1

PROLOGUE

SALMA

The night pulsed with tension, thick and heavy as I stood in the corner of the dimly lit room, my heart racing.

Outside, the city buzzed with life, but inside, it felt like time had frozen.

Laughter and clinking glasses faded into the background as I focused on the man in front of me.

Vito leaned against the bar, his dark eyes shining like polished stone under the low lights.

The air around him crackled with danger, and my heart pounded with a mix of excitement and fear.

I felt drawn to him, like a moth to a flame, and despite the chaos swirling in my mind, I wanted to close the distance between us.

“Salma,” he said, his voice a low, sexy murmur that sent shivers down my spine.

He beckoned me closer, and I couldn’t resist.

As I moved toward him, guilt crashed over me like a wave.

Juan’s face flashed in my mind—his warm smile, his gentle touch.

He was my fiancé, my safe space.

But the heat between me and Vito was something I couldn’t ignore.

“I shouldn’t be here,” I whispered, the words spilling out like a confession.

The truth clawed at me, threatening to tear apart everything I had with Juan.

Vito stepped forward, his presence wrapping around me.

“You want this, Salma. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

His voice was smooth and tempting.

He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and that simple touch sparked a fire within me.

“I do want this,” I admitted, my voice barely a breath.

The air sizzled with unspoken tension.

“But Juan—”

“Juan doesn’t make you feel like this,” Vito interrupted, his eyes locking onto mine. “He can’t give you what I can. You know that.”

My breath caught as he moved closer, his body radiating heat.

I felt the pull of desire, a mix of fear and excitement that twisted in my stomach.

The chaos of his world lurked just outside the door, a constant reminder of the danger we were in.

But right then, none of it mattered.

Vito leaned in, his lips brushing against mine, a soft tease that ignited every nerve in my body.

The kiss deepened, and I melted against him, losing myself in the heat that surrounded us.

My mind screamed at me to stop, to remember Juan and the life we were supposed to build together.

But all I could think about was how Vito’s hands tangled in my hair…

Pulling me closer, making me forget everything except the wild rush between us.

Caught in a whirlwind of passion and chaos, I knew I was stepping into a world of danger—a world that could swallow me whole.

But as Vito’s lips pressed against mine, all I could think about was how much I wanted to stay lost in his embrace, even if it meant breaking Juan’s heart.

The night lay before us, filled with raw pleasure and risk.

As we surrendered to the chaos, I felt the ties to my old life begin to unravel, setting the stage for a choice that would change everything.

1

SALMA

I was standing in the kitchen, making coffee like any other normal morning, when I heard the mail slip through the slot in the door.

It was nothing unusual.

Bills, coupons, the occasional flyer for a new restaurant opening up.

But this time, something felt different.

There was an odd sense of anticipation as I walked over to the door, almost like I knew something unexpected was waiting for me.

And there it was—an envelope, cream-colored, heavier than the rest of the junk.

My name, Salma, written in delicate gold cursive across the front.

No return address.

I frowned, feeling a weird sensation in my chest.

Something about the handwriting felt familiar, though I couldn’t place it at first.

I held the envelope for a moment, weighing it in my hands, trying to shake off the unease creeping up my spine.

When I finally tore it open, the words on the invitation made my heart stop.

"You are cordially invited to the wedding of Vito Moretti and…"

I stopped reading.

The rest of the words blurred into the background as his name burned into my mind.

Vito.