The sound of the gunshot echoed in the small room, ringing in my ears long after the blast. My hand trembled as the gun slipped from my grasp and clattered onto the cold concrete floor. I stood frozen, my pulse thrumming wildly in my veins, eyes locked on Carlo's lifeless body slumped forward in the chair.
The blood pooled at his feet, a stark reminder of the line I had just crossed.
Tristan stood beside me, his expression unreadable, but the silence between us felt heavy. He didn't flinch, didn't react-this was nothing to him. It was clear now that in his world, this kind of violence was routine, as common as breathing. For me, however, it was something else entirely.
My breath came in shallow gasps as the gravity of what I had done sank in. I had just killed a man-a traitor, yes, but a man nonetheless. I had been forced to prove my loyalty in blood, and now there was no going back.
"You did well," Tristan finally said, his voice calm and devoid of emotion. "That was your first test. And you passed."
I turned to him, my eyes wide, heart pounding in her chest. "That was a test? You made me-" I choked on the words, unable to say them aloud. I had always known the darkness of this life, but now I had tasted it, felt its weight settle into my bones.
Tristan's cold gaze softened just a fraction, his lips forming a thin line. "You need to understand what it means to be in this world, Selena. To be my wife, you're not a bystander. You're a part of this now."
I swallowed hard, trying to regain control of my racing thoughts. "And if I hadn't done it?" I asked, my voice hoarse. His eyes flickered with something dangerous. "If you hadn't... I would've had to reconsider our arrangement. Loyalty is everything, and weakness has no place here."
My stomach twisted, but I fought to keep my expression neutral. Tristan was testing me-pushing me to see how far I could be stretched before I broke. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. But deep down, something inside me had already cracked.
Tristan stepped closer, his fingers brushing a loose strand of hair away from my face, his touch surprisingly gentle given the violence that had just occurred. "This life isn't easy, Selena," he murmured. "But you'll get used to it. You'll learn how to survive."
Survive. The word echoed in my mind. That's all this was now-a game of survival. I had thought, perhaps foolishly, that there might be room for something more in this marriage. That even though it was arranged, there could be some understanding, some level of partnership. But now, I realized, there were no partnerships here-only power.
"Come," Tristan said, pulling me from my thoughts. "We have more work to do."
I blinked, still dazed, but nodded. My feet felt like lead as I followed him out of the room, leaving the bloodstained floor and Carlo's body behind. The heavy door closed with a metallic thud, sealing the evidence of what I had done in silence.
We walked through the halls of the mansion in silence, but it was no longer the same place it had been when I arrived. The walls seemed closer now, darker, as though they were closing in on me. I had crossed a threshold, and there was no going back.
When we reached the living room, Tristan turned to me. "I'll handle the fallout from this. Carlo's betrayal was minor, but it could've escalated. You've helped us prevent that." I nodded, though I felt disconnected, like I was watching myself from afar. The weight of what I'd done hadn't fully hit me yet, and I wasn't sure when it would.
"I need to go into the city for a meeting with my father," Tristan said, breaking the silence. "You'll stay here today, and we'll discuss your next steps tonight."
My next steps. I didn't even know what my first step had been. I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak. Tristan watched me for a moment, as though assessing the damage, then turned and left without another word.
When he was gone, the house felt unnervingly quiet. I stood in the empty living room, my mind racing, heart still pounding. I felt like a ghost, haunting my own body, wandering aimlessly through a life I had never chosen.
Slowly, I made my way upstairs, each step heavier than the last. When I reached my bedroom, I shut the door behind me and sank onto the edge of the bed. My hands were trembling, and my stomach churned as I replayed the events of the morning in my mind. The gun. Carlo's pleading eyes. The sound of the gunshot.
I hadn't hesitated. And that scared me more than anything.
A soft knock on the door broke through my thoughts. It opened slowly, and Elena stepped inside, her expression cautious. "Mrs. Romano, are you alright?"
I looked up, meeting the woman's eyes. I wanted to scream, to tell her that no, I wasn't alright. That nothing was alright. But I couldn't. The rules of this world were already closing in on me, binding me to silence.
"I'm fine," I said, my voice cold and distant, the perfect mask of a mafia wife. Elena hesitated for a moment, her eyes lingering on me, as though she could see through the façade. But then she nodded and quietly left the room.
When the door clicked shut, I exhaled, long and shaky. Alone again, I stared at my reflection in the mirror across the room. The woman who looked back at me wasn't the same. My eyes were harder now, my face set in a mask of cold determination.
I had survived my first test. But I knew it wouldn't be the last. And somewhere deep inside, a darker part of me whispered that I was ready for whatever came next.
THIS IS...I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY....to be continued... loviessssss ❤️