ELODIE’S POV~
I heard his footsteps behind and turned around, the property deed still clutched in my hand.
"I saw this," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Thank you."
He stopped a few feet away, his tie already loosened, the top button of his shirt undone. For a second, he just looked at , and I couldn’t read a damn thing on his face.
Before he could say whatever dismissive thing was forming on his lips, I pushed forward. "I don’t have the money right now, but I’ll pay you back. Every cent."
The villa was old, sure, but the location was pri. In the heart of the Bellini Pack’s territory, properties like that went for hundreds of millions. Money I didn’t have sitting in my bank account. But I’d find a way. I always did.
Dante’s hand paused on his tie, and one eyebrow lifted, just barely. Like I’d said sothing mildly amusing.
"You want to give money?"
There was sothing almost mocking in his tone, but not quite. More like... curious. Like he couldn’t figure out why I’d bother.
"Yes, I—"
"No need." He pulled the tie free completely and tossed it onto the dresser. "I can afford it."
Just like that.
He set his watch down next to the tie and walked past into the bathroom without another word.
I stood there, staring at the space he’d just vacated, my mouth still half-open with whatever argunt I’d been building.
What the hell was that supposed to an?
I looked down at the deed again, at my na printed in bold letters, and sothing that was sharp and uncomfortable twisted in my chest.
In all the years we’d been married, I’d never asked him for anything. Not money, not favors, not even his ti. I didn’t want to owe him. Didn’t want to give him another reason to resent .
But this?
This was the first thing he’d ever given without being forced. Without Nonna nudging him or obligation hanging over his head.
And I didn’t know what to do with that.
I swallowed hard and slid the deed into the drawer of my vanity, closing it with a soft click.
Maybe it can be a keepsake, I thought bitterly. Sothing to rember this disaster of a marriage by.
---
The next few days blurred together in a haze of etings, deadlines, and too much coffee, trust when I tell you that. Dante and I were both swamped, which ant we barely saw each other. Which was fine. Easier that way.
But it also ant I hadn’t spent nearly enough ti with Liora.
On the fourth day, my phone rang during lunch. Liora’s na lit up the screen, and guilt hit like a punch to the gut.
"Hi, sweetheart."
"Mommy, are you busy?" Her voice was small, and careful. Like she was afraid of the answer.
"Not too bad today. Why, baby?"
"It’s just... you haven’t picked up from school in a while." There was a pause. "I miss you."
My throat tightened. "I miss you too, Lio. How about I pick you up today?"
"Really?" Her voice brightened instantly, and I could practically hear her smile through the phone.
"Really. I’ll be there."
"Okay! Oh, and Mommy?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you make that pasta thing you used to make? With the cheese and the—"
"The one you always burn your tongue on because you can’t wait for it to cool down?"
She giggled. "Yeah, that one."
I smiled despite myself. "Deal. See you soon, baby."
After I hung up, I cleared my schedule and left work early for the first ti in weeks. When I got ho, Liora practically tackled in the hallway, and for a few minutes, the world felt lighter.
We changed into comfortable clothes, and I headed to the kitchen to start cooking. Nonna wandered in at so point, looking pleased as punch to see ho early.
"Elodie sweetheart, you’re cooking! How wonderful." She watched for a mont, then pulled out her phone. "I’m going to call Dante. He should co ho for dinner."
I froze mid-chop. "Nonna, he’s probably busy—"
But she was already dialing, waving off like I was being ridiculous.
I heard her side of the conversation from across the kitchen.
"Dante, co ho for dinner."
A pause.
"I don’t care what you have at the company. Your wife is cooking."
Another pause. Longer this ti.
Nonna’s face pinched. "Fine. *Fine.* But you still need to eat."
She hung up and turned to with a determined look that made my stomach drop.
"Elodie, you’ll take the food to him later."
I blinked. "Nonna, if he’s busy, we shouldn’t—"
"He still has to eat, doesn’t he?"
"Nonna—"
"It’s settled." She turned to Sabina, who was prepping vegetables nearby. "Make a few extra dishes. Elodie will bring them to Dante."
Sabina nodded without question, and I stood there holding a knife, wondering how my life had turned into this.
I didn’t argue. There was no point. Nonna had made up her mind, and short of faking my own death, I wasn’t getting out of this.
But here’s the thing: I had no idea where Dante was.
He’d said he had sothing at the company, but that was vague as hell. He could be at the main office, at a site visit, at a eting halfway across the Pack. And knowing him, he probably had other plans, dinner with investors, drinks with his friends, maybe even... Sienna of course.
I shoved that thought down before it could fully form.
Point was, showing up with food would probably just annoy him. Or worse, embarrass .
Once the food was packed and Nonna was distracted, I slipped upstairs and called him.
He picked up after three rings.
"What?"
Straight to the point. No greeting. Classic Dante.
"Nonna wants to bring you dinner," I said, skipping the pleasantries. "Do you have other plans? If you do, just say so and I’ll tell her."
I was giving him an out. Hoping he’d take it. Hoping he’d say yeah, I’m busy, don’t bother so I could go back downstairs and avoid this entire awkward situation.
There was a pause on the other end.
"Tell Nonna—"
Here it cos.
Before Dante could finish whatever brush-off he was forming, I heard Sienna’s voice in the background.
"Dante, the food’s here."
My entire body went still. The phone felt cold against my ear, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.
"Alright," Dante said, not to . To her.
Then he ca back on the line, his tone unchanged. "I’ve got dinner covered here. Just let Nonna know."
Of course he does.
"Okay," I heard myself say. My voice sounded normal. Like I hadn’t just had my chest cracked open. "I’ll tell her."
"Mm."
The line went dead.
I stood there in the bedroom, staring at my phone screen as it faded to black, and sothing bitter crawled up my throat.
Stupid. You’re so stupid.
What had I expected? That he’d actually want to bring him dinner? That he’d be sitting alone in so office, grateful for the gesture?
No. He was with her. Of course he was.
I shoved the phone in my pocket and headed downstairs, my face carefully blank. Nonna was in the dining room, arranging the dishes Sabina had prepared, looking far too pleased with herself.
"Nonna," I said, keeping my voice light. "Dante already has dinner plans. He said not to worry."
Her face fell. "What? He can’t take a break to eat what his family made for him?"
I forced a smile. "He’s busy. You know how he is."
She muttered sothing in Italian that I was pretty sure involved cursing Dante’s work ethic, but she didn’t push it further.
I didn’t tell her about Sienna’s voice. Didn’t tell her that Dante wasn’t drowning in paperwork, he was having a cozy dinner with my half-sister.
What would be the point?
---
That night, Dante didn’t co ho.
The next morning, Nonna was livid.
"That boy! Even if work is demanding, doesn’t he need to *sleep*?" She paced the kitchen, waving her wooden spoon like a weapon. "What kind of man doesn’t co ho to his own bed?"
I sipped my coffee and said nothing.
The kind of man who has a better bed to sleep in, I thought bitterly.
Nonna kept ranting, but I tuned her out. It wasn’t worth the energy. If Dante wanted to stay out all night, that was his business. We were married on paper only. He could do whatever, whoever, he wanted.
I just wished it didn’t feel like swallowing glass every ti I thought about it.
---
The next few days passed in a blur of work. Johnny and I finally locked down Cole Technologies’ major projects for the next two years. It had taken weeks of planning, revisions, and late nights, but we’d done it.
Still, neither of us felt totally confident until we sent everything to Professor Nolan for feedback.
Nolan was brilliant, unpredictable, and brutally honest. He also had a schedule that made Dante’s look relaxed. We figured it’d be at least a week, maybe two, before he got back to us.
So when my phone rang that sa afternoon and his na flashed on the screen, I nearly dropped my coffee.
"Professor?"
"Not bad," he said, his voice flat and unimpressed as always.
Johnny’s head snapped up from across the table, eyes wide. I put the call on speaker.
"You’ve covered the fundantals and the recent developnts in AI. It’s thorough. Pretty good work."
My chest ward. Coming from Nolan, "pretty good" was practically a standing ovation.
But then his tone shifted.
"That said, you’ve been lazy, Elodie."
I winced.
"In this field, if you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind. And right now? You’re regressing."
"I know, Professor," I said quickly, my throat tight. "I’ll make up for the ti I lost. I promise."
"Mm."
That was it. Classic Nolan. Say your piece, then move on.
But he didn’t hang up, and I saw my chance.
"Professor, do you have ti tonight? I’d love to take you to dinner."
Johnny’s eyes lit up, and he nodded frantically. "Yes! We haven’t seen you in forever, Professor."
There was a pause.
"I already have plans."
My heart sank.
"Oh," Johnny said, deflating. "Right. Of course."
I opened my mouth to ask when he’d be free next, maybe set sothing up for later in the week, but Nolan’s voice cut through the line before I could.
"The person I’m eting," Nolan said, his tone as dry as ever, "is Dante Wilson."
I froze. Johnny’s jaw dropped.
For a second, neither of us said anything. The words just hung there, suspended in the air.
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