LOGINGianna's POVThe car pulled through tall iron gates, winding down a private drive shaded by palm trees.A buffed man in a black suit opened the door. "Mrs. DeLuca, welcome."He nodded to Mira and me. "Ladies."I stepped out and froze.The house sat on the hill, bright in the sun, with flowers everywhere. The pool faced the sea, and there was music, laughter, and people in the water.Vera noticed Mira and me staring. She gestured toward the estate. "Welcome to paradise."Mira pulled off her sunglasses. "Holy shit. This is gorgeous."I blinked. "Mira's right. This place is... I don't even know what to say."Vera grinned. "You haven't seen the rest."She led the way toward the main entrance."This estate belongs to the Navarro family," Vera explained as we walked. "They've been close to Cesare for years. Roberto runs one of the largest arms operations in Europe. Very powerful. Very wealthy."I glanced at her, shocked. "So we're hanging out with arms dealers now?"Vera laughed. "Welcome t
Gianna's POVI dragged myself down to the patio, every step a reminder of last night. My body was still oversensitive and ached. I'd barely slept, tossing and turning, desperately craving release.Vera was already at the table, looking beautiful in a cream linen dress. She glanced up as I approached, and her eyebrows lifted."Gianna," she said warmly. Her voice trailed off as she took me in. "You look beautiful and also... exhausted."I dropped into the chair across from her. "Good morning to you too."She leaned forward, eyes bright with curiosity. "He kept you up all night, didn't he?"My face went hot. "Sort of."A server appeared with a basket of pastries, fruit, and orange juice. The smell of warm bread made my stomach turn."Tell me everything." Vera poured juice into both glasses. "The lingerie, did he notice?"I grabbed a croissant and tore off a piece. "He noticed.""And?""And nothing." I stuffed the pastry in my mouth.Her face fell. "Nothing? What do you mean, nothing?"I
Dante's POVGianna had been right. I had been avoiding her and the tension between us.Tonight, she stepped out of the bathroom wearing red lingerie, looking sexy as hell. The moment she appeared, her eyes locked on mine, hungry and full of desire. It was obvious what she wanted. She was trying to seduce me.For days, I kept my distance, even though wanting her hurt worse than staying away.So I intentionally acted uninterested and made her work for it. But the truth was, I had been holding myself back, my control hanging by a thread.When your wife says she doesn't want to sleep with you on your wedding night because she doesn't trust you, it does something to you. It makes you want to shut off every emotion, especially when you feel like you've laid everything out for her.Had I really, though?I had never actually told her how I truly felt.But she should have known. I showed her every day. I was willing to take a bullet for her, for fuck's sake, even if it meant leaving my daughte
Gianna's POVDante reached down and pulled his shirt over his head swiftly.His torso was all lean muscle and defined lines, the kind of body that looked like it had been carved from marble.His abs flexed as he settled back against the headboard, arms folding behind his head.A cocky grin spread across his face, the kind that both infuriated and thrilled me.He looked like a king waiting to be serviced, completely at ease while I was falling apart."Well?" His voice was smooth, taunting. "I'm waiting."Heat flooded my face, spreading down my neck and chest. "This is...""What? Too much?" He tilted his head, eyes glinting with challenge. "You came in here dressed like temptation itself, swaying your hips, pushing your tits in my face, grinding that perfect ass against my cock. Now you're shy?""You're making fun of me.""I'm not." His expression softened slightly, but the heat in his eyes remained. "I'm trying to teach you how to take what you want. Stop waiting for permission."My th
Gianna's POV"I've been working.”"You leave early. You come back late." I moved closer to the bed, my body tingling with awareness, every nerve ending hyperconscious of the barely there lingerie I wore. "It feels like you barely have time for me anymore."Dante leaned back against the headboard."What do you want me to do, Gianna?""I want..." I trailed off, unsure how to say it, how to admit that I wanted him to look at me the way he had on our wedding night, like I was the only thing in the world that mattered."What?" His voice was careful, controlled."I want us to stop pretending.""Pretending what?""That this is just an arrangement. That we do not feel anything."Dante's face went hard. The mask slipped and I saw hurt underneath, anger, frustration. "I'm following the boundaries you set."I blinked. "What boundaries?""The ones where we do not have to pretend when it is just us. Nobody is here to perform for, remember?" He threw my own words back at me, and they stung."That i
Anna's POV"You live in today," Vera's voice was firm. "You stop living in fear of what might happen and start living in what is happening. Life is offering you love, Gianna. Twisted fate brought you two together. Do not throw it away because you are scared.""I do not know how to fix things." My voice broke. "I have tried, but he has been so closed off since then."Vera sat back, thinking. "Honesty. That is where you start. You need to tell him everything you just told me. How you feel. Why you are afraid. All of it.""And if that is not enough?""It will be." Vera squeezed my hand again. "But you might need to do more than talk. A romantic dinner, just the two of you. I can help set it up.""That sounds..." I trailed off, hope blooming in my chest."Good. But there is something else you need to understand." Vera's tone turned serious. "Dante's ego and his feelings were hurt. You rejected him on your wedding night. That hurts any man, but especially someone like Dante. He is used to
DANTE'S POVMy heart stopped beating for a second.Fear replaced every bit of desire and anger I had felt earlier. This was not just about tonight. This was her giving up. Walking away from our arrangement.No."What do you mean, done?" I kept my voice level, refusing to let the panic show."I mean
GIANNA'S POV"Gianna, you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."Arielle's voice was full of genuine warmth as she stood before me, her eyes shining with emotion. She looked so much like Dante in that moment, the same intensity, the same piercing gaze."Thank you, Arielle," I said softly, rea
Gianna’s POVJealousy burned through me. My nails dug into my palms.I could not stand the thought. The image of Dante with another woman, touching her, inside her, making her feel what he made me feel…Hell would freeze over before it happened.Dante must have felt me tense because his arm tighten
Gianna’s POVThe reception was in full swing.A live band played from the corner, classical and elegant. The music drifted through the hall, turning the evening into something otherworldly.The long table was draped in white silk and covered with elaborate floral arrangements. We were seated at the



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