My Mafia Fiancé's Ex Crashed Our Wedding

On the day I was supposed to get matching tattoos with Zach Cross, I waited at the studio from sunrise until nightfall. The tattoo artist glanced at me nervously. “Miss Annie, is the Godfather still coming? Maybe we should reschedule.” I lowered my eyes and forced a smile. “He promised he’d be here. I’ll wait a little longer.” Two hours later, Zach finally arrived. He was not alone. Julie Williams walked in behind him. She was carrying his jacket. When she saw me sitting in the tattoo chair, she offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Annie. I had no idea you two had a tattoo appointment today. Otherwise, I would’ve never asked Zach to pick me up from the airport.” Zach walked right past me. He glanced around the empty studio and said, “Let's begin.” Before I could say a word, he pointed at the tattoo chair and turned to Julie. “You first.” Julie froze for a second. She glanced at me, then reluctantly took the seat. The tattoo artist turned to look at me. Standing off to the side, I overheard Zach’s men whispering among themselves. “After all these years, Miss Julie is still the perfect match for the Godfather.” “Yeah. It’s a shame things didn’t work out back then.” I looked at Zach. I knew he had heard every word. However, instead of denying it, he turned to me and said coldly, “Julie’s here today. Watch your attitude. Don’t embarrass me.” My gaze drifted to his left hand’s ring finger. It was still bare. He once told me he would hide my name inside the petals of a rose tattoo—a secret only the two of us would ever know about. I worked with the tattoo artist through seven different revisions to get the design just right. When he proposed, he held my hand and said, “The most painful mark I’ll ever wear will belong to you alone.” I put on a bitter smile. Unfortunately, none of the marks he carried had ever truly belonged to me. Chapter 1 The tattoo artist asked Julie Williams what design she wanted. Julie turned to me with a faint smile on her face. “What did Annie choose? Maybe I’ll borrow some inspiration from her.” I remained silent. Zach Cross answered for me. “Give her the rose.” The tattoo artist froze for a moment. The tattoo pen in his hand hovered over the stencil. “Mr. Zach, that design was custom-made for Miss Annie. By tradition, the Godmother’s tattoo can only be placed on—” “I said, give it to her.” As the tattoo needle touched Julie’s skin, she let out a soft gasp and instinctively reached for Zach’s hand. He did not pull away. I stood by the front window. My left ring finger was still bare as I watched the rose that was supposed to bloom on my skin being etched, stroke by stroke, onto another woman’s hand. When it was finished, Julie lifted her hand toward the light, admiring it. Hidden among the rose petals was a single letter. The tattoo artist had copied the original design exactly. However, the letter was not ‘J’. It was ‘A’, for my name. Zach never noticed. He simply patted Julie on the shoulder and told her it looked great. Then he turned to me, pulled a ring box from his pocket, and held it out. “We’ll reschedule your tattoo appointment. The wedding’s in three days. Wear the ring for now.” I looked down at it. Inside the band were two engraved initials, ‘Z&J’. There was no ‘A’. “No thanks.” His expression darkened. “Annie, don’t make a scene right before the wedding.” “I'm not.” I met his eyes. “Zach, that letter hidden in the rose belongs to me. You let Julie wear my Godmother’s mark, yet you expect me to pretend I didn’t see it?” He fell silent. I did not wait for an answer. I pushed open the studio door and walked out. The cool night air rushed over me, and my left ring finger felt unbearably empty. A notification buzzed on my phone. The tattoo artist had just posted a photo of today’s finished work. It was a close-up of Julie’s left hand, showing the rose. It also showed the hidden ‘A’ nestled between its petals. It stood out like a wound under the lights. Another notification appeared. It was the invitation designer asking for final confirmation before sending out the wedding invitations. I stared at the message on my screen and smiled bitterly. [Please cancel them. Don’t send them out.] The reply came almost immediately: [Are you sure, Miss Annie?] I did not hesitate. [Yes.] Chapter 2 The following day. The photos were published across major news outlets. Zach and Julie stood side by side. The rose tattoo on her left ring finger was clearly visible. From a distance, they looked like a newly married couple who had just completed their ceremony. In an instant, congratulations flooded in from everywhere. My mother was the only one who called me and asked, “Wasn’t that supposed to be a couple’s tattoo? Why does the person in the photo not look like you?” I had no answer. Soon after, Zach’s mother also texted me asking about it. I did not know how to respond, so I simply told her to ask Zach. Unexpectedly, ten minutes later, Julie publicly claimed the photo on social media. [Please don’t misunderstand. I just wasn’t sure what design to choose, so I used Miss Annie’s design as inspiration. There’s really no misunderstanding.] I stared at the post, feeling nothing but exhaustion. Not long after, Zach posted as well. [There’s nothing to it. Don’t overthink it.] When I read those words, I could not even tell if he was speaking to me or to everyone watching. Zach had always been like this, dismissing my grievances with a casual, ‘Don’t overthink it.’ This time, I did not shed a single tear or put up a fight. I called the butler right away. “Cancel all the floral arches for the wedding venue.” The butler paused for a moment. “But, Miss Annie, those roses were specially flown in from France. The Boss also likes them very much. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?” “I said, cancel them.” He hesitated for a moment, but eventually agreed. A while later, he called back again, his tone uncertain. “The Godfather has instructed us to prepare a grand piano at the venue. Where would you like it placed?” “A piano?” “Yes. He said Miss Julie is an excellent pianist, so she will perform at the wedding.” I let out a cold laugh. He was inviting his childhood love to perform at our wedding? “He also asked us to prepare sheet music.” “What sheet music?” “It’s for a song called ‘Mariage d’Amour’.” I froze for a moment. I was familiar with the melody. Zach had hummed it countless times before. He went back to it whenever he was troubled, injured, or drunk. I once asked him why. He said it was because of regret. I finally knew what he meant. That night, he came to see me. I looked at him and pushed the sheet music toward him immediately. “Why didn’t you discuss letting Julie play the piano at our wedding with me?” He replied matter-of-factly, “Julie is a concert pianist. Her tour is about to start soon, and our wedding will be attended by high society figures from all over Sicily. It’s good exposure for her.” I questioned, “What about what’s good for me?” Zach looked up at me. “Annie, stop being unreasonable. I’m tired.” I could not believe it. “So my wedding is just a platform for her tour promotion?” Zach loosened his shirt collar. “That’s enough. It’s decided. Don’t make a scene. “Back then, Julie and I had misunderstandings. Now that she’s back and willing to forgive me, I just want to help her. Is that really so unacceptable?” I let out a bitter laugh. Help her? What about me? When Zach first became Godfather, his foundation was unstable. I stayed by his side through the hardest three years. I even used my own family’s influence to support him. When he was shot and bleeding out, I was the one who gave him a blood transfusion. His mother once thought I was just a spoiled rich girl. However, I earned her approval when I helped secure key trade routes for the Cross family several times. Who had ever helped me back? Julie’s call came in. Zach glanced at me and answered, “Yeah, it’s me.” “Zach, please don’t fight with Miss Annie because of me. I’d feel guilty.” Zach lowered his eyes. “We’re not fighting.” Then she said, “My stomach really hurts. Could you send a doctor over?” Zach stood up immediately and prepared to leave. I grabbed his arm. “You’re leaving?” Zach replied, “Julie doesn’t have family or friends here. I should stay with her.” I asked, “What about me? We haven’t even finished talking.” His voice turned cold. “Annie, stop making things difficult. Julie is sick. Just let her be.” I watched his figure disappear into the night. That was when I realized he had already drifted so far away from me. Chapter 3 Five days before the wedding, Zach’s mother asked me to meet her to review the final tattoo design. When I arrived, Julie was already there. She was sitting in the tattoo chair, holding up her left hand under the light. The rose on her ring finger had begun to heal, a thin layer of scabbing covering the ink. Hidden among the petals, the letter A stood out with startling clarity. Zach’s mother smiled warmly. “The rose looks beautiful on Julie.” There was no way I could put on a smile. I had gone through seven revisions with the tattoo artist before settling on that design. We had decided upon the number of petals, the flow of the hidden lines, and the exact petal beneath which the letter would be concealed. I had drawn every detail. Back then, Zach told me the rose represented me, passionate yet covered in thorns. Julie noticed me and quickly lowered her hand. “Miss Annie, please don’t misunderstand. Madam Cross wanted to see how the tattoo turned out, so she asked me to come by.” Madam Cross frowned. “Annie, I invited Julie. Since she’s already had it done, we might as well use it as a reference.” I turned toward Zach. He was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through his phone. He looked up at me for a second before lowering his eyes again. “It’s just a tattoo.” I walked over to him. “That’s my Godmother’s tattoo.” He finally looked at me. “There are plenty of designs at the tattoo shop. Pick another one. I’ll pay for it.” My heart sank. Then I asked, “Zach, is that how you see it? That anyone can have what’s mine?” His answer did not change. “Don’t make a big deal out of this.” Julie stood beside with her head lowered. “It's my fault. Please don’t argue because of me.” Madam Cross immediately turned to me. “You're about to become the Godmother of the Cross family. If you can’t even be this gracious, how can I trust you to marry into our family?” The title of ‘Godmother’ sounded prestigious. However, it felt exactly like the rose on Julie’s ring finger. I was the one who designed it, and I was the one who honored its traditions, yet someone else took all the credit and the glory. Zach walked over and took my hand. “Annie, it’s just a tattoo. If you want one that badly, I’ll hire the best artist money can buy and get you something even more expensive.” I looked at Julie’s left hand, and my eyes stung. “It’s not about how much it costs.” Zach asked, “Then what is it? You're about to marry me. I’m giving you status, respect, a grand wedding, everything! Everyone already knows you’ll soon become the Godmother of the Cross family. What else could you possibly be unhappy about?” I said nothing. He did not understand. Those were never the things I wanted. That night, after I got home, the butler came to confirm the wedding schedule. As I flipped through the binder, I reached the page with our wedding vows. The words Zach was supposed to say to me read: [Annie, after everything we’ve been through, you’re the one who’s always stayed by my side.] My entire body went rigid. Beneath my name was a heavily crossed-out line. The ink had been scribbled over again and again, but when I held the page up to the light, I could still make out the name underneath—Julie. The wedding vows had been rewritten. The tattoo had belonged to someone else first. Holding the vows in my hand, I found Zach and asked, “Did you originally write these for Julie?” He remained quiet. Just then, his phone lit up. A message from Julie popped onto the screen: [Zach, I found the wedding vows you wrote for me back then. I’ll treasure the thought behind them forever.] I stared at the message and suddenly felt ridiculous. I asked, “So, Julie knows?” Zach met my gaze. His voice was ice cold. “Annie, you’re about to become my wife and the Godmother of the Cross family. Stop being so petty.” I let out a bitter laugh. Was I supposed to graciously let them turn my wedding into the happy ending they never had? “Zach, let’s call off the wedding.” He looked at me and chuckled. “Annie, you don’t have to use something like this to make me give in.” He picked up his coat and added, “I'm busy. I don't have time to indulge your tantrums. Since you’re about to become the Godmother of the Cross family, I expect you to be more mature. The rehearsal is tomorrow. Go make the arrangements. I won’t have much time to cooperate.” Then, he left without another word. What Zach did not know was that I stayed awake the entire night, making copies of every single wedding document. Soon, it would all be unveiled as a surprise before the guests. Chapter 4 On the day of the rehearsal, I deliberately came late. Zach stood at the end of the aisle. The look on his face was ice cold. His mother spoke first, “Annie, you’re about to become the Godmother of the Cross family. Don’t you even have a basic sense of punctuality?” My mother hurried over, gently pulled me aside, and lowered her voice, “You’ve always been so sensible. What’s gotten into you today?” I looked at her. “Stay out of this. Some things can’t be fixed by simply enduring them.” She replied, “Marriage is like that. The alliance between the Carter and Cross families can’t be broken. Marrying into the Cross family is what’s best for everyone.” So, everyone thought I should just endure it. Zach walked down the aisle and grabbed my wrist. His grip was firm. “Let’s start the rehearsal.” I did not move. “Why is Julie sitting in the Godmother’s seat?” Julie immediately stood up and took a step back. “Miss Annie, the piano is over here. I was only waiting for it to be tuned. I didn’t mean to sit there.” Zach answered calmly, “She’ll step down after her performance.” “What performance?” No one answered. Then someone from the audio crew accidentally hit the play button. Soft piano music filled the hall. A woman’s recorded voice followed. “Zach, if I hadn’t left back then, would we have gotten married in a church in Sicily?” Then came Zach’s voice. “We would have.” The ballroom fell silent. Representatives from the other families exchanged uneasy glances. Julie’s face turned pale. Her lips trembled. “That recording wasn’t meant for the wedding. I don’t know why it’s being played—” Zach spun toward the sound technician. “Do you have a death wish?” Then, he came straight to me. “Annie, that recording was taken years ago. It doesn’t mean anything. “But you kept it all this time, didn’t you?” He frowned. “Why do you insist on digging up the past? What’s the point? “There isn’t one.” I nodded and answered in a serious tone, “Which is why we shouldn’t get married.” His mother shot to her feet. My mother grabbed my hand so tightly her nails dug into my skin. “Annie, have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten the alliance between our families?” Zach’s expression turned cold. He did not raise his voice. He simply stared at me. “Annie, enough. Not here.” His voice dropped low enough that only I could hear. “Your father’s latest weapons shipment still hasn’t cleared customs. Your brother’s asylum application to London was only recently submitted. If this wedding is canceled, every partnership between the Carter and Cross families will be reviewed from scratch.” Julie stood beside the piano with reddened eyes. “Zach, please don’t pressure Miss Annie like this.” He never looked at her. His eyes stayed on mine. “I’m not pressuring you. I’m helping you face reality. The interests of our families matter more than our relationship.” My mother was crying beside me. “Annie, I’m begging you, just go through with the wedding. You can figure everything else out afterward.” Zach handed me the rehearsal schedule. “Sign it. Julie keeps the piano performance. Your reception gown will be changed to the blue dress she tried on last time. The transfer of the Old Harbor docks stays in place. And you don't make any more changes to the guest list.” I lowered my eyes to the pages. Every item looked familiar. Every item reminded me that though this wedding was supposedly mine, not a single part of it was truly up to me. I picked up the pen. My hand trembled as the tip touched the paper. I had secretly practiced signing my name for this day. I imagined the name ‘Annie’ written beside Zach’s, on our marriage certificate, on our family’s alliance, and in every blessing we would receive. Zach’s expression finally softened. “That’s better. You’re the future Godmother. Act like it.” I gave him a faint smile and signed my name. Then, while he turned away, I quietly took a picture of the rehearsal schedule and sent it to my father’s lawyer. Zach did not notice. He thought I had finally given in. The rehearsal resumed. Julie returned to the piano. Her fingers touched the first key. “Mariage d’Amour.” Zach’s men carried white roses onto the stage. A small silver tag hung beneath one of the bouquets. When I walked closer, I saw Julie’s name engraved on it. Zach saw it too. His expression shifted, and he immediately reached to remove the tag. At that moment, the giant screen in the ballroom flickered to life. A notification appeared across it. [Wedding Opening Video — Upload Complete.] I put on a faint smile. From this moment on, I was done playing my part in their tragic love story. I was going to show everyone the ugly truth behind this wedding.