Chapter 1 1

Isabella POV

The Don's master suite felt less like a bridal chamber and more like a beautifully upholstered vault. Dark mahogany paneling swallowed the dim light, and the air was thick with the lingering scent of expensive cigars, aged whiskey, and polished leather. Outside the bulletproof windows, the 1928 Chicago skyline was a distant blur, completely cut off by heavy velvet drapes.

I shifted on the edge of the massive four-poster bed, my feet throbbing. With a heavy sigh, I kicked off the agonizingly tight, pearl-encrusted heels. They tumbled onto the priceless Persian rug with a soft thud.

"Miss, please!" Sofia, my maid, gasped, her face draining of color. She darted forward, her hands trembling. "Put them back on! If the Don sees you like this... he will think it is a massive disrespect to the Russo family!"

I leaned back against the silk pillows, stretching my aching arches. "I highly doubt the Don of Chicago cares about my footwear, Sofia."

"You don't understand his rules," she pleaded, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper. "Please, Isabella."

Seeing the genuine, raw fear in her eyes, my defiance softened. Sofia had grown up on the fringes of our world; she knew the bloody reputation of Damien Russo better than I did. Reluctantly, I slipped my bruised feet back into the torturous shoes, smoothing down the skirts of my silk gown, resuming the posture of a perfect, obedient bride.

The heavy oak door clicked open. Sofia immediately bowed her head and scurried into the adjoining dressing room, leaving me alone with the monster they had sold me to.

Damien Russo stepped into the room.

He was a towering figure, standing at six-foot-four, his broad shoulders filling a bespoke, dark three-piece suit that radiated danger and absolute authority. His jet-black hair was combed back flawlessly, but it was his eyes that made my breath catch-obsidian, bottomless, and entirely devoid of mercy.

He closed the door. The silence that followed was suffocating.

He walked toward me, his footsteps silent on the thick rug. This was a business transaction to him. My father got the Russo family's protection, and Damien got the Rossi legitimate shipping routes to launder his bootlegging empire. I was just the collateral.

He stopped in front of me, raising his left hand to lift my veil. As his cuff shifted, I caught a glimpse of a faded, jagged scar on his wrist-a brutal reminder of his first *Vendetta*(revenge) at fifteen.

I refused to be a passive object in his transaction.

Before his fingers could graze the delicate lace, I raised my own hands. Slowly, deliberately, I lifted the veil myself, tossing it back over my dark curls. I tilted my chin up, meeting his cold stare with my own lazy, feline gaze.

For a fraction of a second, something shifted in his dark eyes. A flicker of genuine shock. I saw his chest stall mid-breath, a silent *Bellissima*(beautiful) echoing in the sudden, electric tension between us.

But the Don of Chicago was a master of his own demons. The crack in his icy facade vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling indifference. Without a word, he turned his back on me and walked toward the crystal decanters on the mahogany sideboard.

The dismissal stung, a blatant disregard for my presence.

I stood up, the silk of my dress rustling in the quiet room, and closed the distance between us. As he reached for a glass, I caught the sleeve of his tailored jacket.

"Disappointed, Don Russo?" I asked, my voice low, laced with a deliberate challenge.

He didn't stop pouring the amber liquid. He didn't even turn his head.

"You are acceptable," he replied, his voice a smooth, freezing baritone that sent a shiver down my spine.

I frowned slightly, my grip on his sleeve tightening just a fraction. "Just 'acceptable'?" I countered, refusing to back down. "I was led to believe the Don of Chicago had higher standards."

His hand paused on the crystal stopper.