For a moment—
Seraphina couldn't move.
Dante Russo stood just inside her apartment like he belonged there.
Like breaking into her home at 2:13 a.m. was the most normal thing in the world.
He closed the door behind him with a quiet click.
The sound echoed louder than it should have.
Seraphina forced herself to breathe.
Slow.
Controlled.
"Breaking and entering?" she said, her voice sharper than she felt. "That's a new look for a billionaire."
His gaze settled on her.
Dark. Steady. Unreadable.
"You've had an interesting few days," he said.
Not answering her question.
Not even acknowledging it.
Her jaw tightened.
"And you've had a very illegal one," she shot back. "You erased my files. That alone—"
"Was necessary."
The interruption was calm.
Too calm.
Like her anger didn't even register.
Something about that irritated her more than it should.
Seraphina crossed her arms.
"You don't get to decide what's necessary in my life."
A pause.
Then—
He took a step closer.
Her body reacted instantly, tension locking into her spine.
Not fear.
Just awareness.
Every instinct sharpening at once.
"Don't I?" he said quietly.
The question wasn't loud.
Wasn't threatening.
But it settled in the air like a weight.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Up close, he was worse.
Not just because of how he looked—though that didn't help.
It was the control.
The stillness.
Like nothing around him could touch him unless he allowed it.
Seraphina hated that she noticed.
Even more that part of her… understood it.
She held his gaze anyway.
Refusing to step back.
Refusing to give him that.
"You've been watching me," she said.
Not a question.
His expression didn't change.
"You made that very easy."
Her stomach tightened slightly.
She ignored it.
"Creepy," she replied flatly.
A flicker of something crossed his eyes.
Amusement.
Gone as quickly as it came.
"You're persistent," he said instead.
"And you're defensive," she shot back. "Which tells me I was right."
Silence.
Not empty.
Charged.
Then—
"You were close," he said.
Her pulse jumped.
There it was.
Confirmation.
She tilted her head slightly, studying him now.
"Close to what?" she asked.
His gaze sharpened just a fraction.
"Something you weren't prepared to understand."
Her lips pressed together.
"Oh, I understand more than you think."
Another step.
Closer.
Too close now.
The air between them felt tight, like something invisible had snapped into place.
"No," he said softly. "You don't."
Seraphina forced herself to stay still.
Even as her instincts screamed at her to put distance between them.
"I understand that you're hiding something big," she said.
Her voice was steady.
Even if her pulse wasn't.
"And I understand that you're desperate enough to break into my apartment to stop me."
A beat of silence.
Then—
Dante smiled.
Slow.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
"If I were desperate," he said, "this conversation would be very different."
Something cold slid down her spine.
Not because of what he said—
But because she believed him.
"You wiped everything," she said, shifting the focus. "Why?"
His eyes held hers.
"Because you weren't supposed to find it."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you need."
Her frustration spiked.
"I decide what I need."
"No," he said calmly. "You don't."
That did it.
"Who do you think you are?" she snapped.
The moment the words left her mouth—
Silence dropped.
Heavy.
Sharp.
His expression didn't change.
But something else did.
Something beneath the surface.
Darker.
Colder.
More dangerous.
When he spoke again, his voice was quieter.
Not softer.
Worse.
"You already know who I am."
Her breath caught—just slightly.
Because he was right.
Not fully.
But enough.
Enough to know this wasn't just a businessman standing in her apartment.
This was something else.
Something far more dangerous.
"Then let me make this simple," she said, lifting her chin.
"I'm not stopping."
There it was.
The line.
Clear.
Defiant.
Stupid… maybe.
But she didn't care.
She couldn't.
Because if she backed down now—
She would never forgive herself.
Dante watched her for a long moment.
Really watched her.
Like he was trying to figure something out.
Then—
He took one final step forward.
Close enough that she could feel the heat of him.
Close enough that stepping back would feel like losing.
So she didn't.
"You're not afraid of me," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Seraphina held his gaze.
"No."
A pause.
Then—
"That might be your first mistake."
Her pulse skipped.
Just once.
Silence stretched between them again.
Thick.
Unspoken.
Then—
"You have two options," Dante said.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Here we go."
"You walk away," he continued, ignoring the comment, "and everything you found stays gone."
"And the second?"
His gaze didn't waver.
"You work for me."
The words hit harder than she expected.
Seraphina blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
"I need someone with your skill set," he said. "Someone who sees what others miss."
She stared at him.
Trying to process.
Trying to understand if this was a joke.
It didn't feel like one.
"You broke into my apartment," she said slowly, "threatened me, erased my work… and now you're offering me a job?"
"Yes."
Just like that.
No hesitation.
No irony.
Nothing.
Her disbelief turned into something sharper.
"You're insane."
"Or efficient."
She let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Yeah, that's not happening."
Another pause.
Then—
"Think carefully before you answer."
Her expression hardened.
"I already did."
Something shifted in his gaze again.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Something… colder.
More final.
"Your career," he said calmly. "Every case you've ever worked on."
Her stomach tightened.
"What about it?"
"I can erase that too."
The words landed like a blow.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But precise.
Targeted.
Effective.
Her pulse spiked.
This time—
It wasn't excitement.
"You're bluffing," she said.
But it didn't sound as certain as she wanted.
Dante didn't react.
Didn't argue.
Didn't need to.
That silence told her everything.
Her mind raced.
Fast.
Sharp.
Calculating.
If he could erase her work…
If he could ruin her reputation…
Everything she had built—
Gone.
Just like that.
She swallowed.
Hated that she had to.
"Say I even consider this," she said carefully. "What exactly do you want?"
His answer came immediately.
"Loyalty."
Her lips pressed together.
"That's not something you force."
"No," he agreed quietly. "But it's something you learn."
Seraphina held his gaze.
Searching.
Testing.
Measuring.
This wasn't a job offer.
This was control.
A cage disguised as an opportunity.
And he knew it.
Silence stretched.
Then—
"Fine."
The word left her mouth before she could second-guess it.
Dante's eyes narrowed slightly.
Not expecting that.
Good.
"I'll work for you," she said.
Slow.
Deliberate.
"But don't confuse that with loyalty."
Something dark flickered in his gaze.
Interest.
Approval.
Danger.
"All in good time," he said.
And just like that—
The game changed.