Chapter 67
My fingers clenched around my phone, my grip so tight it hurt. My stomach twisted, making me feel sick.
I read the message again and again, until the letters blurred, until they might as well have been carved into my fucking bones.
I wanted to see him…
I hated that I wanted it. Hated that my pulse still reacted to the thought of him, still tripped over itself like a desperate fool.
No. Fuck that
“I don’t want to meet him. I forced the wards out, but they felt wrong in my mouth, like a bitter taste I couldn’t swallow.
I wanted to text him back, I won’t fucking come. But something in me hesitated.
There was a weight in that message. A coldness that settled deep, laced with something unreadable. It wasn’t just a summons. It was an order, one that carried the unspoken weight of a man who was not to be ignored.
And of course, my husband is not like anyone. So here I am, sitting in the car, wrapped in a satin LV dress, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Mark had come to pick me
me up.
The silence stretched between us as the car glided through the dimly lit streets. My fingers tapped restlessly against my lap. I glanced at Mark. narrowing my eyes. “Mark isn’t the office supposed to be closed by now?”
Mark swallowed hard. I saw the way his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Hesitation
“Yes, Young Madam,” he finally admitted. “The office usually closes at 7:00
I frowned. “Then why is Dante still there!”
Mark paused….He exhaled, his knuckles whitening against the wheel. “Boss… he usually works late. But..”
“But I pressed.
He licked his lips, clearly debating whether or not to tell me. Then, finally, he opened his mouth.
“Boss has not been in a good mood these past two days”
I raised a brow. “And?”
Mark kept his eyes on the road. “We’ve all had to work overtime. Everyone is terrified of him.” He hesitated, then dropped the bombshell.
“He’s already shot seven staff members.”
My breath caught. Mark continued. “And he’s fired more than twenty.” His voice lowered, cautious.
“Isn’t this supposed to be the other way around?” My voice came out sharp, edged with frustration. “I’m the angry one. So why the fuck is he the one losing his shit?”
I looked out of the window as the familiar towering Romano Empire building came into view, its sleek glass exterior reflecting the city lights like a fortress made of steel and secrets.
I looked up, my gaze locking onto the very top of the building, where his office was. The thought of him standing there, looking down at me like a lucking emperor watching his subject approach, sent a sliver down my spine.
Thad a sinking feeling that I was walking straight into the storm,
Mark pulled the car to a stop. Without a word, he stepped out and walked around to open the door for me. As I swung my legs out, he handed me a sleek black card
“Hoss ordered me to give you this,” he said.
Before I could ask, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with the card in my hand. My angers curled around it as I glanced down. A single number was printed in silver at the center.
1/2
11:47 AM
Chapter 67
1 exhaled slowly, my pulse hammering in my ears as I walked toward the building. My heels echoed as I stepped inside, heading straight for the elevator. The air felt unnervingly still. Too quiet.
I reached out, pressing the button. The doors slid open immediately as if they’d been waiting for me. Stepping inside. I stared at the panel of buttons and found the floor number that matched the one on the and
My heart pounded harder as I pressed it.
The elevator began to rise. And with every passing floor, the weight in my chest grew heavier.
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, darkness swallowed me whole. The room was pitch black, silent, and suffocating. The only source of light! came from the massive glass window stretching across the far wall. Through it, the city sprawled endlessly, glittering with life. Buildings towered, cars moved in golden rivers of headlights, and the world outside pulsed with beauty.
The more breathtaking the outside world was, the more dangerous this room felt. The soft hur of the elevator faded as the doors slid shut behind
Π.Ε.
My pulse stuttered
“Dante?” I called, but there was no response. The room felt like there was no one inside. I walked toward the tall glass window.
I was getting near to the glass window when I heard the sound of a flick of a lighter.
A tiny flame burned in the darkness, illuminating the edge of his sharp jaw, the glint of cold eyes, and the slow drag of a cigarette.
Dante sat behind his massive desk, his presence drowning the room in tension. The air around him was dangerous. His suit jacket was discarded. the sleeves of his crisp white shirt rolled up, veins flexing in his forearms as he tapped the ash into a crystal tray.
His gaze lifted, pinning me in place.
I swallowed
He didn’t speak. Didn’t move.
The weight of his silence pressed down on my chest.
My heart pounded. I should say something. But his presence was so overwhelming. “W–why did you call me here?” I finally managed, keeping my voice steady despite the nerves clawing at me.
Dante exhaled smoke, his expression blank. “Come here.”
I hesitated.
His jaw linked. “I said, come here. Elara.” | forced my legs to move, crossing the vàşt space until I stood before his desk.
His eyes traced over me, slow and assessing. The air felt electric.
Then, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, fingers laced together as his gaze bore into mine.
“Bend over Ass up.”
The room seemed to freeze as I processed his words, my eyes flashing with a mix of anger and fear, maybe.
“What did you just say?” asked in disbeliel
