Isabella Garcia has no time for love—not when her world revolves around caring for her sick son, Ethan and staying away from her ex husband and his petty choices. One impulsive night out, she meets a man who sweeps her off her feet. Enzo Moretti is dangerous, powerful and persuasive. As the notorious mafia leader in New York, his life is a network of secrets and shadows. But when he meets Isabella, she becomes his only weakness—a woman who knows nothing of his empire of dark deeds. But secrets can only stay uncovered for a while and when the life she's been drawn into threatens the safety of her son, she’s willing to run and risk it all. But Will Enzo let her?
View MoreISABELLA GARCIA “Did you mean what you said last night?” Enzo asked as soon as he killed the engine. He had an event to attend and had asked me to come with him. He asked a week ago, and I promised I would go. After everything that had happened yesterday, I wished I could back out, but I had given him my word. My presence in his life had disrupted things for him, no matter how humble he was about it. The least I could do was try to fix what I could while I was still here. But I knew we were finally going to have this conversation about what I said. With Bobby’s situation, there was no time last night. He was doing better now, thank God. Still in recovery though which was why Enzo was driving. He didn't want to give his job to any other person. I think he didn't trust any other person. “Going to my mum’s? Yes. I meant it, and I’m sure you understand why. Ethan… he can’t handle something like that, physically or mentally,” I said all at once. I was in the passenger seat, wearing
ENZO MORETTI I stood by the door as Isa put Ethan to sleep. It wasn’t much of a bedtime story tonight. Ethan talked about what his dad’s death meant, and Isa held him close. I didn’t want to disrupt them. If it were up to me, I would have waited outside, but Isa asked me to stay. She wanted me here. “If you want me to stay with you tonight, I can do that,” Isa offered as she tucked the blanket around Ethan. Ethan clutched his pillow, lying on his side as Isa brushed his forehead gently. “No, thank you,” Ethan murmured. Isa bent down and kissed his forehead. She lingered there, pressing her cheek against his for a moment. “I love you,” Isa whispered, so softly that I barely caught the words. “Call me if you need anything.” Isa said and straightened. “Goodnight,” Ethan told her. Isa watched him for a few seconds, then let out a quiet sigh and stepped back. She turned off the lamp which was the last source of light in the room. Even the blinds were shut. My eyes adjusted to t
ISABELLA GARCIA “This is so crazy, babe. Are you okay?” I rushed out to Enzo, flinging my bag onto our bed. Enzo sat at the edge of the bed, taking off his shoes. He was shirtless, his back carved into beautiful chunks of muscle that flexed as he moved. He turned to face me, his neck craning. I hurried across the room. I wanted to stop and take off my shoes too, but I needed to be beside him already. Enzo had called me while I was still with Cleo to tell me what Edwina did. Edwina was Terry’s mom. I hadn’t heard from her in months. She never really cared about Ethan and me, but she loved Terry. “I got dragged for answers. I wasn’t beat up,” Enzo assured me as I sat beside him. He held my chin, and I sighed, feeling safe in his warmth. “This is all my fault,” I breathed out. “If I wasn’t with you, you wouldn’t be dragged into this.” Enzo shook his head, his fingers sliding to the back of my head. “This is happening not just because I’m with you, but because of me.” H
ENZO MORETTI Nothing and nowhere is safe. Marco used to say that a lot. He never understood why we were even doing the press meets. To him, it was all fake, and the public could see right through it. “You sat there and spoke about a man you didn’t know, and you think that’s enough? We have to do more,” Marco said, his frustration clear. We finished the press conference at noon today. Normally, that would have been the end of our work for the day, but we still had meetings to handle at the office. It felt like everything was slowly falling apart. Every time we thought we were done, a new issue would come up, forcing us to sit and talk it through. The truth is, I am exhausted. But giving up and complaining would only make things worse. “Politicians are some of the fakest people on earth, but guess who votes for them? The masses.” I made my point with that statement and pulled my phone from my pocket. Isa had texted, saying she was okay. She also asked how the press meet went.
ISABELLA GARCIA Cleo crouched beside me, holding a glass of water. She lifted it to my lips, but I turned my head away, pushing it aside. A few drops spilled onto my chest, cool against my skin, but I didn’t care. My focus was locked on the unfamiliar face before me. I didn't mind the water at that moment. I had my tear-stained eyes on the face I didn't know. “I’m Debbie,” The woman said as an explanation. “We work together. Cleo and I.” Debbie spoke as if introducing herself could fix things. As though knowing her name would make having her here easier. But it wouldn’t. It only made things worse and knowing her name didn't mean I knew her Silence rang out and Debbie stood in the middle of the kitchen as the awkwardness choked every one of us. Cleo moved first. She reached for my hands, and this time, I let her help me up. Debbie hesitated, then stepped back, instinctively giving us space. She had to already know she wasn’t meant to be part of this moment. It wasn't
ISABELLA GARCIA I can get another car. Let Bobby wait with you,” Enzo said firmly. He was adamant about not leaving me alone at Cleo’s house, a place that had once been my home too. He had been so worried about me lately. It was sweet. I loved the feeling of being taken care of, of knowing that I was his priority. But I didn’t want to throw his entire day off just because of my presence. He and Marco had a packed schedule. They had a conference appearance to make and a board meeting to attend. If Enzo waited for another ride, he would be late. “We don’t know who has their eyes on you,” he said, stepping closer. His hands slid to my lower waist, pulling m body against his. I sucked in a breath, my body reacting instantly. Goosebumps rose along my arms and a fluttering warmth spread in my stomach. “She let me in,” I murmured to Enzo, lifting the key above my head to show him. His eyes flicked to it, but the sight barely softened his stance. He was still guarded, his expressio
CLEO GARCIA “It was the worst time of my life,” Debbie said, lifting the bottle to her lips. She took a slow, deliberate sip of water before continuing. “I was just a little girl on the school bus, and people loved to mess with the little girl. I sat at the back, kept quiet, and avoided eye contact. Until…” She raised her fingers slightly. There was a memory playing behind her eyelids. I could just tell in the silence of the pause. I reached for the bottle, and Debbie wordlessly pushed it into my palm. The early morning air was crisp as we walked, the quiet streets a stark contrast to the long, exhausting night we had spent clearing our work schedules. A colleague had celebrated his birthday, inviting a few of us from the office out for drinks. Debbie had brought me along, and afterward, I asked her to come over so we could wrap up some unfinished work. I was ready to make friends with her. We hadn’t spent the night exchanging stories or deepening what we knew about each other.
ENZO MORETTI I was in a hurry to return to my family in the living room. Isa and Ethan were waiting for me. It was Saturday night, our weekend movie night, and I had stepped into the kitchen to grab the popcorn and drinks. “Enzo?” Ethan called out. “Is it starting already?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard through the walls. I pulled open the fridge and grabbed three bottles of the homemade fruit juice Mary had prepared a few nights ago. “Almost,” Ethan replied, his voice quieter this time. “The commercials are done rolling,” Isa added. “Should I come help you?” I shook my head, though neither of them could see me. Carefully balancing everything in my hands, I steadied myself. “Don’t worry, my love. I’m done,” I assured them. The popcorn was tucked close to my stomach, wrapped in my right arm. I grabbed the juice bottles, adjusted my grip to secure them, and used my foot to nudge the fridge door shut. With everything in hand, I hurried back to the living room, where the
CLEO GARCIA Marco stood behind me, guiding me through the basics of snooker. I held my cue stick, resting the tip under my chin as I listened. “It’s a straightforward game,” he explained. “Each player tries to sink their balls into the table pockets. Once all their balls are in, they go for the black ball. Whoever sinks it first wins.” He walked around the rectangular table, stopping on the opposite side. “Some important rules to remember,” he continued. “You can’t claim a set, striped or solid until you sink one of its kind. And if you pocket the black ball before clearing all your balls, you lose instantly.” I glanced at the table. The balls were racked together in a tight triangle. “What if it was an accident?” I asked. “Mistakes have consequences, Chula,” Marco said, bending down to take his first shot. “I’ll go first. If I sink a ball, I keep playing until I miss.” I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t a fair game. Marco was going to beat me easily. Honestly, it was a scam that he
Isabella GarciaCleo hated when I canceled dates from the dating app she’d forced me to join. To her, finding love was the answer to all my problems.I didn’t agree, but today, I was so drained that I decided to use it to my advantage.“You’re canceling the date again?!” Cleo yelled from the room. She burst out, blue stockings muffling her hurried steps.“I have to take Ethan for his checkup. It’s the first Saturday of the month.” I wiped our lunch glasses and tucked them into the bottom cabinet.Normally, I wouldn’t tell Cleo when I planned to cancel. She would find out when she asked. But today, I wanted her to stop me.Right on cue, she said, “I’ll take Ethan to the hospital.” She stood in the doorway, arms folded.I glanced back, feigning surprise. “Oh, no. You don’t have to.”“Yes, I do. You’ve canceled enough dates already.”I sighed, closing the cabinet. “I can’t change your mind, can I?”She smiled, shaking her head. “You can’t.” Grabbing my arm, she pulled me toward my room....
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