Father tried to make me a pawn, but I controlled my destiny. I would be a queen and take all that was mine. The car shifted, and the metal groaned, making me jump. “What the hell was that?” His worry was evident through the phone. “Oh god…we’re slipping.” The rushing water was so high that it pressed against the window and came in around the door. A small crack spider‑webbed across the glass as the pressure built. “Oh my god, Dimitri isn’t going to make it in time.” *** From the first moment I saw her, I fell hopelessly in love. One bloody nose later was all it took for me to know she was my forever. I might have only been ten at the time, but my heart had never beat for another. Unfortunately, business meant more to our families and signed marriage contracts tore us apart. But defiancé flowed through our veins thicker than blood. She was my oxygen, and I couldn’t breathe without her. There was only one thing I could do…become one of the most powerful Dons in the world and crush anyone who dared oppose me. The path of good intentions might be lined with gold, but it still led to hell, and my world once more burned around me. One day, I would take back what was rightfully mine, even if it meant going to war.