The professional liar
627 Words
The silence following Leo’s question was deafening. I could see the gears turning in my brother’s head, his protective instincts warring with his trust in his best friend.
Dante didn't flinch. He let go of Marcus’s collar and straightened his suit jacket with a chillingly calm demeanor. He turned to Leo, his expression shifting from a predator’s rage to the bored, arrogant mask of a man who had seen it all.
"Since I realized your sister is a magnet for idiots, Leo," Dante said, his voice smooth and devoid of the heat I had felt seconds ago.
"Dante, you almost took his head off," Leo said, looking at Marcus, who was scurrying toward his own car. "That’s more than just 'looking out' for her."
Dante let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "The kid was handsy. You’re too busy looking at spreadsheets to notice when a man is disrespecting your family name. I’m not. I don’t like people touching what belongs to a Vane or a Rossi. It’s bad for business."
Leo’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still looked suspicious. "So this was about the merger?"
"It was about the fact that Marcus thinks he can treat Elena like a trophy," Dante replied, finally looking at me. His eyes were cold, like I was nothing more than a chore he was tired of performing. "I’m just doing the job you’re too soft to do, Leo. Next time, keep your sister at home so I don't have to waste my night playing bodyguard."
The words felt like a slap. One moment he was admitting he wanted to ruin me, and the next, he was calling me a "job" and a "waste of time."
"See?" Dante added, gesturing to my tear-filled eyes. "She’s already getting emotional. This is why I stay away from 'good girls.' They’re too much work."
Leo sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. Just... tone it down. I'll handle Marcus tomorrow. Elena, get in the car."
As I climbed into the backseat, I caught Dante’s reflection in the side mirror. His hand was tucked into his pocket, and I could see his thumb digging into his palm—a silent sign of the rage he was still suppressing. Beneath his trousers, the staggering length of his desire remained a hidden, pulsing secret, even as he lied to my brother's face.
He was a master at this. He could look the man he called a brother in the eye and lie without a single tremor in his voice. It made me realize that I didn't just love a playboy; I loved a man who could hide his soul so deeply that even the people closest to him couldn't see the "Beast" inside.
Dante’s Perspective
As the car pulled away, I felt like I was going to vomit.
"Nice save," I whispered to the empty street, my voice cracking.
Every word I had said to Leo was a lie. I didn't care about "family names" or "business." I cared about the way Marcus’s fingers had felt on her skin. I cared about the fact that I wanted to be the only one allowed to touch her, to break her, to love her.
I walked toward my own car, my breath coming in short, jagged bursts. The unyielding thickness of my arousal was a physical punishment for the lies I had just told. I had saved the secret, but at the cost of the look of pure heartbreak Elena had given me.
She thought I hated her. She thought she was a "chore."
"Good," I muttered, slamming my fist against the roof of my car. "Stay away from me, Elena. Because if you find out how much I lied... I won't be able to stop myself from taking everything from you."
- Writer
