Chapter 2

When I'd met Daniel, he'd only just taken over the Rizzo family. There had been something wild and dangerous about him, but his smile had been surprisingly gentle.

My family opposed our relationship from the beginning. They thought I'd lost my mind over a Mafia boss. They said a man like Daniel would never sincerely love a foreign girl with no apparent connections, much less stay faithful to her.

They challenged me to a bet: hide my true identity and see whether Daniel would still choose to marry me and remain loyal.

I agreed. Partly because I trusted him, and partly because I wanted my family to see that our relationship deserved their blessing.

I had no idea I'd already lost so completely.

Henri replied almost immediately.

[There's always been a place for you here. Come home whenever you're ready.]

I stared at that single line for a long time. Tears hit the screen until the words blurred.

By the small hours, Daniel still hadn't come home.

I changed into my pajamas and curled up in bed. My period had started, and cramps twisted through my abdomen. Painkillers and a heating pad weren't helping.

Daniel used to hold me when I felt like this, resting his large, warm palm against my stomach and rubbing gently until I fell asleep.

If I couldn't sleep through the pain, he'd draw me against his chest, rest his chin on my head, and whisper, "I wish I could take some of it for you."

Tonight, he was in another woman's bed.

A little after three in the morning, my phone rang.

I answered and heard a woman's breathless voice, mingled unmistakably with Daniel's. Neither of them was trying to conceal what they'd been doing.

Nikki spoke in French, her voice thick with satisfaction. "Daniel...tell me. Who's better, me or her?"

Daniel's voice came low and rough.

"You, of course."

It felt as though someone had closed a fist around my heart and crushed it. My fingers wouldn't work. I tried several times before I managed to end the call.

When the screen finally went dark, I buried my face in my pillow and sobbed. Between the ache in my chest and the cramps in my stomach, I could barely tell where the pain was coming from.

Daniel and Nikki returned to the villa after I'd gotten up. I was sitting in the living room, pale and exhausted, taking another dose of pain medication.

Daniel frowned when he saw me. "Why do you look so awful?"

"I didn't sleep well."

Nikki was still wearing yesterday's dress. She gave me a deliberate once-over before switching to English.

"Darling, you didn't spend the whole night awake because Daniel didn't come home, did you?"

Daniel's expression changed. He shot her a warning look. "Enough."

Then he came over and drew me into his arms. "We had some family business to deal with last night. It got so late that I slept at the office. If I'd known you felt this bad, I would've come back."

I rested against his chest. His shirt smelled of a perfume I didn't own.

So a man could lie without so much as a change in his heartbeat.

I shut my eyes and forced down the lump in my throat. "Okay."

He released me. "With the engagement and everything else going on, Nikki's going to stay here for a while. It'll make handling family business easier."

My fingers tightened around my cup. He'd spent the night with another woman, then brought her home and announced she'd be living under our roof.

I opened my mouth to refuse, then stopped.

I was leaving anyway. Why should I care who lived here afterward?

"All right."

Daniel studied me, surprised by how readily I'd agreed. According to his men, I was famously jealous.

A moment later, his gaze dropped to my bare ring finger.

"Where's your engagement ring?"