Chapter 5

Lily's POV

I stood in the doorway of his bedroom, frozen. The air felt thick, like I was trying to breathe underwater. My heart hammered against my ribs, but it wasn't the fast, excited beat I felt when he looked at me. This was a cold, sharp thumping.

Dante was sitting in his large leather chair. He looked like a king on a throne, but he wasn’t alone. A woman named Geneva was on her knees between his legs. I knew her; she was beautiful in a way that made me feel small. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders as she moved, her head bobbing in a rhythm that made my stomach turn.

I gasped, the sound escaping before I could stop it. I expected Dante to push her away. I expected him to look ashamed. But he didn’t. Instead, his large hand shot out, tangling in Geneva’s hair. He didn't let her look up. He pressed her head down firmly, keeping her face buried against him.

He was protecting me, though I didn't realize it then. He didn't want her to see my face. He didn't want the underworld to know who I was. But in that moment, it just felt like he was choosing her.

"What are you doing here?" Dante asked. His voice was deeper than usual, husky and rough. He didn't look at Geneva. He kept his eyes locked on mine.

"Dante..." I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Go back to your room, little girl," he said. The words were a slap. He didn't use my name. He never did when he wanted to hurt me.

I stayed. I couldn't move. I watched the way his muscles tensed. I watched Geneva’s hands roam over his thick thighs, her fingers digging into his expensive trousers. The sight made a hot, ugly fire burn in my chest. I was jealous. I was so jealous it felt like I was choking on it.

Dante saw the look on my face. A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. He leaned back, his eyes darkening as he watched me watch them. He wanted me to see. He wanted to torture me.

"You like the view?" he taunted. "Take a good look. This is what a real woman does. This is what I need."

"Stop it," I choked out.

"Why?" He let out a low, breathy groan as Geneva worked harder. His hand tightened in her hair, pulling her closer. "You think you could handle this? You think you could handle me? You wouldn't know where to start. To me, you’ll always just be a little girl playing dress-up. You’re soft. You’re weak. You could never be what she is to me."

His words were like poison. He was telling me I was nothing. He was telling me that the heat I felt between us last night was all in my head. I felt tears prick the backs of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of him.

I turned and bolted. I ran down the hallway, my footsteps echoing against the cold floor. I didn't even remember why I had gone to his room in the first place. I just needed to be away from the sound of his voice and the sight of that woman's hands on him.

I slammed my bedroom door and leaned against it, gasping for air. My room felt too quiet, too empty. I stripped off my clothes, my skin feeling itchy and wrong, and threw on a thin silk nightdress. I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin, but I couldn't stop shaking.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. I saw the way he looked at me while she was pleasuring him. He was so cruel. He was the man my father trusted, the man who was supposed to keep me safe, but he was the one hurting me the most.

The anger began to settle into a dull, heavy ache. I couldn't sleep. My mind was a mess of Dante’s smirk and the fear I had been carrying for weeks. I missed my father. I needed someone who actually cared about me.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and walked out onto the balcony. The night air was cool, biting at my bare skin, but I didn't care. I dialed my father’s private number. I held the phone to my ear, praying to hear his deep, steady voice.

“The user you are trying to reach is out of reach. Please try again later.”

I hung up and dialed again. And again. And again. Each time, the same cold, robotic voice answered me.

"Please, Dad," I sobbed into the quiet night. "Please just answer. I’m scared. I don’t want to be here anymore."

The weight of everything—the danger, my father’s disappearance, and Dante’s cruelty—finally broke me. I sank to the floor of the balcony, crouching low, burying my face in my knees. I cried until my throat hurt. I felt so alone. I was trapped in a house with a monster who thought I was a child.

After a long time, the sound of a heavy door opening below me made me look up. I wiped my eyes and peered through the balcony railing.

The floodlights in the driveway were bright, cutting through the darkness. Two figures stepped out of the front door. It was Dante and Geneva.

Dante looked different now. He looked calm, his shirt slightly unbuttoned at the neck. They walked toward a sleek black car parked in the circle. I watched them, my heart squeezing painfully in my chest. They stopped by the driver’s side door.

They talked for a moment. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the intimacy between them was obvious. Then, Geneva reached up. She put her hand on his shoulder and leaned in, pressing a slow, lingering kiss on his cheek. Dante didn't pull away. He stood there and took it, his expression unreadable in the harsh light.

She got into the car and drove away, the red taillights disappearing down the long driveway. Dante stood there for a long time, watching the spot where she had gone.

I sat back on the cold stone of the balcony, my tears drying on my face. The sadness was gone now. In its place was something hard and sharp. Something dangerous.

He wanted to call me a little girl? He wanted to treat me like I was nothing? Fine. If he wanted a war, I would give him one. He thought he was the one in control because he was bigger and stronger, but he was wrong. He had a weakness, and I knew exactly what it was. He wouldn't be able to ignore me forever.

I stood up, my silk nightdress fluttering in the wind. I stared down at the top of his head as he finally turned to walk back inside.

"Dante," I whispered his name into the dark, my voice no longer trembling. It was a vow. "I am going to destroy you. I’m going to make you crawl. Before this is over, I’m going to bring you to your knees."

I went back inside, and for the first time that night, I slept perfectly still.