Clarissa POV It was incredibly difficult for him to let me go; he had trusted me enough to allow it. It's amusing how just hours ago I was determined to leave him, yet now I found myself promising to return. As much as I hated to admit it, he meant everything to me. I loved him, but the fear of reopening my heart to him was overwhelming. Still, I knew I needed him if I wanted to ensure safety for myself and my son. He drove me back to the forest where Ivan and his men were. As I settled into the car for him to drop me off, he reached out and took my hands. I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face. I sat there, staring blankly ahead, my fingers clutching the seat as the first tear rolled down my cheek. Dominic's gaze remained on me, filled with remorse. When he finally spoke, his voice trembled. "I'm sorry, Clarissa. You're enduring all of this because of me and my mistakes. I've done nothing but ruin your life, and I truly regret it." His hand gently cradled my face,
He regarded me as if I were joking. I could tell he was furious because I had taken the baby from him, but I didn’t feel remorse for taking my son away. I didn’t regret my choice, yet I wasn’t pleased with how things had unfolded either.“Talk? What are you talking about?” he snapped at me.“Vincent, you conspired with him, right?” I asked, and he narrowed his eyes on me.“We spoke a few times, and that’s all. He’s just a fool who seeks to…” he trailed off as the door opened, and we both turned to see who entered. It was one of the men.“Boss, there’s someone you would love to meet,” the man said.“Tell the bastard to…” he froze, and so did I, when Harper walked into the room. As soon as she entered, her eyes landed on me, widening in surprise, and I understood why.It seemed I had gotten to her before she arrived, and just as I suspected, she was here because she knew Ivan was the only one who could give her what she wanted, and I was right about that.As she stepped in, one of the m
I could sense the oppressive weight of her silence, thick and stifling. It was enough confirmation, and it sent chills down my spine."You didn’t tell him," I murmured, more to myself than to her. "You allowed him to think this was merely a petty rivalry. You let him believe you were just settling a score, Harper. You made him think Dominic and Vincent needed to be eliminated, right?" I questioned her.She remained turned away, her shoulders hunched as if trying to disappear. But it was too late for her to conceal herself now."This isn’t about revenge, is it?" I inquired, stepping closer. "This is about control. You believe that if you can eliminate your problems, if you can take down Dominic and Vincent, you’ll be free. But you don’t care what that costs me, do you?" I pressed her.Her head snapped around, her eyes wide with disbelief. "That’s not true!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling. "I do care! I care about you, about your son! I’m doing this for you, can’t you see that?" she
Harper glared at me, silently urging me to stay quiet, but I understood that he needed to be informed.I came here not only for my son but also to change Ivan's perspective on his quest for revenge against Dominic. Vincent was cunning and intelligent, wielding a significant amount of power, just as I had anticipated.I was unaware of the extent of his power accumulated over the years, as both Ivan and Dominic were locked in their rivalry. What hidden schemes had he devised to achieve his goals?He was determined to become the Don, more resolute than ever, and for the first time, I felt a sense of fear regarding his capabilities. There was no way to eliminate him while Ivan and Dominic were preoccupied with their conflict."What do I deserve to know?" Ivan inquired again, and I took a step closer."I need you to hear me out. You've been deceived from the start, and it's far more complex than you realize," I stated, and he regarded me with raised eyebrows, urging me to continue."No, do
I was right, he wasn't going to let me go that easily.His hatred for dominic ran deeper then I had expected, comprehended, I thought when once I had told him he was being played by them he would change his mind concerning fighting dominic and maybe they could sort out their difference.The door opened and Harper stepped in, seeing her made me mad with rage, and for the first time I seriously hated her.I walked passed her in an attempt to reach out to my son, but her words cut me off“It for your own good” she breathed out and I signed as I turned to look at her.How dare her?How she wanted to tell me what was for my own good after she took away everything From me.“Stay away from my son, and my life, you have done much hate then good to me, and don't you dare try to tell me what’s for my own good and what's not, you lost that privilege”I said her eyes widen as she was shocked my my change of mood but I didn't care.I walked out of the room, as I looked everywhere to find my son,
I watched Dominic as he held our son, his face tight with concentration, eyes focused as if memorizing every inch of our boy's tiny features. I could see the effort he put into keeping himself together; after all, this was the first time he was meeting his son. My heart clenched as I felt the weight of that moment, and suddenly, it felt like time stopped."What’s his name?" Dominic’s voice, quiet yet edged with a tremor, pulled me back into reality. I hesitated. "I… I never got to name him. Ivan called him something…” My voice trailed off as I saw Dominic’s expression shift into a scowl, a deep crease forming between his brows.“I don’t want to know what he named my son,” he interrupted, his voice firm. “I’ll call him Leonardo.”Leonardo. I let the name settle in my mind. It had weight, grace. It was… beautiful. I nodded, a soft smile tugging at my lips. “That’s a beautiful name.”“It sure is,” he murmured, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he looked down at our son.As we drove
Dominic’s grip tightened around Leonardo as Vincent entered, that familiar look of smug satisfaction plastered across his face. My heart skipped a beat, the sight of him stirring a mix of fear and anger deep within me. His gaze moved over the room, landing on Dominic with a calculated smirk.I knew it, I knew it was him from the beginning, he was the one who set up the elders against Dominic, he did this, to show that Dominic isn't worthy to be the Don, so he could snatch power from him.The mafia elders consisted of ten mafia families who all came together to form the Italian mafia, and Dominic was the DOn."Vincent," Dominic spat, barely containing the rage simmering beneath his controlled exterior.“Surprised to see me?” Vincent asked, his tone mockingly polite. His eyes slid to me, lingering just a little too long, and I instinctively stepped closer to Dominic, feeling the need to shield both myself and our son.Dominic’s jaw clenched, his voice a low, dangerous murmur. "What are
Dominic POVI have never known what betrayal is. I watched my father rule all his life, and thought it would be so easy.My father was a wreck man, easily influenced by the men around him, the mafia elders, they were the pillars of the mafia, and everything more, the mafia wouldn't exist without these families. Growing up, I never knew of Vincent's resentment towards me, he was after all the odd one among us, we were all raised together, Ivan, Vincent and me.I was never close to Vincent, he was after all the mysterious one among us all, he had always loved to be behind the spotlight, and alone.His father was killed by the mafia when I was twelve, I watched it happened, he was a rapist, killer, and a powerful drugs lord, my father loving his brother so much had away ignored his wayward lifestyle, but when it his greed grew and he tried to kill me and my father, the mafia had no other option but to kill him.I never knew vincent resented me, so much, and honest , I didn't care, after
A year laterEverything had been going well; for the first time in my life, I didn’t have to run or live in fear.After the conflict, we held a large burial for the men who had lost their lives while protecting me and Harper.I ensured she received a proper burial, as she had sacrificed her life to save me in the end. She had been a wonderful sister, even though I had pushed her away time and again.We began to rebuild, and new laws were established within the mafia. Dominic sold our old house and moved us to the countryside. Everything seemed to be going smoothly; we renewed our vows after all the people we once knew were gone.It was just the two of us. We hadn’t heard from Valentina since then, only that they had paid a hefty price for killing our men. The last I heard, Valentino was forced to marry Camilla to a drug baron as their economy collapsed. It turned out they had gone bankrupt, which explained why they had tried to take everything from us.Life with Dominic has been wonder
Dominic squeezed the trigger, and the silencer did an excellent job of concealing the sound, preventing the men from realizing that their leader had been shot.For a brief moment, I feared he had killed her—that Valentina was lifeless. However, as she fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder, it became clear that he hadn’t delivered a fatal shot. He had only wounded her, just enough to ensure her survival but render her unable to defend herself.Initially, I thought his plan was foolish, but I placed my trust in him. He had used her to help us escape, a feat that had seemed impossible just moments ago. I had nearly lost hope of ever being alive or seeing my son again, but he made it a reality.We were finally safe.Dominic approached me, his dark eyes searching my face before he enveloped us both in his strong, steady embrace. It felt secure. I took a deep breath, burying my face in his chest.It was finally over."You can go now," he whispered, pressing his lips gently against my f
After my confrontation with both of them, theydraged me toward a van. My head throbbed, and my vision was blurry, but I could still make out the figures around me. Someone yanked the gun from my grasp as I was shoved into an SUV. Vincent drove, and Camila sat beside me. The sight of her still wearing Clarissa’s dress pissed me off. It was like she was mocking me—mocking us. No one spoke. The air was thick with tension, but I could feel Vincent’s anger radiating off him. I knew exactly why. The words I had said to him earlier still lingered in his mind, cutting deep. As for Camila, she was so rattled that she casually dropped the gun on the seat beside her and turned to stare out the window. It was a careless mistake, and I took full advantage of it. Swiftly, without drawing attention, I palmed the gun. By the time we arrived at the warehouse, my mind was sharp, my pulse steady. As soon as the SUV came to a stop, I opened the door and stepped out. Camila followed, but before
The air grew heavy with tension. My heart pounded as the door swung open again, and Dominic stepped inside. His dark eyes scanned the room, landing on me. Something flashed in his gaze—anger, concern, relief. He looked like a man ready to burn the world down for me. Would he?“mother, “valntina called, as she walked over to her and whispered in her ears.“Where the fuck is my son?”dominic asked the them , as hey turned to look at him.“camila , bring the boy to his parent”she ordered, camillla who walked out the door shuting it.But I knew what Valentina was about to do. She would make him choose. Me or his empire. Valentina clapped her hands together. "Ah, Dominic. So good of you to join us." "Cut the bullshit, Valentina." His voice was low, dangerous. "Let her go, and bring my son , i dont have tie for games" She smirked, taking a step toward him. "Now, why would I do that? You walked right into my trap, just as I knew you would." Dominic’s jaw tightened. His entire
My wrists ached from the tight bonds cutting into my skin. My eyes were blindfolded, leaving me in a world of darkness. But I wasn’t alone. There was someone in front of me—singing. A soft, haunting tune. The voice was feminine, sultry, and laced with amusement. I knew it wa sher singing , tauting me.I shifted slightly, testing my restraints. Rope. Tight. No way out. My pulse pounded as I forced myself to breathe evenly. Panicking wouldn’t help me now. "You know," Valentina said, her voice smooth as silk, "I once loved a man."she started. My body stiffened. "I loved him so much, but then I realized men are shit, one moment they love ou and the next the cheat on ou with another woman" She chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. "People are shit." My jaw clenched. I didn’t respond. "I grew to become the only Donna in my county—a female one. And to hold power, I had to be ruthless. There was no room for softness, no space for love." The blindfold was suddenly ripped from my face
Dominic POVI stared at Vincent, whose eyes gleamed with unrestrained greed. He wanted the empire I held—no, he craved it. It wasn’t just about power; it was about proving he was better than me, that he could tear down everything I built and reshape it in his image. I smirked. “This is your idea, isn’t it? This power struggle?” My voice carried amusement, but beneath it lay a sharp edge. Vincent frowned, his lips pressing into a tight line. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped, his tone impatient, defensive. I stepped closer, my gaze never leaving his. “You held the empire for a week—just a week, Vincent—and in that time, everything our family worked so hard to build collapsed.” I let the words sink in, watching the flicker of irritation in his expression. “Now you want it again? To destroy everything and hand it over to these foreigners? Do you really think they’ll let you rule? No, Vincent, they’ll make you their puppet, and you’ll be dancing to their tune fo
Dominic POVI drove like a madman. The engine roared beneath my grip as I pushed the car to its limits, weaving through traffic without care for rules or consequences. My men followed close behind, their headlights flashing in the rearview mirror as they ignored every law in existence just to keep up. I didn't care about the chaos we left behind. The only thing that mattered was her. My hands tightened on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. The thought of something happening to her, of losing her forever, made my chest tighten with unbearable fear. I had made a deal with that Mexican witch to take Ivan down, to regain the power that had been stripped from me—but now, the cost was staring me in the face. I should have known it wouldn’t be that simple. But i was deperate , deperate to have her as mine.The mansion came into view, its towering structure bathed in the cold moonlight. No matter how amy times i came here, i could still feel the gripp in my heart, whati
I stood there, frozen. My breath hitched in my throat, my body locked in place as fear coursed through my veins. The world around me seemed to blur, the sounds distant and muffled, as if I had been submerged underwater. Panic tightened around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. "Miss, we need to go!" Elise’s urgent voice cut through the fog of my fear. I snapped back to reality, my wide eyes meeting hers. She was staring at me, her expression filled with alarm. "Now!" she urged, grabbing my wrist. I turned on my heel and ran, my heart pounding against my ribs. Panic took over, and my mind swirled with the worst possibilities. The thought that Harper had been killed, that she was gone, clawed at my sanity. She had been my enemy once, but despite everything, I loved her. No matter what had happened between us, losing her wasn’t something I could bear. Tears blurred my vision as I stepped outside, the cool air hitting my damp face. But I didn’t get far. I stopped dead.
Dominic POVI leftI understood that I had to come back victoious, as my family's survival depended on my success.if i ended up dead, clraissa, will be forced to retun to the hands of IVan , or killed by my power hungry cousin, vincent, which im sure woudlnt spare my son.At that moment, he had landed back to Italy ,I had received information about Ivan's whereabouts, and there he was, standing right in front of me.he looked worst then the last time, i saw him. i knew the russians gave him nothing, and sent him on his way, but instead of him to look for a good life somewhere else, he came back here, to seek revenge"You took everything from me," he spat, and I observed him with a hardened expression. I was at a loss for words, but I knew this confrontation had to reach its conclusion now."Your hatred for me blinds you, Ivan. I haven't taken anything from you; your own animosity has led you to despise me. You brought this upon yourself, and no one else is to blame," I replied."You'