Novels by Stephanie Christopher

The cameras went crazy."Miss Castellano! Mister Salvatore! Over here!""Is it true you're engaged?""When's the wedding?""How did the Castellano and Salvatore families react to the news?"Dante kept his hand firmly on my waist as we moved down the red carpet and I smiled and let him guide me. This was a performance and I knew how to perform.Inside the museum was even more opulent with champagne flowing and string quartets playing. Enough wealth concentrated in one room to end poverty in three countries. I recognized faces from every major family and corporation in Crimson Bay and they all turned to stare as we entered.The whispers started immediately."Did you hear? They're engaged.""After twenty years of rivalry? Impossible.""Someone should tell Vittorio Romano. He's going to be furious.""I heard Dante bought her the emerald ring. His grandmother's ring."Dante leaned down to murmur in my ear. "Showtime."We worked the room together and I had to admit we were good at this. Dan

"Don Castellano." Dante's voice was coolly polite. "You wanted to see us.""I did." Marco moved around the desk and I saw him taking in every detail. The way Dante's hand rested on my lower back. The ring on my finger. The way we stood close together like we belonged. "I wanted to discuss this engagement of yours.""There's nothing to discuss." I lifted my chin. "We're engaged. End of story.""Is it?" My father's eyes were sharp. "Because I seem to recall you being promised to someone else.""That contract was signed under duress." Dante's voice went cold. "And you know it. You staged that scene to terrify Isabella into compliance."Marco didn't even flinch. "Vittorio needed her compliant. I needed the Romano alliance. It was the cleanest solution.""You terrorized me!" The words burst out of me. "You let him hold a gun to your head and made me think I was signing that contract to save your life!""I protected you from worse options." Marco said it like he actually believed it. "If Vi

His driver was waiting downstairs and we slid into the back of the Rolls Royce in silence. The city was already alive with mid morning traffic and I watched the buildings slide past while Dante typed something on his phone."Where are we going?" I asked finally."Marchetti's. Best jeweler in the city." He glanced up. "You need a ring if we're going to sell this.""I was thinking something simple. A solitaire maybe.""I was thinking something that belonged to my grandmother."I turned to stare at him. "What?""My grandmother's engagement ring." He pocketed his phone and met my eyes. "It's been in the family for three generations. If we're going to convince your father this is real we need to use it.""Dante that's an heirloom. You can't just give me a family ring for a fake engagement.""Why not? Bianca was going to get it and that engagement was arranged too." He said it flatly. "Besides it's been sitting in a vault for three years. Might as well put it to use.""But""No arguments Is

I woke to an empty bed and sunlight streaming through the floor to ceiling windows. For a disorienting second, I forgot where I was but then the events of last night came rushing back and I pressed my face into the pillow that still smelled like Dante's cologne.This was insane. All of it.The sound of rhythmic thumping came from somewhere deeper in the penthouse and I sat up slowly running my hands through my tangled hair. The clock on the nightstand read seven thirty which meant I had gotten maybe four hours of sleep.The thumping continued and curiosity got the better of me. I slid out of bed and followed the sound down a hallway until I found a door slightly ajar with light spilling out.I pushed it open and stopped dead.It was the home gym and in the center of it was Dante on a heavy bag. Shirtless. His back was to me and I watched the muscles flex and shift under his skin with each punch and I tried to remember how to breathe.He was built like someone who took fighting seriou

ISABELLAS POVI locked myself in the bathroom and stood under the rainfall shower until the water ran cold and my skin was pink. There were indeed guest supplies in the cabinet under the sink and I found an unopened toothbrush and toothpaste and face wash. It was enough for me. When I finally emerged wrapped in the softest towel I had ever felt, I found a t shirt laid out on the bed. It was clearly Dante's and it was huge. I was only wearing it because I had nothing else. But somewhere in my mind, I was pleased that I would have to wrap myself in his scent even though I pushed the thoughts away.Just like I thought, it smelled like him though and that made something in my chest twist uncomfortably.I climbed into bed and chose the left side because it was furthest from the door. The sheets were exactly as soft as they looked and the mattress was perfect and I should have fallen asleep immediately because I was exhausted.But my mind wouldn't stop spinning.Vittorio's dead eyes. My f

ISABELLAS POVMy father had staged the whole thing.I couldn't believe that he could do that to me, honestly. Sell me to Vittorio, someone he knew was a human trafficker. Couldn't believe that he actually asked Vittorio to gun him and that his fear was all make believe. My hands shook in my lap as I tried to keep my thoughts still. The depth of the betrayal stabbed me, my own father. Dante sat beside me on his phone and his voice was low an as he spoke to someone on his security team. "I want eyes on every Romano property by morning. I don't care what it costs. If Vittorio so much as breathes wrong I want to know about it."A pause while whoever was on the other end responded."No. She stays with me. Twenty four seven protection detail starting now." His jaw tightened and even in profile I could see the muscle jumping there. "Because I said so Marco. Just do it."He ended the call and the silence that followed was even scary to me. I chose Dante over Vittorio because I knew that he