Alessio sat in his office long after Theo and Enzo had left, the fire still crackling softly behind him. The scent of cigar smoke lingered in the air, mingling with leather and old books. Rain pattered lightly against the tall windows, a rare softness in a life made of steel and blood.
He stared at the crystal glass of whiskey in his hand. Half full. Or half empty. It didn't matter. It wasn't strong enough to dull the noise in his head.
"Buy a bride," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
The idea should've been ridiculous. Beneath him. But somehow, it wasn't. Not when he weighed it against the alternative—marrying one of the docile, simpering omegas his mother kept parading in front of him like prize dogs.
No. A contract marriage was cleaner. Simpler. No expectations. No affection. No betrayal. Just a deal. A mutual exchange. Two years. A child. Then freedom.
He took a sip of the whiskey, its burn barely noticeable. He was already thinking logistics.
There were certain private auctions held in the darker corners of the world, where omegas were sold off like property. Illegal in most places. Hidden in others. He'd shut down more than a few over the years.
But he knew the right people. He could find one.
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Nicolas," he said the moment the call was picked up. "I need you to find me a private omega auction. The kind that operates under the table."
A beat of silence. Then a dry chuckle. "You want to raid it, or buy it out?"
"Attend it. Quietly. I need a list of upcoming ones. Discreet. Elite clientele only."
Nicolas voice turned serious. "Understood. Give me 24 hours."
Alessio ended the call.
The fire popped. Rain tapped. Time stretched.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
He thought of what he told Theo and Enzo: "Someone untouched. Someone who won't cry or cling. Someone who knows silence better than speech."
He didn't want love. He didn't believe in it. Love was weakness dressed in honey. He'd seen what it did to men like his father—once sharp and ruthless, now a husk of sentimentality.
Alessio wouldn't fall like that.
What he needed was control. Predictability. A mate who would serve her purpose, bear his heir, and vanish from his life with the same silence she arrived with.
He would draw up the contract himself. Every clause locked tight.
No intimacy beyond the necessary. No contact after birth. No inheritance. No interference.
He didn't even care what she looked like. Pretty or plain, it was irrelevant. What mattered was her obedience, her silence, and her womb.
The thought made something tighten in his chest. He didn't like it. He didn't like anything about this.
But it was necessary.
The next morning, Enzo and Theo returned unannounced, both smelling of trouble.
Enzo flopped onto the office couch like he owned it, legs spread wide, tossing a grape into his mouth. "Did you actually sleep, or did you pace around here like a brooding vampire?"
Alessio didn't even look up from his laptop. "Why are you here?"
Theo smiled, more restrained, leaning against the fireplace. "We came to see if you were going to slap Enzo for mocking you. I'd pay to watch."
Enzo tossed another grape. "So. Did you think about our little conversation?"
Alessio closed his laptop with a quiet click. "I made some calls."
Theo blinked. "You're actually going through with it?"
Enzo sat up straighter. "Wait. You're serious? You're going to buy a bride?"
Alessio met his gaze, dead calm. "I'm going to purchase a two-year solution. That's all."
Enzo groaned, running a hand through his dark hair. "Ale, c'mon. This isn't like buying a new car. These are human beings."
"And I'm offering a better fate than most of those auctions do. No chains. No abuse. Just a contract. A deal."
Theo exhaled. "You're talking about finding a victim. Someone desperate. Alone."
"No," Alessio said. "I'm talking about finding someone who needs an escape as much as I do. It can be mutual. Transactional. Safe."
Enzo rubbed the back of his neck. "Still feels dark."
"My whole life is dark."
Silence followed that.
Then Theo said softly, "If you're doing this, we'll back you up. But promise us one thing."
"What?"
"Don't hurt her."
Alessio looked at the floor for a moment, then nodded once.
Theo clapped him on the shoulder. "Then we'll help."
Enzo sighed, flopping back. "So how are we doing this?"
Alessio stood, retrieving a folder from his desk. "We attend the next elite auction. Nicolas will secure our entry. We blend in. Find the right one. Bring her here."
"And then?" Enzo asked.
"Then I make her my wife."
"Romantic," Theo said dryly.
Alessio ignored him. He stepped toward the window, staring down at the city. Lights blinked in the fog. Somewhere out there was the girl who would carry his name. His child. And then disappear.
She didn't know it yet.
But soon, she would.
---
Nicolas Vitale
Age: 22
Role: Beta
Occupation: Elite Hacker, works directly under Alessio Romano
Personality: Reserved, hyper-intelligent, slightly awkward in social settings, but deadly efficient with tech. Loyal to Alessio to a fault, he's the quiet one who listens more than he speaks.
Background: Orphaned young, Nicolas grew up in foster homes until Alessio found him at sixteen hacking into a government database for fun. Impressed, Alessio took him under his wing. He's been part of the Romano inner circle ever since.
Likes: Coding, silence, bitter coffee, puzzles, watching people from a distance
Dislikes: Loud alphas, being touched, unnecessary emotions
Fun Fact: Though he's a beta, his presence often unnerves alphas due to his eerie calmness and ability to uncover every secret they try to hide.
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