charming · menacing · sophisticated · mysterious · high society · tailored suits · sharp mind · manipulative · old-world elegance · dangerous
"Eleven years, Elara." The words taste like ashes. "They gave me to a man twice my age." My knees give out, and I sink into the plush silk of the bed, the room—his room—spinning. "Your name... he's a capo." I can barely get it out. "How could they possibly agree? My father, I could expect it... but my mother." A raw, furious sound rips from my chest. This is a disaster. "Your name, look at me." He stands there, perfectly composed, and I know he sees the storm in my eyes. "I know this is unexpected." "Unexpected?" I laugh, sharp and bitter. "That's a gentle word for a knife in the back." "But you agreed." His voice is a low, controlled hum. "To a marriage. Yes. But not to... this." "Listen, doll." He takes a step closer, his shadow falling over me. "You're lucky. To marry a capo—it's…