Chapter 3 - The Rules of the Underworld
Two weeks passed in a blur of painkillers, gourmet meals, and endless luxury.
My back was healing slowly, but the scars were deep, raw, and incredibly tender to the touch.
I was confined to the massive guest suite of the Valenti estate, a fortress hidden behind high walls and armed guards.
Every morning, Leo would sneak into my room with a stack of comic books and read to me while I ate breakfast.
He was a sweet, brilliant child who had lost his mother when he was only a baby.
I found myself falling in love with his bright smile and his endless curiosity about the world outside.
Enzo visited every evening, bringing a cold, dominating energy that completely shifted the atmosphere of the room.
He would sit by the fire, drinking whiskey, and ask me questions about my life before the accident.
I told him about growing up in foster care, about my terrible ex-boyfriend David, and about my constant struggle just to survive.
Enzo listened in complete silence, his jaw tight, analyzing every single word I said.
One evening, I finally felt strong enough to sit up in a chair by the window.
"I am healing well," I told him, wrapping a thick cashmere shawl around my shoulders.
"I think it is time for me to go back to my own apartment."
The crystal glass in Enzo’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth.
He lowered it slowly, his eyes locking onto mine with a terrifying intensity.
"You do not have an apartment anymore," Enzo said plainly.
"What do you mean?" I demanded, my heart skipping a painful beat.
"I had my men pack up your meager belongings and move them here," he explained without a shred of remorse.
"The lease is broken, the landlord is paid off, and the building is empty."
I stood up, ignoring the sharp pull of my stitches.
"You had no right to do that!" I yelled, furious that he had stripped away my last piece of independence.
Enzo stood up as well, crossing the room in two long strides until he towered over me.
"I have every right," he growled softly.
"The people who dropped that glass at the restaurant were not just clumsy waiters."
I froze, the anger draining from my body, replaced by a sudden, icy dread.
"It was an assassination attempt on Leo," Enzo revealed, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"A rival family paid a server to drop the tray, hoping the distraction would allow a shooter to get a clear angle."
My knees felt weak, and I slumped back into the chair.
"But you jumped in the way, ruined their line of sight, and saved his life," Enzo finished.
"Which means they now know exactly who you are."
He leaned down, placing a hand on the armrests of my chair, trapping me in place.
"If you walk out of these gates, Clara, you will be dead before morning."
I stared into his dark, ruthless eyes, realizing the horrifying truth.
I wasn't a guest in a luxury mansion.
I was a prisoner in a golden cage, locked in a war I never asked to join.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" I asked, my voice trembling.
May you like
"You stay by my side," Enzo commanded.
"You let me spoil you, you let me protect you, and you learn how to be a Valenti."
