Fernando’s POVThe car was silent except for the hum of the engine and the occasional sound of tires rolling smoothly against the pavement. I leaned back against the seat, stretching out my legs with ease, my gaze flickering toward the man beside me.Michael sat stiffly, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. His expression was one of pure frustration, something that only made me more amused.He hadn’t wanted me to come. That much was clear. But I had insisted—no, I had decided. And Michael had no choice but to deal with it.Even if Michael didn’t want it.I could feel the weight of his irritation pressing against me like a suffocating heat. He was waiting, biting his tongue, trying to keep himself from saying something that would make this worse for him.Eventually, he cracked.Michael let out a long sigh, shifting in his seat before turning his body slightly toward me.“Alright,” he said. “I need to know something.”I smirked. “Only one thing?”Michael rolled his eyes but didn’t take
Michael’s POVI hated that Fernando was here.I sighed, gripping the torn half of my shopping list as I walked further into the aisles, away from him. I needed space. Distance. Anything to remind myself that, for at least a little while, I wasn’t under his suffocating gaze.Because right now, I was doing something ridiculous.I was making a ruthless mafia boss—someone whose favorite time involved killing people who annoyed him—go grocery shopping.I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.If his men found out, they’d probably never let him live this down.I imagined it now: Fernando, dressed in his perfectly tailored suit, standing in an aisle filled with cereal boxes and snack foods, looking like he belonged in a luxury penthouse instead of a grocery store.If he really stopped to think about what he was doing, would he get offended? Would he be angry enough to kill me for this?Wouldn’t be the first time he got murderous over something stupid.I shook my head. I don’t car
Fernando’s POVThe second I saw that man put his hands on Michael, my vision turned red.I was standing in the middle of the supermarket aisle, my body still, my hands relaxed at my sides, but inside?I was boiling with complete rage.The man had him pinned against the shelves, gripping his shirt, talking to him in a way that made my blood boil.He had no idea what kind of mistake he just made.I didn’t say anything at first. I just moved.One second, I was watching. The next, my hand wrapped around his wrist, and I squeezed.His entire body jerked. His fingers twitched where they were gripping Michael’s shirt, and I tightened my hold, feeling his bones shift under my grasp.I could break them.Right now.Easily.I leaned in, my voice cold and controlled.“Let. Him. Go.”The man’s jaw clenched.For a split second, I thought he might be stupid enough to resist.But then, with clear reluctance, he let Michael go.Michael immediately stepped to the side, rubbing his arm as he exhaled sha
Michael’s POVFernando stood a few feet ahead of me, rolling his sleeves up with calculated ease. His expression was unreadable, but I knew him well enough to recognize the spark of excitement in his eyes. He wasn’t just angry—he was looking forward to this.The man who had pinned me against the shelf earlier now stood opposite him, cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin. He had broad shoulders, thick arms, and a chest that was visible against his tight black T-shirt. He looked every bit the professional wrestler he claimed to be. His confidence was that of arrogance, and he was eager to put Fernando in his place.I didn’t want to be here.I shouldn’t be here.This whole situation was ridiculous, and yet, somehow, I was trapped in it.Fernando’s bodyguard stood beside me, his arms crossed. He looked ready to step in, but before he could say a word, Fernando turned to him and spoke with absolute authority.“Do not interfere.” His voice was calm but stern.The bodyguard frowned.
Fernando’s POVMy body still burned with rage, my knuckles aching from the impact of my fists against that bastard’s face. But it wasn’t enough. The man had landed a punch on me and humiliated me. No one had dared to do that in years, and now, here I was, sitting in the back of my car, with Michael beside me and my bodyguard behind the wheel, burning in my own fury.I stared at the side mirror, catching a glimpse of my face in the reflection. My jaw was sore, and I could already feel the swelling beginning. My fingers twitched as I clenched my fists. That man had made a fool out of me. And worse, he had done it in front of Michael.I wanted to punch something—anything.But then I turned slightly, my gaze landing on Michael. He was staring out the window, his face unreadable. His silence was unsettling. He had barely looked at me since we left the supermarket compound, and it was starting to eat at my nerves.“Michael,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “Are you—”“I don’t wan
Fernando’s POVMichael’s body was still pinned beneath mine, his breath uneven, his chest rising and falling repeatedly mostly because of the absenceof space between us. My hands pressed against the wall on either side of him, caging him in and not giving him a chance to escape. His words repeated constantly in my head, making it impossible for me to do any other thing than to just stare into his eyes.Normally, I would ne very happy knowing I was bringing fear to people around me but there was something almost painful hearing it from Micheal. The scent of his sweat still lingered on his skin from when i had pushed him during my fight, but beneath that, I could smell something more intoxicating.It made me want to hold him in my arms and take in his smell into mine until they became one.He was trembling, though whether it was only from fear or something else, I wasn’t entirely sure. But I intended to find out.I smirked, leaning in until my lips nearly brushed against his ear. “I
Michael’s POVThe kitchen felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just me.I gritted my teeth as I opened the fridge door with more force than i was supposed to, grabbing a handful of ice cubes and tossing them into a cloth. My fingers curled tightly around the fabric, my knuckles turning white as I forced myself to breathe. My heart was still pounding, and I hated it.I hated how my body had reacted.I pressed my forehead against the fridge for a second, closing my eyes. My jaw clenched in frustration.What the hell is wrong with me?I could still feel Fernando’s touch on my skin, the way his lips had moved over my neck, the way my traitorous body had betrayed me in that moment. My reaction had been instinctual, but that didn’t excuse it.It made me sick.He killed her.He killed my sister.The thought hit me like a hammer, forcing air from my lungs. I gripped the ice pack harder, my nails digging into the cloth.Fernando Ramirez—the man who had destroyed my world, the man I was
Fernando’s POVI watched as Michael stepped back inside, shutting the door behind him. His expression was unreadable, as it often was, but I could tell something lingered beneath his carefully composed attitude. I was still seated on the couch, the ice pack resting against my bruised cheek. The cool sensation did little to soothe my irritation. The whole encounter with Ashley ate at the back of my mind. There had been something off about the way she looked at me, something unnatural in the way her eyes had widened, her body tensing as if she had seen a ghost.Michael walked past me, heading toward the small table where he had left his jacket. His shoulders were stiff, and I didn’t miss the way his fingers briefly clenched at his sides before he forced himself to relax.I tilted my head, watching him closely.“She didn’t come in,” I said, my voice obvious with casual curiosity. “Why?”Michael barely glanced at me as he pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. “She had somewhere e
Michael’s POVI stood in the kitchen, rolling my shoulders in exhaustion as I stirred the pot of sauce which was almost ready.The rich scent of garlic, tomatoes, and herbs filled my small kitchen, but it did little to soothe my frustration.I sighed, rubbing my temples as I leaned against the counter for a moment. Today was supposed to be my day to rest, a rare evening where I could unwind without dealing with anyone’s drama—especially Fernando’s.Yet, here I was, cooking dinner while he made himself comfortable in my home, completely ignoring the fact that I never invited him to stay.I shot a glare toward the living room, where I could hear him shifting around on my couch. His damn bodyguard was still here too, lurking silently like a shadow, as if they had officially moved in.I exhaled sharply and turned my focus back to the food. The pasta was nearly done, and the sauce just needed to thicken a bit more. I grabbed a spoon, taking a small taste. Almost perfect.Just as I reac
Fernando’s POVI watched as Michael stepped back inside, shutting the door behind him. His expression was unreadable, as it often was, but I could tell something lingered beneath his carefully composed attitude. I was still seated on the couch, the ice pack resting against my bruised cheek. The cool sensation did little to soothe my irritation. The whole encounter with Ashley ate at the back of my mind. There had been something off about the way she looked at me, something unnatural in the way her eyes had widened, her body tensing as if she had seen a ghost.Michael walked past me, heading toward the small table where he had left his jacket. His shoulders were stiff, and I didn’t miss the way his fingers briefly clenched at his sides before he forced himself to relax.I tilted my head, watching him closely.“She didn’t come in,” I said, my voice obvious with casual curiosity. “Why?”Michael barely glanced at me as he pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. “She had somewhere e
Michael’s POVThe kitchen felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just me.I gritted my teeth as I opened the fridge door with more force than i was supposed to, grabbing a handful of ice cubes and tossing them into a cloth. My fingers curled tightly around the fabric, my knuckles turning white as I forced myself to breathe. My heart was still pounding, and I hated it.I hated how my body had reacted.I pressed my forehead against the fridge for a second, closing my eyes. My jaw clenched in frustration.What the hell is wrong with me?I could still feel Fernando’s touch on my skin, the way his lips had moved over my neck, the way my traitorous body had betrayed me in that moment. My reaction had been instinctual, but that didn’t excuse it.It made me sick.He killed her.He killed my sister.The thought hit me like a hammer, forcing air from my lungs. I gripped the ice pack harder, my nails digging into the cloth.Fernando Ramirez—the man who had destroyed my world, the man I was
Fernando’s POVMichael’s body was still pinned beneath mine, his breath uneven, his chest rising and falling repeatedly mostly because of the absenceof space between us. My hands pressed against the wall on either side of him, caging him in and not giving him a chance to escape. His words repeated constantly in my head, making it impossible for me to do any other thing than to just stare into his eyes.Normally, I would ne very happy knowing I was bringing fear to people around me but there was something almost painful hearing it from Micheal. The scent of his sweat still lingered on his skin from when i had pushed him during my fight, but beneath that, I could smell something more intoxicating.It made me want to hold him in my arms and take in his smell into mine until they became one.He was trembling, though whether it was only from fear or something else, I wasn’t entirely sure. But I intended to find out.I smirked, leaning in until my lips nearly brushed against his ear. “I
Fernando’s POVMy body still burned with rage, my knuckles aching from the impact of my fists against that bastard’s face. But it wasn’t enough. The man had landed a punch on me and humiliated me. No one had dared to do that in years, and now, here I was, sitting in the back of my car, with Michael beside me and my bodyguard behind the wheel, burning in my own fury.I stared at the side mirror, catching a glimpse of my face in the reflection. My jaw was sore, and I could already feel the swelling beginning. My fingers twitched as I clenched my fists. That man had made a fool out of me. And worse, he had done it in front of Michael.I wanted to punch something—anything.But then I turned slightly, my gaze landing on Michael. He was staring out the window, his face unreadable. His silence was unsettling. He had barely looked at me since we left the supermarket compound, and it was starting to eat at my nerves.“Michael,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “Are you—”“I don’t wan
Michael’s POVFernando stood a few feet ahead of me, rolling his sleeves up with calculated ease. His expression was unreadable, but I knew him well enough to recognize the spark of excitement in his eyes. He wasn’t just angry—he was looking forward to this.The man who had pinned me against the shelf earlier now stood opposite him, cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin. He had broad shoulders, thick arms, and a chest that was visible against his tight black T-shirt. He looked every bit the professional wrestler he claimed to be. His confidence was that of arrogance, and he was eager to put Fernando in his place.I didn’t want to be here.I shouldn’t be here.This whole situation was ridiculous, and yet, somehow, I was trapped in it.Fernando’s bodyguard stood beside me, his arms crossed. He looked ready to step in, but before he could say a word, Fernando turned to him and spoke with absolute authority.“Do not interfere.” His voice was calm but stern.The bodyguard frowned.
Fernando’s POVThe second I saw that man put his hands on Michael, my vision turned red.I was standing in the middle of the supermarket aisle, my body still, my hands relaxed at my sides, but inside?I was boiling with complete rage.The man had him pinned against the shelves, gripping his shirt, talking to him in a way that made my blood boil.He had no idea what kind of mistake he just made.I didn’t say anything at first. I just moved.One second, I was watching. The next, my hand wrapped around his wrist, and I squeezed.His entire body jerked. His fingers twitched where they were gripping Michael’s shirt, and I tightened my hold, feeling his bones shift under my grasp.I could break them.Right now.Easily.I leaned in, my voice cold and controlled.“Let. Him. Go.”The man’s jaw clenched.For a split second, I thought he might be stupid enough to resist.But then, with clear reluctance, he let Michael go.Michael immediately stepped to the side, rubbing his arm as he exhaled sha
Michael’s POVI hated that Fernando was here.I sighed, gripping the torn half of my shopping list as I walked further into the aisles, away from him. I needed space. Distance. Anything to remind myself that, for at least a little while, I wasn’t under his suffocating gaze.Because right now, I was doing something ridiculous.I was making a ruthless mafia boss—someone whose favorite time involved killing people who annoyed him—go grocery shopping.I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.If his men found out, they’d probably never let him live this down.I imagined it now: Fernando, dressed in his perfectly tailored suit, standing in an aisle filled with cereal boxes and snack foods, looking like he belonged in a luxury penthouse instead of a grocery store.If he really stopped to think about what he was doing, would he get offended? Would he be angry enough to kill me for this?Wouldn’t be the first time he got murderous over something stupid.I shook my head. I don’t car
Fernando’s POVThe car was silent except for the hum of the engine and the occasional sound of tires rolling smoothly against the pavement. I leaned back against the seat, stretching out my legs with ease, my gaze flickering toward the man beside me.Michael sat stiffly, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. His expression was one of pure frustration, something that only made me more amused.He hadn’t wanted me to come. That much was clear. But I had insisted—no, I had decided. And Michael had no choice but to deal with it.Even if Michael didn’t want it.I could feel the weight of his irritation pressing against me like a suffocating heat. He was waiting, biting his tongue, trying to keep himself from saying something that would make this worse for him.Eventually, he cracked.Michael let out a long sigh, shifting in his seat before turning his body slightly toward me.“Alright,” he said. “I need to know something.”I smirked. “Only one thing?”Michael rolled his eyes but didn’t take