Chapter 64: Finding Out His Secret
Gianna’s POV
The sun felt like freedom.
It had been so long since I’d felt its warmth on my skin, real warmth, not the dim light that slipped through my bedroom curtains. The air smelled like jasmine and roses, not the heavy, suffocating scent of Dante’s estate.
God, I’d missed this.
It had taken every ounce of charm, wit, and shameless teasing……teasing I was sure would earn me a punishment later, judging by the rage in Dante’s eyes…….to convince him to let me come out here. A miracle, really. But I wasn’t about to waste it. This wasn’t just a picnic, it was part of a plan. Every corner of this estate was a piece of the puzzle I needed to map out if I ever wanted to escape.
We followed the stone path until the garden opened up. Roses were in full bloom, and a big fountain stood in the center, its water glistening and making everything look even more beautiful.
Bruno grinned, then gave a polite bow. “I’ll give you both privacy.”
Then, under his breath, so low only I heard, “Don’t…….let Dante know.”
I pressed a finger to my lips. “Thanks, Bruno. My lips are sealed.”
Mira’s laughter carried across the garden. “Gianna!” she called, her face glowing as she hurried toward me. Her joy was so unfiltered it made me feel like the worst kind of ar. “Oh my God, look at this! Isn’t it perfect?”
A soft blanket was spread across the grass, baskets filled with fruits and pastries, a bottle of wine chilling in ice…….. it was almost too beautiful.
“Mira……” I blinked. “You actually went all out.”
“Please,” she giggled, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “You think I’d miss the first proper girls‘ picnic in years? Not a chance.”
Her laughter was light, contagious. I smiled back, but my mind was elsewhere. I studied the layout, counting guards near the fence, noting how the path curved into the woods. To anyone else, I looked relaxed. But I was memorizing every detail.
A pang of guilt hit me when I saw how happy Mira looked. She thought this was a sweet afternoon escape. I was using her innocence as cover. But then again, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
“This is incredible,” she sighed. “I honestly thought Don would never let you outside.”
I smiled faintly, “You and me both.”
Mira tilted her head, lowering her voice. “He’s been different lately, you know. Everyone’s noticed.”
I pretended not to care. “Different?”
“Yeah.” She plucked a strawberry from the basket. “Still terrifying, obviously. But……softer, in small ways. Especially when you’re around.”
I gave a short laugh. “Trust me, Dante doesn’t do soft.”
“Well……” Mira teased, eyes glinting. “He does something when it comes to you. You don’t see how he looks at you?”
Heat crept up my neck. “He’s my captor, Mira. That’s not affection, it’s possession.”
1/4
Charter 64 Finding Out His Secret
+25 Bonus
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “But even men like him can feel something. I know it sounds insane, but I think he actually likes you. In his own……. dark, twisted way.”
I let out a dry laugh, staring at the fountain. “Liking someone isn’t the same as locking them behind walls. It’s not using them for revenge just because someone once hurt you”
Mira hesitated, then nodded. “You surely have a point. But…” she leaned closer, her tone dropping. “There’s been talk. People say Don Dante got into a fight with Augusto’s son because of you.”
“Sorry,” she added quickly. “I don’t mean to pry, but…..did something happen? I mean, Dante beating him up like that……”
I forced a light laugh. I couldn’t afford to tell her the truth about what really happened. “It was just a misunderstanding. Niccolò walked into the wrong bathroom, and Dante saw him there and assumed the worst. That’s all.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “That’s all? Gianna, he nearly killed the guy. He could’ve started a war! The Don I know never loses control like that, especially knowing what’s at stake. If you ask me……he’s beginning to develop feelings for you.‘
Her words echoed in my head longer than I wanted them to. Could that be true? Was Dante actually……feeling something other than vengeance?
No. It wasn’t possible. This was all about control, about power. Nothing else.
I shrugged, keeping my tone light. “I don’t think a man like Don Dante even has a heart……let alone feelings. It was never about me, it was about control.”
Mira opened her mouth as if to say more, but I cut her off. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want foolish hope clouding my judgment.
“Enough about me,” I flashed a smile. “Let’s talk about you.”
Her brows knit in confusion until I tilted my chin toward Bruno, who stood a few feet away, arms folded, pretending not to eavesdrop, but his eyes kept flicking in Mira’s direction.
“You haven’t been able to take your eyes off him all afternoon.”
Her face went crimson. “I…..what? No! I was just……it’s weird. He’s just standing there like a statue.”
“Sure,” I teased, leaning closer. “A very good–looking statue, if you ask me.”
Mira groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “Stop it!”
But the truth was written all over her……. the shy glances, the quick smiles, And Bruno, pretending not to notice, was absolutely noticing.
It was cute.
I chuckled softly, letting her think it was harmless banter while studying her reaction. “Tell me something,“I said, lowering my voice. “How do you both manage to keep this……thing between you a secret from everyone else?”
Mira hesitated, her eyes shifting toward Bruno again. “West……make it work,” she said at last. “Late nights, quick getaways, he always finds a way.”
I leaned in, keeping my tone casual. “So you actually meet up outside the estate?”
I smiled gently, reaching out to touch her hand. “You can trust me, Mira. I won’t tell a soul.”
2/4
Chapter 54 Finding Out His Secret
+25 Bonus
She looked at me for a long moment, her guard slipping. Then she sighed and lowered her voice to a whisper. ” There’s……a way out. Not through the main gate. It’s kind of a hidden passage underground. Hardly anyone knows about it, just Don and Bruno. Bruno showed me how to use. I sneak out sometimes when I need to breathe, when my mom’s not watching. He waits a few miles away, and we meet up. Sometimes we go to the city, hotels, dinner, dancing. Not often, but……he knows I need a little bit of life outside all this.”
She squeezed my hand suddenly. “Please promise you won tell anyone. If the Don ever finds out, Bruno could get into trouble. Maybe worse.”
Guilt twisted in my stomach. She trusted me, really trusted me. And here I was, planning to use that trust to run.
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Your secret’s safe with me, Mira. I promise.”
She smiled in relief, exhaling softly.
“How do you two even manage to disappear at the same time?” I asked after a moment, keeping my tone light.
Mira chuckled quietly. “We plan around Don’s family trips. When he leaves to visit them, the guards assume Bruno goes with him. My mom’s usually relaxed then too, because Don isn’t around. Sometimes he’s gone for weeks.”
I froze for half a second. Family trips?
“He…….has a family?” I asked casually, pretending to adjust my hair.
Mira’s eyes widened slightly, like she’d realized she’d said too much. “Oh……um, I didn’t mean……forget I said anything.”
“Why not?” I pushed, feigning innocence but letting just enough hurt creep into my tone. “Why is everything about him such a secret?”
“Because…….” she exhaled, lowering her voice. “We have strict instructions not to discuss any personal details. About anyone. Especially him.”
“From who?”
“From Don Dante himself,” she said, a flash of discomfort crossing her face. “He said no one is to share anything personal with you.”
That sting of reality hit me again. The invisible walls around me weren’t just physical…….they were built into every person here.
I went quiet, pretending to think, then let my voice drop to something smaller, something softer. “Mira……I’m not trying to pry. It’s just……you’re the only friend I have.”
Her eyes lifted, uncertain.
“I mean it,” I whispered. “I’ve always lived this sheltered fe. No siblings. Just my dad……and my aunt Camilla. She’s the one who……” My throat caught, and for a moment the ache was real. “She’s the one who sold me out.”
Mira’s face fell. “Gianna……”
I shook my head slightly, forcing a breath. “One minute, I was his daughter, and the next, I’m watching him get shot and bleed out on the floor. I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. Then I find out he’s not just my father, he’s some mafia leader who betrayed Dante. And now……” I gave a humorless laugh. “Now I’m here. Sold off like property.”
Mira’s eyes glistened. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know……”
“I know,” I cut in softly, brushing away a tear that didn’t need any effort to fall. The pain was still too fresh. “No
3/4
Chapter 54 Finding Out His Secret
+25 Bonus
one talks to me. No one even looks at me. It’s like I’m this…cursed thing he keeps locked away.”
She reached out then, her hand resting over mine. “You’re not cursed, Gianna. People are just afraid. The Don, he has a way of making people careful.”
I squeezed her hand back, letting my voice tremble just enough. “That’s why I just want to understand him a little. If I’m going to live here, if this is my life now, maybe it doesn’t hurt to know the man who owns it.”
Mira sighed. “You’re right. That’s…….fair.”
My heart kicked once. I smiled faintly, leaning in as if we were just two women gossiping. “Start with the family,” I asked softly. “Who are they?”
Comments
Support
Share
4/4
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.
