The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, revealing Alessia Romano.
She was sleek in black, tailored dark red hugging her figure, a designer coat draped elegantly over one arm, and sunglasses perched like a crown on her head — all elegance, confidence, and veiled threat.
The receptionist sprang to her feet. "Miss Romano, you're… early."
Alessia smiled, her poise unshaken. "I waited two months for this appointment. Early is the least I could do."
For months, she had tried to secure time with Adrian Blake, but his schedule was always full. Only two months ago had she finally succeeded. Even as a Romano, Adrian had given her no special treatment. That was exactly the kind of man she wanted — a man who couldn't be swayed by beauty or easily distracted from ambition.
Stephen, Adrian's right hand, stepped out from the corner.
"Miss Romano," he greeted respectfully. "Mr. Blake is—"
"Expecting me," she finished smoothly, her smile polite but sharp — the kind that warned don't interrupt me again.
Without waiting for permission, she strode through the glass doors into Adrian's inner sanctum. Behind his desk, Adrian Blake sat with his head bent over documents. Stephen barely had time to react before Alessia's heels clicked across the marble floor.
He didn't look up. His fingers tapped lightly against the glass table, his posture regal, as though the chair itself was a throne carved for him.
Adrian Blake wasn't just a man — he was a storm dressed in tailored suits.
And to Alessia Romano, he looked like exactly what she was born for.
Not to worship. But to match.
No other man had ever made her feel like she had to earn her place. But with Adrian? She wanted to. Because this man wasn't meant for someone meek, soft, or easily broken like Seraphina Hart. He was made for someone like her.
Adrian finally spoke, still not looking up.
"I thought I told Stephen to cancel all distractions today."
Alessia's voice came like silk over steel. "Then good thing I'm not a distraction, Adrian. I am an opportunity."
Adrian lifted his gaze at last, sharp and unreadable. The air between them shifted.
"You've made me wait two months," Alessia continued, gently laying her coat on the chair beside her. "You must've been busy preparing wedding favors."
Adrian's tone was blunt. "And what kind of opportunity are you offering?"
She sat across from him without asking permission, crossing her legs, posture relaxed but eyes calculating. For a moment, she said nothing, watching him like a hunter studying prey.
Adrian didn't return her stare. His eyes dropped back to the reports. "If this is about Seraphina, you're wasting your time."
He knew Alessia liked him. But unlike other women, she wasn't blinded by love — she was calculating. And her appearance here today meant she was ready to play her cards.
"Is it?" Alessia asked, trailing her nails lightly over the desk as though leaving invisible marks only she understood.
Adrian turned to her, scanning her — not with admiration, but calculation.
"Say what you came for."
He had no patience for games. There were far bigger matters at hand than a woman who believed the world belonged to her.
Alessia leaned back. "I'm not here to stir drama, Adrian. I came to offer you something better."
Silence. He waited.
"Let's speak plainly," she continued. "You're about to marry into the Hart family. Old money, yes, but their influence has shrunk. All they have is wealth, no real power."
She let the words sink in.
"Seraphina? She's sweet. But sweetness doesn't survive in this world."
The truth was clear — the Harts lacked the kind of power that mattered. Underworld power. Illegal power. Their alliance with Adrian was born out of Seraphina's affection for him and Adrian's need for Blake inheritance — but it also ensured the Harts received the protection they craved. A win-win.
Or so it seemed.
Adrian said nothing.
"You and I," Alessia pressed, "we could rule the underworld. You with your empire, me with mine. No hiding. No restrictions. Real power. We wouldn't just be a couple. We'd be a legacy."
When he remained silent, she leaned closer. "You wouldn't need to manage me, Adrian. I already know how to play the game."
Adrian stood slowly, hands braced on the desk, gaze locked on her.
"I'm not interested."
Her smile faltered — barely. "That's it? Not even curious?"
"You don't offer freedom, Alessia," Adrian said coldly. "You offer chains dressed in silk. Marry you, and I answer to your father. Your brothers. Your empire."
He straightened. "I don't make deals that come with a leash attached. Marrying into the Romano family means serving the Romano family. I don't serve. I rule."
Alessia's fingers curled on the armrest. "You'd throw away a kingdom because of pride?"
"No," Adrian replied, voice low. "Because I don't like debt. And marrying you would be a debt I'd spend my whole life repaying."
She crossed her legs again, studying him like an equation she couldn't quite solve.
"Interesting. Most men would kill for what I'm offering."
"I'm not most men."
Her eyes narrowed, not in anger, but reassessment — recalibrating her approach.
"So you'd rather chain yourself to Seraphina Hart? A girl who trembles beside you? When she finally sees your world, she'll think the worst of you. Unlike me, who already knows exactly who you are."
Adrian's eyes flashed, just briefly.
"You think marriage is about equality?" he said. "I need someone who understands her role. Someone I can trust not to turn every decision into a power struggle. A wife should be submissive, obedient. Not a rival in silk. Not someone who questions her husband's authority. She must know when to speak and when to stay silent."
His voice carried the weight of tradition — and the arrogance of a man convinced the world must bend to his will.
Alessia's smile returned, faint and unreadable.
"Then you don't want a partner, Adrian. You want a servant."
"I want control. I built an empire without anyone's help. I won't trade that for family dinners with the Romanos."
The tension between them thickened like fog.
Finally, Alessia rose, smoothing her dress, reclaiming her coat with practiced grace. Her eyes never left him. "You think you're being wise. But you're playing a game I was born into."
She stepped closer, voice dropping to a whisper.
"You'll regret this, Adrian. Not today. Not tomorrow. But the game always circles back."
Adrian stood as well, towering, unshaken. "Maybe. But not today."
She stared at him a moment longer, and for the first time, he saw it — the flicker of hesitation, a tremor of respect for his power.
At the door, she looked back once.
"And when it does… hope I'm still offering the same deal."
The door closed softly behind her.
Stephen entered quietly. "She took it better than I expected."
They both knew Alessia had always intended to seek an alliance. Today proved it.
Adrian exhaled. "Only because she's calculating her next strike."
Stephen hesitated. "Was it tempting?"
Adrian looked out the window, jaw tight. "It would've been suicide."
"Shall I put her on the no-access list?"
"No." Adrian's gaze remained on the door she'd exited through. "Let her come back."
Stephen's brow lifted.
"She won't give up?"
"Don't know yet," Adrian said. "But it's better to see the lion coming than pretend it's not hunting."
His jaw clenched. The storm in his chest was calm — for now.
"With Seraphina missing, the last thing I need is another war disguised as a woman."
---
Outside the Blake building…
The car door shut with a soft thud, Alessia's silence thunderous. She slid into the back seat of her sleek black Maserati.
Her driver didn't speak. He knew better. The engine purred, the city hummed, and Alessia sat still, legs crossed, fingers drumming lightly against the leather. Her face was a mask, but her eyes burned with storms.
In the rearview mirror, she caught her reflection. Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. Perfect dress.
And yet… he had said no.
Adrian Blake.
The name tasted bitter.
She'd waited months, bent her schedule, tolerated her father's condescension — all for this. To be dismissed like a rumor?
"You'll regret your decision."
She'd said it calmly. But inside, something had cracked.
Not because she'd been rejected. Alessia Romano didn't crumble over rejection.
But because he hadn't even considered her.
Like she wasn't good enough.
Like she wasn't presentable.
Like she was a pest.
Her jaw clenched. No one saw. No one ever would.
"He thinks this is over," she thought, "but this is where it begins."
Her eyes narrowed. Calculation replaced anger.
Victor Blake.
The forgotten Blake son. The one without a crown. Hesitant, eager, desperate for recognition.
He wasn't Adrian. He never would be. But maybe that was the point.
"If I can't have the king…" Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"…I'll turn the spare into a king instead."
Victor craved power. Recognition. A place in history. And Alessia? She had a gift for making men feel like gods — until they became useful.
She pulled out her phone.
Still no word about Seraphina Hart. Silent — like the wedding ring Adrian refused to wear.
Good. That left space.
Not for love.
For leverage.
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
Victor Blake.
She hadn't needed him before. Until now.
"Driver," she said softly. "Take me to Aurelio Lounge. I need a drink… and a call."
The driver nodded. No questions asked.
Outside, the city carried on, oblivious. Inside the car, Alessia Romano was already at war.
And the Blakes?
They would feel it soon.