Chapter 1
I proposed to Luca Vittori three times, and he rejected me three times. Later, when he was set to marry the Russell heiress, all of Cranwell's elite were waiting for me to self-destruct.
Luca coaxed me, holding me the way he always did, and said, "Elena, the engagement is just a family alliance. Once I secure the Vittori inheritance, I'll make things right. "
But I couldn't wait.
Moretti Shipping's financial lifeline had snapped, three cargo ships had been impounded at the port, and my father was under federal investigation over a shipment that had been tampered with. The company's largest outstanding debts and control of the docks had all fallen into Damian Vittori's hands.
And he had only one condition: to become a member of the Vittori family.
The last time I asked Luca to marry me, his face finally darkened. "Elena, do you have to corner me like this?"
Fine. I wouldn't push him anymore.
That night, I got into Damian's bulletproof Bentley parked in the underground garage. The moment the door closed, he loosened his tie, lifted me onto his lap, pressed a prenuptial agreement onto my lap, and his other hand slowly slid up my skirt.
Damian said, "I told you long ago. That nephew of mine can't give you anything."
He murmured against my ear, his voice as low as the quiet click of a gun being c****d. "Now, the Moretti family is yours. You are mine."
*****
The person Luca feared most was his uncle, Damian Vittori.
Three years ago, the Vittori family's former Godfather had died in an ambush where the killer was never found. Within twenty-nine days, Damian eliminated three traitors, two treacherous dock union bosses, and a supply route secretly feeding the Caurias.
He secured his place at the head of the Vittori family on the East Coast. Some called him Godfather; others called him a madman behind his back. But no one dared say an extra word in his presence.
The first time I saw him was the night Luca took me to the old mansion on Dalby.
At that time, the Moretti family's cargo ship had just been detained, and the bank had suddenly called in our loans. My father aged ten years overnight, and the only solution I could think of was to have Luca help me beg Damian.
Before entering, Luca held my hand and comforted me in a low voice, "Don't be afraid. Uncle Damian seems difficult, but as long as he's willing to say the word, the port will release your ships tonight."
I asked, "Will he be willing?"
Luca kissed my forehead. "I'll convince him."
He said it with such certainty that I truly believed him.
Until the door to the second-floor study opened, and Damian stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a black shirt without a tie, his sleeves rolled to his forearms, an unlit cigar between his fingers.
He didn't speak. He just looked down from above, his gaze landing first on Luca's hand holding mine, then slowly moving to my face.
That glance sent a prickling sensation down my nape, like prey being watched from the dark.
Luca led me over. "Uncle Damian, this is Elena, my girlfriend."
I followed with a greeting, "Mr. Vittori."
Luca corrected with a smile, "Just call him Uncle Damian."
Damian finally spoke, "Married?"
The air went quiet at once. Luca's smile froze for a split second. He replied, "Not yet."
"Then you're not a Vittori." Damian looked at me, his tone flat. "No need to call me that."
The night of the family dinner, I barely ate a thing. Luca squeezed my hand under the table several times, whispering not to worry, that he would find a chance to talk.
But by the time dinner ended, he still hadn't brought up the Moretti situation.
In the end, I was the one who rushed out. I'd barely pushed open the door at the end of the corridor when I collided with a hard chest. I instinctively stepped back, but his hand caught me, hooking around my waist from behind and pulling me firmly back against him.
A sharp, cold cedar scent pressed down on me. I looked up into Damian's eyes. "Let me go."
He didn't release me right away, just looked down at me. "How long have you been with Luca?"
I answered, "Six years."
He asked, "Slept together?"
My face instantly burned. I jerked against his hold. "That's none of your business."
Damian seemed almost amused, but his arm locked tighter.
He dipped his head, his lips almost grazing my ear. "Of course it matters. The Moretti debt is in my hands now. Whether your father walks away from that investigation clean, whether your three ships dock tomorrow. It all depends on my say-so."
My breathing grew shallow and tight. He turned his face, the tip of his nose brushing my temple, his voice dropping to something almost hypnotic. "Be mine. The Moretti family is mine to save."
