ca Estate

s of leather-bound volumes. The air was still and silent, a stark contrast to the violent chaos of the previous night. Seraphina, her arm bandaged and resting in a sling, sat opposit

in spreading across her wedding dress, the cold, calculating look in her father's eyes – a look that now seemed to

energy. He had spent the early hours issuing commands, assessing the damage to his mansion, and ensuring his security wa

ugh the silence. He steepled his fingers, his gaze intense. "The timing wasn't coincidental. H

bait." The realization, though not entir

would have complicated things for him. A dead bride, especially a Moretti

n the process," Seraphina stated

r injured arm. "Collateral da

the weight of Don Moretti's rut

espite the tremor in her hand as she reached for her unto

"But we won't just defend. We will retaliate. We will disman

omething akin to grim satisfaction in

ent, his expression unreadable. "

s sharp and mirthless. "My grief died with those men in your hallway, Raf

ous path," Rafael wa

tered, her gaze unwavering. "I know my father's organizatio

in Rafael's dark eyes. "You

"Besides," a cold smile touched her lips, "aren't we allies now, husband?" The title, once a source of bi

y resolve beneath the surface of her pain. She was no longer just a pawn; she was a player, driven by a p

," he said finally, hi

d spilled on their wedding night, began to architect their vengeance. She spoke of her father's network of informants, the hidden routes he used for his illicit goods, t

. The scars of their past encounters remained, the distrust still lingered, but a new dynamic was emerging – a dangerous partnership built on the ruins of betrayal and fueled by a mutual desi