Chapter 9

Dante POV

The silence in the house wasn't peaceful; it was oppressive.

It hung heavy in the air, a physical weight that pressed against my eardrums.

I had returned from the gala celebrating Sofia's recovery. She had been the star of the evening, holding court and recounting the dramatic tale of how she survived the crash, how she bravely faced surgery.

I should have been happy.

But there was a knot in my stomach, a cold coil of dread I couldn't explain.

I walked into the foyer.

"Elena?" I called out.

Silence.

I checked the kitchen. Empty.

I checked the courtyard.

She wasn't there.

I had let her back inside after she fainted yesterday. I had told myself it was discipline. A necessary lesson. I had convinced myself she needed to respect the hierarchy.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I went up to the master bedroom.

The door was open.

The closet was open.

Her side was empty.

Not just messy. Empty.

The hangers were bare, skeletal against the dark wood. The drawers were pulled out, gaping like open mouths.

My heart gave a strange, erratic thump.

She had actually done it.

I walked to the nightstand.

There was a large envelope.

I opened it.

The divorce decree. Signed. Notarized. Final.

Underneath it was a photo.

It was a Polaroid. Me and her, years ago. I was on the phone, turning away from her, my attention elsewhere. She was looking at my back.

She had written on the back of it.

*Year 4. He still doesn't see me.*

I stared at the handwriting. It was neat, precise. Surgeon's handwriting.

The air left my lungs in a rush.

"Dante?"

I turned.

Sofia was standing in the doorway. She was wearing a silk robe, the fabric shimmering under the hallway lights. She held a glass of champagne.

"Where is the maid?" she asked, her voice light and unbothered. "I need someone to steam my dress for tomorrow."

"The maid?" I repeated, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears.

"Elena," she said. "Where is she?"

Something inside me snapped.

It was a violent, audible crack in my chest, severing whatever blind loyalty I had been holding onto.

I looked at Sofia.

I mean, I really looked at her.

I saw the entitlement in her eyes. The selfishness.

She wasn't fragile. She was a parasite.

"Get out," I said.

Sofia blinked, her smile faltering. "What?"

"Get out of my house," I said. My voice was a low growl, vibrating with suppressed rage.

"Dante, you're joking. It's late."

I walked toward her.

She took a step back, fear flickering in her eyes for the first time.

"You stole the medal, didn't you?" I asked.

"What? No! Elena took it!"

"I found it in your purse, Sofia," I lied. I hadn't checked, but I knew. Suddenly, with a clarity that cut like glass, I just knew.

Her face crumbled.

"I... I just wanted you to see how petty she was! She hates us, Dante!"

"Get out!" I roared.

I grabbed her arm. I didn't care about her nerve damage. I dragged her to the stairs.

"Dante, please!"

I marched her to the front door. I opened it. I shoved her out into the night.

"Call a cab," I said. "And never come back."

I slammed the door.

I locked it.

I leaned my forehead against the wood, breathing hard.

I turned around.

The house was massive. It was a fortress.

And it was completely, terrifically empty.

I looked at the divorce paper in my hand.

*Elena Vitiello.*

She had taken back her name.

She had taken back her life.

And she had left me with the wreckage.