Chapter 2

Ellie POV

Marcus mistook my silence for submission.

When I didn't scream or shatter a vase after the anniversary disaster, he assumed he had finally broken me completely. He thought I had accepted my role as the silent, decorative fixture in his life.

He was wrong. I wasn't broken. I was focused.

Two weeks later, the Thorne family hosted another mandatory gathering. This time, it wasn't just a dinner. It was the annual "State of the Union" for the crime families, disguised as a black-tie fundraiser at the Plaza.

The rumors had been swirling for days. The whispers circulating through the high-end nail salons and the hushed tones on the terrace at the country club all said the same thing: Marcus Thorne had chosen his queen, and it wasn't the woman wearing his ring.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the guest bedroom. I had moved out of the master suite three days ago. Marcus hadn't even noticed.

I chose a dress that was the color of gunmetal steel. High neck, long sleeves, backless. It was armor disguised as fashion.

"You don't have to go," Chloe said from the doorway, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "You have enough evidence to bury him in divorce court. We can leave tonight."

"If I leave now, I look like a runaway," I said, applying a final, precise coat of dark red lipstick. "If I leave after tonight, I leave as a survivor. I need to secure the assets from the design firm first. I need the leverage."

"He's going to bring her," Chloe warned.

"I know."

We arrived at the Plaza in separate cars. The flashbulbs popped in a blinding, rhythmic assault.

I walked the red carpet alone. Head high. Shoulders back.

Inside, the ballroom was suffocating. The scent of expensive perfume and old money hung heavy in the air, masking the underlying rot.

Then the room went quiet.

Marcus walked in.

He wasn't alone.

Izzy was on his arm. She was wearing white. A blinding, bridal white.

The audacity took my breath away for a second, sharp and stinging.

He led her through the crowd, shaking hands, accepting nods of respect. He looked powerful. He looked like a king. And she was beaming, basking in the attention like a flower turning to the sun.

They walked right past me.

Marcus didn't even blink. It was as if I were invisible. As if nine years of marriage had been erased by the silk of her dress.

He led her to the head table-my table-and pulled out the chair to his right. The seat of honor. The wife's seat.

A murmur rippled through the room. This was a breach of protocol. This was a public declaration.

I didn't make a scene. I didn't run.

I walked to the far end of the table and sat in the last empty chair, next to a low-level capo who looked terrified to be sitting next to the Don's estranged wife.

Waiters poured wine. Speeches began.

Marcus stood up to speak. He looked out at the crowd, his charisma magnetic.

"Family is everything," he said, his voice deep and smooth. "It is the foundation of our power. And tonight, I want to honor those who bring life and vitality to this family."

He turned and looked down at Izzy.

"To new beginnings," he said.

"To new beginnings," the room echoed, though many eyes darted nervously toward me.

Izzy stood up, flushed with victory. She leaned over and whispered something in Marcus's ear, and he laughed. A genuine laugh.

Then she looked at me.

She didn't stay seated. She walked down the length of the table, her white dress swishing softly. She stopped behind my chair.

"Ellie," she said, her voice loud enough for the nearby tables to hear. "You look tired. Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should go home and rest. Marcus and I can handle the guests."

It was a dismissal. A public eviction disguised as concern.

Her mother, a social climber who had been trying to sink her claws into the Thorne money for decades, chimed in from a nearby table. "Listen to her, dear. You know when you've overstayed your welcome. Don't be a burden."

My hands clenched in my lap, hiding the tremor.

I looked up at Izzy. Up close, I could see the malice in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Izzy," I said, my voice steady. "Someone has to make sure the legitimate face of this family doesn't crumble while you play house."

Her smile faltered.

Marcus stood up abruptly. "I have an announcement."

The room fell silent again.

"Izzy and I are engaged," he said.

The air left the room. He was still married. To me.

"She will be the future matriarch of the Thorne family," he continued, ignoring the shock on the faces of the old guard.

It was done. He had burned the bridge while I was still standing on it.

He raised his glass.

I stood up.

Everyone stared, expecting a scream, a drink thrown, a breakdown.

I picked up my glass of champagne. I turned to Marcus. I looked him dead in the eye.

"Congratulations," I said softly.

I took a sip, set the glass down, and turned to walk away.

As I passed Izzy, she leaned in. "I won."

I stopped. I looked at her, then at Marcus, who was watching me with a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"You can have him," I whispered to her. "I'm done cleaning up his messes."

I walked out of the ballroom, the heavy doors closing behind me with a finality that felt like a gunshot.

I wasn't the victim anymore. I was free.