“I know who the father is,” Dante said. “And I know what Marcus did to you.”

He walked back to me, his expression hardening.

“Marcus Chen will never lay a hand on you again.”

“He will find me,” I said. “He knows what I took from him.”

“Let him try,” Dante said.

He reached down and gently placed his hand over my crossed arms, right above my stomach.

The warmth of his palm seeped through my thin sweater.

“I swear to you, Alessia,” he said, his voice deep and absolute. “Nothing will harm this child.”

“Why?” I asked. “It is Marcus’s baby.”

“It is your baby,” Dante corrected. “And that makes it mine to protect.”

I stared at him, trying to find any sign of deception in his dark eyes.

There was only a cold, burning determination.

“Marcus does not care about the baby,” I said. “He only cares about the money.”

“He does not even know, does he?” Dante asked.

“No,” I said. “He was too busy with Evelyn.”

Dante walked back to the desk and picked up the black ledger.