Chapter 2

*Thunk.*

The heavy sound of the lock echoed down the quiet street. I turned around.

Dante stood on the other side of the bulletproof glass door, casually tossing my unmistakable little canvas bag in his hand. A smug smirk crossed his face.

"I told you that you weren't going anywhere, Aria."

My phone was the only thing I had left. I slammed my palm against the cold glass. "Dante! Open this door! You're robbing me!"

"A robbery?" He strolled back to the sofa and sat down, casually crossing his legs. "I'm just teaching my fiancée a little lesson about consequences."

Valentina curled into his side, shooting me a venomous smile. "Just apologize, Aria. Dante is being generous. It’s about to rain, and you don’t even have a ride."

Dante pulled out his phone. He dialed a number, keeping his eyes locked dead on mine.

"Freeze all of Aria Conti's cards. Revoke her hotel access. Put the word out to every car service in the city. Anyone who takes her fare is declaring war on the Moretti family."

He ended the call and tapped his knuckles against the glass.

"Your pride is entirely worthless, Aria. Without me, you have nothing. I'll give you two hours to think it over."

He leaned back into the cushions. "Come begging on your knees, and then we’ll talk."

The sky quickly darkened as the wind whipped down the boulevard. Then the rain came, falling in a cold, relentless downpour.

I stood beneath the narrow awning, shivering violently against the chill.

My phone buzzed in my hand with notification after notification.

Cards frozen. Hotel reservation canceled. Ride-share accounts suspended.

He wasn’t bluffing. He was leveraging his power—the kind forged in dark alleys and whispered threats rather than corporate boardrooms—to completely erase me. He wanted to break me.

I scrolled through my contacts with numb, trembling fingers.

I called my friend, Elena.

"Elena. I’m at the salon on Via Montenapoleone. I really need a ride."

Her voice was thick with tears. "Aria... I can’t. Dante called my father. He said if I helped you, our family’s import business would be at the bottom of the river by dawn. Dad actually locked me in my room. Aria, please, just give in. He’s insane."

My last thread of hope snapped.

Through the rain-streaked glass, I watched Dante pour himself a glass of bourbon. He swirled the amber liquid, observing me as if I were nothing more than a disappointing television show. Valentina was kneeling on the floor now, massaging his feet.

The sight didn’t even hurt anymore. It just clarified everything.

I had spent far too long sifting through garbage. It was finally time to take out the trash.

I shoved my freezing hands deep into my pockets. If no one was coming for me, I would just have to walk.

I stepped off the curb and walked straight into the icy curtain of rain.

*Screech!*

A long, black Mercedes Maybach slid to a sudden halt just inches from me, spraying a wave of filthy street water against my legs.

The rear window lowered. Dante’s head of security, a stone-faced man named Rocco, stepped out of the vehicle holding a large black garment bag.

He didn’t bother offering me the umbrella he carried. Instead, he looked at my drenched form with utter disdain.

Then, without a word, he tossed the bag directly at my feet.