Flora struggled with an underpaid job for her sick mother. She got involved in the mafia world when she ran across the ruthless Dante Romano and became his tool for power. Many women had been to Dante's bed, but none into his heart. Dante thought love was a weakness, but it all changed as he got to know Flora. Flora crossed paths with the ruthless Dante when she witnessed a crime so he forced her into his world in exchange for financial gain and her silence. Will the darkness of the mafia world prove too much for her to handle? Or will she adapt and rise in the ranks much to the surprise of everyone? Read on to find out.
View MoreFLORA The whole place immediately erupted into chaos around me. Gunshots echoed through the halls, along with shouts from the men and the sound of glass breaking. Dante's men had launched a full assault on the Riccis, and I was caught in the middle of it. I quickly pulled my arm free from Vincent's grasp when the first explosion rocked the east wing of the house. The blast threw him off balance just long enough for me to wrench my arm away completely and run in the opposite direction. My side was burning—I didn’t know from what exactly—but adrenaline kept me moving. The problem was that I didn’t have even the faintest idea of where I was going. Every corridor in this massive penthouse looked the same. It was full of dark wood furniture, expensive paintings, and too many doors. Smoke was beginning to fill the hallways, and it was making it even harder for me to see anything. As I turned a corner, I slammed directly into someone. A cry escaped my lips as a pair of hands grabbed my s
FLORAI froze when Vincent Ricci appeared in the doorway. The expression on his face shifted from surprise to something cold and calculating as he took in the scene: me standing behind the desk with files spread open before me and documents all around the table."You shouldn't be here, Flora," he said quietly as he closed the door behind him.The soft click of the lock felt like a death sentence to me. My heart pounded, but there was no point in denying what I had been doing when he came. I had been caught red-handed going through his private files.Instead of making excuses, I lifted my chin and faced him defiantly. "I know what you did to Carlo Romano,” I said.Vincent didn't even flinch at the accusation. He just walked further into the room. His expensive shoes were silent on the thick carpet. That was most definitely why I hadn’t heard him coming until he was at the doorway."Carlo was weak, just like his nephew has become," he replied. His voice was strangely calm. "The Romano m
FLORAIn the days that followed, I visited my mother daily, and I was relieved to see that she was receiving proper medical care once again. I tried repeatedly to contact Sofia, but all my messages went unanswered. I tried to contact Dante too, but there was no sign of him at all.Anthony was a constant presence in my life during this period. He was always kind, and always careful not to push too hard. He brought me clothes, took me to dinner, kept me company, and he never asked for anything in return. But I wasn't naive enough to believe his kindness came without strings attached.***A week had passed after my release. As Anthony and I shared dinner in the penthouse, the strings finally appeared."I need to ask you something, Flora," Anthony said while he refilled my wine glass. "About Dante's operations."I set down my fork. "So here it is. This is the real reason you've been so kind and generous to me.""I never said my help was entirely selfless,” he immediately replied, then sat
FLORAThe county jail was even worse than I had imagined. The concrete was cold, there were harsh white fluorescent lights, and the noise of metal doors constantly slamming shut kept giving me incessant headaches. My cellmate, a woman who had been arrested for drug possession, mostly ignored me except to warn me not to touch her things.I spent three days in that hellhole before my attorney visited again. This time, Rebecca Harmon looked even more tired than before. There were dark circles under her eyes as she slid into the seat across from me in the visitation room."Any news?" I asked. I even tried to keep the desperation from my voice.She nodded and opened her folder. "The good news is that you’ve been granted bail,” she said."And the bad news?" I prompted."It's 2 million dollars,” Rebecca replied.My heart sank. "I don't have that kind of money." I didn’t even have a fifth of it."Most people don't." She sighed. "Dante Romano was released on the day of his arrest. His bail w
FLORADante poured two glasses of whiskey and pushed one toward me. "They don't have enough to hold me. Not yet,” he said."Are you insane? They just raided every business you own!" I screamed."And they'll find nothing directly linking me to any criminal activity,” he replied just before taking a sip of his whiskey. "My lawyers will have me out by dinner.""Dante, please," I begged. "Don't take that chance.""Running makes me look guilty." He gestured for me to sit. "Trust me, Flora. Like I said earlier, this isn't my first run-in with the FBI."Against my better judgment, I sat across from him, but I chose to leave the whiskey untouched. "What about me?” I asked. “I've been working with them.""Under duress," he pointed out. "And you never signed any formal agreement as an informant. They have nothing solid on you either."The confidence in his voice almost convinced me. Almost.Suddenly the door of the penthouse crashed open with a splintering sound. Heavy footsteps echoed through
FLORAI watched in stunned silence as Dante transformed before my eyes. The tender lover from moments ago disappeared, and now he had been replaced by the cold, calculating crime boss I had first encountered. He dressed with practiced efficiency, and every movement he made was purposeful."Stay here," he ordered, fastening his watch. "It's safer.""No,” I replied as I quickly slid out of the bed and started grabbing my clothes. "I'm coming with you."At first, he looked like he wanted to argue but he just nodded. "Five minutes."The car ride downtown was tense as the city passed by blurred, except for the streetlights and sirens. Dante's phone rang constantly. His lieutenants reported damage, his associates sought direction, and lawyers prepared for battle.We didn't go to any of the raided locations. Instead, Dante directed his driver to a high-rise overlooking the city. "Command center," he explained briefly as we rode the elevator to the top floor.Inside the place was a state of
FLORAThe silence in Sofia's hospital room was deafening after I finished my confession. Dante was standing perfectly still, and his face revealed the conflicting emotions he was feeling as he processed everything I had told him. I had told him about my mother's FBI past, about Salvatore's recruitment, and about the immense amount of pressure I had been under."So everything was a lie," he finally said. His voice sounded cold and distant.I moved closer to him. I was desperate for him to understand me. "Not everything, Dante. Not us,” I said pleadingly.His laugh was bitter. "Us? There is no us, Flora. There's you, working with the people trying to destroy me, and then there's me, the fool who let you into my life.""I never gave them anything that would truly hurt you," I pleaded sincerely. "I've just been feeding them with meaningless information since, while protecting your most important operations at the same time.""How generous of you," he sneered bitterly before running a hand
FLORAI nodded. "I'm not going anywhere," I said reassuringly. I spent the night in a chair beside Dante’s hospital bed while I watched as he kept drifting in and out of a restless sleep. Occasionally, he would startle awake and call out Sofia's name in a voice that reflected the agony he was feeling. Each time, I would reassure him that she was being properly cared for, and he would settle back in bed as his hand found mine in the darkness, holding firmly onto it like it was an anchor.By morning, Dante was well enough to visit Sofia. I waited outside while he sat with his sister. Her body was connected to various hospital equipment that beeped and hummed relentlessly. Through the window, I watched him press his forehead to her hand while his shoulders shook with silent sobs.Rex arrived with news. "Boss, the fire investigators found something. It was definitely arson. A professionally done job, in fact."Dante straightened immediately, and the grief he was feeling quickly gave way
FLORAImmediately I heard the unfortunate news, I quickly grabbed my purse and followed Dante outside without a second thought. "I'm coming with you,” I told him."No," he said firmly. He was already sliding into the driver's seat. I pulled open the passenger door. "You're still drunk, and you're injured. Either I drive, or I'm following in my mom’s car."Dante's jaw clenched, but he moved over. "Drive fast."My heart hammered against my ribs as I sped through the empty streets. The city lights blurred past us as Dante made calls, barking orders about evacuation plans and backup."How did this happen?" I asked, even as I sped past a red light."I don't know," he growled. His knuckles were white as he gripped his phone. "Sofia wasn't supposed to be there tonight."We saw the smoke before the warehouse came into view. The thick black plumes rose heavily into the night sky. When we turned the corner onto the dock road, the full horror became clear. The massive structure was engulfed in
"Flo, table six needs more coffee." I grabbed the half-empty pot and hurried across the diner floor, dodging a toddler who'd escaped his mother's grasp. My feet ached in the cheap sneakers that had seen better days. "Coming right up," I called, plastering my customer service smile on my face immediately. The man at table six barely looked up from his phone as I refilled his cup. No "thank you," not even a nod. Just another invisible service worker in his world. But I was used to it. "Anything else I can get you?" I asked. He shook his head without looking up. "Flora!" Marge, my manager, beckoned from behind the counter. "Your shift ended ten minutes ago. Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I glanced at the clock above the kitchen door. Crap, I thought. If I didn't hurry, I'd definitely be late for my night job. "Thanks, Marge." I untied my apron and stuffed it under the counter. "See you tomorrow." "Get some rest, honey," she called after me. "You look dead on your feet."...
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