All Chapters of THE CHARADE: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

DANTE'S POVThe sound of her voice was low, soothing in the quiet of the hall and much more so calming to my ears. She was talking about… something. Her childhood, a story about a dog, I wasn’t really sure. The details weren’t adding up, little things that didn’t quite fit, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to listen.I couldn’t sleep. Not like I had last night. And that simple fact made me realize the truth I’d been trying to ignore. The deep, peaceful sleep I’d had… it was because of her. Because she was in my room. Because of whatever she did.I’d come down here for water, hoping to clear my head, to find some kind of peace. And then I saw her, standing there in the kitchen, and a different kind of peace settled over me. A calm I hadn’t felt in years.She was so similar to Ava. Not in looks—Sophia’s hair was blonde, her eyes a different shade—but in the way she held herself, the little expressions that flickered across her face. The way she made me feel. If I didn’t know better, I’d

DANTE'S POVI sat there in the dark hall for a long time, just breathing. But every breath I took was filled with her. The ghost of her lips on mine, the feel of her hands in my hair, the tiny, broken sound she made in the back of her throat.It was driving me nuts.And it was all so… familiar. She tasted just like Ava. The way she yielded, the way she moaned, the way her body fit against mine—it was like stepping back in time. How could two different people feel so exactly the same? It was impossible. It didn’t make any sense.My mind kept circling back to the raw fear in her eyes right before she ran. Why was she so scared? Was she okay? The need to see her, to just be near her, was a physical pull, an ache deep in my chest. Maybe if I could just smell her scent, hear her voice, I could finally find some peace. I could sleep.Before I even fully decided to move, my feet were carrying me up the stairs. The house was dead silent. I stopped in front of her door, my heart pounding for a

DANTE'S POVFor two days, she’d been hiding, trying to coat her existence. Meals were taken in her room. If I entered the office, she’d find a reason to leave moments later, a file clutched to her chest like a shield. I’d see her vanish around a corner, the whisper of her movement the only proof she’d been there at all. She was running. And God, it was the most exciting game I’d ever played. She was ignoring me, after what happened the other night, she was running like always and I was chasing, and even heaven knows I loved a good chase.I found her in the library, pretending to be absorbed in a ledger. The afternoon light streamed through the window, catching in the strands of her blonde wig. My Ava is in there. Hiding from me.I didn’t announce myself. I just walked in, my footsteps silent on the rich rug. I came to a stop behind her, so close I could feel the warmth from her body. She stiffened, her pen freezing on the page.“Sophia,” I said, my voice calm, conversational.She flin

AVA'S POVA part of me was so grateful Dante came in, but I was also not ready for the commotion I knew was brewing up with his appearance."I said take those hands off now!" he commanded his eyes burning with anger I could tell what he was thinking of doing, he probably wanted to torture Nick right here and now. Oh god, this was just going to get worse, if Nick got a whiff of suspicion of how Dante was acting suspicious, he would dig deeper into it and if he knew I was involved with Dante years ago, he would tell my father and my father would try to use it against him. Hell no, I wasn’t going to let this happen.Nick's hand slowly retracted from my hand, I could tell he was afraid. Nick, the cold right hand man, was scared of Dante, it was expected after all he was the Mafia king, messing with him was like playing with your life."Now fuck off" he mouthed and immediately Nick shot me a glare and walked off, I was so excited at how Dante shattered his ego, but right now I was more wor

DANTE'S POVThe file landed on my desk with a heavy thud. Kyle stood across from me, his expression grim. "It's all there, boss. Everything we could find on Denis Cavallaro. But... you should brace yourself. What's next will shock you."I didn't like the tone in his voice. It was too serious, too heavy. I flipped the file open, my eyes scanning the pages. Property holdings, business fronts, known associates. It was the usual dirt. Then I turned the page.And the world stopped.There she was. Staring back at me from a grainy photograph. Ava. Her name was printed neatly beside it: Ava Cavallaro.My breath caught in my throat. Cavallaro. So that was her real name. Back in school, she was always Ava Morris. She never told me. She never once mentioned her father was a mobster. I felt a fresh wave of betrayal, cold and sharp. She had lied to me from the very beginning."Ava Cavallaro," Kyle said, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. "His daughter. Denis has kept her hidden for years, like