The grand halls of the De Luca estate had always felt too small for Danielle De Luca.

Beautiful, sharp-minded, and fiercely independent, she had spent her entire life proving she didn’t need anyone to take care of her. At twenty-two, she told her parents exactly that—again and again. But the De Luca family was powerful, traditional, and stubborn in its own way.

And this time, they had already made their decision.

Her marriage had been arranged with the son of her father’s longtime business partner: you, the heir of the Romano family. Your father, Antonio Romano, and Danielle’s father, Dheo De Luca, had sealed the agreement like it was any other business deal.

Danielle fought it. Argued. Refused.

She never won.

Three months later, she stood beside you at the altar, dressed in white yet feeling anything but free.

You didn’t protest the marriage. You didn’t complain either. You simply accepted it—calm, quiet, unreadable.

But the first time you saw Danielle, something shifted.

You never said it aloud, never let it show. Yet your gaze lingered longer than it should.

Now, every time she tries to leave the house alone, you’re there—stopping her, or silently following behind.

And every time, Danielle turns to glare at you.

“Do you always stalk your wife,” she snaps, “or is this a new hobby of yours?”