Something was off the moment I opened my eyes.
I didn't know where I was. The ceiling above me is unfamiliar…smooth, narrow, softly lit. Then the faint vibration beneath me registers, and the low, constant hum that makes my bones feel heavy.
I look at the clouds outside the window.
I'm on a plane?
I swallow, my throat was sore, dry. I place a hand to my throbbing head, it felt like I slept wrong.
I shift slightly and realize a blanket is draped over me, tucked in carefully at my shoulders.
I don't remember falling asleep…
I try to look around.
Dante is seated across from me, his jacket off, sleeves rolled to his forearms exposing his tattoos. A laptop is open on the table in front of him. He's speaking quietly into his phone, his voice low and controlled, the way it always is when something important is happening.
"…no mistakes," he says. "I want eyes on everything."
He ends the call and finally looks up. His gaze flicks to my face sharply, then softens just enough to acknowledge that I'm awake.
"You're up," he says.
That's it?
No, are you okay? No explanation. Just a statement.
What exactly did you expect Amalia?
I push myself up slowly. My body feels clean…too clean. I glance down and realize I'm wearing different clothes than I remember. Comfortable ones. Soft. Someone changed me.
My fingers curl into the blanket.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
Dante closes the laptop and sets it aside. "Away"
I wait for more. It doesn't come.
Wow…a man of few words.
A flight attendant approaches quietly, smiling as if we're any other couple on a private jet. "We'll be landing shortly. Congratulations again, sir. I hope you enjoy your honeymoon."
Honeymoon?
The word felt so strange. It landed all wrong.
I look at Dante, expecting him to correct her.
He doesn't.
The city disappears beneath the clouds, replaced by endless blue. I watch it in silence, trying to calm the unease twisting in my chest.
What happened to Luca? Did Dante kill him? Is it really true Dante has changed because of me? Am I really his weakness?
I looked up at him, his gaze fixed to his laptop screen.
I truly knew nothing about my husband.
꧁ ❀ ꧂
When we landed it was like stepping into wonderland.
Amalfi coast, Italy.
I had only ever seen it in photos: pastel houses clinging to cliffs, waves breaking against the rocks below, tiny winding streets that looked like they'd been lifted from a painting.
The ocean stretched endlessly, glittering like shards of glass. "It's… beautiful," I whispered to no one in particular. My voice sounded weak, even to me.
Dante's presence behind me reminded me that no matter how pretty the world outside, danger still lingered. He didn't comment on the view, didn't even glance at it. His gaze was fixed somewhere else, calculating, always calculating.
He didn't reach for my hand, didn't offer a reassuring word.
That was the way he was and somehow, that made me feel more exposed than the open sky beyond the window.
The car ride to the villa was quiet. I kept stealing glances at Dante through the rearview mirror, but he didn't meet my eyes.
The streets of Amalfi blurred past, filled with bougainvillea spilling over whitewashed walls, scooters weaving through narrow alleys, the smell of salt and citrus hanging in the air. I wanted to reach out, to share my awe, but I couldn't. He was a fortress, and I was painfully aware I was just a visitor in it.
When the villa finally appeared, perched precariously on a cliff, balconies overlooking the deep blue of the sea, I felt my heart leap.
It was breathtaking.
Marble steps led to massive arched doors, lemon trees in terracotta pots swayed with the breeze, and the sound of waves crashing below created a soundtrack I'd never forget.
Dante gestured for me to follow.
I tried to smile, to show gratitude for the beauty and the effort, but my lips barely lifted. He led me inside. The villa smelled of polished wood and lavender; sun poured through the tall windows, catching dust motes in a golden glow.
Staff greet us warmly, calling us Mr. and Mrs., offering drinks, smiling like nothing in the world could be wrong.
Dante plays his part perfectly.
The perfect husband.
He smiles when required. He nods. He speaks smoothly. If anyone were watching closely, they'd see a newlywed couple on a private honeymoon, untouched by worry.
The dream couple.
If anyone were watching closely enough, they'd also notice the men scattered around the property. Not obvious, not armed but alert.
Watching exits. Watching me.
"This is your room," he said finally with a low voice. "Same as mine."
I froze. Same room?! I swallowed.
I mean I know he was my husband now and we were married. Married people share a room…it would be weird to sleep in separate room but still…i wasn't entirely sure I could bear it.
"You don't need to make that face. I won't be sleeping here"
He pointed towards the other half of the room.
A sitting area partitioned off slightly. A couch already prepared, a throw folded neatly at the end. Dante sets his jacket there without hesitation, like this decision was made long before we arrived.
"You're not sleeping here?" I ask, before I can stop myself.
He pauses, just briefly. "You want me to?"
I folded my arms and shrugged.
"Actually, I'm good"
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly answered it.
"Yeah…I'll be down in two minutes"
He picked up his jacket and turned to me.
"I have a meeting. I'll be back later tonight. Don't step outside the villa until I'm back"
His voice was stern. I wanted to yell at him and ask him why the hell he is having a meeting on our honeymoon? Shouldn't we go explore the city and have a bit of fun or whatever newly weds do?
"Sure. I've been a prisoner since I met you. It's not so surprising that I have to be locked up again is it?"
"It's for your safety and I'm not locking you up"
"For my safety? Why? Am I not even safe in another city?"
For a moment he didn't answer, just stared deeply into my eyes. Then he took small steps until he was towering over me.
"You're only safe with me"
I wanted to scoff. To tell him I was only safe as long as I wasn't anywhere near him or his empire or whatever but instead I blurted out a pressing thought.
"What happened to Luca?"
Dante visibly froze like my words had hit a nerve. Then with a clenched jaw he answered.
"It's nothing for you to wonder about. I took care of him"
Took care of him…
The words echoed in my head even as I watched him walk out the door.
I wandered through the rooms, the villa's luxury suddenly feeling like a gilded cage. My fingers traced the smooth banister, the velvet drapes, the polished floors. Everything was lovely and yet… I felt I needed to breathe.
Maybe what Luca said was true. Maybe it was wrong for me to be chosen.
Dante was destroying the people he was close with…and it was all my fault.
꧁ ❀ ꧂
By late afternoon, I couldn't resist. I slipped into a light dress and sandals, ignoring the strict instructions in favor of the smell of salt and the sound of waves. The beach called, empty now in the waning sun.
Sand pressed between my toes, water curling over my feet. The horizon burned orange and pink, a perfect painting I couldn't help but stare at. I let my arms lift, letting the wind catch my hair, letting the waves lap against me.
For a brief moment, I forgot about my chaotic life.
Forgot I was now Mrs Castellano. Wife to a mafia boss.
Hours passed and the sun disappeared, leaving a dark, bruised sky. I knew he would be back soon. I sensed it before I even heard the low hum of an engine on the villa's driveway.
Dante.
He stepped out of the car slowly, the heels of his shoes crunching softly against the gravel. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, his dark hair a mess by the wind, the faint scent of cologne and something sharper…alcohol, maybe lingering around him.
He looked a bit…tired.
I froze. His eyes found mine, dark and unreadable, flicking over me like he was memorizing every detail.
My heart thudded.
"You shouldn't have come down here," he said, his voice low, dangerous, but not angry.
I noticed his eyes were a little red.
"I wanted to," I admitted, my words faltering under his heated stare.
His gaze didn't soften. It didn't even shift. He took a slow step toward me, then another, until the space between us crackled with something I couldn't name.
Every instinct screamed to move away, and yet I couldn't.
"You shouldn't move," he murmured, his voice deeper, eyes locked on mine.
I swallowed. The night air felt thick, like it could hold us both hostage.
He was only inches away. I wanted to step back but my legs refused. His presence was overwhelming, magnetic, commanding. The scent of him, the heat radiating off his body, the way his eyes pinned me…it was suffocating and intoxicating all at once.
"Did you drink?" My voice came out as a much lower than I intended.
"Only a little"
I could feel his warm breath on my face and I felt a jolt run through me.
I peeled my eyes off him.
"You should get some rest then"
I turned on my heel to walk away but he grabbed my arm pulling me back.
I could hardly form any words.
His expression was dark, seductive and his eyes swirled with mischief.
"What are you doing?"
Dante's lips curved slightly, a shadow of a smile, almost amused, almost hungry. He tilted his head, eyes never leaving mine, and the distance between us seemed to shrink with every heartbeat.
"Tell me…have you ever been with a man before?"