The music was loud enough to shake the crystal glasses.

Golden lights danced across the massive ballroom while wealthy guests laughed, drank, and exchanged fake smiles beneath chandeliers worth more than most people’s houses.

She felt out of place.

Ariana Wilson stood quietly near the balcony doors, smoothing down the simple black dress her stepmother had almost refused to buy for her.

“Smile more,” her step-sister, Vanessa, said sweetly while fixing her diamond bracelet. “You look like someone forced you to come.”

Ariana forced a small smile.

“I’m fine.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes dramatically before grabbing two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.

“Tonight is important,” she said. “Rich people. Investors. Important families. Don’t embarrass Dad.”

The mention of her father tightened Ariana’s chest.

Everything she did was for him.

Ever since her mother died, she spent years trying to earn his love again, but after he remarried, things changed. Slowly… painfully… she became invisible in her own home.

Vanessa handed her a glass.

“Drink. Relax for once.”

Ariana hesitated before taking it.

She didn’t notice the small victorious smirk on Vanessa’s face.

...----------------...

Across the ballroom, Alessandro De Luca stood surrounded by businessmen, his expression colder than ice.

Powerful.

Untouchable.

At only thirty-one, he was already feared in the business world. Women chased him endlessly, but none lasted long enough to touch his heart.

Tonight had already irritated him.

A business partner betrayed him. The media wouldn’t stop following him. And his grandfather kept pressuring him to marry.

He wanted silence.

Instead, he got another glass of whiskey shoved into his hand.

“Relax, Alessandro,” his friend laughed. “You look ready to kill someone.”

“I might.”

......................

Thirty minutes later, Ariana’s vision blurred.

The room spun.

Her breathing became uneven as heat rushed through her body.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

She grabbed the edge of a table.

“Vanessa…” she whispered weakly.

But Vanessa only stared at her with fake concern.

“Oh no,” she murmured dramatically. “You don’t look well.”

Ariana tried walking toward the restroom, but her legs felt heavy.

The lights became blurry streaks.

The music sounded distant.

Then suddenly—

She crashed into someone.

Strong hands caught her waist before she hit the floor.

Dark eyes met hers.

Sharp. Dangerous. Intense.

Alessandro frowned immediately.

“You’re drunk.”

Ariana shook her head weakly.

“N-no…”

But her body burned hotter by the second.

His jaw tightened as he noticed how pale she looked.

Drugged.

He had seen this before at elite parties.

His expression darkened.

Before he could speak again, Ariana clutched his suit desperately, her body trembling.

“Please…” she whispered brokenly. “Help me…”

And for the first time in years—

Alessandro De Luca felt his control begin to crack.

Ariana tried pulling away , embarassed by how tightly she was holding onto him, but her knees nearly gave out again.

Alessandro cought her instantly.

His grip around her waist tightened as his sharp eyes scanned the crowded ballroom.

Nobody noticed her condition.

Nobody cared.

His expression turned colder.

“Who did this to you?” he asked quietly.

Ariana could barely think straight anymore.

Her head rested weakly against his chest while the scent of his expensive cologne surrounded her.

“I… I don’t know…”

Across the room, Vanessa watched everything unfold.

A slow smile spread across her lips.

Perfect.

That man was Alessandro De Luca.

The Alessandro De Luca.

The billionaire CEO every woman in the city dreamed about.

And now Ariana was walking straight into ruin.

Vanessa quickly pulled out her phone and secretly snapped several pictures of them together.

By tomorrow morning, the entire family would believe Ariana threw herself at a rich man for attention.

Exactly what Vanessa wanted.

Meanwhile, Alessandro glanced down at the trembling woman in his arms again.

Something about her felt different.

Unlike the women constantly chasing him, her fear looked real.

Pure.

His jaw hardened.

Without another word, he removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shaking body before leading her away from the ballroom.

Neither of them realized—

That single decision was about to destroy one life…

And bind two strangers together forever.

The hotel suite was silent except for her uneven breathing.

Ariana’s fingers clutched weakly onto Alessandro’s shirt as another wave of heat rushed through her body. Her mind was foggy, her thoughts scattered, but one thing remained clear—

She felt safe in his arms.

Alessandro stared down at her conflicted expression, his jaw tense.

He should leave.

He knew that.

But every time he tried to step away, she held onto him tighter, like she was terrified he would disappear.

“Please…” she whispered shakily, her eyes glassy from the drug in her system. “Don’t leave me…”

Something dangerous shifted inside him.

He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers lingering against her skin longer than they should have.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he muttered.

Ariana barely heard him.

The room spun softly around her as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the bed.

Their kiss started slowly.

Carefully.

But the tension between them quickly became impossible to ignore.

His hands held her like she was something fragile, while Ariana clung to him desperately, seeking comfort from the storm inside her body.

The city lights glowed outside the windows as the night slowly consumed them both.

......................

Morning came too fast.

Ariana’s eyes slowly opened as sunlight slipped through the curtains.

Her head pounded painfully.

For several seconds, she couldn’t understand where she was.

Then she realized—

She was naked.

And alone.

Her breathing stopped.

The massive hotel room was empty except for scattered clothes and wrinkled sheets that revealed exactly what had happened the night before.

“No…” she whispered in horror.

Fragments of blurry memories flashed through her mind.

Strong arms.

Dark eyes.

A deep voice against her ear.

But she couldn’t remember his face clearly.

Panic consumed her instantly.

She quickly gathered her clothes with trembling hands before rushing out of the hotel.

Meanwhile, miles away, Alessandro sat inside the backseat of his car, his expression cold as he listened to an emergency business call.

But despite the conversation happening around him, his thoughts kept returning to her.

The girl from last night.

He still remembered the way she looked at him.

Lost. Broken. Innocent.

For the first time in years, a woman had stayed in his mind after sunrise.

He glanced down at the expensive necklace left behind on the bed before slipping it into his pocket.

“We’ll find her,” he murmured quietly to himself.

......................

The moment Ariana stepped inside her house, she knew something was wrong.

Her father stood in the living room with fury burning in his eyes.

Vanessa stood beside him pretending to cry while Ariana’s stepmother comforted her dramatically.

“Ariana!” her father roared. “How shameless can you be?!”

Ariana froze.

“Dad…?”

Vanessa suddenly threw several printed photos onto the floor.

Pictures of Ariana clinging to Alessandro at the party.

Pictures carefully taken to look scandalous.

Tears instantly filled Ariana’s eyes.

“No— it’s not what you think—”

“Enough!” her father shouted. “You embarrassed this family for money?! Sleeping around with strangers?!”

“I didn’t—”

SLAP!

The force of the slap nearly knocked her down.

Ariana stared at her father in complete shock, her cheek burning painfully.

“You disgust me,” he spat.

And in that moment—

Her heart shattered completely.

The black Rolls-Royce stopped smoothly in front of the towering glass building.

De Luca Holdings.

One of the most powerful companies in Europe.

Employees instantly lowered their heads the moment Alessandro stepped out of the car.

Cold.

Sharp.

Untouchable.

His expensive black suit fit him perfectly while his dark eyes carried the same intimidating aura that made businessmen fear him across the country.

The lobby fell silent as he walked past.

Even the sound of heels and keyboards seemed to disappear around him.

“Good morning, sir,” the receptionist greeted nervously.

Alessandro gave only a slight nod before entering the private elevator.

Inside, his personal assistant and best friend, Matteo Ricci, handed him a tablet.

“You scared three investors yesterday,” Matteo said casually.

Alessandro adjusted his cufflinks lazily.

“Only three?”

Matteo laughed softly.

“You’re impossible.”

Unlike everyone else, Matteo never feared him. They grew up together, survived ruthless business training together, and understood each other without speaking much.

“What’s today’s schedule?” Alessandro asked coldly.

“Meeting at ten. Conference at noon. Dinner with the board tonight.”

Matteo paused before smirking slightly. “And your grandfather called six times.”

Alessandro sighed in annoyance already knowing the topic.

Marriage.

Again.

“If he mentions finding me a wife one more time, I’ll disappear for a year.”

“You already scare women enough,” Matteo replied.

Alessandro leaned back against the elevator wall, but suddenly his mind drifted again—

Soft trembling hands.

Tear-filled eyes.

That girl from last night.

Matteo noticed the unusual silence immediately.

“You look distracted,” he said carefully.

“I’m not.”

“That means you are.”

Before Alessandro could reply, the elevator doors opened.

The moment he entered the executive floor, another familiar voice suddenly echoed through the hallway.

“Alessandro!”

A beautiful woman rushed toward him with excitement before throwing her arms around him.

His expression softened slightly.

“Sophia.”

Sophia De Luca.

His older sister.

The only person capable of melting even a fraction of his cold personality.

“You didn’t tell me you were back,” he said.

Sophia grinned brightly.

“It was supposed to be a surprise. We just returned from vacation this morning.”

Before Alessandro could answer, another man appeared behind her.

“Well, look who finally smiled,” the man joked lazily.

Alessandro’s face instantly darkened.

Damian Russo.

Sophia’s husband.

Rich. Charming. Manipulative.

And from the first day they met, Alessandro hated him.

Something about Damian felt wrong.

Too fake.

Too smooth.

Damian casually wrapped an arm around Sophia’s waist.

“You know your brother still looks at me like he wants me dead?”

“Maybe because I do,” Alessandro answered coldly.

Sophia sighed dramatically.

“Please, not again.”

Damian chuckled like it was all a joke, but Alessandro’s eyes remained icy.

He never trusted men who smiled too much.

And Damian smiled constantly.

“Relax,” Damian said mockingly. “I already stole your sister years ago.

You lost.”

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Matteo quietly looked away knowing things could explode any second.

But Sophia only held Alessandro’s arm gently.

“He makes me happy,” she whispered softly.

Alessandro looked at his sister for a long moment before saying nothing.

Because despite his hatred for Damian—

Sophia was deeply in love with him.

And that was the only reason Damian Russo was still breathing.

Sophia eventually dragged everyone into Alessandro’s office despite his obvious irritation.

The massive office overlooked the entire city, with dark modern furniture matching Alessandro’s cold personality perfectly.

The moment Sophia’s two children ran inside, however, the atmosphere changed completely.

“Uncle Alex!”

A small boy nearly crashed into Alessandro’s legs while his little sister followed behind laughing loudly.

Matteo almost choked in shock watching the feared CEO immediately bend down to catch them before they fell.

“Well,” Damian smirked while sitting comfortably on the couch, “looks like the devil does have a heart.”

Alessandro ignored him completely.

The little girl climbed onto his lap without fear while the boy started pressing random buttons on his office tablet.

“Luca,” Sophia warned gently.

“Don’t touch your uncle’s work.”

“It’s fine,” Alessandro said quietly.

Matteo stared like he had witnessed a miracle.

This was the same man who made grown executives tremble during meetings.

Now he was letting a five-year-old destroy his schedule.

Sophia smiled warmly watching her brother with her children.

“You spoil them too much.”

“They have better manners than most adults,” Alessandro replied while fixing the little girl’s messy hair.

Damian laughed loudly.

“You know, if people saw this side of you, De Luca Holdings stock might actually rise.”

Alessandro gave him a cold glance.

“Or maybe they’d finally realize I tolerate idiots.”

Sophia sighed dramatically again.

“Can you two survive one conversation without fighting?”

“No,” both men answered at the same time.

That made her burst into laughter.

For a few rare moments, the office no longer felt cold or suffocating. It felt normal.

Like family.

Eventually Sophia stood up, picking up her daughter carefully.

“We should go before the kids fall asleep here.”

The little boy immediately frowned.

“But Uncle Alex promised to take us for ice cream.”

“I said later,” Alessandro corrected calmly while straightening the child’s tiny jacket.

“After my dinner with the board.”

“Promise?” the little girl asked sleepily.

A softness crossed Alessandro’s usually emotionless face.

“Promise.”

The children instantly smiled.

Sophia watched him quietly for a second before walking closer.

“You work too much,” she said softly.

“So do you,” he replied.

“That’s different. I actually enjoy my life.”

His lips twitched slightly, almost forming a smile.

Almost.

Damian grabbed the car keys lazily before walking toward the door.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let your terrifying brother return to making millions.”

As Sophia followed her husband out, Alessandro’s eyes lingered on Damian for a brief moment.

That same uneasy feeling returned again.

Dark.

Wrong.

Like something dangerous was hiding beneath the man’s charming smile.

Damian suddenly turned back and smirked casually.

“Don’t look at me like that, brother-in-law.

You’ll hurt my feelings.”

Alessandro’s expression turned ice cold again.

“I’d need to care first.”

Matteo sighed the second the office doors closed.

“One day you two are genuinely going to kill each other.”

Alessandro walked silently toward the large window overlooking the city.

For some reason, his mind drifted once again to the girl from last night.

And somehow—

The emptiness in his office suddenly felt heavier than before.