LOGINThe city lights streaked past the tinted windows in blurred streaks of gold and neon, but my mind was still stuck in that lobby, replaying the moment Elias Voss had stepped into my life again after six long years of silence. My heart was a chaotic mess of old pain, surprise, and something dangerously close to unresolved curiosity.Dante’s grip on my hand tightened, almost possessive. I turned to look at him. His jaw was set in that familiar hard line, the one that appeared whenever something threatened what he considered his. The bruises on his face from Alexei’s torture were still fading, but the fire in his eyes was brighter than ever.“How do you know him?” he asked, voice low and controlled, but I could hear the edge beneath it. “And what was the relationship between you two?”I took a slow breath, choosing my words carefully. “He was my boyfriend. My first real boyfriend. We were together in high school. Then one day he just… disappeared. No explanation. His family wouldn’t tell
Elias turned to me, his hazel eyes softening. “Alessia, can I speak to you privately for a moment?”Dante’s grip on my waist tightened. Maxim read the room instantly. “Dante, let’s talk for a second.”Dante reluctantly released me, giving Elias a death stare that could have frozen the entire hotel. Elias only smiled back smugly, challenging.When we were alone near the grand staircase, Elias’s expression shifted to something more vulnerable.“Why him?” he asked quietly. “Why a mafia don? After everything you went through with your father… you still chose someone in that line of work?”I felt a surge of anger mixed with old pain. “How is that your business? You have no right to question who I’m with after you walked out on me without any explanation six years ago. Do you know how hard I tried to find you? You left, knowing you were the only person and friend I had…” Elias reached for me, but I stepped back. “Don’t.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I know I hurt you. But pl
The Phoenix Hotel rose like a sleek silver blade against the Moscow skyline, all glass and polished steel, the kind of place that screamed old money and deliberate neutrality. Our convoy pulled up under the grand awning just as the late afternoon light turned the building into a mirror of gold and shadow. I stepped out of the SUV with Dante’s hand firmly on my lower back, Maxim close behind us, his face etched with lines of exhaustion and barely contained panic. The cold air nipped at my cheeks, carrying the faint scent of exhaust and distant snow.My heart was already racing before we even entered the lobby. Ivan was missing. The last ping on his phone had led us here. Every second without answers felt like a knife twisting deeper.Dante strode ahead, his presence commanding the space even while still healing. The marble floors gleamed under our feet, chandeliers casting soft, expensive light over leather seating and fresh floral arrangements that probably cost more than most people
The living room had grown heavier with every passing minute, the kind of oppressive silence that pressed down on your chest and made breathing feel like a chore. Maxim Moretti sat on the edge of the leather sofa, no longer the warm, teasing father. His shoulders were slumped, his usually steady hands trembling in his lap. The cheerful sparkle in his eyes had vanished, replaced by something raw and broken that made my own heart ache in sympathy.After what felt like an eternity of waiting, I stood up from the couch, my legs a little unsteady from the long silence. “I’m going to check on Dante in his study,” I told Maxim softly.He looked up at me, eyes hollow. “Maybe there’s no good news. That’s why he’s yet to update us.”I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m positive. Please be positive too.”He gave a weak nod, but the fear in his eyes didn’t fade. I walked down the hallway to Dante’s study, the soft click of my shoes on the marble floor the only sound breaking the quiet. Wh
The living room felt colder than it should have, even with the city lights glittering like distant stars through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Maxim Moretti sat on the edge of the leather sofa, no longer the warm, teasing father who always has a warm look on his face. His shoulders were slumped, his usually steady hands trembling in his lap. The cheerful sparkle in his eyes had vanished, replaced by something raw and broken that made my chest tighten.Dante spoke before we even reached him, his voice tight with urgency. “What’s the emergency, Dad?”Maxim’s lips parted, but no words came out. They just shook. He tried again, then closed his mouth, eyes glistening with unshed tears. I couldn’t stand it. I walked over quickly and sat beside him, taking both his cold hands in mine.“Is everything okay?” I asked gently, squeezing his fingers, trying to anchor him with touch.He shook his head, then stood abruptly and began pacing the length of the room, his footsteps sharp against the marb
The next morning dawned crisp and bright, sunlight pouring through the penthouse windows like liquid gold. I woke up curled against Dante’s side, his arm draped protectively over my waist. His breathing was steady, the worst of the pain lines on his face softened by rest. He still moved carefully, but the fire in his eyes had returned.Liam arrived shortly after breakfast, carrying fresh intelligence and a grim expression. We moved to the study room, the long table once again covered in maps, walkie talkie, tablets, and glowing screens. The air smelled of strong coffee and the faint metallic tang of tension. Dante sat on the other end of the table, letting me be in charge, but his presence filled the room like a storm waiting to break. I stood at the head of the table, hands braced on the cool wood, feeling the weight of leadership settle on my shoulders like a crown I had earned in blood and fire. Liam spread out the latest reports. “Kostin and Belinsky are regrouping in the north.
I followed Dante into the dimly lit training room, the air heavy with the sharp tang of gun oil and the faint musk of sweat from men who lived on the edge. His soldiers hardened faces etched with scars and eyes that had seen too much, snapped to attention the moment he entered. He surveyed them slo
The days bled into one another until I lost track of whether it was Tuesday or Sunday. Time no longer mattered; only the rhythm Dante set mattered. Wake at dawn, black coffee he brewed too strong, then down to the bunker-level three where the air tasted of lead and ozone. The underground range had
Alessia's body still hummed with the aftershocks of their passion, her limbs heavy and languid as if every muscle had been wrung out and remade in the fire of Dante's touch. Dante propped himself up on one elbow, his dark eyes tracing the curves of her body with a possessiveness that sent a fresh
His words hung in the air, a promise and a threat, and his proximity was a furnace that threatened to melt the carefully constructed walls around my heart.But before I could respond, before I could lean into that intoxicating promise of a kingdom, a cold, sharp shard of memory pierced through the







