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Chapter One

Ada

“The reflection in the mirror is my friend.”

I whisper the same words almost every time that I look at it. Staring at my reflection, I can’t help but feel like I’m a kid playing dress up in something far too fancy for me. Which is just stupid. Objectively, if I were looking at a picture instead of a mirror, I would have a million and one compliments to give the woman about the dress that she’s wearing. I would tell her how lovely her skin looks and to make sure to smile.

I look away before I can start to pick apart the flaws that only I ever seem to see in my reflection.

With my back safely turned against the full-length mirror, I turn my focus to the team of stylists and makeup artists waiting to finish getting me ready for the Met Gala tonight instead. It’s my first. To say that I’m nervous would be an understatement.

My spacious Manhattan apartment is filled with many more people than I have ever invited over myself. Yet, I wish that the designer of the dress was here to keep me company. Maeve, my best friend, is a fashion designer and I’m wearing the gown that will serve as her debut to the public. It’s the first time that one of her dresses is being worn to something so huge. She’s really pulled out the stops on this masterpiece, too. A perfect combination of soft ivory fabric, delicate lace and shimmering satin. I look like an otherworldly creature. It shows off my lithe frame in all of the places that Maeve wanted it to. The subtle sparkle of the sequins catches the light in all of the right places. Maybe I’m crazy, but it almost looks like there’s an ethereal sort of glow hovering around me. It’s like the gown has managed to shift and change the light of the room around me magically. That’s enough of a reason to go. More people need to see just how amazing of a designer Maeve is. I owe her at least that much.

Forgetting my troubles for a minute, I can’t help but smile at Maeve’s sheer genius.

“Are you done? Can you sit now, please?” Lila, my stylist and makeup artist, cuts through my thoughts and nods pointedly to the chair in front of her. The one where I’m supposed to be getting the finishing touches on my hair put in. I sit obediently. It’s an effort to keep from pulling my knees up to my chest as I sit. It’s lucky that the dress is tight enough to limit movements like that. It’s also going to force my posture to be perfect.

At least I can pass the time looking at the spectacular view of Manhattan.

I chose this apartment for the floor to ceiling windows that line the whole living room. The views are breathtaking.

A warm golden hue paints the room and soft classical music that my manager always insists on pervades it. Everybody is speaking in hushed tones because of her as well. She insists on it to ensure that when I walk those infamous stairs in an hour or so I will be at peak performance. She’s all for zen energy.

My bodyguard, Alberto, is standing over by the front door with his hands clasped comfortably in front of him. Decked in black from head to toe, he is the only one in the room not in neutral earth tones, so he stands out. I can’t even remember a point in my life where I didn’t have security guards surrounding me everywhere I go. Alberto is a godsend. Such is the life of a Dominio and of someone whose brother is a powerful Cosa Nostra clan leader.

Standing at six foot two, Alberto is tall and imposing. His muscular build exudes an air of quiet authority that somehow attracts attention and simultaneously makes others want to not look at him directly.

But, despite his intimidating aura, I’ve always taken comfort in his steadfastness.

He catches me looking at him, and sends a friendly wink in my direction. I don’t know exactly at what point over the last five years he and I became such good friends, but we have. Apart from Lila, he’s likely the one that I’m close with here in the room. The only two that I would feel comfortable trusting with my actual inner thoughts, that’s for sure. No one else. I have to be the top model persona with everybody but them.

“Are you sure about the dress, Ada?” Alberto asks, his deep voice cutting through the hum of activity.

I turn to him, a playful smile on my lips. “It’s perfect, Alberto. Maeve outdid herself this time, don’t you think?”

Alberto’s stern expression softens slightly as he nods. “It’s beautiful. You look stunning.”

My smile widens but it quickly falters as I catch sight of myself in the mirror once more. I don’t understand how nobody else can see the toll that years in this industry has started to take on me. I can see the dark circles under my eyes despite the lovely makeup. There’s a hollowness to my cheeks that wasn’t there before. I know that I look exactly the way my agency wants me to look, but I don’t feel like I’m actually the person looking back at me. Why does everything have to be so complicated?

“I think that’s enough for the hair. What do you think?”

I look up to the small handheld that Lila is holding and it takes my breath away. “I think that you’ve outdone yourself, like you always do.”

“You flatter me.”

I wink at her cheekily. “You make it easy.”

She puts the mirror down and grabs a palette of shimmering eyeshadows before walking around in front of me to touch up my makeup for the third time in the last hour.

Lila has a vibrant presence, with curly, shoulder-length auburn hair, warm brown eyes and a penchant for bold, colorful fashion. Her medium build and radiant smile always puts everyone at ease. She’s been with me through the highs and lows of my career these past five years and I trust her completely.

“Alright, let’s make you look like the goddess you are,” Lila says, her voice filled with determination. She finishes my eyeshadow with practiced precision, adding a touch of glamor to the look.

As Lila works, I internally fight the hunger pangs building in my stomach silently. When’s the last time that I ate something? With everything going on, does it really matter? I had to fit into the dress. I just hope that nobody hears the grumbling. I take a calming breath, determined not to move and mess up Lila’s work. It’s my body. I’m the one in control. I decide.

As far as everybody around me is concerned, I overcame my eating disorder many years ago. Most people in my life think that it was some sort of phase that I had had in high school. Cristiano, my older brother, sent me to rehab just before college thinking everything was fixed. He’s kept a watchful eye since and I know he would think of itas some sort of personal failure if he knew that I still had so many lingering symptoms. I know that the first time that he saw me upchuck my lunch, he would be on me all over again. I can’t let that happen.

I certainly didn’t choose the best industry to be in for a person with an eating disorder. I make it look effortless now but for so many years the other girls that were trying to be scouted like me, bullied me mercilessly. That’s why my little “phase” started in the first place but I never told Cristiano that. He would have never let me keep modeling and it’s the only thing I’m good at. I need this.

Nobody can know that it’s something that will always be lurking right below the surface.

Almost against my will, my eyes flick back over to the reflection of Maeve’s dress. I can’t even begin to calculate how many hours the two of us had spent together working to get to this point in our lives. So many nights sewing into the wee hours of the morning while I modeled creation after creation. Maeve was constantly sketching and measuring. She’s easily the hardest working person that I’ve ever met in my life. And now, here we are. I’m one of the top models in the industry and she’s about to take off into the stratosphere of fashion. Maeve’s unwavering belief in me was a lifeline to her, pulling her back from the brink time and again. Dominio is about to be the next big thing. I can feel it in my bones.

This dress isn’t just a garment; it’s a symbol of our friendship, our shared dreams, and our journey.

“Earth to Ada?” Lila’s hand waved in front of my face, snapping me back to the present. “Where did you go?”

I force a smile and shake my head, dismissing her concerns for me. “I’m just nervous, that’s all. The Met Galais a big deal.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Lila snorts a laugh. Then she gives me a knowing look. “You’ve faced bigger challenges than this, Ada, and you’ve always come out on top.”

I nod, always grateful for Lila’s words of support.

I glance at Alberto, who also gives me another encouraging nod as he pushes off of the wall he had been leaning against. With friends like these, I can’t help but to feel a surge of strength and determination.

Finally, Lila steps back from me and admires her work. “There you go. A true masterpiece, if I do say so myself.”

I turn to the mirror for the last time, and I’m speechless. I almost don’t look like myself at all. The makeup is flawless, enhancing my natural beauty without overpowering it. I feel a sense of pride, not just in my appearance, but in the journey that has brought me here.

Alberto steps forward, offering his arm. “Shall we, Miss Dominio?”

I ease out of my seat and smile at him brightly as I take his proffered arm. “How could I ever say no to a face like that?”

Chapter Two

Kieran

If anybody asked my opinion, I would happily tell whoever was asking that the famed Met Gala might just be the most asinine function that I’ve ever witnessed with my own two eyes.

Here I stand, in my designated post, by the main stairway – and I might as well be invisible. So many layers of fabric and faces of high-profile people that I couldn’t keep track even if I wanted to. Each one more oblivious and entitled than the last. The grand entrance is a sick spectacle of opulence and artistry, the famous stairs adorned with a lush red carpet and surrounded by a throng of photographers and journalists clamoring for a glimpse of the elite attendees. The air is polluted by the buzz of excitement, punctuated by the stinging flash of cameras and the murmur of hushed conversations.

A-listers, influencers, designers, all of the rich elite moving past the sea of people that they will always feel are beneath them. They don’t see the photographers, all they see are the flashing lights. They don’t see the security guards or staff, they only see the champagne and the glitter. The entire event is supposed to be for charity, but everybody who is outside of this room knows that it’s just a pissing contest. There’s no other way to put it.

But, in this instance, it works to my advantage.

My sharp eyes scan over the glamorous crowd, taking in the dazzling array of couture and high fashion that parades past me. It’s sickening but, tonight, I need to blend in.

I am here for one purpose, and one purpose only.

I played the long game to get here. Five years of planning and biding my time. Doing everything that was needed in order to get me to this very moment. There is no way that my plan will fail. I’ve been dedicated to this with a single-minded focus.

Now that the moment is here, I expected a sort of giddy excitement but instead, I feel almost anxious. There is very little that could go wrong, but my analytical mind can’t help but to turn over all of the variables over and over again. After tonight, it’s clear sailing. Everything has led up to this – I just have to find her.

Getting a legitimate position on the event’s security detail had almost been child’s play. Truly, their vetting process is comical. I wonder how they would all feel if they knew how easily their security documents were wholly forged. Nothing about my presence raised even a single red flag. Which was perfect, because I needed to ensure that nothing would raise suspicion in Cristiano Dominio’s meticulous planning. My ego almost can’t take the fact that I finally have one up on him. I’m finally going to make a move that he doesn’t see coming.

I stand with comfortable but perfect posture, my hands clasped in front of me wearing the same plain black suit that every other security guard has been assigned. Granted, most of my co-workers wouldn’t have been able to afford Dior suits like mine, but hey the perks are the things that make stuff like this worth it. My face is a mask of professional detachment. Only those who know me well would recognize the cold calculation behind my green eyes. Every few guests announced into the room has me checking my phone. I’m so close to the prize. I just have to keep an eye out for any changes noted by my contacts. I certainly have enough contingency plans in place for anything that might happen.

Ada Dominio should be here any moment.

While she can’t choose her family, she’s the key to my revenge. Her brother is responsible for dismantling my father’s clan and ending his life. My jaw tightens at the very thought of Cristiano. He deserves everything that’s coming to him. My resolve hardens. He will pay for what he’s done, starting with his baby sister Ada.

A text message vibrates on my phone in my pocket. I take only a moment to read the message. It’s from Liam, my cousin. After my father’s death, they are the relatives I had to turn to. I have never felt like more of a failure than the day that I showed up on my uncle’s doorstep.

Are you sure that this girl is really worth all of this trouble?

The message belies how bored my cousin must be. I know that for all his teasing and complaining, he will do whatever I ask of him. It’s a street that goes both ways. My fingers hover over the keyboard for just a moment, debating whether I should dignify his comment with a response at all.

But the choice is made for me, because, just as I start to type, she appears.

Ada Dominio.

Her pictures don’t do her justice. She’s ethereal. Angelic.

Somebody that seems so effortlessly perfect ought to be criminal in some fashion or another. My breath catches in my chest. Stunning would be putting it lightly. She is wearing the dress on her body as if she were doing it a favor. No doubt the ivory and cream creation is one of Maeve’s. Cristiano’s wife was actually my ex-fiancée for a minute or two, and she is also on my hit list, but I have to be careful how I start this.

The gown flows like liquid silver, hugging her delicate curves and shimmering under the lights. The intricate lacework and delicate beading highlights her stunning beauty, making her look like a goddess descended from the heavens. Her dark hair has been styled elegantly, and her makeup is flawless, enhancing her striking features. For a moment, I’m struck dumb. I forget why I’m here and what I’m supposed to be doing. I forget everything that isn’t her as she walks up those stairs.

I shake my head, forcing myself to look at something, anything that isn’t her. I have to focus on the mission at hand. There will be plenty of time to admire her later. She might be incredibly gorgeous, but she’s still my target. I can’t afford to be distracted by her looks. I’ve worked way too hard for this opportunity and waited too long. Nothing will get in the way of my revenge. I won’t allow it.

Ada ascends the stairs alone, gracefully. Her bodyguard, the flea that’s been bugging me for months, has not been allowed to accompany her through the main entrance. Alberto will have been stopped by now and is working on her clearance. All according to my plan. I had to ensure that Ada would be vulnerable and unprotected as she makes her way inside.

To me.

My phone buzzes in my pocket for a second time. Liam doesn’t tolerate being ignored very well. No doubt the longer I let him sit there being bored, the more messages I’m going to get. But, for now, I need to keep my eye on the prize. So, I ignore my clingy cousin.

I wait, my patience slowly slipping with every passing second. The night has only just begun and I have to wait for the perfect opening. Ada starts to move back down the steps and into the room itself as I trail after her, blending into the background that most guests are oblivious to as Ada strikes pose after pose for the photographers and journalists. She seems to float from place to place as she moves easily in her skin. It’s an effortless sort of grace that simply cannot be taught. She has no idea of the true danger that she’s in right now, lurking so near. She makes such perfect prey, wholly oblivious of the predator so close to her. Ready and waiting to exploit even the smallest weakness that she might show.

I note the way she moves between people, the way she walks, the comments that she makes to those who address her.

However, between the pops of camera flashes, I notice something else, something I couldn’t have anticipated.

There in the spaces between, when she thinks that people are not looking at her, I see subtle signs of what I can only assume is strain. There are moments where her megawatt smile… slips. Just a fraction, when her eyes grow distant.

What sort of burdens does she carry to have such weight on her shoulders? To affect her in a place like this? What secrets lay beneath her polished exterior?

I intend to find them all out.

She moves further toward the large crowd and away from the photographers when her footing slips. Her heel catches on a step. She is about to humiliate herself in front of hundreds of people.

I don’t mean to move, but my body acts without thinking. My hand is around her slender waist as my other catches her by the wrist, elegantly saving her from planting that perfect face at the foot of the stairs. Her breath catches in her throat as she turns those bright, wide eyes up at me with a shocked expression. Slowly, my hand slides over her waist and her lower back, relishing in the silky feel of the dress sliding over her skin. When I’m sure that she’s steady on her own feet, I slowly let her go.

“T-thank you, sir.” She stammers, catching her breath and smiling like the slip was somehow deliberate and that she had planned the whole thing for attention. As she looks up at me once more, her hand sliding out of mine, there is some sort of unexpected jolt deep in my gut. Something that I’ve never felt before, like a flicker of something that I can’t quite identify.

I push it down as deep as possible and take a swift step back and away from her so that she can continue moving. As security, I’m not supposed to interact with the guests and I don’t want to blow my cover.

“You’re welcome.” I keep my eyes averted until I speak again. “Just doing my job.”

Her eyes widen in surprise when our gazes lock once more. Even as she starts to move back down the stairs, I clock the way that she glances back gratefully over her shoulders as if she might even be a little bit curious about me. All things that will work further in my favor.

My resolve solidifies. No matter how beautiful or kind she seems, she is still the key to his revenge. And I will not let anything, not even a moment of unexpected connection, deter me from my goal.

Chapter Three

Ada

I need Alberto to come back quickly.

The Met Gala is in full swing. It should be more than enough to keep me completely occupied, but I don’t see a single friendly face around me. The vast halls of the Metropolitan Museum are wonderfully decorated and filled with more art than I can properly appreciate at this moment. Being surrounded by luminaries of the fashion and artworld, and celebrities everywhere, is somewhat overwhelming if I’m being perfectly honest. The air is buzzing with chatter, and I am standing in the center of it all. I know that I cut a pretty picture, because I’m forcing myself to. The fabric of my dress seems to shimmer like liquid silver under the lights. I try to move as gracefully as possible, but a persistent feeling of unease gnaws at me.

It would be easier with Alberto behind me. I don’t know why one of the event organizers needed him of all people for their little emergency, but they put him in a position that he couldn’t refuse. All he told me was that, in order for me to attend the exclusive after party arrangements, this issue needed to be handled now before everything got fully underway. All things that just go right over my head. Alberto, ever dutiful, had of course insisted on handling it personally.

Have I really become so dependent on him that I can’t be alone for a few minutes on my own? Surely I haven’t sank quite that far. Have I? Anna Wintour, who always organizes the event, always insists on a super strict no phone policy, so I can’t even check up on him or get an estimated time he’ll be back.

Breathe, Ada.

I inhale slowly through my nose, trying to keep myself as steady as possible. I try to reset and refocus. It’s just a few hours and then I can go back and hide away in my apartment as long as I want to, in order to recharge myself.

When I open my eyes, I find I’m no longer alone. The security guard from earlier is standing in front of me with a flat expression.

He’s likely not supposed to be here, but I’m kind of glad that he is.

We had a moment on the stairs and that’s not something that happens to me very often. Even less with men that are actually as damned attractive as the man in front of me is..

“Hello again,” I greet him with a smile.

When the man doesn’t return the expression, only then do I start to feel my anxiety building. Up close like this, I can see green in his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before. It’s a wonder that more eyes aren’t on us right now. He’s a tall man, dark hair cut close to his head and neatly trimmed and styled. When we were on the stairs, he didn’t have the same level of intensity in his eyes.

It’s intimidating.

“I apologize for interrupting, Miss Dominio, but there’s a situation that requires your immediate attention,” he says, his tone professional but urgent.

I have to presume that this has something to do with the issue that stopped Alberto at the door. I can’t imagine for the life of me what could have happened. I wish I had my phone to call my manager and ask her to sort all of this out for me.

“Situation?” I say with the same bright smile that I’ve been wearing all night. “What kind of situation?” I ask, my heart beating faster.

The man isn’t helping. He glances around to those around us before answering. He cups my elbow gently and starts to lead me away from the main floor that we stand on.

Clearly, whatever he’s about to say isn’t something that should be overheard by others. Should I be grateful that he’s helping me avoid a scandal or should I be worried that this stranger is pulling me away from witnesses? The training that Cristiano forced into my mind since I was a child is telling me that I should never go to a different location with anybody that I don’t know. Least of all now, when it’s been awhile since Cristiano updated me on just my kidnapping insurance policy is.

When we near the edge of the throng of people, he starts to speak again. “I’m afraid it’s quite serious, Miss Dominio. But do not worry, Mr. Sampietro has asked me to come and fetch you to bring you to him. I just need you to come with me.”

That makes me feel a tiny bit better at least.

I still don’t like it, but if that is what Alberto has ordered, why wouldn’t I go. Even still, my mind can’t seem to stop racing with all of the various worst-case scenarios. The grip on my elbow is firm but not painful, and the man seems to be intently listening to something on the in-ear piece that he is likely using to communicate with the rest of the staff.

When we are out of the main room, his speed starts to increase. My heels almost catch on my dress from how quickly I have to move to keep up with him. He’s leading me toward a side exit. Was the safety of the place compromised? It’s not the first time that Alberto has had me pulled from an event, usually at Cristiano’s request.

But the minute he pulls me out into a dimly lit corridor and Alberto isn’t waiting for me all of the warning bells in my head started to warn me. A little too late.

This can’t be right. I just need to wait for Alberto. I try to pull my arm free, but the man’s grip on me tightens.

“What are you doing? Let me go.” I command.

The man turns to face me and I see the hard, predatory gleam in his eyes as he smirks at me. Fuck. What have I gotten myself into? He isn’t a security guard, this is something far more sinister a I’ve walked right into it.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Miss Dominio,” he says, his voice unyielding.

Icy cold panic surges through me as I struggle against his hold. I try to pry his fingers from my arms but I know that his punishing grip is going to leave bruises.

Before I even have a chance to scream, the man clamps a large hand over the lower half of my face and swiftly pulls me into a waiting service elevator as if I weigh nothing at all. He whips out a clearance badge and the doors close, sealing my fate.

I swear it feels like the elevator is moving more quickly than anything that I’ve been on before. Panic is making my vision blur and my heart feel like it’s hammering in my throat. I have to fight. I know what to do. I’ve trained for this, but I never thought that I would be this terrified.

My body won’t move. I feel like somebody has wrapped me in an icy cold blanket that’s threatening to suffocate me. I can barely inhale for how shallow my breaths are coming. My training with Alberto didn’t cover this.

I finally convince my mouth to open as the elevator doors ding. I summon just enough breath to scream but he clamps his hand over my mouth. Hot tears slide down my cheeks while he hauls me out of the elevator into a floor on the parking garage. It looks abandoned apart from the single black SUV with an idling engine.

I can’t let him get me in that car.

Every alarm bell starts resounding as a dry sob leaves my chest. My body crumbles. My legs wholly give out as I deadweight in his arms. His grip falters. Just for a moment. It’s the opening that I need, if only my limbs weren’t failing me. I hit the floor and attempt to crawl away from him but it’s like I’m moving in slow motion.

I’m only free for half a second before the man hauls me up again, his arm around my waist as I attempt to claw and scramble away from him. “No, please,” I pant, ashamed at how small my voice sounds. “Please don’t do this, please.”

The closer he brings me to the car, the more my strength seems to return. My legs flail, my chest heaves as tears start to flow more freely. I know that if I let him put me in that car, it’s all over for me. Alberto won’t have the time to come and find me. Nobody will be able to rescue me and then only God knows what’s going to happen tome.

The man yanks the car door open and throws me inside, seemingly effortlessly.

“Why are you doing this?!” I finally scream, my voice breaking. “Who are you?”

All my efforts and lame attempts at struggling only seem to amuse him. I’ve never felt so weak in my whole life.

“Name’s Kieran, Kieran Doyle,” he mocks me, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. “And you, Ada, are coming with me. You can stop attempting to fight, it won’t do you any good. But you can scream all you want, it’s not like anyone can hear you.”

“No! Please!” I scream anyway, hoping against hope that somebody, anybody will hear me. It won’t work, but I have to try. He pulls zip ties from his pocket, and climbs into the car with me. I claw and kick to the best of my ability but he it only seems to encourage him when I actually manage to scratch his face.

Kieran laughs at me as he slams the car door behind him.

“Let me go!” I half sob, half scream, my voice trembling with fear and anger.

Kieran grabs my face, his eyes locking onto mine and for a moment, I’m stunned into silence and submission. His thumb sweeps out over the curve of my jaw and for the span of a heartbeat, I’m struck once again by how damned handsome he is. Exactly the last thing that I need to be thinking at a time like this, but the human mind is a very strange thing.

I almost don’t hear the zip tie closing around my wrists with his other hand.

In another setting, I would admire his dexterous fingers.

“This isn’t personal, Ada. It’s just business.”

“Business?” I spit, “What kind of business involves kidnapping?!”

“The kind that requires leverage, unfortunately for you.” Kieran says with a wink as he secures my other wrist.

My mind won’t stop racing. Then it hits me, it should have been obvious from the beginning. It’s for my brother. Cristiano.

“You’re making a big mistake,” I say, trying to sound braver than I feel. I need to be braver for Cristiano. “He will never forgive you for this. He will come after you with everything he has. I swear it.”

Kieran leans in closer to me, his gaze darting to my lips for only a heartbeat.

“Oh, I’m counting on it, gorgeous.”

Before another thought can come to mind, he pulls out a cloth from his pocket. With efficiency, he presses it against the lower half of my stunned face. The sickly-sweet smell of chloroform fills my nostrils. I try to fight it, but it’s no use. Everything around me begins to turn blue, hazy, and then starts to fade away into near nothingness. My limbs grow heavy.

The last thing that I see is Kieran’s cold, determined eyes looking down on me. “Sweet dreams, gorgeous.” I can hear his laugh, now a distant sound.

I have to stay strong, somehow. I have to be strong for Cristiano, for our family.

And I’m out.

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