Chapter 20- Rival’s Move
Lucia The Metropolitan Museum’s charity gala sparkled with old money and older secrets, Crystal chandeliers cast strategic shadows over the city’s elite as they played their careful games of power and influence. From my position by a Roman sculpture, I could see Dance across the room, working the crowd with that lethal grace that made him so effective. So dangerous.
So increasingly essential to my world.
“He’s got you completely fooled, haunt hel”
I turned to find Mark watching me watch Dante. He looked devastating in a tuxedo that probably cost a month’s gallery profits, but has eyes held something darker than their usual anitic intensity
“What are you doing here?” I kept my voice low, instinctively scanning for Dante’s security team. When had I started doing that? When had his protection become my first thought?
“I have an invitation.” Mark held up an engraved card. “The museum’s new photography exhibition? Tim one of the featured artists.”
Of course he was. Because the universe enjoyed forturing me.
“You need to leave.” I moved away from the main crowd, hoping to handle thus discretely. “If Dante sees-*
“If Dante sees what? Mark followed, ha voice urgent. His property talking to another man? Is that what you’ve become, Lucia His perfectl controlled trophy wife?”
The words stung because they echoed my own early fears. But something had changed. “You don’t understand him.“
“No” He pulled out his phone, showing me a senes of photos. “These are from last week. Your perfect funcć meeting with known criminals in that warehouse he claims is just for storage. The same night a key winess in the harbor corruption case mysteriously recanted their testimony.”
My heart raced as I looked at the images. I recognized some of the men- the kind who made problems disappear. The kind every powerful family. needed but never acknowledged.
“There’s more.” Mark’s voice dropped lower, forcing me to lean in to hear. “Financial records showing patterns of bribes, witnesses who disappeared, accidents that happened to his opponents—”
“Stop.” I stepped back, surprised by the fierce protectiveness that rose in my chest. “You’re talking about things you don’t understand.”
“Don’t understand!” He laughed boterly. Tunderstand perfectly. He’s exactly like his father. Like all of them. Violence and control dressed up in designer suits and political ambition”
“You don’t know him,” I said again, stronger this time. “You see what you want to see – the villain in your artistic narrative of good versus evil. But mr world isn’t that simple
Listen to yourself!” Mark grabbed my arms, his fingers digging in with unexpected force. “Defending him like he’s not the blackmailed you into marriagel The Lucia Ik would never-
who basically
“The Lucia you knew was a girl’s fantasy of escape” I pulled free, something crystallizing in my chest. “She thought love could conquer family obligations and social realities. She was naive.”
“And this is better!” He gestured around the gala. “Playing perfect political wife while he builds has empire on blood money?
“At least he’s honest about who he is.” The words came hot and fast, surprising me with their truth. “He doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not Everything he does – even the dark things – is so protect his family. To protect me.”
Mark studied my face, something like horror dawning in his eyes. “Oh God. You’re actually falling for him.”
“I—” But before I could respond, a camera Eusli went off nearby.
We both turned to see Miranda Chen lowering her phone, her smile sharp as a blade. “Don’t mind me,” she purred. “Just capturing a touching reunion between old lovers. The passion, the intimate body language.. the tabloids weather up
My blood ran cold. The photo would look exactly like what it wasn’t a secret tryst, a scandal in the making. The exact kind of thing that could
damage Dante’s campaign.
Dame. When had I started thinking of his imerests first?
“Miranda.” I stepped toward her, channeling every lesson in authority I’d ever learned. “Delete it”
witnesses! Really, Lucia I expected better from you.
“Or what” Her side widened. “Your flance will have me disappeared like those troublesome witness Though I must say, Mr. Sullivan is a considerable upgrade in the moral department—”
“Enough.” I cut her off, my voice carrying that edge of power I’d learned from watching Dante. “You want a story‘ I’ll give you a better one. Exchisive access to the Romano–Valentini wedding preparations. Every detail, every drama, every expensive minute of it. But that photo disappears now.”
Sbe considered for a moment, business sense warring with gossip instincts. “And if I refuse?
“Then instead of wedding details, you’ll get an exclusive look at exactly how your family got those development permits in the south district.” I smiled, channeling Dante’s dangerous charm. Im sure your readers would love to know about your father’s creative accounting methods.”
Miranda’s face went pale. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” I held out my hand. “Phone. Now
Sening
Chapter 3
upter 20- Rials Move
She handed it over with shaking fingers. I deleted the photo, then every backup copy I could find. “Pleasure doing business with you,”
As the scurried away, Mark stared at me like he’d never seen the before. “You’ve become one of them.”
“No” I turned back to him, something like pity rising in my chest. “I’ve become who I always was. A Valentini. A woman who understands power and how to use it.” I softened my voict. ‘Go home, Mark. Your world of art galleries and creative passion is beautiful, but it was never really mine.”
“Lic-”
“And that flash drive?” I nodded toward his pocket. “Keep it. Whatever evidence you think you have, whatever crasade you’re on- let it go. Because if you try to hurt Dante, if you threaten what we’re building.” I met his eyes steadily. “You’ll learn exactly how much of a Romano Ive become.”
He stepped back, something like fear finally replacing the righteous anger in his eyes. “You really love him.”
The accusation hit like a physical blow, making my carefully conuicted walls tremble. “That’s not–Bat I couldn’t finish the denial. Couldn’t trust my voice not to betray the chaos churning in my chest.
Because somewhere between the contract and the chaos, between is control and his protection, between his dark and his unexpected moments of tenderness.. something had shifted. Something remifying and inevitable that I wasn’t really to name
“Goodbye, Mark.” Iturned away, my voice steadier than my hear. “Go back to your world of clean lines and simple truths. Some of us don’t have that luxury.”
As I walked back to the party, I caught sight of Danne across the room. He was laughing at something julia had sud, his public mask momentarily dropped to reveal germine warmth. My heart did that treacherous flip it had started doing whenever I saw him unguarded, and I hated it. Hated how he’d worked his way past my defenses. Hated how defending him to Mark had felt nacural, necessary.
Hated that Mark might be right.
Love? The word uelf was dangerous, a weakness we couldn’t afford in our world of power plays and political ambitions. Whatever this thing was between Dante and me, it had to stay controlled Contained Safe behind walls of contracts and calculations.
But at watched him move through the crowd with that lethal grace, I couldn’t ignore the growing ache in my chest. The way my body recognized his presence across a crowded room. The fierce protectiveness that had risen when Mark threatened his reputation.
The question wasn’t just hos Dante would react to tonight’s almost scandal. I was whether I could keep pretending this was just business when every leanbea seemned to whisper otherwise
I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to still the riot of emotions threatening to crack my careful composure
I couldn’t love him. Wouldn’t love bur
Love was a luxury for people who didn’t have empires to protect and legacies to uphold.
