CHAPTER 13: JEALOUS DANTE

Everyone had gone into the house, and Eva’s eyes scanned the living room until they landed on two familiar faces—her older brothers, Adrian and Jace.

Their faces instantly lit up the moment they saw her. "Eva!" Adrian exclaimed, pulling her into a bear hug while Jace ruffled her hair affectionately. The reunion was long overdue, and the warmth of it settled heavily in Eva’s chest.

The family dinner had been arranged for one reason only—to welcome Eva home after more than a year away. She hadn’t seen her family in person since the incident, and although they’d kept in touch through video calls, nothing compared to being in the same space again.

They had grown used to seeing her through a screen, carefully keeping their questions at bay while trying not to upset her fragile state. The calls were always filled with concern, but Eva did her best to reassure them that she was okay—even when she wasn’t.

Still, seeing her in the flesh, no hospital bed or pale lighting surrounding her, was a different kind of relief.

Jace, her eldest brother, had been the angriest when she first went missing. He had threatened to get Nathan and Katherine arrested immediately. He didn’t care about evidence or consequences—his baby sister was missing, and that was enough for him.

He’d suspected them both from the very beginning, but without proof, there was little he could do. What made it worse was how Nathan and Katherine continued with their lives—getting married as if nothing had happened, refusing to assist with the investigation, and showing zero remorse.

When Eva eventually called them from the hospital, telling them the truth of what had happened, Jace had nearly broken down in guilt for not finding her himself.

Now that she was home, the atmosphere was far from tense. Dinner wasn’t silent—it couldn’t be. Questions poured in from every direction, all aimed at Eva. They asked about her health, what she’d been doing since her release, what her new home was like, and, of course, what it was like being married to Dante.

"Do you like the penthouse?" her father asked while slicing into his roasted lamb.

"Do you eat on time?" her mother added with narrowed eyes.

"Do you make her eat on time?" Jace fired at Dante, not even looking at his plate.

"I do," Dante replied curtly, his tone calm but not overly warm. He was used to being under scrutiny, but something about being surrounded by Eva’s family made him feel oddly... exposed.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Mira, please get the door," Mrs. Montclair said, turning to the maid with a polite nod. "That should be Ryan."

Dante’s fork paused midair. Ryan? That name sounded way too familiar.

His jaw clenched slightly. He remembered the man clearly—back at the hospital months ago, Eva had hugged him so intimately, Dante had been forced to look away. He’d assumed then it was just some harmless friend.

But now, Ryan was showing up at the family dinner?

He picked up his glass of wine and took a slow sip, trying to wash down the bitterness creeping into his throat. It didn’t work.

"Hi, uncle and aunt," a familiar voice greeted from the entrance. Dante choked on his wine instantly, coughing as the liquid went down the wrong pipe.

Everyone turned toward him in alarm.

"Take it easy," Eva scolded softly, patting his back and handing him a napkin. Her eyes, though warm, were curious. "The water isn’t running away."

He muttered a weak thanks, wondering what had come over her. She hadn’t been this soft toward him in private, yet here she was treating him kindly—right in front of her family.

Mrs. Montclair smiled gently. "Take it easy, son."

He gave a stiff nod in response, his eyes drifting toward the man who had just entered.

Ryan stood tall with that too-perfect smile stretched across his lips. He walked in with the confidence of someone who had done this many times before.

"I got you something, Aunty," Ryan said, holding up a box of expensive skincare products. "Your favorite."

Mrs. Montclair blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Oh, and this," he continued, pulling out a gorgeous flared blue dress from a paper bag. "Thought of you the moment I saw it."

Dante’s eye twitched.

"And Uncle," Ryan said, turning to Mr. Montclair, "I didn’t forget you. Got you this—" He pulled out a luxury watch that looked straight out of a high-end magazine.

At this point, Dante could barely hold it in. His appetite vanished completely.

Why didn’t I bring gifts?

He remembered asking Eva if he should, but she had dismissed the idea with a casual shrug and said it was unnecessary. Clearly, Ryan hadn’t gotten the same memo. The bastard had come prepared.

And now, the in-laws were practically swooning. Mr. Montclair’s face was flushed with excitement—Dante didn’t even know a grown man could blush that hard.

Ryan pulled out a chair and sat comfortably at the table, grinning like he owned the place. Meanwhile, Dante sat like a statue.

Eva asked him a question, but he barely processed it. All he could think about was Ryan’s irritating smile.

In his head, Dante imagined burning that flawless, pale skin with a coal iron. It would make a sizzling sound. Maybe even chop off his limbs and toss them to the pigs. That would teach him not to touch Eva.

"Dante."

He blinked. The sound of his name yanked him from his violent thoughts.

It was Jace.

"You might be in a contract marriage with my sister, but don’t get ahead of yourself," he said coldly. "If you hurt her..."

"I don’t plan on doing so," Dante cut in swiftly. He didn’t need this drama. Not tonight. Not while Ryan was here, smiling like the poster boy for smug exes.

"That’s good," Mr. Montclair added quietly, but there was a sharpness behind his words.

The Montclairs and De Rossis weren’t exactly equals in wealth or influence, but their worlds had never collided—until now. There was no feud between them, yet there had never been friendship either. Just respectful distance.

"When do you plan to introduce Eva to your family?" Adrian asked, voice tight with suspicion.

"Very soon," Dante replied.

Adrian raised a brow, not at all satisfied with the answer.

Before he could press further, Eva interrupted, smiling as she leaned toward her mother. "I’m hungry for dessert. What did you make, Mum?"

Dante almost smiled. That was the Eva he’d come to know—she was a glutton, always eating everything in sight.

After dinner, the family dispersed, and Eva disappeared into her parents’ arms, catching up with them in the drawing room.

Dante drifted toward the kitchen and paused at the patio door, gazing up at the stars. He heard footsteps and didn’t have to turn to know who it was.

"What?" Eva asked playfully. "Too shy to talk to my brothers?"

"I doubt they want to speak to me," he said, smirking faintly. "Besides, Ryan was with them. Didn’t want to do something... drastic."

Eva laughed softly. "Jealous much?"

"Not jealous. Just... observant."

"Have you seen the headlines?" he asked suddenly.

Eva frowned. "No. Why?"

He gestured toward her phone. "Check."

Curious, Eva pulled out her phone and scrolled through the latest news.

Her eyes narrowed.

The official brand page of Veila—the same brand Katherine had signed with the past years—released they were searching for a new face for their brand campaign. Because of Eva’s silence, Katherine had managed to climb the ladder to popularity

She closed the tab and opened her dialer.

It was time to get back in the game.

The phone barely rang once before it was picked up.

"Hello, Maxine," Eva said with a slow, confident drawl.