Chapter: CHAPTER FOUR — THAT'S FOR ME TO DECIDEAfter walking around the house, they settled in the garden, sitting on a stone bench. Neither spoke. The air smelled of roses and damp soil, and the silence between them stretched long and tense.“So,” Dante finally said, breaking the quiet, “can you tell me more about you, Arabelle?”She scoffed. “Quite the performance. You don’t have to pretend you like me, it doesn’t suit you. And one thing you should know: I don’t love you, and I don’t give a fuck about you. Do you understand?”“I guess,” Dante replied calmly.“And after the marriage,” she added sharply, “don’t take my freedom away from me.”“That’s for me to decide.” Dante rose, smoothing down his shirt. “I’m leaving now. Let’s head back.”Arabelle stared at him, confusion tightening her brows. She couldn’t even process what he meant.“Ritrova la strada da solo (Find your way back yourself),” she said without emotion. —“I hope you enjoyed lunch, Dante?” Vittorio asked as they approached the front door.“Yes, I did. I had a grea
Last Updated: 2025-11-26
Chapter: CHAPTER THREE — I LIKE THAT The torture room smelled of sweat, blood, and silence. A man chained against the wall barely conscious. His face was swollen, one eye completely shut, lip split, ribs broken. Blood dripped from his nose steadily to the ground.He had been beaten, electrocuted, and cut. But he hadn’t spoken a single word.Massimo, Dante’s second-in-command, entered the room. “He’s a spy. We found him crossing the south border with a microchip. He swallowed it. It's obvious smeone sent him.”“And he refuses to say who.” Another guard muttered.The room quieted instantly when the iron door slid open.Dante Valerio walked in.Black suit. Perfectly pressed.Expression calm, unreadable, cold enough to freeze the air.Dante ignored all the looks he got, his gaze was only on the battered man in the chair.He crouched in front of him, eye level, his voice soft… almost gentle.“I’m only going to ask you this once.”His tone was soft enough to scare a god.“Who sent you?”The spy coughed, spitting blood.“And yo
Last Updated: 2025-11-26
Chapter: CHAPTER TWO — I REALLY DORomano’s Estate.The meeting room smelled of cigar smoke and expensive whiskey. A long oak table stretched across the center, scattered with papers, ledgers, and a half-empty bottle of red wine. The walls were soundproof, no one outside these walls ever heard the business of the Romanos.Romano sat at the head of the table, a white shirt clinging perfectly to his broad shoulders. His gaze was fixed on the man standing at the far end of the room, nervous, sweating, avoiding eye contact.“So,” Romano began, voice calm but sharp enough to slice through silence. “You’re saying two million dollars vanished between Milan and Palermo, and no one noticed?”The man swallowed hard. “It…it must’ve been a mistake with the paperwork, sir. The fake invoices from the jewelry company….”“Enough.” Romano raised his hand rubbing his temple . “We don’t make mistakes, Blue. Not when it comes to cleaning our money.”Across the table, Enzo, the family’s consigliere, leaned forward, sliding a folder toward
Last Updated: 2025-11-26
Chapter: CHAPTER ONE — LITTLE BITCHThe night was quiet and calm, the kind of peace that never lasted long in the Moretti estate. Only the soft drizzle of rain broke the silence, tapping gently against the tiled roof while the guards stood at their posts, alert and unmoving.Dressed in all black, Arabelle moved through the shadows, her long coat fluttering behind her like a phantom's wing. She pressed herself against the marble pillars, waiting for each guard's turn to look away before slipping past them. Her heart raced, not from fear, but from anticipation.She finally reached the garden gate, the only place left unguarded, and slipped inside. The scent of wet roses filled the air. The glass flower house glimmered in the darkness, her secret haven since childhood."Arabelle."The voice stopped her heartbeat. Soft, sweet, a melody she'd been craving for weeks.She turned, and there she was. Lucia. Standing between the flowerbeds, arms open, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. Her dark hair was loose tonight, casc
Last Updated: 2025-11-26