The price of debt chapter 1
The grand double doors of the mansion opened slowly, and the cold air inside hit Bellaās face like a slap.
She stood there, trembling slightly, clutching her small bag close to her chest. The house was enormous ā high ceilings, dark marble floors, furniture that looked expensive but cold and lifeless. It was beautiful, yesā¦ but it felt more like a palace built from ice than a home.
And standing at the very end of the long hall, leaning against a grand desk made of dark wood, was Alessandro Moretti.
The most feared man in the country. The leader of the Moretti family. The man everyone called The Cold King.
He didnāt look up when she entered. He was looking at some documents in his hand, his face expressionless, his dark eyes cold and empty. He wore a tailored black suit that fit his broad frame perfectly, making him look powerful, dangerous, and untouchable.
Beside Bella stood her father. The man who had raised her, the man she had lovedā¦ and the man who had just sold her to pay off his debts.
"Here she is, Alessandro," her father said, his voice shaking. He sounded ashamed, but not enough to stop him from doing this. "Just as we agreed. My daughterā¦ Bella. She is pure, obedient, and healthy. Everything you asked for."
Finally, Alessandro looked up.
His eyes were dark, deep as the night sky, and completely void of warmth. He looked Bella up and down, not with desire, but like he was inspecting an object he had just bought ā a piece of furniture, or a new car. No emotion. No kindness. Nothing.
Bella felt her heart shrink inside her chest. She was twenty years old, soft, gentle, raised in a quiet, normal home. She had read about love, dreamed of romance, hoped for a husband who would hold her hand and smile at her.
But looking at Alessandro Moretti, she knew that dream was dead.
"Leave us," Alessandro said. His voice was deep, calm, and terrifyingly cold. It wasnāt a request. It was an order.
Her father hesitated for just one second, then nodded quickly. He didnāt even look at Bella. He turned around, walked out the heavy doors, and left her alone in this world of darkness.
The sound of the door closing echoed through the hall like a final judgment.
Now it was just the two of them.
Alessandro walked slowly around the desk, his steps silent and heavy. He stopped right in front of her ā tall, imposing, radiating a power that made her want to run away and hide.
He reached out a hand. Bella flinched, but he only grabbed her chin, lifting her face up so she had no choice but to look into his eyes.
"Listen to me carefully, Bella," he said, his voice low and sharp. "Your father owed me a fortune. He could not pay. So he paid with you."
His grip was firm, not hurting her, but holding her completely still.
"You are here now. You live in my house. You will be my wife in front of everyone. You will obey every single rule I make. You will look beautiful when I need you to, and you will stay quiet when I do not want to hear you."
Bellaās eyes filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She bit her lip, trying to be brave. She would not cry in front of this monster.
"And understand this well," Alessandro continued, leaning closer, his eyes freezing her soul. "People say I am cruel. They say I have no heart. And they are right."
He let go of her chin, stepping back as if touching her had dirtied him.
"I brought you here because I need a wife. I need an heir one day. I need someone to keep this house looking perfect. But do not make the mistake of thinking this is a marriage based on love."
He turned his back to her, walking toward the large window overlooking his empire.
"I will never love you. Love is a weakness. And I am incapable of being weak. You are a possession, Bella. Nothing more. Never forget that."
Bella stood there, alone in the middle of the cold, empty hall. Her heart ached, heavy and broken.
He will never love you.
His words rang in her ears like a curse.
She told herself she hated him. She told herself she would never care for a man like this. A man who bought people, who ruled with fear, who claimed to have no heart at all.
But as she watched his broad shoulders and the way he stood like a king above the world, Bella realized something terrifying.
She was trapped here with a cold monsterā¦ and deep down, in the darkest part of her own heart, she was afraid she might already be falling for him.
