I took a bullet for my boyfriend, Leo.

When I woke up, I decided to play a little game.

I told him I had amnesia. I wanted to see what he'd do.

Instead, I saw a flash of excitement in his eyes.

Next thing I know, he brings in his cousin. Dante. The Don of the family.

"This is your fiancé, Dante. You've been engaged for two years."

Dante. The man who supposedly hated me.

Now he was staring at me like I was his whole world.

"Yes," he said. "I'm your fiancé."

Fine. I'll play along. I need to know what game Leo is playing.

That night, I saw it. Security footage in Dante's mansion. Leo, in bed with another woman.

He kissed her like he was starving. Pushed inside her. And he talked trash about me.

"Let my cousin watch Bella for a while. She's so damn needy. You're what I really need, Scarlett."

My heart shattered.

He pawned me off on another man. Just so he could screw around.

Fine. Two can play at that game. I'll get myself a new fiancé.

I put on the wedding dress. I kissed Dante—a deep, devouring kiss, right in front of Leo. And that's when he finally broke.

He lost his mind. Told me he was wrong and begged me to come back.

I took a bullet for my mafia boyfriend, Leo, during an attack by a rival family. When I woke up, he thought I had amnesia. So he told me I was his cousin's fiancée. His cousin, Dante. The Don.

"Bella? You're awake?"

My boyfriend Leo's voice. It came from beside the bed. He sounded... weirdly nervous.

I opened my eyes. The hospital ceiling was stark white.

My head throbbed, but my mind was sharp.

The memories hit me.

My best friend's text. A picture of Leo with another woman. Me, storming into the casino to confront him.

Then, chaos. Gunfire. I threw myself in front of Leo.

The bullet grazed my temple.

I saved his worthless hide.

"My head hurts," I said, my voice weak. I watched his anxious face.

Then, an idea hit me. A little game.

This bastard didn't appreciate me. It was time to teach him a lesson.

"Who... who are you?" I looked at him, pretending to be lost.

Leo's eyes went wide. "Bella, you really don't remember me?"

I frowned. "I don't remember."

Leo took a step back. I saw something flash in his eyes. Not worry. Something else. A flicker of… relief? No. Pure excitement.

"Right. The doctor said you might have temporary amnesia," he said quickly. "Don't worry. It'll come back."

But his face gave him away.

He was happy I lost my memory.

The son of a bitch.

"Someone's here to see you," Leo said, walking to the door. "Wait here."

I sat there. I wanted to see what he was up to.

A few minutes later, he came back with another man.

Tall. Cold. Dressed in a black custom suit.

His eyes could cut glass. But the second they landed on me… they softened.

Dante Falcone.

Leo's cousin.

The new Don of the Falcone family.

Leo always swore Dante hated me. Couldn't stand the sight of me.

So why the hell was he bringing him here now?

"Isabella." Dante's voice was deep, magnetic. "How are you feeling?"

I faked my confusion. My voice was as innocent as I could make it. "Who are you? Should I know you?"

Leo cleared his throat. A sly look flashed in his eyes. "Bella, this is Dante. Your... fiancé."

What?

I stared at them, shocked.

Leo plastered a concerned look on his face. Dante just watched him, his expression a mask of stone.

"Fiancé?" I repeated.

"Yes," Leo continued his insane lie. "You've been engaged for two years. You probably don't remember because of the amnesia."

I tried to process this.

Dante spoke slowly. "Isabella, you were hurt on my watch. I'm taking you home. A familiar place might help."

I looked at the two men.

Leo was nodding eagerly. He couldn't wait to get rid of me.

And Dante... his eyes were impossible to read.

"Okay," I whispered.

A game, Leo? Fine. Let's play.

Dante's mansion was a fortress.

A black Rolls-Royce drove us through heavily guarded gates. I saw men with guns patrolling the grounds.

"You're safe here," Dante said simply.

He led me to a lavish bedroom.

Cream and pale gold decor. My favorite skincare products on the vanity. My clothes hanging in the closet.

The air even smelled like lilies, my favorite flower.

"This is all mine?" I acted surprised.

"Yes. You stay here often. We're getting married soon, after all." Dante lingered at the door, as still as a marble statue.

I walked to the vanity and picked up a bottle of perfume.

Leo had planned this out.

He'd moved my things here ages ago. He was ready to push me onto Dante.

I took a deep breath and looked at Dante.

"Dante, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Were we... were we really in love?"

He was silent for a long moment.

"What do you think?" he asked back.

"I don't remember anything," I said, shaking my head. "Maybe you can help me remember?"

Dante walked towards me. He reached out. His hand gently brushed my cheek.

His touch was warm. So careful. Like I was something precious and breakable.

"Take your time," he said, and kissed my forehead. "Don't force it."

Then he turned and left the room.

I stood there alone. My hand touched the spot he'd kissed.

That kiss... why did it feel so familiar?

That night, I explored the mansion. I had to find a clue about this ridiculous game.

I pushed open a heavy door. Dante's study.

A huge oak desk. Family portraits on the wall. And a monitor, still on.

It showed a hotel suite.

Leo was on the screen. He was kissing a redhead. Passionately.

Her legs were wrapped around his waist. Their clothes were a mess. They were lost in each other.

I held my breath and moved closer.

"Bella is so damn needy," Leo's voice came through, clear as day. "It's suffocating. Like being in a beautiful cage."

The redhead was Scarlett. I recognized her.

The mafia princess who'd been chasing Leo for years.

She giggled and kissed him again. "Then why not just break up with her?"

"The timing isn't right," Leo whispered in her ear. "It's perfect having Dante watch her for a while. I need my freedom, Scarlett. I need you."

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

So that was it.

Leo was tired of me. He wanted to get rid of me for a while.

My "amnesia" was the perfect excuse. He could dump me on Dante and go have his fun.

"What did you see?"

I spun around. My hand shot out and slammed the power button.

Dante was standing in the doorway. His face gave nothing away.

"I... I got lost," I said, trying to stay calm.

He walked over to the monitor. He glanced at the black screen.

"What did you see?" he repeated, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Nothing. Just a blank screen."

Dante stared at me. He looked like he could see right through me.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Anything," I said, forcing a smile. "Whatever you get, I'm sure I'll love it."

He walked right up to me. He kissed my forehead. "Okay. Wait for me."

Ten minutes later, he came back with a warm oat milk latte.

It was from my favorite little brand in Brooklyn. The temperature was perfect.

I took the cup, stunned.

Even Leo didn't know I only drank this brand.

How did he know?

We sat on the sofa. The fire crackled in the fireplace.

Dante's profile looked dark and sad in the firelight.

"You look sad," I said softly.

He turned to me. His eyes held some complicated emotion.

"Just because something is forgotten," he said, "doesn't mean it never happened."

His words sent a cold spike through me. What game was he playing?

"It's late. You should rest," he said, standing up.

He walked me to my bedroom door. He kissed my forehead again.

This kiss was different. Softer, yet more possessive. It was full of an emotion so deep I couldn't breathe.

"Goodnight, Isabella."

"Goodnight, Dante."

The door closed. I leaned against it, my heart pounding.

The way he treated me... this wasn't a man forced to take on his cousin's "fiancée."

His eyes. His attention to detail. The things he knew that even Leo didn't.

I stared straight ahead.

Leo told me Dante hated the sound of my name. That he couldn't stand me.

But this Dante was so attentive.

Who was the real Dante Falcone?

I slept surprisingly well for someone who just got shot.

The next morning, I was back to playing the amnesiac fiancée of the Don.

"There's a charity gala tonight," Dante said at breakfast. "Will you come with me?"

I put down my coffee cup. "Should I? In my condition?"

"You're my fiancée." His voice was calm, but his eyes held a deep meaning I couldn't read. "People expect to see you."

I had a feeling.

Leo would be there.

Maybe seeing me with Dante would make him regret it.

"Okay," I nodded. "What should I wear?"

"It's already been taken care of."

The dress was a deep blue silk. The silk slid from my shoulders, baring my collarbones and the smooth line of my neck.

Dante put a diamond necklace on me. His fingertips brushed the back of my neck.

"Perfect," he whispered in my ear.

In the mirror, his eyes met mine. They were deep, possessive, and filled with a raw, barely-leashed hunger.

"You look handsome, too," I said, turning to face him.

The black tuxedo made him look like a dangerous prince.

We stood close. His cologne mixed with his own scent. It made me dizzy.

"We should go," he said, his voice a little rough.

The hotel ballroom was a sea of gold and crystal.

New York's high society mingled. Jewels glittered under the lights.

I saw Leo immediately.

He was on the dance floor. He was holding Scarlett.

She wore a blood-red dress. She looked like a dangerous rose.

Their bodies were pressed together. Leo's hand was low on her waist, his thumb stroking dangerously close to the curve of her ass.

If they were alone, he would have bent her over something right then and there.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Leo raised his champagne glass. His voice echoed through the hall. "I'd like you all to meet my very important date, Scarlett Moretti!"

The room erupted in applause.

I felt Dante's hand on the small of my back.

He seemed... tense.

"I'm fine," I forced a smile.

But when Leo's eyes met ours, I saw the challenge in them.

We found a table.

Dante pulled out my chair. The perfect gentleman.

A waiter brought a seafood platter.

Dante picked up a shrimp. He expertly peeled it, dipped it in lemon juice, and placed it on my plate.

"Thank you," I said softly.

He peeled another. He was so focused. Like it was a sacred ritual.

"Dante, you're so sweet to your fiancée."

Leo's voice came from behind us. It dripped with acid.

He and Scarlett had walked over.

"Leo," Dante said, looking up calmly. "Having fun?"

"Of course." Leo's arm tightened around Scarlett's waist. "Scarlett's a hell of a lot of fun. Not so... demanding."

I put down my fork. I looked at Leo. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Leo shrugged. "Just that some women are too... dependent."

Dante's fingers tapped on the table. I could feel the anger in that small movement.

I stood up. I linked my arm with Dante's. "Well, I think my fiancé and I are doing great. He's very attentive. Aren't you, darling?"

I put extra weight on "fiancé" and "darling."

Dante looked at me. I saw surprise in his eyes, then a flicker of warmth. "Of course, baby."

Leo's face darkened.

"Wow, how sweet!" Scarlett laughed, her voice sharp. "You two should show us how in love you are!"

The guests around us started to cheer.

"Yeah! Show us what real love looks like!"

"Leo and Scarlett, you too!"

Leo's eyes darted between me and Dante. His jaw was clenched.

"Fine," Scarlett said, looking at me with a challenge. "Leo, kiss me. Let everyone see how much we love each other."

Leo hesitated for a second. Then he pulled Scarlett in.

Their kiss was an attack.

Leo's hand was buried in her red hair. Their lips were crushed together.

Scarlett's leg was practically wrapped around his waist. Her hand roamed his chest.

It went on for a full minute.

The family photographer was taking pictures. The flashbulbs were blinding.

"Get those pictures everywhere," Leo snapped at the photographer, breathless.

Scarlett kissed his neck. She shot me a look over his shoulder.

Her eyes said: See? He's mine.

The room applauded. The guests cheered.

But when it was over, Leo's eyes found mine. For just a second, I saw it. Guilt.