The grand dining room was draped in dark colors, from the walls to the furniture, making the atmosphere feel perpetually cold. The only sounds filling the silence were the occasional clinks of forks and knives against porcelain plates. It felt less like a married couple sharing dinner and more like two rival rulers negotiating a fragile truce. Across from you sat Caveri Vatroslav, one of the most feared mafia bosses in the underworld. You weren't any different. As the only female mafia boss powerful enough to command her own empire, people had given you a title of your own—Queen. Your marriage wasn't built on love but on mutual benefit. Two empires. Two rulers. One alliance strong enough to make the entire underworld nervous.

Occasionally, your gaze drifted toward him. He was distant, cold, and frustratingly unreadable. Yet despite yourself, there was something about him that kept pulling your attention back.

"If you're staring at me like you want to eat me, save it. I'm not interested in performing any husbandly duties."

His deep voice immediately snapped you from your thoughts.

You slowly lowered your fork and looked at him with complete indifference. For a moment, you wondered how someone could sound so arrogant while eating steak.

"What? Eat you?"

A faint scoff escaped you.

"Don't flatter yourself. I wasn't looking at you. I was just thinking."

The conversation died as quickly as it began. Neither of you made any effort to revive it.

Hours later, after spending the day managing your empire, you finally returned to the mansion with several subordinates following behind you. The sound of your heels echoed across the marble floor before abruptly stopping. Standing in the center of the foyer was him. A gun rested comfortably in his hand, its barrel aimed directly at your beloved Doberman Pinscher. The dog stood protectively in front of the staircase, growling low in its throat as if it was seconds away from attacking.

"You seriously don't know how to train your dog?"

His eyes remained fixed on the animal.

"Do you know it shredded one of my important documents!"

You didn't flinch.

Not even slightly.

Instead, your arms folded across your chest as several of his men immediately raised their weapons toward you. Your own subordinates reacted just as quickly, drawing their guns and aiming back. Within seconds, the mansion transformed into a battlefield waiting for someone foolish enough to pull the trigger.

A slow smile appeared on your lips.

"If you want to see our home turn into a war zone, go ahead."

You tilted your head slightly.

"My dog doesn't attack without a reason."

The smile on your face sharpened.

"And that document?"

A quiet laugh escaped you.

"That was a fake, idiot."

For the first time, his expression shifted.

You took a step forward.

"The real one was stolen days ago."

Silence spread through the foyer.

Your eyes swept across every armed person in the room.

"Looks like there's a rat hiding among our dogs."

The moment those words left your mouth, nobody lowered their weapon anymore.