Chapter 1: The Ghost

Catherine Santoro’s fingers curled tightly around the edge of her silk dress, the fabric crumpling beneath her grip. The weight of expectation pressed down on her like a suffocating shroud as she surveyed the glittering ballroom. Laughter and the delicate clinking of crystal glasses filled the space, weaving an illusion of joy. Yet, beneath the surface, tension simmered, and Catherine’s heart pounded with a sense of dread she couldn’t shake.

Marcel, her fiancé, stood across the room, engaged in conversation with her father, Cesare Santoro. His eyes met hers, and he gave her a smile that, to anyone else, might have looked charming. But the slight lift of his brow sent a shiver down her spine. She forced a smile in return, hoping it looked genuine enough.

Catherine looked away quickly, taking a shallow breath as her gaze drifted over the sea of guests. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration, the rehearsal dinner for her wedding that would be officiated next week. But to Catherine, it felt like a funeral for herself. The venue’s opulence did little to mask the truth: she was trapped, a pawn in a game she couldn’t escape.

A low murmur passed through the crowd as Cesare’s laughter boomed, commanding attention. Catherine’s father was a man whose name was spoken in whispers, a figure who ruled his criminal empire with an iron fist. He was a mobster, head of the Santoro mafia family. The memories of his cold, disapproving eyes were enough to make her shudder. She dared not cross him, not when she had seen firsthand what happened to those who did.

But there had been a time—brief and fleeting—when she had tasted freedom. When she had felt the wild, consuming fire of being alive. That time belonged to him. To the man whose name she hadn’t dared speak in years, whose touch had once made her forget the gilded prison of her family’s mafia empire.

Kieran.

Catherine closed her eyes, letting the memory wash over her: stolen moments under moonlit skies, whispers that carried promises neither of them could keep. Kieran had once been her father’s most trusted man, loyal, fierce and violent, yet he had looked at her with a softness and a desire that unraveled her. In his arms, she had found the courage to dream, to want more than the life scripted for her. But that chapter was buried, sealed away beneath layers of duty and grief. Kieran was gone, and with him, the last spark of her defiance.

A sharp laugh nearby pulled her back to the present. Catherine glanced sideways and caught a glimpse of her brother Antonio watching her, a curious tilt to his head. She quickly composed herself, taking a small sip of champagne to disguise her unease. The last thing she needed was for her brothers to sense her distance or discomfort. They would swarm around her, protective and suffocating, asking questions she couldn’t answer.

“Everything all right, sis?” Antonio’s voice cut through the noise, low and probing.

She nodded, forcing her lips to curve into a smile. “Of course. Just a little headache.”

He didn’t look convinced, but before he could press further, Marcel’s voice called out, drawing both of their attention. Antonio’s eyes hardened as he glanced between them, but he stepped back, allowing Marcel to approach.

Marcel’s smile was smooth and relaxed, Catherine’s pulse quickened as he placed a hand on the small of her back. The subtle weight of it was enough to remind her of the power he held over her. His fingers tightened slightly, a silent warning masked beneath the guise of affection.

“I hope you’re enjoying the evening, bella mia,” he murmured, his lips too close to her ear.

“I am,” Catherine replied, her voice steady despite the tremor running through her. She kept her gaze trained on the guests, refusing to let Marcel see the flicker of fear in her eyes. She wasn’t sure when the anxiety had first taken hold, but she knew too well what kind of man he was… And he was dangerous. It was a balance she had learned to navigate, a line she dared not cross.

He tilted his head slightly, studying her. “I can’t wait for the actual wedding next week… And the honeymoon. Just the two of us, away from everyone,” he said, his hand tightening around her waist until it almost hurt. “It’ll be perfect, won’t it, my love?”

Catherine swallowed hard, the room suddenly feeling colder. “Yes, perfect,” she whispered, the words scraping against her throat like sandpaper.

Marcel’s smile widened, a predator’s grin. He leaned back just enough to she could feel his breath in her ear, his expression shifting to one of mock amusement. “Smile, Catherine. Show everyone how happy you are to be marrying me.” When she hesitated, his fingers dug into her waist. “Or I’ll give you an actual reason to be miserable.”

A flash of fear flitted through her eyes before she could mask it. Forcing herself to smile, she raised her lips in an obedient gesture, the muscles in her face straining against the effort. Marcel’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction as he traced a finger down her cheek.

“There you go,” he said softly. “So beautiful. My beautiful, beautiful bride.”

Catherine held her breath as he stepped back, releasing his grip but leaving behind the chill of his warning. She exhaled shakily, the thrum of her heartbeat echoing in her ears.

A sudden crash shattered her troubled thoughts, the echo of splintering wood and glass breaking through the ballroom’s artificial cheer. Catherine’s eyes flew open as the double doors burst apart, slamming against the walls. Dark figures flooded the room, clad in black suits with masks covering their faces. Shouts erupted, chaos sweeping through the guests like wildfire.

Antonio, her eldest brother, was the first to react. His voice cut through the pandemonium. “The fucking Valentes! Alex, get Catherine out of here—now!”

Alex, her other brother, reached for her arm, his expression tense as he pushed through the panicked crowd. But before they could get far, a gunshot cracked through the air. Alex stumbled, a look of shock crossing his face before he fell to the marble floor, blood blooming across his shirt.

Catherine’s scream caught in her throat, her body frozen in terror as she stared at her brother’s lifeless form. A tall man stepped forward, his half-masked face obscuring his lower features, but revealing a jagged scar that cut through his left eye. The scar was brutal, and there was something about him that tugged at the edges of her mind. Fear seized her as his pale eyes met hers, cold and unforgiving.

One of the Santoro guards behind them aimed his gun, firing at the scarred man’s back. The impact made him lurch forward, the bulletproof vest beneath his suit absorbing the blow. He turned with lethal precision, his eyes narrowing as the guard’s face paled in recognition.

“The Ghost,” the guard whispered, his voice laced with horror, before a single gunshot silenced him forever.

The room spun around Catherine as she watched the guard crumple to the floor. The Ghost. The name was infamous, whispered in the dark corners of the criminal underworld. Ruthless. Unseen. And yet here he was, standing before her, a specter wrapped in flesh and bone.

Panic clawed at her chest as she took a stumbling step back. She needed to get out, to run. But before she could move, the man with the scarred eye lunged, gripping her arm with an iron force.

“No!” Catherine gasped, struggling against him, her voice barely cutting through the chaos.

He said nothing, his hold unyielding as he dragged her across the room. Guests shrieked and scattered, some cowering beneath tables while others fought against the intruders. Catherine’s vision blurred, fear pulsing through her veins as she tried to twist free. But he was relentless, his strength overpowering her desperation.

A final, desperate glance over her shoulder showed Antonio fighting off two masked men, blood staining his sleeve. Her father’s voice roared commands, a mix of fury and panic. But their eyes didn’t meet. The man holding her pivoted, pressing her against his chest as he reached into his pocket.

“Don’t,” she choked out, barely above a whisper.

The damp cloth came over her mouth, the sharp, chemical scent flooding her senses. Her body stiffened, and she thrashed, clawing at the arm holding her. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision, consuming her bit by bit as her strength ebbed away.

The last thing she saw was the scarred man’s eyes, hollow and haunting, before everything slipped into black.