Chapter 1
The night i met the devil
LISA MALTO'S POv
The first time I met Alessandro De Luca, there was blood on his shirt.
Not enough to stain the expensive white fabric completely, but enough to tell me that the man standing before me was not someone I wanted to anger.
Unfortunately, I had never been very good at following my instincts.
Especially when the lives of the people I loved were at stake.
"You're Lisa Malto?"
His voice was deep, calm, and frighteningly indifferent.
I lifted my chin. "And you're Alessandro De Luca?"
One of the men standing behind him shifted uncomfortably.
Alessandro, however, smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
It was the kind of smile that made you wonder whether you'd just escaped death or merely postponed it.
"You're braver than I expected."
"And you're more arrogant than I imagined."
His smile disappeared.
Oh, God.
I was going to die.
And the worst part? I hadn't even had the chance to call my best friend and tell her I loved her.
Alessandro placed his glass on the table beside him.
"Do you know why you're here, Lisa?"
"Because my brother is an idiot."
A low chuckle came from somewhere behind me.
I ignored it.
"My brother borrowed money from you," I continued. "I'm here to find out how much he owes and how we can settle it."
Alessandro studied me for several seconds.
Then he said, "Two million euros."
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"I'm sorry. Did you say two million?"
"Euros."
I stared at him, waiting for the punchline.
It never came.
"Okay," I said slowly. "That's actually funny."
Nobody laughed.
My stomach dropped.
"You're serious?"
"Very."
I pressed my fingers against my forehead.
My brother, Daniel, had officially lost his mind.
Two million euros?
We didn't even have two million naira sitting in our family account.
"What exactly did he do?" I asked.
"He borrowed money from my organization, invested it in a business he didn't understand, and lost everything."
I closed my eyes.
Of course he did.
Daniel had always believed he was one brilliant idea away from becoming a millionaire.
Apparently, his latest brilliant idea involved handing his life over to a mafia king.
"Listen," I said, forcing myself to remain calm. "I don't have that kind of money. My family doesn't have that kind of money. But give me time, and I'll find a way to pay you back."
"How much time?"
I hesitated.
"Six months."
Alessandro laughed.
It was a short, humorless sound.
"You're either very optimistic or very stupid."
"Well, one of us has to be optimistic."
His eyes narrowed.
For a moment, I thought he might order his men to throw me out.
Instead, he stood up.
He was taller than I'd realized, and when he walked toward me, I had to fight the instinct to step backward.
He stopped directly in front of me.
Then he said the words that would change my life forever.
"Marry me."
I stared at him.
"I'm sorry?"
"You heard me."
I actually looked behind me.
Perhaps another woman had entered the room.
Perhaps he was speaking to someone standing over my shoulder.
But there was nobody else.
I turned back to him.
"Are you insane?"
"Not according to my doctors."
"Then your doctors need to do a better job."
His expression remained unreadable.
"One year of marriage. Your brother's debt disappears. Your family will be financially protected, and you'll have everything you need."
"And what do you get?"
"You."
My heart stumbled.
Not because I was flattered.
Because the way he said it made me feel as though he'd already decided I belonged to him.
I folded my arms.
"You don't even know me."
"That can be arranged."
"I'm not marrying a stranger."
"Then your brother remains responsible for his debt."
My mouth went dry.
He didn't raise his voice.
He didn't threaten to hurt me.
He didn't have to.
His power was in the quiet certainty with which he spoke, as though the world had already agreed to obey him.
I thought about Daniel.
I thought about my mother.
And I thought about how much I would hate myself if I walked away and something happened to my family.
"One year?" I whispered.
"One year."
"And then we divorce?"
"Immediately."
"No touching me without my consent."
Something flickered in his eyes.
"Agreed."
"No controlling who I speak to."
"Within reason."
"That wasn't what I said."
"And yet, it's what I answered."
I glared at him.
He looked entirely too pleased with himself.
"I hate you already," I muttered.
His lips curved into the faintest smile.
"Give it time, Lisa."
He extended his hand.
"You're going to need much stronger feelings than hatred before this is over."
I should have walked away.
I should have turned around, found my brother, and dragged him out of that room by his ear.
Instead, I took Alessandro's hand.
And the moment his fingers closed around mine, I realized something terrifying.
I had just made a deal with the devil.
And the devil knew my name.
