The drive from my small, cluttered house to Conti Manor felt like a journey between two separate dimensions.
The Mercedes cut silently through the busy Seattle streets, then entered onto a private road that seemed to stretch into its own personal acreage.
My entire life was lived within a five-mile radius of that little coffee shop, yet here I am, moving toward something that doesn't just house wealth, it intimidates the horizon.
Then, the gates appeared: wrought iron, soaring twenty feet high, crowned with the interlocking 'CC' crest of the Conti empire. They swung open with a slow, mechanical sigh.
"We are approaching the main residence, Mrs. Conti," Marcus informed me, his voice a low hum.
The Manor wasn't a house; it was a structure of cold glass, sprawling across the hillside, looking more like a private museum or an embassy than a home.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, but in the way a glacier is beautiful, remote, perfect, and terrifyingly cold.
"It's... quite large," I managed to utter.
"The main house has ninety-two rooms," Marcus supplied, clearly used to awe-struck passengers. Ninety-two rooms. Leo and I had lived in four.
The conflict made my stomach twist.The car stopped beneath a vast, canopied entrance. Alessandro was waiting, standing perfectly centered in the doorway, a silhouette against the white marble foyer.
He wore a suit as sharp as his jawline, and his expression was a mask of utter detachment. Marcus opened my door.
"Mr. Conti." I stepped out, the navy silk dress moving gracefully around me, the unfamiliar weight of the diamonds on my neck reminding me to hold the pose. Alessandro did not move. He simply assessed me, his gaze scanning the transformation from my head to the tips of my expensive new heels.
The approval was purely technical, like checking a ledger entry.
"The appearance is acceptable, Elara," he stated, his voice echoing slightly in the vast space. He didn't offer a hand or a greeting. "You look the part. Let's proceed. Arthur is expecting us in the West Solarium in forty-five minutes." I met his gaze, refusing to drop my chin.
"I'm glad to be to your specifications, Alessandro. For ten million dollars, I should hope so. Now, before we face your family, we need to address the living arrangements." He raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"They are addressed. The contract is clear."
"The contract is clear on the separation, yes. But I need to know the logistics. Where is my wing, and more importantly, where is the space designated for Leo?" I insisted, crossing my arms.
Alessandro turned and walked into the foyer without waiting. I followed quickly, my new heels clicking sharply on the polished floor.
"Your apartment, Mrs. Conti, is in the East Wing, on the third floor. It provides maximum privacy from the main house and from the staff quarters," he explained, leading me past priceless works of art.
"My wing is the West Penthouse. The physical distance ensures there are no 'accidental' encounters that could compromise the terms."I halted, forcing him to stop, too.
"Accidental encounters? Are you suggesting I lack the professionalism to maintain our boundaries?" He turned, the intensity of his blue eyes chilling.
"I suggest that human beings are fundamentally irrational creatures, Elara. We will minimize variables. You have everything you need in your wing, a sitting room, bedroom, dressing room, and a private staircase access. You will not have access to the West Penthouse, and I will not trespass in the East Wing unless the performance requires it. Is that sufficiently clear?"
"It's a prison sentence, but yes, it's clear," I retorted, the anger keeping the fear at bay.
"Now, Leo. He is my non-negotiable variable. I will not have him tucked away in a dusty servant's room. He needs peace, and easy access for his medical team."Alessandro finally showed a flicker of human reaction, a tightening around his mouth, the only area not perfectly controlled.
"Leo's requirements were addressed immediately upon receiving the signed contract. His room is on the second floor, a floor below you, in the North Wing. It has been converted into a customized suite designed to replicate a sterile-clean environment, with full monitoring capabilities installed in the walls. It is soundproofed and has an automated ceiling that retracts to a specialized observatory dome."I stared at him, unable to hide my shock.
"An observatory dome? But... why? That wasn't necessary."
"Leo is your priority, Elara. Therefore, his comfort is a necessity for the success of my contract," Alessandro said, his tone flat. "He gets the best view of the stars in Seattle. It keeps him happy, and it keeps you focused. It's business, Elara. Pure efficiency."
It's business. Pure efficiency. I repeated the words in my head, trying to quell the unexpected warmth that had spread through my chest at his thoughtfulness toward my brother. He was a monster, but he was an effective monster.
"Thank you," I whispered, realizing the phrase felt hollow. "I... I appreciate the effort put into his accommodation. It means everything." He dismissed my gratitude with a wave of his hand.
"Marcus will take you up now. You have ten minutes to familiarize yourself with your space and prepare your mental script for Arthur. Remember: we are passionately in love, devoted, and planning our lives together. You fell for the man behind the CEO." He watched me ascend a sweeping staircase made of white oak and glass.
He just gave my brother his dream, and now I have to give him his inheritance. This is the trade.
The East Wing apartment was beyond anything I could have imagined. The colors were pale dove grey, cream, and silver and the furniture looked sculpted rather than built. The bedroom alone was twice the size of my old house. I walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, which offered a panoramic view of the manicured grounds and the city lights beginning to shimmer in the distance.
I dropped my purse onto a chaise lounge, a genuine antique, I realized and immediately pulled off the diamond ring. I couldn't stand the oppressive weight of the symbol. I quickly dialled Mia. She answered, breathless. "Elara! Are you in the castle? Is it insane? Did he look like a walking fashion magazine?"
"Mia, it is a lot," I muttered, walking barefoot across the thick, silent rug. "It's ninety-two rooms, and I have a four-room apartment on the East Wing, completely separate from his. He literally gave me a private staircase to ensure maximum distance."
"Wait, you have a private wing? That's like something out of a period drama! Is it cold?"
"It is so cold, Mia. Every piece of furniture looks like it cost more than my college education. It's perfect, silent, and entirely impersonal. I could scream for an hour, and nobody would hear me. It's exactly as you predicted." I walked into the attached dressing room, a room dedicated just to clothes, big enough for a dance party.
"But the Leo situation," I continued, my voice softening. "He got Leo an observatory dome. A massive one, Mia. Customized, soundproofed, everything. He did that for a child who is only a pawn in his game. I don't understand him."
"It's strategy, Elara. He knows you're his leverage," Mia reasoned. "But maybe... maybe that's the real point. He knew you needed that, and he provided it immediately. That's why he's a CEO. He sees a problem, and he throws resources at it. Don't confuse competence with care."
"I know! But when he mentioned it, there was a flash of pride in his eyes. He's so complicated, Mia. He had the opportunity to be cruel, to stick Leo in a regular room and remind me of the power imbalance, but he didn't. He gave him the stars."
"He is the human equivalent of a beautifully wrapped grenade, Elara. You can admire the wrapping, but don't touch the pin," Mia warned, her voice serious. "Just focus on Arthur. Charm the old man. Make him believe you are the key to Alessandro's happiness. And tell me, are the walls thin? Any chance of overhearing the man of the house?"I shook my head, though she couldn't see me.
"No chance. These walls are soundproofed, I guarantee it. I'm isolated. But that's my protection, too. The physical distance keeps me safe from the memory of the boy, and the terrifying magnetism of the man." I heard Marcus clear his throat discreetly at the door to the wing.
"I have to go, Mia. Arthur is waiting. It's showtime."
"Break a leg, Elara. And remember, the price of the dress is your worth. Walk in there like you own the place," Mia instructed.
I hung up, took a deep, steadying breath, and slipped the heavy gold wedding band back onto my finger. It was cold, heavy, and firm, the perfect accessory for the woman I had to be.
I was terrified, but for Leo, I would walk through fire, even if the fire was named Arthur Conti.
