He was handsome in a dangerous way. The kind of beautiful that came with a warning label. The kind my father had always told me to avoid.
No wonder he thought he could control me with a look.
I'd seen Luca Romano before, of course. Five years ago at a charity gala—I'd been seventeen, barely paying attention to the sons of crime families circling like sharks. He'd been there with his father, just another arrogant heir in an expensive suit. I'd glanced in his direction once, maybe twice. He'd been handsome enough, but softer somehow. Lankier. Less... substantial. Nothing that held my interest.
Then he'd gone to prison for two years.
The man standing before me now bore little resemblance to that entitled prince I'd dismissed. Prison had stripped away whatever softness he'd had and rebuilt him into something harder, more dangerous. His frame had filled out—broader shoulders, solid muscle that spoke of hours spent in a prison yard with nothing but time and violence. His jaw was sharper, his movements more controlled, like a predatorwho'd learned to survive by being stronger and more ruthless than everyone else.
Where the old Luca had moved with casual arrogance, this one moved with lethal purpose. His eyes held shadows that hadn't been there before—the kind that came from seeing too much, surviving too much.
Once, I'd barely glanced in his direction.
Now, I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of him.
And that terrified me more than anything else about this nightmare.
"There she is. I was starting to worry you'd broken."
"Never," I promised, injecting every ounce of venom I possessed into the word.
"Good." He stepped back, creating distance between us. "Broken things are useless to me. I need you fierce. I need you fighting."
The statement confused me, but I was too exhausted to unpack it. Too overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the span of a few hours.
I turned toward the hallway, desperate to escape his presence, to find some corner where I could fall apart without an audience.
"Sienna."
I paused, but didn't look back.
"The windows don't open," he said quietly. "And there are guards posted at every exit. Don't waste your energy trying to run."
The practical warning shouldn't have hurt. But it did. A reminder that no matter how pretty the cage, I was still trapped.
I walked down the hall without responding, finding the second door on the right just as he'd said. Inside, the room was impersonal but comfortable—a large bed with expensive linens, a dresser, a door that presumably led to the bathroom.
On the bed lay a garment bag and several shopping bags, all from high-end boutiques I recognized. My new wardrobe. My new uniform.
I ignored them all, moving to the window instead. The view was different from this angle—the river visible in the distance, bridges strung with lights like jewels. Somewhere out there, Isabella was probably crying, wondering where I'd gone. My father was probably smoking his cigars, and I couldn't help wondering if he was relieved or furious. Had this been his plan all along? Had he orchestrated my 'escape' knowing Luca would be waiting? Or had I truly ruined whatever arrangement he'd made with the Calabrese family?
And I was here. Trapped forty floors above the city, waiting to marry a man I despised.
My legs finally gave out. I sank to the floor by the window, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. The torn wedding dress pooled around me like a shroud.
Tomorrow I'd marry Luca Romano. Tomorrow I'd smile and play my part. Tomorrow I'd become someone I didn't recognize.
But tonight, alone in this beautiful cage, I let myself cry.
Silent tears tracked down my face as the city lights blurred and swam. For my lost freedom. For my sister who'd have to face this world alone now. For the future I'd never have—the choice to love someone freely, to build a life on my own terms.
Gone. All of it, gone.
When the tears finally dried, I pulled myself to my feet. My reflection in the window showed a woman I barely knew—hair wild, dress destroyed, eyes red but defiant.
I would survive this. I would find a way to protect Isabella from this fate. And somehow, someday, I would make Luca Romano regret the day he caught me running.
That promise—that spark of rebellion—was the only thing I had left.
