CHAPTER 4 — THE DEAL WITH THE Devil

A few days passed, but the pain inside Nora didn’t fade even a little. It stayed sharp, like a knife turning slowly in her chest. Sleep refused to come. Food tasted like nothing. 

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw them again—her parents on the floor and Max being dragged away.

Those images clung to her like shadows she couldn’t escape.

She stood in her parents’ empty bedroom, the air heavy with silence. 

She walked to the dresser and picked up their family picture. Her mom was smiling, her dad looked proud, and Max had his usual playful grin.

Nora pressed her hand against the glass, her fingers trembling.

“I swear,” she whispered into the room, her voice shaking. “I will make Adriano Greco pay. I will avenge both of you. I won’t rest until I destroy him for what he did.”

The words tasted like truth and fire. They kept her standing when grief tried to pull her down.

The next morning, she found herself staring at the card Adriano had dropped on the floor. She didn’t want to touch it. It felt like poison. But Max’s face kept flashing in her mind—terrified, helpless, calling out her name. She couldn’t lose him either. She had already lost enough.

With a tight breath, she picked up the card and left the house.

The entire way to Adriano Greco’s mansion, her heart pounded hard enough to hurt. She wasn’t sure if it was fear or anger or both mixed.

 When she reached the gate guarded by armed men, her knees felt weak, but she forced herself to stand straight.

She refused to look scared. She refused to let them see her break.

One of the guards stepped forward, tall and silent, blocking her path. She held up the card with a steady hand.

“I’m here to see him,” she said, controlling her voice.

The guard inspected the card, his face unreadable, then nodded once. He opened the gate without another word.

Nora followed him inside. Every step felt heavier than the last. The hallways were long and too quiet, the kind of quiet that made her feel like she was being swallowed. 

The guard stopped at a pair of large double doors and pushed them open.

“Boss is inside,” he said.

Nora stepped in.

Adriano stood near his desk, reading through a file with calm focus, as if he wasn’t the reason her life had shattered. He looked up slowly, and his gaze locked on her. For a second, neither of them moved. She didn’t look away. She came here for one purpose—Max.

“Where’s my brother?” she asked. Her voice stayed strong even though her fingers trembled at her sides.

Adriano closed the file and walked toward her, each step measured. His expression gave nothing away. No guilt. No regret. No mercy.

"Do you want your brother,” he asked, his voice quiet but sharp, “or are you here to kill me?

The way he said it made something in her chest tighten, but she didn’t let it show. She stood her ground as he studied her face, taking his time, as if trying to understand what kept her upright.

After a long moment, he spoke again.

“Here is the deal,” he said. “You will become my fiancée. From now on, you belong to me. And you will hand over your father’s company to me.” His voice didn’t rise, but every word carried power. “No games. No disappearing. No running. If you try anything—if you even think about escaping—I will punish you in ways you won’t like.”

Nora felt her stomach twist painfully, but she didn’t move. She held his gaze.

“And if I refuse?” she asked quietly.

Adriano didn’t blink. “Then I kill you,” he said simply, “and your brother. And I will still take the company.”

Silence fell over the room like a thick blanket. Nora felt the weight of his words press against her chest, making it hard to breathe. She could see he meant every word. There was no fear in his eyes. No hesitation. He would do exactly what he promised. He would kill her. He would kill Max. He would walk away without a second thought.

But she also saw something else—an opportunity hidden beneath the threat. If she stayed close, if she played his game, she might be able to destroy him from the inside. She might gain the chance to avenge her parents the way she swore she would. If this were the only path, then she would walk it.

Adriano turned, picked up a folder from his desk, and opened it. “This is the contract. Everything is written clearly. Sign it.”

Nora stared at the papers. Her hand shook slightly as she reached for the pen. This signature would trap her. Bind her to the man she hated most. Tie her to the man who took everything from her. But Max’s voice echoed in her head. Her parents’ faces swam before her eyes. She couldn’t fail him. She wouldn’t let him die.

She took a slow, painful breath and lowered the pen.

Her name slid across the paper.

Adriano watched her with quiet intensity, barely blinking. When she finished, he closed the file with controlled calm and said:

“From now on, you are under my management. Everything you do goes through me.”

Nora lifted her head and met his eyes without fear.

“Good,” she said softly. “Because one day, I’ll make you regret this.”

A slow smile curved across his lips, dark and amused, like her fire didn’t scare him but excited him.

“We’ll see,” he said.

And in that moment, both of them understood something—

This wasn’t just a deal.

Not just a contract.

Not just a threat.

It was the beginning of a war neither of them planned to lose.