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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 – The Descent

Rain blurred the morning sky when Sarah woke.

The night before still clung to her — his scent, his voice, the heat of his words.

> Say yes, and I'll ruin him for you.

It wasn't a promise.

It was a threat wrapped in seduction.

Sarah poured herself coffee and opened her laptop.

She couldn't stop thinking about him.

Not his face. Not his touch.

But his power.

Dante Moretti wasn't a man who offered. He commanded.

And if she was going to play his game, she needed to know who she was dealing with.

She typed his name into a private database — one her father had once used for business vetting.

Dozens of results appeared.

Companies. Subsidiaries. Hidden shell corporations.

All tied to a single entity: Moretti Holdings.

Her breath caught when she saw the next line —

Partnerships: Windsor Corp (2016–2019)

Her father's company.

Her family legacy.

Dante hadn't just appeared out of nowhere.

He'd been in her world for years.

She dug deeper.

Real estate. Imports. Security. Even luxury brands.

His reach spread across Europe, quiet but unstoppable.

The man was everywhere.

Everywhere — and invisible.

A quiet chill ran through her.

Had he known her father?

Had he planned this from the start?

She slammed the laptop shut, her heart pounding.

This wasn't coincidence.

Dante Moretti had chosen her for a reason.

---

That evening, she was expected at another society event — a fundraiser at the Regal Hotel.

She almost skipped it.

But she needed to show face, to remind the vultures she wasn't done yet.

The ballroom glittered under chandeliers, filled with champagne laughter and whispered gossip.

Dominic and Vanessa were there — of course they were.

Perfect smiles, fingers intertwined.

Her throat burned.

Sarah forced herself to mingle.

Smile. Laugh. Pretend.

But every move felt hollow.

Her mind was still on him.

She turned to get a drink — and froze.

He was here.

Dante stood near the far corner, dressed in black, his presence magnetic even among the city's elite.

He didn't belong in their polished world, and yet he commanded it effortlessly.

Their eyes met across the room.

A shiver raced down her spine.

He didn't move toward her at first.

He waited — watching. Measuring.

Until the crowd parted, and he started walking.

Each step felt deliberate, dangerous.

"Miss Windsor," he said when he reached her, his tone smooth and edged with something dark.

"Mr. Moretti," she replied evenly, though her pulse betrayed her.

He looked at her glass, half-empty. "You drink when you're nervous."

She raised a brow. "You assume a lot."

"I observe," he said simply.

Their words were formal. Their bodies were not.

He stepped closer — too close — until her perfume mixed with his cologne, intoxicating and warm.

"You've been digging," he said softly.

Her breath caught. "You knew I would."

He smiled faintly. "Of course. I wanted you to."

She swallowed hard. "You worked with my father."

"For a time," Dante said. "He was a clever man. Trusted too many people."

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you—"

He cut her off with a look. "No. I didn't destroy him, Sarah. Others did. I just watched the wolves feed."

The room seemed to spin around them.

Her voice was low, sharp. "You knew what they were doing, and you said nothing?"

He leaned closer, his breath brushing her ear.

"I don't interfere in other people's weakness. But you… you're not weak."

She hated how his words made her shiver.

"You think flattery will make me trust you?"

He chuckled — quiet, dangerous. "No. But it might make you listen."

He moved even closer, his hand brushing her back as if by accident — or maybe not.

"Dominic is selling your father's company tomorrow. You have one chance to stop him."

Her chest tightened. "How do you know that?"

"I told you," Dante murmured. "I make it my business to know things."

"Why tell me?" she asked, voice trembling between anger and desire.

He studied her — dark eyes gleaming like secrets.

"Because I want to see what you'll do with the truth."

She tried to step back, but his hand caught hers, gentle yet unyielding.

"Let me help you," he said softly. "You'll lose everything if you fight alone."

"I can't trust you."

He smiled faintly. "You already do. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing here."

Silence.

Only the sound of violins and her racing heart.

"Say yes, Sarah," he whispered. "And I'll ruin him for you."

Her breath hitched.

The words weren't just a promise — they were a temptation she couldn't resist.

She looked up at him, searching his face for lies.

All she saw was danger.

And desire.

The crowd faded.

The lights dimmed.

Only his voice remained.

"Say yes," Dante murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "And I'll make sure he never recovers from what he did to you."

Sarah's lips parted. Her mind screamed no, but her heart had already betrayed her.

"I—"

"Miss Windsor!"

The sharp voice snapped her back to reality.

It was Vanessa.

Smiling sweetly, venom in her tone. "Didn't expect to see you here. You look… desperate."

Sarah froze.

Dante didn't even glance at Vanessa. His eyes stayed on Sarah — calm, dark, dangerous.

He whispered, so only she could hear,

"Desperate women are the ones who change the world."

He took her hand, kissed it lightly — bold, deliberate — before turning and walking away, leaving the air thick with whispers.

Everyone had seen.

Everyone had felt it.

Vanessa's fake smile faltered.

Dominic looked pale.

Sarah stood there, heart racing, torn between fury and thrill.

She had no idea if she was falling into his trap —

or finally stepping into her own power.

When she returned home, another envelope waited by her door.

No name.

No address.

Inside, a single sheet of paper.

> Dominic's secrets are deeper than you know.

Meet me tomorrow. 11 p.m. My world — your choice.

— D.M.

And beneath it, a single red petal.

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