“Isabella?” My brother’s voice shatters the moment. “What the hell is this?”
I spring back, knowing I look guilty.
"Father's looking for you," he says, eyes narrowed at Alessandro. "Your absence has been noticed."
The threat beneath his words is unmistakable. I stand quickly, smoothing my dress. "I needed air. Alessandro was kind enough to ensure I wasn't alone out here."
Enrico steps closer, his stance rigid. "How considerate of the Don to offer his protection."
Alessandro rises beside me, unfazed. The temperature between them drops several degrees. The whole point of this wedding is to defuse moments like this.
"I'll return immediately," I say, placing myself between them. "Please, Enrico."
My brother's fingers twitch at his sides. I’m not sure if he wants to pummel Alessandro or reach for his gun and shoot him. One wrong move, one misinterpreted word, and this garden could become a bloodbath.
I touch Alessandro's arm briefly. "Thank you for the company."
As I hurry past Enrico, I whisper fiercely, "Don't do anything stupid."
8
ALESSANDRO
I remain perfectly still as Isabella disappears through the garden doors, leaving me alone with her brother. The night air crackles with hostility.
"Let's skip the pretense," I say, maintaining my position. "Say what you came to say."
Enrico steps closer, anger radiating off him in waves. "I saw how you were looking at her."
"Your sister is my fiancée." I keep my voice level, though irritation builds beneath my calm exterior.
"She's a Vitale before she's your anything." His jaw tightens. "And you'll keep your hands off her until after the wedding."
I arch an eyebrow. "Are you giving me orders, boy?"
"I'm giving you a warning." He takes a final step into my space, emboldened by stupidity or arrogance. "Touch her before the wedding night, and I'll kill you myself."
A laugh escapes me. "You overestimate your capabilities."
"And you underestimate how much I care about my sister."
The irony doesn't escape me. "Spare me. You don’t give a shit about her except her value as business collateral.”
His nostrils flare. "And you don’t?”
“You’ve just accused me of looking at her as more than property.” This time, I’m the one leaning in. “This is a business deal, Enrico, but at least I see her true value. Your sister is intelligent, perceptive, and capable of making her own decisions. If you truly cared about her, you'd recognize that."
Enrico's lips curl into a mocking smile. "Don't tell me the cold-blooded Alessandro Dante is developing feelings for my little sister." He laughs, the sound grating against my nerves. "What's next? Planning to be her knight in shining armor?"
My fingers twitch with the urge to wrap around his throat, but I maintain control.
This isn't the time or place.
"You misunderstand me," I say, stepping closer until we're nearly chest to chest. "I respect her intelligence. Her strength. Something you've clearly failed to do."
"You don't know anything about?—"
"About what? Your family?" I cut him off. "I've seen enough. Your father uses her. Your mother abandons her. And you?" I narrow my eyes. "You pretend to protect her while ensuring she remains exactly where your father wants her."
