Intro. In the mafia underworld, destinies do not belong to those who live them. From birth, Athena was betrothed to Dominique Morelli, heir to a criminal empire known as much for its cruelty as for its ruthless coldness. When she turns eighteen, the wedding is celebrated under the watchful eye of families that seal power, blood and obedience. Dominique, ten years older, already carries the weight of war and absolute domination in her hands.
But on the night of the honeymoon, there is no consummation, only a pact. He wouldn't touch her. She wouldn't touch him. Under the same roof, they would be strangers—free to have lovers, live a matrimony farce, and keep the illusion of the perfect alliance intact.
What Athena didn't imagine is that mafia pacts are as fragile as the secrets that sustain them. As she grows, matures, and learns to survive in the darkness of Dominique's world, the line between hatred, power, and desire begins to break. He, who swore never to possess her.