The silence in Marius’s penthouse office didn’t just linger; it solidified like cooling lead. / Chapter 2 / 20

Chapter 2 - Red Wine and Uninvited Guests"This is unacceptable," I snapped, my voice dropping an octave as I glared at Marius across the flickering candlelit table. "Marius, you have no right to be here. Get out."

Marius slowly shifted his eyes to me. The anger in them wasn't hot; it was sub-zero. "I am protecting my investments, Bianca. And currently, you are the most valuable asset in my entire infrastructure."

"I am a person, not an asset!"

Julian, attempting to muster an ounce of bravado to impress me, cleared his throat. "Look, sir, I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just bully people in a public establishment. I'll call the police—"

Marius let out a single, low laugh—a sound so devoid of humor it made the waiter three tables away drop a napkin. He didn't even look at Julian as he reached into his waistcoat, pulled out a matte-black smartphone, and tossed it onto the table. It slid across the linen, stopping right beside Julian’s wine glass.

"Call them," Marius said simply. "Ask for Chief Inspector Rossi. Tell him Marius Orlov is disturbing your dinner. See if he sends a squad car, or if he calls your CEO to tell him your contract with the port authority has been terminated before you finish your appetizer."

Julian stared at the phone as if it were a venomous snake. His throat worked silently as he swallowed hard.

"Who is he really, Bianca?" Marius asked, his eyes fixing back on me. "Shall I tell you? Or would you prefer he explains why his 'logistics firm' is currently under investigation by the Guardia di Finanza for laundering money for the Camorra out of Marseille?"

I froze. My head snapped toward Julian. "What?"

Julian’s face went from pale to ghostly grey. "That... that's proprietary information! How did you—"

"I know the breath you take before you breathe it, boy," Marius growled, his voice dropping into a register that made the wine glasses vibrate. "Did you really think you could approach my assistant at a charity gala last month, track her routines, build a profile, and use her to get access to my internal ledgers?"

The atmosphere instantly turned lethal. Julian backed up against his chair, his hands trembling. "I didn't... they made me... they said if I didn't get close to her—"

"Illya," Marius said smoothly, standing up and buttoning his waistcoat with precise movements. "Take Mr. Vance outside. Teach him why reading my personal mail is bad for one's longevity."

"No!" I shouted, standing up so fast my chair scraped loudly against the floorboards. "Marius, stop! Not here! You promised me!"

Marius paused. He looked at me, his gray eyes burning through the dim light of the restaurant. "I promised I would protect you, Bianca. I never promised I would be gentle to those who try to use you."

"He didn't touch your ledgers!" I stepped closer to Marius, invading his personal space, refusing to back down. "He was using me. Fine. My pride is hurt. But if you execute him in the alley behind a Michelin-star restaurant, my life as a normal person is completely over!"

Marius stared down at me, his chest rising and falling in heavy, measured breaths. The distance between us was mere inches. I could feel the heat radiating off his broad frame.

"Your life as a normal person was over the day you walked into Katya's office, Bianca," he whispered, leaning down so his lips almost brushed the shell of my ear. "You just haven't accepted that you belong in the dark with me yet."

He straightened up and gestured to Lev. "Get Vance out of my sight. Ship him to London on the midnight cargo flight. If he ever steps foot in Italy again, put him in the bay."