One innocent fumbled paper. Two warring brothers. A world of ice and silk where silence is the only survival.
When Élise Laurent left France for a prestigious internship in Italy, she expected hard work and high fashion. She didn't expect to be caught in the crosshairs of a decades-old blood feud. During her interview, a single moment of vulnerability caught the eye of Adriano Moretti the "Ice CEO" of Milan. He is cold, untouchable, and powerful enough to crush anyone in his path. But for the first time in his life, the man who has everything has found something he refuses to share.
Enter Pedro the charming, friendly neighbor who helped Élise move in. He’s the man who knows her coffee order and her floor plan. But Pedro is no stranger. He is Adriano’s brother, the shadow in the Moretti legacy, and he’s spent his life waiting for the perfect weapon to destroy the Golden Son. He found that weapon in Élise.
Now, trapped in a luxurious estate on the cliffs of Varese, Élise is no longer just an intern. To Adriano, she is a prize to be guarded at any cost. To Pedro, she is the ultimate bait. And to Lucia, the vengeful socialite promised to Adriano, she is a threat that must be eliminated.
As the secrets of the Vigna del Sole begin to unravel, Élise realizes that in the Moretti family, love is a liability and "protection" feels a lot like a prison. Caught between the brother who wants to own her and the brother who wants to use her, Élise must find her voice before the ice closes in forever.
In this game of kings, the silent pawn is the most dangerous player of all.

​The emerald velvet felt like heavy water in Élise's hands. As she stood in the center of the L'Anima studio, the note from Pedro crumpled on the floor like a discarded thought, a cold clarity settled over her. Adriano wanted her to build armor? Fine. She would build it. But she wouldn't wear it in a warehouse while he played the part of the devoted fiancé to a woman like Lucia.


​"I need the industrial shears and the silver silk thread," Élise commanded, her voice ringing out through the quiet studio.


​The seamstresses, who had been packing up to leave, froze. "Signorina? It is late. The gala starts in three hours."


​"Then we have three hours to remind Milan why the Moretti name is feared," Élise replied, her eyes flashing.


Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: The Emerald Defiance