Who Is The Protagonist In 'Baudolino' By Umberto Eco?

“What can you pay in return for my protection, Ms Ferrari?” His deep velvety voice greeted my ears. “Anything!” I breathed out without weighing my options. Because I was more than desperate at that moment. He stood up and stepped near me before caressing my cheek with an unrecognizable glint in his eyes. “Then be my bride, Bella.” And just like that I sealed my destiny in his tainted hands. It was my first mistake. Second was, to fall in love with him, madly and irrevocably without knowing his hidden lethal identity. ……. Aaron Salvatore Knight! He emanates power, affluence, confidence, and the luggage of forbidden deeds. His eminence stirs the souls of the city with his domination, elusive games and title of ruthless Heir of the Knight family. Eligible billionaire? Not only that. He is the next boss in line of 'Cosa Nostra', one of the crime families in New York. He is known by the name of "Velenoso" in the underworld because whoever meddles with him or becomes a barrier in his way, has tasted his poisonous side. But Even The Devil is bound to some Traditions. To get the title of ‘Capo dei capi’ He needed to follow the tradition of marrying the Italian breed so He began his search for his prey. But what happens when some ordinary religious girl, a believer of Mother Mary's teachings, strikes his life unexpectedly with her not-so-called appearance and shakes his identity among the people? Would He be able to get her into his twisted life or would she try to escape his entanglement of games? Would she serve him the purpose of finding something He wants? The Italian Bride! Well, dive into this dark journey of these two different burning spirits where The Devil meets his innocent Angel!

**He was her dream. Now he’s her nightmare.** Madeleine never forgot the man from the gardens. Five years ago, Dom was her fleeting escape. A quiet, thoughtful soul who saw her as more than just a girl in a convent. They whispered dreams under the moonlight, shared stolen moments that meant nothing and everything. Then he vanished, leaving her questioning everything. Now, trapped in the world she swore she’d never belong to, she comes face-to-face with the man who once made her believe in something pure. But Dom doesn’t exist. In his place stands Rafael Andoletti. A ruthless mafia don who rules with fear. A man whispered about in the darkest corners of the city. The man who just forced her to drink poison in a room full of criminals. At first, she’s just another threat to him. A would-be assassin. Then he remembers her, and he spares her life. Rafael never wanted this life. He was forced into this world of darkness, but seeing Madeleine ignites one undeniable truth. He’ll never let her go. She’s horrified by the monster he became. He’s consumed by the woman who gives him a glimpse of the man he could have been. She wants to run. He won’t allow it. Because she was always meant to be his… and Rafael is ready to burn the world down to keep her.

They say love is blind. But in a world like his, blindness is a luxury. Aurelio De Luca. A devil. He doesn't believe in love — to him, it is a beautiful lie. He alone is the truth — and the truth is brutal. Cold. Calculated. To him, emotion is nothing more than a weakness. Until her. Snow. The moment he laid his eyes on her, something stirred within him — something dark, wild, and utterly uncontrollable. She doesn't make him soft — she makes him want. She's everything he isn't. Everything he doesn't want. Pure. Innocent. Her beauty haunts him. Her smile torments him. Her beauty? A curse. Her softness? A poison. She makes his body burn with a desire he cannot extinguish. She's everything his world has poisoned. He's never been this out of control. Aurelio is bound by a contract — a cold, unyielding rule that forbids him to fall in love. She doesn't understand the rules. She doesn't understand that to fall for him is to play with death. But she wants him — her desire becoming a threat to him and the entire Italian mafia. But Snow, like fire burns with an untamed desire — a desire he can't contain. He doesn't fall in love... But he's about to fall into an obsession. No, not fall. He's walking into an obsession.

Luna Winterbourne’s life felt utterly suffocating ever since her father hired Matteo Vicenzo as her bodyguard. The man was far too possessive, as if he had no understanding of the word privacy. Shockingly, something humiliating happened on the night of her engagement. Someone set her up, and Luna ended up in the same bed as Matteo. The incident enraged her father, leading to Luna’s expulsion and Matteo’s disgraceful dismissal. With no family members willing to take her in, Matteo offered her a place to stay—an offer Luna reluctantly accepted, even though it was hard for her to believe he wasn’t the one who orchestrated that shameful night. As time passed, Luna finally softened to Matteo’s sincerity. Love blossomed between them, until the day Matteo revealed who he truly was!

When I pushed open the oakwood door to the manor’s study, I never expected to walk into such a scene. Juliana was sprawled across the desk, her posture leaving little to the imagination. As if not R-rated enough, her mini dress was pulled up to her waist, and her black lace clung to her thigh, barely covering her modesty. She looked back with a smile. “Alessia, my back is acting up again. Matteo’s just helping me out.” Matteo, my husband and a Don, rose to his feet, a tube of ointment in hand. He didn’t look like someone who had been caught out. “She couldn’t reach her back, so I thought I ought to lend a hand.” Matteo grabbed the dressing and pressed the gauze against her skin. He sure took his time. Tilting her head, Juliana met my gaze. “Don’t get the wrong idea. We grew up together. That’s how family is. We don’t care about that kind of stuff.” In my past life, I bolted into the room and grabbed Juliana by the hair to yank her off the desk. She turned to the side, shoving me hard into the sharp corner of the desk. I hit my head on the cold marble edge. The next thing I knew, I was a dead body in the morgue. This time, I stood in the doorway motionlessly. Since Juliana wanted to play the game, I’d be sure to hold my cards close to my chest.

Francesa has one mission. It is to bring down the De Luca empire from the inside. Disguised as a man named Franco, she earns her place close to the heir she swore to kill. But nothing prepares her for Matteo- the man who gives her the most unforgettable night of her life... and the same man she’s meant to destroy. Matteo can’t forget the mystery woman he had a wild night with. Now, he finds himself drawn to Franco in ways that shake everything he thought he knew about himself. As Francesa uncovers a dark secret that could blow everything apart, the lines between hate and desire blur. Will love ruin her revenge or save her from it?