Chapter 3

Several signed transfer agreements lay on the table.

And that wasn't all. He was handing back every piece of territory and every route he'd taken from us over the years.

No wonder my father had been so cordial to him tonight.

I turned back and hooked a finger around Dante's tie.

"You're trying to win me over with property you stole from my family. Clever move."

"Which is why... I also arranged this."

He clapped, and the waiters slowly drew back the sheer curtains over the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The giant screen on the building across the street suddenly lit up, and the digital billboards lining the street switched to the same display.

My name appeared on the screens, along with Dante's declaration of love and marriage proposal, broadcast on billboards across the city.

The room erupted in whistles and cheers.

I raised an eyebrow at Dante.

"You put on quite a show. Aren't you afraid I'll say no and embarrass you?"

"Terrified." His eyes crinkled with amusement. "So please go easy on me, Ms. Moretti."

With everyone watching, Dante went down on one knee and took a ring box out of his pocket.

He slowly opened the lid, revealing a sparkling diamond ring on black velvet.

He looked up at me, the usual mischief in his eyes replaced by genuine sincerity.

"Camila Moretti, will you marry me?"

I couldn't help smiling. Part of me wanted to tease him a little more.

But this handsome, dangerous man was now gazing at me with such intensity, silently waiting for my answer.

I held out my left hand.

"Yes."

Dante smiled and instinctively pressed a kiss to my fingertips. He was just about to take the ring out of its box when—

"Get your hands off her!"

The furious shout came from the top of the stairs.

Nico raced up the stairs, only to be stopped by the guards at the entrance.

His clothes were a mess, and his gaze was fixed on Dante, who was still kneeling in front of me.

The cheering stopped. Every eye in the room went to Nico.

Dante didn't even turn around. He took my hand and gently slid the ring all the way onto my finger. Only then did he stand and put an arm around my waist.

"Do I really have to teach you how to treat an uninvited guest?"

The moment Dante spoke, his guards moved in.

They wrenched Nico's arms behind his back and kicked the backs of his knees, forcing him to his knees.

He let out a muffled groan and struggled desperately, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Camila! Please, I'm begging you, talk to me!"

I continued admiring the sparkling diamond on my finger, making no move to respond.

"Yesterday you were still wearing my engagement ring, and today you've agreed to marry him? How much longer are you going to punish me?

"You win, Camila. Please stop torturing me, okay?"

Quiet laughter rippled around the room.

My father slammed his glass down on the table and swept a cold look over the guests.

The laughter died instantly.

I gave Nico a sideways look and spoke coldly.

"Our engagement is over, Nico. You're the one who called it off. Go marry Leah. As for me, you have no right to interfere in my life anymore."

Nico's pale lips twitched, and his expression hardened.

"No. You can't marry him!"

He wrenched himself free and lunged at me!

Before I could move, Dante wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me back.

Nico never even got close enough to touch the hem of my dress before the guards seized him by the collar and slammed him to the floor.

He groaned in pain, breathing heavily, his bloodshot eyes still fixed stubbornly on me.

"Camila..."

Hurried footsteps came up the stairs.

"Don't touch him!"

Leah came rushing up the stairs, breathless. Tears streamed down her face as she spread her arms to shield Nico.

"Don Moretti, please make them let go! Nico spent three years undercover with the most dangerous drug lord in Mexico for this family. His body is covered in wounds. You can't treat him like this!"

My father stared at her as he rubbed the Moretti signet ring on his thumb.

"For God's sake, he dumped my daughter in front of the whole family... He should be grateful he's still breathing."

Leah shrank back under his intimidating gaze before turning to me in a daze.

"Camila, I know you hate me, but God brought Nico and me together. I only wanted to be with him. I never meant to come between you two.

"Please let him go! I'll do anything!"

She looked at me with tears shining in her eyes.

I laughed softly.

"Leah, wasn't Nico the one who barged in and disrupted my engagement ceremony? Actions have consequences. Besides—"

I smirked contemptuously. "You mean nothing to us. Why would any of us demand anything from you?"

A few people couldn't help laughing.

Leah's face went red.

Nico immediately started struggling.

"Camila! Do you have to humiliate her like this?"

Even pinned down, he instinctively leaned toward Leah.

I'd suddenly lost all interest in the confrontation.

Dante noticed the change in my expression, and his demeanor instantly turned icy. He gave his guards a slight nod.

"Take them out. Show them some hospitality."

The two of them were dragged away, Nico's desperate shouts fading into the distance.

I sighed and rested my head against Dante's chest. He slipped his arms around my waist.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll take care of everything for you."

A flutter of warmth stirred in my chest. Unable to resist, I rose onto my toes and kissed him.

Dante's breath caught.

I started to pull away, but he cradled the back of my neck and leaned in to kiss me again.

His arm tightened around my waist, and I lost myself completely in the kiss.

Even after I pushed him away, he seemed reluctant to let go.

"Camila..." He pressed his forehead against mine, his gaze darkening.

"I've been waiting so long to kiss you."