Rejected By The Mafia Boss, Claimed By His Brother

Something inside me went quiet. Then the sky split open. Thunder cracked so loud it felt like it hit right beside me, my body jerking on instinct that came too late. A sharp, splintering sound followed. I looked up just in time to see the old tree at the edge of the compound, struck clean through, the trunk blackened and splitting as it started to fall. No. No— I tried to move, but my legs wouldn’t respond. The moment I pushed, I collapsed forward instead. THUD! The impact crushed the air out of me, branches pinning me down, something sharp digging into my side, my shoulder, and my back. Pain exploded all at once. I couldn’t breathe. I tried, but nothing came out right. “Shit! The tree fell on her!” “Is she dead?” “That’s the boss’s assistant—” The lounge door slid open, light cutting through the rain, and I saw him. “Elowyn!” Ezekiel stepped out, his figure sharp against the glow behind him. “Ezekiel! I don’t feel right, my head, I think I'm going to pass out—” Cassandra’s voice cut in, soft and then she fainted. “Get a medic. Now.” He moved to her, catching her before she could fall, lifting her as if she was something fragile, careful and urgent, then turned and walked back inside carrying her, leaving me. I lay in the rain, staring at nothing, the storm pouring over me as if it wanted to erase me completely. So this is it? The people around me didn’t move. I recognized them. Her people. They just stood there watching until someone laughed. “Seriously? That’s the one who followed him for two years?” “Yeah! Look at her now. So pathetic.” “Thought she’d make it. What a joke.” Something struck my forehead. A stone. Then another. I couldn’t even lift my arms to block it. Warm blood mixed with the rain, running into my eyes, blurring everything. I tried to breathe, but it hurt too much. Everything hurts. Everything felt far away. The storm kept raging, the voices fading, the world dimming, and slowly everything went dark. … When I woke up again, everything felt… familiar in a way that hurt. Same side hall. Same ceiling. Same smell of antiseptic and expensive wood. For a second, I thought nothing had changed, like I was still the same person who moved through this place without thinking. Then I felt it, a cool touch on my forehead, careful, controlled. Someone was tending to me. I forced my eyes open, slow and heavy, and the world came back blurry at first. Shapes. Shadows. Then it cleared just enough to see him. Ezekiel. Sitting right beside me. His fingers steady as he applied ointment to the cut on my forehead as if nothing had happened, like I hadn’t been left outside in a storm, crushed under a fallen tree while he carried someone else away. My chest tightened. Why… why is he here? I turned my head away without thinking, trying to push myself up. Pain shot through me immediately, but I forced it down. “I’m fine,” my voice was rough and dry. “Boss… I can handle it myself.” His hand stopped mid-air. “When did you start talking to me like that?” he asked, low and edged with something I couldn’t name. “Since when are you this distant?” Distant? I almost laughed, but nothing came out. I lowered my gaze instead, hiding whatever was left in my eyes. “I just don’t want to cause trouble,” I said quietly. “If Cassandra sees this, she won’t like it. And I don’t want to make things harder for you.” There was silence. I could feel him looking at me. Really looking. When I finally glanced up, he looked surprised just for a second. Then it was gone. He set the ointment down slowly, expression turning cold again, “Elowyn. I didn’t come this far for power. I did it so I could stand next to Cassandra properly. So no one could take her from me.” His words were steady. “In a week, there’s going to be a formal gathering. I’ll settle everything then. She wants exclusivity. She wants a life where she’s the only one. And I’m giving her that.” I listened. Of course I did. What else could I do? Then his eyes moved back to me. “As for you…” he paused, like choosing something simple, “I can give you anything else. Money. Status. Protection. Even a place in my inner circle. But don’t ask for something I can’t give.” Something I can’t give. I opened my mouth. I don’t even know why. Maybe I wanted to say something stupid. Maybe nothing at all. But before I could, a voice came from outside the door. “Boss, Miss Cassandra’s awake. She’s asking for you.” That was all it took. He stood immediately. “Take care of yourself,” he said, already walking out. “Don’t do anything reckless again.” And then he was gone. I stared at the empty doorway for a long time. I thought it would hurt more. But it didn’t, i just felt quiet. I slowly closed my eyes. I never wanted to marry him anyway. He didn’t give me a place beside him, and I didn’t hate him for that. He left me out there in the storm for her, and I didn’t hate him for that either. Because none of that mattered. What mattered was a week from now. I lifted my hand slowly, pressing it against my chest, feeling the small shape hidden beneath my clothes. The pendant. Old, worn, but still warm somehow. And just like that, I saw him again. Hunter Forrester. Ezekiel's older brother.

His face came back so clearly it almost hurt. That easy smile. That quiet confidence. The way he looked at me like I was… worth something. Ezekiel’s older brother. The second mafia prince of the syndicate. The one who was supposed to take everything before it all fell apart. I was nothing when Hunter found me. Just a kid sold into this life, passed around, used, stepped on. I learned early not to fight back because it only made things worse. I kept my head down, did what I was told, endured whatever came. Until one day… They cornered me. A few of the older staff, smiling, cruel, and bored. I remember thinking… this is it. This is how it ends. And then he walked in. Hunter didn’t even raise his voice. He just looked at them, and that was enough. They backed off immediately, like they remembered who he was. He came over to me after, “You alright?” he asked, voice softer than I expected. I couldn’t answer. I just stared at him. From that day on… he didn’t leave me alone. Not really. He’d bring me food from outside, things I’d never tasted. He’d check on me when I was sick, sometimes showing up with medicine before I even knew I needed it. He never made it loud. He just… stayed. And somewhere along the way, I started waiting for him. I didn’t even notice when it turned into something more. But I knew. We both knew. Even if we never said it out loud. Because what was the point? He was who he was. And I was… this. Still, one night, he held my hand. “Wyna, wait for me, okay? I’ll make a name for myself. I’ll earn it properly. And when I do… I’ll come back and ask for you. The right way.” I believed him. I waited. Day after day. Year after year. And then the news came. He died. Gone in some deal that turned into a war. No body. No closure. Nothing left except words. My world didn’t shatter. It just stopped. But I remembered what I told him. That no matter what happened, I’d still be his. In life. Or in death. That was when I heard it. Ezekiel was going to be sent into enemy territory again, part of a larger mafia negotiation between families, a hostage move, nothing new in this world. But to me… it wasn’t just politics. It was a door, a thin, shaking door I could finally push open. He wasn’t favored, not really. Third prince, lowest in standing because of his mother’s background, always treated like he was replaceable. But I knew better. I had seen him close enough. He wasn’t weak. He just hadn’t been given the chance to become dangerous yet. And I gambled everything on that. If he rose… I could reach my own end too. So I followed him. Not because I was loyal, but because I was desperate and I won. He did rise. Ezekiel became the head of everything. Mafia boss. Untouchable. The kind of man people whispered about instead of speaking to directly. And now there was going to be a formal gathering where he rewarded everyone who helped him get here. That was my moment. Not for power. Not for status. I didn’t want to stand beside him. I didn’t want his world. I wanted something else entirely. I would kneel in front of him and ask for one thing only. An official order. A legal recognition that I could marry Hunter. Even if Hunter was dead. Even if the world moved on. Let me be recorded as his wife. Let me enter his family name properly. Let me belong to him in life and death, just like I promised. Was that too much to ask? I didn’t think so. For once… I felt warm thinking about it, like maybe everything I suffered wasn’t just pointless. Then reality pulled me back. Reed came to me. “Miss Elowyn,” he said carefully. “Boss didn’t really eat tonight. He said his stomach’s acting up again and… he wants the soup you used to make.” I froze for a second. That soup. I remembered it too clearly. Back when Ezekiel was still sent out as a hostage in enemy territories, when everything around him was unstable and he couldn’t eat anything without getting sick. I used to cook it for him every day because nothing else stayed down in his system. Over time, it became a habit. No, worse than that. Dependence. He stopped accepting it from anyone else. Only me. Only my hands. So I sighed quietly and forced myself up even though my body still felt heavy. My legs were sore, my head dull, but I didn’t argue. I went to the small kitchen and made it. Same recipe. Same steps. Same silence. While stirring the pot, I thought, is this all I am now? A memory he refuses to let go of? Or just something useful? When it was done, I held the bowl carefully and was about to hand it to Reed, but he shook his head. “You should take it yourself,” he said. “He won’t accept it from me anyway. Boss has always been like that. He relies on you for things he doesn’t even notice. Miss Cassandra… it’s different now, but maybe he’s just confused. Maybe he’ll realize soon…” I didn’t listen to the rest. I just tightened my grip on the bowl. “I don’t care,” I said softly. “I don’t care who he chooses.” And I meant it. I walked toward his room and stopped in front of the door. My hand hovered for a second. My chest felt tight, but it shouldn’t have. So I pushed it open anyway. And I froze. Inside, Ezekiel was there, not alone. Cassandra was in his arms, her hair slightly messy, her clothes half undone, and his mouth was on hers like nothing else in the world existed outside that moment. It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t accidental. It was real. I stood there, holding the soup, completely still. The door barely opened before everything changed. Cassandra jolted and she quickly pulled herself closer into Ezekiel’s arms, clinging to him as if I was some kind of threat that had just walked in uninvited. Then she pointed at me. “You—!”

Her voice sharpened instantly, all softness gone. “Are you serious right now?” she snapped. “She just walked in here? No knock, no announcement, nothing? That’s insane. Who does she think she is? She has no manners at all. None.” I stood there holding the soup bowl, my fingers tightening around the ceramic until it almost hurt, my hands shaking a little. Why am I shaking? I didn’t even do anything wrong. But my body didn’t care what I thought. For a second, I almost forgot what this place used to be. Back then, when Ezekiel was still getting targeted in enemy territories, he used to wake up from nightmares shaking and furious, and the only way he could sleep was if I stayed nearby, so he gave me access and no one questioned it. That was the old rule. But rules didn’t mean anything anymore. I slowly lowered my head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” My knees bent before I even fully decided to move, and I knelt down. “I know I was wrong for coming in without permission,” I added, still not looking up. “I disturbed the boss and Miss Cassandra.” Cassandra didn’t stop there. She leaned closer into Ezekiel like she was performing for an audience, her tone turning sharper, almost disgusted. “No, no, this isn’t just a mistake,” she said. “She does this on purpose. She’s been around too long, so she thinks she’s above rules. That’s what it is. People like her always act entitled when they get too comfortable.” She tilted her head toward me. “And honestly, it’s disgusting. Standing there pretending to be loyal when she clearly doesn’t understand her place.” My throat felt tight, but I didn’t react. What place? Did I even have one anymore? Ezekiel looked at me then, not angry, not kind, just… complicated in a way that made my chest feel heavier. But Cassandra didn’t give him space to think. “She needs to be punished,” she said quickly. “If you don’t correct this now, she’ll keep doing it. Next time she’ll walk in during meetings. Or worse. You can’t just let her off with an apology. That’s not how respect works.” Silence followed. Then Ezekiel spoke. “Since you disrupted her,” he said, eyes still not fully on me, “you’ll handle it yourself.” I blinked once. Did he just… “Slap yourself,” he added. The room felt smaller after that. My fingers went numb around the bowl, and for a second I actually looked at him. Really looked. And I saw it. His eyes weren’t fully here, like he was somewhere else I couldn’t reach anymore. Cassandra smiled, small and satisfied. My chest dropped. So this is it, huh? I slowly set the soup bowl down, my movements distant, almost automatic, like I was watching someone else do it. Then I knelt again, and raised my hand. The first slap landed hard across my face. The sound cracked through the room. Cassandra leaned forward immediately. “Oh wow,” she said, almost laughing. “That’s it? That’s what you’re doing? Are you even trying? That looked pathetic.” My cheek burned. I didn’t answer. Second slap. Harder. My vision blurred for a second, but I kept going. Another. And another. I lost count somewhere between pain and silence, my skin stinging, then splitting slightly at the corner of my mouth, warm blood mixing with cold air. Cassandra kept talking. “Honestly, if you’re going to do it, at least do it properly,” she said. “Or is this your way of begging for attention? Acting weak so he feels sorry for you?” I kept slapping. Because what else was I supposed to do? Stop? And then what? Ezekiel finally spoke again. “Enough,” he said. No emotion. Just finality. Cassandra turned to him instantly. “Are you stopping it because you feel bad for her?” she asked softly, voice sharp underneath. “Or because you don’t want me upset?” He didn’t answer that directly. Instead, he pulled her closer. “I’m not thinking about her,” he said. “I just don’t want my appetite ruined.” He turned slightly toward me. “Bring the soup,” he ordered. So I did. My face throbbed with every step, but I still walked over and lifted the bowl again. Cassandra leaned in the moment I placed it down, sniffed it, then smiled. “Oh,” she said brightly. “This actually smells really good.” Then she looked at Ezekiel. “Can I try it?” “Sure,” he said without hesitation. She took a spoonful, paused, then smiled wider. “This is amazing,” she said, voice turning sweet again as she wrapped herself around his arm. “Boss, why don’t you just give her to me? She’s useful. I could use someone like her at my place.” My hand tightened slightly at my side. Give me… away? Like I was a tool? Ezekiel frowned a little. “No,” he said. “She’s the only one I rely on for certain things. Pick someone else.” Cassandra’s face changed instantly, not angry, not upset, just petulant. She leaned closer, voice soft but sharp underneath. “But I want her,” she said slowly. “Just for one day. Just send her to me for a day. That’s not a big deal, right? You can always take her back.” She pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “Please? Just one day. Don’t you spoil me a little?” “…Fine,” he said. “Just for a day.” Something inside me went still. A day. That’s all it took. Cassandra smiled immediately, victorious, then turned to me. “Get up,” she said. “You’re coming with me.” I stood slowly. My face still burned, and my mouth still tasted like blood. My body still felt like it didn’t belong to me. But I moved anyway. Because I always move when told. … The moment we stepped into her place and the door shut behind us, everything changed. The smile on Cassandra’s face disappeared, completely gone, leaving behind something cold and empty, something real. She didn’t need to speak at first, because one look was enough for the woman beside her to move. I didn’t even see it coming. A sharp kick slammed into the back of my knee, forcing my leg to give out instantly, and I dropped hard onto the floor. Pain shot up my spine, and a broken sound slipped from my throat before I could stop it. Cassandra walked toward me slowly, without any rush or hesitation, her heels clicking softly against the floor, each step controlled and deliberate. Then she crouched down and grabbed my chin, her nails digging into my skin as she forced my head up. Her eyes were cold. “So,” she said quietly, her voice calm but carrying something darker underneath, “you’re more useful than I thought.” Her grip tightened slightly. “Even he hesitated to give you to me. That’s impressive. For someone like you.” Someone like me. I didn’t respond, because there was nothing I could say. She leaned closer, her gaze sharp and almost curious. “But don’t misunderstand,” she continued, her voice lowering, “if he actually cared about you, do you think I’d be able to treat you like this right now? Do you think he’d stand there and watch you get humiliated and not stop it?” Her lips curved faintly. “No. If you mattered, you would be untouchable.” Her nails pressed harder into my skin. “So get that into your head. You’re not special. You’re just something he got used to using.” Something he got used to using. I lowered my eyes. “I understand,” I said quietly. “I won’t think beyond my place.” She studied me for a moment, then let go abruptly and pushed my face to the side. “That’s good,” she said. “Because if I ever find out you’re still holding onto stupid thoughts, I won’t just embarrass you. I’ll break you properly, slowly, and I won’t stop until you beg for it to end.” I swallowed, my throat dry. “I won’t,” I repeated softly. She stood up and brushed her hands together as if she had touched something dirty. “Good,” she said. “Then start working.” And it didn’t stop after that. She had me in the kitchen first. “Cook,” she said simply. So I did. I made what she asked for, careful and precise, following every step the way I knew how. She took one bite, then frowned. “Too salty,” she said flatly. Before I could respond, she picked up the bowl and threw it. The hot food hit my arm and chest, burning instantly. I flinched, but I didn’t step back. “I’ll make another one,” I said. The second time, she tasted it again. “This is bland,” she said, her voice colder now. “Do you even know what you’re doing, or are you just pretending to be competent so you can stay close to him?” The bowl came at me again. I made it again. And again. And again. Each time, there was something wrong. Too much. Too little. Not right. And each time, it ended the same way. By the time she was done, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the utensils anymore.

Then she got bored. “Clean the place,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “All of it. I don’t want to see a single spot left untouched.” All of it. Ground floor. Stairs. Rooms. Top floor. I didn’t argue.I just started. I wiped floors, scrubbed surfaces, cleaned glass, and carried things back and forth until my arms felt heavy and useless. Every movement hurt, but I kept going. Time blurred, and at some point I stopped thinking. Just move. Just finish. Just don’t stop. When I finally finished, I stood there quietly, waiting. She walked through the space slowly, looking around, then clicked her tongue. “This is what you call clean?” she said, her tone filled with disgust. “Are you blind, or just stupid?” My chest tightened. “I’ll redo it,” I said. She laughed, a short and sharp sound. “No,” she said. “You don’t get to fix it that easily.” She turned slightly. “Bring it,” she ordered. Someone stepped forward behind me, and before I could react, they grabbed my hands, rough and tight. Something hard pressed against my fingers. Wood. My breath caught. “Wait—” Too late. They tightened it. Pain exploded through my fingers so suddenly I couldn’t even process it. It felt like my bones were being crushed slowly and deliberately. I gasped, my body jerking forward as a broken sound escaped me. Cassandra watched, calm and attentive, as if this was nothing more than a passing moment. “This is what happens,” she said, her voice steady and almost bored, “when someone forgets their place and tries to act above it.” The pressure increased. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. A scream tore out of my throat, raw and uncontrollable, echoing through the room. It hurts! It hurt so much. My vision blurred, my body shaking, but they didn’t stop. Not until I couldn’t even tell where the pain ended anymore. … By the time Reed showed up to take me back, I was barely holding on. My body felt heavy, my hands throbbed, my back burned, and every breath hurt. I didn’t even know how long I’d been there. Cassandra looked at me before I left, her lips curving into a slow, cold smile. “Look at you,” she said, tilting her head. “You’re still alive. That’s impressive.” Her eyes dropped to my hands, then back to my face. “When you get back,” she continued, her voice soft but sharp underneath, “you know what to say and what not to say, right? Or do I need to remind you again?” I lowered my head. “I understand,” I said quietly. She stepped closer. “No, I don’t think you do,” she murmured. “Let me make it clearer. If you open your mouth and say anything you shouldn’t… even a single word… I won’t just hurt you next time. I’ll make sure you beg for death and still don’t get it.” My fingers trembled slightly. “I won’t say anything,” I repeated. She smiled. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.” Then she waved her hand dismissively. “Take her away. She’s making the place look ugly.” Reed didn’t say much when he helped me out, just a quiet look, a tight jaw, controlled anger he didn’t show. We went straight back. Ezekiel was already in his room, sitting behind his desk, going through documents like nothing else existed. He didn’t even look up when we walked in. “You’re back,” he said flatly. “How was your time with Cassandra?” I opened my mouth, but I didn’t get to answer. “Boss!” my friend rushed forward, dropping to her knees so fast it echoed. “You have to do something! Elowyn was tortured! Cassandra didn’t just punish her, she went too far! Her hands… they almost—” “Enough.” Ezekiel’s voice cut through her instantly. He finally looked up, not at me, but at her, his eyes sharp. “Take her out,” he said. “Twenty lashes.” My friend froze. So did I. My heart dropped. “No—” I forced myself forward despite the pain and dropped to my knees. “Boss, this has nothing to do with her. She just spoke out of turn. Don’t punish her for this, please—” His gaze shifted to me, annoyed. “Nothing to do with her?” he repeated slowly. “She just accused someone who’s about to stand beside me publicly. You call that unrelated?” My chest tightened. “She didn’t mean it like that—” “She spoke,” he cut in. “And what she said crosses the line. That’s enough.” Future… beside him. So that’s how it is. Even words against Cassandra weren’t allowed. Not even a little. I swallowed hard, then lowered myself further until my forehead touched the floor. “Then let me take it,” I said quietly. “Punish me instead. She doesn’t deserve this.” There was a pause, heavy and dangerous. “Elowyn,” he said, his voice colder now, “are you going against me?” I didn’t move. “I’m asking you to let me take it,” I repeated. “Please.” Silence stretched. “Fine.” The word hit hard. “If you want it so badly, you can have it,” he said. “Take her place. Twenty strokes.” My back went stiff. “Take her out,” he added, already looking back down at his desk. “Make it count.” They dragged me out before I could think anymore. Then it started. The first hit landed across my back, sharp and heavy, knocking the air out of me. I bit down hard. Second. Third. Each one tore through me, pain spreading deeper and hotter until I couldn’t tell where it started or ended. Don’t make a sound. Don’t make a sound. I clenched my teeth harder. By the time it ended, I wasn’t sure how I was still conscious. They dragged me back to my room after. I didn’t even feel the ground properly anymore. Just… weight. Darkness.

Later that night, Reed came in quietly. He brought medicine, sat beside me, and sighed. “Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” he muttered. “You know he still cares. He just… can’t see clearly right now. He’s too caught up in her.” I didn’t answer. I just let him treat the wounds. Care doesn’t look like this. Does it? I kept that thought to myself. Because it didn’t matter. Not anymore. The next day came too fast. Ezekiel was heading out to the mountains for a hunt, and Cassandra went with him. He stood there in black, fitted gear, rifle slung over his shoulder, sharp and untouchable under the sunlight. People stared. Of course they did. He helped her onto the horse himself, carefully and slowly, even lowering his hand so she could step on it to climb up easier. Cassandra laughed softly, leaning into him, and people noticed. They always did. “Did you see that?” someone whispered nearby. “He actually did that for her.” “Yeah,” another voice replied. “Everyone says he’s ruthless. Took down his own brother’s faction, wiped out enemies without blinking. But look at him now… he’s completely different around her.” “Right? Elowyn’s been with him for years, went through everything with him, and I’ve never seen him treat her like that.” “Guess it really depends on who you are.” I heard every word. Of course I did. I just didn’t react. I kept my head down and followed behind them. That was my role. During the hunt, it got worse. He stayed close to Cassandra the entire time. When she got tired, he slowed down. When she complained, he listened. When she missed a shot, he guided her hands, steady and patient. At one point, she spat out fruit seeds, and he caught them without hesitation. Later, she handed him something she had already taken a bite from. He ate it with no hesitation. I had never seen that before. Not in all the years I stood beside him. So that’s what it looks like. I lowered my eyes again. And kept walking. …. By late afternoon, Cassandra got bored with the hunt, and she let out a small sigh while tossing her rifle aside to one of the men. “This is getting dull,” she said, stretching a little as she leaned closer to Ezekiel. “They just run and die. There’s no challenge at all. I want something more interesting.” Ezekiel glanced at her, and there was that patience in his voice again, the kind I never heard directed at me. “Then tell me what you want,” he said calmly. “I’ll arrange it.” She smiled slowly, and her eyes moved across all of us standing behind them. “I want to try something different today,” she said. “Something more fun. I want a live target.” The moment those words left her mouth, everything went quiet. No one moved, but I could feel the tension. People lowered their heads, trying to disappear, and even the guards stiffened slightly. But Ezekiel didn’t react much. “If that’s what you want,” he said, like it didn’t matter at all, “then do it.” That was enough for her. She laughed, clearly pleased, and started pointing around lazily while dragging it out on purpose. “Not you. You look like you’d faint. And you… no, you’d probably cry before I even shoot.” Some of them forced small laughs, but no one actually relaxed. Then her finger stopped. On me. “I’ll take her,” she said, her voice bright. “That one. She looks like she can handle it.” My chest tightened, but I didn’t move. Ezekiel followed her gaze, and for a second, he just looked at me. I couldn’t read his expression, and I didn’t even know what I was hoping for anymore. “Hmm?” Cassandra tilted her head slightly, her voice soft but pressing. “What’s wrong? You don’t want me to pick her? I thought you said I could have whatever I wanted.” He looked away. “As you wish,” he said. That was it. Something inside me just… dropped. It reminded me too much of before, and I didn’t even want to remember it, but I still did. Back then, when we were trapped, there was someone who forced him to stand as a target just for amusement, and every time that happened, I stepped in front of him without thinking. I still remembered the arrows. The sound. The pain. The one that went through my shoulder and left me burning for days. He stayed with me that time. He changed my bandages himself, and his voice was low when he told me not to do something so stupid again. And I still said I had to protect him. I thought it meant something. Now… it didn’t. I took a breath and stepped forward. They handed me a watermelon, and I held it up the way they told me to. My arms already felt weak, but I kept them steady because I knew better than to show anything. “Don’t move,” Cassandra called out, smiling as she lifted the rifle. “If I miss, that’s on you.” Someone behind her laughed nervously. “Miss Cassandra’s aim is perfect,” they said quickly. “She won’t miss.” “Of course she won’t,” another added. “Boss himself trained her.” Ezekiel stood beside her, watching, and then he said quietly, “Take your time. You’ll hit it.” She adjusted her stance and aimed. The first shot rang out, and the bullet clipped the edge cleanly. People started praising her immediately. “That was perfect!” “Did you see that?” She smiled wider. Second shot. It hit even cleaner this time, and the watermelon cracked slightly. More praise followed, louder now, and even Ezekiel gave a small nod. “Good,” he said. My arms were starting to shake, but I forced them still. Then she didn’t shoot right away. She took her time. Adjusted again. And I noticed it. The barrel shifted. Not at the watermelon anymore. Lower. Toward me. My breath caught, and something cold spread through my chest. Is she… serious? I didn’t move. I couldn’t. If I moved, would that make it worse? “Stay still,” she said softly, almost amused. Then she pulled the trigger. The shot came fast. Too fast. And the next second, something slammed into my chest. The impact knocked the air out of me, and my grip loosened as the watermelon slipped from my hands and hit the ground. My vision turned red, and the world felt far away, like I was already being pulled out of it. So this is it? After everything? My body stopped responding, and the last thing I felt was that cold taking over everything before the darkness swallowed everything. “Somebody fucking call an ambulance!” Finally, I can be with Hunter in my next life.