JULIET TAYLOR“Hi, Chris,” I said, trying to mask the pain in my voice. I wasn’t going to burden him with the chaos of my life, but deep down, I needed reassurance—desperately so.“Hey, I just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?” he asked, his voice laced with genuine concern. For a moment, I wanted to spill everything, to let out the storm of pain and hurt swirling inside me. But… no. It didn’t feel right. Not now.“I’m okay,” I lied, forcing a lightness into my tone. “Honestly, I’m a bit surprised you called. It’s nice to be checked on once in a while.” I tried to sound playful, masking the ache within.He chuckled softly. “Are you free tomorrow? I could come by, and we could talk or… hang out. You know, catch up,” he said nervously. I could picture him running his fingers through his hair—a habit of his whenever he was flustered.“I’m free,” I replied, hesitating only slightly. “Though my daughter will be around—it’s the weekend, after all. I plan to spend it with her. But
Juliet Taylor;“I'm all good In here baby, I fixed the TV so you can go watch Disney world while I finish up with breakfast.” She looked at me for a while, contemplating on what to do , then finally she nodded and happily tried to get down from my arms. I allowed her and watched as she sprinted to the living room.A tear drops from my eye, watching her grow and try to help even when she's so little and could barely do anything melts my heart. She's my beacon of hope and that's why I refuse to allow people like Desmond destroy her youth with painful memories. I returned back to cooking and after an hour I was done. I cleaned everywhere up, as I was about to drop my cleaning napkin the doorbell went off.“I'll take the door mama, don't You worry.” Anabelle's babyish voice said. I knew it was Christopher, so I allowed her to open the door, hopefully they could somehow connect and I'll see how things go.I set the four seater dining table for 3, I placed the moon pie in the middle as I
Christopher Lawson;“No, Chris. I understand you perfectly.” Juliet's voice trembled with heartbreak, every word laced with quiet pain. “No man would want to raise another man's child as his own. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the truth, isn’t it?”Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. I could feel the sting of her disappointment, a bitterness that I knew I deserved for the careless way I had phrased my question. Annabelle wasn’t my blood, but that didn’t matter to me. I didn’t know much about her father or why he wasn’t in the picture—and frankly, I was grateful for his absence. Because in my heart, I wanted that little girl to be mine. Blood be damned.I stepped closer to Juliet, whose eyes were red and puffy from crying. Her vulnerability made my chest ache. “The last thing I’d ever do is separate a mother from her child. And the first thing I want to do… is accept Annabelle as my own.”Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face as she searched mine for any sign of moc
Christopher LawsonThat afternoon, Annabelle and I immersed ourselves in a world of fun. We played tea house, raced toy cars, built structures with Legos, and colored the quirky drawings she'd made. By the time Juliet walked into the room, I realized hours had flown by unnoticed.“It’s past 5 p.m.? Have you two been playing all this time? WOW!” she exclaimed, watching us piece together a Lego masterpiece. I had already changed out of the ballet dress I wore earlier—it had started to feel uncomfortable.“Mama?” Annabelle called softly, drawing both our attention. Her voice was tired, and her demeanor suggested hunger after being cooped up all afternoon.“Yes, baby, are you hungry? I made lunch—it’s a bit late, but it’s ready. Go wash up, and I’ll serve you,” Juliet said encouragingly. Annabelle shook her head, and her abrupt change in behavior concerned me. Is she okay? Could she have gotten hurt without me noticing? The thought gnawed at me.She walked up to her mom and hugged her tig
Vincenzo Dante Volvok:The day started as peacefully as a mobster’s life could—emails, vodka, and occasionally wondering why I hadn’t burned my enemies to ash yet. I decided to work from my study, avoiding the circus that is the office. My peace was interrupted, however, by the thought of Venom.Venom. My ever-reliable right-hand man had asked for one day off. Reasonable. What wasn’t reasonable? The fact that one day turned into three, without so much as a call, text, or smoke signal.The knock on my door dragged me from my thoughts. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Venom entered, looking like he’d lost a fight to a garbage truck. Bruises painted his face, and his suit looked like it had been crumpled under a drunk elephant.“Well, well,” I drawled, leaning back in my chair. “If it isn’t the man of the hour. What happened, Venom? Did you moonlight as a punching bag for charity, or did you just lose a very aggressive game of tag?”“Boss,” he greeted, bowing his head.“No, no,”
Vincenzo Dante Volvok;She had a point, but what if the tables turned and Juliet’s ex somehow got her into his custody? I’d rain fire and brimstone on him. The voice in my head whispered, *Let’s try it out.*I signaled to Venom to give her the necessary information.“Juliet’s boss is using her daughter—who also happens to be his daughter—as a tool to make her spy on us. He’s been harassing them and traumatizing the child with his abusive behavior. I helped them move into my house, where they’ll be safe for now,” Venom started.Victoria, ever curious, interrupted before he could finish. “She mentioned a five-year-old daughter, Annabelle. So the ex is using a four-year-old to force her to spy on us?” she said, disbelief evident on her face as she looked between Venom and me, her expression screaming, *Is this how you men think and act?*“Boss needs someone to talk to Juliet, someone who can make her talk without fear and get us intel about her ex,” Venom finished. Victoria thought for a
VICTORIA BELLA WASHINGTON;Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, one moment you hate something, another moment you cannot do without that thing. Life is a merry-go-round spin, it has its ups and it's down. It's up to you to decide what side you are on. Typically, I should be thinking of escaping this hell hole, bouncing off the gates of hell even with big guns aimed at me. The Victoria I knew would risk her life a million times for her freedom, but that ain't happening anytime soon.I clamored for my freedom, I prayed for a breakthrough and wished that the devil died in his own sleep, but all of those seemed useless and once his hands were on me, I seemed to forget my own identity and become whatever he wanted of me. Vincenzo isn't just any jerkface, he is my jerkface, not any dick head but my personal dick head. Sleeping with him wasn't part of the plan, but every moment is so magical I could only think of how great the next session is gonna be. He drills the living daylight
VICTORIA BELLA WASHINGTONThe days flew by until the much-anticipated Mafia Gala Night finally arrived. Vincenzo had spared no expense, arranging a luxurious spa session for me, complete with a massage, pedicure, manicure, and facials. I also had a standby makeup artist, hairstylist, and a mysterious large box delivered to my room a few hours after the spa session. The box bore a note that read, “Love, from your tiger.”Of course, it was from Vincenzo. I hadn’t opened the box yet, being preoccupied with the flurry of activity around me. I was being treated like royalty, surrounded by professionals attending to my every need. It was overwhelming yet exhilarating.At exactly 6 PM, the makeup team began their magic. I felt the gentle application of powder, the meticulous drawing of my brows, and the careful placement of lashes. My face was being transformed. Next, the hairstylists took over, washing, drying, and styling my hair with precision. The soothing pressure on my scalp was both c
Vincenzo Dante Volkov:“Alright… You can do it!” This was me encouraging my wife in the hospital bed.In the blink of an eye, a few months had already passed, and we were doing really great—absolutely great.Victoria was in the labor room, and although I wasn't the doctor helping her give birth, I was still there. I wasn’t going to leave her.“Push!!”“Ahhh!!”It was a long night. Victoria had been in labor for hours, and I could see the exhaustion on her face. Sweat slicked her forehead, and her grip on my hand tightened with each contraction."Easy... easy..." I whispered, trying to keep her calm, but she wasn’t hearing it. She was too focused on the pain."Push!" the nurse said, her voice sharp and clear. Victoria squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a loud cry of frustration."Push! You’ve got this, Victoria," I said, doing my best to be encouraging. She glared at me between breaths."Yeah, right. You’re the one who put me in this position!" she shot back, her voice strained. I kne
Victoria Bella Volkov:A family celebration was happening today. I was in my room, feeling nauseous.My baby was five months along now, and this had to be the best experience of my life. Having a doctor for a husband was a unique kind of blessing. Vincenzo handled my check-ups, prescribed medications, made sure I had a good day, and constantly reminded me to eat fruits, especially those rich in vitamin C.Juliet and Christopher had come over for the family celebration.What was the celebration about again? Oh, right. It was for Vincenzo—him officially reuniting with the family.Don Nikolai was returning today too, and the house was bustling. Everyone seemed busy with something. I stayed in the room with Juliet.“So... we went for a scan, and guess what? We’re having twins!” she announced, her eyes sparkling.“Oh my God, Juliet! Twins? That’s beautiful! I can’t believe it! I envy you so much!” I pulled her into a warm hug.“I’m going to miss you, Juliet. I can’t believe you and Christo
Vincenzo Dante Volkov:“Mum, I want everyone to stay put. I’ve spoken with Victoria, and it seems like something is wrong.”“I found out where she is. She’s in a deserted warehouse, not too far from here—probably about a 40-minute drive.”“Yeah, that’s the same place you mentioned. I feel like she’s being held captive, and I’d bet 100 bucks it’s that stupid Luciano.”“All right, Dante. Be careful, okay…” my mother said, pulling me into a hug.“I’m going with you,” Cassandra said, but I shook my head.“No, I need to go alone.”“No, I’m not allowing that,” she said firmly. “I’m saying this as the Don’s wife. Let’s go!”The drive to this place was nerve-wracking. My guns were ready. Cassandra didn’t like the idea of going alone, so she insisted on coming with me.The plan was simple: she’d stay inside. If anything went wrong, she was to come out.As soon as I arrived, the darkness and silence of the place hit me. I knew my wife wouldn't willingly stay here. Hell, even if she weren’t my
Vincenzo Dante Volkov:"Alright… to the left!" I instructed the construction team.The new project was underway—a major road for a remote village. We were so far from the city, and the heat was unbearable. Even the AC in the car couldn't cool me down."At this point, I want a sign that says 'Slow Down,'" I added, knowing the road would lead to a dusty area. Accidents were common here, so a warning was necessary."Boss, you should take a break and have lunch. It's past time, and we're almost done for the day," Evelyn suggested. I nodded, checking my wristwatch.It had been a while, and Little Mouse still hadn’t answered her phone. I dialed again, but the call wouldn’t go through. I figured it was a network issue and decided not to try again."Instant noodles?" I raised an eyebrow as Evelyn placed them on the table."Finding real food here is impossible, boss. I don’t know why we’re even here. You should have let the Construction Manager handle this. It's so hot... there isn’t a single
Victoria Bella Volkov:“Tiger, are you going to drive me to the supermarket?” I asked, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice as I noticed the tension in his expression.He shook his head. “No, I'm already running late. Why don’t you go with one of the guards, hmm? Just... don’t leave without security.”I pouted a little but nodded. “Fine. Can’t believe you're not taking me. But I’ll manage. I’ll leave now...”“I’m sorry, babe. I really wish I could, but this meeting... I’m already ten minutes behind. Please, just be careful,” he said, kissing my forehead before I turned to go.I stepped outside, the air crisp as I headed to the supermarket. It wasn’t far from the estate, just a quick errand for some fruit. It wasn’t like we didn’t have fruit at home, but I craved something different.As I walked through the aisles, my phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from Vincenzo.I love you, baby...I smiled, my heart warming, but the calm was short-lived.A sound. A shift in the air, like
Victoria Bella Volkov:I was in the same room with Cassandra, and she was helping me with a soft back massage.“You do this so well…”“Yeah… Nikolai taught me.”“You know, I…” I said, sitting up. “I saw a lot of headlines about you. The D’Angelo daughter.” I said, and she looked at Sharon, requesting she leave the room.“Hmm. I'm sorry I had to ask her to leave. This is a sensitive topic for me. As you know, I was abused by people I thought were family. I lost my first baby…” Tears started to well up in her eyes.“I didn’t even know I was pregnant. It’s crazy because it was my adopted brother’s child, and he…”“Hey, I’m sorry I brought that up,” I said, gently. “Me too. I was abused. My adopted sister, Marianne, stole the trash of a boyfriend, and you know…”“Yeah… Vincenzo told us what happened. I’m sorry… it happened to you!” She said, going to wash her hands.“It’s okay… It’s not your fault. I’m healing.”“And I’m healed,” she added, and we both laughed at that.My phone buzzed, an
Victoria Bella Volkov:“Why would you say that?” I asked, chasing after Vincenzo to the bathroom.“Honey…I can't, okay…”“Please… Please, for me…” I pouted my lips, and he groaned in annoyance.“Little Mouse, I'm doing this for love. Come on… How on earth do you expect me to wear a donkey cosplay?” He pointed at the package I had ordered from Amazon.“Oh yeah… You won’t do it for your pregnant wife!?” I looked away, and he pulled me into a hug.“You seem to forget that if I could get the world for you, I would. I’ll wear it, okay?” He kissed my forehead, and I blushed.Quickly, I left the bathroom and put on my own cosplay.I was cosplaying Beetlejuice. I did a quick makeup job, and when I was done, he was also out of the bathroom.The way he looked at me, I was sure he was tired of me.“Twin… Where have you been??” I bit my lip, crawling toward him slowly.“What in the world of cosplay is this?” He asked as I reached for his towel.“You don’t think I’m pretty?”“You’re pretty… Yeah…
Vincenzo Dante Volkov:Nothing on this planet could have prepared me for the changes in my wife's behavior or her frequent eating habits. Our beautiful journey together has been nothing short of amazing.My mother does everything she can to ensure my wife is well, and with Cassandra's help, we’ve been making slow but steady progress.At the moment, I was in my office, having resumed work today. The place had been quiet, and everything seemed to be running smoothly.“Boss,” Evelyn knocked on the door before stepping inside. “She's here. Should I send her in?”“Yes, definitely,” I replied, and she nodded before leaving.A few minutes later, a middle-aged woman in red walked in. She had a familiar face—I recognized her, though I doubted if she recognized me.“Mr. Vincenzo, how nice to meet you,” she said, taking a seat across from me.“The pleasure is all mine. So, you requested to see me?”“Yes, erm... I sent you a proposal, but I didn’t receive a response. Was it because it wasn’t sati
Victoria Bella VolkovThe past two weeks had been a whirlwind of activity. Vincenzo and I worked tirelessly to ensure the children found better homes. Some were taken in by foster families, while others were reunited with their biological parents. A few had no place to go, but we made sure they were safe.Luciano, however, was still missing. He had vanished without a trace. Vincenzo had gone after him, but it turned out to be a trap, leaving us no closer to finding him.For now, though, people seemed pleased with our efforts. The children’s welfare was a small victory in a sea of chaos. Christopher, on the other hand, hadn’t returned to work yet. His betrayal still lingered like a shadow between us.Once trust is broken, it’s never the same again. Still, Christopher remained close to Vincenzo. Perhaps loyalty, even fractured, is hard to sever entirely.Abigail, Grace, and the other girls were taken to a secure location. Many of them were fortunate to reunite with their families, and w