Beautifully dangerous

Beneath The Ice

Ivy's POV

The Moretti estate woke before the sun.

By six o'clock, servants were already polishing marble floors, preparing breakfast, trimming the gardens, and making sure every room looked untouched by human hands.

I had only been there for three days.

Yet somehow, it already felt as though the mansion had swallowed me whole.

Mrs. Eleanor handed me a silver tray.

"Mr. Moretti likes his coffee black."

I nodded.

"No sugar?"

"No sugar."

"Milk?"

She smiled faintly.

"He'd probably fire whoever put milk in his coffee."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll remember that."

Together, we walked through the endless hallways.

The house was strangely peaceful.

No shouting.

No chaos.

Everyone worked quietly.

Not because they hated their jobs….

Because they respected the man who owned the house.

That surprised me.

I had expected fear.

Instead…

I saw loyalty.

As we entered the kitchen, one of the younger maid smiled nervously.

"Good morning, Miss Carter."

"Good morning."

She looked no older than nineteen.

Her name was Lily.

She had been kind to me since my first day.

"I baked fresh bread this morning." She said proudly.

"It smells amazing."

She beamed.

Before I could say anything else….

Crash!

A tray slipped from Lily's hands.

Plates shattered across the marble floor.

The sound echoed through the kitchen.

Everyone froze.

Lily's face turned pale.

"I'm so sorry…."

She swayed.

"Lily?"

Before anyone could catch her….

She collapsed.

"Lily!"

The kitchen erupted into panic.

Someone called for water.

Another servant ran towards the telephone.

Mrs. Eleanor knelt beside the unconscious girl.

"She's burning up."

The doors swung open.

Dante entered.

The entire room instantly fell silent.

He looked from the broken dishes….

To Lily lying on the floor.

"What happened?"

Mrs. Eleanor answered immediately.

"She fainted."

Without another word….

Dante knelt beside her.

I blinked.

I hadn't expected that.

He gently placed two fingers against her wrist before looking toward one of the guards.

"Call Dr. Romano."

"Now."

Within ten minutes, the mansion's private doctor arrived.

Everyone waited anxiously.

The doctors examined Lily before sighing.

"She's exhausted."

"And malnourished."

The room became quiet.

Dante's expression darkened.

"Explain."

The doctor looked uncomfortable.

"She hasn't been eating enough."

Mrs. Eleanor frowned.

"Lily…"

The girl slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

Her voice trembled.

"I've been sending most of my salary home."

My little brother's need food more than I do."

Tears filled my eyes.

The doctor looked at Dante.

"If she keeps this up…."

"Her body will eventually give out."

Silence.

Dante stood.

For a long moment…

He said nothing.

Then—

"Increase every employee's salary."

Everyone looked up.

"I don't want anyone under this roof choosing between feeding themselves and feeding their families."

Lily burst into tears.

"Take care of yourselves."

"I expect every one of you healthy."

Then he walked away.

Just like that.

The room remained silent long after he had gone.

I stared at the doorway.

Confused.

That wasn't the man I'd met in the hotel.

That wasn't the man who had stood over a dead body without blinking.

Mrs. Eleanor noticed my expression.

"He isn't cruel."

I looked at her.

"He can be ruthless."

She nodded.

"Oh, he is."

"But only to people who deserve it."

I didn't know what to say.

That evening….

Sleep refused to come.

The events of the day replayed over and over in my mind.

Finally, I climbed out of the bed.

Maybe a glass of water would help.

The mansion was almost completely dark.

Only a few wall lamps lit the long corridors.

As I walked downstairs…

A soft melody reached my ears.

Piano.

Beautiful.

Gentle.

Heartbreak poured into every note.

Curious, I followed the sound.

It led me to a room I'd never noticed before.

The door was slightly open.

I peeked inside.

My breath caught.

Dante sat alone at a grand piano.

No bodyguards.

No expensive suit jacket.

No terrifying mafia boss.

Just…

A man.

His eyes closed as his fingers moved effortlessly across the keys.

The music was haunting.

It sounded like loss.

Like loneliness.

Like someone trying to remember happiness.

I had never imagined someone capable of taking a life could create something so beautiful.

Without realizing it…

I stopped forward.

The wooden floor creaked beneath my foot.

The music stopped instantly.

Dante opened my eyes.

Those icy ivory eyes found mine.

For a long second…

Neither of us spoke.

" I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You weren't."

His voice was quieter than usual.

"I couldn't sleep."

He looked back at the piano.

"Neither could I."

I glanced at the instrument.

"I didn't know you played."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

The room fell silent again.

I found myself studying him.

Without the expensive jacket…

Without the guards….

Without the cold expression….

He looked…

Human.

He stood slowly.

"I should get back to bed."

As he walked past me, I spoke before thinking

"It was beautiful."

He stopped.

For the briefest second….

Something softened in his eyes.

"Thank you."

Then he continued walking.

Leaving me standing alone in the music room.

I stared at the empty piano.

The man everyone feared had just thanked me.

Not because he had to.

Because he meant it.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

Dante Moretti wasn't simply the monster I'd convinced myself he was.

Maybe he was a man carrying wounds no one else could see.

And somehow…

That frightened me even more.

Because monsters were easy to hate.

But a broken man?

A broken man was so much harder to stop caring about.