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“No. I’m fine.”

“Anyway, that might be why Vince never touched you.” She shrugged. “Well, it all worked out in the end.”

“I’m not even sure how I ended up here. Now everything feels…” I stopped. Instead, I shrugged. Like normal, I found myself lost for words.

“Now that sounds like the foundation of every successful crow's marriage.” Emmeline laughed. "Are you nervous about tomorrow? I would do anything to do it again.”

“It was so hot,” Evelyn sighed, leaning back on the couch, “that look in his eyes when he did it. It still gets me.”

“I beg Jamjam every anniversary to cut me. Just to get that look back.”

“Take our advice, enjoy the claiming ritual. You only get it once.”

Vivienne nodded with this wishful look. “Even reenactments aren’t the same.”

“The claiming ritual.” I repeated, just to make sure I had heard them right. “Where he cuts me and then everyone watches us have sex?” Why would I ever want to reenact that? Let alone enjoy it.

“That was my reaction, too. Heck, it is everyone’s reaction. Until after it. And as for everyone in the room, you won’t notice us. You will be way too focused on your husband.”

My stomach twisted. They would be in the room. Their husbands would be in the room. Damius. Suddenly I felt sick again, and this time it wasn’t from lack of food.

Everything about Vince's family was so fucking twisted. My only friend and, of course, he had to be from one of the most psychotic bloodlines.

CHAPTER 32

Vince

Every message and call went unanswered. Her family had the ten blocks around their house locked down. Any chance of getting to her would only bring attention.

After Nathaniels' funeral, her family disappeared from the public eye.

For over four years, I had managed to keep Damius uninterested in Madeline. Hiding her in plain sight. Now he knew, and if I ended our merger, it would only bring his focus to her more.

Fixing my cufflinks. I had no idea if I picked the ones she wanted.

“Apparently, she is here, so that is something.” Bastion fixed his tie, offering me another drink, “At least you know she isn’t going to stand you up at the altar.”

Her sudden disappearance hadn’t just affected me. It had affected my siblings. She had become a ghost.

For over two months, she hadn’t been seen. Luca looked for her at the hotel openings. Bastion did the same thing at the new nightclub. Rome won’t admit it, but I knew he was putting off buying that property to get Madeline's opinion.

And then there was Nikolai, who had a sudden interest in surveillance. Desperate to get information on her welfare.

“Well, her family has requested that we stay away from the bridal room.” Cecilia closed the door, walking in, “So unfair, as if Maddy would hold what you lot did to her, against me.”

I focused on forcing the cufflink through the fabric.

“What did you guys do to her, again?” Sofia asked. “Is this about her cousin?”

“Girls, another topic.” Nikolai spoke over them.

Over a thousand people waited out there, and most knew exactly what had happened. This merger now was more focused on restoring peace between the two families.

After I, the psycho Crow tried to drown her in her cousin’s blood. The facts had blurred over the months of people retelling the story.

But the image of her covered in her father’s blood hadn’t left my mind. Every time I closed my eyes. I saw her.

“Alright, let’s get this the fuck over with.” Finishing the drink bastion gave me.