Aria
Aria was pacing the living room, thinking about Alessio, and her deal with his father. She has not seen Alessio since the hospital, but he haunted her just the same.
She was supposed to be playing a game.
A deadly one.
Her hands trembled slightly as she poured coffee into her favourite mug. Her phone buzzed on the table beside her textbook. She didn't have to check to know who it was.
Unknown Number.
Him.
Not Alessio. His father.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and unlocked it.
> "You're taking too long. I gave you an opportunity most people would kill for. Don't waste it."
Her fingers curled tightly around the phone.
He always texted — never called. Always short, always laced with threat disguised as generosity.
She never asked for this. She only wanted her father safe. Healthy. Alive.
And Vittorio Moretti had made sure that wouldn't happen unless she cooperated.
He'd offered to cover her father's private treatment, pay the best doctors, even clear his debts — but only if she did one thing:
Get close to Alessio.
Marry him.
It sounded absurd at first. A fantasy. But it wasn't a request. It was an order.
The phone buzzed again.
> "You're not just pretty, ragazza. You're smart. Calculated. Use it. Make him want you. Make him need you."
Her jaw clenched.
She hated him. She hated this. But she couldn't afford to hesitate.
She shut off her phone and threw it in the sofa, and her roommate entered.
"Tell me you didn't sign up for another shift," Valentina drawled, tossing her designer shades onto the coffee table and kicking off her heels like she owned the apartment — which, technically, she did.
Aria stopped pacing. "I'm fed up. He keeps threatening me."
Valentina raised a brow as she peeled off her leather jacket. "Alessio?"
Aria shakes her head, heart hammering. " No, his father."
Valentina looks up at her. "So, what are you planning to do now?"
Aria sighed. "I don't even know where to start from . He did not recognise me."
Valentina let out a low whistle. "Well, well. I can't say about that "
"What do you mean?"
"Kingsley said someone was looking into you, and after his investigations, he discovered that it was Alex, Alessio's right hand man."
Kingsley is Valentina's bodyguard.
Her family;The De Lucas were one of the oldest mafia families in Europe, and Valentina, their only daughter, had grown up in gilded halls with guards at every corner and a silver spoon sharpened into a knife.
Despite it all, she chose a quiet apartment and a normal life — or as close to normal as a mafia princess could get. Aria had always wondered why someone like Valentina had chosen to become her roommate, but over time, she stopped asking. Val had secrets, yes — but she was also fiercely loyal.
Aria stated freaking out. "This is bad. Why is he looking me up? Did he find out about my deal with his father?"
Valentina stood up and hugged her. "Stop panicking. If he's looking you up, that means he has an interest in you. This is progress."
Val scoffed, and walked to the kitchen.
"Val." Aria hissed, following her. "This isn't a game. His father is pressuring me. He could find out everything — about the deal, my dad, even you—"
"I'm not scared of Alessio Moretti," Valentina said casually, popping the lid off a container of leftover tiramisu. "He might run the East Coast, but he still bows to bloodlines older than his empire."
Aria crossed her arms. "Not everyone fears you just because your last name ends in De Luca."
Valentina grinned. "That's not true. Most people do."
Aria exhaled shakily. "How am I supposed to do this? Lure in one of the most dangerous men alive without getting killed or… worse."
Valentina leaned against the counter, expression softening. "You don't have to do it alone."
"But I am alone, Val. I'm not you. I wasn't raised for this. I was raised in a broken apartment with medical textbooks and bills and—"
"You're stronger than you think, Aria. And smarter. Alessio already noticed you, and trust me, that man doesn't waste attention on just anyone."
Aria looked down. "He hasn't even spoken to me again."
"Not yet," Valentina said, smirking. "But he will. Men like him don't look into women unless they plan to act. It's all about control. Curiosity is just step one."
"And when step two happens?" Aria asked quietly. "What if I start liking him?"
Valentina was quiet for a long beat.
"Then you lie better."
That hit harder than it should have.
Valentina closed the distance and gently grabbed Aria's hands. "Listen. I'll help you every step of the way. I've been through these games. I know the rules. You want him to notice you more? I can make it happen. You want to survive this marriage and come out on top? I've got you."
Aria swallowed the knot in her throat. "And if I fall for him, really fall?"
Valentina's gaze darkened just a little. "Then you better pray he falls harder."
Fine.
She'd play the game.
She'd get close.
Make Alessio believe it was fate, not strategy.
Make him fall for her, if she had to.
And when the time came?
She'd get what she needed and walk away with her father safe.
Even if it meant leaving a piece of her soul behind.
Even if, deep down, some stupid, quiet part of her wondered what it would feel like to fall for a man like Alessio Moretti—without orders, without lies, without consequences.
But that world didn't exist for girls like her.