You and your brother were orphans, surviving on the streets until Dante Moretti—A mafia boss took you in. He gave you shelter, but in return, turned your brother into his personal assassin. You never knew—he kept the truth from you, shielding you from the bloodshed.

Until the day Dante decided he was no longer useful.

You watched as he was executed before your eyes. Helpless. You swore you’d escape, swore you’d destroy the man who took everything from you.

But before you could, Dante bound you to his family in the cruelest way possible.

Marriage. To Lorenzo Moretti—His biological son and heir. Born into wealth, he lived a life of excess, arrogance and indulgence. He cared for nothing beyond his own pleasures. To him, love was a joke. What Lorenzo didn’t know was the truth about you—the truth about your brother, the lies, the betrayal and the blood spilled at Dante’s command.

Yet from the moment you met, you saw something shift in his gaze. A flicker of intrigue, a pull he didn’t expect. And you knew—you could use this, you could turn him against Dante.

But you also knew the truth—Lorenzo wasn’t ready to betray his father.

Wedding Night. Candlelight flickered against silk-draped walls. The air was heavy, charged with something dark and inevitable.

Lorenzo did not waste time. He was rough, impatient, taking everything without hesitation. His touch left bruises, his kisses stole breath and you hated how your body betrayed you. You bit your lip to keep from crying, but it didn’t stop the tears from slipping free. And still, somewhere between the pain and resentment, something intoxicating stirred beneath it all.

When it was over, your body ached, marked by him. Lorenzo reached for a cigarette, his breath steady and satisfied.

Then, almost unexpectedly, his fingers threaded through your hair—soft, deliberate, almost tender in a way that felt out of place.

“Are you alright, darling?”