CHAPTER ONE
Giulia
The villa in Sicily had always been my refuge. The stone walls, covered in vines, bore witness to our family’s history, and I often lost myself in the stillness of the garden, thinking about a future that had never belonged to me. But today was not a day like any other. The air, warm and dense, felt heavier, more oppressive, as if the world was holding its breath.
My father, Vincenzo Moretti, had called an important meeting. He, the man who had built his empire with sweat and blood, was determined to seal a new chapter in the family history. And I, his daughter, was the centerpiece of that deal. A deal I never asked for, but one that had been decided by him long before I had a say.
The sound of the villa doors closing echoed in my ears as I crossed the threshold. The room was lit by a dim light, causing shadows to dance on the walls. The men around the table spoke in low voices, their words imbued with palpable tension. My gaze sought out my father, but it was he who saw me first.
“Giulia,” his deep voice cut through the murmur, and every eye in the room turned to me. “Come here.”
The weight of his gaze crushed me. The same gaze he had carried with him every time he made a life-changing decision. And this time, his decision would change mine.
I approached the table, my heels clicking on the cold marble, each step a reminder of the inevitability of what was to come. In front of me, a man with an impassive face watched me: Damian Rossetti. The name echoed in my mind like a sentence. Las Vegas mob boss, a powerful man I didn’t even know.
His gaze was like a needle, sharp and precise, piercing my soul with an intensity that made me uncomfortable. He was larger than I imagined. His presence filled the room, like a shadow that lengthened and enveloped everything he touched.
“Giulia,” my father continued, his tone firm, “this man will be your husband. Our future depends on this union.”
It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t a proposal. It was an order.
I felt the air drain out of me. My father’s words were like chains, and I accepted them without a choice. Anger rose in my chest, but I couldn’t express it. I knew what would happen if I rebelled, and that wasn’t an option.
Damian Rossetti stood slowly, his height and bearing intimidating. Without saying a word, he took a step toward me. He extended his hand, but I didn’t take it. I couldn’t. My fingers refused to touch those of a man like him, a man who represented everything I hated about this dark, merciless world.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Giulia,” he said, his voice soft, but with an edge beneath the calm. “I hope we can... learn to live together.”
Learning to live together. The irony burned inside me. There was nothing to learn. I was already trapped in a cage from which I could not escape.
I looked at his outstretched hand, the same hand that had been soaked in blood so many times, the same one that had destroyed lives and now, somehow, had the power to destroy mine. His dark eyes shone with a coldness I could not interpret. What did he want from me? Did he think this would all be easy?
My father smiled with satisfaction as he watched fate begin to seal itself. “This marriage will be the beginning of something great. Of a new empire.” The sentence sounded like a blessing, as if he was doing the best for me, as if it were a favor.
The future my father had forged for me was not one I had chosen.
But inside me, a silent cry rose. A cry of protest, of despair. This marriage was not an honor. It was not a new beginning. It was a condemnation.
“What is it, Giulia?” Damian’s voice broke through my thoughts. His tone was soft, almost playful, as if he was enjoying my discomfort. “Aren’t you going to shake my hand?”
I looked at his hand, raising an eyebrow, almost challenging him. Finally, with a mix of anger and resignation, I took it. His fingers were cold, firm, but they offered no comfort, only a reminder of what was coming.
My father nodded in satisfaction at the small interaction. “Good,” he said, addressing the others present in the room. “This marriage is sealed. Everything is on track.”
A wave of dizziness ran through me, but I stood upright. I knew the worst was yet to come. The worst was not this agreement, nor the union with Damian, the worst was the life that would follow. The life that awaited me at his side, a life in which there was no room for me, a life in which everything revolved around the will of others.
I moved away from his closeness slightly, but not enough to stop him from noticing my discomfort. I felt like a piece on a chessboard, pushed around and manipulated by hands that didn’t understand my desires. Or maybe, they didn’t care.
“This has only just begun, Giulia,” Damian murmured, his eyes never leaving mine, as if he could see my darkest thoughts.
And in that moment, I knew my life would never be the same again.
