When Lies Kissed Romance

My childhood friend promised to marry me once we came of age — but at my wedding ceremony, he gave my wedding ring to my stepsister, Summer Hugh.

At the time, it was Victor Lowell, the fearsome mafia heir, who saved me by publicly announcing he had loved me for years.

In the five years we had been married, he would fulfill every wish I had, even those I mentioned offhand. I truly believed I was the center of his world.

All that changed when I stumbled across a top-secret folder as I was cleaning his bookshelf. The very first page was a file on Summer, with three red words printed in bold, “Top protection priority.”

It was followed by a mission report I knew too well.

On the night of the mission, there had been an attempt on my life. My blood had almost run dry before I was saved. When I woke up at the hospital, I found out that I had lost a baby I did not know I had been carrying.

I wept bitterly in Victor’s arms, but I did not tell him about the baby. I did not want him to worry about me more.

Now, I finally found out — Summer had been attacked that night as well, and Victor’s orders had been: “Save Summer first.”

My tears soaked into the paper, smudging his handwriting.

“Alright,” I said softly but firmly into the silence. “If my marriage had been a lie all along, I’ll disappear from your life. Forever.”

Once I made all the arrangements for my departure, I ended the call and put the folder where I had found it.

Just then, I caught a familiar whiff of cigarette smoke and instinctively looked up. It was him.

Victor walked in, his suit still chilly from the night air. He hugged me from behind, his warm chest pressed against my back. His voice was soft, low, and magnetic. “Why are you still awake?”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking of games for our club’s annual teambuilding event.” I smiled, forcing my voice to sound even yet excited.

He kissed the top of my head. “Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve stayed up too many nights for that project. I found you a new health advisor.”

In the five years since we got married, everyone knew how much Victor loved and pampered me. He would put on an apron and research recipes whenever I said I had no appetite, and he would hold me and sing me lullabies whenever I could not sleep.

They said the heir to the mafia family was cold and heartless, because he saved all his warmth for me.

I once thought his warmth was mine forever, too. Now, though, I knew that this marriage was just another way for him to shield and protect Summer.

“Oh, right,” Victor said casually, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

“Tomorrow, we were supposed to visit your parents, to congratulate your stepsister