Chapter 3

Gio

Savanna had always been a problem in my life. Her meddling had backed me into a corner I couldn't escape.

If I'd known that mugging some girl walking alone on a deserted street would bring this much trouble, I'd have walked right past her.

How was I supposed to know she was Don De Luca's daughter?

I'll admit — it was a desperate move. I needed money for my mother's medication and to cover her hospital bills.

I was ready to rob whoever crossed my path, and fate threw the daughter of the most powerful man in the city right into my hands.

Cruel luck, maybe. But at least it brought me to Don De Luca. He wasn't the man I'd expected. I thought he'd kill me, but instead he was reasonable — gave me an opportunity.

In the organization, I didn't have to risk my neck snatching purses anymore. I got training, stability, protection, comrades, and a decent salary to pay for my mother's treatment and look after Mia.

It was a good gig, even if I knew I was at the bottom of the hierarchy — a tool for the dirty work. First in line when war broke out.

But Don De Luca cared about the little guys too. Like my brothers-in-arms, I swore my absolute loyalty to him.

The problem was his daughter. Savanna didn't know the meaning of boundaries. Her advances were painfully obvious.

If I'd known that calling her "gorgeous" during the robbery would make her obsessed with me, I'd have thought twice about that too.

She was beautiful — still is, actually. Stunning, I'd say. But she wasn't a woman in my league.

Her pursuit was so transparent that my colleagues threw jabs at me constantly.

"The boss's daughter seems to really like you — she won't stop staring. Why don't you go chat her up, throw a little flirt her way? Maybe you'll even get a raise."

They'd laugh, mocking me. I didn't find it funny. I wanted to climb the ranks, but I wanted to earn it on merit.

When Don De Luca gave me my shot, he told me:

"You'll be one of my soldati, and training starts today. Don't think it'll be easy — it'll be brutal. But I always keep an eye out for new talent. Prove your worth, and I see no problem letting you rise."

He was the first person besides my mother who'd ever seen any value in me. My whole life, I'd been beaten down and told I was worthless.

Even my biological father didn't believe in me. Before he abandoned us for another woman, he told me I was a waste of energy.

I wanted to prove Don De Luca right — that I wasn't a waste. That his gamble on me would pay off.

But Savanna wouldn't let me. Her relentless pursuit reduced me to just "the guy the boss's daughter is obsessed with."

I thought ignoring her would make her give up. But the years kept passing and she kept pushing boundaries.

Summoning me to be alone with her. Making me watch while she tried on clothes.

Showing up in front of me in lingerie.

I had to admit — her body was incredible. But she was still the goddamn boss's daughter.

I even tried using Mia to keep her at bay. I didn't usually bring my sister around the job, but sometimes I did and pretended to enjoy her rambling — anything to make Savanna back off.

That only made everything worse.

She showed up in front of me with a marriage contract.

I was floored. Word among the soldati was that Don De Luca had been shopping for a groom for Savanna, and the frontrunner was the Martinelli heir — one of the De Luca family's biggest allies.

I read the contract and understood immediately. She was trying to use me to dodge an arranged marriage.

This would destroy everything I'd worked toward. She wanted to turn me into her plaything.

I felt cornered. If I refused, I might offend Don De Luca — everyone said Savanna was his whole world.

But I had a shot. Don De Luca seemed like a reasonable man. Maybe if I explained my reasons, he'd understand.

That's when she brought up my mother.

The stakes got higher. If I said no, my mother's care might suffer too. I could still try talking to the Don directly.

But I knew — Savanna had marked me. She held more power than I did. I didn't know her well, but people said she was spoiled rotten.

What would she be capable of if I crossed her?

The day my father abandoned us — left me alone with my sick mother — my life became a living hell. I'd learned young to do whatever it took to survive.

All that suffering had taught me one thing: love wasn't a goal in my life, and I never intended to marry. Marriage was just a prison. A sentence.

But there was Savanna, practically holding a gun to my head. The consequences of refusing were stacking up, tipping the scales.

So I accepted.

I told myself to treat it as a job and gave up on my pursuit of proving my worth.

After becoming Savanna's husband, I wasn't Giordano Ricci anymore. I was the boss's daughter's husband. Her toy.

I tried to be obedient, but I drew a hard line between us. I never wanted her to confuse our arrangement for something it wasn't.

She gave orders. I followed them. That was our life.

Her orders were silly — just indulging her whims.

"Gio, bring me flowers! I like red roses. That's an order."

"Gio, spend the weekend with me. That's an order."

"Carry me. That's an order."

"Make love to me all night. That's an order."