Chapter Two
1547 Words
Alina did not go home that night. She went to Dante Russo's world, his house. The gates alone were a warning.
Black wrought iron gates, twelve feet high, reinforced. There were cameras everywhere, rotating with silent precision. Armed guards stood at discreet intervals and corners, all dressed in well-tailored suits and looking everything but friendly.
Nothing about it screamed criminal but rather whispered 'untouchable'
The estate rose behind the gate like controlled power. Modern architecture softened by old stonework. It wasn't flashy but deliberate, exuding power.
She stepped out of the car without waiting for assistance. Dante noticed, just like he noticed everything... silently... taking it in slowly.
Inside, the house felt less like a home and more like a command centre, a fortress disguised as luxury.
Marble floors, minimalist art, soft lighting and security panels were embedded invisibly into the walls.
"You live alone?", she asked as she spun round and round, taking in the vast area that could pass for a mini football pitch.
"Yes", he answered curtly.
"No family?'
He paused before replying, "None that matters"
That answer carried a heavy weight. He gestured toward a private office. She entered first, refusing to trail behind him like an accessory.
The office doors shut with a silent click, a sign that the room was soundproofed.
He removed his jacket, folded it neatly over a chair, and even that movement was precise and controlled.
A leather folder, similar to the one in his car, sat on the desk.
"The contract", he said, gesturing towards a chair for her to take a seat.
She didn't sit immediately. Instead, she walked to the window overlooking the dark city. From here, everything looked so small.
If she could see Marcus' rooftop, the restaurant and the people who laughed, she was sure they would look very small too.
"Before I read and sign this, tell me something very honestly", she said calmly
He waited.
"If I hadn't been humiliated tonight, would you still have approached me?"
"Yes", he answered without hesitation, like he was expecting the question.
That surprised her but she didn't say so.
"Why?"
"Timing would have differed but the outcome would not"
"So, you've been watching me", she said rather than asked
"I observe many people"
"That's not an answer"
There was a faint shift in his expression- not quite a smile or a frown...
"You interest me", he finally said
Her pulse betrayed her slightly because as uninterested as she wanted to look, wanted to sound, she knew that he knew that she was a very curious lady.
"In what way?"
"You make choices that do not align with your capacity". The words struck deeper than expected. She didn't know if he was insulting her or praising her.
Yes, she had made horrible choices in the past, one of them being staying with the asshole called Marcus, even after she'd caught him multiple times with other women.
"You know nothing about me, about my capacity or whatever", she replied defiantly.
"I know more than you think"
That felt like a threat and a promise. She finally sat down and opened the folder.
The contract was meticulously written... or typed...
Clause 1: Duration- Twelve months from the date of signing
Clause 2: Public appearances- Minimum of eight per month
Clause 3: Residency- Primary residence at Russo Estate
Clause 4: Confidentiality- Absolute
Clause 5: Compensation- Twelve figures deposited into an account of her choice upon completion
He was watching her keenly and noticed she didn't react to the number, the large compensation that would have driven any woman crazy.
"You're not impressed?", he asked. If he was curious, he didn't show it but she was almost sure she heard a little hint of admiration or maybe disappointment in his voice.
"Money has never impressed me"
"Then what does?"
She met his eyes before replying
"Character"
The word was out of her mouth before she even thought of stopping it. If he felt insulted, he didn't show it and taking that as a cue, she continued reading.
Clause 6: Heirs
She paused and scoffed "Heirs?"
"In the event of pregnancy, the contract extends until birth. I thought I said you would produce heirs"
Her fingers tightened slightly on the papers "So, this includes intimacy?"
"Yes, or how else do you want to do that?"
"And if I refuse that part?"
"It will not be forced", he replied calmly.
She closed the folder and studied him carefully.
"Youre very certain I'll agree"
"Im certain you understand negotiation"
"You assume this benefits only me?"
"It benefits us both"
"How?", she scoffed
"My board requires stability, my allies prefer tradition and a wife silences speculation"
"And what do I silence?"
He stepped closer, resting his hand on the desk "Anyone who dares call you small again"
His words were low, measured and dangerously compelling.
"Youre offering revenge", she said rather than ask
"No, I'm offering elevation"
She leaned back slightly and folded her arms "And what do you get emotionally?"
"Nothing"
"You sure?"
"Yes", he answered sharply.
There it was again, that wall…
She stood up and put the papers back on the desk.
"Add a clause", she said, poking at them
"Specify?"
"I retain autonomy over my professional life. I will not be decorative"
"You won't need to work"
"That wasn't the request"
There was a pause before he replied;
"Accepted"
He moved to his chair, turned on his laptop and made the amendment without another argument. He printed the updated copy and slid it over to her.
Control met control, aura met aura. There was equal footing, even if neither would admit it.
She picked up the pen with her slightly shaky hands, "Before I sign, answer one more thing, please"
He waited.
"If I fall in love with you, what happens?"
He burst into a fit of laughter, which almost sounded like a maniac before he looked at her, his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"You won't"
"That's not what I asked"
He lowered his voice and his eyes grew darker than they were, "It would be very unwise"
"And if you fall in love with me?"
The air shifted, "I don't"
She signed the paper, and the sound of the pen on paper echoed louder than it should have.
He signed after her and just like that, her life split into before and after.
A knock sounded on the door. Dante opened it slightly. A man who appeared to be in his late thirties stood outside.
Alina ran her eyes up and down his body in seconds. He was dressed in a suit, just like all the other security details. He had very sharp eyes that one could easily mistake for a light or happy glint.
"Everything is secure, sir", the man said to Dante
"Good"
The man's gaze flickered briefly to Alina. In his eyes, there was curiosity, assessment and calculation, and he showed every one of those.
"Alina", Dante said, "this is Viktor Petrov, my head of security"
Victor inclined his head respectfully, "Mrs Russo"
The title landed heavier than expected, she hadn't even processed it yet.
"Not yet...", she managed to reply before Viktor left without another word.
"You didn't waste time", she said, facing Dante.
"I never do", was his reply
Later that night, she was shown to her room. Not his... Her room, her space...
It was elegant. She walked in slowly, "This is real", she mumbled to no one in particular, pinching her cheeks to make sure she was alive, awake and not dreaming.
The humiliation from hours ago already felt distant, like it had happened to a different version of her.
Just then, her phone buzzed. Of course, it was Marcus.
Talk about the devil and he'd appear, right? Well, this was more like 'think about the devil'.
'I made the right choice', the message on her screen read.
She stared at the message for a few seconds and then proceeded to delete the entire thread.
Across the hall, Dante stood alone in his office.
Viktor spoke quietly, "You trust her"
"I trust leverage", Dante replied impatiently.
"And if she becomes more than leverage?"
His jaw tightened and his expression hardened.
"She won't"
Although he sounded convinced, he didn't look a bit convinced.
Back in her new room, Alina changed into a silk robe that had been neatly laid on her bed. She walked to the balcony and watched the city lights as they glittered below.
Those lights exuded power, danger and possibility.
Her parents' warning echoed in her memory; 'Wealth attracts wolves'
And what had she just done? She just signed a contract with the biggest wolf, she just married the king of them and she didn't even know what he hunted.
Inside his room, Dante removed his cufflinks slowly. He had structured wars, brokered alliances and destroyed enemies... But this...
This felt less predictable. He tried to convince himself that it was just a strategy. A wife to strengthen his optics and stabilise his power.
He refused to acknowledge the truth lurking behind all his actions. He had chosen her long before tonight and somewhere in the silent dark of the estate, two people who did not believe in love had just signed a contract that would break and bruise.
- Writer
