Chapter 2 The Boss They Fear

The silence in the dining room was deafening.

My father was still on his knees, his mouth hanging open. My mother had backed into a corner, clutching her pearl necklace like a lifeline. Victor looked like he was about to faint.

I couldn't move. I just stared at Julian-the man who made me coffee every morning, the man who wore cheap boots and fixed cars for a living. But right now, he looked like a completely different person.

Marcus, the terrifying leader of the Blackwood Syndicate, didn't dare stand up. His forehead was still pressed against the cold marble floor.

"Boss," Marcus stammered, his voice shaking. "I... we had no idea you were living here. If I had known you were with the Sterlings, I would never have-"

"You didn't know because I didn't want you to know," Julian interrupted. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made the hair on my arms stand up. "I told you to handle the Sterling debt quietly. Instead, you break into my father-in-law's house and point a gun at his head?"

Marcus flinched as if he had been struck. "I was just following protocol, Boss. He was trying to hide money. We had to send a message."

Julian took a slow step forward and crouched down so he was eye-level with the mafia leader. The room was so quiet I could hear the clock ticking on the wall.

"If I wanted my wife's family dead," Julian whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear, "I would have done it myself. I don't need your men shooting up the place while I'm trying to eat my dinner."

His wife. He said his wife.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I had been married to this man for a year, and I knew absolutely nothing about him.

Julian stood up and brushed a piece of dust off his sleeve. "Get up, Marcus. Clean up this mess. And tell the others to stand down. Now."

"Yes, Boss. Right away, Boss." Marcus scrambled to his feet, waving frantically at his men. The armed guards immediately lowered their weapons, bowing their heads as they backed out of the shattered windows. Marcus practically ran out of the room, leaving us alone in the chaos.

Julian turned around.

He looked at my father, who was still trembling on the floor. Then his eyes moved to Victor, who was sweating through his expensive shirt. Finally, his gaze landed on me.

For a second, the cold, terrifying Mafia King vanished. His eyes softened, and he looked almost guilty. "Chloe," he said gently.

"Who are you?" I whispered. My voice cracked. "What are you?"

Julian sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "It's a long story. But we need to talk. In private."

"Wait just a damn minute!" My mother suddenly shrieked, finding her voice. She pointed a shaking finger at Julian. "You-you're a criminal? You're the leader of the Blackwood Syndicate? You lied to us! You tricked my daughter into marrying a monster!"

Julian's head snapped toward her. The soft look vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling glare that made my mother take a step back.

"Mrs. Sterling," Julian said, his voice dangerously low. "I saved your husband's life tonight. I saved your life. The only reason you are still breathing is because I love your daughter. Do not test my patience."

My mother's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. She was terrified.

Julian held out his hand to me. "Chloe. Come with me. Please."

I looked at his hand. The hand that had held mine at our wedding. The hand that had cooked me dinner last night.

I looked at my family, who had treated him like dirt for a year. They were looking at me with a mix of fear and greed, silently begging me to fix this, to use my connection to the dangerous man to keep them safe.

I stood up slowly. My legs felt like jelly. I didn't take his hand, but I nodded. "Okay. Let's talk."

Julian dropped his hand, a flash of hurt crossing his face, but he nodded. He turned and walked out of the dining room, expecting me to follow.

As I walked past my father, he grabbed my wrist. "Chloe," he hissed, his eyes wild. "You have to keep him happy. Do you understand? If you make him angry, we're all dead!"

I yanked my arm away from him. "You should have thought about that before you called him a dog."

I hurried after Julian, leaving my family in the ruins of their perfect dining room.

We walked into my father's study. Julian closed the heavy doors behind us, locking them with a soft click. He turned to face me, leaning against the mahogany desk.

"I know you have questions," he started.

"Just one," I said, crossing my arms to stop them from shaking. "Did you marry me because you actually loved me? Or was it just a convenient way to hide your identity?"

Julian looked at me for a long moment. The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

"Chloe," he said softly. "I married you because you were the only person in this world who looked at me and saw a man, not a monster or a paycheck. But I lied about who I was to keep you safe."

He took a step toward me.

"But you're not safe anymore. Now that they know who you are to me, you are a target. The most dangerous people in the underworld will try to use you to get to me."

I swallowed hard. "So what happens now?"

Julian's eyes turned dark again, a ruthless smile playing on his lips.

"Now," he said, "I remind this city who the real King is."