Chapter 1 The price of betrayal.

The silence in the grand hall was suffocating. Valentina De Luca stood in the center, her spine straight, hands clenched at her sides, heart pounding like a war drum against her ribs. She refused to look afraid. Not in front of them.

The room was filled with men who thrived on power, who spoke in threats rather than words. And at the head of it all sat him.

Adrian Costa.

The Devil of New York.

His reputation preceded him, a man as lethal as he was untouchable. They whispered stories about him in hushed voices. A man who ruled the underworld with an iron grip, who killed without hesitation, whose name alone sent weaker men running.

But Valentina wasn't weak.

She lifted her chin as her father was dragged to his knees beside her, his blood staining the pristine marble floor. He groaned, clutching his side where one of Adrian's men had beaten him into submission.

"Do you have anything to say, De Luca?" Adrian's voice was smooth, deceptively calm. The kind of calm that sent chills down a person's spine, the kind that came before a storm.

Her father coughed, spitting blood onto the floor, and when he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Have mercy, Costa. I...."

"Mercy?" Adrian repeated, amusement flickering across his sharp features. He leaned back in his chair, dark eyes unreadable. "You stole from me. You thought you could gamble with my money, run from your debts, and what...? hope I wouldn't notice?"

Valentina's stomach twisted.

She had begged her father not to take that risk. Had pleaded with him to stay out of the Costa family's way. But foolish pride and greed had driven him straight into the lion's den, and now, she was standing in its jaws.

"I swear, I'll pay you back," her father rasped. "Give me more time."

Adrian exhaled slowly, shaking his head as if disappointed. "Time is a luxury I don't grant men like you, De Luca."

The room tensed.

The guards flanking the walls adjusted their stance, waiting for the inevitable order. The moment Adrian Costa would sentence her father to death.

Valentina took a step forward before she could stop herself. "Kill him, and you get nothing."

A heavy silence fell.

Adrian's gaze snapped to her, sharp and assessing. He didn't speak, but the weight of his stare was suffocating.

Valentina swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue. "You want to make an example out of him. I understand that. But if you kill him, you're still at a loss. The debt he owes you, it's gone."

A flicker of amusement crossed Adrian's face. "And what exactly are you offering me, bambolina?"

Doll. The nickname sent a shiver down her spine.

She lifted her chin. "A trade."

Her father's weak voice came from beside her. "Valentina, no..."

She ignored him, her focus solely on the man in front of her. "Let him go, and take me instead."

A murmur rippled through the room.

Adrian's expression didn't change, but something dark flickered in his gaze. He studied her, taking in her defiance, the way she held herself despite the fear curling in her stomach.

"You would sell yourself to save him?" His voice was quiet, unreadable.

Valentina forced herself to nod.

She didn't expect him to laugh. It was low, cold, filled with something she couldn't quite decipher.

"You assume I'd even want you," he said smoothly.

Heat rushed to her face, but she kept her expression neutral. "You want power. Leverage. A reason for the De Luca name to serve you instead of falling into enemy hands."

Adrian watched her for a long, tense moment before rising from his seat.

The room went still.

He walked toward her, slow and measured, his presence suffocating. When he finally stood before her, he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She didn't flinch.

His touch was light, deceptively gentle. "You're bold," he murmured. "But do you truly understand what you're offering?"

She held his gaze. "I understand."

His thumb brushed her cheek, and her stomach twisted with unease.

Then, just as suddenly, he dropped his hand and turned to his men. "Take De Luca and dump him outside the city. If he comes near my territory again, put a bullet between his eyes."

Her father gasped. "No...."

Two guards lifted him, dragging him toward the door. Valentina didn't dare look at him. If she did, she might lose the last bit of strength she had left.

Adrian's voice was calm when he spoke again. "Valentina stays."

And just like that, her fate was sealed.

......

Hours Later...

Valentina sat in a dimly lit room, her fingers gripping the silk fabric of the dress she had been given. She hadn't moved since they left her here, the reality of what had just happened sinking into her bones like ice.

She had made a deal with the devil. And now, she belonged to him.

The door creaked open, and she stiffened.

Adrian entered, dressed in a crisp black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his forearms dusted with faint scars. He looked at her as though she were something to be studied, examined.

"You made a reckless decision today," he said, shutting the door behind him.

She didn't respond.

He tilted his head. "Tell me, Valentina... Do you regret it?"

She finally looked up, meeting his gaze head-on. "Not yet."

A slow, dark smile curved his lips. "You will."

A chill ran down her spine.

She had walked willingly into a cage, and now, she had no choice but to survive the beast inside it.