Amelia Romano was an innocent girl. Shielded from the darkness that surrounded her family name. What happens when everything changes ? When her father makes the most devastating decision, to sell her to the city’s most dangerous man, all in the name of protecting her. Nico Valente is cold and ruthless, obsessed with control. Some label him a monster, others say he’s someone you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Yet Amelia isn’t as delicate as she appears, she’s fire concealed beneath lace. When Nico's world of power, blood, and shadows meets her quiet defiance, something awakens within both of them. Something perilous. Amelia vowed to hate him. But his touch is harsh… yet intoxicating. His words are dirty… yet somehow sweet. And as she falls deeper, things grow darker. She was never meant to survive his world. But he has promised. he’ll never let her go.
View More**Amelia's POV**
It was barely dawn. I stood by the window looking at the sky from my room. The sky was a sobering reminder that I was abandoning the only house I had ever known.
A sleek black Mercedes rolled into the Romano property right before daybreak. My father was not sending me away to be married. There was no party, no hope of love or future. He was pushing me out.
Unraveling none. no parting of ways. A cold choice made behind closed doors for reasons only he really knew.
I was now handed over like a load he no longer wanted to bear, without a decision.
Even as the weight of what was going on bore heavily down on me, I did not tremble or weep. My father had not asked my opinion. He never did. Using me as his final resort to save our falling family name. Still, I wasn't being sent to any person.
They were handing me over to the most dreaded man in the city.
I got out of my room slowly and dressed. Two men waiting for me caught my attention. They were dressed in black suits and dark sunglasses, They radiated an eerie tranquility that made my skin crawl.
They pointed me in the direction toward the automobile parked out in front of the mansion I once lived in.
One of them looked at me indifferently and said, "Get in." His voice calm and firm.
Turning back in hopes or probably foolishly, that my father might interfere, I paused for only a short. Standing at the entrance, he merely nodded once. No atonement, no regret. Dismissal of anything.
I entered the vehicle with my head bent. I knew better than to disobey my father's will even though I didn't want this future before of me.
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Some called him a monster, while others referred to him as a king.
Nico Valente.
Fear permeated every sector of the metropolis his name triggered. It was not just dangerous. Few would dare traverse it. It was a boundary.
To outsiders, he seemed to be nothing more than a strong business executive. However, lurking in the shadows, Nico was a nightmare wearing well-cut suits.
What I missed then was that I was not only being kicked out.
They were bringing me To Nico.
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The vehicle finally stopped. One of the guys opened my door and said calmly, “This way.” The home rose huge, chilly, and dominating. The routes were poorly lighted. With every step further into its clutches, silence pressed hard on my breast.
Then he appeared.
Tall, perhaps 6'7", he descended the stairs in his sharp black suit. Tattoos that somehow enhanced his attractiveness covered his hands. Golden-tan skin and hypnotic ocean-blue eyes felt as if they could drag you under. He was absolutely beautiful.
But everything about him emanated danger.
I shifted my gaze away from him. Reminded myself that, under that beauty rested a guy people feared for good cause.
He approached, his voice smooth but frigid. “Amelia, right?”
He fails to even identify me?
"You're early," he said, his voice quiet but sure.
Trying to stand firm, not to look intimidated by him, "I did not have a choice."
He nodded ever so gently rather than responded.
"This way." He muttered. I followed him silently. Expensive artwork lined the corridor stretching before us. Still nothing seemed secure or warm.
He ushered me into the sitting area and at last said, "This is your home now."
Defiance bubbling within me, I glanced around before turning to him. "You can't just keep me here like a prisoner in your golden cage."
His eyes met mine, disclosing nothing. " You are not a prisoner; you belong to me now."
His words made me cringe.
"I did not consent to this," I remarked. Staring at him.
Cross one leg over the other as he sat into a chair. “But your father did.”
I retorted fiercely, "My father's choice isn't mine," then asked, "Why do you believe I belong to you?" My voice laced with anger.
He leaned forward, tapping his fingers against the armrest thoughtfully. He then turned to me and said, "I don't believe in things like that. I know it."
He rose slowly toward me until I found myself crushed against the wall. His scent engulfed me, dark and enticing.
"You may fight it," he murmured softly, "but it won't alter the truth."
"What truth?" I asked, fighting for air. He was just too close.
Soft yet a risky movement, he gently tucked my hair behind my ear.
Then he whispered next to me, "You don't own your life any longer. You belong to me now."
I stuttered breath in my throat.
BANG!
A gunshot rang out, far yet clearly heard.
As a strong awareness spread over Nico, his head jerked toward the sound.
He grabbed my wrist and dragged me quickly down the hall before I could respond.
I barely managed to keep pace as he flung a door open and pushed me into a study.
Stay down. Don't touch anything,” he instructed vehemently while scanning the room with hurried gaze.
"What's going on?" My voice shook with dread.
" Stay down. Understood?"
"Y-Yes..." I mumbled softly in response.
BANG!
This time the noise was considerably nearer.
Shit!
He swore under his breath, his face hardening into something incomprehensible before he turned and slammed the door shut behind him, firmly locking it.
Frozen there, my breath erratic. The silence descended upon the room once more. I moved toward the window, yet the curtains were too heavy to see through. Comfort came from my back as I gathered my arms. Staring into space.
Then something got my attention. One folder hidden under a flower vase.
His voice resonated with me. Keep your distance from everything.
Nevertheless, curiosity beat out my anxiety and I grabbed for it regardless. Shakingly, I drew open the folder.
There it was.
Dozens of photographs looked back at me. Totally me.
At colleges. In cafes. Traversing the park. Some were recent; others were old.
My chest tightened, and nausea passed across me.
Who had been observing me? And for what reason?
I found it on the following page.
Names and locations listed.
And there it was. Written in strong type, my name.
Beneath it in red ink:
“Asset or leverage? To be determined. Do not delete without order.” signed "V".
I gasped and quickly covered my mouth. My pulse sped as I retreated, still clutching the folder.
I asked myself in a whisper cutting across the thick silence.
Who on Earth is V? Why am I being watch?
**Amelia’s POV**The cabin had changed.The quiet, wooded hideaway was now surrounded by strange black SUV cars. Men I didn’t recognize stood at the windows, by the trees, near the gates. All of them watched me like I was a prisoner, or a won prize.I didn’t ask questions anymore. I didn’t waste my breath on the guards, asking them questions. Because they gave no answers. Only food, water, and silence.And now, after three days of waiting in this hidden place, someone different had come.I felt the air shifted the moment he stepped into the room.He didn’t storm in like Nico always did. He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. His presence is dominating. Unlike Nico who gave off, the cold, controlling and you don't want to mess with me vibe. This man gave off the calm and dangerous kind of vibe.He walked in like he already owned everything.He is tall. Crisp in black coat. Clean-cut with charcoal eyes.Not someone I recognized but someone I felt I know.The silence stretched bet
**Amelia’s POV**The road blurred behind us, but I couldn’t stop looking back, searching for any glimpse of him. Hoping, begging, and praying that somehow Nico would rise from the dirt and come tearing through the trees for me.But he didn’t. Not because he doesn't want to.But because he couldn’t.Because he’d been shot.And I’d seen the blood. His blood.“You didn’t have to shoot him,” I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely audible over the rumble of the engine.My father sat in the front seat, in silent, with his jaw clenched.“You didn’t have to shoot him!” I screamed this time, raw pain splitting my throat.He turned slightly, his voice colder than before. “He had a gun on me. I made a choice. It's either you or him.”“You made a mistake.”“I saved you.”I choked on a laugh, bitter and broken. “You didn’t save me. You stole me.”One of the men in the backseat beside me reached out, but my glare stopped him. I wasn’t afraid of them. I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore, because the o
**Amelia’s POV**The van screeched as it turned sharply off the main road, gravel spraying beneath the tires. I was slammed into the side, pain shooting up my tense shoulder. The trees outside grew thicker and wild, endless, and far from everything I knew.My wrists ached, still zip-tied. My legs were cramping, my breath shaky.“You think you can out-run him?” I said, barely able to speak.My father’s jaw clenched. “I don’t need to out-run him. I just need to disappear, before he finds me.”“You think these backroads can hide you from Nico Valente?”He didn’t respond. But the dread in his silence said it all.And then, headlights.Blazing behind us.There were getting closer.In fast pace.Nico.My heart leapt, chest aching with desperate hope.My father cursed and swerved into a narrow dirt road, tires skidding across the forest floor. But it was useless.A loud crash. Metal smashing against metal. The van spun off the road, slamming into a tree with a gut-jarring stop.Then everythi
**Amelia’s POV**The darkness was the first thing I noticed, when my eyes fluttered open.Then the throbbing ache at the back of my head.The room swam when I opened my eyes fully, everywhere was dim and unfamiliar, with peeling wallpaper and a flickering light overhead, this place doesn't look anything like the Romano house I grew up in.I pushed myself up slowly, the blanket rough beneath my hands.My father stood by the window, drawing a curtain closed.“Dad?” My voice cracked.He didn’t answer.“Why did you take me?” I demanded, forcing strength into my shaking voice.He turned, his eyes looked tired, but Cold. “Be quiet, Amelia.”He snapped.I stared at him, betrayal crashing into me. “You drugged me. You took me away from him.”“I did what I had to.” He moved around the room, tossing clothes and cash into a bag. “You don’t understand the danger you’re in. That man, Nico he’s not what you think. You need to be protected by someone else.”“You don’t get to decide for me!” I shouted
**Amelia’s POV**The music no longer sounded sweet.My father’s presence tainted everything it touched. The laughter, the warmth, the candlelight, it all dulled under his shadow. I stood by the edge of the room, my fingers nervously tightening around the stem of my champagne glass.He moved through the gathering like he belonged, exchanging polite greetings with people who didn’t know what he was. What he was capable of. Perhaps some knew but pretend not to know.But I did.And yet, tonight... I let him stay.Why?Because some selfish part of me, one that I hated still craved even the illusion of a father. One who remembered my birthday. One who brought a gift.Nico stood not far from me, stiff, tense, eyes never leaving my father. His jaw ticked every time the man moved. I knew he wanted him gone.But he hadn’t said a word, not after I begged him to allow him stay.“Do you want me to walk you to the sitting room?” Matteo appeared beside me, offering a calm smile. “You look like you n
**Amelia’s POV**The day passed in a soft blur.Between fittings, hair styling trials, and the quiet buzz of the staff preparing for the evening, I barely had time to catch my breath. But it wasn’t the flurry of preparations that made my chest flutter with anticipation.It was the fact that this birthday… this celebration… was mine.And Nico had made it happen.When the sun dipped low, casting long golden shadows through the windows, I stood in front of my mirror. My fingers trembled slightly as I clipped the delicate necklace around my throat. The midnight-blue dress shimmered with every movement I made.Then a knock echo, gently.“Come in,” I said.Maria stepped in with a soft gasp. “You look breathtaking, dear.”My cheeks warmed. “Thank you.”She walked over and gently placed a box on the vanity. “Mr. Valente asked me to give you this.”I raised a brow in surprise. “A gift?”Maria smiled. “He said to open it before coming downstairs.”After she left, I slowly untied the silk ribbon
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