# CHAPTER FOUR — DANTE VERCELLI
1147 Words
Haru rushed to get ready the moment he woke.
Cassian was already outside.
Not at the mansion's entrance, but inside the enormous grand hall that stood beyond the main doors.
The hall was breathtaking.
Towering marble pillars stretched toward the high ceiling, while enormous statues lined both sides of the room. Some depicted warriors, others wolves frozen mid-howl.
In the dim lighting, the statues looked almost alive.
And terrifying.
Haru quietly joined the others.
Before he could ask any questions, the distant sound of engines echoed through the estate.
The convoy of black cars rolled to a stop in front of the mansion.
Before the engines had fully died, guards hurried forward, forming two neat lines. One of them rushed to open the rear door.
A polished black shoe touched the ground first.
Then a man stepped out.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in an expensive brown suit that fit him perfectly. His dark hair was neatly styled, and every movement carried effortless authority.
The air seemed to shift the moment he appeared.
His pheromones were strong ,powerful enough to make lesser omegas lower their heads instinctively—yet perfectly controlled, like a predator keeping its claws sheathed.
The guards straightened immediately.
Even the servants nearby became noticeably quieter.
Haru felt his stomach tighten.
He had never seen this man before.
Yet something about him made his heart race.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
It was the unsettling feeling of standing before someone important.
Someone dangerous.
The stranger's sharp eyes swept across the front of the mansion before landing on Haru.
For a brief moment, their gazes met.
Haru froze.
Those eyes held the calm confidence of someone who was used to being obeyed.
The man studied him for a second, one dark eyebrow lifting slightly as though surprised to find an unfamiliar omega standing there.
Then he began walking toward the mansion.
Just then, a familiar figure came rushing down the steps.
Haru recognized her immediately.
Lady Elena.
"Adrian!"
A bright smile lit up her face as she ran straight toward the newly arrived alpha.
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him.
The man caught her effortlessly, one arm wrapping securely around her waist as her feet nearly left the ground.
A smile appeared on his composed face.
"Easy there," he said softly.
"You've been gone for three weeks," Elena complained, refusing to let go. "Do you have any idea how bored I've been?"
"Three weeks?" he chuckled. "Last time I checked, it was twelve days."
"Same thing."
He shook his head with amusement and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"And you're still impossible."
For a moment, they simply stood there smiling at each other, comfortable in a way that spoke of years of familiarity and affection.
Haru stared.
His mind completely froze.
Lady Elena was married.
Everyone knew that.
She was the wife of the feared mafia alpha's brother...
At least, that was what Haru had been told.
Then why...
Why was she embracing his supposed husband like that?
Why did they look so close?
Haru's heart dropped.
Had he misunderstood something?
Or had everyone lied to him?
Confusion swirled inside him as he watched them.
Standing beside him, Cassian noticed the horrified expression on Haru's face and immediately understood.
"You're misunderstanding the situation."
Haru turned toward him.
"What?"
Cassian nodded toward the man Elena was still talking to.
"That isn't your husband."
Haru blinked.
"It isn't?"
"No." Cassian smiled. "That's Adrian Vercelli."
Haru frowned, still confused.
Cassian's expression became knowing.
"He's the boss's elder brother."
Haru's eyes widened.
Elder brother?
Suddenly, everything made sense.
The commanding presence.
The respect.
The authority.
Haru looked back at the man in the brown suit.
So this wasn't the infamous mafia alpha.
This was his brother.
And somehow, that realization did little to calm the nervous pounding of his heart.
Haru was still trying to process everything when Cassian suddenly straightened.
Every guard around the mansion immediately became alert.
The atmosphere changed.
It grew heavier.
Colder.
More dangerous.
Even Adrian's relaxed expression vanished.
Elena stepped back.
The servants lowered their heads.
A strange silence spread through the estate.
Cassian touched the earpiece in his ear.
His voice became sharp.
Respectful.
Almost cautious.
"The Boss is here."
A shiver ran down Haru's spine.
One of the guards swallowed nervously.
Another straightened his uniform.
Then someone whispered a name.
"Dante Vercelli."
The effect was immediate.
Several servants lowered their heads further.
Nobody spoke after that.
Nobody dared.
Cassian stepped forward.
"Open the gate."
The massive iron gates began to move.
A deep metallic groan echoed across the estate.
Haru instinctively looked toward the entrance.
Then he heard it.
The low growl of powerful engines.
One car.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
A convoy of black vehicles entered the estate like a procession of shadows.
The guards lowered their heads.
The servants immediately stepped aside.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
It was as though the entire mansion was holding its breath.
Haru's heart began pounding uncontrollably.
He didn't know why.
He couldn't even see the man yet.
But his omega instincts were screaming at him.
Danger.
The lead vehicle came to a stop in the center of the courtyard.
Silence followed.
An unbearable silence.
Then the rear door opened.
A polished black boot touched the ground.
The temperature seemed to drop.
Slowly, the man stepped out.
Tall.
Taller than Adrian.
Broad shoulders hidden beneath a perfectly tailored black suit.
Dark hair.
Sharp features carved with cold perfection.
His face was expressionless.
His eyes...
His eyes were terrifying.
Calm.
Empty.
Merciless.
The eyes of a man who could destroy an empire and sleep peacefully afterward.
Unlike his brother's controlled warmth, this man's presence was overwhelming.
Dominant.
Ruthless.
Absolute.
His pheromones rolled through the courtyard like an invisible storm.
Perfectly restrained.
Yet powerful enough to make every omega present lower their gaze instinctively.
Even some betas struggled to meet his eyes.
Haru's knees nearly gave out.
His breath caught in his throat.
The alpha hadn't even looked at him.
Not once.
Yet Haru felt completely exposed.
As though every secret he possessed had already been seen.
The man adjusted the cuff of his sleeve and began walking forward.
Each step was calm.
Unhurried.
Certain.
The kind of confidence possessed only by someone who feared absolutely nothing.
Adrian smirked.
Elena rolled her eyes.
The guards stood straighter.
And for the first time since arriving at the mansion, Haru understood why people spoke of Dante Vercelli in whispers.
This wasn't merely a powerful man.
This was the man who ruled the underworld from the shadows.
The man who decided who lived.
Who fell.
Who disappeared.
This was the monster hidden beneath expensive suits and perfect control.
His husband.
The alpha he had been sold to.
Then, at last ,Those cold silver eyes landed on him.
The world stopped.
Haru forgot how to breathe.
- Writer
