A knock on the door jolted me awake. I sat up quickly, pushing stray strands of hair out of my face. The room still felt strange to me, too big, too cold, but the bed was surprisingly comfortable.
For a split second, I could've sworn someone had touched my face while I slept. But when I looked around, the room was empty.
The other side of the mattress was ruffled. My chest tightened, as I wondered if Jace had been here.
The knock came again. It was sharper this time.
I scrambled off the bed and hurried to the door.
"Good morning," a maid greeted politely.
I nodded, unable to return her smile.
"Donna Carmela is asking for you."
My throat went dry. "Oh. I'll be down soon."
I thought she was calling me for breakfast. Until now, I'd been eating alone in my room. Maybe being her son's wife meant I'd finally earned a place at her table. Or maybe not…
I took a quick shower, slipped into a sundress, brushed my hair, and glossed my lips before making my way downstairs. My nerves rattled when I saw her already waiting at the foot of the staircase, her sharp, feline eyes locking on me.
"Good morning, Donna," I greeted softly.
"Mira," she returned with a curt nod. "You overslept."
"I was… very tired from yesterday."
Her gaze lingered on me, calculating. "My son is keeping you busy already, I see."
Heat rushed up my neck. "No, I—"
"Spare me the details." Her lips curved slightly, but her eyes stayed cold. "We'll see the results soon enough."
My hands drifted protectively to my stomach. Results? Did she mean a child? I was supposed to have a child with Jace Romano? My chest constricted at the thought.
"We have a lot to do today," she said. "Eat something, then meet me in the east wing."
"Yes, Donna," I murmured.
I ate my breakfast with no appetite, dread pooling in my stomach as I wondered what she had planned. Cooking lessons? Protocol training? Something else?
By the time I reached the east wing, my pulse was already racing. She was waiting again, descending her stairs with that same slow, regal poise.
"Sit," she ordered, dismissing the guard who'd escorted me.
I obeyed, folding my hands tightly in my lap.
"Mirabel, isn't it?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't understand why my son chose you."
Neither did I.
"You don't belong in our world," she said, her voice like a blade. "And if you're not careful… you'll get killed."
The words made my blood run cold. "I don't want to die."
She gave a low chuckle. "Of course not. Which is why you need training."
"Training?" My voice cracked.
"You're Don Romano's wife. You're an easy target. Weakness is unacceptable."
Her sharp gaze flicked to the doorway. "Alana!"
A tall, athletic woman entered, her combat gear stark against her tanned skin. She couldn't have been much older than me, but there was no softness in her expression.
"She'll train you. I couldn't allow a man near you—Jace wouldn't tolerate it. But Alana…" Donna's lips curved into something that looked a little sinister. "She's very good."
Alana gave me a curt nod, no warmth in her eyes.
"Go and change," Donna said. "Your gear is in your room."
I returned dressed in black combat clothes, my hair was tied back and my stomach was tight with nerves. Alana was already waiting outside.
"Ready?" she asked flatly.
Not even close. But I nodded.
She led me to a wide training hall, its floors were padded, its air heavy with the faint smell of sweat and leather. My palms dampened as my nerves spiked.
Before I could speak, Alana's hand shot out, gripping my wrist. In one swift motion, she twisted my arm behind my back and shoved me down onto the mat.
I yelped, pain sparking through my shoulder.
"What are you doing?" I gasped, struggling.
"You're being trained," Donna's voice cut through the air from her seat at the edge of the room.
I didn't even know she was here already.
"If you can't defend yourself, you'll be a liability to my son." She continued.
Alana's knee pressed into my spine, forcing me flat. Panic clawed at my throat as I tried to gasp for air.
"This isn't training…this is torture!" I cried.
"Life won't be kind, child," Donna said, her voice cool and detached. "Better you learn now."
Alana hauled me up only to shove me forward again. My knees hit the mat hard, pain shooting up my legs. I tried to crawl away, but she caught me by the ankle and dragged me back like I was nothing more than prey.
Tears stung my eyes. Was this training, or was she trying to kill me?
When her fist slammed into my stomach, I doubled over, choking on air. Donna's calm voice echoed in the background:
"Get up. If you can't take one hit, you'll never survive the ones meant to kill you."
Her voice was so authoritative, I didn't have a choice but to obey.
My hands shook as I tried to push myself upright. My body screamed, but some stubborn part of me refused to stay down too. Alana twisted my arm so hard, I thought it was going to pop out of the socket.
The pain shot through my body and I felt myself slowly losing consciousness.
Still, in the pit of my chest, a sick thought grew. Maybe Donna Carmela wasn't preparing me to be stronger. Maybe she was testing how much it would take to break me.
Maybe she wanted me dead.