Chapter 5 The drive to Leandro's home was silent

The drive to Leandro's home was silent. Seraphina sat in the backseat of the sleek black car, staring out the rain-streaked window as the city blurred past her. Everything felt surreal. Just hours ago, she had been nothing more than a desperate woman grasping at straws. Now, she was someone's wife. A wife to a man she barely knew.

She stole a glance at Leandro. He sat beside her, his posture relaxed, his hands folded neatly in his lap. He hadn't spoken a word since they left the registry office. Even now, he seemed completely at ease, as if marrying a stranger had been nothing more than an errand to cross off his list.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress.

Was this really better than being in Esposito's grasp?

The car slowed as they entered a more affluent part of the city. The streets here were quieter, lined with towering trees and iron gates that guarded sprawling estates. Seraphina had grown up in a modest home-small, cramped, filled with the scent of her mother's cooking and the distant sound of her father's tired voice.

But this?

This was another world entirely.

The car pulled up to a grand estate, hidden behind imposing wrought-iron gates. As they slid open, Seraphina's breath caught in her throat.

The mansion before her was nothing short of breathtaking. A towering structure of dark stone and glass, its sleek architecture exuded quiet power. The driveway was lined with pristine hedges, leading up to a grand entrance flanked by marble pillars. It was the kind of home that only the elite could afford, the kind of home built not just with money, but with influence.

Seraphina turned to Leandro, her suspicion sharpening.

"You're not just an ordinary businessman, are you?" she asked quietly.

Leandro glanced at her, amusement flickering in his gray eyes. "Whatever gave you that idea, cara mia?"

Before she could answer, the car came to a smooth stop. The driver stepped out to open her door, but she hesitated for a moment before taking his offered hand.

She wasn't just stepping out of a car.

She was stepping into a life she didn't understand.

The moment she set foot inside, the weight of the house seemed to settle over her. The interior was just as grand as the exterior-high ceilings, intricate chandeliers, and polished marble floors that gleamed under the soft glow of golden light. Dark wooden accents lined the walls, and towering windows let in slivers of the stormy sky outside.

Everything was pristine. Too pristine.

It didn't feel like a home. It felt like a museum.

Seraphina turned to Leandro, trying to steady her voice. "Do you live alone?"

"For the most part," he answered, removing his coat with practiced ease. A butler stepped forward to take it, disappearing down the hall without a word.

She swallowed. "No family?"

"None that matter."

His answer was short, clipped, leaving no room for further questions.

Before she could press, a woman appeared from the hallway-tall, elegant, dressed in a fitted black dress that screamed professionalism. Her dark hair was pulled into a sleek bun, her sharp gaze landing on Seraphina with mild interest before turning to Leandro.

"Welcome home, sir."

Leandro nodded. "This is Seraphina," he said smoothly. "My wife."

The woman didn't so much as blink. "I see."

Something about her tone sent a chill through Seraphina.

Leandro turned to her. "This is Isabella. She oversees the household."

Seraphina forced a small smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Isabella's lips curved-polite, but unreadable. "I'll have a room prepared for you, Mrs. Valente."

Seraphina blinked. "A room?"

Leandro's expression remained neutral. "Did you assume we'd be sharing one?"

A flush crept up her neck. She hadn't thought that far.

"I just... I wasn't sure what to expect."

Leandro studied her for a long moment. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he said, "Follow me."

She hesitated before trailing after him, her heels clicking softly against the marble as they moved through the halls. The house was vast, with long corridors and doors that led to rooms she couldn't begin to imagine.

Finally, he stopped in front of a set of double doors and pushed them open.

Seraphina's breath caught.

The room was beautiful-larger than anything she had ever lived in. A four-poster bed rested against the far wall, draped in luxurious sheets. A fireplace flickered softly in the corner, casting warm shadows across the dark wooden floors. A balcony stretched along the far end, overlooking the city beyond.

"This will be your room," Leandro said smoothly.

Seraphina turned to face him. "And yours?"

He smirked. "Elsewhere."

Something about the way he said it made her skin prickle.

"This is a marriage of protection, Seraphina. Nothing more," he continued, stepping closer. "But the world must see otherwise."

Her heart pounded. "Meaning?"

"You will play the role of my devoted wife in public," he murmured, his voice laced with quiet authority. "But in private, you are free to live as you wish."

Free.

The word felt like a lie.

She looked up at him, searching for something-an ounce of kindness, of reassurance-but found none. There was only cold certainty in his eyes, the same certainty of a man who had never once doubted his control over a situation.

She swallowed hard. "And how long will this arrangement last?"

Leandro's gaze darkened slightly, as if the question amused him. "Until it no longer serves me."

A chill ran down her spine.

Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing in the vast emptiness of her new cage.