LOGINAlex’s POVI kicked off my shoes and flopped onto my bed, staring up at the intricate carvings on the ceiling. My room was the only place in this palace where I didn't feel like I was under a microscope, though after the morning I’d had, even these walls felt a little too thin.My mind was a complete mess of everything that had gone down. I should have been upset—I mean, my brother’s engagement was imploding and Isabella was a wreck—but I couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up in my chest."Violet," I whispered to the empty room, grinning like a complete idiot.I rolled onto my side, hugging a silk pillow to my chest. I couldn't believe it. I actually couldn't believe it. All this time, the "new guy" with the stiff back and the grumpy attitude was actually a girl. It was the best secret I’d ever stumbled upon. I thought back to all the times I’d seen her trying to act tough, deepening her voice and scowling at everyone, and I laughed out loud. No wonder she was so weird about peop
Violet's POVI stilled at his words, my mind clouding as I processed not just the raw, hoarse quality of his voice, but the staggering weight of what he had actually said. He was ready to start again. With me. The thought was so huge, so impossible, that I couldn't even find a place to put it in my head. I had barely wrapped my brain around the concept before he reached out. His hand clutched the lapel of my jacket, his fingers threading into the fabric as he pulled me toward him effortlessly.I staggered, my boots scuffing the floor until I slammed into his chest. He felt like a wall of solid rock, yet it was oddly comfortable. He always felt that way—like every inch of his body was sculpted perfectly, just enough to drive me crazy and make me forget why I was supposed to be running in the other direction.I stiffened, my breath hitching in my throat as I slowly brought my gaze up to meet his. Those eyes of his were dark, intense, and currently sending waves of heat streaming throug
Violet's POV"Keep your hands off her," Ron barked, his voice vibrating with a weird kind of suppressed rage. He shoved me back another inch for good measure, his eyes darting toward Alex, who was still sitting on the floor looking completely confused. "I told you, Diego. Stay in your lane. You get close to her again, you touch her again, and I’ll make sure you never find work in this city. You understand me?"I swallowed hard, trying to get some air back into my lungs. My heart was thumping against my ribs like a trapped bird, but the anger was starting to override the shock. I wasn't some street kid he could just toss around, even if I was currently pretending to be one. I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his warnings, but the words died in my throat.The air in the room didn't just get cold. It turned lethal.I didn't even have to look at the door to know who was standing there. The presence alone was enough to make the oxygen vanish. Dante was leaning agai
Violet’s POVI was still frozen on the floor, my heart trying to beat its way out of my ribs. The air in the dorm had turned to ice the second Dante opened the door, but he wasn't the only one standing there. Ron stepped into the room right behind him, his face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. For a second, I forgot that I was supposedly a guy; I just felt like prey caught in the crosshairs of two very dangerous predators.Ron didn't wait for an explanation. He stepped forward, completely ignoring Dante’s presence, and grabbed Alex by the arm. He hauled her up to her feet with a jerk that looked way too rough for a guard dealing with the boss’s sister. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Ron roared, his voice vibrating in the small room. He seemed to forget his position entirely, looming over Alex like he had the right to discipline her. "In a man's room? On the floor with a guard? Have you completely lost your mind, Alexandra?"Alex didn't look scared. If any
Dante’s POVI had her pinned, and the air between us was already thick enough to choke on. Violet was staring up at me, her chest heaving against mine, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to tear that ridiculous suit off her. I’d been waiting for this all day. Ever since that hallway at the café, my skin had been crawling with the need to touch her again."Dante," she whispered, her voice a mix of a warning and an invitation."I don't like being told no, Violet," I said, my voice dropping an octave. I shifted my weight, pressing my thigh between hers. I was hard—aching, actually—and I didn't care if she felt it. In fact, I wanted her to feel exactly what she was doing to me. My hand moved from the wall to her jaw, my thumb tracing the line of her lower lip. She looked like she wanted to run and stay at the same time. The sexual tension was a physical weight in the room, pulling us toward the bed just a few feet away. I wanted to bury my cock so deep inside her she’d for
DanteI walked into the drawing room, already pissed off.My grandmother was sitting in her usual high-backed chair, looking like a queen waiting to pass judgment. She didn't even wait for me to sit down before she started."You are acting like a child, Dante," she said, the second I walked in. "The merger is the only way. And you want to throw it away over what? A mood?"I stood there, hands shoved deep into my pockets. I didn't flinch. I wasn't going to argue with her on this matter."I'm not interested anymore, Grandmother," I said, my voice completely flat."Don't speak to me with that tone," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Isabella is a perfect match. She has their lineage as well as the upbringing to be your Luna. You will marry her."I rolled my eyes. "I don't want her.""You are being impossible," she muttered, turning her head away. "You are looking for excuses to sabotage your own future.""What future, Grandmother? I have none," I replied, already turning toward the door.







