:Amelie’s POVThe dress was delivered just after sunset.Black velvet. Tight. Simple.But not simple enough to hide what it was really meant for.Just like the dress given to me by the triplets, this one too left little to the imagination.It clung to curves I wanted to be hidden. Left just enough bare skin to whisper promises I never intended to keep. It wasn’t a dress for diplomacy. It wasn’t a dress for war.It was a dress for bait.And tonight. I was the bait.The guard who delivered it said nothing to me. His face was blank as he stepped into my room. He just tossed the garment bag onto my bed like it was garbage and locked the door again with a heavy click.How nice.I made my way to my bed after that, sitting on the hard mattress as I waited.Five minutes later, Dante appeared.No knocking this time. I didn’t expect him to anyways.The door was pulled open, and Dante stepped in like he owned the place.He leaned against the frame, arms crossed lazily over his chest, a crooke
_Amelie’s POV_My eyes met Dante’s as I followed Vargas up the staircase. He gave me a curt nod as if to tell me I was doing good. As if to say he approved of what I was doing. And for a moment I wanted to turn around and walk away. It was infuriating to have him do that as if I didn’t know what to do.The study door clicked shut behind us, muffling the sounds of the party into a distant hum.It was just me and Vargas now.Nothing could save me now. But of course, I didn't need saving. I let him lead me deeper inside, into the low, amber-lit room lined with dark bookshelves and heavy leather furniture. Everything smelled like money, cigars, and old blood.His family was quite obviously filthy rich.He poured two glasses of whiskey without asking if I wanted one. He didn’t need to. In his mind, I was already his.Good.Let him think that.His delusions could be the end of him,I accepted the glass, letting my fingers graze his as I took it.I could feel the pulse in his wrist — stea
Amelie’s POVThe world shrank to the silence in my ear.Dante’s voice was gone.No more orders. No more warnings. No more anything.Just a heavy, stifling pause that filled the low-lit study, as if the air itself were holding its breath, waiting.Vargas was still inside me, still panting against my skin, completely oblivious.I didn’t flinch.I didn’t panic.I simply decided: It was time.His hands roamed lazily over my hips, greedy and slow, as if he thought he had all night to ruin me. His smile was lazy, drunk on the illusion that he was in control.Good.I smiled back at him — a soft, sweet thing, all parted lips and breathy sighs — and kissed him again.Slow. Lingering. Poisonous.He moaned into my mouth, grinding up into me, chasing the high he didn’t know would be his last. I shifted, rolling my hips with lazy cruelty, making him think it was pleasure that flushed my skin and not the cold, mechanical calculation humming beneath.As I moved, my fingers slipped down the curve of
Amelie’s POVI ran my fingers through my hair, smoothing the strands that clung to my skin with the remnants of him. My dress, still rumpled from the violence that had just unfolded, slid easily back into place as I tugged the fabric down over my thighs.I didn’t flinch. Not once.The red lipstick smeared across my mouth wasn’t my concern, nor was the faint warmth still lingering between my legs from the moment I’d turned Vargas into a corpse.I was a weapon, and weapons didn’t show weakness.I took a long breath, watching my reflection in the polished wood of the study’s door. I didn’t see the girl who had entered this house — the one trembling with nerves, with plans, with the hope that things could end differently.That girl was dead now.She had died when Vargas fell, and something else, something darker, had risen in her place.I left the study without a sound, the door clicking shut behind me. The air of the hallway felt thick, as if the walls themselves were suffocating me with
_Amelie’s POV_My eyes peeled open, immediately closing off when the harsh might hit them.The first thing I felt was the ache.Not pain exactly—though there was that too—but something deeper. A heaviness in my limbs. A sluggishness in my bloodAn after effect of the drugs I had inhaled? Maybe.The second thing I felt was the ropes.Thick. Tight. Binding my wrists above my head, my ankles spread wide, strapped to cold steel. I was stretched out, helpless, my back arching slightly from the tension.Déjà vu slammed into me like a fist.This had happened before. In another house. Another lifetime.I remember the last thing that had happened. I had killed Vargas and Dante left me.And then I fell unconscious.The realization that I had been kidnapped by Varga's men hit me and my heart dropped in panic.I needed to get out of here, needed to escape.But the ropes around my wrists were tied so tightly, that escape wasn't an option.I tried to figure out where I was, and that was when my eye
Amelie’s POVI was still unable to see much of anything around me o anything for that matter.The blindfold around my eyes was there, tightened.The leather cuffs circled my wrists like a mockery of freedom. Softer than the ropes. Almost gentle.But they were chains all the same.Chains I hadn’t fought Or tried to get out of.Chains I’d been given.The room was too quiet now. No more ragged breathing. No more cruel touches.Just the sound of my own blood pounding behind my ears.And them.Watching.I couldn't see them but I could very much feel them.Very soon, the blindfold was peeled off my face and the first thing that came to sight was Matteo crouched in front of me, the smirk wiped clean from his face.In its place was something worse. Something infinitely heavier.Possession.I had never seen this look on his face ever before and it sent thrills down my spine.He tilted my chin up with two fingers, forcing me to meet his eyes.His thumb brushed my split lip, almost tender, almos
Amelie’s POVThe cuffs cut into my wrists as I came back to myself.I was still tied up—arms stretched behind me, ankles parted, body aching in ways I didn’t want to name. Bruises bloomed across my body, their obvious handprints all over my body.The collar burned against my neck, but for some reason I stared up at them, my eyes begging them to touch me.But they didn’t. They didn’t untie me immediately as well.They didn’t comfort me.They stood there—Nico, Luca, Matteo—watching me like I was a painting they had finished defacing. Like they were admiring the ruin they had made.I hated how my heart responded.How my body sang for them even through the wreckage. How it begged to be touched.“You survived,” Luca said finally, voice flat. No warmth. No affection.“That’s more than most could say.”Did he mean to survive killing a Madia Don? Or survive the three of them.Matteo crouched beside me, tilting his head like he was studying a broken doll. His fingers brushed my cheek—tender,
_Amelie’s POV_The floor was cold. Way too cold but I welcomed it.It reminded me I was still alive.Still here.Santiago’s men had thrown me into my room,Not bothering to see if I survived the throw or not.My ears rang, my head throbbing but I made no effort to leave the flood and go to bed.The door creaked open behind me. I didn’t lift my head, didn't bother to finf out who had stepped in..Not until I heard the slow, deliberate footsteps. The sound of ice clinking in a glass.A scent I knew too well—expensive cologne and something fouler beneath it.Something I had perceived way too much since I came back home.Dante.I dragged my eyes up, finding him framed in the doorway, glass in hand, dressed like he hadn’t just orchestrated my betrayal.“Still breathing,” he said smoothly, voice like poisoned honey. “Color me impressed.”I made an effort to roll my eyes, showing him just how much I didn't care.He shut the door with a click. No guards. No warning. Just him.But I had no rea
_Third person POV_The sun had barely risen, casting a faint glow over the room, when Amelie wokeShe was still in the bed beside Victor, his arm draped heavily over her waist. His breath was warm against her shoulder, slow and steady as he slept. She could feel the weight of him on her. His body, always a presence, even in slumber, reminded her of her role here—how close she was to everything she despised, and how far she was from escaping it.The sound of his breathing almost felt suffocating, the intimacy of it pressing in on her. For a moment, she lay perfectly still, staring at the ceiling, the silence wrapping around her like a thick, suffocating blanket.This position was meant for couples who were in love, not me. Not this. She thought to herself as she stared at the man sleeping beside her.Santiago’s voice echoed in her mind, cold and indifferent, “You’re not irreplaceable.”ButShe felt a cold shiver crawl down her spine as she recalled the finality in his words. No matter
(Amelie’s POV)I listened quietly as the phone rang once, not taking my eyes off the vibrating object.Then silence.The sound had barely faded when it buzzed again—short, sharp, vibrating across my desk like a warning bell. I didn’t need to look at the screen. No one else would call me like this. Not twice. Not like a command.How can a phone call sound like a command? Like it said, “pick up, you peasant.” Only one person could get that energy.I answered on the third ring, pressing the phone to my ear, not saying a word.I listened to my breathing till he spoke, and it didn't take long before he did.“Did you forget what you’re here for?” Santiago’s voice was a blade—flat, clean, and utterly cold.Well, hello to you too, Father. I thought with a roll of my eyes. “No,” I said, barely above a whisper. I had the phone pressed against mt cheek as I waited for what he would say next. Even though I knew what it was going to be.“You were supposed to get close to Victor. Not play house
Amelie’s POVLuca’s lips brushed my ear. “No, cara mia. We’re here to make you remember who you are when you’re with us.”My lips parted as I stared up at him. I should’ve moved. Should’ve shoved him away, demanded they leave, kept clinging to the cold, distant version of myself I’d spent months perfecting. The one who could survive this estate. The one Victor believed he owned.The one Santiago thought returned to him. But I didn’t.Because deep down I knew exactly what I wanted. Even though it was rhe thing I should be wanting.Luca’s hands slid to my waist, grounding me in the worst way. “Don’t pretend with us,” he whispered, voice low and dark. “Not tonight.”I swallowed a limb, feeling the heat pf his palm on my skin. Behind him, Nico leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me like he already knew every thought running through my head. And maybe he did.And Matteo —Matteo was already behind me, his fingers brushing the small of my back, claiming space without permis
_Amelie’s POV_To make my work more efficient, Santiago made sure I moved to Victor’s house in preparation for the wedding. I still wasn’t sure if Santiago thought I would be getting married to him for real or not, but that wasn’t my problem.All I had to do was get information before the wedding and call it off.Easy right?Except I had no idea where to find this information from.But the best place to always get information was a library.Or black market.The heels of my shoes barely made a sound against the marble floor as I stepped into Victor’s library. The door creaked slightly behind me, but I didn’t flinch. I’d memorized the guard rotations, the blind spots in the security cameras, and even which doors had looser hinges. I had twenty, maybe thirty minutes max.But I wouldn’t be using all that time. All I had to do was search and get out before anyone caught me. They were already suspicious of me and I couldn’t risk it.The library had floor-to-ceiling shelves, thick with th
Amelie’s POVI stood in front of the full-length mirror, running my fingers down the length of the red dress. It clung to my curves like a second skin, the fabric whispering against my fingertips as I adjusted it. The deep neckline barely covered the curve of my chest, and the slit that ran up my thigh made every step feel deliberate—designed to catch the eye and keep it there.Every dress I had worn showed the curves of my body, and this one wasn't any different.Victor had asked for red, but he didn’t know what kind of red he was going to get.Santiago’s voice echoed in my mind: Play the part. Be the perfect bride. Show them what they want to see.All this just to get the information that he wanted. But that wasn’t the part I was playing tonight. Tonight, I was going to show Victor something entirely different.I adjusted the jade earrings, letting the weight of the stones rest comfortably on my earlobes.it wasn’t enough to simply look perfect. I needed him to feel it. To know it
_Amelie’s POV_I stood in the mirrored hallway outside Victor Delgado’s office, the hem of my slate-blue dress brushing against my heels like a whisper. I don't remember the last time I had dressed up like this, since I was constantly being moved like a chess piece.The neckline dipped slightly—elegant, not suggestive. Santiago had insisted I dress the part. I was to pose as someone’s fiancee and spy on him, wouldn't be the first time I would be used as a bride.Except I wasn't sure if I was supposed to get married to this one this time. Santiago had repeatedly said the words to me.You’re not a soldier today. You’re the bride.Bride.The word left a sour taste in my mouth, though my face remained impassive. I adjusted my diamond earring, more out of habit than need. I was already flawless. That was the point. Victor Delgado, Santiago’s most valuable ally in the northern territories, was about to meet his future wife—and she would not falter.How fun, I thought as I rolled my eye
_Amelie’s POV_The door closed behind me with a soft click and I let out a breath J didn't know I was holding. I didn't know what to say about that conversation but I tried to not think about it too much. I didn’t dare linger in the hallway after that. If Santiago wanted something from me, it wouldn’t be for long and that had to be the only reason he had called me into his officeso early in the morning. I kept my pace steady as I walked back to my room, my footsteps echoing in the silence of the mansion.Most people hadn't even awakened by now but this was me having a conversation with my father.The note under my pillow, the one that had taunted me with its ominous “We’re not alone,” gnawed at the back of my mind. I stopped in front of my door, my fingers ghosting over the door knob.What if someone had been in my room? I wondered as I hesitated to step in. Taking in a deep breath, I turned the knob as I pushed the door open, my eyes roaming through the room.It seemed as if n
Amelie’s POVThe sun hadn’t risen yet. Santiago never called for anyone this early unless something was bleeding—or about to be.A maid knocked on my door shortly after five, voice trembling as she whispered, “He wants to see you. Now.”So here I was, walking through cold hallways that felt more like a museum than a home, the chill of marble beneath my bare feet biting through my skin.It was too early for me to be awake. Too early to go seeing that man’s face. But I couldn't exactly say no to him, could I?When I stepped into his study, Santiago didn’t look up. He didn't even to acknowledge my presence.He sat behind his desk, perfectly still, swirling a dark drink in a crystal glass like it was the blood of someone who’d disappointed him.I wouldn't be surprised if that was what it actually was.So I stood in the doorway, silent as I waited for him to decide he wanted to speak to me.He shouldn't have called for me if he wasn't going to. I tried my best to hide the annoyanve I felt
_Amelie’s POV_The note sat on my nightstand like a loaded gun.Plain paper. No signature. Three words.We’re not alone.I couldn't tell who it was from or how long it had been here.It clearly wasn't from the triplets. Not from Dante. Not even from Santiago.Which meant only one thing—someone else was here. Someone watching me. Someone watching them.It wasn’t the message itself that unsettled me, I could have easily ignored it.But what I couldn’t ignore was the quiet way it arrived. It was slipped under my pillow without waking me. No creaking doors. No shadows shifting. Just silence. Intentional. Controlled.A ghost, not a guest.Well if I could call whoever it was that.My room hadn’t been breached. It had been entered.And I hadn’t even noticed.I didn’t know what to feel about that.I sat still for a long time.The note curled slightly at the edges of my hand, as if it were alive, breathing with me. I couldn’t think of anyone who could have possibly sent itI turned it over—