Camila POV “Ow!” I colluded with Matthew’s broad back, it wasn't intentional. I wasn’t paying attention, looking around I noticed we are in the parking lot. No, not the regular school parking lot, but the reserved car park for professors. Yeah, that’s one of the reasons the other students calls me a spoilt brat. Matthew turned around, I step back feeling dazed “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking.” I quickly recovered. I shook my head, trying to clear it off the cobwebs. I tried walking around to enter the car, but he gripped my right arm holding back from moving away. “You were ignoring me.” He stated. He knew I was ignoring him, I mean it was quite obvious and for obvious reasons. His hold on my arm was doing dirty to my head, my mind was messy as all I could think of is how his touch wakes up every nerve in my body. I shook my head inwardly and tri
Camila POVI couldn’t shake off the feeling of Matthew’s fingers on my skin as we drove away from the school. We didn’t speak, the silence between us thick with tension.I stared out the window in attempt to distract myself, but I kept having flashes of our little moment.Does it mean he has feelings for me? Because clearly he was carried away by the hit of the moment. I screamed inwardly, frustrated. Every time I tried or thought I have figured him out, he comes up with a new and heart wrecking behavior.Matthew’s phone buzzed, breaking their silence. He glanced at the screen, then quickly answered the call through the Bluetooth in his ear.“Don.” His voice firm.I turned to him, curious. I wondered what he’s going to report back to Marco.“Yes, I’ve got her.” Matthew said, his eyes flicking to me before returning to the road. “Yes, Don.”Immediately, he hanged up the call, he turned on a differe
Blurb. Adriano and Melanie's love seem impossible, just like what fire feels towards water. Yes! Fire and Ice. Black and White, and sun and moon. When they say opposite attracts, that the case for this innocent and fragile nurse and the ruthless and merciless Mafia man. However, Adriano love for Melanie seems like the most unshakable and indestructible thing in the world. He could turn the world upside down for his little woman. Just like the rest of the Alfonso men, they love their women, as if they are the air the breath. Join Melanie on her journey with this adamant and overprotective Mafia man.Chapter 1Melanie p.o.vIt’s a sunny day and also a good day today for me, I turned twenty-one today. So you can imagine the excitement, I woke up with so much positivity and I intend to stay that way all through today.“Hi, Luke.” I greet, standing beside my little patient. Luke is an eight-year-old, who just got a heart transplant done.He hasn’t noticed me yet, too busy with his
Melanie p.o.vThe van ride to a stop and we alighted the van, I was met with a view that left me breathless. I felt a sense of awe at the sprawling mansion standing proudly under the sun.The two-story estate was a masterpiece of modern luxury, with clean lines, high ceilings and expansive windows that seemed to stretch on. The exterior was clad in warm, honey-colored stone, complemented by rich wood and meticulously manicured lawns.A circular driveway made of polished black stone swept up to the entrance, where a pair of imposing wooden doors stood guard. The surrounding grounds were immaculately landscaped, with perfectly trimmed hedges and a sprinkling green garden adding a touch of vibrancy to the scene.“Wow.” I whispered.I felt a lot out of my depth as I gaze up at the grandeur of the mansion. Who lives here? Obviously a filthy billionaire, I shrug.“Come along.” The guard’s voice cut into my thoughts. “We
Melanie p.o.v I let out a sigh of relief as Dr. Danny finally managed to revive the man. His chest began to rise and fall with shallow breaths, and a faint pulse returned to his wrist. I had been worried that we would lose him, especially with the mysterious voice from the darkness urging Dr. Danny to hurry up. As the man's eyelids fluttered open, I could see the pain and confusion etched on his face. He was barely conscious, his gaze drifting in and out of focus. Suddenly, the voice from the darkness spoke up, its tone cold and menacing. "Enough. He's alive. Now, let's get what we came for." A figure emerged from the shadows, his features still obscured by the dim lighting. He approached the bed, his eyes fixed intently on the wounded man. "Tell me, Marcus," the mysterious man said, his voice dripping with malice. "Where is the package?" Marcus's eyes rolled
Melanie p.o.v I groggily opened my eyes to the sound of the basement door creaking open. Last night had been a blur of fitful dozing, my exhaustion warring with my determination to stay vigilant. But despite my best efforts, sleep had eventually claimed me. As I sat up straight, rubbing the stiffness from my neck, a woman in a crisp maid's uniform descended the stairs. "Good morning." The woman greeted with a warm smile, her eyes flicked toward me briefly. She carried a tray laden with steaming dishes, which she carefully set on the small table in front of me. The aroma of freshly brewed hot chocolate and scrambled eggs wafted up, stirring my hunger. Hot chocolate! My throat instantly waters, that's my favorite drink. What a coincidence that they would serve me that. I thought to myself. "Breakfast," she announced, her voice soft and detached.
Melanie p.o.vI came down from the car, everyone around including the securities were staring at the car in awe. I mean, I had the same reaction when I saw the car and be told it was my ride to work.A freaking Rolls Royce!I shook my head inwardly, if only they knew the situation I've landed in. They won't be gwaking at the car, I was brought here with."Good day at work ma'am." The driver saluted."Thank you." I said, barely above a whisper. The driver seem like a decent person, but since he works for a Mafia organisation I can't trust him.Looks can be deceiving, right?The hospital's familiar entrance loomed before me, giving me the sense of normalcy I desperately craved.My heart heavy with the weight of Adriano Alfonso's control. I knew from now on my life will never be like before.As we walked through the hospital corridors, colleagues greeted me with friendly smiles. Oblivious to my n
Melanie p.o.v"I hate you." I whispered.“And I’m sure I can always make you change your mind,” he replied.I doubt that was ever going to happen.There was nothing else I could feel for a person who shot a man in my presence without so much as batting an eyelid except hate.I didn't dare ask him what would happen if I failed to come back to the intimidating mansion he called home because something told me he wasn't one to make empty threats.My parents and brother were already involved in this and I was going to keep them safe. No matter what.“I’ll do anything you want if you promise me that you won’t get my family involved in any of this,” I said.He stood up and rounded the desk so that he could stand right in front of me.Adriano was tall. I wasn’t sure how tall but I’ll put him at well over six feet. And since I was still seated, it meant he was towering over me. Not that he wouldn’t even if I was standing.“You’re not in any position to make deals with me, little nurse,” he sai
Adriano’s POVSix months later…“Now that we’re done with the ceremony, can we go on a proper tour of New York like I was promised?” Danny asked.Roselyn hit him upside the head and said, “Don’t be insensitive. Today is your sister’s day.”“Ouch, Mom! That hurt,” he complained.“And you deserve it,” Melanie’s voice cut into the conversation.“There’s my favorite nurse!” Sam yelled.“Dad, tone it down,” she said.“Nonsense. I would shout it at the top of my lungs if I had to so you can know how proud I am of you,” he replied.She smiled at her father and went to hug him then she did the same with her mom and brother who all congratulated her before she stopped in front of me.“I always knew you were something else, little nurse,” I told her. “From the first day I set my eyes on you, I knew you were better than the rest of us.”“Stop it you’re going to make me cry,” she said.I opened my arms and she stepped into me for a hug.My girl was finally a registered nurse and today was her gra
Melanie’s POVThe ride back to the house was very quiet.Throughout the ride home, I couldn’t help but think that none of this would have happened if I just had a conversation with Adriano.He was the man I fell in love with and even though I left him, he didn’t hesitate before coming for me.I know he was very relieved in the heat of the moment but I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen once the adrenaline wore off and he could think a bit more clearly.One thing I knew was that I was going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to him.Adriano was more honorable than people knew. I never thought I would be one of those women who would be pleased because her man killed people for her but as it turned out, I was one of those women.He pulled up to the house, which seemed to have more security guards on duty than normal and I knew it was all because of me.A few hours away, we were celebrating Christmas in bliss but I just had to go and ruin everything for every
Adriano’s POVThe warehouse was a hive of chaos, but I didn’t hear the shouting or the echoing footsteps behind me. All I saw was Melanie. She sat bound to a chair, her face pale, and her lip split, a streak of blood trailing down her chin. Alex Pushkin had a gun pressed to her temple. My blood ran cold. I raised my weapon, keeping my voice steady. “Let her go.” Behind me, my men spread out, weapons aimed and ready. They waited for my signal, but I couldn’t give it—not yet. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and Melanie could die. Pushkin laughed, a guttural sound that grated on my nerves. “You think you scare me? I’ve killed better men than you.” His hand twitched, and I saw the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. Good. He was scared, even if he didn’t want to admit it. Fear made people sloppy. I needed to buy time, distract him long enough for my men to position themselves. “Erica,” I said, shifting my focus to the woman who stood off to the side, smug and self-satisfie
Melanie’s POVI woke up to the biting chill of a dark, unfamiliar room, my head pounding as if it had been split in two. My wrists ached from the tight ropes binding them, and my ankles felt just as constricted."You’re awake," Erica drawled, her tone laced with mock concern. She folded her arms and leaned against the rusted frame of the door, watching me like a predator eyeing its prey. "How are you feeling, darling?" I didn't respond. My throat was dry, and my words caught somewhere between anger and fear. God, how could I have been foolish enough to let, Erica manipulate me? I should have known that she was up to no good when Alice told me that Adriano left her at the altar.I guess now I was paying the price for my foolishness."Cat, got your tongue?" she asked, smirking. "Or maybe it’s the shock of realizing you’ve been so incredibly stupid." Her words stung more than I cared to admit. I should have known better. Adriano had always been honest with me in his own way, even w
Adriano’s POVSomething was off.I didn’t know what but the moment I ended the call with Nik and sat down to work, something in my head kept nagging at me.At first, I thought it was the unusual silence in the house but I figured that was because everyone was probably asleep.I had expected Melanie to come find and chastize me for taking too long but since she didn’t, that meant that the day finally got to her and she succumbed to sleep.My girl was a rockstar tonight, and like I expected, she had my entire family eating from the palm of her hands throughout the dinner. I was sure they saw exactly what I did from the moment I set my eyes on her.By now Nik should be mobilizing the guys to infiltrate the last warehouse. He got intel that Pushkin finally moved all the girls to one place and he just got the location. I trusted Nik could handle this without me, after all, he had just singlehandedly negotiated a new deal with the Irish.Tonight I was going to end it sleeping next to the wo
Melanie’s POVThe cool night air felt like needles against my skin as I hurried down the street, my duffel bag slung over my shoulder. My legs felt like lead, but I pushed forward, every step putting more distance between me and the house that was once my prison but later became my home. The streets were quiet, the kind of silence that normally would have scared me, but tonight I welcomed it. I avoided the well-lit areas, sticking to the shadows, hoping none of Adriano's guards would see me. My pulse raced with every second, and my breath was uneven.I had no idea where I was going, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was getting away and I was lucky enough to have been able to avoid the guards. I guess the weeks of walking the grounds and studying their routine paid off.Luckily, a cab finally came into view at the corner of the street, its headlights a beacon of hope. I flagged it down, my arm trembling as I waved. The driver, an older man with kind eyes, rolled down the window.
Melanie’s POVThe first image made my heart stop.It was of a young girl who was barely a teenager. She was sitting on a dingy mattress in what looked like a warehouse, her eyes hollow, her body too thin. Behind her, a shadowy figure loomed a man I didn't recognize but I could bet my life on it that it was her oppressor.My throat tightened as I flipped to the next photograph and the next. Each one was worse than the last. Girls, so young they could barely be called women, trapped in squalor, their faces etched with fear.I couldn't breathe.At first, I thought, no, and hoped that this was evidence Adriano had gathered to shut down a trafficking ring. It had to be. He couldn't possibly be involved in this. He could kill a man but there was no way he was responsible for harming innocent girls.But then I saw it, rather I saw him. And there was no mistaking the fact that he was the one because I recognized Nik beside him.They were both holding onto girls and leading them to God knows w
Melanie’s POVWe rode home in comfortable silence. I was too full and happy from the good food and great company to say anything further.Plus, I couldn’t take my hands off the bracelet. It was just too beautiful. I’ve never owned anything as expensive as this and I was so scared to ask him how much it cost.We already exchanged gifts in the morning so I wasn’t expecting anything more from him.In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Alice was still awake by the time we got home.“For a moment I thought you both were going to spend the night there,” Alice said when we got into the living room."It's really late, Alice, and I'm sure you've had a long day. You should be sleeping," Adriano said.“I couldn’t sleep when I knew how important today was to Melanie. I was too anxious to know how it went,” she replied.“Well, you can rest easy now because it went very well,” I told her.Her face lit up with a smile and she gave me a quick hug, making me laugh.“I told you, you had nothing to wor
Melanie’s POVThe soft glow of candlelight and the twinkle of garlands wrapped around the staircase banister made the dining room feel almost magical. The air was thick with the aromas of roasted meats, spiced wine, and fresh-baked rolls, making my stomach grumble in anticipation. Platters of steaming food filled every inch of space. Roast beef surrounded by caramelized vegetables, golden potatoes dusted with rosemary, bowls of vibrant salads, and an assortment of bread rolls that looked fresh out of the oven. When we heard no movement on the steps, Zoey gave a sharp clap of her hands and called out to the men, her voice cutting through the hum of conversation. “Dinner is ready! Boys, come join us!” she said.I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs as Adriano and the rest of the men made their way over. Adriano entered first, his presence commanding as always, but his warm smile was reserved for me alone. My heart gave a tiny flutter, and I smoothed my dress nervously. As