Chapter 4

The cold war began.

For three days straight, neither of us said a word to the other.

On the fourth day, my father summoned me to the living room.

"Sylvia, you're not getting any younger. It's time to think about settling down."

He handed me a photograph.

"This is Matteo Bellini, the son of a casino mogul. You're having dinner with him tonight at the Peninsula Hotel."

I was about to say no, but then Leon's stupid, punchable face flashed through my mind.

I clenched my jaw.

"Fine. I'll go."

I'd show that jerk that Sylvia Cosimo didn't need him.

The Peninsula Hotel. Rooftop restaurant.

I walked into the restaurant in a red backless evening gown, my arm linked with Matteo's.

Matteo was a polished, charming type, attentive to my every need.

We had just reached the door of our reserved private room.

I stopped dead.

The door to the next room had opened at the same moment.

Leon stood there in a white suit, a blue-eyed blonde on his arm.

Elena Moretti, the daughter of an underground banker.

Our eyes met.

The air crackled with tension.

I scoffed.

"Well, well. Mr. Romanov. What a coincidence. Bringing your girlfriend to dinner?"

Leon raised an eyebrow and deliberately pulled Elena closer.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Elena is sweet and considerate. Much better than certain short-tempered women I could name."

I squeezed the clutch in my hand until my knuckles went white.

Matteo pulled out my chair like a gentleman.

"Sylvia, ignore him. Let's sit."

Leon's gaze instantly sharpened like a blade.

He turned to the waiter.

"Take this chair away and bring a new one. Someone else has touched it. It's dirty."

The showdown was officially on.

We'd originally booked separate rooms, but the restaurant manager declared it was "easier for security" and seated all four of us at one large table.

Four people, face to face.

Elena leaned over and adjusted Leon's tie, her voice syrupy.

"Leon, you look so handsome tonight."

Watching that made my eye twitch.

I picked up the dinner knife from the table and squeezed.

The steel blade bent in my grip.

Matteo flinched.

"Sylvia, are you okay?"

I forced a smile.

"I'm fine. Cheap knife."

Leon stared at the bent knife in my hand, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He raised his glass and addressed Matteo directly.

"Word of advice, friend."

"Miss Cosimo can't hold her liquor. Three drinks in, she starts hugging everyone."

Matteo blinked.

"How would you know that?"

I slammed my palm on the table.

"He poured me drinks during an interrogation. I broke two of his ribs!"

Leon snorted.

"She has a scar on her waist. She hates people touching her there. You'd better behave."

Elena tilted her head, curious.

"And how do you know that?"

Leon stared at me, teeth clenched.

"Accidentally touched it during a fight."

Matteo and Elena exchanged a look.

They weren't stupid.

This wasn't enemies seeing red.

This was two jealous lovers tearing each other apart.

That was when I noticed something off.

I pulled out my phone to check the time.

No signal.

Leon checked his phone too, frowning.

The waiters began bringing out dishes.

One of them pushed a cart over, his name tag reading "Damian Varga."

That name had appeared right next to the tampered entry in yesterday's evidence file. He was a low-level handler responsible for the transfer.

He was still alive, and he'd infiltrated the restaurant.

I looked at Leon and tapped the table twice.

Our signal. Get ready.

Leon suddenly stood up and shoved his plate aside.

"This steak is garbage! I'm going down to the wine cellar to pick a bottle myself!"

I followed right behind.

"Good idea. The wine here isn't worthy of someone like me anyway."

We marched through the restaurant and down into the underground wine cellar.

The moment the cellar door closed, we were cut off from sight.

Leon drew his gun and ducked behind a row of oak barrels.

I pulled mine and pressed into the shadows by the door.

Soft footsteps approached from outside.

I flashed Leon a hand signal.

Bang! Bang!

Leon fired two shots into the open space.

I immediately threw back my head and cackled.

"Leon, your time is finally up! You're dead at my hands!"

Leon played his part perfectly, letting out an agonized scream before hitting the floor with a thud, playing dead.

A minute passed. The cellar door creaked open.

Damian slipped inside, gripping a silenced pistol, peering cautiously around the door.

He spotted Leon on the ground. A smug grin flickered across his face.

He was about to step forward to confirm the kill.

I lunged from behind the door, kicked the gun out of his hand, twisted his arm behind his back, and pinned him to the floor.

Leon sprang to his feet, whipped off his belt, and had Damian trussed up tight in seconds.

"Caught him." Leon dusted off his hands.

Damian thrashed against his bindings.

"You... this was a setup!"

I smacked the back of his head.

"Obviously. And you thought you were smart enough to set up both heirs?"

Damian's face drained of color. He clamped his lips shut.

With the assassin dealt with, the adrenaline finally ebbed.

I looked at Leon, remembering Elena adjusting his tie, and the irritation surged right back.

"Had fun on your date? Was Elena sweet enough for you?"

Leon strode over and pressed me against the wine cabinet.

"You're one to talk! That Matteo was pouring your wine, and you practically had your eyes glued to him!"

"You're the one who said we couldn't go public!"

We stood nose to nose, glaring like two roosters in a ring.

The next second, Leon dipped his head and kissed me fiercely.

The kiss was soaked in jealousy and pent-up frustration. I bit right back, refusing to lose.

We were all over each other in the cellar while Damian lay trussed up beside us, staring with eyes the size of saucers, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Mmph..." Damian tried to make a sound, probably something along the lines of: You two are insane!

Leon kissed me while mumbling against my lips.

"He pulled out your chair and you didn't even move away."

"You don't actually want to go public. You're just playing with my feelings."

I laughed in spite of my anger and shoved him away.

I rifled through Damian's pockets and pulled out a key stamped with a family crest, along with encrypted ledgers he'd been carrying.

I slapped them against Leon's chest.

"Mole caught. Evidence confirmed."

"Now we can go public."

I grabbed his collar, pushed him against the wine cabinet, and kissed him hard.

We were lost in the kiss, and Leon's hand was already slipping inside my gown.

Bang!

The cellar door was kicked open from outside.

My father and Dmitri stormed in with a small army behind them.

"Sylvia! Are you all right?"

"Leon! Where are those bastards?"

Both Dons' voices cut off mid-shout.

They saw the bodies on the floor. Damian trussed up.

And the two of us by the wine cabinet, clothes disheveled, lips swollen, wrapped around each other.