SOLD TO HIM - (El Ricci Series, # 1) (Rewrite)

Mateo El Ricci.

Mysterious. Calculated. An arrogant, cocky bastard.

The most feared man in NYC.

And my husband . . .

My uncle made a deal, selling me off to the man he dreaded. It sounded like a win-win, right? Charlie pocketed some cash, Mateo gained a trophy wife. If only it had been that simple.

Being the wife of a mafia boss came with all the expected perks: wealth, influence, and a parade of sycophants. It wasn't all terrible, except for the part where I secretly enjoyed his public displays of affection and being his Queen. But that illusion shattered the moment we were alone, morphing into two strangers sharing a space. He ignored our undeniable chemistry, the way I reignited feelings he couldn't suppress.

Mateo wasn't your average Joe - he was a walking vault of secrets, with a past so murky, you could lose yourself in it. Lies, bloodshed, you name it, he had it all. But here's where I shined: I was a pro at burrowing under his skin. It was my personal mission to crack that facade, to shatter the walls he'd built so meticulously around himself.

Yes, he was all shades of fucked up, no doubt about it. But guess what? So was I. If only he had allowed me a glimpse inside, just enough to cradle his dark, shattered heart, maybe then he would have seen that we were a twisted match made in heaven.

But let's not kid ourselves. At the end of the day . . .

I was sold to him.

And in his twisted game, I was nothing but a pawn.

-
Emily Miller

She was not the person I thought she was.
-

(Tropes : Mafia , Arranged Marriage, Dark romance, Enemies to lovers , . . .)