Chapter 2

Daniel pointed at himself in disbelief. "D-Danny?"

Had this indescribable beauty really just called him by such an intimate nickname?

His group of spoiled, idle friends gawked at Gwendolyn with open hunger.

"Man, when did you get close to a princess like her?!"

"I didn't!" Daniel shot back. He wished he could even enter her circle, let alone become her boyfriend. "I wouldn't even get the chance!"

Dante finally chimed in, "Oh, stop spreading your fantasies. It's too much information. She's here for me!"

Gwendolyn smiled warmly. "Naughty boy. I see you're still causing mischief everywhere you go, Danny."

Dante slipped off his shoe, hid it behind his back, and smiled innocently. "I can't believe that's your impression of me, Gwen! They started it!"

His protest rang out over Daniel's scream as Dante stomped his hand one last time. Then, to everyone's disbelief, Dante leaped into Gwendolyn's warm, supple arms.

"Can't you behave, just a little? You don't want to cause your beloved Gwen trouble the moment you set foot in Audraco, do you?" she scolded gently.

"But they bullied me first! What I did was self-defense. The only crime you can accuse me of is being a superhero!"

"Who in their right mind would dare bully the Devil's favorite gremlin?" Gwendolyn pinched his cheeks affectionately, then turned a frosty glare on Daniel and his friends. "So, you people must be the bullies."

Daniel limped forward dramatically. "Don't listen to him, Ms. Beaumont! He's just trying to cry foul and push the blame onto us!"

"You liar!" the old man erupted. "You almost killed me with your reckless driving! If not for this brave young lad—"

"Do you know who you're pointing at, old man?" Daniel snarled.

Intimidated, the man shrank back.

Gwendolyn looked down at the young man in her arms. "Danny, what happened?"

"He thought he was some tough guy, and I hated that, so I beat him up," Dante answered innocently. "Was that wrong, Gwen?"

Her laugh rang sweet and clear. "Not at all! You're right, sweetie. You're a hero."

"He admitted it! You heard him!" Daniel cried, pointing at Dante.

Gwendolyn's eyes turned regal and cold. "Yes. So what?"

"B-But—"

"You misunderstand me. I didn't come here to be your impartial judge. I'm here for Danny, and I'm on his side no matter what. If I catch you bullying anyone else just because your father is rich, you won't get off as easily as this time. Do I make myself clear?"

Her authority left Daniel and his friends with lowered heads. No one in Audraco dared oppose her.

Satisfied, Gwendolyn turned back to Dante, her voice softening. "You must be starving, Danny. Let's go fill that tummy with something delicious."

As the line of Rolls-Royces pulled away, a silhouette in the distance spoke into a phone. "Boss? We've got a situation."

…

The flagship restaurant of The Leviathan had set out a feast fit for a classroom of children. Waitresses constantly replaced empty plates with new dishes, only to realize all of it was for a single young man. Who ate like that?

"Slow down. The food's not going anywhere," Gwendolyn chided gently, wiping Dante's mouth with a sigh. She felt bad for him and thought he was adorable.

"You don't understand. Do you know what we ate up in the mountains? Wild greens! I couldn't even ask for fried chicken most days!" Dante's voice was muffled around a mouthful of steak. "These are amazing, Gwen. You really are an angel!"

Gwendolyn propped her chin on her palm, and her lashes fluttered as she teased, "Oh? Who's the best among the seven of us, Danny?"

Dante paused, thought seriously, and said, "All of you are the best!"

She pinched his ear. "Yeah, no. That's a cop-out. Do the others know you've left the village?"

"No. Audraco's the closest city, so Master told me to stay here and live with you for now."

Her eyes gleamed as she already plotted ways to keep Dante to herself. "Hmm. That makes sense. Better to keep it quiet for now. If the other Ladies knew, they'd rush here, and then how would we get any time together?"

Suddenly, a panicked voice came from outside. "No, sir! You can't go in! This room is reserv—"

"Shut the hell up! Don't you know who he is? Let him through!"

The door swung open, and a man in an expensive suit barged in with his entourage. His rage flared at the sight of Gwendolyn tenderly wiping Dante's mouth.

"I'm glad I had someone tail you, Gwendolyn!" he barked. "Otherwise I'd never have known you were trying to cheat on me!"

Gwendolyn calmly poured water and placed more food on Dante's plate before speaking. "Eric? Who let you in?"

"You're my fiancée! We're supposed to get married soon. I have every right to be here!"

"Please. Your fiancée? My drunken grandfather's words mean nothing. You don't actually think you deserve me, do you?" she mocked.

Over the years she'd had countless suitors in this city. Almost none had been worth even three seconds of her time.

"How dare you?! I could make this bastard vanish from Audraco if I wanted!"

Her gaze turned icy. "Say that again. I dare you. Threaten my Danny one more time."

Eric Wagner froze. He hadn't meant to say that part out loud.

Eric might be one of Audraco's elites, but compared to Gwendolyn's wealth and status, he was nothing. Fury or not, he could not forget that.

"You should at least explain what this is!" he snapped, adjusting his tone slightly.

Dante finally took his attention from the food and looked at him. "Who's this, Gwen? Another one of your simps?"

She laughed. "Well, I am beautiful, graceful, and obscenely rich. Every other man notices that—except you. You're the only one who doesn't act like a simp. So, are you ready to go? I can't wait to spend time together without all this unwanted attention."

Dante leaped to his feet. "Yeap! All set!"

"Hold it right there!" Eric bellowed, grabbing Dante's shoulder. "What makes you think you can talk about me like that and walk away?"

Gwendolyn frowned. "Back off, Eric. Take your filthy hands off him."

"I'm fine, Gwen." Dante smiled, then turned, sizing Eric up. "So, Mr. Simp. Why shouldn't I talk about you like that? From where I'm standing, I'm superior to you in every way."

"Shut up, dog! My boss' father is the Director of Wagner Biz Inc. They're one of the city's titans!" one of Eric's underlings barked. "Who the hell are you compared to that?!"

"Good question." Dante extended his hand for a shake, his smile guileless. "Look."

"At what?" Eric sneered.