Main Characters (for the Audience)

Alessandro De Luca — Mafia king, feared across cities, cold and controlled

Aira Noorani (fake name) — His wife, quiet and underestimated

*Real Identity (Audience Only): Zara Raheem — Daughter of Yusuf Raheem, a powerful shadow leader believed dead

Marco — Alessandro’s right-hand man

Luca — Head of security

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Her POV (Aira / Zara)

My name was Aira Noorani now.

That was the name written on the marriage contract.

That was the name Alessandro De Luca believed belonged to his wife.

Zara Raheem was dead.

Or at least, that’s what the world thought.

I stood in front of the mirror and practiced my smile. Soft. Small. Almost shy. The kind men trusted without thinking.

Today, I would become exactly what he expected.

Sweet.

Obedient.

Harmless.

The most dangerous disguise of all.

---

Alessandro’s POV

She was already at the breakfast table when I entered.

That surprised me.

Most people waited for permission in my house.

“Aira,” I said.

She looked up quickly, like I had caught her doing something wrong.

“Yes?”

Her voice was soft. Careful.

She stood immediately. “I’ll pour your coffee.”

I watched her movements closely. Slow. Gentle. No sharp edges. Nothing threatening.

Was I wrong about her?

Marco leaned toward me and whispered, “She looks… normal.”

That word bothered me.

Nothing in my life was normal.

---

Her POV

I poured the coffee exactly the way Marco had shown me earlier.

Two sugars. No cream.

“I hope this is right,” I said quietly, setting the cup down. “I’m still learning.”

Alessandro didn’t answer immediately.

He watched me like he was trying to see through glass that refused to break.

“I don’t need a perfect wife,” he said finally. “Just a quiet one.”

I nodded.

“I can do quiet.”

Another lie.

---

The Sweet Act Begins

Later that day, I walked through the mansion slowly, letting the staff see me.

I smiled at the maids.

Thanked the guards.

Apologized when I bumped into someone.

Word would spread.

The boss’s wife is kind.

The boss’s wife is soft.

The boss’s wife is nothing to fear.

Marco watched me from the hallway.

“You don’t have to try so hard,” he said.

I smiled at him. “I just want everyone to like me.”

He laughed. “That won’t save you here.”

I tilted my head. “Maybe not. But it helps.”

He didn’t know how right he was.

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Flashback — Her Father (Audience Only)

“Men like him,” my father once said, “fall for two things—control or comfort.”

We sat across a chessboard. He let me win.

“Which one should I use?” I asked.

He smiled sadly. “Both.”

That lesson stayed with me longer than his face.

---

Alessandro’s POV

She sat beside me during the evening meeting.

Silent. Hands folded. Eyes lowered.

The men ignored her again.

Good.

I preferred it that way.

Until Luca spoke.

“Boss, the port issue from last night—someone fixed it before we arrived.”

I stiffened. “How?”

Luca hesitated. “Orders came through an old channel. One only your late allies used.”

I glanced at Aira.

She was focused on the table, lips pressed together like she didn’t belong here.

Impossible.

Still… something felt wrong.

---

Her POV

The channel Luca mentioned belonged to my father.

And now, to me.

I kept my breathing steady.

Soft girls don’t react.

Sweet wives don’t interfere.

After the meeting, Alessandro stopped me in the hallway.

“You handled today well,” he said.

“Thank you,” I replied quietly. “I just try not to be a problem.”

That word again.

Problem.

His eyes softened just a little.

“You’re safe here,” he said.

If only he knew.

---

Night — Her Real Thoughts

In my room, I locked the door and dropped the smile.

My phone vibrated.

UNKNOWN: He noticed the channel. Be careful.

ME: He always notices too late.

I stared at the ceiling.

Alessandro De Luca thought I was learning how to be his wife.

In reality, I was teaching him how to need me.

And once a man like him needed you—

You owned him.

I touched the ring on my finger.

“Fall in love,” I whispered into the dark.

“Then we’ll see who survives.”