Chapter 3: Marry you.

Mario’s POV

I took a long swig of vodka, letting the bitter burn scrape its way down my throat. My eyes squeezed shut as I swallowed, but it didn’t help.

I hadn’t felt this twisted up inside since... well, since her. Two years ago. And now this girl—the way she looked at me, the way she fought me—she reminded me too much of her.

A carbon copy. Same fire in her eyes. Same recklessness.

I thought having her here would make me feel better, like it would fill the hole Vivianne left behind. Instead, it was carving me open all over again. What the fuck was I doing?

“We’ve prepared her in your chambers, Santiago. Just like you wanted.”

Lorenzo’s voice cut through my thoughts as he stepped into my office. He was the only one who could call me by my name, the only one who didn’t tread lightly around me. Maybe that’s why I kept him around—he didn’t put up with my shit.

“Who did it?” I asked, my voice harsher than I intended. I took another swig of the bottle, but Lorenzo snatched it from my hand with an annoyed glare.

“The female soldiers handled it,” he said, his tone steady. “No male saw her naked. You know me better than that.”

Of course, he knew. He always knew.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling like it held the answers. “I don’t know, Lorenzo. Vivianne would’ve hated this. She would’ve hated me.”

“She would’ve,” he said bluntly. No hesitation. No sugarcoating. “But you can still fix it. Let the girl go before you do something you can’t undo.”

That’s the thing about Lorenzo. He never dressed things up to make me feel better. He just laid it all out, raw and unflinching.

I pushed myself up from the chair, the weight of his words heavy on my chest. Without another word, I walked out of the office, down the corridor, and stopped outside my chambers.

I hesitated, my hand hovering over the doorknob. The air felt heavier here, like even the walls were judging me. I sucked in a deep breath and stepped inside.

“If you come one step closer, I’ll rip your throat out with my bare hands.”

The chains rattled as she lunged forward, her eyes blazing with fury. She was wild, unpredictable, and dangerously beautiful.

I should’ve been angry, but I wasn’t.

I wanted her, sure—but not like this. Not chained up, not broken. And definitely not forced.

The key felt cold in my hand as I pulled it from my pocket. I didn’t let myself think too much as I walked up to her and unlocked the chains. One by one, they fell away, clanging against the floor.

She looked at me, confused, wary, still brimming with that fight.

“I’m not going to touch you,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “It’s wrong. But you can’t leave, either. You’re staying here.”

For a moment, neither of us moved. Her breath was heavy, her fists still clenched, and I could feel the weight of her mistrust like a knife in my ribs.

I turned away before I could change my mind.

“There are rules,” I started, but I didn’t get to finish.

“Why don’t you just let me go!” she screamed, launching herself at me.

I spun around just in time, grabbing her and shoving her down onto the bed. She hit the mattress with a frustrated gasp, and before she could wriggle free, I pinned her there, trapping her under the weight of my legs.

The chains of her dress slipped against her shoulder—a dress that wasn’t even hers. It was Vivianne’s. The scent of her perfume still lingered faintly on the fabric, and I hated that it hit me like a punch to the gut.

She didn’t move, didn’t fight, just glared up at me with all the defiance in the world. She looked wild, untamed. God help me, she looked beautiful.

“Don’t make this harder for either of us,” I murmured, my voice quieter now, almost... pleading. My eyes flicked to her lips before I could stop myself. The thought slipped in before I could shove it away: Would it really be so wrong to kiss her?

“Don’t even think about it,” she snapped, like she could read my damn mind. “I’ll bite your lips off.”

The threat was enough to break the spell. I pushed myself off her and stood, smoothing my shirt as if nothing had happened.

God, she had guts.

“A maid will be here soon,” I said, my voice cold, all business. “She’ll explain the rules. If you keep attacking me like that, I’ll have to throw you in the dungeon. Trust me, Sylvia, you won’t enjoy it down there.”

She scoffed, sitting up on the bed and crossing her arms like she wasn’t still catching her breath. “What’s your deal, huh? One minute you’re a psychotic asshole, and the next you’re some moody anti-hero. Pick a lane, Mario.”

I turned back to her, letting her words sink in. “I’m not nice,” I said simply, letting the truth sit there between us. “Whatever else you think I am, nice isn’t it.”

“Then what do you want from me?” she asked, her voice cracking just slightly. Anger was still there, but it was layered with something else now—confusion. Maybe even fear.

I held her gaze. “I want a baby. You’ll have my child, and when it’s done, you can leave.”

The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. And then, to my surprise, she laughed. It wasn’t a light laugh or even a bitter one—it was the kind of laugh people made when they thought they’d heard something too insane to be real.

“You think I’d let you touch me?” she asked between bursts of disbelieving laughter. “You’re out of your damn mind.”

I tilted my head, watching her like she was the one being ridiculous. “You’re a naive little girl, piccola. There’s something called IVF. No touching involved.”

Her laughter cut off abruptly, and her eyes narrowed. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” I said calmly. “But first, we’re getting married. Tonight.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re insane,” she said, shaking her head.

“Maybe,” I said with a faint smirk. “But you’ll still get ready. The maid will help you.”

I didn’t wait for her reply. I turned on my heel and walked out, shutting the door behind me. Her laughter still echoed in my ears as I made my way down the hall, but beneath it, I could feel something else brewing.

I couldn’t tell if it was her fear or my guilt. Probably both. But I didn't really care. I couldn't marry Vivianne, but I was definitely going to marry Sylvia, I didn't care how sick it looked, I was doing it.