Shattered Vows: The Don's Runaway Queen

ya

l wasn't just the social event of the seaso

rve like a second skin, punctuated by a high slit that climbed dan

the red carpet, playing the role of the doting husband with practiced ease. Cameras flashed in b

it true you're do

, flashing that charming, billion-doll

Instead, I smiled

ped light onto champagne towers and false smiles. Liam steered

," he murmured, pulling a

sapphire necklace glit

your eyes,

e didn't even know t

old metal around my neck. It settled against my

le of silence spread through the room like a

f five hundred people

lair had

re a dress that was barely legal-red, sequined, and

he was flanked by two o

eathtaking. It was

ike a blade. The elite parted for her, their eyes darting between

hat is she doing here?" he h

us. She smiled, a predatory ba

red. She didn't even a

lifted h

, her voice projecting clearly over th

celet. The exact match to the

thing," she said, her eyes finally

ing. A branding. She was telling the w

n from my face. The r

ping harshly against the floo

to her clutch and pulled out a small, velvet box. "Oh, and I br

It slid across the linen and clicke

red a

," Ava c

move. I

her arm. "Eno

rking away theatrically. "You did

l blow. I felt stripped naked in fron

trembling, but I forced

as quiet, but it cut throu

saw panic in his eyes. Not for me. Fo

o," he said, r

" I

en at Liam. The man

hand and s

racked like

e. The room went dead silen

re dark, dangerous voids. The mask of the gentlema

have done tha

. Hard. His fingers

go,"

aving," he

. My heel caught on the

fe

the sharp edge of the heavy oak table. Th

a

ploded in my stomach, teari

oor, gasping for air

Liam s

ooking shocked. No

mach. I felt it immediately. A warm, w

oked

oo

g into the pristine white silk of my

owd sc

is face went pale. He took

The press! We have to go! If they see

ound them, forming a

," Tony said urgently. "The c

et floor. Then he looked up at the cameras f

esit

of hesitation, my

ance," he bark

urround him and Ava. H

lked

or of the ballroom while he es

me apart from the inside out.

ck over her shoulder. She smiled. S

the table. It had fallen to the flo

wasn't

umpled piec

rembling, blood-staine

age. You d

bout the baby before

ng the light. The sounds of the

d around the no

nix P

n my mind as I sli

his marriage tonight. He kille

someone else. Someone who w