All Chapters of He Chose His First Love. I Took Back His Throne: Chapter 11 - Chapter 16

Dante didn't leave LA.He bought a house just outside the docks, and every morning he sent over soup, formula, and baby supplies.Sometimes it was food I liked. Sometimes it was a blanket just like the one Lia had used in New York.Every time, I had the guards send it all back untouched.On the third day, he started leaving things outside the gate and stopped asking to see me.Every day, Enzo brought me a list of what Dante had left. I never even opened the bags. It wasn't that the gifts weren't thoughtful. It was that Dante always knew how to make up for what was missing—once the danger was over.The more thoughtful his care was, the clearer it became to me that none of it could make up for the moments when I really needed him to be there.One night a week later, Lia suddenly couldn't make a sound when she cried.Her mouth was open, but all that came out of her throat was a fast, rasping wheeze, and her little face was turning red.I sat bolt upright in bed. It felt like a hand had cl

Dante flew back to New York that night.The lights were still on in the living room at the Romano estate. Carmela was on the sofa. The room Victoria had stayed in had already been cleared out, but Carmela was still directing the staff to put the nursery suite back the way it was."Don't bother," Dante said. "Bianca isn't coming back."Carmela looked up."Once she's done throwing her tantrum, she'll bring the baby home. You shouldn't have let her back Victoria into a corner like that in front of outsiders."Dante threw the walkway footage and the car data onto the coffee table."Victoria has a father. She has her own estate, and she has the Valenti guards. Why did you have to bring her here?"Carmela stiffened."Someone had just tried to kill her! How was I supposed to know whether the threat was real?""You knew she had somewhere to stay." Dante took a step closer. "And you knew Bianca was getting ready to leave. Who told Victoria that Bianca's luggage was already on its way to the air

On the day the divorce was announced, I took the first flight back to New York.Dante was already waiting outside the law office. He was wearing the dark suit he had worn when we got married. He didn't have any flowers this time, just a box of files in his arms.When he saw the brace on my wrist, the first thing he asked was, "Does it still hurt?""When it rains."He nodded and didn't say anything about switching doctors this time.The box contained a full inventory of assets. On top of what Lia and I were legally entitled to, Dante was offering several properties and bank accounts belonging to his family.Before the lawyer could explain, I slid the documents for those additional assets back across the table."I'm only taking back what belongs to my family."Dante stared at the stack of papers."It's the least I can do.""Every time you hurt me, you try to make up for it with some grand gesture. But I don't need one."Under the table, Dante's fingers curled into a fist."I never asked