_Amelie’s POV_
To every bride, the day of her wedding was meant to be the happiest day of her life. Filled with joy and any other thing that classifies as ‘happy’. It was meant to be the best thing that has ever happened in her life.
But not me. Of course not me. The gods forbid that Amelie DaVinci be happy even though it was for a day.
Today would forever be the worst day of my life. And as I sat on the floor with my hands tied behind me and my mouth gagged, I tried to understand what led me here.
_A few hours ago_
“But Papa I don't want to get married,” I complained to my fifty-five years old father, hoping to speak some sense into him.
I had heard from the maids that I would be getting married today and I immediately rushed to him to confirm.
Imagine that, not hearing from your own father who had set it up but from the maids who were ordered whispering about it in excitement.
I had just turned twenty, the last thing I needed was to get married.
“Amelie, we have talked about this,” Father said, ordering the maid who stood at the side to start getting me ready.
“This wedding is important for the familia,”
Then what about for me? What about what was important for me?
I wanted to scream at me, but I paid attention to the maids in the room.
Disrespecting him in front of them was going to lead to him punishing me and I wasn’t ready for that.
“Just do what is required of you for the mafia,” He said, putting an end to the discussion.
Of course the mafia was more important to him than his only child.
Not that I found it surprising, it was part of the daily life of Amelie DaVinci.
A father that doesn't care about her.
I was just finding out about my own wedding a few minutes ago, and it was quite obvious that this marriage wasn’t going to be one of love.
It was merely an alliance for power and I was a tool being used. My supposed fiance, Ferdinand was the leader of a brother mafia and this wedding was supposed to bring the two mafias together.
And I knew that Ferdinand wasn’t going to be any different from my father, both men wanting nothing but power.
One hour later and I was marching to the Church, flower in hand as my father prepared to give me off to a man I have never met.
Everyone expected this kind of sacrifice from me. I was the Don’s daughter and sacrifices were meant to be made.
But none of their stupid asses would volunteer to get their daughters sent off. They all knew what kind of person Ferdinand was, and that was why I was the perfect person.
A tear dropped rolled down my cheek and I hurriedly wiped it off, keeping the stoic look on my face.
There was no point to shed a tear right now, if father saw me crying he would call me a shame to the DaVinci and weak.
It was bad enough to him that I was a female already.
I walked down the aisle, my grip on the flower bouquet tightening. It was sad to see that the first time I was getting a flower bouquet was at a wedding I didn't even want to be in, not from my lover who I’m head over heels for.
But life plays cruel jokes on us at times. And right now I could bet the bitch was doubled over, laughing at me.
I kept my eyes on the supposed groom, our gazes clashing as I walked.
Ferdinand Rossi. Probably one of the coldest men that would ever live. He has killed a lot, and I’m certain he would still kill more.
Because that’s the life in the mafia, and I’m not certain I want that kind of life.
Ferdinand stood at the altar with his face expressionless. He didn’t bother to hide his disinterest. It seemed as if he would rather be elsewhere than watch me walk down.
If not anything he looked like he was bored,
And I didn't know how to feel about that. It was every girl’s dream for her groom to stare at in excitement, but as usual Amelie gets the worse of it.
He didn’t even look a little bit interested in me.
“Keep your head up Amelie,” Father whispered to me, his grip on my fingers tightening. I couldn’t afford to cry out in pain and so I nodded, pushing my head up.
“You are my daughter so walk with pride,”
I bit into my lips, fighting the tears that once again threatened to fall.
The audience, all members of the mafia from both families, whispered amongst themselves. Everyone knew this marriage wasn’t about love. It was business, pure and simple.
I didn’t want to be here anymore and just wanted this to be over and done with. This dress was starting to get tight and I could feel my anxiety starting to kick in.
I felt the stares drilling into me—some pitied me, others envied me for my position as the Don’s daughter, blissfully unaware of the burden that came with it.
I could happily switch with them if it meant not getting married to this man.
And my father. He looked happy to be giving me away right now, even though it was the last thing I wanted.
The stoic mask I wore hid the resentment bubbling inside me. I was nothing but a pawn in his power play, and I hated him for it.
When I reached the altar, Ferdinand took my hand. His grip was firm, cold and devoid of any warmth.
I tried to pry my hands away from his but he refused to let go, even tightening his hold.
“There’s no point holding my hand,” I whispered to him and just like everyone else does, he ignored me.
Prick head.
The priest began speaking, his deep voice reverberating through the church. I barely listened, too lost in my thoughts to notice what was happening.
“Do you, Amelie Davinci, take Ferdinand to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
The priest’s words rang in my ears, and for a brief moment, I hesitated.
Do I want that? Quite obviously no. I was being forced to do all these.
But can I say that?
My mouth opened, but the words refused to come out. What I actually wanted was to scream, to run, to tear the veil from my face and tell them all to go to hell.
But I didn’t. I can’t do that.
My father would have my head in a matter of seconds snd I wasn’t even playing. The one thing he didn’t joke with was his mafia and if I did something that could potentially harm it, he’d kill me.
Those were his words, not mine.
“Yes, I do.” I whispered, a tear drop sliding down my face.
I raised my eyes to meet Ferdinand’s gaze, his empty eyes boring into me. The priest repeated the same to him and his response came immediately.
“Yes, I do.”
There was no hesitation like mine and my heart hammered in my chest.
This was really happening.
The ring bearers brought the rings to use and with shaky hands, I slipped a ring into his finger.
Without breaking eye contact, Ferdinand slipped the finger into my wrist and I shut my eyes, another tear slipping down.
Just as I forced myself to inhale and preparing for the priest to say the words that would seal my fate, the doors of the church burst open with a deafening bang.
With a gasp, I turned around to see who had save— I meant interrupted the wedding.
The room fell silent, all heads snapping toward the entrance. Three men dressed in black stormed in, their faces covered in masks.
Okayy. The three musketeers.
I didn’t realize how serious this was until they all brought out their guns and then…
Chaos erupted.
Gunshots echoed as the men opened fire, bullets ricocheting off the stone walls and sending the guests scrambling for cover.
Ferdinand grabbed my arm, yanking me behind him as his men drew their weapons, returning fire. I could feel his grip tighten as he barked orders, his calm demeanor shattered.
It took a moment for me to register that we were being attacked and these men were here with the intentions to kill.
“Amelie, stay down!” Ferdinand growled, shoving me behind a pew.
But I wasn’t listening. My heart thundered in my chest as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Was this an ambush? A hit on my family?
Or worse—was someone here to kill me?
Through the chaos, I caught a glimpse of one of the masked men. My eyes following his every movement he made.
They were swift, and precise, unlike the usual recklessness of hired gunmen.
This wasn’t a random attack.
This was personal.
I tried to stay as hidden as I could, but when he turned, holding eye contact with me, I knew instantly that I was fucked.
The first thing that came to mind was for me to get the hell out of that place and hide.
And I did exactly that. Or maybe tried to.
A bullet whizzed passed me as I ran, causing me to scream out in fear.
I had no idea who they were but wasn’t it too much for them to try and kill me?
My heels made it hard for me to take a step forward and before I knew it I was tripping over my own foot, my dress ripping.
A light curse escaped my lips as my head banged against the wall, the room spinning around.
Well fuck. Death by own hands.
I tried to keep my eyes open but my attempts were futile and soon I gave in to the darkness
_Amelie’s POV_I let out a groan as my eyes peeled open, confusion filling me up. My mind was a haze as I tried to remember what had happened, but that was a chore on its own.Everything was a jumbled mess, and each word I tried to say ended up like a sound made by an estranged animal.The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pounding ache in my head. It felt like a drum was being beaten inside my skull. Or someone was having an orgy in there.And the second thing? I was tied up.My wrists were bound tightly behind me, the coarse rope digging into my skin. I tried to move my arms a bit, but I let out a low hiss in pain.Whoever had tied this was definitely trying to prevent me from setting myself loose.I tried to move my legs but my ankles were similarly restrained, leaving me completely immobilized.Great, I was tied up with ropes meant to hold down Artemis.I peered into the darkness, the dim light hanging over my head preventing me from seeing much. I wasn’t certain if I
Amelie’s POVI still had that day carved into the back of my mind, constantly reminding me of what I had done.The heat from the fire was intense, like it wanted to reach out and swallow me whole. My chest tightened with the thick smoke in the air, but I couldn’t move. I just stood there, frozen, staring at the house that was now completely engulfed in flames.Something I had none. Not that it was a mistake, not that I had slept of with the fire place on, causing a fire.But because I had poured a trail of fuel round the house and set it ablaze.I was that girl.Beside me, my father stood tall, his face cold and expressionless. The orange glow from the fire flickered across his features, but nothing softened that hard look in his eyes.He stared on intently like he was waiting for some sort of movement in the fire, but I knew it was practically impossible.There’s no way they would have gotten out of the fire on time, I knew that much.Father made me make sure of it. After a few minut
This was not what I had in plan when they had said I was going to help them take my father down.I was once again in a situation that made me question the type of luck I had.The room I was currently in was cold and damp, and I think there was moss growing on the walls.I shivered, shifting my attention to something more important. And that was the fact that my wrists were chained to the wall, the metal biting into my skin.Why the actually fuck would they chain me up like an animal? I wanted to scream but I controlled myself, trying not to show weakness,Even though every shift against the cuffs sent fresh pain shooting up my arms.A flickering light above cast uneven shadows across the stone walls, making the place feel even more claustrophobic.My brothers knew what they were doing when they put me in here. Movement in front of me had my head snapping up, my eyes meeting three identical pairs of eyes.Luca, Matteo, and Nico stood in front of me, their faces hard and unreadable.Wha
Amelie’s POVI don’t know how long I stayed this way, the brothers going in and out randomly like they expected me to break the next time they walked in.The cold metal of the cuffs bit into my wrists, the pressure making my hands go numb. My shoulders ached from being held in the same position for too long, but I refused to show weakness. Not in front of them.If I showed even the slightest weakness, they’d use it against me, assuming I was about to break. And I couldn’t let that happen.Luca stood in front of me, his gray eyes sharp, calculating. I always wondered what went on in his head when he stared at someone like that. It seemed as if he could read straight into your soul, but I knew better.Matteo leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his usual smirk tugging at his lips. And Nico… he was watching. Always watching. He never said much—just observed.“I’ll ask one more time,” Luca said, his voice dangerously calm. “Tell us about your father. His allies, his movements.”Like my
_Amelie’s POV_I hadn’t expected to see Nico. In fact, for some reason, I wasn’t expecting to see anybody. It was supposed to be me running right through the door and screaming for freedom.But things don’t always go the way we want, because he stood right in front of me, blank eyes staring straight at me.The look on his face told me I was stupid for even attempting to run away.The knife was still in my grip, the tip just inches from Nico’s throat.But he didn’t flinch. He just watched me, his dark eyes unreadable.How did I know he was the one? They all seemed so identical, how was I able to tell the difference between the three brothers? It was his eyes.Same shade as his brothers, but the emptiness in them told me all I needed to know. Nico took a step closer, pressing the blade deeper into his neck.Just one swipe and he would be choking on his blood, but for some reason that didn’t seem to scare him.“If you want to leave,” he murmured, voice low, “you’ll have to kill me fir
_Amelie’s POV_The silence in my room felt suffocating.I sat curled on the edge of the bed, my wrist still aching from when Nico had twisted it. He hadn’t told them. I knew that much.I had walked back to where I had tried to escape from, waiting for when the brothers decided to come for me.And when someone came later on to inform me about my change of location, I was happy. They hadn’t found out yet, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think I’d gotten away with it.Something about the way Nico smirked at me before disappearing into the mansion told me everything I needed to know. This wasn’t over.And I was right.Because when the door finally swung open, Luca stood there. His eyes blazing with fury.I stiffened instantly, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach. Standing behind Luca were Matteo and Nico, but they weren’t my problem right now. It was Luca. His presence filled the room before he even took a step inside. He didn’t need to speak. His sharp gray eyes pinned me in pla
Amelie’s POVThe moment Luca spoke those words—“You belong to us.”—a cold dread settled into my bones.Ownership… He was declaring ownership of me. I couldn't let that happen. I shook my head as I tried to fight against his hold.“No. No, I don’t—”I didn't belong to anyone, most certainly not them.My father had always made me remember that I was his blood and so I belonged to him. And now I was away from him, but the triplets seemed to be even much worse than he was.A sharp tug at my hair silenced me and I yelped, bringing my hand to my head. Luca’s grip tightened as he tilted my head back, forcing me to meet his icy gaze. There was no amusement now. No patience. Just ownership.He wasn't giving me an option to choose from, I didn't have any say in this. “I wasn’t asking.” Matteo knelt beside me, his smirk widening as he dragged his fingers along my jaw. “You don’t get to decide, princess.”I wouldn't let them take away the last strip of dignity I had.And so I jerked my head
_Amelie’s POV_I don’t know how many hours it has been since then.I sat in the dimly lit room, my fingers twitching against the leather wrapped around my throat. I thought it was a dream, and so I pinched myself so many times but this was nothing close to being a dream.The leather was there, reminding me just how real this was.No matter how many times I pulled at it, no matter how hard I tried, the collar wouldn’t come off.And I hated it. Hating having this thing around my neck.Because it wasn’t just leather.It was a sentence. A brand. A mark of ownership.They had practically written, “You belong to us.” On my forehead so everyone could see.And there was nothing I could do except walk around with the banner they had forced upon me.I wanted to scream. To rip it off. To tear through every inch of this mansion and burn it to the ground, just like I had with their old home.That time I was forced to do it, but this time… This time I would make sure they don’t get out of it alive
Amelie’s POVAt this point, I was so certain about one thing.And that was the fact that I hated Matteo.I hated him so fucking bad.I hated the way he made me feel. The way he touched me, whispered in my ear, and then left me gasping for air—aching, needing, desperate. I hated the fact that my body had betrayed me and I had given into his touch, even after what he had done to me.I didn't know if there was a shift between us after what had happened that day.I was talking about the night he came into my room drunk.The night he had shown me all the scars that had been caused by my actions. But whatever this was, I wasn't certain if I wanted it to happen again or not. What I was certain about was the fact he wouldn't hesitate to use his hands to make me do whatever Luca wanted, and I still hated him for that.And the worst part out of all of this? He knew exactly what he was doing.Matteo knew what he was doing when he pushed into my room, using his fingers to make me cry. He also
_Amelie’s POV_Matteo’s fingers curled inside me, slow and deliberate, dragging pleasure from me at his own pace. My breath hitched as he added another finger, stretching me, teasing me.I was frustrated, he was going too slow. Slower than I wanted him to go. And I hated that. I needed it do badly.“You take me so well,” he murmured, his voice thick with satisfaction. “Just like I knew you would.”Like he had thought about his fingers in me, thought about this scene over and over.Just like me.I clenched around him, my body betraying me once again. He chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating against my skin as his lips trailed lower.I couldn’t believe I was in this position with Matteo of all people, it seemed like a dream.“You wanted this, didn’t you?” His tongue flicked over my clit, making me jolt. “Wanted me to catch you touching yourself.”Yes. Some part of me had the hope that Matteo was going to walk through the door while I had my legs parted open.And the thought had gotten
_Amelie’s POV_I didn't hear him coming, I thought I would have been done by the time someone decided to come look for me. But I was wrong. So fucking wrong.Matteo's eyes raked over my body, his lips pulling to a smirk.“Well well… what do we have here?” he taunted, brow coming up. “Such a slut, touching yourself so early in the morning.” His taunts went on and on. Making me feel ashamed and embarrassed.I scrambled to pull the sheets over myself, my face burning with humiliation. But before I could, Matteo moved.I hadn't seen him coming.In the blink of an eye, he was on me, gripping my wrist and yanking my hand away. My breath hitched as his fingers curled around mine—still slick, still trembling. “Oh no… there is no need for you to stop just because of me.”He could feel just how wet I was and the thought made my face burn.A shiver ran down my spine at the way he held my wrist effortlessly, his grip firm, unyielding.“Go on Amelie… touch yourself.” he urged, eyes burning thr
_Amelie’s POV_I stormed into my room, my breath coming out in uneven gasps. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I paced, my mind a mess of frustration and something far worse—something I didn’t want to name.I didn't understand why I was affected this way.Heat coiled low in my stomach, an unbearable ache that refused to be ignored. I was furious. Furious at Matteo. Furious at myself. Furious at the way my body betrayed me.I hated this man so much and yet I got turned on by him? I was affected by the sight of him touching another woman.I couldn't believe it. Why had I stayed? Why had I watched it?I should have looked away. Should have left the room the moment his hands had disappeared under that woman’s dress. But I hadn’t. And now I was suffering the consequences.I hated the way the image replayed itself in my head. Hated how each time I closed my eyes, the image was burned into the back of my mind. The look on her face, her moans, how flushed her skin was. I swallow
Amelie’s POVI don't know how long I was expected to do this. How long I was meant to sit right next to them ehiketgey did whatever they wanted.I wanted to move out from the bed but Matteo’s fibgetsclampeddosm on my thighs, keeping me in place.I held my breath as he took another slow sip from the glass, his lips barely grazing the rim. He had no reason to be sipping wine while he had another woman with him, but I could guess he only wanted to torture me.His eyes never left mine, and the smirk on his face only deepened when I quickly lowered my gaze, my fingers tightening around the glass to hide their tremble.He was enjoying this.The woman shifted against him, the silk hanging down her shoulder, Clinging to her curves as she pressed herself closer. Her fingers trailed down his chest, stopping at the open buttons of his shirt before she dipped her head to kiss along the scars peeking out.I swallowed hard.I couldn't explain how this affected me. Matteo let out a satisfied hum,
Amelie’s POVI didn’t move from the floor.Because they hadn't asked me to move, I wasn't given permission to push up from where I was.Not even when the door shut behind them.I stayed in the same position, waiting for some reason.Not even when the silence stretched on, pressing against my ribs, suffocating.I should have felt relief.I didn’t.Because I knew.This wasn’t over.I couldn't feel relief when Luca could walk into this room and any moment and punish me. Luca’s patience was a promise, a threat wrapped in silk, but Matteo? Matteo was different. Hot-blooded. Impulsive. He wouldn’t wait for his revenge—he’d take it the moment he wanted to.And he did.I don't know for how long I stayed awake because before I knew it the sun had gone up once again, seeping into my room. And when the door swung open again, Matteo was there.A wicked smirk played on his lips, but his eyes burned with something darker. Something dangerous.I don't know if he remembered our conversation from la
_Amelie’s POV_Something cold spread through me.Matteo—hotheaded, reckless, brash—I could understand. His anger was raw, something I could face head-on.But Luca? Luca was in control. Luca was patient.And patience was worse.Way way worse. Matteo didn't think things through before he did anything, so his actions wouldn't be as painful as when Luca did.My breathing felt too loud in the silence that followed. I braced myself for more pain, for another blow, for something—anything.But Luca doesn’t move.Neither does Nico. None of them does anything other than stare at me.They just let me kneel.Let the seconds drag.They let my thoughts turn against me, let the anticipation strangle me more than their hands ever could.I didn't know what would happen next, what they had planned. And I waited.I dug my nails into my palms, forcing myself to stay still. I won’t break. I won’t—“This is how it’s going to be now,” Luca murmured, crouching down in front of me. His hand curled under my
_Amelie’s POV_I couldn’t sleep after Matteo left my room. Each time I closed my eyes, I was filled with the image of the scars on his skin. It had been burnt into my mind, the ugly twisted skin that I had caused.The door slammed open once again that night and I jolted, eyes moving to the door. Which could it be? It definitely wasn't Matteo, was it? He wouldn't come back here for anything. Our conversation left me shaken and I was too shaken to have another one tonight.I barely had time to react before Luca stepped in, his movements unhurried, calculated. Luca?Behind him, Nico lingered in the shadows, silent as ever. Don't these men ever sleep? First, it was Matteo banging into my room half drunk, and now Luca and Nico casually waltzing in.I knew the next day was going to be hell for me, but I had expected them to let me sleep. I wanted to voice out my displeasure, but I didn’t want my face on Luca’s shoes once more and so I kept my mouth shut.I was supposed to be a hosta
_Amelie’s POV_I couldn’t look away.Even though I wanted to. Everyone thought my every being begged for me to peel my eyes away from his body and look elsewhere. My eyes were fixed on his body.The scars were horrific. They twisted across Matteo’s body, ugly, raw, permanent.Nothing was going to fix scars that looked like these. I wouldn't even wish this kind of thing on my worst enemy.And I knew exactly how they got there.I had caused them.My actions had.A lump formed in my throat as memories came rushing back. The smoke, the heat, the way the flames had swallowed everything in their path. The way I had stood there, watching.It wasn't like I had a choice. Father didn't give me an option to refuse. I clenched my jaw. No. I hadn’t meant for this to happen. Not like this.Matteo’s eyes darkened. “Say something.”I swallowed hard. “I…”I couldn’t.Because no excuse would be enough. I couldn't think of anything that would make them pardon what I had done. And I didn’t think Luca