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His fingers close briefly around mine.

“I never had a daughter,” he says. “But if I had, I’d like to think she might’ve turned out a little like you.”

His words make me warm and fuzzy, and I know beneath his crisp exterior he probably is too.

“Yes, well.” He clears his throat. “Let’s not make a thing of it.”

I smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good. I do have a reputation to maintain.”

I wink at him. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“I sincerely doubt that, Mrs. Di Zaro.”

He looks at his watch. “We need to go. Mr. Di Zaro is waiting for us.”

He offers me his arm, and I slip my arm through it.

“I’m so pleased you’re coming with us, Charles,” I say. “The gala won’t seem nearly as scary with you there.”

“I will accompany you to the venue and then leave.”

“You could stay,” I say. “Have a dance.”

“I don’t dance.”

He checks his watch again.

"That's the millionth time you've checked your watch. What are you up to?"

He smiles warmly. “In good time, Mrs. Di Zaro.”

Something is going on.

And I think I am about to find out.

41

SUNNY

Charles leads me to the elevator and presses a button. But instead of going down, the elevator moves upward.

"We're going up? I didn't know there even was an up. I thought the penthouse was the end of the ride."

"Mr. Di Zaro has a private rooftop garden."

The elevator climbs, and my heart climbs with it.

Because the grumpy casino boss has a private rooftop garden, and not only did he just become more human, but I’m about to see him, and it feels like someone has let a box of butterflies loose in my stomach.

The doors open, and I step out into a different world.

Everywhere I look I see roses of every kind.

The rooftop sky garden is without a doubt the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

I follow the stone path lit by string lights through the trellises, and when the path opens up I see him. Dante.