CAMILLA'S POVDante, really, I don't think that's such a great idea that we show up together," I said for what felt like the hundredth time as we pulled up to the company parking lot. I glued my eyes on the window as employees trickled into the building, my stomach twisting with nerves. I still have a hard time fitting in since I started working here.Of course, Dante didn't care. He shut off the car and turned toward me with that annoyingly calm expression of his. "And as I've said, no one will bother you if they know you're in a good relationship with me, at least.""I'm already having trouble fitting in," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "You showing up with me, after I've had a long break, isn't exactly helping.”His hand had brushed mine, and I looked up to catch him grinning, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "If anyone says anything, I'll take care of them. They wouldn't dare."I huffed. With Dante, there was just no arguing. His overprotectiveness stifled me at times, though I knew
CAMILLA'S POVDante slid into the seat beside me like it had always belonged to him, utterly and completely oblivious that every last soul in the cafeteria was staring. I sat in wordless face-on-fire deep fire of heat and wished on every available star that the universe would just spare me from this. I kept my head down and hoped he'd just eat quietly and leave.Of course, that was just a bit too much to hope for."Afternoon, ladies," Dante said smoothly, voice slicing through murmurs of quiet. "I hope you're treating Camilla well. She's quite important around here, you know."I choke on my drink, eyes wide with surprise, as Sarah exchanges excited glances with Hannah, and I want to melt into the floor."Of course, Mr. Draven," Megan cooed the words out, the mood doing a complete turn as sugar dripped from her lips while she batted her eyelashes up at him.Dante's eyebrow rose; those lips hooked in that smug grin of his. "Glad to hear that. Make it stay that way. Camilla's part of the
CAMILLA'S POV"I don't give a fuck what any of those people think," he whispered low, the skin of his forehead pressed firmly against mine, the warm breath tangling with mine in dizzying waves. The light in his office was dimmed down, softening the contours that were otherwise sharp, casting shadows over his jawline, the eyes that seemed to drill into my being with so much intensity. "I'm done pretending, Camilla."His words sent a shiver down my spine, and fear and undeniable thrill knotted in dead heat. The tension thickened, stretched between us like a live electric wire ready to snap as my heart hammered, holding his gaze. And before I could gather my thoughts even, his lips had descended on mine-possessive, claiming, and filling the space between us with a hunger I hadn't realized was mutual until that moment.I was slipping, my resistance crumbling against the overt, blunt force of his kiss. His hands-rough, yet gentle in their intent wrapped around my face, angling it, so the k
CAMILLA'S POVAnd then, without any warning at all, his lips branded mine-hard and unrelenting. It was as if my body had its own mind, my hands found their way to his shoulders to steady myself as he kissed me, and I could feel his heartbeat racing against my own. I melted into him, letting my body take over where my mind was too dizzy to keep up.I was a heartbeat behind him in my response, matching him in the violence of a kiss that let our fire burn wild and free as our last barriers dissolved. His hands slid down my sides, his touch sending waves of heat through me, and I lost it as he swung me into his arms."Dante," I whispered low, not really off the kiss. "We…“Tell me to stop, and I will," he whispered against my lips, challenging, urging, yet his hands didn't listen, his fingers dancing down my sides, trailing fire.But I couldn't. I didn't want to. I wrapped my arms around him, my fingers diving into his hair, silently pleading for him to keep going. Any caution just melted
DANTE'S POVThe morning air held a weird spark to it as Camilla and I pulled into the parking lot. I could feel her eyes on me, her hesitation lingering in the air like some silent plea."Dante," she whispered, her hand reaching out and gripping my wrist before I could even open my door.I turned, quirking a brow, feigning ignorance to her unspoken question. "Yes, my love?"Let's not walk in together," she whispered, nudging her head to the high glass entrance. "People will talk… you know how they are."I chuckled low. "You worry too much about them.""I just don't want the office to start playing their gossip game. Can't we just keep things low-key for a little while longer?" she insisted - the appeal shining bright in her eyes, begging my yielding.I nodded finally, exhaling. "Fine, have it your way, Camilla." And with that, I tucked the argument for later.She raised an eyebrow slightly, expecting at least an argument. But I gave her only a small devious grin. "You'd better get ins
DANTE'S POVMy heart pounded in my chest, dread and a tinge of disbelief as Camilla's frantic stare cut into me. She shook her head, her lips compressed into a thin line. "Dante, your mic!" she hissed.I stared for a moment at the winking light of my collar, registering for the first time just what that meant. Live mic. The whole boardroom had listened."Oh, shit," I breathed reality barreling over me like a freight train. The past five minutes flitted across my brain in horrifying detail: muttered words, giggles, gasps, moans. Everyone in that room had heard it all.Camilla's hand had fisted, and in the instant before I could take even preliminary defense, she had leaned forward and rammed a quick fist into my chest. Anger and humiliation were equally etched on her face. "I can't believe you!" she snarled, moving backward with her red face changing to one of anger. "How could you be so careless?”I opened my mouth to answer, but she wasn't sticking around to hear my excuses. With one
CAMILLA'S POV Heavy would have been an understatement, with the silence fogging that office, nobody even dared breathe. All eyes were glued on Dante, who was standing near the door, his stare unflinching down at Megan. The weight of the words spoken fell into the room so strongly it almost made me dizzy. "Camilla is my wife," Dante repeated, articulating the syllables slow and deliberate, "and the mother of my child." He gave Megan a hard look, brooking no misunderstanding. "From now on, I expect you all to treat her with the same respect you'd give me." It was written across all faces, but Megan looked almost comical, with wide and pale eyes, fumbling over her words. "Mr. Draven, I. I didn't know." Her voice had trembled so unlike the venom she had spewed at me just minutes before. Dante's face still did not give an inch of emotion. "That is no excuse. Now, apologize to her." My face was afire as Megan turned to me, half r
CAMILLA'S POV I was still in shock as I wrapped my arms around My Dad, Benson, the one who raised me, inhaling the now-familiar scent of his cologne. It brought back memories of the years he and My mom, Olivia, had brought me up as their own. I had clung to them countless times, drawing strength from their warmth and love. I leaned back from My Dad, Dante's hand lying casually across my back. "Dante, this is My Dad, Mr Benson," I said, the rush of emotion upon seeing him making my voice sound sad and happy all at once. Turning to Dante, I added, "And this is Dante, my husband." The sudden news made my Dad blink, but he recovered fast enough, extending a hand to Dante with a respectful nod. "Mr. Draven, I'm honored to meet you. Thank… you for taking care of her." Dante nodded, his face respectful. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Benson. And thank you, for all you've done for Camilla.” Dad settled heavily into his chair-the
CAMILLA'S POVBefore us was the stretched Italian countryside-endless rolling hills of vineyards bathed in shades of gold by the afternoon sun. If anything, the villa where the wedding was held wasn't less than magnificent, a true melting pot of old-world charm and modern-day elegance. Marble columns framed the entrance, while a string quartet floated its music across the open courtyard.I really should have been utterly mesmerized by the view, but Dante's tense attitude was impossible to overlook."Relax," I whispered, tugging at the hem of my silk dress as I leaned in toward him. "Why are you so tense over a wedding?"Dante's jaw clenched, his sharp features lit for a moment by a flash of annoyance. "This isn't just some random wedding.""What do you mean?" I pressed, my curiosity getting the better of me as far as letting him stew in silence went.He said nothing for a second or two, his dark eyes scouring the crowd ahead of us. "This is Rocco Cafaro's domain." he finally said; his
TOM'S POV.I had been confined to a wheelchair for weeks, because of these symptoms. Whereas earlier I used to tower above all others because of my unbridled force, now I sat in this damned chair, legs useless weights, arms losing strength day by day. Irony indeed was bitter. People feared my dominance; now they pitied me. I hated it. Hated them.My fists knotted, my nails digging into my palms. The pain anchored me in the now. It wasn't some random event that had happened. My body hadn't betrayed me of its own volition. There'd been a puppet master yanking on strings, and I knew full well who was on the other side of them.That afternoon, My assistant wheeled me into my office, her soft footfalls barely audible over the dull roar in my head. Now she treated me as if I were glass, her voice perpetually soft, and guarded, as if some wrong word might shatter me."Anything else for you, Mr. Lockwood?" she asked, honey dripping with pity from her tone. She jerked at the blanket on my lap
TOM'S POVIt had started as no more than a whispered unease, a faint haze across my sight that cleaned itself a second later, and I'd been sure I'd just imagined it. But as days slid by, that haze grew darker, creeping into my mind, weaving itself into my body like a parasite.I sat in my office, staring down at the contract I'd spent the last hour trying to read; words on the page blurring and swimming before me until they finally dissolved into nonsense. Frustration prickled along my spine, and I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers into my temples. "Mr Lockwood?" I jerked my head up, to find my assistant, standing in the doorway with a look of concern."What?" I growled, sharper than I meant to, but I didn't care. There was just something wrong, off-the-charts disturbingly wrong-and I wasn't in the mood for questions.She stepped back, her hand releasing the door as she took a second to recompose herself. "You asked for the quarterly reports by this afternoon. I wanted to check to
Camilla's POVSoft light from the chandelier bathed the sitting room in a warmth that casts a gold sheen over plush furniture and polished hardwood floors. Jasper sat center of it all, his tiny fingers digging into the edge of the coffee table for balance as his eyes locked onto Dante and me with that determined glint I was starting to recognize as pure Draven spirit. My heart swelled as I looked at him-my beautiful boy.“Come on, Jasper," I cooed, holding my hands out to him. "You can do it, baby. Just one step."Dante knelt beside me and set his gaze in the middle of our son. "Just one, little man," he said softly, filled with excitement and warmth. "One step, and your mom and I will give you the biggest cheer of your life.”Jasper wobbled, holding onto the edge of the table with chubby hands and a fierce grasp that spoke volumes to someone who was determined not to fall. His great big grey eyes, mirrors of his father's, stared at us with such concentration and excitement. He wanted
ELLA'S POVI slammed my glass down, the echo slicing through the silence of my apartment. Red wine splashed onto my fingers, but I didn't bother wiping it off. All that lined my vision was Tom's face, his smug expression, as if he held the upper hand—as if I was the one failing. As if I was the problem.How dare he.My phone buzzed on the coffee table, lighting up Tom's name. A single word text: "Meet me. Now!"I rolled my eyes and took another gulp of wine, reaching for my coat, the cabernet tasted bitter like the failure. If Tom wanted to talk, he better come prepared. Because I wasn't letting him brush off his failures on me.I found him waiting in the shaded corner booth of his favorite club, fingers drumming impatiently on the table. The sound of my footsteps made his head snap up. Dark eyes locked onto mine with that far-too-familiar spark of control he seemed to think he had over everybody. But tonight, I wasn't here to play nice."Ella," he greeted without preamble, the tensio
CAMILLA'S POVI stood at the window of the study room, watching as city lights blurred against the dark skyline, my mind calm, and precise. Tonight, Tom thought he finally outmaneuvered Dante, thought they'd caught him in a move that would bring Draven LTD to its knees. But I knew Tom better than he thought, knew exactly how he operates, thanks to my past life. His plan wasn't original, as he'd like to believe.It was en route and right on schedule, but this time it had a few subtle changes, and adjustments to make it look completely legitimate. The standard cargo with ironclad paperwork would be all the authorities could find, leaving Tom's tip hanging in the wind.A knock on the door pulled me from my reverie. "Come in," I called, and Dante stepped inside, his normal preppy, clean-cut but a little haggard, with tension tugging at the edges of his features."Camilla," he said, and there was a hint of relief tangling his voice. "It's almost midnight. What are you still doing here?""O
ELLA'S POVIt wasn't really Tom's usual meeting place, but then tonight was different; the urgency was electric in the air and tingling my palms. I looked down at my phone glowing bright amongst the shadows and smirked. In three weeks' time Dante would regret the day he ever smiled in my direction, looked at me as though I did not exist, but focused on her instead, Camilla.First, I heard the echo of his footsteps draw near, and there he was: Tom, smooth as ever, stepped into the room with that glint in his eye-like a predator."Calling it close, aren't we?" he said to me, one eyebrow cocked, as he approached me."You gonna wanna hear this," I said, my voice low, words dripping with the kind of malice I knew he'd like. "It's bigger than the last info. Dante's got a whole lineup of imports coming in, and… they're not exactly legal, he's sneaking them in."A satisfied grin stretched across Tom's face. "Go on."I leaned forward, my excitement barely contained within my tone, and extended
88. FIRE UNDERNEATH CAMILLA'S POVIt had just gone past six in the evening, and office lights at Draven LTD headquarters were still bright. I had gone off hours ago at C-Care and came to meet Dante. But Dante and I dropped deep into an unplanned brainstorming session. The new expansion plans for Draven were both thrilling and intense, and tonight, in this quiet after-hours calm, there was a rhythm 990. My cell phone buzzed, no doubt a reminder that the world was still spinning outside this room. I ignored it, choosing instead to focus on Dante."How about a launch event in March?" I suggested, tracing the plans across the table with my finger as a feeling of excitement rushed over me.Dante gave me a reflective glance, his eyes shining with that familiar intensity. "It's risky but bold. March it is."I couldn't help but smile at the triumph of it all-being here, working with him as partners feels surreal yet natural."I think this partnership suits us," I said, a thread of warmth lac
TOM'S POV.The rain was reduced to a light drizzle by the time Ella slipped into the passenger seat of my car, as poised and polished as ever. She said nothing immediately, just buckled her seatbelt and waited, like she was used to men taking the lead.I coughed into my hand and threw a sideways glance at her. "Are you always this silent?"Trace of a smirk playing on her lips, wordless dare. "You were the one who called me, Tom. So tell me-what's on your mind?”The most flickering light of amusement was standing in her eyes, but I was buying none. Ella was clever, dangerously so, and I knew she would never walk into a room or even a car without having something of a scheme already in motion; that's just the reason I knew I should know what she was really aiming for.I leaned back, my tone casual, but pointed. "I'm just curious. You say you're loyal to Dante, yet here you are scheming behind his back. Why?"She laughed softly, but devoid of even a hint of mirth in it. "Loyalty? Tom, yo