Luca’s words from weeks ago echo in my head. Except it wasn’t that simple. My father didn’t simply sell the information. He was coerced, manipulated, and used as a pawn by the man who gave a toast about loyalty and family bonds.
The hypocrisy makes me want to scream.
By the time dessert is served, some elaborate chocolate creation that I’m sure I would have loved in any other situation, I’m exhausted from the effort of maintaining composure. My face hurts from smiling, my body aches from sitting rigidly upright, and the wine I’ve been sipping to calm my nerves is making everything feel slightly unreal.
“I need to speak with Salvatore and a few others about business,” Luca murmurs against my ear, his breath warm on my skin. “Will you be alright on your own for a bit?”
Terror spikes through me at the thought of being alone in this house. “How long?” I ask, hating how weak my voice sounds.
“Maybe an hour. There’s a sitting room off the main hall where some of the wives gather. You could join them, or?—”
“I’ll be fine,” I interrupt, not wanting to spend an hour with women who already see me as an outsider. “I’ll just…find somewhere quiet.”
His dark eyes search mine, probably seeing more than I want him to. “Don’t wander off alone,” he orders. “Stay visible. These people aren’t all friends, and without me there to make it clear you’re off-limits…” He stops, nostrils flaring as he takes a deep breath. “Just stay where people can see you.”
The warning should feel protective. Instead, it just reminds me how vulnerable I am without his presence. “I understand.”
He presses another kiss to my temple—it meansnothing, I tell myself—and stands, following Salvatore and several other men toward what’s probably a study for their private discussions.
I’m left at the table with the remaining guests, feeling suddenly exposed without Luca’s presence. Natasha has moved to join a conversation at the other end, and the older man beside me is deep in discussion with his neighbor.
I should probably join the wives in the sitting room and make an effort to fit in. But the thought of more small talk, more pretending, more navigating social dynamics I don’t understand, makes me want to crawl out of my skin.
Instead, I excuse myself quietly and slip away from the dining room, seeking refuge in the relative anonymity of Romano’s excessive mansion.
The hallways are quieter than the public rooms, with only occasional staff members passing by. I wander aimlessly, not really looking for anything specific, just needing space to breathe without performing for an audience.
That’s when I hear footsteps behind me. They’re heavier than a staff member’s and purposeful in their approach.
“Lost, beautiful?”
I turn to find a man probably in his mid-twenties approaching with confident swagger that immediately puts me on edge. He’s handsome with a strong jawline, styled dark hair, and expensive suit tailored to show off a gym-sculpted body. But there’s something in his dark eyes—cruel amusement, entitlement—that makes warning bells ring in my head.
Everything about him screams danger, but in a different way than Luca. Where Luca’s danger is cold and calculated, this man’s is hot and reckless. Unpredictable.
“Just looking for the restroom,” I lie, already backing up a step.
“Allow me to escort you.” He closes the distance I just created, moving into my personal space with casual disregard for boundaries. “I’m Rico Romano. Salvatore’s son.” His smile is too wide, and horror rises in me. Salvatore’sson.“And you’re Luca’s new acquisition. The veterinarian, right?”
Acquisition. The word makes my skin crawl.
“Fiancée,” I correct, trying to inject firmness into my voice.
“Right, right. Fiancée.” Rico’s eyes rake over me in a way that makes me feel dirty. He’s undressing me with his gaze, and he doesn’t even try to hide it. “Though between you and me, that’s just a polite word for the same thing in our world, isn’t it? A beautiful woman attached to a powerful man’s arm, decorative and temporary.”
I take another step back, my shoulders hitting the wall. Shit. “I really should get back?—”
“Why the rush?” He moves closer, bracketing me against the wall with one hand planted beside my head. This close, I can smell his cologne. It’s cloying and makes my stomach turn, reminding me of the Axe body spray that boys used to wear in middle school. His pupils are slightly dilated, and I wonder with growing horror if he’s high on something. “We’re just getting acquainted. After all, you’re going to be around for a while.” He laughs, but he’s not amused. “Or at least until Luca gets bored.”
For a brief, terrifying moment, I wonder if he knows, if he’s aware I have information about his family’s crimes, if this is some kind of test or threat. My heart hammers so hard I’m sure he can see it pounding against my chest.
But no, the look in his eyes is pure predatory interest. He sees me as nothing more than a challenge, a possession of Luca’s that he might enjoy taking.
“Excuse me.” I try to duck under his arm, but his free hand shoots out to grip my bicep, fingers digging in hard enough to hurt.
“You seem nervous.” His hand slides up to toy with a strand of my hair that’s escaped from my updo. “There’s no need to be. I’m not like Luca. I could be very gentle with you. Very…accommodating.”
Horror washes through me as I realize what he’s suggesting. “I’m engaged?—”
