Debt. Betrayal. Auction. Isabella Sterling, a master manipulator in disguise, was sold to Dante Belucci, the notorious and feared Mafia boss. His prize. His captive bride. They thought she was broken. They were wrong. She would use him, his power, his world, to destroy those who betrayed her. By the time he realized her dangerous game, he'd fallen too deep. He'd learn that the woman he owned was far more dangerous than he ever imagined. When Dante looked at her, his heart broken, he asked, "Did you ever love me, Isabella?โ
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"To Isabella and Caspian!" My father, Victor Sterling's voice boomed as he raised his glass of champagne. "May your future be as bright as your present."
I don't know if today is the best day of my life, but I'm thrilled. I'm engaged to the man I've admired since grade school, and now, in our twenties, our families have arranged a marriage. It was intended as a business arrangement, but for me, it's everything I've ever wantedโto marry Caspian Thorne.
Everything seemed perfect.
I smiled at Caspian, but his eyes were distant. Following his gaze, I saw him staring at my cousin, Danica.
Danica, with her pretty, luscious face and perpetually haughty attitude, had always been distant from me. However, Iโd seen her at every family event like this. Her mother is my motherโs sister. But since my mother died, her mother has been rumored to be my dadโs mistress for a decade. Iโve chosen to remain blind to it; as long as my father is happy, what can I do?
Danica is Caspianโs newly hired secretary. She isnโt as well-off as my family, which is why she was so happy to get the job and has been by my fiancรฉโs side constantly.
Danica smiled at me, then lowered her head when she saw I wasnโt returning the gesture.
I didnโt like her.
She excused herself and left the party.
Despite the obvious red flags, I tried to ignore them. I continued dancing with Caspian in the middle of the crowd. โSo, weโre finally getting marriedโฆโ
Caspian replied, his voice cold, โYou always get what you want, Isabella.โ He shook his head at me.
โCaspian, I didnโt ask for this engagement, okay? This is a family business, remember?โ I smiled at him, though it felt strained. โI know youโre not ready yet, but weโve known each other for a long time. Whatโs the problem?โ
โYou,โ he said, his voice laced with resentment. โYou are my problem, Isabella. You always get what you want, while I canโt get what I want.โ He turned and left me standing there, alone in the middle of the crowd.
I always get what I want. But what happened now? Everything is tearing me apart. Because this morning, when I woke up, my father's company and reputation were splashed across the headlines.
"Sterling Financial Scandal: Embezzling Millions."
I felt like everything crumbled before me. I stood, mind blank, on the 31st floor, gazing at the city's frenetic traffic. I couldn't shake the question: what will happen to us now?
Then my phone rang, and I answered immediately.
It was my father. "Honey, no matter what, don't speak to the media. Avoid them! I've got this under control."
"D-Dadโฆ" I whispered, my voice barely loud.
"Isabella, listen to me," he said, urgency tightening his voice. "You have to leave your condo now. Our family driver will take you back to the mansion."
I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. "O-Okay," I hung up the call with a heavy sigh. My hands trembled as I frantically packed my belongings into a suitcase. With a heavy heart, I dragged the luggage out of the room.
The driver was waiting for me at the entrance. He helped me load my things into the car. I tried calling Caspian repeatedly, but he didn't answer. My heart pounded with a terrifying fear: would the scandal make him hate me?
Mr. Joe, please take me to the Thorne Residence,โ I commanded.
The driver obeyed.
I desperately needed to see Caspian, to seek his support in this crisis.
But as I approached, my eyes widened in disbelief. โNo, it canโt beโฆ Not here.โ
He was standing at the entrance of his house with Danica.
My brow furrowed, my gaze locking onto Danica before shifting to Caspian. โWe need to talk, Caspian.โ
He crossed his arms, his expression cold. โIf you want to talk, you can do it right here, right now.โ
โCaspian, I need your help. I donโt know whatโs going on with the news, the scandal, but my family desperately needs your familyโs support.โ
"Help?" Caspian's voice was a low, dangerous growl. "You want help? After what your family has done?" He gripped my arm, his fingers digging into my skin.
โLet go of me, Caspian! Youโre hurting me!โ
"Investors are screaming for their money, Isabella. Millions, maybe billions, are gone. Because of your father." He spat the word. "You think you can just waltz in here and ask for help? You have no idea what you've done."
Then Danica, my so-called cousin, interrupted, โLet her go, Caspian.โ
Caspian released my arm, and I gasped as the pain radiated through me. Red marks bloomed on my skin, and my eyes burned with unshed tears.
โAnd who do you think you are, Danica?! Youโre just his secretary! You have no right to tell him what to do!โ
Danica gave me a half-smile. โOh, youโre such a fool, Isabella. Youโve been blind forever. Are you really that naive?โ
โUh, thatโs why your motherโs been milking my father all these years, right? I choose not to act, but I see everything. Youโre a family of gold diggers!โ
Danica smiled, a cruel twist of her lips. โYour family is ruined, and so are you.โ
My gaze snapped to her, anger boiling within me. I lunged forward, intending to slap her, but Caspian shoved me back, pointing a finger at me. โNever lay a finger on Danica!โ
I scoffed, wiping away my tears, a bitter laugh escaping me. โSo, after all this time, you and Danicaโฆ this is whatโs been happening? Flirting behind my back? I should have seen it coming!โ I ripped off my engagement ring, my heart-shattering. โItโs over, Caspian! Weโre finished!โ
I turned my back on them, but Caspian grabbed the back of my arm and said, "Oh, maybe you forgot that now your family owes millions of dollars to the Thorne family! I'm sure my father will try to fix this issue, but darling, you owe big time! How can you pay that, huh? So, we're not finished yet, Isabella."
I yanked his hand away and walked away from them, my heart broken. I had been so strong, yet I collapsed inside the car, sobbing heavily in pain. I couldnโt help but think that the only man who could help me was the one who would betray me in the end.
The engagement was over.
When I arrived at the mansion, everything was so quiet. My fatherโs bodyguard walked toward me, but the head maid stopped him and said, โItโs not the right timeโโ
โShe needs to know,โ the bodyguard replied.
I glanced at them, confusion written all over my eyes. โWhatโs happening?โ
ISABELLAUgh, this whole plane ride was justโฆsuffocating. Every little shift, every shared glance with him sent a fresh wave of awkwardness crashing over me. Dante. Just the sound of his name made my jaw clench. And then, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, he had to bring that up."Do you even recall the little vow you made a year ago, Isabella? About, oh, I don't knowโฆbecoming my wife?" His tone was tainted with amusement, like he was recounting a funny anecdote, not binding me to a life sentence."Don't be ridiculous, Dante," I snapped, my voice tight. "It was a desperate measure, something I said under pressure."He raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Pressure? Darling, I recall it as you practically begging for my help. And a deal is a deal.""A deal made out of very desperation!" I countered, my voice rising despite my best efforts. Heads were starting to turn. "You know I didn't mean it! You know I'd never willinglyโฆ" The words caught in my throat. Marry him? T
ISABELLA"Let go of me!" I shouted, scared and angry. I pushed him, hitting his face with my hands, trying to make him stop. But he wouldn't. He was like crazy, trying to kiss me until I was too tired to fight anymore. Finally, he stopped kissing me. He looked guilty as he stared at me. Slowly, I moved back to my seat, crying without making a sound. My body shook."Isabellaโฆ" he said quietly."Don't talk to me!" I said, my voice full of anger. The car felt small and trapped me with the bad feeling of what he just did.Tears poured down my face, each one a burning reminder of how wrong I had been. The Dante I once cared for, the one who had whispered sweet nothings and made my heart flutter, was gone. In his place was thisโฆ this cruel stranger. Disgust twisted his features as he looked at me, and it felt like a physical blow. I turned away, trying to wipe the endless stream of tears, but it was no use.โI donโt care if you cry,โ Danteโs voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. โYou didnโt
ISABELLAOne month later, The loud bang on the door sent a jolt of pure fear through me, making my head spin. What in the world was going on? Enrique had just left for groceries; he wouldn't bang on the door like that. It definitely wasn't him."Enrique, is that you?" I called out, my voice trembling slightly. Granny Ellin was at church, it being Sunday, so I was alone. A knot of terror tightened in my stomach. Maybe someone was trying to break in."Who's there?!" I asked again, my voice shaking now as I slowly crept downstairs. Footsteps echoed from the hallway, and my blood ran cold. My eyes landed on a man in a black mask, and I could see three more figures lurking outside. My breath hitched. I spun around to run, but he was too fast, chasing me back inside. I scrambled to lock my bedroom door, but he easily kicked it open.I screamed for help, but he clamped a hand over my mouth. "Isabella..." he whispered my name, his voice sending a shiver of dread down my spine.I knew that vo
DANTEThe silence in the mansion was heavy, like a thick blanket. Her being gone was real, a hole in the air of every room. I gripped the letter, reading it again. The fancy writing was a mean reminder of what she'd done. โYou wanted to own me, Dante. Now you own nothing.โ The words cut me deep.I was angry and felt betrayed. How could she do this? After everything I did for her, after the way Iโฆ cared for her, she used me. She played me like I was stupid. I pictured her leaving with that other man, the one Flora described. It made me burn with a cold anger.My men were looking everywhere โ airports, ports, every lead. I had people watching, but she had just disappeared. This General, Enrique McCullen, was like a ghost. No recent trips, no friends outside the army. It was like he made her vanish.I couldn't even sleep. Her face was in my dreams, changing from scared to defiant. I remembered how she felt when I touched her, the way she sometimes looked at me likeโฆ like she cared. I was
ISABELLAThe cold Icelandic wind hit my face hard. It was so different from the humid air of the mansion I had left. This cold stung, but it also felt clean. I leaned against the porch of the small cottage. The expansive, dramatic view stretched out before me like a painting. Snowy mountains touched the gray sky. And the air felt quiet and old.Enrique and I had been here for three weeks. For three weeks, the air didn't feel dangerous. The quiet wasn't scary. My body started to relax. The tight feeling inside me from before was starting to go away.Granny Elรญn was Enrique's grandmother. She was strong. Her hands were rough but gentle when she helped me exercise each morning. Her Icelandic language sounded like music. I was slowly starting to understand it. It filled the cottage with stories and laughter. She accepted me without asking too many questions. She always offered strong coffee and her tasty rye bread.The first few days were tiring. I still felt like something bad was going
DANTEI softened my gaze, offering Flora a semblance of warmth, though my eyes held a silent, menacing demand. "Now, tell me, Flora. What do you know?"Flora dissolved into quiet sobs, as if her very life was draining away with each tear. I clicked my tongue, the sound sharp in the tense silence. "Flora, I don't want to kill you or anythingโฆ but you most certainly won't die if you just tell me the fucking truth!"Her body trembled uncontrollably. I gestured to one of the guards, who offered her a bottle of water. She gulped it down, her thirst evident, before whispering, "Sir, pleaseโฆ I really don't knowโฆ""Flora, you know me," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "If you lie to me againโฆ" I pulled my phone from my pocket, the screen illuminating her tear-streaked face. "Your son is going to pay for what you've done."Her eyes widened, overflowing with fresh tears. "Please, sir! Don't touch my son! He's only in high school, his life hasn't even begun!""Oh, really? Then why are you lyi
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