Chapter 1: The Kidnapping

The night was colder than usual. The air carried a sharp chill, seeping through Aurora Moretti's thin cardigan as she stepped out of the café. Streetlights flickered overhead, casting long shadows on the cobblestone pavement. It was late—too late to be walking alone.

She clutched her purse, quickening her pace.

Something felt off.

It wasn't just the eerie silence of the streets or the way the wind howled between the alleyways—it was an instinctual sense of being watched. Followed.

Her fingers tightened around her phone.

Maybe I'm imagining things.

But when she turned the corner, the feeling didn't fade.

A black SUV was parked a few meters away, engine running. Tinted windows. No visible plates.

Aurora swallowed.

Her heart pounded as she glanced over her shoulder. The street was empty. She had lived in this city her entire life, yet, for the first time, she felt like a stranger in her own home.

Her father's warnings echoed in her mind. Stay out of trouble, Aurora. Walk in well-lit areas. Never trust strangers.

She never understood his paranoia—until now.

She forced herself to breathe. Just keep walking.

Her heels clicked against the pavement as she picked up speed. The café wasn't far from home. Just a few more minutes.

But then—

The SUV door swung open.

Before Aurora could react, a hand clamped over her mouth.

Panic surged through her veins. Her body twisted, legs kicking wildly, but the grip was like steel. Unyielding. Merciless.

A deep voice whispered near her ear. "Don't fight."

Her screams were muffled by the gloved hand pressed against her lips. No one was around to hear her.

She clawed at her attacker's arm, but he was too strong.

She was being dragged.

Into the darkness. Into the waiting SUV.

Her vision blurred as she thrashed, a rush of adrenaline making her movements frantic, desperate. She bit down—hard—on the man's hand.

He let out a sharp curse, but his grip didn't loosen.

The next moment, something cold and sharp pressed against her neck.

A knife.

Aurora froze.

"Smart girl," the man muttered, voice laced with irritation. "Now behave."

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as the SUV's doors slammed shut, sealing her fate.

Trapped

The vehicle sped through the city, weaving through streets like a ghost slipping through the night. Aurora's breaths were ragged, her chest rising and falling with each panicked inhale.

She was pinned between two men—both dressed in black, their faces masked.

Her wrists were tied. The rough rope dug into her skin, sending jolts of pain up her arms.

"Who—who are you?" Her voice trembled. "What do you want?"

No response.

The man in the passenger seat—the one who had grabbed her—glanced back at her. Even in the dim lighting, his gaze was cold.

"She's awake," he muttered to the driver.

Aurora struggled against her restraints. "Let me go! I don't know who you think I am, but—"

"Shut up."

A gloved hand gripped her chin, forcing her to meet the cold stare of her captor. His eyes were sharp, calculating.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Her stomach twisted.

She had no idea where they were taking her.

The Arrival

Time blurred. The drive felt endless, stretching into a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Aurora lost track of the streets, the turns, the fading city lights.

Then—suddenly—the car stopped.

A gate opened.

Beyond it, a mansion loomed in the darkness.

Her breath caught.

Tall iron gates, guarded by armed men. Stone walls stretching high, enclosing what looked like a fortress of wealth and secrecy.

The car rolled to a halt in the courtyard.

The door flung open, and strong hands yanked her out.

Aurora stumbled, her legs weak beneath her. The night air bit into her skin, but the terror numbed everything else.

The masked men dragged her forward, up the grand steps of the mansion.

The doors swung open—revealing a hall bathed in gold and shadow.

Marble floors. A chandelier dripping with crystals. Walls lined with expensive paintings.

But none of that mattered.

Because at the end of the hall, a man stood waiting.

Tall. Imposing. A figure of calm dominance.

He was dressed in a black suit, the crisp fabric tailored to perfection. A glass of whiskey rested lazily in his grip, as if he hadn't just ordered her kidnapping.

But it wasn't his presence that made Aurora's knees weak.

It was his eyes.

Silver-gray. Sharp as a blade, cold as winter.

They met hers—and for a second, she forgot how to breathe.

Lorenzo De Luca

The masked men shoved her forward. She stumbled, barely catching herself before falling to her knees.

The man—Lorenzo—watched her.

Unmoved. Unbothered.

Like she was nothing more than a nuisance.

Aurora's voice came out hoarse. "Who—who are you?"

Lorenzo set his glass down on the table beside him.

"I'm the man your family betrayed."

His words sent a shiver down her spine.

Aurora's brows furrowed. "My family?"

Lorenzo took a slow step toward her. "The Morettis thought they could steal from me and walk away."

His voice was smooth, almost lethal in its calmness.

"They were wrong."

She shook her head. This had to be a mistake.

"My father—he's just a businessman! We don't have any connection to—"

Lorenzo's lips curled into a smirk. "You really don't know, do you?"

Aurora's pulse pounded.

Know what?

Lorenzo studied her for a long moment, as if debating something. Then, in one swift motion—

He grabbed her chin.

His grip was firm, not painful, but enough to send a jolt of fear through her veins.

"You carry their name. That makes you part of their crime."

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

He let her go, straightening.

"You belong to me now, Aurora."

Her breath hitched.

"You're my insurance," Lorenzo continued. "And my punishment."

Aurora stared at him, horror creeping up her spine.

She was trapped.

Alone.

At the mercy of a man who didn't believe in mercy.