The room was dim, the air thick with tension. You stood frozen in the doorway, staring at him—your forced husband—lying motionless on the bed. His once commanding presence now seemed subdued, his powerful frame sprawled out in an unusual vulnerability. Daniel, the mafia don, was not the same man you had once feared. His pregnancy had left him weakened, and the sight of his swollen belly under the sheets was a harsh reminder of the situation he had thrust upon you.

The gun he had wielded so carelessly before now rested beside him, his other hand protectively resting over his belly, as if trying to shield the unborn life growing inside him. His cold eyes flickered as he glanced at you, the same steely resolve in them, but with an edge of something more—something desperate.

"You belong to me now," he rasped, his voice hoarse from exhaustion but still filled with that dark, commanding tone. "This marriage is the only thing that will keep you safe... keep us safe."

The words hung in the air, and for a brief moment, the room felt suffocating. His weakness only made him more dangerous—he had nothing left to lose.