Chapter 13 Outing
Serena POV
It looked foggy, almost like it never happened. But something in me flicked on.
Dante and Nico paused between their conversation and both turned sharply towards me. The room fell stone silent save for the vibrations coming from the AC.
Dante nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes. “Okay? Let’s hear what you remember.”
I swallowed hard, piecing the tiny fragments in my mind together.
“Forgive me if it’s not clear, but… I think my parents know everything. They handled all the deals behind my back, didn't let me see a thing. After that, they handed me over to Marco when I hit twenty. It was all planned out," I explained.
Nico snorted. “That does jack shit to help us.”
Dante raised a hand quickly, cutting him off. “She might be onto something.”
I nodded hastily, desperate to get something across. “Yeah. If anyone knows what got signed, it’s them. They can help.”
Dante ran a hand over his hair slowly, careful not to mess things up. Nico leaned in closer to Dante, whispering loud enough for me to catch every word.
“Don, you really think it’s worth the hassle? The Romanos are breathing down our necks, and now we are going to dig into her past?” Nico asked viscously.
“This is how we end it,” Dante shot back in a very firm voice.
Nico switched to Italian quickly, leaning closer to Dante but still speaking to my hearing. “Vale la pena rischiare la famiglia per salvarla?” He asked, then paused before continuing in English. “Men are dying and more will follow if we don't do what's needful.”
"This is the needful," Dante countered.
But Nico wasn't ready to let it go. "No, Don. This is her needful, not ours," he said angrily.
His words hit hard like a low blow. I stared at the floor, feeling overly guilty as the truth washed over me quickly.
He was right—I was actually the poison. It's all my fault, I'm bringing death to these quote in quote innocent men, and I brought this war to them too.
Maybe I should actually run away, not just for my freedom, but for them too. Dante’s men, his empire. Maybe I should save them all from the mess I started.
Dante turned, locked eyes with mine with an intense look in his eyes. We held the stare for a second or two too long, then he straightened, tugged his suit jacket down.
“We’ll track down Serena’s parents. Do what we can to stop this before it blows up. If not, we fight with everything we've got,” he said in a final tone.
I smiled, relief flooding through me instantly. But when my gaze accidentally found Nico's, he was glaring daggers into me.
My smile faded, even as I tried to hold it on. That glare said it all—he wanted me gone. And deep down, that itch to escape burned hotter.
Dante broke the silence again. “You know where to find them?” He asked, gesturing towards me.
I gulped. “Haven’t seen them in over three years. Not since Marco took me.”
He bit his bottom lip, keeping his head down and shaking his jaw about. “Not the toughest job. I’ll get my research team on it. They’ll dig up their location.”
“Thank you,” I said, pouring as much warmth into it as I could.
He shook his head. “Don’t thank me yet.”
Then he turned to Valentina, who had been silent all along, just standing to my left. “Get the ladies.”
My stomach flipped. What the hell? “Dante—”
“You’re heading out with Valentina and Nico,” he cut in, explaining briefly. “You need to do some shopping," he paused and stared at my legs, before continuing. "Can’t have my piccola looking like this if she steps out.”
His eyes went over my outfit, keeping a look that screamed his not pleased one bit. I wanted to smile at the “my piccola” bit, but Nico’s name in it killed it all. No way I could argue, not with him staring me down that way. I nodded stiffly
Valentina stepped away quickly without a word, then came back with two women alongside her. One carried a small black box in her hands while the other had a few brushes and hair tools dangling from a belt.
Dante pointed at the couch. “Sit.”
I dropped down, confused as hell. What was this?
Be turned to the ladies casually. “Make her look presentable,” he said. “And you've got five minutes,” he added quickly.
The women nodded together and went around me quickly.
Dante tapped on Nico’s arm. “Let's step outside for a moment.”
They stepped out, closing the door smoothly. The room felt smaller without them. I watched them both walking all the way out, Nico still flashed me a glare before leaving. I do wonder why he's so worked up about me.
The ladies didn't let me think long, one pulled my hair back gently, probably scared of Dante. She divided my hair into parts with clips, spraying something that smelled like vanilla into them.
The other opened up the box, arranged a flashy looking make-up kit before me then proceeded to dab foundation on my face, blending it quickly with a sponge.
Valentina strolled off to the side, with her arms crossed over chest and watching us intently.
The hair lady worked quickly—parting, smoothing, and twisting my hair into a sleek frame with pins. It all felt fancy, and pulled tight at the roots.
The makeup girl swiped blush over my cheeks, lined my eyes, coated my lashes black and did a quick work on my lips lastly, adding a nude gloss that made them shine.
I could barely breathe. Why all these? What was the rush all about?
“Done,” the hair one said after what felt like forever. But it was probably just a few minutes.
Valentina checked her watch. “Okay. That’s it.”
They added a final spritz of something shiny on my hair, then held up a hand mirror.
I stared into it, seeing me, but much different. My skin was glowing and my hair looked elegant. Not the muffled bed mess from earlier.
Before I could say anything in appreciation, the door swung open and Nico came storming in. “We need to go now.”
“But—” I started.
“No time,” he cut in. “We have to move.”