4 Arianna’s POV. The door slammed behind me like a gunshot. I didn’t flinch. I was too busy breathing like a caged animal, pacing the perimeter of the gilded prison he called a “room.” Velvet drapes, antique mirrors, gold-leaf trim—it was opulence dripping in control. The windows were locked. The door even more so. Dante had made sure of that. Because I ran. And he caught me. “You think you can run from me, Arianna?” His voice came from behind the door. It was calm and cold all at once. I lunged for it, fists pounding. “You said I could leave when I wanted!” “No. If I did you’d walk through the front door, bot try to run away. I said you wouldn’t want to leave.” My scream echoed off the walls. “You’re insane. You think this is love? You think I’ll ever want you after this?” The

