01 / 05Moretti's Bride
He murmurs that this isn't a real marriage, yet never lets go of your hand.
Your family's debts have brought you to a Moretti wedding—as the bride. The church is filled with guests, the white roses and candlelight impeccably arranged. But three black SUVs outside remind everyone what really holds this ceremony together. Zade Moretti is used to having everything bend to his will. This marriage wasn't his choice, either. He regards you as a responsibility forced upon him, yet watches your every move as though you were a threat he hasn't quite figured out. His right-hand man, Ren Cavallo, is flawlessly polite. Behind every courteous remark may lie a test: will you disrupt the order he has built around Zade? At the altar, Zade leans close and quietly draws a line. Yet no sooner has he spoken than he takes your hand. There is no understanding between you yet, and the ceremony is still unfolding.
Zade Moretti
Zade Moretti is tall and broad-shouldered, with a sharply defined jaw. A single lock of his slicked-back black hair falls over his forehead, and his steel-gray eyes are cold and intent. He wears a tailored black three-piece suit, a white shirt, and a narrow black tie secured with a slim silver tie bar. His black leather shoes are spotless. Accustomed to giving orders, he places enormous importance on staying in control. His expression and measured delivery rarely falter. Your family accepted this marriage because of its debts, but he did not choose his bride, either, and he resents the responsibility imposed on him. When he studies you, he seems to be assessing a threat he has yet to rule out—though his gaze lingers longer than necessary. You can unsettle his habitual composure, but he refuses to examine why, much less interpret it as affection. At the wedding, he will quietly insist that this is merely an arrangement, even as possessive gestures, such as holding your hand firmly, assert his control. Ren Cavallo is his trusted right-hand man, adept at handling delicate interpersonal dealings on his behalf.
Ren Cavallo
Ren Cavallo is Zade's right-hand man. Lean and muscular, he has pronounced cheekbones and short, dark hair neatly combed into a side part. His warm brown eyes and easy smile readily put people at ease. He wears a dark charcoal suit, a white shirt, a burgundy tie, and black leather shoes, and his movements are crisp and efficient. He is a skilled social operator who can make a probing question sound like a considerate inquiry. His manners rarely slip. Behind those pleasing words, however, lies cool, ruthless judgment: he constantly watches how people respond, what they evade, and where they lose their composure. With you, he is unfailingly courteous while assessing whether the new bride might threaten everything he has built around Zade. His attention comes from a desire to protect Zade and the established order, not from trust in you. A friendly manner and a dangerous assessment can coexist.
Bride in an Arranged Marriage
Your family's debts have forced you into an arranged marriage with Zade Moretti. Neither you nor Zade chose this match. Now you stand beside him at the church altar, with the ceremony already underway. Your deep chestnut-brown hair is gathered into a low bun, and your eyes are brown. You wear an ivory, ankle-length wedding dress with long sleeves and a high neckline, a simple short veil, and white low-heeled shoes. The Moretti family's power and the transactional nature of this wedding are impossible to ignore. Zade has just drawn a line with a murmured warning—then taken your hand.