Chapter 2 Smoke and Shadows

The east wing of the villa was beautiful in the way museums were-cold, quiet, untouchable. Emilia stepped into her new suite and scanned the space: silk curtains, gold accents, a king-size bed she had no intention of sleeping in alone. Not yet.

She didn't unpack. She wasn't here to settle in.

Instead, she poured herself a glass of the champagne chilling by the window and took it out to the balcony. Below, the estate stretched like a private kingdom-stone fountains, manicured hedges, and shadows that moved too deliberately to be wind.

Someone was watching.

She smiled into her glass.

Let them.

---

Alessandro stood in the control room, arms crossed, eyes locked on the surveillance monitor. Emilia filled the screen, her silhouette haloed in moonlight, glass in hand, head tilted in thought.

"She's dangerous," said Luca, his consigliere, standing behind him.

"I know," Alessandro said.

"And unpredictable."

"I know that too."

Luca hesitated. "You've never brought a woman this deep into your world."

"She's not here to stay," Alessandro said flatly. "She's here to serve a purpose."

But even he could hear the lie in his voice.

---

The next morning, the staff was already whispering when Emilia descended the grand staircase in silk pajamas and stilettos. She wasn't here to blend in. She was here to take up space.

Breakfast waited for her on the terrace, but so did something else-a file.

She flipped it open.

Inside were photos-tabloid clippings, headlines, social media screenshots.

"Who Is Alessandro Moretti's Mystery Fiancée?"

"From Nowhere to Nobility: Emilia Rossi's Rise"

And a note, scrawled in crisp, slanted handwriting:

You're officially on the chessboard. Play smart.

She barely finished reading when Alessandro walked out, dressed in black like sin.

"You leaked it?" she asked.

"I accelerated the narrative," he replied, sitting opposite her. "You're trending. People are watching."

She arched a brow. "And what happens when they dig into my past?"

"They won't find anything," he said. "I buried it."

She studied him. "Why?"

"Because if they do... they'll use you to get to me."

The words should've chilled her. Instead, they thrilled her.

"I hope they try," she whispered.

Alessandro's eyes darkened, something flickering behind them-something hungry. Dangerous.

He leaned forward.

"Be careful what you wish for, cara mia. In this game, pieces don't get second chances. They get burned."