Two Can Play Devil—The Don's Fiery Wife

WALKING INTO THE LIONS DEN

Elena's POV

I sat on the edge of my velvet sofa, staring at the crumpled piece of paper on the coffee table like it was a ticking time bomb.

The address written on it was in the Diamond District—an area so exclusive that you had to pay a million-dollar "membership fee" just to get on the waiting list for an apartment. It was the kind of place my family would have belonged to now, If only my parents hadn't died, if my uncles and cousins hadn't been greedy enough to kill their own flesh and blood for money, I would be living there now.

I shook the thought away, my eyes stinging. Don’t go there, Elena, I told myself. The past is a graveyard. Focus on the ghost standing right in front of you.

Lorenzo.

I couldn't stop thinking about the way the room had gone silent when he walked in. The men who had ignored me all night had looked at him like he was a god—or a monster they didn't want to wake up. He just knew wasn't bluffing. He had the power to crush me, and it showed he had clearly spent the last ten years sharpening his claws for this exact moment.

He was the last person on Earth I wanted to ask for a favor. Hell, I’d rather crawl through broken glass than ask him for the time of day. But as I looked at the clock ticking toward midnight, I realized he might be the only hope I had left. If I didn't find a husband, the board of directors—led by my vulture of an uncle—would vote me out and sell my father’s life's work to the highest bidder.

"Earth to Elena! Are you even in there?"

I jumped, nearly knocking my glass of water over. My best friend, Sophia, was standing in the doorway of the living room, her hands on her hips. She was wearing a baggy hoodie and had her hair in a messy bun, looking far more relaxed than I felt.

"I’ve been calling your name for five minutes," she said, walking over and dropping onto the couch next to me. She spotted the paper on the table and frowned. "What’s that? And why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?"

I let out a long, shaky sigh and leaned my head back against the cushions. "I did see a ghost, Soph. At the gala tonight."

"Who? One of your exes? Or that annoying guy from the bank?"

"Lorenzo," I whispered.

Sophia froze. Her jaw literally dropped. "Lorenzo? As in... the Lorenzo? The 'boy from the wrong side of the tracks' who broke your heart and disappeared ten years ago?"

"He’s not a boy anymore," I said, my voice tight. "He’s a billionaire. And apparently, he has a reputation now. I heard people was calling him the 'Devil of Milan'."

Sophia let out a scream that probably woke up the neighbors. "No way! You’re joking! The guy who used to help us with our math homework?"

"He’s now dangerous, Soph. And he’s the reason no one would talk to me tonight. Apparently he blacklisted me. He told me that if I want to save the company, I have to marry him."

Sophia’s excitement vanished, replaced by a fierce, protective anger. She knew the whole story—how I’d caught him with my cousin, the things we’d said to each other, the way he’d vanished without a word.

"That jerk!" she hissed. "After what he did to you? After he cheated with that snake of a cousin and tried to use you for your inheritance? Now he’s back and trying to force you into a marriage?"

"He thinks he's the victim here," I said, rubbing my temples. "He thinks I looked down on him because he was poor. He’s back for revenge, Soph. I saw it in his eyes. He wants to see me beg."

Sophia grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. "If anyone should be getting revenge, it’s you, Elena. You’re the one who lost everything while he was off building an empire. Why does he want to marry you now? After ten years of silence?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe it’s the ultimate power move. To own the woman who once 'owned' him. To make the heiress his trophy wife."

"So, what are you going to do?" Sophia asked, her voice serious. "You can’t actually marry him. He’ll make your life a living hell."

I looked at the paper again. "I’m going to go there tomorrow morning. I’m going to hear him out. I’m not that scared little girl anymore, Soph. Anything he tries, I’ll show him I can play, too. I won't let my father's company go to my uncle. If marrying Lorenzo is the only way to keep it, then I’ll do it. But I’m not going down without a fight."

Sophia nodded slowly, a small smile appearing on her face. "That’s my girl. Go in there and show him he picked the wrong woman to mess with. I’ll call a few people I know—maybe I can find out more information on him."

"Thanks, Soph. I’ll need all the help I can get."

The next morning, I didn't dress like a woman who was defeated.

I spent an hour on my makeup, making sure my eyeliner was sharp enough to kill. I put on a tailored, charcoal-grey power suit with a white silk blouse underneath and four-inch stilettos that made me feel six feet tall. I looked in the mirror and saw a boss—not a victim.

I drove to the address on the paper, my heart hammering harder with every block I passed.

The building was a massive, glass-and-steel skyscraper that towered over the city. It was sleek, modern, and intimidating. Right at the top, in bold, glowing letters, was the name of the company:

L&E EMPIRE

My breath hitched. L and E. As in Lorenzo and Elena?,I shook the thought away as it sounded ridiculous even to me, the 'E' probably stood for something else. But Empire—he wasn't kidding about his status.

As I pulled my car into the private circular driveway, a security guard in a suit that looked bulletproof stepped forward. He didn't ask who I was; he just tapped his earpiece and nodded.

"Mr. Vitale is expecting you, Ms. Moretti. Please head to the express elevator."

I stepped out of the car, the cold wind whipping my hair around my face. I stood there for a second, staring up at the giant building. This was it. The moment I walked through those doors, my life would never be the same.

I was walking into the lion’s den, and the lion was hungry.

Don't be scared, I told myself, clutching my designer bag like a shield. You're a Moretti. You don't bow. You negotiate.

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and walked toward the entrance.