Chapter 14

• Clara stared at the folder on Dante’s desk, but she didn’t touch it. She wouldn’t even look at it for long—not really. It sat there like a snake, ready to bite, but she wasn’t going to give Dante what he wanted. She wouldn’t let him see her crack, wouldn’t let him think he’d won by wiping out her old life with some papers. Instead, she leaned against the edge of his big wooden desk, her arms crossed tight over her chest, her chin jutting up like she was daring him to push her. “So that’s it?” she said, her voice sharp and steady. “You erase who I am, and I’m just supposed to nod and go along with it?”
• Dante smirked, leaning back in his chair like he thought she was funny. “That’s how it works, amore,” he said, his tone smooth and smug.
• “Stop calling me that,” she snapped, her eyes narrowing at him.