Chapter 1

My sister ran off with the money, and my father forced me to marry a gang prince.

To survive, I pretended to be deaf on the spot.

I thought I'd fade into the background as a nobody. But these people treated me like air and said all their secrets right in front of me.

The gang prince looked down at me, smirking. "A deaf woman. Not bad-looking. Keep her."

His subordinate answered a call beside me, "Did you know her sister ran off with ten million?"

I held the coffee cup with a blank expression, while my mind was in utter turmoil.

The scariest part? One day, he leaned in and whispered something in my ear.

That almost made me jump out of my skin.

*****

I, Luna Shepherd, was twenty-three, and my life motto was: as long as I could keep my head down, I would survive.

I never in a million years thought my own sister would almost get me killed.

It all started three days ago.

My sister, Rachel Shepherd, was the city's golden girl. She was gentle, beautiful, and always knew how to handle people.

When she was twenty-five, the Knight family took notice and set up a marriage contract for her.

Who exactly was the Knight family?

They were the undisputed kings of the city's underworld, running both sides of the law. Their businesses practically covered half the city.

Vincent Knight, the so-called Mr. Knight, was said to be cold-blooded and ruthless, never hesitating to make tough calls.

He would smile and shake one's hand, but with his other hand, he might already be counting the guy's ribs.

He was the guy my sister was supposed to marry.

The wedding was set for December 18th. Three hundred invitations went out, fifty tables were booked, and even the wedding dress was flown in from overseas.

And then, on the morning of the wedding, my sister was gone. Not dead, just gone. She'd run off.

She left a note: [Sorry, I'm gone. Don't look for me.]

My dad, Grant Shepherd, held that note, his face pale as a sheet. He wasn't worried about his daughter. He was terrified for himself.

Word from the Knight family was that there better be a bride, or the Shepherd family was dead meat.

My dad turned to me with a look I'd never forget. He looked me over like he was picking out fish at the market, then said, "Luna, you and your sister look about sixty percent alike."

I was squatting on the floor, munching on a street pancake. The crispy crust was still in my mouth. "Dad, what did you say?"

"You're going to marry him in your sister's place."

The pancake slipped from my hand. I was speechless. What the hell?

He said, "The Knight family hasn't even met your sister. Go with the bridal veil on, get through the ceremony, and we'll deal with the rest later."

I blurted out, "Deal with it? How am I supposed to survive that so-called Mr. Knight? You want me dead or what?"

He grabbed my arm, tears streaming down his face. "If you don't go, the whole family is doomed."

I looked at his face, practically screaming, "Sacrifice yourself so the rest of us can live," and took a deep breath. I knew I had no choice. But I needed to find a way out for myself.

On the way from home to the Knight family's hotel, my mind was spinning a mile a minute.

I'd heard plenty about Vincent. He was ruthless, and nothing pisses him off more than being lied to.

If he ever found out I wasn't Rachel, I wouldn't even know how I died.

Unless he figured I was totally worthless, no threat at all.

What danger could a clueless, deaf stand-in bride possibly be?

Yeah. Act deaf. If I couldn't hear, I didn't have to respond.

Not answering meant no slip-ups. No slip-ups, no trouble. Flawless.

I spent thirty seconds in the back of the wedding car psyching myself up, then silently vowed: From that moment on, I, Luna Shepherd, was deaf. Completely, irreversibly, and utterly deaf.

The wedding was held at the Knight family's private club. The place was so intimidating, with two rows of black-clad bodyguards at the entrance, each one over six feet tall, their arms thicker than my waist.

With the veil over my head, I was practically dragged inside, my legs shaking the whole way.

Not a single person spoke to me the entire time. But I could hear people whispering nearby.

"Why does the bride look so skinny?"

"Maybe she's starving herself. Every girl goes on a crazy diet right before her wedding, don't they?"

"Yeah, that's probably it."

Thanks for the concern, but the truth was I was not skinny from dieting. I was literally a replacement.

At the ceremony, the officiant called me three times, and I didn't budge an inch.

It was not that I didn't want to move. It was that I was pretending to be deaf, so obviously I couldn't hear him.

One of the bridesmaids nudged me, and I finally "reacted," nodding my head.

Alright, first hurdle cleared. Next up, the kiss.

The moment the veil was lifted, I finally got a look at Vincent.

Honestly, if the underworld's crown prince looked like this, then I'd say the criminal world has some pretty high standards.

His features were chiseled, with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes that seemed to size you up like you were just another object.

He was sitting by the bed, one leg crossed over the other, an unlit cigarette dangling between his fingers.

His eyes landed on my face, eyebrow arching. "Rachel Shepherd?"

I didn't react. I wasn't faking. Okay, I was totally faking, but I had no business reacting to "Rachel Shepherd."

He called out again, louder, "Rachel Shepherd."

I stared straight ahead, my face frozen like a wax figure.

He paused, then stood up, walked over, and bent down, his face inches from my ear.

My heart skipped a beat.

His breath brushed against my ear. "Deaf?"

Just one word, but there was a hint of surprise and a touch of amusement in his voice.

I didn't move a muscle. Inside, I was screaming. Keep it together, Luna. You were deaf. You couldn't hear a thing. You were a statue.

He straightened up and glanced back at a man standing by the door.

The guy was in a black suit, gold-rimmed glasses. He had classic mastermind vibes.

Vincent called, "Hayes."

Hayes Holden replied, "Yes, sir."

"The Shepherd family sent over a deaf bride?"

Hayes looked a bit surprised, flipping through the files in his hand. "Uh, the Shepherd family's file doesn't mention anything about her being deaf."

Vincent tossed the unlit cigarette into the ashtray with a snort. "Interesting."

He shot me another look. It wasn't the look one would give his wife. It was like he was staring at a hamster that'd wandered into a cat's cage.

"Whatever," he said, loosening his tie. "Deaf or not, at least she'll keep things quiet."

Then he turned and walked out.

At the door, he paused, glanced back, and said, "Little deaf girl, get some sleep."

The door closed behind him. I sat alone on the big wedding bed, wearing a dress that wasn't even mine, staring into space for three seconds.

Then, quietly, I pulled out the pancake wrapper I'd been clutching the whole way and wiped the sweat from my palms.

First night, I made it through.