Chapter One- The Trade
1231 Words
Rain violently slammed against the tall windows of the Russo mansion while I stared at my curvy reflection in the mirror.
The red silk dress hugging my body perfectly cost more than most people made in an entire year, but all I could think about was how much it felt like a mourning gown,
Maybe because deep down, I already knew something terrible was coming.
I adjusted the diamond necklace that seemed a bit too much around my throat, still fighting the strange tightness in my chest-I knew something was coming. The chandelier lights made the diamonds sparkle beautifully, beautiful chains.
“Miss Russo,” one of the maids called softly from behind me, her eyes lowered respectfully. “Your father is calling for you downstairs.”
Of course he was.
My father always summoned people the way kings summoned their subjects.
I forced a hard smile and walked out of my room.
The mansion felt alive tonight. Expensive laughter echoed through the hallways while men in dark suits as their aura smoked cigars and discussed business worth millions. Guards stood at every corner of the mansion with guns hidden beneath tailored jackets.
This was an everyday normal for the Russo family.
Danger wrapped in luxury.
I slowly walked down the spiral staircase, anxiously gripping the railing tighter than necessary. The moment I entered the ballroom, conversations softened.
I hated when that happened.
Everyone looked at me differently because I was Vincent Russo’s daughter. Some looked at me with curiosity, others with desire. But most of them looked at me like I was something valuable, something to trade.
My father stood near the fireplace with a glass of whiskey in his hand, surrounded by powerful, armed men. Even at fifty-six, Vincent Russo carried authority effortlessly. People feared him without him needing to raise his voice.
His eyes landed on me instantly.
“There she is,” he announced smoothly.
I swallowed a gulp of discomfort and crossed the ballroom toward him.
He kissed my cheek lightly when I reached him, perfectly performing the role of a loving father for his guests.
“Smile, Seraphina,” he muttered against my ear. “You look unhappy.”
“Shouldn’t I?,” I whispered back.
His jaw tightened for a second before his charming smile returned.
“Go entertain our guests.”
I bit back the urge to argue.
Arguing with Vincent Russo in public is never a good idea.
So I moved through the ballroom politely, greeting men I didn’t trust and women who pretended not to judge me. All the while my insides felt a strong surge of uneasiness.
Something was about to go wrong tonight.
I just didn’t know what.
An hour later, one of my father’s guards approached me near the balcony.
“Your father wants to see you in his office now.”
The nervousness inside me sharpened immediately.
I nodded silently and walked upstairs.
The hallway leading toward my father’s office always felt colder than the rest of the mansion. Maybe because terrible things usually happened behind those doors.
I knocked once.
“Come in.”
I stepped inside carefully.
The office smelled like whiskey and smoke. My father stood near the fireplace with his back facing me, one hand resting behind him.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes.” He turned slowly. “Sit down.”
My stomach tightened immediately.
Vincent Russo never asked people to sit.
He ordered them.
I lowered myself carefully into the chair across from his desk while he studied me silently. The look in his eyes made my skin crawl.
Then he spoke.
“You’re getting married.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?”
His expression remained calm. Too calm.
“The arrangements have already been finalized.”
“No.” I stood so quickly the chair nearly toppled backward. “No, definitely not.”
“It’s done, Seraphina.”
Panic flooded my chest so violently that I could barely breathe.
“To who?”
For the first time, something dark flickered across his face.
“Dante Moretti.”
The room spun.
I stared at him in horror, certain I had heard wrong.
Dante Moretti, the most feared man in Italy.
Everyone knew his name.
People whispered stories about him like he was some kind of monster lurking in the shadows. Men disappeared into thin air after offending him. Families were wiped out overnight because of him.
And my father wanted me to marry him?
“No,” I whispered shakily, backing away from the desk. “Dad, please—”
“This marriage will save our family.”
I laughed bitterly, hot tears already flowing down my eyes.
“You’re selling me.”
His face hardened instantly.
“Watch your mouth.”
“I’m your daughter for god sake!”
“You are my responsibility,” he snapped coldly. “And responsibilities serve purposes.”
The words hit me harder than a slap.
I suddenly understood the truth.
This had never been about family.
I was payment. A bargaining chip.
“How much do you owe him?” I asked quietly.
He responded with silence
That was enough answer.
The Russo empire was falling apart, and my father was trading me to keep it alive.
“When?” My voice barely sounded like mine anymore.
“The wedding is in three days.”
Three days. God.
My life’s worth would end in three days.
“I won’t do it, I won’t get married to him.”
My father laughed softly, like I had said something childish.
“You don’t have a choice.”
Anger exploded through my fear.
“I would rather die.”
His expression instantly turned cold.
He crossed the room slowly until he stood directly in front of me. Before I could move away, his hand gripped my jaw painfully hard.
“Listen to me carefully,” he said quietly. “Everything you have exists because of me. Your expensive diamonds. Your clothes. Your life. Your protection.”
Pain burned through my face as he tightened his grip slightly.
“You will marry Dante Moretti, and you will not embarrass this family.”
I ripped myself away from him, breathing hard.
“This isn’t protection,” I whispered.
“No,” he replied calmly.
“It’s survival.”
I hated him in that moment.
Not just because he was forcing me into marriage, but because he truly believed he owned me.
My father walked back toward his desk signaling the conversation was over.
“Dante arrives tomorrow evening,” he said without looking at me. “Be prepared.”
Dismissed, Just like that.
I turned quickly before he could see the tears in my eyes and walked out of the office.
The second the doors shut behind me, I broke down in tears.
A sob escaped my throat as I stumbled down the hallway toward my room. My vision blurred while panic crushed my chest so hard it hurt to breathe.
Dante Moretti, the devil himself.
And I was being handed to him willingly like I meant nothing.
I locked myself inside my room and dropped to the floor beside my bed, shaking violently.
Three days. In three days, I would become Dante Moretti’s wife.
And deep down, I already knew the terrifying truth.
That marriage would not save me. It would destroy me.
- Writer
