ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ (*Completed*)

Chapter: 38

Aria Delaney

The tension in the air was palpable as Dante and I walked into the dining room where his father, Salvatore Ferrari, was waiting. His piercing gaze locked onto us the moment we entered, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. This was the man who held so many secrets, the man who might have been responsible for my parents' deaths.

"Good morning," Salvatore (Dante's dad is called Salvatore as he's the king) greeted, his voice smooth but filled with an underlying menace. "I trust you slept well?"

Dante's grip on my hand tightened. "We need to talk, Father."

Salvatore raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Is that so? And what is it we need to discuss?"

Dante glanced at me, then back at his father. "We want answers about Aria's parents. We know you were involved."

A flicker of something—anger, annoyance, maybe even fear—crossed Salvatore's face, but he quickly masked it with a calm smile. "And why would you assume such a thing?"

"Because I found evidence," Dante said, his voice steady. "And because Aria deserves to know the truth."

Salvatore leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "Very well. What do you want to know?"

I took a deep breath, summoning all my courage. "Did you have anything to do with their deaths?"

Salvatore's gaze hardened. "Your parents were... an unfortunate casualty of business, Aria. They crossed paths with the wrong people and paid the price."

My heart pounded in my chest. "What kind of business? What did they do to deserve being killed?"

"They were involved in a deal that went sour. They knew too much," Salvatore replied, his tone cold and detached.

Anger surged through me. "And you thought that justified murdering them?"

Salvatore's expression remained impassive. "In our world, Aria, sometimes drastic measures must be taken to ensure survival."

Dante stepped forward, his eyes blazing with fury. "This isn't survival. It's murder."

Salvatore's gaze shifted to Dante. "Careful, son. You're treading on dangerous ground."

"I don't care," Dante shot back. "Aria deserves justice, and I'm going to make sure she gets it."

For a moment, the room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Then Salvatore stood, his eyes cold and calculating. "Very well. If you want justice, then find it. But know this, Dante: if you come after me, you'll be going against your own blood. Are you prepared for that?"

Dante didn't hesitate. "Yes. If it means protecting Aria, I'm prepared for anything."