Crushing the Fake Female Lead

On the day of my engagement to New York's most dangerous billionaire, a delusional woman crashed the party, acting like she was the god-chosen main character of the universe. Right in front of New York's elite, she had the audacity to grab his arm and call him her husband.

She actually stood there and announced to the entire ballroom that I was nothing but a pathetic side character, destined to be collateral damage in their epic love story.

The metallic clack of a slide being racked cut through the sudden silence.

My fianc cocked his sleek black handgun with one hand and shoved the barrel straight into her mouth. He smiled at heran unhinged, psychopathic grin.

"I waited over a fucking decade to put that ring on her finger," Roman said. "Breathe another word, and I'll blow your head into a pulverized watermelon."

Chapter 1

Roman's temper was notoriously lethal. Before I came into the picture, his favorite pastime was playing God with people's lives. He'd kick guys into the deep end of the pool and refuse to let them out until they could recite the entire Constitution backward. Anyone terrified of heights would find themselves shoved off a six-hundred-foot bridge with a bungee cord strapped to their ankles, bouncing until they passed out.

And if someone was afraid of the dark? He'd lock them inside a morgue overnight. They could drop to their knees, begging and sobbing that they were sorry, but he wouldn't even blink. He wouldn't lift a finger to let them go until their minds fractured.

Yeah, that was the monster everyone warned me about before I figured out how to leash him.

Right now, standing outside the heavy steel door, I could hear the muffled, pathetic sobs of a grown man, followed by Roman's familiar, low chuckle. I pushed the door open without knocking.

The moment his eyes landed on me, Roman instantly tossed the blood-stained baseball bat into the corner. He threw both hands up in surrender. "Baby, I swear I haven't even cracked a single one of his ribs yet."

The guy pinned to the concrete floor scrambled to beg. "Celeste, please! Save me! I'll never do it again, I swear I fucked up. Please, ask him to let me go!"

I just stared silently at Roman.

He held my gaze, his jaw ticking in silent defiance for exactly three seconds before he cracked. He jerked his chin toward the exit. "Get the fuck out."

The guy scrambled out on his hands and knees. This was the basement. The air was thick, heavy, and stank of old copper and violence.

Roman didn't waste a second. He gripped my elbow and steered me toward the stairs, a heavy frown line between his brows. "You're too delicate for this. Don't come down here again."

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to talk to you, and when your room was empty, I figured you were down here playing executioner."

He was tall, his legs impossibly long, but he deliberately slowed his pace to stay exactly half a step behind me. Roman had told me once that keeping me there was the only way he could ensure I was always in his line of sight.

"Are you anxious about the engagement party tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I murmured.

He stopped dead in his tracks. He shoved me hard against the rough brick wall, his calloused thumb swiping roughly across my lower lip.

His eyes darkened, burning with obsession. "If that damn priest dares to drag out the ceremony tomorrow, I'll smash his pulpit to pieces. You are mine."

We kept walking. As we approached the garden, he stepped in front of me. "Close your eyes. I have a present for you."

His large hands wrapped gently around my shoulders, guiding me forward, his voice a low hum warning me to watch my step.

"Okay. Open them." He dropped his hands.

My eyes fluttered open, and the world instantly flooded with crimson. Before me sprawled a massive garden, exploding with thousands of blooming, blood-red roses.

Roman shifted his weight, suddenly looking nervous. "I planted them all myself. Do you like them?"

I noticed the fresh scratches and dirt on the back of his hands. I looked up at him and offered a quiet smile.

When we were kids, I used to follow Roman around like a lost puppy. He loathed me. Whenever anyone jokingly called us childhood sweethearts, he'd find a way to shut them up before turning his lethal glare on me.

"Back off. You're fucking annoying, you know that?"

I knew. Of course I knew. But I didn't care. It never stopped me from chasing him down the driveway, calling his name.

I kept writing him letters. Not love notesjust random stuff about my day.

Roman would inevitably shove the entire stack back into my locker. "I don't give a shit about your diary," he'd snap.

He was the first boy I ever gave flowers to. Unfortunately, it landed him straight in the ER. Turned out he was violently allergic to pollen. Consumed by guilt, I ran all the way to the hospital to see him.

The boy had pulled the blanket up to his chin, an IV needle taped to his hand. He pointed at the door. "Get out! Stay the hell away from me."

Everyone always told me, "Celeste, you're lucky you two grew up together, otherwise he would've knocked your teeth out years ago."

Chapter 2

I sprinted out of the hospital sobbing, but the second the heavy car door slammed shut behind me, the tears dried up. I leaned back against the leather seat and smirked. Yeah, this is exactly how it should be.

When we were kids, Roman's rebellious streak was out of control. He flat-out rejected the extravagant birthday gala his wealthy family threw for him and vanished into the city. I had spent hours getting dressed up, waiting for him in his family's massive foyer. But he never showed.

If I didn't give him his present before midnight, the magic of the birthday wish wouldn't work. So, I walked out into a torrential downpour alone, clutching a perfectly wrapped box against my chest to track him down.

Right in front of his entire street crew, he took one look at my gift, said he hated it, and tossed it straight into a nearby dumpster.

Any other six-year-old girl would have broken down crying for her mom, but I just watched him quietly, like an emotionless predator. I knew exactly how to tame this violent little beast.

I didn't shed a single tear over the public humiliation. Instead, I widened my eyes, staring up at him with pitiful innocence. "Roman, can you walk me home? I'm scared of the dark."

Of course, Roman shot me down. He didn't even look back. But he had no idea that his little act of teenage arrogance would result in me being kidnapped for five straight years.

By the time the police finally found me, my health was shattered. I developed chronic chills, my face was terrifyingly pale, and I trembled so hard I could barely stand on my own two feet. I looked like a fragile porcelain doll about to break.

The day my family came to the precinct to pick me up, Roman was there too. He had changed.

The old, familiar disgust was gone. Instead, his jaw clenched so hard a muscle feathered in his cheek, and his hands visibly shook as he looked at me, his eyes bloodshot with unshed apologies. As he carefully helped me into the back of the SUV, the boy everyone in the city was terrified of leaned in close. His breath hitched against my ear.

"Celeste, I'm protecting you from now on. I'll never let you out of my sight again."

I kept my head down, staring at my scuffed shoes, and let a slow smirk curl the corners of my mouth.

Roman kept his word to the letter. To the rest of the world, he was a walking nightmare, but with me, he treated me like spun glass.

Because my immune system was wrecked, I was stuck on a ton of nasty liquid medications. I hated the bitter taste, so I'd always use it as an excuse to wait until the adults left before dumping the medicine down the bathroom sink. Until Roman walked into my hospital room and caught me red-handed.

That dark, violent temper flared in his eyes for a fraction of a second before he forcibly swallowed it down. He let out a frustrated breath.

He sat on the edge of my mattress, his voice incredibly low and gentle. "How are you supposed to get better if you don't take your meds? Come on, be good for me."

I crossed my arms and turned my face away, giving him the silent treatment.

He didn't even flinch. He just quietly slid over to the other side of the bed to catch my eye again, patiently trying to talk me into it.

Teenage Roman was a force of naturelawless, reckless, and untouchable. No one could control him. But everyone in our social circle knew the undeniable truth: the second I was brought back, Roman became a different person.

Before, you'd only find him in underground boxing rings beating guys to a bloody pulp, or street racing his illegally modified muscle car on the interstate. After, he spent every single day sitting on a cheap folding chair in my hospital room, wearing black-rimmed glasses while reading my high school biology textbook out loud to me.

Before, he'd disappear for entire weekends and ignore his phone. After, his crew couldn't even drag him out of the house.

His excuses were always the same: "Can't. Gotta make sure Celeste takes her pills."

"Not happening. Celeste gets anxious easily; if I come back bleeding, she'll freak out."

"Celeste told me no more fighting. I'm listening to her."

His boys used to relentlessly mock him in their group chats. "Celeste this, Celeste that. Everything is about your precious Celeste."

"You used to treat her like the plague, and now you're a total stage-five clinger. We literally can't look at you without cringing."

Oh, how the tables had turned for the untouchable Roman.

The year we turned eighteen, right after our senior graduation ceremony. We were taking photos on the quad when a classmate pulled me aside to ask me out. Roman, who had just parked his car to pick me up, caught the whole thing.

Before I could even open my mouth, Roman's dangerously low, arrogant drawl cut through the noise. "She can't. She belongs to me. Back the fuck up."

The guy practically tripped over his own feet running away.

I turned to make a quick escape, but Roman was faster. He slammed his palm against the brick wall right next to my head, boxing me in.

His face was breathtakingly sharp, radiating that effortless, old-money arrogance mixed with a dangerous edge.

He leaned down, his dark eyes locked intensely onto mine. "Celeste, we're officially adults now. Am I finally allowed to claim you?"

Chapter 3

He actually asked for my permission just to confess his feelings.

But I shot him down. My excuse? "Sorry. I just see you as a brother."

Roman, the untouchable heir who had girls throwing themselves at his feet his entire life, had never been rejected. My words made him let out a dark, furious laugh. But it didn't break himnot even close.

"That's fine," he said, stepping closer. "Even if you reject me eighty-two times, on the eighty-third time, I will still drop to one knee in front of you with the most expensive diamond in all of New York. You can't escape me, Celeste."

After that, the entire New York elite circle knew the truth: the city's most ruthless devil had finally met his match. Every single year, he orchestrated a massive, over-the-top confession. He refused to quit. Our entire friend group practically begged me to just put him out of his misery and say yes.

I just smiled. No rush. The timing isn't right yet.

The day I finally said yes, he looked wrecked. When he grabbed my hand, his fingers were shaking.

The guys we grew up with immediately started laying into him. "Roman, pull yourself together, man! She just agreed to be your girlfriend. If you're reacting like this now, you're gonna be bawling like a baby when she actually says 'I do'!"

"Never thought I'd see the day the most dangerous guy in the city looked like a total softie."

"I don't care, I'm ruining his life at the bachelor party. Bastard's been beating my ass since we were ten."

Roman tuned out their relentless teasing. His dark eyes were locked on me. I asked him what he was staring at.

A dangerously soft smile curved his lips. "Celeste, now that you're mine, there's no going back. I'm never letting you leave."

I tilted my head, half-joking. "What if some girl walks right up to you one day and claims she is the one you're destined to marry?"

"The only woman I will ever marry is Celeste." He gripped my hand tightly and pressed my palm flat against the center of his chest, right over his racing heart.

"Remember the shooting lessons I gave you? If I ever break that promise, put a bullet right here." His gaze was dead serious as the words left his mouth.

After that, everything fell perfectly into place. We naturally started planning the wedding. And tomorrow was the official engagement party.

Compared to Roman, who had been a nervous wreck all night, I remained composed. Every now and then, I just let my eyes drift toward the massive ballroom doors.

"Celeste, you and Roman are family now. You can't keep acting like a spoiled brat," my father practically lectured, holding his champagne flute.

During the five years I was missing, my own blood family barely lifted a finger compared to the massive manhunt Roman's family launched. The funniest part? They actually had the nerve to tell a young Roman to give up:

"Celeste's disappearance is just bad luck. We need to move on. Stop obsessing over a ghost."

When I was finally rescued, my spot in the family hierarchy was already gone. I was just the heiress in name only. Marrying into Roman's untouchable mafia empire meant they couldn't stand me, yet they had to swallow their pride and kiss my ass anyway. Human nature is truly pathetic.

The man beside me tightened his grip on my waist. He shot my father a freezing, lethal glare.

"My Celeste is never spoiled. She doesn't need to change a damn thing. She can do whatever she wantseven murder."

That last word made my father physically flinch. The champagne almost sloshed out of his crystal glass as he awkwardly slumped back into his seat.

Just as the crowd started chanting for us to link arms and drink our toast, a massive commotion exploded near the entrance. A frantic, desperate woman shoved past security and burst into the room.

"Roman, you can't marry her!"

Chapter 4

She had some serious guts to be the first person ever to crash one of Roman's parties.

I didn't say a word. I just shrank back behind Roman's broad shoulders, forcing my hands to tremble slightly.

Who the hell is this chick? That question echoed silently across the massive ballroom.

Then, the woman lunged forward. She grabbed Roman's arm, staring up at him with sickeningly sweet devotion. "Husband."

Absolute psycho. The collective thought of every single guest in the room.

Roman shook her off like she was a diseased rat. He snapped his fingers at the security guards. "Throw this trash out."

He had shown incredible restraint over the years. If this were the old Roman, her arm would have been snapped in two by now.

The woman shrieked like an overdosed junkie, thrashing as two bodyguards dragged her back, and she spat in my direction: "Celeste, you life-stealing bitch! You belong at the bottom of the Hudson River!"

I let all the blood drain from my face.

Roman yanked me tightly against his chest. "Say one more word, and I'll cut out your fucking tongue."

"Roman! We're meant to be together! I'm the main character, and you're the male lead!"

"Celeste is nothing but cannon fodder in our epic romance! She has no right to marry you!"

Insane. Where did they find this lunatic?

The woman's shrieking stopped dead. The entire crowd gasped.

My fianc cocked his sleek black handgun with one hand and shoved the barrel straight into her mouth, smiling at her with an unhinged, psychopathic grin: "I waited over a fucking decade to put that ring on her finger. Breathe another word, and I'll blow your head into a pulverized watermelon."

Roman would do it. There wasn't a single line in this world he wouldn't cross.

I placed my hand gently over his knuckles and shook my head. "Roman. Don't."

He stayed silent, but he slowly lowered the weapon.

You could practically read the collective sigh of relief on the guests' faces: The rumors are true! The devil is whipped! Thank God someone finally leashed this monster!

I took a step forward, looking down at the pathetic mess on the floor. "Miss, I have no idea why you're here cursing my name and trying to ruin my engagement party."

"But I won't press charges. Frankly, your mental state is just sad. I sincerely hope you get the psychiatric help you need."

Madison. Her name was Madison. Well, to be exact, that was the name of the original body this transmigrator had hijacked.

She wasn't wrong. She was the original female lead of this universe. Unfortunately for her, that title expired the second I dropped into this world.

The day I arrived, a mechanical voice had echoed in my head.

[ Target acquired: Roman. Mission: Capture 100% of the target's affection and eliminate the foreign transmigrator. ]

[ Success guarantees your return. Failure results in immediate, permanent erasure of your soul. ]

Madison turned her desperate, pleading eyes back to Roman. "Roman, you have to believe me! I know everything! Things you know, things you don'tI even know the real reason your mother died!"

Roman's muscles instantly locked up.

I remained unfazed, simply lowering my gaze.

Madison ripped herself free from the guards' grip and scrambled right to Roman's feet. Her voice dropped into this sickeningly sweet, hypnotic whisper.

"I'll let you in on a secret. I'm here to save you. I know every ounce of pain you've suffered."

"Don't be scared anymore. I'm here."

The man's voice dropped to a lethal rumble, his eyes boring holes straight through her skull. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course. Roman, I'm the one who's truly meant for you."

Seeing Madison's smug, victorious smirk, I let a dark smile tug at the corner of my mouth. I really hope you don't regret saying that.

Roman's ruthless personality was forged by his mother's violent death. But I never brought it up. Because touching that memory meant touching a loaded bomb.

Chapter 5

Sure enough, a split second later, Roman shoved the barrel of the gun hard against her lips. He arched a single, arrogant brow. "You know what I hate the most?"

She whimpered around the steel barrel, shaking so violently her knees practically buckled.

"Salvation? You think this is some bullshit Disney fairytale? I crawled my way out of hell. I don't need any damn salvation, I only need my woman."

It was our engagement night, and Roman didn't want to ruin the marble floors with blood. Madison should be thanking her lucky stars. Any other day, she would have been leaving this ballroom in a body bag.

His security detail dragged her out and dumped her at the local precinct.

Later, in the master bathroom, he stood over the sink, furiously scrubbing his hands with scorching hot water until his knuckles were raw and red. I hadn't even said a word yet.

He pressed his lips into a tight line, his reflection catching mine in the mirror. "She grabbed me. I didn't think she'd actually have the nerve to touch me, so I didn't dodge in time. I didn't want her anywhere near me."

He shoved a hand roughly through his dark hair, lethal frustration practically radiating off him. "I swear to God, I should've snapped her wrists."

The same untouchable man who had just terrified an entire room of billionaires was now acting like a kicked puppy begging for affection.

A quiet laugh slipped past my lips. "Roman, stop acting like a toddler."

He instantly closed the distance, trapping me against the cool bathroom tiles. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply, before launching into a low, rumbling tangent about how I was probably already sick of him.

I sighed, running my fingers through his thick hair. "I'm not. You're overthinking it."

A sudden, awkward cough shattered the moment. One of Roman's lieutenants was standing in the doorway, his eyes glued firmly to the floorboards. "Boss that woman at the precinct is screaming for you."

Roman's demeanor flipped. Lethal, explosive rage flared in his dark eyes.

"Half of New York wants a piece of my time. What makes her think she gets a free pass?"

"If you idiots can't hand off one psychotic bitch without holding my hand, you're all useless to me! Get the fuck out!"

The moment the terrified lieutenant scrambled away, Roman instantly dropped his head. The lethal edge vanished. "I'm sorry. That lunatic ruined our perfect night, and now I'm yelling in front of you."

Down the hall, I could hear the heavy, frantic thud of boots as his guy practically sprinted for his life.

Late that night, as the penthouse finally went silent, a sharp burst of static crackled in the back of my mind. It was followed by that familiar, cold, mechanical voice.

[ 0714. Apologies. My current authorization protocols could not block her insertion into this timeline. ]

I opened my eyes in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. It doesn't matter, I replied silently. She can't take Roman away from me.

Madison spent three days rotting in a holding cell. It wasn't enough to break her delusion. This time, however, she didn't come in screaming. She ambushed me outside my favorite coffee shop, cutting straight to the chase.

"Are you a regressor? Or just a transmigrator who hijacked this body?"

I took a slow sip of my iced latte, offering her a perfectly polite, empty smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Madison."

She slammed her hands down on my cafe table. "Let me give you a piece of advice, Celeste. You and Roman are never going to make it."

I stirred my drink slowly. "We're already engaged."

She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "So what? People break off engagements all the time. Marriages end in divorce."

"In the grand scheme of this universe, you two are destined to crash and burn. He will always choose me in the end. He's written to be my obsessed, fiercely loyal lapdog."

My brow furrowed in genuine disgust. The word lapdog felt violently incompatible with a lethal predator like Roman.

A lapdog? Please. The man was a rabid, bloodthirsty wolf.

Beneath the collar of my silk blouse, my skin still burned from the possessive, bruising bites he had left all over my neck the night before.

She looked down her nose at me with pure, unadulterated contempt. "As for you? Your entire purpose is to be consumed by jealousy over me."

"Every single person in your life will eventually turn their back on you in disgust, and you'll die alone in some foreign gutter with no one to claim your rotting body."

"I have no idea what glitch in the matrix is keeping you standing here right now, but your pathetic ending is already set in stone. Enjoy your breathing privileges while they last."

Chapter 6

I propped my chin on my hand and let a slow smirk curve my lips. "Oh, I am terrified, I will cherish every single second."

The confidence on Madison's face almost made me laugh out loud. I swallowed the chuckle down.

"Miss Madison, I totally get your obsession with my fianc. But chasing a guy you cannot have only ends with you getting hurt. Maybe your Prince Charming is actually someone else?"

A flicker of panic crossed her eyes before she quickly looked away. "Whatever, I gave you a fair warning, believe it or don't."

I watched her hurried figure retreating down the sidewalk and let out a soft laugh. I slid into the back of my town car and tapped the glass partition. "Follow her."

Madison did not come from a poor family, but in a city like New York, her net worth was basically pocket change to the real elite. She stood out like a sore thumb, dripping in luxury brands outside a greasy, run-down auto repair shop in Queens. She peeked inside and called out with a timid voice.

A man emerged from the shadows of the garage. He was incredibly tall and built out of solid muscle, wearing black coveralls. A smudge of dark motor oil stained his jaw, and his eyes were dead.

A cold, mechanical voice crackled in my head.

[ System locked on target. He is this world's Alpha chosen one, Mason. ]

I know, I replied silently. I had known for a long time, and I only came here today to confirm his existence.

Madison only had half the story right. She was indeed the original female lead.

But Roman was not the main character of this universe. He was just the doomed, villainous side character. The true male lead was the dirt-covered mechanic standing right in front of her.

You are probably wondering why Madison was spinning a half-baked lie. Honestly, I had no clue either. The system never fed me those details.

It only gave me one absolute warning. If I did not secure Roman's trust before the original female lead hijacked her body, my chances of survival would drop to zero.

So, for the past twenty years, I essentially banished the system, forcing it to act as a firewall to delay the transmigrator's arrival. I was alone in this strange, terrifying world, flying blind and clawing my way through the mission step by bleeding step. I spent two decades weaving myself into Roman's life until he literally could not breathe without me.

"Miss Madison, you do not need to fake a twisted ankle every single time you show up here, I am busy." Mason held his temper in check, but a deep furrow of pure annoyance cut between his brows.

Madison's face froze. She stood there, a stark flush creeping up her neck as she swallowed whatever cheesy pickup line she had prepped.

The man clearly had zero time for her high-school games. He waved a dismissive hand and turned to walk away.

"I told you, I like you! If you just agree to be with me, I can give you the entire city! I will help you crush Roman under your boot!" Madison yelled in sheer panic.

I rolled down the tinted window of the car and narrowed my eyes. Damn it, Madison, you really do not think small, do you?

Mason stared at her like she had two heads. "I do not know any damn Roman. You showed up yesterday spouting a bunch of delusional garbage, and I let it slide instead of calling the psych ward on you. Get out of my shop."

She lunged forward and grabbed his grease-stained sleeve. "Mason, I am telling the truth! You are going to be the most powerful man in New York!"

"I know everything that is going to happen, and I can give you the ultimate shortcut so you do not have to suffer anymore! And, I am your future wife, you have to believe me!"

He shoved her off, and Madison hit the concrete hard. Mason's expression remained terrifyingly flat. "If you are going to lie, at least try to make it sound believable, you think I am a three-year-old?"

He wiped a streak of grease from his hands with a rag. "I never hit women, but that does not mean I will not throw you into the dumpster out front, get lost."

The moment he disappeared back into the dark garage, Madison's pathetic facade instantly vanished. She scrubbed her hands frantically, her face twisted in pure disgust.

"So fucking gross!" She spat the words out. "If you were not the chosen male lead, you think I would waste a single breath on a dirty mechanic? In your dreams!"

Chapter 7

Mason. Let me think. The male lead of the book, the lost heir to one of New York's oldest money families. Found by his blood relatives at twenty, right in the middle of a brutal family succession war. He was the one who dragged the family empire out of the bloodbath and took the crown.

The original plot mentioned that later on, because of Madison, he and Roman would end up as ruthless rivals. But of course, with his overpowered main character halo, Roman was naturally defeated. The ending didn't even bother mentioning what happened to him.

As for Madison I let out a soft, amused laugh. I think I finally figured out her little game plan. She wanted to play the field, casting her net as wide as possible to build a roster of powerful men.

While I was mentally dissecting the system's mission, a pair of heavy arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind. Roman buried his face in the crook of my neck, nuzzling my skin.

"Baby, you've been zoning out ever since we got back. What's on your mind?"

That reminded me of something. "The Sinclair Group has been hit with a ton of massive scandals lately. Rumor on Wall Street says their entire executive board is preparing to jump ship. Was that your doing?"

His mind was clearly a million miles away from corporate sabotage, but he still answered seriously. "The Sinclair family has been a sinking ship for years. It was only a matter of time before they went under. Why would I even need to lift a finger? Ever since you told me to stop playing with fire, I've kept my hands clean."

I hummed, lost in thought.

Roman gently gripped my shoulders and spun me around to face him. "Did someone mess with you?"

I offered a reassuring smile. "No. Stop overthinking."

"Can't help it. My mind just goes to dark places." His dark eyes locked onto mine, the pupils slightly dilated as his gaze dropped to my lips. "But, if you want to cure this little obsession of mine, there is one highly effective treatment."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

He lowered his gaze, a wicked, sinful smirk curving his lips. "Kissing."

The desk instantly became our battlefield. We were right in the middle of his executive office, with staff constantly walking past the frosted glass doors. I bit down hard on my lower lip, desperately swallowing back the broken sounds slipping from my throat. My skin burned everywhere his calloused hands gripped, the negative space between us charged with adrenaline.

Suddenly, the heavy door swung open.

"Boss."

Roman's breathing was heavy and ragged. He snapped his head up, his eyes lethal. "Get the fuck out!"

His assistant practically pissed his pants, scrambling backward and slamming the door shut in record time.

Roman's kissing technique was dangerously smooth now. I definitely couldn't mock him for being terrible at it like I used to. When exactly was our first kiss? I think it was the first time Roman genuinely pissed me off.

He had taken a bet on a high-stakes street race and nearly wrapped his car around a concrete pillar. He ordered his entire crew to keep me in the dark, but I found out anyway. I didn't even bother going to the hospital to see him.

Not a single person in our circle dared to call me heartless. Only my biological family tried to lecture me, warning me not to push my luck with him. I locked myself inside my private townhouse and ghosted him. Every day, I either went to the equestrian club or attended private golf and ballet lessons. The day after he was discharged, I grabbed an invitation to a high-end charity auction and finally stepped out.

Right before I handed my ticket to the venue staff, Roman's number flashed on my screen. I swiped to answer and pressed the phone to my ear. "Roman."

"Celeste, you're not home?" He was probably standing in my empty living room right now.

"Yeah," I replied flatly.

"Where are you?"

"Out clearing my head."

It sounded like Roman had a million things he wanted to frantically explain, but the second the word "sorry" left his mouth, I cut him off. I told him the auction was starting and hung up before he could get another word in.

I didn't get home until late that night. Roman was practically losing his damn mind waiting for me. It wasn't that he couldn't track my locationhe was just terrified of pissing me off again. He didn't even dare to smash up my living room, because he knew I hated the mess.

He wouldn't even light a cigarette when he knew I might walk in. Even though it was literally freezing outside, he was just sitting on my front steps in a thin dress shirt, waiting for me to come home.

The second he saw me step out of the car, he just grumbled under his breath, "Why the hell didn't you wear a heavier coat? Are you trying to freeze to death?" He must have rushed over straight from the hospital. He hadn't even bothered to wash the dried blood off the back of his knuckles.

Chapter 8

Roman quickly hid his hands behind his back, his voice tight. "I didn't do anything to him, I just"

I rose up on my tiptoes. The heavy coat slipped from my shoulders, and our shadows merged seamlessly on the pavement. I kissed him. I initiated it. It was my first kiss, and it was his, too. That was why he was shaking even more than I was.

"Roman, I'm just worried about you. Stop doing these dangerous things, okay?"

A deep flush spread across his sharply angled face. "Okay."

The man looked lethal, his eyes always harboring a dark, violent edge that terrified everyone around him. But I remembered seeing him more than once when we were kids, hiding in a corner of his estate, aggressively digging at a mouse hole while crying and muttering to himself.

"I'm not a monster. Is it my fault I look mean? Why does everyone hate me? Why does everyone run away?"

He had been squatting there like a miserable little ball. That was the very first time I visited his family's mansion and accidentally stumbled upon him, planting the first seeds of my capture strategy.

After that first kiss, Roman's breath hitched, a dark flush crawling up his neck. He bolted into the nearest bathroom, practically covering his flushed face with both hands.

Through the heavy oak door, I could hear him instantly calling his boys to brag. "Yeah, exactly, how did you know Celeste just kissed me? And she initiated it."

Roman was such a child.

Right before bed, he grabbed the first-aid kit and dropped to one knee on the plush rug. He carefully slipped off my stilettos, gently massaging a soothing ointment into my reddened ankles. The absolute heir to a trillion-dollar empire, willingly kneeling just to serve me.

I decided to tease him. "If the board of directors saw you right now, where would your pride be?"

He didn't even look up from my foot, letting out a low, amused hum. "Taking care of my woman is my damn job. What's wrong with putting on some ointment? If you weren't so shy, I'd gladly bathe you myself."

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I quickly looked away.

"Wash or repair?" The man didn't even lift his head, his eyes locked on the greasy laptop screen.

I slid a crisp business card across the counter. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

"Mason."

He slowly dragged his eyes up from the screen, giving me a calculated, measured look. "You?"

I blinked, slightly caught off guard. "You know me?"

He shook his head. "Don't know you, but I've seen your face. Roman's fiance, Celeste, right?"

I nodded.

Mason leaned back, his expression dripping with lazy apathy as he let out a dry scoff. "Thanks to that psycho screaming Roman's name yesterday, I actually got curious enough to look him up online. Your guy is quite the piece of work. You're not here about him, are you?"

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "No. I'm here about you