Chapter 4 - The Untouchable Queen
The Maybach was silent and smelled of rich leather and Matteo’s expensive, dark cologne. The tinted partition was raised, separating them from Kyle, who was driving.
Ayla sat rigidly against the door, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a profound confusion.
"Why did you do that?" she finally whispered, breaking the silence as the city lights blurred past the window. "Why did you call me your wife? I don't even know you."
Matteo sat comfortably in the corner of the spacious seat. He turned his head, watching her with a quiet, intense admiration.
"Three weeks ago," Matteo began, his voice low and even, "I watched you stop on 5th Avenue in the pouring rain to help an elderly woman carry her groceries. You were late. You were tired. But you smiled, and you gave her your number in case she needed a ride later."
Ayla blinked, the memory rushing back. "You saw that?"
"In my world, Ayla, almost everyone is wearing a mask," Matteo said, leaning forward slightly, the distance between them closing. "People smile because they want money. They bow because they are afraid. Genuine, selfless kindness is the rarest currency on earth. When I saw you being humiliated for wearing a simple dress by people who possess a fraction of your worth... I decided I was tired of watching from a distance."
He reached across the seat and gently took her hand again, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.
"I apologize for the deception in there," Matteo said softly. "But I do not apologize for taking you out of that room. You are not going back to that company, Ayla."
"I have rent to pay," she said, a small, breathless laugh escaping her lips. "I have a life. I can't just pretend to be married to a mafia boss."
Matteo did not laugh. His dark eyes locked onto hers, holding a terrifying, beautiful sincerity.
"You don't have to pretend," Matteo vowed, the heavy weight of his empire backing every word. "Let me take you to dinner tomorrow. Let me show you what it means to be treated like the queen you are. The people who made you feel small tonight will never be able to touch you again."
Ayla looked down at their joined hands. For the first time in her life, the fear of not being enough completely vanished, replaced by the thrilling, terrifying realization that the most dangerous man in the city had just laid his entire kingdom at her feet.
May you like
"Okay," she whispered.
Matteo Cipriani smiled, and Ayla knew that her simple, quiet life was over forever.
