Chapter 10 - The Vow Renewed
Dante slowly turned his back on the basement doors. The heavy, lethal tension in his broad shoulders finally began to dissipate. He looked across the foyer.
Anna was still standing near her battered suitcase, holding Sophie tightly against her leg.
Dante walked over to them. The terrifying apex predator completely vanished, replaced by a man filled with profound, unspoken gratitude. He slowly dropped to one knee, bringing himself down to Sophie’s eye level. He gently picked up her small, trembling hand, examining the red marks on her wrist.
"I'm sorry she hurt you, piccola," Dante said softly, offering the little girl a genuinely warm, protective smile. "The shiny lady is gone. She will never, ever hurt you again."
Sophie sniffled, reaching out and wrapping her tiny arms around Dante's neck in a fearless, innocent hug.
Dante closed his eyes, holding his best friend's child close. He looked up at Anna. "You're not a housekeeper, Anna. I was wrong to hide you in the shadows. From tonight on, you sit at the head of the table. You are family."
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Anna wiped a tear from her cheek, finally feeling a true, unbreakable sense of safety in the mansion. The traitor was gone, the empire was secured, and the blood vow had been honored.
If you were Dante, would you have handed the treacherous fiancée over to her political father, or handled her treason privately in the syndicate?
