Chương 2 - The Gilded Cage
I could not tear my eyes away from the burning wreckage of the diner.
Flames licked the dark sky, consuming the only place that had offered me a paycheck.
If Tommy had not fired me five minutes ago, I would be burning inside that kitchen.
The driver did not slow down, weaving effortlessly through the chaotic New York traffic.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs as I processed what Dante had said.
My mother's medical treatments had left me fifty thousand dollars in debt to terrible people.
I had been making minimum payments every month just to keep my kneecaps intact.
Now, the most dangerous mafia boss in Manhattan owned that debt.
The Mercedes finally pulled into an underground parking garage beneath a towering glass skyscraper.
The scarred guard opened my door and silently gestured for me to exit.
I followed him to a private elevator that required a retinal scan to operate.
We rode in absolute silence to the penthouse level.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a massive, ultra-modern living space that looked like a museum.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the city I could no longer afford to live in.
Dante Caruso was standing by the glass, pouring amber liquor into a crystal tumbler.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored black dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal tattooed forearms.
"Welcome to your new home, piccola," Dante said, turning to face me.
"I am not living here," I shot back, crossing my arms defensively.
"I will work off my debt, but I am not becoming your prisoner."
Dante took a slow sip of his drink, his dark eyes roaming over my ruined uniform.
"You misunderstand the situation, Clare."
"I did not blow up your diner."
"The Moretti family blew up your diner."
I blinked, completely caught off guard.
"Why would anyone blow up a diner over me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"Because three nights ago, the entire underground saw me sit in your booth and smile," Dante explained softly.
"They believe you are my new weakness."
He walked toward me, his cologne washing over my senses and making my head spin.
"They want to use you to hurt me."
"So, until I destroy the Moretti family, you will stay in this penthouse."
"And you will pretend to be exactly what they think you are."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box.
He snapped it open, revealing a diamond ring so large it looked heavy.
"Put it on," he commanded.
"I am not pretending to be your fiancée," I refused, stepping back.
Dante sighed, pulling a remote control from the glass coffee table.
He pressed a button, and a massive television screen lowered from the ceiling.
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It displayed a live security feed of my tiny apartment in Queens.
Three men armed with suppressed assault rifles were currently kicking my front door off its hinges.
