Chapter 2

I couldn’t stop the wave of sadness as tears filled my eyes up. My younger sister, Rina, sat beside me, her hand gently brushing through my hair as my head lay on her shoulder. She was only twenty, barely a year and a half younger than me but right now, that small gap felt like an endless divide. She still had the freedom I was about to lose. I reminded myself that it wasn’t her fault and tried not to hold it against her.

“Maybe you could talk to him again,” Rina said, her voice soft and hopeful. “He might change his mind if you tell him how you feel.”

“He won’t". “Maybe Mom could say something to him? ”I shook my head. “You know how it is. He doesn’t listen to anyone once he’s made up his mind.” My voice cracked, and I looked down, feeling helpless. I hadn’t seen Mom since she sent me to speak with him earlier. Maybe she couldn’t even look at me now, knowing how little power she had to protect me.

“But, Milene, ”I sat up and wiped my cheeks, looking into Rina’s worried eyes. They were a shade of blue that matched mine, but her hair was dark while mine was light. Dad sometimes joked about her “wild streak,” but we all knew it wasn’t really a compliment. “It’s final. Dad made an agreement with Liam’s father. A done deal.”

“They actually met about it". I’d wondered the same thing. He hadn’t found a minute to tell me, but he’d made time to strike a deal with Liam’s father. It was like he’d forgotten I wasn’t just another piece of property to hand over. I swallowed down the anger and fear building up inside me.

“Yeah. That’s what he said.

Rina was silent for a moment, then looked at me with a spark of determination. “There has to be something we can do.”

“There isn’t". “But you haven’t even met this guy! You don’t know anything about him! He could be… I don’t know, awful or just not right for you.

Awful, mismatched, wrong. If only those were the worst things I had to fear about Liam. “Maybe we can find out more about him,” I said. “There’s got to be some info out there.”

Rina jumped up and grabbed her tablet from the table. She sat down beside me, her shoulder pressed against mine, as we started our search together. 

I looked over the photos on the screen, feeling a strange chill run down my spine. About Liam. He had the kind of dark eyes that could make anyone feel small and powerless. I could almost imagine how they would look, piercing down at someone as he sized them up.

“He’s taller than everyone,” Rina murmured, a little surprised. In all the pictures, he stood several inches above anyone near him, his broad shoulders and powerful build making him stand out even more. No wonder people whispered his nickname behind his back. “The Iron Fist.” That’s what they called him, though the papers politely labeled him as “heir to the Abelli Group,” a company run by his father, Ricardo Company. That’s the term they used in public. But we all knew Ricardo Abelli’s “business” was just a polished cover.

“He’s with a different woman in every photo,” Rina added, raising an eyebrow.

I kept my eyes on Liam’s expressionless face in the photos. The media described him as New York’s most eligible bachelor, heir to an empire worth millions. But the headlines should have said he was next in line for something much darker and built on ruthless power

Rina shook her head, “I guess he is good-looking if that’s what these girls se

“They can have him,” I said, feeling the bitterness in my own voice. In our world, charm and looks could often mask the worst intentions. The socialites and society girls saw his wealth and style, mistaking his dark aura for something exciting. They were drawn to his powerful presence, but they didn’t know that behind that confident look was a man who could be capable of anything.

Suddenly, I got up. “I need to talk to Jackson. ”Jackson was in his fifties and one of my father’s most loyal men. He was also my and Rina’s bodyguard, with an eye for details about anyone and everyone. My mother liked to call him a “walking news feed.” If anyone could tell me more about Liam, it was Jackson.

“He joined ‘the business’ early,” Jackson said, pausing from his routine knife-sharpening at the kitchen counter. The scent of spices and freshly chopped leaves filled the room, but tonight, it didn’t comfort me like usual.

“How early?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. Most men in his world weren’t brought in fully until their late teens, maybe even older. “Because he’s Ricardo’s son?”

Jackson gave a quick smile, his teeth flashing gold for a second. He paused, considering his words. “You think he got a free pass just because of his dad? He earned his way in.” His eyes darkened a bit as he continued, “And early. That’s why they call him The Savage

Rina let out a small gasp. “He’s cold-hearted, ”Jackson said. “He’s exactly what they need him to be. To lead the Abelli Group, you can’t have any weak spots.” He looked at me with a bit of sympathy. “You have to be tough.”

What did he do?” I hesitated, wondering if I truly wanted to know. If Liam had killed his first man at eleven, then how many more had he killed in the years since?