Dante's POVThe pitiless sun lashed without mercy the instant I emerged from the car; its burning heat seemed to seep right into my skin, some sort of bad omen from above to warn of the interior firestorm that would rage inside Luca's mansion. It had been a number of months since that fateful encounter with Rocco in Italy when Annie and Camilla cornered us into making us push through with the reconciliation of our families. Now Rocco was here in my father's house, ready to go face to face with the man he thought killed his sister, my mother. I fiddled with my cufflinks and blew out a deep, long breath. It already wasn't going well.Finally, the door swung open, and there Luca was, towering above me, his lean eyes slicing through me as cold as any knife might. "What took you so long?.""Traffic," I growled, stomping in, "Where's Rocco?"In the living room," came Luca's curt response. "Waiting."I came into the spacious room where the tension was as thick as a cloud of smoke, it seemed
Dante's POV"Still no news?" I growled, pacing the length of my study. My fists clenched at my sides, the tension coiling tighter with every second that passed without answers.Alex stood by the door, arms crossed, his face grim. "Nothing solid yet, but―“Not good enough," I said sharply, cutting him off. I yelled louder than I usually would. My voice resounded against the walls. I did not give a damn. "Camilla's been missing for days, Alex. We don't have a lot of time."Alex was calm, yet that fracture in his carefully placed faéde crackled into existence once more. "Dante, hear me out. Our men found video footage in a nearby shopping mall. It might lead us to something.”He nodded. "It's not perfect, but it's something. The security team sent it over a few minutes ago.""Well then, what the hell are we waiting for?" I demanded, striding towards him. "Let's see it.”The room fell silent as Alex pulled up the footage on his tablet. I leaned forward across the desk, my eyes locked onto
DANTE'S POVAlex left to continue searching for leads, and I sat in my study, staring with vacant vision through the amber liquid that seethed inside the glass as the quiet night weighed heavy on my shoulders. It was one of those nights when events of the last few hours ran riot in an ever-echoing refrain inside my head: Kate's betrayal of her husband, Jasper's retrieval, and the gnawing absence of Camilla.I clamped tighter on the glass, at my wit's end just a whisper shy of boiling. Camilla's out there somewhere, and with every minute, she's farther away from me, something likened to twisting the dagger in my chest.There came a knock at my door."Come in," I said, a good deal sharper than I had meant.Kate came in diffidently, hands clasped together, almost as if she was bracing herself against an onslaught. I gestured to the chair. She remained standing, her eyes darting anxiously around the room."You wanted to see me," she whispered."I want answers," I returned, my voice low, s
Dante's POVI stormed out of the study, my mind racing with anger and resolution. Camilla was alive, and she was in Tom's hands. Just the fact that she might have gotten hurt sent a chill running down my fury. I reached for my phone and dialed Alex's number as I headed toward the armory."Dante?" Alex answered cautiously."Camilla's at Tom's estate," I replied succinctly, ripping open the armory door. "I'm going there tonight.""Tom?" Alex's voice cut like a razor. "How's that possible? The man's been a ghost for over a year. Are you sure about this?""Don't have time to explain," I snarled, forcing a loading my pistol. "Annie spotted her. She's hurt. I need to get her out of there before it's too late."Alex blew a loud breath out. "Fine then, we go together. I'll get the guys up—""No," I said, cutting him off. "We can't afford to leave the mansion entirely defenseless, not now especially when Jasper is here. I'll take some guys with me. You're staying here with the rest and keeping
Dante’s POVThe door creaked open and dim light spilled into the little room. My heart going like a drum, I stepped inside, gun drawn. First was the stench-damp, metallic, and faintly acid, like blood and mold. Then I saw her."Camilla." It was almost a whisper, as I called out her name.She sat in the center of the room, trussed by rope to a chair, leaning forward, head bowed with her face hidden with cascading tresses of dark hair. Bruises on her arms, this dress once so pure torn and smudged by blood. My chest ached from so much torment."Camilla!" I rushed forward, holstering my gun to fall to my knees in front of her. My hands cupped her face, tilting it gently upward. Her eyelids fluttered but didn't open."She's alive," Rocco said from behind me; his voice was low even if his words were urgent.Relief washed over me, then was gone. Her pulse was very weak; her skin was cool against my fingertips. "Camilla, please wake up," I whispered, shaking her a little.Her lips opened, bu
Annie's POVThe first shot from Rocco hit the man pressing a gun to my head and he fell flat on the ground. Without hesitation, I quickly picked up his gun and aimed it at Tom. Shots filled the air, rattling what was left of my nervous system. I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears as the weight of the gun in my hand felt foreign, weirdly sure. My heart begged me to run, but my brain had already concluded a different course-there was no running from this.I pressed the cold metal against the back of Tom's head; his chair creaked under the sudden change. "Call them off, Tom," I hissed, my voice tight and shaking. "Tell them to drop their arms-or I swear I'll pull this trigger."Tom laughed low and mockingly. "You think you've won, 'cause you've got a gun, Annie?" He spoke in a patronizingly calm tone. "You're out of your league, little girl.""Try me," I snarled, forcing the barrel harder against his skull."Damn it, Tom," Dante's voice barked up from below. "It's over! Tell yo
Dante's POVThe inside smelled of disinfection and desperation. I hardly noticed how the group of nurses shuttled me into the sterile space. My shoulder pulsed to every racing beat, but it wasn't just the pain. It had been the image of poor Camilla-like a gray, lifeless thing-wheeled away from me. "Sit," the nurse said, pulling me from my fog. I sat on the hospital bed, grinding my teeth as the motion jolted my injury.Rocco was standing in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest, his face unyielding. "you should have let me handle that.""I'm fine," I snapped, though my voice cut like a knife even with the ache tearing through me. "Where's Camilla?"She's in the ER," he whispered. "Let them do their job."The nurse started cleaning the wound, the antiseptic burning, and I hissed through gritted teeth. My head kept wandering back to that mansion-to the explosion, to Tom. He must have been dead, and even that was no consolation.She leaned back and picked up the sutures. "This is
Dante's POVStill in a state of shock, staring down between my legs at my phone, the weight Amanda's call held in her voice settled heavily in my chest. We hadn't talked to her for several years, and from the vague tenor in her voice, it didn't ease my mind the slightest bit. What the hell would she want?Rocco's voice cut into my thoughts. "What is it, Dante?”I jammed the phone into my pocket and set my face to a mask. "Amanda. She wants to meet.""Amanda?" My father sounded suspicious, taking another step closer and narrowing his eyes on me. "Who is she?""She was an old friend from college," I explained, trying to work it out for myself as much as anyone else. "I haven't heard from her in years. I don't know what it is.""Why now?" Rocco clipped.I shook my head. "That's what I aim to find out."Dad frowned, crossing his arms. "You should take somebody with you. If she's resurfacing after all this time, there's a reason. Could be trouble.""It's Amanda," I said, trying to keep my
Chapter 171: A Second ChanceCamilla's PovStanding before me was the woman that I once thought was dead. She stared at me. Her steely resolve faltered to tears glistening in her eyes."What did you just call me?" shaking she whispered "Mom? Do...do you know me?"I swallowed hard, my stomach twisted up with nerves. "Yes, I know you," I said, and I could barely keep the shaking out of my voice. "I grew up seeing your picture in my parent's house. They told me you were my biological mother… but that my father, John, killed you. I—I thought you were dead.”“Who were the parents who raised you?” she questioned with a stern expression.“Your brother, Benson, and his wife, Olivia.” Carol's face crumpled, and the sight caught at my chest. She shook as she extended her hands toward me. "Camilla…my daughter. I—I had no idea.""Mom," I whispered. "You were alive, all these years.And with that, consumed with sobs, she pulled me into her arms tightly. It was as though all that noise going on a
Dante's POVThe air hung heavy in the room. Ella sat on the ground at the center of the dimly lit basement, her face a mask of defiance though bruises colored her pale skin. I was leaning casually against the table with Ella's phone in my hand, observing her."You're going to prove stubborn to the end, aren't you?" I said icily.She sneered, her swollen lip curling in defiance. "You'll get nothing from me, Dante."Alex was leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded over his chest as he regarded Ella. "We've tried every method. She's either too loyal or too scared."I clenched my fist. The image of Anthony pulling strings behind her seemed seared into my brain. "Or both," I muttered.The phone buzzed on the desk, and I sprang up, and picked it up-the flashing unknown number danced across the screen. Alex took another step closer, taut."Answer it," he said.I nodded and took it to my ear but didn't say anything. The other line was silent too. And then I just waited. The silence hun
Camilla's POV"Dante, you need to sit down for this," Alex said. His voice came out measured, and I could feel the weight of it. Even Dante's eyes seemed to fill with tension though he leaned against the pillows, he looked much better than this morning, but the body still wasn't up and working just yet.I sat on the edge of the chair beside him, watching as the flicker of every emotion crossed his face. My heart could be pounding against my chest, and I wasn't about to show evidence of it."What's wrong?" Dante asked more like jabbed.Alex gave a quick glance my way before he turned back to him. "Ella faked her pregnancy."His face contorted further, a scrunched-up mess as his gaze soured into an accusing scowl. "What?”"She bribed the doctors," I said. "Also the one that diagnosed and confirmed your condition the first time, the doctor knew about the poisoning but gave us a wrong diagnosis on purpose.” The silent seconds ticked over before Dante's hands actually fisted. "Why? What
Camilla's POV"You're positive she went inside?" I whispered, clenching the steering wheel tightly. I was staring into the entrance of the hospital, my nerves heightened.Alex's voice scratched in my earpiece, firm but wary. "Positive. She just went in. Do you want to back up?” I bit my lip, my fingers dancing on the wheel. "No. Go back home and keep an eye on Dante. It's something I need to deal with myself. Weeks of suspicious behavior on Ella's part had set warning bells ringing in my mind, and today I was going to finally confirm what my gut had been screaming at me all along.I pulled my coat tighter against the biting cold and stepped out of the car. The air was sharp, that kind of chill that burrowed deep in your bones, but I didn't notice. My attention was razor-sharp as I walked briskly across the parking lot and into the warm, sterile lobby of the hospital.Keep your head down. Act normal.The soft chime of the elevator doors slid open, releasing me onto the fourth floor,
Camilla's POV My breath caught as I watched Dante slumped against the headboard, hacking into his lungs. A bit of blood trickled from between his lips and onto his palm and down his hand, spilling onto the sheets. My heart boomed in my chest loud enough to block everything else."Dante!" I shrieked, scrambling onto the bed beside him. "What's going on?”His head swung once in a poor attempt at shaking. "I. I don't know," he spoke in low tones.I grabbed a towel, pressing it to his mouth in hopes of halting the stream of blood while my hands violently shook. "Don't speak. Just breathe. I'm going to call Alex," I said, reaching for my phone.It rang once, and then Alex answered."Camilla? What's going on?""Get here! Now!" I ordered. "Get a doctor, the one that knows what he's doing. Dante is coughing out blood!""What? Is it-""As soon as possible, Alex!" I cut him off, hooking the disconnect button.Dante's hand clutched mine weakly, his eyes searching for mine. "Camilla. I'm fine,"
Camilla's POVI stirred the coffee in my mug, my gaze darting to Dante, who sat on the bed edge, rubbing his temples. He was pale, far too pale. The composed veneer he always wore slumped in exhaustion."You don't look good," I said, placing the mug on the nightstand and sitting beside him.Dante let out a sigh and leaned back against the headboard. "I just need some sleep, Camilla. That's all.""No, it's not," I said, laying a hand on his forehead. He wasn't warm, but his skin felt clammy. "You have been pushing yourself too hard. You look sick, you are going to see the doctor.""I'm fine," he muttered, waving me off. “I don't fall sick.”"Dante, stop being stubborn," I snapped. "If you're fine, then just humor me. Let me take you to the hospital."Before he could disagree, a knock was heard at the door. I gave him a pointed glance before crossing the room and wrenching the door open.There she was, standing with her luggage in hand and looking between regret and resolutions swimming
Camilla's POVThe chill of the night leaned against my skin as I watched Dante's car and a few other cars following him disappear into the distance. Something wasn't quite right with it; it sat in my belly like a weight of bad news. The gestures had been measured, urgent-unnatural. Dante just wasn't one to go off without a scheme in his pocket, and experience told me his schemes came with danger clinging to them like an over-attached lover.I slid into my car, grasping the wheel. "What are you up to now, Dante?" I muttered under my breath.I hung back, careful to stay several car lengths behind. The road opened up before me, twisting and turning into a secluded area. My headlight was off, guided by the dim light of their tail lights.A place where they had stopped gave me the heebie-jeebies; it was dark, isolated, and quiet except for the rustling of leaves in the wind. I could feel my pulse as I drove a distance away and got out of the car.I dropped into a crouch, quiet, and made my
Dante's POVThe only noise within the study room was the whir of machinery around me, all watching and waiting for something to happen. I leaned back in my chair, peering up at the screen in front of me displaying Kate's position. She was sitting in one of the rooms, completely unaware of the bug within her phone as she ran nervous fingers through her hair."You've been watching her every day, you really think he'll call her?" Alex asked, standing behind me."He will," I said, my tone cold with certainty. "Anthony's too smart to leave without trying to tie up his loose ends. And Kate? She's the weakest link."Alex ceased pacing and faced me. "Do you trust her?"I looked at him. "Trust her? No. But guilt makes people do some pretty unpredictable things. She'll lead us to him.”The moment I'd stopped talking, her phone flared to life. My heart quickened, I sat up, gesturing for Alex to quiet. Kate reached for it gingerly and answered."Hello?" she whispered, and the word shook.There wa
Ella's POVI was seated cross-legged in the plush chair in the guest house; the only sound was that of the air conditioner humming away in the dark. I had been staring for minutes on end at the phone in my hand as if it held all the answers I needed. Anthony's name flashed across the screen, I'd been waiting to hear from him for a while now. I answered immediately. "Anthony," I said smoothly, careful that the eagerness didn't leak into my voice. "What a surprise."His voice came through sharp and urgent, and for once betrayed his façade of calm. "Ella, how are things going? Has there been any progress?"I let a small, appeasing smile slide onto my face as my eyes strayed to the window where, below me, sprawled the estate. Dante's empire was heady to look upon, and for the first time, I was inside. Well, it had taken years of planning. "It couldn't go any better," I replied, my tone airy but edgy. "I have gotten closer to Dante, and he has started trusting me again.”"And Camilla?" H