Page 36 of Married to the Ruthless Mafia Heir

Dante's expression darkened. A warning. "Don't let me catch you chatting up other men like that again."

The music changed—a slow waltz. Dante's arm around me guided me to the center of the dance floor. "Can you dance, Elena?"

Eyes turned our way. I couldn't dance, but in a setting like this, I couldn't hesitate. I placed my hand in his palm and whispered, "You'll have to lead."

The corner of Dante's mouth twitched up. He led me forward, back, and I struggled to keep up, trying not to step on his shoes and embarrass the Moretti family completely.

I held my breath, watching his every move. He looked down at me and suddenly spoke. "I'll give you money. Enough to live anywhere you want. You could study design, build your own career instead of being stuck at the manor. An offer like this doesn't come around often. Interested?"

My body went still. The offer was everything I'd wanted before entering the manor. Saving money, secretly learning, making clothes—all because I'd been desperate for my own career instead of being trapped as a servant forever.

I looked up at Dante. His dark blue eyes were serious. I could tell this was genuine—not a test or a game.

But in the end, I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I'm already your wife."

His hand tightened around mine. But he didn't push. "All right. I respect that."

"Thank you." I looked up at him with a smile.

A commotion rippled through the crowd. I heard gasps. "God, she's gorgeous!"

Dante's gaze snapped toward it. In that instant, his body went rigid. Our dance stopped. I watched him stare at the staircase, his hand at my waist tightening until it hurt.

I followed his eyes to the second-floor corridor. A woman appeared—tall, striking. She wore a white Lombardi design, a body-hugging red dress that showed every curve. Golden curls and that face—absolutely stunning.

I didn't know who she was, but her beauty was overwhelming.

She descended the stairs slowly, every step graceful, every gesture elegant, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She walked toward us. I started to let go of Dante's hand, but he pulled away first, stepping half a step to the side, creating distance between us. Like a pretty but unimportant accessory he'd discarded.

Whispers spread through the crowd. I watched in shock as the woman stopped in front of Dante. A heavy perfume surrounded her. Every eye in the room was on the three of us.

Dante's voice shook, like he'd found something precious he'd lost.

He grabbed her shoulders.

"Valentina, what are you doing here?"

I'd never seen that expression on Dante's face. Grief, guilt, pain—all tangled together. He'd completely lost control, emotions spilling out in front of everyone.

The next second, in the center of the Lombardi ballroom, with every major family watching, right in front of me, Dante pulled Valentina into his arms and held her tight.

I stood there watching them.

In that moment, they were the leads in this story.

And me? The supporting actress who'd just reached her final scene.

Chapter Thirteen

Elena

That party ended with Valentina's sudden appearance. I couldn't stand the humiliation—too many probing eyes turned on me instead. I left the ballroom alone, planning to head back to the manor by myself. But Dante's car and driver were outside. I couldn't order them to take me first.

Then Luca appeared in front of me. He helped my dazed self into the car and drove me back to Moretti Manor.

"You okay?" Luca was around my age. He didn't look at me when he spoke—politely sparing me the embarrassment.