The gondola rocked gently as it glided through midnight canals. Aurelia's silken gown whispered against the velvet seat. She stared at her reflection in the water: pale skin framed by raven-black hair, eyes the color of storm clouds. Tonight, she was to marry a man she'd never met.
Her family's villa, cloaked in torchlight, stood silent behind her. Her father's final words echoed in her mind: "You must seal the alliance. The DeCarlos control magic we cannot hope to match alone." Since childhood, she'd sensed spirits in the walls, heard whispers of futures yet unwritten but she'd never considered destiny so... tangible.
At the Palazzo DeCarlo, Lucien awaited her in a tuxedo as dark as night. No words of welcome only that chilling, predatory gaze. He slid a leather-bound contract across a lacquered oak table. "Sign here," he said. The parchment smelled of iron and old money. Aurelia's hand trembled as she traced the ornate script. "As of this moment, you're my... property." His smile didn't reach his eyes. She signed, binding her life, her magic, her very soul to him.