Chapter 5 - The Woman Chosen for Him
Dante moved Hannah out of the east wing and into the room beside his.
She objected for eight minutes.
Then she saw the photograph again.
She stopped objecting.
Security traced the message through three disposable numbers.
The photograph had been taken before the break-in.
Which meant whoever was watching the Morellis had known about Hannah for longer than Dante realized.
That knowledge changed him.
He stopped leaving the property unless necessary.
He moved business meetings to the mansion.
He had Hannah’s classes switched to remote attendance for one week without asking her.
She discovered this at breakfast.
“You called my university?”
“I had someone speak to the registrar.”
“You cannot rearrange my life.”
“You can attend remotely.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“The point is you are alive.”
Luca poured cereal.
“I think the point is consent.”
Dante looked at him.
Luca shrugged.
“I have internet.”
Hannah tried not to smile.
Dante did not appreciate the alliance.
“I am dealing with a threat.”
“And I’m dealing with a midterm,” Hannah said.
“You are not going to campus.”
“Then I’m taking the midterm online.”
“Good.”
“I’m still angry.”
“I can live with that.”
“That may change.”
Luca whispered, “I’d sleep with one eye open.”
Dante put down his coffee.
“School.”
Luca grabbed his backpack.
He passed Hannah and murmured, “Worth it.”
For three days, nothing happened.
Then Vittorio arrived for dinner with Isabella DeLuca.
Hannah had heard the name before.
Everyone in New York had.
Twenty-eight.
Daughter of a powerful construction and shipping family.
Beautiful in the kind of effortless way that required entire teams of people.
She entered the mansion wearing a cream coat and diamonds.
Dante greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
Hannah hated how much she noticed.
“This is Isabella,” Dante said.
Isabella smiled warmly.
“You must be Hannah.”
Hannah looked at Dante.
“How does she know me?”
Vittorio answered.
“Everyone knows about you now.”
The message beneath the sentence was clear.
Dante’s eyes darkened.
“Dinner.”
They sat at the long table.
Luca was unusually quiet.
Isabella was charming.
That made it worse.
She asked Hannah about Columbia.
She asked Luca about school.
She complimented Mrs. Rose’s cooking.
Then Vittorio lifted his wineglass.
“To stability.”
Dante’s expression became flat.
Isabella’s smile faded slightly.
Hannah looked between them.
“What stability?”
Nobody answered.
Luca suddenly became very interested in his plate.
Hannah looked at Dante.
“What stability?”
Vittorio smiled.
“The kind created when old families stop fighting.”
Dante set down his glass.
“Enough.”
Isabella said quietly, “She does not know?”
Hannah’s stomach dropped.
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“Know what?”
Vittorio leaned back.
“That Dante and Isabella have been expected to marry for years.”
The room went silent.
Hannah felt stupid.
Not heartbroken.
She refused that word.
Stupid.
She pushed her chair back.
Dante said, “Hannah.”
“I forgot I have an exam.”
“At nine at night?”
“It’s a very ambitious exam.”
Luca looked miserable.
Hannah stood.
Isabella’s face held sympathy.
That was somehow worse than cruelty.
Hannah walked out.
Dante followed.
He caught her near the staircase.
“Stop.”
She turned.
“Congratulations.”
“There is nothing to congratulate.”
“You’re expected to marry her.”
“Expected by Vittorio.”
“Does she know?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know?”
“Yes.”
Hannah laughed softly.
“Great.”
“I never agreed.”
“You never told me.”
“I did not think it was relevant.”
“You kissed me.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
“And you didn’t think a potential fiancée was relevant?”
“She is not my fiancée.”
“She came to your house for a family dinner.”
“Because Vittorio brought her.”
“And she knows all about me.”
Dante went still.
That was the part he had missed.
Hannah stepped closer.
“She knew my name before you introduced me.”
His eyes sharpened.
“She may have heard it from Vittorio.”
“Or someone else.”
Dante turned toward the dining room.
Hannah caught his arm.
“I’m still angry.”
“I know.”
“Do not use a security threat to escape this conversation.”
His mouth almost moved.
“This is not amusing.”
“No. It really isn’t.”
He looked at her.
“I am not marrying Isabella.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t love her.”
Hannah’s heartbeat skipped.
She hated that too.
“That doesn’t mean you love me.”
“No.”
His honesty hurt.
Then he added, “It means I will not use marriage as a contract.”
Before she could answer, the dining room door opened.
Isabella stood there.
“Hannah, may I speak with you?”
Dante said, “No.”
Both women looked at him.
Isabella raised an eyebrow.
“That was not directed at you.”
“It should have been.”
Hannah folded her arms.
“I can decide who I speak to.”
Dante looked like he regretted everything about the evening.
“Five minutes.”
Isabella laughed.
“You are not her father.”
“No.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
Hannah nearly choked.
Dante’s glare could have cracked stone.
Isabella walked toward the sitting room.
Hannah followed.
Inside, Isabella closed the door.
“I am not your enemy.”
“That sounds like something enemies say.”
“Fair.”
She sat.
Hannah remained standing.
Isabella said, “Vittorio has been trying to force a Morelli-DeLuca marriage since Carlo died.”
“Why?”
“Because my family controls two companies he needs.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”
Hannah believed her.
“Do you want to marry Dante?”
Isabella laughed.
“No.”
“Then why come?”
“Because three weeks ago someone sent my father documents showing Carlo Morelli moved six million dollars out of a joint company before he died.”
Hannah’s attention sharpened.
“Six million?”
“Into a trust.”
“For who?”
“I don’t know. The beneficiary is coded.”
“The ledger.”
Isabella nodded.
“I think Vittorio believes Dante has it.”
“He doesn’t.”
“Then someone does.”
Hannah looked toward the door.
“What else?”
Isabella lowered her voice.
“My father thinks Carlo discovered someone was using DeLuca shipping routes without permission.”
“What were they moving?”
“Not goods.”
Hannah understood.
People.
Her stomach turned.
“Trafficking?”
Isabella nodded once.
“Carlo shut it down.”
“And died.”
“Two weeks later.”
The room became cold.
“Does Dante know?”
“Not all of it.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?”
“Because my father forbade me to get involved.”
Hannah stared.
Isabella smiled without humor.
“I assume you have noticed that powerful men become very committed to protecting women the moment those women discover useful information.”
Hannah almost laughed.
“Very committed.”
A crash sounded from the hallway.
Both women stood.
Dante entered immediately.
“Stay here.”
Hannah groaned.
Isabella whispered, “See?”
Another sound.
Shouting.
Then a security alarm.
Dante pulled a gun from beneath his jacket.
Hannah froze.
She had known what he was.
She had known.
But knowing and seeing were different.
“Lock the door.”
He left.
Isabella locked it.
Hannah’s pulse pounded.
“What’s happening?”
“I don’t know.”
The lights flickered.
Then went out.
Darkness.
Isabella swore.
Hannah reached for her phone.
No signal.
A knock came at the sitting room door.
Three times.
“Hannah?”
Luca.
She rushed forward.
Isabella grabbed her.
“Wait.”
“Hannah!”
Luca sounded terrified.
Hannah unlocked the door.
Luca stumbled inside.
His face was pale.
“Someone’s in the west hall.”
“What?”
“I saw him near Dad’s office.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
A gunshot cracked somewhere downstairs.
Hannah’s blood went cold.
Luca flinched.
Isabella pulled him behind the sofa.
Footsteps pounded outside.
Dante’s voice shouted orders.
Then silence.
Long.
Horrible.
Silence.
Five minutes later, someone knocked.
“Open.”
Dante.
Hannah unlocked the door.
He entered.
Blood streaked his cuff.
She stared.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Whose blood is that?”
“Not mine.”
Luca went to him.
Dante checked his brother from head to toe.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“What did you see?”
“A man by Grandpa’s office.”
“Face?”
“No.”
Dante looked at Hannah.
“You?”
“Nothing.”
Isabella said, “I told her about the trust.”
Dante’s face changed.
“Why?”
“Because Vittorio is lying to you.”
A voice came from the hall.
“I suspected this evening would become unpleasant.”
Vittorio appeared behind two guards.
His suit was immaculate.
Dante turned.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came with Isabella.”
“You were in the dining room.”
“Then the lights went out.”
Dante stared.
Marco entered behind him.
“Boss. We caught one man near the south exit.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Marco looked at Vittorio.
“Michael DeSanto.”
Vittorio’s face did not move.
But Isabella went pale.
Hannah noticed.
“Who is Michael?” she asked.
Isabella whispered, “My father’s driver.”
Everyone looked at her.
And suddenly the expected marriage between Dante and Isabella looked less like a family alliance.
It looked like bait.
Someone was trying to make the Morellis and DeLucas turn on each other.
And whoever it was had just risked an armed break-in to reach Carlo’s office.
Dante looked at Vittorio.
Then at Isabella.
Then Hannah.
“Tonight,” he said quietly, “nobody leaves this house.”
Hannah folded her arms.
“Finally an order I agree with.”
Dante looked at her.
Despite blood on his cuff and danger in the hallway, the corner of his mouth moved.
That small almost-smile vanished when Luca spoke.
“There’s something else.”
Everyone turned.
Luca’s face was white.
“The man in the hallway said Grandpa’s last words.”
Dante went still.
“What words?”
Luca swallowed.
“Numbers are harder to kill than people.”
Only three people should have known Carlo had said that.
Carlo.
Luca.
And now Hannah.
But Carlo was dead.
May you like
Which meant the man who had broken into the mansion knew a secret Luca had never told anyone.
Unless the first person Luca had trusted with it had been listening all along.
