Roselle’s POV
I stood tall in front of the towering mansion before me.
It had taken a great deal of effort and even more soothing to finally break free from Jasmine’s hold this morning.
Her little arms had wrapped around me so tightly, and the sorrow-stricken expression on her face had been almost unbearable to look at.
I never thought it was possible to feel that much pain from seeing another person hurt.
Yet, somehow, watching Jasmine cry had made leaving her feel like one of the hardest things I had ever done.
Even now, as I stood in front of the Belladonna family estate, I could still clearly remember her face as I waved goodbye.
I visibly shook my head.
No.
I needed to focus.
Jasmine was safe for now.
I had a more immediate problem to deal with.
I took my first step toward the mansion.
The moment I did, I could feel eyes following me.
I glanced around discreetly.
Apart from the guards visibly stationed around the entrance, I couldn’t determine where the other stares were coming from.
Strangely enough, I didn’t let it bother me.
If anything, I enjoyed the attention.
Whether it was good or bad, attention was still attention.
It meant they were aware of my presence.
And that information alone was useful.
Suddenly, the massive front door opened.
A man who appeared to be in his early forties stepped outside.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, and a pair of neatly framed glasses rested on his face.
Everything about him screamed professionalism.
But there was something else.
Something beneath the polished appearance.
Bloodlust.
Faint, but unmistakable.
I had felt it from almost everyone I had encountered since stepping through the gates of this estate.
Even the people who looked like ordinary household staff carried traces of it.
What surprised me most, however, was that none of it seemed directed at me.
“Miss DeLuca.”
The man spoke after taking a moment to size me up.
There was no contempt in his eyes.
No disdain.
Instead, he had the alert gaze of someone who was constantly observing his surroundings, taking note of every person and every movement around him.
“Sorry for the late introduction,” he continued.
“I am Sylvester Amos, the butler of the Belladonna estate.”
He gave a polite nod.
“I would have loved to take you on a tour of the estate while we exchanged some pleasantries, but seeing as you came here concerning an urgent matter, I wouldn’t want to keep my master waiting. He is already expecting you in his office.”
So this was the famous butler.
I thought.
And clearly not someone I should underestimate.
“Very well,” I replied.
“Lead the way.”
“This way, Miss.” He gestured toward the entrance and stepped aside, allowing me to walk through first.
The moment I entered the mansion, I was greeted by an enormous open space.
The interior was completely different from the DeLuca estate.
The architecture, the decorations, even the atmosphere were different.
Yet somehow, they both gave me the same unsettling feeling.
A battleground.
At first, I wondered if I felt that way because I had spent the previous night going through the businesses and information connected to the DeLuca family.
For the first time, I had truly understood just how deeply involved the family was in the criminal world.
Perhaps I was simply judging this place because it belonged to another mafia family.
But the longer I walked through the mansion, the stronger that feeling became.
Something was different about this place.
Everyone I saw seemed dangerous.
Even the people dressed in maid uniforms.
They moved quietly through the hallways, carrying themselves with a level of awareness that ordinary household staff simply wouldn’t have.
And they all carried that same faint scent of death and bloodlust.
None of them possessed as much as Sylvester, but it was there.
Everywhere.
I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of household required even its maids to carry themselves like trained fighters.
What kind of man was Silas Belladonna?
And what exactly had I walked into?
“We are here, Miss.”
He stopped in front of a large wooden door.
“Knock once, then head inside. My master is already expecting you.” He paused.
“If you require anything, I’ll be just around the corner.”
“Very well.”
Sylvester gave a small bow before turning away.
I watched him disappear down the hallway.
Then I turned toward the door.
I knocked once.
Knock.
Without waiting for a response, I reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
The moment I stepped inside, a pair of eyes immediately locked onto me.
I looked up.
There he was.
Mr. Silas.
He sat directly in the middle of the office behind a large, imposing desk.
Behind him stood a wall of bookshelves filled with neatly arranged books, while two chairs sat opposite his desk, clearly positioned for visitors.
The room itself was unlike any office I had ever seen.
Everything was carefully arranged.
And yet somehow intimidating.
But none of that held my attention for long.
Because Silas Belladonna was staring directly at me.
And judging by the look in his eyes… He had been waiting for this meeting just as much as I had.
“Miss DeLuca, you can have a seat.” His voice broke through my thoughts, and I immediately continued walking toward him.
“Thank you for inviting me,” I said.
I didn’t want to be impolite, especially not in someone else’s territory.
I walked toward the chair positioned directly in front of his desk and took my seat.
Once I was settled, I allowed myself to study him properly.
Seeing him again today only reminded me of how devilishly handsome he was.
His sharp features, calm expression, and those intense eyes were enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
But it wasn’t just his appearance that made him dangerous.
There was a strong scent of death surrounding him.
It clung to him so naturally that it felt like it was a part of who he was.
Silas Belladonna looked exactly like the kind of man people should be afraid of.
“I’m surprised you came here alone,” he said, opening one of the drawers in his desk.
“Has the DeLuca family run out of guards?”
“On the contrary,” I replied calmly.
“I simply prefer to handle matters like this on my own.”
He paused and looked at me, clearly surprised by my answer.
“Why?” he asked.
“Aren’t you scared?”
Before I could answer, he pulled a bottle of alcohol from the drawer and raised it slightly.
“Want some?”
I glanced at the bottle before looking back at him.
“Thank you, but I’d rather remain sober.” I paused briefly before adding, “And no, you don’t scare me. Unless, of course, you want me to be scared?”
I was simply playing along with his little small talk.
There was no reason to reveal how tense I actually felt.
We both knew this meeting was about more than exchanging pleasantries.
He chuckled, looking slightly amused.
“I wouldn’t want more of that, Miss DeLuca.”
He placed the bottle on the desk and leaned back slightly.
Then, just as I expected, his expression became more serious.
“What are your terms?”
Straight to the point.
Exactly how I liked it.
“I don’t want much,” I began.
I took a small breath before continuing.
“I know that, according to the rules, you now own the DeLuca family and everyone connected to it. I’m not here to challenge that. I’m here to negotiate for some leniency.”
I paused, watching his reaction before continuing.
“Your main concern is taking control of the drug cartels, weapon trades, and most of the major businesses connected to the DeLuca family. I’m not here to ask you to give up any of those.”
I leaned slightly forward.
“In fact, I’m here to make your task easier.”
Silas leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied me.
“How so?”
“For starters, I know you wouldn’t want to take in the external members of the DeLuca family for obvious reasons.” I folded my hands over my lap.
“I took the liberty of looking into some information about you. From what I found, you haven’t taken in any of the external members of the families you previously conquered.” This chapter is updated first at novelping dot com.
His expression remained unreadable.
“And I understand why,” I continued.
“They’re loose ends. People who have every reason to resent you. Really, who would willingly bring ticking time bombs into their own home, knowing those same people could be the first to put a knife against their throat at the slightest opportunity?”
I leaned back against the chair.
“So, you don’t have to take them in.”
Silas watched me silently.
“You only need to give them one of the minor businesses.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“And then?”
“They’ll be out of your hair.”
A faint silence settled between us.
“And why should I?” he finally asked.
“If you’ve read enough information about me, then you should know that I don’t leave my enemies with enough power to rise again.”
His voice was calm, but there was something cold beneath it.
“Giving them even the slightest financial stability would give them enough grounds to rebuild.”
“Well,” I said, pausing for effect, “you’re right.”
His eyes remained fixed on me.
“But only if you’re simply giving them those businesses and leaving them to their own devices.” I reached for the file I had brought with me and opened it.
“I’ve already picked out a business that would do the job.”
I pulled out the relevant documents and placed them on the desk between us.
“It’s a small fabric company. It wasn’t properly invested in before, so its funding and growth potential are limited.”
I pointed toward the figures in the document.
“I’ve already taken the liberty of purchasing seventy percent of the company’s shares.”
Silas glanced down at the file.
“That leaves only thirty percent for the rest of the family.”
I looked back at him.
“With that thirty percent, they’ll have enough to keep food on their tables and barely enough to cover basic expenses, including education. They won’t have enough money to think about rebuilding the DeLuca family or challenging you.”
I closed the file halfway.
“And after the wedding, if you wish, I’ll hand over my seventy percent of the shares to you.”
Silas’s eyes lifted from the document and returned to mine.
I continued before he could speak.
“Secondly, I want the workers to have a choice.”
His expression hardened slightly.
“Those who want to remain with the DeLuca family should be allowed to leave without being treated as enemies. And those who choose to work under you should have their current salaries matched with what your estate pays employees doing similar jobs.”
“What makes you think they’re qualified to work directly under me?”
His question came immediately.
“I’m not saying they are,” I replied.
I held his gaze.
“That decision is yours to make. You can assess them yourself and decide who is qualified.” I paused.
“All I’m asking is that you give them the option to choose.” My voice became firmer.
“They aren’t members of the DeLuca family. They’re workers who happened to work for us. They have no control over who conquered whom.”
I leaned forward slightly.
“At the very least, they should have the right to decide their own fate.”
Silas said nothing.
“And lastly,” I added, “there’s my daughter.”
Something shifted subtly in his expression.
“Even though we will marry, I want full rights over my child. I don’t want her taken away from me, and I don’t want decisions concerning her life to be made without my consent.”
The room fell silent.
Silas stared at me for a long moment, his face giving away absolutely nothing.
Neither of us spoke.
The only sound in the room was the steady ticking of the clock hanging somewhere behind me.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
I waited.
I had already prepared myself for rejection.
I knew my demands were not small, especially considering who I was negotiating with.
But I wasn’t asking for the impossible.
I was asking for a chance to protect the people who had become my responsibility.
Finally, Silas spoke.
“Under one condition.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll accept all your terms under one condition.”
“And what’s that?”
His gaze remained fixed on mine.
“That you treat my son with as much attention as you treat your daughter.”