The Mafia Devil in My Inbox Chapter 07

The Mafia Devil in My Inbox Chapter 07

That evening, the four of us had dinner together. 

It was also my first time spending any real time 

with Lydia. 

She was straightforward, warm, and nowhere near as mean as I’d imagined. Still, because of Orlando, I couldn’t completely relax around her. 

As the conversation continued, I learned that she and Orlando had been together for a year. 

A year. 

By that timeline, I was the other woman. 

The realization sat heavily in my chest. 

I thought that if I never exposed what had 

happened, and if Orlando truly treated Lydia well, 

then I could keep that secret for the rest of my life. 

Across the table, Dante noticed my distracted 

expression, “What’s wrong?” 

I shook my head, “Nothing.” 

Dante studied me for a moment, then he glanced 

at Orlando and Lydia. 

Something seemed to click. 

“Tomorrow, we’ll split up.” 

Orlando frowned, “Why?” 

“Wouldn’t it be more fun if we all hung out 

together?” 

“No.” 

Dante’s answer was immediate. 

Orlando threw up his hands, “Whatever makes you happy.” 

Beside me, Lydia nudged my arm and lowered her voice, “Hannah, I think Dante might be treating you a little differently.” 

I laughed helplessly, “It’s just work.” 

Lydia looked unconvinced. 

That night, I sent Dante a message: “Don DeLorenzo, do we have any plans for tomorrow?” 

His reply came almost immediately: “Hannah, is there anywhere you’d like to go?” 

“No.” 

“I’ll follow whatever plans Don DeLorenzo has.” 

Officially, this trip to Florida was about inspecting the Riccardi family’s southern operations. 

Unofficially, everything revolved around Dante. As his companion for the trip, I wasn’t about to start making demands. 

A minute later, my phone vibrated again. 

“How about New Smyrna Beach?” 

My heart skipped a beat. That was the exact place I’d always wanted to visit. 

Years ago, I’d sent a photo of the beach to Inferno: “Helldog, how about we come here someday?” 

His reply had arrived seconds later: “Sounds good. 

I’ll steal kisses from you by the ocean.” 

The memory stung. 

A tiny needle piercing an old wound. 

Before I could dwell on it, another message from 

Dante appeared: “I saw a post you made a while. 

ago saying you wanted to visit. I thought it looked 

interesting too.” 

“Would you be willing to go with me?” 

I stared at the screen. 

Two months ago, I’d posted a simple status 

update. 

[Really want to visit New Smyrna Beach someday.] 

That was it. 

Nothing special. Nothing memorable. 

Yet somehow, Dante had not only seen it but 

remembered it. 

Heat crept into my ears. I lowered my head and 

typed back: “Of course.” 

At eight o’clock the next morning, I arrived in the 

hotel lobby. 

Dante was already waiting. And for a moment, I 

completely froze. 

As the head of the DeLorenzo family, he was 

almost always in tailored suits–expensive custom 

fabric, cold silver cufflinks, and the family ring that 

marked his power. 

Everything about him radiated authority. 

Today, however, was different. 

His dark hair fell naturally to one side, slightly tousled. The top button of his blue–and–white 

striped shirt was undone. A black knit cardigan 

rested casually over it. 

His perfectly tailored Tom Ford trousers 

emphasized his already impressive height and 

build. 

Gone was the intimidating Don from family 

meetings. 

Gone was the ruthless negotiator who dominated 

every room he entered. 

This version of Dante was somehow more 

dangerous. 

The kind of dangerous that made you want to 

move closer despite knowing better. 

I stared for several seconds before realizing I’d 

forgotten to say hello. 

Dante noticed me first, and a faint smile appeared 

on his lips. 

Amusement flickered in his dark eyes, “What is it, 

Hannah?” 

I quickly snapped out of my trance, “Nothing.” 

I cleared my throat, “It’s just… I’ve never seen this side of Don DeLorenzo before.” 

One eyebrow lifted slightly. 

A playful expression crossed his devastatingly 

handsome face. 

“Really?” 

He took a slow step closer. There was laughter hidden beneath his deep voice. 

“Then perhaps you can help me with something.” 

He paused deliberately. 

His gaze locked onto mine, “If I dressed like this to meet my girlfriend…” 

Another pause. 

Long enough to make my heartbeat stumble. 

“Do you think she’d like it?”