ODETTE/OPHELIA'S POV
The next thing I remember is waking up to the sound of sea waves crashing against the shore.
My body feels heavy and limp, my head pounding in the worst possible way. Sunlight falls across my face, making my eyes twitch involuntarily. I blink several times, adjusting to the light, taking in the unfamiliar ivory-themed room around me.
A massive balcony window offers a wide outlook onto the blue Mediterranean Sea. White curtains flutter from the breeze. I'm lying on a king-sized bed. To the left, arched glass windows frame a few scattered flower pots.
I don't move. I'm too tired, and honestly, there's no point—my ankles are chained to the bedposts. Every shift makes the metal clink softly.
To think I'd end up chained in this new life, too. The irony is bitter. Almost laughable.
The wooden door opens.
Three men walk in, crowding the room with their height and presence.
One of them is Gabriel Medici, dressed in black sweatpants and a hoodie, his violet eyes cold and merciless.
Beside him stands another man in a tailored white shirt that hugs his muscular frame, grey pleated trousers, and long ash-blonde hair tied in a manbun. Same violet eyes. Michael Medici, his younger brother.
And the third—an older man in his late forties or early fifties, wearing a navy blue polo shirt and black trousers. Silver strands fall over his forehead. His eyes are a shade of violet so light it's almost lilac in the sun. His presence is heavy, authoritative, without a single word spoken.
Azriel Medici.
So, I've been kidnapped by the most dangerous mafia family in Italy. The family that controls Europe and the United States not through brute violence, but through fear—fear of losing access to the networks that launder black money into white.
"Sit up," Gabriel orders gruffly.
I ignore him.
If this were my first time being chained, I'd be crying. Or worse.
But Odette Elizabeth has survived worse than this.
At least they've kept me in a warm, clean room. No beatings. Yet.
Michael narrows his eyes. "Are you throwing attitude?"
I ignore him, too.
Both brothers huff in frustration.
Azriel looks at his eldest son with a frown. "You said she was a feisty one. Is that why we have her chained?"
Gabriel gasps in disbelief. "Papa—are you seriously doubting me? She flipped me like flatbread and stabbed my shoulder!"
Michael and Azriel look at him as if he's claiming he danced with a unicorn.
Even with his bandaged shoulder, his sanity is being questioned.
Azriel smacks Gabriel's head lightly. "You got beaten by a tiny girl who barely weighs sixty kilos, and now you dare to complain."
My lips twitch. Exactly. The novel said it—the Medici family isn't like the others. They're close-knit, their power wrapped in loyalty and a strange, almost playful brutality.
Gabriel doesn't look anything like the cold bastard who held a knife to my throat last night.
Azriel turns his assessing gaze to me. "You're too calm for someone who's been kidnapped."
His thick Italian accent makes him sound more amusing than threatening.
Michael blinks, clueless. "Is she mute?"
"Have you ever heard of the youngest Blackwood daughter being mute?" Gabriel groans, but no one takes his frustration seriously.
"Unchain her," Azriel says, tossing a key to Michael. "This doesn't look right."
Gabriel's head snaps toward his father in horror. "Papa! She'll run!"
Azriel ignores him, pouring himself a cup of espresso from a small tray. Calm. Confident. The kind of man who gets people to lower their guard without ever raising his voice.
I've met enough men like him in court—the most dangerous strategists, the ones who make you destroy yourself while their hands stay clean.
I sit up once the chains come off. Gabriel stands straighter, his hand hovering near his gun.
Azriel sips his espresso. The only sounds are the sea outside and the soft hum of drones in the distance. I know where I am now—somewhere on the Medici family's private island in the Mediterranean. Off the radar. Just like White Rose's headquarters.
"Seems you know where you are," Azriel says, crossing his legs. His broad shoulders take up most of the couch.
So far, I've met four of the five major underworld bosses. Each has a unique aura.
Raphael Blackwood is like sweet poison—you don't realize he's a threat until it's too late.
Timofey Dimitri is a burning volcano, destroying everything in his path.
Blake Nathaniel is the calm before the tsunami—the kind that makes you freeze before the wave hits.
And Azriel Medici… I haven't categorized him yet. He's the type who weaponizes gentlemanliness, makes you trust him, then watches as you stab yourself in the back.
Men like him have always been the hardest to deal with.
"Yes," I finally say. "I'm on the Medici island."
Azriel's eyes twitch at my calmness. His lips curve into a slow, dangerous smirk. "You are indeed that bastard's daughter. This calmness at gunpoint is a unique Blackwood trait." He laughs, low and amused.
I just smile. As if I'm not already calculating every possible escape route.
"You aren't scared, are you?" He sets his cup down and leans forward, elbows on his knees. The air around him shifts—threatening, predatory.
"I won't hurt you. I just need your father to hand over my daughter and take you back."
So that's the plan. Kidnap me, trade me for Sarah. Michael's eyes darken. Gabriel clenches his jaw.
They think I'm important enough to the Blackwoods.
Nice assumption.
"How did my daughter end up as your brother's assistant?" Azriel asks, his voice deceptively soft.
"She applied as an intern at Blackwood Insurance during college. Got accepted. After graduation, she became his assistant. Now she's his most trusted… and treasured woman."
Azriel's eyes widen. His face pales. "What do you mean?"
All three men stare at me as if I'm holding the lifeline to their family. And in a way, I am.
"Your daughter… my brother is head over heels for her." I shrug, feigning nonchalance. "Why else do you think there's never been a single rumor about him being with another woman?"
Gabriel growls. "ARE YOU SAYING RHYS FUCKING BLACKWOOD IS EYEING MY SISTER?"
He's angry that someone might be in love with her. No wonder—in the novel, Ophelia made an enemy of the entire Medici family by killing Sarah.
I run my fingers through my hair. For the first time, I'm thankful for Rhys's reputation as the only heir among the five families with no history of women. Now, I'll paint him as the most eligible man in the world for Sarah. Leverage the fact that she loves him, too.
I nod calmly. "Yes. My brother is in love with Sarah. And the feeling is mutual."
Michael chokes on his words. "My baby sister is in love with that iceberg?"
I nearly laugh at the nickname. But I need to stay focused. Gain leverage.
I nod again. "Yeah. They're deeply in love. And…" I look down, softening my voice. "Sarah has always been good to me. I just wanted to help her find happiness. That's why I revealed her identity to my father—to push for their marriage."
Azriel uncrosses his legs. His eyes shine with a father's longing, the pain of losing his youngest daughter nearly two decades ago. "My angel… she grew into a fine woman."
I lift my head. Gabriel turns away, wiping his eyes. Michael's nose flares as he breathes heavily, fighting back tears.
A small, sharp whisper of envy twists in my chest. This is what a father's love looks like. What brotherly protection feels like. Something I never had.
A strange sense of loss aches in my heart. I swallow a dry lump in my throat.
Gabriel looks at me over his shoulder. "Why aren't you calling for someone?"
I flinch inwardly. He's right—anyone in my position would be screaming, crying, begging for help.
My eyes drift toward the balcony. All three pairs of violet eyes follow my gaze.
I let out a heavy sigh. "No one considers me important enough to come save me. That's why I'm trying to negotiate my way out."
Azriel's eyes widen. "You're Raphael Blackwood's daughter. Do you have any idea what kind of man he is? He turned the underworld upside down three times for his family."
"Which was mainly for my mother, my sister, and my brother." I chuckle, the sound almost sad. "If you think kidnapping me will make him bend, you're overestimating my importance."
Michael mumbles, "What about Kayros? He punched Vincent Dimitri because of you. I'm more worried about him than your father."
My heart jumps at the mention of Kayros, but I force myself to stay realistic. He said he'd cover a war for me—but that doesn't mean he'd start one for me. He knows I'm not the real Ophelia. And with Jessica here now…
I shake my head. "He won't come."
"Stop it," Gabriel snaps. "You're making me feel bad for kidnapping you."
I look at him, confused.
Gabriel groans. Azriel eyes his eldest son. "You're too soft for someone who plucks out the eyeballs of spies."
"PAPA!" Gabriel snaps, embarrassed. Michael giggles, earning a glare.
A strange warmth slips into my bones, watching their banter. The easy, affectionate dynamic. This is the kind of family I always prayed for.
And that prayer… will always stay a prayer.
Azriel looks from his sons back to me. "You look a lot like someone I know."
I turn my attention to him. "Like my father?"
He inhales deeply and shakes his head. "Never mind. I'm just being emotional."
But even as he dismisses it, curiosity stirs in me. Before I can ask more, the door bursts open.
A woman in a black suit stumbles in, hair disheveled and sweaty as if she's run miles. She pants, looking at the men with wide eyes.
"BOSS! BLACK WOLF'S CUB HAS GONE CRAZY! HE BLEW UP THREE MAJOR BLACK WIDOW HIDEOUTS IN RUSSIA AND SERBIA! HE'S SAYING VINCENT DIMITRI TOOK MS. OPHELIA FROM THE FAMILY MANSION!"
Azriel's eyes sharpen. "Kayros did what?"
A chill runs down my spine. Michael looks at me with a slow, knowing smirk. Gabriel narrows his eyes. "You said nobody cares?"
The woman adds, her voice trembling, "AND IT'S EVEN WORSE BETWEEN BLACKWOOD AND THE BLACK FAMILY! RAPHAEL BLACKWOOD HAS BASICALLY DECLARED WAR ON THE BLACKS—HE SUSPECTS THEY HAD A HAND IN MS. OPHELIA'S KIDNAPPING!"
I blink rapidly, trying to process what I just heard.
The woman looks at me, terrified.
Azriel stares at me, confusion and disbelief in his gaze. "You clearly have no idea of your own importance, little girl. You have the power to start a war that's been waiting to happen for decades."
I let out a nervous laugh. "You're making me sound too important."
Michael nods, sucking on a lollipop. "Because you are. You're the most precious possession of Raphael Blackwood and Kayros Nathaniel."
That knowledge doesn't make me feel better.
Okay, I get Kayros. That man is twisted, morally compromised. But Raphael Blackwood? Why would he turn against the Black family… for me? Wasn't he glaring at me the entire car ride yesterday?
What is actually happening?
I'm more confused than ever.