Page 29 of And Back

I look away, unable to meet his intense gaze. "You're important to me… But not like that."

"Very well," he says, his voice carrying a hint of surprise and something else—disappointment, maybe? "This has been a wonderful evening."

I don’t respond. Instead, I slide into the car, feeling the luxurious leather seats beneath me as I fasten my seatbelt. The soft click of the buckle sounds final, like a lock being secured. Dante closes my door and walks around to his side.

As he settles into the driver's seat and starts the engine, I stare out the window. The tension is suffocating, and I feel a knot forming in my stomach. I can't help but feel guilty for turning away, but I know it was the right thing to do. My heart is a tangled mess, and I can't give him what he wants.

He glances at me briefly before pulling out of the parking lot. The silence stretches between us like a taut string ready to snap. Why does this have to be so complicated? Dante is everything someone would want—handsome, strong, attentive—but my heart doesn't respond the way it should.

"I'm taking you back to my brother," he says, eyes fixed on the road ahead.

My heart skips a beat. "No," I blurt out, panic lacing my voice. "Please, don't take me there."

He frowns slightly but doesn't take his eyes off the road. "Why not? It was part of our agreement."

"Because..." I struggle for words, my thoughts a tangled mess of fear and anxiety. "I don’t want you two to meet and fight. If anything happened because of me?—"

"Zoe," he interrupts gently but firmly. "This is what needs to happen."

I shake my head desperately. "No, please! I’m begging you. Virgilio... He means too much to me." My voice cracks on the last word, and I feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

Dante’s grip on the steering wheel tightens; I can see his knuckles turning white in the dim light from the dashboard. He takes a deep breath as if trying to steady himself.

"You’re worried about him," he says quietly after a long pause.

"Yes," I whisper back. "And you too."

He lets out a bitter laugh. "You think I’ll kill him because you turned me away?"

I look down at my hands clenched tightly in my lap.

The week I promised we would be together has not come to an end yet. If Dante is taking me back now, he might not keep his promise to disobey his father's orders to kill Virgilio. I can't bear the thought of being the cause of this rift and Virgilio's potential death.

"Please," I repeat softly, unable to find any other words that might sway him.

Dante’s jaw works as if he’s grinding his teeth together in frustration or thought, it’s hard to tell which. How did things get so twisted? How did I find myself caught between two brothers?

Virgilio's life hanging in the balance because of me sends a cold shiver down my spine. If Dante chooses his father's orders over his promise to me, the consequences will be devastating.

Dante's scoff cuts through the tension in the car like a knife. "You really think I’d kill Virgilio? It was all part of our plan."

I turn to him, eyes wide, my heart pounding in my chest. "What?" The word barely escapes my lips, more breath than sound.

He glances at me briefly, the corners of his mouth curling into a bitter smile. "We agreed to pretend I chose Messina’s side to get back at our father from the inside."

My mind races, struggling to process his words. "You... you’re lying," I stammer, though doubt has already crept into my voice.

"Am I?" Dante says with a shrug, his tone almost bored. "Think about it, Zoe. Do you really believe Virgilio would let anyone else have you?"

I can’t breathe. My lungs feel like they’re filled with lead. Virgilio... lied to me? Used me as bait against their father? The man who promised to protect me, who said he loved me—he let this happen?

The realization is like a punch to the gut. My hands tremble as I grip the edge of my seat, trying to steady myself. "So... he agreed to give me to you?" I whisper, my voice cracking.

Dante’s smile fades slightly as he looks back at the road ahead. "To maintain my cover, yes," he says simply.

The betrayal leaves me numb and shivering inside. How could Virgilio do this? How could he let Dante try to win my heart while pretending to care for me? Every moment we shared feels tainted, a lie built on deception and manipulation.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I ask, my voice hollow.

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