HELENA’S POVI heard Dante’s accompanied footsteps long before the door to his large board room pushed open, and immediately it felt like the room exploded with tension. His expression darkened instantly, his jaw tightening, his eyes flashing with a mix of fury and something else – something else that I couldn’t quite put my hands on and satisfaction spread in my belly from the darkened expression on his face.I slowed my movements, turning to face him fully. I didn’t say a word, just kept my gaze steady, daring him to do something, to react. My chest rose and fell with each breath, and I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his eyes trailing down my body, lingering on every exposed inch of skin. I could see it—the internal battle waging inside him. He wanted to be furious, but he couldn’t look away. He wanted to control me, but in this moment, I held all the power.A slow, subtle smile crept across my lips. I knew exactly what I w
I stood in front of the mirror in the master’s bedroom, slipping into a gown that clung to my body in all the right places. It was deep red, a color that demanded attention, with thin straps that barely held it up. The neckline plunged just enough to tease without being too revealing, but the thigh-high slit on the side left no room for modesty. It was silky, soft against my skin, flowing down to my ankles but offering a tantalizing glimpse of my legs when I moved. I paired it with my highest heels, black with thin straps that wrapped around my ankles, adding a few inches to my height.I took my time with my makeup, darkening my eyes with smoky shadow, painting my lips a deep crimson to match the gown. The woman staring back at me in the mirror looked confident, but underneath the façade, my heart was still racing from the encounter with Dante, my butt still sore and tingling. The tension between us wasn’t something I could easily shake off.“Okay Helena, you can do this, you can be a
DANTE’S POVThe music from the club thumped through the walls as I made my way to the back room, after I left Helena alone. I wasn’t going to be long, I just needed to settle some quick shit since Paulo had called me about some problems with Tony Anotti and from the sound of his voice, it seemed urgent.When I walked into the room, a low-lit space with dark wooden walls, thick leather chairs, and a large round table at the center, far away from the vibrations of the club. Tony Anotti was seated on a leather chair at the far end of the room, a dirty smirk on his face like he owned the place and I wanted nothing more than to smack the cockiness of him. My eyes travelled down to his knee, still bandaged and busted from where I had shot him at the funeral, I could see that he still hadn’t learnt his lesson.Paulo, was already there too, leaning against the wall with a cigarette in hand, his eyes cold. Armed men stood at the corners, men that moved only on my command, each one of them pack
DANTE’S POVPanic gripped me instantly, my stomach twisting into knots, My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of her, but I couldn’t catch a glimpse of her menacing red gown and her long flowing hair anywhere and my vision seemed to fizzle out a bit as I clenched my fist into tight balls beside me, someone was going to die tonight if anything had happened to her.“Fucking Tony” I cursed under my breath, my heart thundering in my chest. Tony’s grin haunted me, the way he hinted that he’d already made his move. I couldn’t even lie to myself, the Anotti’s were ruthless bastards and they were known for playing dirty in everything they did, what was Anthonio thinking getting involved with them, now he was dead and his daughters were a target but not on my watch, they were part of the D’angelos and it was my duty to protect them.Anger surged through me like wildfire, threatening to blind me as I made my way towards the dj booth shoving through the crowd without hesitation and a
DANTE’S POVBy the time I carried Helena to the bedroom, she was practically melting in my arms, her body trembling with the drugs that still coursed through her veins. She clung to me, her lips brushing against my neck, soft, breathy pleads spilling out."Dante... please... I need you. I need you so bad."Her voice was so quiet, so full of raw desire, that it nearly shattered my resolve. Every instinct inside me was screaming to take her, but I couldn't. Not like this.I had thrown her over my shoulder and carried her to the bedroom, gently setting her on the bed but she wouldn’t let me go for the love of God. Her red gown was bunched up around her hips, revealing smooth, exposed thighs that made my pulse quicken. She looked up at me through half-lidded eyes, her pupils dilated, swirling with need, and lust. Her dark hair spilled over her face, framing her flushed cheeks. God, she was a vision.Suddenly, her hand reached for mine, her fingers brushing my wrist."Are you... gonna puni
HELENA’S POVI wake up that morning with a splitting headache, My mind felt foggy, like it had been soaked in alcohol, though I knew that wasn’t the case. As I slowly blinked, my surroundings came into focus—the dark wood paneling, the sheer curtains filtering sunlight into the room.“What the hell was happening?” I whispered to myself amidst the blinding the headache that flustered.Slowly, the realization hit me like a cold bucket of water, and I groaned softly, sinking deeper into the plush pillows. I lay still trying to conjure up my memory from the previous night, last I remembered, I had followed Dante to the club and - the flashing lights, the overwhelming heat, the loud music and people dancing while I settled at the bar with a drink and then... him. The strange man that had approached me leading me away, the dizziness that followed, the confusion.Then Dante – Dante had saved me. I remembered his face behind my blurred vision and hazed state and – shit!I sat up quickly, a sh
HELENA’S POV“Mama said the wedding should be in three weeks, it’s only logical” my sister said to me at lunch in downtown restaurant just across from the dance studio I had just registered in. It was a breath of fresh air, being able to raise my legs above my head with other people who understand the arts of dance and not spank me afterwards for it.“Mama always wants everything to be logical” I said back to her, taking a sip from my chocolate milkshake and still side eyeing the diamond ring Dante had slipped on my finger earlier, it still felt like a blinding shock to me and I couldn’t understand why.“According to her, she doesn’t think it’s quite logical for you to be living with a man you’re not married to”“I was once married to him”“And divorced – brutally” she added the last part like an adlib to a song and I snickered, I should’ve been offended but Vivianna could be effortlessly funny when she didn’t mean to. Then she took a bite from her greasy burger and my picked my hand
DANTE’S POVAfter I had left the house after giving Helena the ring, the next agenda on my mind was to deal personally with Tony Anotti, of course he knew Helena was engaged to me, the only reason he had decided to pull the stunt with me and that was why I decided to give her the ring. I had rushed earlier that morning before she woke up, pulled up at the nearest jeweler and purchased the one that caught my eye, I didn’t care how expensive it was – it was my claim on her, to prove to everyone in Algreen Cove that she was mine now.I arrived at the warehouse where we’d been keeping Tony Anotti to find Paulo was already there, but he looked a tad bit disheveled with his normally crisp shirt untucked and his brow furrowed with worry."Dante," he said, his voice low and urgent, "Tony... he’s gone."The words barely registered for a second, and when they did, the rage simmering just beneath my skin flared up. "What do you mean he’s gone?" I barked, stepping closer to him but Paulo held my
MATTEO’S POVHelena didn’t look back.She gave me a single glance as she stepped through the grand entrance of the masked ball, her red dress shimmering under the low lights like spilled wine. It was a glance meant to reassure, but all it did was tighten the knot in my stomach. As she disappeared into the crowd, I stayed behind, lingering by the car, letting the cool night air ground me.There was a heaviness to the night, a thickness in the air that clung to my skin like smoke. People filed into the hall, their laughter and idle chatter masking the tension beneath their ornate feathers and flashy masks. They came here to escape, to lose themselves in the decadence and mystery of the night.But I had no intention of hiding.My mask was a reflection of who I truly was—dark, daunting, and utterly unafraid. It wasn’t meant to conceal but to intimidate, to remind anyone who dared look too long that I wasn’t here to play their games. I was here for one thing, and one thing only.To kill Da
HELENA’S POVThe day had arrived, though part of me wished it hadn’t.I stared at myself in the mirror, my reflection striking yet unrecognizable. The red dress clung to me like a second skin, its fabric pooling at my feet in elegant defiance of the night ahead. My mask—a sleek, feline design with sharp edges framing my eyes—only added to the surrealism of it all. I felt like a stranger in my own skin, dressed for a game where the stakes were life and death.Behind me, Matteo’s voice cut through my thoughts. “You look stunning.”I turned slightly, catching his gaze in the mirror as he stood in the doorway. His sharp intake of breath made my stomach flutter, but the butterflies were tangled with something else, something far darker.He stepped closer, his footsteps soft against the carpeted floor. When he reached me, his hands found my waist, and his lips brushed mine—soft, gentle, reverent. For a moment, I let myself sink into the kiss, into him, but the moment broke as quickly as it
HELENA’S POVThe evening air was thick with tension, so palpable it felt like an invisible hand gripping my throat. Two weeks had passed since I started staying at Matteo’s house—two weeks of stolen kisses, shared secrets, and careful planning. Tomorrow was the masked ball, the night that could either set us free or seal our fate.I stood in front of the tall, oval mirror in Matteo’s bedroom, the soft light casting a golden hue over the red dress I wore. It hugged my curves perfectly, the fabric cascading to the floor like a river of blood. The back was completely open, exposing my skin to the cool air. I gathered my hair up, twisting it into an impromptu updo, and tilted my head, studying my reflection. I didn’t look like the woman who had been Dante D’Angelo’s wife. I looked like someone else—someone dangerous.The door creaked open, and I saw Matteo’s reflection in the mirror before I heard him. He stopped mid-step, his eyes sweeping over me like a caress. His sharp intake of breat
HELENA’S POVI stirred awake slowly, the warm sunlight filtering through the curtains. Matteo was still sprawled on the bed beside me, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. His face looked so peaceful, free of the sharp, tense lines it usually carried. I turned lazily, propping myself up on one elbow to study him. His dark lashes rested against his cheekbones, his jawline relaxed. His hair fell in soft waves, and I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through it, to feel its silkiness. Maybe even kiss him, just once, full on the mouth.But I held myself back. He must’ve been exhausted after everything that happened last night. Having a gun pointed at your face tends to do that to people. Yet here he was, the same Matteo who made me feel something I hadn’t felt in a long time: safe. Being with him was so different from being with Dante. With Dante, every moment was a storm. With Matteo, there was calm, a quiet comfort I hadn’t realized I needed until now."Are you done staring
HELENA’S POVThe water was colder than I imagined, sharp and biting, and I felt it burrow into my skin, freezing me from the inside out. As the surface swallowed me whole, a single, panicked thought clawed through my mind: I can’t swim. The screws in my hip made sure of that. Every kick of my legs felt heavy, like I was dragging chains beneath me. But it was the only way.It was the only way to escape Dante—because I knew if I stayed, he wouldn’t just drag me out of there by my hair. He’d kill Matteo, and every ounce of defiance I’d summoned would have been for nothing.The pressure of the water wrapped around me like a fist, squeezing my lungs. My chest burned, desperate for air. I flailed my arms, trying to stay afloat, but my body betrayed me, weighted down by both the freezing cold and my own limits. Panic clawed at my throat, but I forced myself to think. Stay calm, Helena. Just keep moving. Help will come.I didn’t have to wait long.A splash rippled through the water near me, a
MATTEO’S POVThe cool night air brushed against my skin as Helena clung to me, her fingers wrapped tightly around my arm. Her flushed cheeks and wide, sparkling eyes were magnetic, like I was seeing her for the first time. Her laughter still echoed in my head, the sound of it rolling through the haze of the raunchy time we’d shared inside the club. The pulsing lights, the music, the feel of her body pressed against mine—everything about tonight felt like a dream.She looked up at me, her lips parted, slightly swollen from where she’d bitten them while dancing. My breath hitched as the urge to pin her against the nearest wall and kiss her until we both forgot our names overtook me. But I didn’t. Not yet. Not here. Instead, I held her steady, guiding her toward the car as her voice broke the moment.“God I’m starving” she said again, her voice light and airy.I smirked, trying to shake the wild thoughts coursing through my head. “Starving, huh? All that dancing must’ve done a number on
HELENA’S POVI put on the dress Matteo bought me, a little slutty with a long slit at the side exposing my creamy thighs. My eyes had lesser dark circles than it did in the morning, but nothing eyeliner couldn’t fix and throwing on a perfect shade of red lipstick which Matteo had also slipped into the bags, I didn’t know he had taste like that and I loved it.“Damn” Matteo deep voice filled my voice when I stepped out of the room to him waiting just outside my door, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his biceps with the veins ripping through them.“You look – ”“Like a hooker” I completed for him, and he looked at me like I was crazy.“No damn – you look hot, you are hot and you should be mine” he breathed in my ears pulling me close, his deep husky voice causing goosebumps on my skin and I shivered slightly. This was all new, all these feelings that were beginning to ignite because of Matteo, the way he looked at me like he wanted to devour me on the spot.“
HELENA’S POV“Matteo, I want you to speak using your words. Did you plan this whole thing?” I asked again, emphasizing on my words because at this point Matteo had moved away from me to the kitchen area and was now pouring himself a glass of water. I didn’t care about the pain on my leg, I pushed myself up from the chair and followed him.“You’re not supposed to stressing my leg” he said turning to face me, running his eyes from my face to my leg.“I have had it with you D’angelo boys, thinking you can just play mind games and using me as a collateral”“No one is using you as a collateral Helena, this is a fight between me and Dante and I didn’t want you getting involved so I removed you from the equation”“Oh” a dirty scoff escaped my lips “So what now, I’m supposed to grovel on my knees and thank you?”He smirked “Well you can’t actually do that” he gestured to my legs and I wanted nothing much but to smack him in that moment.“Look Helena, you’re getting this all wrong. All I did wa
HELENA’S POV“Yea and I fucking enjoyed it too” I said to Dante, a subtle smirk on my phone. I wanted him to feel half the pain I felt, both the physical and the emotional one that stung at my heart“maybe, just maybe he might be the better brother – if you know what I mean” I winked at him, and everything happened in a split second. Dante’s eyes flared and before I knew it he was charging towards me. He grabbed my hands and pushing me against the wall, his booze breath hot on my face and the fiery glint in his eyes burning brighter and brighter, I was scared I might get engulfed in it.“You don’t mean that” he said “You don’t bloody mean that Helena”“Why do you care?” I shot back “You sold me to him after all”“I didn’t – I just – how can I fix it?”“You can’t” I said in his face, loud enough that he flinched a little. “When are you going to get it Dante, you’re the villain in this story, you’re not a hero – you’re the evil villain who’s not going to get the girl at the end” I pushe