After My Ex Left Me At The Altar, I Married the King of the Underworld

I had no intention of continuing this pointless reunion.

Zayn's possessiveness was terrifying. If he knew I was tangled up with this trash, he would have them killed. Slowly.

I lifted my eyes, my voice flat.

"If you're my ride, let's go." I walked straight toward the black Cadillac.

The air froze for a second.

Then, the men behind Ryder burst into laughter, even louder and more grating than before.

"Go? Go where?"

"Emilia, are you insane? Or has living on the streets finally rotted your brain?"

One of the beefy thugs pointed at the sign.

"This car is reserved for the VIP from Sicily!"

"Open your damn eyes. We're here for the Donna of the Vettori family!"

Ryder's phone was still on speaker, and Carmela's shrill voice cut through again.

"Honey, don't waste your breath on her. And remember to get a good look at the Vettori Donna's hand. I heard Zayn gave her the 'Fleur-de-lis Blood Ring'."

"It's the symbol of the Vettori family's power. I've only ever seen blurry pictures of it in magazines. If I could see that pigeon's blood ruby in person, even from a distance, I could brag about it to my socialite friends for the next six months."

Ryder's voice softened as he spoke into the phone. "Don't worry, babe. I'll get a good look for you once we meet her."

"But honey, I've already bought you a pink diamond ring at auction. It's not as priceless as the Blood Ring, but it's still very precious."

After hanging up, Ryder turned back to me, a cold sneer on his face. He crossed his arms, watching me like I was a clown.

"Did you hear that? We're here to greet royalty, not some pathetic woman in a cheap, unbranded dress."

"You think you're worthy of even being mentioned in the same breath as someone of her stature?"

I glanced down at my left hand.

The legendary ring rested quietly on my finger.

The massive pigeon's blood ruby caught the sunlight.

On the inside of the band, the ancient fleur-de-lis emblem pressed against my skin with its familiar coolness.

I thought of the man who always wore a cold expression, but whose hands trembled slightly as he knelt on one knee to place it on my finger.

A soft smile touched my lips unbidden.

Ryder saw my smile and his gaze followed my own.

The next second, he lunged forward, grabbing my wrist and exposing the ring to everyone.

"Emilia, you really pulled out all the stops to put on a show for me, didn't you?"

"Is this another plastic piece of junk you picked up at a flea market? So desperate to play the lady that you'd parade around in a fake like this?"

"You don't have to go to such lengths. Just come back, be good, admit you were wrong, and go cook for Carmela's kid. I'll forgive you."

"You think putting on a fake ring makes you Mrs. Vettori? Your vanity is pathetic."

The pain in my wrist made me frown.

I looked at the man I once loved so deeply, now acting like a self-righteous imbecile.

"Tell you what, I'll give you two hundred bucks for this knockoff. The forgery is actually pretty good."

"Carmela has always wanted to see the real thing, so I'll give it to her as a toy. You're getting a good deal."

He started to pull at the ring. I wasn't strong enough to break free, so I said flatly, "It was a gift from Zayn…"

Before I could finish, he grabbed my chin, his face close to my ear.

"Emilia, you've gotten really bold."

"You have no right to speak his name!"