Dante’s POV Lucia stood in the center of the room, arms crossed tightly over her chest, fire burning in her eyes. I had expected resistance, but she was far more stubborn than I had anticipated. “Where are we going?” she demanded, her voice sharp with anger. I adjusted the cuffs of my suit, not bothering to look at her. “No questions.” “No questions? After what I’ve heard about the so-called Ball? I’m not going anywhere.” A sigh left my lips as I pinched the bridge of my nose. This woman. She had a way of testing my patience like no other. I had taken many women to this event before—some trembling with fear, others eager to be paraded like trophies—but never had one refused. Never had one looked me in the eyes like they had a choice. “Lucia,” I said, stepping toward her, my voice calm. “You still don’t understand that I own you. Your body, your choices—” “You don’t own me,” she snapped, stepping closer, her chin lifted in defiance. “I’m not some object you can parade a
Lucia’s POVI could still feel Dante’s hand on my waist, even though he wasn’t anywhere near me now. The pressure and control lingered on my skin.The ball was suffocating. There were too many stares, the murmurs behind elaborate masks, the stench of power and corruption, it all made me sick in the stomach.I needed to get away, even if only for a few minutes. So I had excused myself to use the restroom. I leaned against the counter, tightening my fingers around the cool porcelain sink. Everything about this night was wrong.I hated the way some of the women looked at me.. was it pity? Envy? Disgust? I couldn’t tell, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. And then there was the maid’s warning. I had no idea what she meant, but I wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the warning.Dante might think he owned me, that I was just some plaything to parade around, but I wasn’t going to sit back and let him decide my fate. If there was something—anything—that could give me an edge, I had to find it.Straig
Lucia’s POVI could feel my pulse racing as Dante pulled me away from the man who had just spoken Vincenzo’s name. My thoughts spiraled in a chaotic storm, but one thing was clear: I couldn’t leave without having a conversation with him.Vincenzo.I had seen him before, the night Dante took me to his meeting. His presence had been commanding, his gaze sharp, his aura one of quiet authority. But I hadn’t spoken to him then, there had been no reason to. I hadn’t known he was connected to the fire.But now, I did.And with him so close, I couldn’t let him slip away.“I left my purse back in the restroom,” I blurted out, keeping my voice steady and calculated.Dante’s gaze flicked to mine, eyes narrowing with barely restrained annoyance. “We’re leaving.”“I know, but it has valuables in it.” I met his gaze, hoping my urgency would be enough to sway him. “It’ll only take a minute.”His grip on my wrist tightened as if he were considering just dragging me out of here, but after a long, tens
Dante’s POVFive minutes. Then six. I checked my watch again, running a hand through my hair. Where the hell was she?With a tight jaw, I set my drink down and pushed off the counter. My eyes scanned the ballroom, the masked guests moving in a blur around me. Lucia was reckless, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew better than to test my limits.Another glance at my watch. I never should have let her go back for that damn purse. What if she had tried to run? The thought made my grip tighten around the gun at my side.No.She wouldn’t run. Not unless she was truly desperate. And if she was desperate, that meant something, or someone had given her the illusion of hope.I exhaled through my nose, jaw clenching. If she wasn’t coming to me, I’d go to her.I moved through the crowd, my patience wearing thin. The moment I stepped into the hallway, my eyes locked on her.Lucia.She stood frozen, her body stiff, but her lips parted just slightly told a different story. Her breath came unevenly, her
Lucia’s POV I had been standing by the window, staring at the moon’s glow against the darkened sky, trying to clear my head. My body still thrummed with nervous energy from the encounter with Vincenzo. I had barely changed into my nightgown, a loose silk dress that brushed against my thighs, when the door burst open. I turned sharply, my breath hitching in my throat. Dante. He stood in the doorway, shirtless, his powerful body bathed in the glow of the bedside lamp. As he stepped forward, the ridges of his abs flexed, the light flickering over his tattoos, tracing the sharp lines and dark ink winding over his muscles. But it wasn’t his bare chest that sent a chill racing down my spine. It was what he carried. A knife in his right hand. A pair of handcuffs in his left. My heart sank. I took an instinctive step back, my legs brushing against the edge of the bed. Run. The word echoed in my mind, but I didn’t move. Running would be pointless. And worse, it would only provok
Lucia’s POVThe night had been merciless. Sleep had taunted me, dancing just beyond my reach as I lay tangled in my sheets, my body still trembling from the encounter with Dante. My mind refused to settle, replaying every touch, every whispered word, every second leading up to the moment he had stopped.Why?Why had he left? Why had he unchained me when he had me exactly where he wanted?I had tossed and turned, my wrists still sore from the cuffs, my pulse still uneven from the way he had looked at me before walking out. Part of me had been grateful he hadn’t gone through with it. The other part… the other part was terrified by what it meant.What had stopped him?By the time the first rays of morning light spilled through my window, I had given up on the idea of rest. My body ached with exhaustion, but my mind refused to quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him… his heat, his breath, the weight of his touch. It unsettled me… terrified me. But what scared me most was that a par
Dante’s POV She didn’t trust me. Not that I blamed her. Lucia sat across from me, stiff as a board, her fingers curled so tightly around the fork that her knuckles turned white. Every inch of her screamed defiance, but beneath the surface, I saw the uncertainty, the questions swirling in her mind. She was trying to piece it all together, trying to understand why she was having breakfast with me, and why I had let her go last night. I hadn’t planned to stop. I had wanted to break her, to strip her of every ounce of defiance until all that was left was submission. And yet, when I had her beneath me, chained, breathless, and vulnerable, I had walked away. She was brave. I’d give her that. But she was also untouched. A fucking virgin. I had suspected it, but last night confirmed it. The way she tensed beneath me, every touch new, overwhelming. She wasn’t just resisting, she didn’t know how to handle the sensations coursing through her. The way she clung to control, as if sur
Lucia’s POVThe world had turned against my father. I couldn’t stop wondering what he was going through, or if he even knew what was happening.Every day, a new article came out, dragging Antonio Castellano’s name through the mud. Some called him a heartless criminal, a mentally deranged man who should be at rehab, others a coward who had run from his sins.Lies. All lies.I knew the truth. Or at least, part of it. Yes, my father worked for a front company, but he didn’t know. He struggled with PTSD, but he didn’t start that fire. And if anyone had a hand in the destruction of Dante’s warehouse, it was Vincenzo. I had no proof, just a strong gut feeling.But no one would listen.That’s why I decided to write my own article.I wasn’t naive enough to think the world would suddenly believe me. But I had to try, because if I didn’t, no one else would.Lucas had taken me to a secret location, as promised, and handed me a phone, warning me not to get caught.He didn’t need to tell me twice.
Dante’s POV“What’s wrong?”Her face had gone pale, her hand frozen around her phone. Lucia didn’t speak for a heartbeat. Then another. I moved toward her slowly, my pulse already shifting into that dangerous rhythm I’d come to know too well—the one that meant someone had dared to threaten what was mine.She looked up at me. “I got a text.”I took the phone from her hand gently and read the message.I didn’t speak right away.I stared at the screen, memorizing the words, tasting the venom behind them. My hands curled into fists. Someone had reached past the walls I’d built, past the guards I’d posted, and touched her. Not physically—but it was close enough.Lucia was watching me closely. Brave, despite the fear in her eyes. “I didn’t reply,” she said quietly.“Good,” I said. My voice was low but I felt the violence rising inside me. “I’ll find out who sent this. And when I do…” I paused, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. “…they’ll wish they’d never learned your name.”She didn’t fli
Lucia’s POVHis voice snaked through the phone like a knife. Familiar, but wrong in every way. I froze. Not from fear, but disgust.“I didn’t just think it,” I said, my voice low. “I did leave you, Daniel.”Silence. Then a cold laugh, bitter and sharp.“You were never meant to belong to him. You belong to me. You always have.”“Daniel,” I hissed, heart racing, “you’re insane.”“You gave yourself to him, didn’t you?” His voice dipped darker, uglier. “Did you think I wouldn’t know? You let him touch you. Take you. Like you’re his. But you’re not. You’re mine, Lucia.”My hand trembled so hard I nearly dropped the phone. The urge to tell Dante, to scream for him, gripped me like a vice. But I didn’t. Not yet.“Don’t call me again,” I said through gritted teeth.“Or what?” His voice dipped with menace. “You’ll send him after me? That killer you sleep beside now? You think he can protect you from what’s coming?”I ended the call not wanting to hear more.I stood frozen, breath hitching. Wha
Lucia’s POVHis hand tightened in my hair—not harshly, just enough to guide me. Then he started moving my head for me slowly, setting the pace. I relaxed, letting him lead, and finally I felt it. The tension in his body. The soft sound that escaped his throat. I was doing it right.And this time, I didn’t stop.I glanced up through my lashes. His jaw was tight, hand clenched at his side, and his eyes had gone darker, more focused. Still calm, still in control but barely.I sucked in my cheeks, taking him deeper, my hands pressing against his thighs for balance. His fingers tightened, hips giving a slow, involuntary thrust into my mouth. A quiet groan rumbled from his chest, like it had slipped out against his will.“Just like that,” he muttered, voice tight. “Don’t stop.”I didn’t.His breathing turned heavier, shoulders rigid now. I felt the way his body coiled, straining like he was holding back something primal.“You want to take it?” he asked, voice rough, breathless. “Or do I pul
Lucia’s POVThe second I heard the door click open, I straightened from where I’d been curled up by the window. Dante stepped in, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me. Something shifted in his face when he saw me waiting.Like I was his reward.Without a word, he locked the door and began to unbutton his shirt, his eyes never leaving mine. I swallowed thickly, my breath caught somewhere between anticipation and awe.“You’re quiet,” he said, voice low.“I was waiting.”“For what?”“For you.”A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Say that again.”“I was waiting for you, Dante.”He crossed the room in two strides, yanking me into his arms before I could take another breath. His mouth crashed onto mine, demanding, unrelenting, like the night before hadn’t been enough.It hadn’t been. Not for either of us.This time, he was rougher. His hands greedy, his grip tighter. He pulled me to the bed, turned me around, and bent me over the edge, my gasp swallowed by the mattress as his palm pres
Lucia’s POVSomething warm and delicious filled the air, nudging me awake. I blinked slowly, sunlight pooling through the sheer curtains like warm silk across my bare skin.I shifted slightly and winced, a soft soreness pulsing between my thighs. My muscles were stiff, hips sore from how he’d held me, pinned me, claimed me. Even the skin at my neck throbbed faintly where his mouth had been.I reached for the edge of the sheet and wrapped it tightly around my chest before sitting up, my body slow to obey. The cotton scraped over sensitized skin, and I flinched—then stilled as I turned, expecting to find cold sheets and an empty bed, but instead—There he was.Dante.In nothing but black slacks, barefoot, holding a silver tray in his hands like he wasn’t one of the most dangerous man in Chicago.“You brought me breakfast?” I asked, my voice still thick with sleep and disbelief.“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he said, setting the tray on the nightstand with surprising care. “I’ve never
Dante’s POVI stood there, frozen, my hand still cupping her delicate face. Her words replayed in my head like a song I never wanted to end.“I want this. With you, Dante.”Her voice was soft, but there was no mistaking the determination in it. She wasn’t asking. She wasn’t second-guessing herself. She was choosing me. And it scared the hell out of me because I knew once I touched her, once I took her… there would be no going back.I searched her eyes for hesitation, for a crack, for even the faintest tremor of uncertainty. I found none. Just that steady, aching need—mirroring my own.“Lucia…” I breathed out, almost brokenly.She didn’t wait for me to finish. Her fingers, trembling but insistent, returned to my belt. I caught her hands briefly, giving her one last chance to change her mind. She shook her head once, a small but powerful gesture, before she worked my belt open and tugged at my trousers, letting them fall to the floor with a soft thud.She stepped back toward the bed, he
Dante’s POV She swallowed hard, her jaw trembling as she closed her eyes. I moved closer and sat on the edge her bed. “He… he betrayed me,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “He was using me. I was just… I wonder if he even loves me. He’s been lying to me.” Her hands clenched around the fabric of her dress, and I could see her fighting back tears. I hated seeing her like this. It was like watching someone lose themselves. But she wasn’t ready to let go completely yet. “I ended it with him,” she added, her words heavy with finality, but there was pain behind them. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t let him do this to me anymore.” I watched her, processing what she said. Then my gaze dropped to her left hand, and I saw the absence of the ring. She really wasn’t wearing it anymore. I moved closer, keeping my tone soft. “You ended it with him,” I repeated, almost to myself. She nodded, her eyes finally meeting mine, but she didn’t offer more. I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my emotio
Dante’s POV The moment the car rolled back into the estate and Lucia wasn’t in it with me, I felt that gnawing undercurrent of something not right. It wasn’t just her pale face or the way her voice had lost its edge. It was the way she looked at me like she was drowning and didn’t want to be saved. Something happened tonight. And I was going to find out what. The second I stepped into the mansion, I found Lucas waiting in the hall and I didn’t waste time. I slammed him against the wall. “What the fuck has she been doing the past few days?” He didn’t even flinch, which pissed me off more. “Sir—she hasn’t gone anywhere without clearance. She only visited her father once. That’s all. I swear it.” My hand tightened on his collar. “You’re sure?” Lucas nodded, voice flat. “She’s under constant surveillance, Dante. We’d know if something was wrong.” I stared into his eyes for another long second before shoving him back. He straightened his jacket like I hadn’t just manhandled him,
Lucia’s POV The venue glimmered like something out of a dream or a very well-funded lie. Crystal chandeliers hung from ceilings so high they could scrape heaven. Women in fancy dresses moved through the room like ghosts dipped in gold, while men in dark suits stood around the edges with whiskey in one hand, secrets in the other. Soft buzzes from security earpieces filled the air.I stood near the bar, pretending to sip champagne. I hadn’t taken more than two mouthfuls. My stomach was still knotted from what I’d learned days ago.Betrayal tasted like blood at the back of my throat and no matter how much champagne I drank, I couldn’t get rid of it. It ruined everything, turning something sweet into something so bitter and rotten.Dante was busy speaking to a cluster of high-ranking Mafia associates near the grand piano, his jaw tight and gestures sharp. His dark eyes scanned the room constantly, every movement like a predator calculating its next strike. I watched him and couldn’t help