As I sat in the car, I watched Lily’s hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Her fingers trembled, and the way her breaths came short and uneven was enough to show how scared she was. I knew she didn’t like that we were going to see Dominic, but she trusted me and I appreciated that. I reached over and placed my hand on hers, feeling the tremor through her skin.“You don’t have to worry, Lily,” I whispered, trying to calm her down. “You’ll be safe. I’ll be fine. I just… I just have to find out the truth about everything.” I comforted her.She turned her head slightly, glancing at me, her eyes wide and glassy. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before I could blink, one slipped down my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.“I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “This is scary. I know you don’t trust Ivan. It’s not too late to turn back. You don’t have to do this, we can find out the truth another way” she begged me.I shook my
His demeanor shifted as he spoke. As far as I know, he has never spoken to me like that since I met him.“Where is my son? I need to see him,” I asked, and he nodded to one of his men, who went inside the building.“You don’t seem happy to see me, Clarissa,” he remarked as I stood there.I was disgusted by the way he pretended not to know what he had done wrong, and i hated him for it, he took me away from my life, lied to me and now he had this sick smile on his face.“You lied to me. You... you did all this for what? A year of my life, all brainwashed from my mind because of what?” I shouted in frustration as he stood there watching me.“I don’t appreciate that tone; you should be careful,” he replied, and before I could respond, I saw my boy being brought out. But instead of being handed to me, he was placed in Ivan's arms.“Look at him, all handsome and glorious, just like his father,” he commented, glancing at me.“Im his father. Never again question the paternity of my child. He
It was difficult; I thought Ivan would keep me and never allow me to leave, but I was willing to take that risk to see my son. However, he kicked me out, and his men took my vehicle and left us there. I tried to run back, but I collapsed on the road, crying out in pain. Lily stood there watching me; I knew there was nothing she could do anymore. Ivan had blackmailed me, and seeing the look in his eyes made me believe that everything said about him was true. It hurt to know he had taken me away from my life, got me pregnant, and stole my son, only to blackmail me with him. I felt lost and didn’t know what to do. “Clarissa, we need to go before Dominic realizes you’re missing,” Lily called out, but I didn’t feel like leaving; nothing felt right anymore. “How can I continue living knowing my life has been taken from me? My freedom has been stolen, and the things I held dear have been snatched away. How?” I cried, holding my stomach in tears. “I know it’s hard, but what more can we
I was unsure of my actions; I likely wouldn’t have said that if I had known better. However, since I got into trouble and he was aware of it, there was no point in lying. He stared at me in disbelief, and everyone else did too. I turned to see Aiden, Lily's brother, his eyes wide with horror as he looked at her in the same way. I didn’t know much, but I was aware they were pissed off.“What did you do?” Aiden shouted angrily as he pulled Lily toward him and yelled at her.“No, let her be! I was the one who asked her to take me; she didn’t want to. She never did, even when I begged her. But she understood how important it was to me, and she agreed,” I blurted out, and Dominic looked at me with betrayal in his eyes.“That doesn’t mean anything. You betrayed me by meeting him. What point were you trying to prove?” he snapped.“No, I didn’t betray you. I owe you no loyalty. We’ll see about that, and yes, it meant a lot because Ivan had my…” I froze as I realized what I was about to say.
I noticed him freeze, his eyes locked onto mine, and everyone else's eyes widened. From the corner of my vision, I saw Aiden pulling Lily away by her hand, while the men walked off, presumably to give us some privacy.“What?” he asked, looking confused as he approached me.“I… feel safe with you… I feel like I belong here, like you’re my home. I went there to tell him…” I stammered, suddenly realizing what I was doing.I was about to back the truth with a lie. What if he never forgave me for this? How long could I maintain this deception, knowing it would eventually be revealed?He reached out and lifted my chin. As he gazed into my eyes, I could sense how much it meant to him to hear those words. “I’m sorry I was hard on you. I’m scared of losing you,” he said softly, and I looked at him with deep affection.I was right about one thing: I was falling for him, and there was no denying it. I loved it.“I’m sorry for being so reckless. I’ve been with Ivan for as long as I can remember,
Three days went by, and Dominic fixed the date for Eve’s remembrance, according to him he wanted to forget everything about her and move on.But no matter what he did, I still didn’t trust him enough, I knew I felt something for him, but o also knew that he had caused me so much pain in the past.I haven’t come across Harper since our last confrontation, as I have been stuck in my room. Tomorrow was the remembrance when the Italian mafia would pay respect to Eve as they left Don’s wife.I haven’t seen her, since the day she was dragged away, though Dominic had told me that he would be keeping her away for a bow, as he didn’t trust her anymore, so I knew she was safe.I was currently in the Art Valley looking at some of the old works I had worked on, my paintings screamed loneliness and pain and I knew that I had poured out my emotions into these paintings, and my heart gripped as I looked at them.“There you are,” Dominic said as I the d to look at him while placing a smile on my face
The man’s eyes widened in shock, but he tried to argue. "Ma'am, I—"I cut him off, my gaze boring into him. Whatever he saw there must have convinced him, because he shut his mouth quickly, his horror plain on his face. "This way, ma'am," he muttered.Before he could lead me away, the doctor caught up, panting and red-faced. "Okay, time to go back to your room," he said, sounding far too pleased with himself as if this was some minor misunderstanding that could be easily solved.The man raised a hand to stop him. "Don’t worry, Doctor. I’m taking her home," he said, his tone final. The doctor hesitated, looking between us, but didn’t argue.I followed the mafia man out of the hospital, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor until we reached the garage. He stopped in front of a sleek black car and turned to me, a puzzled look on his face. "Aren’t you going to change?" he asked, gesturing vaguely at my hospital gown.I crossed my arms and glared at him. "No, I’m not. Take me back
Clarissa POV The room was softly illuminated, shadows flickering on the walls as the late afternoon sun streamed through the curtains I could hear a faint murmur from outside, but it felt far away, like a fleeting memory just out of reach. My body throbbed with pain, each pulse a reminder of the turmoil that had transpired. I inhaled deeply, attempting to regain my composure, but the burden of my choices weighed heavily on me, like a thick blanket. I could see Lily standing there staring at me, Lily’s eyes were wide, shimmering with unshed tears, and I noticed her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of the bed. “You don’t get it, do you?” she said, her voice quaking. “This isn’t just about you. You’ve endangered yourself What if you got yourself killed? “What if?” I cut in, my voice rising. “What if I had done nothing? What if he had kept hurting people? I couldn’t just stand by and let that happen. Not anymore.” Anger surged within me, a fierce flame igniting the rem
She was correct. I was his vulnerability; everything that transpired with Dominic stemmed from me. How had I failed to recognize it? His love for me nearly shattered him. He was a proud man, unwilling to acknowledge it, yet I had been the one to ruin him.The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting soft rays across the room. I lingered in bed longer than usual, my body feeling heavy and reluctant to rise.Meanwhile, Dominic had spent the night in Camila’s room. I could hear her cries of ecstasy echoing through the walls, and all I could do was weep into my pillow.Leo nestled closely in my arms, his gentle breathing creating a soothing rhythm against my chest. The thought of leaving him alone in his room, fearing he might be taken from me again, was unbearable; I couldn't let him out of my sight.A sudden knock at the door jolted me. I sighed, shifting slightly without disturbing him."Come in," I called softly, pulling Leo closer.The door creaked open, re
I turned abruptly, my body instinctively orienting toward her.I wasn’t sure what I anticipated—surprise, anger, disgust—but what I received was far worse. Camila’s eyes widened, her pupils nearly engulfed by the intensity of what she was witnessing.Then the horror struck. Pure, visceral horror twisted her features as if she had been hit.Her voice sliced through the tension like a whip.“You… How could you do this?” she shouted.I stood frozen, my feet glued to the spot. Her voice echoed, and I could sense the pain lacing her words.Before I could respond, before I could even process what was happening, Dominic moved. In one smooth motion, he stepped in front of me, shielding me with his presence.“There’s no need to react or be dramatic,” he stated firmly. His tone was calm, yet the authority behind it made me flinch.Camila threw her head back and laughed, the sound sharp and piercing, as if ridiculing us both. Her laughter ceased abruptly, and when she turned to Dominic, her expr
There was no safety, no safety at all while Vincent and Ivan were out there.We worked tirelessly to find Vincent, but we weren't even close. Then, after three days, we received an unwelcome visitor.Harper just showed up at the mansion and wanted to talk. I didn't want to engage with her because of how she had treated and humiliated me countless times, but I couldn't turn her away.I walked into the courtyard where she sat, staring into space, and I could barely recognize her. Her hair was cut short, and she looked pale—too pale—and a bit thin.I stood there for more than a minute until her eyes fell on me. Then she smiled. I couldn't tell if it was genuine, but I knew she was trying to be friendly, which didn't sit well with me. I hadn't seen her for months, and honestly, I had never thought of her after all the harm she had caused me and our family.“Eve…” she stood up, calling me by my old name. I looked back at her with a poker face that revealed no emotions. I couldn't speak, no
Charissa povI followed him into his office, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched his broad shoulders tense. He didn’t say a word as he entered, leaving the door open just long enough for me to step through before he shut it firmly behind me. The sound of the latch clicking into place echoed in the silence, making me flinch.For a second, I stood frozen, unsure of what was about to happen. I thought he was going to yell at me. Maybe he would tell me how reckless I had been, how my actions had put us in even more danger. His silence only made it worse; the weight of it pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.But then, before I could say a word, he turned and pulled me into his arms. His embrace caught me off guard. I stiffened, my body unsure how to respond, but his arms tightened around me, holding me close, and gradually, I melted into him. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my back, and it was strangely soothing. “Dominic,” I whispered, my voic
I felt a little oppressed, to be sincere but that didn't stop me, three people had died last night and one of them was more than a sister to me ,and i wanted to see their death avenge by the man that killed then , nad the least thing i wanted was camilla adding him get away.Vincent was a nightmare and monster and he has caused me a lot of pain and sorrow, and more than anything I wanted him to pay for what he had done.I clenched my fists at my sides, my jaw tight. “I don’t have proof,” I admitted. “But I know she did it. She left last night, Vincent disappeared, and now she’s back like nothing happened? It doesn’t add up.”i said looking right into valentina eyes even though she was glaring daggers at me, i didn't care.Valentina’s lips curled into a sneer. “And who are you to make such accusations, hmm? You’re no one,Clarissa. Just the ex-wife of the Don. You hold no rank here, no authority. You should count yourself lucky that Dominic even lets you stay under his roof.”she snapped
Charissa POVIt didn’t make sense. One minute he was there, and the next, it was as though he’d evaporated into the air. All night we had searched everywhere, but there were no traces of him. I stood in the corner of Dominic’s office, disoriented, clutching the edge of the desk for support. The room spun with the weight of realization: Vincent had escaped. And worse, he was free. After all the pain and suffering he had caused it hurt knowing he was finlaly free.The pain of it twisted my chest. The bastard was out there, walking away from everything he’d done, while we were left scrambling like fools in his wake. Dominic didn’t take it well either,he never did when things spun out of his control. All night long, he’d been shouting orders, barking at his men to search every inch of the property. But it was useless. The house was upended,closets emptied, floors torn apart, drawers overturned—and still, there was no sign of him.I sat there in silence as one of Dominic’s men stepped
Third Pov“What do you want?”she asked him and he grin, finally geting the reaction he had wanted.“I need you to help me now, dominic cant find me, if you hide me, i cnat walked out cheerfully out of the gates, but you can aid me”he said.Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t deny it. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Vincent. What makes you think I’d risk my position to help you?” she asked him.Vincent leaned against the wall, his confidence unwavering. “Because I can help *you*. You want Dominic’s attention, don’t you? Want him to stop pining after Carissa and focus on you for once?” he said, uing his favioute tricks which neveeed failed him.That was how he had always got what he wanted, by using peoples want and needs to get them to aid him,or fall for his games.Camila’s expression faltered, just for a moment. But it was enough. Vincent knew he’d hit a nerve. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?” she asked, stepping closer to him. Her tone was skeptical, but curiosity flickere
Vincent moved with calculated precision the moment the gun went off in his hand. His body slipped into the darkness, quick and silent, as the sound of footsteps thundered down the hall. He pressed himself against the cold stonewall of the cells corridor, eyes sharp, watching as Dominic and his men sprinted past him, guns drawn and rage palpable in the air. The chaos his gunshot had caused was his opening, and he wasn’t about to waste it. Yet he knew this place like the back of his hand. He’d grown up within these walls, surrounded by secrets, blood, and betrayal. He understood the mansion’s defenses better than anyone. The guards, the locks, the escape routes,Dominic had fortified it over the years, making it nearly impenetrable. Escaping unnoticed would be impossible. But Vincent didn’t plan to slip out the gate unnoticed. He smirked to himself, the gun still warm in his grip. If he couldn’t run, he’d make himself a problem Dominic couldn’t ignore. He moved through the shadows
I pulled up in front of Dominic’s gate, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. My heart was hammering in my chest as I glanced at the dashboard clock. How long has it been? An hour? Two? I couldn’t think straight. All I knew was she’d left home and I knew so well she was coming here. A million worst-case scenarios raced through my mind. I prayed I wasn’t too late. The gate creaked open as soon as the guards saw it was me. Without hesitation, I drove in fast, tires screeching slightly as I swerved into the garage. Throwing the car into park, I jumped out and barked at one of the men standing nearby. “Wake the boss! We have a breach!” My voice was sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. The man nodded and turned to leave, but before he could take a step, the sound of gunfire shattered the tense silence. My stomach dropped. Two gunshots. My body froze for a split second, but then instinct kicked in, and I bolted toward the entrance to the u