LOGINI stared at the three large black garment bags hanging on the wooden coat rack in the corner of the study, and my heart immediately began to race against my ribs. Kade had just declared that we were attending the annual Silvano Foundation charity gala tomorrow night, and he expected me to accompany him as his date. A heavy wave of pure anxiety washed over my entire body because I had absolutely no experience with high society events or wealthy people. I was a former waitress who spent my entire adult life scrubbing tables and serving cheap coffee, so the thought of walking into a ballroom filled with dangerous mafia elites terrified me completely."I cannot go to a formal gala with you, Kade," I said quickly, shaking my head while I turned my attention away from the garment bags and back to his face. "I do not know how to behave around the people in your social circle, and I will inevitably do something wrong that will embarrass you in front of your business associates."Kade did not
After leaving Kade standing by his window, I walked down the long carpeted hallway toward the nursery and pushed the heavy wooden door open. Amy was sitting in the middle of her floor surrounded by dozens of colorful plastic building blocks, but she looked incredibly bored because the security lockdown prevented her from playing outside in the fresh air. I knelt on the soft rug next to her and suggested that we spend the afternoon doing something incredibly messy instead of building towers. She smiled with immediate excitement when I mentioned finger painting, so we spent the next ten minutes preparing our workspace to protect the expensive floors.I gathered a tall stack of old newspapers from a recycling bin in the kitchen while Enzo followed closely behind me, and then we returned to the nursery to spread the paper pages completely across the floor. I pulled a large plastic bin of washable paints from t
The heavy weight of Kade's body pressed down firmly against my legs, and his large hands gripped my wrists tightly against the thick black training mat. The air inside the large private gym felt incredibly thin because his face was hovering only a few inches above mine. He had just asked me what I would do if he pinned me to the ground, and my heart beat rapidly against my ribs while I considered my response. Although he was a very dangerous man to the outside world, I did not feel any fear while I stared up into his dark, focused eyes."I would not do anything at all," I answered truthfully, keeping my voice very quiet so the sound would not break the intense silence stretching between us. "I would simply stay exactly where I am, Kade."Kade inhaled a sharp, deep breath that caused his chest to expand heavily against mine. He lowered his gaze from my eyes down to my lips, and his jaw clenched tightly as he fought a very obvious internal battle. I wanted him to lean down and close the
I threw the heavy grey duvet back and climbed out of the large bed. I walked into the attached closet and searched through the organized rows of clothing Mrs. Halloway had previously provided for me. I found a pair of black athletic leggings and a fitted white cotton tank top. I pulled my dark hair up into a tight ponytail to keep the long strands out of my face. I walked back into the bedroom where Kade was waiting near the doorway. We left the bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen in complete silence.The kitchen was entirely empty because it was still very early in the morning. I walked over to the large walk-in pantry and pulled out a plastic container of rolled oats. I placed a medium metal saucepan on the stove and poured two cups of milk and one cup of the oats into the pot. I turned on the gas heat and stirred the mixture slowly with a wooden spoon. Kade sat on one of the tall wooden stools at the island counter and watched my hands move. I grabbed two yellow bananas fr
"I heard him screaming, Kade," I answered honestly, keeping my voice very soft in the quiet room. "I was walking down the hallway to get fresh towels from the laundry room this afternoon, and I heard the sounds coming through the heavy metal door under the stairs."Kade immediately tensed against my body. He dropped his head lower against my chest and gripped my waist much tighter with his large hands. He did not say a single word, but the sudden rigidity in his broad shoulders told me he was bracing himself for my judgment and my fear."I was completely terrified by the sound of his pain," I continued speaking, carefully stroking the back of his neck to keep him grounded. "My hands started to shake, and my stomach turned over because I knew exactly what you were doing to him in the basement. But Nick found me standing in the hallway, and Nick explained your reasoning to me. Nick told me that you were hurting Silas because Silas allowed me to be vulnerable in the storm, and you refuse
AMELIA'S POVI dropped my hand away from the cold metal handle immediately and spun around to face the hallway. Nick stood just a few inches behind me with a deeply serious expression on his face. He reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around my elbow to guide me away from the basement door."I was just walking to the laundry room to get fresh towels for the bathrooms," I explained quickly while stepping away from the heavy door. "I did not mean to listen to what was happening down there.""I know you did not come looking for this, Amelia," Nick replied quietly as he walked me further down the corridor. "But you need to understand that this house operates on two very different levels. The upstairs is for you and the little girl to live peacefully, and the basement is where Kade handles the violent realities of his business."Another muffled scream echoed through the floorboards beneath our feet. I flinched and wrapped my arms around my waist."He is hurting Silas because Silas
I woke up with a start, my heart hammering against my chest like a trapped animal. For a split second, my nose searched for the scent of stale cigarette smoke, burnt spoons, and the rotting smell of the trash that always piled up in the corner of my parents’ kitchen. I expected to feel the spring
"A nanny, to be specific," he clarified, turning his attention back to his tablet as the car began to move smoothly down the highway.I let out a harsh, disbelief-filled laugh. I couldn't help it. The hysteria was bubbling up again. "A nanny? You expect me to believe that? No one pays that kind of
"Go back to bed, Amelia," Kade said, his voice carrying through the silent house. "You don't want to know what's downstairs."I stood there on the landing. My bare feet sank into the plush carpet. The air in the foyer was cold. Kade stood in the moonlight coming through the high window.
Nick stood in the doorway holding the black envelope. Kade stepped away from me immediately, and the warmth between us vanished, leaving the kitchen cold again. Snatching the envelope from Nick's hand without opening the flap, he looked at me with hard, serious eyes.







