Page 65 of Ivory Legacy

“Strength,” I repeated, allowing a wry smile. “Right now, it feels like I’m barely hanging onto sanity.”

“Hey.” He reached out, his fingers brushing against mine, grounding. “We’ll handle this together.”

I sighed. “He’s been spying on me, Dante. He was spying on me from the beginning. How am I supposed to feel about that?”

“Relieved,” Dante replied. “If he didn’t want you around, he would have already tried to kill you.”

“Jesus.”

“Hey, look. Enzo Moretti is no saint, but he values family above all else. That’s our trump card,” he insisted.

“Family,” I echoed, the word lingering on my tongue like a new flavor, sweet yet unnervingly complex. My heart thrummed against my ribs, not from fear alone but from the realization that, despite everything, some part of me craved acceptance into this dangerous, tightly-knit circle.

“Exactly,” Dante said, glancing at me with a confidence I desperately wanted to share. “And we’re almost there.”

I didn’t expect opulence in Little Italy.

I’d been wrong.

As the car turned onto a private road, the enormity of the Moretti home came into view—their fortress, their stronghold. I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. This wasn’t just a meeting; it was a crossing of thresholds, the beginning of an alliance sealed by blood and bound by the life growing inside me.

“Ready?” Dante’s question was gentle, almost tentative.

“Let’s do this,” I responded, the scientist in me clinging to logic, to the belief that even in a world run by shadows, the truth still held power.

“Good,” he said, parking the car. We stepped out, the chill of the winter morning wrapping around us, a stark contrast to the warmth that had built up inside the vehicle.

With each step toward the towering front doors, my mind raced, flipping through scenarios, outcomes, strategies. But beneath it all lay a simple truth: I was about to meet Enzo Moretti, and nothing would ever be quite the same again.

“Here we are,” Dante murmured, his voice low and steady. He parked the car with precision, and for a moment, all was silent but for the ticking of the engine cooling.

I stepped out into the crisp winter air, my breath forming clouds that vanished as quickly as they appeared. Dante was by my side in an instant, his presence both reassuring and unnerving in its intensity.

“Stay close,” he said, and I caught a flicker of something in his tone—was it concern?

“Wouldn’t dream of anything else,” I shot back, trying to mask my nerves with humor. I glanced over to see Marco, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, his hands deep in his pockets as he scanned the house’s facade.

“Welcome,” he said.

“Through here,” Dante instructed, leading us toward a set of towering double doors at the end of the hall. Every step echoed, amplifying the tension that thrummed through my veins.

“Remember, just follow my lead,” Dante said, shooting a warning glance at Marco, who responded with a barely perceptible nod.

“Lead the way,” I replied, my voice more even than I felt.

With a decisive push, Dante opened the doors, and we entered the lion’s den. The room beyond was sprawling, the furniture rich and dark, with heavy drapes pulled back to reveal the winter sky’s early morning light. Flames danced in the fireplace, yet they did little to warm the chill that had settled in the space—or in me.

I inhaled the scent of old money and whispered secrets as we ventured deeper into the Moretti den. The air felt thick with history, every polished surface and gilded frame a testament to the power wielded within these walls. I couldn’t help but feel like an intruder—my rational mind at odds with my thudding heart.

“Hey,” Dante said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Don’t worry. My parents are going to love you.”

I laughed. “Do you think they’ll love my mom and dad too?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I hope so.”

Chapter Thirty-Two: Dante

Whatever this had turned into…I didn’t like it. It felt like one of my father’s plans, and I didn’t appreciate it, but at this point, I couldn’t just turn around and leave with Jade.

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