Semua Bab Married to the ruthless Billionaire Mafia: Bab 21 - Bab 30

The garden was manicured within an inch of perfection, the hedges were trimmed so neatly they looked carved, roses spilling their fragrance into the late morning air.Rose followed the maid’s quiet lead through the open archway. Her silk dress clung too tightly in the heat, her hair pinned with more care than she’d ever wanted. She thought herself prepared, but the moment she stepped into the garden the sound shifted. The women who had been laughing fell quiet one by one, their voices tapering into silence as their eyes slid toward her.Her legs felt hollow, trembling beneath their stares. She forced herself forward, chin lifted though her stomach knotted. The women’s jewels caught the sunlight, their gowns were immaculate, they watched her like a curiosity on display.Her stomach tightened as she caught the ripple of whispers, the low murmur of Italian words she couldn’t quite string together, though she knew well enough they were about her.

The courtyard smelled of hay and warm leather, the faint clatter of hooves echoing against stone as stable boys moved about their work. From the balcony above, Dante stood with his hands knotted tight inside his pockets, watching.Rose was down there, beside Luca’s stallion. They stood too close. Her pale hand brushed against the glossy flank as Luca leaned in, speaking low, his expression infuriatingly casual. She tilted her head toward him, listening, and then… Dante saw it. The faintest curve of her lips, a smile she hadn’t given him once since she arrived in his house.His jaw clenched until it ached. Of all people in this cursed villa, it had to be Luca. Luca, with his slick tongue and his easy charm. Luca, who waited for cracks in the stone and slid his way in like water.Dante’s chest burned. He drew in a slow breath, steady but shallow, as if that alone would stop the rising anger. Rose had never smiled at him…never anything but defiance,

Rose woke with the kind of heaviness that clung after restless hours. The clock on the nightstand read past eight. She had slept late, they had arrived in Vegas closer to one in the morning and even after the flight, most of her time on the jet had been spent wide-eyed, wondering where Dante was taking her.She was delighted to go to the shower for the first time in a long while, there were no hands tugging her hair or fastening her clothes like back in Italy. Here, she moved at her own pace. She wrapped herself in a robe, towel-dried her hair, and for the first time in weeks felt like a woman rather than a doll being propped up for display.When she stepped into the hall, a staff member approached, hands folded neatly in front of her. “Mr. Moretti had to leave for a few errands, signora,” she said. “He will return later in the day. He asked me to tell you that you may explore the penthouse if you wish. The guards will accompany you.”R

Dante closed the door to his suite, loosened his tie and set his phone on the desk. The glow of the city seeped through the tall windows, neon lights pulsing against the glass.He replayed the call from earlier in his mind, every clipped word, every coded phrase. The lawyers had confirmed the casino contracts were still airtight, the paperwork clean enough to withstand scrutiny should anyone look too closely. That was one problem handled.But the soldiers in Nevada were another matter. A few had grown restless, and suspicious. It seemed like some soldiers were giving information to the enemy. Dante didn’t trust them. A single defection could turn Las Vegas from safe ground into a trap.That was why Rose could not leave the suite tomorrow. The city was too exposed, too many eyes watching, too many chances for her to stumble into danger without even knowing it. She thought it was about control, about him deciding what she could or could n

The knock at her door came just after breakfast. Rose opened it to find two women from the staff carrying a garment bag and a slim box. They moved with quiet efficiency, hanging the dress in her wardrobe and setting the box on the bed. When they left, she unzipped the bag and froze.It was a gown. Deep green silk, simple but devastating in its elegance, the kind of dress meant for cameras. Beneath it lay a pair of delicate heels and a small velvet case that revealed emerald earrings.By the time she slipped into the dress and pinned her hair, even she had to admit she looked… transformed. She was no longer the mafia wife shut away in a penthouse. No longer the girl pretending she didn’t care what Dante thought. For a moment, she looked like she belonged in his world.The door opened without a knock. Dante stepped inside, mid-sentence as if ready to issue another order, but stopped dead. His gaze swept over her, lingering for a