I clutched the thick folder in my hand tightly, feeling the weight of the decision I had just made. My signature and the drop of my blood sealed the agreement that bound me deeper to the Cosa Nostra. The agreement was not just a piece of paper but a symbol of the immense responsibility now resting on my shoulders. As I entered Rikkard's office, anxiety and tension wrapped around my heart.Rikkard looked at me from behind his desk, his sharp eyes as always, but this time there was a hint of softness in them. "Isabella, you have taken a very important step," he said with a voice that was heavy yet understanding.I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. "I signed the agreement," I said, handing him the folder. He opened it, examining the document filled with my signature and blood seal.Rikkard nodded slowly, his eyes meeting mine with deep meaning. "With this, you are officially the Donna of the Cosa Nostra. You have vast power and great responsibility. Just like your great-grandmothe
The sheets were soft. I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow. But something wasn't right. My pillow smelled different than usual. Instead of the scent of my shampoo, it smells of wood, leather, and something like coffee.A scent that felt so familiar.I opened my eyes and sat up. His scent.The pillow smelled like Sebastian. The blanket slipped off my body, and I realized my skin was bare. Panic hit me like a blow to the chest. I pulled the blanket back into place and peered into the darkness. My collected wits made me remember what happened to me last time.Sebastian...He dragged me here."You're awake." His deep voice rang out around me, but I couldn't see him.I didn't answer anything.The darkness scares me a little now. I couldn't remember why I ended up sleeping so well because I cried so hard after he closed the door and left me here alone."Did you take off my clothes?""Yes."I grimaced and walked towards the edge of the bed opposite him. Panic rang in my ears, and e
My head is still foggy about the nonsense he threw at me two days ago. About the divorce papers that he didn't sign. About the fact that I was still his wife.. for the five years we were separated. I can't believe it. I don't want to believe any of it.Sebastian Sanchez is the most cunning man who uses anything to make me suffer. He.. he just says nonsense things. If I'm still his wife.. why can't Reina be his wife too? I'm not sure if he has two wives, and.. what about Reina.. she's pregnant. If it wasn't Reina he was referring to as his wife in his conversation with his assistant, then who? He clearly said kids, while I only have one.I sighed. My head was so spinning. I bent my knees and hugged them, burying my head in the folds and staring at the window that revealed the morning rain.Two days passed, and I was still in the dark cocoon Sebastian had given me.Two days under his power.He entangled me, touched my body with his burning hands, punished me with the passion he had, an
The room was frozen for a moment, the silence eerie. Sebastian looked at me wide-eyed while his assistant stood stiffly, not knowing what to do. I felt the whole world come crashing down around me.Pregnant? How is that possible?"Isabella..." Sebastian's voice was low, almost a whisper. But I couldn't hear him clearly. My thoughts and feelings were raging, colliding with each other."Is it true, Sebastian?" I forced myself to ask despite the trembling in my voice. "Am I pregnant?"Sebastian didn't answer, but his nod brought down everything in me.My head was getting dizzy. I felt my body wobble, and I almost fell if I didn't hold on to the table next to me. The tears that had been dry for the past two days came back unbidden."Are you out of your mind?!!!" I yelled. "You're engaged to Reina, and you're having your way with me while she's also pregnant?!!!" I snapped. The tightness in my chest was unstoppable."You misunderstand, Isa! I'm not engaged to her!" he said."You planned al
I looked up at Sebastian standing in front of the door. His face was so stern and sharp, but something was withering there, like a feeling that he was trying to suppress and didn't want to be seen by others.Snow was falling in the courtyard of my grandfather's house. It became the background of the cold aura of the person in front of me.My heart crumbled. There was something there. A deep disappointment in him. "You flew from Madrid to Milan just to be quiet?" I asked, my throat so sore because I'd spent the night of the week in the first month of our separation crying in my room. I'd also been crying again lately because of those damn pregnancy hormones that made me miss him. My soundproof room allowed me to sob loudly and without worrying that my parents would hear.My broken heart still beats. It was still there. Still for him. A fall that I didn't want and regretted. Now, I'd rather choose an offer to marry a bald and fat rich man than a Cassanova like him. A dangerous heartbre
"He loves you, bambolina." In front of me, grandmother smiled, her hand revealing faint wrinkles despite her great age, stroking my stomach lightly. "I can see it. I really do. Have faith in me. Regardless of your arranged marriage, I'm sure he accepted it for other reasons as well. Sebastian wouldn't have bothered to come here and take care of you if he was forced to. You know... he already has everything. He has nothing to lose." My heart took a slight leap."But now, apparently, he does." Grandma chuckled. "It's you." "Grandma..""Try it once. Give him a chance. You've always had a kind and pure heart. Try it for your son. He needs a full set of parents." He said. "I want to see him fight for both of us." I bit my lip, my tears almost coming out again. "Because I'm tired of fighting alone all this time.""Then let him fight. He will do it." She said. "More than this."I stroked my belly that was already bulging from having my baby there. Mine and Sebastian's. "What if he hurts m
I looked at the several nurses who were busy in my room. Some were checking the IV, touching my stomach, standing while holding medicines, carrying trays of food, and putting them on the table.I was still lying on the bed, and only confusion ran through me. They were... too attentive, and it seemed to be because of the orders from the man outside the room who was still talking to the female doctor who examined me earlier.I sighed softly. How many times do I have to go to the hospital? I recall being under the doctor's care three times during my reunion with Sebastian. This was really annoying.""We'll be excused. Have a good rest, Mrs. Sanchez." One of the nurses said. "Hope you ate your lunch, Mrs. Sanchez."I just blinked and nodded slowly. What is this... why aren't they telling me the results of the examination they've been doing. And I should have asked.Snorting, I returned to my comfortable position. Lying on my side on the bed, and slowly so that my IV wouldn't come off. I
"Don't be confident. This is your children's wish. Not me." I snorted at the sight of his broad smile.Sebastian chuckled softly. "Yeah, still, I'm happy."I grunted, moved to turn my back to him, and then he turned off the lights that hadn't been turned off since this morning, letting in sunlight from the balcony and glass windows. Then, the bed moved, and he lay on his side before me.His big smile was visible, and it really pissed me off. I frowned, looked at him with annoyance, and then lay down again to turn my back to him."Be careful with your IV, momma." Sebastian warned gently. His right hand held my IV tube as I straightened my left hand. Then, he wrapped his arms around my stomach, buried his face in my hair, and warmly his breath blew on my neck.I felt a sense of deja vu. This is similar to the position we were in in my dream. I'm the pregnant one, and Sebastian is holding me. The urge to ask him anything came, but I held back."Sebastian,""Yes, momma?""After taking t
Five years later.The sound of joyful laughter fills our warm living room. I rubbed my forehead, holding back a smile as I watched our twins, Athena and Azriel, run around yelling at each other. Both were still wearing the superhero costumes they got from Janet's birthday party, complete with fluttering red capes as they ran around the living room."Nana! Azzy! That's enough!" I called out, trying to be a bit chatty even though it was hard to hold back my laughter at their behaviour. "Stop chasing each other around the house. If you want to play superhero, do it in the garden!"Athena paused for a moment, looking at me with wide eyes full of innocence. But instead of obeying, the girl shook her head quickly, grinning as she turned to chase after her twin, who ran away. "I don't want to go outside! It's fun here!" she said, her cheerful laughter filling the room."Yes, but I will lose my sanity if you two keep shouting like this!" I tried to put on a angry face, but Azriel just jumped
Sleepiness strikes hard because I haven't slept in two days. It’s crawls over my eyes, making them feel heavy, yet every time I close my eyes, flashes of horror always appear, stopping me from falling into a comfortable sleep. The clock on the wall ticked softly, breaking the silence of the night that felt too quiet. But suddenly, a rumbling sound came from outside. The sound of slamming doors and hurried footsteps. It gets closer, echoing up to my bedroom door, then...The door opened with a bang, and Killian walked in with a tense face. Without a word, he grabs my hand, gripping it roughly. "We're leaving now," he said coldly, his voice low but filled with a frightening haste."What happened?" I demanded, resisting his grip even though there was barely any strength in the resistance. "Don't ask too many questions," he said coldly as he dragged me out of the room, his steps quick, almost running.We walked down the creaking stairs through the narrow, dimly lit hallways. I tried to
Isabella POV.I couldn't sleep. I couldn't close my eyes completely. I stared at the scenery behind the glass. I was expecting something. To someone to come and get me. Sebastian. I wish Sebastian were here.I hug my belly tightly, holding my babies. My chest feels tight, my heart beating wildly in the silence of the night that feels so foreign. Outside, the waves were constantly crashing against the cliff, making a sound that somehow made my body tense up even more. Beyond the windowpane, I could only see the dark, endless sea with no sign of life. Only my own shadow was faintly reflected, looking so fragile in the middle of this cold room.I rubbed my stomach lightly, trying to give warmth to my two unborn babies, hoping they could feel my false calm. "Everything will be okay," I whispered almost silently, more to calm myself than for them. But, I knew I needed to reassure them and tell them their mother would fight.My heart refused to calm down, pounding like it was rebelling
The broken glass on the floor scattered like the shattered remnants of my hope with each passing minute without Isabella by my side. I stared at Marc and Diaz with a sharp look to make them tremble. My chest was beating hard, each beat full of anger and fear that couldn't be suppressed."Useless," I hissed, my voice hoarse and low. They both looked down, not daring to raise their heads.Marc tried to speak, his voice sounding weak, like a child caught in the act. "We've checked the small ports, contacted everyone who might know their whereabouts—""But it came up empty, didn't it?" I cut in, hitting the table so hard that Marc jerked back. "My wife is missing somewhere, and you guys can only stand here like fools!"I looked at Diaz, who gulped, his eyes troubled as he looked at me. But I didn't give him a chance. Every second without news of Isabella made my blood boil. To think that she might be trapped in the hands of a bastard like Killian... my mind was filled with images of a t
My head throbbed violently as the harsh sunlight pierced my eyelids. Heavily, I sat up, trying to understand where I was. Rough wooden walls and small windows with dull curtains emitted light all around me, making this room feel even more alien and rough. My heartbeat quickened, panic creeping up from my toes to my head. This was not a room on our private island, not a place I recognized. The walls were weathered, and the overpowering scent of sea salt pierced my nose, mixed with the damp, unfamiliar smell of wood.The memories swirl, fragment by fragment, starting to return, like pieces of a nightmare creeping in slowly.The silent night on the island, Killian's sudden grip, the thin, cold smile on his face, then the hallways of the house echoing with unfamiliar steps. My memory stops at the moment he pulls me towards the boat, waiting at the dock, as I struggle, trying to escape. But all my efforts were in vain. Killian's grip was like an iron shackle I couldn't break.I stood uns
"I'll be back tomorrow morning before you wake up." Sebastian's voice sounded lazy from our connected call. "I have so many things to take care of. I promise we'll have a good time once I'm done with all this. But I feel bad leaving you alone there."I chuckled softly. "Yeah, that's okay. There's Janet here. I don't feel alone."He chuckled on the other end of the line, his low laugh almost drowned out by the slightly crackling signal. "Yeah, my cousin with her... unique personality," he continued, his voice trying to sound serious but instead sounding full of warmth. "She'll probably set your whole life in pink if you let her. Just make sure she doesn't end up redecorating our house or... suggesting weird names for our baby."I smiled, imagining Janet, who could vigorously transform the house into a sea of pink, complete with flashy accessories. It was like relentless energy ready to fill every corner of the room, chasing away any loneliness I might feel while Sebastian was away. "T
"It looks like your Abuelo has other ambitions."Apparently, he seemed to welcome me not because I was his grandson's wife but because we had a son, and two more twins were about to come out to greet the world. It was like he welcomed a treasure and an asset rather than a great-grandchild. It made me wonder how Sebastian's father had grown up under pressure from his father and how Sebastian had grown up under pressure from his grandfather.I nestled comfortably on his chest. He sat on a lounge chair, his hands cradling my growing belly. In front of us is a beach and a vast ocean.It was a beautiful sight. Sebastian tightens his arms around me, his warmth contrasting with the sea breeze gently brushing against my skin. In front of the calm blue sea, I can feel everything, as well as the freedom that has been almost foreign since meeting his grandfather.Sebastian bowed his head, his lips touching my head gently. "I want our kids to have a choice," he whispers, his voice almost drowne
Silence hung in the air as Sebastian's grandfather folded his arms, his eyes never leaving my face. With a small gesture, he nodded as if encouraging himself to continue the conversation that, perhaps, he had planned for so long."And... what about your son? Ace? Your father told me that he is a cheerful and smart boy." His voice was low, but his tone was unmistakable. Demanding an answer, he turned to Sebastian and to me.I let out a small sigh, trying to keep my smile genuine as I replied, "Ace is a wonderful boy. Smart, full of energy, and very curious." Talking about my son in front of someone who looked so critical felt strange, but I didn't want to show any doubt.Sebastian, who had been standing quietly beside me, shifted slightly. His arm slowly wrapped around my waist, signaling he wouldn't let me face this alone."Oh, really?" he looked at us, alternating between me and Sebastian. A faint light in his eyes showed interest, albeit with skepticism. "He must meet me one day. I
The phone in my hand vibrated softly, displaying a name that instantly warmed my chest. Ace's face appeared on the screen with one touch, and his wide smile greeted me. His hair was a little messy, as usual, and his school uniform was already rumpled here and there. "Momma!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I just got home from school!" Seeing his face is always like a breath of fresh air in the thick Mexico City air. I smiled softly, adjusting the position of my phone so I could see him better. "How was your day at school, baby?" Ace shrugged his little shoulders, his face glistening with childlike satisfaction. "Good! I learned about dinosaurs today. They're cool, Mom. I like T-Rex, but my friends say I look like a velociraptor." He chuckles, his cheeks slightly flushed with excitement. I chuckled softly my feelings had drifted to a lighter place with his laughter. "Oh? Velociraptor, huh? You're fast like them." "I'm smart too!" he added quickly, his face full of confidence. "