KISS'S POV
I knew something was wrong the moment the music stopped playing in my head.
Not the actual music—
The peace.
For days, everything had been too calm. Too smooth. Adrian was relaxed, the planning was flawless, the women around me laughed freely, and for once… no shadows followed me.
That kind of calm never lasted.
"Kiss."
I turned at the sound of my name. Lucia—one of Adrian's partner's wives—stood near the balcony doors, her expression sharp, alert, dangerous.
"We found her."
My stomach dropped.
"Who?" I asked, though I already knew.
Lucia's lips curved slowly. "Ashley."
---
LUCIA'S POV
I had followed the instinct every woman in this circle learned early—
When things go quiet, look closer.
Ashley Barlow had been sniffing around the event planners for days. Whispering. Smiling too sweetly. Asking too many questions.
So when I saw her slipping through the service corridor with a phone pressed to her ear, panic sharp in her eyes, I followed.
She ducked into an unused lounge room.
Big mistake.
The door locked behind her.
Her eyes widened when she saw me.
"You—" she started.
I smiled pleasantly. "You're going to sit down now."
---
KISS'S POV
When I entered the room, Ashley was already tied to a chair.
Not brutally.
Not violently.
Firmly.
Controlled.
Her mascara had smudged—not from crying, but from fear.
The room was filled with women.
Powerful women.
Dangerous women.
Women who had survived men like Adrian—and worse.
Ashley's eyes snapped to me.
"Kiss," she hissed. "Tell them to untie me."
I stepped closer.
Slowly.
Quietly.
"You tried to ruin my wedding," I said calmly. "You contacted vendors. You paid someone to leak false documents. You planned to humiliate me."
Her lips trembled. "I was desperate."
Lucia laughed softly. "Oh, sweetheart. Desperation doesn't excuse stupidity."
---
ASHLEY'S POV
They were circling me.
Not screaming.
Not raging.
Smiling.
That was worse.
"I love Adrian," I said shakily. "He was mine first."
Kiss tilted her head. "No. He chose me."
One of the women leaned down until her face was inches from mine.
"You don't steal a crown and expect the queens to clap."
A sharp sound cracked through the room.
My head snapped sideways.
Pain bloomed.
Then another.
Not wild.
Measured.
Controlled.
Each slap was a sentence.
Each pause was judgment.
---
KISS'S POV
I didn't move at first.
I watched.
Not because I enjoyed it—
But because Ashley needed to understand something.
This wasn't jealousy.
This was consequence.
"Stop blaming other women for your obsession," I said quietly. "You weren't replaced. You were refused."
Ashley sobbed. "He'll come back to me."
Lucia straightened. "No, darling. Men like Adrian don't return to mistakes."
Another slap echoed.
Then silence.
Ashley's breathing turned ragged.
"I swear," she whispered, venom lacing every word. "I will get my revenge."
Every woman in the room laughed.
Not loudly.
Dangerously.
---
LUCIA'S POV
We untied her slowly.
Not kindly.
She stumbled forward, humiliated, shaken, pride shattered.
I leaned in close, my voice calm.
"If you come near her again," I said softly, "you won't need revenge. You'll need protection."
We escorted her out through the service exit.
No witnesses.
No chaos.
Just a woman stripped of her delusions.
She was left exactly where she deserved to be—
Alone.
---
KISS'S POV
When the door closed behind her, the room exhaled.
One of the women turned to me. "Are you okay?"
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
And I meant it.
Because for the first time, I realized something deeply important—
I wasn't fighting alone anymore.
---
ADRIAN'S POV
I felt it before I heard it.
That shift in the air.
I found Kiss on the terrace later, arms wrapped around herself, city lights reflecting in her eyes.
"She tried something," I said.
She nodded. "She failed."
I stepped closer. "Did she hurt you?"
Kiss turned to me.
"No," she said softly. "She underestimated me."
That—
That did something to me.
I cupped her face gently. "I warned her."
Kiss smiled faintly. "You didn't need to. Your world handled it."
I kissed her forehead.
Slowly.
Possessively.
"You're not just my woman," I said quietly. "You're my equal."
---
ASHLEY'S POV (OUTSIDE, ALONE)
I sat on the cold pavement, shaking.
Humiliated.
Broken.
But not defeated.
"You think this is over?" I whispered to the empty street.
My hands clenched.
"I'll burn your happiness to the ground."
---
KISS'S POV
Back inside, laughter resumed. Glasses clinked. Music returned.
But I knew something had shifted.
This war wasn't over.
But tonight—
The queens had won.