3

Naomi’s POV

I have been married to Eldon Rayes for five years now.

And if there’s one thing I know for certain…

It’s what I want him dead.

I stopped praying a long time ago.

What’s the point of praying to a God who never listens?

The first night I arrived at his mansion, he didn’t speak to me. He didn’t ask my name.

He just dragged me upstairs, forced my legs apart, and claimed my virginity like a rabid dog.

There was no kindness nor warmth. Just power and violence.

He didn’t try to get to know me. He never talked to me.

To him, I wasn’t a wife. I was a possession.

He loved the pain I felt.

The fear in my eyes. The way I curled into myself when he was done hurting me.

It made him feel powerful.

He never once called me by my name. Just “girl.” Or “thing.”

Eventually, he started passing me around to his friends…like I was nothing.

They used me until they grew bored.

Because I had stopped talking or even crying no matter what they did.

There was nothing left for them to break.

For weeks after the wedding, I was locked in a room with no light. No food unless he remembered. No one to talk to.

“The Don asked to speak to you,” Maria said, breaking through my thoughts, her voice barely above a whisper.

She was one of the servants but more than that, the closest thing I had to a friend in this place. Maybe the only one.

Her eyes flicked toward the hallway behind her, cautious.

“He’s in the red room,” she added. “He said not to make him wait.”

My stomach clenched. 

I stood slowly, smoothing down the black dress he forced me to wear each day.

“Do you know why he wants me?” I asked, even though I already feared the answer.

Maria hesitated. Then said,

“ The selection is starting soon.”

“What’s the selection?” I asked, stammering. There was a lot I still didn’t know…too much.

Maria’s eyes darted toward the hallway again.

“Just go,” she whispered. “Meet me at the balcony by three. No matter what.”

Then she rushed out before I could ask anything else.

My heart pounded. I smoothed the dress with shaking hands, then hurried out of the room, trying not to delay.

Being late would only earn me another beating.

The halls were quiet as I walked.

What’s the selection?

The question clawed at the back of my mind. My heart wouldn’t slow down. When my mom was alive, she would often mention it shuddering, but I never asked why.

I stopped in front of the red double doors.

Swallowed hard.

Then pushed them open.

The red room was dimly lit. The air smelled like cigars and blood making me gag.

Eldon Rayes sat in a large armchair at the far end of the room, one leg crossed lazily over the other, a glass of dark liquor in his hand.

He didn’t look at me right away.

“You’re late,” he said coldly.

I bowed my head at once. “I’m sorry, sir.”

He finally looked up. His eyes gleamed with slow cruelty.

“The selection begins tomorrow night.”

He stood and stepped toward me with deliberate strides.

I couldn’t stop the question from slipping out. My voice trembled.

“I’m sorry, sir… but what is the selection?”

Eldon stopped just inches from me.

He stared down, amused by my fear…like a cat toying with a dying mouse.

He tilted his head. “You don’t know?”

I shook my head slowly.

“I… I don’t understand, sir.”

“Of course you don’t.” He leaned back in his chair, savoring my confusion like fine wine. “The Selection is a tradition, you see. A gathering of the most powerful families in Italy. Every five years, we come together to… evaluate our assets.”

He stood slowly, his considerable bulk moving with predatory grace around the desk until he was close enough that I could smell the garlic on his breath.

“The wives, specifically. To see who has been properly trained. Who reflects well on their husband’s authority. Who has learned their place in our world?”

My mouth went dry. “What happens during the Selection?”

“A series of tests. Demonstrations. Competitions, if you will.” His hand came up to touch my cheek with mock tenderness. “The winning husband receives considerable respect from his peers. Enhanced business opportunities. Political advantages.”

“And the losing husband?”

His smile widened. “Faces certain… embarrassment. But don’t worry about the husband, my dear. Worry about the wife.”

I swallowed hard. “What happens to her?”

“Oh, she gets additional training. Specialized education in proper behavior. Most women find it quite… transformative.”

The way he said the word made my blood freeze. I have heard enough stories from the servants to know that women who went for “additional training” rarely returned. And when they did, they came back as empty shells, their eyes vacant and their voices never rising above a whisper.

“Of course,” Eldon continued, circling me like a shark scenting blood, “I have complete confidence in you, my dear. After all, you’ve had five years to learn proper obedience. You wouldn’t dream of disappointing me, would you?”

“No, sir. Never.”

“Good.” He returned to his desk, dismissing me with a wave of his fat fingers. “The ceremony begins at sundown tomorrow. Maria will prepare you appropriately. Don’t disappoint me, wife. The consequences would be… unpleasant.”

Only when he finally left the room did I dare to move.

I walked back to my room in silence. The walls felt tighter tonight. 

The clock read 10:00 p.m.

Maria had told me to meet her by three am. Five hours.

I lay on the thin mattress, staring at the ceiling.

But sleep refused to come.

Anxiety curled around my chest like barbed wire. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. My thoughts kept spinning…

What is she going to tell me?

What if she gets caught?

What if I get caught?

Every footstep in the hall made me flinch.

By midnight, I had stopped trying to sleep. I just waited.

Once the clock struck three, I stood up, heart pounding.

I slipped out of the room quietly, careful not to make a sound.

The halls were dark and cold. Every creak in the floor made my breath catch.

When

I reached the balcony, and Maria was already there…standing close to the edge, glancing around nervously.