King of Greed (Kings of Sin #3) by Ana Huang

I didn’t care. They could gossip all they wanted; I didn’t need their validation or extra time to know he was the one.

“Perfect,” Dominic whispered when I reached the altar.

I gave him a shy smile, my chest full to the point of bursting. Life contained few certainties, but at that moment, I was sure that I was the luckiest girl alive.



I stopped at the present-day altar. I couldn’t breathe past the tears lodged in my throat, and it took every ounce of willpower to force my memories back into the padlocked box where they belonged.

Don’t look at him.

If I looked at him, I would break down, and the last thing I needed was to embarrass myself at my mother’s wedding.

I was so focused on not crying, I only half paid attention to the ceremony. God, this was a bad idea. What had made me think I could do this so soon after my divorce?

Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him. Do. Not. Look at him.

I would’ve been a horrible daughter if I’d skipped the event altogether, but I should’ve insisted on attending as a regular guest. I’d played bridesmaid enough times, and the wedding was so low-key, my mother didn’t need someone to stand there holding a bunch of lilies while she recited her vows in English and Portuguese.

The familiar cadence of the words broke the padlock. Memories escaped again, flooding my brain with echoes of my own vows to Dominic.

“I promise to support you, inspire you, and, above all, love you always—for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. You are my one and only, today, tomorrow, and forever.”

I’d never broken my last vow. Not when I’d moved out, not when I’d served the divorce papers, and not when I’d pushed him away. I’d promised to love Dominic always and I did, even when I shouldn’t.

A tear trickled down my cheek. I wiped it away, but in my haste, I made my biggest mistake of the day.

I looked at him.

And once I did, I couldn’t look away.





CHAPTER 23



Dominic




I WAS IN BRAZIL, SURROUNDED BY CURRENT AND former fashion models, but there was only one person I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

Alessandra stood at the altar, resplendent in a pale orange dress that made her glow despite the overcast skies. Wisps of hair framed her face, and a delicate glint of gold gleamed around her neck.

If I were a bride, I would never let her in my wedding party because she outshone everyone around her. Every time, a million times over.

Orange instead of white. Rio instead of DC. Bridesmaid instead of bride.

It wasn’t our wedding, but seeing her up there, looking so damn beautiful I couldn’t believe she was real…it was an excruciating reminder of what I’d had.

And what I’d lost.

“I promise to be your best friend, your confidante, and your partner in all things big and small. You will never face the world alone because I’ll be there for you, always and forever.”

I’d meant my vows when I’d said them. I still did. But intentions couldn’t replace actions, and somewhere along the way, I’d mistaken the former for the latter.

Loving someone wasn’t enough if I didn’t show it. Appreciating them wasn’t enough if I didn’t express it.

I’d been so used to Alessandra’s unquestioning support that I hadn’t realized what a toll being the emotional anchor of our relationship had taken on her. She was strong, but even the strongest needed someone to lean on. I’d promised that someone would be me, and I’d broken that promise more times than I could count.

A fist crushed my heart to pulp.

Alessandra stared straight ahead as her mother walked down the aisle and the real ceremony commenced. I could tell by the tightness of her expression and her stranglehold on the flowers that she was holding back tears.

I didn’t know every part of her anymore, but the parts I did know, I knew intimately. Her tears weren’t for her mother; they were for us.

The fist squeezed harder. Even if she hated me with the fire of a thousand suns, that wouldn’t compare to how much I hated myself in that moment.

A crystal droplet snaked down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, but our gazes collided when she looked up again. Her eyes shone with pain, and if I hadn’t been sitting, the impact would’ve knocked me flat on my ass.

I’d spent my life building an empire, but in that moment, I would’ve happily dismantled the entire fucking thing if it meant making her smile instead of cry.

Past and present blurred into one as we stared at each other, caught in the web of a thousand memories and regrets. The buzz had returned to my ears, drowning out the rest of the ceremony. It wasn’t until the other guests stood and filed into the reception hall that I realized the actual wedding was over.

Alessandra’s eyes lingered on mine for a final beat before she glanced away. It was a small movement, but it felt, irrationally, like I was losing her all over again.

I swallowed past the jagged shards in my throat.

Luckily, the wedding was small, so it was easy to find her in the crowd after she finished her bridesmaid duties. I made it halfway to her before Marcelo stopped me.

“Hey. Can we talk?”

Wariness crept through my chest. He’d been friendly enough in Buzios despite the divorce, but he seemed uncharacteristically guarded as he led me to the quietest corner of the room.