Dante’s POVI stood there, frozen, my hand still cupping her delicate face. Her words replayed in my head like a song I never wanted to end.“I want this. With you, Dante.”Her voice was soft, but there was no mistaking the determination in it. She wasn’t asking. She wasn’t second-guessing herself. She was choosing me. And it scared the hell out of me because I knew once I touched her, once I took her… there would be no going back.I searched her eyes for hesitation, for a crack, for even the faintest tremor of uncertainty. I found none. Just that steady, aching need—mirroring my own.“Lucia…” I breathed out, almost brokenly.She didn’t wait for me to finish. Her fingers, trembling but insistent, returned to my belt. I caught her hands briefly, giving her one last chance to change her mind. She shook her head once, a small but powerful gesture, before she worked my belt open and tugged at my trousers, letting them fall to the floor with a soft thud.She stepped back toward the bed, he
Lucia’s POVSomething warm and delicious filled the air, nudging me awake. I blinked slowly, sunlight pooling through the sheer curtains like warm silk across my bare skin.I shifted slightly and winced, a soft soreness pulsing between my thighs. My muscles were stiff, hips sore from how he’d held me, pinned me, claimed me. Even the skin at my neck throbbed faintly where his mouth had been.I reached for the edge of the sheet and wrapped it tightly around my chest before sitting up, my body slow to obey. The cotton scraped over sensitized skin, and I flinched—then stilled as I turned, expecting to find cold sheets and an empty bed, but instead—There he was.Dante.In nothing but black slacks, barefoot, holding a silver tray in his hands like he wasn’t one of the most dangerous man in Chicago.“You brought me breakfast?” I asked, my voice still thick with sleep and disbelief.“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he said, setting the tray on the nightstand with surprising care. “I’ve never
Lucia’s POV“Kneel!” His voice echoed through the hall. My entire body shook in fear as tears stung my eyes, but I bit down hard on my lower lip, refusing to let them fall. The sharp taste of blood only reminded me of how real this nightmare was.Laughter erupted from the men around him. They all mocked me. My shoulders slumped in defeat as Dante moved to pick up the heavy chains lying in the corner of the room.The air reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Soft Latino music played from the speakers, creating a bizarre contrast to the suffocating tension. To them, it was a paradise, but for me, it felt like hell.“I said kneel, you crazy bitch.” His voice was colder this time. Before I could react, he stormed toward me and yanked my hair, forcing me down.I yelped in pain, gritting my teeth as his grip tightened. The men laughed harder, their amusement feeding his cruelty.The saddest part was that it wasn’t always like this. Just yesterday, I was the happiest woman alive. My boyfriend of
Lucia's POV After humiliating me, Dante dismissed me immediately. He ordered a maid to escort me to my room. My head hung low as I slowly followed the maid down the hall.I was naked, exposed, and ashamed. My body stiffened, and this time, the tears kept flowing down my cheeks like an uncontrollable river.The maid halted in front of a wooden door at the end of the hallway. She turned to gaze at me, and I could have sworn I heard her sigh.“This is your room. Master Dante has ordered me to bring you a new set of clothes and food.”The mention of food made me scoff bitterly. Was he offering me food after embarrassing me in front of his men? Did he truly think I would have any appetite after what had just happened? After the way he had treated me?Shaking my head, I replied, my voice quiet but filled with disdain, “Keep the food, I won’t be needing it.” My hand gripped the doorknob, and I twisted it, trying to escape the weight of the humiliation. But the maid’s hand reached out and st
Lucia's POV As expected, Dante’s meeting had turned out to be more than just a meeting. It involved a shady deal regarding illegal drugs. I had been prepared for something like this. Everything about him screamed danger, from the sharp edge of his presence to the piercing intensity of his gaze.He had to be at least 12 years older than me, based on the rumors I’d heard, yet he still looked youthful—and undeniably handsome.I caught myself, mentally scolding myself for even entertaining such a thought. What was I thinking? Dante was nothing but a cold-blooded jerk—a man who made it clear that no one crossed him and lived to tell the tale.After the meeting, he took me to a small warehouse where I witnessed something that solidified my fear of him. He interrogated a man with a ferocity that left no room for mercy. I stood frozen, unsure of how to react. When we left the warehouse, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man he’d left behind in a pool of blood.My instincts told me to turn b
Lucia’s POVDante stuck to his promise, but not without conditions. He assigned one of his men to escort me. As we approached the house I once shared with my father, a wave of anxiety washed over me. My steps faltered in front of the door, and I hesitated.This wasn’t just a house—it was a graveyard of memories.I glanced back briefly, my mind flashing to Dante’s warehouse. The fire, the gunshots, and the chaotic night that changed my life played in my head like a cursed film reel. The night that turned me into Dante’s captive.I clenched my fists and forced myself to focus. Knocking seemed almost absurd—it was my home once, but now, I wasn’t sure where I belonged. Just as I raised my hand, the door opened, revealing my father.“Lucia.”His voice trembled, barely above a whisper. He looked at me like I was a ghost. His face was worn, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion, and the lines on his forehead seemed deeper than I remembered.“Dad,” I said, my voice cracking. I couldn’t stop mysel
Lucia's POVThe ride back to the mansion was silent, but my thoughts were anything but. The name Vincenzo Calderone echoed in my mind, refusing to let me rest. When we finally arrived, I stepped out of the car and walked into the living room, where I found Dante seated on the couch. A bottle of tequila in his hand, and his expression unreadable.“I’m back, Sir,” I announced, trying to steady my voice. Dante rose from his seat, his presence imposing as he walked toward me.“How did it go?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. He tilted his head slightly, brow arched. “Did you find answers?”His sudden question caught me off guard, and I staggered back, confusion flooding me. I hadn’t told him I was seeking answers—why was he asking?“I—I don’t… understand,” I stammered, the words faltering as my mind raced to make sense of his knowledge.Dante scoffed. He took another slow sip of his drink, eyeing me with an almost amused detachment. “What do you mean, you don’t understand?
Dante's PovThe fire at the warehouse was like a crack in the dam. I could feel everything I’d built, everything I was, threatening to crumble. Sitting in my private library, I swirled the whiskey in my glass, staring at it as if it held the answers to all my problems. It didn’t. It never did.I never asked for this life. At eighteen, I should’ve been worrying about college or girls, not burying my father and inheriting his bloodstained empire. My mother, though, she had always insisted I carry the torch. She called it our legacy. I called it a curse.Then came that night. The one I see every time I close my eyes. The smoke still clings to my nightmares. My mother’s screams. My sister’s cries. I tried to save them. God knows I tried. But I failed.They were gone in an instant. I barely escaped myself, crawling through blood and ash, barely holding on until one of my father’s men, Gabriel Rucci, saved me. I owe him my life.But when I woke from that nightmare, something inside me snapp
Lucia’s POVSomething warm and delicious filled the air, nudging me awake. I blinked slowly, sunlight pooling through the sheer curtains like warm silk across my bare skin.I shifted slightly and winced, a soft soreness pulsing between my thighs. My muscles were stiff, hips sore from how he’d held me, pinned me, claimed me. Even the skin at my neck throbbed faintly where his mouth had been.I reached for the edge of the sheet and wrapped it tightly around my chest before sitting up, my body slow to obey. The cotton scraped over sensitized skin, and I flinched—then stilled as I turned, expecting to find cold sheets and an empty bed, but instead—There he was.Dante.In nothing but black slacks, barefoot, holding a silver tray in his hands like he wasn’t one of the most dangerous man in Chicago.“You brought me breakfast?” I asked, my voice still thick with sleep and disbelief.“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he said, setting the tray on the nightstand with surprising care. “I’ve never
Dante’s POVI stood there, frozen, my hand still cupping her delicate face. Her words replayed in my head like a song I never wanted to end.“I want this. With you, Dante.”Her voice was soft, but there was no mistaking the determination in it. She wasn’t asking. She wasn’t second-guessing herself. She was choosing me. And it scared the hell out of me because I knew once I touched her, once I took her… there would be no going back.I searched her eyes for hesitation, for a crack, for even the faintest tremor of uncertainty. I found none. Just that steady, aching need—mirroring my own.“Lucia…” I breathed out, almost brokenly.She didn’t wait for me to finish. Her fingers, trembling but insistent, returned to my belt. I caught her hands briefly, giving her one last chance to change her mind. She shook her head once, a small but powerful gesture, before she worked my belt open and tugged at my trousers, letting them fall to the floor with a soft thud.She stepped back toward the bed, he
Dante’s POV She swallowed hard, her jaw trembling as she closed her eyes. I moved closer and sat on the edge her bed. “He… he betrayed me,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “He was using me. I was just… I wonder if he even loves me. He’s been lying to me.” Her hands clenched around the fabric of her dress, and I could see her fighting back tears. I hated seeing her like this. It was like watching someone lose themselves. But she wasn’t ready to let go completely yet. “I ended it with him,” she added, her words heavy with finality, but there was pain behind them. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t let him do this to me anymore.” I watched her, processing what she said. Then my gaze dropped to her left hand, and I saw the absence of the ring. She really wasn’t wearing it anymore. I moved closer, keeping my tone soft. “You ended it with him,” I repeated, almost to myself. She nodded, her eyes finally meeting mine, but she didn’t offer more. I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my emotio
Dante’s POV The moment the car rolled back into the estate and Lucia wasn’t in it with me, I felt that gnawing undercurrent of something not right. It wasn’t just her pale face or the way her voice had lost its edge. It was the way she looked at me like she was drowning and didn’t want to be saved. Something happened tonight. And I was going to find out what. The second I stepped into the mansion, I found Lucas waiting in the hall and I didn’t waste time. I slammed him against the wall. “What the fuck has she been doing the past few days?” He didn’t even flinch, which pissed me off more. “Sir—she hasn’t gone anywhere without clearance. She only visited her father once. That’s all. I swear it.” My hand tightened on his collar. “You’re sure?” Lucas nodded, voice flat. “She’s under constant surveillance, Dante. We’d know if something was wrong.” I stared into his eyes for another long second before shoving him back. He straightened his jacket like I hadn’t just manhandled him,
Lucia’s POV The venue glimmered like something out of a dream or a very well-funded lie. Crystal chandeliers hung from ceilings so high they could scrape heaven. Women in fancy dresses moved through the room like ghosts dipped in gold, while men in dark suits stood around the edges with whiskey in one hand, secrets in the other. Soft buzzes from security earpieces filled the air.I stood near the bar, pretending to sip champagne. I hadn’t taken more than two mouthfuls. My stomach was still knotted from what I’d learned days ago.Betrayal tasted like blood at the back of my throat and no matter how much champagne I drank, I couldn’t get rid of it. It ruined everything, turning something sweet into something so bitter and rotten.Dante was busy speaking to a cluster of high-ranking Mafia associates near the grand piano, his jaw tight and gestures sharp. His dark eyes scanned the room constantly, every movement like a predator calculating its next strike. I watched him and couldn’t help
Lucia’s POVThe message came at 5:13 a.m., the screen lightening up in the early dawn light like a warning I should’ve taken more seriously.“Meet me at 8. It’s urgent. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t. Same spot as before. – D”I stared at it longer than I should have, my thumb hovering over the keyboard, then pulling back. My stomach coiled with uncertainty.After a long time, I decided I had to see him.I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving. Not Dante. Not Lucas. Not even the maid who always insisted on bringing me coffee and watching for the slightest crack in my expression. I slipped out of the mansion before the sun could fully rise, a scarf wrapped around my neck and a hoodie pulled over my head like I was trying to disappear.Dante had paid me generously for my work as his accountant, so I had more than enough to get a cab now. The air outside bit at my skin. Chicago was never gentle, not even in April. I decided to take the train instead of calling a car, it was safer that way. No t
Dante’s POV The cigarette burned between my fingers, the nicotine barely touching the storm inside me. I stared at Gabriel like I was trying to piece together a puzzle I never asked for. He looked the same. Dark trench coat, polished shoes, and a smugness that could outlast the cold wind slapping Chicago’s streets. Always watching. Always waiting. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, flicking ash onto the sidewalk. He straightened, stepped forward with a relaxed elegance that only made me more paranoid. “Looking out for you.” I narrowed my eyes. “You following me now?” “No.” He shrugged. “Just… keeping tabs. There’s a difference.” My jaw tensed. “I don’t need babysitting.” Gabriel chuckled. “You always say that. Even when your world’s on fire.” “I’ve got it under control.” “Do you?” he asked, voice dipping low with implication. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like your kingdom’s got more than a few cracks.” My spine went rigid. He raised his h
Dante’s POVShe wasn’t supposed to see that. Not again.The gunshot still echoed in my mind—not because I regretted pulling the trigger, but because of who had been watching.Her gasp. Her eyes. The way she ran from me like I was the devil himself.I’ve heard that sound before—bones snapping, air leaving lungs, the final sputter before silence—but none of it ever made me flinch. Not until I saw her standing there.Now? Now I can’t get the image out of my head: her wide eyes, pale face, hand clutched over her mouth like she might vomit. She looked at me like I was unrecognizable.I knocked on her door three times. Nothing. I knocked again. Still nothing.Behind me, one of the guards shifted. “Boss,” he said lowly. “Do you want us to break it down?”The suggestion should’ve rolled right off my back. But it didn’t.I stared at the door handle. My hand itched to grip it, twist it, and walk in like it was still my home—like she was still mine to command.But that wasn’t how this worked. No
Lucia’s POVI ran out of the room and down the hallway, ignoring the nurse calling after me. My flat shoes slapped against the floor as I pushed through the care home’s front doors into the cool afternoon air. My heart was racing as I looked around the sidewalk, the curb, and the street.Nothing.The man had vanished.I turned in a full circle, biting my lip. Had I imagined him? Was I just being paranoid? After everything that had happened—the fire, the article, the accusations—it wouldn’t be a stretch.But no… I saw him. And I knew that face.I needed answers.Back inside, I approached the front desk where a nurse sat typing. She looked up with polite curiosity.“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need to see today’s visitor log.”She blinked, unsure. “Is there a problem?”“No. I just… I think someone came to see my father without permission. I need to check.”Her brows furrowed, but after a moment, she turned the screen. “It’s mostly regulars. Here.”My eyes scanned the