Chapter 28
Chapter 28
They hand me over to a woman, who gently ushers me down a long hallway into a room that takes my breath away.
Compared to the dungeon Santino kept me in, this place is a palace. A sprawling king-sized bed sits in the middle of the room, dressed in emerald sheets and embroidered pillows. The walls are painted a soft cream, the windows tall and curtained in velvet. It’s disorienting—too good, too clean. My gut tells me it won’t last.
After soaking in a long bath, I change into a deep green gown that shimmers when it catches the light. Then, two guards escort me to a dining room that looks like it was ripped out of a royal estate.
Matteo Rosetti sits at the head of the table, champagne in hand, an inviting yet unnerving smirk plastered on his face. Before him is an opulent feast—roasted meats, stewed vegetables, delicate pastries, and fruit glistening with syrup. The scent alone makes my stomach twist in hunger.
As I approach, he fills my glass without saying a word, his gaze lingering on me. “To new beginnings, Colina,” he says finally, lifting his glass.
I hesitate, then sip. The champagne fizzes across my tongue. It tastes expensive and deceptively smooth.
“It’s all for you,” Matteo says, gesturing to the table. “I imagine you haven’t been treated like this in a long time.”
He isn’t wrong. I sink into the seat across from him, careful not to let my guard down. I eat cautiously while he watches with a hawk’s patience, his demeanor charming yet riddled with something darker.
“I’m an only child, Colina. The only one my parents could rely on. They’re… unavailable now, but they would have adored you.” He grins wider, and something in that smile makes me grip my fork a little tighter. “I’ve spent my life taking what I want. Why stop now?”
I force a polite smile, but my stomach twists for a different reason now.
“I’ve built everything I have from scratch,” he says, his voice lowering. “No one will take it from me.”
His words feel like a warning.
Then, with unnerving calm, he changes the subject. “But enough about me. Let’s talk about your daughter.”
My pulse spikes. “Isabella?”
“I can have her brought here if you wish,” he says. “You’re not a prisoner. I’ll even see to it that you return to your family… safely.”
I almost choke on my champagne. That kind of generosity doesn’t come without a price.
“What’s the catch?” I ask.
His expression doesn’t change. “Simple. Sign the marriage papers. Be my wife.”
My heart drops. “You still want to marry me?”
“Of course,” he replies smoothly. “I’ve waited long enough. I wanted you the moment I laid eyes on you—even after I found out you were carrying that bastard’s child.”
There it is—the truth, sharp as glass.
“How long do I have to decide?”
“Until the end of the week. Don’t forget—I saved your life.”
The words hang in the air like poison. He leans back, confident and calculating. “You’ll have everything here: safety, comfort… Isabella. And me. But don’t make the mistake of trying to run. My security makes Santino’s look like child’s play.”
Then he drops the hammer.
“Oh, and in case you were hoping for a miracle—Don Antonio Rosetti? He’s dead.”
The world stops spinning. My lungs freeze. My father. Gone?
I blink, trying to ground myself. It can’t be true.
⸻
Santino
Seven fucking days.
That’s how long it’s been since I last saw Colina. The meeting with my lieutenants dragged longer than it should’ve—something’s been disrupting my shipments, and I’ve been too focused on sealing those leaks. I need to protect what my father built.
But when I storm back to the room I left her in, she’s not there. It’s silent. Empty.
Cold panic rushes through me.
I tear through the bathroom. Nothing. She’s vanished.
“Where is she?” I roar, grabbing the first guard I see by the throat.
He chokes, trembling. “M-Miss Lucia… she took her.”
I release him with a shove. “What the hell has Lucia done?”
Storming to my sister’s room, I don’t even knock. I burst in.
She’s seated in front of her vanity, calmly painting on lipstick like it’s just another day.
“You took Colina?” I demand.
She doesn’t flinch. “So you noticed.”
“What did you do?”
“I protected our family,” she says simply. “Something you clearly couldn’t do.”
My jaw clenches. “Where. Is. She?”
“I made a trade.”
My blood runs cold. “With who?”
She says nothing.
I grab her arm. “Answer me!”
She flinches, eyes flashing with fear. “Alright! Let go—I’ll talk.”
I release her. She breathes hard. “Mateo Rosetti. I gave her to him. He offered me protection for the shipments. They haven’t been touched since.”
I punch the wall. The impact makes my knuckles bleed.
“Why do you even care?” she shouts. “You’ve kept her locked up like a caged animal.”
“Because she’s mine!”
Lucia glares at me, but I don’t give her a chance to speak. I storm off.
Back in my room, I lose it. I flip the nightstand, send the lamp flying, rip books off the shelf.
I told myself I was going to kill her. But now the idea of her with that bastard makes me insane.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
⸻
The following days are chaos. I bury myself in work—shipments, sit-downs, fake smiles. But she haunts me.
Vito finally reports in. He’s been keeping tabs on the Rosettis.
One photo stops me cold: Colina holding a child.
The girl is clinging to her. Same dark curls. Same eyes.
My stomach drops.
She lied to me.
Was this Matteo’s child?
Someone else touched her. Had her. Got her pregnant.
And here I am, wanting her like a fucking idiot.
That should’ve been my life.
But my family’s blood is on hers. I should want revenge.
Instead, I just want her back.
⸻
Later, Vito shows up again. “Boss, someone’s here to see you. He won’t come in. Wants to meet outside.”
“Who?”
He hesitates. “Pietro Rosetti.”
That gets my attention. The Rosetti family’s second son—always the quiet one, the overlooked one.
I nod. “Take me.”
We step outside to find a sleek black SUV. Pietro stands beside it, sharply dressed, expression unreadable.
He opens the door for me himself. “Santino Romano. Thank you for coming.”
“Pietro Rosetti,” I reply, my voice flat.
Whatever he wants, he better make it worth the risk.
Because I’m done playing nice.