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Elena Morelli was never meant to be part of the underworld. Living a quiet life as an aspiring artist, she had no idea that her bloodline held a secret—one that made her a target.

One night was all it took to destroy the illusion of safety.

Dragged to a nightclub by her best friend, Elena made a reckless decision—to let go, to indulge, to forget the dull routine of her life for just a few hours. That was when she met Alessio DeLuca.

He was devastatingly handsome, dangerously intense, and completely unlike anyone she had ever encountered. With his tailored suit, cold silver eyes, and commanding presence, he exuded power.

She didn’t know who he was.

She didn’t know that stepping into his world would cost her everything.

What was supposed to be a fleeting one-night stand turned into something far more sinister when she woke up to a nightmare—Alessio wasn’t just a man. He was the ruthless leader of the DeLuca crime family, and he wasn’t done with her yet.

Captured: The Cold Embrace of a Monster

Alessio DeLuca had built his empire on control. He didn’t make mistakes. He didn’t allow weaknesses. But the moment he saw Elena, something in him cracked.

He thought she was just another distraction.

Until he found out who she really was.

Elena Morelli wasn’t just some girl. She was connected to the mafia in a way she never knew—the hidden daughter of a disgraced Morelli boss. A bloodline that should have been erased.

To Alessio, she was a problem. A loose end. Someone who should have never existed.

And yet, he couldn’t kill her.

Instead, he took her. Caged her in his world.

She fought him at every turn, refusing to bow to his will. But Alessio was a man who got what he wanted—through pain, through fear, through desire.

Elena would learn obedience.

Or so he thought.

The War Within: Hate, Lust, and Something More

Elena refused to break.

She wasn’t a mafia princess. She wasn’t some pawn to be used. And she would never belong to a monster like Alessio.

But the more she fought, the more obsessed he became.

He punished her defiance. Tested her limits. Took pleasure in bending her to his will.

But what Alessio never expected was that she would start to unravel him, too.

The cruel control he prided himself on began to slip.

Her fire, her innocence—it was supposed to be nothing. And yet, it became everything.

But Alessio wasn’t a man who could love. Love was weakness.

And Elena? She was a distraction he should have destroyed.

Unraveling the Truth: A Legacy of Blood

Just when Elena thought she understood her captor, the truth about her past began to surface.

She wasn’t just any Morelli.

She was the heir to something far more dangerous than either of them realized—a bloodline tied to secrets that could shift the balance of power in the underworld.

Assassins came for her. Enemies rose from the shadows. And Alessio realized that letting her go was never an option.

Not because of duty.

Not because of power.

But because she had become his.

And now, he would kill for her.

The Final Choice: Love or Ruin

With war looming between the mafia families, Elena had a choice—stay with the man who had stolen her life, or risk everything to escape.

But running meant death.

Staying meant surrender.

And falling for Alessio DeLuca?

That meant ruin.

Yet, as the walls closed in and the truth of her past threatened to consume her, Elena realized one thing:

She wasn’t just his captive anymore.

She was his queen.

And Alessio?

He would burn the world to keep her.

Ruthless Mafia Captive

The moment the name left the intruder's lips, Elena barely had time to process it before Alessio moved.

It wasn't hesitation. It wasn't thought.

One second, the man was standing in the doorway, his smirk taunting, his gun still raised—

The next, Alessio's bullet ripped through his skull.

The sound of the shot echoed through the room, followed by the dull thud of the man's body hitting the floor. Blood pooled beneath him, a dark, growing stain against the marble.

Elena gasped, her entire body jolting at the violence, the ruthlessness of it.

His gun still in hand, he turned to his men. "Get rid of the body. Now."

The guards moved without question, dragging the corpse away like it was nothing more than garbage.

Elena's pulse pounded in her ears. She forced herself to breathe, but the weight of what had just happened—of what had just been stolen from her—crushed her chest.

And he had killed the only man who could have given her answers.

His voice was firm, but she barely heard him. Her hands trembled as she stared at the bloodstained floor, at the spot where a truth had just been erased.

She lifted her eyes, and when she did, she saw something dangerous in his expression.

"You had no right," she whispered, her voice shaking with fury.

Alessio cocked his head, unfazed. "I had every right."

Her breath hitched. "He knew something about me—about my bloodline. And you killed him before I could find out."

His jaw clenched. "Because it didn't matter."

Elena's hands balled into fists. "It mattered to me."

Alessio stepped forward, closing the space between them in an instant. His fingers wrapped around her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his.

"I don't care what name he gave you. I don't care what past he wanted to drag you into." His grip tightened just enough to make her breath hitch. "You are mine. That's the only truth that matters."

His words should have repulsed her.

Because deep down, in the part of her soul that she had spent so long denying—

She could fight him. She could scream and rage.

And now, there was no turning back.

Chapter 37: Blood and Betrayal