Chapter 2 - THE PAID-IN-FULL LEDGERSThe following morning, Carmine’s ruthless underboss arrived at my third-floor apartment carrying a black velvet box and every single promissory note Liam had signed in blood and desperation.
Each document was boldly stamped in red ink: PAID IN FULL.
Inside the velvet box sat a diamond ring so large and flawless it could have funded a small hospital. Beneath it lay a card ordering me to attend dinner at Carmine’s private estate that very night.
When Liam walked in and saw the ring on the table, all the color drained from his face.
He didn't look relieved that his catastrophic debt had been wiped clean. He looked paralyzed with stark terror because he immediately recognized the ring.
“You can’t wear that, Jo,” Liam stammered, backing away. “Once you put it on, everyone in the city will believe you belong to him.”
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“Explain to me right now,” I demanded, grabbing his jacket. “What does Carmine have to do with you beyond your gambling debts?”
Liam looked away, his eyes wild. “Not every mistake was mine,” he choked out before turning and bolting out the front door, leaving me alone with a billionaire mobster's engagement ring.
