Chapter 1 - The Breach of the Separate RoomThe heavy oak door of the east wing bedroom opened without a knock at 11:43 PM.
Cassie had finally managed to unbutton the heavy ivory satin of her wedding dress, letting the stiff, embroidered bodice slip down to her waist. She stood near the edge of the massive, antique four-poster bed, shivering in the sudden, sharp draft of sea air sweeping in from the hallway.
Damiano Vitale stood in the doorway. The mechanical, polite, untouchable host from the reception had completely vanished. His tailored suit jacket was gone, the top three buttons of his dark dress shirt undone, revealing the faint, jagged edge of a scar across his collarbone. He looked lethal, exhausted, and consumed by a cold, calculating fury.
He stepped inside and locked the door behind him. The metallic click echoed through the cavernous room like the racking of a gun slide.
"What were his exact instructions?" Damiano asked. His voice was no longer flat; it was a low, vibrating hum of pure menace that seemed to lower the temperature of the room.
Cassie took a panicked step backward, her hands instinctively flying up to clutch the white satin of her bodice against her chest. "Whose instructions?"
"Do not play stupid with me, Cassandra," Damiano sneered, closing the physical distance between them with terrifying, predatory speed. "Senator Philip Moore doesn't hand over his only daughter to a Sicilian syndicate just to wipe out a few offshore gambling debts. He sends a spy. A seasoned political operative wrapped up in white lace and church vows. How many of his rivals have you warmed the beds of to secure his votes? What exactly are you looking for in my house?"
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"I don't know what you're talking about!" Cassie said, her voice shaking violently as she backed up against the edge of the mattress.
Damiano didn’t listen. He reached out, his large, unforgiving hands gripping her bare shoulders, forcing her backward until her knees buckled and she tumbled onto the silk sheets. He leaned over her, his dark gray eyes entirely devoid of mercy, pinning her in place.
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