Chapter 1 - THE MARK OF THE BUTTERFLYAlessandro stared into the gilded mirror. The yellow flower, blue butterfly, and orange sun were stark against his sharp, deadly features. For thirty seconds, the silence in the grand study was so thick that Sophia could hear the frantic pounding of her own heart. She held Emma tightly against her chest, preparing to beg for her daughter’s life.
Instead, Alessandro slowly traced the outline of the blue butterfly on his forehead.
"You think I looked sad, little one?" his voice was a low, velvet rumble that sent shivers down Sophia's spine.
"Yes," Emma piped up innocently, burying her face in her mother’s neck. "Now you have sunshine."
A faint, almost imperceptible twitch softened the corner of Alessandro’s lip. "Nobody has dared put a mark on my face in ten years," he murmured, turning to face them. "And live to tell about it."
Sophia fell to her knees. "Please, Mr. Moretti. She's only three! Punish me. Take it out of my pay, fire me, do whatever you want—just don't hurt her!"
"Get up, Sophia," Alessandro ordered, his voice cold once more. "I don't execute children. But your ex-husband... Marcus, isn't it? He's standing outside my estate gates right now."
Sophia gasped. "What?"
"Vincent," Alessandro turned to his steward. "Bring the trash inside."
Moments later, Marcus was dragged into the study by two towering enforcers. He looked disheveled, frantic, and desperate. But when he saw Sophia, a cruel sneer spread across his face.
"There you are, you ungrateful bitch!" Marcus yelled. "Mr. Moretti, this woman stole fifty grand from my gambling account before she fled! I came to collect what's mine—and my daughter!"
Sophia shook her head wildly. "He's lying! He owes money to loan sharks! He tried to sell me to them!"
"Shut up!" Marcus lunged forward, but an enforcer pinned him to the floor.
Alessandro walked calmly over to Marcus, the painted blue butterfly still vivid on his forehead. He stepped heavily on Marcus’s hand. Marcus screamed in pain.
"You dare bring your pathetic debt to my doorstep?" Alessandro sneered, pressing harder. "And you dare threaten a maid under my protection?"
"She's my wife!" Marcus sobbed.
"Not anymore," Alessandro replied. He signaled to his men. "Take him to the docks. Make sure he never walks without a limp again."
As Marcus was dragged out screaming curses, Alessandro turned back to Sophia. He reached out with a clean linen handkerchief, wiped his cheek, and looked at the yellow stain on the cloth.
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"Your ex-husband won't bother you again," Alessandro said softly. "But you, Sophia... you now owe me."
Before Sophia could ask what he meant, a sudden explosion rocked the estate, shattering the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
