Chapter 3
Emily Windsor's POV
I arrived at the law firm to find Joe Scott barreling toward me, panic written all over his face. He opened his mouth to speak, then froze, staring at my neck.
I tugged my collar higher, masking the hickeys with practiced nonchalance. "What's the problem with the case?"
Joe snapped back to attention, his expression grim. "It's the Victor family matter. Jacob's side suddenly changed their point of contact. They're demanding we hand over all current files and evidence to their newly appointed attorney—by noon today."
The Victor family. Manhattan's most notorious crime syndicate, a name that made even hardened criminals nervous.
Their boss—the Don—was particularly ruthless. Rumor had it he trafficked weapons and narcotics, his empire stretching across New York and beyond.
The Don's identity remained shrouded in mystery. He never appeared in public, so few people knew what he actually looked like.
A few weeks ago, the Victor family had approached me to represent them in a massive money laundering case involving offshore accounts and shell corporations.
I'd always refused Mafia cases.
Because my grandmother—the person who'd loved me most in this world—had been caught in mafia crossfire and killed.
She'd been kind to everyone, never hurt a soul. When she died, no one dared seek justice for her. Even the police looked the other way.
I'd collapsed over her casket, sobbing until my throat was raw, swearing I'd never work for the Mafia.
But the Victor family wouldn't take no for an answer. Given their reputation for ruthlessness, refusing outright could've meant more than just the end of my career—it could've been the end of my life.
Jacob had heard about my predicament and offered to take over the case himself.
I'd hesitated at first, but he'd promised he had connections in the underworld and could quietly transfer the case to another attorney without angering the Victor family. So I'd agreed.
Now, barely a week later, everything had changed.
"Who's the new contact?" I asked, striding toward my office.
"Jacob's secretary. I think her name's… Julie," Joe said.
I stopped dead in my tracks, ice flooding my veins.
Julie had just graduated college. She didn't even have her bar license yet. How could she possibly handle a Victor family case?
Did Jacob really trust his mistress that much?
I forced a bitter smile and waved Joe off. "Send her to my office."
Moments later, my door swung open—no knock—and a sickeningly sweet perfume invaded the room.
I looked up to see Julie dressed in a sleek power suit, her once-innocent demeanor replaced by smug superiority.
"Ever heard of knocking?" I said coolly, not bothering to look up from the file in my hands.
"Emily, Jacob sent me." Julie's heels clicked sharply as she approached my desk. "He said now that you two have broken up, he doesn't want to see your face anymore."
Her tone dripped with provocation.
I leaned back in my chair, studying her with icy detachment. "Is Jacob that desperate? Sending an inexperienced college grad to handle a case this critical?"
Julie's smile faltered, but she lifted her chin defiantly. "Emily, I get that you're upset. But that's just how relationships work. You can't take it out on me just because he doesn't love you anymore."
Doesn't love you anymore.
Those words ignited something feral inside me.
I'd been debating whether to hand this case over to Jacob, given how dangerous it was. But seeing Julie's smug expression, hearing her gloat—my pride wouldn't allow it.
I rose slowly, planting my palms on the desk and leaning forward until our faces were inches apart. "You want this case? Fine. Beg me for it."
Julie's face went white, then red. "Emily! Don't push your luck! Jacob said if it wasn't for you saving his life that one time, he would've dumped you ages ago! Every time he looks at your face, he feels sick—"
My palm connected with her cheek in a resounding slap.
In my office? Being disrespected by the other woman? Not happening.
Julie staggered back, clutching her face in shock, tears welling in her eyes.
"It's not even summer yet," I said, examining my nails with exaggerated disinterest. "Why are there so many flies buzzing around?"
"You'll regret this!" Julie shrieked, then fled the office in humiliation.
As a lawyer, I rarely lost my composure enough to resort to physical confrontation.
But I didn't regret it. In fact, I felt lighter, as if some poisonous weight had lifted.
I glanced at Joe, who stood frozen in the doorway, mouth hanging open. I sat back down and smoothed my expression into professional calm. "From now on, I'll personally oversee the Victor family case."
Part of it was spite. But I was also genuinely curious—what kind of case would make Jacob send his little mistress to humiliate me?
Joe hesitated, then nodded and left.
Alone in my office, I exhaled slowly and reached for the thick Victor family file, flipping through page after page. Then my gaze locked onto a photograph.
It showed a mid-level associate standing beside a luxury sedan. He wore a black suit, his expression hard and unreadable.
What caught my attention was the emblem pinned to his lapel—a symbol denoting upper management within the Victor family.
The emblem featured a fierce, coiling dragon.
It looked… familiar.
I frowned, searching my memory. Then it hit me like a freight train.
Last night. The man from the club. He'd had the exact same dragon emblem on his chest.
My hand trembled as I gripped the photo, cold dread crawling up my spine.
Had I just spent the night with a member of the Victor crime family?