Chapter six

Dante pov

Pain drags me back to the surface.

Not gently.

Violently.

My chest burns. My lungs feel too small. My heart stutters once twice then settles into a slow, mocking rhythm, like it’s reminding me it still owns me.

I open my eyes.

White ceiling. Low lights. The faint scent of antiseptic.

Alive.

Again.

I don’t move right away. I let my breathing even out, slow and deliberate. Panic has never saved anyone in my world.

Someone is standing nearby.

I turn my head slightly.

Elara.

She stands a few feet from the bed, rigid, hands clasped tight in front of her. Her face is pale, eyes red and swollen like she’s been crying for hours. She looks like she’s waiting for a verdict.

Good.

Fear keeps people attentive.

“Come here,” I say.

My voice is rough, still scraped raw by the attack. I hate that she hears it.

She steps closer immediately. No hesitation. No defiance.

That alone tells me more than words ever could.

She didn’t mean to hurt me.

But intent doesn’t undo consequences.

I push myself into a sitting position, ignoring the sharp protest in my chest. Pain is familiar. I’ve learned how to live with it. The people around me haven’t.

Her hands tremble now that she’s closer.

“You poisoned me,” I say flatly.

Her breath catches. “I…..I didn’t know. I swear. I would never”

“I know,” I cut in.

Her head lifts sharply, eyes wide.

“If you wanted me dead,” I continued calmly, “I wouldn’t be breathing right now.”

Silence settles between us.

She swallows hard. “Are you… going to punish me?”

Straight to the point.

Smart.

“Yes.”

Her shoulders tense, but she doesn’t cry. She doesn’t beg. She only nods once.

“Okay.”

That single word lands heavier than it should.

I study her more closely now. She looks fragile. Thin. Easy to break. But there’s something solid underneath something that didn’t shatter even when she believed she had killed me.

Interesting.

“You will not touch my food alone again,” I say. “Ever.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You will learn everything that affects my body,” I continue. “Allergies. Medications. Reactions.”

Her brows knit. “Why?”

“Because mistakes around me are lethal,” I say evenly. “And ignorance is not an excuse.”

She nods again.

I let the silence stretch, watching the weight of my words sink in.

“If I had died today, Elara,” I add, “your life would have ended before nightfall.”

Her face drains of color.

“Remember that.”

“I will,” she whispers.

Good.

“Go,” I say. “Rest.”

She turns to leave.

“Elara.”

She freezes instantly.

“You will not be harmed for this,” I say, voice low and controlled. “Anyone who lays a hand on you without my permission answers to me.”

Her breath stutters. “Thank you.”

She leaves quickly, the door closing softly behind her.

I exhale.

Too slowly.

Luca steps in moments later.

“You’re awake earlier than expected,” he says.

“I don’t sleep after attacks.”

He nods. “Alicia is on her way.”

“Of course she is.”

“She’s upset.”

“She’s allowed to be.”

Luca hesitates. “She struck the girl.”

My jaw tightens. “She won’t do it again.”

“I’ll make sure of it.”

“Good.”

Luca studies me for a moment. “You handled Elara… calmly.”

“She made a mistake,” I replied. “Not a betrayal.”

He doesn’t argue.

Night settles over the mansion in thick layers of silence.

I’m halfway through reviewing reports when the door opens again.

**********

Alicia.

She looks flawless as always, hair perfect, posture elegant, concern carefully arranged on her face. She crosses the room quickly and reaches my side.

“Oh, baby,” she says softly. “You’re already up?”

“I’m fine,” I say. “Sit.”

She does, touching my arm lightly. “That girl you brought here… she wanted to kill you. I told you she was bad news.”

“She didn’t,” I replied calmly.

Alicia frowns. “Dante”

“It was an accident.”

Her lips press together. “Accidents like that don’t happen around you.”

“They do,” I say. “And they’re handled.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” Alicia insists. “She’s dangerous.”

“She’s frightened,” I correct. “There’s a difference.”

Alicia exhales sharply. “I slapped her. She needed to understand the gravity of what she did.”

“She won’t be touched again,” I say evenly.

She looks at me. Really looks. “You’re defending her.”

“I’m maintaining order.”

Silence.

“She’s temporary,” Alicia says. “This arrangement is temporary.”

“Yes.”

“But she’ll be carrying your child,” Alicia adds, carefully. “Soon.”

I nod once. “Which is why she stays.”

Her jaw tightens, but she forces a smile. “I’ll… try to accept it.”

“You will,” I say. “And you will treat her accordingly.”

Alicia leans in and kisses my cheek. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” I reply.

But even as I say it, something unsettles in my chest.

After she leaves, the room feels colder.

Later, Luca returns.

“We have movement outside,” he says quietly. “Nothing confirmed yet.”

“Keep watching.”

I stand near the window, staring out at the darkness.

Control. Order. Distance.

That’s how this works.

Elara is an arrangement. A solution. Nothing more.

And yet

I close my eyes briefly.

Something has shifted.

Not enough to name.

But enough to notice.

And that alone is dangerous.