FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,Antonio Dante's pov,After a few days in the care center, I was sent to my room. It was fair to say that I was still traumatized. I could barely eat. I couldn't talk. I kept looking at the floor convincing myself that it wasn't blood laced.That no blood was here and I was safe. Safe. I stared at the clock when the short hand hit twelve in the morning then twelve in the afternoon then twelve the next morning. I refused to leave the bed not quite familiar with the environment around me now. That my mother and father were this brutal. I hated my father now. And I was sure I was starting to hate my mother too. Today was different. I was lying on the bed as usual and staring at the ceiling, thinking of nothing. A knock interrupted my blankness and I turned to stare at the door. Who could it be? My mum? Or dad? They hadn't come to see me ever since I entered my room which made my hatred justifiable. "Who is it?" I called over forgetting my door was soundproof. My voice
Stella Romilly's pov I stood against the wall in my room, holding up a white handkerchief in my hand. I pressed on the wound so I would reduce the bleeding but it didn't stop. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I wrapped the handkerchief around my hands to focus on other fresh wounds.I heard footsteps coming from the hallway and I froze. He is back. "Stella baby. Where are you?" his voice boomed. I scrambled under my bed forgetting to clean the trail of blood that followed me. I shivered greatly as his footsteps neared. "Leave her alone!" I heard my mother yell. Shortly after, her scream followed. "Shut up! The neighbors will hear us."Except they didn't. And even if they did, they would close their doors and windows because they were afraid. He stumbled into my room holding a glass bottle in his hands. "Stella baby, where is that money you promised me huh?"He was lying. I never promised him any money. It was a way of taking the money I was saving for co
Stella Romilly's pov I froze as I stared at him in shock. The gunshot vibrated within me and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I slowly turned my head to look at the wood he had just shot and gasped for air. I turned back to look at him bewildered. He averted his gaze from his target and moved to another. “Go back to bed Stella.”I shook slightly, unable to bring myself back to reality.“Stella” he called but I was far from hearing him. He sighed and held my hand, quietly leading me back to the room. He set me down on the bed. I stared at him momentarily before lying on the bed. He draped a blanket over me and kissed my crown before leaving the room. I didn't understand his actions and I didn't even ask where he was going when he left with a gun in his hand. Why had he pointed the gun at me? Couldn't he have asked for me to move aside? I almost had a heart attack.I couldn't ask these questions because my eyes fluttered close. I woke up this morning with
Stella Romilly's pov I didn't know how I ended up back in the living room. All I knew was that the divorce papers were in front of me. As well as Antonio and Lisa sitting across me, holding hands like new love birds. I hated the sight. I certainly didn't want to live with them acting like a married couple. “It's been four years Antonio. Four good years,” I muttered, tears flowing non-stop. I couldn't believe he was throwing all that away. What was I expecting getting married to a Mafia boss? I knew deep down that something bad was going to happen. But not this way. Not this manner. Not this marriage! Antonio and I had been married for four years. I needed someone to invest in my business so I made a deal with him. We fell in love. I fell in love. Then we married. We didn't want babies at that time so we were looking forward to spending time together. It was then that I found out he was one of the most powerful Mafia leaders in the world. It was a blow at firs
Stella Romilly's pov I was with my parents at an event one evening. It was my tenth birthday and my father forgot to buy me a present. As usual. He promised to make up for it by sending me to an event. But I realized soon enough that I wasn't the purpose. He quickly rushed to his rich friends to boast about the money he wasted on cars and houses. My mother and I sat in the corner as my father tried to fit in. When his friends brought their wives and children, I stood pulling my mom out to follow me. My mother was getting out when my father went to call a woman and her child to join them. I was confused and my mother held a shocked expression. The woman had bright wavy hair and rich clothing and her child who looked younger than me ran to her supposed father to hug him. I stared at my dress which was torn at the side because my dad couldn't care to get me a new one. “Mommy, why is Daddy bringing in another woman? Aren't we his wife and
Antonio Dante's pov,"Good. Damn good,” my mother smiled as she set down her glass. “Good riddance. I didn't like her at all.” she twisted her face in disgust. “I like the new girl ”“Lisa,” I corrected staring at her indifferently. “Lisa Haven.”“Oh,” she took her glass and swirled the liquid with no care in the world. “She's got pretty eyes,”I nodded. Lisa was the prettiest woman I had ever seen. From childhood, she had been. I loved her. I did. As I escorted my mother out of the house, she told me my father would be visiting soon. She had come mainly to express her satisfaction about my divorce. She never liked Stella and I didn't know why. I called Alfredo. He was my second.“Sir”“I'm coming to the office now, prepare him.”“Yes sir”I cut the call. “Lisa!”I called. Shortly after, I heard her light thumps on the floor. She was so delicate. So small. So pretty. “Baby”“I'm going out”“To where?”“To my office. I'll see you when I get home. Tell Anna to make dinner
Stella Romilly's povLove hurts. It hurts so bad you can barely breathe. It was six in the evening when I was jotting down things in my notebook about my wrongdoings so far. I was on the high chair directly in front of the bar counter. I was in the bar across the street, pushing my mind back to what I did wrong in the past four years. I stared at the ones I wrote.These were the things I did in the past year. I couldn't remember what I did before that. Maybe it was the loud music. I should move, I thought. Except I couldn't. I was rooted to my chair unwilling to move. I was inert. There was no one to push me either. I raised my hand to request a drink. "Anything good!" I yelled at the bartender who nodded without bothering to look at me.Was I that unappealing? Maybe I stopped taking care of myself. Now I looked ugly. Lisa was prettier. She had captivating bright but deep brown eyes, it was confusing. Mine was just amber. An amber so light that it could pierce your soul. I heard that
Stella Romilly's povI didn't know how I got home. My hotel. I had no idea how I found the keys or how I ended up in my bed. It was morning. Afternoon really. I didn't know. I moved my hands on my bed blindly for my phone but it was nowhere to be found. My biggest mistake was opening my eyes because when I did, sunlight rushed through them. A sharp headache resounded in my head. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.I forced myself to get up from the bed. I rushed to the bathroom to check my face and my body. I stared at my reflection, a disorientated woman staring back. She had a huge bunch of messy brown hair. I had a long white drool that somehow got scattered on my face.My eyes fell in exhaustion and hungover. I touched my neck and then my collarbone. I was in one of my nightgowns. My heart raced. I tried to remember what happened last night but I couldn't. It only brought more pain to my poor head. I could only hope nothing happened. I would kill myself if a random dude took ad