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CHAPTER ONE ā BROKEN DAY
The rain hammered the rusted roof like it was furious with the worldājust like Amaraās life today. Each drop felt like a tiny accusation, reminding her of everything falling apart at once. Her phone buzzed insistently on the wet wooden table. She already knew what awaited her before she even glanced at the screen. Her hands trembled as she opened the message: āYou are hereby terminated from your position. You may clear your desk immediately.ā Amaraās breath hitched. Another job lost. Not because she wasnāt skilled or hardworkingābut because the manager had been harassing her, and she had refused his disgusting, manipulative āoffer.ā The bitter taste of injustice filled her mouth. And yet, as if the universe wanted to punish her further, her landlord appeared at her gate, face twisted with anger. āAmara! You owe me two monthsā rent! If you donāt pay before tomorrow morning, Iām throwing you and your brother out!ā he bellowed. Her chest tightened painfully. āMy brother is sick⦠pleaseāā she began, her voice barely audible over the pouring rain. āNo excuses!ā he snapped, storming off before she could say another word. She tightened her coat around herself and rushed toward the small clinic nearby, her heart hammering. Her younger brother, Chika, who suffered from sickle cell anemia, was weak and struggling. Each step she took felt heavier than the last. The doctor pulled her aside, concern etched deep into his face. āHis blood count is dangerously low. He needs treatment immediately. The deposit is ā¦150,000.ā Amara felt her knees buckle. She glanced at her phone, then at her nearly empty purse. ā¦3,800. Barely enough to feed herself, let alone save her brother. āI⦠Iāll find the money,ā she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. The rain soaked her thin clothes, but she barely noticed. Nothing mattered anymore except Chikaās life. She stepped out into the storm, her mind racing, when a shout pierced the air: āMove out of the way!ā A black SUV skidded dangerously across the slippery road, headed straight for a tall man crossing the street, oblivious to the danger. Without thinking, Amara bolted forward and shoved him out of the vehicleās path. They crashed onto the wet pavement together, water splashing around them. Her heart thudded wildly as she looked up at him. He was breathtakingātall, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, with a sharp jawline and piercing grey eyes that seemed to see right through her. He exuded wealth and danger all at once. He sat up slowly, shock etched on his face. āYouāsaved my life.ā Amara shrugged, trying to mask her panic. āAnyone would have done it.ā His eyes darkened, holding a mix of intensity and something unreadable. āNo. They wouldnāt.ā Before she could walk away, he gently grabbed her wrist. āWhatās your name?ā āAmara,ā she replied, her voice barely steady. āIām Dante,ā he said, each syllable deliberate, commanding. She already knew he was someone importantāor dangerous. But she didnāt have time for wealthy men with mysterious eyes. āMy brother needs me. I have to go,ā she said, pulling her hand away. He frowned, his expression softening ever so slightly. āAre you hurt? I can⦠compensate youāā āI donāt need compensation,ā she said, voice cracking. āI just need a miracle.ā And with that, she turned and ran, leaving Dante standing in the rain, eyes dark and fixed on her retreating figure. Intrigued. Confused. And unwillingly wanting more.CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE ā THE WATCHER IN THE DARKNight settled heavy over the mansion, but sleep did not come.Not for Amara.Not for Dante.And not for the shadow waiting outside.Dante ordered double security. Every guard on shift. Every camera updated. Every entrance locked.But even with all that, he kept Amara closeāso close their shoulders brushed as they walked down the hall.āStay in my room tonight,ā he said simply.Amaraās breath caught.Not because of the roomā¦But because he didnāt ask.He needed her near.āDante, IāāāItās not optional,ā he added quietly. āSomeone broke into my penthouse searching for you. Iām not letting anything happen to you.āHis voice held something she rarely heardāfear.Not for himself.For her.She swallowed and nodded.---THE ROOMDanteās bedroom was enormousādark walls,
CHAPTER TWENTY ā THE PRICE OF TRUTHThe night felt too quiet.Too controlled.Too unnatural.Danteās private mansionāusually a fortress of glass, steel, and silent securityāfelt like it was holding its breath as Amara walked through the halls beside him. Guards in black moved like shadows, their faces tight, their hands on their earpieces.Someone had broken into the penthouse.Someone who came looking for her.Amaraās heart thudded in her ears.āDanteā¦ā she whispered.He didnāt slow down. His jaw was locked, steps sharp and lethal. āYouāre safe now. Thatās all that matters.āBut Amara wasnāt convinced.Not when sheād seen the security footage.Not when sheād seen the intruderās blurred figure moving with chilling precision through Danteās private floorāher floor now.And not when she realized the person didnāt take money, files, or valuables.They searc
CHAPTER NINETEEN ā BLOOD ON THE FLOOR** The front door shuddered under a powerful hit. Once. Twice. A third timeāhard enough to shake dust from the ceiling. Amara clutched the back of Danteās shirt, her breath trembling against his shoulder. He didnāt look back at her, but the way his fingers tightened around his gun told her everything: He was ready to kill for her. And die for her. **CRACK.** The doorframe splintered. Dante shifted his stance, positioning himself slightly in front of her so that his body covered hers completely. āKeep your head down,ā he whispered. Amara nodded, sinking lower behind him. Her heart hammered so loudly she could barely hear anything else. Another hit. Another. Thenā **The door crashed inward.** But the man who stepped through wasnāt wearing the rough mask of a street criminal. He wor
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN ā THE SHADOW IN THE TREESThe alarm beeped again, louder this time.MOTION DETECTED ā NORTH SIDEAmaraās heart slammed against her ribs.Dante moved immediately, pulling her behind him, his entire body coiled tight like a predator ready to strike.āStay here,ā he whispered.āNo,ā she whispered back, grabbing his arm. āIām not letting you go out there alone.āFor a moment, Dante looked tornābetween the man who guarded his world with violence, and the man who wanted to shield her from everything ugly inside it.Then he reached out, cupped her face gently, and pressed his forehead to hers.āI canāt protect you if youāre in danger,ā he murmured.āAnd I canāt breathe if I donāt know youāre safe,ā she whispered back.Their breaths mingled in the dark.He closed his eyes, his voice breaking with something raw.āAmaraā¦āA sound cracked outsideāa
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ā THE SAFEHOUSE AT MIDNIGHTThe drive out of the city was silent.Not cold.Not awkward.Just⦠charged.Dante kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting close to Amaraās seat, as if ready to shield her at any second. His eyes stayed on the road, but Amara could feel itāhis attention was wrapped around her like an invisible armor.āWhere are we going?ā she finally asked.āTo a place no one knows exists,ā Dante said quietly.āAnd why take me there?ā she whispered.He didnāt answer immediately.His jaw flexed. His grip tightened slightly.āBecause I wonāt risk losing you,ā he said at last.Not as a boss.Not as a benefactor.But as something more.Amaraās heart beat unevenly.They drove for nearly an hour, leaving behind the bright city lights and trading them for winding roads thick with trees. Finally, Dante turned into a se
CHAPTER SIXTEEN ā THE INTRUDERāS MESSAGEAmara stood alone in the surveillance room long after Dante left. The lights hummed softly above her, but the chill in her bones had nothing to do with the air conditioning.Someone broke into the penthouse for her.Not Dante.Not the company.Not money.Her.She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly wishing Dante had stayed. His presence had become something she relied on without realizing itāhis steadiness, his warmth, his certainty.Before she could gather her breath, the door slid open.It wasnāt Dante.It was Verena.Her heels clicked sharply on the floor as she stepped inside, arms crossed, red lips curved in something like satisfaction.āSo,ā Verena drawled, āyouāve caused quite the disaster, havenāt you?āAmara stiffened. āThis isnāt the time.āāOh, I think itās the perfect time.ā Verena leaned against the







