Chapter 3 Serafina's POV

Serafina's POV

Luca didn't take me upstairs. That alone told me something was wrong. He led me through the east wing instead, past rooms I was never invited into. Offices where men whispered and plans were made, doors that stayed locked even to me.

His grip on my hand was firm but casual, as if we were simply a devoted couple taking a morning stroll.

I knew better.

The deeper we walked, the colder the air became. The walls changed tooless decoration, more stone. Less beauty, more purpose.

"Where are we going?" I asked carefully.

"You'll see," Luca replied. His thumb brushed my knuckles, a mockery of tenderness. "I want you to understand the family you're marrying into."

My stomach tightened. We stopped outside a heavy wooden door guarded by two men. They straightened immediately when Luca approached. One of them opened the door without being told.

Inside was a room I'd never seen. It wasn't lavish like the rest of the house. No art. No rugs. Just a long table, metal chairs, and a single window high on the wall. The smell hit me first bleach layered over something darker.

Fear.

Luca guided me inside and released my hand. The door shut behind us with a final, echoing thud. "There," he said, gesturing toward the chair closest to him. "Sit." I did.

He remained standing, unbuttoning his cufflinks with deliberate slowness.

"Do you know why men betray?" he asked.

"No," I answered.

"Because they believe they're unseen," Luca said. "Because they think love, money, or fear will protect them."

My pulse quickened.

He smiled at me. "They're always wrong."

The door opened again. Two guards dragged a man inside. My breath caught.

I recognized him immediately. He is one of the junior accountants. Quiet. Married. He used to nod politely whenever our paths crossed. They forced him to his knees.

"No," the man sobbed. "Please, I didn't do anything. I swear-"

Luca raised a hand. Silence fell instantly.

"Serafina," he said calmly. "Look at him."

I didn't want to. I did anyway.

"This man," Luca continued, circling slowly, "moved money without authorization. Small amounts. Over time. Clever. Careful."

The man shook violently. "I was going to put it back-"

Luca shot him without hesitation. The sound cracked through the room, loud and absolute.

I flinched this time. I couldn't stop it. The man collapsed sideways, blood spreading across the concrete floor. My ears rang. My chest burned. I tasted bile.

Luca turned to me, watching my reaction closely. "Better," he said softly. "Fear keeps people honest."

He crouched in front of me, his face level with mine. "Now tell me, amore would you ever betray me?"

My throat felt raw. "No."

"Would you ever lie to me?"

"No."

"Would you ever love someone else?"

The question sliced deeper than the gunshot. "No," I said again, and this time it felt like a lie carved into my tongue.

Luca studied me for a long moment. Then he smiled. "Good," he said, standing. "Because tonight, we'll see how strong your loyalty truly is."

The house buzzed with activity by evening.

Dinner preparations. Guards shifting positions. An unusual number of men stationed along the perimeter. The air felt tight, coiled.

Matteo avoided me. That terrified me more than Luca ever could. Every time I searched for him, he was gone. Reassigned, redirected, pulled away at the last second.

When our paths finally crossed in the corridor outside the ballroom, he didn't stop.

"Matteo," I whispered.

He slowed just enough to speak without looking at me. "Don't."

My chest tightened. "What's happening?"

"They're watching," he murmured. "Every step. Every glance."

"What did Luca order?" I pressed.

Matteo finally turned. The look in his eyes stole my breath.

"He ordered me to break you." The words landed like a slap. "Tonight," he continued quietly, "I'm supposed to prove where my loyalty lies."

My voice shook. "How?"

He didn't answer.

Music drifted from the ballroom strings, elegant and deceptive. Guests arrived dressed in silk and power, laughter floating through the halls like nothing was wrong.

I wore red. The dress clung to me like a warning. Luca's choice. Luca's color. He greeted me with a hand at my lower back, steering me through the crowd as if I were a crown jewel.

His smile never faded. But his eyes were sharp. Dinner was a blur. Toasts, compliments, promises whispered over crystal glasses.

Then Luca stood.The room quieted instantly.

"Family," he said warmly. "Tonight is not only about celebration. It is about trust."

My pulse thundered.

"Matteo," Luca continued. "Come forward."

Matteo stepped into the open space, posture rigid, face unreadable. "There has been... suspicion," Luca said lightly. "A breach. A whisper of betrayal."

Murmurs rippled through the guests.

"To put those rumors to rest," Luca went on, "I've asked Matteo to demonstrate his loyalty." A guard shoved a woman forward.

I froze.

She was young and terrified. A maid.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"She's accused of spreading information," Luca said. "Whether that's true doesn't matter. What matters is the example."

The woman sobbed, begging.

Luca turned to Matteo. "Do it."

The room held its breath.

Matteo didn't move.

Seconds stretched.

Luca's smile thinned.

"Matteo," he said calmly. "Kill her."

Every instinct screamed.

I stepped forward before I could stop myself. "Wait."

The room erupted in shock. Luca turned slowly. "Excuse me?"

"She's innocent," I said, my voice carrying despite the terror clawing up my spine. "This proves nothing."

Silence slammed down.

Luca looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. Then he laughed.

"Oh, Serafina," he said. "You've just made this much more interesting."

He gestured sharply. The guards dragged the maid away.

Relief hit me brief and false.

Luca's gaze locked onto mine. "If Matteo won't prove his loyalty," he said, "then you will."

My blood ran cold.

"Tonight," Luca continued, "you will be watched. Every move. Every word."

He smiled, cruel and intimate. "And if Matteo interferes..."

His gaze slid to his cousin.

"He dies."

The music resumed.

Conversation restarted.

But nothing was the same.

As Luca leaned in to whisper against my ear, I felt Matteo's gaze on me from across the room burning, desperate, furious.

"You wanted to know what loyalty costs," Luca murmured. "Now you'll learn."

My phone vibrated against my thigh.

Unknown Number.

I didn't need to look.

I already knew.