Elena's POV.I could feel the tension in the cramped apartment, the walls almost closing in as I stood in the small kitchen, stirring a pot of instant ramen. The smell of cheap noodles mingled with the stale air, making my stomach churn. My brother Marcus burst through the door, the heavy thud sounding through the tiny space, and I prepared myself for the storm.“Why can’t you do anything right, Elena?” His voice boomed, filled with frustration and something darker, something I had come to recognize as hatred. “Look at this mess! You’re just a bad luck charm, you know that? Ever since Mom and Dad…”“Shut up!” I snapped, spinning around to face him, my heart racing. “You don’t get to blame me for their deaths! I didn’t ask them to drive that night!”He stepped closer, his face a mask of rage, fists clenched at his sides. “You think you’re so innocent? They died because of you! All because you were too spoiled to take care of yourself! They went to cater to your whims, and look what hap
Elena's POV.I watched in disbelief as Marcus strolled back into the apartment, holding a plastic bag with a bottle of some fancy drink peeking out. It was evening and there was a different kind of look on his face. For a second, I almost thought he looked… calm. Too calm."Here," he grunted, setting the bottle down on the rickety table in front of me. "Figured you'd want something cold after that… scene you caused." His voice was oddly smooth, almost friendly…a tone I hadn’t heard in years.I looked from him to the bottle, suspicion bubbling up like bile in my throat. "What is this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Since when do you buy me anything?”Marcus forced a tight smile, though his eyes stayed cold and hard. "Oh, come on, Elena," he said with a laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. "I just thought I’d do something nice for once. You can keep acting like a brat, or you can just enjoy the drink."His words stung, but the mocking edge in his voice stung even more. He raised an eyebrow
Elena's POV.Marcus’s desperate voice was still shouting, pleading as if his life depended on it…which, I supposed, it did."Please, Mr. Moretti," he choked out, soaked and shaking. "Take her. She can be… she can be anything you need her to be. Just please… please…"“Enough!” Dante’s voice roared through the rain, a cold command that made everyone freeze. Marcus shut his mouth instantly, staring at Dante like a cornered rat, trembling as he waited for his verdict. My heart raced; for a second, I dared to hope. Maybe this man would laugh in Marcus's face, give him a final warning, and let me go.But then Dante’s gaze fell on me again, and my stomach knotted. He looked me up and down, with his eyes dark and calculating. Every second stretched out as he silently sized me up, the power he wielded radiating like a dark cloud. My skin crawled under his piercing stare, every instinct screaming at me to run. As if I could.And then, as abruptly as it started, the rain stopped. Like some twist
Dante's POV.As I made my way to the room, it was the middle of the night, hours after I'd handled that betrayal. Bloodstains had long dried on my cuff, a reminder that some people needed their fate handed to them in pieces. That idiot Marcus hadn't been any different, trading his own sister like she was some bargaining chip. It still amazed me how daily a man could see his soul…and in this case, his family, for a little relief from debt. But now, I was left with the baggage he'd dropped at my doorstep.The girl was in the room at the far end, the one we typically reserved for prisoners with... potential. Her name was still in my head; Elena. The name suited her, sharp but delicate. Yet, I wasn't sure what she thought she could do here, trussed up and at my mercy. I pushed the door open, letting it creak closed behind me. She was standing next to the window, hands and legs still bound in ropes, like a pathetic figure standing against the city lights. Her hair, which was still damp fr
Dante's POV.I leaned in, close enough that I could taste the tension in the air. "Curious if that sharp mouth of yours is worth all the trouble it causes," I murmured, tracing my thumb over her lips. "Or if you're just all talk.”A flash of anger lit her gaze, a spark that only seemed to fuel the amusement I felt building with me. But I held her gaze, my thumb was still resting against her mouth. She was helpless here, her hands tied, her body tensed under my stare, but her eyes...those damn hazel eyes...still held their challenge."Go on, then," she sneered, her voice defiant. "Do your worst.”The words hung in the air, her voice daring, but I noticed that faint tremble behind them, a hesitation that gave her away.I raised an eyebrow, letting a slight smirk pull at my mouth. "Is that a challenge?"Her lips pressed into a thin line, the fire in her eyes flaring, but she didn't answer. For a second, I was just...staring, captivated by the strange mix of strength and vulnerability she
Elena's POV.The door clicked shut, and I exhaled a shaky breath as Dante finally left. The tension in my shoulders started to ease, but my heart still hammered in my chest, half-expecting him to change his mind and storm back in, deciding I’d outlasted his patience. Each word I’d said felt like walking into quicksand…dangerous, unpredictable, and he’d kept meeting my every comeback with that look, the one that told me he wasn’t used to being challenged. I hadn’t exactly expected him to be amused by it.The ropes were biting into my wrists, rough enough to scrape my skin raw. I twisted my hands a little, trying to get even a hint of relief, but all I got was a deeper ache. I wanted to scream in frustration. So, what now? Was I just supposed to stand here like some prize waiting to be claimed? Helpless, irritated, and still recovering from my confrontation with the devil himself, I was left wondering how long I’d have to endure this.Suddenly, the door opened again, and I held my breat
Elena's POV."Eat up," Carla said, giving me a measured look as she placed the tray on the small table in the corner of the room. "Boss’s orders."I forced my voice to stay steady. “He’s… feeding me?” The disbelief in my tone was hard to mask.Carla shrugged, giving me a small, almost sympathetic smile. “Let’s just say he doesn’t like loose ends.”Right. That sounded about right. Feed me before he kills me.As soon as Carla left, I slid the door shut, taking a long moment to stare at the feast in front of me. Roast chicken with crispy, golden skin that looked like it’d crack under a knife. Fresh vegetables, sautéed with garlic and butter. A warm roll, straight from the oven, with a small pad of melting butter on top. And a chocolate dessert that gleamed under the lighting, like it belonged in some five-star restaurant I’d never step foot in.My stomach roared, and I couldn’t stop myself. I dug in, tearing at the bread like it was the only thing holding me together. The warm, flaky cru
Dante's POV.The lights were low, has shadows across the room, turning every curve, every movement, into something primal. The air was thick with the scent of perfume and sweat, a blend of desperation and desire. Around me, my men were lost in pleasure, tangled in limbs, mouths locked in passion, oblivious to the world. Women spread themselves over them, a mess of silk, skin, and sin. They were exactly where they wanted to be, and yet, I stood there, fully dressed, in the middle of an orgy.A brunette with a sharp jawline slid up to me, pressing her bare body against my side. Her hands trailed down my chest, teasing, challenging. “Dante,” she whispered, lips brushing against my ear. “Don’t you want to play?”I stared ahead, ignoring her, my jaw clenched. She pulled back, her eyes searching mine with a small pout, clearly not used to being dismissed. I saw the confusion flash across her face before she turned away, off to find someone who would appreciate her offer. Around me, women vi
Dante's POV.The drive to the docks was quiet, but my mind wasn’t. Enzo sat beside me, his jaw tight, his usual calm demeanor replaced with a tension I didn’t see often.“How bad is it?” I asked, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I sped through the empty streets.Enzo hesitated, “Bad enough. The shipment’s gone, and there’s no sign of who did it. It wasn’t some random street rats. This was planned.”Planned. That word ignited something in me. Angelo was dead. I’d taken care of him with my own hands, but if someone else thought they could step into his shoes, they were about to learn how I dealt with people who didn’t stay in their place.We reached the docks, and the scene was worse than I expected. The containers had been broken into, their contents scattered across the ground. Men were moving around, trying to salvage what was left, but I could see in their faces they didn’t have much hope.I stepped out of the car, the cold air biting against my skin. Enzo followed close behin
Dante's POV.The night was quiet, the kind of quiet that made me restless. I found myself in the library, staring at books I hadn’t touched in years. These shelves held pieces of my life I’d locked away, memories I didn’t care to revisit. But tonight, I couldn’t focus on anything. My mind was stuck on her…Elena. She was like a storm, blowing through my life and tearing down everything I thought I knew.I heard the soft creak of the door, and my body tensed before I turned. There she was, standing in the doorway, her hair falling over her shoulders, her eyes wide and hesitant. She looked so small, so unsure, and yet she had this pull on me, stronger than anything I’d ever felt."I didn’t mean to interrupt," she said, her voice soft but steady."You’re not interrupting," I said, my voice lower than usual. I stood, gesturing for her to come in. "Sit with me."She hesitated, then stepped inside, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to shield herself from something. I hated
Elena's POV.The relief washed over me like a long overdue exhale as I sank into the leather seat of Dante's car. For the first time in what felt like forever, my chest didn’t feel like it was caving in. I had finally told him the truth, laid it all bare, and though his reaction had stunned me, his presence reassured me in a way I couldn’t quite explain.Dante sat beside me, his jaw tight and eyes forward, but his hand never left mine. His grip was firm, protective, like he was silently promising me that everything would be okay. The convoy of cars trailed behind us, a silent reminder of the world Dante lived in, a world I was now irreversibly tied to. My car was being driven by one of his men, though I didn’t even glance back to check.The drive to his house was quiet. I could feel the tension rolling off him, though he didn’t say much. Every so often, I’d glance his way, trying to read the storm behind his dark eyes, but his expression remained unreadable. I wasn’t sure if it was an
Dante's POV.The moment the words left her lips, it felt like my world tilted on its axis. Pregnant. Elena was pregnant.I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. My mind screamed at me to say something, but my tongue felt like lead. My chest tightened, and for the first time in years, I felt utterly unprepared…powerless.“Elena…” I finally managed, my voice cracking in a way that betrayed me. Her tear-filled eyes met mine, and the vulnerability in her gaze cut through me like a blade. “You’re…pregnant?”She nodded slowly, her arms wrapping protectively around her stomach. “Yes, Dante. I didn’t know how to tell you…I didn’t know if I could.”I stumbled back a step, running a hand through my hair, trying to process the reality crashing down on me. Elena. The young woman I couldn’t stop loving even if I tried. Pregnant. With my child.“You’re carrying my baby,” I said, more to myself than to her. Saying it out loud made it feel real, and that reality hit me like a freight train.“Yes,” she whi
Elena's POV.The room was a dingy box, with peeling wallpaper and a bed that creaked if I so much as breathed. The motel smelled faintly of stale cigarettes and cheap air freshener, and the sign outside painted the cracked ceiling in bursts of red and green. I sat cross-legged on the bed, the lumpy mattress digging into me, but I didn’t care. My hands instinctively rested on my stomach, a gesture I was becoming all too familiar with.I’d lost count of how long I’d been here. Days blurred into nights, the hours stretching endlessly as I tried to convince myself I’d made the right decision. But it was hard to feel certain about anything when the weight of my choices pressed down on me like this.The soft hum of cars outside filled the silence, but it wasn’t comforting. Every sound made me jump. Every knock, every creak of the floor above me sent my heart racing. I was running, but for how long? How far could I go before the past caught up with me?I stood and walked to the window, peeli
Dante's POVI didn’t know when I had finally fallen asleep. My thoughts had been a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and a hollow ache in my chest. Elena’s face had haunted me…the tears in her eyes, the way her voice had broken when she said she needed space. It had been killing me, tearing me apart.The whiskey hadn’t helped. It never did. I must’ve drifted off right there on the couch in my office, the empty glass still in my hand.The dream had started softly, almost like a memory. Isabella had been there, standing by the grand piano in the main hall, her favorite place in the mansion. She had looked the same as she always did; elegant, poised, beautiful. But her smile, the one that used to light up my world, had been missing."Isabella," I had said, my voice catching in my throat.She had turned to me, her eyes sad."Dante," she had replied, her tone was quiet but sharp enough to cut through me.I had stepped closer, but she hadn't moved. Her expression hadn't softened either. It
Elena's POV.Elena's POV.The cold wind whipped through my hair as I sped down the highway, my hands trembling on the steering wheel. My cheeks were wet with tears, and no matter how hard I tried to blink them away, they just kept coming. It felt like I couldn’t breathe, like the walls were closing in on me, and the only thing I could do was run.The headlights of my car cut through the dark, but I barely registered where I was going. I just needed to get away. Away from the mansion. Away from Dante. Away from the feelings I didn’t know how to handle.How did it come to this?I gripped the wheel tighter, my knuckles white. My heart felt like it was breaking, shattering with every mile I put between us. I could still hear his voice, raw and desperate. “You’re tired of me. Of us.”“No, Dante,” I whispered to myself, my voice cracking. “I could never be tired of you.”But how could I tell him the truth? How could I tell him I was carrying his child? That every moment I spent avoiding him
Dante's POV.The mansion was quiet, too quiet. I sat in my office, staring at the whiskey in my glass, watching the liquid swirl with every faint movement of my hand. The silence was deafening, and for once, I hated it.Elena had been distant…no, she’d been avoiding me. It wasn’t in my head. Every time I tried to get close, she found a reason to leave. If I walked into the room, she’d make an excuse to step out. If I asked her something, her answers were clipped, her tone guarded. And it wasn’t like her.I took a slow sip of my drink, the burn doing little to distract me from the nagging discomfort in my chest. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be.“Boss.”I turned my head slightly, finding Enzo standing by the door, his face as stoic as always. “What is it?” I asked, my voice sharper than intended.He stepped in cautiously, his hands clasped behind his back. “We’ve got a shipment coming in tomorrow. Thought you’d want to know.”I waved him off. “Fine. Handle it.”Enzo’s brows f
Elena's POV.I paced back and forth in my room, my heart hammering in my chest. The nausea from earlier hadn’t eased, and now my mind raced with possibilities. Something wasn’t right. Every time I tried to steady myself, another wave of unease crashed over me, leaving me more disoriented.Dante and Marcus were still downstairs, likely too absorbed in meetings to notice my absence. Their laughter and voices sounded faintly through the walls, but it only made me feel more disconnected. I couldn't bring myself to tell either of them how I felt. Not yet. Whatever this was, I needed to figure it out on my own first.I grabbed my coat, wrapping it tightly around me, and moved to the door. My steps were cautious as I crept out of the room, my ears tuned to every sound. No one stopped me. The corridor was quiet, an opposite to the noise from downstairs. My heart was pounding as I slipped through the side door and stepped into the cold evening air.The streetlights had long beams across the si