You Rejected Me, Now Kneel Before the Mafia Queen

I was the Sorrento heiress. Daughter of the country’s most feared mafia patriarch. Two months ago, my family sent me out to survive on my own. No money. No guards. No name.

Now I sat under a bridge. Wearing cheap clothes and eating a cheap corndog.

That was when a black sportscar stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Alaric Mancusso.

Don of the Mancusso Syndicate. Billionaire. President of Mancusso Corporation, which handled real estate, hotels, finance, shipping, private security, and other major businesses.

"Be my girlfriend," he said. "I'll take care of you. You won't have to worry about anything anymore."

I looked at my corndog, then back at him.

Was this man serious?

Apparently, he was.

And that was how I became Alaric Mancusso's girlfriend. For six years, he spoiled me rotten.

He gave me a luxury mansion, a supplementary credit card, expensive clothes, jewelry, and anything else I wanted. Once, at one in the morning, I casually said I wanted strawberry cake. He actually drove across the city to buy them for me.

Yet there was just one thing he never gave me.

A ring.

He never talked about marriage.

I knew why. As far as he knew, I had an alcoholic addict father, a sick mother, and a rundown home. I was poor and I could never be good enough for the Mancusso family.

So I waited until my six year training was over.

Finally, I could tell him the truth. I was going to reveal that I was the Mafia heiress Freya Sorrentino and give him the surprise of his life.

But when I reached his usual private room, I heard cheers from inside.

"Congratulations, Don! You have two sons and a daughter now!"

"Your parents and grandparents can finally relax!"

"Come on! Drink up!"

I froze.

A twin son and a daughter?

I pushed the door open slightly. Alaric was sitting inside with his friends, holding a glass of wine and wearing that same lazy smile.

One of his supremo laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Don, you're seriously something else. You've got a Donna at home and Freya outside, and that girl is completely crazy about you. She actually thinks she's the only woman you have."

Another man laughed.

"And you kept Alice's second child a secret too? If the Richard family hadn't announced it today, we'd still have no idea you already had three kids."

My fingers slowly tightened around the door.

Alice?

Alaric swirled his wine. "My family needs an heir. Alice and I have known each other for years, and our families trust each other. It was the right choice."

Someone asked, "Then what about Freya?"

"I love her. I really do. That won't change. She's a good girl, and I'll keep taking care of her." He took another sip. "But marriage is different. I'm the Don of the Mancusso Syndicate. My wife has to come from the right family. The same goes for my children."

"So you're never marrying Freya?"

"No. Her background is too poor. She can stay by my side, and I'll give her whatever she wants. But when it comes to marriage and children, I already have someone else in mind."

I stood outside the door, staring at nothing.

So that was it. He loved me. He just didn't think I was good enough to marry.

I almost laughed. If only he knew.

I wasn't poor.

I turned and walked to the fire escape before my legs gave out. I slid down against the cold wall, covered my face, and cried until my chest hurt.

For six years, I'd hidden who I was.

The Sorrentino family had a rule for its heir. Before taking over, the heir had to disappear and live as an ordinary person without money, power, or the family name. So I rented the cheapest room I could find, ate cheap food, worked for a small salary, and learned to count every coin before spending it.

I was supposed to finish training and go home.

Then I met Alaric.

And I fell for him.

He chased me for three months before I agreed to date him. He'd cover my head with his suit whenever it rained, even if he got soaked. When I had a fever, he'd stay beside me all night, changing the towel on my forehead and checking my temperature.

Once, I casually told him that I liked tulips. The next morning, my entire room was filled with them.

I stared at him and asked, "Did you lose your mind?"

He simply smiled and said, "You said you liked them."

That was Alaric.

I remembered our first kiss. He'd been slightly drunk when he backed me against his car, but his eyes were clear. He said, "Freya, don't keep running from me. If you don't want me, tell me now. But if you do, then stop pretending you don't."

And I didn't run.

On my birthday, he booked an expensive restaurant. Give me fireworks and bought me everything I want.

I let my guard down. I thought it was real.

Once my training ended, I'd tell him the truth… take him home, and marry him properly.

What a joke. The man who loved me had another woman.

I cried until I was exhausted.

My phone vibrated. I pulled it out.

"Freya?" Dad's voice came through. "Your training period is finally over. You can come home now. It's time for you to take over the Sorrentino family."

"Okay, Dad. I'll come back soon. I just have a few things to deal with here."

"There's something else. Once you inherit the family, you need to think about marriage. You know our rules. Your husband won't just be your husband. He'll become part of the Sorrentino family and stand beside its heir."

I closed my eyes. Of course.

Dad continued, "Several powerful families have been asking about you for years. Have you met anyone suitable?"

Alaric's face appeared in my mind.

My heart twisted.

"Nobody," I said quietly. "Dad, let's hold the husband-selection banquet on the day I inherit the family."

"The same day?"

"Yes. I'll choose my husband myself. I'll choose someone worthy of standing beside the Sorrentino heiress."

"All right," Dad said. "Your mother and I will arrange everything."

When I got home, I quietly started packing. I didn't take much, just a few clothes, some personal things, and everything I actually cared about. As for the gifts Alaric had given me over the years, I didn't want any of them.

The expensive jewelry went into the trash first, followed by the limited-edition bags and the little handmade things he'd made for me himself. One after another, I threw them away without looking back I had just dropped the last gift inside when the door lock beeped.

I froze.

The door opened, and Alaric walked in. Alice followed behind him with their children.

My chest tightened.

So this was the family he'd hidden from me. His future Donna. His twin sons. His baby daughter. And now he was bringing them into our home.

Wasn't hearing about them once enough? Did I really have to see them too?

“Freya, this is Alice Richard. We grew up together, and she's just come back from abroad with the kids. They haven't found a proper place to stay yet, so they'll stay here for a few days.”

Alice smiled at me. She looked gentle and polite, but I could see the hatred hiding behind her eyes.

“Alice, this is Freya Jones, my girlfriend.”

One of the twins looked up at me. His face looked so much like Alaric's that my stomach twisted. He stared at me from head to toe, then sneered.

“Daddy, she's your girlfriend? I thought she was your maid. Pff! Why does she dress like that? She looks poor enough to sleep in the trash.”

His brother giggled, “Maybe she really is a maid! She looks ugly too. Daddy, did you pick her up from the street because you felt sorry for her?”

Alice immediately pretended to scold them. “Don't say things like that, sweetheart. That's rude.” She turned to me with a sweet smile. “I'm sorry, Freya. They're still young and don't know what they're saying. Please don't take it personally… This is actually my first time here, and I'm not familiar with everything yet. Could you show me where we'll be staying?”

I was about to answer when Alaric talked. “Freya, help them get settled, okay? I've got an important video conference later, so I need to prepare.”

My heart hurt, but my face stayed calm.

“Okay.”

I turned around and led Alice and the children to the guest room.

The moment the door closed, Alice's sweet smile disappeared. “These sheets aren't soft enough! And can you get me new towels and toiletress? These don't look very clean!”

I glanced at her.

She was already treating my home like hers.

I could've reminded her that she was a guest. I could've told her exactly who I was and what my family could do. But what was the point? I was leaving anyway.

So I swallowed everything and quietly replaced the sheets and towels.

Alice kept finding things to complain about, and I kept fixing them.

“Is there anything else?”

Alice smiled. “Actually, there is.”

She opened her suitcase and pulled out a pile of clothes, then shoved them into my arms. “Here you go. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble by staying here. I don't really have anything to give you, but I don't wear these ugly clothes anymore. You can have them.”

I looked down.

Designer clothes. Old ones. Some were clearly worn, and a few looked several seasons out of date.

Alice smiled sweetly. “You're Ali's girlfriend, but you always dress so plainly and boring as fuck. Honestly, it makes him look bad. I heard your family isn't doing very well financially, so don't be embarrassed. These are used, but they're still designer pieces. You can wear them for a long time.”

I stared at the clothes in my arms, then looked at her.

For a second, I almost laughed.

She was giving me her leftovers and expecting me to thank her.

Did she really think I needed them?

“That's very generous of you, but you should keep them. Second-hand goods are better suited to the person who already owns them.”

Alice's face changed instantly. She clearly hadn't expected me to answer.

“Thanks anyway.”

Then I walked straight past her and left the room.

…

When I got back to the bedroom, Alaric returned not long after finishing his meeting.

The moment he walked in, he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin against my shoulder. “Freya, don’t move for a while. Let me stay like this and recharge. I’m seriously exhausted after all those meetings today.”

In the past, I would've melted whenever he acted like this. The ruthless Alaric only showed this clingy, almost childish side when he was with me. He used to joke that I was his personal power bank, his safe place, and the one person he could never live without.

Back then, those words made me feel loved.

Now, they only sounded ridiculous.

He couldn't live without me? Then how did he manage to build a whole family with Alice?

I forced myself to stay calm, but my body had already gone stiff. Alaric noticed.

“What's wrong? Are you upset because I brought Alice and the kids here?” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Alice and I grew up together. Our families have known each other for years, and she came back from abroad with three children. Bringing the kids here was the least I could do. She shouldn't have to struggle alone after traveling all this way.” He leaned closer. “So don't overthink it, okay? You're the one I care about. Nothing has changed between us.”

Then he lowered his head and tried to kiss me. I instinctively turned away and pushed against his chest.

Before I could say anything, someone knocked on the door.

“Ali!” Alice's voice came from outside. “The baby won't stop crying! I've tried everything, but she just keeps crying. Can you please come and help me?”

Alaric frowned slightly, “I'll go check on her. I'll be right back.”

He released me and walked toward the door.

Alice appeared with Arkin, one of the five year old twins, and pushed him into the room. "Freya, could you watch Arkin for me a little while? I need to take care of his sister and his twin, and it's hard managing both at once."

She didn't even wait for my answer. She grabbed Alaric's arm and hurried away with him.

Seriously?

I hadn't even agreed.

I looked down at Arkin, already staring around my room with a strange little smile. Within minutes he started touching everything, grabbing things off the shelves and tossing them on the floor, jumping on the sofa, screaming whenever I told him to stop.

I tried to keep my patience. "Arkin, it's late. Let's clean this up and get you to bed."

He glared at me. "Why should I listen to you? You're just an ugly poor maid!"

I took a slow breath. "Who taught you to talk to people like that?"

He wasn't scared at all. He stuck his tongue out, grabbed something off the table, and ran out of the room.

I followed him into the hallway. "Arkin, stop running, you're going to hurt yourself."

He ignored me and ran for the staircase.

Then he stopped and turned around.

In his little hand was my bracelet.

My grandfather had given it to me before I left home. It was one of the few things I'd kept hidden all these years, and I'd never taken it off until now.

My eyes widened. "Arkin, give that back."

He looked at the bracelet, then at me.

Before I could reach him, he yanked it apart.

It snapped free.

My heart dropped. "Arkin!"

He laughed, threw it on the floor, and ran down the hallway like it was a game.

I rushed after him and picked it up. Scratched. My fingers tightened around it.

That was my grandfather's last gift to me.

I swallowed the anger rising in my chest. "That's enough. Go back to your room."

Instead he ran to the top of the staircase and turned with a nasty little grin. "Let's see what Daddy thinks when you hurt me."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

He leaned backward toward the stairs.

My eyes widened. "Arkin, don't!"

He let his body fall backward on purpose.

I lunged forward and caught his arm before he could tumble down the steps, but instead of grabbing the railing, he clung to my hand and pulled me toward him with all his strength.

My foot slipped off the edge.

For one terrifying second, neither of us had anything to hold onto.

Then we lost our balance and fell down the staircase together.

I wrapped both arms around his small body on instinct, twisting myself beneath him so he'd land on me instead of the steps. My back slammed against the stairs as we tumbled down, and when we hit the bottom I crashed onto the floor with him still in my arms.

Pain exploded through my back and side. Something sharp cut into my skin. Blood ran down my arm.

For a few seconds I couldn't move.

Arkin started crying.

Then footsteps rushed toward us.

"Daddy!"

He scrambled up, crying hard, and pointed straight at me. "Daddy, this woman hurt me! She pushed me! She wanted me to die!"

Alice screamed the moment she saw him. "Ali, hurry! Save Arkin first! He's hurt, he's only five, he's our son, your own flesh and blood!"

Alaric's face went pale, his eyes moving between Arkin and me. I was still lying at the bottom of the staircase, covered in blood, barely able to move, while Arkin cried beside me.

For a moment he hesitated.

Then he rushed to Arkin. "Are you hurt? Let Daddy see."

Arkin wrapped his arms around him and cried harder.

I stayed on the floor, my head spinning, blood trickling down my forehead.

Alice followed him, giving me one last look. The worry on her face vanished for a brief second, replaced by a small, satisfied smile. She even spat on my face before hurrying after him.

I stared after them, finally understanding what his choice meant.

I wasn't surprised.

Hadn't he always told me that I was the most important person in his life? Apparently, that only mattered when Alice and his children weren't standing in front of him.

---

For two hours, I lay there alone, barely conscious, unable to move. Alaric had forgotten about me the moment he carried Arkin away. It was a maid who finally found me on the floor and called for help.

She was the one who stayed with me until I got to the hospital.

Two hours.

That's how long it took for anyone to remember I was still bleeding on that floor.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The slightest movement sent pain through my forehead and arm. When I turned my head, Alaric was sitting beside me, brows drawn tight, eyes bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in hours.

The moment he saw I was awake, he leaned in. "Freya, you're awake. How do you feel? Does your head hurt? Your arm? Tell me and I'll call the doctor."

My throat was too dry to answer.

He picked up a cotton swab, dipped it in water, and touched it to my lips. His hands were as careful as always, and somehow that only made me colder.

He took my good hand and rubbed the back of it. "Freya, I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast, and I had to get Arkin out first. He's just a child. I thought I'd come back for you right after, I didn't realize you'd already lost too much strength."

His voice softened. "I never meant to leave you there. I swear it. You know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose."

I listened without a word.

I understood he wanted to save his son.

What I couldn't understand was how he'd forgotten me afterward.

I remembered every night he'd held me and whispered I was the most important person in his world.

How ridiculous that sounded now.

I closed my eyes. "I'm tired, Alaric. I want to sleep."

He pulled the blanket higher over me. "Okay. Rest. I'm not going anywhere."

...

Over the next few days, Alaric stayed by my bed almost constantly. He handled my medicine, brought me water, peeled fruit, even helped me bathe. The same careful man I'd known for years.

If this had happened before, I would've melted at the sight of him taking care of me like that.

Now, every time his hands touched me, all I could think of was that staircase— lying there bleeding while he ran to save Arkin and left me behind.

I couldn't forget that. I didn't know how.

And even when he stayed, he never stayed long. His phone would ring, always at the worst moment.

It was Alice.

Her voice would come through soft and helpless. Their four-month-old daughter wouldn't stop crying. One of the twins had a fever. She couldn't manage three children alone.

Every time, his expression changed. He'd glance at me, apologetic. "Freya, I need to go home for a bit. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Then he'd leave.

Watching the man I loved walk out of my hospital room to take care of another woman and her children something in me went numb.

The wound in my chest wasn't closing. It was getting deeper.

One afternoon, his phone rang again. He looked at the screen, and I already knew who it was.

He sighed, rubbed his forehead.

I looked at him and finally spoke.

"Alaric, just go."

He looked up. "What?"

"You don't have to keep running between here and home because of me. Go take care of them."

My voice shook despite my effort to keep it steady.

"I'll be fine. I don't need you here anymore."

Before, those words would've terrified him. If I was even slightly upset, he'd panic, stay beside me, apologize, tease me, spoil me, do everything he could to make me smile again.

This time, he just stared at me for a few seconds. Then he walked over and pulled me into his arms.

"Don't think too much, Freya. I know you're upset, but I'll handle everything. I'll be back soon, okay? Just rest and wait for me."

He kissed my hair. Then he left.

Just like that.

I watched the door close behind him. A small smile crossed my face. Then tears rolled down my cheeks and soaked into the pillow.

I didn't know what hurt more... that he left, or how easily he did it.

A few days later, I was finally strong enough to walk around. I went to get my own medicine, and on the way back I passed the emergency stairwell.

That's when I heard Alaric's voice. He was on the phone. His friend's voice came through loud enough for me to catch.

"Ali, I'm honestly shocked. Didn't you used to hate that little boy? You said he looked too much like Alice and you couldn't stand hearing him cry. So why'd you let Freya get hurt protecting him?"

I stopped walking. My fingers tightened around the medicine bag.

A long pause. Then Alaric answered quietly.

"No matter how much I disliked Arkin before, he's still my son. My family pushed me into having kids with Alice, and I fought it at first. But he's five now. I've watched him grow up, raised him, and somewhere along the way I started caring."

His voice grew heavier.

"Blood is blood. I can't watch my own child die in front of me, even if things between Alice and me aren't what people think."

His friend laughed in disbelief.

"So you've really changed? Then tell me, Arkin's your son, so he's the Mancusso heir now, right? All that wealth eventually goes to him? And Alice? She gave you three kids, two sons and a baby girl. After everything she's done, are you still calling her nothing more than an old family friend?"

The hallway went silent.

I didn't move. My heart was already pounding.

Then Alaric spoke.

"Yes."

One word. It felt like a knife through my chest.

"I'll marry Alice."

My fingers went cold. His friend exclaimed, "I knew it! But what about Freya? You were crazy about her and you said you couldn't live without her!"

"I love Freya. I don't think I'll ever love another woman the way I love her."

My eyes burned.

"Then why won't you marry her?"

His voice dropped. "Because her background isn't suitable for my family." I stopped breathing. "She's the daughter of an alcoholic. Her mother's seriously ill. She grew up in the slums. No matter how much I love her, she can't be my wife. She was never going to fit into the Mancusso family."

Every word cut deeper.

His friend went quiet. Alaric went on. "She can stay beside me. I'll give her everything she wants. I'll protect her, spoil her, make sure she never struggles again." A pause. "But she'll always be my canary. Something beautiful that stays safely in its cage."

A canary. A bird that never sees daylight.

I stood there, frozen. So that's what I was to him: a pretty thing to keep hidden. He loved me, but not enough to give me his name. He wanted me beside him, but never in the light.

I lowered my eyes and turned away.

How funny.

...

A few days later, I was discharged. Alaric came to pick me up himself, guilt written across his face. "Freya, I know I haven't been around as much as I should. Let me make it up to you, okay? There's a horse auction nearby. Whatever catches your eye, I'll buy it. Don't worry about the price."

I almost laughed. After everything, he still thought money could close the distance between us.

Still, I didn't refuse.

At the auction, Alaric kept his word, raising his paddle again and again without blinking at the cost. His friends started complaining. "Ali, seriously? Planning to leave anything for the rest of us? Every decent horse comes up and you grab it."

"I haven't even found one for my father's birthday. You're ruining the whole auction."

I sat quietly beside him, playing the same clueless girl they'd always taken me for.

Someone glanced my way and laughed. "Alaric, don't take this wrong, but you're spending a fortune on someone from the slums. What does a girl like her know about horses? Put a fancy saddle on a cheap horse and it's still cheap."

Alaric's face went cold. "Watch what you say."

The man raised both hands. "Fine, fine. Not saying another word. But you know I'm right. She's a poor girl, and you're treating her like some priceless treasure. She's nowhere near Mancusso level."

I'd heard it for years. Poor girl. Slum girl. Not worthy. Alaric would shut them down sometimes, but the same people always said it again the moment he wasn't around. Now that I knew what he really thought of me, none of it surprised me anymore.

If he truly believed I was worthy of standing beside him, why had everyone always felt so comfortable insulting me?

I already knew the answer.

Then Alice appeared at the entrance of the VIP lounge, dressed beautifully, their four-month-old daughter in a nanny's arms behind her, one twin holding her hand and the other beside the nanny.

Everyone greeted her at once. "Miss Alice, what brought you here?" "It's been a while! Woah, you look amazing."

Alice smiled and touched her hair. "I've been so busy with the children since the baby came, I barely have time to dress properly. Since I'm finally out today, I thought I'd see if there's a horse I like."

Someone laughed. "You're naturally beautiful. You don't need expensive things to stand out."

Another glanced at me. "Exactly. Some people can spend all the money in the world and still can't hide where they came from."

I said nothing and just watched.

The second half of the auction began, and a few beautiful horses were brought out. The teasing started again. "Ali, you've already bought half the auction. Leave something for Alice, it's rare she gets out with the kids."

Alaric smiled. "Fine. I won't compete for these."

As expected, he lowered his paddle. Alice bought several horses in a row, each time flashing me a smug little smile.

I almost smiled back. Was she really that happy about a few horses?

Then the final horse came out, and the room went quiet. A magnificent black stallion. Glossy coat, strong legs, unmistakable presence. The auctioneer called it a rare champion bloodline worth a fortune.

Alice's eyes lit up. She raised her paddle.

The bidding climbed fast. A hundred million. Two hundred. Three hundred. It passed a billion.

I laughed softly.

Alice turned, annoyed. "What are you laughing at, Freya?"

I rested my chin on my hand. "Nothing. Just funny that everyone's willing to spend over a billion on a horse with questionable papers."

The room went silent.

Alice's smile disappeared. "What did you just say? Who told you those papers are questionable?"

I looked at the horse again. "I'm not just saying it. The registration number doesn't match the bloodline record, the branding mark is slightly wrong, and there's a gap in the ownership record that shouldn't be there."

Someone frowned. "You think the professional appraisal is wrong?"

"I think it deserves another check before anyone pays that kind of money."

I laid out the inconsistencies calmly, one by one. The more I explained, the quieter the room got.

I didn't mention the most important fact. The real horse from that bloodline had already been secured years ago, by my own family. The Sorrentinos kept their private collection far from public auctions.

Instead of taking me seriously, the room burst into laughter.

"Did she really just call that horse fake?"

"A girl from the slums thinks she knows more than professional appraisers? Read a few books and suddenly she's an expert."

The laughter grew louder. Alice covered her mouth and giggled, then turned to Alaric. "You really should teach Freya a little about horses when you get the chance. It's fine here, but what if she embarrasses herself in front of your family one day?"

I looked at Alaric. His expression had already darkened.

Instead of defending me, he took my hand and lowered his voice. "Freya, that's enough. If you're not sure about something, don't say it so confidently. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

My heart sank.

He knew enough about horses to understand exactly what I'd pointed out. Years around racing, breeding, auctions, there was no way he'd missed any of it.

He simply didn't believe I could know it.

To him, I was still the poor girl from the slums who had no place in his world. And yet he'd spent years chasing me, promising me a future, telling me I was the only woman he wanted.

I pulled my hand away and said nothing.

In the end, Alice won the horse for over a billion.

I didn't care anymore.

I left the lounge and went to the restroom. I'd barely finished washing my hands when Alice walked in behind me and blocked the door, arms folded, smiling.

"How did it feel, trying to act like an expert out there? Embarrassing, wasn't it?"

I looked at her in the mirror.

She kept going, enjoying herself. "Don't think reading a few books makes you an expert. Real knowledge comes from growing up around these things. You're from the slums, Freya. If you don't understand something, keep quiet instead of making Ali look bad."

I didn't bother arguing. I stepped around her.

Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me back, leaning close to my ear, her voice dropping into a smug whisper. "You want to know something? I'm not just Alaric's childhood sweetheart. I've been with him countless times. I gave him three children."

My eyes hardened.

"Yes. The children in your house right now. They're his."

Her grip tightened. "The Mancusso family doesn't think you're good enough for him. They wanted an heir, so they pushed Alaric toward me, and he agreed. Do you understand what that means?"

I stared at her.

Alice smiled wider. "It means you're exactly what Alaric thinks you are. Someone he can keep hidden and spoil when he wants. A pretty little bird trapped in a cage." Her eyes gleamed. "He may love you, but he'll never marry you. He'll never give you his name or let you become the mother of his legitimate heirs. When it comes to marriage, he'll choose someone from his own world."

Every word hit a wound that was already bleeding.

I said nothing. I pulled my arm free and turned to leave.

Then I heard a sharp slap behind me.

I stopped and turned around slowly.

Alice was covering her cheek, tears already gathering, a bright red handprint on her skin.

I hadn't even touched her.

Before I could make sense of it, footsteps hurried in from the hallway. Alaric rushed into the restroom, his expression changing the instant he saw Alice. "What happened?"

Alice looked at him with trembling eyes. "Ali. Freya hit me." She pointed at me, tears spilling. "Maybe she's still angry you saved Arkin that day instead of her. She probably blames me for it, that's why she hit me. I didn't even provoke her."

Alaric stared at me, disbelief written across his face. "Freya, tell me the truth. Did you really hit her?"

I looked at the suspicion in his eyes and something in my chest cracked. Once, it didn't matter who accused me or what had happened, Alaric would stand beside me first and ask questions later. He used to tell everyone, "I'm here to protect Freya, not to play judge."

Now he couldn't even trust me.

"What if I told you I never touched her?" I asked quietly. "What if Alice staged this herself?"

His face hardened. "Freya, I already told you what happened with Arkin! You're still angry I chose my son when he was in danger, and now you're taking it out on Alice. She just gave birth four months ago. She's still recovering, you know that. How could you hit her? Whatever happened between you two, you need to apologize."

I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. So this was it. Six years of loving him, six years of believing I was the one person he'd never doubt, and now I was standing in front of him like a stranger begging to be believed.

Was this really the man I once thought I'd grow old with?

I shook my head. "I didn't hit her, Alaric. I won't apologize for something I didn't do."

I turned to leave, but he caught my wrist, his grip hard enough to hurt. "Freya, apologize. You're not walking away until you do."

Behind him, Alice lowered her eyes, hiding the satisfaction on her face.

Something in me finally went quiet. I let out a soft laugh, though there was nothing happy in it. "Fine." I looked straight at Alice. "I'm sorry, Miss Alice. I shouldn't have hit you. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Each word tasted bitter as I pulled my wrist free and walked out before either of them could see the tears burning in my eyes.

I'd spent six years pretending to be a helpless girl from the slums, but I was never helpless. I was Freya Sorrentino, daughter of a man who could make entire families disappear with one order. I'd only hidden that power because I wanted to know if Alaric could love me without my name, my wealth, without knowing who I really was.

Now I had my answer.

I nearly collided with a well dressed middle aged man outside the restroom. The moment he saw my face he froze, eyes widening, then lowered his head. "Heiress."

Before he could say more, Alaric stepped out behind me and frowned. "Heiress? What are you talking about? Freya, you know him?"

The man stiffened at the sight of Alaric. Before he could explain, someone called his name from across the auction floor. He glanced at me once more, gave a respectful nod, and hurried off.

Alice slipped her arm through Alaric's, all innocence. "What heiress? Maybe he recognized me, he's connected to my father's business."

Alaric looked at her, then at my pale face, and believed her. He reached for my hand. "Freya, you apologized, let's forget this. Come back with us. I was harsh because you really crossed the line."

I pulled my hand away. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Freya!" he called, following me outside.