Daisy's breath stilled in her chest as she stared at the man before her.
The dim lamp carved shadows across his face, but nothing in the world could hide those eyes weredark, intense, and carrying a storm she had never seen in any man before.
Not even Romeo.
Her fingers trembled at her sides and her lips parted.
"Donato…?". He gave a slow, deliberate smirk—the kind that didn't belong to the gentle, selfless Donato Morano who always put everyone else first.
"No. This was a Donato carved in silence and sharpened by something older, something colder".
"Miss me?" he murmured.
Daisy's knees nearly buckled.
His hand was still on her waist, firm and claiming like he had every right to touch her.
But Daisy wasn't stupid.
She drew in a shaky breath. "H-How…? Luca said you vanished. The temple..."
"Chose me." Donato finished in a low, steady voice, eyes locked on hers. "And when something chooses you… you don't walk away unchanged."
Her pulse slammed against her throat.
