Gianna stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at Vincent with an intensity that bordered on desperation. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting information and unanswered questions. She needed clarity. Needed truth. Needed something to make sense of the chaos from last night.But she didn't even know where to start.Vincent turned from the stove, meeting her gaze with calm patience. "Are you just going to stand there staring? Or are we actually going to have this conversation?"His tone was gentle, almost teasing, as if they were discussing something mundane rather than the fundamental mysteries of who he actually was."Who are you?" Gianna finally asked, the words bursting out with accumulated frustration. "Really. Who are you?"Vincent's expression remained placid. "I'm Vincent Casti. The man who agreed to your contract marriage. The same person I was yesterday and the day before that.""That's not what I mean!" Gianna's voice rose despite her efforts to stay calm. "Vincent Casti—is

The color drained from Kevin's face. His hands, which had been gripping Vincent's apron with aggressive strength, began trembling violently.Vincent continued in that same deadly quiet whisper. "Your father is alive because I'm allowing him to be. Your family still has a home and business because I haven't decided otherwise. Those are privileges, Kevin. Not guarantees. And every stupid decision you make—like barging into my house and making demands—brings you closer to losing those privileges permanently."Kevin's breathing had gone ragged. The fear in his eyes was naked and absolute."Now," Vincent said, his whisper taking on an almost gentle quality that somehow made it more threatening, "you're going to let go of my apron. You're going to walk out of this house. And you're going to tell anyone who asks that you have no idea where your father is. Because if you don't—if you bring police or lawyers or any more dramatic confrontations—your father won't be the only member of the Romano

Vincent's voice went cold with absolute authority. "Tell Stephani that if she sees Gianna today—if she agrees to any meeting, conversation, or contact—I will personally ensure she regrets that decision. Tell her that my wife is off-limits. Permanently. No interrogations, no manipulation, no attempts to undermine our marriage. Gianna is under my protection, and Stephani will respect that boundary or face consequences she won't enjoy.""Understood, Commander. Anything else?""Yes," Vincent added. "Make it clear this isn't negotiable. Stephani doesn't get to use Gianna as a pawn in whatever obsessive game she thinks we're playing. That ends now.""I'll deliver the message personally within the hour," the captain confirmed."Thank you," Vincent replied, ending the call.He stood alone in the kitchen, looking at the breakfast he'd prepared that would go uneaten. Gianna was determined to get answers from Stephani—answers Vincent wasn't ready to provide himself.But he could control whether

Giovanni sat alone in his study long after Kevin's angry departure, his mind working through increasingly complex scenarios. The question that dominated his thoughts was simple but troubling: how could someone like Stephani Palazzo be connected to the enigma that was Vincent?He didn't know enough about either of them to draw definitive conclusions. Stephani was a global billionaire who operated in rarefied circles far above Giovanni's considerable wealth and influence. Vincent was... whatever Vincent actually was beneath his modest facade.But Giovanni felt certain Gianna's question wasn't a fluke. She'd met Stephani personally. Had spent time in the woman's presence. For Gianna to ask whether Vincent knew Stephani—for that accusation to emerge despite Vincent's denials—meant something serious had transpired.Some interaction. Some recognition. Some evidence of connection that couldn't be easily dismissed.Giovanni made a decision that he knew was dangerous but necessary. He needed t

Vincent stood in the secure facility's observation room, looking through one-way glass at Antonio Romano. The man sat in his holding cell looking exhausted, defeated, and genuinely terrified about what came next.In any other situation—any other target—Vincent would have handled this simply and permanently. Antonio would have either been dead or disappeared into one of the deep dungeons Vincent's organization maintained in third-world countries where questions were never asked and people were easily forgotten.But this wasn't any other situation.These were Gianna's people. Her city. Her social circles. If Antonio simply vanished permanently, questions would be asked. Investigations launched. And while Vincent could handle that scrutiny, Gianna would be caught in the fallout.More problematically, Antonio now knew things. Had seen Vincent's capabilities firsthand. Knew about the elite operators, the resources, the reach that Vincent commanded. Letting him return to normal life meant r