The Moretti estate, already abuzz with the warmth of extended family and the scent of festive spices, now held a new, simmering tension, largely unnoticed by all but its orchestrator.
Serena, Emilia's vibrant redhead college friend, was officially ensconced as a guest for three days during Christmas, ostensibly to work on a design project with Emilia.
Yet, her true motive, burning beneath a veneer of friendly enthusiasm, was far more audacious: to seduce Leonardo Moretti.
Serena had observed Leonardo with a calculating gaze from the moment she walked into the villa. He was everything she admired: powerful, impossibly wealthy, charismatic in a controlled, dangerous way.
He was the undisputed heir to one of Italy's most formidable dynasties, a prize far beyond any she had ever dreamed
