Chapter 1 - THE ACCORD OF BLOOD AND GOLD
The air inside Don Dante Bellandi’s study smelled of mahogany, imported tobacco, and the crisp, metallic tang of fresh printer ink. Sunlight cut through the floor-to-ceiling leaded glass windows, illuminating two stacks of legal documents laid side by side on the ancient leather-topped desk.
I stood in the doorway, the key to the nursery room still warm in my coat pocket.
"Sit down, Miss Ward," Dante said, not looking up from a leather-bound ledger. He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing dark, intricate tattoos that crept down his skin—symbols of an old Italian family that ruled through fear and absolute loyalty.
I remained standing. "What is this, Mr. Bellandi?"
"It is Don Bellandi in this house," he corrected, his voice low, gravelly, and stripped of pretense. He gestured to the two contracts. "The first document is a five-year employment agreement as the head governess of the Bellandi estate. Twenty thousand dollars a month, full healthcare, private security, and complete authority over the household staff regarding my children."
My heart hammered against my ribs. Twenty thousand dollars a month was more than Sebastian Crane had ever given me as an allowance during three years of marriage.
"And the second paper?" I asked, my gaze falling on the red wax seal at the bottom of the second document.
Dante finally looked up. His gray eyes were analytical, devoid of warmth, but burning with a fierce, calculating intelligence.
"The second document is a marriage certificate," he said plainly. "In three weeks, my family's supreme council will gather for the Triennial Conclave. Under the old laws of the Bellandi Commission, a widower Don cannot maintain absolute authority over the syndicate without a recognized matriarch in his home to ensure the continuity and stability of his lineage."
I let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "You want to marry me? You don't even know me. We met twelve hours ago because your daughter ate three bites of soup."
"I know everything about you, Evelyn Ward," Dante replied smoothly. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a manila folder, tossing it onto the desk. "You were born Evelyn Vance. Your father was a respected federal judge who died broke because he refused to take bribes. You married Sebastian Crane three years ago thinking he was a man of principle. Instead, he used your pedigree to open doors in political circles, stripped you of your personal accounts, and discarded you the moment his mother found a richer heiress."
Every word felt like a physical blow. My past, laid bare and dissected by Chicago's most dangerous man.
"You are clean," Dante continued, stepping around the desk until he was standing just inches from me. He was tall, imposing, and exuded an aura of absolute danger, yet he didn't crowd my space. "You have no connections to my rivals. You have no greed in your eyes—only exhaustion and pride. And most importantly, my daughter Livia let you into her space without screaming. In six months, eleven nannies have tried to bribe, manipulate, or flatter my children. You treated them like human beings."
"Marriage is not a business transaction to me," I whispered, though my voice lacked conviction. Sebastian had already proven that marriage was a transaction—and I had lost everything in it.
"Marriage in my world is an alliance of protection," Dante countered. "Sebastian Crane's lawyer contacted my legal team this morning. Sebastian realized you left with the Crane family's private ledger containing their tax structures—something his mother mistakenly packed into your handbag along with your personal papers."
My breath hitched. I reached instinctively for my worn handbag resting on my shoulder.
"They are already looking for you, Evelyn," Dante said softly, his tone laced with a dark, promise-filled edge. "Sebastian intends to have you arrested for grand theft to ruin your reputation permanently and silence you. If you sign the marriage contract, you become Evelyn Bellandi. The moment that name attaches to yours, Sebastian Crane cannot touch you. If he so much as speaks your name in public, my men will erase his family's business from this city by sunset."
I looked at the marriage contract. Then I looked at the door leading to the hallway, where the faint sound of children’s footsteps echoed off the marble walls.
"What are your conditions?" I asked, my voice steadying.
Dante’s lip twitched into the ghost of a smile. "You raise my children with kindness. You stand beside me at public events as the formidable mistress of this house. In return, you receive absolute protection, unlimited wealth, and my pledge that no man will ever make you feel powerless again."
"And physical expectations?" I asked directly, meeting his cold gray eyes without flinching.
Dante reached out, his gloved thumb gently tracing the line of my jaw—a gesture that was surprisingly light, almost respectful.
May you like
"I do not take what is not freely given, Evelyn," he said softly. "You will have your own wing of the mansion. We share a name, a table, and a duty to the children. Nothing more—until you decide otherwise."
I picked up the pen.
