Shadows of the Night She was never meant to be his wife. Now, she's the only thing standing between him and destruction. On the night of her arranged wedding, Seraphina Moretti vanishes, leaving behind a blood-soaked dress and a shattered empire. But escape is an illusion in the underworld-especially when the man hunting her is Enzo DeLuca, the ruthless mafia heir she was promised to. Forced back into a world she swore to leave behind, Seraphina learns that her disappearance ignited a war, her family is in ruins, and her father's enemies are closing in. To protect what's left, she must do the unthinkable-marry the man she betrayed. But nothing in the mafia is ever what it seems. Enemies lurk within, secrets unravel with every whispered vow, and love is the most dangerous game of all. In a world where loyalty is a weapon and betrayal is inevitable, Seraphina must decide: surrender to a man who could destroy her... or fight for a throne that was never meant to be hers. One choice will seal her fate. One lie could burn them all. And in the end, only one of them can rule.
Chapter 1 THE RUNAWAY BRIDE
A Dress Stained in Blood
The silk of her white bridal dress stuck to her; constricting her. The corset against her ribcage constrained her breath, and she remembered this was a trap. Beyond the large oak entrance of the Moretti manor, the outside world waited-a room full of guests, bosses from the mob, and Enzo DeLuca, groom-to-be.
She was engaged to marry a monster.
Seraphina clenched her fists, nails into palms. She had seen him twice before-once when their betrothal was announced, and once when their fathers had finalized the contract over whiskey and money stained with blood. He was cold, deadly, impossible to guess. A man who had built his reputation on precision and brutality.
And in less than an hour, he would be hers.
A knock on the door. She flinched.
"Come in," she urged, cultivating her face into vapid indifference.
The door creaked softly open, and her brother Luciano stood in the doorway. His dark hair was rumpled, and a look of wildness entered his stormy blue eyes.
"Sera," he breathed. "It is time."
Her heart twisted in response to what she saw before her. Luciano was the softer one, the one with a glimmer of hope inside him. Yet tonight, that hope had curdled and turned into only fear.
"I can't do this," she whispered.
Luciano drew an ugly breath and stepped inside the room, closing the door between them. "Then we're leaving. Tonight."
Her head snapped up. "What?"
"I've got a car behind. A new passport, cash-whatever you'll require." He waited. "But once we do this, there's no turning back."
Seraphina's throat constricted. No turning back.
No Moretti name. No empire.
But didn't she want that?
She grasped his hand. "Let's go."
Betrayal in the Shadows
They sprinted through the corridors hastily, dodging the guests and guards at each turn. This evening, the house was a fortress, shutting out enemy-or reluctant bride-from escape.
Seraphina's heart thumped as they reached the door of the servants' exit. The getaway car hovered just beyond.
Freedom was at hand.
Then-horror's most foul sound. A gunshot.
Luciano lurched forward, straining for air. A dark stain spread over the tuxedo.
Seraphina screamed.
A shadow emerged from the darkness. A man dressed in black, a smoking silencer still in his hand.
Her father's second-in-command, Matteo Rossi.
"You really thought you could escape, Principessa?" he sneered.
Anger burned through Seraphina. Matteo was a loyal dog, but she was a wolf.
He didn't have time to react before she did. Fast. Ruthless.
The sheathed dagger belted at her thigh sliced through the air. Matteo never had time to react to what was happening before the blade struck his throat.
A gagged gurgle. A lurch. A silence.
Luciano hit the floor, coughing blood.
"Sera-run!" he rasped.
Tears blotted out everything. "I'm not going to leave you!"
"You have to." His grip on her wrist was weak, desperate. "If you don't, all of it was for nothing."
The rear door crashed open.
Footsteps. Voices.
Seraphina kissed the forehead of her brother. And then she fled.
A Deal with the Devil
She waited until she was able to access the parked automobile. The mercenary-for-hire driver hadn't even shifted into gear when bullets tore holes in the windshield.
Seraphina ducked as glass crashed.
"Drive, damn it!" she exclaimed.
The tires screeched as they ripped through the rear streets, losing the Moretti mansion.
Seraphina rested her forehead against the glass. Luciano was nowhere in sight.
She had nothing. Except-
She wasn't out yet.
Her stomach twisted as she pulled out her phone. One call. One last move.
She dialed.
The line rang through. A voice-smooth, deadly-answered.
"You have a lot of nerve calling me, Principessa."
Seraphina drew a breath. "Enzo. I have an offer."
A pause. Then-
"I'm listening."
Caught in a Cage
The DeLuca compound was not comparable to the Moretti estate. Cold. Less luxurious. More house than fortress.
Enzo behind a black glass desk, his green eyes never leaving Seraphina's like a hunter tracking prey.
"You ran from me," he whispered. "And now you slink back?"
Seraphina squared her shoulders. "I didn't come to beg."
His lips curled into a deadly smile.
"No?" he considered. "Then what do you want?"
She drew a breath. "An alliance."
Enzo's eyes snapped into focus.
"My father betrayed me," she went on. "He attempted to kill me. I owe no allegiance to the Moretti name now."
She looked at him. Steady. Unwavering.
"But I will marry you-on one condition."
Enzo inclined his head. "And that is?"
Seraphina smiled.
"I want revenge."
A Vow Sealed in Blood
There was silence between them.
Then Enzo stood beside her, circling the desk. He stopped before her, close enough she could feel the heat of him.
"You believe you need me?" he breathed.
Seraphina tilted her chin. "I believe you want to murder my father as much as I do. And our combined strength will do the job."
His fingers caressed her jaw, sending a shiver down her spine.
"You're playing with fire, Sera."
"I was born in it."
He didn't say anything for a moment. Then-
He smiled.
"Fine," he said. "We'll do it your way."
He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a black velvet box.
Inside-a ring.
"But make no mistake, amore." He slid it onto her finger, his grip possessive. Unbreakable.
"This marriage? It's not just for revenge."
His lips brushed her ear.
"You belong to me now."
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