The room felt too quiet after Luca left.
Elena stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door like it might open again.
Three days.
That was all the time he had given her to decide whether she would marry him.
Or rather…
Whether she would accept the life he had already forced on her.
Elena let out a slow breath and ran her hands through her hair.
"This is insane," she whispered.
She paced the room restlessly.
The large guest room suddenly felt less like a comfortable space and more like a golden cage.
Everything about this mansion screamed wealth and power.
But beneath the luxury, Elena could feel something darker hiding underneath.
Danger.
Secrets.
And violence.
Her mind drifted back to the warehouse.
The gunshot.
The dead man.
A shiver ran through her body.
"Why did I walk into that alley?" she muttered.
If she hadn't been curious…
If she had just gone home like a normal person…
None of this would be happening.
But it was too late for regrets now.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Elena?" Maria's gentle voice called from outside.
"Yes?"
Maria stepped inside again.
"I thought you might want to see the rest of the house."
Elena blinked in surprise.
"The house?"
"Yes."
Maria smiled kindly.
"If you're going to stay here for a few days, you shouldn't feel trapped in one room."
Elena hesitated.
Stay here.
The words still sounded strange.
But sitting alone in the room wouldn't help either.
"…Okay," she agreed.
Maria nodded and led her out into the hallway.
The moment Elena stepped outside the room, she was struck by how massive the mansion really was.
The hallway stretched endlessly in both directions, decorated with expensive paintings and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Marble floors reflected the sunlight pouring in from tall windows.
It looked like something from a palace.
"Elena."
She turned.
Two men in black suits stood near the staircase downstairs.
They looked like bodyguards.
Watching her.
Closely.
Maria noticed her gaze.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "They're here for protection."
Elena wasn't sure whether that made her feel better or worse.
They walked down the grand staircase.
From below, the mansion looked even more impressive.
There was a massive living room with tall glass walls that overlooked a perfectly manicured garden.
Beyond that, Elena could see high stone walls surrounding the entire property.
And guards.
Lots of guards.
"How many people work here?" Elena asked quietly.
"About thirty," Maria answered.
"Thirty?!"
"Yes."
Elena shook her head in disbelief.
"This place is like a fortress."
Maria didn't deny it.
"That's intentional."
They walked past the living room and entered a long hallway.
"Elena," Maria said carefully, "there's something you should understand."
"What?"
"Mr. De Santis has many enemies."
Elena folded her arms.
"So he keeps telling me."
"He's not exaggerating."
Maria stopped walking and looked directly at her.
"People have tried to kill him many times."
Elena's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Last year someone tried to poison him."
Elena felt a chill run down her spine.
"And before that, there was a shooting during a business meeting."
"What?!"
Maria nodded.
"That's why the house has so much security."
Elena slowly processed the information.
"So… this is normal for him?"
"Yes."
"And he wants me to marry into this?"
Maria sighed softly.
"That decision is yours."
Elena didn't answer.
Because deep down, she knew something frightening.
It wasn't really her decision at all.
Suddenly—
A loud voice echoed from another room.
"Elena!"
She jumped slightly.
Sophia.
The elegant woman from earlier stepped into the hallway.
Her sharp eyes immediately locked onto Elena.
"Well look who's exploring."
Elena felt tension rise instantly.
Sophia crossed her arms.
"I didn't expect you to still be here."
Maria spoke calmly.
"Miss Elena is our guest."
Sophia smirked.
"Guest."
She slowly walked closer.
Her heels clicked against the marble floor with each step.
"Tell me something," Sophia said coldly.
Elena frowned.
"What?"
"Did Luca tell you about the last woman who tried to marry him?"
Elena blinked.
"…No."
Sophia's smile darkened.
"She didn't last long."
"What does that mean?"
Sophia leaned closer.
"She disappeared."
A chill ran through Elena.
"You're lying."
Sophia shrugged.
"Believe whatever you want."
Then she looked at Maria.
"You should be careful."
"Why?"
Sophia's eyes flicked back to Elena.
"Because this girl doesn't belong here."
Elena clenched her fists.
"I didn't ask to be here."
"Yet you're still here."
Sophia's gaze hardened.
"Which means you must want something."
"I don't!"
Sophia tilted her head.
"Then why don't you leave?"
Elena froze.
Because she didn't have an answer.
Sophia laughed softly.
"That's what I thought."
Then she turned and walked away.
Leaving tension hanging in the hallway.
Maria sighed.
"Don't mind her."
"She seems to hate me."
"She's… disappointed."
"Because Luca chose me?"
Maria didn't answer.
But the silence said enough.
Elena felt uncomfortable.
"I'm not even sure I want him."
Maria gave a small smile.
"That may change."
"Not likely."
They continued walking.
But Elena couldn't shake the uneasy feeling growing in her chest.
Suddenly—
One of the guards rushed into the hallway.
His expression was tense.
"Maria."
"Yes?"
"Mr. De Santis wants Elena."
Elena frowned.
"Why?"
The guard didn't answer.
Instead he gestured toward the front entrance.
"Please come with me."
Her stomach twisted nervously.
"Is something wrong?"
"Just come."
Maria squeezed her shoulder gently.
"It will be okay."
Elena followed the guard outside.
The moment she stepped onto the front steps, she realized something was definitely wrong.
More guards had gathered near the gate.
They were speaking urgently into radios.
"What's happening?" she asked.
No one answered.
Then—
A loud engine roared outside the gate.
Everyone turned.
A black SUV sped toward the entrance.
Elena's heart started racing.
The vehicle suddenly swerved violently.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot exploded through the air.
Elena screamed instinctively.
The guards immediately pulled out their weapons.
"DOWN!" one of them shouted.
The SUV crashed into the gate with a loud metallic crash.
More gunshots rang out.
Bullets slammed into the stone walls around the mansion.
Elena dropped to the ground, her hands covering her head.
"What's happening?!" she cried.
"Stay down!"
Another guard grabbed her arm and dragged her behind a pillar.
Her heart was pounding wildly.
Gunfire echoed everywhere.
This couldn't be real.
This couldn't be happening.
Suddenly—
A familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"ENOUGH."
The gunfire stopped almost instantly.
Elena slowly lifted her head.
And saw him.
Luca De Santis walked out of the mansion like he had been expecting this.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
He stepped toward the gate while his guards held their guns ready.
The SUV door opened.
A man stumbled out, bleeding from his arm.
He dropped to his knees.
"Please!" the man begged.
Luca stopped a few feet away from him.
"Who sent you?"
The man shook his head desperately.
"I won't say!"
Luca sighed.
Then he pulled out a gun.
Elena's stomach dropped.
"No—"
BANG.
The man collapsed instantly.
Dead.
Silence fell across the courtyard.
Elena felt sick.
She had just watched someone die again.
Luca lowered the gun slowly.
Then his eyes moved across the courtyard.
Until they landed on her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he walked toward her.
Each step was steady and controlled.
Elena's chest rose and fell rapidly.
"You see?" he said calmly.
She stared at him in horror.
"You just killed him."
"He tried to assassinate me."
"You didn't even hesitate!"
Luca's gaze hardened.
"Because hesitation gets people killed in my world."
Elena slowly stood up.
Her legs were shaking.
"This is exactly why I can't marry you."
Luca studied her face carefully.
Then he spoke quietly.
"That man wasn't here for me."
Elena frowned.
"What?"
"He was here for you."
Her blood ran cold.
"What are you talking about?"
Luca stepped closer.
"My enemies already know about you."
Fear gripped her chest.
"That's impossible."
"They've been watching."
Elena's mind spun.
"So that man…"
"Yes."
"He came to take you."
Her hands started trembling.
"And if my guards hadn't stopped him…"
His voice turned dark.
"You would already be gone."
Elena stared at him in shock.
Everything he had warned her about…
Was actually real.
Luca looked down at her quietly.
Then he said the words that sent a chill through her entire body.
"Now do you understand why you can't leave?"
Elena couldn't answer.
Because for the first time…
She truly believed him.
And that realization terrified her more than anything else.