After Rhea’s conversation with Dante and Izzy, she reentered the gathering.
The Moretti estate was alive with people. The funeral reception of her father had drawn in countless guests. Some of them were family and some were allies, but there were still some people who came to assess the power shift in the Moretti empire and if it was for the taking. Her conversation with Dante still pressed at the back of her mind. He did not even give her the chance to grieve her father properly; instead, all he could do was to reiterate to her the importance of her secret mission. Before she met with Dante today, she had already believed her husband and his family were innocent. But now, he had planted the seed of doubt, twisted her grief into a weapon, and now she had to return to the Vitale estate with those thoughts simmering beneath the surface. “Rhea?” She heard her name. It was a familiar voice. She turned slowly, her gaze locking onto the man standing a few feet away. Alexander Moreau. Her ex-boyfriend. He looked as handsome as before. He styled his dark brown hair in an effortless way. The black tailored suit he wore accentuated his hazel eyes. These were the features Rhea once adored in this man. But, oh, did he break her heart? In fact, she was yet to even heal before she found herself in this marriage situation with Adrian. He walked towards her. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly, stepping closer. “For your father. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now.” Rhea inhaled sharply, forcing down the sudden rush of emotions. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said; her voice was calm but firm. Alex chuckled. “You think I’d miss this? I had to see you. I had to make sure you were okay.” He swept a quick glance at her. “You look…different.” Of course, she did. She wasn’t the same woman who had once believed in love, who had let herself be vulnerable only to be shattered in return. “I’m not okay, Alex. I literally just lost my father.” She scoffed. “I’m sorry I asked that. I don’t expect you to be okay.” He apologized “You look as beautiful as ever, Rhea.” “I’m married now,” she said to him. It was not because she was happy she was married, but she needed to say something to make him feel bad. His expression twisted into something bitter. “Yeah. I heard.” His voice dropped lower but was still sharp. “To ‘him’.” He said the word “him” with a mixture of jealousy and sarcasm. Rhea crossed her arms, she looked fed up. “What do you want, Alex?” His jaw tightened. “I wanted to see you, mi amor. To tell you I never stopped thinking about you.” He swallowed hard. “I made a mistake, Rhea. I was stupid, but I swear… ” “You cheated on me,” she cut in; her voice was as cold as ice. “There’s nothing more to say.” Alex exhaled, frustration showing on his face. “I was drunk. It didn’t mean anything… ” “It meant everything,” Rhea shot back. She clenched her fists. “And now you think you can show up at my father’s funeral and undo the past?” “I can’t change what happened,” Alex admitted, his voice quiet. “But I can tell you that I regret it. And I would do anything to fix it.” Rhea shook her head. “There’s nothing to fix. My life has changed. I’ve changed.” Alex’s eyes darkened. “You don’t love him.” A sharp, cruel laugh left Rhea’s lips. “You don’t know anything about my marriage.” His lips curled into a smirk. “I know it’s a business deal. That man doesn’t love you. And you sure as hell don’t love him.” “Be careful, Alex,” she warned, lowering her voice. “Or what?” He stepped closer, taking Rhea’s hand into his. “He’s dangerous, Rhea. I looked into him. Adrian Vitale isn’t a man you want to be tied to.” “So if my husband, Adrian Vitale, is as dangerous as you claim he is, you think the solution is to get back with you?” she asked sarcastically. She noticed Alex’s eyes were looking over her shoulders. Like he was looking at someone else. Rhea turned her head just in time to see Adrian approaching; his movements were slow and deliberate. He moved like a predator who had just caught his prey in its den. He strode toward them with a sort of authority that silenced an entire room. His eyes burned with anger. “Who the fuck is this?” Rhea barely had time to answer, and before she knew it, Adrian was standing between them. His body immediately cut off the space between her and Alex. Alex was tensed but tried not to show it. “I was just offering my condolences.” Adrian tilted his head, and he smirked wickedly. “Offering condolences,” he repeated. “Funny. From where I stood, it looked like you were trespassing. Adrian sneered at him. “You don’t belong here. piccoletto.” Alex squared his shoulders; he would not cower to him, even though he just called him a little boy. “I think Rhea can decide that for herself.” Adrian let out a low chuckle. “You think I give a damn about what you think?” His voice was calm and collected but was also charged with something dangerous beneath the surface. Alex’s jaw tightened, but Adrian had already dismissed him. Instead, he turned to Rhea; his gaze was slow but commanding. “We’re leaving,” he said; the authority in his tone was very palpable. Rhea looked up to Adrian in shock, hating the public display. “The reception isn’t over.” Adrian took a step closer, invading her space completely. “It is for you,” he murmured into her ears. She felt his warm breath on her neck, and the cologne he was wearing turned her on. The words he said were laced with something possessive, like he was claiming her. Alex moved slightly in their direction, as if he wanted to intervene and save her, but Adrian’s head snapped toward him. “Walk away,” Adrian said. And you could hear it loud and clear, a threat wrapped as a warning. Alex hesitated; he shot a glance at Rhea. But Rhea’s face was expressionless; if anything, her face gave him the same warning Adrian just gave him. He exhaled and stepped back. Adrian didn’t spare him another glance. Instead, he took Rhea’s wrist, firm but not painful, and led her through the murmuring crowd. All eyes were on them, but no one dared to raise a voice. The power shift was undeniable. As they left the Moretti ballroom where the reception was taking place and stepped outside, Adrian’s men tried to follow their boss. “Stay back!” he roared at them. “Give me the keys to the G-wagon.” Adrian demanded. One of the men threw the car keys at him, which he caught with his left hand with so much steeze while still using his right hand to lead Rhea. When they had entered the car, he turned the ignition and sped off the Moretti estate. Rhea wasn’t sure what unnerved her more: the fact that Adrian had claimed his dominance so effortlessly or the fact that some part of her hadn’t resisted.Come with me, Rhea," Alex pleaded, his eyes filled with a hopeful plea. "Forget your past and run away with me to a new life in America. They think you are dead, amore. That’s even better; you never have to worry about them again. Forget that world that corrupts and bleeds."Rhea’s hands, still held captive in his warm grip, felt suddenly cold. She looked down at their intertwined fingers, it reminded her of a life of normalcy. A life before the lies and betrayals.She lifted her gaze back to Alex, his face was etched in sincerity. He looked even more sincere than when he was apologizing for cheating on her. He really meant this."Alex," she began, her voice softer now, but laced with a resolve. "You know I care about you. What Adrian did to you… it haunts me. You didn’t deserve any of that."He squeezed her hands gently. "Then come with me. Let’s leave all this behind. We can heal together. Start fresh."Rhea pulled her hands away slowly and instinctively placed a protective hand ov
Punching the elevator buttons with shaky fingers, Rhea stepped in the moment the doors slid open. By the time the elevator stopped at her floor, she was already yanking off her coat. She ran straight to her room, shut the door, and stripped off her clothes in a rush. The hospital gown went over her head in seconds, and she slipped into the sheets.Almost immediately, Anya burst in, breathless.“Signora…boss is coming. I looked in the park, you’re not there.” She went looking for Rhea when she saw Dmitri.“It’s ok, Anya. I saw him already.” Rhea said.Anya looked at her in disbelief, but Rhea’s attention was on the hallway expecting Dmitri’s presence.It took a while before he actually got to her room. Maybe he stopped to have a talk with the doctor or some other person. “Devushka moya,” Dmitri said softly as he stepped inside.Rhea offered a tired smile, her hand instinctively moving to rest over her belly. “Hi.”He walked over, leaned down, and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Ho
Rhea sat still, absorbing the weight of the information being thrown at her. Her mind raced, struggling to process the implications of it all. Her father’s death was barely a few weeks after her wedding to Adrian. Was it Dante’s doing? Dante never really bothered searching for who killed Enrico. He just said it was Adrian Vitale. Which was why he told her to remain in the Vitale household to spy on them and get information.He never planned for revenge because he did it himself. He just used her to try to strengthen his empire. If what he was planning had worked he would have succeeded in eliminating both Enrico, the one he had a grudge against, and the Vitales, his rivals in the business.Rhea blinked hard, her thoughts were in chaos. “If Enrico wasn’t Dante’s father…” she whispered, trying to piece it together. “That means…we aren’t related at all. I’m not even his sister.”She took a slow breath. At best, Dante would be her cousin. And Izzy…his half-sister since they shared a mo
“We need to meet.” Rhea glanced at her phone screen as she read the text from her P.I.Her heart raced slightly at the urgency in his tone. They had just met two days ago before her scare with the miscarriage that had landed her in the hospital. So much had happened in such a short time, and now he was calling for another meeting. What had he found out? And why the urgency?During her checkups, the doctor had told her she could go home on the third day. However, Rhea knew she needed a window to meet with the P.I. She knew that If she went home, even though eventually she would resume her normal activities she was sure Dmitri would not let her go out immediately after her discharge.“Can I stay an extra day or two?” she asked the doctor the next morning, flashing him a charming smile. “I don’t trust myself at home.”The doctor, one who had a soft spot for her, smiled back. “Of course, Signora Sofia,” he replied. “It’ll be my pleasure coming in to check on you every day.”Rhea gave a
Adrian was back home early the next morning after spending the night with a woman he hadn’t bothered learning her name. He headed straight to his study, running his hand lazily through his hair. He preferred to start business early in his home office and then proceed to meetings later in the day. He had just relaxed into his chair when he heard a soft tap against the door.“Come in.”Antoinette stepped in, she was dressed in a tight dress and perfectly made up at that hour. “Buongiorno, Signor. Shall I make you breakfast?”Adrian glanced at her briefly, his face blank before giving a low nod.“Just coffee.”Her lips curved into a smile. She hesitated, lingering in the doorway longer than necessary. “Of course.”For months after Rhea’s death, Antoinette had been angling for Adrian’s attention. She would linger a little too long, her dressing just a little too tight. Even though she was an attractive woman, Adrian didn’t look at her twiceStill, maybe one day, she told herself. One
Luca leaned forward, voice low. “I heard something… from someone close to Dante Moretti. Word is Dante wants to propose a marriage alliance with Selene.”Adrian’s jaw clenched.“That’s why I’m bringing her up, fratello. If the Morettis and Bianchis merge, they might actually become a greater force. You know Dante, he doesn’t play fair when he wants power.”Adrian let out a slow breath and set his glass down with a soft clink.“Well,” he said, voice calm and deadly, “neither of them have the business volume we do. Even if they merge.”Luca raised a brow, unconvinced.“Our world of mafia now isn’t what it used to be,” Adrian continued,m. “It’s not about family ties or who killed who’s father anymore. It’s about money and wealth. Whoever has both, has power. And whoever has power… has control.”He leaned back, tapping Luca’s shoulder firmly. “We fucking rule Sicily and even beyond, fratello.”Luca smirked. “That’s true.”Adrian reached for his drink again. “Just gave Governor Ricci twent