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 MoreCLEO GARCIA I remembered last night and all the places we had to be at. I recalled the wine, the large amounts of money, and the moving streetlights. Marco had put me to bed but now it was Isa walking around my room. Isa moved from the table to the bed. She paid me no mind. She didn’t know I was awake. I laid still on the bed, watching her move things around. I tried to blink and move my head. When there wasn't any sharp pain, I sighed in relief and swallowed. My throat was dry land and it hurt to roll things down it. I had to clear it noisily. Isa turned at that. “I thought I would have to carry you down the stairs and into the car,” Isa said, smiling softly. Her forehead was bare as she had pushed her head into a high ponytail. Her outfit was casual and simple, a stretch away from what she’d been wearing last night. It had to be morning. But if it was, where was Marco? Marco was meant to be here. He spent the night in my chair. I knew this because he’d woken
MARCO MARTINSCleo almost tripped in her heels, tipsy and unsteady.I caught her just in time, preventing the disaster from happening."Thank you," Cleo said, touching the side of her head. "I don’t feel good," she muttered against my hands."We’re almost there," I reassured Cleo.We had made it up the elevator. and Cleo siged against me as the staticelevator sound rang out. Carefully, I guided her to her room.Cleo had performed really well today. I could hardly believe how much fun we’d had.If Cruz hadn’t been a dick, the night would have been perfect for me."Fuck, are we there yet?" Cleo asked, her voice more strained.I looked at her for a moment. Sweat was breaking out across her forehead. She pressed her lips into a thin line and wrapped her arms around my neck.Leaning her head against me, she closed her eyes.I pressed the back of my hand to her neck—it was slightly warm."Almost there," I told her, picking up the pace.It was four in the morning.The night had been packed wi
ENZO MORETTII got upstairs, washed my face and towel-dried it. A knock sounded at the door. I went to open it, thinking it was Isa, but it wasn’t her."Room service?" the lady and gentleman announced with cordial smiles."You ordered breakfast for two," the lady said.I remembered. I stepped aside and let them bring the food inside. As they were leaving, Isa appeared behind them.They exchanged polite greetings before she stepped in. The door was bolted, and I headed straight to the medium-sized breakfast table to eat.Isa walked over. For a second, I thought she was going to sit with me, but she only checked her food, picked it up, and went to the dresser.That was where she preferred to eat. At least six inches away from me."You only ever talk about Cleo. I didn’t even know you had a mum," I said, making a move to break the ice between us.The tension in the air was heavier than anything I had experienced.The truth was, my brain wasn’t ready for this conversation.We were meeting
ISABELLA gARCIAJust like the rest of the attendings, we made our way to the next room. This one had a more intentionally designed space.It resembled a sports field. The chairs were arranged around the stage, and an elevated surface stood in the middle of the hall with a pulpit-like structure set up nearby.A new host took the mic, tapping it lightly as people moved around the space. Enzo and I led the way and sat on one of the high-back seats.I didn’t understand why the seats were so much compared to the attendings in the hall. There were plenty of people before, but as we had moved to the next room, which was much larger, the gaps between groups became even more noticeable. It was like evryone didn't join us to the bidding room. Empty seats remained unattended to while people moved in small groups of twos and fours. We sat down, and a tray of champagne was served to us almost immediately. The staff moved quickly, acting as if they weren’t there, slipping through the empty spaces
ISABELLA 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 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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