Elena barely slept.
The guest room she had been given inside the mansion was larger than her entire apartment. The bed alone looked big enough for four people, covered in soft white sheets and thick blankets.
But comfort meant nothing tonight.
Elena lay awake staring at the ceiling while the events of the night replayed again and again in her mind.
The gunshot.
The dead man collapsing to the ground.
And those cold grey eyes watching everything without emotion.
Luca De Santis.
Even whispering his name in her thoughts made her chest tighten.
She turned onto her side and sighed.
This couldn't be real.
Just yesterday, her biggest worry had been paying next month's rent and picking up extra shifts at the café.
Now she was trapped inside the mansion of the most feared mafia king in the city.
And somehow—
He expected her to marry him.
Elena buried her face into the pillow.
"This is a nightmare," she muttered softly.
But when she pinched her arm, the pain was very real.
Morning sunlight slowly began creeping through the tall windows.
At some point during the night, exhaustion must have taken over because Elena eventually drifted into a shallow sleep.
Knock.
Knock.
The sudden sound made her jerk awake.
Her heart began pounding immediately.
"Miss Elena?"
A gentle female voice came from outside the door.
"It's Maria."
Elena slowly sat up.
Her head felt heavy.
"Yes?" she called weakly.
"May I come in?"
Elena hesitated for a moment before answering.
"…Okay."
The door opened quietly.
Maria stepped inside carrying a tray.
She looked to be in her late fifties, with kind eyes and neatly tied gray hair.
She smiled warmly.
"Good morning, dear."
Elena rubbed her eyes.
"Morning."
Maria placed the tray on a small table near the bed.
"I brought you breakfast."
Elena glanced at it.
Fresh bread.
Eggs.
Fruit.
And a cup of tea.
Her stomach growled loudly.
She suddenly realized she hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
Maria gave her a gentle smile.
"You must be very overwhelmed."
That was an understatement.
Elena picked up the cup of tea, warming her cold fingers around it.
"Maria," she asked hesitantly, "how long have you worked here?"
"Almost fifteen years."
Elena blinked in surprise.
"Fifteen?"
"Yes."
"That's a long time."
Maria nodded.
"Mr. De Santis values loyalty."
Elena stared down at the tea in her hands.
"Is he always like that?"
Maria tilted her head slightly.
"Like what?"
"Cold."
Maria paused.
For a moment, she seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
"Mr. De Santis carries many responsibilities."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Maria smiled softly.
"No… it doesn't."
Elena sighed.
"Everyone seems afraid of him."
"That is because many people should be."
The answer made Elena uncomfortable.
She took a small bite of bread.
Then she asked the question that had been bothering her since last night.
"Maria… who exactly is Luca De Santis?"
Maria looked at her carefully.
"You truly don't know?"
Elena shook her head.
"I've heard the name before but… I never paid attention."
Maria slowly sat down in the chair beside the bed.
"Mr. De Santis is the head of the De Santis family."
"And that means?"
Maria lowered her voice slightly.
"It means he controls most of the city's underground operations."
Elena frowned.
"Underground?"
"Businesses that do not appear on official records."
Realization slowly dawned on Elena.
"Oh."
Maria nodded gently.
"There are many powerful families in this world."
"And they all follow him?"
"Not all."
"Then who does?"
Maria leaned closer and whispered,
"The ones who value survival."
Elena swallowed hard.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from somewhere down the hallway.
Heavy.
Confident.
Maria immediately stood up.
Her posture straightened instantly.
Elena noticed the change.
"Is that him?" she asked quietly.
Maria nodded.
"Yes."
Elena's heart began beating faster.
Why was she suddenly nervous?
It wasn't like she cared about what he thought.
Right?
The footsteps stopped outside the room.
Then—
The door opened.
Luca De Santis stepped inside.
Even in daylight, he looked intimidating.
Today he wore a black dress shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing strong forearms.
His dark hair was neatly styled, and his grey eyes scanned the room calmly.
They stopped when they reached Elena.
Maria lowered her head slightly.
"Good morning, sir."
"Maria."
"I'll leave you two to talk."
She quietly exited the room.
Now Elena was alone with him.
The tension in the room immediately grew thicker.
Luca stepped further inside and closed the door behind him.
Elena placed the tea cup down slowly.
"Good morning," she said awkwardly.
Luca leaned casually against the wall.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Not really."
"That's expected."
Elena crossed her arms.
"Look… about last night—"
"Have you thought about my proposal?"
She stared at him.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"That's the first thing you want to talk about?"
"It's the most important."
Elena stood up from the bed.
"No. I haven't changed my mind."
Luca watched her calmly.
"You still refuse?"
"Yes."
"Even after everything I explained?"
"Yes!"
Her voice echoed slightly in the large room.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
"You can't force someone to marry you."
Luca's lips curved slightly.
"Actually… I can."
Her eyes widened.
"That's illegal!"
"So is half of what happens in this city."
She opened her mouth to argue—
Then paused.
Because he wasn't wrong.
Luca pushed himself away from the wall and walked toward her slowly.
Each step made her heart beat faster.
He stopped only a few feet away.
"Elena."
The way he said her name made her nervous.
"You're currently standing in the safest place you can possibly be."
She frowned.
"This house?"
"Yes."
"But the moment you step outside without my protection…"
His voice darkened slightly.
"You become a target."
She shook her head stubbornly.
"I'll take my chances."
Luca studied her face.
Then he said quietly,
"You're braver than most people."
"That doesn't mean I'm stupid."
"Are you sure about that?"
She glared at him.
Before she could respond, another voice suddenly echoed from the hallway.
"Luca?"
The door opened without knocking.
A beautiful woman stepped inside.
Tall.
Elegant.
Long black hair cascading over her shoulders.
Her expensive red dress hugged her figure perfectly.
But the moment her eyes landed on Elena—
Her expression darkened.
"Well… this is interesting."
Elena frowned.
The woman slowly looked her up and down with obvious disapproval.
"Who is she?"
Luca didn't look pleased.
"Sophia. You should knock."
Sophia ignored him.
Her gaze remained fixed on Elena.
"I asked a question."
Luca's voice became colder.
"She's a guest."
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
"A guest… in your bedroom?"
Elena quickly spoke up.
"This is the guest room!"
Sophia laughed softly.
"How adorable."
Then she turned back to Luca.
"Since when do you bring stray girls into your house?"
Elena's temper flared.
"I'm not a stray!"
Sophia smirked.
"Relax. I'm just curious."
She walked closer.
Her heels clicked sharply against the floor.
Stopping right in front of Elena.
"So… what's your name?"
"Elena."
Sophia's smile faded slightly.
"And what exactly are you doing here, Elena?"
Elena hesitated.
Before she could answer—
Luca spoke calmly.
"She's my future wife."
The room fell silent.
Elena's jaw dropped.
Sophia froze.
Then slowly…
Her expression twisted into pure disbelief.
"…Excuse me?"
Luca's voice remained calm.
"We're getting married."
Sophia stared at him as if he had just insulted her.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"No."
Her eyes flashed with anger.
"You're replacing me with THIS girl?"
Elena blinked in confusion.
Replacing?
Sophia turned sharply toward Elena.
"You have no idea what you've walked into, do you?"
Elena's stomach twisted.
"What do you mean?"
Sophia's smile turned cruel.
"You're standing in the house of the most dangerous man in this city."
Her voice dropped.
"And men like him don't marry for love."
Elena slowly looked at Luca.
"Is that true?"
Luca's expression remained unreadable.
Sophia laughed again.
"Of course it is."
Then she leaned closer to Elena and whispered,
"You're not a bride."
A chill ran down Elena's spine.
"You're a pawn."
Sophia straightened and looked at Luca.
"This won't last."
Her eyes burned with fury.
"You'll regret this decision."
Then she stormed out of the room.
The door slammed behind her.
Silence filled the air again.
Elena slowly turned back to Luca.
Her heart was racing.
"What did she mean by that?"
Luca didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward the window.
Looking out at the massive estate.
Finally, he spoke quietly.
"Sophia used to be engaged to me."
Elena's eyes widened.
"You had a fiancée?!"
"Yes."
"And you just told her you're marrying someone else?!"
"Yes."
Elena threw her hands up in frustration.
"You're unbelievable!"
Luca turned to face her again.
His grey eyes locked onto hers.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"What question?"
"Will you marry me?"
Elena stared at him.
Her heart pounding louder than ever.
She had just stepped into a world full of danger, secrets, and powerful enemies.
And somehow—
Her life now depended on the most feared mafia king in the city.
"I…"
Her voice faltered.
Luca waited patiently.
Elena took a deep breath.
Then said the only thing she could.
"I need time to think."
Luca studied her for a long moment.
Then he nodded once.
"Fair enough."
But as he turned toward the door, he added quietly—
"You have three days."
Elena froze.
"Three days?"
Luca opened the door.
"Yes."
Then he looked back at her.
"After that… I'll decide for you."
And with that—
The Mafia King walked out.
Leaving Elena trapped in a decision that could change her life forever.