Novel-novel oleh Kezia

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?" Clara asked as they stood by the counter waiting for their order."Why don't you guess." "C'mon, I'm not good at guessing." Clara groaned."Vanilla.""Ohh..." Clara mouthed as they collected their gelato and found a small table by the window. "That wasn't hard to say, was it?""Where's the fun in making things easy?" Arabelle took a bite, savoring the cold sweetness.Clara grinned, then her eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Hey, I just thought of something. There's an underground fight tonight at the Russo casino. We should go."Arabelle paused mid-bite. "A fight?""Yeah, you know—bare-knuckle, high stakes, the whole deal. It's supposed to be intense. One of the Santoro family's guys is fighting some newcomer everyone's betting on." Clara leaned forward conspiratorially. "I've been dying to go, but Father would never let me go alone. But now I have you.""I don't know, Clara. Dante already doesn't know where we are—""Exactly! Which means

They turned to see Clara standing by the door, a knowing smirk on her face."Fuck." Arabelle cursed, pulling away from Dante so fast she nearly stumbled."Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Clara's smile was anything but apologetic. "I'll leave you two to continue.""Why are you here, Clara?" Dante asked, his voice still rough from the kiss."Brother, please, continue with what you were doing." She grinned wickedly."That was nothing." Arabelle said quickly, walking past Dante without looking at him."We aren't done, Arabelle."She paused at the doorway, her back to him. "That shouldn't have happened in the first place, Dante. You and I both know that."Before he could respond, she left the library.Clara raised an eyebrow at her brother, then hurried after Arabelle, catching up with her in the kitchen."So... why the awkward moment? Was that the first time you two—""Can we not talk about it, please?" Arabelle interrupted, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.*What brought on that kiss?

"What is it?" Dante's voice was steel.Massimo's eyes darted briefly to Arabelle, then back to Dante. "The shipment from Naples. It was a hit."Dante went completely still. "Hit?""Ambushed at the checkpoint. Five of our men—" Massimo's jaw clenched. "They didn't make it. The entire cargo is gone. Twenty million in arms and product."The temperature in the room dropped."Who?" The single word was barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of a death sentence."The Carusos. They left their mark." Massimo pulled out his phone, showing Dante a photo.Arabelle couldn't see the screen from where she stood, but she saw Dante's face transform. The cold mask he'd worn at breakfast shattered, replaced by something far more dangerous."Get the car," Dante said quietly. Too quietly. "Now.""Dante, we should—""Get. The. Car."Massimo nodded and disappeared.Dante moved toward the door without acknowledging Arabelle's presence. But she stood there, watching him."The Carusos," she said fla

Arabelle closed the door to her room and leaned against it, finally allowing herself to breathe.The silence pressed in on her—heavy, suffocating. She could still hear his voice in her head, cold and cutting.*Just leave me alone, Arabelle. Do us both a favor and fuck off.*She pushed off the door and walked to the window, wrapping her arms around herself. The grounds were dark, peaceful, giving no indication of the storm raging inside these walls.What happened?One moment they'd been at dinner, surrounded by warmth and laughter. She'd watched him smile as Clara teased him. She'd seen the way his mother looked at him with such love, the way his family embraced her like she actually belonged.And then Giovanni had called him away.Arabelle turned from the window, pacing the length of her room.*What did his father say to him?*Giovanni had seemed pleasant enough during dinner—charming, even. But there had been something in his eyes when he'd looked at her. Something assessing. Like he

Giovanni led them to the dining room which was breathtaking.A massive Christmas tree stood in the corner, adorned with gold and silver ornaments that caught the light from the roaring fireplace. Garlands of fresh pine draped across the mantel, filling the air with their crisp, festive scent. The long mahogany table was dressed in deep red linens, with centerpieces of white roses and flickering candles creating an intimate, warm glow.Arabelle counted about fifteen people at the dining, perhaps members of the clan safe thought. Their laughter and animated conversations create a surprisingly welcoming atmosphere.“Everyone, meet my son and his wife, Arabelle Moretti.” Giovanni announced as they got to the table.Before Arabelle could talk, a young girl with Dante's dark eyes rushed forward, practically bouncing with excitement.“Dante! I've missed you so much. You didn't even bother to check up on me."“Clara, behave yourself. Why are you being so childish? Can't you see his wife is al

The car was quiet except for the hum of the engine. Arabelle sat rigid, her fingers gripping the edge of the seat, every nerve alert. She couldn't stop thinking about Lucia's confession, about the lies, about what she felt—and what she hated herself for feeling.Dante didn't speak. He didn't need to. His presence alone pressed against her mind, and that scent, faint, dangerous, reminded her why she both resented and feared him.When they arrived, Dante held the door open, silently gesturing for her to step inside. The familiar mansion felt… different. Too quiet, too clean, too controlled—like a stage set for something she wasn't allowed to understand."Go up and change ," Dante said, his voice calm. "Dinner will be ready in an hour."Arabelle stopped mid-step and turned to face him. "Don't."He paused. "Don't what?""Don't act like this is normal. Like I'm here by choice." Her voice shook with barely contained fury. "Like you didn't drag me out of there like I'm some possession you ow