HE IS DANGEROUS.~LAUREN’S POV~The question hit me like a punch to the stomach. I flinched and looked down, unable to meet her gaze. “I don’t know,” I murmured. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just stuck because I don’t know how to stop loving someone who doesn’t love me back.”Sophia moved to sit on the edge of her seat. “Lauren, that’s not something you should beat yourself up over. You don’t just wake up one day and stop caring about someone who was such a huge part of your life. That’s not how it works.”“I know that,” I snapped, frustration bubbling up. “But it’s been weeks, Sophia. How am I still here? Why can’t I just move on like he has?”She tilted her head, studying me for a moment before answering. “You think Patrick’s moved on just because he’s pretending to? Lauren, that’s not how it works for him either. People like him just hide it better, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel anything for you.”I let out a bitter laugh, wiping my eyes. “I don’t believe that for a second. If he
A PAWN AND NOTHING.~ALEXANDRO’S POV~I stared at the text Lauren had sent me two nights ago, the words replaying in my head like an insult. She wanted out. She wanted to end things before they’d even truly begun. My jaw clenched as I tightened my grip on the phone. She thought she could walk away from me, just like that. How naive. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot. Lauren might have forgotten, but I hadn’t. She was mine. And my claim on her wasn’t something she could ignore or erase with a few words in a message. Nobody ends things with me. Nobody. I am Alexandro Lex Castello. I call the shots, not her. The audacity she had to think she could sever ties without my permission burned in my chest, igniting a slow, simmering rage. Did she think I’d let her go that easily? That she could step away from this arrangement without consequences? She was going to pay for this disrespect. And I’d make sure Lauren understood—no, remembered—exactly who owned her and why she could
WORK DRAMA.~LAUREN’S POV~ I hated being late. Rosette was going to have my head for this. Just three days before the big break, I was already imagining the lecture waiting for me at work. I couldn’t wait to finish this project and head home for Christmas. Although I knew my family would be disappointed I’d be coming home alone, it was for the best. The sharp ding of the bell over the café counter pulled me out of my thoughts. “Miss, your cappuccino is ready,” the barista called with a bright smile. “Thank God,” I murmured under my breath, weaving through the small crowd to the counter. “One cream-filled cappuccino,” she said as she handed it over, her cheerful demeanor catching me off guard. I smiled back, pleasantly surprised. “Thank you.” This café had stepped up its game. Last time I was here, the staff couldn’t care less about customer service. It felt like I’d had to beg just to get a simple latte. But these new hires? They might make me a regular again. Balanc
THE IMPORTANT GUEST.~LAUREN'S POV~I tried to focus on my work, but Rosette's annoying words kept replaying in my mind.*"Remind me where I belong,"* I whispered to myself, my hands balling into fists. I shook my head, refusing to let her words bring me down. Today was supposed to be a good day for me. So much for that. I couldn't believe I'd run into two of the people I hated most. Not that I could complain—one of them was my boss, and the other just existed. I sighed. I had work to do. I opened my laptop and started typing my story. The deadline Rosette had given me was tomorrow, and she was doing everything she could to make my life miserable. And it was working. “He’s here already,” a voice said next to me, breaking my concentration. I looked up to see Vanessa, my deskmate, standing by my side. “What’s going on, Vanessa?” I asked. “The important guest Rosette mentioned is here,” she said, her voice tinged with nervousness. I glanced at my phone. The screen read
THE ORDER~LAUREN’S POV~Alexandro was sitting across from me. That fact alone had my thoughts spiraling. Had he gotten even hotter since the last time we spoke? The sharp cut of his jaw, the lazy confidence in the way he leaned back—it was as if the universe had carved him to drive me insane. But did that even matter? Of course, it didn’t. He was here as an important guest, and I needed to keep my calm. Avoiding his eyes, I turned to face Rosette, clinging to some pretense of calm. “Why was I called in here?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady, though my pulse was anything but. I could feel his gaze on me, cold yet burning, like a silent accusation. My heart pounded in my chest, every beat a reminder of my growing panic. Was he angry? Did it have to do with ‘that text’?Oh, God. The text. He’d seen it—he had to have. Read every single word. “Oh, Lauren,” Rosette’s voice interrupted my crazy thoughts, a wicked smile curling on her lips. “You must be happy to se
NOT HIS TYPE.~LAUREN’S POV~ I grabbed the door handle, my fingers tightening around it as anger steamed beneath my skin. No, I wasn’t just angry—I was furious. I paused, turning back to glance at Rosette and Alexandro one last time before yanking the door open and stepping out. My heels clicked against the floor as I marched back to my desk, my jaw clenched and my mind racing. Plopping into my chair, I let my head fall onto my desk, trying to calm the storm inside me. “Let me guess—Rosette was being a bitch again?” Vanessa’s voice chimed in from the desk beside me. I turned my face to look at her, still resting my head on the desk. “She never fails to show her true colors, even in front of strangers,” I replied with a forced smile. Lifting my head, I glanced back toward Rosette’s office door. Why was Alexandro still in there? I bit my lower lip nervously, my thoughts spinning. Why was I even nervous? It’s not like I cared if he spent an hour—or the whole damn day—in ther
I SET THE RULES.~ALEXANDRO’S POV~When my assistant, Hilda, mentioned the deal Storm Media was offering to cover my event, I hesitated. “It’s a good opportunity,” Mario had said, his tone firm. “A little publicity could go a long way.” I wasn’t convinced. The last thing I needed was cameras and microphones poking into my business, especially now. The timing couldn’t have been worse—not with the recent death of the Russian mafia lord hanging over us like a storm cloud. Antonio had called me the moment it happened. “He was assassinated,” he said flatly, no emotion in his voice. Assassinated. One bullet and everything could unravel. The Russians and Italians had always been at each other’s throats, but this? This could ignite something bigger. If the killer wasn’t found—and soon—everything I had built would crumble. My connections, my deals, my reputation. All of it was gone in the blink of an eye. The situation was already tense. Last month alone, there were multiple sh
PLAYING GAMES~ALEXANDRO’S POV~Lauren’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her anger and nervousness radiating off her in waves. I could feel it, and it only made me press closer, pinning her more firmly against the cold, tiled wall.“You’re delusional,” she finally hissed, her voice trembling but laced with defiance. “You think you can just… dictate my life?”I tilted my head, a smirk pulling at the corners of my mouth. “I don’t think, mi amor. I know.”Her eyes burned with fury, her hands shoving weakly against my chest. “Let. Me. Go.”But I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Instead, I let my gaze linger on her flushed face, her lips, and the way her hair fell slightly over her eyes as she glared at me.“I’ve tried to let you go,” I murmured, the admission surprising even me. My voice dropped to something darker, and lower. “You have no idea how much I’ve tried, Lauren. But you make it… impossible.”Her breath hitched, just slightly, and her hands froze a
NIGHT OF TERROR~LAUREN’S POV~The gunshot broke the air like a whipcrack, sending my body into survival mode before my mind could catch up. Julio moved fast. Faster than I thought possible for a man his age. He yanked me down, shielding me as the windshield shattered, spraying glass everywhere. “Run, ahora! (Run, Now!)” he barked. I hesitated for only a second—just long enough to see the men advancing, their guns aimed at the car. Then I bolted. The heels of my shoes sank into the soft earth as I ran toward the tree line, my breath coming in sharp gasps. The sound of bullets rang behind me, followed by Julio’s return fire. I didn’t dare look back. Branches scraped my arms as I pushed deeper into the woods, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. Think, Lauren. Think.I had no phone. No weapon. No idea where I was. All I knew was that these men weren’t here by accident. They were here for me. A twig snapped behind me. I spun just in ti
SHADE OF THE PAST ~ALEXANDRO’S POV~The name on the screen sent a slow, burning rage curling through my veins. Father. Luca’s father. Which meant one thing—he knew.Mario and I exchanged a look, assumed understanding passing between us. He breathed out sharply, running a hand through his hair. Julio, ever unfazed, simply knelt beside the body and plucked the phone from Luca’s pocket with a gloved hand. The ringing stopped. “What do you want to do?” Mario asked, his tone quieter now. I turned to Lauren. She was watching. Frozen in place. Her hazel eyes—wide, glassy, too full of emotions I couldn’t afford to deal with right now. I’d thrown her into this world without warning. Without preparing her.That was my mistake. I stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. My fingers lingered against her cheek, feeling the way her breath hitched. “Amore,” I murmured. “Go with Julio.” She shook her head. “No.” “Lauren.” My voice came out rougher than I intended.
DEATH~ALEXANDRO’S POV~I move like a predator—silent, calculating. My fingers grip the gun, safety off, aimed directly at the head of the poor bastard on the other side of the door.The handle turns.The second the door cracks open, I raise my gun."Cristo Santo!"(Holy Christ)Mario freezes, his hands flying up in surrender. A cigar dangles between his fingers, his signature cocky smirk playing on his lips.“Sei impazzito, fratello?” (Have you lost your mind, brother?) he drawls, amusement laced in his voice.I exhale sharply, lowering the gun. My pulse is still a hammer against my ribs.“Mario,” I growl, shoving the gun back into my waistband. “You picked the worst fucking time to show up.”Mario grins, stepping inside like he owns the place. “And yet, here I am. Alive and well.” He takes a slow drag of his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke before flicking his eyes past me.That’s when he sees her.Lauren.She’s standing in the dim light, her body stiff, her eyes still wide from the
THE ATTACK~ALEXANDRO'S POV~Lauren tastes like champagne and sin. Sweet and intoxicating, like something I’ll never get enough of. Her breath hitches as I slide my fingers deeper, stretching her open, pulling soft little moans from her lips that I want to claim as mine. She’s gripping the tablecloth like it’s the only thing tethering her to reality, but I know she’s already lost. Lost in me. In this. “Look at you,” I murmur against her thigh. “So beautiful. So fucking perfect.” She squirms, a flush blooming across her chest, and I know she’s still fighting it—still holding onto some fragile thread of control. But I want her to let go. I want her to shatter for me. “Ride me, Amore,” I whisper against her heat, my tongue flicking over her clit, my fingers pressing deeper inside her. “Take what you need.” And she does. God, she does. She moves against me, her body arching, her moans growing louder, rawer. I grip her hips, guiding her, pushing her higher, until her muscles
YOUR TASTE~LAUREN’S POV~His laughter vibrates against my skin, low and rich, and I hate how much I feel it. How much I want to drown in it. I push at his chest, but he doesn’t budge. Doesn’t even flinch. Instead, he just tilts his head, those green eyes studying me like I’m something fragile. Something breakable. I hate that look. “I asked you a question,” I say, my voice quieter now. His laughter fades, but the smirk remains. He brushes his fingers over my cheek, tracing a path down to my jaw, then lower, to where my pulse thrums against my neck. His touch is barely there, but it sends a shiver straight through me. “You’re jealous,” he says. It’s not a question. It’s a statement. A realization. And the worst part? He’s right. I press my lips together, refusing to answer. His thumb brushes my bottom lip, and I swear he’s about to kiss me again, but then he stops. His smirk shifts into something softer. Something almost… reverent. “Mi amor,” he murmurs, his voice d
CRACKED. ~LAUREN’S POV~He was giving me a choice. Stay. Or walk out and pretend this never happened. I could do it. I could stand up, turn around, and leave this all behind—this world, this man, this moment.But my body betrays me. My legs refuse to move. My heart slams against my ribcage like it already knows what my mind won’t admit.Alexandro watches me, his green eyes steady, waiting.I reach for my glass, wrapping my fingers around the stem like it’s some kind of lifeline. I take a sip—too fast, too deep. The champagne bubbles burn my throat.Alexandro chuckles.And just like that, my annoyance flares.“What’s so funny?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.“You, Princessa.” His voice is smooth, teasing. He drags a thumb across his bottom lip, slow and deliberate, and my stomach tightens. “You’re overthinking again.”I shift in my seat, forcing my gaze away from him, trying to focus on anything else. The soft music is in the background. The suffocating silence between us.“Well,” I mutter
DINNER AT EIGHT~LAUREN’S POV~I stared at my reflection in the mirror like I was waiting to recognize myself again. Same girl. Same long, wavy black hair. Same hazel eyes that never quite gave away enough. Same cherry lips that trembled more than they smiled lately. I was still me. That’s what I kept telling myself. But no one tells you that sometimes you can look the same and still feel like a stranger inside your skin.I let out a shaky breath, grabbing the towel from the rack. I wrapped it tightly around myself as if the pressure could somehow hold me together.Dinner.I laughed under my breath. The kind of laugh that doesn’t mean anything at all. It wasn’t just dinner, and we both knew it.I unlocked the door and stepped out, stopping dead when I saw him. Leaning there, casually filling the doorway like he belonged in every space I entered. His arms crossed, ankles relaxed, but his eyes… His eyes were anything but casual. They were steady. Focused. On me.“I thought you
POWER SPEAKS~ALEXANDRO POV~My fingers tapped against the oak table in a slow, planned rhythm. It was the only thing keeping me grounded as my gaze swept over the polished, greedy faces of the Castello partners. Wolves in tailored suits, each one waiting for an opportunity to tear into flesh that didn’t belong to them. They pretended to be civilized. Men of honor. Businessmen.But I knew better.I could smell their desperation, their hunger, the festering need to take more than what was offered. It bled from their pores, thick and cloying, and I welcomed it.Let them feed on scraps while I carved out my empire, piece by ruthless piece.Mario sat beside me, comfortably stretched out in his chair like he had no care in the world, watching them devour each other with amusement dancing in his eyes. His fingers toyed with the unlit cigar between them, his smile sharp and cutting. The bastard was enjoying this.“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I muttered, low enough that no one but hi
THE POINT OF NO RETURN ~LAUREN’S POV~I sat there, completely still, my legs curled underneath me as if they might give out if I tried to stand. The TV in front of me kept playing, but I wasn’t watching it anymore. I was watching him. Alexandro. His voice echoed in my head. Not the deep, smooth one he uses when he whispers things that make my cheeks flush, but the one he used on that stage. Calm. Commanding. Ruthless. “She is my future. And she’s off-limits.” My heart stuttered against my ribcage like it was fighting for space. Off-limits. Future. Me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh, cry, or crawl inside myself and hide. Because it’s a nice thing to say, isn’t it? It’s every girl’s dream to have a man like him claim her in front of the world like that. But when did we go from pretending to…whatever this was? When did I become his future? I don’t remember signing up for that part. My hand covered my mouth before I could make any more embarrassing sounds. “God,”