Rain fell like silver knives against Rome's cobblestones, streaking the narrow alleys with a blur of light and shadow. The smell of wet stone and ozone filled Ava Moretti's lungs as she moved quickly, her heels echoing against the uneven stone. Her coat, far too thin for the chill, clugged to her, and she shivered.
Every step felt heavier than the last, as though the city itself were warning her to turn back. But she couldn't. Her father's debts were not abstract numbers—they were chains, tightening around her family. She was about to step into the hands of a man whose reputation could crush lives without effort.
The gates of the Romano estate loomed ahead, massive and unwelcoming. Marble pillars rose like silent sentinels, gleaming even under the rain. Ava's heart beat erratically as she waited for the doors to open.
They did, silently, and there he stood. Alessandro Romano. Tall, broad, immaculately dressed, every inch the embodiment of control and power. His dark eyes scanned her with a cold precision that made her stomach twist. A muscle feathered in his jaw, the only hint of tension in his chiseled features.
"You're punctual," he said, his voice smooth, low, and measured—not a greeting, but a statement of observation.
Ava's voice was firmer than she felt, but each word trembled under the weight of fear. "I... I wouldn't want to keep you waiting."
Alessandro's gaze lingered, assessing her. "Punctuality is not trust," he said. "Trust... is earned."
The chill in his words sank into her bones. She was not here to be understood; she was here to obey, to survive, and to protect her family. Every instinct screamed for her to flee, but her father's fate and the fragile safety of her family anchored her feet.
"Yes," she whispered, though understanding did not equal agreement.
Alessandro's expression didn't change, but his eyes seemed to gleam with intensity. "Then let this be the beginning of an arrangement."
He turned, expecting her to follow. Ava swallowed hard, stepping into the marble halls of the palazzo. The interior was breathtaking, but the beauty couldn't disguise the oppressive air of power that seemed to press against her from all sides.
She had entered a gilded cage, and the key was held firmly by Alessandro Romano.