Chapter 7 - Whispers in the Dark Bedroom
That night, after the financial trap had been set, the penthouse fell into a heavy, quiet stillness. The city lights below twinkled like a sea of diamonds against the dark waters of Lake Michigan.
Khloe could not sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the muzzle flash in the alley and the cold determination in Enzo's eyes. She walked into the kitchen to pour a glass of water and found Enzo sitting by the grand window, a glass of scotch untouched on the table beside him.
“You should be resting,” Enzo said without turning around.
“So should you,” she replied, walking over to stand beside him.
“Men in my position don't sleep well,” he murmured. “When you spend your entire life waiting for a knife in the back, peace feels like an ambush.”
Khloe looked at the side of his face. For the first time, she saw the deep exhaustion etched into his features—the burden of carrying an entire empire on his shoulders since the death of his own father five years ago.
“Why did you choose this life?” she asked quietly.
Enzo let out a low, bitter breath. “I didn't choose it. It was handed to me in blood. When my father was murdered, the family was about to be torn apart by vultures like Marcone and Sal. If I didn't step up, my mother and sisters would have been executed within a month. I became the monster they needed me to be.”
Khloe set her glass down and gently placed her hand on his arm. “You aren't a monster, Enzo. A monster wouldn't have spared Tommy. A monster wouldn't have checked on Frankie before himself.”
Enzo turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto hers. The space between them seemed to vanish. He reached up, his fingers brushing against her cheek with surprising tenderness—a contrast to the lethal hands that had broken an assassin hours earlier.
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“Since the moment you spoke up in that dining room,” Enzo whispered, “you’ve been the only thing that feels real in this city.”
Khloe didn't pull away. For a heartbeat, the danger and the chaos outside disappeared, replaced by a deep, undeniable pull that terrified her far more than any gun ever could.
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