Chapter 3

Alessia's Pov

"Yes." The word left my lips like a death sentence. "I'll marry you."

Leo's smile spread slowly across his face as victory gleamed in his eyes. "Smart choice Alessia, I've always known you're a genius.."

Marco thrashed against his restraints and glared at me as if I've gone mad"Alessia, no! You can't do this!" I couldn't look at him nor bear to see the disappointment in his eyes so I turned to Leo. "Let him go first, that was the deal."

Leo snapped his fingers, and one of his men cut Marco's bindings. Another produced a first aid kit and roughly bandaged his thigh.

"Get him out of here," Leo ordered. "Drop him at the emergency room downtown."

"You can still fight this," Marco said desperately as they dragged him toward the door. "Witness protection—"

"Enough." Leo's voice was ice. "She's made her choice and consider yourself lucky to be walking out of here at all."

The last thing I saw was Marco's anguished face before the elevator doors closed, taking away my final link to a normal life.

When we were alone, Leo poured two glasses of whiskey, offering one to me but I ignored it.

Before I could ask what his intentions were, the elevator doors opened again and a stern-looking man in an expensive suit entered, carrying a briefcase.

"Mr Diego, Our Lawyer" Leo explained. "With our prenuptial agreement."

I laughed bitterly and forced the bile that threatened to crawl up my throat "You can't be serious."

"I'm always serious about business, Lischka" Leo motioned for the lawyer to open his briefcase as he smirked at me "And marriage is the biggest business transaction of all."

For the next hour, I sat in stunned silence as they outlined the terms. Ten million dollars in a separate account for me upon signing. Another twenty if I stayed married for five years, Provisions for children, for public appearances and for my behavior.

"This last clause is non-negotiable," Leo said, pointing to a paragraph at the end. "You will act as the perfect wife in all public settings. No hints of coercion, no cries for help, no attempts to contact law enforcement."

"I need to think," I said weakly.

"You've done your thinking already." Leo pushed a pen into my hand. "Sign."

With each signature on each page, I felt another piece of my soul chip away. Yet beneath the fear and resignation, something else burned and it was a fierce determination.

‘I'll play his game’, I thought. ‘I'll be his perfect wife and then I'll destroy him from the inside out.’

As if reading my thoughts, Leo smiled when I signed the final page. "Don't get any ideas about double-crossing me, Lessia. Smarter people than you have tried."

"I'm not stupid," I replied coldly. "You've made sure I understand the consequences."

He took my hand, his thumb caressing my wrist where my pulse raced. "Good. Now, your first duty as my future wife—call your boss and resign."

My stomach dropped in dread as I glared at him. "What?"

"You can't possibly continue working as a private detective while married to me." His tone was reasonable, as if he was explaining something to a child. "This is about a conflict of interest."

I'd built my career from nothing after law school, joining a respected detective agency that specialized in corporate fraud. It was the one thing that was truly mine, how on earth am I throwing this away because of him, why was my husband involved with a Psycho like him in the first place?

"You want to strip away everything that makes me who I am," I asked quietly and he shrugged.

"I want to give you a new identity." Leo handed me my phone, which I hadn't even realized he had. "Make the call and put it on speaker."

With shaking hands, I dialed my boss, Martinez.

"Alessia! Where the hell have you been? We've been trying to reach you since the news about Matteo broke."

I swallowed hard, aware of Leo's eyes on me. "Mart, I'm calling to resign, effective immediately."

There was a long silence, then: "Is this because of your husband? Because we don't hold that against you. We know you weren't involved—"

"It's more complicated than that." I forced steadiness into my voice. "I'm... getting remarried to Leonardo Costello."

I heard Mart’s sharp intake of breath as everyone in our line of work knew the Costello name.

"Alessia, are you in danger? Do you need help? Blink twice if—"

"No," I cut him off, seeing Leo's expression darken. "This is my choice. I'm sorry to leave without notice."

"If you ever need anything..." Mart’s voice trailed off, the implication was clear and there was no room for argument.

"Goodbye Mart." I ended the call before I could betray myself and he collected the phone from me.

"What if I run? If I disappear after you let me go?" I asked him and his laugh sent chills down my spine. "Oh, Alessia. Who said anything about letting you go?"

He led me to the window, gesturing to the street below. A black SUV was parked across the road, two men in suits leaning against it.

"Meet your security detail, They'll be with you everywhere you go." He pointed to my phone on the table. "That's been upgraded with special features. GPS tracking, remote listening capabilities. Think of it as... insurance."

"No, that's Prison, taking advantage of the situation to fucking control me" I corrected bitterly he didn't seem to care.

"A gilded cage is still a cage, remember?" He brushed a strand of hair from my face. "But in time, you might find that being Mrs. Costello has its advantages."

I pulled away from his touch. "I doubt that."

"We'll see." He checked his watch. "The car will take you to collect your things from Matteo's house. Pack only what matters to you—everything else will be replaced. Then you'll be brought to my estate in Greenwich. Our wedding planner arrives tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I gasped. "You can't be serious."

"Six months, Lischka. That's how long you have to become the perfect bride." Leo pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead that made my skin crawl. "I suggest you use the time wisely."

I said nothing as he led me to the elevator with my mind racing through scenarios, possibilities, ways to escape this nightmare.

"One last thing," Leo said as the doors began to close between us. "If you're thinking of gathering evidence against me while playing house, remember this: I didn't get where I am by being careless. Cross me, and Marco won't be the only one who suffers. Your pretty little sick mother might have a role to play.” I froze at his words.