“I guess Alex’s warning last night was just a wind-up for you,” Dante said expressionlessly. His cold, piercing gaze seemed to pierce Natalie’s back to her solar plexus.Natalie was silent, not reacting.Laura, on the other hand, turned around. She asked, “What warning?”Dante ignored his little sister’s question. He walked over to Natalie and stopped behind her. His right hand held her tense shoulder. He leaned down, whispering in her left ear, “Don’t take advantage of others, or the punishment for them will be more cruel than you deserve.”“She’s your little sister,” Natalie muttered expressionlessly. She remained staring straight ahead, not turning her head toward the man at all.“You think I can’t be cruel to my sister?” The corners of Dante’s lips curled up. He smiled crookedly. “I don’t mind eliminating a stupid girl like her. I didn’t like her to begin with.”Natalie tensed up even more at that. She immediately turned her head to stare at Dante’s face, which was so close to her
Natalie’s whole body was tense. Her heart was beating erratically. Dante was on top of her. He silenced her mouth with the palm of his left hand while his right hand opened the nightstand drawer to retrieve a gun.Shots from outside came raining down on the bed. It was so quick and short, as if they just wanted to kill the owner of the bed, and that was it. There was no sound whatsoever.Dante’s expression was cold. His gaze was watchful. The door to the room suddenly opened. He immediately raised his gun.“It’s me!” Alex shouted in the doorway while raising both hands. Natalie, who saw him coming, felt a little relieved. At least she had survived the shooting incident.“Are you guys okay? Is anyone hurt?” Alex asked anxiously.Dante lowered his gun. He closed his eyes as he looked down deeply. “Who are they?” he asked coldly.“Not sure yet. Our men are chasing them,” Alex replied.“Who are they?” Dante asked again, that time looked at Natalie, who was still pale-faced. He gripped her
Dante rushed out of his office and went to his grandfather’s winery on the edge of town. On the way, he called Jayde.“Stop looking for those people. Jayde, go back and help Alex investigate who Alfonso Verga’s henchmen are hiding in our mansion,” Dante ordered Jayde.“So, Don Verga was the one acting up this morning?” Jayde asked.Dante leaned his back casually. The corners of his lips lifted. “Yes, but I think I can take advantage of him. Just do your job. I'll take care of the rest.”“Okay.”“Don’t forget to keep a good eye on Natalie. I wonder if she has any dealings with the Verga family,” Dante added.Jayde immediately replied, “Understood.”Dante finally hung up the phone. He thought back to the text message Alfonso had sent. Why did the old man say he should be careful with the women around him?His suspicions were, of course, on Natalie. Perhaps Alfonso had arranged for Natalie to be by his side. That wasn’t impossible. However, Dante wasn’t so sure. After all, he’d met Natal
After Cicero left, the door was closed again. The room became silent. Roberto chuckled casually as he shook his head. “You’re quite tolerant of them,” he commented to Dante. He knew all too well how his grandchildren fought each other for power and influence in the underworld. It wasn’t just Dante’s younger siblings. His other grandchildren were the same way. They were family, but really, their relationship was more like competing royalty.Roberto sighed. “Your father’s inheritance was not small, but you didn’t take any of it. And even after all that, Anthony still doesn’t like you.”“I did that not because I wanted them to like me. Who cares how they pay me back?” Dante picked up the empty glass and poured himself some wine.“That’s good,” Roberto said softly. He was a man with five children. In the past, he had tried to be fair to them. However, divisions and disputes within the family persisted. One of his children had even died because of it. Dante had to be more careful than him
Natalie fell asleep with her hands still tied. The door to her room suddenly opened, startling her. She expected it to be Dante coming to untie her, but it turned out to be Cora.Cora entered and began to organize Natalie’s few belongings. It was the stuff that Dante had provided during Natalie’s stay.“What are you doing?” Natalie got up and asked in surprise.“Mr. Vittorio wants to move you tonight,” replied Cora, without looking at Natalie.“Move? Do you know where?” Natalie continued to probe.“No.”Natalie didn’t know if that was good or bad news. Inwardly, she wondered, Where would Dante move her to? What if the next place was worse than this mansion?“Can you untie it?” Natalie asked as she stood up from the bed. “Just let me.” Another voice suddenly sounded from the direction of the door. It was Laura, walking in with a pair of scissors. Cora immediately blocked her.“Miss, you shouldn’t do this, or Mr. Vittorio will be angry!” Cora said in a slightly bluff tone.“Nevermind.
“Where are you taking me?” Natalie asked immediately when Dante pulled her out of the mansion. He didn’t reply to her question.“Get in!” he ordered as he opened the car door. His expression was unreadable. Either he was in a good or bad mood.Natalie didn’t want to invite trouble. So she got into the car. Her luggage was already in the trunk. Then Dante got in and sat in the driver’s seat.There was no driver at that time. It was just the two of them. Dante drove the car, while Natalie was just silent with uncertain feelings. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Wouldn’t that be a good opportunity to escape?Natalie bit her lip as she looked down to hold back a smile. Dante glanced at her and secretly smirked. ‘What idea is she thinking of?’After quite some time, the car they were in finally entered the Manhattan area. Natalie kept quiet until they finally arrived at the basement of a luxury apartment building.Her forehead immediately creased deeply. She turned to Dante with a sus
“You’re... joking.” Natalie’s voice sounded a little shaky. She lay tense under Dante’s body. There had been several times the man had shown a desire for her body. However, she always managed to avoid him. What if she couldn’t avoid him anymore?The man smiled. His back was to the light, making his smile look grim and gray. She was not sure if he was smiling or smirking.“You’re afraid to fuck, aren’t you?” whispered Dante. His eyes flashed with malicious intent, like a beast ready to pounce on its prey. “What if we try it? Maybe you’ll like it.”Natalie swallowed. Her tongue felt tongue-tied. “Can you just ignore me? If you want to arrest me or detain me, do it. You can lock me up, but please don’t touch me.”She said it earnestly. Natalie was already too broken in the past and didn’t want to be even more broken in the future. She had to save her body before another man played with it.Dante seemed to tilt his head, as if considering. Then he shook his head. “How could I waste a woma
“This is so beautiful.” Words of adoration escaped Dante’s mouth when he noticed the pink, hairless valley. He touched it with his long fingers and played with it seductively.Passion and desire erupted in Natalie’s head unpreventable. Her head was dizzy, holding back the various feelings that were raging. She could only bite her lips to hold back the moans and pleasure in her intimate parts.“You can still hold it in, huh?” Dante smirked. Natalie was like a little cat lying down and struggling desperately. Ruthlessly, his thumb pressed and twisted on her clitoris. Both of her bony legs instantly trembled.“I... I won’t moan,” Natalie insisted with a stutter. She gritted her teeth with determination. No matter what happened, she would try to hold it in.“Oh, really?” Dante seemed to remain calm. “That would be hard for you. Do you believe I can make you moan with just my fingers?”“You... you won’t be able to do it!” Natalie hissed coldly. She tried to intimidate with a glare, but the
Alex knocked on Dante’s bedroom door several times, but there was no response from inside. He grew uneasy. “Dante, open the door!” he shouted.“What’s wrong?” James, standing guard in front of the hotel room, became curious because he saw Alex worried. “Is there any urgent business?”“Hurry and ask the hotel staff for a spare key!” Alex ordered seriously.James felt confused but didn’t dare ask more questions. He hurried away and came back with a hotel staff a few moments later. Alex immediately asked the staff to open Dante’s room.Moments later, the door finally opened. “Let me in,” Alex said, as he hurried inside. He closed the door again and saw Dante crouched on the floor, busy doing something.“What are you doing?” Alex asked.“Stay right there! Don’t come any closer!” Dante ordered coldly.Alex was confused. Dante had his back to him, so he could only see his back. Shards of glass were on the floor, along with blood splatters. That worried him.“Are you okay?” Alex asked as he
Natalie finally met the Wentworth family. They didn’t recognize her and quietly asked Britia. “Is she your friend? Why didn’t you say you were coming with a friend?”Britia smiled awkwardly while looking at Natalie. They sat at the dining table with the rest of the Wentworth family, but the atmosphere was awkward and strange. They felt unfamiliar with Natalie’s presence.“Everyone, listen to me!” Britia finally shouted and stood up while holding a wine glass. “She’s not my friend. She’s Natalie, Aunt Minerva’s granddaughter in America. Don’t you all recognize her?”They were surprised to hear that. Minerva’s granddaughter?They all immediately looked at Natalie with appraisal and investigation. The change in her appearance had indeed puzzled them. Meanwhile, the observed person could only smile while putting on a friendly face.“Are you really Minerva’s granddaughter?” Nelson Wentworth, Minerva’s elder brother, the first child of that generation, asked in confusion.Natalie nodded. “I
Britia was still unsure of Natalie’s identity. However, she couldn’t bear to let her faint just like that. Finally, she asked the security guards to help take Natalie to her apartment unit.Natalie fainted for three hours. When she woke up, the sky was already bright. Britia, who had been pacing back and forth waiting for her, immediately sighed and offered her warm water.“Oh, you really confused me. It’s Christmas, you know?!” the beautiful curly-haired and blue-eyed woman grumbled.Natalie tried to sit up even though her body felt weak. Her head was throbbing, but she didn’t care. She took the glass of warm water and looked down. “I’m sorry I bothered you,” she said guiltily.“What exactly happened? Are you really Aunt Minerva’s granddaughter?” Britia asked.“Yes, I’m Natalie. After I got out of prison, I did have plastic surgery to change my identity so that others wouldn’t know who I really am. You know, I don’t want to hold that popularity anymore,” Natalie said weakly.Britia s
Nicolo and his two subordinates hid in front of his bulletproof car, using the car as a shield and hiding place. Meanwhile, Dante’s soldiers advanced closer and closer. They were full of preparations and overwhelmed Nicolo.“Son of a bitch! I don’t think we can survive here, boss!” shouted Nicolo’s driver, who had run out of bullets.“Find a place to hide! This commotion is bound to attract the police. If they come, Dante won’t be able to catch up with us,” Nicolo said as he looked around. He gave the code to his two subordinates. After that, they immediately ran away.Dante, who saw that, immediately told his subordinates to chase Nicolo. That was a good opportunity to catch them. Next time, he probably wouldn’t have the chance.James and some men dressed in black went after Nicolo. Meanwhile, Dante approached Nicolo’s car, which was riddled with gunshot marks. He opened the door and saw Natalie crouched in fear on the floor of the vehicle, crying shakily.“Go! Find a place to hide!”
After meeting Nicolo, Natalie’s days were filled with fear and worry. She didn’t want to go to Italy, but what if Nicolo forced her to go?Natalie couldn’t eat and slept well. Several times, she went to see Kelsey to make sure she was okay. The longer it went on, the more uneasy she became. She didn’t know when Nicolo would show up again, and that made things uncertain.On Christmas Eve, it snowed more heavily. Natalie was about to go to Betty’s restaurant. However, remembering the last time she met Lucas in the alley made her cancel her intention. She'd better stay in her room.Natalie pulled up the blanket. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Her feelings were immediately alert. Had the person she feared finally come?She swallowed. What if she didn’t open the door? Would that person break down the door and barge in?Natalie was silent. Then the sound of knocking on the door came back, along with Harper Lawrence’s shout. “Miss Smith, are you in there?!”“Oh, wait!” Natalie felt
Natalie tried to break Nicolo’s embrace and pushed the man’s body away. She sat up and looked at him angrily. “Do you hate me that much? You really have no heart!”They had only met occasionally at nightclubs in the past. Natalie even only knew Nicolo’s name without knowing his true identity, so she never took his proposal seriously. Who would have guessed that it was that rejection that led her into various life-and-death situations?“I do hate you. But if you’ll go with me, I’ll forgive you,” Nicolo said.Natalie was completely speechless. Nicolo had gone mad. He spoke as if everything was her fault and she needed his forgiveness. Shouldn’t he be the one apologizing to her?After he had caused her career to crumble, her life to fall apart, and put her in danger so many times, shouldn’t he be the one apologizing?“I’m fucking innocent!” Natalie stared at the man with reddened eyes. “You’re the one who should be apologizing to me, Nicolo! You’ve ruined everything!”Nicolo gave her a c
In the car, Natalie sat anxiously uncertain. Lucas sat beside her and looked at her with a smirk. “It's only been a few months since we've seen each other. Why are you being so strange to me?”Natalie clenched her fists tightly. She looked at Lucas hatefully. “Back then, I didn't know what your intentions were. After you sold me and put me through those cruel things, why should I be nice to you?”Lucas laughed without feeling guilty. He just thought of Natalie as a toy. Whatever Natalie felt wouldn't make him feel bad.“All this time, you've probably been wondering who the person is who hates you enough to make you suffer like that. I'll take you to see him,” Lucas said. Right after that, the car they were traveling in stopped before a nightclub.Natalie swallowed nervously. She got out of the car without asking many questions and followed Lucas into the nightclub.That was no ordinary nightclub, but an exclusive nightclub. The security staff guarding the entrance looked at Natalie sk
That night, Natalie stayed alone in the flat. The quiet and lonely atmosphere made her claustrophobic. She looked out the window and daydreamed while staring at the snowflakes falling from the sky.Natalie felt like everything was empty. She had no purpose in life anymore, no dreams or desires that could make her endure and try hard. Even if she had to die today, she probably wouldn’t regret it.She rubbed her face tiredly. “Maybe I’d better go out,” she muttered.It wasn’t late, so Natalie decided to go to a small, secluded old restaurant. There were only a few customers there, and there weren’t even any waiters, just an old couple sincerely serving the customers.“Miss, are you a new customer? What makes you interested in coming to this old tavern?” The old woman wearing an apron asked Natalie kindly.“This place is in an alley, but the aroma of the food wafts far away. It’s surprisingly quiet here. I’m not in the mood to meet many people,” Natalie said.The old lady smiled and sat
“Miss, please.” Mr. Lawrence invited Natalie to come in and look around the empty flat. She nodded and went to look around. However, her mind could not focus.Natalie couldn’t ignore someone who might be watching her. There were only two possibilities that popped into her head. If it wasn’t Lucas’s subordinate, it had to be Dante’s. The people who had been ensnaring her were just them.“Sister, why are you daydreaming? Don’t you like this place?” Kelsey asked.“I like it,” Natalie answered immediately. She smiled and asked the landlord a few questions, including about the rent and the safety of the neighborhood.Mr. Lawrence explained kindly. However, Natalie wanted to quickly catch who was stalking her, so she didn’t want to listen too much.“May I rent for one month first? If I feel comfortable, I’ll extend the lease,” Natalie pleaded.“No problem. We are very flexible,” Mr. Lawrence replied.Natalie immediately paid the rent for one month. It was probably the quickest transaction f