INTO THE LION’S DEN

Isabella's POV

I used to think of myself as sturdy. Under the weight of my father's business, I had learnt how to keep my head down and avoid difficulty. Nothing could have, nevertheless, suited me for this. FOR he is.

Looking at the woman I scarcely knew from the front to rear mirror, The white silk dress hugged me, beautiful lace hanging down my arms. For a Mafia man, the perfect woman is I could not let this lose its irony. No love story like this exists. In a business deal, I was the commodity.

My father, Don Carlo Rossi, had seen that I comprehended it.

He had stated, just a few days before, "Isabella, you're doing this for the family." His comments had been subdued, as though he were suggesting that I set the table instead than wed a man I had never even met.

And now here I was, staring at my reflection trying to calm the panic wriggling at my chest. I drew deeply and pushed myself to be cool and endure tonight. There was no escape path. Not from my end. Not as much now.

There was a soft knock on the door before it creamed open. Entering the room, my mother Sofia turned to face me head-to- tail in brilliant green. Her black graying hair pulled back into a tight chignon, her face a mask of serenity, she was as beautiful as always. Still, I knew her really well. < Benevolent behind that calm exterior was a storm structure.

Her voice carried finality, yet she spoke softly, "It's time."

I nodded; my throat felt too tight for speech. My hands trembled as I grasped the long length of my garment, but I pushed forward. One step after the other. This was happening and going back was not possible.

The ceremony turned out as cold and calculated as I had imagined it would have. My eyes fixed on the polished marble floor, I stood at the altar scarcely hearing the priest speak. The most powerful families in the city quietly and powerfully gathered to witness two empires come together.

I then felt it, his weight right next to mine.

I made myself glance up at Enzo De Luca, the guy now my husband. He appeared taller than I had remembered from our first meeting, his dark hair slicked back, his jaw set in a firm, ruthless line. His eyes fixed on mine were icy, unintelligible.

Do you, Isabella Rossi, take Enzo De Luca as your husband? the priest asked.

My voice barely above a whisper and my heartbeat in my chest as I pushed out the words. "I do.,"

Enzo responded straightforwardly in a brusque manner. In fact, this

And it was finished exactly like that. Married to the most dangerous man in the city, I was Isabella De Luca. Still, I felt as though I was locked in a gilded cage even as I stood amid wealth and power.

The priest pronounced us husband and wife, and Enzo reached for my hand; his touch was cold and harsh. Though I got ready for the kiss that would signal our fate, to my surprise it never happened. He turned to face the throng after just briefly staring at me, his expression blank.

Following his lead, I said nothing as the room erupted in applause. Inside, though, I had simply terror.

I didn't know exactly how far the game I was playing currently stretched till the reception. Enzo was seated next to me at the head table; my plate of uneatable food went cold while I listened to the muted conversations all around. Every glance and every whispered word looked like a calculated move in a deadly game of dead chess.

Enzo was calm next to me; his posture was laid back but his eyes never missed anything. Right here he was under control. He would be continual.

Then I started to notice something strange though.

Luca Vitali, seated far from the table, was gazing at us quite deliberately. Though his facial expression was hard to grasp, my spine shivered from something in his gaze. One of Marco Vitale's assistants, I recognized from prior murmurs.

I moved closer to Enzo; my voice just above a whisper. Who is who?

Enzo scarcely glanced at me, but his jaw tightened slightly. " Nobody you should consider."

It was not the answer I was hoping for and set me on alert. One finds an error here. It felt real.

I escaped from the throng later that evening in quest of some alone time as the guests were leaving. The huge halls of Enzo felt like a maze, each turn less familiar than the next. Leaning against the cool marble wall, I inhaled shallow breaths to help me calm the panic developing within me.

Right then, this constituted my existence. One life I had not chosen. One in which I lived terrified.

I heard a footfall behind me abruptly. Turning, my pulse thumping, I found Enzo standing there, his expression unreadable.

His voice low and intimidating, he continued, "You shouldn't wander off alone."

I tried hard, my heart quickening. "I sensed some air was needed."

Enzo moved forward, his eyes slightly narrowing. Bella, there are risks on this planet you are not familiar with. You would be wise to have this in mind.

His careful words hung between us. I wanted to object, let him know I was not a child, that I could take care of myself. Improved, though, I knew. Defiance in this world might be deadly.

Rising voices heard down the hall before I could respond. Enzo changed his whole approach immediately. He pivoted sharply, his hand reaching for the handgun tucked beneath his jacket involuntarily.

He said, his voice like steel, "Stay here."

He left along the hall with purposeful, heavy steps without looking back.

My brain swirling, I steeled myself. One may find a problem in anything. I can sense it. But I could not just stand there, helpless and in the dark.

I followed him for a better taste.

My pulse hammering in my ears, the sounds grew louder as I arrived. I slide behind a marble column, just in time to see Enzo standing face-to-face with Luca Vitali over the corner.

Enzo's voice dangerously low, he whispered sternly, "You've overstayed your welcome, Luca."

Luca grinned, his posture free even with the weight in the air. Come along, enzo. As well as I do, you know that this marriage won't change anything. The Vitale family pays you visits still.

My blood cooled in time with his words. The Vitale dynasty The same people my father had advised me not to hang around. The same reason I had been married off to Enzo first.

"What point of view do you have?" Enzo asked as his hand remained at his side on the revolver.

Luca smiled wider, hate blazing in his eyes. "My point is she is not under your protection. The Vitale family will find a way to get to her independent of your best attempts. And they will guarantee her suffering when they do.

Drawing a brief breath, my heart beating in my chest. He was referring to me here. People paid me some attention.

Enzo curled his fingers over the handle of his revolver, his face darkened. "This is the last thing you ever touch; if you touch her."

Luca laughed grimly, but his eyes lacked comedy. " We'll see about that."

Enzo grabbed his gun without warning, the sound of safety clicking off down the corridor. But Luca disappeared into the darkness before he could fire, leaving just the lingering warning of violence behind.

Enzo stayed there for a minute, his chest rising and falling with almost under control fury. Then he turned slowly to face me.

My heart in my throat, I came out from behind the column. I expected fury; I expected him to lash at me for straying from his orders. Rather, though, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable.

His voice low, he said, "You heard everything."

Not sure I could talk, I nodded.

We neither moved for a second. We were really at war; the weight of the menace loomed over us like a black cloud.

Then Enzo moved forward, staring right at me. "I told Bella, right now you are mine. And I protect something personal.

His remarks made me shudder down my spine, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling that this was just beginning. The Vitale family was supposed to pay a visit. Moreover, nobody lived in this world with security.

Not even mine.

The dusk looked darker, the shadows longer as Enzo's warning kept playing in my thoughts. This was a marriage as well. We were in battle here.

And I sat just right in the middle of it.