Novel-novel oleh Efita

Dave’s POVThe whisky burned his throat, but it was nothing compared to the fire in his chest.He hadn’t touched a drink in years, but after what happened at the library, self-control felt like a joke.He paced his apartment like a caged animal, heart thudding in his ears. The moment Mia turned and saw Marco, something in her face shifted. Relief. Like she’d been rescued.From him.“She made me believe…” he muttered, gripping the edge of his desk so hard his knuckles turned white. “All those late-night book talks. The way she laughed when I told her she was the only one who actually got me…”He grabbed the glass again and downed the last of it, staring into the empty bookshelf across the room. It used to be filled. Now, only a few titles remained—ones he couldn’t bear to part with. Her favorites.“I was there for her. Not him.” His voice cracked. “I listened. I cared.”But none of it mattered now. Because Mia had chosen Marco. The billionaire. The threat.Dave’s hands curled into fist

Mia’s POVThe sky had long darkened, and the golden hues of dusk gave way to deep indigo. Inside the bookstore, the soft lamplight cast a cozy, flickering glow on the wood-paneled walls. It smelled like old paper, fresh espresso, and cinnamon muffins—the comforting signature scent of Chapters & Coffee.Marco.He just stood there, the city lights reflecting off his dark coat, hair tousled like he’d run a hand through it a dozen times. There was something almost wild in his eyes. Not violent—just intense. Caged. Like he was battling something inside him that didn’t want to stay quiet anymore.My mom, bless her timing, gave him a suspicious once-over from behind the counter before murmuring, “I’ll be back in ten. We’re out of milk.” She gave me a tight smile—one that said we’re going to talk about this later—then slipped out the door.The air shifted. The moment she left, it felt like the entire store sighed into stillness.Marco moved closer, hands in his coat pockets, his gaze never le

Marco’s POVThe sun had dipped behind the skyline, casting the city in a gold-tinged gloom as I watched from the driver’s seat of the black Aston Martin. The hum of the engine had gone cold. I hadn’t moved in nearly twenty minutes. Not since she walked out of that glass building—Luxe Visions—like she was carrying a thousand invisible bricks on her back.Mia Cruz.The woman who made me question every rule I’d lived by, every line I’d drawn to keep people out.Her shoulders were tense beneath the tailored beige coat she wore, the collar flipped up like armor against the late evening chill. Her steps weren’t rushed, but they weren’t steady either. Each one looked like she had to convince herself to take it. I watched as she paused at the corner, her head tilting toward the sky for just a second like she needed to remind herself how to breathe.She didn’t see me.Didn’t know I’d been here since noon—since just after I left her standing in that diner, after I told her I couldn’t walk away

Mia’s POVThe bus stop was quieter than usual, just the low hum of the city waking up around me. I pulled my coat tighter against the chill, wishing it could somehow shield me from the thoughts that kept circling my mind like vultures. Marco Valentino wasn’t supposed to be a part of my life—he wasn’t supposed to be anything at all. And yet, here I was, thinking about him when I should be focused on the day ahead.I stepped onto the bus when it pulled up, the scent of fresh coffee and early morning newspaper clippings mingling with the stale air of the crowded ride. I grabbed a seat near the back, hoping for a quiet ride before the chaos of work took over.The bus jerked to a stop as we hit traffic, and I glanced over to see Dave standing in the aisle. His tall frame loomed just behind a man in a dark suit, his posture stiff. He caught my gaze, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—something unreadable. But then his face softened, like he was trying to be

Marco’s POVShe had no idea what she was doing to him.No fucking idea.Marco sat alone in his penthouse, lights dim, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand, staring out at the city that knelt beneath his feet like it belonged to him.Because it did.Everything he wanted, he took.Everything he desired, he owned.Everything he touched, he marked.That was the world of Marco Valentino.Until her.Until Mia.The little waitress with fire in her eyes and a softness in her soul that made him feel…Unsteady.Off-balance.Human.And God, he hated feeling human.He wasn’t supposed to want someone like her. Sweet. Uncomplicated. Broke. Ordinary.But ordinary had never looked so fucking beautiful.Ordinary had never smiled at him like she had — without fear. Without expectation.Mia was the first woman in his entire cursed existence who didn’t want anything from him… except maybe for him to leave her alone.But it was too late for that.Way too fucking late.He’d crossed the line the moment

Mia barely heard a word Dave was saying.Her mind was still stuck in him.Marco Valentino.That look in his eyes.Those words.Mine.She shivered — except it wasn’t from the cold.It was from the way her body remembered the heat of his presence even after he was gone.Get a grip, Mia.Dave was still rambling awkwardly beside her, hands shoved deep into his pockets like he wasn’t sure if he was about to get whacked in broad daylight.“…seriously, Mia. That guy’s intense. Like, mafia movie final boss level intense.”She almost laughed.If only he knew.But all she managed was a small, exhausted smile.“I’m fine, Dave.”“You sure? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure he wanted to rip my head off.”Mia sighed. “He didn’t.”“Not yet,” Dave mumbled under his breath.That actually made her chuckle.Soft. Tired. But real.Her feet ached from standing so long, her head throbbed from everything that just happened, and the idea of squeezing herself into an overcrowded bus after surviving Marco Valentino felt

The door chimed as Chloe stepped out of the café into the crisp morning air, Adrian close behind her like a shadow she couldn’t shake. Everything outside looked the same—cars passing, a cyclist ringing his bell, the faint buzz of city life—but to Chloe, everything felt wrong. It was like walking into a dream she couldn’t wake up from.Her legs felt heavy, trembling with each step. Adrian didn’t touch her, but his presence loomed beside her like a loaded gun cocked and ready. He nodded toward a sleek black car parked just a few feet down the street.“Keep walking,” he said, tone light like they were discussing weather.She didn’t want to. Every part of her body screamed to run, to fight, to cry for help. But her mind flashed to the strangers in her café. The couple by the window. The man who smiled as she handed him his croissant. Adrian wasn’t bluffing. He would kill them without hesitation.Her steps carried her to the car, her breath shallow as he reached past her to open the back d

Isaac’s FuneralThe clouds hung low like a mourning veil, thick and unmoving. Rain hadn’t fallen yet, but the air was wet with grief and the promise of a storm. The cemetery was quiet, the usual noise of life muted by the weight of death. Only the wind moved, slipping through the trees, curling around the gravestones, whispering sorrow.Nicholas stood in front of the casket, hands in his pockets, jaw locked so tightly it ached. His black coat fluttered slightly in the wind, but he didn’t move. He hadn’t spoken a word since he arrived.The priest droned on, voice trembling through prayers and hollow reassurances. Nicholas didn’t hear a single word. His eyes were fixed on the polished mahogany casket before him—Isaac’s final bed.His little brother.Gone.He had imagined many things—arguments, bruises, laughter, Isaac storming out and coming back with that smug grin—but never this. Never a grave. Never silence.The priest said, “May he rest in peace,” and stepped back.Nicholas stepped

Chloe’s POVThe quiet hum of her apartment felt suffocating, a stark contrast to the chaos she had just left behind at the coffee shop. Chloe sat on her couch, her legs tucked beneath her, staring at the window as the rain continued its relentless assault on the city. She couldn’t shake the unease that had settled over her, like a dark cloud that refused to dissipate, no matter how hard she tried to shake it off.The news of Isaac’s death weighed heavily on her, pulling her into a spiral of guilt and confusion. She knew Isaac. He had been one of those familiar faces at the coffee shop, always smiling, always ready to crack a joke. He had been nothing but kind to her, even if their interactions were brief and casual. It didn’t make sense. He was a good guy, a guy who didn’t deserve to be taken like that.She rubbed her face with her hands, her thoughts a blur. How could this happen? Why him? And why had Nicholas come to her, looking so lost, so broken? His

Adrian’s POVThe night was thick with the sounds of distant thunder, but Adrian didn’t hear the storm as he sat in his office, watching the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His mind was alive with the knowledge that his plan was unfolding perfectly. Nicholas was vulnerable—he had lost Isaac, and with him, a piece of his strength. The game had changed, and now, Adrian had the upper hand.But there was more to it than just revenge. He wasn’t simply trying to destroy Nicholas for the sake of it. There was a deeper motive, one that drove every decision he made, one that fueled his every move. He hadn’t forgotten about his brother Alex, the one Nicholas had killed. Adrian had never let that betrayal go, and the death of Isaac was only part of the payback he had been building towards for years. But he wanted more. He wanted Nicholas to feel the full weight of the loss, to understand what it was like to lose everything—just as he had.The connec

Chloe’s POVThe warm scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, the steady hum of the espresso machine a constant comfort in the otherwise quiet Chapters & Coffee. Chloe wiped down the counter for what felt like the hundredth time, her mind wandering as she looked out the window. The rain had started pouring heavily, a dark blanket settling over the city. She liked it when it rained—there was something soothing about it, like the world slowed down just a bit.But today, she couldn’t shake the unease that had been gnawing at her all afternoon. It was as if something, or someone, was watching her. Every time the door opened, her heart would skip a beat, her head snapping toward it, only to find that it was another regular customer or passerby seeking shelter from the downpour. But the feeling lingered, a constant pressure on her chest.She forced herself to focus, arranging the pastries neatly in the display case. The gentle chime of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and she gl

The warehouse felt like a maze, each turn offering nothing but shadows and the scent of rust and decay. Nicholas’s heart pounded in his chest, the rhythm of his footsteps echoing in the silence. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, but he couldn’t. Not without Isaac.He followed the blood trail, each step heavier than the last. The deeper he went into the labyrinthine space, the more unsettling it became. The warehouse seemed endless, as though it had been abandoned for years.Finally, at the farthest point of the building, he found it. A small room, its door hanging off its hinges. Nicholas’s breath hitched as he stepped closer, his hand hovering over the door handle. The blood trail stopped here.He pushed the door open, and the sight that greeted him nearly took the air from his lungs.Isaac’s body lay sprawled on the cold concrete floor, motionless. Blood pooled around him, staining the floor in dark, sinister splotches. Nicholas’s eyes widened, a guttural sound of disbeli