Chapter 5: The Man Who Shouldn't Be Here

Flashback

"You're a liability."

The words hit Aria harder than she wanted to admit.

She stood frozen as the front doors of the mansion slowly opened.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.

The guards straightened.

Luca's expression hardened.

And for the first time since arriving at Rafael Knight's mansion, Aria felt something worse than fear.

Curiosity.

Because whoever had just walked in...

even Rafael was paying attention.

Present

The mansion fell silent.

A dangerous silence.

The kind that came before a storm.

Aria watched as a tall figure stepped through the entrance.

His confidence filled the room before he even spoke.

Dark suit.

Sharp features.

A smile that looked charming until you noticed how cold his eyes were.

He wasn't afraid.

Not of the guards.

Not of the mansion.

And definitely not of Rafael Knight.

The stranger's gaze swept across the room.

Then landed directly on Aria.

A slow smile appeared.

"Interesting."

Every instinct told her she wasn't going to like this man.

"You're staring," Rafael said coldly.

The stranger chuckled.

"And you're possessive."

The atmosphere instantly became heavier.

Luca moved slightly.

Not enough for most people to notice.

Enough for Aria to realize he was preparing for trouble.

The stranger extended a hand.

"Dante Moretti."

The name immediately clicked.

The rival.

The man responsible for the attack Rafael had discussed earlier.

The man who was apparently brave—or stupid—enough to walk into enemy territory.

Neither man shook hands.

The gesture remained hanging awkwardly in the air before Dante lowered it.

"Still rude, I see."

Rafael's expression remained unreadable.

"You have five seconds to explain why you're here."

Dante laughed.

Actually laughed.

As if Rafael hadn't just threatened him.

Aria had never seen anyone do that before.

Most people seemed terrified of her husband.

Dante appeared entertained by him.

"I came to talk."

"You came to provoke."

"That's a bonus."

Luca sighed.

Clearly this wasn't new.

Dante's attention returned to Aria.

"You're prettier than the rumors suggested."

Aria froze.

Rafael didn't.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

"Dante."

One word.

A warning.

Dante lifted his hands innocently.

"What?"

The smile never left his face.

"I'm complimenting your wife."

The word wife sent an uncomfortable flutter through Aria's stomach.

She hated how strange it still felt.

Dante tilted his head.

"And judging by your expression..."

His smile widened.

"You don't like that."

For the first time all evening, genuine anger flashed across Rafael's face.

Gone almost instantly.

But Aria saw it.

So did Dante.

And judging by the satisfaction in his eyes...

that had been his goal all along.

An hour later, Aria stood on the balcony outside her room.

She needed air.

Needed distance.

Needed a break from powerful men and their endless games.

The cool evening breeze brushed against her skin.

For a moment, she closed her eyes.

Peace.

Finally.

"Beautiful view."

Her eyes snapped open.

Dante stood several feet away.

Leaning casually against the railing.

Like he belonged there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Walking."

"On my balcony?"

"Technically it's Rafael's balcony."

Aria groaned.

He laughed.

The sound was surprisingly genuine.

"You look annoyed."

"I wonder why."

"Probably because you married a psychopath."

Aria blinked.

Then laughed despite herself.

A small laugh.

A quick one.

But it happened.

Dante's eyebrows rose.

"There it is."

"What?"

"A smile."

Her smile vanished immediately.

Dante sighed dramatically.

"And it's gone."

"Why are you here?"

His expression softened slightly.

For the first time, he looked serious.

"I wanted to meet the woman everyone is talking about."

Aria frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means Rafael Knight doesn't get married."

The words caught her off guard.

"He doesn't?"

"No."

Dante folded his arms.

"He doesn't trust people."

His eyes darkened slightly.

"He doesn't love people."

Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten.

"And yet..."

His gaze met hers.

"He married you."

For a moment, neither spoke.

The question lingered between them.

Why?

Why her?

Why now?

Why any of this?

Dante finally broke the silence.

"Have you figured it out yet?"

"Figured out what?"

"The real reason he chose you."

Aria's stomach dropped.

Because despite everything...

she hadn't stopped asking herself the same question.

And she still didn't have an answer.

Later that night, Aria couldn't sleep.

Again.

Every conversation replayed endlessly in her mind.

Rafael.

Dante.

The contract.

The marriage.

The questions.

So many questions.

No answers.

Finally giving up, she left her room.

The mansion was quiet.

Most of the staff had gone to bed.

The hallways felt endless in the darkness.

She wandered without thinking.

Without direction.

Until she noticed a door slightly open.

Light spilled through the gap.

Voices.

Curious, she moved closer.

Then froze.

Rafael was inside.

Alone.

Or so she thought.

The moment she looked through the opening, her breath caught.

Photographs.

Dozens of them.

Covering a wall.

Some old.

Some recent.

Most damaged.

And in the center—

A family portrait.

Rafael.

Much younger.

Standing beside a woman and a man.

His parents.

For the first time since meeting him...

he didn't look cold.

He looked happy.

The realization startled her.

Because she couldn't imagine Rafael Knight happy.

Couldn't imagine him smiling.

Couldn't imagine him being anything other than the man who controlled every room he entered.

Then she saw something else.

A newspaper clipping.

Framed.

Burned around the edges.

And beneath the headline—

A name.

Knight.

Aria leaned forward slightly.

Trying to read more.

Trying to understand.

Suddenly—

The floor creaked.

Her heart stopped.

Rafael's head snapped toward the door.

Directly toward her.

Their eyes met.

For one horrifying second, nobody moved.

Then—

"Come inside."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

Which somehow made it worse.

Aria swallowed.

Every instinct screamed at her to run.

Instead...

she pushed the door open.

And stepped into the room.

The room that clearly held secrets.

The room nobody else was supposed to see.

And judging by the darkness in Rafael's eyes...

she had just crossed a line she couldn't uncross.

To be continued... 🔥

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👇 Comment: Do you trust Rafael or Dante? 👀