Chapter 2 - The Cage of Silk and Steel
Morning came with the harsh, brilliant glare of Manhattan sunlight streaming through the sheer drapes.
I woke up alone in the massive king-sized bed, surrounded by Egyptian cotton sheets. For a brief second, I thought the wedding was a nightmare, but the heavy platinum band on my left ring finger quickly brought reality crashing down.
When I stepped into the grand kitchen wearing a cashmere sweater and tailored trousers from the wardrobe Niko had provided, I found him sitting at the marble island.
He was dressed in a crisp charcoal suit, reading through a stack of legal documents while drinking black coffee. Standing behind him was Leo, his chief bodyguard—a broad-shouldered man with a scarred jaw and sharp, watchful eyes.
"Good morning, Evelyn," Niko said without looking up from his papers.
"Good morning," I said, sitting across from him. "Am I allowed to go to my constitutional law class today?"
Niko set his coffee cup down, his dark eyes meeting mine. "No."
"No?" Anger flared in my chest. "Niko, my finals are next month. I have spent four years working toward my law degree. You can't just keep me locked up in a penthouse."
"Your father's enemies are now looking at you, Evelyn," Niko said flatly, leaning forward. "The Valenti crime family knows Arthur Shaw made a deal with me instead of them. Yesterday at the cathedral, two Valenti spotters were arrested in the plaza holding automatic rifles. You step outside this building without my security team, and you become a bargaining chip."
"Then send your security team with me!" I demanded, my hands clenching into fists on the marble counter. "I refused to let my father control my future, and I certainly won't let you turn me into a golden prisoner."
Leo shifted uncomfortably behind Niko, but Niko simply stared at me, a tiny, almost imperceptible flicker of amusement touching his sharp lips.
"You have fire," Niko observed softly. "Your father told me you were passive. Fragile."
"My father doesn't know me," I snapped.
Niko picked up a leather folder and slid it across the island toward me.
I opened it. Inside was a fully signed transfer application to Columbia Law School's evening program, complete with a private security clearance granted for a secure apartment adjacent to the campus.
"You won't attend public lectures at NYU anymore," Niko explained, his tone smooth and commanding. "You will take private evening seminars at Columbia under an alias. Leo will drive you. Two armed guards will sit in the back row. That is my compromise. Take it or stay here."
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I looked at the documents, then up at my new husband. "Why are you doing this?"
Niko stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. "Because if you're going to carry the Santoro name, Evelyn, I expect you to be dangerous enough to handle it."
