at not only contained power but also emanated it, combining contemporary glass architecture with traditional Italian craftsmanship. Like many unblink

ay. The beautiful fountains, tastefully groomed trees, and immaculately trimmed hedges shouted riches of a scale I had only ever s

gh the soft hum of the car's engine. Casually resting his palm on the gear shift, I could see

for a steady heartbeat. "I ha

er go down my spine. Whispering, "Be patient, Elena," he sa

or us before I could push any farther. The matriarch herself, Sophia Russo, w

ication. She was steel and elegance. The weight of her diamonds gleamed in the light from the chandelier, and silver strands ran through he

ed with a blend of Mediterranean and Chicago polish

but I tried to hide it with a blank expr

ed with awareness due to the warmth of his contact. With a tone

ought, Sophia put her hand around mine with much more force than I had anticipated. The diamonds on her

didn't inquire.

ive artwork that belonged in a museum rather than a private residence adorned the walls. An elegantly

ing glass coffee table was surrounded by immaculate white leather sofas. Every elemen

bt," Sophia said as she settl

voice, I said, "Three hundred thousand." Distribut

ing was like glass shatterin

d my father's restaurant, my mother's dream, and how, when she died, he had clung d

?" Even though I was feeli

n us. "A contract for marriage. A year. The riches of the Russo family will be entirely ava

. This was a strategic partnership rather than merely a business deal.

if I

al of my dress. Its heat was a subtle warning, burning across

he studied us both. She witnessed e

You are aware of risk assessment. For all parti

d me. My father's whole future versus a year of my life.

e strange. "Full annulment following." A

r head in agreem

al, substantial weight. With barely a small

ng both exciting and terrible jolted through my veins as his skin brushed mine

sing the pen to the page. My

ing flickered across the Chicago cityscape. There would be a