My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin

Just when everyone thought it was over, Shyaan’s announcement thundered through the room, freezing everything in place.

"Here she is—the Madam of Dominion, Madam De Luca. My new partner."

Silence fell as her voice echoed.

People’s jaws slackened, some unable to stop them from nearly hitting the floor. Then it hit them: the location of the party, how this place had opened to non-members for this occasion alone, and Dominion’s presence.

All of it pointed to one conclusion.

Naturally, people would assume it was Lucian. However, if it were him, his wife wouldn’t have attended.

"What?" When the guests recovered, they could only gasp. "She’s — she’s the new partner?"

"How is this... oh, my god!"

"No wonder she sounded so knowledgeable about it when she’s talking about it!"

"Her? Not Lucian De Luca?"

Those who had been with Lucian earlier snapped out of it and turned to him with wide eyes. Their mouths opened and closed, even though they had already been told he came as a plus one. They had thought he wasn’t serious, but then again, Lucian wasn’t the type to joke.

"So... it’s true that he’s a plus one tonight?" one of them blurted out, but that was enough for those around them to look at them with shock.

"A plus one?" another echoed. "Him? Just a plus one tonight?"

Shyaan smiled in satisfaction, standing proudly beside Ashley.

"Yes, she’s my new partner, along with Mr. Ramirez. Unfortunately, Mr. Ramirez couldn’t make it tonight," she explained, turning to Ashley. "However, he did send something and asked me to relay his thanks for helping him secure the shipment on time."

Ashley smiled subtly, thinking she should thank Lucian for that, although she had done quite a bit of puppy-eyeing to get his help.

"My husband is a real hero. Although I was looking forward to seeing him tonight, I understand Mr. Ramirez is a busy man," she replied.

Shyaan narrowed her eyes playfully before leaning her shoulder against Ashley’s. "If he heard you call him Mr. Ramirez instead of uncle, he’d be flying here just to correct you."

Both women chuckled, openly displaying their familiarity.

And sure enough, everyone could only stare in stunned silence. None of them were this close to Shyaan, except the elderly figures present. The rest could only try to curry favor with her and hope to remain in her good graces.

But this?

This didn’t just show Shyaan’s favor toward Ashley. It showed they stood on equal footing.

Isabella staggered back while Carmella’s mouth hung open.

"What?" Isabella whispered, darting her eyes between Ashley and Shyaan.

Carmella, on the other hand, opened and closed her mouth before managing, "How... how did this happen?"

No matter how quiet their voices were—or how stunned the crowd remained—some people quickly snapped out of their daze.

"Oh no," someone mused mockingly. "What should we do now? It seems the Di Carpios didn’t just try to humiliate the Madam of Dominion, but also Madam Shyaan’s partner."

Hearing that, a few chuckled at the spectacle.

"This is hilarious. They started all of this, and it turns out the distinguished guest is the very person they were forcing to apologize!"

"Didn’t you claim you were family?" another criticized. "How could you not know that the new partner is Madam De Luca? You claim to take care of her, yet you don’t even know something this important?"

"It makes me question everything they’ve said from the beginning. Goodness... this mother and daughter are truly something."

The side comments grew louder, as people seized the opportunity to kick those already down, hoping to earn favor with Ashley.

This was the true face of the elite.

Quick to judge. Quick to switch sides. Quick to seize any opportunity that served their interests—even if it meant stomping on others for gain... or mere entertainment.

As the noise rose, both Shyaan and Ashley turned their attention back to the duo.

The genuine smile on Shyaan’s face faded as she looked at them coldly. "Oh, I got a little sidetracked. I almost forgot... how will you compensate Ashley, my most distinguished guest tonight?"

No answer.

Isabella lowered her head, and Carmella followed suit. Their eyes were wide as they stared at the floor, desperately thinking of a way to escape or at least, salvage their reputation.

"Madam..."

Ashley’s voice cut through the silence. It no longer carried the coldness from before, but instead sounded respectful and gentle.

She cleared her throat and smiled at Shyaan. "I mean, Auntie. Clearing my name—and Dominion’s—is enough for me. And since everyone already knows Dominion isn’t like that..."

Ashley intended to end things here. She knew Shyaan would likely have them removed, and that would give her room to focus on expanding her network. Besides, this wasn’t the final stage she envisioned for these two... including that absent Marshal.

But just as she was extending them undeserved grace, the faint sound of liquid trickling echoed through the hall.

Her brows furrowed, a crease forming between them. Slowly, she turned toward Carmella and Isabella.

At the same time, others followed her gaze.

And then... gasps erupted.

Not just from the crowd. Carmella herself froze as she felt liquid pouring over her head. When she looked up, her heart leapt to her throat the moment she saw who stood beside her.

Lucian.

There he was—the devil of Dominion—calmly pouring an entire glass of wine over her head.

His expression remained flat, neither smiling nor frowning. His gaze was sharp, looking down at her with cold indifference. Even as everyone stared, he finished emptying the glass.

Everyone: "!!!"

Even Shyaan raised a brow, while Ashley’s expression twitched slightly. Isabella gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Ma—Master, I mean, Mr. De Luca?" one of the men following him stammered nervously. "What... what are you doing?"

Lucian lowered the empty glass and turned to the man. He blinked once before shifting his gaze to Ashley and Shyaan.

"I was late to the party, and I thought we were throwing drinks," he said innocently, making several faces twitch at the obvious lie.

He tilted his head slightly and glanced at Carmella.

"It seems I made a mistake... my bad."