Chapter 126: I Will Not Fail My Daughter
Dante’s POV
“An idea?” I leaned back in my chair, trying to look casual even though I was curious about whatever she was about to suggest.
“Instead of having her come here tomorrow,” she said, circling around the desk slowly, “Ariel and I could go to the designer’s store together. We could both choose the dress. Make it a bonding day.”
Before she could get too close, I pulled back. Every protective instinct I had roared awake. My body went rigid.
“No.”
“Dante, listen…”
“I said no, Gianna.”
She did not back down. Of course she did not. Stubborn woman.
“If we are going to get along, we need to spend time together.”
She closed the distance in one determined step, standing between my legs and forcing my eyes up to her. Having her that close did things to me I did not want to deal with. Her scent, the warmth of her skin, the way her dress framed her curves. Every part of me reacted at once, heat shooting through my veins.
“And shopping for dresses sounds like something she would enjoy. She seems like the kind of teenager who would love that. If we make her part of the process, it could help us bond.”
I refused to let the contact sway me. I stood up, breaking the moment, and walked to the window. I stared out at nothing.
Images hit me all at once. Ariel tied to a chair. A gun against her head. The way her voice shook in the ransom recording. Blood on her cheek. The helplessness. The rage.
“It’s not happening.”
“Bruno and your guards could come with us,” she pushed. I felt her behind me. “We’d be protected. You know that.”
She was not making this easy.
She did not understand.
She could not understand what it felt like to get that call. To see your wife and daughter held at gunpoint. To know you were not there. To know you failed them.
I turned around and faced her.
“For one, I don’t trust you.” The words came out harsher than I meant. “What’s stopping you from running
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off the moment any of the guards look away?”
Her eyes flashed with anger. Good. Anger I could handle. Anger kept my emotions at bay.
“I don’t have any reason to run off.”
“Yeah, right.” I moved around the desk, still needing space from her. “You did it before. The one time I traveled, you took your chance and disappeared.”
“First of all,” she stepped closer instead of backing away, “I would never run with Ariel present. I would not do that to her.”
A part in my chest loosened.
“Gianna, even if…”
“And secondly,” she cut me off, “I didn’t have a way out before. That was why I ran. But now you gave me one. Five years of staying married. I give you my father. We have a deal. Why would I run?”
My eyes searched hers and I saw real honesty. She meant every word.
But it wasn’t just about trusting her. It was about the world out there. The enemies who would love to take what was mine. To hurt my daughter again just to get to me.
“No,” I said, but my voice was quieter now.
“Why are you being so stubborn about this?”
I ran a hand through my hair and the words burst out. “Because Ariel was kidnapped years ago.”
Gianna’s face went pale.
I sucked in a deep breath, the pain of it hitting me all over again. “She was just a child, but those bastards didn’t care. She was tied up in a dark room. Tortured. Mind games were played with her. All just to get to me.”
Gianna’s eyes welled up hearing the details. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s alright. I got her back,” I continued, though I evaded other portions of the truth. I couldn’t tell her the full truth, that Esme died that night as well, in my arms. “But since then, I don’t let her out in the open like that. It’s too risky.”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. The rage was still there. Still fresh after all these years. That was why I had to find Lorenzo. And I couldn’t let him live.
“Dante…”
“Nobody knows she’s alive,” I said, my tone hard. “And I want to keep it that way until tomorrow. Until I control the narrative. If someone sees her out there…”
My throat constricted. The thought of losing Ariel again, of someone recognizing her, tracking her, taking
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her, made my blood run cold.
Gianna stepped closer, holding my hands in hers.
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“I’m sorry about everything that happened to Ariel. She didn’t deserve it.” Her voice was soft, full of empathy. “But I also think that incident has deprived her of living her life as a normal teenager. Being locked up while you know your friends are seeing the world, it does things to you. And I would know. I’ve been there. And since it’s been years, maybe…”
“They might not recognize her,” Gianna said softly. “She was younger then. And it’s been years.”
“Might not isn’t good enough.” My voice came out harder than I intended. “I’m not taking that risk with my daughter.”
I’d failed Esme. I wouldn’t fail Ariel.
Gianna reached up, cradling my face in her hands. The gesture calmed my fears in a way I didn’t expect. 1
This is a good chance for us to bond,” she brushed along my stubby beard. “For me to get to know her. For her to feel included. Ariel strikes me as the kind of girl who loves shopping, who would love picking out dresses and feeling like she’s part of something special.”
She wasn’t wrong. Ariel did love that stuff. Before everything happened, Esme used to take her shopping all the time. They would come home with bags and bags of clothes, both of them laughing and talking over each other.
I hadn’t let Ariel do that in years.
“And with your guards being present, I’m sure nothing would happen. Just this once.”
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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.
