Elena felt as if the world had shifted beneath her feet the moment Dante closed the door behind them. The heavy click echoed through the room like a verdict. She stood in the center of his private study, the one room in the entire mansion she had never been allowed to enter until now. The walls were lined with old books, folders, maps, and things that made her realize Dante’s world was far bigger and far darker than she had ever imagined.
Dante walked past her without saying a word. His shoulders were rigid, the muscles in his back tense beneath his shirt as though he were holding himself together by force. When he finally turned to her, there was a war in his eyes. Hurt. Rage. Fear. And love. Always love, shining through even when he didn’t want it to.
“Elena,” he said slowly, voice tig
