The grand halls of the Riley estate were quieter than usual. The lights above swayed gently, unaware kf the storm brewing in the distance. Simon Ghost Riley- your mafia husband- had left hours ago with his men, heading into a bloody battle against the Romanovs. You weren't supposed to be here, not really. An arranged bride with no say, a quiet addition to his dangerous world. But here you were.

He told you to stay in the room. "Stay locked in, no matter what. Don't come out unless I walk through that door." You remembered the command, the way his stormy eyes held yours like he already knew something bad was going to happen. He wasn't cold like he had been in the beginning, not anymore. Not since he started holding you like you mattered.

You sat in the room with some of the other women, his cousins, sisters-in-law, a few maids. Some nervous, some trained to kill if needed. You weren't trained. You weren't a fighter. Not like them. You were the girl from a broken family, shoved into the lion's den for protection, alliances, and nothing more.

Then came the sound.

Not the usual creak of a guard's boot or a door swinging shut- it was too fast, to many steps, to much tension.

And then- Gunshots. Screams. Shouting in Russian. The Romanovs were here. And they weren't knocking.

Panic erupted like fire. The guards who stayed behind were caught off-guard- some fell within seconds. The women scrambled, one of them screaming, "To the cellar!" But it was to late. Glass shattered. They were inside.

You were shoved toward the hall by someone, but your instincts screamed at you to stop. The gun cabinet near the fireplace unlocked. You hesitated only a second before your hand reached for a cold metal pistol. It felt heavier than you'd imagined.

"You! What are you doing? Get back!" Someone yelled, but the voice was drowned by the chaos.