FAZER LOGINArielle’s POVWe were still in the same position, I tied off the suture with trembling fingers, cut the thread, and pressed fresh gauze over the neat row of black stitches. Matteo hadn’t made a sound the entire time, just watched me with those unreadable eyes, his hand still resting lightly at the nape of my neck like an anchor.I sat back on my heels. The gown had slipped further, barely clinging to my hips now. I didn’t fix it. What was the point? He’d already seen everything the silk wasn’t hiding.“Done,” I said, voice steadier than I felt.He exhaled slowly through his nose. “Not bad for a civilian.”“I’ve stitched worse.” The words came out before I could stop them, too revealing.His brow lifted. “When?”I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter.”He studied me another long second, then his fingers flexed against my neck, not pulling, just… holding. “It matters to me.”The admission hung between us, quiet and dangerous.I swallowed. “You’re losing blood. You need to lie down.”“I need
ARIELLE'S POVLiora was waiting outside the training room when I stepped out, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. My muscles ached in a way that felt almost good—like proof I wasn’t completely helpless.“My lady,” she said, falling into step beside me. “The Don expects you at dinner tonight. Formal. I’ve laid out something appropriate.”I nodded, too tired to argue. We walked in silence for a while.Finally, I broke it. “Liora… What's it really like? Being a woman in this world?”She didn’t answer right away. We turned a corner, passed a framed oil painting of some grim-faced Moretti ancestor staring down like he was judging us both.“Most of us are tools,” she said quietly. “Pretty ones, sometimes useful ones, but tools all the same. You marry who they tell you to marry. You smile at the men who matter. You look away when they do things you’re not supposed to see. And if you’re lucky… your husband remembers your name more than once a year.”I swallowed. “And if you’
ARIELLE'S POV After the disastrous breakfast moment with Matteo and his associates, Liora approached me on my way out. I knew I was going to meet up with her for the training. But here she was, already in front of me. “Mr Nikolai Morretti does not like to be kept waiting, my lady. We must hasten up.” I bit my bottom lip, and walked with her. “What's he like? I don't think I got to meet him at the wedding. I said and she chuckled. “None of the Morretti's were present at the wedding with the Don. You should be careful, My lady.” She said calmly, but I knew those words had an even deeper meaning. One I wasn't ready for. We walked together. After some time, we appeared in front of the training room. It smelled of leather, sweat, and gun oil. Located, in east wing of the estate—high ceilings, mirrored walls on one side, padded mats on the floor, and racks of weapons that looked far too well-maintained to be decorative. Nikolai Moretti waited in the center of the mat, arms crossed, w
ARIELLE'S POV “Mother.”The word hung in the air and my stomach dropped, but I refused to let it show. Elena Moretti, his mother, stood there in her perfect black dress. Red lipstick and eyes raking over me like I was something scraped off the bottom of her designer heel.I've never felt so insignificant in my life. Matteo’s hand was still low on my waist, fingers lay possessively over the curve of my hip. I could feel the tension in the room, but his face remained calm. Elena’s gaze flicked to her son, then back to me. “So this is the little thief you’ve dragged into our family. Charming choice, Matteo. Truly.”I kept my voice steady, polite and almost sweet. “Good morning, Signora Moretti. I’m Arielle. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”If I was going to survive these people, I needed to be smart about it. “Pleasure? The only pleasure here will be watching you crawl out of this house in pieces when your lies are exposed.”I tilted my head, my smile never wavering. “I apprecia
ARIELLE'S POV After the disastrous wedding night with Don Matteo, I forced myself to sleep. It felt like my entire body was protesting against me, but with time my eyelids felt heavy and I finally fell asleep. Morning came quickly. I groaned as my eyes met the sharp lights in his bedroom. “Buonginora, Signora Moretti." I stared at the maid in a black dress and white apron around her waist. She had a white net on her head too, and gloves. I've noticed all his workers dress in black. What would one expect from a man with a black heart. “I'd prefer you speak English. My Italian isn't fluent.” I said and her eyes widened for a split second before it vanished. “Si.” She muttered under her breath and paused when she realized her mistake. “I'm sorry Madame.” She said and I brushed it off. “It's okay, I understand that it takes a while to come to terms with things like that. Call me Arielle.” I instructed. “The Don would not hear of it, Madame. You are his wife. It is our duty to
ARIELLE'S POV The Villa was quiet, aside from the sound of some of the servants clearing up the venue. The wedding reception had ended hours ago, polite toasts and forced smiles was all I did afterwards. I watched them from the windows. Soon everyone left including the servants. I was alone, with Matteo. I stood in the center of the master suite, still clad in my dress, the long train without pooling to my feet. It was a very long dress. The room was massive with a luxurious interior. Matteo joined me soon and shut the door behind him with a soft click. He had removed his jacket and tie downstairs; the white shirt was open at the throat now, sleeves rolled up now. He looked nothing like the groom but a sexy runway model.He approached the mini bar in the bedroom and poured two fingers of amber liquid in a glass. I knew it was alcohol. “House rules…” he began, his tone calm and conversational. This was one of the things I hated most about him, his ability to remain so calm while







