Chapter four : The Contract

Dante watched every movement she made.

The pen in Aries's hand seemed insignificant, yet he knew it held the power to change both their futures.

She was hesitating.

He could see the conflict written all over her face. Her emotions had overwhelmed her judgment, leaving only one thing on her mind,

the truth about her father.

She wanted answers.

She wanted to know where she came from, why she had been abandoned, and whether she still had a family somewhere in the world.

If marrying the devil himself was the price for those answers, then perhaps she was willing to pay it.

Only if she didn't know that the Devil Bikers never made a deal without expecting something in return.

Dante hadn't lied to her.

Her father was alive.

He knew where Adam Williams was.

And yes, Dante needed a wife before his thirtieth birthday.

But there was one thing he had deliberately kept from her.

Aries wasn't just a convenient woman he could marry. She was Adam Williams's daughter.

And Adam was connected to the one person Dante trusted the least his stepbrother.

Dante didn't know why Adam had disappeared from his stepbrother's organization or why he had suddenly appeared at Marino Club that night. He didn't know what Adam had discovered or what he had been running from.

But he intended to find out. And Aries was the leverage he needed.

Aries finally lowered the pen.

Her hand trembled slightly as she signed her name at the bottom of the contract.

Then she pushed the document across the table.

Dante's eyes immediately dropped to her signature. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Victory.

In one move, he had secured his position as heir to Marino Corporation and President of the Devil Bikers.

More importantly, he had gained a connection to a mystery that had been bothering him for far too long.

Things were finally falling into place.

"When will I meet my father?" Aries's question pulled him from his thoughts.

Dante slowly lifted his gaze. "Relax, Bambi. Don't run faster than your shadow."

Aries frowned at the strange nickname but said nothing.

Across the room, Jones watched the exchange carefully.

He had known Dante since childhood. He had been there when almost everyone else abandoned him after his mother's death. Over the years, he had become Dante's second-in-command, closest friend, and one of the few people who could question his decisions without immediately regretting it.

And right now, Jones had questions. A lot of them.

Dante's expression hardened. "Take her back to her room."

Jones stood.

Aries hesitated before following him.

This time, however, she wasn't taken back to the cold metallic room where she had spent her first night.

Jones led her to another room.

The moment the door opened, Aries stopped.

It was beautiful. The walls were painted a soft white, complementing the expensive furniture scattered throughout the room. A large bed occupied the centre, while elegant decorations filled the remaining space.

Everything about it screamed wealth. Jones stepped aside and allowed her to enter. "Get some rest."

He didn't wait for a response. The door closed behind him.

Aries slowly walked toward the bed and sat down. For the first time since entering the Marino mansion, she allowed herself to breathe.

She was going to meet her father.

After twenty years of wondering whether he even existed, she finally had a chance to see him. She didn't know that the man she was searching for was only a few rooms away.

Dante walked out of the office and headed straight toward the basement. The same place where everything had started. The door opened, and the familiar smell of antiseptic filled the air.

Adam Williams lay on the bed at the far end of the room.

His wound had been treated, but his condition remained weak. An IV line ran into his arm, while several bandages covered the injuries he had suffered during his escape.

Dante stopped beside the bed. His eyes remained fixed on the unconscious man.

Adam had worked for his stepbrother. That much Dante knew.

What he didn't understand was why a man who had served his stepbrother for years had suddenly disappeared and why he had ended up at Marino Club.

The door opened behind him. Jones walked in.

His expression was serious. "So it's true."

Dante didn't turn around. "What's true?"

"You actually married the daughter of a man connected to your stepbrother."

Dante's jaw tightened.

Jones moved closer. "Why?"

Dante remained silent.

Jones's voice hardened. "She was a stranger yesterday. Today, she's your wife. And you expect me not to ask questions?"

Dante finally turned. "I need leverage."

Jones stared at him.

"Over Adam?"

"Over the people Adam was working for."

Dante's gaze returned to the unconscious man.

"Adam wouldn't betray my stepbrother. Not willingly."

"And Aries?"

"She changes things."

Jones frowned.

Dante continued.

"We don't know why Adam disappeared. We don't know what he discovered, and we don't know why he came to my club."

He paused.

"But now we have his daughter."

Jones's expression changed. He understood.

The underworld had rules. Loyalty ran deeper than fear, and men like Adam didn't simply abandon their organizations without a reason.

Three questions remained unanswered.

Why had Adam left?

Why had he gone to Marino Club?

And what had he discovered about Dante's stepbrother?

Until Dante had those answers, he couldn't afford to trust anyone. Not even Adam.

A faint movement came from the bed. Both men turned.

Adam's eyelids fluttered. His breathing changed slowly, his eyes opened. The light above him forced him to squint.

He tried to move, but pain immediately shot through his body. Then the memories returned.

The escape.

The chase.

The attack.

The gunshot.

His eyes moved around the room until they finally landed on Dante.

Dante Marino.

Adam's expression hardened. Jones stood beside him, watching silently. For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Adam's voice finally broke the silence. "You'll never get anything from me."

His voice was weak, but his determination was unmistakable. "I'd rather die."

Dante studied him carefully. That response only raised more questions.

If Adam was truly loyal to his stepbrother, why had he run?

Why had he come to Marino Club?

And why had he risked everything to escape?

Something didn't add up. Dante stepped closer to the bed. "You ran from him."

Adam's eyes narrowed.

"But you refuse to tell me why."

Silence.

Dante's voice dropped. "I could make this very difficult for you."

Adam stared at him. "I've already survived worse."

A faint smile touched Dante's lips. "Maybe."

He leaned closer.

"But I'm not talking about you."

Adam's expression changed. For the first time, uncertainty flashed across his face. Dante watched it carefully. He had found the crack.

"There is someone else," Dante continued calmly. "Someone you left behind."

Adam's breathing changed. His eyes widened slightly.

Dante straightened.

"Your daughter."

Adam went completely still. Dante watched his reaction.

There it was.

The answer they had been looking for.

Dante's eyes darkened with satisfaction.

Aries wasn't merely leverage.

She was the one thing Adam couldn't afford to lose.

And now Dante knew exactly where to apply pressure.