Natalie felt her hands go numb. Dante hadn’t removed the handcuffs, even though it was already midnight. In such a locked position, even if she were sleepy, she wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping. Her stomach suddenly rumbled. Damn it! She was starving. Natalie exhaled harshly. When was Dante going to let her go? As if the timing was right, the closed door suddenly opened. Dante’s figure walked in carrying a tray of food. The tantalizing aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air. “I brought you dinner,” Dante said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He smiled, enjoying Natalie’s annoyed expression. “Take the cuffs off!” Natalie exclaimed. Dante shook his head. “As a good fiancé, I’ll feed you,” he said casually. He set the tray on the bed and picked up a fork and knife. Natalie felt like swearing. How on earth was she going to eat lying down like that? Dante was such a nutcase! The man cut the steak with a calm expression. The cut wasn’t big and was ideal. Then he thrust it into
Dante sat on the sofa, watching Natalie tend to his wound. The woman was crouched on the floor with a serious face. She was holding tweezers and trying to pull out a small shard of ceramic plate that was deeply embedded in the sole of his foot.“Tell me if it hurts,” Natalie said, without looking at Dante. She winced at the wound on his foot.“Are you afraid?” Dante asked, but Natalie didn’t answer because she was too focused on her activities.Dante secretly let out a long sigh. In all those years, no woman had ever handled his wounds. In fact, he had never let a woman see him injured. Why? Because he didn’t want them to take advantage of his weakness to attack him.He remembered his mother doing that in the past. When Dante’s father was in a weakened condition, his mother gave him a deadly attack. It wasn’t that they weren’t in love anymore or that his father had betrayed their love, but from the beginning, she had been an enemy who wanted to destroy the Vittorio family.Dante and h
Natalie went to the kitchen to make coffee. Lizzy was busy making breakfast. The girl turned around and asked, “Miss, I see that Mr. Vittorio is injured. What happened last night?” “He stepped on a broken plate, but it shouldn’t be anything serious. I’ve bandaged the wound,” Natalie replied, without giving away the details. “Mr. Vittorio wouldn’t just sit back, even if he was injured. You’ll see, he’ll be off doing this and that,” said Lizzy, who seemed to know Dante well. That made Natalie curious. “Have you been working for him for long?” Lizzy was silent. A moment later, she shook her head. “I just know him pretty well.” Natalie’s coffee machine was running, and she looked down at it. Secretly, her mind was busy determining what she should do with the threatening letter sent to her. ‘Do I have to investigate Dante’s illicit business?’ She asked herself, then sighed heavily. ‘Maybe I should find out how Kelsey is doing. But how?’ Kelsey was the name of Natalie’s sister, who l
Inside the elevator, Natalie stood looking at the car keys in her hand. She felt excited. It had been a long time since she had driven, and the car she was going to drive this time was luxurious and expensive. How could she not be excited?The corner of her lips lifted. Suddenly, the elevator doors opened. She thought she had arrived at her destination floor, but she hadn’t. On the 18th floor, a woman wearing sunglasses entered hurriedly. Her formal attire looked chaotic and messy.“Irina!” Natalie exclaimed in surprise, but then quickly realized her mistake. Stupid. She shouldn’t have called out to her!The woman named Irina turned around and looked surprised. She immediately took off her sunglasses and then watched Natalie up and down intensely. Her brow furrowed deeply.“Natalie? Is this you?” Irina asked cautiously. In the past, she was Natalie’s manager. Their relationship was very close, even like siblings. They had gone through many ups and downs together in the modeling indust
Natalie answered Dante’s video call while the therapist returned to massaging her feet. She cleared her throat at the sight of Dante’s face on the phone screen. “What’s wrong?” she asked.In the car, Dante frowned at the sight of Natalie lying down, wearing only a towel. Her white skin seemed to glisten with oil. Her narrow cleavage looked plumpy and so tempting.“Where are you?” Dante’s voice sounded less than pleasant.“I’m getting a massage. Don’t you see how I look now?” Natalie replied with a frown.The frown on Dante’s forehead deepened. “Who’s the therapist?” he probed.Natalie stared at her therapist, who remained focused on massaging her feet. She replied, “A woman. Don’t worry.”Dante’s expression showed suspicion and disbelief. Finally, Natalie asked her therapist, “Can I show you to him? He seems very afraid of other men touching my body.”The therapist smiled. “Go ahead, Miss.”Natalie pointed her camera at the therapist massaging her feet. However, Dante’s focus was draw
“W-who?” Natalie’s grandmother’s voice trembled. She couldn’t believe her own ears.“It’s Natalie,” Natalie said as she closed her eyes. She wanted to go home and hug her grandmother. But that was impossible. Maybe she would never even see her grandmother again. Thinking about it made her even sadder.“Oh, dear Natalie, is this really you?” Minerva, Natalie’s grandmother, sounded surprised and excited. Natalie nodded while trying to hold back her sobs. She asked, “Grandma, how are you? I heard you were sick.”Minerva chuckled. “Are you crying? Honey, I heard a lot of people there. You must remember that elegant women should not cry in crowded places. You must be calm.”“Grandma, we’re not talking about that now,” Natalie said, feeling a little frustrated. She wanted to talk about something more serious, but her grandmother was teaching her how to be an elegant lady.“My dear, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m sick of missing you. But now I’m talking to you, so my condition will d
Natalie hugged Dante as if seeking protection from him, and it made Dante feel complicated. Slowly, his hand came up to rub her back.“I’ll look for her if you’re worried,” Dante said, which instantly made Natalie swallow.“And then?” she asked.“Then what do you want? If you want to eliminate her, I can kill her.”Dante just said it casually, but it managed to give Natalie goosebumps. Killing someone seemed so easy to Dante, like it was just a trivial matter. Whether the man would actually follow her will or not, it was still terrifying.“No. Dante, you don’t have to,” Natalie said softly. She looked up and stared into the man’s face.“As long as you’re by my side, I’ll be safe, right?” she asked.Natalie’s puffy eyes looked so weak. She looked like a fragile woman who could break at any moment. However, Dante found it strange that Natalie never looked like that. Was she acting?Dante had been with Natalie for several months. And during that time, she had always been a tough woman wh
At 3 am, Natalie suddenly woke up because of a nightmare. Her throat was thirsty, so she intended to go to the kitchen to get some cold water. However, just as she left the bedroom, she vaguely heard Dante talking to someone downstairs.Her brow furrowed instantly. Who had come to visit at 3 in the morning? Could it be Alex?Carefully, she took off her slippers and stepped down the stairs. Many of the lights had been turned off, so the atmosphere in the penthouse was indeed darker and more dimly lit.Dante was in the living room. The closer Natalie got, the clearer their voices became. She heard a woman whining spoiledly. “Dante, you have to help me. If you don’t-”“What? Are you going to snitch to your father or grandfather?” Dante’s voice was flat and cold. He didn’t seem interested in the conversation.The woman snorted with a frown. “I know you don’t like me, but could you have a little compassion for me?”“Why should I have mercy on you?” asked Dante.“Because our grandfather wan
“What happened to you, sis?” Kelsey let go of the hug. She cupped her hand on Natalie’s cheek and gently wiped away her tears. A complicated look filled her eyes.They had been separated since Kelsey was in middle school. Even before Natalie was imprisoned, they rarely saw each other. Even so, Kelsey used to see Natalie’s face either on the internet or in magazines. She knew her sister’s appearance wasn’t like that and shouldn’t have changed that much.Natalie shook her head and smiled. “Nothing. I just had surgery to change my identity. Call me Cavendish in the future, okay?”Kelsey didn’t say anything. She pulled Natalie’s hand towards her dorm room. She lived alone there, so she had more freedom to bring guests in.“Sis, I missed you.” Kelsey hugged Natalie after they entered the room. She burst into tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be a good sister,” she said through tears.“No, Kelsey.” Natalie shook her head. “You’ve suffered a lot over the years. Living alone isn’t easy, but you’ve
Natalie sat near the plane window. Her seat was only economy class, but she didn’t complain or mind. Just being able to go to London was good for her.Moments later, the plane took off. Natalie stared out the window in silence. She tried not to think about anything, including Dante. Since yesterday, she had always distracted her mind from thinking or remembering anything about him.Meanwhile, Dante was in the first-class seat. He wasn’t worried that Natalie would escape his watchful eye. They were on the same plane, after all.The trip took a while. They arrived in London at midnight. Natalie got off the plane and immediately looked for a money changer at the airport. Luckily, she had experience flying to London, so there was no confusion.She exchanged her dollar bills for British currency and then left the airport to find a place to stay. Somehow, she felt that someone was following and watching her. She quickly turned around and looked around, but no one looked suspicious.Natalie
The next day, Aland went to Dante’s penthouse without Natalie knowing. He sneaked out and pretended to be mysterious when leaving the hotel. George, who had been watching them since last night, frowned.“Where is he going?”George quietly followed Aland. He became even more curious after realizing Aland was going to Dante’s penthouse. “What’s he planning?”Aland was asked by Dante to pretend to steal. So, he acted mysteriously and carefully. He knocked on the door. It wasn’t long before Cedric opened it.“Aland, you—”“I want to see Mr. Vittorio,” Aland said.Cedric let him in and closed the door again. Then Aland went straight to Dante. It turned out that the man had already prepared the items he would take.“Here are Natalie’s passport and wallet. She has to leave tonight,” Dante said seriously.“Are you really going to just let her go? What if she runs into trouble in London?” Aland asked cautiously.Dante smiled. “You don't need to worry. I’ve already arranged everything.”Aland c
Dante lay in the coffin comfortably. The lid was not closed, so he could see Alex looking at him flatly. “Looks like you’re quite happy living in a coffin,” Alex quipped.The smile on Dante’s lips grew. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and signaled Alex to be quiet. This time, he wanted to know how his younger brother would respond.Anthony stared at the black coffin in the living room with narrowed eyes. Roberto, who saw his arrival, immediately asked, “Why did you come here?”“Grandpa, I heard about it,” Anthony said without removing his gaze from the coffin. He hadn’t gotten close enough to it to see Dante’s face or body.“Why do you have to hide things like this? Is my brother really dead?” Anthony asked his grandfather.Roberto took a deep breath. “Anthony, how many people expected his death? If our enemies find out about it, they will immediately take advantage of the situation,” he replied seriously.“Why did you come here? You haven’t answered my question,” the old
That night, Natalie ran out of the apartment building looking like a mess. Her long hair was tangled and messy. She was only wearing pajamas, so her arms, bruised from Dante’s whipping, were visible to others.Her cheeks were red from the man’s slap, and there were even traces of his fingers. She looked down and covered it with her hands because she didn’t want others to see it.Barefoot, Natalie ran on the sidewalk. People might notice her, thinking she was crazy or homeless. However, she didn’t care. Her feelings were completely shattered, and she just wanted to escape as far as possible.Snowflakes fell onto her body, making her even colder. Her lips turned pale and blue. She hugged her body in the hope that no one would chase her.Unknown to Natalie, someone was watching and following her from afar. It was George who was always watching the apartment building. He wanted to approach her to find out if the information about Dante’s death was true.Just as he was about to approach Na
Natalie was really sick. That whole day, she just lay in bed with a weak body. Even the next day, she had trouble getting out of bed. Lizzy, who knew about her situation, became worried.“Mister, don’t you want to do something? She’s really sick, not just pretending,” Lizzy said to Dante. She hoped he would call a doctor or do something to treat Natalie.Dante was lazing around in his room. He was pretending to be dead, so he couldn’t do any work outside. When Lizzy spoke, he only glanced at her. “Just let her be sick. I won’t bother her,” he said.“Don’t you still need her existence? If she’s sick, how will she get to London?” Lizzy continued to persuade her employer.“Why do you care so much about her? You’re better off here, keeping me company,” Dante said as he patted the bed beside him. He smiled sweetly at the girl.“Sir, no kidding!” Lizzy gave Dante an annoyed look. She knew he wasn’t serious.“Alright. I’ll see her later,” Dante said indifferently.Lizzy finally stopped bothe
That night, Natalie was too tired from crying until she fell asleep sitting on the floor and leaning against the side of the bed. She woke up when someone suddenly opened the door in the morning.Lizzy came in carrying a tray of breakfast. She placed it on the table and stepped closer to Natalie.“Miss...” The girl looked at Natalie sadly. What happened last night really saddened her. She hadn’t expected Natalie and Dante’s relationship to suddenly fall apart.Natalie looked down and tried to stand up. She looked at her own horrible-looking reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and red. Her lips were pale, and her appearance was a mess, but she didn’t care.“I want to talk to Dante,” Natalie said hoarsely. She had been crying for so long that her voice was almost gone.Lizzy sighed. “Miss, he wants you to leave America immediately.”“Leave America?” Natalie was surprised to hear that.“Mr. Vittorio wants you to go to London. He doesn’t want to see you again or have anything to
In the middle of the night, Roberto was about to fall asleep when Marco suddenly knocked on the door and entered his room. “Sir, Alex wants to see you. He has urgent news,” Marco said seriously.Dante’s grandfather frowned. He finally sat up. “In this middle of the night?”Marco nodded. Roberto sighed. “Let him in,” he said.Before Marco left the room to call Alex, Alex had already barged in. His face looked pale and worried. “Sir, I have some bad news,” he reported.“What is it?”Alex swallowed. He looked down and said, “Something happened to Dante. He’s...”Roberto looked at him sharply. “What happened to my grandson?!”“Someone badly injured him. He’s... dying,” Alex replied quietly, without daring to look at the old man.“No way!” Roberto shook his head in disbelief. Suddenly, he held his heart and looked in pain. “What... has happened?”Alex raised his gaze and panicked at Roberto’s pale face. Had he lied too much to the old man to cause a relapse of his heart disease?“Sir, calm
In the car, Alex waited uncertainly. Dante still hadn’t called him, so he was worried. Was everything okay?He held his cell phone uncertainly. After some consideration, he finally decided to call him. The phone rang for a long time, but Dante didn’t answer.“Ah, too long. I’d rather go up to the penthouse,” he muttered.Finally, Alex grabbed the gun from the dashboard and exited the car. He had to carry a weapon, just in case. After that, he hurried up to the penthouse.Arriving at the penthouse floor, Alex pressed the bell several times. Unfortunately, no one would open the door for him. He sighed and barged in with his access card.The first sight he saw surprised Alex. The penthouse was a mess. Rose petals and small crushed candles were scattered on the floor. Some glassware, such as vases, was also broken and scattered.Alex immediately went deeper and saw Dante sitting quietly at the dining table. Lizzy and Aland, who were standing in the corridor, immediately looked at Alex exp