hapter 75
Chapter 75:
Tonight Had To Be The Night
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Gianna’s POV
Tonight had to be the night. If I didn’t do it now, I never would. My chest tightened at the thought of stepping outside those gates with nothing, no money, no plan. I couldn’t even take the phone Dante bought me, it had a tracker. He’d find me by morning.
Deep down, I knew I couldn’t reach my aunt. She was the one who’d sold me to Dante in the first place, and there was nothing stopping her from doing it again. Out there, I was as good as dead. If any of my father’s enemies found me, they’d sell me off for the right price, or worse, drag me back to Dante in chains.
I needed something of value, something I could sell fast.
I frantically pulled open the bedside drawers, one after another, hoping, praying, I’d find something. Jewelry, cash, anything that could help me get out of this house. But every drawer came up empty. Not even a pen. Not even a piece of paper.
The man was too damn organized. Every inch of this room screamed control. I’d been living here long enough to know it wasn’t by accident. Dante didn’t leave room for mistakes….. or for escape.
“Think, Gianna,” I muttered under my breath, running my hands through my hair. “Think.”
I pressed a hand to my forehead, pacing the room. I didn’t have much of a plan. If I somehow managed to get past his estate, just maybe, I could find a ride. Someone kind enough to drop me at the nearest town. There, I could pawn whatever I stole. That was it. That was my entire plan Pathetic, but it was all I had.
I bolted into the closet, searching his side. The air smelled like him, rich cologne and danger. His side was spotless. Rows of designer suits, all color–coordinated, every tie perfectly hung.
“God, you’re obsessive,” I whispered, rifling through the shelves anyway.
Drawer after drawer, ties, cufflinks, expensive cologne, but no wristwatches. No jewelry. Nothing. Dante was too damn smart. He ensured not to leave anything valuable where I could find it.
The diamond necklace he once made me wear at that mafia gathering flashed in my memory. He’d taken it back the next day. Probably hid it somewhere secure, like everything else he owned.
Mira once mentioned he had another room, his main room she’d called it, but it could only be accessed with a code. I wasn’t stupid enough to try. I was sure he’d get some kind of alert if I did. The last thing I wanted was Dante storming in here, catching me mid–theft.
I kept pacing, eyes scanning every inch of the closet. Then looked up.
A small, narrow compartment was built into the top of the shelf, barely visible.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “This could be it.”
I dragged a stool across the floor, trying to keep the noise down. Placing it under the shelf, I climbed on, balancing on my toes. The stool wobbled. I stretched my hand up, fingers scraping against the wood. “Come on…”
With one last reach, the small panel popped open. My breath caught.
Bundles of dollars. Neatly packed.
“Shit,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Oh, God…”
For a second, I couldn’t move. I just stared at them, disbelief and a stupid, sudden giddiness came over me. I reached up and pulled down two stacks, my hands shaking so bad I almost dropped them.
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I didn’t know the exact amount in each, and it didn’t matter. It looked like enough to keep me afloat for some weeks.
My mind raced, scrambling for anyone that could help….. Niccolò.
He’d once promised to help me if I ever needed to escape. I didn’t trust his father, but Niccolò….. he was my only shot. If I could just get to him, find a way to contact him, maybe I stood a chance.
I needed to hide the stacks. Fast.
I shoved the stool back and hurried to my side of the closet, rifling through the clothes Dante had bought for me until I found a pair of my own fitted pants. They’d have to do.
I slid them on quickly, flattening the bundles as best I could and tucking them low into the waistband, pressing them tight against my skin until they felt secure.
Then I reached into Dante’s closet, fingers brushing through rows of perfectly pressed clothes until I found one of his oversized polos. I slipped it on quickly, the fabric cool against my skin before settling warm over me. It hung loose, swallowing any hint of a bulge, draping just enough to hide what I’d tucked beneath.
The fabric hung loose and long, swallowing any trace of the money beneath. His scent clung to me, warm and maddening, a reminder of everything I was trying to run from.
I turned toward the mirror. My reflection stared back, hair a mess, eyes wild, chest rising too fast. This was it.
And then the memory hit me. Right here in this closet. Where Dante kissed me like the rest of the world didn’t exist. Where I almost forgot who he was and who I was supposed to be.
Then his words from this morning came rushing back. “I’m choosing to trust you, Gianna.”
“Fuck.” Why did my chest ache like I was betraying him?
No. I wasn’t. This wasn’t about him. This was about me, about surviving, about getting my life back.
But still, the thought lingered, suffocating. If he caught me… I was damned.
Which was exactly why I wouldn’t be caught.
It was time for the party, or at least that’s what Mira called it. A night of fun, she’d said.
I checked the time on my phone. 9:37. So it had already started.
I tossed the phone back onto the bed and exhaled, smoothing my palms over my dress before heading to the door. When I turned the handle and opened it, I still half–expected to find Alphonso standing there like always, stoic, unmovable, the human version of a security lock. But he wasn’t.
The sight of that empty spot left me both shocked and excited. But I couldn’t let the excitement settle. I had to be
sure.
I shut the door quietly behind me and moved down the hall The mansion felt different tonight, emptier. I glanced around, scanning every corner, but there were truly no guals in sight.
Then Mira’s words from earlier came back to me, wheneve Dante traveled, the men got relaxed. So that meant they were all at the party.
Good. Everything was falling into place.
I made my way down the stairs, keeping my steps light. Halfway down, faint music reached my ears, a mix of
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Chapter 76
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laughter, voices, and Italian songs bleeding through the walls. I followed it.
Light spilled from a half–open door at the end of the hall. I moved closer and pushed it open.
The smell of wine and roasted meat hit first, then the noise, louder now, rough and careless.
The men were gathered around a long table, glasses raised, plates half full, laughter bouncing off the walls. Guards I’d seen a hundred times, always rigid, expressionless, were suddenly loud and relaxed, like the world outside didn’t exist.
Then I spotted Mira near the center of the room, laughing at something one of the men said. When she turned and saw me,
her face lit up.
“Gianna! I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” Mira called out with a grin. “I’m glad you made it.”
I forced a light smile. “Of course. I wasn’t going to miss this for the world. What else would I be doing?”
But the moment I spoke, the room shifted.
Laughter faded. Conversations cut off mid–sentence. A few glasses froze halfway to lips. Every head turned toward
- me.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
