Aria couldn't sleep. Her mind replayed the hidden room, the weapons, the photographs, and above all… him. Luciano Moretti. The way he had moved, the way he had spoken, the way he had made her feel simultaneously terrified and… something else she dared not name.
The storm had passed, but the mansion felt heavier now, as if it were holding its breath. Every creak of the floorboards, every shadow across the walls, made her pulse spike.
A sudden sound—a muffled thud from the hallway—made her jump. She froze, heart hammering. That was not part of the house's natural settling.
"Who's there?" she called, trying to keep her voice steady.
No answer.
The door to her room creaked, then swung open slightly. She held her breath, expecting him. But the figure that stepped inside wasn't Luciano.
A man in a black mask, gloved hands gripping a dagger, moved silently across the room. Aria's stomach dropped. A threat. A killer. He's come for me.
Before she could react, the man lunged. Panic surged through her. She ducked instinctively, rolling across the floor and knocking over a small chair. The intruder cursed under his breath, and for a moment, Aria thought she was done—until a shadow moved faster than she could see.
Luciano.
He appeared between her and the attacker, his movements lethal and precise. One motion, and the dagger flew from the man's hands. Another, and he was pinned to the ground, face pressed into the marble floor.
Aria watched, frozen, as Luciano's eyes—dark, stormy, unyielding—met hers. No words were needed. He was warning her. Protecting her. Dominating the room entirely.
When the intruder broke free and ran, Luciano didn't pursue. He turned to her, expression unreadable. "You are not to leave your room without my knowledge," he said quietly, almost casually. But the edge in his tone made her shiver.
"I… I didn't—" she started, but he raised a hand.
"You saw the danger. You will obey, or you will learn the consequences."
Her chest heaved. Fear, yes—but also awe. How can one man be so terrifying and… magnetic at the same time?
Aria stumbled back, trying to process what had just happened. Her life had changed forever, and she realized, with a pang of horror, that her feelings were no longer simple. She hated being under his control… and yet, part of her could not deny the pull toward him.
Luciano's gaze softened, briefly. A flicker of something human passed through the darkness in his eyes. "You are lucky," he murmured, almost to himself. "Tonight could have ended very differently."
Aria swallowed hard. She didn't answer. She didn't want to speak. Words would betray her fear—and the unspoken fascination that clung to her.
He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. "Remember this," he said softly, yet each word carried the weight of command. "You are mine to protect… but also mine to punish. Do not forget it."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the hallway, leaving Aria trembling, alone, and more aware than ever that the mansion—and her life—was no longer hers.
Outside, the rain began again, a soft patter against the windows. Inside, the danger—and the desire—was far more real.
And Aria knew one terrible truth: surviving tonight was only the beginning.
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