She woke up in silence.
The room was still covered in shadows. Somewhere far beyond the heavy velvet curtains, the world continued. But here inside Rafael Navarro's estate time moved differently.
Isabella didn't move. Her body throbbed with every breath. Her thighs burned. Her wrists were sore from how he'd pinned her, her voice raw from screaming.
The red silk sheets beneath her were stained. Not just with blood but also with the memory of what he'd done. Of what she'd endured.
She turned her head slowly and saw that she was alone. He hadn't returned to the bed. Hadn't touched her again.
She sat up slowly, flinching as pain flared through her core. Her arms wrapped around herself instinctively. Her skin still carried the imprint of his hands, his weight, his anger.
And yet the first thing she felt wasn't rage. Or shame. It was survival.
The door opened quietly.
Selena stepped in, not looking at the bed, but going straight to the wardrobe. She pulled out a silk robe and moved toward Isabella, careful, calm.
"Come," she said softly. "This is not your room. He doesn't allow anyone in here for that long."
Isabella's heart twisted. She didn't ask what that meant. She didn't want to know how many others there had been.
Selena helped her up slowly and guided her out of Rafael's room and down the hall. They moved through cold, silent corridors until they reached a smaller, sunlit space. Still elegant. But this room had warmth. A bed with real blankets. A window with light.
Selena helped her undress and led her into the bath. The warm water stung at first, but Isabella didn't cry. She just sat in silence as Selena washed her hair and cleaned her wounds.
After the bath, Selena dressed her in a soft nightgown and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. Then she brought food bread, fruit, soup.
Isabella shook her head. "I'm not hungry."
Selena sat beside her. "He wants you strong. You'll need your strength."
Isabella looked at her. "You talk like you know him."
Selena nodded.
"How long have you been here?"
A pause. Then, "Since I was sixteen."
"He brought you here?"
"No. My brother did. He owed Rafael money. He couldn't pay, so he offered me instead. Rafael didn't touch me not like he did you. But he didn't have to. He made me work. I learned quick. Stay quiet. Stay useful. Stay alive."
Isabella's voice was barely audible. "Why stay?"
"Because out there, I'd be nothing. In here, at least I understand the rules. And now, maybe I can help someone else survive them too."
Isabella looked down. Her hands curled into fists. "I don't want to just survive."
Selena didn't smile. But she nodded. "Then you'll need to be smarter than him."
Isabella ate her food in silence nibbling at it one bit at a time. All that filled her mind was the images of what took place last night. El Diablo had disvirgened her and he didn't care either that it was her first time. The pain and ramming covered her skin as she shuddered in fear.
The Next Morning....
Sunlight streamed through the window. Isabella sat up slowly, surprised she had slept through the entire day. Rafael hadn't returned. His absence was a strange kind of relief. No night of ramming into her.
She looked around the room. This was her space now. Not his. And she needed to understand it.
Selena came in with breakfast.
"He's not back yet," she said, setting the tray down.
Isabella stood. "Can you show me around the house? I want to know where I live."
Selena hesitated.
"He didn't give permission."
"He didn't forbid it either."
They stared at each other for a moment.
Then Selena nodded once.
"Fine. I'll show you. But stay close. And don't speak to anyone unless I say so."
"Alright "
"You have to eat first though "
Isabella nodded and then dressed in one of the simpler dresses she could find and followed Selena to the door, barefoot but steady.
It was time to stop being a guest.
And start becoming a shadow in the Devil's palace.
The halls of the Navarro estate whispered secrets.
Polished marble stretched endlessly in every direction.Every footstep Isabella took echoed louder than the last.
Selena led her in silence, pausing only to gesture to doors.
"Dining room. This one's only for Rafael and his guests. Never touch the wine rack. Ever."
"That hallway leads to the lower quarters. Guards live there. Don't go without permission."
"This is the library. He doesn't read much but don't let him catch you in here either."
Isabella took it all in. Every room. Every locked door. Every turn of the staircase. It was as if everywhere was just out of bounds. She memorized the layout not for comfort but for strategy.
They passed a group of maids near the main stairwell.
The women stopped what they were doing and looked up.
As soon as their eyes met Isabella's, they bowed their heads.
One of them whispered, "Señora Navarro."
It hit her like a brick to the chest.
She was no longer a guest. No longer a girl.
She was the wife of El Diablo.
Isabella nodded stiffly, unsure of what to do with the weight of their deference.
Selena placed a hand on her arm. "They don't bow out of respect. They bow because they're afraid. Just like we are."
They moved on.
At the base of the grand staircase, a voice cut through the air.
"Well, well. I was wondering when the queen would begin her little parade."
Isabella turned.
A man stood at the foot of the next corridor, leaning lazily against a marble column. He was dressed in dark navy tailored, clean, too relaxed for a place so tense.
He looked like Rafael except for the beautifully made physique Rafael had.
But his smile didn't hold the same cold detachment. It was warm. Too warm. Like a blade dipped in honey.
"Señora," he said mockingly. "Or may I call you Isabella?"
Selena tensed beside her.
"Don't," she warned under her breath. "That's Caleb."
Isabella's stomach clenched.
Caleb Navarro. Rafael's stepbrother. The one they whispered about. The one who smiled too much in a house that never laughed.
Caleb pushed off the column and walked toward them.
"Selena," he said, flashing his teeth. "Why don't you leave us for a moment? I'd like a private word with the lady of the house."
Selena didn't move.
Caleb tilted his head. "Go."
Isabella gave a tiny nod. It was enough. Selena disappeared down the hall without a word.
Now they were alone.
Caleb stepped closer. Not touching her. Just invading space.
"So this is the bride," he murmured. "I expected someone... stronger. But I suppose Rafael always did like them wounded. Easier to train."
Isabella's jaw tightened. She said nothing.
Caleb smiled. "Ah, don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Not physically. I'm just curious. What's it like to be fucked by a man who feels nothing for you?"
Her breath caught.
"Do you cry every time he touches you? Or have you learned to fake pleasure already?"
She stayed silent, but her nails dug into her palm.
Caleb's eyes glinted. "Smart. Don't answer. But do remember something, Isabella...when Rafael gets bored, he discards things. He always does. And when that happens… well, I'd be happy to offer you a softer bed."
He leaned in, his lips inches from her ear.
"Or maybe you'll come begging for it."
Then he pulled back, smile intact, and walked away without waiting for a reaction.
Isabella stood frozen, heart pounding, skin crawling.
The Devil had a brother.
And he might be even worse.