chapter 4 - The devil's bargain

Chapter 4 – The Devil’s Bargain

The pact should have been nothing more than necessity, yet Elena felt its weight pressing against her like invisible chains. When dawn crept across the city, she sat unmoving by her window, the dagger balanced in her hand. Its reflection caught the pale light, a cruel reminder of the line she had crossed. She had allied herself with Adrian Moretti—the very man whose bloodline had stolen everything from her.

The day passed in fragments of silence, but night brought a knock at her door. Sharp, deliberate. Elena froze. Before she could grip her weapon, the door opened and shadows filled her small apartment. Two men in dark suits stepped inside, their presence heavy with authority. They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to.

Adrian followed them. He moved like the city bent to his will, silver eyes sweeping the room until they found her. Calm. Cold. Unshakable.

“You don’t knock?” she muttered, hiding her unease with defiance.

“I don’t wait,” he said simply, stepping closer. His gaze flicked to the dagger in her hand, and a faint smirk curved his lips. “Good. You’ll need that.”

“I didn’t agree to be your soldier.”

Adrian’s reply came in a whisper, low enough that only she could hear it. “No. But you agreed to survive. And with me, survival demands a price.”

Her chest tightened. There was no threat in his voice, no raised volume, yet his words carved themselves into her like a brand.

That night, he took her with him. Past the roaring streets, through the gates of his world. The Moretti estate loomed like a fortress, stone walls and steel barriers guarding the kingdom of shadows. Armed men patrolled in silence, their eyes sharp, their movements precise. Loyalty wasn’t spoken here—it was etched into their bones.

Elena walked beside Adrian, feeling their gazes flick toward her, cold and questioning. She did not belong. She was an outsider standing inside a lion’s den.

“You see now?” Adrian murmured as they crossed the vast marble hall. “In this world, trust isn’t given. It’s tested. And betrayal… is answered in blood.”

His tone was casual, but she knew the truth ran deeper. Every corner of this estate smelled of old secrets and fresh danger.

“And where do I fit into this kingdom of wolves?” she asked, her chin high though her pulse betrayed her.

Adrian’s steps slowed. He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “That’s what I intend to find out.”

For a fleeting moment, she thought she glimpsed weariness behind his mask—something human, fragile even. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the steel that had made him infamous.

Later, under the silver glow of the garden’s broken fountain, their tension sharpened into something else. He stood close enough for the air between them to thrum with unspoken electricity. His hand brushed against hers, barely a touch, but enough to set fire to her skin.

“You’re not like the rest,” Adrian said quietly. “Most people tremble in my presence. You stand tall, dagger in hand.”

“Maybe that’s why you haven’t killed me yet,” Elena whispered, though her voice betrayed a crack.

His smirk was slow, deliberate. “Or maybe that’s why I can’t.”

Her breath faltered. The words wrapped around her like a chain, and before she could tear free, the night split apart.

A gunshot cracked through the silence.

Adrian moved instantly, grabbing her and pulling her down as the bullet shattered stone inches above them. Chaos ignited—men shouting, weapons drawn, shadows racing across rooftops. Elena’s pulse thundered, her dagger clutched uselessly as Adrian shielded her with his body.

“Do you believe me now?” his voice was steady in her ear, even as danger swarmed around them. “This isn’t a game. They want you dead.”

The scent of smoke and iron filled the air. His grip on her hand was unyielding, his body pressed close, a shield against the night. For the first time, Elena felt the truth crash down like a storm:

This pact was no longer a choice. It was survival.

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