Chapter 3:An Impossible Choice
885 Words
The rain had finally stopped.
Morning sunlight spilled across the marble floors of the Romano estate, but it did nothing to ease the tension hanging over the mansion.
Alina stood by the tall window in her room, staring beyond the iron gates that stretched across the sprawling estate. Guards patrolled every entrance. Security cameras followed every movement. Even if she reached the front gate, she wouldn’t make it another ten steps.
She was trapped.
A knock sounded at the door.
Before she could answer, Rosa entered.
“Mr. Romano would like to see you.”
“I don’t want to see him.”
“I’m afraid it isn’t a request.”
Alina sighed and followed Rosa through the mansion. Every hallway displayed priceless paintings and sculptures, yet the beauty of the place only reminded her that luxury could be another kind of cage.
Rosa stopped before a pair of massive oak doors.
“He’s inside.”
Alina squared her shoulders and stepped in.
Dante Romano stood beside a wall of windows overlooking the gardens, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. A cup of untouched espresso rested on his desk.
“You wanted to see me?”
“I did.”
“I’ve already told you I want to leave.”
“I know.”
He turned to face her.
“So I’ve decided to give you a choice.”
Her heart lifted for the first time since arriving.
“A choice?”
“You may leave.”
She blinked.
“Really?”
“On one condition.”
The hope in her eyes faded.
“I knew there would be one.”
Dante folded his hands behind his back.
“The people responsible for last night’s betrayal are still searching for you. They believe you’re the only witness who can identify them.”
“I don’t know any of them.”
“They don’t know that.”
He took a slow step closer.
“If you walk out of these gates today, I can’t guarantee you’ll survive the week.”
Alina swallowed hard.
“And if I stay?”
“You remain under my protection until I eliminate the threat.”
She stared at him.
“You expect me to trust a mafia boss?”
“No.”
“I expect you to make the decision most likely to keep you alive.”
Silence settled between them.
Before Alina could answer, the office doors burst open.
Enzo entered without hesitation.
“Boss.”
His expression was grim.
“We have a problem.”
Dante’s eyes narrowed.
“What happened?”
“One of our warehouses was attacked.”
“Were there casualties?”
Enzo nodded once.
“Three.”
The room grew cold.
“And there’s more.”
He placed a sealed envelope on the desk.
“It was delivered this morning.”
Dante opened it.
Inside was a single playing card.
The King of Spades.
A message was written across the front in black ink.
YOUR QUEEN WILL BE NEXT.
For the first time since Alina had met him, Dante’s expression hardened into open anger.
He crushed the card in his hand.
“Lorenzo.”
Alina frowned.
“Who’s Lorenzo?”
“The only man reckless enough to declare war.”
Dante looked toward Enzo.
“Double the guards.”
“It’s already done.”
“No one enters or leaves this estate without my permission.”
Enzo nodded and disappeared.
Alina’s stomach tightened.
“This is because of me, isn’t it?”
“No.”
Dante looked directly into her eyes.
“This war began long before you entered my life.”
“Then why mention me in the note?”
“He didn’t.”
Dante opened his hand and showed her the crushed card.
“He wants me to believe you’re the target.”
“You think it’s a trick?”
“I know it is.”
His phone vibrated.
He answered immediately.
For several seconds, he listened without speaking.
Then his voice turned dangerously calm.
“Find them.”
He ended the call.
“What now?” Alina asked quietly.
Dante slipped the phone into his pocket.
“Now I discover which of my men betrayed me.”
Before she could ask another question, a loud explosion echoed across the estate.
The windows shook violently.
Alarms screamed through the mansion.
Smoke rose beyond the eastern gardens.
Enzo’s voice thundered from the hallway.
“Protect the boss!”
Dante crossed the room in three long strides and caught Alina’s wrist.
“Stay behind me.”
“I can walk on my own.”
“I’m not asking.”
Another explosion rocked the building.
The lights flickered.
Outside, armed guards rushed toward the front gate as black SUVs crashed through the entrance, sending twisted metal flying into the air.
The Romano estate was under attack.
Dante released Alina only long enough to draw the pistol hidden beneath his jacket.
His expression became ice-cold.
“The war has begun.”
For the first time, Alina understood that the world she had stumbled into was far larger—and far more dangerous—than she had ever imagined.
And standing beside the man known as The Devil, she realized one terrifying truth.
Whether she wanted it or not…
She was now part of his world.
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