My new bedroom was larger than my mother's apartment.

I stood in the middle of the lavish room, slowly turning around to absorb everything. Four individuals could comfortably sleep in the four-poster bed, which was draped with a deep-colored duvet. French doors led out onto a balcony that looked over the gardens, and a whole wall was given over to what was clearly a tailor-made closet system.

"Mr. Marchetti thought you'd prefer the east wing," Mrs. Castellano went on, sweeping around the room, dusting everything, organizing things, and fluffing the pillows on the queen-sized bed for me. "There's more privacy here, and the view of sunrise and sunset is quite lovely."

Privacy from what? I asked.

"This is." I took a breath, running a hand over the silk coverlet. "But I don't have anything to put in that closet."

Mrs. Castellano's smile was pleasant. "That will be arranged tomorrow. Mr. Marchetti's hired a personal shopper and stylist to assist you. Selena Terre is widely recommended. She's created wardrobes for some of the city's most publicized families."

The name was familiar, and I frowned, attempting to recall where I'd heard it.

"Any relation to the casino manager?"

"His daughter." Mrs. Castellano's tone was carefully neutral. "The Terres have been employed by the Marchetti family for three generations. Loyalty runs deep in my business, Miss Rossi."

Again the second time that I ever heard this said, there was first Kaius trying to warn me, and then there was her. For some reason, it just seemed to make me feel incredibly threatened.

"Your bathroom is through there," Mrs. Castellano continued, gesturing to a door I had assumed led to a second bedroom. "Mr. Marchetti wanted to make you comfortable and private."

The most decadent bathroom I'd ever seen, and I had it. It included a giant soaking tub, a shower large enough to accommodate an entire battalion, and more counter space than there was at a department store's worth of makeup. Velvet pillow towels were draped over towels that looked like they belonged in a designer store, and the lighting made everywhere so cozy and welcoming.

"This is too much," I spoke in hushed tones to myself.

"Mr. Marchetti sees to his own." Mrs. Castellano's words caused my back to stiffen. "But I did provide you with some basic items to use, like toiletries, night clothes, undergarments. Nothing too forward, just enough to get you by until Selena arrives."

The older woman moved over to the dresser and began removing the sort of things that made my own world spin. Silk nightgowns, lace bras, robes that undoubtedly cost more than my monthly pay.

"I can't take all this—"

"Miss Rossi." Mrs. Castellano's voice was gentle but persistent. "You will soon be Mrs. Kaius Marchetti, at least in the eyes of the world. With that position comes a certain level of expectations and responsibilities. Mr. Marchetti's reputation, and therefore his influence, depend on your looking the part."

I pulled a deep breath as the grim reality of that duty came rushing down on me. I thought about the dead man in the casino meeting room, the deliberate way Kaius had taken his own life. This was not fantasy or a game. I was doing it to live in a world that cared less about people like me. "I understand," I said quietly.

"Good." Mrs. Castellano's smile broadened. "Now, Mr. Marchetti would be pleased to have your company in the library at ten AM tomorrow. He wants to begin your. education."

The housekeeper left, and I explored my new rooms more personally. The closet was incredibly huge, there were separate compartments for various pieces of clothing and a center island for accessories and jewelry. My paltry belongings seemed sad hanging in the enormous space.

I sat on the bed, looking around with my mouth agape. I have never in all my 23 years come into this kind of wealth. My eyes scanned to the bedside table and I saw there were some old books lying on it. I pulled it up. I was not much of a avid reader when I was a kid, but whoever had left this behind was thoughtful. A soft knock interrupted my find.

"Come in," I said, not even taking the time to look up from the book, expecting Mrs. Castellano.

Kaius stood in the doorway, having dressed in dark jeans and a black sweater that framed his eyes like storm clouds. He was carrying a small velvet box that made my heart skip a beat.

"Getting comfortable?" he asked, his gaze on me and the book held in my hand.

"It's beautiful. Too beautiful for me." I snapped the book shut.

"Someone like you?" His tone turned sharp. "What are you trying to say?"

I gestured helplessly at the luxury surrounding us. "I'm a waitress in a run-down cafe who does office janitorial on the side. This." I gestured at the luxurious bedding and the streamlined furniture. "This isn't my world."

"It is now." Kaius stepped into the room, softly closing the door behind him in a sound that was unnaturally loud. "And if you want to remain alive here, you have to shut your mind to the belief that you don't belong here, because they will hook you faster than you can blink and the sharks of life will eat you alive."

He moved in a step closer, and I sensed the smell of his manliness once more. That expensive, Arabian cologne which made my belly turn dizzily dizzy.

Was not your past what matters. What matters is what you wish to be." He handed the velvet box. "This will help in becoming."

LBAFoto

Inside the box was the most handsome ring I ever did see. It was a beautiful emerald, as big as my thumbnail, that glimmered in the window light.

"I can't wear this," I exclaimed.

"You can and you will. It was my grandmother's." Kaius slid the ring off the box. His fingers touched mine as he placed his hand in mine. "She was a Sicilian seamstress whom my grandfather fell for. Everyone said she wasn't good enough for the Marchetti heir."

"What did happen to her?"

"She was the most powerful and respected woman in town. They called her La Regina, the Queen." His fingers were warm and surprisingly gentle as he forced the ring down onto my finger. It felt like it had been made for me. "She used to tell me that true power doesn't belong to where you start, but to how far you're willing to go to protect what matters to you."

The ring was a heavy weight on my finger as I held it up to the light. "Why are you sharing this with me?"

"Because tomorrow, you begin to be Mrs. Kaius Marchetti rather than Danielle Rossi. And I want to know you understand what that is."

I looked up at him. "I don't think I'm worthy to wear the ring. Your grandfather gave this ring to someone he loved, and that is where your grandmother and I are different."

He was near enough that I could see the gold flecks in his gray eyes.

"It means I become someone else entirely," I whispered.

"Yes." His hand went up to bracket my cheek, but he was not stroking. The touch sent a shock to my entire nervous system. "But just for a little while."

We stood there in frozen locked gaze for a very long moment, my heart pounding under my skin as his traveled over me. And then he moved suddenly away, and the moment shattered.

"Selena will be here at nine AM sharp. Don't keep her waiting. She has a reputation for being. unpleasant with clients she doesn't think are worthy of her time." His voice snapped back to its usual controlled coolness. "You will have tomorrow's schedule outlined for you by Mrs. Castellano." He moved towards the door, then halted without turning around.

"Danielle? The ring won't come off. Ever. As long as you wear it, you're mine to safeguard. But the moment you remove it." He let the threat hang.

As he left, I fell onto the bed, staring at the emerald on my finger. I spun the ring around and around in the light of the lamp, my mind racing out of control.

I wondered over my mom, probably settling in to watch her evening programs and take her medication. Cozy and secure for the first time in months, because her daughter had made a pact with the devil.

The ring throbbed against my finger. Each time I wore it, I would be reminded that I was no longer Danielle Rossi, a poor waitress and janitor. Tomorrow, I would begin transforming into something different altogether; into someone who could be by the side of a man like Kaius Marchetti and live, at least succeed.

I stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling mirror, watching my reflection staring back at me. The question was: would I recognize myself when the transformation is complete?

I pulled out my phone to call my mom. I needed to hear her voice so badly. It was the only thing that is home in this strange universe that I have ended up in.

She picked up immediately. "Hi, sweetheart! How's the new job?"

"Other," I replied, turning the emerald ring on my finger. "Quite different."

I disliked Selena Terre the moment I saw her. The way she pinned me with her superior gaze like a hawk.

"This," she tutted, scrunching up her nose at me, "is going to be the challenge of my career."

I sat rigidly in my new bedroom, my heart racing in my chest as she performed what she called a "complete assessment." Selena was petite but had a sharp tongue. While she worked on me, she talked about how many times she managed to transform nobodies into somebodies for the upper class of the city.

"Your bone structure is heavenly, skin needs work, and those eyebrows." Selena shuddered dramatically. "Do you know what professional grooming is?"

"I've been working three jobs to pay for my mother's cancer treatment," I snapped. "Eyebrow upkeep wasn't really a priority."

"Touchy." Selena's smile was razor-sharp. She was obviously pleased. "Good. I prefer clients with backbone. It makes the transformation more difficult."

We were interrupted by a knock. Kaius was in the doorway, heartbreakingly casual in dark jeans and a white button-down that made his storm-gray eyes look nearly silver.

"How's the makeover going?" he asked.

"Slowly," Selena said, not looking up from her notes. "Your fiancée has potential, but we're starting from scratch. Hair, makeup, wardrobe, posture; everything needs work."

Heat crept up my neck. I disliked being discussed like a renovation project, as though I wasn't sitting right there with them. It was humiliating, especially in front of Kaius.

"I have faith in your abilities, Selena," he said smoothly. "The charity gala is tomorrow night. She needs to be presentable."

"Tomorrow?" Selena's perfectly arched eyebrow headed toward the heavens. "Kaius, darling, miracles take time."

"Then you'd better get going." His smile was cold. "The entire city will be there, including those who would dearly love to see me fail. She has to be perfect."

After he had left, she turned on me with renewed determination. "Okay. We're going into combat, and you're my arsenal. Strip."

The next eight hours was torture disguised as beauty treatments. Selena's team descended upon me, hairstylists, makeup artists, masseuses, and even a woman who practiced "posture correction."

It was too much for one night. Even when I worked three jobs simultaneously, I had never felt so overwhelmed.

"Shoulders back, chin up," the posture coach barked before I had a chance to drop my shoulders slightly. "You're not a servant anymore. You're going to be the most powerful woman in the city."

The most dramatic was the hair makeover. I watched in awe in front of the mirror as they cut, colored, and styled my wild hair into a sleek bob that framed my face with understated elegance. The color had been darkened to a rich mahogany with subtle highlights that caught the light.

"Much better," Selena decreed, stepping back to admire her work. "Now you look like someone who'd be at home on Kaius Marchetti's arm."

The makeup lesson was equally intensive. She taught me the difference between day and nighttime looks, how to make my green eyes stand out, and the secret of the "perfect wife" smile.

I wish I knew it was that thorough, I could have carried a notebook. I did not imagine that I would remember all the tips.

"Never let them see you sweat," Selena told me, applying a deep red lipstick that transformed my entire face. "In this world, image is everything. Show weakness, and they'll eat you alive."

The afternoon blended into the evening, and that's when designer clothing racks began to appear. Evening gowns, cocktail dresses, street wear, and enough lingerie to stock a boutique. All my size, all immaculately coordinated.

"How did you know my size?" My jaw fell open as I picked up a piece of lingerie.

"Kaius is thorough," Selena replied. "He had you measured while you slept."

The violation of that discovery should have angered me. Instead, it sent a strange shiver through my veins. The idea of Kaius watching me when I was at my most exposed, taking scholarly notice of all the curves and contours.

"For tomorrow night," Selena continued, producing a beaded pouch from her 'special collection,' "something special."

There was a sophistication to the dress. It shimmered in the light. It was modest in the front but dipped low in the back, and the skirt fell to the floor in folds.

"It's beautiful," I breathed.

"It's armor," Selena told me. "Beauty is power in this world. After tomorrow night, everyone will know that Kaius Marchetti's woman is not someone to be messed with."

A soft knock at the door. "Enter," I said. Mrs. Castellano entered, carrying a silver tray with dinner.

"Mr. Marchetti would like you to join him in the dining room at eight," she inclined her head to me. "He's eager to see the results of today's efforts."

My stomach contracted in nerves. This was to be my first real test. I had to convince Kaius that I could play the part of his obedient fiancée.

"Go," she commanded, applying a final spot of perfume to my pulse points. "Let him see what we've accomplished."

The dining room, like the rest of the house, had a touch of dark furniture. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung over the massive dining table. Kaius looked up from his tablet as I entered. His face was inscrutable as his eyes scanned me from head to foot. Silence stretched out until I felt I had not lived up to his expectations. He invited me to sit then, and a servant pulled out a chair for me.

"Well?" I urged, unable to bear the suspense.

"Stunning," he said finally, his voice rough. "Selena outdid herself."

I couldn't help stealing glances at Kaius all through dinner. He finally caught my gaze, and I jerked my focus away. Then he started to ask me questions about my day, my impression of Isabella, how I was holding up to tomorrow night's ordeal. All perfectly normal questions that seemed to hum with an undercurrent I couldn't quite place.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, sipping wine.

"Terrified," I admitted, shredding my napkin into little pieces. "What if I mess up? What if everyone realizes the act?"

"They won't." His assurance was absolute. "You're stronger than you think, Danielle. Tomorrow night will be proof of it."

"What am I getting myself into, exactly?"

Kaius's smile was blade-sharp. "The Children's Hospital annual charity gala. Five hundred of the city's most influential individuals, all waiting to see if Il Diavolo has finally met his match."

"Will Gemma be there?"

"She was invited, and she'll be there with her uncle Viktor and half the Russian bratva." His eyes cooled. "She'll be looking for any weakness, any chink in our armor she can exploit."

"She's going to find one."

"She won't. But if she does, then we both have bigger problems than a fake engagement." He reached across the table, his hand covering mine. The touch was warm, possessive, and sent my heart rate flying. "But it won't. Because tomorrow night, you're going to make everyone think that you're head over heels for me."

"And you for me?"

A spark flickered in his storm-gray eyes. "That won't be difficult to accomplish."

I had no time to analyze the moment before his phone buzzed. His expression darkened when he read the message.

"What's wrong?"

"Gemma," he said curtly. "She's in the city. And she's requesting a meeting."

"When?"

"Now."