Chapter 3 - The Price of Protection"I don't want a charity life," I said as we stepped into his private study. The room was lined with thousands of books, a stark contrast to the violence he commanded.
Vincent poured himself a drink, the amber liquid swirling in the crystal glass. "It isn't charity. It’s an investment. You saved my heir. In my world, debt is the only currency that truly matters. You are now under my protection, which means you are off-limits to everyone in this city. You are a ghost, like me."
"I don't want to be a ghost," I retorted. "I want to have a life."
He sat behind his desk, his face bathed in the dim light of a lamp. "You will. But you need to learn how to exist in this world without being consumed by it. I have staff who will educate you, dress you, and train you. By the end of the month, no one will recognize the girl who was shivering in Central Park."
"And what do you want from me?" I asked.
He looked at me, really looked at me, for the first time. "I want you to be a companion to Ethan. He trusts you. He's been isolated for years, and he needs someone who isn't a servant or a bodyguard. He needs a friend. And perhaps..." He hesitated. "Perhaps I need someone in this house who isn't afraid to look me in the eye."
I spent the next few weeks in a blur of silk dresses, private tutors, and terrifyingly expensive dinners. I learned the history of the Moretti empire—the blood-soaked foundations of their wealth, the endless web of loyalties and betrayals. I learned how to move, how to speak, and how to hold my ground when men with cold eyes stared at me.
But the most surprising part was Vincent.
He was a monster to his enemies, but to me, he was... human. He was a father who woke up in the middle of the night to check on his son. He was a man who listened to classical music to drown out the noise of his own thoughts.
One night, we were sitting on the balcony, the city lights shimmering in the distance like a field of fallen stars.
"Why me?" I asked, looking at the skyline.
"Because you were the first person to offer me anything without asking for a favor in return," he said. "Everyone else wants a piece of me—a contract, a favor, a protection deal. You just wanted to save a boy."
He stood up and walked over to the edge of the railing. "The people who tried to kill Ethan? They’re getting close, Lily. I can feel the ground shifting. Marcus Vance is back from exile, and he’s not happy about what happened to his investments."
"What does that mean for me?"
"It means you are in danger," he said, turning to face me. "If they can’t get to me, they will get to the people I value. You are high on that list now."
I felt a sudden, sharp fear. Not for myself, but for him. "Then send me away. If I’m a liability, get rid of me."
May you like
He stepped closer, his hand coming up to touch my jaw again, his thumb lingering on my lip. "I would sooner burn the city to the ground than let them touch a hair on your head. You belong to me now, Lily. And nothing in this city moves against what is mine."
The possessiveness in his voice was terrifying, but the protectiveness was intoxicating. I had spent my life as a nobody, invisible to the world. Now, I was the center of a storm, held in the hands of the most dangerous man in New York.
