Nora P.O.V We parked outside a small, nondescript restaurant, nestled quietly in one of the city’s more secluded neighbourhoods. Its faded exterior and plain sign made it blend seamlessly into the background. The buildings near the diner looked like they were going to fall any minute. They were hardly holding up. This place is a dump. This was where Rob worked before he vanished. “Is this the place?” Lee asked, his gaze lingering on the modest building as he scanned its exterior with his usual alertness. “Yeah, this is it,” I confirmed, shutting off the engine. Together, we stepped out of the car, the cool evening air brushing against us as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the narrow street. We made our way to the entrance, and I took a moment to mentally prepare for what we might learn inside. The interior was dimly lit, filled with the quiet ambiance of a restaurant that had not been touched by time, and had seen many tough days. A handful of patrons were scatter
Nora P.O.V We pulled up to a weathered apartment building on the bad side of town. The streets were cracked, littered with broken bottles and crumpled paper bags, and the walls of the nearby buildings were covered in fading graffiti. The people here looked rough, wearing old clothes and eyeing us with suspicion as we parked the car. A group of men huddled around a broken fire hydrant, speaking in hushed voices, watching us as we walked past. The stairs creaked beneath our feet as we ascended to the fourth floor. The walls were stained with grime and covered in old posters and faded gang tags. Paint was peeling off in large flakes, revealing the mould underneath. The air was thick with humidity and the smell of sweat, smoke, and something else I didn’t want to think about. “This place is a dump,” Lee muttered, glancing around at this shady area of the city. “Yeah,” I agreed, keeping my voice low. “Let’s just get this over with.” When we finally reached the fourth floor, we sto
Nora P.O.V"I need all the reports on this case as fast as possible." I handed over a thick file to one of the junior detectives as we stood waiting for the elevator."Yes, ma'am," he replied quickly, taking the file just as the elevator bell rang, and the doors slid open. We stepped out together, the hallway buzzing with the usual office noise.Suddenly, the floor’s intercom crackled to life, the voice echoing through the walls. “Detective Stevenson, conference room, now.”I looked up, my brow furrowing in mild annoyance. "Now what happened?" I muttered to myself, glancing at the ceiling as if it held the answer. Everyone on the floor was looking at me, either happy that they are not in my place or happy I am the one who is going to the wolf's den . Nothing comes good from this type of calls.Handing the remaining files over to the junior detective, I instructed, "Take these and put them on my desk." He nodded in understanding and hurried off as I began making my way to the conferenc
Nora P.O.V The dressing room was dimly lit, its walls lined with vanity mirrors surrounded by faded, yellowed bulbs. I leaned into one of the mirrors, smoothing the blush on my cheekbone with a flick of the brush, watching how the shadows played against my face. My reflection looked like a different person—long pink hair cascading down in waves, lips painted deep red, and golden eyeshadow making my eyes gleam beneath hazel brown contacts. The makeup was thick, almost theatrical, but it did its job of transforming me. I caught the strap of my lacey black bra and adjusted it slightly. It barely covered anything, hugging my curves tightly and pushing my chest up in a way that almost felt obscene. The matching skirt was a joke—so short it clung to my hips and left my legs bare, nothing more than an afterthought against my skin. The outfit was designed to catch attention, but it wasn’t mine they’d be focusing on tonight. A knock at the door made me pause. "Crystal, you’re up next!" ca
Nora P.O.VHidden in the darkness of the club ,far from the crowd we were two seconds away strangling each other's throats."You have been pushing too hard, Nora," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "He is not going to fall for it if he thinks you are onto him.”I glared at him, frustration bubbling beneath my cool exterior. "I know what I am doing, Layson. I do not need you to babysit me.”His jaw clenched slightly, and he lowered his voice even more. "This is not a solo operation. We are supposed to be working together, remember?”I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to keep my composure. "Fine," I snapped. "What is the plan then, partner?”Layson glanced around again, then leaned in slightly, his breath hot against my ear as he spoke quietly. "He is heading to the VIP section. I will keep an eye on him from the floor, but we need to be subtle. The man already has an eye on you.”I raised an eyebrow, feeling a little annoyed by his overly cautious approach but noddin
Nora P.O.V “Come here.” His voice was a low, demanding rumble that cut through the haze of smoke and the distant hum of music. I swayed my hips as I moved toward him, letting the curve of my body lead the way. The room seemed to darken around me, the dim pink light casting seductive shadows on my skin. My thong, discarded earlier near the stage, lay forgotten on the floor. I approached his chair, placing one hand delicately on the armrest. Slowly, I slid it along the worn leather, letting my fingers trace a path up to the top of the couch as I circled behind him. His eyes never left me, following every move. When I reached the other side of the chair, I leaned in, just enough to bring my lips close to his ear. My breath brushed against his skin as I smiled down at him, letting the moment linger. I stood up straight , about to walk away but before I could relish it, his hand shot up and grabbed mine, pulling me down onto his lap with one swift motion.His strength surprised me. M
Robert P.O.VI sat in my office, staring at the financial report spread across my desk. The numbers were not adding up. Not just by a little—there was a noticeable gap, money missing that could not be explained away as an accounting error. My irritation slowly grew into a simmering rage. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I felt the headache was starting to come back. I looked at the report before me, I felt like my pulses began to throb. I slammed the report shut, the sound echoing through the room. It was unacceptable. I had been in Italy for only a month, expanding business ties and securing partnerships that would further solidify my control. And now, the second I returned, I was faced with this mess.Just fucking great.I hit the intercom. “RICCARDO, GET IN HERE. NOW.” I barked . I need a drink.Riccardo, my second-in-command, entered a few moments later. He could tell by my expression this conversation was not going to end up good and he is thinking right. He straightened his pos
Nora P.O.VThe abandoned building was a husk of its former self, its windows shattered and walls covered in graffiti. Dust floated in the dim beams of moonlight that seeped through the cracks in the ceiling. My partner and our men dragged the unconscious dealer to the middle of the room, his body slumping lifelessly between us. The effects of the drug were still lingering in his system. I had changed and was standing in the shadow They dropped him into a battered metal chair in the centre of the room. His head slumped forward, chin resting against his chest. I walked out of the shadow. One of our men handed Layson a water bottle. Opening the cap of the bottle he splashed the content on the dealer’s face.The man jerked awake, blinking rapidly as confusion clouded his face. His eyes darted around the room, trying to make sense of where he was, but the drug still fogged his brain. He tried to move but realised his hands were bound tightly behind him. “W-What...?" he muttered, trying
Riccardo P.O.V Dinner with Callandria was a quiet affair. We were both locked in our own thoughts, wrestling with our own minds. When she said she will do it I thought her agreement would satisfy me, yet victory feels hollow and empty. "Here." I slid my phone across the table to her once we had both finished eating. "You should call your grandfather, bella. He wants to know you are safe and that you are here because you want to be." She eyed the phone for a long, silent moment and then reluctantly picks it up. "2008 is the lock code." "The year I was born," she murmured. And the year Nico left the family. "You trust me with your lock code." "I offered you freedom, Callandria. It wasn't a lie," I said ,holding her gaze. "Until things are settled, you are not to leave the house or have contact with your family. Those rules are for your safety as much as for theirs. But I am not your captor. You are not my prisoner. You are going to be the mother of my child." "My grandfather wo
Callandria P.O.V "I am ready," I told Alessio less than a minute later, stepping out of the bedroom. He led me down the hallway. Unlike my father's house, Riccardo's was not built like a museum to wealth. It was timeless and beautiful. Dark wood panels line the walls, with ornately carved banisters and balustrades. Instead of a chandelier, a crystal dome over the staircase floods the foyer with natural light. We passed through the living room, decorated more for comfort than to impress. A large fireplace and sectional dominate the room, with bookcases lining one wall. Massive doors lead out to a patio and a rolling green lawn. "Kitchen," Alessio said, standing to the side to let me pass. I stepped inside and then stopped to stare. The entire kitchen was made from stone, with a cobblestone floor and gorgeous dark wood cabinets. Appliances rest in arched alcoves. Windows look out over the lawn. It was breathtaking, like stepping straight into Tuscany. "Wow," I whispered. No won
Riccardo P.O.V By the time we pulled up by the dock at the harbor, Dant was already there. He leans against the side of his Harley, skipping pebbles across the water. He did not even glance over his shoulder to see who pulled up. I did not think my youngest brother gave a fuck anymore. He tried for years to keep us together, but this way of life wears on you. By the time he had his accident a few years ago, he was not the same kid who spoke the vow. He is harder. Darker. We rarely see him unless he has no choice. I think he would have walked away from all of it if he could. Hell, which of us wouldn't? This life only brought us misery . We lost those we have loved and lived with our enemies. "You are early," I observed, striding across the dock toward him. "You are late." He lets another rock fly. It skipped three times before sinking, dragged to the bottom to rest alongside decades worth of evidence of La Cosa Nostra crimes. Merda. Ours were not the only secrets this harbor keeps
Dant P.O.V“You live here?" Genesis eyed me skeptically, her arms crossed over her chest and her brows furrowed as she glanced around my living room."Yes. Surprised?" I arched a brow, already knowing the answer to that question. Unlike my brothers and sister, I did not live in a house large enough to fit an army. My place was an old greystone in Bridgeport...as fucking far from Robert as I can get without encroaching on territory that did not belong to the DiFronzo family.Once upon a time, the house belonged to my mom's parents. I was not sure any of my brothers knew that. I never told them. Did not see a point when they had lived with our mom's ghost for so long already. Sometimes, ignorance is preferable to pain.Me though? I barely remember her. Not the color of her eyes, or the way she smiled. Not the sound of her laugh, or the warmth of her hugs. I was four and Lily was three when she died, barely old enough to spell out our own goddamn name. Any memories I had of her were eras
Genesis P.O.V"Not yet." His smile did not reach his eyes. I did not think he had smiled in a long time. But they glint with some emotion that makes me shiver. I did not know what it was. "You will.”"Never."His smile widened. "You are coming to work for me." Is he insane? He found me taking out his cash and nowhere wanted me to come and work for him."I have a job.""Not anymore. As of this moment, you work for me, tesoro. Or..." He lets the threat linger unspoken. I know what he meant though. Or he would call the police and we let the chips fall where they may. I think he knew I could not take that risk, though. The bastard knows he was not really giving me a choice here.I think he loves knowing I have no choice and no say. I am his to command, his to control and I hated it but I have no other choice.He was a six-foot-three lion. And I think I may be the little lamb to the slaughter."Fine," I growled, giving in about as gracefully as a bull in a china shop."But I am not for sal
Genesis P.O.VThe elevator glided to a stop on the top floor. The doors slid open, revealing the sort of ostentatious wealth that made my stomach hurt. You know, the kind that could feed half the world, but is spent building glass castles like this for despotic kings instead.The kings who worked from this glass castle are rumored to be some of the worst. They are mafia, Made men. The entire city loses sleep over them and their whims. Yet I never have. When you are trying to survive the devil you know, it was hard to care about the devils you did not.I dragged my bucket off the elevator and set to work emptying the trash. It took all of five minutes to clean up after the reception staff. Two of the executive offices are spotless, as if they were rarely used. The desks held no personal items, nothing to give any hint about the men who worked within.I finished straightening them quickly and moved to the third.A masculine, woodsy scent wafted through the open doors, enveloping me in i
Callandria P.O.V "What do you want from me?" I cried out, my stomach clenching at the look in his eyes, as if he has never been more serious in his life. He meant every word. I might be here for a reason, but he wants me for and that scared me and did not scare me nearly enough at the same time. I expected him to give me the same no-answers he had been giving me, but he did not. He surprised me this time. He gave me the truth. At least, some version of it. "I want you to help me stop a war, Callandria," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Your father started something that may very well destroy us all. I need you to help me stop it." My stomach trembles as the pieces begin to connect in my mind. I did not need him to spell it out for me. I know exactly what he was asking of me. And yet...and yet I wanted to hear him say it anyway. "Tell me," I said. "I want you to give me an heir." He held my gaze, unflinching. "In exchange, you will have your freedom. Whatever marriage con
Callandria P.O.V Everyone has it wrong. Robert DiFronzo was not the devil. Riccardo is. I paced around the luxurious bathroom, muttering under my breath like a crazy person as I made the same circuit across the stone tile. I had already used the bathroom, checked the window, and scoured the shelves for a weapon. There was not anything of use. There was not even a bottle of cologne I could spray in his eyes to blind him. I was in no hurry to return to captivity. I even took a quick shower and stole a toothbrush from beneath the sink to delay the inevitable. My heart still races. Dio. No one has ever spoken to me the way he does or touched me as if I belong to him. It infuriates me and makes my blood run hot at the exact same time. I was so caught up in cursing him out that I didn't hear him approaching. The sharp rapping against the bathroom door made me jump, and my heart thudded against my ribcage, rattling my nerves. "I brought you something to wear," he said. "Would you like
Riccardo P.O.V My phone rings,vibrating across the countertop. I dipped my head under the water to rinse the soap out of it, turn the water off, and stepped from the shower to grab a towel. Steam swirls around me, fogging up the bathroom. "Merda," (Shit) I muttered under my breath when Robert's name flashed across the display. Whatever he has to say, I am almost positive I do not want to hear it, but I swipe to answer anyway. "You have Callandria Castellano chained to your bed?" he growled. "What the fuck are you and Mattia thinking?" "You are the one who decided to deliver a pile of bodies to Emilio Castellano's doorstep," I reminded him. "Mattia could not just leave her there after she spotted them.” "So you chained her to your bed?" he growled, his voice deadly quiet. Robert does not yell. He rarely ever raised his voice. When you are the king, you do not have to shout to be heard. People listen even if you fucking whisper. "God, Riccardo. Think! She is a principessa, not some