Luca Montella- the cold and calculating Don of the Montella crime family, is forced into an arranged marriage to secure a fragile truce, he expects nothing more than a strategic alliance. But his bride, Maria Spaletti, is not the meek pawn he anticipated. She is fire wrapped in silk, a woman with her own secrets-and an agenda that could destroy them both. Maria has spent years plotting revenge against the family that betrayed her, and marrying Luca is her way in. But the deeper she sinks into his dangerous world, the harder it becomes to resist the man behind the monster. As deadly rivals close in and long-buried truths unravel, their marriage of convenience becomes a battlefield of passion, power, and betrayal. In a game where love is the deadliest weakness, will Luca and Maria survive their vows... or will they burn together?
Chapter 1 1
The wedding dress clung to Maria Spaletti's body like a silken cage, its delicate lace a cruel contrast to the war raging inside her. The weight of the veil pressed against her shoulders, but it was nothing compared to the burden she carried. Tonight, she would marry the man responsible for the destruction of her family.
Her reflection in the gilded mirror revealed nothing of the storm beneath the surface. Dark eyes, perfectly lined, betrayed none of the fury simmering beneath. She had trained for this moment, sculpted herself into the perfect image of a dutiful bride. But beneath the soft waves of her hair and the careful poise of her shoulders, she was a weapon- one forged in the fire of betrayal and loss. A sharp knock at the door shattered the silence. Antonio, her father's enforcer, stepped inside, his expression unreadable. "It's time."
Maria exhaled slowly and turned away from the mirror. The time for doubts had long passed. She followed Antonio down the corridor, past guards who barely spared her a glance. This was not a day of joy- it was a transaction, a binding of two crime families in a fragile truce. At the grand entrance of the cathedral, her father stood waiting, his expression carved from stone.
Don Spaletti offered his arm, and Maria took it, feeling nothing as they stepped into the candlelit church. Rows of powerful men and their elegantly dressed wives filled the pews, their gazes heavy with scrutiny. But Maria saw only one man-the figure standing at the altar.
Luca Montella.
The man who had orchestrated her family's downfall. The man she was about to vow herself to. His gaze locked onto hers as she approached, unreadable, cold. The flickering candlelight did nothing to soften the sharp lines of his face, the quiet menace that clung to him like a second skin. The world called him a king. She called him a monster.
Yet here she was, walking willingly into his grasp. Luca Montella watched his bride approach with the measured patience of a predator. Maria Spaletti moved like a queen, her head held high, her steps unwavering. There was no fear in her eyes- only a quiet defiance, a challenge that intrigued him more than it should.
She was a stunning deception. A woman draped in ivory lace, a sacrificial offering meant to seal the fragile truce between their families. But Luca knew better. Maria was no lamb. She was a blade wrapped in silk. The moment her fingers met his, he felt it- the tension, the resistance hidden beneath the softness of her skin. She despised him.
Good... Hatred was an emotion he understood. It was easier to control than false affections.
The priest began the ceremony, his voice a distant hum against the weight of unspoken threats hanging in the air. Luca did not take his eyes off Maria, watching for the slightest tremor, the smallest crack in her mask. But she remained unreadable, her expression betraying nothing as she spoke the words that bound them.
When the moment came for the kiss, she barely tilted her chin. Luca brushed his lips against hers, a brief, calculated touch, more for the audience than for them.
Applause rippled through the cathedral as they turned to face their new reality. Maria Spaletti was now Maria Montella. And the game had truly begun. The reception was a grand display of power, a gathering of the most dangerous men in the underworld. Crystal chandeliers bathed the room in a golden glow, casting deceptive warmth over a crowd that thrived on blood and betrayal.
Maria moved through it with practiced ease, her husband never far from her side. They were a spectacle, the newlyweds binding two empires, but beneath the surface, they were nothing more than two opponents playing the same game.
A waiter passed by with a tray of wine, and Maria lifted a glass. Before she could take a sip, Luca leaned in, his voice a quiet murmur. "Careful, bella. Wouldn't want you to think I'm trying to poison you on our wedding night."
Her fingers tightened around the glass. "That would be too obvious. You strike me as the type to be more... discreet."
Luca's lips curled in amusement. "You've been thinking about how I'd kill you?"
"I like to be prepared."
His gaze darkened, though not with anger. "Good. That makes two of us."
Before she could respond, Don Spaletti approached, his expression betraying nothing. "Luca. A word."
Luca studied him for a moment, then turned to Maria. "Don't wander too far, mia moglie. We still have a dance to share."
She watched him disappear into the crowd with her father, unease curling in her stomach. The Montellas believed they had won, that this marriage secured their power. They had no idea that the woman standing in their midst wasn't a submissive bride. She was a storm waiting to break.
Chapter 1 1
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Chapter 2 2
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Chapter 3 3
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Chapter 4 4
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Chapter 5 5
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Chapter 6 6
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Chapter 7 7
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Chapter 8 8
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Chapter 9 9
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Chapter 10 10
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Chapter 11 11
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Chapter 12 12
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Chapter 13 13
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Chapter 14 14
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