THE DON'S BRIDE

She’s got fire.

Lorenzo shot to his feet. “You fucking...”

“Sit down,” Rossi snapped, voice lethal. “Or I’ll remove the tongue that dares speak to me that way.”

Bianca laughed softly. “So possessive already. Be careful, Kiara. He’ll break you just like he broke me.”

“Enough,” I whispered, my voice shaking but steady. “This is my life now,the alliance....”

“Is sealed with your body,” Rossi finished for me, leaning in to press a possessive kiss to my temple right in front of everyone. “Two weeks, Kiara. Then you become my wife in every way. And anyone who tries to interfere…” His eyes swept the table, lingering on Lorenzo and Bianca. “Will learn exactly how mercilessly I kill for what’s mine.”

The room fell into heavy silence.

Outside, I could hear faint screams coming from the direction of the basement.

The interrogation had begun.

Rossi’s hand tightened on my thigh.

“Welcome to your new family, *cara*.”

*******

The heavy silence in the dining room pressed down on me like a physical weight. Rossi’s hand remained on my thigh under the table, fingers stroking slow, possessive circles that made my skin crawl even as my body,still hypersensitive from the shower, betrayed me with unwelcome heat.

I hated how easily he touched me,how he spoke about last night like it was some romantic claiming instead of the nightmare it had been,blood,violence,his fingers forcing pleasure from me while I was still coated in death,I wasn’t falling for any of it,not this soon,not ever, if I could help it. This was survival,nothing more.

My father, Marco Romano, sat rigid, his face a mask of barely contained fury,Uncle Vito hovered behind him like a loyal hound, eyes darting between Rossi and me,Lorenzo looked wrecked,his jaw clenched so tight I feared it might shatter, his gaze fixed on Rossi’s hand with raw, helpless jealousy.

And then there were the new faces.

Rossi’s family had joined us without warning.

A tall, elegant woman in her late fifties entered first,Elena Del Brenta, Rossi’s mother,her dark hair was pulled into a severe chignon, pearls at her throat, but her eyes were cold steel,she assessed me like livestock at market, lips thinning in clear disapproval.

Behind her came Rossi’s younger brother, Luca Del Brenta,mid-twenties, sharp-featured like Rossi but with a more reckless edge,he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips as he openly looked me up and down.

“Finally meeting the sacrificial lamb,” Luca drawled. “She’s prettier than the last one you almost married, fratello,think this virgin will last longer than six months?”

Bianca Moretti laughed softly from her seat, the sound like breaking glass. “Doubtful. Rossi has… particular tastes.”

Elena shot Bianca a withering glance but said nothing to defend me. Instead, she addressed her son directly. “Rossi, this alliance was meant to strengthen us, not turn our home into a battlefield,the Messina family is already whispering that we’re weak after last night’s attack,and now you bring *her* here covered in the scent of your bed before the wedding?”

Rossi’s grip on my thigh tightened painfully. His voice remained calm, but the danger underneath made the air thicken. “Mother, the girl is mine to handle. The attack changes nothing. The wedding proceeds in two weeks. Kiara stays under my roof until then.”

Luca chuckled. “Careful, brother. You’re sounding obsessed already. Remember what happened with the last girl who made you this possessive? Ended up floating in the river.”

I stiffened. Rossi’s family spoke about women like disposable objects,like me,a chill ran down my spine,this wasn’t protection, it was another cage, guarded by people who saw me as a tool or a toy.

Lorenzo couldn’t hold back any longer,he slammed his palm on the table. “She’s not some w***e you can lock away and break, Del Brenta! Kiara deserves better than this. Than *you*. Let her come home with us. We can protect her.”

Rossi’s smile was slow and merciless. “Protect her? Like you protected her last night while bullets flew? Sit down, boy, before I have Matteo drag you out by your throat. Kiara is no longer your concern. She sleeps in my bed. She comes on my fingers. And soon she’ll bleed on my c** while the priest pronounces her mine.”

Heat flooded my face—shame, anger, I wasn’t some conquest to be bragged about. I jerked my leg away from his hand under the table, earning a sharp look from him.

“Enough,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’m not a child or a prize to be fought over,this marriage is for the families,not for… whatever this is.”

Elena’s eyes narrowed on me. “At least the girl has some spine,but spine won’t save you from what my son becomes when he fixates, child,he doesn’t love,he consumes.”

Luca pushed off the wall, circling the table until he stood behind my chair.

He leaned down, breath brushing my ear.

“Welcome to the Del Brenta family, *sorellina*,try not to die before the honeymoon,we have enemies who would love to carve up a pretty Romano virgin just to spite my brother.”

Rossi rose suddenly, chair scraping loudly. In one fluid motion he pulled me up against his side, his arm banding around my waist like steel. “My family has spoken enough. The meeting is over. Marco, Vito,discuss the remaining shipment routes with my underboss downstairs. Lorenzo, if I catch you looking at my wife-to-be like that again, I’ll blind you.”

Lorenzo’s face twisted with pain and rage, but Uncle Vito grabbed his arm, forcing him to stay silent.

Bianca stood gracefully, her eyes glittering with malice as she looked at me. “Enjoy your stay, Kiara,Rossi’s obsessions burn bright… but they always leave ashes.”

As the others filed out,my father shooting me one last unreadable look, Lorenzo’s shoulders slumped in defeat,Rossi turned me to face him,his mother and brother lingered a moment longer, watching.

“You did well not fighting me in front of them,” he murmured, voice low and intimate, thumb tracing my jaw. “But pulling away under the table? That earns punishment later, *cara*.”

I met his eyes without flinching, even as my stomach twisted. “I’m not yours yet, Rossi,not really,this body might react, but my mind… my heart… they’re still mine,don’t mistake forced pleasure for surrender. It’s too soon for any of that.”

His ice-blue eyes darkened with challenge and darker hunger. “Keep telling yourself that, little virgin,I enjoy the fight,It makes breaking you sweeter.”

Luca whistled low as he and Elena finally left. “She’s got fire. This should be entertaining.”