21

The thick tension in the basement dissipated the moment Giovanni shifted his stance. Instead of the cold-blooded Don who had just presided over a brutal interrogation, he smoothly dismissed the entire horrific scene as if nothing had actually happened. A faint, almost charming smile touched his lips as he stretched his hand forth toward her.

"Come," Giovanni said softly, his voice completely steady.

Rosa stared at his outstretched palm, her heart still hammering against her ribs, but she found herself stepping forward anyway.

Giovanni closed his fingers gently around hers, guiding her away from the shadows and toward the stairs. "You really shouldn't be wandering around the house, Rosa. First, you're sneaking into my study, and now you're down here in my business."

Rosa swallowed hard, trying to find her voice as they walked away from the suffocating scent of iron and concrete. "Is... am I not allowed to enter the study?"

Giovanni let out a low, quiet chuckle. "Oh, you are allowed. In fact, you are the only one who is actually allowed to enter my study aside from me." He paused at the top of the stairs, looking down at her. "Now, go get ready. We are going somewhere."

Rosa blinked, looking at him in confusion. "We?"

"Yes," he replied smoothly. "Go inside your room. There is a gown waiting for you."

When Rosa entered her bedroom, she found a stunning emerald green gown laid out across the bed. It was short, finely tailored, and cut low enough to accentuate her cleavage. She quickly changed into it, the silk smooth against her skin. Standing before the mirror, she gathered her dark hair, twisting it up into a neat, tight bun style to keep it out of her face.

Just as she was adjusting the final pin, the bedroom door opened. Giovanni walked in, fully changed into a crisp, fresh shirt. He paused, his dark eyes sweeping over her from head to toe, lingering on the exposed skin of her shoulders and neck.

Without a word, he crossed the room and stood directly behind her. His large hands reached up to her head. With a slow, deliberate movement, he pulled the pins loose, letting the tight bun unravel. Her dark hair cascaded down in loose, wild waves around her shoulders.

"Always let your hair down around me," Giovanni murmured, his deep voice vibrating against her neck as he looked at her reflection in the glass. "You are far more beautiful when you do that."

Rosa's breath hitched, her heart doing a dangerous flip at his proximity. When she finally walked downstairs with him, Felix, one of his main security drivers, was already standing by the door of a vehicle in the driveway. Felix stepped forward, intending to take the keys and drive them, but Giovanni held up a hand, telling him not to worry about it tonight.

Instead, they stepped into a sleek, matte-black Aston Martin Vantage.

As they drove out of the estate gates and onto the open road, the silence inside the cabin allowed Rosa's mind to drift. Suddenly, she randomly remembered the sharp, metallic smell of blood from the basement. Her stomach did a nervous flip, and the phantom scent made her feel entirely trapped.

"I... I need some air," Rosa murmured, rolling her shoulders uncomfortably.

Giovanni glanced at her, his sharp eyes taking in her pale expression. He knew exactly what made her lost in thought. Without saying a word, he reached over and pressed a button, causing the sleek car roof to slide open, letting the cool night air rush in to clear the memory of the basement.

But he didn't stop there. Knowing she was trapped in her own head, Giovanni shifted gears and increased the speed of his car, the engine roaring to life as they flew down the highway.

Rosa's head snapped up, the wind whipping through her loose hair. Her immediate look at him practically screamed, You are going to get us killed!

Giovanni didn't slow down. He simply smirked, keeping his eyes on the road. "You finally have my time."

Seeing his absolute confidence, her terror faded, replaced by a sudden rush of adrenaline. Rosa couldn't help it—she smiled, leaning back into the luxury leather seat as the city lights blurred past them.

In less than an hour, the Aston Martin pulled up to a discreet, heavily guarded establishment. As they entered, Rosa’s eyes widened. The atmosphere was thick with smoke, low music, and the loud chatter of high-stakes players. Everywhere she looked, people were playing games, and stacks of money were piled high on felt tables. She could easily tell that people were betting fortunes on every roll of the dice and turn of a card. Gorgeous ladies in tight dresses were touching the arms of wealthy men, whispering in their ears to distract them.

As Giovanni led her through the edge of the main floor, a loud commotion broke out at a nearby roulette table.

"No, please! You can't take that!" a man cried out, his voice cracking with desperation. He was clutching a piece of paper tightly to his chest, his face pale and sweating profusely under the bright lights. "My wife will kill me! That's our house certificate!"

The other men at the table didn't care. One of them coldly swept the stacks of chips away, while the dealer reached out to claim the paper. "A bet is a bet, pal. You stake the house, you lose the house."

The losing man began to constitute a massive nuisance, screaming and lunging across the felt table to grab his lost property back. Before he could disrupt the game any further, three hefty, broad-shouldered security men materialized from the shadows. They grabbed the man by his arms, lifting his feet completely off the ground, and ruthlessly bounced him outside into the cold night alley. The players at the table didn't even blink, immediately moving on to the next round.

Rosa watched the brutal efficiency of it, a chill running down her spine. Giovanni didn't guide her through the rest of the main floor; instead, he led her down a secure corridor into a private room. Rosa could tell immediately that this was the VIP room. The aura of the people in this room was entirely different—it belonged strictly to the rich and the powerful ones.

He took her deeper into a private, secluded sector of the VIP lounge, away from the other players. He turned to her, his dark eyes glittering under the crystal chandelier light.

"Do you know what they call this place?" he asked.

"No," Rosa admitted, looking around at the sheer opulence of the room.

"It is a gambling house," Giovanni stated calmly. "And I own the place."

Rosa's breath caught in her throat. She already knew he was incredibly wealthy, but she did not expect him to be *this* rich. The sheer scale of his empire was staggering.

"Just how rich are you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper as she looked at him.

Giovanni leaned back, a casual, powerful smirk on his lips. "If you must know... I own three five-star hotels in the heart of the city, two gambling houses including this one, a major corporate logistics company, a massive agricultural farm layout—"

Before he could list any more of his massive wealth, Rosa stepped forward and covered his mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with overwhelming shock. "That's enough," she breathed, completely stunned by the scale of his power.

Giovanni chuckled against her palm, his breath warm against her skin. He reached up, his large hand gently wrapping around her wrist to lower her hand. Lifting his other hand, he reached out to softly tuck a loose lock of her dark hair behind her ear.

The sudden movement caught her off guard. Images of the basement, the torture devices, and the blood flashed through her mind, and Rosa instinctively flinched away from his touch.

Giovanni's hand froze in the air. His expression softened, a serious, intense look overtaking his dark eyes as he stared at her.

"I will never hurt you," he said, his voice dropping to a low, fierce vow. "Why are you like that around me?"

Rosa swallowed hard, her heart pounding against her ribs as she looked into his eyes, seeing the absolute truth in his words.

Giovanni sat down on a plush leather armchair, leaning back comfortably. The vulnerability vanished, replaced by a possessive, commanding glint in his eyes.

He gestured toward his lap. "Stand up, come here, and sit on my lap."