One innocent fumbled paper. Two warring brothers. A world of ice and silk where silence is the only survival.
When Élise Laurent left France for a prestigious internship in Italy, she expected hard work and high fashion. She didn't expect to be caught in the crosshairs of a decades-old blood feud. During her interview, a single moment of vulnerability caught the eye of Adriano Moretti the "Ice CEO" of Milan. He is cold, untouchable, and powerful enough to crush anyone in his path. But for the first time in his life, the man who has everything has found something he refuses to share.
Enter Pedro the charming, friendly neighbor who helped Élise move in. He’s the man who knows her coffee order and her floor plan. But Pedro is no stranger. He is Adriano’s brother, the shadow in the Moretti legacy, and he’s spent his life waiting for the perfect weapon to destroy the Golden Son. He found that weapon in Élise.
Now, trapped in a luxurious estate on the cliffs of Varese, Élise is no longer just an intern. To Adriano, she is a prize to be guarded at any cost. To Pedro, she is the ultimate bait. And to Lucia, the vengeful socialite promised to Adriano, she is a threat that must be eliminated.
As the secrets of the Vigna del Sole begin to unravel, Élise realizes that in the Moretti family, love is a liability and "protection" feels a lot like a prison. Caught between the brother who wants to own her and the brother who wants to use her, Élise must find her voice before the ice closes in forever.
In this game of kings, the silent pawn is the most dangerous player of all.

The heavy oak door of the suite clicked shut, finally sealing Élise away from the suffocating luxury of the Palazzo's dining hall. The silence of the room was a shock after the hours of psychological warfare she had just endured. Her heart was still hammering against her ribs, the phantom sensation of Adriano's proximity on the terrace lingering like a cold fire on her skin.


She kicked off her heels, the cold marble floor grounding her, and grabbed her phone. She needed a voice that didn't sound like a business transaction or a threat. She needed home.


"Élise? My God, I've been staring at my phone for hours," Zara's voice crackled through, sharp and energetic as always. "Tell me everything. Is the hotel a palace? Is the food edible? And most importantly, has the 'Ice CEO' actually spoken to you like a human being yet?"


Chapter 15 - chapter 15:echoes in the stony