CHAPTER 51
DANTE, TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD
The wedding day.
Lana fell asleep in my arms.
Our wedding is at eleven a.m., and it’s five in the morning. There isn’t much time before she wakes and leaves, so I’ll give her a little longer on her own.
I pull away after kissing her temple. She shifts in bed, groaning aloud before hugging a pillow.
Soon, I’ll have this sight every morning.
After dressing, I jog to my car. I made sure to leave a note before I slipped out.
Half an hour later, I’m standing before my father, mom, and nonna’s gravestones. I sit in front of them in silence. I don’t need them to hear me; wherever they are, they must be watching, and I hope I’m doing things right. I hope they’re proud of me.
Today, I’m going to marry the woman I love.
Best of all, she loves me back. Giacomo was wrong—I’m nothing like him.
I won’t marry for convenience, nor sell my wife to pay debts, let alone betray her.
When we have children, I’ll protect them with my life, unlike he did.
I bet he didn’t even flinch when they asked where I was.
I’m not him, and I’m not his son. I’m Dante Cassano, son of Francesco Cassano.
He was more of a father to me than the man who sired me.
I only regret not keeping Aurora’s surname, since she was another of his victims, but everything I am, I owe to Greta and Francesco.
I think of her every day; that’s why I have her tattooed over my heart, next to my nonna.
Soon, I’ll add a little spider beside them—for Lana.
A breeze runs across my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. Sunrays break through the clouds, casting light on the gravestones.
I wish they could answer my thoughts. I want to know if they would like Lana—not because it would change anything, but because I long to feel them again, to look at them one last time, especially my mom and my nonna.
If they were alive, would they think what I’m doing is right? Would they want me to look for a normal job? Would I ever have even considered joining Francesco’s organisation if they’d been here?
If that were the case, I might never have met Lana—and she might never have been with me. Nobody would have rescued her three years ago.
It feels incredibly unfair how much your life can be twisted by others. The same people destroyed both mine and Lana’s lives. The only comfort I have is knowing we found each other, and I hope she feels the same about me.
I rise and jog back to my car. I must prepare for my wedding.
“You look gorgeous, cucciolo,” Mom says as she straightens my tie. “Are you sure I can’t come? I won’t see you for a long time.”
I shake my head. Over my dead body.
“I trust Lana, but not her family. I won’t let you get close to them.”
She huffs and folds her arms.
“What could they do to an old lady like me?”
I wish I didn’t know.
I kiss her forehead and step back, throwing my arms into the air as a sign of victory. “I’m going to get married!”
She laughs from the doorway. “Remember to call me!”
“Can’t promise I will!”
I take one last look at her before climbing into my car, smiling.
This is going to be one of the happiest days of my life—and the rest is still to come.
I park a few feet from the church and run towards the entrance, my heart already thundering with emotion. I’ve never felt as happy as I do now. I eagerly anticipate seeing Lana in her wedding gown, to kiss her, and to hold her in my arms as my wife…
This must be a dream.
I check my watch. I’m still half an hour early. I wanted to arrive before time to make sure we're in no danger.
Even this early, people are already gathered outside the church, clapping and chanting.
I cross to the other side of the road, careful not to get in anyone’s way. I’ll slip inside once the newlyweds have had their moment. I won’t ruin anyone’s happiness. I want to see joy, to breathe it in—
My heart freezes when the crowd parts.
She’s being dragged by a man I don’t recognise.
She looks breathtaking in her wedding dress, a bouquet of white and pink roses clutched in her hands—though I know that’s not what she wanted.
Her eyes dart through the crowd, desperate, but the man shoves her into a waiting car.
He hugs another man before climbing in after her.
My lungs seize.
Alexei Noskov. My father’s murderer.
What is this? What’s happening?
Lana’s eyes catch mine for the briefest second, but she doesn’t see me. She’s too terrified.
Or maybe she’s not even looking for you.
No. Shut up.
This can’t be real. It has to be a trick. A prank. Something.
Move!
I can’t. My legs can’t respond. Why can’t I run?
The man bends down and kisses Lana.
That should be me. That was supposed to be me.
What the hell is going on? Lana can’t be involved in her family’s shady business. She doesn’t look willing to do any of this… does she?
A hand lands on my shoulder. He could kill me right now, and the pain wouldn’t compare to the one tearing through my chest. I can’t move. I’m rooted to the ground, barely breathing.
If he wants to kill me, I’ll let him. My heart already stopped.
“Love makes you weak,” Erik says. “I’m sparing you the failure of your organisation.”
“Love does not—”
“You could kill them all right here, right now.” He draws the gun from my belt with a slow, deliberate pull.
“You could take her, force her to be yours, just because you can…” He presses the barrel into my back.
“You could have it all, Dante.” He laughs and steps around until he’s standing in front of me, extending his arm; the gun is now aimed at himself.
“You could kill me right here, right now, but you love her.”
“She wouldn’t mourn you,” I say through gritted teeth.
“No,” he replies softly, “but if anything happens to me, the chauffeur driving her to their party has direct orders to kill her.”
No.
No. No. No. No.
“You think she’d like to meet your father?” He grins. “What was his name? Francesco?”
I grab the gun, but before I can aim, he seizes my wrists and yanks me closer, his hand fisting the hair at my nape.
I haven’t slept in two days. I’m in no condition to fight.
“Try anything against me or my family, and Lana blows up… capisce?” He laughs and pats my shoulder. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, kid. You’re not fit to lace your father’s boots yet. He would’ve never agreed to something like this.”
They drive away slowly, the guests following behind.
“What did you do?”
“You know, I was willing to give her to you until you beat me up. You think she would’ve married you after seeing what kind of person you are? She’s my daughter. You know the rules.”
“She wouldn’t have—”
“Lied to you? Please. She even manipulated you into taking her home. We thought you’d dump her at the shelter, but I suppose you don’t trust her either. Wise choice.”
He’s lying. She would never—
“What if she was using you?” Giacomo’s voice sneers inside my head. “What if it was all a performance?”
What about her gaze? Her trust? The day I found her on her bathroom floor? Was all that a trick?
No. They always do this. They twist people until they believe their lies.
Alexei fixes his gaze on me, and his smile widens. Son of a bitch—I swear I’ll kill him.
“Give up, Dante. You don’t have a choice.”
He’s lying.
“But what if he’s not?”
Lana would never do that to me.
“She didn’t trust you.”
No.
“She didn’t love you. No one can. I told you.”
No.
“You want me to introduce you to Alexei? He was thrilled to meet Dante Cassano himself.”
I sprint to my car. My blood boils and my vision blurs.
I don’t care where the hell they’re taking her—I need to talk to her. I need her to tell me what the hell is going on. One word, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back. I’ll die if I must, but they cannot take her from me.
“Keep your cool,” Dad’s voice reminds me. “Think straight.”
How am I supposed to think straight when the woman I love has just been handed to her worst nightmare?