I accidentally married to a Mafia

She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was—her former editor.

Her grip on the coffee cup tightened as she instinctively lowered her head, letting her hair fall over her face. She stole a quick glance toward the nearby table.

Her editor sat there with a friend, completely unaware of Lena's presence. But their conversation made Lena's blood run cold.

"I still can't believe it," her editor said, stirring her drink absentmindedly. "She didn't just get fired—she was completely erased from the industry. No publisher will touch her now."

Her friend leaned in. "But why? Wasn't it just one failed novel?"

The editor scoffed. "That's what doesn't make sense. It's like someone powerful made sure she'd never write again."

Lena's heart pounded. This was worse than she thought.

Her breath hitched as her editor continued, her voice dropping lower.

"And that's not even the scariest part. You know Alexander Cain, right?"

Lena's entire body froze.

Her friend gasped. "The billionaire? What about him?"

A shiver ran down Lena's spine as she heard her editor's next words.

"He's the one who got her blacklisted. And the things I've heard about him… he's dangerous. Ruthless. If he's interested in Lena, it's not for something good."

Lena felt like the ground beneath her had disappeared.

Mia reached across the table and grabbed her wrist, sensing her distress.

But Lena barely heard her.

Her mind was spinning with just one thought—

What does Alexander Cain want from me?

Lena's stomach twisted as she listened, every word sending a fresh wave of panic through her.

Her editor sighed heavily, setting her cup down with a soft clink. "And you won't believe this—everyone who used to work with Lena has completely cut ties with her."

Her friend frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, every single one of her old colleagues, her contacts in the publishing world, even the interns—they've all blocked her. No emails, no messages, nothing. It's like she's been erased."

Lena's breath hitched. She had noticed the silence, but she thought they were just avoiding her because of her failed book. She never imagined they were too afraid to even acknowledge her.

Her editor continued in a hushed tone, leaning in slightly. "I tried asking around, but no one will talk. They're terrified."

The friend's face paled. "Of Alexander Cain?"

The editor nodded grimly. "Who else? No one wants to get on his bad side. He's the kind of man who doesn't just ruin careers—he destroys lives."

Lena felt lightheaded.

Mia's grip on her wrist tightened, silently grounding her.

Her editor's voice lowered even more, almost a whisper now. "There are rumors that he's done things… dangerous things. People who cross him don't get second chances."

Her friend swallowed hard. "And Lena?"

The editor exhaled sharply. "She's already in too deep."

Lena shut her eyes for a brief second, trying to steady herself.

She had never met Alexander Cain. Never even heard his name before today.

So why had he made sure she had nowhere to run?

Mia had been listening just as intently, her expression darkening with every word. She could feel Lena trembling beside her—not with fear, but with barely contained rage.

And then, without warning, Lena pushed back her chair and shot to her feet.

"That's it," she muttered under her breath, her fists clenched. Her eyes burned with fury. How dare they? How dare they sit there, discussing her fate like she was already ruined? Like she wasn't even worth warning?

She took a determined step toward their table, but before she could get any closer, Mia grabbed her wrist, holding her back.

"Lena, no," Mia whispered urgently.

But Lena barely heard her. The anger inside her was suffocating. Not a single one of them had reached out. Not even the people she had called friends. They had just… disappeared. Blocked her. Ignored her existence.

And the worst part?

They knew.

They knew something—something about Alexander Cain, something about why he had done this to her. And yet, not one of them had thought she deserved to know.

Lena's nails dug into her palms. "They let me suffer," she gritted out. "They stood by and watched while my entire career was torn apart, and not a single one of them thought I deserved a warning."

Mia's grip tightened. "I know, Lena. I know. But going over there won't change anything. It'll just make things worse."

Lena clenched her jaw, breathing hard.

Mia was right.

But the injustice of it all made her blood boil.

She wasn't just angry.

She was furious.

And for the first time, she wanted answers more than anything.

Lena's breath caught in her throat as her editor's gaze suddenly landed on her.

For a split second, neither of them moved.

Lena saw it—the flicker of shock in the woman's eyes, the way her face drained of color. She hadn't expected to see her here.

And then, the editor bolted.

She shot up from her chair, grabbed her friend's wrist, and practically dragged her toward the exit.

Lena barely had time to process it. One moment, they were whispering conspiracies about her, and the next, they were running.

Running from her.

Mia stiffened beside her. "What the hell—"

But Lena was already moving.

She spun around, her pulse racing as she watched the editor push through the café doors in a hurry, her entire body language screaming fear.

Lena took a shaky breath, something sharp and cold curling inside her.

She hadn't even confronted them.

Hadn't spoken a single word.

Yet just the sight of her had made them flee.

What do they know that I don't?

_______________________

Lena sat there in silence, exhaustion weighing heavily on her shoulders. The storm of emotions from the past few hours had drained every ounce of her energy. Betrayal, fear, confusion—all tangled into a suffocating knot inside her.

And then, her phone buzzed.

She barely reacted at first, but when she glanced at the screen, her breath caught.

It was a message.

From her brother.

Her fingers trembled as she unlocked the phone and read his words:

"I'm coming back. I got fired from my job. They even took my apartment away."

Lena felt the blood drain from her face.

"What?" Mia whispered, leaning in to read the message over her shoulder. "What does he mean… they took his house?"

Lena's grip on the phone tightened. This couldn't be a coincidence.

Her brother's job was stable. His apartment was under his name. So how, all of a sudden, had he lost everything?

And then, the realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

Alexander Cain.

Her hands curled into fists, rage bubbling up inside her like molten fire.

"That bastard," she seethed, her voice trembling with fury.

"Lena—" Mia tried to calm her, but Lena wasn't listening.

She had had enough.

Lena's hands shook as she gripped her phone, her chest rising and falling rapidly. And then, she snapped.

"Enough!" she shouted, slamming her fist on the table.

Mia flinched. "Lena, calm down—"

"Calm down? Are you seriously telling me to calm down, Mia? First, he destroys my career! Then, he turns my entire industry against me! And now—now he's ruined my brother's life too?!"

Mia swallowed hard. "Lena, we don't know for sure that—"

"Oh, come on!" Lena cut her off, her voice sharp with fury. "You think this is just a coincidence? That the great Alexander Cain had nothing to do with this?"

Mia pressed her lips together, unable to argue.

Lena let out a bitter laugh. **"I don't even know this man! I've never seen him, never spoken to him, and yet—yet he's playing with my life like I'm some pawn in his sick game!"

She stood up so fast that her chair scraped against the floor. People around them turned to stare, but Lena didn't care.

Mia reached for her arm. "Lena, what are you going to do?"

Lena's jaw clenched, her entire body vibrating with rage.

"I'm going to find him."

Mia's eyes widened. "Lena, no! You don't know what he's capable of!"

Lena let out a shaky breath, her hands balling into fists.

"Well, he doesn't know what I'm capable of either."

Lena gritted her teeth, her anger boiling over. "I won't let him control my life!" she muttered under her breath as she stormed out of the café.

Mia called after her, "Lena, wait! Just think for a second—"

But Lena wasn't listening. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked fast, her mind racing with curses for the man who had turned her life upside down.

"Bastard… control freak… psychotic billionaire… ruining lives like it's a game to him!" she grumbled, barely paying attention to where she was going.

She stepped onto the crosswalk just as the signal turned red. A loud honk pierced the air.

Lena gasped. Brakes screeched.

A black luxury car came hurtling toward her.

Her breath caught in her throat. Too fast! She froze.

At the last second, she stumbled back, her ankle twisting as she lost balance. She hit the ground, heart hammering against her ribs.

Gasps echoed around her. People turned to look.

For a moment, she lay there, dazed, her vision blurring from the bright headlights. And then—

A strong hand reached out to her.

Lena blinked, her breath uneven, as she slowly lifted her gaze.

Her stomach dropped.

Standing before her, against the backdrop of honking cars and flashing city lights—

Was Alexander Cain.

Cold. Tall. Imposing.

His dark eyes locked onto hers, unreadable, but his outstretched hand was firm. A silent command.

Lena's blood turned to ice.