{Nico’s POV}
The moment Elena disappeared down the hall, I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension coiling in my muscles. My wife. The word settled uncomfortably in my mind, like a loaded gun pressed to my temple.
I didn’t marry Elena Ricci for love.
I married her to control her. To keep her close.
To figure out why Marco wanted her dead.
The past has a way of resurfacing unexpectedly.
I sat in my office, whiskey in hand, feeling like history was repeating itself. Elena Ricci was my wife now. But once, she was supposed to be my bride under very different circumstances.
Before the blood.
Before the betrayals.
Before Marco Ricci destroyed everything.
I closed my eyes, letting the memories pull me under.
Years Ago
Elena had been barely eighteen when our fathers de
