Chapter 4 – The Flashback
254 Words
Six Years Earlier
Milan
The ballroom was a sea of glittering faces, masked and hidden. Elena felt out of place among them, but that’s why she was there. A journalist, undercover, looking for the truth behind the wealth of Europe’s elite.
And then he entered.
Dante Moreau.
His presence was enough to command the entire room. Tall, dark, dangerous — the kind of man whose eyes seemed to pierce through every mask in the room, seeing more than anyone would ever let on. But when their eyes met, something shifted inside her. It wasn’t just his power. It was him.
Later that night, she found herself in the garden. Alone, scribbling in her notebook. She hadn’t expected him to find her. But of course, he did.
“You’re looking for secrets,” he said, his voice smooth, like silk wrapping around her. “But you won’t find them out here.”
Her pulse quickened, but she didn’t back down. “I’m looking for the truth.”
“And what if you find it?” he asked, taking a step closer. “What will you do then?”
She didn’t answer. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel vulnerable, exposed, like he could see right through her. It was too much.
Without warning, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him. Before she could react, his lips were on hers, urgent and possessive. The kiss wasn’t gentle. It was raw. It was a claim.
And she let him.
- Writer
