CHAPTER 4 — The Offer

The moment he entered, everything felt heavier. Silence spread through the mansion like a storm cloud; no one moved. No one dared. Alessandro Volkov—Ale—stood at the entrance, his dark gaze sweeping the room in a single glance. It was enough. Fear, tension, desperation, weakness: he assessed them all without effort. His expression remained indifferent, cold, careless, as if the fate of everyone in the room meant nothing.

Valentina’s breath caught. She couldn’t stop staring. The man before her looked nothing like the polished businessmen her mother usually entertained; he looked dangerous. A thin scar ran across the left side of his face, from eyebrow to cheek. Instead of ruining him, it made him more intimidating—more beautiful, more frightening. Valentina moved closer to her mother. Alessandro’s eyes passed over her without interest, as if she were merely another object in the room.

“This is not the first warning,” he said, calm and steady.

Giovanni swallowed. “Mr. Volkov, I just need more time—”

Alessandro cut him off. “No.”

The single word froze the room.

Giovanni tried to continue. “The company is recovering. Give me a little longer and I can repay everything.”

Alessandro’s patience had run out. Months of the same excuses, promises, and delays had tired him. Without warning, he lifted a hand and pointed directly at Valentina.

The room froze.

Valentina stared. “What…?”

Alessandro’s face didn’t change. “You have two options,” he said, eyes on Giovanni. “Pay the debt. Or marry her to me for one year.”

Silence. Absolute silence.

Chiara’s eyes widened. Valentina looked as though the world had ended. Giovanni found no words.

“A one-year contract marriage,” Alessandro continued. His voice carried no emotion. No embarrassment. No hesitation. It sounded less like a proposal and more like a business agreement.

And it solved problems: the Volkov family wanted stability; Ale wanted his family off his back about marriage; Giovanni owed an enormous debt.

“You have two days,” Alessandro said, adjusting his cuff. “Think carefully.”

Then he turned and walked away. No one stopped him. No one argued. No one dared. The front door closed heavily and the sound echoed through the mansion. Only then did the room come back to life.

Valentina burst into tears. “No! I’m not marrying him!” she cried. “He’s a mafia boss! I’m still studying! I have my whole future ahead of me!” She grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mom, please! You can’t let this happen!”

Chiara pulled her daughter into an embrace. “Of course not,” she said, face dark with anger. “This is ridiculous.” She turned to Giovanni. “This is your fault! I warned you about those debts!”

Giovanni rubbed his forehead, exhausted and defeated. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Fix this!” Chiara shouted. “My daughter is not going to be sacrificed because of your mistakes!”

Voices escalated through the mansion. Neither parent noticed another door opening upstairs. Vivienne had just finished showering; damp hair rested over her shoulders as she walked down the hallway, unaware of what had happened below. As she descended the staircase the shouting grew louder, jagged and sharp, cutting through the quiet like broken glass.

She paused at the top, hand on the railing. Something in their voices made her chest tighten. Fear. Panic. Desperation. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she knew one thing: the man who had entered the house was the same one from the alley.

The same eyes. The same scar. The same terrifying certainty.

And now, somehow, he was the reason her family was breaking apart.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***