He’s not just asking for Sienna anymore. He wants Eleonora. He saw her at the masquerade and decided she’s the one he’s going to marry.
The confirmation sits like acid in my stomach. The thought of Matteo Gallo even looking at her, let alone touching her, makes me want to put a bullet in his skull right now.
I drag a hand down my face, staring out into the dark.
I need to make her mine. Forever. And the only way to do that is by marrying her.
Marriage.
The word keeps circling in my head. I’ve never considered it. Never wanted it. Marriage was always a tool for other men, a way to seal alliances, expand power, produce heirs.
I built my empire from nothing, with blood and sweat and bodies in the ground. I never needed a wife. Never wanted one.
Until her.
If I marry her, she becomes mine. Permanently. Legally. No one, not Gallo, not her father, not anyone, would have the audacity to try and take her from me. She would be untouchable. She would have my name and bemy wife.
I can’t believe I’m even thinking this. Me. The man who swore he’d never tie himself to anyone. And yet here I am, obsessed with a woman I kidnapped.
I think about her constantly. When I’m with her, I want to be closer. When I’m not, I’m counting the minutes until I can be. I worry if she’s eaten, if she’s comfortable, if she’s safe. She was supposed to be my prisoner.
Now I feel like the one who’s been captured.
Marco’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “You alright, Boss? You’ve been quiet the whole drive.”
I exhale slowly. “What do you think about an alliance with Eleonora’s family?”
Marco looks away from the road for a second, eyebrows raised. “I take it you're not talking about the one we are trying to forcefully build with her father.”
I keep my voice steady. “A marriage alliance.”
The car goes quiet for a beat. Marco stares straight ahead, processing.
“You’re serious,” he finally says, not a question.
I don’t answer. Because I am.
And then he proceeds to look shocked for a split second, his eyebrows shooting up as he glances at me.
“You’re thinking of marrying Eleonora?” he asks, voice laced with disbelief.
I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”
I tell him what Nikolai said, how Gallo is no longer interested in Sienna. How he wants Eleonora now. How he’s pushing Massimo hard to hand her over as his bride. I repeat what Eleonora told me at the ball, how Gallo admitted he might have chosen the wrong sister.
Marco leans back in his seat, letting out a low whistle. “Wow. I knew you were having something with her. I knew you felt something. But I didn’t think it went this deep.” He rubs his jaw. “This changes everything. This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t the deal we had going in.”
“I know,” I cut him off. “I know all of that. But I’m not letting her go. You should have figured that out by now.”
The thought of handing her back, of Gallo getting his hands on her, makes my blood boil. I tighten my grip on the armrest.
“If I let her go, Gallo will take her. So instead of going back on the deal with Massimo, the best move is to renegotiate. Turn it into a marriage alliance.”
Marco exhales slowly, nodding. “Well, looking at it, a marriage alliance isn’t a bad idea. As a matter of fact, it could work better. It would solve the port access issue we’ve been fighting over, and a few other problems too. It locks everything in tighter.”
He pauses, then looks at me directly. “But are you sure about this, Nico?”
Am I sure? I’ve never wanted marriage. Never saw myself tied to one woman. But with Eleonora… the thought of her wearing my ring, carrying my last name, sleeping in my bed every night, it doesn’t feel like a cage. It feels right.
