The next attack didn't come with gunfire.
It arrived wrapped in politeness.
By noon, Luca's legal team had filled the conference room, their expressions tight, tablets glowing with documents I hadn't seen before. I took my seat beside Luca again not because it was expected now, but because it was necessary.
"Say it plainly," I said.
The lead attorney cleared his throat. "Three regulatory bodies opened simultaneous investigations this morning. Financial ethics, international trade compliance, and corporate governance."
Marcus frowned. "That's coordinated."
"Yes," the attorney agreed. "And clean. On paper, at least."
I leaned back slightly. "So no blood. Just strangulation."
Luca's mouth curved humorlessly. "They've learned."
"These investigations can freeze assets," the attorney continued. "Delay shipments. Trigger partner withdrawals."
"And the media?" I asked.
"Still neutral," he replied. "For now."
That was the warning.
Enemies in this tier didn't need bullets. They needed time.
"Who's behind it?" Luca asked.
The attorney hesitated.
"Say it," I urged.
"A coalition," he said. "Three minor families and one major financial sponsor. None of them have ever moved against you openly."
I nodded slowly. "Because they were waiting for a crack."
"And they think you're it," Marcus said.
I smiled faintly. "Good. That means they're not looking hard enough."
The meeting dissolved into strategy firewalls, shell audits, quiet negotiations. I listened carefully, absorbing patterns rather than details. Where Luca focused on force, I focused on behavior.
Who hesitated. Who avoided eye contact. Who talked too much.
Power left fingerprints everywhere.
When the room finally cleared, Luca stayed behind with me.
"You're thinking," he said.
"I'm annoyed," I corrected. "They're attacking us where I can't fight back with courage."
"That's the point."
"Then we change the battlefield," I said.
He studied me. "How?"
"By giving them something they can't predict," I replied. "Transparency."
His brow furrowed. "That's dangerous."
"So is silence," I countered. "They're counting on secrecy. On fear. If I speak first, I control the frame."
Luca exhaled slowly. "This won't be like before. You won't be talking to allies."
"I know," I said. "I'll be talking to wolves in tailored suits."
That afternoon, I did something no one expected.
I walked into a boardroom full of men who had never looked at me as anything more than leverage.
And I asked questions.
Not accusations. Not threats.
Questions.
About ethics. About oversight. About stability.
I watched them scramble to respond, to sound reasonable, to hide the fact that none of them had expected the contract bride to speak like an equal.
One man laughed nervously. "With respect, Mrs. De Santis, this is above".
"my experience?" I finished calmly. "You're right. Which is why I listen carefully."
Silence followed.
By the end of the meeting, two things were clear.
They underestimated me.
And they were afraid to be seen underestimating me again.
That night, Luca poured me a glass of water not wine.
"Hydrate," he said. "You've earned it."
I accepted it with a tired smile. "I'm starting to see why you prefer enemies with guns."
"They're honest," he replied.
I leaned against the counter. "These ones smile while they bleed you."
"Yes," Luca said. "And they'll try again."
"I know," I said. "Which is why I won't let them isolate me."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Explain."
"They'll come after my credibility," I continued. "My background. My past. They'll suggest I'm emotional. Manipulated. Unstable."
"And?"
"And I'll be visible," I said simply. "Not defensive. Not hidden."
Luca stared at me for a long moment.
"Do you realize," he said slowly, "that by doing this, you're no longer protected by anonymity?"
"I haven't been anonymous since the contract," I replied. "I've just been pretending."
That night, the first article dropped.
Not an attack.
A profile.
"Elena De Santis: The Woman Behind the Alliance."
Balanced. Neutral. Curious.
I didn't approve it but I didn't stop it either.
The comments were mixed. Praise. Suspicion. Fascination.
Power always attracted eyes.
My sister visited me later, still pale but stronger.
"You're different," she said quietly.
"I had to be," I replied.
She hesitated. "I heard people whispering today. They're afraid of you."
I smiled softly. "Then they're finally listening."
After she left, I found Luca on the balcony again, phone pressed to his ear, voice low.
He ended the call and turned to me.
"They're regrouping," he said. "And they've chosen a spokesperson."
"Who?" I asked.
"A woman," Luca replied. "Respected. Clean reputation. Financial darling."
I felt a chill. "Someone like me."
"Yes," he said. "Which means this won't be a war of territory."
I nodded slowly. "It'll be a war of image."
Luca's gaze was steady. "Are you ready for that?"
I looked out over the city bright, ruthless, alive.
"I wasn't ready for any of this," I said. "But I learned fast."
My phone buzzed again.
Another unknown number.
Power looks good on you.
Let's see how long you can keep it.
I turned off the screen.
"They're watching," Luca said.
"Let them," I replied. "I'm done being invisible."
And somewhere beyond the lights, a new enemy smiled already planning a move that would test not my courage, but my reputation.