Elena Bellucci, a sweet but resilient young woman, sees her world fall apart when her father, a former fallen godfather, is captured by Dominic Valenti, the fearsome leader of a ruthless mafia. To save her father from certain death, Dominic offers her a deal: a marriage contract. This marriage, supposed to seal a strategic alliance, is in reality a way for Dominic to ensure his domination while satisfying an unspoken desire for the beautiful Elena. Caught between her family duty and her wavering heart, Elena quickly discovers that Dominic is not just a cold and calculating man. Behind his steel walls hides a soul tormented by his own demons. But can she really trust him? And more dangerously, can she resist the burning attraction that threatens to consume this marriage of convenience?
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
The warmth of the morning enveloped me, but it seemed distant, like a vague and uncertain memory. A few years ago, it was in this same room that my father told me stories of glory and power, his voice full of pride. This house, filled with soft light filtering through the thick curtains, was a sanctuary. A house where my mother's laughter still resonated, even after she passed away. I could almost hear it. But today, there were only heavy silences and fleeting shadows that seemed to slide between the walls. Nothing was the same anymore.
I ran my fingers over the porcelain cups my mother had carefully placed in the window. Each cup had a story. Every brushstroke, every hand-painted detail took me back to a time when everything seemed simple. It was before the world turned upside down. Before everything is reduced to a series of desperate decisions.
The phone in my hand suddenly vibrated, pulling me from my thoughts. I took a quick glance at the screen. A message from one of my father's former associates, a man I hadn't seen in too long.
*"He's taken, Elena. We have more time. We must act quickly."*
The words hit me like a slap. My father, the old godfather of whom legends were still told in the dark corners of the streets, was captured. By him. Dominic Valenti . This name, whispered in criminal circles like a curse, was now synonymous with death or submission. I felt a shiver run down my spine. I never thought this would happen. Not to him. Not to us. And yet, it had happened.
I took a deep breath and, without thinking, grabbed my bag. My legs felt stiff, as if they refused to carry me. I had to do something. That was not an option.
The street appeared blurry through the car window, like a scene from a movie that wouldn't come to life. The fresh air from outside could not dissipate the weight of anxiety that was suffocating me. I felt like everything had become a dream, a bad dream, from which I couldn't wake up. My thoughts were lost, escaping in a whirlwind of regrets and fears. How did we get here? How had this world my father had built around us, a strong fortress of contracts and power, collapsed in an instant?
I arrived at the city bank, where I had requested a meeting. The large white marble hall welcomed me with its solemn silence, its lugubrious echo. I approached the counter, my hands trembling, and asked to see the manager. He stared at me, a slight smile on his lips, but I knew that smile was polite, nothing more. He knew why I was there.
The minutes stretched like hours as I waited, alone, in that cold room. The breeze blowing through the half-open windows seemed to whisper secrets. I couldn't get rid of the image of my father, sitting in his leather chair, surrounded by his henchmen, his soft, authoritative voice reassuring everyone. A strong man. A respected man. But this respect, now, was just a memory.
The director finally entered, with a confident gait, but his eyes betrayed a concern I had never seen before. He didn't even dare to greet me. He knew. He knew my request was going to be useless.
"I'm sorry, Elena. You do not have the necessary guarantees. We cannot move forward without it," he says bluntly.
I felt empty. My arms swayed slightly, as if hanging from invisible threads. "You're not serious," I replied, my voice cold but trembling.
"It's the only thing I can offer you," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You know how it works."
I remained silent, looking at the ground, then looked up at him. "You're not telling me that everything my father built is worthless to you, are you?"
He knelt down slightly and lowered his head. I didn't need more. I knew it was over. The doors were closed. I couldn't do anything without the necessary money, without the power. And I couldn't blame him. There were no more friends in this world. Not here.
As I left the bank, I let out a heavy, almost heartbreaking sigh. It was as if all the air around me had become thick, as if each step brought me a little closer to the inevitable. I had nowhere to go, nothing to hold on to.
Then a faint noise, a car slowing down next to me. I looked up and saw a figure I knew well. Dominic Valenti . The icy gaze, the lips pressed together in a discreet but determined pout.
"Are you looking for something, Elena?" His voice was low, dangerous, and yet there was no explicit threat in his words. Yet, I knew.
I stepped back instinctively, my heels hitting the pavement. "What do you want? »
Dominic nodded to his men, who waited a little further away. "It seems you are in a difficult position. I heard your dad is having...serious problems."
I didn't answer immediately, looking down. Images of my father, imprisoned, weak, assailed me. I didn't have the luxury of choice. I looked up at him. "You...you captured him, didn't you?"
He smiled slightly, but this smile did not touch his eyes. "Not captured. Not yet. But I have what it takes to free him. And you too. If you're willing to make a little sacrifice."
I didn't understand right away. "A sacrifice?"
Dominic approached, his piercing gaze penetrating my thoughts. "A marriage. A contract. You marry someone who can guarantee your father's freedom. My marriage. And your father will live. No more, no less."
I was speechless. My whole body tensed, heart pounding in my chest. "And why should I trust you?"
He shrugged his shoulders, disconcertingly nonchalant. "Because you have no other option, Elena. And you know like me that there are no heroes here. »
I looked around, as if the world around me would dissipate, as if reality could dissolve into thin air. But nothing changed. The city continued to buzz around us, indifferent.
My father. Everything I had known up until then was in danger of disappearing. And I had no choice.
"I'll do what I have to do," I whispered, though the words burned my throat.
A smile appeared on Dominic 's lips, and this time, he didn't hide it. He already knew he had won.
I was lost.
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