The Moon Goddess did not move. “You loved him,” she said. “That is why it worked.” Tears burned my eyes. “You are cruel.” “I am necessary,” she replied. I shook my head violently. “No. Do not pretend this was fate. This was manipulation.” Her eyes glinted. “All gods manipulate.” I stepped forward, my fear burned away by fury. “Then you are no better than Kael.” The air went deathly still. For the first time, something flickered across her face. Not anger. Interest. “You dare compare me to a man?” she asked. “I dare,” I said, my voice shaking but strong. “You both watched me suffer and called it purpose.” The silence stretched long and heavy. Then she spoke again, softer this time. “You survived,” she said. “That is the difference.” “At what cost?” I demanded. She studied me for a long moment.

Girl.” My friend leaned close to my ear, shouting over the music. “If you want him, go get him. He just sat down alone.” I blinked at her, shaking my head, but she laughed, her eyes mischievous. “Don’t look at me like that. You’ve been staring at him since he walked in. And you’ve had enough shots to make you brave. Go say hi.” She was teasing, but the alcohol made the idea stick. Before I could think better of it, my legs carried me forward. I wove through the dancers, each step both terrifying and thrilling, until I reached the edge of the lounge area where the stranger had claimed the only empty chair. The light from the bar caught his face, illuminating sharp cheekbones, a jawline cut from stone, and lips that looked like they could ruin a woman with one word—or one kiss The only softness about him was his eyes. Blue. Bright and startling, like tropical water under full sun. They pinned me where I stood, making me feel bare, like he already knew what I was. I swallowed, my courage rattling inside me. “Mind if I sit?” He didn’t move for a long beat. Then his gaze flicked to the chair beside him, then back to me. “Depends. You planning on talking or just staring?” Heat rushed to my face. “Maybe both.” His mouth tilted into the faintest smirk. Arrogant. Confident. Dangerous. I sat down anyway, clutching my glass like a lifeline. He leaned an elbow against the counter, fingers brushing the scruff along his jawline. The veins on his arm stood out under the tattoos, every line of him commanding, powerful. “What’s your poison?” “Tequila.” “Figures.” He flagged down the bartender with two fingers, and when the drinks arrived, he slid a fresh shot toward me. “On me.” I hesitated, but the alcohol already in my veins made me reckless. I tipped it back in one

Go upstairs,” he said. “Pack what you need. You leave for the Greco house by this evening.”“I’m not going,” she whispered.“What did you just say to me?”“I said” she pushed herself off the wall, her voice rising “I am not going! I don’t care about your debt, I don’t care about Lorenzo Greco, I don’t care about any of it you are not doing this to me”Bruno’s belt came off.The sound of it leather sliding through loops made her stomach drop.“Bruno,” Valentina said from the doorway, shifting uncomfortably. “Maybe we should just”“Stay out of it,” he snapped.Carmela grabbed Seraphina’s arm, fingers digging in like claws, and yanked her forward. “You think you have a choice? You think this is a democracy? We took you in when you had nothing. When you were absolutely nothing. You owe us”“I owe you nothing!” Seraphina wrenched her arm away so hard she stumbled. “I have cooked your food since I was eight years old! I have cleaned this house, washed your clothes, run your errands, done everything you ever asked of me and you still stand there and tell me I owe you?” Her voice broke. “What more do you want from me? What more can I possibly give you?”“Your obedience!” Carmela screamed.The belt came down across her back.She gasped a short, sharp sound and grabbed the back of the chair in front of her. The pain was immediate and searing, cutting straight through the fabric of her shirt.“You will go to that house,” Bruno said behind her, breathing hard. “And you will smile. And you will be grateful. Or so help me”The belt came down again.“Stop” she choked.Again.“Bruno, enough,” Valentina said, her voice uneasy now.

What more do you want?” Enzo demanded. “Our mother died because of you.” Elena’s chest tightened painfully.You owe us your life,” he continued. “We kept you here when no one else would. You should be grateful.” Grateful. The word echoed in her mind. Behind him, Valeria lowered her gaze, but the corner of her lips lifted slightly. “I will teach you a lesson you will never forget,” Enzo said coldly. Valeria stepped forward quickly and touched his arm. “Brother, please,” she said softly. “Perhaps she was only upset.” Elena stared at her, disbelief burning through her tears. “You said I owe my life to you,” Elena whispered, her voice raw. “Because your mother saved me.” Her hands trembled at her sides. “Have you forgotten what really happened at the lake?” The room went still. “Valeria pushed me,” Elena said, her voice shaking but steady enough to be heard. “She pushed me into the water. She jumped in after me because she did not want to be blamed. She slipped.” Valeria’s eyes widened instantly.

⚠️ Warning: Abuse, descriptive sexual acts, please refrain from reading this if you're below 18, forbidden love, BDSM, sex control, manipulation. "Take off your dress,” he ordered, his voice quiet but commanding. One guard hesitated and tried to speak, “But, sir—” Damian’s cold stare silenced him immediately. “I said take it off,” he repeated, this time with no room for argument. The guards exchanged nervous looks and then left the room, closing the door with a chilling finality. Aurora was now alone with this man, the one who had bought her like an object. Her dress felt heavy, her heels like chains. Taking a shaky step toward him, her breathing echoed in the silence. “Please,” Aurora whispered, dropping to her knees. “I’m only eighteen. Don’t do this.” Her voice was small, trembling, but she knew he held all the power.