chapter 4
1558 Words
CHAPTER 4
I was seated on my bed while Liliana gently dabbed ointment on my swollen cheek.
Something about her didn’t sit right , too graceful, too confident.
“You’re not really a helper here, are you?” I asked, studying her closely.
She chuckled. “Fine, you got me. I’m actually Dante and Damian’s cousin. How did you figure it out?”
“You don’t act like a helper,” I said with a small smile. “And I noticed the way you and Damian looked at each other in the garden.”
“Touché,” she said, grinning. “I just wanted to know the kind of person you were. I was shocked when Damian told me Dante was married. I had to make sure you weren’t like Damian’s ex-girlfriends.”
I laughed softly. “Why Damian? Why not Dante?”
“Well, Dante’s never officially dated anyone,” she replied. “He’s always focused on work. He has his flings Though…” She winked. “He’s had his moments.”
I sighed and looked down. “I don’t belong here, Liliana. I already have someone I love. I don’t even understand why Dante forced me to marry him.”
The sadness in my chest deepened as Kade’s face flashed in my mind. “I haven’t even spent twenty-four hours here and it already feels like a nightmare.”
Liliana’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Eleanor. For everything especially what happened in the garden. It’s my fault. I should’ve gone with you.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said quietly. “I didn’t expect anything better from Dante’s men. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know.”
She chuckled. “You really don’t like Dante, do you? I can’t wait to see the love adventure between you two.”
I rolled my eyes. “That will never happen. I hate him this place all of it.”
Her smile faded a little. “You could change him, you know. He’s still human.”
I shook my head. “You’ve been watching too many K-dramas.”
She laughed. “Maybe.”
“All done,” she said, capping the ointment. “I wonder what Dante will do to that guard when he returns.”
“I don’t care,” I muttered. “He doesn’t care that I was hurt only that his ego took a hit because someone dared touch his wife.”
Dante arrived at the mansion with Matteo right behind him. Damian and Lucas stiffened immediately.
“Why are you back early?” Damian asked.
“The moron we were supposed to meet got himself killed,” Matteo said flatly. “By a rival who now wants peace along with the casino deal.”
“Of course,” Damian said dryly. “Why not, today of all days?”
Dante ignored him and handed over a file. “I need to see Eleanor.”
Lucas and Damian froze.
Matteo raised a brow. “Is there a problem?”
Lucas sighed. “Oh, man…”
Eleanor was laughing softly at something Liliana said when the door suddenly opened. Her laughter vanished instantly.
Liliana stood and smiled politely. “I’ll take my leave now.” She bowed to Dante and slipped out.
I stood, trying to walk past him, but his hand caught my shoulder.
“We need to talk, Eleanor.”
“I’m tired, Dante. And I don’t want to talk to you.”
His hand moved from my shoulder to my waist, pulling me closer. “Don’t ever walk out on me again.”
“Or what?” I asked, smirking.
He was about to reply but stopped. His eyes fell on the bruised corner of my lip.
“Who did this to you?” he asked, voice dangerously calm, fingers brushing the bruise.
I shoved him away. “It doesn’t matter. With you in my life, things like this are inevitable.”
His jaw tightened, and without a word, he turned and stormed out.
Moments later, his furious voice echoed through the mansion. He grabbed Damian and Lucas by the collars. “What happened to her? I left her in your care for two hours.”
Liliana stepped forward. “I’m sorry, Dante. I should’ve gone with her. It was my fault.” She explained everything that happened.
“Where is he?” Dante’s voice was low , venomous.
“In the dungeon,” Damian said.
The dungeon stank of blood and fear. The guard was tied to a chair, already beaten and trembling.
“B-Boss,” he stammered. “I swear I didn’t know she was your wife.”
Dante’s face was emotionless. He gripped the man’s hair hard enough to make him cry out.
“Which hand did you touch her with?”
“This one—my right hand!” the guard screamed.
Damian waited outside. He didn’t flinch when the screams began; he knew what they meant.
When Dante finally stepped out, his hands were slick with blood. A guard rushed forward with a towel. Dante wiped them clean and handed it back calmly.
“Did you kill him?” Damian asked.
“He’s alive,” Dante replied coldly. “For now.”
Later that evening, I was chatting with Liliana after dinner when Dante passed us, heading to our room. He didn’t even glance at me.
“Excuse me,” I said to Liliana and followed him.
He was taking off his shirt when I walked in.
“We need to talk,” I said sharply.
“I don’t have time, cupcake. I’ve got work to do.”
The nickname made my skin crawl. “cupcake?” I repeated bitterly. “Why did you even marry me, Dante? Whatever deal you had with my father, I don’t care, nothing will make me submit to you. I love Kade and—”
He yanked me closer, arms tightening around my waist until I could barely breathe. His cold eyes locked onto mine, and every inch of my body went still.
“If you ever mention his name again,” he said through gritted teeth, “that’ll be the last time you ever hear of his existence.”
I froze. His tone was a promise, not a threat. Slowly, I nodded.
He released me and disappeared into the bathroom.
I sank onto the bed, trembling. My life was falling apart. I still didn’t know who killed my father — or why.
Later, I joined Liliana in the sitting room. She looked up from her magazine and smiled softly.
“Did you and Dante fight again?” she asked casually.
I blinked. “How did you know?”
She chuckled. “I just know.”
We both laughed lightly, but the air shifted when the door opened.
A tall woman in a body hugging blue dress, highligthing every corner of her body, stepped in. sharp eyes, confident stride. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor.
“Good afternoon, Liliana,” she said smoothly.
“Nora…” Liliana’s smile faltered slightly.
“I’m Nora, Head of Internal Affairs at Luciano Enterprises,” the woman said, turning her gaze to me. “You must be Mrs De Luca. Dante asked me to bring some files for him to sign.”
“You’re here,” came a familiar deep voice from behind her.
Dante stood near the doorway, sleeves rolled up, command in every step.
“Leave the files on the table, Nora,” he said.
“Okay.” She placed the files down, stepping a little too close. Her perfume lingered as her eyes lingered longer on him than necessary.
“Should I go over the contract with you now?” she asked softly.
“No,” Dante replied, already looking away. “Later.”
“But it’s the Valencia deal……t’s confidential,” she pressed.
“I said later.”
The tension in the room was thick.
Nora turned to me, smiling faintly. “Of course. I understand the Boss must be… occupied.”
I smirked. “Yes. With his wife. You might want to remember that before barging in next time.”
The air froze. Even Liliana’s eyes widened.
Dante’s gaze shifted to me — unreadable, heavy. Nora’s smile faltered, though she quickly recovered.
“My apologies, Mrs. De luca ” she said smoothly. “Oh before I forget, I have fixed the business date we have with the Smith's…. Dante. ” She called his name with a smirk, looking at me.
Of course she can call him name, they are still friends after all.
She bowed to Dante and left, her pride still intact.
As the door closed, Liliana exhaled. “Well,” she whispered, “that was entertaining.”
Dante shot her a warning look, and she instantly went quiet.
Then his gaze landed back on me. “What was that about?”
“Just showing her that we’re a lovely couple,” I said, arms folded. “And maybe reminding her she’s not the only woman in your life.”
He stared at me for a moment before saying, “Stay out of my business, Cupcake, ” and walked away.
Liliana snorted softly. “For someone who’s not jealous, you handled that perfectly.”
I smirked. “This is just the beginning, Liliana.”
- Writer
