Chapter 2 ACT 1: THE MARRIAGE DEAL

Chapter 2: A Deal with the Devil

Sienna

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I had made a deal with the devil.

Alessandro DeLuca didn't react. He simply leaned back in his chair, watching me like a wolf who had just cornered his prey.

A slow, knowing smirk curved his lips, but it didn't reach his cold, calculating blue eyes.

"I knew you'd see reason," he murmured, as if this had been inevitable.

I clenched my fists under the desk, forcing my face to remain neutral. Every instinct in me screamed that I had just walked into a trap, but it was too late now.

I had said yes to one year.

One year as Alessandro DeLuca's wife.

One year pretending to be in love with a man who saw marriage as nothing more than a business merger.

I was already suffocating.

Alessandro slid a folder across the sleek mahogany desk, tapping a single manicured finger on the cover. "Everything is outlined in the contract. Read it carefully before signing."

I snatched it up, flipping through the pages, my pulse pounding in my ears.

Terms of the Contract:

- The marriage will last exactly one year.

-Sienna Monroe will reside in Alessandro DeLuca's penthouse for the duration of the marriage.

-Public appearances are required to maintain the image of a happy couple.

-No extramarital affairs or relationships during the contract.

-A non-disclosure agreement prohibits Sienna from discussing the terms of the marriage publicly.

-Financial compensation of $10 million will be given upon completion of the contract.

I swallowed hard.

This was not a marriage. This was a business transaction. A calculated deal between two people who had nothing in common except mutual need.

I looked up, my hands tightening around the contract. "What happens if I break the agreement?"

Alessandro's expression didn't change, but there was something sharp, something dangerous lurking behind his smirk.

"You won't," he said simply.

I frowned. "That's not an answer."

He exhaled, as if bored already. "If you break the contract, you get nothing. No money. No security. No safety net."

No way to pay for my father's medical care.

My stomach twisted.

I hated him.

Hated that he had me exactly where he wanted me-trapped, vulnerable, desperate.

I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening around the pages. "I'll sign it at your house," I said, my voice sharp.

Alessandro raised a brow. "Second thoughts?"

"Just making sure I know exactly what I'm walking into."

His lips curled in amusement. "A wise decision, Mrs. DeLuca."

The way he said it -Mrs. DeLuca- sent a sharp chill down my spine.

I wasn't his yet. Not until I put pen to paper.

And I sure as hell wasn't about to do that in his kingdom of glass towers and boardrooms where he held all the power.

I needed time. Even if it was only a few hours.

Alessandro watched me for a long moment, then pushed the contract back toward me. "Fine," he murmured. "You'll sign it tonight at my penthouse."

A sense of dread curled in my stomach, but I forced myself to nod.

"Then we have nothing more to discuss," I said stiffly, standing from my chair but before I could turn toward the door, his voice stopped me cold.

"Not quite," he said lazily.

I turned back, my eyes narrowing. "What now?"

Alessandro leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that felt like a slow, suffocating chokehold.

"There's a gala tonight," he said. "You'll be attending as my fiancee."

My body went rigid.

Of course.

Because billionaires didn't just seal their business deals behind closed doors. They had to parade them in front of the world.

I forced myself to keep my voice even. "And what if I refuse?"

Alessandro chuckled, low and dark, and the sound sent a slow chill creeping down my spine.

"Then you break the contract," he murmured. "And we already discussed what happens when you do that."

"Bastard".

I clenched my teeth, my fingers tightening around the contract, resisting the overwhelming urge to throw it in his face.

Instead, I swallowed the anger rising inside me and forced my lips into a tight, practiced smile.

"Fine."

Alessandro's smirk widened, satisfied.

I had barely stepped out of his office when his assistant, a woman named Claire, handed me a glistening black box with a golden ribbon.

"What's this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Claire smiled politely, but there was something pitiful in her gaze, like she already knew what kind of hell I was about to step into.

"Mr. DeLuca requires you to wear this for tonight's event."

Event? I turned sharply, my pulse spiking. "What event?"

Before Claire could answer, Alessandro strolled out of his office, buttoning the cuffs of his crisp white dress shirt.

I hadn't noticed before, but under his perfectly tailored suit, his physique was all lean, hard muscle, the kind of strength that came from more than just luxury gyms and personal trainers.

A man who was used to power. Control. A man who never lost and now, he owned me.

"There's a gala tonight," Alessandro said smoothly, eyes glinting. "I expect you to be ready in two hours."

A gala. Of course. Because billionaires didn't just sign contracts and call it a day. They had to parade their acquisitions in front of the world.

I forced a tight smile. "And what

Alessandro chuckled, low and dangerous. "Then you break the contract. And we already discussed what happens when you do that."

I clenched my teeth and took the box from Claire's hands, turning on my heel. "Fine."

The Dress That Changed Everything

The dress inside the box was obscene.

Blood-red silk, custom-made to fit a woman with curves that demanded attention.

It was elegant, seductive, and far too revealing for someone who was supposed to be in a fake marriage.

I turned to the mirror, my breath catching. I look very different. Not like myself.

Like the kind of woman a billionaire would want on his arm. A woman who belonged in Alessandro DeLuca's world.

I swallowed hard, shaking the thought away. This wasn't about him. This was about my father, my survival, my future.

A knock at the door startled me.

"Ready?" Alessandro's deep voice slid through the crack like a whisper against my skin.

I squared my shoulders. "Yeah."

The World Meets Mrs. DeLuca

The gala was held at the Astoria Grand Hotel, a lavish ballroom dripping in chandeliers, gold accents, and crystal glasses filled with champagne worth more than my rent and the moment we stepped inside, heads turned.

Whispers rippled through the crowd like wildfire.

"Is that Sienna Monroe?"

"Since when is Alessandro DeLuca engaged?"

"She's not his type."

Alessandro placed a hand on my lower back, his touch light but firm, a warning and a command all at once.

I stiffened, resisting the urge to shove him away.

But then, from across the room, a pair of sharp green eyes locked onto mine.

Isabella Moretti.

Alessandro's ex-fiancee.

The woman he was supposed to marry before their scandalous breakup made headlines.

Her gaze flicked to Alessandro, then to me, and a slow, knowing smirk curved her lips.

This wasn't just a contract marriage anymore. This was war.

And I had just become the billionaire's most dangerous pawn.