Anastasia's POV "Please welcome my fiancé, Tatiana Camilla Romano." My boyfriend, Sergio announced to the room filled with mafia Dons and Queens. Camilla smiled, standing at the top of glossed stairs, clutching his arm with ease. She was wearing a simple black dress that hugged her curves and tiny waist, with pearls dangling around her neck. Something that made both of us so different. She had the body of a supermodel while I can't go a day without eating a burger and having my stomach ruin the entire outfit. Camilla looked over the crowd until her eyes locked with mine and her grin turned to a sinister smirk. Noticing my gaze, she traced a finger over Sergio's chin and pulled him in for a kiss. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach and I felt my lunch coming up. "Anastasia?" A soft voice spoke behind me and I went rigid. I took in a long breath when the traitor's hand touched my shoulder, and I shook it off like it was dirt. "Who...How did you find out?" Sergio's mother, Louisa asked with furrowed brows. "I'm happy to know you were in on this too." I seethed, making her frown. She was about to speak but the last person I wanted to see stopped her. "Anastasia?" Sergio froze, walking through the crowd with Camilla on his arm. "I wasn't expecting you to be here." "What? Were you waiting until after the wedding to invite me?" I snapped, staring at their clasped hands and the ruby ring on Camilla's ring finger. My chest tightened from the sight and my eyes started to sting. "Look, you don't need to be bitter about this. It was...unexpected." He said flatly, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "You were gone for a while and in the moment, Camilla and I just....clicked." He snapped his fingers, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Anastasia, I apologize for the surprise, but you have to understand that being given a second chance at love was something I couldn't pass up." Camilla batted her eyes innocently, placing her hand wide on Sergio's chest like he was her property. Second chance my ass. Her first husband was Sebastian Santoro, Sergio's older brother and the previous Don. Sadly, he was assassinated almost a month ago. And somehow, it didn't take her too long to fall in love again. My head was spinning and I couldn't help the nauseous taste in my mouth either. My heart ached seeing this. Watching this. "But we agreed to get married this fall," I said under my breath, bile rising in my throat. "Anastasia, look at you." He scoffed. "It would be more embarrassing having you stand next to me in front of my allies than showing up alone." I tensed, wrapping my arms around myself. I was wearing a halter-neck top with wide-leg pants, standing out from the crowd like a sore thumb. "I need a woman with strength and resilience. Someone who would stand by my side the same way my mother stood beside my father." He nodded at the woman I once trusted behind me. I looked at Louisa and she stared at me with sorrow in her eyes. She knew she had already lost my trust and respect for allowing this, and the shame was killing her. "I was only away because you refused to attend the meeting in Toronto, and I had to step in," I muttered, furious that he even thought to blame any of this on me. "I thought you were just preparing for the gala, but you couldn't let your brother's body get cold before you swooped in on his...." I was cut short. "SERGIO!" Louisa yelled, but Sergio had his eyes glued on me. My cheek stung and I realized Sergio just slapped me. The room went silent and everyone had their eyes stuck on us. Sergio had a blazing fire in his eyes and his lips were pressed in a thin line. I cradled my cheek with my feet rooted to the ground while he took slow steps towards me. He gripped my arm and held my chin firm so I was staring straight into his dark eyes. The same eyes I looked into when I was sad, happy, or angry. But all I felt now was pure hate. "Don't .EVER. Try to insinuate that I took my brother's death as an opportunity to steal his wife." He spat before releasing my chin. His voice was bouncing off the walls at this point. The men looked at me like I was the gum beneath their shoes while the women whispered, laughing. I was a joke. "You deserve someone just like you. I would've fired you too but you have the skills we can't find so easily in any ordinary engineer." With that said, Sergio walked away with Camilla clinging to his arm, leaving the room in silence. But his absence didn't stop the guests from staring at me. "Can you give me a chance to explain everything?" Louisa interrupted my thoughts, extending a hand for me but I could only stare blankly at it. "No." I shook my head with a raised hand. "You had every chance to tell me but didn't." She looked at me with a pained smile until I walked out of the room. I made it down the hall before going up the stairs. I wanted privacy, so I snuck into Sebastian's old office. But when I turned the lights on I shrieked. A handsome man was standing in the room alone. He was wearing black trousers that hugged his long legs paired with a velvet shirt fitted to his muscles. "How did you find here?" The deep baritone voice grunted. I was frozen in place, my voice caught in my throat. "Are you deaf? Answer me when I'm talking to you." He frowned, making me shiver. I couldn't find the words to speak. His eyes lingered on my face for a while until they softened. I watched him walk towards me and I automatically tried to step back, but I had my back pressed against the door. He was inches from me before I heard the doorknob twist. "Move." He ordered, and I did just that before he left the room. My heart was racing. I couldn't dwell on the strange man for long as I dragged my tired feet to the balcony, and I collapsed. The tears and agony I was holding back fell and I was a sobbing mess. I pulled out my phone and opened the anonymous email sent to me a few days ago. "DON'T LET THEM KNOW, BUT YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE!" Attached to the bottom was an invitation to the engagement party. I cleaned the tears off my cheeks and stood on my feet. "I am Anastasia Cabrera, this shouldn't wear me down," I said sternly. I was about to step back but then a heavy object was hit against the back of my head. A world of pain exploded through my skull and I lost my balance. I couldn't see who it was, because they had on a ski mask with a black hoodie. "Why?" I staggered back, before they shoved me hard enough and I fell over the balcony. The wind blew past me as I fell. My voice was almost nonexistent as I tried to scream but nothing came out. I saw the pool beneath me before my head slammed against the tiles. I was floating on cloud nine before the unbearable pain I felt suddenly went numb and everything went black.

Anastasia's POV BEEP "Why hasn't she woken up yet?" An elderly man asked worriedly. BEEP "Mr Valentini, you need to remain calm. Please, we're doing the best we can." The nurse pleaded. BEEP "YOUR BEST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. SAVE HER IMMEDIATELY." He yelled. I wished I could see who he was but my body was frozen in place. I couldn't move anything, even my eyes were glued shut. "I'm sorry we couldn't find you sooner." He whispered, grabbing my hand shakily. "She didn't tell us in time." She? The person who attacked me? I remembered how I fell over the balcony, how someone pushed me into the pool. But I couldn't recognize them other than their ski mask that had a skull design. "I wouldn't be surprised if Sergio played a part in this. The bastard is just as evil as his own father." The old man grunted, gripping my hand softly. Sergio was responsible for this? I couldn't feel a thing but I knew a tear slipped from my eye when the elderly man patted my cheek dry. "Her...finger twitched." He gasped, "Does this mean she's waking up?" "No...something is wrong. The heart monitors...." The room went silent and I could hear the beeping getting louder. Faster. "SIR WE NEED YOU TO MOVE BACK!" The nurse yelled. The grasp on my fingers disappeared and all I could hear was metal scraping the ground, till white light was blinding me. "1,2,3, CLEAR." A shock wave went through me and I jolted forward. "We're losing her." The nurse said hastily. "1,2,3, CLEAR!" My body jolted forward before everything went dark. ********************************* "Anastasia!" Sergio froze, but then regained himself walking through the crowd holding Camilla closely. I blinked repeatedly and truthfully Sergio was standing right in front of me. I was back in the Gala. "I wasn't expecting you to be here." He frowned, but I wasn't listening to him. Was it a dream or did I have too much to drink? This isn't possible. That was too real not to be. "Are you okay? What happened? You zoned out just now." Louisa asked me, placing her hand softly on my cheek. "No...no." I shook my head, stepping away from her. "Oh stop acting hysterical, If you were here long enough, you'd know that Camilla and I are engaged." He smiled, staring at the woman with adoration. But I was more in disbelief that I was back here. Safe. Untouched. I looked at Sergio again and I remembered what the elderly man had said. Sergio might've sent someone to kill me. "I think she's in so much shock, she went mute." Camilla pointed out, but everyone else looked at me like I had grown three heads. "I quit," I said calmly. "You...what?" Sergio laughed, "Be serious for a minute. I get that you're mad but c'mon where else would you go with better pay than us?" "That shouldn't be your problem. If someone with half a brain like you could see my worth, I guess someone with one would." I spat through gritted teeth. Sergio's eyes lit up and he was ready to lunge towards me, but Camilla held him back by holding his arm. "Stop it. She's made her choice. We just have to live with it," Camilla soothed him, caressing his cheek. "And I hope you know what you're doing. Because once you're gone, you aren't coming back." Camilla pointed at me with a deep frown. My arrogance might've struck a nerve in Sergio but Camilla wasn't going to let it slide. When Sebastian was alive, she was his eyes and ears. She had control over things Sebastian couldn't and I could tell she was ready to do the same thing with Sergio. "Trust me, I have no regrets putting myself first." I crossed my arms, causing her lips to twist. Sergio scoffed and walked out of Camilla's hold, till he was towering over me. "Are you doing this to get back at me? For God's sake, this won't make me want you." His jaw tensed. "You can't just leave the company without any prior notice, I won't allow it." "Watch me, and to keep the record straight, I would never reduce myself to chasing your attention." I grinned, looking past his shoulder to the woman throwing daggers at me. "I can see how easily you can be taken away." I rolled my eyes before walking away from him. I could feel them still watching me but my eyes found someone else's. The same man stood in a far corner watching us. The same man I walked in on, standing in Sebastian's old office. I didn't really notice before but he looked much older and his gaze made me shiver. We locked eyes and a small smirk grew on his face. Without a second thought, my legs moved towards him and confusion flickered in his eyes. But I didn't care. I pulled him by the collar and pressed my lips against his. He froze for a second before he gave in and we were sucking each other's lips off. He dipped his tongue in my mouth and we fought for dominance, until he won. Once I felt it was enough, I pulled my lips off his and turned to see if my mission was accomplished. Sergio was staring at me with clenched fists and a heavy frown before he stormed through the crowd of people. Camilla ran after him and Louisa stared at me with wide eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered to the handsome stranger but he remained silent, watching me. I wasn't going to keep staring at him. I took two steps back and kept walking until I made it out of the building. "TAXI!" I hailed the first cab I saw and was on my way back to my hotel. Relief washed over but my phone lit up with an email. "GOOD DAY, MISS ANASTASIA. WE WANT TO OFFER YOU A CHANCE WITH SULLIVAN CARS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH FORMULA ONE DRIVERS?"

Anastasia's POV "ANASTASIA! STOP HOGGING ALL THE HOT WATER AND GET OUT." Cassie screamed, banging on the door. I turned off the faucet and got out of the shower. I didn't bother grabbing a towel before I pulled the door open. "Ahhhh! My eyes." Cassie shrieked, covering her eyes. "I'm blind. It's official, I have to tell my mother you've blinded me."  I giggled rolling my eyes before I ran past her into our room. "Your mother knows I have a nice body, so your loss," I yelled over my shoulder. I walked over the pile of clothes Cassie had littered on the floor and grabbed my jumpsuit. "Are you showing up dressed like that?" Cassie grimaced, pointing at the black jumpsuit I had in my hand. "No, you need something cute, you're going to be working with Formula One drivers." She fawned, leaning against the door like she was about to faint. "Well, what should I wear?" I raised a brow at her, holding the jumpsuit against my hip. "We don't know if you'll be working as an engineer just yet but you have to look good with your first impressions." She grinned. She pushed the scattered clothes on the floor with her feet making a path before she grabbed a hanger. It had a freshly pressed button-up and trousers slim enough to hug my curves. She pulled out black kitty heels and like that, the jumpsuit fell from my hands. "Go knock 'em dead."  I was at the Sullivan headquarters, waiting at the front desk admiring the building. It was built like it was from the future.  Everything was white, shiny, and clean. "Miss Cabrera." A woman walked in wearing a dark blue dress. "That's me." I jumped to my feet and the smile on her face fell. "Weren't you told the role you were called in for? This is inappropriate." She sized me up, distaste evident on her face. "Sorry, I wasn't told." I shifted under her sharp gaze. She nodded her head and waved a hand for me to follow her. We walked through three hallways before we finally made it to the double doors. "The boss is already waiting for you inside, you can go in." She said coldly, before going back the way we came. She sure was hospitable. This was it, I sucked in a deep breath and let it all out. I pushed the door open and met a short man seated behind a desk. I could barely see his head over the desk while he signed a document with much pressure on the pen. I shut the door behind me and cleared my throat making him look up. "Oh, Miss Cabrera. Please come take a seat." He smiled warmly, and my shoulders loosened. I moved closer to his desk and sat down. Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as I thought. "Good, I'm happy you made it here in time, but if you're going to be one of our engine engineers we can't have you wearing this." He pointed at my blouse with the edge of his pen and I instantly felt insecure. "Then your hair," he grimaced, taking his glasses off and cleaning the lenses with a wipe. "Did you forget to comb through them? It looks like a bird laid a nest on your head." I was wrong. This man was more irritating than Sergio. Scratch that, almost as annoying as Sergio. "I'm a redhead sir and my hair is naturally curly," I said confidently and he raised a brow at my sudden change in character. He stared for a long moment before speaking, "O...Kay, well everything seems up to speed but I doubt we'd be able to find a track uniform in your size."  I blinked twice until a scoff fell out of my throat. "Mr... Antonio." I read off his nametag, "I appreciate the job offer but I think I would decline." I said, standing up from my seat. I was halfway to the door when a clammy hand clasped my wrist. "My... apologies." He said hesitantly before he let go of my arm. "I'd see to it that the crew has a uniform prepared for you." I nodded in response while he walked back to his desk. I saw him dialing a line on the telephone before the call went through. "Katherine, please come over and escort Miss Cabrera to the garage and prepare her uniform immediately." He said sternly. That was strange. Almost like he was too scared of me leaving. "This door leads to the power unit engineers, then down the hall is where the cars are but you aren't allowed to be in there right now." Katherine pointed to a tinted glass door that had 'RACE CARS' boldly written over it. "Then this room is yours, you and some other engineers would be working on the car engines here." She said, smacking her lips with gum in her mouth. I nodded my head at her and she walked away without a word. I held the door handle for a moment, my mind trailing back to the door I was just warned not to walk into. They're just cars and what's the point of being here if I can't see them? I looked down the hall to make sure no one was watching before I tiptoed over and rushed into the room. It looked like car heaven. There were slick sports cars lined beside each other, the headlights sparkling and the tail glossy. They were beautiful, I walked closer and let my fingers slide off the greased metal. "You aren't supposed to be here."  I screamed clutching my heart like it was about to burst out. I froze in place, too embarrassed to look back but something familiar about his voice intrigued me. "Are you going to keep staring at the cars or look at me when I'm speaking to you?" His deep voice made my knees go jelly. I released the breath I was holding and spun around on my heel. "Are you one of my stalkers now?" The man frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. It was the man from the gala.  He had his dark hair styled and then the stubble on his chin had a few grey hairs. He was wearing a branded jumpsuit with Sullivan plastered all over it. He must be a racecar driver. Fuck, I kissed a sports star. "No...the other night was a mistake. I was trying to get back at my loser ex." I gulped, pulling my fingers, and rubbing the edge of my shirt. "Did it work?" He asked with a raised brow. I shook my head and held his gaze. I tried my best not to look at his body, but the top of the jumpsuit was dangling from his waist and he was completely shirtless. His biceps were bulging and I couldn't keep my eyes away from his arms. He was built like a bodybuilder but the softer kind. "Look at me when I'm talking to you?" He said, striding towards me. He was caging me against the car I was pressed against it. "If you really want to get back at him, I have an idea in mind." He smirked, tilting my head up by my chin. I was staring into his eyes and the dark pool almost made my heart skip. "Marry me."