Chapter 4

Giada POV

The heavy oak door clicked shut, sealing Dr. Weaver and the guards outside. The sharp scent of clinical antiseptic lingered in the air, but it was quickly swallowed by the intoxicating, dangerous aroma of Dante's bespoke cologne and the faint metallic tang of my own blood.

I was kneeling on the edge of the massive black leather bed, my back tightly bound in fresh white bandages. Dante stood over me, a towering shadow blocking the dim light of the brass bedside lamp. The silence in the penthouse was absolute, heavy with the weight of his authority.

"Katheryn," his voice was a lethal, low rumble that vibrated in my chest. "Say the word, and I will issue the Don's Command. She will be a corpse before dawn."

I knew this test. In our world, blood demanded blood. But Dante Blackwell despised greedy, manipulative women who used his power to settle their petty jealousies. I forced a wince, letting my silk robe slip slightly off my shoulder to expose the edge of the bandage.

"No," I whispered, lowering my lashes to hide the calculation in my eyes. "It was my fault. I am just a Collateral. I didn't know the rules. She... she just loves you too much. She was terrified of losing your gaze. If I were in her place, I would be just as terrified."

The suffocating silence returned. Then, his large, calloused hand snapped out. His fingers gripped my jaw with bruising force, tilting my head up. His dark eyes searched mine, cold and probing, looking for the lie.

"You don't want vengeance," he murmured, his thumb tracing my jawline like a predator studying its prey. "In our world, that makes you either a rat, or a woman whose heart already belongs to someone else outside these walls. Which is it?"

I let a single, perfect tear spill over his thumb. "The latter," I choked out.

The air in the room plummeted to freezing. Murderous intent flared in his pitch-black eyes. He released me abruptly, turning his broad back toward the door to summon a Soldier to drag me away.

Ignoring the agonizing tear in my back, I lunged forward.

I grabbed the lapels of his custom suit, my fingers twisting desperately into the expensive fabric. "It belongs to you!" I cried, my voice trembling with practiced desperation. "I let my father sell me into this hell just for the chance to look at you, Dante."

He froze. The pure, unadulterated obsession in my words struck the beast inside him. With a sudden, violent motion, he spun around, grabbing my waist and pinning me back against the mattress. His weight pressed into me, his breath hot against my lips. The Dark Don's eyes were completely consumed by a violent, possessive hunger.

Just as his mouth descended to claim mine, I turned my head.

His lips grazed my cheek, sending a genuine shiver down my spine. I pressed my hands flat against his chest, feeling the frantic, heavy thud of his heart.

"I can't," I breathed, my voice breaking flawlessly. "Katheryn's brother is your Capo. I won't let my selfish heart fracture your family. Your empire is more important than my feelings."

Dante went entirely rigid. The words *Capo* and *empire* acted like ice water on his boiling blood. The war between his primal lust and his duty as the Don raged violently in his eyes. He stared at me, his chest heaving against my palms, before he violently pushed off the bed.

"Bury those words, Giada," he commanded, his voice harsh, ragged, and full of warning. "Pretend tonight never happened."

He turned and strode out of the room, the heavy doors slamming shut behind him. Alone in the dim light, I sat up slowly. I wiped the remaining tear from my cheek, letting the terrified mask melt away as a slow, cold smile curved my lips.