2. Chapter Two Dante
Chapter Two: Dante
S he was pregnant.
She was going to have a baby.
We were going to have a baby.
I stepped out of the bedroom, the door clicking shut behind me with a softness that mocked the chaos in my head. This penthouse, high above the city I ruled with an iron fist, had become a gilded cage–not for me, but for her. Jade. The woman who stormed into my life like a hurricane, tearing down walls I didn’t even know I had.
With every step across the cool marble floor, the weight of my choices anchored me to a reality I was beginning to question. Power, control, it all blurred into insignificance against the backdrop of what I felt for her. My city sprawled outside the panoramic windows, lights twinkling in the early morning haze, but it may as well have been another world.
I paused by the grand window, taking in the concrete jungle that bowed to the Moretti name. Somewhere down there, Caruso’s men were stirring, restless serpents ready to strike at their master’s bidding. I needed them to turn on Lorenzo, to see him for the snake he was, but damn it if patience wasn’t a virtue I struggled with.
I hated the waiting, the not knowing, but I’d learned long ago that the most brutal wars were often silent and unseen.
Caruso had to fall. For the family. For Jade. For the future I hadn’t allowed myself to dream of until now.
The soft sounds of Jade moving in the bedroom reached my ears, a contrast to the silence that hung over the rest of the penthouse. I felt my stomach twist, the contents threatening to rebel as I leaned against the cool windowpane. The city, with all its menace and grandeur, had nothing on the feeling that surged through me at the thought of her in the next room.
It wasn’t about owning her; hell, no one could own a spirit like Jade’s. It was the terror that clawed at my insides—the visceral need to shield her from the predators circling our world. The life growing inside her made it all too real. My hand instinctively clenched into a fist. I’d die before letting anything touch them.
I pushed off the glass and strode across the living room, my feet warm against the cold tile. My fingers traced the contours of the leather sofa as I passed, seeking some small comfort in its familiarity. This place was supposed to be a sanctuary. For Jade, though, it was a luxurious prison.
I couldn’t blame her for that.
Imagining her wandering these halls, a ghost lost among treasures she never asked for, twisted something deep within me. Her laugh used to echo off these walls, full of life and curiosity. Now, I imagined it would sound hollow, a reminder of the freedom she traded in unwittingly when our lives collided.
“Damn it,” I cursed under my breath, the words barely audible. She should be out there, in her lab coat, eyes alight with discovery, not trapped here in my world of shadows and blood debts. But I couldn’t risk it, couldn’t expose her to the filth and betrayal that lurked beyond these marble floors. Not now. Not with Caruso’s ambition casting a long, dark shadow over everything we held dear.
Jade was the light in my darkness, an unexpected beacon that showed me a path I never thought possible. And I, Dante Moretti, would move mountains to keep that light burning. With each step I took, the resolve hardened in me. For her, for our child, I’d wage wars and broker peace. I’d become the monster everyone expected, or the savior they never saw coming.
But what I became didn’t matter.
She deserved the world, and I’d give it to her, no matter the cost.
For now, maybe there was something I could give her.
“Integrate,” I whispered to myself, the idea solidifying like concrete in my mind. “Her work, her passion... here.” I could already picture it: Jade, surrounded by cutting-edge biotech, her eyes alight with discovery, yet all within the confines of my world. It was perfect—she would never need to leave.
The BioHQ deal had been lingering on the horizon for months—paperwork, negotiations, endless meetings with suits and ties. But now, it was more than an acquisition; it was the key to keeping Jade close. With a piece of BioHQ under my control, I could weave her destiny into the fabric of my empire without her feeling the noose tighten around her neck. I already had enough legitimacy with the Moretti labs popping up everywhere.
“Marco will know how to handle this,” I thought, confidence surging through me. He was good with numbers and even better with legal intricacies. Together, we’d make this happen. Sure, he was a bit of an impulsive idiot who liked dealing with things…hands-on, but he was the perfect person to bounce ideas off.
We would make this happen. He would want to, too.
For Jade. For his niece or nephew. For the future that I dared to envision—one where love wasn’t overshadowed by the darkness of my heritage. I hadn’t told Marco about her pregnancy yet, but he would find out sooner or later.
Determined, I grabbed my phone, ready to set things in motion. Jade’s future—and mine—depended on the moves I was about to make.
But before I could call him, he was already calling me.
The sharp ring had sliced through the thick silence of the early morning hours like a knife.
“Talk to me,” I answered, my voice a low rumble echoing in the vastness of the penthouse.
“Dante, it’s urgent,” Marco’s tone was clipped, every word laced with a tension that immediately put me on edge. “We need to meet—now.”
The very thought of stepping out and leaving Jade unprotected coiled a knot of fear and possessiveness in my gut, a visceral reaction I couldn’t control. “No, you come here,” I growled into the phone, unwilling to entertain any argument.
There was a pause, a quiet understanding passing between us. “Alright, give me fifteen.”
“Make it ten,” I countered before hanging up.
In the minutes that followed, I dressed quickly, slipping into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. My movements were mechanical, driven by a need for preparedness as I mentally braced for whatever Marco was about to unload on me.
When he arrived, the door to the penthouse swung open with urgency, his frame filling the doorway. We didn’t waste time on greetings. Whatever Marco had on his mind, it was urgent.
“Lorenzo Caruso,” Marco began, his face half-hidden in the dim light filtering through the partially drawn blinds, “he’s making moves—violent, ambitious. His eyes are set on expansion, and he’s not being subtle.”
“Caruso,” I spat the name like venom. His reputation preceded him, his ambition for power a constant shadow looming over our family.
“His latest schemes...” Marco hesitated, his jaw tightening. “He’s been watching me, Dante. But more worrying—he might be keeping tabs on Mom.”
Ice coursed through my veins at the mention of our mother. She was off-limits, sacred in the unspoken laws of our twisted world. The idea that Caruso would stoop so low was a testament to his desperation—or madness.
“Marco,” I said, each word deliberate, “we tighten security. No one touches our family. Caruso needs to learn his place, and if he doesn’t...” My fist clenched at my side, the implication clear.
“Understood.” Marco nodded once, resolute. “What’s your plan?”
“First, we protect what’s ours,” I replied, my gaze drifting momentarily to the closed bedroom door where I had locked Jade in. “Then, we remind Caruso why the Morettis have ruled this city for decades.”
“By blood or by bullet,” Marco affirmed, his resolve as unwavering as mine.
“By blood or by bullet,” I echoed.
“Enzo is probably going to lose it when he hears about Caruso’s latest stunt,” I said, my voice edged with a dark prediction.
Marco shook his head, his expression unreadable in the muted morning light. “I don’t think Dad even noticed,” he replied, a hint of disbelief lacing his tone.
I could hardly imagine that—our father, Enzo Moretti, missing a play by Caruso? It didn’t add up. But then, there was a lot on the old man’s plate, and even the sharpest blade dulls with constant use.
“Regardless,” I responded, pushing aside thoughts of our father’s potential oversight, “it’s our problem now.” My gaze shifted out the expansive windows overlooking the city. The high-rise felt like a fortress, but every fortress had its weak points. I wouldn’t let Jade become one.
“Security,” I murmured more to myself than to Marco. “We need eyes everywhere, double the patrols, and restrict access. No one gets close without our say-so.”
“Got it,” Marco said, already reaching for his phone, his fingers tapping out orders.
“Marco, this is serious. Jade... she’s carrying my child.” The words felt both powerful and terrifying, confessing a secret that made everything infinitely more perilous.
He paused mid-text, his eyes lifting to meet mine. “Your girlfriend is pregnant?”
I nodded, confirming his question. For a moment, all I saw was shock on his face, then slowly, it turned into a smile. A proper one, not the usual smirk he wore during business meetings and family dinners. “That’s... that’s great, Dante! When did you find out?”
“Last night.” I admitted, my gaze straying to the bedroom door again. “You need to understand, Marco... she can’t become collateral damage. They can’t become collateral damage.”
His eyebrows furrowed at my words. “You think I would let anything happen to them?”
“No,” I shook my head quickly. “I just need to know you understand the stakes. I won’t risk them for anything—anything, Marco.”
He nodded, his expression solemn now. “Understood, Dante.”
“Good,” I said, turning away from him to look out the window. The city was waking up, oblivious of the storm brewing within its walls.
“You need to tell Dad about Jade, sooner rather than later,” Marco suggested from behind me.
I looked back at him over my shoulder. “I’ll handle Dad.”
Marco nodded and turned to leave. But as he reached the door he paused and looked back at me. “Congratulations, man,” he said softly. “Don’t forget to take a second and just…be happy.”
And before I could say anything to that, he was gone.