All Stars with a red dress 2

Posted by Admind, ? Views, Released on February 19, 2025

Chapter 2 – Proposal.

Inever lou control. Ever

Control was everything in our world. It was what separated the winners from the losers. The living from the dead.

My father taught me that lesson early. “A Romano man always stays in control,” he’d say, straightening my te before Sunday mass. “Of his emotions. His action. His enemies”

I’d mastered that lesson by ageten.

Now, at thirty–two, I ran half of this city’s underground operations. The legitimate half of my business empire stretched from real estate to shipping Next month. I’d be announced as the youngest major in the city’s history.

The evidence I had on my opponents would make sure of that.

But this morning, looking at the woman in my bed. I knew I’d slipped. Junt once. One night of too much champagne at my sister’s wedding. One moment of weakness when Luca Valentini had looked at me across the dance floor, fire in her eyes.

Lucia fucking Valentini.

She was everything I shouldn’t want. Everything I’d been trained to avoid. The princess of our reval family. A liability.

But damn she was beautiful when she was angry.

Right now, she was wrapped in my sheets, panic written across her Exce as her father knocked on the door. Her dark hair fell in waves down her back. Her lips were still wollen from my kisses.

Immembered how shed tasted last night. Like champagne and danger.

“What are we going to do she whispered, those big brown eyes wide with fear

Talready knew exactly what we were going to do

sister, always the romantic, had gotten her fairy tale. I’d made sure of

Yesterday had been perfect. Julia’s wedding went off without a hitch. My eldest si

Anyone who might have caused trouble had been quietly warned off.

That’s what I did. 1 solved problems.

I protected my family. Always,

My three younger sisters were my weakness, Julia, Sofia, and Maria. They were the only ones who saw behind my mask. The only ones who knew I wasn’t just the cold–blooded heir to the Roman empire

“You need love too, Dante,” Julia haud said lavt right, tipsy on champagne and happines. “Not just power.”

I’d laughed it off. Love win a weakness. Another thing my father had taught me.

But then den Lucia

She’d worn red. A dress that hugged every curve. When she moved, every man in the room watched. Including me

I’d watched her for years. From a distance. Alsociety events. Family gatherings where our families played nice. She was the forbidden fruit. The one woman I couldn’t touch

Now her father was outside my door. Vincent Valentin The only man in this city who could challenge my father’s power. And his sons – Marco, the strategist. Leo, the warrior. Antonio, the wild card.

All of them ready to spill blood over their sister’s honor.

Leould handle this two ways.

Option one Deny everything. Start a war. Watch both our families tear each other apar

Option two Turn the disaster in an oppomunity.

I looked at Lucis again. She was beautiful Smart Well–connected. The paper called her the Princess of the Underground. The darling of our dark society,

She’d make a perfect mayor’s wile.

And a marrage alliance between our families! That would change everything

The harbor dispute would end. The casino territory wars would stop. Both our families would profil.

Perfect solut

“Marry me.”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

I stood, not bothering with modesty as I reached for my clothes. The sheet fell away, and I saw her eyes flicker over my body before she looked away. A muscle jumped in her jaw,

Chapter 9 – Proposal

“Its the logical solution,” I said, pulling on my pants. “Your family saves face. My campaign gets legitimacy. Both our families benefit”

“You’re msane,” she hissed

Maybe. But I was also right.

I could already see it playing our. The society wedding of the decade. The joining of two powerful families. The press would eat it up. The old money famshes would approve. The voters would love it.

My phone buzzed. A text from my campaign manager about latest polls. Another from my security chief about a shipment at the docks. A third from Sofia, asking where I’d disappeared to after the wedding.

I ignored them all.

Right now, I had a more pressing situation to handle.

“LUCIA!” Her father’s voice was getting dangerous.

I watched her jump. Watched fear flicker across her face. But there was steel there too. Fire. That’s what had drawn me to her last night.

1 finished dressing, every movement precise. My cufflinks – gold, with the Romano crest. My watcha Parek Philippe worth more than most cars. My ring–black diamond, marking me as heir.