CHAPTER FIVE: THE COST OF DECEPTION
1043 Words
Dante looked at Haru for a few seconds.
No smile.
No greeting.
Nothing.
"That's him?"
The words were directed at Cassian as if Haru weren't even standing there.
As if he were an item being inspected rather than a person.
Cassian nodded immediately.
"Yes, Boss. That's him."
Dante's silver eyes swept over Haru again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Taking in every detail.
The oversized clothes.
The nervous posture.
The way Haru seemed to shrink under attention.
Then Dante spoke.
"He's smaller than I expected."
The air around them seemed to tighten.
Haru lowered his gaze instantly.
His fingers curled into the fabric of his sleeves.
He didn't know why, but standing before this man felt different.
Worse.
His father's anger had been loud.
Predictable.
This man's silence felt far more dangerous.
Then it happened.
A low growl vibrated through Dante's chest.
Not loud enough for anyone else to hear.
But loud enough for him.
His wolf.
Dante's expression darkened.
Interesting.
His wolf never reacted to strangers.
Never.
Yet the moment he had looked at the omega, the beast inside him had stirred.
Awake.
Alert.
Watching.
Dante didn't like things he couldn't explain.
And right now, Haru Avelin was becoming one of those things.
"Interesting."
The word slipped from his lips.
Then he turned and walked away.
Without another glance.
Without another word.
Leaving everyone behind.
Including the confused omega whose heart was still racing.
The heavy doors of Dante Vercelli's private office slammed shut behind him.
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Outside, several guards immediately straightened.
Inside, silence ruled.
Dante stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the estate.
One hand rested inside his pocket.
The other remained clenched at his side.
Across the room, Adrian leaned casually against a cabinet.
Cassian stood at attention.
Neither dared speak.
Years of experience had taught them something important.
When Dante was quiet, people suffered.
The silence stretched.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
The tension became unbearable.
Then Dante finally spoke.
"Explain."
One word.
Quiet.
Deadly.
Cassian swallowed.
"The agreement stated that Doran Avelin would provide an unmarried omega."
Dante remained silent.
Cassian continued.
"The documents we received listed Haru Avelin's name. We assumed Haru was one of his daughters."
His voice grew more cautious.
"When Doran offered a child, every previous discussion had been about his daughters. We believed he was sending one of them."
The room seemed colder now.
Adrian let out a low whistle.
"That's a creative way to commit suicide."
Cassian didn't laugh.
Neither did Dante.
The Mafia Alpha's gaze shifted toward the courtyard below.
Far beneath the office windows, Haru could be seen walking beside a maid.
Small.
Thin.
Fragile.
The omega looked completely out of place among the luxury of the estate.
Like a frightened rabbit wandering into a den full of wolves.
Not what Dante had expected.
Not what had been promised.
Yet for some reason, he couldn't look away.
Something about the omega bothered him.
The fear in those eyes.
The way he flinched whenever someone moved too quickly.
The way he seemed surprised whenever someone treated him with basic kindness.
Dante had met abused people before.
Men.
Women.
Children.
He knew what fear looked like.
And Haru carried it like a second skin.
His eyes narrowed.
"Was he thinking?"
Nobody answered.
Because they already knew.
Doran Avelin hadn't been thinking.
He had been desperate.
Desperate men often made foolish decisions.
And foolish decisions often had consequences.
A faint chuckle escaped Adrian.
"He must be either brave or stupid."
Dante finally turned around.
The look in his eyes instantly killed the amusement.
"Neither."
His voice was ice.
"Desperate."
Cassian felt a chill run down his spine.
Because whenever Dante understood someone's motive, their fate was usually decided.
The Mafia Alpha slowly removed his cufflinks.
One.
Then the other.
He placed them neatly on the desk.
A simple action.
An ordinary action.
Yet both Adrian and Cassian knew exactly what it meant.
Someone was about to suffer.
Badly.
Dante sat down.
His fingers tapped against the polished wood.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then he looked directly at Cassian.
"Bring me Doran Avelin."
Cassian nodded immediately.
"Alive, Boss?"
The room fell silent.
Dante's expression didn't change.
That somehow made it worse.
"Of course alive."
A slight curve touched his lips.
Not a smile.
Something much darker.
"I want him conscious when he explains why he thought deceiving me was a good idea."
Adrian winced.
"Oh, that's definitely not ending well."
Dante ignored him.
His silver eyes had become colder than winter itself.
"Nobody lies to me."
The words landed like a death sentence.
"Nobody uses my name to solve their problems."
His voice remained calm.
Controlled.
Measured.
Exactly the way it always was before violence followed.
"And nobody treats a Vercelli agreement like a joke."
Silence answered him.
Because there was nothing anyone could say.
Doran Avelin had crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed.
Dante leaned back in his chair.
His gaze settled on the skyline beyond the windows.
Cold.
Patient.
Predatory.
Like a king observing territory that already belonged to him.
"Find him."
Cassian straightened.
"It'll be done."
Dante nodded once.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
"Haru."
The name felt strange on his tongue.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"The omega?"
Dante's fingers stilled.
For the first time since entering the office, uncertainty flashed through his thoughts.
Brief.
Gone almost immediately.
Yet it was there.
His wolf had reacted.
That alone made Haru important.
Whether Dante liked it or not.
"What about him?" Adrian asked.
Dante stared out the window.
"Nothing."
But even he knew that wasn't true.
Far below, Haru disappeared through one of the mansion's hallways.
And for reasons he couldn't explain, Dante found himself watching until he was completely out of sight.
A dangerous feeling settled in his chest.
Not attraction.
Not yet.
Something else.
Something unfamiliar.
Something his wolf seemed to understand far better than he did.
Then Dante gave his final order.
Soft.
Deadly.
Absolute.
"And when you find Doran..."
His silver eyes darkened.
"Make sure he understands exactly how expensive his deception has become."
The room fell silent.
Because everyone present understood one thing.
Doran Avelin's fate had just been sealed.
And when Dante Vercelli decided someone had to pay
The debt was always collected.
- Writer
