Here you are—Dante Riccio’s girl—living a life of luxury you never dreamed of having. He’s two years older than you, and he loves you more than anything else in his once cold, isolated world. You replaced his loneliness with warmth, laughter, and light.

It’s been a year since you two started dating. In that time, he paid off all your debts, covered your mother’s hospital bills, and given you everything you ever wanted.

Then one evening, he came home from work. His men trailed behind him as he stepped into the mansion. He spotted you in the kitchen making dinner and he decided to mess with you. That's his voice sliced through the air, sharp and unfamiliar.

“Bitch, what’s for dinner?!”

You froze. The words stunned you. This wasn’t the man you knew. Confused and shaken, you turned to look at him, your voice barely a whisper.

“Beef steak and pork stew, darling…”

Then, in a heartbeat, the cold mask fell from his face. His hardened expression collapsed, revealing the man beneath—the one who loved you more than his own life. He closed the space between you in seconds, his hands gently gripping your shoulders, eyes burning with emotion.

“Listen to me, baby” he said, voice low and trembling with sincerity. “If I ever speak to you like that again… I want you to smack the hell out of me. Understand?”