--Cassie--"We'll miss you, Cassie," my two friends, Hailey and Michelle, said to me, their eyes welling up with tears, making me laugh.Hailey and Cassie were the only close friends I made when I came to Dream High."Why are you crying, girls, when you know we'll see each other?" I asked, looking at them."We like living in the same neighborhood," I explained as I walked out of the room where I had just received my valedictorian certificate."You're right," they said, wiping their tears away. Their eyes were puffy, and they looked sad."Can I get your number, Cassie?" inquired the school's best basketball player."Give it to him, Cassie," Hailey said, a broad smile on her face. Her mood immediately changed, as if she had not just cried her eyes out."Okay," I said, and he exhaled."Why did you do that?" I asked, taking the pen and paper from his grasp so I could write down my phone number."You always refused to give me your phone number," he remarked.That was Deon, the school's hot
--Cassie--I slipped out of my dress, feeling the weight of the past four years settling on my shoulders. As I stood before the mirror, I couldn't help but notice the resemblance to my mom, with her blue eyes and wavy brown hair. Stepping into the bathtub, I let the warm water wash away the fatigue of the journey, wrapping myself in a fresh-smelling towel from the wardrobe. Every item in this room seemed meticulously cleaned, undoubtedly in anticipation of my return.Moving to the closet, I sifted through my dresses, but none seemed to fit anymore. Frowning, I scanned the room until my eyes landed on my suitcase beside the bed. With a sense of relief, I unzipped it, selecting a pair of ripped jeans and a crop top. After applying lotion to my skin, I tied my hair into a neat bun, studying my reflection in the mirror. It was strange seeing how much I had changed over the years.I flopped onto the bed, retrieving my phone from the nightstand. Surprisingly, it already had a SIM card inser
--Cassie--"His wife-to-be is so lucky," Hailey exclaimed, holding up her phone with a picture of Alessandro Leonardo De Luca. Her excitement was palpable, and I couldn't help but wonder who this fortunate woman was. And then it struck me—I was about to be tied to Alessandro Leonardo De Luca for life.I studied the picture intently. Alessandro had striking features—sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and a confident smile that could melt hearts. It was easy to see why he was considered a heartthrob. But despite his looks, I wasn't interested in him romantically. My decision to marry him was solely to help my dad out of his financial troubles."How old is he?" I asked Michelle, trying to gather more information about the man who would soon be my husband."Twenty-five," she replied enthusiastically."Thank God he's not much older," I muttered under my breath, relieved that we weren't too far apart in age."What did you say?" Michelle asked, leaning closer to hear me better."Nothing," I repli
--Alessandro--"Pops, I can't do what you're asking me to do, Dad," I yelled at my grandpa angrily. I couldn't marry a girl I knew nothing about, especially a human. The very idea of tying my life to someone I hadn't chosen or even known felt like a betrayal to my own autonomy and the memory of Athena."Yes, you are going to marry her, Alessandro. You don't want to get mated again after Athena died," he mentioned, causing my wolf to groan at him."Alessandro, listen. You will like her. She's pretty and a nice girl. I met her when she was sixteen at the mall. Please, Alessandro, listen to me. You are the mafia don and the alpha of the Rivermoon Pack; you need a woman by your side, and you know that pretty well." His voice softened as he tried to persuade me, but his words felt like a knife."I can look for someone if that's what you want, but you'd have to give me time and stop stressing Mr. Roberts like that. He doesn't deserve all that you're doing," I muttered, trying to guilt-trip
--Cassie--A month flew by in the blink of an eye, and here I was, torn between obligations and my overwhelming desire to flee. The wedding was set for two days from now, yet every fiber of my being recoiled from the thought of it. I hadn’t seen Alessandro since the day I learned of this arranged marriage; even the engagement ring had been delivered impassively by his driver, precisely a week after I received the news. A ring, beautiful but impersonal, lay in its velvet box, coldly glinting under the light—a physical reminder of the life-changing decision that had been made for me, rather than with me.This wasn’t how I had ever envisioned my wedding. I had always dreamed of a love-filled celebration, where my partner and I, bound by genuine affection, would share the joy with close friends and family. In that vision, he would hold my hand, reassure me, laugh with me, and look at me with the warmth and anticipation that lovers do. But reality couldn’t have been further from that dream
--Cassie--We were in the garden, seated around a small wooden table, each of us with a steaming cup of tea in hand. The warm afternoon sun bathed us in a gentle glow, filtering through the leaves above and casting dappled patterns on the grass. The air was rich with the scent of blooming jasmine and roses from the nearby flowerbeds, and every now and then, a soft breeze rustled the leaves, carrying with it a hint of fresh earth and summer warmth.Hailey and Michelle were lost in their usual chatter, still gushing over photos of Alessandro. They spoke in excited whispers, eyes wide with fascination, as they scrolled through the images. Their words, though mostly lighthearted, held an almost envious undertone that wasn’t hard to miss. Both seemed to wish they could swap places with me—to be the ones Alessandro had chosen. I thought, only half-joking, how I’d gladly grant them that wish if I could. This entire situation felt surreal, and if I was being honest, slightly overwhelming.“He
--Cassie--“Get up, Cassie,” I heard Michelle’s voice as she tapped me gently on the shoulder, pulling me from the edges of sleep.“Let me sleep, please,” I murmured, hugging my pillow tighter, wishing that somehow I could stay in this cocoon of comfort and escape reality a little longer.“Today is your wedding, girl!” she replied, her tone a mix of excitement and urgency.The words jolted me awake, and I sat up suddenly, as if struck by lightning. My heart sank as the realization hit me, and a tear slipped down my cheek. So, its today, I thought, as a wave of helplessness washed over me. I wished, desperately, that I could run away. The idea lingered, sweet and enticing, like a dream that would never be. My mind raced with images of escaping, of disappearing into a place where arranged marriages and obligations didn’t exist.“Cassie, everyone is waiting for you,” Aunt Sophia called from the doorway, a soft smile on her face, as though this were any ordinary day. She looked so cheerfu
--Cassie--Looking at myself in the mirror, I could hardly recognize the person staring back. My reflection shimmered with elegance, and for a moment, I found myself mesmerized. The soft glow of the morning light poured in through the window, casting a gentle, golden hue over everything, as if even the world outside was celebrating this day. The delicate lace and diamonds of my gown sparkled as I moved, and I couldn’t deny that I looked beautiful, like a vision straight out of a dream. I took a deep breath, trying to steady the fluttering in my heart.Just then, there was a soft knock at the door. “Cassie,” I heard, followed by my father’s familiar voice. The rest of the room fell silent, and with gentle murmurs, my bestfriends and the makeup artist stepped out, leaving us alone. I turned to see him standing there, his face a mixture of pride and sadness. His eyes softened when he looked at me, and I could see he was fighting to hold back his emotions, just as I was.“Dad…” I whispere
--Cassie--It had been three whole days, and still, nothing from Lalia. She hadn’t spoken to me since our last conversation, and the silence was eating me alive. Anxiety coiled in my stomach like a venomous snake, squeezing tighter with every passing hour.I wasn’t feeling good at all. The nausea had been relentless, and I’d thrown up more times than I could count. The stress of not knowing how Alessandro was doing weighed heavily on me, clouding my thoughts and sapping my strength.“You look pale, dear,” Aunty Sophia said, her voice tinged with concern as she stood by the kitchen counter.I nodded weakly, pushing the remnants of my breakfast around on my plate. I hadn’t told anyone I was expecting, not even her or my father. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them—I did, with my life—but fear kept me silent. If word got out, if even the faintest whisper of my pregnancy reached the wrong ears, I knew it would make me and my unborn babies targets.I sighed, trying to steady my nerves, but a
--Cassie--The letter in my trembling hands brought me to tears. I sobbed so hard that my chest ached, and my breaths came in short, sharp gasps. I needed to get out of here, away from the suffocating truth it confirmed. That single piece of paper held the key to everything I had been dreading, everything I had been denying. It was the proof that I, Cassie, was indeed the Mafia princess of the American Mafia.The contents of the letter were brief, cold, and calculated. No fluff, no emotion, just commands.“Do it fast and quick. No loose ends. Mafia Don.”The words felt like daggers, each syllable cutting deeper than the last. It wasn’t just the message itself but the unmistakable implication behind it. My father wasn’t just involved with the Mafia; he was entangled in its very heart, possibly even pulling the strings.The recentness of the letter made my stomach churn. This wasn’t some distant past he had walked away from. No, this was now. Whatever he was involved in, it was ongoing,
--Cassie--We were back home, and Dad still hadn’t told me anything about the mafia. Either he didn’t know much, or—worse—he was part of it. The thought sent a chill down my spine.Could my dad really be involved in the mafia? The idea seemed absurd, but the more I thought about it, the more it made a twisted kind of sense. If he was part of the mafia, what did that make me?A mafia princess.The realization hit me like a freight train. I was a freaking mafia princess. All my life, I’d been kept in the dark, oblivious to the danger that shadowed me. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want my father to be part of the mafia. That would mean he wasn’t just the loving, protective dad I’d always known—he was a killer. A man who made deals in blood and secrets.I needed answers, and I needed them now. If Dad wasn’t going to tell me the truth, I’d find it myself. Determined, I made my way to his office. He wasn’t home, which gave me the perfect
--Cassie--I typed it into the search bar, and her profile appeared, her vibrant smile staring back at me from the screen. Relief washed over me as I scrolled through her page, scanning for any signs of trouble or distress. Her latest posts looked normal, even cheerful, but that didn’t ease my worry entirely. What if something had happened and she hadn’t shared it?I quickly sent her a message: “Hi, how is everything there?” The words felt too brief, too cautious, but I didn’t want to say too much in case someone else had access to her phone. My stomach churned with anxiety as I hit send, using a fake name for the account just to be safe.The message sat there, unread. She wasn’t online. I stared at the screen, willing her to reply, but the small notification stayed stubbornly unchanged. Time seemed to drag as I lay there, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me.What if she never responded? What if Alessandro was in danger and there was nothing I could do? The thought made my c
Running into the private jet brought me a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in days. The chaos of the outside world seemed to fade as the soundproofed doors sealed shut behind me.“Dad,” I called out, spotting him standing near the plush leather seats. He was on the phone, but the moment he saw me, he hung up and opened his arms. I was in them instantly, the comfort of his embrace breaking the dam of emotions I had been holding back.Tears began to spill from my eyes, hot and uncontrollable. I felt his arms tighten around me, and when I looked up, I saw tears glistening in his eyes as well. He was trying to stay strong for me, but the worry etched into his face betrayed him.“Sit down. Bring her some food and water!” he barked to someone outside the cabin. His authoritative tone made it clear that he wouldn’t tolerate any delays.“Dad,” I whispered, my voice trembling. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Seeing him had unleashed everything I had been suppressing—the fear, the exhaustion, the
I couldn’t help but smile back, though I didn’t fully understand what that meant. I knew it had something to do with being a mate or a leader, but the terms were all so new to me.Before I could respond, she paused, her head tilting slightly as if listening to something.“I can hear two heartbeats,” she said, her gaze fixed on me with a knowing expression.I frowned, confused. “What does that mean?”“Meaning,” she said, her voice gentle but firm, “you’re expecting twins, Luna.”My breath hitched, a wave of dizziness crashing over me. Twins? How could she know that?“How do you know?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly, feeling suddenly vulnerable in front of her.She gave a soft, knowing smile. “It’s a gift of mine. I can sense certain things, especially with someone like you. I can feel their heartbeats. Trust me, you’ll be fine.”I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. Two babies? My head was spinning with the implications, and I couldn’t even begin to process it all. The thought of t
The memory of the ball came back to me vividly—the way Alessandro’s dark eyes seemed to follow me the entire evening. At the time, I had felt special, like he saw something in me no one else could. But now I wondered if it was all just part of the plan.Could I forgive my father for throwing me into this chaos? Could I forgive Alessandro for keeping me in the dark?The girl stirred slightly in her sleep, her face peaceful despite the scar on her arm that told a story of pain and survival. Her presence grounded me, reminding me that, despite everything, I wasn’t alone in this nightmare.But the path ahead was shrouded in uncertainty, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t know if I was strong enough to face it.How could I be this stupid? The only thing I clung to was the hope that he hadn’t lied about loving me. That hope was the fragile thread keeping me grounded at the moment. Even though I didn’t want to get back with him right now, the thought of discovering he had lied—used
--Cassie--Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over, blurring my vision. "You’re lying," I accused, my voice breaking as the room seemed to close in around me."I’m not lying," she said firmly, her voice steady despite my unraveling. "I have nothing to lose now. Everything I worked for is gone."Her words were laced with sorrow, and I could see the pain etched into her face. She didn’t look like someone who was lying, but I couldn’t accept it."How can you prove it?" I demanded, my voice sharp as panic bubbled just beneath the surface.How could this be happening? First, I find out that he’s a werewolf, and now this? A Mafia lord? My life had taken a drastic turn in a single day, spiraling out of control with no end in sight.She sighed deeply, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "I don’t have proof with me, but if you look closely, it’s all there. His connections, the way he operates… everything points to it."I shook my head, unwilling to believe it. Yet, deep down, piece
--Cassie--After two grueling hours of driving, my body felt numb, and my nerves were frayed. Finally, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon—a small gas station, its neon sign flickering faintly against the darkening sky. Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived. The girl I’d picked up was still unconscious in the back seat. Her shallow breathing reassured me she was alive, but her condition made my stomach churn. She looked so fragile, her bruised face and bloodied dress a stark reminder of the unknown horrors she’d endured. I parked the car near the station, scanning the area. It was eerily quiet. The faint hum of the station’s fluorescent lights and the occasional rustle of wind in the bushes were the only sounds. Locking the car, I cast one last glance at her before stepping away. I prayed silently that she would be okay until I returned. The gas station’s shop was cramped but well-lit. Shelves lined with snacks, bottled drinks, and various supplies stood in neat