father's words kept ringing in her hea

hest felt heavy, but the house was quiet. She want to be able to accept that everythi

without waiting. Her hair was messed

handle it." Sofia whispe

er have listened to you. He would h

ofia tried to remain firm by crossing her arms,

ooked away, blinking furiously. "But

I wish you had thought

ella shoved the chilled tea out of her way and mass

ark, servants already in bed for the night. She went o

Resting against the wall, she expelled a puff of smoke. Her pocket started to vibra

ng dark clothes were next to a b

id. His voice was rough. "You

. "My father is in

rd her. She stepped bac

f her arm. "Don't fight. A

gling. She picked at his hand, but he did not recoil.

er. But from her cigarettes there still bobbed a couple of b

head on the door frame and felt woozy. "S

voice broke

her

Moretti, just two feet away. His jaw was firm, his eyes har

business, said the talle

ghtened. "I sa

sabella laughed.

a dreadful twist. There was a snap and the man was on the floo

he wall and trembled. Dante was quick, deflecting the punch while ramming his elbow int

. Isabella brought a hand up to her lip, a sickening feeling swirling in her stomach

rist. Dante kicked him fiercely in the ribs, and he fell

lla belongs to me, ' Dante

Dante squeezed him tigh

hands shaking. She looked at the bodies and then

slowly. "Ar

wildly. "No. I."

no longer felt her legs. He was suffocating,

the eye. Despite being hot with blood, his hand was wa

'd–" Her voice wavered, an

m, his arm tight about her. She stiffen

said. His breath touch

d. "I didn't

sk," he cut her off.

him, but the words eluded her. His grip on her, his tone, the blood on

ined on her. "Go inside. Do not

lked towards the door, her steps unsteady. Whe

s if nothing had happened, th

truth as her heart pounded-she wasn't trapped by he