THE MAFIA'S OBSESSION

MY WIFE

The Marchetti estate had never been so quiet.

Not after an attack.

Not after betrayal.

Not after nearly losing the only man who could expose Vitale.

The silence wasn't peaceful.

It was waiting.

Every guard had been doubled.

Every entrance was watched.

Every servant had been questioned.

No one was trusted anymore.

Especially not those who had served the family for years.

I stood on the balcony outside my bedroom, the cold evening breeze brushing against my face.

The garden below looked beautiful.

Almost innocent.

It was strange how danger always hid inside beautiful things.

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

I didn't turn around.

"I knew you'd say that."

Dante stepped beside me, his suit jacket hanging loosely over one arm.

"You've started predicting me."

"You've become predictable."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"I never thought anyone would accuse me of that."

I finally looked at him.

"How's Marco?"

His smile disappeared.

"He's alive."

Relief flooded my chest.

"But..."

"He hasn't woken up."

I looked back at the gardens.

"So we're still blind."

"For now."

Silence settled between us.

After a while, Dante spoke again.

"My men found something."

I frowned.

"What?"

"The bullet."

I turned to him.

"They traced it."

"And?"

"It wasn't fired by any family we've ever dealt with."

"What does that mean?"

"It means Vitale has resources far beyond what we imagined."

He hesitated.

"They've been watching us for a long time."

A chill ran through me.

"How long?"

He met my eyes.

"They knew where you would be before we did."

My stomach tightened.

"So there's still a traitor."

"Yes."

"And they're close."

Before either of us could say another word, Lorenzo appeared in the doorway.

"Boss."

"What is it?"

"We caught someone."

Dante's expression hardened.

"Who?"

"A servant."

"He was trying to leave through the east gate."

Minutes later, we entered the estate's security room.

A young servant knelt in the middle of the floor.

His hands were tied.

He couldn't have been older than twenty.

Tears streamed down his face.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Dante stood over him.

"Who sent you?"

"I don't know his name."

"Liar."

"I swear!"

The young man looked at me desperately.

"They only gave me money."

"To do what?" I asked.

"Tell them..."

His voice shook.

"...where Mrs. Marchetti was sleeping."

The room fell silent.

My blood turned to ice.

Dante's jaw tightened.

"So the attack..."

The servant nodded.

"They knew which room she was in."

I remembered that first night.

The key.

The door slowly opening.

Someone hadn't been looking for Dante.

They'd been looking for me.

"I didn't know they wanted to kill her," the servant sobbed.

"They said they only wanted information."

Dante crouched in front of him.

His voice remained terrifyingly calm.

"Who paid you?"

The servant whispered a name.

"Mr. Bellini."

I frowned.

"I've never heard of him."

"You wouldn't have."

Dante stood.

"Bellini owns three hotels."

"And launders money for anyone willing to pay."

"Vitale?"

He nodded.

"Most likely."

Lorenzo stepped forward.

"We can bring him in tonight."

"No."

Dante's answer was immediate.

"We're being watched."

"If Bellini disappears..."

"They'll know we're getting close."

"So what do we do?"

Dante looked at me.

"We use them."

"The servant?"

He nodded.

"They think he's still loyal."

A slow smile spread across my face.

"So..."

"We feed them false information."

His eyes gleamed with approval.

"Exactly."

For the first time since we'd met...

We were thinking the same way.

Without speaking.

Without planning.

Lorenzo looked between us and smiled.

"You're becoming dangerous together."

Dante glanced at me.

"No."

His voice was low.

"We always were."

Later that night, I found Dante alone in the library.

He was staring into the fireplace, lost in thought.

"You've been carrying everyone."

He looked up.

"I have to."

"You don't."

"I do."

I walked closer.

"Who's carrying you?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he looked at me with an expression I'd never seen before.

Not guarded.

Not unreadable.

Just... tired.

"I almost lost you."

The confession was so quiet I almost missed it.

"You didn't."

"I know."

He smiled sadly.

"But I realized something."

"What?"

He stepped closer until only inches separated us.

"If I'd lost you..."

His voice broke.

"...I wouldn't have survived it."

My heart pounded.

I should have looked away.

Instead...

I reached up and gently touched his face.

"You won't lose me."

His eyes searched mine.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Slowly...

He covered my hand with his.

Neither of us moved.

Neither of us spoke.

Then, so gently it barely happened at all...

Dante rested his forehead against mine.

"I've wanted to do that since the day I married you," he whispered.

Before I could answer—

A phone rang.

Lorenzo's voice echoed through the hallway.

"Boss!"

Dante pulled away immediately.

"What happened?"

Lorenzo's face was pale.

"Marco's awake."

"And he says..."

He looked directly at me.

"...he knows who ordered Elena's mother's death."