Chapter 96: She Is Your Betrothed,

POV: ANTONIO

Antonio Valentino sat in his study in Rome, a glass of forty-year-old scotch in hand, watching the sun rise over the Tiber.

His phone call with Lorenzo Russo had been... illuminating.

Isabella had failed spectacularly. Gotten caught. Been banished by Dimitri with threats of death if she returned.

Which meant the alliance, the carefully constructed partnership that had taken years to negotiate was crumbling.

All because his son had fallen in love.

Antonio took a sip of scotch, let it burn down his throat.

Love.

Such a pedestrian emotion. Such a weakness.

Claire had loved him once. Loved him enough to leave America, to marry into his world, to bear his child.

And it had gotten her killed.

Dimitri should have learned that lesson. Should have understood that sentiment was a luxury men like them couldn’t afford.

Instead, he’d chosen a woman. A nobody. Someone with no training, no connections, no understanding of their world.

And now Antonio had to clean up the mess.

He pulled out his phone, dialed Dimitri’s number.

It rang five times before his son answered, voice clipped.

"What do you want, Antonio?"

Not ’father.’ Not even ’Padre.’

Just Antonio.

As if they were strangers rather than blood.

"I want to discuss Isabella," Antonio said calmly. "I understand you had a... confrontation with her this evening."

"She bugged Eve’s office. Hired an investigator to build a profile on her. Was planning God knows what." Dimitri’s voice was ice. "So yes. We had a confrontation. And now she’s leaving. Permanently."

"Is she?"

A pause. Then: "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means that banishing Isabella Russo from your city is not as simple as giving an order." Antonio leaned back in his chair. "She is your betrothed, Dimitri. Promised to you since childhood. She has every right to fight for her fiancé."

"She was never my fiancée. You arranged that without my consent."

"I arranged it because it was strategically necessary. Because the Russo-Valentino alliance is worth more than your temporary infatuation with some American woman." Antonio’s voice hardened. "And whether you like it or not, there are consequences to breaking that arrangement."

"I don’t care about consequences."

"You should. Because Lorenzo Russo is not a man who accepts humiliation lightly. And you grabbing his daughter by the throat, threatening to kill her, banishing her like she’s nothing.....that’s humiliation."

"She threatened Eve...."

"She defended her claim!" Antonio’s voice cracked like a whip. "You are engaged to her, Dimitri. By every law that matters in our world, Isabella Russo is your intended wife. She has the right to fight for what’s hers. Just as you apparently have the right to disrespect that arrangement by parading your mistress around like she’s something more than a temporary distraction."

Silence on the other end.

Dangerous silence.

"Choose your next words carefully, father," Dimitri said, his voice soft and lethal. "Because if you call Eve a mistress again, I will forget you raised me."

"What would you prefer I call her? Your queen? Your love?" Antonio laughed harshly. "She’s a civilian, Dimitri. A talent agent who got lucky. She has no business in our world, and you know it."

"She’s the woman I’m going to marry. The woman I’m going to build a life with. And anyone....anyone—who threatens her becomes my enemy. Including you."

"Even at the cost of war with the Russos?"

"Especially then."

Antonio set down his glass, forced himself to stay calm.

"Let me make you an offer," he said quietly. "A compromise."

"I’m not interested in compromises where Eve is concerned."

"You will be when you hear this one." Antonio pulled up the documents on his computer....contracts, territory maps, alliance agreements. "Let Isabella stay in the city. Not to pursue you, I’ll keep her in check personally. But to maintain the appearance that the Russo-Valentino alliance still exists. To avoid humiliating Lorenzo so badly that he feels compelled to retaliate."

"No."

"In exchange," Antonio continued as if Dimitri hadn’t spoken, "I will ensure that Isabella stays away from Eve. No surveillance. No sabotage. No contact whatsoever. She’ll focus on her organization with Enzo in the neutral territories you granted them. Nothing more."

"She already crossed the line..."

"And you drew blood for it. You’ve made your point. Now let cooler heads prevail." Antonio’s voice turned calculated. "Because if you banish Isabella, if you humiliate the Russo family beyond repair, Lorenzo will retaliate. Not against you....you’re too well protected. But against Eve. The woman you claim to love."

Another silence.

"Is that a threat?" Dimitri’s voice was absolutely zero.

"It’s a reality check." Antonio kept his voice level. "Lorenzo is old school. He believes in honor, contracts, sacred arrangements. You broke all three by choosing Eve over Isabella. And while he might not move against you directly, he will absolutely see Eve as the source of the problem. The obstacle that needs to be removed."

"If he touches her..."

"You’ll start a war. I know. But Dimitri..." Antonio leaned forward. "Do you really think Eve would survive that war? A woman with no training, no connections, no understanding of how brutal our conflicts can become? Lorenzo would have her kidnapped, tortured, used as leverage against you. And there’s nothing...nothing you could do to stop it once the war started."

"I would kill him. I would kill every Russo who breathed."

"Yes. Eventually. But not before they hurt her. Not before they made you watch. Not before they showed you exactly what happens when you choose sentiment over strategy." Antonio’s voice turned almost gentle. "Is that what you want for Eve? For her to pay the price for your choices?"

The silence stretched so long Antonio thought the line had disconnected.

Then Dimitri spoke, and his voice was still ice, but something had shifted. Calculation.

"What exactly are you proposing?"

"Isabella stays. In the city. Under my direct supervision, I’ll come personally to ensure she behaves. She stays in her organization with Enzo. She doesn’t approach Eve, doesn’t surveil her, doesn’t interfere with your relationship." Antonio pulled up the next document. "In exchange, you allow her to maintain face. To not be sent home in disgrace. To preserve the appearance that the Russo-Valentino alliance still has a future."

"It doesn’t have a future. I’m marrying Eve."

"Perhaps. But you don’t need to announce that tomorrow. You can let Isabella stay, let Lorenzo save face, and deal with the formal dissolution of the engagement when cooler heads have prevailed. When tensions have eased. When Eve is better protected." Antonio paused. "Because right now, she’s vulnerable. And Lorenzo knows it. This compromise keeps her safe while you build better defenses."

More silence.

Antonio could hear his son thinking, calculating, weighing options.

Finally: "Isabella stays away from Eve. Completely. No proximity. No events where they’ll cross paths. No contact of any kind."

"Agreed."

"You come to the city. You personally guarantee Isabella’s behavior. If she steps out of line, if she so much as looks at Eve wrong....the deal is off and she’s gone. No second chances."

"Agreed."

"And Lorenzo calls off whatever contingencies he has in place regarding Eve.

"I’ll convey the terms."

"No." Dimitri’s voice was absolute. "I want to hear it from him directly. Conference call. Right now. You, me, Lorenzo. He agrees to my terms, on the record, or this conversation is over and Isabella can pack her bags."

Antonio smiled despite himself.

His son was learning.

"Very well. Give me five minutes to get Lorenzo on the line."

"You have three."