They become targets, and I can't let that happen.
I turn away from the fireplace and walk to my desk, pulling out my phone to start making calls.
I call my contacts in Sicily and warn them about the forged documents, call my suppliers and reassure them that I’m handling the situation.
Then I call Enzo and tell him to double the guards at the villa because if Gerard’s being this bold, who knows what will happen next.
Then I sit down and start planning my next move.
Gerard’s building toward something, gathering allies and weapons and preparing for a confrontation.
I need to strike first and eliminate him before he has a chance to leak those documents or move against me directly.
But I also need to keep my family safe and make sure that no matter what happens, Angelica and Sofia are protected.
9
ANGELICA
The dining room table is set with three places.
Dante sits at the head with Sofia on his right and me on his left.
I told him I'd eat with him alone, but it feels strange not having my little girl with me.
I told Marta to set the place and she frowned at me, but she didn't refuse my instruction, which felt like a small win.
But this arrangement, with him between me and Sofia, feels a little too much like we're playing house.
I watch him pour water into Sofia's glass and feel something shift in my chest.
He's too nice to her, too familiar.
I hate it.
It's like he's trying to sell me on the idea that he could be a father, and I refuse to be handled.
Though, I'm not sure how he could ever put on an act this good, which makes me wonder if he's being sincere.
This isn't the angry, brooding criminal I expected.
This is someone who seems genuinely happy to have a child at his table.
"And then Marta let me help her make cookies," Sofia says.
Her words tumble over each other in her excitement. "We made stars and trees and bells. I ate three of them."
"Three?" Dante raises an eyebrow. "That's a lot of cookies."
"They were small," Sofia insists shyly, and I see her cheeks tinge pink.
She's barely touched her dinner, which is probably due to the amount of sugar she ate earlier.
"I'm sure they were."
She grins at him and goes back to eating her pasta while I watch the exchange and feel my guard dropping.
I spent days telling myself that Dante is dangerous.
