Chapter 6: The rules of this family

Jane’s POV

The car door slammed shut behind me, trapping me inside the dark vehicle with a man who had almost ordered an execution three minutes ago. My chest rose and fell in rapid, uneven breaths.

The cool air from the vents brushed against my face, but it did nothing to calm the panic burning beneath my skin. I pressed my back against the leather seat and kept my eyes fixed on my lap.

Raymond unbuttoned his suit jacket slowly. He stretched his long legs across the spacious back seat and stared out the window into the dark night. The engine roared to life, and the driver pulled away from the banquet hall.

Silence settled over the car. Every slight movement Raymond made made my stomach tighten.

My fingers trembled against my thighs, so I laced them together and squeezed until the shaking eased.

I had to know the rules before I made a mistake that could cost me everything.

“You’re… engaged to her,” I whispered, my voice barely carrying across the car.

Raymond didn’t look at me. His gaze remained fixed on the window.

“We’re not talking about that.”

His tone was calm but final, leaving no room to push. I tightened my grip on my dress before trying again.

“She tried to attack me in front of everyone,” I said quietly. “She called it a sacred contract. If she comes after me again… I just need to know what I’m dealing with.”

Only then did he turn his head. His dark eyes settled on mine, unreadable.

“You don’t need to know. You don’t ask about my business, my alliances… or Valentina.”

I swallowed hard. “But she said her family would start a war.”

Raymond leaned closer until his broad shoulders blocked the light from the window. My body went rigid.

“Did I give you permission to question me?” he asked quietly.

“No,” I whispered. “You didn’t.”

“Then keep your mouth shut.”

I closed my mouth immediately. He offered no explanation and no reassurance. The conversation ended because he’d decided it was over. I wasn’t his partner. I was a pawn, and pawns didn’t get to know the whole game.

The rest of the drive passed in silence. Nearly forty minutes later, the car rolled through the estate’s iron gates before coming to a smooth stop at the front steps. The driver stepped out first and opened Raymond’s door. He got out without a word, and I followed a moment later.

The massive oak doors opened before we reached them. Two guards in dark suits bowed their heads as Raymond walked past. I kept my eyes on the marble floor, avoiding the weapons beneath their jackets. All I wanted was to go upstairs, lock my bedroom door, and be alone.

“Jane.”

His voice echoed through the grand hall, stopping me in my tracks. I turned around immediately.

“Yes, sir?”

“Come to my study.”

“Yes, sir.”

I left the staircase behind and followed him toward the east wing.

His study was dark, heavy oak furniture lining the room, shelves of old books covering the walls, the faint scent of aged wood and scotch lingering in the air. Raymond walked to a crystal decanter on the side table, poured himself a drink, took a slow sip, then looked at me.

“Sit.”

I walked over to the leather chair across from his desk and sat on the edge of the cushion, back straight, ankles crossed, hands resting quietly in my lap. I remembered his warning in the car and I wasn’t about to ask another question.

“You held your ground tonight,” Raymond said as he settled into his chair and placed the glass on the desk. “You didn’t panic when the guns came out.”

“I couldn’t move,” I admitted quietly. “I’d never seen a real gun before tonight, I didn’t know what to do.”

“You did exactly what you were supposed to do, you let me handle it.” He picked up his glass again. “If you’re going to stay by my side, you’ll see a lot more weapons.”

He studied me in silence, slowly rolling the glass between his hands, ice clinking softly against crystal before he finally spoke again.

“Do you remember why you’re here?”

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

I lifted my head and met his eyes.

“I came to your office, I begged you to pay my father’s hospital bills, I offered to become your contract lover in exchange.”

“You did.” He took another sip. “You told me you’d do whatever it took, you said you’d become the woman every Don expects beside him.”

“I remember.”

“Good.” He set the glass down with a sharp thud. “Because right now you’re acting like you’re one step away from running. I don’t need that, I don’t need someone who flinches every time the world gets loud. I need someone who can sit in the middle of chaos and still breathe.”

I tightened my grip on my dress.

“I’m trying, I just don’t know this world.”

“You will.” His voice stayed even. “But don’t mistake unfamiliar for impossible. You asked for this, you chose it, that means you don’t get to fall apart the first time it looks back at you.”

“I’m not falling apart,” I said quickly. “I just don’t want to become a liability. If Valentina comes after me again and I don’t know how to react, it’ll reflect badly on your name.”

Raymond stood and walked around the desk, stopping directly in front of me. His tall frame cast a shadow over my chair, but I forced myself to stay still.

“Valentina isn’t your concern,” he said. “If she comes near you again, my men will deal with her. Your concern is learning how to belong to this family.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Starting tomorrow, you’re done with the accounting office. You’ll stay in this house. My people will teach you how to walk, how to speak, how to carry yourself like a Don’s woman. You’ll learn the names and faces of every boss on the commission.”

“I will.”

“Next week, you’ll sit beside me at dinner. The commission will be here. They’ll ask questions, and they’ll be looking for weakness.”

“I won’t give them any.”

He reached down and lifted my chin with one hand, thumb brushing lightly against my jaw, but there was nothing gentle about it. Every part of me tensed, yet I didn’t pull away.

“You’ll smile,” he murmured. “You’ll make them believe you adore me, make them believe you belong beside me. If they don’t believe you…” He paused, eyes never leaving mine. “Then they’ll start testing you. And I don’t tolerate tests.”

“I understand.”

He let go of my chin and stepped back.

“Go to bed.”

I stood on shaky legs, lowered my head, and walked out of the study without another word. The oak door clicked shut behind me as I made my way upstairs.

Tonight had made one thing painfully clear.

I hadn’t just signed a contract to become Raymond’s contract lover.

I’d signed my life away.