A fit of cough left me as I changed the sheets full of dust of the four post bed. The old wooden floor beneath my feet creaked as I moved around the dark room. Stale air around the ambience pointed to the years of solitary. After all, not even a soul has visited this house after her death.Once I was done cleaning the room, I checked all the doors and windows if they were locked before slumping on the bed. Then the photo frame on the bedside table caught my eye. Dust covered the wrinkled face of the person in the photo. My dear late grandmother. I could imagine the stink eye she would give me finding me on her doorsteps again if she were alive. Just like she did when I left Theresa's house when I was fourteen and begged her to let me stay until I was old enough to live alone. Because I didn't want to sleep on the street. To save her reputation in the society, she let her long forgotten son's bastard child in. Even if I worked at a local cafe at fifteen and bore my own expenses as
What? Disappeared just like that?"And now he is waiting in the bushes for the right time to attack and take his revenge!" he hissed, running his hand through his dark brown locks. "My men are trying to get him out, but he is too smart for his own good. But don't worry, he won't be roaming free for long."My heart sank in my stomach. He was waiting to attack when we had no idea where he was? That was more dangerous than when we knew his location and movements. Then something crashed on me. What if it was him tonight sneaking inside the house instead of Syl? A chill ran down my spine along with the crackling of lightning in the dark heavy sky. I flinched at the loud thunder that followed. Rain in this early winter?Getting silence from me, his icy blue eyes fell on me. The light of the lightning flashed on his left profile. Concern etched on his tired yet beautiful features. The slight stubble gave him a five o'clock look.All of a sudden, I wanted to reach out and hide in his ches
'I love you…'Gritting my teeth, I turned the temperature of the shower more. The hot water running down my body left burn behind it. My pale skin grew red with the passing minutes I stood under the shower head. But even the heat of the water couldn't erage of the memories of the cold rainy night from my mind. His warmth against me, his strong arms around me, his gentle touches, his scent and his words…'Because I love you…'The words that kept me sleepless last night, left me restless the whole day. Those forbidden words kept echoing in my head, making it hard to breathe, making my heart running for miles every single time. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw those intense icy blue orbs staring at me, waiting for my reaction. The dark intensity in them that held me breathless last night under the rain. I could still hear his deep low husky murmur.'You're my whole fucking world, cuore mio. The reason my heart beats for. The sun of my dark world," he said, clutching me close to his c
Without saying a word, I stood there. Her mere presence set a fire beneath my veins. What surprised me was the fear that ran along with the rage. A part of me feared she had the power to win him over from me. Even if I wanted to have nothing to do with that crazy man, I disliked her more than I should. I didn't forget how gentle he was with her the other day. She was close to him. And not to forget, she was a woman to stare at. A petite blonde woman and a tall man in their late fifties appeared behind her. Money and power screamed from their presence. The man raised a brow at me. "You are?" "Uh, she is…" As Roxanne started, the woman cut in. "Must be a servant. What are you waiting for? Let Her Highness know that she has guests." She eyed me up and down. My faded jeans, black T-shirt and old pair of heels didn't stand up to her standards.My fists clenched as Roxanne's eyes widened. But not to my surprise, she didn't amend the woman, who must be her mother seeing the similarities
"W-what the hel…" Before I could finish the sentence, the door was slammed shut and the next thing I knew I was pressed against the wall with a furious man pinning my hands over my head in a firm grip. And then his mouth was on mine. Breath caught in my throat. As I tried to move, he gripped my jaw and kept my face still for him to devour me without any disturbance. His mouth was unforgiving, rough. Calloused hand traveled down my body, groping, feeling my curves. His roughness made my insides tremble, knees weak. A shaky breath left me as his intoxicating masculine cologne surrounded my senses. "You're fucking mine!" he growled, biting hard on my lower lip. A whimper left me. My body was betraying my mind as it slowly sagged against his handness. As I was about to kiss back, he pulled away. With his fierce eyes set on my lips, he let out harsh breaths. "How many times do I need to remind you that you're mine? And yet you went among those drunk men and let them feel your bo
Getting out of the cab, I rushed inside the tall skyscraper. Chad met me before the elevator. "She's still here. But I'm not sure which floor she is on," he said. His purple strands were ruffled, pointing to the amount of times he ran his fingers through them. "But she's not with Elizabeth, nor are there any meetings she needs to attend. Even Mr. De Sylvano isn't present." I frowned. She wasn't a shareholder of Rossa anymore, so she couldn't attend any meetings even if there were any. Then why was she here especially when Syl wasn't present? She knew very well he wouldn't tolerate her presence in Rossa at all. Only she can answer that. "Let's find out." I turned around and he followed. "But how? And may I know what she has done exactly? Why are you after her?" "I'm not after her, Chad. She is after me," I said, approaching the receptionist. "How?" "Later Chad." As the receptionist saw me approaching, she was instantly on her feet. A sweet smile lit her features. "Ms. Brook
Surprised, I stared at him. He knew what intentions his sister had? Turning to him slowly, Syl tilted his head. Icy blue eyes were harsh. "Why?"Oliver gulped, losing his tie slightly. "S-she wanted to meet you personally. To…to apologize. She regrets her behavior towards Cassandra." I frowned. What was he talking about? Regret, my foot! She was fucking threatening to kill me!"I'm not interested in her apologies! Doesn't she get the fact that she's not allowed in Rossa or De Sylvano Corp?" Syl snapped. "I'm aware of her nature very well, Oliver. So are you. She's not regretting anything. She is still in one piece just because she is your sister. Otherwise you know very well what I do to those who become a threat to my Sandra. I'm giving you a last warning. Tell her to stay away from us. Otherwise…"He let the threat hang in the air. And the way Oliver's face drained its color said he perceived his best friend's words very well."Y-yes, I will talk to her. Don't worry." Oliver nodde
My fists clenched as I stared at the picture. A picture they must have taken in their late teenage years. The adoration those blue eyes held as he held her in his arms felt like a stab in my heart. A rage ran through my blood. Rage and…jealousy. I was right. They had something between them. Maybe even…loved each other. And he didn't feel the need to tell me about it. All he said was they were good friends. Noticing my gaze, Roxanne quickly picked her phone. The way she averted her eyes and hurried inside the elevator told me her discomfort about me knowing their secret. Now her puppy eyes towards him made all sense.A burn in my chest made me grit my teeth. It was all in their past. Then why did it bother me that much? Maybe because she still had feelings for Syl? Or because the adoration I saw in his eyes for her back in the church row a seed of insecurity inside me? An emotion I shouldn't feel. Even if they weren't together anymore, some sparks were still there. Once I would lea
I took a deep breath before opening my eyes. Butterflies stormed in my stomach furiously while my heart raced down my chest. The music from the church and the chatters of people flowing to my ears made my palms clammy. "Are you nervous, Cassie?" Em asked. While my other best friend smirked at me. "I thought you were the most excited bride of the century. But it seems like, you're just like an ordinary girl like us too, soft and emotional." "Shut up, Beth!" I shot her a glare. "I'm not nervous!" I denied. Liar! Syl suggested we hold our wedding after the delivery, but I couldn't wait. I already waited for months before finally convincing Syl that I was healthy enough to go through all the arrangements. Growing up, I never believed in love and marriages. But now, after having him in my life, I didn't want anything else more than I wanted to marry that brute of mine. Somehow…it became my dream. To have him as my husband and tie us together for the rest of our lives. But now that t
My intense glare didn't bring any changes to the man's stoic features at all. I tried with my puppy eyes earlier, but I failed. Now my glare was in vain too. The loud music blasted across the nightclub, colorful lights moved around. The beat compelled into moving the body. But there was no smell of sweat, perfume and alcohol like a typical nightclub should.Why? Because there was not a single person in this whole place other than the bartenders, the bodyguards outside and my freaking Italian royal prince, who stood before me! After being away from parties and drinks, being seven months pregnant, I had an intense craving to go and enjoy the night in a nightclub. But this brute wouldn't allow it! I knew alcohol wasn't good for pregnancy, but a few sips wouldn't hurt! My hormones wanted it. I knew how to avoid being careless. And he complied to my eager request, only to vacant an entire nightclub and remove all the alcohol from the place. Only music and juices were available. "How da
His grip on my waist tightened. I felt him taking a deep breath against my neck, his entire form was tense. "Those guards you saw weren't our men, they were his. As we shifted to the villa, De Sylvano Mansion wasn't guarded by many guards. So it was easy for him to take them down and replace his men. And he did all of that the moment you sent me the message." The message? I remembered Vincenzo mentioning it. He had hacked my mobile and somehow stopped my communication with everyone. If not for Ron and the guards following me, they wouldn't have known where I was heading to. A chill ran down my spine thinking what could have happened if Syl hadn't arrived there on time. "That bastard had his men set among the guests in the wedding," Syl continued. "He was planning to attack while distracting us with his fake location. He knew I would send Ron and some of my men there to grab him and it would make it easier for him to attack. But when…" Dark icy blue eyes met mine. "When I left
Blinding flashes sparked from down the stage from the darkness. Cheers and whistles made the night awake while the slow music urged me to move further. The spotlight moved with me as I walked down the ramp with the red princess gown flowing around me, my hair swayed gently with the whoosh of air. I walked with utmost confidence and a bright smile, while my heart palpitated at the dark gaze that devoured me from somewhere in the audience. Goosebumps spread across my skin with a pair of flaming eyes set on me like a predator. And then I found myself falling from the stage and wrapped into a pair of strong arms. Intoxicating masculine crisp cologne surrounded my senses. Dark icy blue eyes stared down at my amber ones with a look that made my heart skip. Suddenly I found myself in a nightclub, pressed against the wall by a furious Italian billionaire. His lips were inches away from me. "A kiss?" I heard myself whispering. The location again changed and I stood in the middle of a hall
Blood ran cold in my veins. With a drop of tear rolling down my cheek, I stood there frozen. My heart slowed down for a moment before it started pounding against my ribcage. My hands shook at my sides realizing who was standing before me. Vincenzo Zolvesky.The man I was running from was waiting in my own house. My legs stumbled back, the cold doors hit my back, leaving me no escape. "You…" Words stuck in my throat. "W-what are you doing here? How dare you come to our house!" The side of his lips tugged upwards into a smirk. "Is that how you greet your guests, Miss. Brooks? Or should I say…Mrs. De Sylvano? That's the title Duncan De Sylvano used in that hospital after all." Something dropped inside me. H-how did he know what happened in the hospital? Did he…have someone to keep an eye on us? They were following us from the hospital? That's how they knew we went to the wedding. It explained why his men roamed among the guests hiding their identities. They were waiting for the ri
Turning around swiftly, we found the two men who passed us earlier standing behind us, along with the tall man in the middle. Their guns were pointed at us. And the eyes of the tall man were set on me. A cold smirk tugged at his lips. My heart stopped. They were here for…me?Vincenzo's men. A panic started to rise inside me. My heart started racing. I thought they were guests…That meant…they were waiting for the right moment to attack, hiding themselves among the guests. How did they know we were going to attend the wedding? "Give her to us and we will let you go. Don't make it hard," said the tall man in a calm tone. "Step away or the consequences will be bloody," Ron hissed, one of his arms shielding me. "Carter! Call for backup!" he shouted to one of the guards. But before Carter could take his phone out, one of the men beside the tall one tackled him on the ground. And instantly, Ron shot him on the shoulder. A muffled scream left me as they advanced Ron. Gunshots star
Now? What happened all of a sudden?Ron suddenly rushed inside the church, nodding at Syl. His stance was tense, the guards behind him stood stiff. My heart started to race. Gripping my hand in his firmly, Syl took me away from the bride and groom. They gave us concerned looks but couldn't ask anything as guests surrounded them to congratulate the newly wedded couple. The stormy rage across Syl's features scared me more. "Syl, what happened? Why are we leaving so soon?" Before I could get an answer, Ron interrupted us. With his face hardened with determination and urgency, he had a grip on his gun. "Boss, my men just confirmed it. Vincenzo is there. They got together in that old motel for some meeting." My eyes widened. Vincenzo? They found his location? Syl's lips curled into a sneer. "It shall be the last meeting of his life. Did you instruct our men to take their positions?" Ron nodded. "Yes. As soon as they confirmed Vincenzo's presence there, they took action. They spr
My heart stopped. I was…pregnant?A slight panic rolled in my stomach. I knew these pills weren't safe enough! My fear turned out to be true!W-what should I do now? I wasn't ready to be a mother. I didn't know if I could take the responsibility. What if I couldn't be a good mother…"Hey! It's fine!" Em grasped my hand. "Don't be nervous. Calm down and think about it. It's not as horrifying as you think it is. Plus, you will have to tell Duncan about it too." I licked my dry lips. "I…I don't know, Em. I…" "It's alright. I know it's overwhelming, but trust me, being a mother is the most beautiful feeling in this world," she said softly. "We're here for you, especially Duncan. You don't need to worry as long as he is with you." She hesitated before continuing. "But if you have other plans, then he will understand, I'm sure." A shaky sigh left me. Syl's words from the morning echoed in my mind. I knew he would be there with me no matter what. But I didn't know what decision I needed
Morning arrived and I couldn't be more anxious and excited at the same time. I had stayed in our room the entire night talking to Beth and Em on video call, planning things for the wedding. Only at two in the morning did they say goodbye and left to rest. And my Italian stayed out of the room the whole night. Though I felt him wandering before the door a few times to check if I was alright until I fell asleep. My cold shoulder was taking a toll on him. A knock on the door resounded softly in the room. "Sandra? Baby? Are you awake? I've brought breakfast for you." I huffed. I wouldn't have opened the door if not for carrying on with our plan. Rising to my feet, as I walked to the door, a sudden dizziness hit me. Clutching the knob of the door, I held myself still and took a deep breath. Once the door opened, tired yet soft icy blue eyes greeted me. And my treacherous heart skipped a beat. "Good morning, mia regina." Placing the tray of breakfast on the small table beside t