Done Chasing the Mafia Don

At the annual Rinaldi family charity gala, I bent down to pick up a dropped pearl earring. When I looked up, my fiancé—the ruthless Mafia Don, Caspian—and my former best friend, Sienna, were already at the other end of the ballroom. I grabbed my dress to follow them, but my place by his side was already gone. They stood close, whispering about bloody business I couldn’t touch. I felt like a stranger. I always knew my marriage to Caspian was arranged. We grew up together. We even went to the same college. Until Sienna showed up. She used to be my best friend. Now, she was Caspian’s sharpest blade. His right hand. Caspian and Sienna were the family's golden duo. They thrived in the dark, ruling through bullets and blood. Me? I scrubbed their dirty money clean, yet I was just arm candy. A smiling trophy locked out of his dark world. Caspian always loved tracing my jaw with his calloused fingers. "Your innocence is charming," he’d murmur. Then he’d turn around and handle the bloody family business with Sienna, without a second thought. Watching them fade into the shadows, a bone-deep exhaustion hit me. I was done chasing Caspian. Chapter 1 Caspian and Sienna disappeared into the shadows of the terrace. Neither of them looked back. I was just an expensive ornament in the ballroom. I stood there for a moment, then turned and left. I went back to the penthouse alone. My phone rang. It was another friend, sounding excited. "Aurora! How's the celebration? You landed such a huge deal. Did your ruthless Don buy you another pink diamond?" The freezing wind and rain whipped against my legs. "It's over," I forced a bitter smile. My voice was dry. "Already? No romantic getaway?" "He's busy." I hung up, got into my car, and shut out the cold New York night. Back at our penthouse, I changed into a silk nightgown and sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling windows. I was born to be his. For twenty-five years, I was his sheltered princess, groomed to be the perfect match for the king of the underworld. I never complained, even though we spent less than ten nights a year truly alone. Because I loved him. But tonight, looking at my pale face in the mirror, I was just so damn tired. At 3 AM, the bedroom door opened. The heavy scent of gunpowder and blood filled the room. I woke up with a start. My first instinct was to pull away. I didn't want to get up, run his bath, and prep his clean bandages like I usually did. But before I could turn, a large hand gripped my wrist. Caspian yanked me into his chest. He buried his face in my neck. His hot breath hit my skin. His rough thumb rubbed hard against my pulse, making me shiver. "Why are you hiding? Don't recognize your man?" His voice was rough, carrying a sick kind of satisfaction. He always needed to hold me like this after doing his dirty work. He used to say I was his only light. That my purity washed away his sins. My mind screamed at me to push him away. But my heart ached. I gripped the sheets, swallowing the lump in my throat, and let him hold me. He held me until the tension left his muscles. Once he got what he needed, that rare vulnerability vanished. After he showered away the blood, the ruthless Don returned. We sat together on the terrace sofa. The intimate warmth from the bedroom was gone. The only sound was the metallic click of him stripping and cleaning his gun. "Aurora," Caspian said suddenly. His voice was no longer the rough whisper from the bed. It was harsh and commanding. "Yeah?" "Could you be a little more mature?" Click. He slammed the magazine into the grip. I froze. It took me a second to process the whiplash. "What did you say?" He didn't even look up. He just wiped the cold barrel, his tone absolute and sharp. "You vanished from the gala tonight without a word. I didn't have time to deal with it then, but you made me look like a joke in front of the whole family and the underbosses. I am the Don. I need Sienna to help me lead. Can't you be a little understanding? Stop being so hostile to her. It's bad for the family." Every word was a dull knife slicing my chest open. The cold New York wind howled through the wound. Mature? Understanding? He was the one who walked off with Sienna first. And yet, he didn't care about my feelings. He only cared about his ego, and Sienna's feelings. "Look at you. I say two words and you're already tearing up." Caspian finally looked up. His eyes were cold and arrogant. He looked at me like a spoiled pet throwing a tantrum. "Don't test my patience with your spoiled brat temper." Hot tears finally fell, leaving dark spots on my silk gown. I bit my lip hard, looked down, and swallowed all my despair. "Okay. It won't happen again." My voice was hoarse. Hearing me yield, Caspian sighed in satisfaction. He reached out and ruffled my hair like a pet. "Go to sleep. I have a video call with Sienna. We need to plan our hit on the Bratva." He grabbed his gun and walked to the study without a second glance. As the door shut, my phone rang on the nightstand. "Dad" flashed on the screen. I took a deep breath, cleared my throat, and answered. "Aurora, my sweet girl." My father—a powerful State Senator—sounded warm and hopeful. "Didn't you say you were talking to Caspian about the wedding date tonight? Is it set?" I clamped a hand over my mouth, fighting back a sob. Through blurred vision, I looked at the light under the study door. He was fighting a war in there, side by side with another woman. "Aurora? Are you there?" A few seconds later, I dropped my hand. I bit my lower lip and spoke in a flat voice I barely recognized. "Dad, Caspian is busy lately. He has no time to get married." Chapter 2 At the Sunday family dinner, the capos wouldn't let it go. "Aurora, when is the wedding?" "You've been engaged for three years. This delay is a bad look." I put down my silver fork and took a deep breath. "I'm calling off the engagement." The table went dead silent. "Are you crazy, Aurora?" A capo slammed his hand on the table. "This was decided the day you were born!" "Child, did Caspian disrespect you? Don't play games with our families' future." I just shook my head. Being his queen was never my choice. It was family duty. But years ago, in the estate's rose garden, he picked the brightest rose for me. "Aurora, you will be my only queen." For that promise, I willingly walked into this gilded cage. The next day at noon, I was clearing out my office when Sienna sat across from me. As she moved, a silver cross necklace slipped from her collar. She slid a black Americano toward me, her eyes probing. "Threw another tantrum with Caspian last night?" I stared at the necklace on her collarbone. My blood turned to ice. I got him that charm when I was eighteen, praying on my knees after he barely survived a shootout. He kissed my forehead and swore he'd never take it off, even in death. Sienna looked down and faked surprise. "You didn't know? Before the shootout with the Russians last night, Caspian put it on my neck himself. Said he was lending me your good luck. He even made a bet. He said if you found out he gave me his precious charm, you'd come crying and screaming to him." My hand flinched. The words felt like a thousand needles piercing my heart. I took a sip of the bitter coffee. "Is that so." Seeing me so calm, Sienna leaned in. "You're really not mad? Then Caspian lost the bet. He was sure you'd cry to him." Caspian's voice came from behind me. "Guess I don't know my fiancée that well. You're actually swallowing black coffee." He tossed his car keys to Sienna and sat next to me. His cold fingers trailed down my spine. "My princess is growing up? You used to give me the silent treatment for three days over this stuff." "Aurora isn't that petty," Sienna chimed in with a smile. Then they actually started arguing over who knew me better. I sat between them, deaf to it all. The pen in my hand was shaking. Nausea hit the back of my throat. They made a bet out of my most precious memory. My tears were just entertainment to them. I turned to Caspian slowly. My voice was dead calm. "Caspian, the engagement is off." The air froze. Caspian looked at me in shock. "You..." Before he could finish, Sienna leaned in, playing the peacemaker. "Aurora, don't be mad. Caspian just thought I needed the protection more, since I risk my life for the family. He said he'd buy you the biggest diamond necklace to make it up to you..." Caspian frowned. When he looked at me again, his shock had turned into pure rage. "Enough, Sienna. Don't explain it to her." He stood up sharply, glaring down at me with cold authority. "Aurora, cut the bullshit. Stop pulling these cheap stunts for attention. You're just making a fool of yourself." He grabbed Sienna and walked away without looking back. I was left alone at the table. I dumped the coffee and went back to the penthouse. It was time to end this. I pulled out my dusty suitcase and folded my clothes one by one. Every single piece was picked by him, fitting the perfect future Donna of the Rinaldi family. But they were never really mine. I had painfully few things that actually belonged to me. Some college photos, a journal, and my mother's necklace. The door crashed open. Caspian stood there, furious. "Aurora, what the hell are you doing?" "Packing." I didn't look up. "I told you. We're done." "Done?" He strode over and grabbed my wrist. "You think calling off an engagement is a game? Our families' alliance. The price my father paid for this match. You think you can just walk away?" His grip was brutal. My wrist throbbed. "Let go of me." "No." His eyes flashed dangerously. "Aurora, you're going to give me an explanation right now." "Explain what?" I finally looked him dead in the eye. "Explain why I'm leaving a man who bets on my tears? Explain why I refuse to be disposable window dressing sitting next to your bloody throne?!" His grip slowly loosened. His anger faded into something I couldn't read. "Caspian, I'm tired." My voice was quiet. "Twenty-five years. I lost too much trying to be your perfect fiancée. And now I see that no matter how perfect I am, I'll never beat Sienna in your eyes. She gets your world. She helps you lead. She's your best weapon. And I'm just window dressing." Saying it out loud felt better than I ever imagined. The twenty-five-year weight on my chest was finally gone. Chapter 3 "Miss Aurora," my maid whispered, her face pale. "There’s been an incident. Sienna was shot in the firefight last night." I almost dropped my teacup. "What? Is she okay?" "I heard she took a bullet for the Don. She's at the family hospital." I dropped everything and drove straight to the hospital. Whatever was going on with Caspian, Sienna used to be my best friend. I pushed the door open. Sienna was lying in a sterile white bed, her left arm bandaged. She was pale, but awake. "Sienna!" I rushed over. "Are you okay? What did the doctors say?" "Just a graze. No bone damage." She gave a weak smile. "Aurora, you came." I breathed a sigh of relief. I was about to ask her more. "Are you happy now, Aurora?" Caspian's cold voice came from behind me. I turned around, confused. "What?" He stood in the doorway. His suit still had fresh blood on it. His eyes were like knives. "You made a scene yesterday. It distracted the guards, the perimeter fell, and the Bratva breached our compound. Sienna wouldn't be in this bed right now!" His words hit me like a hammer. "I... I didn't..." "You didn't what?" He mocked. "Did you really think your little stunt wouldn't have consequences, Aurora? Now look. Sienna almost died because you acted like a child." I was stunned. What did my breaking off the engagement have to do with the shootout? The Bratva attacked over a dock dispute. Everyone knew that. But in his eyes, everything was my fault. "Caspian, stop." Sienna weakly defended me. "Aurora didn't mean to." But Caspian kept staring at me with those dark, bottomless eyes. "Do you always need the world to revolve around you? Aurora, do you think holding the title of fiancée makes you the queen of the underworld? Without the family's protection, you are nothing!" The room fell dead silent. My eyes burned, and hot tears spilled over. Seeing my tears, his face softened slightly. He reached out to wipe them away. "Just grow up, okay? Stop making everyone else pay for your feelings." I turned my head, dodging his touch. I took a step back. "Mr. Rinaldi, we are done. Please don't speak to me like that ever again." Caspian flared up instantly. He practically gritted his teeth. "Aurora, are you done with this bullshit?" Even Sienna looked at me with disapproval from her bed. "Stop being so stubborn, Aurora." I looked at the two of them and suddenly found it hilarious. They were so alike. So self-righteous. So condescending. They never saw my words, my feelings, or me as a person. I gave a bitter smile. "I'm not being stubborn, Mr. Rinaldi. I'm just stating facts." With that, I walked out. For the next two weeks, Caspian gave me the cold shoulder. He didn't even come back to the penthouse. He moved back to the family estate. We were like strangers. We nodded politely at family gatherings and went our separate ways. But the rumors about him never stopped. Like how he flew in the best medical team from Europe just for Sienna's recovery. Or how they purged the family traitors together. It was so brutal that it shook the entire underworld. "Aurora, what's going on with you and Caspian?" a friend asked over the phone. "Word on the street is the engagement is off." "It's nothing. Just a disagreement," I brushed it off. "A disagreement? That's Caspian Rinaldi! Women would kill to marry him. Are you insane?" I hung up and kept sorting my paperwork. I threw myself into work these days. I wanted to be so busy I couldn't think about anything else. One afternoon, I was reviewing a massive offshore investment contract. Sienna showed up at my office door. Her arm wasn't in a sling anymore. She looked like she was healing well. "Aurora." She linked her arm through mine like old times. "You're fighting with Caspian, so you're icing me out too?" I pulled my arm away and kept reading. "I'm busy, Sienna." "You two are so stubborn." She sat across from me. "I'm here to give you an out. Just be the bigger person and apologize first, okay? You were the one who brought up the breakup. Of course Caspian's pride took a hit." I finally looked up at the face I used to know so well. "Why?" "Why what?" "Why do you always take his side?" I asked calmly. "We knew each other first. And I didn't do anything wrong. But you always act like you're throwing me a bone. Like I should thank you for your mercy." Sienna's smile stiffened. "Aurora, what are you talking about?" "The truth." I closed the file and looked her in the eye. "Ever since college, you've latched onto power. You let everyone else fight your battles while you reap the rewards, don't you?" Looking at her, I felt nothing but coldness. She was a total stranger to me now. Chapter 4 "Miss Sienna, I have a meeting. If that's all, get out of my way." Sienna turned ghost-white. "Sienna, come here." Caspian was standing nearby. He shot me a look so cold I could've been his sworn enemy. Fine by me. I pulled away and walked off. Less than an hour later, my phone blew up. "Miss Aurora, it's a disaster!" The family's consigliere sounded frantic. "The offshore investment your father brokered went south!" My blood went cold. It was a billion-dollar project. On paper, it was real estate. In reality, it was the family's biggest money-laundering pipeline. My father pulled every political string he had as Senator to greenlight it. "What happened?" I forced myself to stay calm. "The offshore accounts leaked. The FBI is sniffing around." I nearly dropped my phone. Only three people had access to those accounts: Caspian, Sienna, and me. And I never touched the actual operations. An emergency family meeting was called in ten minutes. I rushed to the boardroom. All the capos and underbosses sat at the long table, their faces grim. Caspian sat at the head, looking like a thunderstorm. Sienna sat on his right, keeping her head down. "You all know the situation," Caspian started, his voice chilling. "Someone leaked the intel." A capo slammed his fist on the table. "How does a rookie mistake like this happen?" "Now is not the time to point fingers," another capo said. "The Feds are looking at the books. We need to cut our losses now." All eyes turned to Caspian, waiting for his call. I looked at Sienna. She was pale as a sheet, her hands shaking violently under the table. "It was my mistake." I watched Sienna's shaking hands. I suddenly wanted to see just how far Caspian would go for her. So, I spoke up coldly. "I used an unsecured network while checking the offshore books." Sienna’s head snapped up. She looked shocked, like she’d just been thrown a lifeline. But before I could say another word, Caspian’s ruthless voice cut me off: "No. It wasn't Aurora." I almost breathed a sigh of relief, until he dropped the hammer. "It was my father-in-law's political funds. His people leaked it. I'm handing the Senator over to the FBI to shut down the investigation." The room went dead silent. I couldn't believe my ears. My blood turned to ice. "Caspian, you know that's a lie," I hissed. He didn't even glance at me. "Shut up, Aurora. It's family business." After the meeting, Sienna practically ran out. The others filtered out until only Caspian and I were left. "Are you insane?" I stood up, glaring at him. "You know it was Sienna! Only the three of us had clearance! You're sacrificing my father just to protect her?!" Caspian towered over me, his eyes full of exhaustion and disappointment: "Is this your idea of a game, Aurora?" Caspian sneered. "Did you think taking the fall would make the capos suspect Sienna? Since when did you get so manipulative?" He looked at me like I was a psycho. "Sienna took a bullet for this family. All you do is shift the blame and set people up. Burning a senator to save my second-in-command is just good business." I stared at him blankly. It felt like a knife was carving up my heart piece by piece. "You're burning my father to save her." It wasn't a question. It was a fact. "I am protecting the family," he said coldly. "A senator's career is a fair trade for the family's survival." My fingers absentmindedly touched my chest. There was no physical wound, but the pain was killing me. The next day, the news was everywhere. State Senator Under Investigation for Dirty Money Rising Political Star Falls: Senator Charged with Money Laundering The entire elite circle was treating my family like a joke. My phone rang non-stop. Reporters wanting a scoop, friends wanting gossip. I ignored them all. At 3 PM, I changed into casual clothes and packed all my personal stuff into a cardboard box. I bumped into Caspian at the elevators. He saw my box and scoffed. "You're throwing a fit over this?" "The FBI took my father," I said, completely deadpan. He actually looked relieved. He reached out to ruffle my hair, just like old times. "Don't worry, baby. Once the heat dies down, I'll put your dad in an even higher seat." "What's a senator? If I want to, I can make him Governor. Stop throwing a fit and wait for me at home tonight." He said it so casually. Like my father's entire life was just a pawn on his chessboard. Like my family's twenty years of hard work could be trashed and replaced on a whim. "Okay," I said quietly. Then I walked out of the building that had trapped me for twenty-five years, without ever looking back. As the elevator doors closed, I saw him standing there, a flash of confusion in his eyes. He thought I was just throwing another tantrum. That I'd be back in a few days. He didn't know I was never coming back.