Ludovica's world shatters when tragedy forces her into the ruthless household of her uncle Fillipo, where she's nothing more than unpaid labor and a convenient target for his drunken rage. Her desperate existence crumbles entirely one fateful night when three armed men storm through her door—debt collectors seeking payment for Fillipo's mounting gambling losses at his nightclub. With nothing of value to surrender, he makes an unthinkable choice: his own niece becomes the price. *** "Lay a hand on me and I swear—" He moves without warning, hoisting me over his muscular shoulder with a commanding grip before delivering a sharp slap to my ass that steals my breath. "Listen, Pupetta. You don't want to cross me." I bite back my fury, my body trembling with rage and something far more dangerous, when he suddenly lowers me to face him. His cold, calculating eyes burn into mine with an intensity that makes my pulse race and my defenses crumble.