Chapter 5 - The Shadows of Milan
By the following week, the battle lines had shifted across the Atlantic.
Margot’s deep forensic analysis revealed that Raymond Forti’s ultimate objective wasn't merely local embezzlement; he was facilitating a hostile takeover of the DeLuca syndicate’s European shipping hubs orchestrated by a rival faction based in Milan.
Cassian refused to leave Margot behind in Chicago, citing security concerns that neither of them bothered to pretend were purely professional. They boarded his private Gulfstream jet under the cover of a rainy midnight, crossing the ocean toward northern Italy.
In the lavish cabin, high above the Atlantic, the boundaries between boss and employee blurred completely.
Margot sat curled up in a plush leather lounger, reviewing financial spreadsheets, when Cassian approached holding two glasses of sparkling mineral water. He sat opposite her, his tie loosened, looking relaxed in a way few people ever saw.
“You haven't mentioned your father’s medical bills since our first meeting,” Cassian remarked gently, handing her a glass.
Margot adjusted her glasses. “My father is doing well. His treatments are stable. I made sure to wire my first double-rate paycheck directly to the clinic’s trust.”
“You didn't need to,” Cassian said quietly.
Margot frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Three days ago, I purchased the medical facility where your father receives his dialysis,” Cassian said, his voice entirely matter-of-fact. “The deed has been transferred to a private foundation in your name. His care is guaranteed for life, with the finest specialists in North America at his disposal. You will never have to worry about a bill again.”
Margot stared at him, the glass trembling slightly in her hand. A wave of overwhelming emotion surged through her chest, threatening to undo the fortress of self-reliance she had built around her heart since her mother died.
“Why would you do that?” she whispered, her voice thick with unshed tears. “That's hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don't owe me that.”
Cassian leaned across the small table between them. His dark eyes burned with an intensity that made the breath catch in her throat.
“I owe you everything, Margot,” he said, his voice dropping to a gravelly, intimate register. “For years, I was surrounded by sycophants who told me what I wanted to hear and wolves waiting to tear out my throat. You walked into my boardroom, looked me in the eye, told me I was blind, and proved it with facts. You showed me that real strength isn't about cruelty or physical vanity. It's about unwavering courage.”
He reached out, his warm, calloused fingers gently cupping her jawline. Margot didn't pull away. Her skin tingled beneath his touch, her heart thumping wildly against her ribs.
“I told you once that no one would speak about your body again,” Cassian murmured, his thumb lightly caressing the fullness of her cheek. “Let me amend that. No one will speak about you without revering the incredible, breathtaking woman you are. Least of all me.”
May you like
Margot swallowed hard, her defenses crumbling beneath the sincere reverence in his touch. She had spent a lifetime being told she took up too much space. Yet here, in the sky, the most dangerous man in Chicago was looking at her as though she were the only thing that mattered in the entire universe.
Before she could speak, the jet began its descent through the clouds over Milan. Outside, the twinkling lights of the Italian metropolis signaled the beginning of their final, perilous hunt.
