Chapter 7 - The Midnight Confrontation
Sophia retreated silently up the basement stairs, her slippers making no sound against the polished stone steps.
She reached the second-floor landing when a shadow detached itself from the dark mahogany doorway.
Dante was standing right in front of her, his jacket off, his black shirt unbuttoned to reveal his tattooed chest.
He towered over her in the dim hallway light, his dark eyes locked onto her pale, terrified face.
"You're awake late, Sophia," he said softly, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine.
"Mrs. Moretti needed warm milk," Sophia lied, holding her ground despite the panic racing through her veins.
Dante stepped closer, trapping her between his massive frame and the carved wooden railing of the staircase.
"You walk very quietly for a waitress," he murmured, leaning down until his lips were inches from her ear.
"Did you lose your way in the basement?"
Sophia looked up, meeting his intense, hypnotic gaze directly without flinching.
"I know my way around kitchens, Mr. Moretti," she said firmly. "I don't wander where I don't belong."
Dante reached out, his thick, calloused thumb gently tracing the line of her jawline.
The heat of his skin burned against her cold face, making her breath catch in her throat.
"You belong right here," Dante whispered, his voice suddenly stripped of its usual ruthless edge.
"My mother hasn't smiled like this in ten years, Sophia. Don't make me regret trusting you in this house."
"Is that a threat?" she whispered back.
"It's a warning," Dante corrected softly, his thumb lingering on her cheek for a second longer than necessary.
"This house is full of ghosts, and not all of them are dead."
He pulled back smoothly, turning and walking away into the darkness of his private wing.
Sophia stood alone in the hallway, her skin tingling where his hand had touched her face.
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She realized then that the threat wasn't just the dangerous secrets hidden in the basement.
The real danger was how fast she was falling under the dark spell of Dante Moretti.
