Elena Brooks stood trembling beside the crowded banquet table beneath the warm glow of crystal chandeliers

Audrey stared at Dominic, her chest heaving as she struggled to draw breath. She searched his perfectly symmetrical face for any sign of a bluff, any hint of the charming, corporate businessman she had agreed to marry. But there was nothing. The man standing before her was the apex predator of the criminal underworld, and his threat was an absolute, terrifying promise.

With shaking, manicured hands, Audrey grabbed the heavy diamond engagement ring. It resisted slightly, catching on her knuckle, but she pulled it free with a desperate yank. She practically threw the multi-million dollar piece of jewelry onto the linen tablecloth. It landed with a dull, heavy thud among the abandoned crystal wine glasses.

"You will regret this, Dominic," Audrey hissed, tears of humiliated rage spilling over her lashes. "My father will not let this insult stand."

"Your father," Dominic said slowly, picking up the heavy diamond ring and slipping it effortlessly into his pocket, "is a businessman. When I explain to him that his daughter is a liability who attacks the help and terrorizes children, he will count himself lucky that I am only sending you home, and not sending you back in a box."

Audrey choked on a sob, realizing the absolute finality of his words. Her reign was over before it had even begun.

"Get your things," Dominic ordered, turning his back to her and looking toward the doorway. "My men will escort you to your father's estate. If you ever come within five miles of my daughter or my home again, I will not be so forgiving."

Audrey didn't say another word. She hiked up the skirt of her expensive satin gown and practically ran from the dining room, her heels echoing frantically down the marble corridor until the sound completely faded away.

Dominic stood alone in the bright, silent room. He ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair, pushing the loose strands back from his forehead. He took a deep, centering breath, shoving the violent anger down into the dark corners of his mind where he kept his demons locked away. He had a different crisis to manage now.

He walked out of the dining room and down the grand hallway, bypassing the grand staircase that led to his daughter’s room, and headed straight for the heavy, soundproof doors of his private study.

He opened the door. The study was bathed in the same warm, golden light as the rest of the house, illuminating the dark wood paneling and the massive shelves of leather-bound books.

Elena was sitting exactly where he had ordered her to sit—perched on the edge of the sprawling, dark leather sofa. Her posture was rigid, her beautiful face pale and drawn tight with pain. The private physician, an older man with a calm, professional demeanor, was gently wrapping her injured right hand in a thick, supportive bandage. A portable X-ray machine rested on a cart nearby.

"Status, Doctor," Dominic demanded softly as he closed the door behind him.

The doctor finished tying off the bandage before turning to the mafia boss. "It's a severe crush injury, Mr. Vale. Three broken metacarpals and extensive soft tissue damage. She will need surgery to pin the bones, followed by months of physical therapy to regain full mobility."

Elena let out a quiet, devastated breath, dropping her chin to her chest. A broken hand meant she couldn't work. In the ruthless hierarchy of the estate staff, useless help was immediately dismissed.

"Schedule the surgery for tomorrow morning at the private clinic," Dominic instructed the doctor without hesitation. "Spare no expense. Put it entirely on my personal account."