The Mafia King of Philadelphia: From witness to his doted wife

Her heartbeat betrayed her. She could hear it. Feel it. She swallowed. Then looked away first.

”I’m worried,” she murmured, tying off the bandage with one last firm knot, ”that if you keep getting yourself stabbed, I’m going to run out of antiseptic.”

A quiet chuckle escaped Viktor. He knew she was avoiding the question. But he also knew something else. She hadn’t pushed him away. She hadn’t left the room.

Instead, she’d rushed to him the moment she saw the blood.

For Viktor Kessler, a man who had spent his life surrounded by fear, loyalty bought with money, and respect earned through violence, that simple act of concern felt more valuable than any victory he had won in the underworld.

He looked at her for another long moment before speaking again. ”You know,” he said with a small smile, ”for someone who claims she doesn’t care...” He glanced down at the perfectly wrapped bandage.

”...you make a very convincing wife.” Sienna rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t quite hide the faint pink creeping into her cheeks.

”Don’t flatter yourself.” She packed away the first-aid supplies and stood. ”You still owe me an explanation.”

”What kind of idiot gets into a knife fight the day after his wedding?” Viktor leaned back against the bed, watching her with open admiration. ”It wasn’t a knife fight.”

Sienna carefully closed the first-aid kit and placed it back inside the drawer. She took a slow breath before turning around.

Viktor was still sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with that same infuriating smile, as if being stabbed was no different from catching a cold.

She folded her arms. ”You keep doing dangerous things.” He tilted his head.

”Do I?”

”Yes.” She walked closer, stopping just in front of him. ”Where did you even go?” There was frustration in her voice now real frustration.

”You have something big planned tomorrow, yet here you are covered in blood.” She looked at the fresh bandage wrapped around his waist before meeting his eyes again. ”If you’re too weak to fight, will I even get to keep my head tomorrow?”

She spoke as though her greatest concern was surviving the wedding.

As though she wasn’t secretly relieved he was sitting here instead of lying in a morgue somewhere.

Viktor smiled knowingly. ”You worry too much.”

”I don’t.”

”You do.” He leaned back slightly. ”I went to clean up a few loose ends.”

”What loose ends?”

”Don Capri’s loyal men.” His expression lost its playfulness. ”Some of them were smart enough to surrender.” A brief pause followed.

”Some weren’t.” His voice became calm. ”I took care of them.”

The words were spoken so casually that Sienna almost forgot he was talking about killing people.

She looked away. The silence lingered between them. ”And don’t worry,” Viktor said after a moment, the smile returning to his lips. ”I’m not going to stand you up at the altar.”

He nodded toward the wardrobe. ”Have you seen your wedding dress?” Sienna blinked. ”You’re seriously going through with this wedding?”

”Of course.” She frowned. ”The Capris seem to be having financial problems.” That caught Viktor’s attention.

His eyebrows lifted slightly. ”Oh?”

”And how exactly do you know that?” A slow grin spread across his face.

”You did that, didn’t you?” He chuckled softly.

”My smart genius wife.” Sienna looked at him blankly.

”I wish.” She shrugged as though it were nothing. ”Aria and I ran into Aliya while shopping.”

”Her card got declined.”

”It was embarrassing.”

”I just assumed something was wrong financially.” She deliberately left out the part where she’d quietly engineered the trap weeks ago.

The fake investment reports. The manipulated shell companies. The carefully timed market moves. The hidden algorithms that slowly drained Capri-controlled accounts into worthless positions. Only Aria knew. Not even Viktor.

Especially not Viktor. He didn’t need to. ”I see...” Viktor’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer. There was admiration in them.

Whether she admitted it or not, Viktor’s instincts were terrifyingly sharp. ”You really are dangerous.”

”I’ll take that as a compliment.” He laughed.

”Well...”

”I guess tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.” He stood carefully, adjusting his shirt over the fresh bandage. ”Come.”

He held out his hand. ”I want to show you your wedding dress.” Sienna didn’t even glance at it.

”No.”

”No?”

”I’m not interested.” She walked toward the window instead. The night outside was unusually quiet. Too quiet.

”I just hope tomorrow comes...”

”...and goes...”

”...without anyone losing their head.” She rested one hand against the cold glass.

”So much is happening.”

”It feels like something terrible is waiting.” For a rare moment, Viktor didn’t joke. He simply looked at her. She carried so much fear behind those calm eyes. Even now. Even after laughing with Aria. Even after teasing him.

Part of her still expected tomorrow to end in blood. He walked toward her until only a step separated them. ”You don’t have to be afraid.” Sienna didn’t answer.

”You know...” His deep voice broke the silence. ”That pretty head of yours...” She slowly looked at him.

”...is only mine to take.” A mischievous smile returned to his face. ”No one else gets the privilege.” He reached up and gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

”You are marrying me tomorrow.” He spoke with absolute certainty.

”And that’s a fact.” For some reason, hearing him say it sent an unfamiliar flutter through her chest. She immediately pushed the feeling away.

”Good night, baby.” He leaned down just enough to place a gentle kiss against her forehead. Before she could react... He turned and walked toward the door. His footsteps faded into the hallway.

The bedroom became quiet once again. Sienna remained standing by the window. Her fingers slowly touched the spot on her forehead where his lips had brushed her skin.

”...What are you planning, Viktor?” She whispered the question to the empty room. Nothing about tomorrow made sense. He had eliminated Don Capri’s loyal men. The Capri family was collapsing financially.

Yet he still insisted on going through with the wedding as though everything was perfectly under control.

What was he hiding? She hated not knowing. Information had always been her greatest weapon. Knowing every move before it happened. Seeing patterns others missed.

But Viktor... He was the one puzzle she couldn’t solve.