LOGIN[Mr. Harrington]There was a time when the Harrington name commanded respect.I had spent nearly thirty years building my company from the ground up. We started with a small construction firm, took on government contracts, expanded into commercial properties, and eventually became one of the most recognised real estate companies in the country.I wasn't born into money. Every property, every investment, every penny I had was earned through years of hard work.But apparently, hard work was no longer enough for me.It started with a harmless evening at a private club. One of my business associates had invited me to join a few wealthy acquaintances for a game of poker. I wasn't particularly interested, but the amount of money exchanging hands caught my attention.I watched a man walk away with nearly half a million dollars in less than an hour.Half a million.I had spent months negotiating contracts that barely brought in that much profit.The following weekend, I returned.My first few
[Mirabel] "I don't like leaving her like that. Something could happen while I'm gone." Mirabel trudged forward as they entered the penthouse, her arms folded across her chest. "Not like you can do much. You were as unconscious as her." Dante scoffed, wondering how someone so little could walk so fast. "I was taking care of her." "Your snoring says otherwise," he mused, folding his coat over his arm. Mirabel touched her nose on instinct. "I'm only going to get a fresh set of clothes, then I'm heading back." She took two steps toward her room before turning back and pinning him with a glare. "And I don't snore." "Of course you don't, sweetheart. The entire hospital was simply experiencing an earthquake." "You're insufferable." "And yet, here you are, still talking to me." Mirabel rolled her eyes and marched toward her bedroom, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like a curse to his third generation. Dante watched her disappear around the corner, a smirk tugging at
The continuous beep of the monitor pierced through the hospital corridor, leaving Mirabel rooted to the spot with her fingers clenched around Dante's jacket. Inside the ER, the doctor adjusted the defibrillator while another nurse continued chest compressions. Sweat glistened on the doctor's forehead and his voice rang out amidst the hurried movement of the medical team. Mirabel could barely breathe as she watched them, her heart pounding so violently that she could feel each beat in her throat. "Come on, Mia," she whispered against the glass, tears blurring her vision. "Please, you can't leave me. You're all I have left." Dante stood behind her, his jaw clenched as he watched the scene unfold. He'd faced men who were glad to put a bullet through his skull, negotiated with enemies and ordered the destruction of businesses that had taken decades to build. Yet nothing prepared him for this. Watching Mirabel beg for something she wanted so bad while he stood there with nothing to off
The drive to Saint Jude's Hospital was silent, save for the aggressive hum of the tires against the flooded pavement and the steady rhythm of the windshield wipers. In the back seat of the SUV, Mirabel sat frozen. Her hand was buried in mine, her fingers ice cold despite the heat in the cabin. I tightened my grip, drawing her hand onto my knee. "She's going to be fine," I said quietly. Mirabel kept her eyes on the rain streaking across the tinted window. "Her lips were blue, Dante. She wasn't moving her legs when your men carried her out." "The paramedics started warming her and treating her on the way here. The doctors will take care of the rest." "If she dies..." Her voice cracked. She turned to face me, her dark eyes filled with grief and guilt. "If she dies because I left that house, because I tried to build something for myself..." "Don't finish that sentence." I shifted toward her and gently held the back of her neck, bringing her forehead close to mine. "You didn't do t
[Dante] The rain drowned out every sound in the house. Mirabel had her head bowed against my chest, her breathing shallow and ragged. I couldn't figure out what was going through her mind in that absolute stillness, but the tension rolling off her was lethal. The key still swung between Isabella's digits, fueling Mirabel's anger. Taunting her. They should be done by now. A slow smirk lit up my face as I glanced past Marcus’s shoulder, taking in the empty space on the patio where the house caretaker was supposed to be standing watch. My gaze shifted back to Mirabel. Her shoulders were rigid, every muscle locked tight as if she were actually contemplating what Isabella had offered her. As if she were considering sacrificing herself to play into her family's twisted hands one last time. Not a chance, amor. "We decline your offer," I said, my arm tightening like iron around her waist, keeping her anchored firmly against my side. "I prefer my women less desperate." "Fine then." Is
[Dante] I just got off the call with Marcus, fishing around for loopholes to get out of this damn board meeting today. Mirabel is not easily frightened; she's endured years of abuse. Abuse I'm determined to pay back as soon as this blows over. She's not ready to face them today. Not like this. Not to mention, she's still bothered about the statement we're supposed to release to the public. She's been glued to her phone all day. I heard her voice the second I swung the door open. Trembling and breathless, her eyes iced over and her skin paled two shades whiter. My chest tightened just looking at her. Just what happened while I was gone? I crossed the room in two long strides, snatching the phone from her shaky hands. "What is thi—" I started, just in time to catch the last sentence. "Mirabel, please come, she might actually die out there," a feminine voice cried from the line. She finally snapped out of it, grabbing a fistful of my sleeve, her eyes misty and red. "I–I've







