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I close the safe, each lock clicking into place like fate. Like chains. Like wedding bells.
"Call our friends in law enforcement." My voice carries no trace of the war inside me. "Make sure any...disturbances at the warehouse go unreported. And Tomasso?"
"Sir?"
"If she tries to run..." I pause, letting him see exactly what I've become. "Shoot her in the leg. Non-lethal wounds only. She's carrying my heir, after all."
The monster in me purrs at the words. My heir. My child. My Ava.
Mine forever, whether she wants to be or not.
Soon she'll learn everything else – how completely I own her, how futile running is, how desperately I'll destroy anyone who threatens what's mine.
Soon she'll understand exactly who I've become.
And why they call me Monster.
* * *
My overnight bag sits open on the bed where Ava slept just hours ago.
Her scent still lingers on the sheets—jasmine and fear and something uniquely her that makes the monster in me pace restlessly. I add a change of clothes methodically, each movement precise despite the rage and need churning beneath my skin.
A text from Matteo lights up my phone.
>> Target secured. No resistance.
Good. At least she's learned that much. She’s learned when to surrender to the inevitable.
"The safe house is ready," Tomasso reports from the doorway. "Giuseppe delivered the papers personally. They just need signatures."
I zip the bag closed with more force than necessary. "And the priest?"
"Father Antonio's waiting for your call. Says he can perform the ceremony whenever you're ready."
The word “ceremony” almost makes me laugh. Nothing about this will be ceremonial. No white dress. No flower petals. No soft music or gentle vows.
Just iron-clad contracts and unbreakable chains disguised as wedding rings.
My phone feels heavy as I pull up the contact—not Father Antonio's number, but another. Someone who specializes in making problems disappear. In ensuring compliance when gentler methods fail.
The line connects on the first ring.
"It's me." I keep my voice neutral. "I need the package we discussed. Full set. Three hours."
A pause, then they say, "Wedding rings included?"
"Yes." My fingers trace the edge of my desk where Ava once sat, laughing at something I said. Before the lies unraveled. Before I found those pregnancy tests. "Make them impossible to remove without tools."
Another pause. Understanding. "Like handcuffs with diamonds."
"Exactly." I check my watch. Time is ticking down until I have her completely in my grasp. "The usual price. Plus extra for discretion."
"Always a pleasure, Mr. Rega."
The call ends and I turn to find Tomasso watching me carefully. He's been by my side since we were children, seen every part of the transformation I made from wild boy to ruthless boss. He’s the only one who might understand why I have to do this.
"She'll fight it," he says quietly.