CAPTIVE IN DEATH & BLOOD

Chapter 3: The Wedding

Aria stood at the altar, her heart pounding, but it wasn't for the reasons she once imagined. The long white gown she wore, meant to symbolize purity and a new beginning, felt more like an anchor pulling her down into an abyss. The fabric hugged her form tightly, making her feel trapped, suffocated. It was not a garment of celebration but one of submission. She could already feel the weight of her fate pressing down on her—her father's betrayal, her mother's absence, and now, her marriage to Luca Valentino.

Luca stood next to her, his gaze cool and unfeeling, his expression unreadable. He was a man of power—stoic, silent, and unforgiving. His dark eyes never left her, but it wasn't with love or lust. It was with cold authority, as if he were already marking his territory. When the priest asked for the vows, there was no warmth in Luca's voice, only a cold declaration that she now belonged to him, that she was nothing more than a symbol of his conquest.

The rings were exchanged with mechanical precision. Aria felt the cool metal slip onto her finger, not a sign of eternal love, but of domination. Her thoughts were a whirlwind as Luca's eyes locked with hers in that moment of silent declaration.

"This is it," he whispered under his breath so only she could hear. "You are mine. You were always meant to be mine."

Her fingers trembled slightly, but she forced herself to meet his gaze with defiance. He could take her name, her body, and her future, but he would never own her spirit.

The Mansion: Her Prison

The ceremony ended, but the weight of it all settled around her, heavy and suffocating. As the guests dispersed, Aria's eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of escape, any hint of a plan that might allow her to flee. But the moment Luca's hand touched her back to guide her toward the exit, she knew there was no way out.

They were immediately surrounded by his men, and her thoughts turned to fire—escape. It would take only a moment, right? A brief slip away from the crowd, a dash to freedom. But the guards, the endless line of security that Luca had placed around her, made sure she had no opportunity. Every step she took, they followed. Every glance she cast toward a potential escape route, they closed in.

The mansion was beautiful, no doubt, but it was nothing more than a gilded cage. Aria's every move was watched. Guards stood at every corner, behind every door. The staff had been instructed not to speak to her unless spoken to, their eyes never meeting hers for more than a few seconds. It was the perfect display of control, and Aria felt it with every breath she took.

"You'll get used to this," Luca said, a faint smirk on his lips as he closed the door behind them. "This is your life now."

Aria's blood boiled. Used to it? How could she ever get used to this hell? But she bit her tongue, aware that any sign of defiance would only lead to more control, more isolation. Luca had built his empire on power and fear, and he wasn't going to let a mere woman stand in his way.

First Attempt: Testing the Waters

In the dead of night, she plotted. She knew she couldn't stay here, trapped like this, with no freedom, no chance of escape. She waited for the right moment, her mind churning through countless plans. She knew the risks, but the desire to be free outweighed the fear of what might happen.

She found a small moment of solitude one afternoon when the house seemed to fall into a quiet lull. She slipped out of her room and wandered through the grand halls, seeking any exit she could find. Her heart pounded in her chest as she neared the door to the outside—her escape, her salvation.

But before she could touch the handle, a guard appeared from the shadows. Aria froze, her breath hitching.

"You're not allowed out," he said, his tone cold and final.

Aria clenched her fists. "I'm not a prisoner," she spat, trying to push past him.

The guard simply moved to the side, his gaze never leaving hers. "Stay inside, Miss Deluca."

The door, which had felt so close, now seemed a million miles away. She turned back, defeated, her mind racing with new plans.

Despite the failure, Aria refused to relent. Each day, she tested her limits, pushing Luca to react. She needed to understand what kind of monster she was living with.

She fought against the confinement, trying to defy his control in small ways—refusing to eat the meals he sent her, rejecting his efforts to coax her into some kind of normalcy. But each time, he responded with calculated indifference. He didn't argue, didn't shout. Instead, his silence was more unsettling than any word he could have said.

One night, after another heated exchange where Aria dared to accuse him of treating her like an object, Luca simply leaned in close. His breath was cold against her ear.

"Fighting me is pointless," he whispered. "You'll only break yourself. But if you submit... if you let go of that pride, I'll show you a side of me that might just surprise you."

Aria's body stiffened, but there was something else—something dark—lurking beneath his words. Was it a threat? Or a promise?

Then, she overheard something that changed everything.

Passing through the corridors one evening, she caught whispers from two of Luca's men outside his office.

"…the Deluca files. He wants them locked away permanently."

"Too dangerous. If the wrong hands get a hold of them—"

"Luca's handling it. No one gets in or out of that study without his word."

Aria's heart pounded. The Deluca Files. She didn't know what they contained, but it was obvious—Luca had something on her father. The man who sold her, the man who had bartered her away for his own survival. If those documents held proof of his corruption, his deals, or his weakness, she could use it.

The problem? The files were in Luca's office, a place more guarded than the mansion itself. But for the first time since her wedding day, Aria felt a spark of hope. She finally had a target—something concrete to fight for.

As she slipped back to her room, her mind raced with possibilities. She would need to be careful and patient. But she would get those files.

And when she did, Luca Valentino would discover that the woman he thought he had conquered was about to become his greatest threat.