The ballroom went silent. Cassius held the barrel steady against Dante's skin. Dante kept his eyes on me.
"Put the toy away, Falcone. This is a family matter."
Elena rushed forward, tears welling in her eyes. "Dante, no! Please, don't fight! Aria, don't let your jealousy destroy everything."
Elena called it jealousy. My injured knee throbbed under the red velvet.
"Your moment in the spotlight is over, Elena. The performance is done."
I set the head of my cane against her arm and pushed her away from Dante.
I angled the cane between us until only Dante stood in front of me.
"You want me to come home?" I asked.
His jaw tightened. He waited for me to obey.
I reached down and took the hem of my blood-red dress in my hand. A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers as I lifted the
