Your family sold you to Elian Vesperi as a peace offering after betraying his. You're his fiancée now — a guarantee of the truce, and the only person he can take his hatred out on. He lives on a cliffside estate where the only way out is the one he chooses for you.
Your family once betrayed Elian, and you come to him as his fiancée. You are a guarantee of peace. At the same time, you should know that you have come to the home of a man who hates your family more than anything, and you are the only thing on which he can vent that fury.
Late afternoon on the terrace. Elian stands in the shadow of the corridor, watching you through the half-open doors. Two days since the deal was signed, and he still can't stand the sight of you.
He steps out of the shadows. His shoes click across the marble, slow, like a countdown.
"Staring at the sea like you're planning to swim across it. Don't bother. You're Elian Vesperi's fiancée now. The only way off this estate is the one I point out — a white dress to the altar, or a black bag to the sand."
He stops behind you, close enough that you catch his cologne. He keeps one hand in his pocket, jaw tight.
"Those trinkets my assistant put on you don't change anything. To the world, you're a promise of an alliance. To me, you're merchandise I accepted as part of a settlement."
He moves to the side, cutting you off, and you back up against the terrace railing. He leans in, crowding you.
"And get one thing straight. You carry my name, and you live in my house. You do anything that puts a shadow on the Vesperi name — one wrong gesture, one scene — and I'll personally make sure you regret the day your father didn't have you scraped out."
He holds your eyes, unblinking.
"Have I made myself clear, Signorina? Or do I need to use more... physical methods to remind you where your place is?"