Chapter 2

My instinct screamed at me to shut the door. I wanted nothing to do with him.

Dante blocked it with his hand before I could and frowned at me. "You're avoiding me. Why?"

He leaned closer, studying me carefully. He still wore that cologne I used to love so much.

"You're angry," he said with certainty.

"Is it because of Serafina?"

I shook my head quickly. "I'm not angry. I'm happy you finally found the woman you love."

Something unreadable flickered in his eyes. My answer seemed to disappoint him. "Is that the truth? Or are you just being petty?"

Almost immediately, he scoffed. He clearly didn't believe me. "Viviana, don't tell me you still haven't gotten over me.

"You kissed me at your 18th birthday party when you were drunk. I still have the 99 love letters you snuck into my desk drawer."

My eyes widened. So he knew everything?

"You thought you hid it well, but I taught you how to write. I'd recognize your handwriting anywhere."

He advanced slowly and deliberately. I stepped back instinctively and swallowed hard.

"The way you look at me is so full of infatuation. Everyone in the family knows you're in love with me."

He laughed to himself. "Good thing you never actually confessed. If you had, I would've thrown you out of this house."

He stepped around me and walked to my desk, yanking open the bottom drawer. I lunged forward to stop him, but I was too late.

Dante grabbed the thick stack of letters and scattered them across the floor, then stepped on them with his shoe.

"Viviana, I pulled you out of a shootout when you were seven years old. I raised you. I treated you like family. And you repay me by developing feelings you should never have had for someone who raised you!

"Give it up. Serafina is the only woman I'll ever love. The way you look at me makes me sick!"

I kept my head down, unable to meet his gaze. I couldn't argue. Everything he said was true. I had done all of it in my past life.

He leaned close and whispered in my ear. "Yesterday, after I was drugged, I knew you wanted me at first. Thank God you left when you did, or I would've been disgusted for the rest of my life."

My chest tightened. Even though I'd decided not to love him in this life, hearing those cruel words still hurt.

Dante looked satisfied with my reaction. He warned me again to stay away from him so Serafina wouldn't misunderstand, then slammed the door and left.

The sound of it echoed through the empty hallway. I didn't want to be an eyesore in front of them anymore. Besides, I needed to handle the paperwork for leaving the country.

I packed a few things and left the estate.

That evening, I deliberately waited until almost 10:00 pm to return. By that hour, Dante and Serafina were usually in the main wing's parlor. They wouldn't notice me.

The moment I entered my room, I realized something was wrong. Someone had been in here. My bed looked different.

I checked my phone and saw that Serafina had posted a new photo on social media. It showed her lying on a bed, taking a selfie.

The caption read, "Custom handmade mattresses really are the best! I only mentioned once that I wasn't sleeping well, and he immediately had it replaced for me. The joy of loving someone who loves you back!"

She'd taken the mattress Dante bought for me. After I injured my back during family training, Dante had it custom made with the finest materials to support my spine properly.

He used to be good to me. He knew exactly what it meant to treat a girl he raised like that. He made me fall in love with him.

But then he stood on some moral high ground and condemned me for loving the man who raised me.

Now, because of one casual comment from Serafina, Dante gave away my mattress without even telling me.

Dante appeared at my door when he heard me come in. He sounded indifferent.

"Serafina's a light sleeper, so I gave her your mattress. Your back's healed anyway. Any mattress will do for you now."

I didn't look up and merely hummed in response. Dante's brow furrowed as he stared at me.

"Viviana, why are you suddenly so agreeable? What's gotten into you these past few days? You always hated it when I was good to other people.

"Why aren't you throwing a tantrum now? Are you plotting something?

"I'm warning you, if you dare cause trouble for Serafina, I won't let you off easy!"

"Didn't you always want me to be more mature? You should be happy I'm acting this way now, shouldn't you?"

I slowly raised my head and replied softly, "I don't want to cause trouble for anyone. I just hope no one causes trouble for me either."

Dante pressed his lips together, his gaze boring into me. Dark emotions churned in his eyes. When he spoke, his tone dripped with sarcasm.

"You'd better mean what you say."

He slammed the door and left without hesitation. Whenever he acted like this, it meant he was truly angry.

What was he angry about this time? I hadn't done anything wrong. Why was he still mad at me?

I didn't want to placate him anymore. Whether he was angry or not no longer mattered to me.

Soon, I would leave this family that had wounded me over and over again.