This chapter is unfinished. I’m suffering a terrible migraine right now, promise to make it up in the next. Xoxo 😚
Chapter 75 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ By the time I woke up again that morning, Vincenzo had left with Marcel and Russel to handle some business. Perfect. I’d half-expected him to leave me with some ridiculous restriction, his little promise last night forgotten, but he actually surprised me by making good on his promise and informing Vito to pick up all the things I’d need for me. Restless energy coursed through me. Waiting around for Vito to bring back his idea of ‘stuff Stacy needs’ wasn’t exactly thrilling. If he got his way, I’d end up with plain, functional dresses that wouldn’t inspire a single spark of joy. No, I didn’t survive nearly being turned into a tomboy only to end up in nun girl dresses. I needed to get out myself, to feel some semblance of normalcy. Now I just had to figure out how. I found Vito in the kitchen, munching on a sandwich and sipping his coffee, his eyes downcast and his usual brooding aura in full force. He barely acknowledged me as I slid onto the bars
Chapter 76Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼By the time we left the boutique, Vito and Luca had to make three trips to the car with bags full of clothes, shoes, baby stuff and accessories.“Now that we’ve got the essentials,” Allesia said with an exaggerated stretch, “let’s go to the mall. It’s a perfect time to really stock up, that house has everything but food in it.” Vito’s hands gripped the steering wheel even tighter, but there was no escaping it. He barely muttered a response, only the occasional grunt of resignation. Luca, ever the silent observer, let his body language do the talking. He looked tense, but that wasn’t going to stop Allesia.We drove for another mile, the city sprawling out in front of us. And then—bam—there it was. A giant billboard plastered with a photo of none other than Allesia Mancini herself.“Ahhh!” Allesia squealed. “That’s me! That’s me! Oh my God, I look amazing!” She was practically vibrating with excitement, and I couldn’t suppress my eye roll. The sound of her voi
Chapter 77Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼The scent of saltwater and diesel hit me first—a deeply unpleasant reminder that I wasn’t in bed where I belonged. Instead, I was standing on the docks at an ungodly hour. Well, maybe not so ungodly if I were following Russel’s logic, but still.The cold wind sliced through my coat and bit at my neck, making me curse every life choice that had led me here.Declan had picked this fucking spot well. Neutral territory, or so he thought. A place where neither side had the upper hand, but I couldn’t care less. Neutrality meant nothing when my brothers and I didn’t play by the same rules as the Irish.Russel walked ahead of me, his posture tense but calm, the perfect diplomat. I knew he’d been rehearsing his speech for hours, carefully piecing together whatever excuses he thought would smooth things over after my little… mishap with Dante’s cargo.Too bad I had no intention of apologizing.“You’re late,” a gravelly voice greeted us as we stepped onto the dock. Th
Chapter 78Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I hate being played for a fool. The phone nearly slipped from my hand, but I tightened my grip, my body freezing before it erupted with raw fury. “Jesus, Vito,” I dragged a hand down my face, “A fucking mall! She could be anywhere, for fucks sake, she could be halfway across the country by now!” Vito stammered on the other end, his fear palpable even through the static. “She… she slipped away, boss. One minute she was in front of me, and the next—gone.”My blood ran cold, then boiled just as fast. “And you’re telling me this so I can call for you? How long has she been missing?”There was a pause, heavy with hesitation. “About thirty minutes, maybe less. We thought she—”I cut him off, my patience gone. “You thought? You thought wrong, Vito. I don’t pay you to think—I pay you to act. If she isn’t found in the next ten minutes, you’d better hope you disappear too.” Before he could say something else, I added, “Have that fucking mall locked down until I ge
Chapter 79 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ I’ve had near death encounters in the past, today felt like the worst. The mirror bit into my back, cold and unforgiving, but it was nothing compared to the heat of his body pressed against mine. His hand was tangled in my hair, the sharp pull forcing my head back until my eyes met his in the reflection. “Look at yourself,” Vincenzo growled, his voice low and edged with something primal. “See what you do to me.” His eyes burned into mine, dark and unrelenting, and I hated the way he knew just how that made me feel, my breaths coming quick and shallow. I tried to push against him, to claw back even an inch of control, but his grip tightened, and I froze as the sting shot through my scalp. “Fighting me again?” His smirk twisted cruelly, his other hand sliding up my thigh, dragging the hem of my dress higher. “You don’t learn, do you,? Maybe that’s why I enjoy this so damn much.” I hated him. Hated how he could strip me bare, even when I was fully clothed
Chapter 80Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼Vincenzo was very mad at me, again. He let Luca drive Allesia, let Vito ride with them, but he insisted I ride with him, and worse, sit in the passenger seat. The disapproving look of anger, disappointment and maybe hatred he constantly gave me was practically a living, breathing thing. He didn’t say a word to me since we left the mall, even through the ride, his brooding silence and the occasional suspicious looks he gave me were as loud as any argument. Not that I cared.Okay, I cared a little.Fine—a lot.But I wasn’t about to let him know that.If Vincenzo suspected I had something up my sleeve—and knowing him, he already did—he wouldn’t rest until he tore apart every thread of my lies. God help me if he demanded the security footage from the mall. If he saw even a glimpse of my meeting with Elixir, it would be over. Not just for me, but for everything I’d been working toward.The man didn’t trust me as far as he could throw me—well, not without a plan
Chapter 81Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼She was fuming, but that served me well. I returned to the sitting room where Vito and Aurelio were waiting once again, their postures stiff. I settled back into the chair, the leather groaning under my weight as I poured myself another glass of whiskey. The warmth slid down my throat, but it did nothing to calm the fire burning through me.My mind stayed in that room upstairs, where Stacy was no doubt pacing like a caged animal, spitting curses that couldn’t touch me. The memory of her glare—sharp enough to flay a man alive—made the corner of my mouth twitch.She wanted to act bold, sauntering around half-dressed like she owned the place. By the time I was done with her, she’d understand that I owned her.Aurelio cleared his throat, snapping me back to the moment. He and Vito sat across from me, the look on their faces confirming that something was very wrong, but they didn’t seem to know how to put it into words. Aurelio’s elbows rested on his knees, hi
Chapter 82 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ I heard the commotion from inside the room. Vincenzo’s voice was bouncing off the walls, he was furious. Then Marcel’s voice followed, his words were just as biting, matching Vincenzo’s tone, and though I couldn’t make out the details, I heard my name. That was enough to make my chest tighten. “Bring me Stacy.” I heard Vincenzo’s order. My stomach twisted. Had they found out about Elixir? I ran to the hidden corner where I’d tucked the phone Elixir smuggled to me. I retrieved it with trembling hands, fingers fumbling as I tucked it into the lining of my dress. My heart thundered in my ears as several scenarios of the phone falling out in front of Vincenzo played before me, engulfing me with panic. When I heard footsteps approaching, I ran back and took position in front of the door. I wore my best angry girl look and waited. The door swung open, and I braced myself, expecting to see Vito or Luca, maybe even Aurelio, but it wasn’t any of them. It w
Chapter 91 Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼“She’s been locked in her room the five days since you were away,” Vito said, falling into step beside me as I walked through the cabin. His tone was casual, but the way he kept glancing at me spoke volumes.“And?” I asked, not bothering to stop.“She’s mad as hell. The kind of mad that makes a woman throw things. And she’s been throwing things, capo. A lot of things.”I smirked. “Let her throw them.”“She also hasn’t eaten much,” he added, ignoring my dismissal. “And considering the flash drive you left her with, I’m guessing you know why.”That stopped me. I turned to face him, one brow raised. “Are you suggesting I should feel bad about that?”Vito held his hands up, a rare flicker of amusement breaking through his usual stoic mask. “Not my place to tell you how to run your house—or your woman. Just thought you’d want to know what you’re walking into.”My woman. That was a reach. But I didn’t correct him. I nodded once, continuing toward the stairs. “A
Chapter 90Stacy⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼The pool water rippled faintly, like it had heard my evil confession and was trying to carry it away. Vincenzo sat beside me, silent as ever, his cigarette burning down to the filter. The smoke curled around him like some ominous crown, and I swear, if silence were a weapon, he’d be wielding it like a pro. Did I think he was some priest in an old, echoing cathedral, ready to absolve my sins? Hell no. But I also didn’t expect him to sit there like a grim reaper deliberating over whether I deserved a swift death or slow torture for the heinous crime I’d committed at fourteen. His eyes bore into me, sharp and emotionless, like he was trying to solve a murder mystery where I was both the victim and the suspect.“Just say it already,” I snapped, my nerves fraying.Still nothing. The man was quieter than a corpse, and for a terrifying second, I wondered if he was contemplating how to make me one.I hated that look. I hated him.But most of all, I hated myself. Fo
Chapter 89Vincenzo ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I’d never really seen Stacy as the type to have a haunting past. Then again, she’d always been a master of theatrics, draped in humor and an unapologetic tendency to make you feel like the idiot in the room. But like many perceptions I’d had of her, this one seemed to be about to change.She sat beside me, stiff as a board, she’d drawn her knees up, they now hugged to her chest like she could somehow protect herself from whatever memory she was struggling to suppress. She’d been talking in fits and starts, her words stumbling out like a drunk who couldn’t find his footing. I listened, silent, smoke curling around my face, waiting for her to give me something to work with.“It was a science project,” she said finally, her voice very low. “Something about chemical reactions—whatever. It doesn’t matter now.”“Sounds thrilling,” I murmured, flicking ash into the water. “Bet you were the star of the class.”Her lips twitched like she wanted to laugh but couldn
Chapter 88 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ As soon as my head touched the pillow after a sluggish shower last night, I went to lala land. This morning, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck—then reversed over for good measure. I stretched lazily, yawned for the longest time and stretched again, then pushed the covers away only to discover I was completely naked. I shook my head at that carelessness. Well, thankfully I remembered to lock the door as soon as I entered the room. Not like Vincenzo couldn’t come in even if he wanted to, but he didn’t. I let my eyes trail lazily across the room, it wasn’t necessarily a prison, though it might as well have been. The space whispered opulence, with its dark wood bed frame, soft-as-sin sheets, and a faint scent of something expensive and citrusy in the air. Subtle, tasteful, and just arrogant enough to scream Vincenzo Mancini owns this place. I didn’t linger. The bathroom called, and I answered like it was salvation. Under the punishing spray of the sho
Chapter 87Vincenzo⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I leaned against the SUV’s door, staring out at the dark, rain-soaked streets. Everything felt too quiet now. The jet ride, Allesia’s labor and childbirth, the emergency services swarming around Allesia and her baby—all of it was still sharp in my memory. But what lingered most was the image of Stacy, kneeling on that blood-soaked floor, her hands trembling as she worked to save Allesia’s life.Despite my reservations about Russel, seeing him like that—a father—was almost surreal. A part of me wondered if I’d ever experience something like that.No. That kind of life wasn’t for me.It had softened something in me though, watching Stacy like that. For Russel and Allesia, no less. A woman who lived by manipulation and games had, for once, done something selfless. It made no sense. Stacy Salvatore wasn’t supposed to be someone who cared. And yet, tonight, she’d been that person.Now she sat beside me, her head tilted against my shoulder, her body slack with
Chapter 86Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼“He’s fine,” I whispered, staring down at the small, wriggling body in my hands. For a moment, the tension dissolved, and the only sound was the baby’s piercing cries. He was alive. Allesia was alive. Somehow, we’d done it.I placed the baby on Allesia’s chest, my hands trembling more from relief than exhaustion. Her tears flowed freely now, her expression a mixture of pain, relief, and joy as she clutched the child to her.“My boy,” she murmured in a broken voice. Vincenzo was staring at the infant in total disbelief, he bent down cautiously, like he was peeking at a ticking time bomb. When Allesia, smiling through her tears, lifted the baby slightly so he could get a better look, he instinctively took a step back like the baby might lunge at him.When Allesia laughed, Vincenzo scowled, clearly feeling stupid. “I thought he was supposed to be a girl,” he muttered, incredulous.“I know,” Allesia agreed. “The ultrasound said it was a girl.” She grabbed the b
Chapter 85 Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼ Some things never leave you, no matter how much you bury them. The blood, the screams, the helplessness—it’s all there, clawing its way back when you least expect it. I stood at the edge of the cabin, arms crossed, glaring out the window into the beads of clouds we were zooming through. Allesia wouldn’t let them help her to the damn bed, insisting it was making the pain worse, she was hunched over, gripping her belly like it might explode, her groans were getting louder with every second. Not my problem. None of this was my problem. But to think I’d have to endure this for nine agonizing hours. Russel was pacing like a lunatic, muttering something about how this wasn’t supposed to happen here and how he’d never put her in this condition ever again if she survives this one, while Vincenzo stood still behind Allesia, arms on the ready to grab her if she allowed it. He was so calm about it that you’d think he was the husband. And then Allesia screame
Chapter 84Stacy ⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼I needed to get out of that seat.Between Vincenzo’s constant micromanaging and the suffocating air in the cabin, my nerves were fried. The discomfort bubbling in my stomach was the perfect excuse.“I need to go to the restroom,” I announced, already unbuckling my seatbelt.Vincenzo shifted beside me, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. “You’re not going anywhere. Sit down.”I shot him a look that screamed try me. “If you want me passing out and drooling all over you, fine, I’ll stay. But otherwise, I need to go.”“That’s a lie. Sit down.” I let out an angry scoff, “Seriously, dude. It’s not like I’m going to jump out of a moving aircraft. I need to pee! My bladder is combusting!” He groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Fine. Go. But don’t take forever. And don’t touch anything you shouldn’t.”“Yes, capo,” I snapped, brushing past him. I had bigger things to worry about than his perpetual grumpiness. Bigger things like the fact that I could practicall
Chapter 83Stacy’s POV⟻⟼ ✦ ⟻⟼Driving to the airport in the dead of the night was hell enough. But doing it with a bunch of gangsters who’d sooner throw me into a shallow grave than exchange pleasantries was like being hand-delivered to my executioner. The executioner was sitting right beside me, gripping the steering wheel like he wanted to twist my neck instead.Vincenzo insisted on driving. Of course, he did. Control freak. He hadn’t said a word since after the room episode, didn’t even have to tell me to get into the passenger seat after him, all he had to do was glare at me and I was scrambling inside. Thinking about it now, that unconscious reaction from yours truly pissed me off even more. Every once in a while, I’d catch him flexing his fingers, like he was imagining them wrapped around my throat. He could do that later of course, just not in the kind of way that’d give him the long term satisfaction he wanted. Russel and Allesia were in the car ahead of us, cuddling, I b