Chapter 3
Galen closed his fist around the cold metal of his late wife’s locket. He slipped it securely into the pocket of his dark vest, his cold eyes never leaving Ainsley’s face. The bright, cinematic lighting of the ballroom offered her no place to hide from the devastating judgment forming in his mind.
"Galen, you have to understand," Ainsley began, her American accent pitching slightly higher as she tried to reclaim her authority. She forced a stiff, arrogant smile. "The child is completely out of control. She insists on wearing that tacky piece of jewelry with an elegant gown. I am simply trying to ensure that our photographs are absolutely perfect."
"You put your hands on my daughter," Galen stated. His voice was a low, guttural rumble, measured and incredibly dangerous.
"I am going to be her mother!" Ainsley snapped, her fair, rosy cheeks flushing with indignation. "She needs to learn that I make the rules now! You coddle her, Galen. You let her cling to the ghost of a woman who has been dead for two years!"
Before Galen could respond, heavy footsteps echoed across the floor. Nolan Vale, Ainsley’s forty-year-old brother, swaggered into the confrontation. Nolan was an ambitious man, dressed in an expensive tailored suit and polished leather shoes, a luxury wristwatch gleaming on his arm. He carried himself with the unearned arrogance of a man who believed the impending marriage made him untouchable.
Nolan stepped aggressively between Galen and his sister, puffing out his chest.
"Is there a problem here, Galen?" Nolan asked, a mocking edge to his voice. "My sister is just trying to organize her own wedding. The kid needs to learn her place."
Galen’s intimidating eyes slowly shifted from Ainsley to Nolan. The silence in the room was absolute. The capos and bodyguards stood perfectly still, their hands inching toward their concealed weapons, waiting for the Don’s command.
"Your sister assaulted my blood," Galen whispered. The controlled pause between his words hung in the air like a guillotine blade. "She tore a dress I bought, and she desecrated my late wife's memory."
Ainsley, emboldened by her brother’s presence and completely misunderstanding the lethal danger she was in, stepped out from behind Nolan. She crossed her arms, her diamond bracelet flashing in the light.
May you like
"I will not share my husband with a ghost," Ainsley delivered her ultimatum with a cold, venomous threat. "Choose her memories, or choose your new wife."
Galen became completely still. He did not blink. He did not shift his weight. For a terrifying, agonizing moment, he looked like a statue carved from dark marble. The entire ballroom held its breath, witnessing the exact moment the powerful Mafia boss decided to burn an alliance to the ground.
