A deal with the devil

SOPHIA I feel numb. People keep coming and going, offering condolences, but they are all hypocrites. They leeched off my father when he was alive, and now they stand here pretending to mourn him. Some of them gave me sympathetic looks. Practiced sympathetic looks. “Miss Sophia Romano!” the priest called my name. I looked up. “Do you agree to the cremation of your father at God’s Time Crematorium?” he asked. I didn't have a choice, so I simply nodded. This was the church my father had attended all his life, so it only made sense for him to be cremated here. Besides, I couldn't handle doing all of this myself when, in reality, I was completely alone. Life sucks. I watched as they carried my father's coffin away. Where do I even start from? For the past few months, my father had been ill. He never introduced me to his business, so I could only watch helplessly as everything he had built began to collapse. We spent almost everything we had on his treatments, and it was all in vain. Now, he was gone. And the only thing left for me to do was meet Luca Moretti. I pulled out my phone and searched for his name. The irony of it all was almost laughable. My father's last words had been for me to go to Luca Moretti, someone I had always assumed was either his business partner or an old friend. I expected to find something simple. There was almost nothing. I scrolled through the results until one headline caught my attention. Luca Moretti, heir to the Moretti Empire, takes over after the death of his father. He is now the leader of the vast Moretti Empire. That was it. And beneath the headline was a picture of him. I stared at the screen. The picture only showed his muscular back, but somehow, even that was enough to make me pause. I frowned. Why did the name Moretti sound so familiar? Then it hit me. The Moretti Empire. What the hell did my father want with him? “Miss Romano.” I looked up to see Father Graham smiling gently at me. “The cremation is done. You should go home and get some rest now.” “Thank you, Father Graham.” I stood up, gathered my things, and walked toward my car with the priest following behind me. “Stay strong, Sophia,” he said as I opened the driver's door. “Okay, sir. I'm okay. You can trust me.” I forced a smile. Father Graham gave me one last look before I got into the car. I adjusted my black dress and settled into the driver's seat. After starting the engine, I drove out of the church. Father Graham waved goodbye from behind me, and I returned the gesture with a faint smile. Once I was far enough from the church, I drove aimlessly around town. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Eventually, I parked in front of a two-story building on the quieter side of town. I switched off the engine and stared through the windshield. What was the first thing I was supposed to do now? I was confused. Then a thought struck me. I opened my bag and searched for the note my father had given me before his death. My fingers finally found it. I pulled it out and unfolded it carefully. An address was written on the paper. An address I assumed belonged to Luca Moretti. I stared at it for a few seconds before folding the note again. Then I started the engine. I had no idea what awaited me. But I was going to find the man my father believed could redeem the glory of our fallen empire. The address led me to a large iron gate. Men in black suits were scattered around the property, standing at different points like they were guarding something far more valuable than a house. Fear crawled up my spine. I slowed down as I approached the gate, my hands tightening around the steering wheel. What kind of person had this many guards around his house? For a brief moment, I considered turning the car around. But I was already here. There was no going back. I drove forward and stopped in front of the massive gate. One of the men in black suits walked toward my car. He leaned slightly toward the window. “Good evening, ma’am. Who are you here to see?” Uncertainty filled me. I swallowed. “I’m Sophia Romano. I’m here to see Mr. Luca Moretti.” The man had a small Bluetooth earpiece connected to his ear. He touched it and spoke quietly, informing whoever was on the other end of my arrival. I waited. For some reason, I found myself preparing for the embarrassment that would follow if I was denied entry. Maybe Luca Moretti didn't know my father. Maybe the note had been a mistake. Maybe I had driven all the way here just to be turned away at the gate. Then the man lowered his hand. “Open the gates,” he told the others. The massive gates slowly swung open. “You can go in, ma. Just go straight to the building. You'll find someone who will direct you to his office.” I couldn't mask the surprise on my face. I nodded. “Thank you.” I drove through the gates, but the moment they closed behind me, regret settled heavily in my stomach. I stared at the enormous property ahead of me. I didn't know what I was throwing myself into. I could still leave. I could go home, find some small jobs, figure out a way to survive on my own and forget about this entire thing. Maybe that was the sensible option. I almost turned the car around. Almost. But my father's final words echoed in my head. Go to Luca Moretti. I exhaled and continued driving. I stopped in front of the building, and my mouth fell slightly open. Calling it a house felt like an insult. It looked more like a palace. Tall windows covered the front of the building, and wide stone steps led to the entrance. Everything about the place screamed wealth and power. I stepped out of my car and adjusted my handbag on my shoulder. Before I could take another step, a woman in a maid's uniform approached me. “Good evening, Miss Romano.” “Good evening.” “I've been asked to bring you up to Sir Moretti's office.” Sir Moretti? The way she said it made him sound less like a man and more like someone who ruled an entire country. I nodded. “Okay.” She turned and began walking. I followed. We passed through several long corridors. Paintings covered the walls, each one looking expensive enough to feed an entire village. I tried not to stare. The silence was unsettling. Every sound my shoes made against the polished floor seemed louder than it should have been. Eventually, we stopped in front of a large wooden door. The maid turned toward me. “Please wait here.” She tapped on the door gently. A few seconds passed. Then a deep, gruff voice came from inside. “Come in.” Anxiety crept through me. I had no idea what to expect. The maid opened the door and stepped aside. I walked in. The first thing I noticed was the darkness. The room was dimly lit, making it difficult to see properly. My eyes slowly adjusted. There was a large bar on one side of the room, and beside it stood a man with his back turned toward me. I froze. “Welcome, Sophia.” My guard immediately went up. That voice. It was the same deep voice I had heard through the door. Luca Moretti. I took a cautious step forward. How did he know my name? I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out. “I don't think we're close enough for you to address me by my first name,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Mrs. Romano should do.” He turned around. For the first time, I saw the man my father had sent me to find. He was taller than I expected, dressed in a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled slightly up his arms. His expression was unreadable. Then the corner of his mouth lifted. “But I think we're close enough for me to call you Phia.” I frowned. “And this doesn't make a good first impression, don't you think?” He spoke casually, as though we were having an ordinary conversation. “I don't care what you think about me.” My voice trembled slightly. His eyes flickered with amusement. He gave a short snort. “I assure you, it should be the other way around, considering you came here for my help.” I hated to admit it, but he was right. I looked away. “Have a seat.” He pointed toward a large sofa in the corner of the room. I hesitated before walking toward it. The moment I sat down, a young woman entered carrying a tray. I looked at her in confusion. She placed a glass of Juice in front of me. “Juice, Miss Romano.” “Oh.” I hadn't even realized how thirsty I was. “Thank you.” She gave a small nod and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. I stared at the glass for a moment before picking it up. I took a small sip. Across from me, Luca took a seat in a single armchair. He leaned back comfortably, studying me. I immediately felt uncomfortable. I placed the glass down. “Since you allowed me in, I assume you know who I am.” I decided to go straight to the point. “You're right about that, Phia.” His expression changed slightly. “My condolences about your father.” There was no emotion in his voice. It sounded rehearsed. Almost like something he had said too many times before. I narrowed my eyes. “What did my father have to do with you?” He remained silent. “And why was his last wish for me to come and meet you?” “The answers to your questions, I don't know.” I stared at him. “You don't know?” “I don't know why your father sent you here.” He paused. “But I believe this is the safest place you could be at this moment.” I let out a humorless laugh. “This is hilarious.” He watched me with an unreadable expression. “You're telling me my father sends me to a complete stranger, I show up at his heavily guarded house, and now you're telling me I'm safer here?” “Yes.” The simple answer irritated me even more. “You expect me to believe that?” “I don't expect you to believe anything.” I stood up abruptly and grabbed my handbag. “Coming here was a mistake.” I took a step toward the door. “A very big one.” I reached for the handle. Before I could open it, I felt a hand close around my wrist. I froze. Luca stood behind me. “Stay.” I turned to face him. “You won't regret it.” A laugh escaped me. An actual laugh. It was almost unbelievable. “You know what? I don't even know who you are.” “Then ask.” His grip loosened slightly, but he didn't let go. “Ask me what you want to know about me. I'll answer the ones I can.” I stared at him. “I don't want to know you.” I tried pulling my hand away. “Let me go.” His grip tightened. Not enough to hurt me, but enough to make it clear that I wasn't going anywhere. My heart began pounding. “If you won't cooperate,” he said, his jaw tightening, “I'll have no choice but to do this my way.” I stared at him. And that was when the realization finally settled in. I had walked into a stranger's house alone. I didn't know his intentions. I didn't know what he wanted. I didn't even know why my father had sent me here. Yet I had willingly driven through those gates. No guards. No friends. No one who even knew where I was. And then it hit me. I had also willingly drunk juice from an unknown place. How much more foolish could I be? My heart began pounding. Something felt wrong. The room suddenly seemed warmer than before. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. Luca's face blurred in front of me. “What...” My voice came out weak. He looked at me, his expression changing for the first time. “Phia?” I tried to take a step backward, but my legs suddenly felt weak. The room tilted. I reached for the nearest thing to steady myself, but my fingers slipped. “What did you—” I didn't finish the question. Darkness slowly crept into my vision. The last thing I saw was Luca moving toward me. Then everything went black.