned cruel.
“So think carefully before you try to ruin our lives.” I looked at him. “You know what I’m capable of.” For a moment, his expression changed. But then he scoffed. “Stop creating a scene.”
He reached for his wallet, pulled out some cash, and threw it at me. “There. Consider it settled.”
He laughed. “This is what you spent on my tuition, right?” The money scattered at my feet. I stood there frozen.
The man I had loved for fifteen years was reducing my entire sacrifice to a few bills. Before I could say anything, he grabbed my arm, pushed me toward the door, and forced me outside.
The door slammed shut in my face. And just like that…
The future I had dreamed about for fifteen years disappeared.
