
A Dangerous Engagement
Lindsay · Completed · 101.2k Words
Introduction
I haven't seen Angelo Bianchi in a long time. When my father is suddenly killed, Angelo returns to settle his affairs. Twice my age and legally my father's adopted son, Angelo only sees me as his innocent responsibility. The mafia boss insists I marry for my safety and the empire's stability, and Angelo takes charge of selecting my future husband.
But I want Angelo to marry me.
With my father's murderer still at large and danger closing in, Angelo faces a tough decision—marry me himself or let the mafia choose my husband. For him, it's a difficult choice. But for me, it's simple.
Angelo promised to protect me. But I need more than just his protection…
Chapter 1
Rosalia
Sitting in the shower with hot water pouring down, I hug my knees and feel nothing but numbness. Despite the thick steam fogging up the glass, I can't stop shaking.
Pink droplets, tinted with my father's blood, drip onto the tiles. The memory of finding him in his study, lifeless on the floor, plays repeatedly in my mind like a relentless horror film.
Today was supposed to be perfect. This morning, my father was at the breakfast table with his usual newspaper, waiting for me. Don Vincezio Santoro—feared or respected by everyone in Chicago—was simply my father to me. He put down his paper to hug me, his scent of aftershave and pipe tobacco familiar as ever. This morning was special; it was my eighteenth birthday.
It's hard to remember how beautiful the morning started. The day was sunny and perfect, with the manicured lawn and climbing roses that have been a part of my daily life. I was excited to see what my father had planned, what surprises he had in store for me.
Right now, my father's advisor, Enzo, is downstairs handling everything after my father's death. He was the only person I could think to call, the only one I knew my father trusted completely, except for Angelo. But Angelo has been gone for three years, and I knew better than to call him. He had distanced himself from us for reasons my father never explained, and any mention of him was shut down. Still, I thought about him while I sat on the floor of my father's study, and Enzo found a maid to help me upstairs and clean up. I knew Angelo would want to know, even though my mind was foggy with grief.
All I can think about is finding my father on the floor of his study, his blood dark against the hardwood, the fire in the fireplace still burning cheerfully. My world had just shattered.
My hands are still bloody, so I clench them into fists, pressing them against my eyes until I see stars. I don’t want to see the dead body in my mind anymore. I want to remember my father as he was this morning, at the breakfast table. I want to see his smile, waiting for me to notice the pastry and iced coffee he had set out for me. I want to see him lighting a candle in the middle of the cinnamon roll, the flame flickering over the icing and butter.
"I wasn’t sure when you would come down, mi vida. So I left the candle unlit. But now—"
I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood. He’d lit the candle, singing me happy birthday off-key, as he did every year. “Your mother would have sung it more beautifully. Like the angel she is now. Make a wish, cara ragazza.”
I made the same wish I make every year: for the coming year to be as happy as the last. It had always come true. This morning, I had no reason to think it wouldn’t.
"What am I supposed to do?" I whisper to the empty shower, my heart aching. The shower smells like sweat and iron, my own flushed skin, and blood filling the air instead of the sweet scent of shower gel and shampoo. I want to disappear, to make all of this disappear.
I feel like I have no one to turn to. My father trusted Enzo, but I’m not sure I do. I have no friends to call on, no one to comfort me. My father tried to introduce me to other mafia daughters, to help me make friends, but I could never relate to them. They all hated their fathers—men who saw them as currency, raised them for marriage.
My father was my friend and confidante. He was kind, honest, fair, and intelligent. He made sure I didn’t feel the loss of my mother too deeply. He never refused to answer my questions or made me feel like my only future was a marriage he would arrange.
He had planned a perfect day for me—spa appointments, a day of luxury and pampering, and gifts waiting at home. The note he left me is now something I’ll cherish forever. This morning, it was just a birthday note. Now it’s the last note I’ll ever have from him. I remember it by heart, even now, even with everything tormenting me.
To my dear daughter,
Even though you are all grown up, you will always be my little treasure, just as you have been since the day you were born. I look forward to many more years of seeing you grow into the talented, intelligent, and beautiful woman you are becoming.
Love,
Your father
I rest my head against the shower tiles, trying to remember that night. It was the last perfect night with my father. I replay it in my mind—putting on the lavender dress he gave me, putting on the earrings, going to the car waiting for me at eight p.m. sharp. I got into the cool, leather-scented car, and he was there, leaning over to kiss my cheek and smiling. It was a special night, one of many we thought we'd still have.
"Did you like your birthday presents?" he asked, and I nodded.
"Thank you. They're perfect, especially the earrings." I touched them, hanging from my ears, and his smile grew but with a hint of sadness.
"Those were your mother's. I got a new box and had them wrapped, but they were hers. I have more of her jewelry, but those will wait until you're married."
"Oh." The gift meant even more now. "I'm so glad I have them." I touched the earrings again, not wanting to take them off. His mention of marriage made me nervous, as he rarely talked about it, and I wondered if he'd start looking for a match for me. "I'll wear them every chance I get."
The ride to the restaurant was quiet—my father seemed lost in thought. As the car stopped, he shook himself out of it and got out, the driver opening my door. He'd brought us to a fancy sushi restaurant in the city that I loved. We were shown to a private booth, and he smiled as the waitress brought chilled lychee sake and water.
"You shouldn't technically be drinking this," he said, pouring sake into small cups, "but what's the point of being one of the three most powerful men in Chicago if my only daughter can't have a drink on her eighteenth birthday? Plus, we have a driver." He winked, clinking his glass against mine, and we both took a sip.
I'd had some alcohol before—mostly wine during holidays—but this was different. It was sweet but burned my throat a little, and I coughed, making him chuckle.
"Not too much," he warned, though he let me refill my cup. "Just a special treat for your birthday."
"How did your meetings go?" I asked as the waitress brought appetizers. His smile faltered for a moment, almost imperceptibly.
"They were fine," he said quickly. "But tonight isn't about business, mi vida. This is your night. And I want to talk about your future."
That anxiety grips my stomach again, and I take another small sip of sake, picking up the jade chopsticks by my plate. "What do you mean?" I ask nervously. "Is this about me getting married?"
My father laughs. "No, Rosalia. I'm not marrying you off at eighteen. I want to talk about whether you'd like to go to college. We can enroll you for this fall—you can study whatever you want. It's up to you. I can hire another private tutor to teach you at home, but I thought you might enjoy going to campus to learn. You'll have security with you and still live at home, of course, but—"
"I would love that." The idea is both nerve-wracking and exciting, and my heart leaps at the thought. "Maybe I could study literature?" The possibilities thrill me, and I look at my father, waiting to see his reaction.
"You don't have to decide tonight," he says, chuckling. "Just think about it, and we'll discuss it later." His expression turns more serious, and he sits back, looking at me. "You will have to get married eventually," he says quietly. "But there's plenty of time for that. We don't need to talk about it just yet."
Not just yet is good enough for me, for now. The rest of the dinner is relaxing and fun, with us talking about lighter things—summer plans, a possible vacation, my father admitting he works too much. We eat too much food and still share dessert, and on the way home, I can see he's tired. It must have been a long day with all his meetings. Once we're home, he gives me a smile.
"I'm going to bed early," he says. "Good night, mi vida."
"Good night." I stand on tiptoes to give him a hug and another kiss on the cheek, then go upstairs. I'm tired too, relaxed from the day at the spa and full of sake and sushi. I get ready for bed, washing my face and slipping into my favorite pajamas before getting into bed and reaching for a book.
I read for about an hour before I can't keep my eyes open any longer. I switch off the light and am almost asleep when I hear a sudden noise downstairs, something like a cry of pain, followed by a heavy thud.
I sit up, unsure if I was dreaming. The cry could have been an animal outside—a cat or a bird. But the sound—
I thought it was just a dream. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, even as I lay back down. I shouldn't have felt afraid in my own house, but as I got up and walked across the bedroom and into the hall, all I remember feeling was a cold knot of fear in my stomach. Something felt wrong as soon as I started down the stairs.
I remember checking the master suite first. My father hadn't gone to bed yet—the king-sized bed was neatly made, his slippers at the edge, the room quiet and dark.
I thought about going back to bed. But something inside me told me to go downstairs and not to turn on any lights. The lower part of the house was dark, except for my father's study, where the door was slightly open, letting out a warm, yellow light.
I told myself it was nothing. Maybe a book had fallen or he had stubbed his toe. I imagined walking in to see him by the fireplace with a glass of port and a cigar.
When I pushed the door open, I did see him by the fireplace. But he wasn’t in his favorite leather chair, holding a glass of wine, or smoking a cigar. He was—
Sitting in the shower, I rub my hands over my face, hard enough to hurt, watching the last of the blood wash off and go down the drain. I want to erase the memory of finding my father face down on the hardwood floor, his hand reaching for something, the table next to him overturned with a broken glass, wine mixing with the blood on the floor. I want to forget my own scream, the way I collapsed to the floor, and the smell of blood that I’ll always recognize now.
I don't know what happens next. But I know my life as I knew it—the life of Don Vincezio Santoro's beloved daughter—is over.
Who I'm meant to be now, I have no idea.
Last Chapters
#35 Chapter 35
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#34 Chapter 34
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#33 Chapter 33
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#32 Chapter 32
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#31 Chapter 31
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#30 Chapter 30
Last Updated: 1/25/2026#29 Chapter 29
Last Updated: 1/26/2026#28 Chapter 28
Last Updated: 1/25/2026#27 Chapter 27
Last Updated: 1/25/2026#26 Chapter 26
Last Updated: 1/27/2026
You Might Like 😍
Where The Ice Gives Way
Blake Atlas scents his mate the moment Charlotte arrives. The bond hits hard and unmistakable, but Charlotte doesn’t recognise it. She doesn’t know why her chest keeps pulling toward the one boy she absolutely cannot afford to want. Blake is Charlie’s new hockey captain. Charlie’s chance at making something good. Charlie makes it clear; his sister is off-limits and Blake tries to do the right thing, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. Rogues prowl the edges of town. The ice cracks. The bond tightens. Then Charlotte’s rare white wolf awakens, the very thing that makes her powerful, also makes her a target.
Shanti needs Shakti. (Peace needs strength.)
Where the Ice Gives Way is a slow-burn YA paranormal romance filled with fated mates, protective alpha energy, fierce sibling loyalty, found family pack bonds, hurt/comfort, and quiet, aching tension. It’s a story about first belonging, learning to be cared for, and what happens when the girl who has always held everyone else up finally falls, and someone catches her.
Goddess Of The Underworld
When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
From Substitute To Queen
Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.
Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.
In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?
From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)
Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong.
Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.
A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.
Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
A Court of Arcane Souls Anthology (side character short stories exclusive to Ream)
Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)
Lone Wolf
I am completely a sobbing mess.
But before I can do or say anything, Sapphire pushes through and pushes me back into the darkness with a block on me.
I am in darkness yet again due to my wolf, why is she doing this?
I have had enough of this, I want out. I want answers.
Mila Dawson and her wolf Sapphire are the white wolf creation of the Moon Goddess herself. However, Mila is the only wolf in a small town full of supernatural beings and has no memory of how she came to the small town. When a new pack of wolves moves into the territory near the town, Mila is stunned to find out that the alpha’s son Nathaniel is her mate. When she turns 18, memories flood back and she is hit with some dark secrets, a lost family member, a guardian, and a pending war to face. This is the Book 1 of 2.
Game of Destiny
When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.
Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.
When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?
Let Them Kneel
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.
But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.
Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.
When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.
For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.
Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.
But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.
And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.
Especially him.
She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.
Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Bride
Alpha VS Omega' Twin VS Twin (A Dark Werewolf Romance)
Stripped of everything, Callum is thrown into the Rookeries, where packless wolves go to die. But he survives. He builds a pack from the broken and the damned. He falls in love with Valentina, a dhampir hunted by the same vampire Parliament that destroyed his life.
In a city ruled by immortal aristocrats and controlled by ancient dragons, Callum learns the hardest truth: individual virtue cannot defeat systemic evil. But small victories matter. And some fights are worth losing everything
Bound by Fate, Freed by Choice
Her escape leads her to Alpha Rowan, the commanding leader of the Blackwood Pack, who offers shelter, protection, and an unexpected chance at a new life. But Rowan’s fierce and jealous fiancée sees Lyla as a threat, and the pack’s charming Beta is drawn to her quiet strength.
As a dangerous attraction simmers between Lyla and Rowan, they begin to unravel a dark web of secrets that implicates Kaiden and threatens both their worlds.
With her hidden power awakening, Lyla must navigate treacherous loyalties, face the alpha who shattered her, and decide: Will she follow the destiny fate forced upon her, or claim the love and strength she has chosen for herself?
The Rogue King II
Under the weight of his grief and pain, along with of the uncertainty of the new mate bond forged between Silas and Nate, Silas decides that he needs help. The weight of being Alpha that nearly just lost his pack if his little sister hadn’t been there, Silas decides to push everything away to be a better and stronger Alpha. Using magic is father gave him, Silas loses so much more than his way.
Nate, struggling with the mate bond, what the bond means for him, has continued to fight Silas, his Alpha, his best friend, and now his mate. When their fight goes too far, both Silas and Nate must deal with the consequences. It both pulls them together and tears them apart. Eventually leading to a full break in any relationship they had ever had.
On his own, Silas has to navigate through the next chapter alone. Coming to realize his actions, the consequences, and just how much it’s going to take to repair the damage he has done.
Nate, also on his own, works through what it means to step up in more ways than one. Somehow, even after her death, Aelia is still reaching out and helping Nate navigate the world on his own. He vows to grow and step up into the wolf that she knew he could be.
Book 2 in The Rogue Kings following immediately after The Rogue Kings I - Solaris' Reign. Trigger Warnings. Rated 18+.
The Shattered Moon King
Lena is a survivor. For years, she has weathered the harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape by following one rule: trust no one. But when she finds an amnesiac man near death in the wilderness—a man with kind eyes and a strength that is anything but human—she makes a choice that will unravel her solitary existence.
She calls him Cain, but the shattered-moon tattoo on his back brands him as Kaelen, the long-dead Alpha of the powerful Sky-Fall pack. His return triggers a brutal civil war with the usurper who stole his throne and his fated mate. Hunted by Lycan assassins and a fanatical human commander desperate for the secrets locked in Lena's own past, their only hope lies in embracing the very power Kaelen can't remember and Lena has always feared.
As they uncover a conspiracy that threatens not just the pack, but the future of every living thing, Kaelen must fight for a kingdom he doesn't know and Lena must confront a legacy she tried to bury. In a world of broken thrones and fated bonds, they will discover that the greatest choice is not between love and duty, but between who you are told you must be, and who you choose to become.












