Page 86 of Beneath the Thorned Crown

He grins, dark amusement glinting in his sharp eyes. “Oh, you’re exactly as he likes them, aren’t you?”

I don’t ask who. We both know.

Dominic.

Samuel circles me, his footsteps echoing in the empty room. “I have to admit, I underestimated you. I thought Castellano’s weakness would be his empire, his men, his money.” He stops behind me, his breath too close to my ear. “But it’s you.”

I refuse to flinch. I won’t give him that.

He moves in front of me again, crouching to eye level. “Did you know he’d burn the whole city down for you?” His head tilts. “I wonder if he knows how stupid that makes him.”

I smirk. “If you think love makes him weak, you don’t know Dominic Castellano.”

Samuel’s smile is sharp, but there’s a hint of irritation beneath it. I got to him.

His hand snakes forward, fingers gripping my jaw, forcing me to look at him. “Tell me, Isabella,” he murmurs, his voice deceptively soft. “How does it feel, knowing he’ll die because of you?”

My stomach knots. Not because I believe him, but because Dominic is coming.

And I don’t know if he’ll make it out alive.

Samuel laughs at my horror. “That’s right. He’s coming. Rushing straight into my trap, just like I planned.” He brushes a finger over my cheek, and I jerk away in disgust.

His fingers tighten around my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes gleam with vengeance.

“And when he does?” His voice lowers, like a promise of death. “You’re going to watch him die.”

I glare at him, fighting against the creeping fear coiling in my gut. “Why are you doing this?” I demand, my voice sharp, filled with the anger bubbling beneath my skin. “Just because he took some money from you?”

Samuel’s lips curve into a wicked smirk before he lets out a deep, mocking laugh. He releases my chin, straightening to his full height. “Oh, Isabella.” He shakes his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You really think this is about money?”

I narrow my eyes, my breath coming short. “Then what is this about?”

He steps away, hands sliding into the pockets of his perfectly tailored slacks. “This war has been going on for years… decades.” His voice shifts, no longer teasing but laced with resentment. “Did you know my grandfather was his mother’s father?”

I stiffen. “Wait… what?” My head shakes slightly as if trying to clear the absurdity of what I just heard. “You’re telling me… you and Dominic are—”

“Related?” he finishes for me, tilting his head with that ever-present smirk. Then, it darkens. “Yes.”

I blink, trying to grasp the full impact of what he just said.

“Dominic’s mother hurt my grandfather too much,” he continues, voice smooth, but there’s something venomous coiling beneath it. “She betrayed him, shamed him, and in his final breath, you know what his dying wish was?”

I don’t answer.

“Revenge.”

A slow, chilling realization sinks into my bones.

“This isn’t about power,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. “This isn’t about money or control. This is about… family?”

Samuel chuckles. “It always is.”

The room suddenly feels too small, too suffocating. I stare at him, searching his face for a hint of hesitation, a crack in his unwavering confidence.

“Are you… tired of it?” I ask before I can stop myself.

Samuel’s laughter bursts from his lips, genuine, amused, and chilling all at once.

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