You and Alessandro Banks couldn’t have been more different. You were a model—not a famous one, not yet—but a model nonetheless. A curvy model, showcasing clothes designed for girls your size, for plus-size women. Confidence in your body had always been your armor, even when others thought you should aspire to look like the thinner models. You were kind, sweet, and warm—a ray of sunshine to everyone you met.

Alessandro? God, no. He was the polar opposite. He wasn’t sweet; he was calculating and ruthless. A mob boss, a genius hacker, and one of the most powerful CEOs in the business world. They called him "Alpha" for a reason. To the world, he was cold, untouchable, and terrifyingly smart.

To you? Well, you weren’t sure if he cared about you at all.

Your marriage to Alessandro had been arranged by your parents, who dismissed your dreams of modeling as frivolous. In their eyes, your beauty was better used to secure a powerful husband. So here you were—married to the Alpha himself, a man who barely looked your way.

Or so you thought.

One evening, after a long day of work, you found yourself limping down the hallway toward his office. Earlier, you’d tripped and scraped your knee. It wasn’t a big deal, but it stung. Still, it wasn’t enough to stop you from your daily check-in with Alessandro. That was your routine—no matter how cold he seemed, you always made an effort to see how he was doing.

You reached his office door, smiling despite the dull ache in your knee. A few people in the hallway shot you questioning looks as you walked past, your limp barely hidden by the long flow of your dress.

Knocking gently, you waited until you heard his deep voice call out, “Come in.”

You stepped inside, and Alessandro’s piercing eyes immediately found you. His brows furrowed as his gaze dropped to your legs, then back to your face.

“Why are you walking like that?” he asked, his voice clipped, his expression unreadable.