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His thumb brushes the back of my hand. “Almost makes you forget what kind of man he really is.”

I swallow hard, keeping my expression unreadable. “My marriage is none of your business.”

“Oh, on the contrary, I think it is.” He shoots me a wicked grin. “I was shocked to learn that he was in search of a new bride for his—oh, excuse me—my son. Only to be even more shocked when I learned thathemarried you instead.”

“What point are you trying to get to, Giacomo?” My voice exudes the confidence I don’t have.

Giacomo chuckles under his breath. “I see you are an impatient one. But do you ever wonder why Davacalli—arguably one of the most influential crime bosses in the state—would want to align himself with your family? No offense, of course. But you had nothing to offer him that he didn’t already have. So why, oh why, would he arrange a marriage?”

I clench my jaw. I don’t want to admit it out loud, but these questions did play in my head in the very beginning. “I know exactly why he married me.”

“Do you?” His voice is a taunt now, curling around me like smoke. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like a man trying to bury his guilt.”

I keep moving, keep swaying to the music, but his words sink their claws into me.

He watches my expression carefully, reading every flicker of emotion I try to hide. “You’re smart, Maria. Surely, you’veasked yourself why Matteo was so adamant about making this marriage happen. The man needed nothing from you— fuck, with the kind of wealth he’s sitting on, he could have any woman he wants. So why you? Why your family?”

I want to shove him away. I want to turn and walk off this dance floor and pretend none of this is happening. But I don’t. Because he’s not finished yet. His grip on me tightens, and he pushes me into his body.

Giacomo’s smirk deepens as he reaches into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. “Consider this a wedding gift,” he murmurs, bringing his lips right to my ear. He slips something cold and hard into my palm.

A flash drive.

My pulse spikes as my fingers curl around it.

“I think this will answer all the questions that you just can’t seem to figure out.”

A sharp breath leaves me. I stop moving. My body locks in place.

Giacomo pulls back slightly, his eyes filled with something sinister. “Be careful who you lie with, cara mia. You could be sleeping with the devil and not even know it.”

His eyes flick over my shoulder before cutting back to me. “Looks like our dance is over. Until next time, Mrs. Davacalli.”

And then he releases me, stepping away as if nothing happened. The music continues, the world moves around me, but I can’t move. My feet feel rooted to the dance floor, my fingers gripping the small device as if it might disappear.

My heart pounds, my mind racing with the weight of what just happened. His words play in my head over and over again like a broken record.

I don’t even register Matteo’s approach until his voice cuts through the fog.

“Maria.”

I blink, my head snapping up to meet his gaze. His expression shifts instantly—his sharp eyes scanning my face, reading the tension in my body.

He steps closer, lowering his voice. “Are you okay? What did he want?”

I swallow the lump in my throat, forcing myself to school my expression. “Nothing. He was just being weird and trying to get in my head.”

His jaw tightens, but then, when his eyes take in my face, his gaze softens. “You look pale. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I lie smoothly, slipping the flash drive into the folds of my dress. “It’s just been a long night. And Giacomo showing up just bubbled up some not-so-great memories.”

Matteo doesn’t look convinced. His fingers brush against my elbow, grounding me. “Come.”

He leads me off the dance floor, toward a quieter corner of the ballroom. The moment we stop, he turns to me fully, his hands on my waist. “Tell me.”

I shake my head. “There’s nothing to tell.”

Matteo exhales sharply, his grip tightening. “Maria, I need to know if?—”