Page 170 of My Sweetest Temptation

"So, if Uncle Malik was with us, where have you been?" I asked Dante, wrapping my arms around my body.

"Once your mother moved to Canada, she had a plan in place. If your grandfather ever caught wind of anything, Malik would stay behind with you and your mom while I relocated to Chicago. She ensured you would live in the same apartment building as me and Liam so we could look after you. When Liam got older, he took over the apartment.”

A genuine smile flickered across his face when he mentioned his son.

"Does that mean Liam knows who I am?"

"Yes, but only what he needed to know. He was instructed to keep an eye on you and report back to me," he replied.

My love for Liam felt much stronger now knowing that he had been keeping an eye on me.

"Did you stay in touch with my father?"

"No." His gaze darkened. "That was part of your father's directive. To keep you safe, we weren’t supposed to have any contact with him. He knew his enemies would be watching and it would lead them right to you."

But they found us anyway.

"So, where's Uncle Malik? He hasn’t checked in, and I've been worried about him." My chest tightened.

"Me too. That's why I'm here." Dante’s voice dropped. "I was given strict instructions not to have direct contact with you, only to watch from a distance. Of course, I fucked that up at Thanksgiving. When Malik failed to report back to me last week, I knew something was wrong. That was my signal to give you your mother's letters and to share the truth about your past and what you're facing."

My heart pounded painfully against my ribcage, my blood roaring in my ears like an oncoming storm. "Dante, am I in danger?" I asked.

"Yes, you are. I need some time to figure out my next move and to locate my brother in order to figure out how to protect you.”

"Oh, God. Do you think he's dead?" The thought was unbearable. The possibility of losing my only remaining family made it feel like part of my soul was dying.

"I don't know." His eyes softened. "But I’ll do everything in my power to find him and to keep you safe.”

I hastily wiped away my tears. "Liam was worried about my relationship with Nico. Am I safe with Nico? Is he part of this?”

"Yes, you are safe with Nico." He leaned forward, taking my hands in his, grounding me with his grip. "I know you’ve been hit with a lot of information, and you probably have more questions than answers right now. But my priority is keeping you safe. Your grandfather is still alive, and I need to do what I can to make sure he doesn’t find you.”

"What does he want with me?" My lips trembled as I spoke.

Dante gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “He views you as a reminder of your mother’s betrayal.”

I shook my head slowly, overwhelmed and at a loss for words. This entire situation was insane.

“Your dad is the most powerful mafia leader in the world, but Nico is formidable here in the US,” he added. “Stay close to him until I can get in touch with you again." He pulled back, retrieving his phone from his pocket. "I'm going to send you a text."

A moment later, my phone dinged.

"Program my number into your phone as D. I’ll reach out to you when I have more information, but you can contact me anytime you need to. Understand?"

I nodded. "I understand."

He rose to his feet and extended his hand to me. "I have to go."

I took it, and he pulled me into an embrace. I closed my eyes, taking comfort in the moment.

"You’re going to be just fine, Winter. I promise I’ll get you out of this. You deserve to live a normal life—one without the constant fear of looking over your shoulder."

He stepped away, placing a gentle kiss on my head. "Stay safe and keep a low profile. I’ll stay in touch."

And with that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him.

But then realization hit me.

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