The ring felt too heavy on her finger — like a shackle dipped in diamonds.
Ivanna sat quietly in the back of the limousine, her wedding dress creased from hours of tension rather than celebration. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows, but she didn't look up. Her eyes were fixed on her hands, folded tightly in her lap, pale and cold.
Adrian sat beside her — unreadable. A king in shadows, dressed in a crisp black suit and a colder silence.
"You haven't said a word," he finally spoke, his voice deep and calm, like smoke curling in the dark.
Ivanna turned to him, her expression blank. "Do you want me to say 'thank you' for ruining my life?"
He smirked faintly. "No. I want you to stop pretending you loved a man who never loved you."
She flinched. He knew. Of course he did. Adrian Romano didn't just run the city's underworld — he owned it. Secrets were his currency, and hers had been bought long before she even stepped into his world.
"I loved Lucas," she whispered, more to herself than to him.
Adrian turned his head slowly, his eyes narrowing. "No, sweetheart. You loved the fantasy of being loved. But Lucas? He loved what your family's inheritance could buy."
Tears threatened to rise, but she forced them back. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
---
The car stopped outside an estate that looked more like a palace. Wrought iron gates opened, revealing a mansion cloaked in mystery. Staff waited at the grand staircase — too polite, too perfect. This wasn't home. This was a cage.
He helped her out of the car. Not roughly. Not gently. Just… deliberately.
"From now on," Adrian said softly, "you belong to me."
She met his gaze, fire in her voice despite the chill in her bones. "You can own my name, my hand, my time… but not my heart."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, his voice dropped lower. "We'll see about that."
---
Later that night, Ivanna stood alone in the lavish bedroom that would be hers. A thousand-dollar chandelier sparkled above her like stars she couldn't reach. She slipped off the dress, her fingers trembling.
Her mind echoed with Adrian's words. And then, from across the room, came a voice:
"Don't fight me, Ivanna. The world out there is crueler than I ever will be."
She didn't respond. She just closed her eyes and whispered into the silence,
"If that's true… why does it feel like I married the devil?"