Chapter Six
1581 Words
Across the city, Marcus Hale sat in a private lounge he could barely afford. He replayed the gate rejection in his head over and over again…
'Mrs Russo'
The words still burned. Alina had succeeded in making him a fool, a broke one at that. He still didn't understand how she managed to secure the country's most eligible bachelor, a mafia boss, feared by everyone…
He was nursing his wounded pride when a man sat across from him, uninvited.
Marcus' ran his eyes up and down the man who just intruded on his privacy.
He scanned his whole outfit in seconds… that was one thing he was good at; using his eyes to calculate a person's worth before addressing them.
That was the same way he did Alima the first time they met. She looked like money; she had an aura of someone from generational wealth, and he jumped on the ride immediately.
Lucky for him, he was charming enough to make her fall for him and she fell hard but to his greatest disappointment, she was broke.
Well, leave the past behind and focus on the future. He noticed the man across from him was wearing a dark suit that looked expensive, a well-polished gold wristwatch, and eyes that were too observant.
"Youre Marcus Hale", the man said instead of asking, which meant he knew who Marcus was.
"Who's asking?", Marcus demanded, looking around the restaurant to spot any danger if necessary.
"A friend", the mysterious man replied.
Marcus scoffed, "I don't need new friends. And I don't think I know your friends"
"Well, everyone needs a new friend when they've been replaced", the man replied, causing Marcus to stiffen and the man to smile faintly.
"You are involved with Alina Moretti", he continued
"Was", Marcus corrected, although scared
"And now, she's engaged to Dante Russo"
Marcus said nothing, and the man leaned back casually, enjoying the discomfort on Marcus's face.
"That must be frustrating huh?"
Marcus's ego flared.
"What do you want?", he demanded impatiently
"Information", Mr Mysterious replied without hesitating.
"About what?"
"Her"
"Alina? Why"
"Just curiosity", he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I don't sell gossip", Marcus replied and began to push his chair back to stand up and leave.
"It's not gossip", the man's tone sharpened
"What is it then?"
"Patterns, habits, emotional triggers…"
Marcus frowned, "You want me to betray Alina? Are you planning to abduct her? You think I'd betray her?"
The man tilted his head, laughing mockingly, "Oh, but you already did"
His words hit harder than expected and an uncomfortable silence followed. Marcus was not in a hurry to leave anymore.
"Russo has many enemies", the man continued, looking as unbothered as he could.
"And you know this how?", Marcus asked stupidly.
"He's a powerful man. And power attracts competition"
"And?"
"And proximity creates leverage", the mysterious man leaned away from the chair, bracing his elbows on the table so his face was very close to Marcus', making his stomach tighten with discomfort.
"Youre saying she's leverage?", he managed to ask
There was a small pause before he replied, "I'm saying she's visible and you have access to all her past"
Marcus considered that. He didn't like being sidelined and powerless, but he wasn't strong enough to face Dante Russo if things went to s**t.
"What's in it for me?", he asked finally
The man slid a card across the table, "opportunity"
Marcus stared at the card. No company name, no logo, no address... Just a phone number.
"You want me to spy?", he asked, feeling insulted.
"We want you to pay attention, Marcus", he gave his cheek a light slap like he was correcting a child.
Then he stood up and smoothed his suit.
"And always remember who underestimated you" and with those words, he walked away, only turning to give Marcus one last wink and a very evil smile.
Marcus stared at the card long after the mystery man left. Ambition and ego whispered louder than caution but he wasn't one to back down from ego.
——————
Back at the estate, Alina stood alone in the garden. She needed air. Security followed her at a distance. Not close enough to suffocate but close enough to remind her to be careful or whatever.
She stared at the horizon and sighed deeply as she remembered the note in the package, 'even queens bleed'.
She was a little bit scared but she was also aware now. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Dante behind her. He approached quietly.
"You shouldn't be alone"
"Im not", she replied, gesturing towards the uncomfortable number of security men mounted in strategic corners of the garden.
His gaze softened slightly at the sarcasm.
He took her hand and walked to a bench to sit so they could talk.
"I traced the delivery route of the package", he said. "It was rerouted twice. That's a clean, almost professional job"
"Meaning?"
"It was not from Marcus. He's not that smart"
She hadn't truly believed it was from him anyway.
"Then who sent it?"
"A rival who wants a reaction"
"And did they get one?"
His eyes met hers. He leaned back and stretched his hand to pluck a tiny lily and stuck it in her hair.
"Yes", he replied, his hand still hovering around her hair, smoothing curls that weren't scattered. He was absentmindedly doing so.
He took a deep breath in. Her scent was relaxing. She smelled like lavender and chamomile... He loved it.
He opened his eyes immediately the word popped into his thoughts, withdrew his hand as fast as it got there.
She stared at his hands as he put them in his pockets, almost feeling disappointed.
"You think tightening your cage makes me safer?"
"No, but it makes you less accessible"
"Which makes me resentful", she fired
"You think resentment concerns me?", he asked mockingly.
"No, I don't. But my resentment will concern you. And losing control concerns you too", she was smiling now.
Her words had struck precisely where she wanted and they both stood up. He walked to stand in front of her, coming very close.
"I will not apologise for protecting you"
"I didn't ask you to"
"Your safety is not negotiable, Alina"
"But my independence is"
He studied her face carefully. She was scared but wasn't panicking. She wasn't weak but she was furious… furious and alive, that's better.
"I don't know how to protect something without being controlling", he finally said quietly, almost to himself.
Her anger softened slightly when she heard that.
"Maybe start by trusting one", she lifted her hand to touch his face.
It was the first time she was feeling his skin under her palm. It was so warm and soft, nothing like the hard features he exuded.
Their eyes locked and for a moment, the ear quietened.
"Have I met you before?", she whispered.
He was about to reply when Viktor approached swiftly.
"We intercepted a chatter", he said. "Marcus Hale met with someone tied to the Vetrova Syndicate"
Dante's expression hardened instantly.
"Details", he commanded
"Unconfirmed. But the timing aligns"
Alina's breath slowed as her eyes widened.
"He wouldn't", she put her hand on her lips to stifle her anger.
Dante looked at her, "he would"
Silence fell. Not an emotional one, not an uncomfortable one. This silence was strategic, each man to his thought but each thought was aligned.
If Marcus had allowed himself to be pulled into a rival web, then he wasn't just jealous. He was now dangerous.
Dante turned to Viktor, "Escalate surveillance, no confrontation yet"
"And her?", Viktor asked
Dante finally looked at Alina.
"I'll handle her", he said to Viktor and turning to Alina, "Inside".
She didn't argue this time. Not because she was too afraid but because she now understood… and also because of the little moment they had before Viktor interrupted.
This wasn't about jealousy. This was about war and positioning, and Marcus had just stepped onto a board he didn't understand.
——————
That night, Alina lay awake. Her phone buzzed again and again. It was an unknown number. She didn't answer.
A message appeared after several attempts.
'You should have chosen better'
Her fingers tightened.
Another message followed.
'He can't protect you from everything'
Well, that wasn't so wrong but she knew Dante would never let anything happen to her, and because of that, she didn't tell Dante about the message immediately. Not because she didn't trust him but she was just too inquisitive to see how far this would go and deep down, wanted to prove to him that she could take care of herself.
And that decision would have consequences, severe consequences.
Across the hall, Dante stood at his window overlooking the city.
He didn't fear his enemies, he feared miscalculation. And Marcus Hale was becoming one.
He was not powerful but he was predictable and predictable men could be manipulated very easily. With that thought, he picked up his phone and dialled a number.
"Prepare contingency plans", he said quietly
"For Hale?"
"Yes"
"And if she objects?"
His voice dropped to something colder than ice, "she won't know"
Because love— or whatever this was becoming— made men dangerous. And Dante had just realised something he refused to name: Alina Moretti was no longer a leverage. She was fast becoming his weakness. And in his world, weaknesses were unacceptable.
- Writer
