Chapter 6 You deserve better…
Sophia stayed glued to my side after showing me the Instagram story, her arm around my shoulders like she was physically holding me together. The living room felt too big, the fireplace too warm against the ice spreading through my chest. Ethan’s smiling face next to that model kept looping in my head—his arm around her waist, the caption mocking me: “Nights like this 🔥”
I hadn’t even cried yet. Just numb.
Then my phone buzzed on the coffee table. Loud. Insistent.
The screen lit up: Ethan calling.
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t answer. Let him sweat.”
But something snapped inside me. The numbness cracked, and rage flooded in hot and fast. I snatched the phone before I could think twice.
I hit accept and put it on speaker.
“Lil? Baby, hey—” His voice was smooth, too smooth, like nothing was wrong. “I’ve been trying to reach you since last night. You okay? The club thing sounded crazy—”
“Don’t ‘baby’ me, Ethan.” My voice came out sharper than I expected. Steady. Cold.
A pause. “Whoa, what’s wrong? You sound pissed.”
“Pissed?” I laughed—short, bitter. “Yeah, I’m pissed. I just saw your little rooftop date. Blonde hair, big laugh, your arm all over her. ‘Nights like this’? Really?”
Silence on his end. Then a sigh—like he was the one who’d been wronged. “Lil, come on. It’s not what it looks like. She’s just a friend from work. We were celebrating a project wrap-up. Group thing. The photo cropped everyone else out.”
“Bullshit.” I stood up, pacing the rug in front of the sectional. Sophia watched me, nodding encouragement. “You posted it two hours ago. Smiling like you’re on top of the world while I was dodging bullets last night. While I was bleeding in a car with my guardian hauling me out of a shootout. And you’re… what? Out partying with models?”
“Liliana, listen—” His tone shifted to defensive. “You’ve been gone for weeks wrapping up school. We weren’t even official. You said you needed space. I gave it to you. I’m allowed to hang out with people.”
“Allowed?” My voice rose, echoing off the high ceilings. “We talked about being exclusive after graduation. You said you were serious. You said ‘us.’ And now you’re posting cozy pics like I don’t exist?”
Another pause. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. It’s just Instagram.”
“It’s a big deal to me.” Tears burned my eyes now, hot and angry. “You know what my life is like, Ethan. The danger. The isolation. I let you in anyway. I trusted you. And you couldn’t even wait until I got home before moving on?”
He exhaled hard. “Okay, fine. It wasn’t just a group thing. We hooked up. Once. It didn’t mean anything. I was lonely, Lil. You were gone—”
“Lonely?” I cut him off, voice cracking. “You were lonely so you cheated? That’s your excuse? You couldn’t pick up the phone? Text me? Wait a few more days? No, you went straight to her bed and then posted proof for the world to see.”
“Lil, I’m sorry, alright? I messed up. But we can fix this. Come back to campus, we’ll talk. I still want you.”
I stared at the phone like it was poison. “No. You don’t get to want me now. You threw that away the second you put your hands on her. The second you decided I wasn’t worth waiting for.”
“Lil—”
“Delete the story. Delete her number. And lose mine.” My voice cracked on the last word. “We’re done. For good.”
I hung up before he could respond. The phone clattered onto the couch. My hands shook violently.
Sophia was on her feet in an instant, pulling me into a fierce hug. Tight. Protective.
“You did good,” she whispered. “You deserve so much better than that coward.”
I buried my face in her shoulder. The tears came then—quiet at first, then harder. All the adrenaline from the club, the kiss with Dante, the cold shoulder this morning, now this betrayal. It crashed over me like a wave.
Sophia rubbed my back in slow circles. “Let it out. He’s not worth your tears, but you’re allowed to feel it.”
We sank back onto the plush sectional together, her arm still around me. I cried until my throat ached, until the sobs turned to hiccups. She didn’t rush me. Just held on.
After what felt like forever, the crying slowed. I wiped my face with my sleeve, sniffling.
“I feel stupid,” I muttered.
“You’re not stupid. You’re human. And he’s trash.”
I managed a watery laugh. “Yeah. Trash with good lighting on Instagram.”
Sophia grinned. “Exactly. Now block him. Everywhere. And then we plot revenge. Or ice cream. Or both.”
I nodded, reaching for my phone again. Fingers hovering over the block button.
That’s when the front door opened—distant, but unmistakable. Heavy footsteps on marble. The low murmur of Marco’s voice, then silence.
Dante was home.
Early.
My stomach flipped. I hadn’t expected him back for hours.
Sophia straightened, wiping her own eyes. “Is that…?”
I nodded.
The footsteps grew closer. Then he appeared in the doorway—tall, broad, still in his black suit, coat slung over one arm. His gray eyes swept the room, landing on us. On me.
He saw the tear-streaked faces. The red eyes. The phone on the couch. His jaw tightened instantly.
“What happened?” His voice was low, controlled, but there was an edge to it. Like he was ready to burn something down.
Sophia glanced at me. I gave a small nod—she could speak.
“Her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—cheated,” she said flatly. “Posted it on Insta like it was nothing. We were just dealing with the fallout.”
Dante’s gaze flicked to me. Something dark flashed in his eyes—anger, yes, but something sharper. Possessive. He stepped fully into the room, dropping his coat on the armchair.
“I’m sorry,” he said to me, voice softer now. But then he turned to Sophia. “Can I speak to you for a second?”
Sophia raised a brow but stood. “Sure.”
He led her a few steps away, toward the fireplace—close enough that I could hear, but giving the illusion of privacy.
“Sophia,” he said quietly, tone measured but firm. “I appreciate you coming to check on her. Truly. But I need you to understand something. Last night wasn’t random. The Rossis are out for blood. They targeted her specifically. They won’t take the slightest opportunity to grab her—party, club, coffee run, anything. Every time she leaves this house without my men, she’s at risk.”
Sophia crossed her arms, listening.
“I’m not asking you to stop being her friend,” he continued. “But please—don’t invite her to parties. Don’t encourage nights out where she’s exposed. Not right now. Not until I’ve handled this threat.”
Sophia studied him for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly. “Okay. I get it. I don’t want her hurt either.”
“Thank you.” He exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “You’re welcome here anytime. Just… keep her safe with me.”
She gave a small smile. “Deal.”
Dante stepped back, giving her space.
Sophia turned to me, squeezing my hand. “I’ll text you later. Call if you need me. Love you, Lil.”
“Love you too,” I whispered.
She grabbed her coat and bag, gave Dante a respectful nod, and headed out. The front door clicked shut behind her.
The room felt suddenly smaller. Quieter.
Dante stood there, hands in his pockets, watching me. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… they were stormy.
“You okay?” he asked finally.
I shrugged, wiping my cheeks again. “No. But I will be.”
He nodded once. Then, without another word, he walked over and sat on the sectional—close, but not touching. The space between us crackled.
“I heard the call,” he said quietly. “Part of it.”
I winced. “Great.”
“He’s an idiot.” Dante’s voice was rough. “You deserve better.”
I looked at him then—really looked. The man who’d kissed me like I was air he needed to breathe, then pushed me away like I burned him. The man who’d just politely threatened my best friend to keep me locked down.
And somehow, in this mess, he felt safer than anyone else.
“Maybe I do,” I said softly.
His gaze held mine. Heavy. Intense.
The silence stretched—charged, unspoken.
Neither of us moved.