Genevieve stiffened, hurt filling her blue eyes as a familiar kind of pain seeped into her chest and wrapped it’s hand around her heart like a vise. ‘’Did you just…’’ she trailed off, the words catching in her throat, ‘’Okay. I’m… sorry for bringing that up at all.’’"It’s alright. You’re still young, and mistakes are inevitable," Anna said, her tone firm but not unkind. "That’s why I’m here. My job is to guide you back onto the right path when you stray. And right now, my advice is simple: focus on winning over your husband. Make him happy, make him like you more. Your beauty has already done half the work for you, so take the initiative and do the rest until he’s completely under your spell."Genevieve’s face paled in disbelief. "What the hell are you saying, Aunt? Did you miss the part where I said he’s over seventy? How am I supposed to seduce a man who’s nearly four times my age?"Anna arched a brow. "The same way you would have seduced the son if he was the one who bought you."
None of the men responded; the only indication that they had heard him was the way their brows lifted in unison.‘’Need my question translated?’’ Adrian stated, a hint of annoyance underlying his words. He swerved his chair sideways, pinning his gaze on the man sitting on his right. Leonardo Russo. His father’s consigliere who never seemed to know the way to his own floor of the building, and would always find his way to Adrian’s office instead."Leo?" Adrian called.The man in question looked up, the confusion swirling in his gaze giving Adrian the answer he needed before he even heard it.‘’I had no idea you were even looking for a girl. How would I have informed your father?’’ he asked.Knowing that was the truth, Adrian ignored him and turned to face the identical twins on his other side. One of them—the taller one— was his personal guard, while the other would always be found where his twin brother was."Both of you have no idea, too?"Alejandro, the taller of the twins and Adri
‘’To think I was considering the fact that you probably fell in love with her.’’‘’Love?!’’ Alejandro and Alessandro chorused, bursting into laughter. The latter continued, ‘’Before I can accept that someone like boss has fallen in love with one woman somewhere, there must be proof that he’s been with her for at least, over a century and is just slowly starting to realize his feelings for her. But you guessed that he fell in love with her after merely seeing her picture?! He didn’t even see her in person yet.’’‘’I know, I know,’’ Leonardo sighed in resignation. ‘’That was me hoping he got lucky and was granted the normal human feelings he wasn’t born with. I was getting ahead of myself, I guess.’’ He examined the picture again and repeated, ‘’She does look young.’’‘’She’s not,’’ Adrian disagreed. ‘’At least not to me.’’Alessandro raised a brow, ‘’That’s new. You already have an opinion."Adrian gritted his teeth, and if he was normal, he'd havw rolled his eyes to show how ridiculo
‘’It’s me, Bratishka! Father is about to kill me!’’ Annika’s yell came from the speakers.‘’What did you do?’’ Adrian asked, his tone bored.‘’I… It’s just… Actually, Bratishka… I…’’He cut her stuttering off, ‘’I’m hanging up.’’‘’No!’’ Annika yelled, stopping him. ‘’The thing is… I let Eve go. Father’s woman, I set her free and now, Father says he will kill me if i don't get her back in ten minutes.’’A tense minute passed before Adrian burst into laughter, not just at his sister’s stupidity for thinking she could help a person her father already considered his property escape, but also because he could imagine Eve thinking she was lucky for escaping his family so soon.Even though he had no idea how she got to that auction, it was obvious that no young girl of her age and looks would join such events willingly.Leaving the phone on the desk, he took long strides to the nearest window to where he was standing, looking out at the cloudy night skies. Thunder rumbled in the distance, c
The rain started suddenly, pouring heavily as if the skies had burst open. For fifteen relentless minutes, it drenched everything in its path before tapering off just as abruptly as it began.Now, with the rain gone, a strong wind swept through the streets, cutting through her soaked clothes and sending a sharp chill down her spine. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, but the cold only seemed to seep deeper into her bones.Through it all, Genevieve remained rooted to one spot in front of the café, her T-shirt clinging to her body, outlining her curves and the dip of her upper body cleavage. She had considered seeking shelter under one of the roadside sheds, but the dim lighting beneath them made her uneasy.Therefore, she had decided to stand right here and not move. Not only was this place brightly lit and somewhat exposed to passers by so she would not be a target of drunk men or bad guys, but she also believed it would also help Roberto find her easily.Speaking of Robe
Adrian stopped dead in his tracks, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. Did she just… call his name for the first time? He was sure it was the first time. Even if he didn’t have a perfect memory, the feeling the sound of his name from her mouth ignited within him wasn’t one he’d have forgotten easily.And damn! It sounded like he was hearing his name for the first time. Another unexplainable sequence happening since this girl—or rather, her picture—came into his life. This was getting too extreme though. Maybe it was his problem after all. He should probably go see a therapist.But for some reason, he knew even going to see the best therapist on earth wouldn’t reduce the effect Genevieve had on him. Bacause the problem wasn't him. It had to be her. Her looks, her voice, her hair, her eyes… she was perfect. And since it’d been a while since he got laid, her perfection was probably calling out to him and causing the muddle in his brain.All this conversation went through his head
"Where are we?" Genevieve asked as the bike rolled to a stop in front of a small building forty-five minutes later.Her gaze swept the area, taking in the towering trees flanking the house on both sides and the unsettling distance between this building and the next one, which was actually connected to a street."What are we doing here?" she asked again, a flicker of unease creeping into her voice. When she didn’t get an immediate response, her fingers curled slightly. "Adrian—""Take your helmet off and talk," Adrian cut in, his voice distant—nothing like the way it had resounded in her ears earlier.Realizing she was still wearing the helmet, Genevieve hurriedly removed it, her breath hitching slightly as she saw that he had taken his off too and had his face dangerously close to hers."Can you get off on your own?" he asked, his gaze steady."Oh, yeah! I can manage." She shifted, crossing her legs before jumping down, wincing as her wet sneakers hit the ground with a squelch.As soo
Genevieve shook her head, trying to clear the absurd thought, but she kept coming back to it the next second. There was no reason not to believe her intuition. If these men weren’t going to harm her, why else would they bring her to a place like this abandoned house and not take her home? They were also ignoring her questions about where they had brought her, so she was sure her suspicions were valid and not unfounded.Her train of thoughts was cut short when Adrian successfully unlocked the door and pulled her inside with him, gripping her by the extra sleeves of her jacket. Alejandro stepped in right after her, and with one huge man in front of her while another huge man stood at her back, Genevieve’s fear skyrocketed.She had been pulled into a dark room, somewhere they were most likely familiar with, but which she knew nothing about. The perfect place to end her in. Unable to keep it in herself anymore, she blurted out, ‘’I’m so sorry!’’As if to make matters worse, none of them
The neon-lit banner loomed over Genevieve, casting a provocative glow against the evening. A large V and A were emblazoned at its base, while the overhead lights illuminated a striking image of an intertwined man and woman, masked but otherwise not wearing anything, leaving no secrecy about the nature of the establishment. The six-story building stood like a bold declaration of indulgence and secrecy. "So, Missus," Alejandro’s voice carried a teasing edge as he stepped beside her. "What do you think of our sex club?" Genevieve’s head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing into a glare. She knew she was to blame for not making sure of where they were bringing her to, but still... "You didn’t tell me it was this kind of place. This is even worse than The Vault." "Better than The Vault, you mean?" Adrian's smooth, familiar voice came from her other side, as he walked over to stand beside her. At the sight of his bandaged arm suspended by his side, her annoyance wavered, replac
‘’We can’t," Adrian replied almost immediately. Genevieve’s face fell.‘’What do you mean we can’t? I wan’t to go there, and you are obligated to—’’"To take you wherever you want, yes," he replied. "But The Vault is on the outskirts of town. Tell me what exactly you want to see there that we can’t find anywhere else in the city, and I’ll believe the hour and a half journey is worth it."Genevieve harrumphed. Did he have to be such a killjoy? If only she could just drop this whole plan, let Adrian be, and not feel guilty about him needing rest…But she did feel guilty. And it would only increase if she let it go.So she sighed, quickly racking her brain for a believable excuse. The real reason she chose The Vault was simple; if they went there, she could get him to stay in his office with her, making sure he rested in a familiar space. But there was no way she could tell him that. He’d never agree.So she went with the next most plausible reason. One that, unfortunately, sent heat ru
"So these men were all eliminated, and the restaurant management didn’t send reinforcements the entire time?"Genevieve lifted her gaze from the book resting in her lap, turning to Alejandro who had asked the question. He was staring into the rearview mirror, watching Adrian and the doctor who had arrived with him—both seated in the back. Unlike earlier, when she had been completely absorbed in her book, she now found it impossible to immerse herself in the fictional world.The worry pressing against her chest was too heavy for an erotica novel to distract her. Not that she had managed to read beyond three lines since they got into the car.Back in the alley, Adrian had ordered Alejandro to get her a spare T-shirt, refusing to let either of them near him until she had changed. Only after she had done so did he allow the doctor to approach and help.Once inside the car, she had taken the front passenger seat while Alejandro slid behind the wheel. Adrian and the doctor had settled in th
The smile dropped from Adrian’s face, his expression suddenly turning serious."Exactly, Principessa. The keyword is 'some.' There are honest officials out there, just as there are dishonest ones. Would you want us to risk spending years in prison when we could just wait here for my men to arrive?"Genevieve’s face fell. Of course, he was right. He was smarter than she was and had been in this life much much longer than she was, so he knew what he should and should not do in situations like this.If it was really safe to go to the hospital, he wouldn't be here, leaning against this dirty wall and risking death by excessive blood loss... right?"So... what do you say?"She looked up, frowning at the smug expression that had taken over Adrian’s face. But as her eyes caught sight of the blood still seeping from his arm, a wave of unease washed over her again.She couldn’t just stand there and watch him bleed without doing something about it. Acting on instinct, her hands dropped to the h
Jaws clenched against the pain, Adrian watched through blurry vision as Genevieve rushed toward him. She caught hold of his injured hand, lifting it gently, likely to examine the wound. Under normal circumstances, he would have welcomed her touch—her initiative to reach out to him—but the sharp, searing pain that shot through his arm at the movement nearly made him grit his teeth harder."Did I offend you?" he asked, his voice strained but laced with a hint of dry humor, trying to mask the agony her action had caused.Genevieve kept her eyes fixed on his injured arm, her worry evident as she replied, "No, why would I be offended?" She couldn't stop tears from welling up in her eyes as she noticed the blood soaking through the sleeve of his t-shirt, the fabric beginning to cling to his skin. "Oh my God, we need to get you to the hospital. Now.""One," Adrian began, his voice calm but firm, "If I didn’t offend you, then let go of my hand before I pass out from what you’re doing." He pa
Genevieve sat huddled inside the cabinet, her legs pulled tightly to her chest, and her arms wrapped around herself in a desperate attempt to hold herself together. "I killed them... I killed them... I did... I—I killed them," she whispered in a low, trembling chant, her voice barely audible over the chaos outside. "I’ll be killed too. It—it’s my f—fault though. I deserve it."Though the air outside was rented with the sound of gunfire and angry shouts in Italian, to her, it all faded into a distant hum. All she could hear was the sound of her own shaky voice, and all she could see, even in the darkness of the cabinet, was the inside of her closet back in her parents’ mansion.The memory was vivid: the luxurious dresses, shoes, watches, jewelry, bags, and costumes that had surrounded her as she waited for her aunt in that dark room.The scene replayed in her mind like a nightmare; her father collapsing, his final words urging her to take care of her mother. Her mother, despite being
Fuck! He’d been shot.It wasn’t that Adrian hadn’t expected it. In fact, just like everything else in his life, except for Genevieve and anything that had to do with her, he had anticipated.But that didn’t make what just happened any less infuriating.Gritting his teeth, Adrian forced himself to dull the excruciating pain in his arm, reducing it to nothing more than a sting. It took only a few seconds—a few seconds in which he didn’t stop shooting.Several of the men were already down, and the hostages they had intended to use as shields were now screaming, crawling across the floor, and ducking beneath tables and chairs. With the entrance still blocked by the intruders, it made sense why they hadn’t tried escaping through the door.So he continued firing, his movements precise, his mind calculating every step the attackers took.Meanwhile, behind him, Genevieve stood frozen, her wide eyes locked onto the blood streaming from his right arm. Her breath had caught in her throat and her
Adrian tilted his head slightly, his mind racing. If his reasoning was correct, it explained why the backup that was supposed to have arrived hadn’t shown up yet. It meant they knew—or at least believed, considering the three dead bodies now sprawled on the floor—that no one would be harmed here tonight.That also suggested whoever had sent these inexperienced, bumbling mercenaries had contacted the restaurant in advance. And the only person capable of giving orders to the restaurant’s management would have to be someone from his own family.A smirk tugged at his lips, as he murmured beneath his breath, "I’ll have fun figuring out which idiot thought this was a good idea later."For now, he sighed, realizing he’d been overthinking things today. Normally, he’d act on instinct, confident that whatever consequences arose would be within his control—even if he took the wrong step. Not that that happened often.But today was different. Today, he had someone with him; Genevieve. Her presenc
The intruders exchanged quick glances, their eyes silently communicating a message that each of them—and Adrian, judging by the expression on his face—seemed to grasp."Did you hear that?" whispered the man with a scar beneath his eye, his voice low but still loud enough for Adrian to hear.Their leader shook his head, a nervous laugh escaping him. "Impossible," he muttered, though his tone betrayed his unease."You think so?" Adrian spoke up, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he noted the mix of fear and confusion flickering across their faces. He tilted his head slightly, his voice steady but laced with mockery. "You’ve been standing here for minutes now, doing nothing but tossing around empty threats and waving those guns like toys. Not a single shot fired. So, let me ask again... what are you really here for?""Shut your mouth if you know what’s good for you!" the scarred man snapped, though the tremor in his voice betrayed his fear. His gaze darted away from Adrian’s, landing