WHY DID HE MARRY ME

Dinner With The Devil

I stood in the middle of Alessandro Moretti's penthouse and had no idea what to do with my hands. The place was too big. Too quiet. Like a museum where I wasn't allowed to touch anything.

A woman appeared from the hallway. She was in her 40s, black dress, black heels. She looked like she ran the place.

"Mrs. Moretti," she said. "I am Elena. I manage the household. Mr. Moretti asked me to show you to your room."

Mrs. Moretti. It sounded wrong in my mouth.

"My room?" I asked.

"Your room," she said. Like it was obvious. "This way."

She led me down a hallway that was longer than my entire apartment. The walls had paintings. Real ones. Not prints.

She stopped at a set of double doors. Opened them.

The room was huge. Bigger than my kitchen and living room combined. There was a bed in the middle that could fit 4 people. White sheets. White pillows. White everything.

"Your closet is through there," Elena said, pointing. "Dinner is in 20 minutes. A dress has been laid out for you."

"Thank you," I said. My voice sounded small.

She nodded and left. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

I walked to the closet. It was bigger than my bedroom. And inside were dresses. Dozens of them. All black. All expensive. Tags still on.

On the bed was a black dress. Simple. Sleeveless. It probably cost more than my monthly rent.

I looked at myself in the mirror. Scrubs. Messy bun. Dark circles.

I had 20 minutes to become someone else.

I came downstairs at 7:58PM. The dress fit. Too well. It hugged places I wasn't used to showing.

Alessandro was already at the dining table. Long table. White tablecloth. Candles.

He was wearing a black suit. No tie. First two buttons undone. He looked up when I came in.

He didn't smile. He just looked. From my face to my feet and back up again.

"Sit," he said.

I sat across from him. There were 12 chairs between us.

The food started coming. I didn't order it. I didn't ask. It just appeared. Steak. Vegetables. Wine I couldn't pronounce.

We ate in silence for five minutes.

"Do you always eat alone?" I asked. I needed to say something.

"No," he said. "I eat alone when I am deciding if I made a mistake."

My stomach dropped. "And?"

He took a sip of wine. "The jury is still out."

Great.

"About Daniel," I said. "When will you erase the debt."

"Already done," he said. "The moment you signed."

Relief hit me so hard I almost cried. Then I remembered the price.

"Where is he now," I asked.

"Safe house. With guards. He will start work Monday at Moretti Construction. Entry level. Someone will watch him."

"So he can't gamble."

"So he can't gamble," he agreed.

I picked at my steak. I wasn't hungry.

"Why me," I asked. "You could have picked anyone. Why me."

He put his fork down. "Because you showed up. Because you didn't bring police. Because you have something to lose."

"And you needed leverage."

"Yes."

"Against who."

He didn't answer. He just watched me.

"Can I ask you something," I said.

"You can ask."

"Are you going to hurt me."

He was quiet for a long time.

"No," he said finally. "Not unless you give me a reason to."

That wasn't comforting.

Dinner ended. He stood up.

"Come," he said.

"Where."

"To see your new home."

He gave me a tour. It took 40 minutes. Gym. Library. Pool. Office. Every room was bigger than the last. Every room was empty.

"This is yours now too," he said, stopping at a door. "My study."

He opened it. Books everywhere. A big desk. A gun in a case on the wall.

"Don't touch the gun," he said.

"I wasn't planning to."

He almost smiled at that. Almost.

We ended back in the living room. Floor to ceiling windows. City below us.

"You can go to bed," he said. "Elena will wake you at 7AM. You have an appointment."

"What kind of appointment."

"A fitting. And photos. We need to announce the engagement."

"Engagement. The contract said marriage."

"It did. But people like stories. So we are engaged first. Wedding in one month."

One month. I had one month before I was officially Mrs. Moretti.

"I don't have anything to wear to a fitting," I said.

"You do now," he said. "Check your closet."

Of course he did.

He walked to the bar and poured himself a drink. Whiskey. No ice.

"Goodnight, Seraphina," he said without looking at me.

"Goodnight," I said.

I went upstairs. My room was still too big. Too white.

I sat on the bed and called Daniel. It went to voicemail.

"Daniel, it's me. I'm okay. You're okay. We are okay. Call me back."

I hung up and stared at the ceiling.

I was married on paper. To a man I didn't know. In a house I didn't belong in.

And tomorrow the world would know my name.

7AM came fast. Elena was knocking.

"Miss. The car is here."

The car was a black SUV. Tinted windows. Driver in a suit.

The fitting was at a place downtown. The kind of place with no prices on anything. Three women fussed over me for two hours. Measuring. Pinning.

"For the engagement photos," one of them said. "Mr. Moretti wants something classic."

Classic. Right.

Then came the photos. A photographer in a studio. Black dress. Hair done. Makeup I didn't recognize.

"Look to the left," the photographer said. "Now smile."

I smiled. It felt fake.

My phone buzzed. Unknown number.

A picture came through. Daniel. Sitting at a table. Playing cards.

Text under it: "He started already."

My blood went cold.

Before I could respond, another message. From Alessandro.

"Don't worry about him. Worry about tonight. Gala. 8PM. Be ready."

Gala. Of course.

The driver took me back to the penthouse. Elena helped me into a new dress. Red this time. Long. Slit up the side.

"You look beautiful, Mrs. Moretti," she said.

I didn't feel beautiful. I felt like I was playing dress up.

At 7:45PM, Alessandro came to get me.

He stopped when he saw me. Just for a second.

"You look," he started, then stopped. "The car is waiting."

The gala was at a hotel. Cameras. Flashes. People in gowns and suits.

The moment we stepped out, people turned.

"Who is she," someone whispered.

"That's Moretti's new fiancee," someone else said.

Alessandro put a hand on the small of my back. It burned through the dress.

"Smile," he murmured in my ear. "You are happy to be here."

So I smiled.

We walked through the crowd. People came up to him. Men in suits. Women with diamonds. They all looked at me like I was a puzzle.

"Seraphina," he introduced me. "My fiancee."

Fiancee. The word felt heavy.

Halfway through the night, a man approached. Older. Gray hair. Expensive suit.

"Alessandro," the man said. "Didn't know you were settling down."

"Vince," Alessandro said. His whole body went still. "This is Seraphina."

Vince looked me up and down. "Pretty. Where did you find her."

"She found me," Alessandro said. His hand tightened on my back.

Vince laughed. "Sure she did. Listen, we need to talk about the shipment."

"Tomorrow," Alessandro said.

"Tonight," Vince said.

Alessandro turned to me. "Wait here."

He walked away with Vince. Into a side room.

I stood there alone. In a red dress. Surrounded by strangers.

Five minutes later, my phone buzzed. Unknown number again.

Another photo. Daniel. This time he had a black eye.

Text: "Tell your husband to pay what he owes. Or next time it's worse."

My hands started shaking.

The door to the side room opened. Alessandro came out. His face was blank. But his jaw was tight.

He saw me. Saw my face. Walked straight to me.

"What," he said.

I showed him the phone.

His expression didn't change. But something in his eyes did. Something dark.

"Give me your phone," he said.

I did.

He typed something. Then handed it back.

"New rule," he said. "You don't answer unknown numbers. Ever. You come to me."

"Who is Vince," I asked.

"Nobody you need to worry about," he said. "Let's go."

We left. No goodbyes.

In the car, he was quiet. Angry quiet.

"Was that about the debt," I asked.

"No," he said. "That was about me."

He looked at me then. Really looked.

"You are in this now, Seraphina. That means you are under my protection. And anyone who touches you or your brother answers to me."

It should have felt safe. It didn't. It felt like a threat.

Back at the penthouse, he walked me to my door.

"Sleep," he said. "Tomorrow will be worse."

"Why," I asked.

"Because now they know your face."

He turned to leave.

"Alessandro," I said.

He stopped.

"Thank you. For Daniel."

He didn't turn around.

"Don't thank me yet," he said. "You haven't seen what I do to people who threaten what's mine."

And he walked away.

I closed the door and leaned against it.

I was engaged to a man who could end people with a phone call.

I was wearing a dress that cost more than my car.

And I had a target on my back because of him.

This was only day one.

God help me.

###

The contract is signed.

But as Seraphina walks out of his office, Alessandro is already making a call.

"She signed," he says. "Now we wait."

What is he waiting for???

Next chapter drops tomorrow 8PM ❤️