Elena Vitiello POV:
The mahogany conference table was covered in thick financial reports.
I sat at the head of the table, my fingers trailing down the columns of numbers. The intense focus I used to reserve for hacking security firewalls was now channeled into legal Wall Street acquisitions. I was building a new empire.
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, catching the deep emerald green of my silk blouse. I felt sharp. I felt in control.
The heavy double doors swung open. The sharp click of heels echoed in the hallway. My secretary stepped inside, leading a man in a pristine navy-blue tailored suit. He wore thin gold-rimmed glasses and carried a sleek leather briefcase.
This was Julian. The most ruthless M&A lawyer in Manhattan. He represented the absolute peak of legitimate power in New York's high society.
Julian placed his briefcase on the table. When his eyes met mine, a flash of undeniable, stunned admiration crossed his face.
I closed the financial folder and stood up. I extended my right hand with easy confidence. "Julian. Punctual as always."
He took my hand. His grip was firm, just the right amount of pressure. "Mrs. Vitiello. Your instincts on the tech merger were terrifyingly accurate. I’m impressed."
We sat down. Julian connected his tablet to the projector, throwing a complex web of shell company cash flows onto the whiteboard.
I leaned forward, my eyes scanning the data. I picked up a red laser pointer and circled two tiny, obscure funds hiding in the Cayman Islands. "There," I said. "Those two accounts are bleeding capital. That’s their vulnerability."
Julian pushed his gold glasses up the bridge of his nose. The polite admiration in his eyes instantly upgraded to the burning heat of finding an intellectual equal.
We stood up together, moving to the whiteboard. We stood shoulder to shoulder, using red markers to slash through the enemy’s corporate structure, plotting a total takeover.
I let out a genuine, relaxed laugh. It was the first time since arriving in New York that I felt the pure, intoxicating rush of career achievement. I wasn't a pawn. I wasn't a mafia bride meant to breed and stay silent. I was a player.
Then, the air pressure in the corridor outside plummeted.
Dante appeared behind the glass wall of the conference room. He didn't come alone. Four massive guards in black suits flanked him.
He stopped dead. His eyes locked onto the scene inside. Extreme, primal territorial aggression rolled off him in waves. He couldn't stand another male breathing the same air as his obsession.
Dante’s gaze snapped to Julian. He saw the way the lawyer was looking at me—with open, unfiltered admiration.
Dante’s long fingers curled into fists. The sound of his knuckles cracking echoed even through the thick glass.
Outside, the guards stopped breathing. My secretary shrank behind her desk, trembling.
Dante didn't bother knocking. He raised his heavy leather shoe and kicked the solid mahogany door. It slammed open with the force of a bomb going off, hitting the wall with a deafening crack.
My laughter died. Julian spun around, his body instantly tense.
My smile froze as I met Dante’s eyes. They were pitch black. An absolute abyss of rage.
Dante stalked into the room. His heavy footsteps sank into the cashmere carpet. He completely ignored Julian’s extended hand. He looked right through the lawyer, his icy, lethal glare locking onto me.
The oxygen in the room vanished. Julian swallowed hard, instinctively taking a half-step back as he felt the physical weight of Dante's killing intent.
"Dante," I started, keeping my voice level. "We are just finalizing the M&A—"
Dante didn't say a single word. He closed the distance in a second. His large hand clamped around my wrist. His grip was immovable, possessing terrifying strength, yet he carefully angled his thumb to avoid crushing my bones.
Before Julian could even process what was happening, Dante pulled me hard against his chest.
He dragged me out of the conference room. My stiletto caught on the edge of the carpet, and I stumbled.
Dante didn't let me fall. He simply wrapped his arm under my knees and scooped me up, lifting me into his arms like I weighed nothing.
He carried me down the silent, terrified hallway. He kicked open the door to his private CEO office and carried me into his absolute domain.
"Did you forget who you belong to?"
