I’m in my office reviewing some information Pietro managed to find out about Katherina’s murder. From what I see, it was something planned for a long time. They had been following her and, as if that weren't enough, one of her men helped carry out the crime. As soon as I find him, I’ll deal with him myself. As I keep reading, I find something that makes me even more furious: they had the firm intention of killing Alexandre as well. I let out a scream of frustration and throw my whiskey glass to the other side of the room, shattering it against one of the walls.I raise my arms to my head, thinking about everything that has happened. Even though I no longer loved Katherina, she was the mother of my child, the woman who gave me the greatest gift, and now my poor little one will grow up without his mother’s love. I know Lilibeth will be a good mother to him, but I don’t think it will be the same. I’m still lost in my thoughts when there’s a knock on the door.“Come in.” I look up and the
Massimo took care of all the wedding arrangements, so I haven't had to worry about anything. Even though it will just be a small celebration without any guests other than the mansion staff, he wants everything to be perfect. At first, I thought he was hiding our wedding from someone in particular, but when I confronted him about it, he told me that he preferred it this way since Katherina's murder is still unresolved. He didn't want to expose me and make me a target for anyone who might be after him.I wanted to buy something simple since it would only be a civil union, but Massimo insisted that he wanted me to wear something more striking and not so simple. So, I opted for a white dress, which consists of a lace corset with tiny sleeves attached to a long, loose skirt made of several layers of organza with a slit on the right leg up to mid-thigh. It's a very pretty dress, but it still makes me feel a bit strange.I am accompanied by Mrs. Marion, Mia, and Anely, who are helping me get
MassimoLilibeth and I are arguing when, without warning, I feel a blow to the car, which starts spinning and hits another car. Scared, I try to protect my wife, but it’s too late; she has hit her head and is knocked unconscious. As I am about to get out of the car, I feel a blow to my head and lose consciousness.When I wake up, Lilibeth is very scared and says something about a gun. Following her gaze, I see a gun I don’t recognize at all; it’s not mine. I look for the car we hit and quickly get out to check on the driver. However, what we see next is something none of us expected.I see the lifeless body of Renzo Lombardi, and to make matters worse, he has been shot in the head. Looking closely at the shell casings, I’m sure they match the gun I had in my hands moments ago. I can’t help but curse; this is a trap. Someone had it all planned.Lilibeth starts crying, feeling faint, and I hold her in my arms. I make some calls, and when my men arrive, I let them handle everything, incl
Lilibeth It has been just over two months since we found out about my pregnancy, and true to his word, during all this time, Massimo has not allowed me to wander around the house as I used to, leaving me utterly bored. He also hasn't wanted us to be intimate, and I can't stand the urge to be with my husband, so I have decided to surprise him tonight.Today, I have to visit Carlo to check on my pregnancy, so Franco takes me to the hospital. I didn’t ask Massimo to come with me because I have some rather embarrassing questions for the doctor, and I don’t want him to be present. As soon as they call me, I go into his office, and he greets me with a smile."Good afternoon, ma'am! How are you? Have you had any discomfort these past months?" He asks as he begins to type on his computer."Good afternoon, doctor! No, after that accident, everything has been fine. I haven’t had any discomfort, just some nausea and a bit of morning sickness, but that's it." He looks at me for a moment, then as
Lilibeth's pregnancy has gone smoothly without any complications all these months. She has been very calm, and every time we go for her check-ups, the baby turns out to be very healthy. A few weeks ago, we found out it's going to be a girl, whom we've decided to name Rachel. My wife is thrilled, as we are just a few days away from meeting our little one.I'm away from the mansion, inspecting some business matters, when I receive a call from Salvatore informing me that at the port where one of my warehouses is located, he managed to corner the scoundrel who has been stealing from me all this time. I immediately head to the location without wasting any time.When I arrive, I order my men to surround the area for added security, while Pietro accompanies me to finally uncover the traitor's identity."Massimo, I'm glad you're here. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't arrived in time. This wretch would have stolen all the merchandise, and the losses would have been catastrophic
I fell asleep after giving birth without realizing it. When I open my eyes, I find myself in a rather spacious and beautiful room. I turn to my right and see Massimo with his back to me, holding our baby. He's so focused on talking to her that he hasn't noticed I'm awake."How's my little princess? You know, Mom and you gave me quite a scare. For a moment, I thought something bad would happen to you both, but the doctor told me you didn't want to leave your mommy. You're beautiful. Thank God you look like her. She's just as beautiful as you. Wait until you see her, and you'll agree. You, Mom, and your brother are my whole life." He starts rocking her and giving her little kisses on her face. He looks so tender that I don't want to interrupt him. When he turns towards me and sees that I'm awake and watching, he blushes with embarrassment. It's quite endearing, as I've never seen this side of him before."How do you feel, love?" He asks, a bit more serious. I smile and extend my hand to
LilibethMaking love to Massimo while Rachel sleeps in her crib has been wonderful, especially because I've been trying not to scream to wake her up the whole time, and with this thought, I fall deeply asleep.The next day, we go about our normal routine. After breakfast, he informs me that he'll be in his office reviewing some documents, so I decide to go out to the garden with my children and soak up the sun.After at least an hour of playing with them, or rather with Alex, since Rachel spends most of her time sleeping, I decide it's time to go back and prepare lunch. I take my beautiful Alex, who can already walk, in one hand, and the little stroller where Rachel sleeps in the other. I see Massimo at the entrance, looking quite rushed and also very annoyed."Are you going out, love?" He turns and approaches us, kisses our children, and then gives me a kiss, but there's something different about him, although I couldn't quite explain it."Yes, my love, I have something urgent to tak
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
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