Chapter 27

• Clara barely had time to catch her breath before Dante moved again. There was no warning, no pause to let her prepare—just pure, sudden action. One second, he was standing in front of her in the dim gym, his hazel eyes glinting with that familiar smirk. The next, he struck, fast as a shadow, his fist slicing through the air toward her side. Clara’s instincts kicked in, and she ducked, twisting her body just enough to avoid the blow. Her heart jumped into her throat, but she didn’t have a moment to recover. Before she could steady herself, Dante’s foot swept low, aiming for her legs.
• She didn’t see it coming in time. Her feet flew out from under her, and she hit the mat hard, landing on her back with a thud that knocked the air from her lungs. Pain shot through her spine, sharp and stinging, and she gasped, struggling to breathe. The gym’s ceiling spun above her for a second as she lay there, dazed.
• Dante crouched beside her, his smirk widening as he looked down at her sprawled on the mat. “Lesson two, *amore*,” he said, his voice smooth and mocking. “If you hesitate, you lose.”