CHAPTER 5
1808 Words
Dante was in his office going through the files Nora had brought when a knock on the door interrupted him.
Damian stepped into the office casually.
“You said you had a job for me.”
“How are the repairs to Eleanor’s house going?” Dante asked without looking up from the file in his hand.
“It’s done,” Damian replied. “You said none of the properties should be touched, so the house has been completely restored.”
Dante reached for an envelope and handed it to Damian.
Damian opened it and frowned when he saw the pictures of two women inside.
“Who are they, and what exactly am I supposed to do with them?”
“I want them brought here safely,” Dante said coldly. “No one hurts them. You can take Matteo with you.”
“Alright then.” Damian nodded. “I’ll go inform Matteo.”
He immediately left the office.
I sat quietly, completely lost in thought.
“Is something bothering you?” Liliana asked softly, pulling me back to reality.
I sighed heavily.
“I need to find out who killed my father and why. So much is happening at once, Liliana. I can’t even place my finger on anything anymore.” I rubbed my forehead tiredly. “My father died the same day Dante forced me to marry him… and right before he was about to tell me something important.”
Liliana moved closer to me sympathetically.
“I’m really sorry, Eleanor. You’ve gone through so much.” She hesitated for a moment. “Don’t you have any other family members?”
I smiled bitterly.
“I have an uncle, but his family only cares about money and power.”
“Do you think Dante knows something about your father’s death?” she asked carefully. “Have you confronted him about it?”
I slowly shook my head.
“He definitely knows something… but he refuses to tell me anything.” Frustration crept into my voice. “I still don’t even understand why he married me. Since he won’t give me answers, I’ll just have to find them myself.”
Damian and Matteo sat inside a quiet café across from two women.
“There they are,” Damian muttered. “Thank God they’re together.”
He stood and approached them while Matteo followed silently behind him.
The girls looked up as both men sat at the remaining seats at their table.
Damian smiled casually.
“Hi, I’m Damian. Sorry, but you girls need to come with us. It’s important.”
The girls looked at him like he was insane.
“Excuse me?” Anas asked sharply.
Natalia narrowed her eyes.
“Wait… I know you. You’re Damian De Luca, right? Dante De Luca's younger brother.” Her expression hardened instantly. “Why did your brother force our friend into marriage?”
Damian smirked.
“Yes, that’s me. Look, Eleanor is fine, but Dante wants you both brought safely to the mansion.”
Before he could continue, Nat suddenly grabbed him by the collar.
“What did your brother do to Eleanor?” she snapped angrily. “If she’s hurt, I swear your brother is going to regret it. I don’t care who you are.”
Natalia quickly pulled her hand away from Damian’s collar.
“Anas, calm down first,” she said softly. “He said Eleanor is fine. Besides… we don’t exactly have a choice.”
“Exactly,” Matteo finally spoke in his cold tone. “So either you come willingly… or we do this another way.”
Before anyone could respond, the café manager hurried over nervously.
“What seems to be the prob…” His face instantly changed the moment he recognized Damian. “Mr. Damian! It’s an honor to have you here.”
Damian waved him off lazily.
“No need for the formalities. I’m here on business.”
“At least allow me to move you to our best table,” the manager said eagerly.
“No need.” Damian pulled out a thick bundle of cash and handed it to him. “Cover everyone’s bills today.”
The manager’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Thank you, Mr. Damian!”
Natalia looked horrified.
“Wait, you can’t seriously allow them to drag us away!”
The manager laughed nervously.
“You should actually feel honored that Mr. Damian considers you important enough to personally pick up.”
Then he hurried away excitedly.
“Enough talking,” Damian said while standing up. “We’re leaving.”
Matteo immediately lifted Anas over his shoulder, completely ignoring her protests.
“Put me down, you jerk!”
Damian approached Nat intending to do the same thing.
Unfortunately for him…
Natalia’s knee slammed violently into his groin.
“ARRRGH!”
Damian nearly collapsed from pain.
“That,” Nat said coldly, “was for your brother forcefully marrying Eleanor.”
Damian clenched his groin painfully.
“Why am I suffering for my brother’s crimes?” he groaned. “You should’ve saved that kick for him instead.”
Natalia sighed in annoyance.
“Put her down. We’ll go willingly.”
Matteo quietly placed Anastasia back on the floor.
“Good,” he muttered coldly.
Anas folded her arms dramatically.
“You mafia people seriously need therapy.”
Damian groaned behind them.
“Can someone at least pretend to care that I’m dying?”
“No,” Natalia replied flatly.
Matteo walked ahead toward the black car parked outside the café.
The cool evening breeze brushed lightly against Anas’ face as she followed behind him. Unlike Damian, Matteo moved with complete silence, his expression unreadable as always.
When they reached the car, Matteo opened the back door for her without saying a word.
Anas paused before stepping inside.
She looked up at him instinctively.
Matteo was already looking at her.
For a brief second, the noise around them faded away.
His expression remained cold and unreadable, but there was something strangely intense in his gaze.
Not soft.
Not flirtatious.
Just heavy.
Like he was silently trying to figure her out.
Anas felt oddly unsettled by it.
Matteo finally broke the eye contact first and motioned toward the car.
“Get in.”
Anas quickly recovered and entered the car with a scoff.
“Definitely a jerk,” she muttered under her breath.
But strangely enough…
The cold look in his eyes lingered in her mind longer than she expected.
BACK AT THE MANSION
Liliana had been telling me stories about herself, Damian, and even a little about Dante.
Some of them were surprisingly funny.
Honestly, she was the only reason I wasn’t constantly drowning in thoughts about being married to Dante.
“You know,” I smiled softly, “you and Damian remind me a lot of my friend Anastasia She’s loud, friendly, and impossible to get bored around.”
Liliana grinned.
“I’d love to meet her someday.”
I laughed softly.
“My other friend, Natalia is completely different. She’s more like Matteo. Quiet, cold, and intimidating.” I smiled faintly. “But she’s actually a really sweet person once you know her.”
Liliana squeezed my hand gently.
“You’ll see them again…”
Her words were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
Matteo walked in first before stepping aside.
The moment I saw them, my eyes widened instantly.
“Anas… Natalia?”
“Eleanor!” they both shouted before rushing toward me.
They hugged me tightly.
Anas quickly pulled away and examined me carefully.
“Did he hurt you?”
I smiled weakly and hugged her again.
“I’m fine, Anas. I missed you girls so much.”
My voice cracked painfully.
“Dad died right in front of me… and I couldn’t do anything.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
Natalia gently kissed my forehead.
“Everything will be fine, Eleanor. We’re here now.”
“I hate interrupting this emotional reunion,” Damian groaned dramatically while clutching his groin, “but your wild animal of a friend needs to answer to me because I’m not letting this slide.”
I sighed because I already knew who was responsible.
Nat simply rolled her eyes.
Liliana burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! You deserved it!”
She quickly brought out her phone.
“Wait, let me take a picture first.”
“You little traitor!” Damian snapped before chasing after her.
I laughed softly at their childish behavior.
For the first time in days…
Things almost felt normal again.
“Eleanor,” Natalia suddenly said seriously, “your uncle is trying to take over your father’s company and house.”
My expression instantly darkened.
“I won’t let him take anything.”
Matteo cleared his throat quietly.
“You girls should head to the guest house first. You can continue your discussion later.”
I nodded slowly.
They hugged me one more time.
“We’ll see you later, Eleanor,” Natalia said softly.
“Follow me,” Matteo said before leading the way.
As Anas walked past him toward the door, she glanced at him briefly.
Unexpectedly, Matteo looked back too.
Just for a second.
Then he looked away first.
Cold as ever.
Anas frowned slightly.
“Jerk,” she muttered quietly before following behind him.
After they left, my smile slowly faded.
“I need to speak to Dante.”
I entered our room quietly.
Dante was already there.
Dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit, he stood near the mirror adjusting the cuff of his sleeve, his broad back facing me.
Even from behind, his presence felt overwhelming.
Dangerous.
“Thank you for bringing my friends.”
He stopped adjusting his sleeve.
Slowly, he turned to face me.
My breath caught slightly.
Those cold eyes locked onto mine with dangerous intensity.
He began walking toward me slowly.
One step.
Then another.
Until there was barely any distance left between us.
“Eleanor,” he called quietly.
His voice remained calm, but there was something darker beneath it.
His fingers gently gripped my chin, forcing me to look directly at him.
“Are you really thanking me from your heart cupcake?.”
His thumb brushed softly against my lower lip.
“I can do anything cupcake ” He said and placed his hand inside his pocket, then brought out a phone.
I gasped "That was my phone". He handed it to me.
"Stop trying to run away from me"
His jaw tightened slightly.
“You are beginning to forget something important.”
I swallowed hard.
Dante lowered his head closer to mine, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper.
“You are mine.”
The words wrapped around me like invisible chains.
Cold.
Possessive.
Terrifying.
And for some reason…
My heart betrayed me with a violent beat against my chest.
- Writer
