The church stood at the heart of Rome, nestled between cobblestone streets and bustling cafés where tourists sipped espresso under striped awnings.
The golden afternoon sun streamed through the tall, arched windows, casting a warm glow over the polished wooden pews.
Faint notes of organ music drifted through the air, mingling with the scent of melted candle wax and aged hymnals.
Outside, the city pulsed with life, motorcycles zipped past, the distant sound of honking horns and laughter spilling from piazzas where couples strolled, hand in hand.
But inside the church, it was a different world. A sacred stillness.
Giulietta Moretti had loved the lord since she was a little girl.
She was a church girl. Born, bred, and raised in faith.
She prayed every Sunday, volunteered at the shelter, and sang in the choir with unwavering devotion.
At twenty-seven, she was still a virgin. Waiting. The way she'd been taught.
Keeping herself pure for the man who would marry her. A man of God. A man worthy.
So why was the devil himself staring at her from across the church pews?
She could feel his gaze on her, searing, unholy, relentless. Like a flame licking at her skin.
Davil Vitale.
A tyrant. A man born into one of the most feared Mafia families in Italy. A man who did not belong here.
The soft hum of whispers filled the church as the priest stepped up to the altar.
The air-conditioning hummed faintly, a welcomed relief from the lingering summer heat outside.
Giulietta forced herself to look away. This was not her fate. Her destiny was Matteo, the kind-hearted, God-fearing childhood sweetheart she had always dreamed of marrying.
A man of prayer. A man of faith. A man who could never hurt her.
Yes, Matteo was her future.
"The choir will sing for us," the priest announced.
Giulietta rose, stepping forward like an angel among mortals. The microphone crackled softly as the pianist played the first note.
As she sang, her voice soared through the church, clear and pure, weaving through the rafters like sunlight breaking through stained glass.
And yet, the devil did not stop staring at her mouth.