The Mafia King Took His Mistress to the Gala, but His Wife Walked In Beside the Man Who Could Take Everything From Him

“But you couldn't do it,” Evelyn continued, her voice steady and merciless. “You needed to prove you were bigger than the vows. You needed to humiliate me to inflate your own pathetic ego. And in doing so, you broke the only contract keeping you alive.”

Dominic fell to his knees. The expensive fabric of his charcoal tuxedo ripped slightly against the polished marble floor. He didn't care about his dignity anymore. He only cared about survival.

“Take the money,” Dominic sobbed, looking up at her, his hands clasped together. “Take Vale Holdings. Take the penthouse. Just let me live, Evelyn. Please. I’ll leave Chicago tonight. You’ll never see me again.”

Vanessa, watching the man she thought was a god grovel on the floor, let out a disgusted scoff. She turned on her heel, prepared to march out of the ballroom and salvage whatever was left of her reputation.

“Stop her,” Gabriel commanded softly without looking away from Dominic.

Two massive men in sharp suits stepped out of the crowd, blocking Vanessa’s path. They didn't draw weapons, but their sheer physical presence was a brick wall.

“Excuse me!” Vanessa snapped, her bravado returning for a fleeting second. “I am not part of this mafia melodrama! I am leaving!”

“You are leaving when the Queen says you can leave,” Gabriel replied, his pale amber eyes finally drifting toward the terrified mistress. “You wanted to manage public relations, Ms. Quinn? Well, tonight you are the public. You are going to stand there and witness exactly what happens to people who try to steal from this bloodline.”

Vanessa shrank back, completely trapped.

Evelyn looked down at her kneeling husband. The man who had commanded fear and respect for fifteen years was nothing but a hollow shell. She realized she felt absolutely nothing for him. The love had died a long time ago, replaced by a quiet, calculating patience that had finally reached its conclusion.

“I don't want your life, Dominic,” Evelyn said quietly. “Killing you would be a mercy. It would make you a martyr to the fools who still believe you built this empire yourself. No. I want you to live.”