Chapter 3: Our dangerous game

( Aria's point of view )

I learned early in life that the most dangerous weapon isn't a gun or a knife. No, it’s a secret that someone is willing to kill for.

An insanely loud pounding on my bedroom door shook me out of a restless sleep. I sat up with my hand instinctively reaching for the empty space under my pillow where my knife should have been. My heart was hitting hard against my ribs.

"Wake up, Aria. We’re leaving in ten minutes." Dante’s voice was deadened by the door, but his tone was clearly commanding.

"It’s five in the morning!" I yelled back, throwing off the bed sheets. "Where could we possibly be going at this hour?"

"To a meeting you need to attend," he replied. "And wear something that says 'Mafia Queen,' not 'hiding in my room.' My tailor left a garment bag on your dressing table. Use it."

I heard his footsteps fade away. I groaned, rubbing my eyes. My body felt heavy from the stress of the previous night. I had spent hours trying to find a backdoor into my frozen accounts, but my father’s firewall was a masterpiece. That cruel man. He hadn't just blocked me; he had set a trap. If I tried to force my way in again, a signal would be sent directly to the Moretti security team.

I walked over to the dressing table and unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a dress that almost looked like it was owned by Katherine Pierce of TVD. The dress was deep navy blue, floor-length, with a slit up the side that went way high. The Moretti style.

I dressed quickly with sharp and angry movements. I applied dark red lipstick, my war paint and stepped into the hallway.

Dante was waiting at the bottom of the grand staircase. He was dressed in a dark suit, looking perfectly polished despite the hour. When he saw me, his eyes did a slow, appreciative movement from my heels to my face. For a split second, he was turned on.

"You look... acceptable," he said, clearing his throat and looking away.

"And you look like you haven't slept or even had a wink," I countered, noticing the slight dark circles under his eyes. "Checking the Wi-Fi logs all night, were we?"

Dante’s face squeezed. He didn't answer. Instead, he turned and walked toward the front doors. "The car is waiting. We’re meeting with the heads of the five families. My uncle wants to show off the 'peace treaty' we represent."

The meeting was held in a private, windowless room at the back of a high-end steakhouse downtown. Five men, each looking more dangerous than the last, sat around a heavy oak table. My father was at the head like a king on a throne.

As Dante and I walked in, all eyes turned toward us. I felt like a lamb in a wolf den but kept my head high. I sat down beside Dante, and he immediately placed his hand over mine on the table. It was a performance, but i almost enjoyed his touch.

"Ah, the happy couple," one of the men, a grizzly-looking boss named Vinci, chuckled. "Tell me, Aria, does it feel strange to be sleeping in the house of the men who killed your grandfather?"

The table went silent. This was a test. They wanted to see if I was a weak girl who would break under pressure, or a true Valenti.

Dante’s grip on my hand tighten. He was waiting to see how I’d react. I felt the familiar spark of fire in my chest. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and looked the man directly in his eyes.

"My grandfather died because he was slow," I answered with a voice cold and clear "In this business, if you’re slow, you’re as good as dead. I’m not slow. And I don't look at the past, Mr. Vinci. I look at the future. And the future looks like a Moretti-Valenti alliance that will make your small-time gambling rings look like child’s play."

A few of the men barked out a laugh. My father grinned with a look of pride in his eyes that always made me feel sick. Dante didn't laugh. He just watched me, a new look of curiosity in his eyes.

"She has a tongue like a razor," Silvio Moretti remarked. "She’ll fit in just fine."

The meeting dragged on for hours. They talked about territory, shipping lanes, and "problematic" politicians. Most of it was boring, but then Silvio brought up the one topic that made my stomach drop.

"We’ve been hit by a hacker," Silvio said, his face turning grave. "Someone calling themselves 'The Ghost.' They’ve siphoned five million from the shared treasury in the last six months. We tracked the last login to a residential area near the Moretti estate."

I felt the blood drain from my face. I looked down at my lap, trying to keep my breathing even.

"A hacker?" my father asked, his eyes sliding toward me for a fraction of a second. "That’s a serious breach. Dante, your security is supposed to be the best."

"We’re working on it," Dante said, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. "We’ve narrowed the signal down. Whoever it is, they’re using a high-frequency micro-server. We’ll find them. And when we do, I’ll personally make sure they never touch a keyboard again."

I could almost feel Dante’s gaze on the side of my head. He was more than suspicious, he was hunting.

"I’m sure it’s just some kid in a basement," I said, trying to sound bored. "Hackers are usually just bored teenagers looking for a thrill."

"Not this one," Silvio said. "This one knows our internal codes. This one is family."

The meeting ended shortly after. Dante and I walked out. As soon as we were inside the car, Dante turned to me. He didn't wait for the driver to pull away.

"Give me your phone," he said.

"What? No."

"Aria, give me your phone, or I will take it from you," he growled.

I reached into my purse and handed him my burner phone. He took it and plugged it into a small device on the car’s dashboard. He scrolled through it for several minutes, he pulled his eyebrows together.

"There’s nothing here but texts to your florist friend and some shopping apps," he said, sounding frustrated.

"I told you," I said, my heartbeat increasing. "I’m not a spy, Dante. I’m just a girl caught in a shitty situation."

"Then why did the signal from 'The Ghost' appear in your wing last night?"

"I don't know! Maybe your house is bugged or something. Oh, or maybe your own guards are robbing you. Why is it always my fault?"

Dante looked at me with doubt written on his face. "I want to believe you, Aria. I really do. Because if you’re lying to me, there is no way I can protect you from Silvio. He’ll kill you the moment he has proof."

"I don't need your protection," I sharply replied, though we both knew it was a lie.

When we got back to the estate, I retreated to my room. I needed to get rid of the micro-laptop. It was too dangerous to keep. But as I reached under the pillow, my hand hit nothing.

The laptop was gone.

My heart stopped beating. I tore the bed apart, threw the pillows on the floor, and checked every drawer. It was gone. Someone had been in my room while I was at the meeting.

Then I heard a knock on the door that made me jump so hard I nearly screamed.

"Aria? It’s Dante. We need to talk."

I opened the door with a pale face. Dante was standing there, but he wasn't alone. He was holding the silver micro-laptop in his hand.

"Looking for this?" he asked with a deathly quiet voice.

I backed away into the room, my mind racing. I could try to lie, but the evidence was literally in his hand. I looked at the balcony. It was a long drop, but maybe...

"Don't even think about it," Dante said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He held up the device. "I’ve seen some advanced tech in my life, but this? This is military grade. My head of security found it under your pillow. He said the encryption on this thing is so thick he couldn't even get past the first layer."

"It’s not what it looks like," I whispered.

"Then tell me what it is," he stepped closer. "Tell me why my wife has a hacking rig that can bypass Moretti firewalls. Tell me you aren't 'The Ghost,' Aria. Tell me you haven't been robbing us."

"I... I was trying to get away!" I burst out, the truth finally spilling over. "My father... he’s been using me since I was a child. I started stealing because I wanted a life that didn't involve blood! I wasn't robbing you to hurt you, Dante. I was robbing you to buy my freedom!"

Dante stood still. He looked at the laptop, then back at me. "You... you’re 'The Ghost'?"

"Yes," I said, tears of frustration stinging my eyes. "And my father knows. He froze the accounts. He’s blackmailing me with it. He told me if I don't marry you and act like a perfect doll, he’ll tell your uncle everything. Even let you kill me so he doesn't have to do it himself."

Dante didn't say anything for a long time. He just stood there. I waited for him to call the guards or pull his gun.

Instead, he walked over to the desk and set the laptop down.

"How much did you steal?" he asked.

"Three million from you. Two from my father."

"And you thought five million was enough to disappear?" he asked making a strange, dark laugh escape through his lips. "Aria, the Valenti name is worth a hundred million. They would have found you in a week."

"At least I would have died free," I replied pressing my eyebrows together.

Dante looked at me for the first time without hate. But with respect.

"My uncle is already suspicious," Dante said, walking toward me. "If I turn this in, you’re dead. If I tell your father I know, he’ll kill us both to cover his tracks."

"So what are you going to do?"

Dante reached out and cupped my face rubbing my cheekbone with his thumb. "I’m going to keep your secret," he whispered. "But on one condition."

"Anything," I said with a trembling voice.

"You’re going to help me," he said, again with cold in his eyes. "You’re going to use those skills to help me take down your father. We’re going to drain him dry, Aria. And then, we’re going to burn his empire to the ground."

I looked up at him, my heart racing for an entirely different reason. We were no longer just a forced bride and a cold groom. We were partners in a crime that could get us both killed.

"Deal," I whispered.

Dante leaned down with his face almost touching mine.

 For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. I really wanted him to kiss me. But he stopped, dropping his gaze to my lips.

"Don't make me regret this, Aria," he said.

He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he stopped. "By the way, my head of security couldn't crack your encryption. But I did."

"How?" I asked, shocked.

"Your password," he said with a small, genuine crooked smile on his lips. 'Bluebird.' It was the name of the boat you used to hide on when you were a kid. I did my research, Aria. I’ve always been watching you."

He walked out, leaving me standing in the silence of my room. My heartbeat increased I could feel the pounding in my throat.

I had a partner and a plan. But as I looked at the door he had just walked through, I realized the biggest danger wasn't my father anymore. It was the man who now held my life and my secrets in his hands.