SOLD TO THE DEVIL'S HEIR

The thunder outside shook the windows of the Romano mansion. Aria Romano sat at the dining table, staring blankly at her untouched dinner. The house felt different tonight. Too quiet. Too tense. Her father had locked himself inside his office for nearly three hours, and every servant seemed afraid to breathe. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She glanced toward the hallway. A faint sound reached her ears. Voices. Male voices. One of them belonged to her father. The other was deep, cold, and unfamiliar. Curiosity got the better of her. Pushing away from the table, Aria walked quietly down the hallway. As she approached the office, the voices became clearer. "You owe us ten million dollars." Aria froze. Ten million? Her heart skipped. That couldn't be right. Her father owned one of the largest shipping companies in the city. How could he owe anyone ten million dollars? "I need more time," her father pleaded. His voice sounded broken. Weak. Nothing like the confident businessman she had always known. "You've already had six months." The second voice remained calm. Controlled. Dangerous. "I'll pay everything back." "No." The single word cut through the room like a knife. Silence followed. Aria's chest tightened. Something about that voice terrified her. Then the man spoke again. "If you cannot pay your debt, I'll collect another way." A cold shiver crawled down her spine. Unable to stop herself, she pushed the office door open. The room immediately fell silent. Two pairs of eyes turned toward her. One belonged to her father. The other belonged to a stranger. Aria's breath caught. The man looked no older than thirty. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Piercing black eyes. He wore an expensive black suit that probably cost more than her car. Power radiated from him. The kind that couldn't be bought. The kind that came from making people fear you. Her father shot to his feet. "Aria! What are you doing here?" She ignored him. Her gaze remained fixed on the stranger. "Who are you?" The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Luca Moretti." The name hit her like a punch. Everyone knew Luca Moretti. The future boss of the Moretti family. The most feared mafia organization in the country. Stories about him circulated everywhere. People whispered that enemies disappeared overnight. That traitors never got second chances. That he ruled the underworld before even inheriting it. And now he was sitting in her father's office. Her stomach twisted. "What do you want from us?" she asked. Luca slowly stood. His eyes never left hers. "I came to collect a debt." Her father lowered his head in shame. Aria looked between them. "What debt?" Neither man answered. That was answer enough. She turned to her father. "Dad?" His silence broke her heart. For the first time, she saw fear in his eyes. Real fear. The kind that destroys people. Luca slipped his hands into his pockets. "The details aren't important." "They are to me." His gaze sharpened. Most people would've looked away. Aria didn't. She refused. A dangerous smile touched his lips. "Interesting." "What?" "You aren't afraid of me." She crossed her arms. "Should I be?" The smile widened. "Probably." The room suddenly felt smaller. Hotter. Harder to breathe in. Her father stepped forward. "Aria, go upstairs." "No." "Now." She shook her head. "Not until someone tells me what's happening." Luca watched the exchange with amusement. Finally, he reached into his jacket and removed a document. He placed it on the desk. "Ten million dollars." Her eyes widened. The number stared back at her from the page. Real. Impossible. Terrifying. "How?" Her father looked away. A sick feeling settled inside her stomach. Bad investments. Hidden loans. Desperate business decisions. Everything suddenly made sense. The declining company. The missing employees. The endless meetings. Her father hadn't been fixing the business. He had been trying to save it. And he had failed. Luca adjusted his cufflinks. "Your father borrowed money." Her father's shoulders sagged. "He promised repayment." Silence. "He failed." More silence. Luca looked directly at Aria. "So now I collect." Something in his eyes made her uneasy. As though he wasn't talking about money anymore. As though he had already made another decision. "What does that mean?" His gaze moved slowly over her face. Then her hair. Then her eyes. A feeling of vulnerability swept through her. For the first time all evening, she wanted to step back. To run. To hide. But she stayed exactly where she was. Luca's expression remained unreadable. "I'll return tomorrow." Her father swallowed hard. "Please—" "Tomorrow." The finality in his voice ended the discussion. He turned toward the door. Two bodyguards waiting outside immediately fell into step behind him. Before leaving, Luca stopped. Slowly, he looked back over his shoulder. His eyes met Aria's. For one long second, neither moved. Then he spoke. "Your daughter is beautiful." The words hit the room like a bomb. Her father's face drained of color. Aria's stomach dropped. Luca continued. "Very beautiful." Without another word, he walked away. The front door slammed shut moments later. Thunder shook the house again. Neither Aria nor her father moved. Finally, she found her voice. "Dad..." Tears appeared in his eyes. The sight terrified her more than Luca ever could. "What aren't you telling me?" Her father sank into his chair. Looking suddenly twenty years older. "I made a mistake." Her heart pounded. "What kind of mistake?" His voice broke. "The kind that destroys families." Aria stared toward the doorway where Luca had disappeared. For the first time in her life, she felt truly trapped. And deep inside, she knew tomorrow would change everything. Because Luca Moretti wasn't coming back for money. He was coming back for something else. Something far more valuable.