LOGINGia's POV
I shook my head in disbelief, trying to make sense of the cruel words spilling from his mouth. He didn’t just want a night with me, he wanted to use my body as punishment for my father’s sins. It was sick, too much for me to process. And yet, the look in his eyes told me he meant every word. I was trapped. But what unsettled me most was that the way he looked at me made my skin tingle with heat instead of just fear. No. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t be weak, especially not with a man like him. I had to fight this. Fight whatever was waking up inside me. I had to fight him. “You can’t just keep me here,” I protested, forcing strength into my voice. “You paid for just one night with me.” His expression softened slightly. “One night wouldn’t be enough, not for what I have planned for you.” “No!” I shot back at him. “That wasn’t the deal. Vincenzo said...” He chuckled, low and bitter, cutting me off. “Vincenzo is a greedy bastard who sells flesh for pocket change. And in case it slipped your pretty little mind, I paid a whopping ten million dollars just to get you out of that hellhole. Do you even know what those men wanted?” My chest heaved, breath shallow. Ten million... No man would pay that kind of money just to sleep with a woman. There had to be more. “They wanted me to take you right there, to spread your thighs and fuck you in front of them like a show. Is that what you would’ve preferred?” “No,” I shook my head, eyes stinging with tears. “Those men might be vile, but they aren’t the ones who murdered my father in cold blood, so I’d rather take my chances out there than be trapped in here with you.” His eyes darkened. “Enough. I’m not interested in your little speeches anymore. Is that understood?” Then he turned, walked across the room, opened a drawer, and pulled out a black file. Without a word, he tossed it toward me. It landed on the couch beside me with a soft thud. I stared at it, confused. “What is this?” “Open it,” he said coolly. My hands trembled as I reached for it. I flipped it open. And my heart sank. The title was stamped in bold, black ink. Mistress Contract. I blinked. “What the...” My eyes scanned the page. Terms. Conditions. Rules I couldn’t believe I was reading. A clause stating that once I signed, my body would belong to him. My submission was his to control. He would dictate when I was touched, how I was touched, and I would have no right to refuse. No safe words. No questions. Just obedience. Total, unquestioning obedience. I would be his plaything, molded by his desires, trained to respond only to him. And if I dared resist, he would break me until I learned how to kneel. In exchange, he’d erase every debt my father owed, and offer me protection. But I would be owned by him forever. He wanted to make me his personal whore for life. This contract was written like I was just property. What sick lawyer drew this up? I was certain this wasn’t even legal. But I guess in the mafia world, anything was. I looked up at him, completely horrified. How evil could a man be? Fury surged in my chest. “You’re insane if you think I’ll ever sign this,” I spat. “I’ll never be your mistress, not for all the money in the world, or your so-called protection.” His face changed, and he crossed the room in seconds. His hand gripped a fistful of my hair, not yanking, but firm enough to make me yelp as our eyes locked. “Let go of me!” He didn’t. His breath was close now. I could see every unhinged emotion in his eyes that revealed his possessive need for control. “You will sign it,” he demanded coldly. “Because if you don’t, I’ll send you back to Vincenzo, and this time I won’t stop him. You saw that pig, Diallo, the sick bastard begging me to take you in front of a crowd like a circus act?” I swallowed hard. “He’ll be the first to get his disgusting hands on you. And then the rest will follow. Vincenzo will sell you again and again to the highest bidder until there’s nothing left of you. Do you understand me?” Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “You think you’re free? That your last name protects you? Your father owed people more than you can count. There’s a line of men waiting to collect. The moment I walked into that room and paid for you, I spared you. And now you belong to me.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “And I’m giving you more than any of them would. A roof, safety, protection. All you have to do is sign.” My chest heaved. “You’re despicable,” I seethed. “You and all those men, filthy, shameless, disgusting. How can you take pleasure in watching a woman be destroyed?” His grip loosened from my hair as he stared at me mockingly. “Your father took pleasure in it,” he whispered, voice venomous. “He did worse to women, far worse. Don’t you dare wear a crown of innocence for him.” I froze. The weight of his words crashed over me. Was it true? Could my father have done those things? I shoved the thought away. “I hate you,” I hissed. His fingers, rough and tender at the same time which surprised me, caressed my scalp, then slid slowly to the nape of my neck, continuing lower until his palm pressed into the small of my back. And then, without warning, he pulled me forward, my body colliding with the hard wall of his chest. My breath hitched. Every part of him was pressed against me. Heat radiated off him, seeping through my skin, lighting up parts of me I didn’t know existed. “It’s useless to fight me, Gia,” he murmured. “I’ll conquer every part of you.” His grip tightened. “You can’t run. You can’t hide. And the sooner you accept that, the less it’ll hurt.” I summoned whatever strength I had and shoved at his chest. But the second my hands touched him, I stilled. He didn’t budge. Every part of him was solid and hot. My fingers curled slightly into his shirt instead of pushing back. And he made it worse by pressing his hand harder into my spine, pushing my core against his. “Think I’m a monster?” he whispered, his voice calm as ever. “You’re not wrong. But out there...” His lips hovered near my ear, voice dark. “There are worse. And they’re waiting for you.” My heart pounded in my chest, harder than before. And then, just like that, he let go. The heat disappeared with him. I should’ve felt relief. Instead, it felt like a tiny part of me missed that heat. He turned back to the desk, pulled out another folder, and tossed it onto the couch beside me. “Your father didn’t just owe Vincenzo.” A chill ran through me. He flipped the file open and pointed to a page. “Three names. All worse than me. Men your father borrowed from in the past year alone. Do you know why?” I shook my head. “To buy power,” he said, lifting a brow. “Weapons. Connections. He wanted a bigger seat at the table. But he got greedy. And reckless.” “That’s not true,” I whispered, voice cracking. He didn’t blink. “He never told you, did he?” “Oh, it’s true,” he continued coldly. “Your daddy planned a shipment of black market weapons, routed through the borders. Only I got there first. I intercepted every damn crate. Left him with knockoffs and a long list of furious investors.” “You’re making all of this up to justify what you did,” I countered, terror gripping my throat. “You’re trying to scare me into giving in.” For a second, his expression softened. “You’ll find out,” he said quietly. “In time. Who your father really was. And how many lives he destroyed.” Then his voice dropped lower, more lethal. “But for now....” He stepped in, his gaze dipping inside my cleavage like a predator sizing up its prey. “I plan to get to know every inch of you. Because now, you belong to me.” His hand moved slowly, sliding across my chest. The sheer fabric of the dress was useless, barely hiding the curve of my breasts. I saw it in his eyes, the hunger, the ownership. He stared at my breasts like they were his to devour. And my body, God help me, reacted. His touch sparked a heat low in my belly, and I fought to shut it down before it took over completely. “You disgust me,” I choked out, hoping it would push him away. “Do I?” His thumb slid even lower, inside the dress, teasing the top of my chest in feathery strokes. “I will never belong to you!” I jerked back, trying to break free. “Oh, pretty little thing...” he leaned in, voice mocking, “your body already says otherwise.” I looked down and gasped. My nipples were hard and already peaking through the sheer fabric, as if begging for his attention. “No...” I tried to cover myself, humiliated. But he caught my wrists before I could. Then he yanked me against him, chest to chest. My sensitive peaks brushed against the hard plane of his chest. The contact sent a jolt through me, and a gasp escaped before I could stop it. “Oh God...” The sudden sound startled me, and the smug look on his face made it clear he noticed. He was enjoying every second of watching my body react to him. It only deepened my hatred for him. He wanted to humiliate me, but I wasn’t going to let that happen. Ever. “You only bought my virginity!” I cried, trembling, not from fear, but from the desperate need to end his cold torment. “Take it... and let me go.” He let out a dark, amused laugh. “Oh no. I bought all of you, your tears, your moans, your rebellion, and your surrender.” His eyes burned, but what made it worse was how utterly unrepentant he looked. All the rage I’d carried since the night he shattered my world surged through me, twice as fierce, too heavy to hold back. So I lashed out. “You’re the worst kind of monster, a murderer without a shred of guilt for his victims.” His features shifted, hardening into something ruthless and unforgiving. “Then I’ll be your monster, the one who brings you to your fucking knees.”GIANNA'S POV "Dance." He held out his hand, that devastating smile on his face. "Dance with me, Mrs. De Luca." "That was smooth." I placed my hand in his, letting him pull me close. "I'll give you points for that." "I try." His grin turned wicked as his arms wrapped around me. I melted into his chest, breathing in his scent. "Don De Luca," I murmured against his shirt. "So commanding and possessive." "Only with what's mine." His hand splayed protectively across my stomach, and I rested my head on his chest as we swayed together under the stars. The waves rolled in behind us as I listened to the steady beat of his heart. "Who knew you were such a dancer?" I tilted my head back to look at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He spun me out, then pulled me back against him with practiced ease. "I've never danced a day in my life." "Is that so?" I laughed as he dipped me slightly, his strength the only thing keeping me from falling. "Because this feels suspici
GIANNA'S POV His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" "I don't think I'm allowed to drink." My voice came out carefully neutral. The confusion on his face instantly morphed into concern. "Why? What's wrong?" His hand came to my face, tilting it toward the lantern light as if checking for signs of illness. "Are you alright? Gianna, talk to me. Is something wrong?" "Calm down." I caught his hand, holding it between both of mine. "It's not what you think." "Then what is it?" His eyes searched mine, fear and worry mixing in their depths. "You know how you forced me to go to the doctor yesterday?" I bit my lip, watching his expression carefully. "Yes." He nodded slowly. "And you said the doctor told you it was just the flu." "Well..." I took a breath. "I sort of lied." His entire body went rigid. "Lied? Gianna, what..." "Do you remember, about a year ago, that contract we signed?" I spoke quickly, needing to get it all out before I lost my nerve. "About children?" His ex
GIANNA'S POVI blinked my eyes open to find Dante sitting on the edge of the bed, silhouetted against the golden light of sunset streaming through the balcony doors."What time is it?" My voice came out groggy."Almost seven." His hand continued its soothing path through my hair. "You slept for three hours.""Three..." I pushed up, suddenly more alert. "Why didn't you wake me?""Because you needed it." He leaned down to kiss my forehead. "You look better. More color in your cheeks.""I feel better." It was true. The bone-deep exhaustion that had plagued me for weeks felt lighter, more manageable. "Much better, actually.""Good." His eyes searched mine, concern evident even as he smiled. "I had Lucia bring up a few dresses. For dinner.""Dinner?" My gaze traveled toward the balcony, noticing for the first time how the sky had turned shades of orange and pink. "Where are we going?""You'll see." His smile turned mysterious. "Get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs."He left before I could
GIANNA'S POVThe blindfold covering my eyes blocked out everything except the sound of waves and the salt-tinged breeze that brushed across my skin.Dante guided me forward across what felt like sand beneath my feet."Can I take this off yet?" I reached for the blindfold with my free hand."Not yet." His voice held that note of amusement I'd come to know so well. "Patience, pretty doll.""I'm not good at patience.""I'm aware." He squeezed my hand. "Just a few more steps."We walked for another minute before he stopped. His hands came up to the blindfold, fingers brushing against my temples as he slowly untied it."Okay," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "Open your eyes."The blindfold fell away, and I blinked against the sudden brightness. Then my breath hitched.We stood on a white sand beach, crystal blue water stretching endlessly before us. But it wasn't just any beach.Recognition slammed into me as I took in the private villa behind us, the familiar curve of the sho
GIANNA'S POVThe news of Mira and Bruno's engagement had shifted the energy for the rest of the evening, filling it with joy, hope, and the promise of new beginnings.By the time we said goodnight to everyone, exhaustion had settled into my bones.Dante helped me up the stairs, his arm secure around my waist, taking most of my weight without making it obvious.When we reached our bedroom, he guided me toward the bed, but I pulled away."I can undress myself," I said, reaching for the buttons on my blouse."I know you can." His hands covered mine, stilling them. "But you're not going to.""Dante." I tried for stern, but it came out weak. "I'm not an invalid.""No, you're exhausted." He brushed my hands aside and began unbuttoning my blouse himself. "And stubborn as hell.""I'm fine.""You threw up your dinner, pretty doll." His fingers moved efficiently down the buttons. "You're not fine.""It was just one time.""This week." He slipped the blouse off my shoulders. "You've been sick al
GIANNA'S POVWhen the worst of it passed, I sat against the cool tile wall, wiping my mouth with trembling fingers. Embarrassment heated my cheeks."Sorry," I whispered."Don't apologize." He sat beside me, pulling me against his side. "What's going on? Have you been feeling sick?""Just the past week or so." I leaned my head on his shoulder, exhaustion settling into my bones. "I think it's just stress. And I probably ate something that didn't agree with me.""We're going to the doctor." His tone left no room for argument. "Tomorrow. First thing.""Dante, I'm fine. Really. It's nothing.""It's not nothing." His arm tightened around me. "You've been working too hard, not eating enough, barely sleeping. Your body is telling you to slow down."Arielle appeared in the doorway, her face creased with concern. "Mom? Are you okay?""I'm fine, sweetheart." I managed a weak smile. "Just something I ate, I think.""Are you sure?" She came closer, kneeling in front of us. "You look really pale."
Gianna’s POV Dante's hand moved faster, rougher now, veins straining as he pumped his cock with furious precision. “You like this, don’t you?” His words came broken, ragged with lust. “You like watching me stroke it, imagining how deep I’ll fuck you with it. Look at you… writhing like my little m
Dante’s POV Seline closed the distance between us, her pleading eyes locked onto mine. “Please,” she whispered, “let this go. For Esmeralda.” “No.” My voice intensified. “You don’t get to tell me to let this go.” My palm slammed against the desk, the sound cracking through the room. “You weren
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







