Loved A Machine: The Mafia Queen's Awakening

Gianna POV

I wake up the next morning to the weight of the damask quilt, a familiar pressure that has taken the place of solace.

Today is my day off from managing the Family's legitimate fronts, but there is no peace to be found in this house.

A woman's bright laughter cut through the morning stillness from the living room.

I open my bedroom door.

Dante and Serena are walking in from the private elevator, both wearing workout clothes.

It was his rule: a strict, tactical morning run for his health and security.

I asked to join him two years ago.

He told me I was too slow-a security liability.

And yet, he has taken Serena on those same morning runs for three years straight.

Serena is flushed and smiling, her skin gleaming with a light sweat.

"I am so tired, Dante," she complains playfully, her body angled into his space.

Dante smiles.

It is a rare, genuine expression that softens his hard features, an expression I had not seen aimed in my direction for years.

"I will cut the perimeter run short for you tomorrow," he tells her, his tone possessing a gentleness I did not recognize.

Then, he looks up and sees me.

His smile instantly vanishes.

The architecture of his face shifted, reassembling itself into the cold, untouchable Boss of the Family.

He holds up a takeout bag from a luxury restaurant.

"I brought breakfast," he says.

I do not even have to look inside the bag to know its contents.

I can smell it.

The opulent scent of imported lobster congee and shrimp dumplings hung in the air.

I am deathly allergic to shellfish.

Three years ago, I had a severe reaction and ended up in the hospital.

Dante sat by my bed and swore on his life he would memorize my allergies.

And yet, he has brought seafood back from his morning runs every single time since.

"Why can you never remember my allergy, Dante?" I ask.

I forced my throat to swallow back the metallic taste of bile, keeping my vocal cords strictly regulated.

Serena immediately steps between us.

She places a small, delicate hand on Dante's arm.

"Oh, Gianna, I am so sorry," Serena says softly, her wide eyes a portrait of pleading innocence. "I forced Dante to buy it. I was just craving it so badly. Please do not be mad at him."

Dante nods smoothly, accepting her defense as his due.

"I will have a Soldier fetch you something else," he says.

He turns his back to me and starts unpacking the food for Serena.

He does not apologize.

Serena walks toward the master bathroom.

"Fresh towels and your specific body wash are in the usual spot, Serena," Dante calls out to her.

I stop breathing for a second.

A man who routinely ordered executions before his morning espresso was currently inventorying Serena's body wash.

I feel like a stranger trespassing in their house.

I turn around and walk back into my room, closing the door on their domestic tableau.

I change into a simple dress and grab my purse.

When I walk back out, Dante is setting the table for Serena.

"Where are you going?" he asks without looking up.

"I have business," I say.

He drops the subject immediately, his disinterest a palpable thing.

He pulls out a chair for Serena as she comes out of the bathroom.

I walk out the door and step into the New York air, a damp chill rising from the pavement.

I instructed my assigned Soldiers to drive me to the Family-affiliated bridal boutique, then commanded them to remain with the vehicle, affording me a privacy I had not known in years.

The attendant rushes over to me as soon as I walk in.

She looks behind me, expecting the Don to walk through the door at my side.

I attended six fittings in this shop.

I was always surrounded by armed guards.

Dante never showed up to a single one.

"Miss Gianna," the attendant says nervously. "We have the two custom gowns prepared for your final decision."

"I am here to cancel the order," I say.

The attendant drops her clipboard, the plastic clattering loudly against the marble floor.

She stares at me in shock.

"Cancel?" she whispers.

"Yes," I say. "Please process the cancellation."

She obeys quickly, as if sensing the finality was an order she dared not refuse.

She hands me the receipt with shaking hands.

"Miss Gianna," she says quietly, her eyes meeting mine. "I hope you find a man who truly cherishes you."

I stare at her, and a strange dizziness made me reach for the edge of a nearby table.

It took a stranger five seconds to see what took me five years to accept.

I thank her and leave the shop. As I stepped back onto the street, I noticed for the first time in months the precise blue of the morning sky.

I spend the rest of the day canceling the neutral-ground venue and the florists, while using my clearance as the future Donna to issue a classified directive, redirecting the security details to a decoy perimeter on the opposite side of the city.

By the time I finish, the sun is setting, drawing long, skeletal shadows from the city's towers.

My phone rings.

It is Carmela, the Family Matriarch and Dante's mother.

"Gianna," Carmela says sharply, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Get to the Estate for dinner right now. Dante and Serena are already here waiting for you."