LilibethIt's been a year since Massimo's death, and although I've started smiling again, I feel like a part of my heart has been torn away, and I'll never be able to love another man as I loved him. I'm grateful for the support my friends have given me; they truly are friends—Mrs. Marion, Mia, Anely, Franco, among others. They helped me emerge from the tremendous sadness that engulfed me, and also because I needed to be strong for my children.FlashbackOne Year AgoWe got into those vans, and Franco explained the contents of the briefcase to me. It contained a substantial amount of money to be given to those who wished to stay in Italy. There were also documents about the embezzlement of money and theft of goods from Massimo's businesses. In another folder, there were new identities for both my children and me. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I kept asking myself the same question over and over again: Since when did Massimo plan this? And most importantly, why?"What happened? Why a
Luciano De AngelisI wake up once again, just like so many other times, because of the same dream. That woman who keeps appearing in my dreams is beautiful, slim, short, with long brown hair and beautiful almond-colored eyes and fair skin. It's as if I knew her from before, and I feel a longing for her, although I'm sure I don't know her from before.I still remember the first time I told my girlfriend about this woman, describing her in detail. She almost went crazy and insisted I see my doctor. After that, she started giving me some pills to sleep better, and I stopped dreaming about her. I don't like taking that medication because it makes me feel groggy, and sometimes I even forget certain things. Without them noticing, I've been fooling them into believing I'm still taking them, although I haven't for weeks now, and because of that, I've started having the same dream about that unknown woman again.I turn over and see my future fiancée, Maritza Salvatore, beside me. I get out of
It's the day of my husband's engagement party, and I decide to attend with the help of Gianna, Otto's wife, who almost transformed me into a different person. She got me a blonde wig for the occasion, green contact lenses, and the outfit I will wear.We have decided that among all my men, I will take Donato. We enter the Salvatore mansion without any problem, moving among the people and acting as if we were a couple. For me, it's easy, but for Donato, it's uncomfortable to treat his lady this way (even though I have told everyone that I am no longer their lady and that now we are all a family, they refuse to change their way of seeing me).After wandering around for a while, they announce that the engaged couple will make an appearance to start the engagement party. We move closer to avoid being recognized, and my heart stops when I see the man with Maritza. It's him, no doubt, it's my Massimo, and a few tears escape my eyes. Donato hugs me to hide my face so that no one notices what'
"Good evening, Mrs. Carluccio! To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" He inquires. I like that he doesn't beat around the bush, so I can be completely frank from the start."Good evening, Mr. Lombardi! My name is now Lucrecia Montemayor, you understand it's for security reasons. To be honest, I want to ask for your help." As soon as he hears this, he lets out a loud laugh. For my part, I remain impassive, waiting for him to say something."Very smart of you. What kind of help? To be honest, it's strange that you come to me after what happened more than a year ago." His expression changes to one of deep pain."I want you to tell me if you know anything about Luciano De Angelis or rather Massimo Carluccio." He doesn't seem surprised when I mention this, so I assume he knows something."Madam, what do I gain by providing you with this information?" I knew he would ask for something, so I came prepared."I have information about the murder of your son Renzo Lombardi." I extend an enve
Lilibeth I received a call from Giuseppe Lombardi asking to meet tonight. I believe I have achieved my goal and he will provide the help I need. As we have agreed all this time, I am going with Donato and other men who will pose as clients for my protection.We arrived at the club and, just like last time, his men searched us to see if we had any weapons. However, this time they know what awaits them if they try to mess with me. They let us pass after taking Donato's weapons, and we find ourselves in front of Giuseppe.“Good evening, Mr. Lombardi! I hope you already have an answer regarding the proposal I made to you.” We shake hands and then take our seats.“Good evening, ma'am! The truth is, I've thought about it quite a bit, and besides the information about my son's murder, I would like to ask you for one more thing. If you agree, I will provide a safe house for you and your family with my best men to guard it for as long as necessary.”“What else could you desire from me?” I ask
Lilibeth I get up to go to the bathroom, but I inform Donato and the others that I'll be back soon. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my waist, and just as I'm about to hit it, I realize it's Massimo. We greet each other, but I notice he caresses my bare back, making me feel a desire to be possessed by this man whom I thought had been dead for a long time. For a moment, I get lost in his beautiful eyes, just as I used to.He waits for me while I go to the bathroom, and when I say goodbye to him, he pulls me close without warning and takes me to a room that seems to be the club's storeroom. He starts kissing me, making me get lost in my memories. He unties my dress, but when I think that he might have already had sex with Maritza, I feel disgusted at the thought of him being inside her and then inside me. When I confront him about his girlfriend, he explains that he hasn't slept with her, but I don't believe him; he must be making it up to sleep with me. However, when he mentions his acciden
True to my word, I decide to go again to The Underworld club, hoping to find my husband, but at the same time I fear that Maritza might discover us and all my plans could be ruined before I can get my revenge on her.After talking for a moment with Mr. Lombardi about some documents for which I need his help to discover where all the diversions that were done to my husband went, and he promised me that both his accountant and his lawyer would help me, I decide to go to the bar and order a drink. That's when I feel a hand resting possessively on my waist, just like Massimo used to do. I turn to see who it is, and indeed, it is him. He leans into my ear and whispers.“I've been waiting for you all these days.” Then he bites my earlobe a little, making me lose my mind and want to throw myself into his arms. However, Palmieri's gaze brings me back to my senses.“Not here, Mr. De Angelis. Someone could see us and tell your fiancée.” He shakes his head and, before leaving, whispers to me aga
“Then I'll be leaving, and thank you again for everything.” As soon as I leave his office, Palmieri approaches me upon seeing my hand wrapped in the handkerchief.“Are you alright, ma'am?” He asks, concerned.“Yes, Palmieri, it's nothing serious. We should go downstairs; my husband is waiting for me.” He looks at me in surprise at what I've just revealed but says nothing more, just nods and we head back to the elevator.As soon as we reach the ground floor, I quickly look for Massimo, who is drinking next to a woman who seems extremely interested in him. I can tell by the way she looks at him and tries to take his hand. I approach them and catch what he's saying, which makes me laugh a little.“I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm waiting for my wife.” He's about to turn around when I hug him from behind and press my face to his neck, which is easy since he's sitting down.“Hi, love, thanks for waiting for me.” He turns, and as soon as he recognizes me, a g
When she hears me say this, her body tenses, and she starts crying harder than before. I lead her to one of the chairs and gently sit her down.“What happened to her face?” I inquire after a while, lifting her face a little.“What happened to you, sweetheart?” My father-in-law asks, approaching her, and when his fingers touch his wife’s cheek, she swats his hand away.“Don’t touch me.” She replies without looking at him.I see the pain in Liza’s father’s eyes at his wife’s attitude. He lowers his hand but stays by our side, holding back the urge to hug her.“After Stefano left the house, about half an hour later, Lieutenant Barone arrived. Apparently, he had a warrant for Stefano’s arrest because they had discovered everything about his business, but the way he was acting wasn’t normal.“When our men noticed that he started circling the whole property, Mich advised me not to let them in, and that’s what we did. But suddenly, they started attacking us, managing to break through the gat
Once again, I find myself in the cemetery, a place that has become so familiar to me that my chest tightens with the loss I am facing at this moment. I lower my gaze and observe the white rose I hold in my hand, as I feel a single tear escape from my eye. With the same hand holding the rose, I quickly wipe it away, knowing that the person I am now saying goodbye to would not want to see me in this state.After five long years, Giuseppe Lombardi left us to reunite with his son, whom he has longed for all these years. If it weren't for my mother, who became like a daughter to him, the sadness that overwhelmed him might have taken him sooner.I look around, and both my mother and my sisters are devastated by his loss, but I know they also find peace in having been with him in his last days. Next to me, holding my hand as she always has, is my beloved wife Yelizaveta, and at our feet are our children, little Renzo and little Laryssa.As the priest finishes the last words of farewell, my m
We take the elevator down as quickly as we can, and when we reach the parking lot, I head straight to one of the trucks that’s still there without wasting any time."We won’t take long; it’s about thirty minutes from here." I inform them as I get into the truck, buckle my seatbelt, and then floor the accelerator.The drive to my old home passes in a blink, and when we arrive, I see that only a few walls have remained standing over all these years. I turn off the engine and grab one of the guns from under the seat."I want you to stay here until Bellini and Flavio arrive.""We're not staying. We said we'd come with you, and that's what we're doing." Yasha contradicts me, gritting her teeth."Absolutely not. You'll stay here until the rest of my men arrive."I get out before they can argue, pass through the open gates, and barely take two steps before some men appear in front of me. I fire my gun, but just as I'm about to hit another one of them, I see him fall to the ground. I don’t ne
Yelizaveta Little by little, I open my eyes and feel a bit disoriented, not knowing where I am. I shake my head, and when I finally manage to focus, I look around and realize I’m in some sort of abandoned warehouse. But strangely enough, I’m alone—or at least I think I am.Everything is so confusing that every time I try to remember what happened, my head aches a little. When small scenes of what happened this morning finally come to mind, a shiver runs through me. All those trucks blocking our way, my father’s men trying to protect me, the ones from bombon following us, and that girl, screaming my name before being hit and losing consciousness.I try to touch my head where I was struck hard enough to knock me out, but I realize that I’m tied to a chair. Just as I’m about to move it, I hear unfamiliar voices.“They hit her pretty hard.” Shouts a man, followed by a thud. I try to turn my head to see where it’s coming from, but I can’t, so I listen closely to their conversation.“I’m s
Alexandre “Boss, Mr. Belucci is outside and insists on speaking with you.” One of my men informs me. I set aside the documents I’m reading, somewhat confused by the visit from Liza’s father.“Let him in, please.” My man steps aside, and I see Mr. Belucci enter, clearly upset. He looks around as if searching for someone until he finally fixes his gaze on me.“Where is Yelizaveta?” He asks angrily.“I’m sorry, father-in-law, but Liza and I didn’t plan to meet today. I haven’t seen her in days.”“T-that can’t be possible. She told me she was coming to see you and left the house at noon, and she hasn’t returned. It’s already past midnight.” I check the time on my computer and realize she’s been missing for over twelve hours. I jump up from my seat, grab my phone, and try to reach her. “She’s not answering; we’ve been trying for hours.” He says, his voice trembling slightly.“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I ask, frustrated. “What exactly did she say before leaving the house?”“One of yo
Alexandre "For several days now, you've been acting a bit strange. What's bothering you, Alexandre?" Inquires Flavio as soon as he notices my expression.I turn my chair, let out a deep sigh, and gaze out over all of Liguria in an attempt to clear my mind of so many problems. After a brief pause, I decide to speak."Someone blew up Liza's father's ship a few days ago. Apparently, they had a very valuable cargo that was about to be shipped to Russia. This was a significant loss for both my father-in-law and his partner.""And how does that affect you?" Bellini asks. "Don't tell me the bastard dared to blame you?" He growls furiously.I can't help but laugh. When I turn my chair back around to face them, I shake my head."Why am I not surprised you think that of my father-in-law?""Maybe because the idiot is capable of that and more." Bellini retorts, glaring at me."Only because Liza isn't here will I agree with you, but in front of her, I never will. So, you know, Bellini, keep your
Yelizaveta As soon as we got into the SUV of my bonbon to head to his mansion, I heard his parents begin to argue in hushed tones, trying not to be noticed."Can I ask why you didn't intervene, Massimo?" Mrs. Lilibeth inquired, and from the tone of her voice, I could tell she was a little upset with her husband."Little shrew, you were handling it wonderfully; you didn't need me at any point. Besides, I love seeing you in that mama bear mode." Mr. Massimo replied, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. I immediately turned my face away so they wouldn't think I was eavesdropping, but I continued to listen to their conversation anyway."I don't like the way he talks to Alex." She said, lowering her voice a bit more."I know, little shrew, but Alex accepted it all along and didn't say anything. What can we do? Nothing.""It's not your fault, honey." My bonbon murmured, wrapping his arm around my waist. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had overheard them arguing."I'm sorry! It's just
Fabrizio “If you're here, it's because you need to tell me something. What is it?” I ask without looking up from my work.“Our men reported that Carluccio just arrived at the Belucci mansion with his parents. They believe they are there to make their relationship official.”“With a demon!” I explode angrily, hitting my desk, “this can't be happening.”I get up from my seat and start pacing around my office, thinking of the best way to prevent that engagement from happening at all costs.“I want you to blow up the shipment waiting at the port.” I order, stopping my steps.“H-how?”“Are you an idiot? Do I need to repeat my orders twice?”“I’m sorry, boss, it’s just that it will be a significant loss for both you and Belucci.”“That loss is nothing compared to what I stand to gain by keeping Yelizaveta away from Carluccio.”“Should I ask our men to abandon the ship?”“No, sometimes it’s worth making certain sacrifices to achieve a greater good. I want that ship to blow up within ten min
Alexandre "I don't understand what you mean, bonbon." Says Liza with a slight frown. In front of us, I hear Brianna chuckle, but I ignore her."Yes, bonbon, explain to us." Brianna chimes in with a malicious smile."Brianna!" I scold her, because I am sure that now that she knows what Liza calls me, it will be impossible for her to stop calling me that."You're so boring." I see grandpa give her a conspiratorial look, and I shake my head."Baby doll, let your brother explain." My father intervenes. Brianna makes a little pout and falls silent, still hugging grandpa."Liza's father must have his own hangar. I know that if we talk to him and explain the situation, he could help us. Besides, we can get grandpa out through the tunnels in the house. That's what I can think of for now.""And will your girlfriend's father agree?" My father asks, not very convinced."It's possible, though I'm not quite sure.""Don't worry, bonbon, I'll talk to him.""I think it's best if Massimo and I go and