Chapter 4 Mahogany

In the end, Alicia chose to go out. After wandering aimlessly for a while, she stopped at a bar, needing to forget in a different way.

The place was crowded, but Alicia Michelle barely took notice.

She had arrived without a clear destination, wanting only to quiet the chaos in her head with the sharp bitterness of alcohol, and she did when the liquor burned its way down her throat.

Hours passed after she arrived, and she eventually lost track of how many drinks she had consumed.

The dim lighting, the scent of expensive whiskey, and the muted music wrapped around her, forming a fragile pocket of escape.

What she did not know was that stepping out that night would alter her life forever.

Because from within the shadows of the bar, a pair of eyes remained fixed on her.

Eyes as deep blue as the ocean after nightfall, carrying danger, authority, and an enigma that defied understanding.

Dante Vittorio Moretti.

The name echoed across Europe.

Dante Moretti was no ordinary man.

He controlled sixty percent of Italy, with investments spread across the most profitable sectors of the continent.

Hotels, restaurants, universities, casinos, cruise lines. Everything that generated wealth fell under his reach.

He was the major shareholder in Switzerland's leading bank.

Powerful. Respected. Untouchable.

And dangerous.

After all, no one climbed that high without leaving enemies behind.

At twenty-eight, Dante Moretti was the man everyone wanted to bring down and the man everyone feared.

He had been born into the Moretti family, one of the most influential dynasties in Italy, yet his power had not been inherited. He had built it with his own hands.

His father, Leonardo Moretti, had been a cruel man. His mother, Francesca Vittorio, was calculating and distant. From an early age, Dante learned that the world he lived in had no tolerance for weakness.

That lesson had shaped him into what he was now.

The ruler of an iron empire.

A man no one dared to confront.

Physically, he embodied masculine perfection.

He was tall, nearly six foot three, with a presence that commanded attention without the need for words.

His jet black hair was always styled with meticulous care, and his sharp jawline only heightened his dangerously striking appearance.

Yet it was his eyes that left the strongest impression. A deep, piercing blue. Cold as steel, devoid of weakness or compassion.

He dressed with flawless refinement.

A tailored black suit, paired with a Patek Philippe watch worth more than an apartment in the heart of Rome.

At that moment, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand, he observed the woman who had drawn his attention.

Alicia Michelle Morgan.

He recognized her immediately.

Not only because of her undeniable beauty, but because he knew every detail about Europe's most powerful families.

The Morgan family was no exception. Alessandro Morgan's influence stretched across England, the United States, and Spain.

Yet what captivated him was not her surname.

It was the sadness lingering in her eyes.

The pain that reflected in her eyes.

Dante Moretti did not believe in compassion.

He did not believe in pity either.

Yet something about that woman stirred an impulse in him, a pull he did not question.

And Dante Moretti never ignored his instincts.

Alicia Michelle felt a shiver trail down her spine.

She could not explain it, but the sensation of being watched made her body tense.

She had drunk more than she should have, and although the alcohol had begun to dull her senses, she was not drunk enough to dismiss her instincts.

Slowly, she raised her gaze.

And then she saw him.

On the opposite side of the bar stood a man in an immaculate black suit, his attention fixed entirely on her.

His deep blue eyes were cold and calculating, unblinking, unwavering.

There was something in his stare that unsettled her.

It was not simple attraction.

It was not desire.

It was something far deeper.

Something she could not decipher.

Alicia felt her heart hammer violently against her ribs.

Even when she rose from her seat with the intention of leaving, the man did not look away.

Instead, he leaned forward slightly, as though measuring her reaction.

With a small, deliberate motion, he snapped his fingers.

It was the kind of gesture that suggested the world moved at his command.

His personal assistant appeared at once, bowing his head in silent respect.

"Yes, sir."

Dante Moretti did not take his eyes off Alicia Michelle.

Not even for a moment.

His voice was low and firm, carrying the calm authority of a predator choosing its next move.

"Find out everything about her. I know she's a Morgan."

The assistant nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, sir."

"And find a way to ensnare her," Dante continued. "No matter what you have to do."

The assistant departed immediately, leaving Dante alone once more, a glass of whiskey steady in his hand.

Alicia Michelle still had no idea.

She had drawn the attention of the most dangerous man in Europe.

And when Dante Moretti set his sights on something...

He never allowed it to slip away.

Two days later, in Milan, Dante Moretti's office reflected his power.

His office was situated at the very top of his Milan skyscraper, offering a wide, uninterrupted view of the city. Floor-to-ceiling glass revealed the nightscape below, where countless lights shimmered like artificial stars scattered across the darkness.

The air carried the rich scent of mahogany and leather, softened by the warm glow spilling from the desk lamp.

Dante sat in his black leather chair, holding a glass of whiskey while his attention remained fixed on the screen of his phone.

Moments later, the door opened, and his personal assistant, Matteo Ricci, stepped inside the office carrying a dossier.

Dante looked up, impatience flickering through his gaze.

"Do you have it?" he asked, his voice cold.

Matteo nodded and placed the folder in his hand.

"Everything there is to know about Alicia Michelle Morgan."

Dante accepted the report without a word, but the moment his eyes moved across the pages, his expression hardened.

Alicia Michelle Morgan. Heiress to an empire.

Full name: Alicia Michelle Morgan.

Nationality: American

Family: Morgan

Her father was Alessandro Morgan, the former president of Morgan Enterprises, a corporation that stood among the most powerful and influential business empires in Europe.

Mother: Alicia Morgan, former vice president of Morgan Enterprises in London.

Siblings:

Aaron Morgan, current CEO of Morgan Enterprises in the United Kingdom.

Alexandra Morgan, director of international relations at Morgan Enterprises in the United States.

Sofia Morgan, architecture student at the University of Madrid.

Education:

She held dual degrees in Finance and Business Administration from Harvard.

She also earned a master's degree in International Trade from the University of London.

Recent History:

Only a few days earlier, she had still been engaged to Marcus Aponte, a businessman determined to strengthen his financial climb by tying himself to the Morgan family.

Their wedding had been planned to take place at the Morgan Mansion in Italy, and everything had already been set in motion.

That illusion collapsed barely an hour before the ceremony. Alicia Michelle uncovered the truth that Marcus Aponte had been carrying on an affair with her closest friend, Viviana, and the betrayal left no room for hesitation.

She immediately called off the wedding, walked out of the Morgan Mansion, and went straight to Marcus's apartment. There, she ended everything, hurled the engagement ring back at him, and severed the relationship without leaving any possibility of return.

After that day, she chose to stay in Italy. Even though her family urged her to leave the country and put distance between herself and the scandal, she refused to comply. Instead, she withdrew from the family business.

Matteo remained silent while Dante reviewed the file.

With every passing second, the air in the office seemed to grow heavier.

At last, Dante let the folder fall onto his desk and clenched his jaw.

Marcus Aponte.

The name stirred a cold, controlled fury within him.

"Interesting," he murmured, lifting his glass and taking a slow sip of whiskey.

Matteo watched him carefully.

"I knew that name would catch your attention."

Dante let out a dry, ironic smile.

Of course.

Marcus Aponte had never been merely an ambitious and ruthless businessman in Dante's eyes.

He was someone Dante despised on a far more personal level, a man who had earned his hatred long ago.

That resentment had taken root deeply and had never faded.

Eight years earlier, when Dante was only twenty, he had been deeply in love with a woman.

His first love.

His only weakness.

Her name was Alana Rossetti.

She was beautiful and gentle, born into a respected family, and she was the only person who ever managed to slip past the armor Dante kept around himself.

For more than a year, they lived a passionate romance, full of promises and plans for a future they believed they would share.

Then everything collapsed in a single moment.

Marcus Aponte. With his charming smile and venom hidden behind sweet words, he forced his way into their lives.

While Dante was abroad in London finalizing a business deal, Marcus seduced Alana.

And the cruelest part of it all...

He left her pregnant.

Dante did not find out right away.

When he returned, he found Alana broken, her eyes swollen from days of crying.

She begged for his forgiveness, swearing it had been a mistake, insisting Marcus had manipulated her.

And despite the devastation tearing through him, Dante was prepared to forgive her.

He was even willing to raise the child as his own.

But then the unthinkable happened.

Marcus Aponte acted exactly as expected, hiding behind his habitual cowardice while ensuring that Alana would never be able to have that child.

He used money as a weapon, paying her own family to corner her, pressure her with threats, and cutting her off from any support until she was forced into a decision she never truly wanted.

The child was never born.

And Alana...

After that, she was no longer the woman she had once been.

Dante tried everything he could to reach her and pull her back, but by then, the damage had already been done.

Only a few months later, Alana vanished from his life completely, leaving behind nothing but unanswered questions and regret.

From that moment on, Dante Moretti swore that one day he would make Marcus Aponte pay for everything he had taken from him.

And now, after all those years had passed...

Fate had placed the opportunity directly in front of him, leaving no room to ignore it.

Alicia Michelle Morgan.

She was the woman Marcus had tried to claim and ruin in the process.

She was also someone who knew betrayal just as deeply as he did.

More than that, she had the potential to become the very leverage he needed to bring Aponte down for good.

Dante leaned back in his chair, letting a slow, knowing smile form.

"Marcus broke her completely with that betrayal, didn't he?" he said quietly, his gaze fixed on Alicia's photograph in the report.

Matteo nodded.

"It appears so."

"Perfect."

Dante took another slow sip of whiskey, then looked at his assistant with cold resolve.

"I want you to find a way to get me closer to her."

Matteo frowned.

"Sir, if she discovers your intentions..."

Dante cut him off with a sharp glance.

"I don't need her to find out. I only need her to trust me."

Matteo let out a quiet sigh and gave a small nod.

"I'll make the arrangements."

Dante rose from his chair and walked toward the window, his gaze settling on the city lights spread out below.

The game had begun.

And this time...

He would be the one in control.