DANTE'S POVThe shrill of my phone cut through the atmosphere like a warning shot. I mopped the sweat off my brow, I reached for it and turned to the screen. The number was too damned familiar, the message beneath it froze my blood in my veins.Rocco Cafaro. He never knew when to quit.It wasn't a long message, but it might as well have been a bomb blowing up in my hands, words exploding with every inflection.*Give up Draven LTD or suffer the consequences. You have until the end of the week.*My muscles clenched, the anger and concern welling up inside of me like a volcano. This wasn't a threat anymore; this was war. It wasn't business anymore; it had just gotten personal. Rocco was digging graves best left alone, starting something that I'd hoped died with my mother.I jammed the phone into my pocket and swung back to Camilla, who was standing with crossed arms, watching me like she could read the tension rolling off me in waves."What is it?" she asked. Her voice was neutral but th
Dante's POVThe warehouse came alive. The last crates were being loaded into the convoy trucks, and my crew worked with the efficiency of oiled machines, swiftly, but my instincts wailed that something was off. I scanned the premises. Soft noises of cargo being shifted met the crisp morning air, but my mind was honed to a razor.“Everything set, boss,” Alex came up to me with his usual impassive face. "No signs of trouble. Looks like we're in the clear."I nodded, but the tension really chewed at me. "Let's not get too comfortable just yet. I want extra eyes on the route. Rocco's been quiet, and I don't trust it.” After that message, it's been more than a week and I haven't heard anything from him again.Alex's face blackened. His cock-sure expression fell somewhat. "We've doubled security on this run. Anything suspicious, we'll handle it."I said nothing. Something wasn't adding up. Rocco Cafaro wasn't the kind of guy to let things go that easy, and with that message, he was out for
Camilla's POVI did the hundredth lap up and down the living room, shaking fingers and clasping my phone. Guards outside whispering among themselves. Of some attack and someone getting shot. My heart had its own rhythm in my chest. Again, no call from Dante. Not a single word. The more I waited, the worse my dread grew inside me.It was the creak of the front door that pulled me from my reverie. I spun around, my heart jumping to my throat. He entered with his face tensed, shirt bloodstained. I caught my breath."Dante?" I whispered, shaking. "What happened?"He said nothing at first, just shut the door behind him with a heavy sigh. He looked exhausted as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. And maybe it did."I overheard the guards," I said, pushing another step in on him. "They were saying something about an attack. Your Dad… is he-?""He's alive," Dante interrupted, his voice low, even, firm. "The bullet missed anything vital. He's going to be fine.”Relief washed o
Dante's POVThe only sound in the room was the steady beeping of Luca's heart monitor. He seemed so much smaller in his bed, pale and fragile.It was weird to see him that way, the man that built an empire off of nothing lying at the mercy of tubes and machines. He had been my rock, my whole life; he was the only one I could never afford to disappoint.I relaxed in the chair beside his bed and watched him slowly wake up. His eyes fluttered open and when they alighted on me, they were as stern as ever. Weakened, but Luca was still the same, unbreakable."Dante," he croaked, his voice hoarse, "How long are you going to sit there and brood?"I smirked, leaning back in the chair. "Old habits, I guess."He laughed tiredly, the sound dissolving into a cough almost immediately. I leaned forward and took the water off the bedside table, and handed it to him. He sipped it very slowly and very carefully."Doctor says you're recovering well," I said in another moment, trying to keep the conversa
Dante's POVI haven't returned Rocco's call for a few days now. It was a little risky, the way I sent him on his merry, but seriously enough was enough. So long as Luca remained hospitalized, there was simply no time to take a meeting with him.The time came to start spending all my hours and energy on damage control, making sure Draven LTD wasn't affected in response to the ruckus Rocco had managed to kick up so far.With Luca's improving condition but still shaky, the mantle of leadership rested squarely on my shoulders. I had no time for Rocco's threats or any more of his twisted games. Today, the estate weighed heavier, thick with unspoken tensions. I had work to get down to. I went into the war room where my men congregated."Listen up," I called, yelling. "We put up increased security now. I want eyes on every movement out of the Italian mafia. Nobody gets in and out without us knowing about it."The men nodded off, all serious with the expression on their faces. Alex stepped fo
DANTE'S POVI watched Camilla cradle Jasper in her arms, the softness on her face a sight to which I had seldom witnessed. My son, our son, had no idea about the antagonism surrounding him. He blinked up at the sterile white walls of the hospital; his tiny fingers curled and clutched at the edge of Camilla's shirt. It was a sight against which something twisted inside my chest, an emotion now so hard to avoid.The moment Luca saw Jasper, his frail body moved in the hospital bed, a light turning on in his eyes. The heart monitor beeping beside him evened out into a rhythm, reminding me that while he looked better, still he wasn't out of the woods just yet. But softening on his face, that rare gentleness overrunning the usual hardened expression, was worth us coming today."Look at him," Luca whispered, his arms reaching toward Camilla. "Bring him here."Camilla turned to me, a flicker of trepidation in her eyes, and I nodded. She handed Jasper over to Luca, who cuddled the baby with an
CAMILLA'S POVThe moment we stepped into the conference room, I saw Ella Stonefield, and her eyes met mine. The smile that had been playing on her lips just that very second, made of pure warmth and admiration no doubt for Dante, chilled the instant it met mine. It took no great intuition to know animosity was flowing from her end. I'd seen that look before, too many times when I still worked as a maid in Dante's house. But this time the stakes were so much higher."Good morning, Mr. Draven," Ella said, her voice sweet and sugary. "So good to see you." And she didn't even spare a glance for me, like I wasn't standing right next to him.It was as if Dante's hand was at my back again; the light touch steadied me and he nodded. "Ella, let's sit down; we really do have quite a bit to get through today."Ella's eyes again snapped back to mine; this time, it did nothing to mask the distaste. "I wasn't aware we had… extra company." Her lips twisted in a tight, strained smile; her gaze regard
ELLA'S POV.The last of the allies had sat, and my stomach twisted as Dante stood to speak. Mesmerized, I watched him work the room without ever raising a finger. That strength, that confidence, was one of many reasons I'd hustled so hard to stay near him, build something with him. And now, this maid, this nobody, stood beside him, trying to play like a part of our world.I forced a smile, but he launched into a speech about the big of a threat Rocco was and how united we had to be against him. But my eyes kept darting back to Camilla. There she sat, just so composed, just so smug. It really grated on my nerves. How could Dante even think of marrying her? Years of being with him through thick and thin, and she, who came no more than a maid, was to take over now?Dante grumbled in the room. "Rocco will keep on undermining our business if we are not united. Your presence provides us with the surety of the strength needed to face him."I scanned the table. The allies seemed noncommittal.
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