Page 5 of Ivory Crown

“Got it,” Marco said, already reaching for his phone, his fingers tapping out orders.

“Marco, this is serious. Jade... she’s carrying my child.” The words felt both powerful and terrifying, confessing a secret that made everything infinitely more perilous.

He paused mid-text, his eyes lifting to meet mine. “Your girlfriend is pregnant?”

I nodded, confirming his question. For a moment, all I saw was shock on his face, then slowly, it turned into a smile. A proper one, not the usual smirk he wore during business meetings and family dinners. “That’s... that’s great, Dante! When did you find out?”

“Last night.” I admitted, my gaze straying to the bedroom door again. “You need to understand, Marco... she can’t become collateral damage. They can’t become collateral damage.”

His eyebrows furrowed at my words. “You think I would let anything happen to them?”

“No,” I shook my head quickly. “I just need to know you understand the stakes. I won’t risk them for anything—anything, Marco.”

He nodded, his expression solemn now. “Understood, Dante.”

“Good,” I said, turning away from him to look out the window. The city was waking up, oblivious of the storm brewing within its walls.

“You need to tell Dad about Jade, sooner rather than later,” Marco suggested from behind me.

I looked back at him over my shoulder. “I’ll handle Dad.”

Marco nodded and turned to leave. But as he reached the door he paused and looked back at me. “Congratulations, man,” he said softly. “Don’t forget to take a second and just…be happy.”

And before I could say anything to that, he was gone.

Chapter Three: Jade

Iwoke up with the sour taste of captivity in my mouth. Another day inside this gilded prison, but Dante had other plans. “You can work,” he said simply, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for a mafia don to offer.

“Work? How?” I questioned, half-rising from the tangled sheets, skeptical and wary.

Without a word, Dante’s grip was firm on my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine as he led me down the hall. I stumbled slightly, unprepared for the sudden movement, my heart hammering from more than just the quick pace. He pulled me into the guest bedroom – no longer just a room but a makeshift workstation, complete with everything my lab rat heart desired.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, my annoyance at being held against my will conflicting with the professional appreciation for the setup before me. “You did this fast. One night?”

“Well, I didn’t want you to get bored.”

The soft hum of computers and the familiar scent of sterile equipment tugged at something deep within me. My arms wrapped around Dante before my brain caught up with the action, gratitude momentarily overriding common sense.

“This has everything you need,” Dante murmured, and there was a warmth in his voice that threatened to melt away the icy fear clenching my insides.

“Everything?” I echoed back, pulling away to look up at him, searching his face for the catch. There’s always a catch.

“Almost,” he conceded with a tilt of his head. “Just one thing I need from you.”

My stomach clenched. No good ever came from those words in his world. “What’s that?”

“Reach out to your friend, Ellie Harper, and your family. Let them know you’re tied up with a secret project. Make it believable,” he instructed, with that edge of authority that never failed to send a shiver down my spine.

“I don’t have my phone.”

He nodded, grabbing my phone out of his pocket. “You do now.”

Fuck. I could call 911, but…how could I explain this? It would make things more difficult for me, I was sure.

“Ellie’s not easily fooled,” I replied, hesitating as I reached for my phone. The weight of it felt heavier than usual, burdened with the lies I was about to spin.

“Try,” he insisted, and his gaze held mine, unwavering, unyielding. “Try your best. And I will check it when you’re done, so don’t think about doing anything funny.”

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