The Keating Girl's Uncivilized Union

I was the eldest daughter of the Keating family, a "principessa" raised on guns and combat training, yet I was forced to marry the prestigious lawyer Julian Price. Our marriage was a sham. My gentle sister, Juliet, was set to marry the most feared Don in Chicago—Ronan Cassano.

Both of our marriages ended in tragedy.

Ronan's childhood sweetheart, Vivian Hayes, used her vicious schemes to push Juliet into an abyss of despair. Meanwhile, I suffered in a lifeless marriage, eventually dying in a freak accident.

So when fate gave me a second chance, I knew exactly what I had to do.

This time, I wouldn't let tragedy repeat itself. I switched our marriage pacts. Now, Ronan Cassano is mine. He may be the king of Chicago's underworld, and Vivian may have driven away every woman who got close to him. But I am no delicate flower to be pushed around. I am a warrior forged in blood and fire. And if they dare to cross me, I'll make them pay for all of Chicago's elite to see.

They say I stole my sister's destiny. Maybe I did. But if marrying this ruthless man can secure Juliet's happiness, then I'll make anyone who stands in my way disappear.

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1

I gasped, my chest heaving as I shot upright.

My hands. I stared at them. The skin was smooth and firm, without a single old scar. These were the hands of a twenty-year-old.

I was reborn.

"Aurora?" a trembling voice called from the doorway.

I whipped my head around. My sister, Juliet Keating, stood in the doorway, her face a mirror of my own shock.

She wore the traditional white silk dress of an unmarried Keating daughter. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, her face smooth and unlined, her eyes bright and clear.

Our eyes met. Then we spoke at the same time.

"You too—"

"You too—"

We both stopped mid-sentence.

The next moment, we rushed into each other’s arms, clinging to one another.

"Oh, God…" Juliet's voice was shaking. "I thought I was the only one who came back."

"Me too." My throat constricted. "Juliet, we're back. Three days before the weddings."

Yes. In three days, two families would solidify their alliance through marriage.

The marriages our family had arranged were a simple matter of alliances.

The second daughter, Juliet Keating, a gentle floral designer, would marry the king of Chicago's underworld—the cold, ruthless Don, Ronan Cassano.

And I, Aurora Keating, the eldest daughter proficient in combat, would marry a lawyer with business ties to our family—a polite, respectable man named Julian Price.

In our past lives, these two marriages destroyed us both.

Juliet had withered under Ronan's indifference and the cruelty of his childhood sweetheart, sinking into a despair that eventually killed her.

My marriage to Julian was also a disaster. He found me too uncivilized, and I found him too hypocritical. We separated before our third wedding anniversary, and our family became the laughingstock of high society.

Juliet took a step back and drew a deep breath, her eyes burning with determination.

"Aurora, let's switch."

I blinked. "What?"

"The marriage contracts." She gripped my hands tightly. "You marry Ronan, and I'll marry Julian. This time, we can't make the same mistake."

I looked at her. Then I smiled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

That night, I packed my bags.

"Aurora, shouldn't we talk to the family about switching the contracts first?" Juliet bit her lip.

I took a deep breath. "Juliet, this is our choice. The elders thought your gentle nature could soothe a man like Ronan, and that I was polished enough for a respectable man like Julian. They were wrong."

"But we're not even going to discuss it with Papa…"

"Discuss it?" I gave a bitter laugh. "They arranged these marriages; we're just pawns. Once we're married, it will be too late for them to object."

I continued, "Juliet, just put all the blame on me. I left a letter for Mamma explaining everything. Don't worry, I'll say switching was my idea. They won't blame you."

Before I could finish, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

"Aurora! Get out here!"

It was my mother, Catherine!

A chill ran down my spine. How did she find out so quickly?

"Juliet, I'm going!" I grabbed my bag and vaulted over the second-floor balcony. I rolled to absorb the impact, then crouched low and sprinted toward the garage.

"Stop! You ungrateful girl!" Catherine's roar exploded behind me, followed by the chaotic footsteps of bodyguards.

I ran harder, leaping over the meticulously trimmed rose bushes and dashing toward the brightly lit garage.

"Are you insane!" I heard my mother's voice getting closer, almost right behind me. "This marriage was decided by the family! You think you can just change it?!"

I dispatched the two bodyguards at the garage entrance and charged straight in.

"Aurora! Stop!" Catherine was about to catch me. I jumped into a black Porsche; the keys were already in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and I wrenched the steering wheel, speeding out of the garage.

Her figure grew smaller in the rearview mirror.

I gunned the engine, speeding toward the estate gates. Ahead, the closed, ornate iron gates blocked my path—a barrier symbolizing the power of the Keating family.

Without hesitation, I slammed my foot on the accelerator and crashed right through them.

"Aurora!" My mother stopped at the garage entrance, her robe flapping around her, watching me in disbelief.

I stopped the car, rolled down the window, and yelled, "Mamma! I'm off to get married! If it doesn't work out, I'll be back on my own terms!"

"You—"

Before she could finish, I hit the gas again and disappeared onto the highway leading to Chicago.

Catherine's furious shouts echoed behind me, but I didn't look back.