MasukGIANNA'S POV"Dante has always been mine." Selene released me with a shove that made me rock back on my bound hands. "You think you can just waltz in here and become the mafia queen? Where were you when my sister died and I was the one taking care of Arielle? Picking up the slack when he was so sunk in his grief he didn't have time for his own daughter? I was there for him. I was there through everything."She began pacing again, her movements agitated."And suddenly he claims to have fallen in love with the daughter of the man who killed my sister? The daughter of his mortal enemy? Tell me how that makes any sense, Gianna. Tell me how that's fair.""I'm sorry if you think I stole anything from you." Fear made my voice shake, but I pushed through it. "But it was never my intention. What happened between Dante and me wasn't planned. It just happened. We didn't set out to fall in love. We hated each other at first. But somewhere along the line, that hatred transformed into love.""Don't
GIANNA'S POVPain announced itself before consciousness fully returned, a dull throbbing that radiated from my temple through my entire skull. I tried to lift my hand to touch the source of the ache, but my arm wouldn't move. Confusion filtered through the fog in my mind. Why couldn't I move?I tried to open my eyes, but they felt too heavy. The moment I forced them apart, pain shot through my head, and nausea rolled through my stomach.My wrists hurt, something rough dug into my skin. I tried to pull my hands apart, but they were tied tightly behind me, straining my shoulders.Panic stirred in my chest like a trapped bird.I forced my eyes open, blinking through the blur. Slowly, the room came into focus.The warehouse.We had come here to save Arielle.The memory came back all at once. The ambush that wasn't an ambush. Alfonso going down. The guards being shot. Selene's hand in my hair, her voice as she called me a stupid bitch.My breathing quickened. I pulled against the rest
GIANNA'S POV"Lady Gianna..." Alfonso started, clearly preparing to argue."That's the plan." I opened my door before I could second-guess myself further, before rational thought could override desperate action. "Let's move."The evening air carried a chill that had nothing to do with temperature, raising goosebumps along my arms despite the lingering warmth of the day. Alfonso positioned his men with hand signals, silent communication born of years working together. Two guards peeled off to circle the building while the rest formed up near the entrance.Selene appeared at my elbow, her presence somehow oppressive despite her smaller frame. "The side door should be unlocked. That's where I saw them go in.""How do you know it's unlocked?" The question escaped before I could stop it."I... I just assumed. They were in a hurry, probably didn't think about securing every entrance."Reasonable, but why did it sound like a lie?Alfonso tested the door, and it swung open with a rusty groan
GIANNA'S POV Alfonso hesitated another moment, his eyes searching my face, then nodded and jogged toward the guard house. I turned back to Selene, taking in her battered appearance with fresh concern. "You should stay here. Get cleaned up, get looked at by the doctor. You've been through trauma, and..." "No." Selene's interruption was firm, brooking no argument. "I'm the only one who knows where they went. You need me to guide you there." "Selene..." "She's my niece too, Gianna." Fierce determination burned in Selene's eyes, incongruous with her disheveled state. "I'm not sitting here safe while she's out there scared and alone. I'm coming with you." Part of me wanted to argue, to insist she stay behind where she'd be safe and could recover from her ordeal. But time was bleeding away with each passing second, and I couldn't afford to waste more of it in debate. "Fine." I pulled out my phone again, typing out a quick message to Dante explaining the situation, my thumbs moving clu
GIANNA'S POV Dante had left earlier to set the plan to draw my father out into motion. About an hour ago, he’d sent word that everything was in place and the plan was ready to move forward. That could only mean one thing. My father could die today. I didn’t know how to feel about that. He had never been a good father. After seeing him again after all these months, I finally understood what Dante had been trying to tell me. My father was a monster who cared about no one but himself. Whatever Dante had planned for him, he deserved it. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. But a part of my heart still ached at the thought of watching my father die. So I forced myself to focus on something else. I’d been studying shipping manifests for the past hour, tracking legitimate business ventures that helped fund the less savory aspects of the clan’s operations, when Alfonso’s voice shattered my concentration. "Lady Gianna!" His boots pounded up the stairs, each footfall carryin
GIANNA'S POV"Do I have to go?"Arielle's voice carried a tremor that made my chest ache. She stood in the foyer, her small frame dwarfed by the overnight bag at her feet, her eyes fixed on Dante with an expression that spoke of too many goodbyes already said in her young life.Dante crouched down to her level despite the obvious pain the movement caused him. His hands came up to cup her face with a tenderness that never failed to surprise me, all that ruthless violence transformed into pure paternal devotion."Sweetheart, you know I don't want you to leave." His thumb brushed across her cheek. "But I need you safe. Your grandparents' house is far from all this mess, and that's where you need to be right now. Do you understand?"Arielle's lower lip quivered. "I hope this is the last time we have to be separated as a family."The word family lodged in my throat like broken glass. She'd said it so naturally, including me in that circle of protection and belonging without hesitation."
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
Dante's POVI knew Gianna's promise not to harm herself wasn't enough. I had to give her a way out, some control she could hold onto, or she'd never stop trying to escape."And in return for giving me your word, I'll strike another deal with you."Her eyebrows lifted. "What kind of deal?""I propos
Dante's POV The moment her hand moved, I lunged. I didn’t waste a second or stop to consider the consequences. My protective instinct rose so fast it drowned everything else out, and all that mattered was reaching her, stopping her, closing the space between us in a heartbeat. I grabbed her wrist
Dante's POVI climbed onto the bed slowly, my eyes locked on hers. The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I hovered over her, close enough to feel her breath against my skin. Her body trembled beneath me, her bare skin flushed, glowing softly in the dim light.Her breasts rose and fell with every







