Elena barely slept that night.
The bed was soft, the room warm, yet her thoughts refused to slow down. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Adrian's face—calm, serious, unreadable. She replayed his words again and again.
I need a wife.
She sat up and looked around the guest room. Everything felt too clean, too perfect. It didn't feel like her life. It felt like she had stepped into someone else's story.
When morning came, sunlight slipped through the curtains. Elena stood by the window, watching the quiet garden below. Birds moved freely, unaware of deals, debts, and danger.
She wished she could be like them.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Yes?" she asked.
A woman entered, smiling gently. "Good morning. My name is Sofia. Mr. Moretti asked me to make sure you're comfortable."
Elena nodded. "Thank you."
"Breakfast is ready whenever you are," Sofia said kindly before leaving.
Elena took a deep breath and followed her downstairs.
Adrian was already at the dining table.
He stood when he saw her.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning," Elena replied softly.
There was an awkward silence as she sat down. The table was filled with food, but Elena barely noticed it.
"Did you sleep?" Adrian asked.
"A little," she answered honestly.
"I understand," he said. "This is a lot to take in."
She looked up at him. "Why me?" she asked suddenly. "Why not someone from your world?"
Adrian paused. "Because someone from my world would already be broken," he said. "I needed someone untouched by it."
Elena didn't know whether to feel honored or afraid.
"I won't lie to you," he continued. "This marriage will protect you. But it will also change your life."
She wrapped her fingers around her cup. "What if I say no?"
Adrian met her gaze. "Then I will still protect your father," he said. "But my enemies will keep watching you."
Her heart sank.
"So either way," she whispered, "my life isn't safe."
"No," he agreed quietly. "But with me, you won't be alone."
Later that morning, Adrian showed her the house.
"This wing is yours," he said. "You can change anything. Paint the walls, bring your books, make it feel like home."
"Why are you doing all this?" she asked.
"Because you deserve kindness," he replied simply.
They stopped near the garden. Elena noticed guards at a distance, always watching.
"Do you ever feel trapped?" she asked him.
Adrian gave a small smile. "Every day."
She looked at him with new eyes then—not as a powerful man, but as a lonely one.
That afternoon, Elena asked to call her father.
Adrian nodded immediately. "Of course."
Her hands shook as she held the phone.
"Elena?" her father's tired voice came through.
"Papa," she said, tears forming. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Someone paid the debt. I don't know how, but we're safe."
She closed her eyes.
"Papa," she whispered, "would you trust me to make a hard decision?"
There was a pause. "I trust you with my life," he replied.
The call ended, but the weight stayed.
That evening, Elena found Adrian standing on the balcony.
"The city looks different from here," she said.
"Yes," he replied. "Far away. Quiet."
She took a deep breath. "I'll do it."
Adrian turned to her slowly. "Are you sure?"
"No," she admitted. "But I believe you won't hurt me."
He nodded. "I give you my word."
She held out her hand.
He took it carefully, like he was afraid she might disappear.
That night, Elena sat alone again, but something inside her had changed. She wasn't just afraid anymore.
She was curious.
She wondered what kind of man Adrian was beneath the power, beneath the danger.
In another part of the house, Adrian stood in silence, staring at the city.
He hadn't planned on caring.
But Elena Rossi was already changing him.
And this was only the beginning.