All Chapters of The Don's Unwanted Prize : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I got to the hallways heading to the dining room; the usual quiet silence of the estate was replaced by the chatter of wealthy men, the occasional deep chuckle of people who owned politicians, and the clicking of expensive crystal glasses. It was a sound I had only ever heard from the outside of high-rise windows back in the South, from the people who bled us dry. Following the voices, I rounded the heavy marble archway and stepped into the dining room. The sheer scale of the setup looked like a buffet on absolute steroids, entirely disproportionate for the small number of people actually seated around the table. Silver dishes gleamed under the massive crystal chandelier, filled with delicacies that looked more like modern art pieces than food. Silas Vane was resting at the head of the table. He looked entirely detached from reality, lounging back in his chair with an expression that screamed he was thoroughly uninterested in whatever conversation was happening around him. His shirt

The bed was still incredibly warm, but the space beside me was already empty. I opened my eyes, the heavy curtains of Elizabeth’s suite completely blocking out the early morning Chicago sun. The scent of her- an intoxicating mix of expensive perfume and the raw, lingering heat of the devastation we had caused in the dark was stamped into my skin and the comfy sheets. I stretched lazily on the bed and sat up slowly, the sudden chill of the Estate biting at my bare shoulders. Elizabeth was gone. Of course she was. The cold, conniving boss woman of this twisted dynasty didn’t do mornings after. She had her sprawling empire to run, and her icy, untouchable facade to meticulously rebuild before the rest of the massive house woke up. But as my gaze drifted to the discarded emerald green gown lying on the floor like a fallen flag, a slow, dangerous smile curled at the corner of my lips. She had shattered. I had felt the legendary Elizabeth Vane completely break under my touch, and that mom

I heard her voice, muffled through the door. Tatiana. The only person who has ever truly seen me. My sister.And then I heard a voice, husky and cold as the lake outside. “Miss De Santis. I’ll escort you to your room.” The doors slammed shut. Locks clicked. Sounding heavy and final. I can’t see her. I can only hear footsteps retreating. But it wasn’t walking. It was being dragged. Her heels scraping against the marble like a cry for help that no one would answer. I lay there, frozen, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. The rage was building in my chest, hot and suffocating me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to break something. I wanted to rip the IV out and go after her. “She’s gone. You’re safe now.” Sila’s voice was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that comes before a storm. I didn’t answer him. I stared at the ceiling, the anger boiling in my chest, making my heart monitor scream.Beep. Beep..It sounded like it was trying to tell me something I already knew.“She’s safe, L

I’m half-asleep when I hear it. A soft click. Like someone tinkering with the lock. My heart stutters- stops, then races. I sit up, my hand flying to my chest. The heart monitor beeps frantically. The door opens. A shadow slips through. I open my mouth to scream… “Shh. It’s me, Luca.” Tatiana. She’s wearing dark clothes. A sweater that looks like it could fit both of us. Her hair is wild and tangled. She looks like a beautiful, furious, angry bird. She moves silently, years of practice. I grab her, pulling her into the bed. My hands are shaking. “What are you doing here? If Silas catches you…” I whisper. I’m not afraid for myself. I’m afraid for her. I’m afraid of what Silas could do to her. “He won’t. I’ve been watching the guards for two days. I know their rotation.” “T, you need to leave. Now. Before…” “I’m not leaving until you hear the truth. The whole truth.” She grabs my hands. Hers are cold and shaking. Her eyes plead with me to listen. “He’s been watching you for ye

The hours after the confrontation with Silas felt too stretched. He left me alone with the truth. The photographs and years of watching. The receipts. Every version of me, pinned to a wall like a butterfly in a collection. I thought I would break. I thought I would fall apart. But I don’t. I just sit with it. I let it settle into my bones. But now I know. Now I see. More clearly. Silas didn’t save me from my father. He was waiting for me. Waiting until I was broken enough to need him. And I did need him, but not in a broken kinda way.I think about Tatiana. She’s fighting in her own way. I think about Elizabeth. She’s not the ice queen I thought she was. Who would have thought that this woman-who poked me with needles, made dress fittings traumatic, and called me broken and fragile would be this soft and even come to see me? She called me a stray. I still hold that against her. Who would have thought she and Tatiana…No. I’m not doing that to my mind. Nope. Not today. I think abou