I open my mouth to tease him about actually sleeping, but the elevator dings.
And everything changes.
The doors slam open, and Alessandro storms in—furious, wild-eyed, a crumpled newspaper clutched in his fist.
“What the hell is this?” he roars, slamming it down on the counter.
The sound makes Sofia jump. The mug slips from my hand and shatters on the tile.
Dante’s already moving, stepping between us. “Watch your tone, Alessandro.”
“Ican’t,” Alessandro snaps, eyes locked on me. “You want to protect her? Protect your fucking family? Maybe don’t invite a snake into your home!”
My stomach drops. “What are you talking about?”
He grabs the paper and shoves it toward Dante. “Read it.”
Dante’s eyes flick down, scanning the front page. I watch the change happen—the calm draining from his face, the muscle in his jaw starting to tick.
Then his hand tightens on the edge of the paper until it crumples in his grip.
The headline screams from the page:
THE MORETTI EMPIRE: INSIDE NEW YORK’S BLOODLINE OF CORRUPTION
By:Isabella DeLaurentis
My heart stops.
“No—no, that’s not—” I stammer, reaching for it. “I didn’t write that!”
“The hell you didn’t!” Alessandro snarls. “It’s your byline, your sources, your fucking notes, Isabella!”
My hands are shaking. “I didn’t—someone must’ve hacked—”
“Enough!”
Dante’s voice is a whip crack. Sofia flinches, clutching her stuffed rabbit. Nicole steps forward, but Dante lifts a hand.
He turns on me.
Eyesdark.
Voice low and dangerous.
“You used your phone.”
My stomach twists. “What—”
“Don’t lie to me,” he snaps. “You called your father, your brother, your friend. And your fucking editor.”
“Dante, I didn’t send him anything—”
“Then how the fuck did he get it?” His voice rises, the control slipping. “How did he get my name? My family’s? My daughter’s?”
“Maybe he had an old file—”
“Stop.” His eyes flash, all the softness gone. “You put a target on my back. On my men’s. On mydaughter’s.”
