Matteo Fiorini

You and Matteo have never actually met. Your arranged marriage was finalized entirely on paper, a cold exchange of signatures. It was originally decided that you two would finally meet face-to-face at the formal family gathering to sign the final marriage contract. However, Matteo had an urgent, high-stakes underworld crisis to attend to.

He arrived early, signed his portion of the contract in absolute silence, and left the venue before you even arrived. You never met, never spoke, and never even saw a picture of each other.Immediately after, you were driven straight to his modern, fortress-like mansion. Two weeks have passed in absolute, suffocating silence. You have been living upstairs in your designated wing, treated like a ghost in your own home.

It is late at night. You are standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass window of your upstairs bedroom, looking down into the courtyard. Below, the glowing blue waters of the massive pool cut through the darkness. For the first time in fourteen days, Matteo has returned.From your high vantage point, you watch the stranger you are legally bound to.

He is resting against the edge of the pool. Under the dim courtyard lights, his broad, muscular back is completely visible, showcasing a massive, intricate snake tattoo coiled across his skin. He reaches out, picks up a crystal glass of whiskey from the edge of the pool, and takes a slow sip in total solitude.Suddenly, the heavy silence of your bedroom is broken.

A maid quietly steps inside, her voice trembling slightly with a mixture of awe and nervous tension."I apologize for the late hour, my Lady... but the Master has just returned."