Chapter 2
Before leaving, Valentina shot me a smug look.
She said, "Kiara, if you can't keep the family territory, just give me a call. Maybe I'll let you pour my wine or carry my dress for me."
I smiled faintly and replied, "Who knows who'll be asking for help first?"
I almost "envied" Valentina. She got to be slapped around by her "loving" husband and tortured by her in-laws. What a hell of a life.
Me? I got to cry in the misery of running all the underground business in the South Side.
And I could totally pick out a couple of hot bodyguards, if that counted.
*****
Valentina and Marcus's wedding was pure extravagance, held at the city's most iconic, century-old hotel.
The heads of all the major families from Chicago showed up for the event.
Valentina was draped in a custom wedding gown, her pride and arrogance practically radiating as she moved through the crowd, glass in hand.
With her arm linked through Marcus's, she made a point of coming over to toast me, really only to flaunt.
She said, "Kiara, this is your first time meeting Marcus, huh? If the Reed family ever hits rock bottom, maybe Marcus will be generous enough to bail you out.
"What's the point of a woman working so hard? Snagging a powerful man is all that really matters. Too bad that's never going to be in the cards for you."
Valentina looked like she was finally getting to put me in my place, her eyes practically sparkling with smug triumph.
Marcus Monti, standing beside her, gave me a polite nod.
But he clearly picked up on Valentina's arrogance, and his brow creased ever so slightly.
From living with him for years in my previous life, I knew he was not satisfied with Valentina.
Honestly, Valentina's stupidity was so obvious that anyone with eyes could see it.
Once the novelty wore off for Marcus, Valentina would be living in her own personal hell.
When I kept quiet, Valentina figured I was green with envy.
After tossing a few more snide remarks my way, she dragged Marcus off, practically glowing with smugness.
I really wasn't in the mood to get into it with Valentina. I'd just taken over the Reed family, and there were plenty of alliances I needed to secure.
With all the dons and capos from every major family showing up tonight, I grabbed a drink and started working the room, making sure to connect with as many as I could.
In my previous life, Valentina thought she was the queen of the Reed family and owed nobody any courtesy.
She was willful and arrogant, repeatedly shutting the door on potential allies who wanted to work with us.
She never understood how crucial respect was in this business, and it didn't take long before she crossed Zicago's underworld boss, Dante Falcon. That same night, the Reed family's shipping docks went up in flames.
I was dead set on not making the same mistakes she did. I made my rounds, introducing myself with real humility and showing plenty of respect to the senior bosses.
By the end of the night, I'd left a few of the big shots thinking I was both humble and sharp.
I'd barely caught my breath after all that networking.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the middle of the hall.
Valentina snapped, "You did that on purpose. Do you think I'm blind? On my wedding day, you dare ruin my mood? Do you even know who my husband is?"
Only moments ago, Valentina was all smiles, but now she looked ready to tear the little girl apart.
The girl, clearly overwhelmed by the scene, stammered, "I-I didn't. I was only looking for my brother. I bumped into you by accident. I already said I was sorry."
With all eyes on her, the girl's face turned bright red, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
It was merely a minor incident, something that should've been brushed off and forgotten.
But Valentina saw it as the perfect chance to show off the Monti family's power in front of everyone, and she wasn't about to let the girl go.
Valentina barked, "No way! This dress was flown in from overseas. You stepped on it and got it dirty! You couldn't pay for this in a million years!
"I've never seen you before. What kind of nobody family did you crawl out of?"
This circle was tight; everyone knew each other's secrets.
Valentina only acted this tough because she thought she'd found someone weak to pick on.
Seeing the girl about to cry, I stepped in.
I said, "Come on, Valentina, it's your wedding day. Why make a scene? She didn't mean it. Just let it slide, okay?"
Valentina's face dropped when I cut her off in front of everyone. She sneered, "How do you know she didn't do it on purpose? She's jealous I got to marry into the Monti family.
"Girls like her are everywhere: so desperate to climb up, they'd lose their minds with envy and do anything to get ahead. Why are you defending her? What, did you send her here to stir up trouble and ruin my big day?"
I never expected Valentina to throw it back in my face like that. My expression instantly soured.
Just as I was about to speak, a man's voice, icy and sharp, sliced through the tension.
"The Monti family sure found themselves the perfect bride," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.