His ruin

Luna's stomach churned as the car drove farther away from the only home she had ever known. The house—if it could even be called that—faded from view, and with it, the last remnants of any false sense of comfort she had clung to. Her fingers gripped the seat beneath her, knuckles white, as the engine hummed like a mocking lullaby.

She wasn't going home. She wasn't even sure she could call this a life anymore.

Her stepfather's words still echoed in her ears. "Don't make this harder than it is. You're not special. You're just a tool."

Her stepmother had barely spared her a glance as she was shoved into the backseat, the woman's eyes already calculating how much money they would pocket from the deal. Luna was nothing more than a transaction to them.

They had always treated her like a burden, but this was different. This wasn't just the usual cruelty or cold neglect. This was something darker—something that made her heart race and her breath catch in her throat. She had been sold to a man whose reputation made even the most hardened criminals shiver.

Dante Valentino.

The name haunted her as the black car sped toward an unknown destination. She couldn't even look at the letter in her lap—the contract, the paperwork that sealed her fate. The ink on it was still fresh, but it might as well have been written in blood.

She had never felt so small.

The world outside the car window blurred with the speed, the trees and buildings shifting into a panorama of unfamiliar streets. The city became unfamiliar, as if she was being pulled into some otherworldly realm, one where people like her didn't belong.

What was Dante like?

Luna had heard whispers—terrible rumors, stories that made her skin crawl. But nothing had prepared her for the cold indifference in his eyes when she first laid eyes on him. His gaze had been sharp, calculating, as though she were nothing but a brief distraction in the grand scheme of his world.

Even now, she could feel his gaze burn into her memory—dark, stormy eyes with a sharp edge that cut through her like a blade. It wasn't the look of a man who cared. No, this man was power incarnate. He would break her.

Her heart beat faster.

The car turned into a long driveway, and Luna stiffened as the view ahead came into focus. The mansion loomed before her like a castle out of a fairy tale—a place of grandeur, but in her mind, it might as well have been a prison. Tall, wrought-iron gates stood on either side, as though daring anyone to approach. As the gates opened with a groan, Luna's breath caught.

She had never seen a place so... so perfect. The mansion was vast, looming, built of stone and marble, its grandeur overwhelming. Every inch of it screamed wealth, luxury, power. It was more than she could comprehend.

"Get out," came the sharp command from the driver, pulling her from her thoughts.

Luna didn't move at first. Her body was frozen in place, as if her mind was desperately trying to reject what was about to happen. But with a soft exhale, she forced her legs to obey. She stepped out of the car and felt the cool air hit her skin—so different from the stale, suffocating atmosphere of her old home.

Her feet barely touched the grand marble steps before the heavy front door swung open. She was ushered inside by a tall, silent servant. The scent of polished wood, expensive leather, and something faintly floral filled her senses.

Everything here was immaculate, everything in place. Everything had a price.

Luna felt out of place.

Her eyes wandered over the hall—luxurious chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow on the gleaming floors. The walls were lined with framed portraits, each one staring down at her like silent witnesses to her fate. Her hand twitched at her side, wanting to clutch something, anything, to ground herself.

She didn't belong here.

"This is your new home, Luna." The voice was cold, detached—Dante's voice, but it was distant, like a shadow following her around. His presence was everywhere, and yet he wasn't there.

She could feel his eyes on her as she walked deeper into the house, a presence that seemed to watch her every step, even though she couldn't see him. Her heart raced. She wanted to look, to catch a glimpse of the man who now owned her, but fear held her back.

The walls here seemed to whisper, as if this mansion itself was alive with secrets. Luna pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the thrum of her heartbeat beneath her fingertips. She was terrified. Terrified of Dante, terrified of this place, and most of all, terrified of herself.

What was she becoming?

Her gaze flickered to the grand staircase in front of her, leading up to an unseen world, one she had no place in. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready for a life like this.

But as she turned back to face the room, she saw the door to a lavish room opening—Dante stood there, his silhouette framed by the threshold, watching her as if she were a strange, fragile bird trapped in a gilded cage.

Her stomach twisted. She wasn't sure if it was the luxury or the sheer coldness of this place that made her want to run. But there was no escape.

This was it. This was her life now.

And no matter how much she feared it, she couldn't stop herself from walking toward him.

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