He didn’t argue. He left, clearly grateful to be rid of me. The door shut behind him with a soft click. Silence again.
I stood, crossing the room in a few slow steps, staring out over the city.
Marriage.
My father wanted to force my hand. Chain me to some woman he deemed worthy. Make sure the empire passed through something he could still influence, even when dead.
My fingers curled slightly as I took in all the facts.
An unborn child was the sole heir of everything I had built.
Alegitimateheir. Which quickly ruled out everything but marriage.
And to top it off, it was time-sensitive.
A lesser man would panic. I didn’t. I calculated. Fast. What were my options?
I could find a woman. Any woman. Marry her. Use her. Dispose of her after.
It would be efficient, forgettable, and fucking pointless.
Because I alreadyhada woman.
My mouth curved. Chiara Ventura.
Fire in her eyes. Defiance in her stance. A bloodline that mattered just enough. And she was already in my house. Already under my control. Already ruined for any other man.
More importantly, she was alreadymine, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it yet.
The problem wasn’t finding a solution. It was that I’d been planning to take my time with Chiara.
Break her slowly. Watch her bend. Enjoy every second of it.
This meeting changed things, and not for the better.
My gaze sharpened. I didn’t need time anymore. I needed results. Fast. Chiara wouldn’t like it. Good.
I preferred her fighting. But one way or another, she was going to give me what I needed.
And my father, wherever the hell he was, would choke on it.May the bastard suffer in hell.
A knock sounded once. Then the door opened without waiting for permission.
“Sergio,” I said without turning.
“My apologies,” he replied, though his tone held none. It never did. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with quiet precision. “I assumed you’d still be awake.”
“You assumed correctly.” I poured myself a drink. Didn’t offer him one. He didn’t need it.
Sergio had been with my father longer than most men stayed alive in this world. Loyal. Efficient. And somehow, after everything, his loyalty laid with me.
“Lawyer still around?” he asked.
“Gone.”
“And?” An expectant silence lay between us. I took a slow sip.
“I have twelve months to produce an heir. A legitimate child. Or the legacy gets split between my cousins and uncles.”
