Natalie Grimaldi has always been a fighter. Rebellious, sharp-tongued, and unwilling to break under pressure, she’s spent most of her life enduring the cruelty of her uncle, Gideon Grimaldi , a greedy man who raised her only to use her as a pawn. When Gideon announces that she’s to marry Viktor Roman, a Russian billionaire twice her age, in exchange for a debt settlement, Natalie is furious, broken and frustrated. On the day of the wedding something unexpected happens she is claimed in a contract marriage by California's most feared Italian Mafia family, LORENZO DE LUCA. She finds herself being sold twice!! Lorenzo doesn't know her name, doesn't care about her except his own gains(the real reason he bought her) but something in her fire, her refusal to bow, stirred something long buried in him. He buys her for something much more deeper —nothing more. But Natalie refuses to break. Even as he claims her body, her life, she hides her heart, planning escape, revenge, and freedom. But the longer she remains under Lorenzo's roof, the more she begins to see cracks in his stone facade: his silence, his shadows, his haunting grief and most of all HIS SECRET. The real reason he bought her. And against every wall she’s built, Natalie begins to feel the tug of something she vowed never to give him—sympathy. Maybe even more. As Natalie secretly builds her own power, forging connections and learning the dark truths behind Lorenzo's empire, she must face the hardest question of all: Can she destroy the man who bought her, if he’s the first one who ever saw her? Or will she fall for the devil who was never meant to love?
View MoreNatalie stared at her reflection in the mirror and barely recognized the girl looking back.
Her hair was curled and pinned like a porcelain doll’s. Her makeup, subtle and expensive, masked the growing storm in her eyes. The gown—a soft champagne gold with crystal embroidery—clung to her body like a silk cage. Expensive. Delicate. Uncomfortable. Just like the day ahead. “You look beautiful, Miss,” the maid said gently, finishing the clasp at the back.She gave a tight smile as she looked at her white satin dress. It was her day. Her wedding day. Bile rose at the back of her throat as she thought of it. Her uncle had only told her about it last night. She had had no time to prepare. To plan. To escape. Not like she had gotten that much chance either. Her uncle had locked her up immediately he told her, knowing full well that she would plan to escape. Natalie's smile didn't reach her eyes as she made her way to the entrance where the car that would take her to the venue was waiting for her. She was already planning her escape. As the black town car pulled up in front of the towering event hall,( It wasn't even a chapel), Natalie's heart raced—not from nerves, but from adrenaline. Inside, the hall was drenched in wealth and pretension. Crystal chandeliers bathed the room in golden light. Velvet-draped tables sparkled with champagne flutes and silver cutlery. The guests—politicians, businessmen, socialites—floated around in designer tuxedos and gowns like the world belonged to them. And at the center of it all, Viktor Roman, her supposed fiancé. He stood tall and imposing, dressed in a custom black suit. His graying hair was slicked back, jaw sharp and eyes like polished stone. People whispered about how powerful he was. How feared. How could her uncle be this cruel. He had always been though. Ever since her parents died and left her in his care. All he cared for was her inheritance. An inheritance she wasn't sure still existed. If it wasn't already lost to her uncle's growing debt. Viktor Roman looked every inch the business mogul and billionaire. Old. Bald, with a tight smile and hungry, lewd eyes .But Natalie didn’t care. To her, he was just another man trying to buy her. Her chance came sooner than expected. While Gideon turned to speak with one of the Roman family lawyers, To seal her fate as he deemed fit, Natalie slipped away, clutching her clutch bag tight as she moved through the side corridor. She found the exit, pushed the door open—and ran straight into two men in black suits. “Going somewhere, Miss Grimaldi ?” One of the men had on a smug look. He was obviously enjoying this. Her heart sank. Gideon had planned for this.He had guessed her every move right from the beginning. Well, good thing she had plan B. They grabbed her arms before she could twist away. “Let me go!” she shouted, but the hallway was too quiet, too isolated for anyone to hear—or care.Not that they ever did. Minutes later, she was dragged back into the hall through the same door she’d slipped out of, shoes scraping against the floor, hair falling from its neat updo. The music faltered. Heads turned. Murmurs began to rise. She didn’t care. “Let her go,” Gideon snapped, appearing beside them with a clenched jaw. “She’s just overwhelmed.” Natalie shoved their arms off and stepped forward. “Overwhelmed? Is that what we’re calling kidnapping now?” Gideon’s fake smile was stretched tight. “Natalie —” “No,” she snapped, voice rising. “Let’s not pretend anymore. You’re selling me off like cattle. To this—this wrinkled fraud of a man.” Gasps rippled across the room.The ceremony was about to start. Things were getting set. The best thing would be to keep quiet now and apologize then carry on with the ceremony and later when everyone was relaxed, she would find a way to escape. But anger eroded common sense and words were flying out of her mouth sooner than she could think. Oops! Viktor Roman turned slowly, his expression unreadable. “Excuse me?” Her uncle was at Viktor's side in a flash trying to appease his anger. It's okay Natalie . Apologize now and everything would be fine. Play along for a while. She ignored the tiny voice in her ears and did what her heart told her. Not her head. Natalie strode up to the center of the room and grabbed a glass of wine off a tray. “You think just because you have money, power, and the morals of a toad, you can buy anyone you want? What is it, Viktor—midlife crisis? Couldn’t find someone your age to tolerate your creepy stare?” He didn’t blink.That should have scared her but it didn't. It only hardened her mind. But Gideon was furious now, his voice barely restrained. "Natalie!!, enough!” “No, not enough,” she said, tossing the contents of her wine glass into Viktor’s face. Crimson splashed against his white collar and glistened on his jaw. The room erupted.Well plan B seemed to be working. Even though it wasn't what she had planned. Natalie turned, grabbed a handful of soft cheese from the hors d'oeuvres table, and smeared it down the front of his designer suit for good measure. Then she overturned the fruit bowl onto his shoes. “You want a wife?” she shouted. “Find someone who doesn’t gag at the idea of kissing a man older than her father!” The crowd was frozen—shocked, appalled, delighted. cameras flashed discreetly. Natalie didn’t wait for their judgment. She tossed her heels across the marble floor and walked barefoot out of the hall, chin high, fire in her blood. Viktor would probably call off the wedding . he had been humiliated. his pride was at stake. Her uncle would do nothing else. Her plan had worked. Outside, the air was cool and sharp, biting into her flushed cheeks. She made it to the parking lot before the nausea hit her. Not from fear—but from the sheer weight of it all.She had done it. Stood up to her uncle but she wasn’t free yet. She knew that. And sure enough, as she turned the corner of the lot, two black SUVs pulled up. The doors opened. The same men stepped out, this time less polite. She backed up instinctively, but there was nowhere to run. “Mr Grimaldi wants you back inside,” one said Icily. Natalie lifted her chin. “Tell Mr. Grimaldi that he can go to hell.” One of them grabbed her arm again. “Didn’t ask for your opinion, sweetheart." She didn't fight this time, expecting them to take her back to the house. How great was her shock when they walked towards the hall they just left. "where are you taking me?" . She panicked. Wasn't Viktor calling off the wedding? They entered the hall and Natalie was surprised to see Viktor in another suit, clean and devoid of her earlier mess. The minister who was to celebrate the wedding was already there smiling like nothing abnormal had happened moments ago. "what's going on?". She whispered furiously to her uncle. "You have found favor in Viktor's eyes. You are lucky he chose to overlook those antics of yours. The wedding goes on". He gave her a cold smug look. No! Natalie looked at Viktor looking prim in his tailored suit. Another pair of shoes was given to her. Her uncle grabbed her arms and linked it with his. The popular aisle walk music played. Her head burned. Her plan hadn't worked after all. Her Fate was finally sealed. They started the walk down the hall. Natalie squirmed. "you are smart, you know when to give up right?" her uncle's voice came whispering silently beside her. They reached the altar. The minister started the proceedings. Natalie's skin crawled underneath her with every word the minister spoke with finality. Then came the exchange of vows. "Do you Viktor Roman take Natalie Grimaldi to be your wife to love in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer till death do you both part? " The minister asked. "I do" came Viktor's sleazy answer. The minister turned to her. "Do you Natalie Grimaldi take this man Viktor Roman to be husband, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, till death do you both part?" Natalie stared at the man she was about to sign out her future too. Her hope. Whatever happened to dream cars and dream cities, Stary nights and all of it. Hell she hadn't even gotten the chance to live as a teenager. All because of her uncle. The minister coughed slightly jerking her out of her reverie. "miss? " She looked at her uncle. He gave her a thumbs up. Natalie sighed . "I do" The word came out like a death sentence. Her sentence. The minister's smile widened. He turned to the crowd. "Is there anyone seated here who has a reason as to why this people should not be joined together in holy matrimony? Speak now or forever remain silent! " It was routine talk. No one would actually stand out. Natalie readied herself mentally for the upcoming hell she was about to enter. "I Do". A masculine voice rang out clear.The studio plunged into semi-darkness, shadows swallowing corners. The neon ring light above the set flickered once before Anita yanked its cord. Adrien cursed under his breath, fumbling toward the door, but Fiona’s voice cracked like a whip. “Don't move, This stuff is getting weirder with every passing second." Natalie’s lungs worked in shallow bursts. Every nerve screamed to run, but Fiona’s grip anchored her to the chair. The phone lay on the couch, black screen reflecting the glow of the emergency exit sign. Silent now, but poisonous as a coiled snake. Anita shoved the bolt across the main door and whispered, “If they’re outside, Fi, we’re boxed in.” The workers started panicking. Fiona shot them a look. They reduced their voices instantly, limiting it to whispers. “Then we keep them out,” Fiona snapped. she turned to the workers. "And I think you all are more useful elsewhere than here. Take a break," Her eyes never left Natalie. “Look at me, Nat. Breathe. Whoever sent tha
Fiona’s jaw was tight. “Send it to him. If this is in anyway connected to Lorenzo, if this was on his ground, then he needs to see what someone is feeding you. Otherwise, they get to control the story. Everything you're trying to build might just come crashing down on you." Anita leaned against the table, arms crossed, her expression caught between fear and fury. “Fi’s right. Whoever’s playing this game wants Natalie cornered and doubting everyone. If we loop Lorenzo in, at least we’ll see if he flinches. Then maybe, just maybe I can make sense of what is going on here." “But what if he thinks it’s me?” Natalie’s voice cracked. “What if he decides I’ve been hiding something all along? You know what he’s capable of. And I still don't remember what happened the night his brother died." Silence filled the room, heavy as wet stone. Fiona finally crouched in front of her, forcing Natalie to meet her eyes. “Listen to me. This isn’t about blame anymore. It’s about survival. Right now,
Midafternoon, a courier in a neat cap tapped at the studio door. “Delivery for Rebecca,” he said, polite and bored. Fiona signed, suspicious on principle, and set the long white box on the table. Inside, nestled in tissue, lay a bouquet of white lilies and midnight roses. It was indulgent and ominous at the same time. There was no card. "who could this be from? " Fiona asked. Natalie shrugged. "A fan? " she suggested. Fiona scoffed. Natalie leaned in and the scent rose, cool and heavy. Lilies—sweet, almost funerary. Roses, cut before their full bloom, that peppery green of stems. Underneath, a thread of something else… metallic, like rain on iron. Her stomach flipped. The room blurred. A sound—not sound—memory, perhaps: the crackle of tires on gravel. A laugh behind her shoulder not meant for her. A white cuff speckled dark. A ring—gold, carved with a griffin—spinning where it fell, the world holding its breath to listen. She was remembering. was it... That night? “Natal
The views on Natalie’s first video were massive. With the competition already approaching, everybody’s attention was fixed on it. Thanks to Fiona’s marketing skills, enough mystery and suspense had been created around her. Everyone wanted to know who Rebecca was—the girl with the mask who made perfumes. “We’re going at a hundred and ten thousand views already,” Fiona said excitedly, waving her phone like it was proof of some kind of miracle. Natalie smiled happily. “It really worked, Fi. You’re the best, I swear it,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “Well,” Fiona flicked her hair dramatically, “I’m the best at what I do for a reason.” Natalie laughed, the sound bubbling up naturally for the first time in days. For once, the looming presence of Lorenzo, the shadows of Marco, and even her own fears about being discovered seemed far away. But Fiona wasn’t done. She leaned forward across the little café table they’d claimed that morning, her eyes shining. “You know wh
Natalie froze. "oh, so now we're asking for help? " There was a hint of mockery in her voice. Lorenzo said nothing. she inhaled deeply. "I'm glad you were honest with me, thank you for that. And I'm sorry about your loss, however I'm sorry but i do not want any further involvement in your matters." Marco looked from her to Lorenzo. "she knows?" he asked. Lorenzo nodded mildly. Then turned to her. "Mia moglie... " she cut him off mid sentence. "don't call me that. I'm not your wife." she said. He blinked. "I'll call you whatsoever I choose. This thing is deeper than you think. A lot of bruised egos are involved and you're sitting pretty right in the middle of it. " he said. "I never asked for any of this!" she protested. He sighed and stepped towards her, she stepped back instinctively. "You asked me to be honest, I was. You asked me to tell you everything. I did. You asked to be involved in my affairs and now that I'm doing just that. You can't handle it?"
Natalie’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Fiona held her hand. "he is your husband, if in name only. He should do something about this. You deserve his protection."!she said. Natalie sighed. She would confront him when she went home today. She got home early, had her bath and waited for him to come back. She heard him enter some moments later, whispering in hushed notes to Marco. She gave it a full thirty minutes before striding to his office. Her heels struck the marble hallway with clipped, furious notes as she made her way toward Lorenzo’s study. The double doors loomed, heavy and shut, muffling the sound of male voices within. She didn’t care. She pushed them open with both hands. Lorenzo sat behind his desk, sleeves rolled, dark eyes narrowed at Marco, who leaned over a spread of papers. They both looked up as she stormed inside. Marco straightened instantly. “Signora—” “Out,” Lorenzo said, his voice a low command. He didn’t even glance at Marco, just flicked his ga
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments