Chapter 3

When Andrew reached the door, he turned back to me.

"Jade. Be good and wait for me at home."

Hazel stood beside him. Just before turning away, she glanced back and curled her lips into a quick smile.

There wasn't a trace of apology in it.

Only provocation.

And victory.

The door opened.

I watched Andrew leave with her without the slightest hesitation, and the last trace of warmth in my chest disappeared.

"Andrew."

He stopped.

"If this is how you intend to handle this, then I'm not satisfied."

I looked straight at him.

"I'll deal with it myself."

Andrew finally turned around.

His expression remained calm, almost amused, as if he thought I was throwing another harmless tantrum.

"Alright, Jade."

He gave a quiet chuckle.

"Don't overthink it. Wait until I get back."

Then he left with Hazel.

The door didn't close completely.

Their voices drifted back from the hallway.

"Andrew..."

Hazel sounded nervous now, her earlier arrogance replaced by carefully measured fear.

"Jade is a Moretti by marriage, and her own Family is powerful too. If she really decides to come after me, what am I supposed to do?"

Andrew's answer came a moment later.

"She's angry. She'll calm down."

Then his voice softened.

"Besides, I'm here. Who would dare touch you?"

He laughed quietly.

"You use all that temper on me, but the second someone else gets angry, you panic."

Their footsteps gradually faded.

I stood alone in the office.

The young women by the doorway hadn't left. They stared at me awkwardly, pity creeping into their eyes.

I raised a hand to cover the humiliating words stamped across my face.

"Could one of you lend me a mask? Or a hat?"

One of them hesitated, then quickly pulled a new mask from her bag and handed it to me.

"This one's clean, Mrs. Moretti."

I glanced at the name on her badge.

"Thank you. I'll remember that."

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly stepped aside.

I put on the mask, pulled a hat low over my face, and walked out of Moretti headquarters.

The moment I got into the car, I sent a message to the Russo Family, the hosts of tonight's private auction.

"Andrew Moretti will be arriving tonight with a woman named Hazel Garcia."

I paused before typing the final sentence.

"Bring Hazel to me."

Among New York's most powerful Families, plenty of people would gladly trade a favor for my goodwill.

Hazel had just handed the Russos the perfect opportunity.

Then I made another call.

"Find someone who makes inspection stamps. I want one hundred pork-grade stamps."

My fingers tightened around the phone.

"Use the darkest red permanent ink you can find. Something that won't wash off easily."

By the time the car pulled up outside the Moretti estate, our longtime steward, John, was already hurrying down the steps.

"Mrs. Moretti."

His expression was tense.

"Mr. Moretti came back earlier. He said he was taking Miss Garcia to the Russo auction tonight, but she didn't have anything suitable to wear."

He hesitated.

"So he took her into your private dressing room."

Something inside me sank.

But my voice remained steady.

"Which dress did she take?"

John drew a breath, visibly suppressing his anger.

"Star Sea."

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

Star Sea.

The gown I'd worn the night Andrew and I became formally engaged before both Families.

It had never come from some famous designer.

Andrew had sketched it himself.

He'd commissioned one of Italy's finest ateliers to make it by hand, every stitch and every stone placed exactly as he'd instructed.

Hundreds of natural sapphires covered the skirt like fragments of a midnight sky.

That night, Andrew had looked at me in the gown and said he'd taken every star he could reach and laid them at my feet.