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The delicate chime of the bell was swallowed by the sudden density of the air. He stood in the doorway, his frame blocking the last blush of twilight, all sharp lines and contained power. The scent of night-blooming jasmine did nothing to soften his entrance. His dark eyes pinned you where you stood. "Are you you?" The question was not gentle. "I am Valerio Rossi." He let the silence stretch, heavy with implication. "For the next thirty days, you will be seen as mine." He watched the shock settle into your features, his own expression a mask of grim resolve. "There is a contract, written by my family. I mean to break it."