Chapter 2 - The Senator’s Brunch
Two days later, the past came knocking.
Senator Sterling, Aria’s father, arrived at the Rossi compound under the guise of a "celebratory brunch" to check on his new alliance. When Aria heard his booming, politician's laugh echoing in the grand foyer, her lungs seized.
She was standing in the library, wearing one of her new dresses—a soft emerald green silk that dipped low, leaving her bruised neck entirely exposed. Dante stood by the fireplace, nursing a glass of bourbon. He hadn’t missed the way her hands started shaking the moment the doorbell rang.
"You don't have to see him," Dante said quietly, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room.
"If I hide, he’ll know I’m weak," Aria whispered. "He'll punish Julian for it."
Dante’s eyes narrowed. "Julian? Your brother?"
Aria froze, realizing her slip. She had protected her brother’s secret out of pure survival instinct. Julian Sterling was the Senator’s attack dog—a vicious, volatile man who did the family’s dirty work behind the veil of political immunity. It was Julian who had choked her two days before the wedding when she tried to refuse the arrangement.
Before Dante could press the issue, the library doors swung open.
Senator Sterling strode in, flashing his million-dollar smile. "Dante, my boy! And Aria, my sweet—"
The Senator’s voice died in his throat. His eyes locked onto Aria’s exposed collarbone. The bruises were undeniable in the bright morning light.
"Aria," her father hissed, his political mask slipping into something ugly. "What are you wearing? Where is your modesty?"
"She wears what she wants in my house, Senator," Dante interrupted. He set his bourbon glass down. The gentle clink sounded like a gunshot. Dante closed the distance between himself and the Senator in three predatory strides.
"I... of course," the Senator stammered, intimidated by the sheer physical dominance of the mafia boss. "I merely meant she should represent the Sterling name with dignity."
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Dante leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper that only the three of them could hear. "She doesn't carry the Sterling name anymore. She is a Rossi. And in my world, if someone damages my property, I don't hide it. I display the damage to justify the slaughter that follows."
The Senator went pale. Dante turned back to Aria, his eyes softening a fraction. "Sienna is waiting in the garden, Aria. Go get some fresh air. Your father and I have business to discuss."
