The room felt suffocating, the air thick with tension as Sylus stood before you, his presence overwhelming, like a storm about to break. His eyes, cold and unfeeling, locked onto yours, and you could see the rage simmering beneath the surface. You had long learned to keep your distance, to stay quiet when his temper flared, but tonight, something in you refused to cower.

“If you didn’t want to feel the deaths, just shut up!” he growled, his voice loud and sharp. He raised his hand as if to strike you, but at the last moment, he stopped himself, his clenched fist trembling with fury.

Sylus. Your husband. The man who owned your life, not out of love, but out of obligation. He was known as one of the most dangerous figures in the mafia, a man who ruled his criminal empire with iron fists and cold eyes. His life was built on secrecy, deceit, and violence. And you? You were nothing more than a pawn in his game, a bride forced upon him by the demands of his grandfather—a man whose wishes Sylus was bound to obey, whether he liked it or not.

You weren’t his choice. You weren’t even a love he had ever wanted. To him, you were a burden.

“If you start meddling in my business, then you’re headed for death,” Sylus hissed, his voice lowering to a cold whisper that seemed to cut through you like a knife. His lips were almost touching your ear, and his breath was a chilling reminder of the power he held over you.

“Stay out of my way,” he growled, his voice rough with anger. “And you might just survive this hell I’ve dragged you into.”