Chapter 1

The cold was not just in the air; it came from the stone. It rose from the massive, polished marble floor, climbed the high velvet curtains, and settled deep into Luna Vitiello’s bones. This chill was the permanent temperature of extreme wealth, of absolute power, and of lifelong, crushing fear. This house was a prison built entirely of expensive silence.

Luna stood perfectly still near the bottom of the grand staircase, her back pressed flat against the cool wall, trying to make her small body disappear into the fancy carvings and intricate decorations. Her body was tuned to the strict, unspoken rules of survival here: stillness was safety, and any quick movement drew attention, and attention brought the harsh scrutiny she desperately avoided. At nineteen, her posture was one of chronic, painful apprehension.

Her face, untouched by the hard, knowing look of most women her age, was hidden behind a passive resignation. Her skin was pale, stretched delicately over soft, rounded features, the baby face that made her look heartbreakingly fragile. Her dark mahogany hair was pulled back tightly, showing the vulnerable curve of her throat. This look, innocent, beautiful, and utterly compliant, was exactly what her father demanded.

But her eyes gave everything away. They were wide, a startled shade of hazel that absorbed every shadow and every tiny change in the heavy atmosphere. They were the only part of her that could speak, frantically signaling the deep terror and anxiety that her tongue could no longer express. Her voice was simply gone, blocked by a wall of pain and trauma.

Today, the silence felt heavy, weighted down by the invisible knowledge of the upcoming, fixed marriage to Vincenzo Moretti. The thought of the old, cruel man her father had chosen sent a physical sickness through her stomach. She squeezed her hands at her sides, digging her nails into her palms. The sting was a necessary point of focus, a small, controlled pain to fight the mental chaos that always threatened to overwhelm her.

She couldn't speak. Her voice was lost, paralyzed by a deep, crippling trauma years ago, a direct result of the violence and physical abuse inflicted by her father. The doctors confirmed it: the sound was physically impossible, choked off by a knot of fear in her throat. The world saw her silence as a sad defect; Luna knew it was a permanent scar.

A sharp, controlled sound echoed from the hall leading to the Don's study, the quiet click of expensive shoes on the marble. Luna's breathing stopped instantly. Her lungs burned as she fought to prevent a gasp, forcing her gaze only onto the wallpaper. Stay still. Stay silent.

The man who emerged was Dante Bellomo, the Don’s trusted Right-Hand Man. Dante was a permanent threat in the house, always watching, always aware of the danger lurking beneath the surface.

Dante saw her immediately. He stopped, his head tilting, his eyes, always hungry and assessing, crawling over her small form. This was the gaze that confirmed her status as a prize, and his presence renewed the sickening feeling of being judged and claimed.

He began to walk toward her, slowly, deliberately. Luna’s eyes widened. The deep trauma that caused her silence intensified, locking her jaw tight. She feared the invisible threat of Dante, the menace within the walls, more than any enemy outside.

"Luna," he murmured, his voice a low, smooth sound. He stopped at a distance that felt both respectful and terrifying. His mouth stretched into a slow, unsettling smile. "Still like a statue. Preparing for your new life, hmm?"

He reached out a hand toward the wall beside her, his fingers curling near her temple. Luna’s breath was trapped, held until her chest ached. She focused on the expensive, metallic scent of his cologne. Her whole body waited, tense and still, for the contact that always stopped just short of a harsh touch.

He chuckled, a dry, malevolent sound. "Your father is so proud of your obedience. So very proud." He let his fingers brush the wall inches from her ear. The tiny scrape of his knuckle against the plaster sent a deep shiver down her spine. "Don't worry, little doll. The family will still keep a close eye. Always."

The subtle threat hung in the air, a promise that marriage would not bring freedom. Luna desperately wished she could move, but her limbs were cold, useless weights. A crushing, heartbreaking frustration swelled in her chest, a profound pressure that she prayed could escape as words. But the words were locked, suffocated by the physical weight of her fear.

Dante finally lowered his hand, his eyes lingering on her for one last, cold moment before he turned and walked toward the Don's private wing.

The silence that rushed back was immense, yet Luna could not relax. Her body trembled subtly, still locked in the residual terror of the confrontation. She tried to force air into her lungs, the desperate effort resulting only in shallow, soundless puffs. The knowledge that her father, the man who was supposed to love her, was the source of her deepest psychological injury, made the fear absolute.

She pushed off the wall finally, the movement stiff and careful. She began her slow, deliberate climb up the grand staircase toward the temporary safety of her chambers. Every step felt heavy with the knowledge of her fate. The house was cold, but the threat was hot and close.

She reached the top floor, her pulse still frantic, forcing her steps to be silent and graceful. Unaware of any actual surveillance, she was consumed by a profound, unnerving coldness, a prickle of consciousness that the heavy shadows pooled in the foyer below had shifted and solidified. For a brief, chilling moment, it felt like someone might have been tracking her ascent with deliberate focus, but the vast, silent house offered no confirmation, only the crushing weight of its ongoing mystery.