The Devil’s Bride

The rain had started just before midnight. It wasn’t the gentle kind that whispered against windows. It was fierce, relentless, turning the streets of Rome into rivers of shimmering black beneath the city lights. Alina Moretti pulled her coat tighter around herself as she hurried through the nearly deserted streets. She had stayed too late at the university library, preparing for her final law examinations. Normally, she would have taken the main road home, but a message from her younger brother asking her to buy medicine had forced her to take a shortcut through the old district. The narrow alley was quiet. Too quiet. Her footsteps echoed against the ancient brick walls as lightning flashed across the sky. Then… A scream shattered the silence. Alina froze. Another scream followed, cut short by a loud gunshot. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Every instinct told her to run. Instead, curiosity—and perhaps stupidity—pulled her forward. She crept toward the mouth of the alley, peeking around the corner. What she saw made the blood drain from her face. Six men dressed in black surrounded an older man who had collapsed onto the wet pavement. Blood spread beneath him, mixing with the rainwater. Standing in front of them was a tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit. He didn’t need to shout. He didn’t need to threaten. His silence was enough. The men around him stood with their heads lowered, waiting for his command. The stranger slowly removed his black leather gloves. His expensive watch gleamed beneath the streetlight. Without a word, he accepted a silver pistol from one of his guards. The injured man looked up, trembling. “P-please… mercy…” The man in black tilted his head. “You stole from me.” “I’ll return everything!” “You already had your chance.” His deep voice was calm. Almost gentle. That made it even more terrifying. Bang. The gunshot echoed through the empty streets. The older man’s body fell lifelessly onto the pavement. Alina’s hand flew to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. No… No… This couldn’t be real. Her breathing became uneven. She stepped backward. Her foot landed on an empty glass bottle. CRASH! Every head turned. Silence. The man in black slowly lifted his eyes. For one endless second… Their gazes met. His eyes were darker than the storm itself. Cold. Emotionless. Deadly. Alina couldn’t move. It felt as though the world had stopped spinning. One of the guards pointed toward her. “Boss… someone saw everything.” The man’s expression never changed. “Bring her.” Those two words snapped Alina back to reality. She turned and ran. Her shoes splashed through puddles as thunder roared overhead. Behind her came the pounding footsteps of armed men. “Stop!” “She’s heading toward the market!” “Don’t let her escape!” Tears blurred her vision. She had never run so fast in her life. She pushed through narrow streets, weaving between abandoned stalls and parked motorcycles. Her lungs burned. Her legs screamed in protest. But fear kept her moving. She dared one glance behind her. Three black SUVs had appeared from nowhere. Their headlights flooded the streets like hunting wolves closing in on wounded prey. “No…” She cut across another alley. A dead end. Her heart sank. The brick wall in front of her stretched nearly four meters high. There was nowhere left to go. The footsteps grew louder. One by one, armed men entered the alley. Their weapons gleamed beneath the rain. Alina backed against the wall, trembling violently. “Please…” “I didn’t see anything.” No one answered. The guards stepped aside. The tall man walked toward her. Every movement was slow. Controlled. Confident. As though he already owned the world. Rain soaked his black hair, yet he looked untouched by the storm. He stopped only a step away. Up close, he was devastatingly handsome. Sharp jawline. Dark eyes. Perfectly tailored suit. The kind of face that belonged on magazine covers—not at the scene of an execution. He studied her silently. His gaze lingered on her frightened blue-green eyes, her trembling lips, and the books that had fallen from her bag. “A law student,” he murmured after noticing the university emblem. She nodded shakily. “I… I swear I won’t tell anyone.” He didn’t respond. Instead, he bent down and picked up one of her books. Criminal Law. A faint smile touched his lips. “Interesting.” He handed it back to her. “You know who I am?” She swallowed hard. “No.” A lie. She had heard whispers. Stories. One name repeated in fear across Italy. Dante Romano. The Devil. The youngest and most powerful mafia boss in Europe. He could make politicians disappear. He controlled ports, casinos, luxury hotels, and an underground empire built on fear. People who crossed him were never found. He looked directly into her eyes. “You lied.” Her knees weakened. “I…” “You know exactly who I am.” She lowered her gaze. “Yes.” “And now you know what happens to those who betray me.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I won’t betray you.” “You expect me to trust a stranger?” “No.” “Smart answer.” Silence stretched between them. One of the guards stepped forward. “Boss.” He raised his gun. “Should I kill her?” Alina closed her eyes. This was it. She would never see her family again. She whispered a trembling prayer beneath her breath. But the gunshot never came. Instead… Dante spoke. “No.” The guards stared at him in disbelief. “Boss?” He never took his eyes off Alina. “She’s coming with us.” Her eyes flew open. “W-what?” “You witnessed something that doesn’t belong to your world.” “I don’t want any part of this!” “You lost that choice the moment you looked into my eyes.” “I have a family.” “So do I.” “I’ll disappear. You’ll never see me again.” “I don’t leave loose ends.” He turned away. “Take her.” Two guards moved instantly. Alina struggled wildly. “No! Let me go!” She kicked and fought with every ounce of strength she had. But it was useless. Within seconds she was lifted into the back of a black SUV. The doors slammed shut. Rain streaked across the windows as the convoy pulled away from the alley. Alina looked through the glass at the city she loved disappearing behind her. She had no idea where they were taking her. No idea why Dante Romano had spared her life. But one thing became painfully clear. She hadn’t escaped death. She had been delivered into the Devil’s hands. And somehow… That might be even worse.