DARREN’S POVI had come in for my regular 3 o'clock caffeine fix. Upon seeing one of Giovanni’s favorite cars outside, I knew just where to look so our eyes would meet. He always seemed to sense when I was around, and as such, it was incredibly hard to even think about scaring him. Surprisingly, our eyes didn’t meet, and it wasn’t because he was looking at his phone or something.No, he was glaring into a cup and exchanging words I couldn’t hear with a woman who sat down next to him. A woman I immediately identified as Toria. I could hardly understand what Toria was doing with Giovanni, especially with the incredibly small distance between the two of them.An irrational wave of jealousy bubbled inside me. It was irrational because Giovanni was visibly uncomfortable and looked like he was two seconds away from risking jail by committing cold-blooded murder right there. Also, he was very gay; there was absolutely no reason for me to feel the way I felt right then.That didn’t mean I wou
DARREN’S POV Toria grit her teeth, looking like she wanted me to catch on fire right then. Then slowly, her head sank to the table and her shoulders shook. What a drama queen! She wanted to act her way out of this. “What could I have possibly done to make you want to frame me this way?!” she asked, her face red and plump, her eyes looking guileless, like a woman who had done no wrong. It was extremely convincing. I knew the full story, and yet I was tempted to believe it was a lie just based on her skills alone. Roger Williams was an extremely successful American businessman; his worth exceeded billions. The only catch to him was that he was successful only because of his wife and her family. They had been the ones to pick him up from the slums and give him the company he was managing, and yet, he was still actively cheating on her. I hadn’t cared about the other women he slept with, only Toria, since she was the only one among them stressing my best friend out. It turned out t
DARREN’S POVMy mind was blank, absolutely wiped clean. Everything I had prepared to protect myself from the inevitable terrible heartache I would suffer when he was done talking, only for him to toss me out into the sea. And he was just there, his jaw clenched and his face serious. He just admitted that he loved me like he was casually telling me he preferred coffee over tea.There was no blush and no fidgeting. I offhandedly wondered what planet he came from, where people were allowed to bare their feelings on their sleeves so easily. I supposed it was what happened when people weren’t cowards like me.“I…I… Uh… Wait.” Oh, brilliant, Darren. Absolutely stellar. Shakespeare would have been proud of my eloquence.He looked away from me, his face regaining the scary impassivity it had back in the restaurant when he had pulled me out. I didn’t want that. I wanted my Vanni back, and it seemed like I actually had a shot at him being mine.“You don’t have to return my feelings, I just want
LINDA’S POVMy stay in Italy so far had been everything I wanted and more. Every day reminded me of just how lovely the country was, especially in Turin.My friends came over to visit and regularly dragged me out, making sure I was in an inconspicuous disguise as they led me on tours around their lovely country. I had imagined retiring in Turin with my husband and two children, gentle and calm all around, a perfect life to come home to all the time.I had also signed up for many activities. There were regular knitting classes full of young, bored, rich ladies who just needed something to do with their hands. The instructor had told us we had a fun knitting competition for learning coming up, and the ladies had been complacent. Those cowards wouldn’t know what hit them when I was done with mine. I thrived in competitions, even when the competitions weren’t worth it.Darren and Bianca tended to hang out at my place, and although I valued peace, the company of my best friends was more va
Meanwhile, LUCA’S POV I loved being at Daddy’s villa. It was super wide and had lots of space, so I could fly around like a superhero more easily. Today, Mommy and Daddy were busy doing business stuff in their wing, and I wanted to hang around the pretty flowers. There was a mean lady I didn’t like who always glared at me when I went there, but she didn’t scare me. Aunt Linda was in Turin, and she told me she was just a call away. She could use her super spy skills to protect me. I wandered outside into the maze of shrubs and flowers. They reminded me of Aunt Linda—super tall, pretty, and super strong. She always carried me on her back and did push-ups, acting like I didn’t weigh anything, and I was almost six! She was as strong as Daddy! I looked around. The guards, who wore the kind of suits my Mommy liked me wearing, were all staring straight ahead, like my toy soldiers standing at attention. Giosio One said I would soon have to learn to stand straight and stare ahead, but I did
LINDA’S POV“I wasn’t following you!” I placated, stopping short when I collided with his chest. He didn’t even flinch. For a moment, I froze. It felt so disorienting to look up at him—I rarely looked up at people.“Then why are you everywhere?” His voice hardened, and his eyes were steadfast and mean, full of evil intent and immense tiredness. What could be making the evil man tired? Had he gone around killing all day?“I’m a tourist!” I blurted, partly right because I was simply visiting the nice places I knew tourists generally tended to skip over. They never knew what they were missing, and I wouldn’t tell them because I wanted it for myself. Realizing I was still too close to a man who could very well go off with my head if he so wished, I took a gracious step back.“These aren’t tour spots. If you do not refrain from following me, I will have to take back my kindness,” he said softly. I almost couldn’t hear the sound of his voice with the way it matched the wind. It was golden h
BIANCA’S POVI was disoriented and incredibly frustrated. I had first started looking for Luca sometime in the afternoon, but he typically disappeared with one of his uncles somewhere in the other wings in the afternoon, so I wasn’t completely worried.That was until I saw Giovanni and Lazarro walking into the main villa without my son in tow. I had shot out of my seat, furrowing my brows in slight worry at first. After asking them and ensuring they really didn’t know where he was, I began to worry properly.I called Alessandro, asking if he had Luca sent somewhere I didn’t know, and when he denied it, I knew I was in trouble. He came back from work immediately before I could begin to hyperventilate, and we searched for Luca alongside the guild members, then I felt my heart shatter.The guild members could almost always find Luca when he was playing, and now they said they hadn’t set their eyes on him all day. I was going crazy. I called Darren, Leo, and even Linda. Anyone that could
RICARDO’S POV“Whoa, are you one of the super spies?” the tiny voice asked. I squinted and looked down to see a mini-copy of Alessandro looking up at me with wide, guileless eyes and a wide-open mouth, too. Who were the super spies this boy was talking about? It seemed as though he didn’t realize how frantic his parents were.“Your parents are searching for you,” I said flatly. Children never needed to hear a curated voice; they could see through everything anyway. The boy stepped back and cocked his head.“Searching for me? But I just got here. Is mommy very worried?” he asked with a knowing pout. Perhaps his mother was prone to bouts of overreaction. I didn’t care all that much for a child’s opinion or thoughts.“I suppose so.”“Daddy looks a lot like you,” he said, coming closer. I would rather he didn’t, so I stepped back. He noticed it and halted his advance. It seemed like much didn’t escape the notice of this child, except perhaps the fact that he had been wandering in here for
To all the incredible readers who have joined me on this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this adventure. Your unwavering support, love, and enthusiasm have made every word worth writing, and I can’t express how grateful I am for each one of you who picked up EX-WIFE REVENGE: HE WANTS ME BACK! and followed along as the story unfolded. When I first began writing this story, I never imagined how deeply it would resonate with so many of you. EX-WIFE REVENGE: HE WANTS ME BACK! was born from the themes of love, betrayal, growth, and healing. It became a journey of rediscovering one’s worth after heartbreak, and how, sometimes, the greatest revenge is simply living life on your terms, stronger than before. I’ll forever have a soft spot for Bianca, Alessandro, Richardo, and, of course, Luca, my baby, whose strength, vulnerability, and complexities grew with every page. And, of course, I didn’t forget my two gays—Darren and Giovanni. Gosh, I love them! Ever
RICARDO’S POVThe man I was a year ago would probably hate me now—or at least laugh at how far I’d fallen.Standing in the warm kitchen of the villa, with the scent of fresh herbs and garlic wafting through the air, I stirred the pot of sauce absentmindedly. Linda was sitting at the island, flipping through some magazines and occasionally humming to herself. She looked up every now and then to check on me, smile always at the ready.“I still can’t believe you cook,” Linda said, her voice lilting with playful disbelief as she rested her chin on her palm. She sat at the island like it was her throne, watching me work.“You’ve known for months,” I replied without looking up, though I couldn’t stop the slight twitch of a smile tugging at my lips.“Knowing and believing are two different things,” she said dramatically as if the mere thought of me wielding a spatula were too much to process. “I mean, come on. You, Ricardo Moretti, slayer of gangsters, protector of secrets, simmering marinar
THIRD PERSON POVLinda stared at the bouquet in her hands, utterly baffled. Roses, hydrangeas, and something that looked suspiciously like a baby's breath. It was the kind of bouquet people bought when they were trying to make a statement. The most ridiculous part was that her fans hadn’t been the ones to send it to her.She glanced up at him, her brooding, possibly homicidal boyfriend — he had become less homicidal, she had to give that to him — standing there like he hadn’t just handed her the boldest floral arrangement she’d ever seen.“You bought me flowers?” she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.His sharp, dark eyes flicked to her, then away, as though he were scanning the room for an escape route. His usual cool, unshakable demeanor had cracked just enough to reveal the faintest hint of discomfort. “Yes.”Linda squinted at him, holding the bouquet to her chest like he might snatch it away. “Are you dying?”“No.”“Did you do something terrible and now you’re trying to soften
RICARDO’S POVThe soft hum of the phone ringing cut through the tension in the air. I was elbow-deep in chaos, surrounded by the thick stench of gunpowder and the distant, muffled screams of men who were just realizing that their time was up.My team and I had spent the last few hours cleaning up the mess of corrupt gangsters who thought they could cross me. The usual mix of quick punches, fast moves, and lethal precision had done the job, but as always, it was the aftermath that lingered.I swiped my phone from the back pocket of my jeans, not even checking the ID. The ringtone was familiar enough; she had forced Rises the Moon on me herself, so I knew who it was. My lips involuntarily quirked as I lifted the phone to my ear.“Go for Ricardo,” I said coolly, stepping over the body of a man who’d decided to fight rather than run. “What’s up?”“Hey, you!” Her voice came through the phone, a little cracked but still unmistakable; the reception in the shitty warehouse couldn’t keep me fr
BIANCA’S POVI adjusted my blazer, glancing at Darren with a calm expression as we approached the visitor’s room. I’d been prepared for this moment, mentally rehearsing every word I’d say, ever since the beautiful day of his and the Dobres' downfall. Darren walked beside me – sauntered really – with the countenance of someone ready to kill a man. I would have liked to complain, but his protective presence was a comforting reminder that I wasn’t facing this alone.When we entered, Matteo was already there, sitting stiffly in one of the chairs. His once-pristine suit looked worn, almost threadbare, and there was a shadow of desperation in his eyes that hadn’t been there when he was the man I’d once known. The air of arrogance he used to carry was gone, replaced by something much smaller, much weaker.“Matteo,” I greeted evenly, my voice giving away nothing. I didn’t sit; he wasn’t worthy of being in a room where I was also seated in. Instead, I stood tall, my gaze unwavering as I let hi
BIANCA’S POV Three months later, I was halfway through drafting an email when the door to my office cracked open. “Mommy, can I come in?” Luca’s voice rang out, all sweetness and patience that I knew wouldn’t last long. I looked up from my desk to see my six-year-old poking his head around the door, his brown curls slightly mussed from running around. Behind him, Alessandro leaned casually against the doorframe, his usual composed demeanor tempered by the amused smile playing at his lips. “Are you alone?” I teased, arching a brow. “Or are you bringing trouble with you?” Luca giggled and stepped in, revealing Lazarro trailing behind him. The ten-year-old was holding a bag that looked suspiciously like it contained illegal items, but he was a ten-year-old, how much trouble could he bring along? “Trouble is relative,” Alessandro quipped, stepping into the room and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “And you’re the king of it,” I shot back with a smirk. Luca climbed onto my lap
ALESSANDRO’S POV“Looks like the future’s here,” Bianca murmured in reference to what the patriarch had said before, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. Her gaze was fixed on the Dobre patriarch, whose previously smug composure now seemed on the verge of crumbling.I tilted my head slightly and slipped a hand around her to bring her closer, unable to resist. “What a shame it’s not the one they envisioned.”Darren sauntered over with a large smile on his face, and I could relate to him. He had been wanting to release the information about Matteo for such a long time, and I was certain it felt like a balm on his wearied soul to finally enact revenge against the scum.“Showtime,” he said, just loud enough for us to hear. The crowd was awash with murmurs and people whispering loudly, clearly intending to target the Dobres and make sure they heard their speculations. Lumari was confused, Samuel was furious, and Toria was trying to play the good wife. The negative energy in the room had
ALESSANDRO’S POVI leaned against the marble pillar, my fingers drumming idly on the rim of my untouched champagne glass. The evening was a disaster. Not the catastrophic, bloody kind of disaster I was used to handling, but the sort of slow-burn chaos that made me wish I’d missed the whole spectacle in the first place.And of course, it all started with Giovanni.My younger brother’s camera crew was bustling around the room, shoving microphones and lenses into the faces of people who, mere minutes ago, had been dignified power players. Now, they were giddy fans jostling for selfies and sound bites, trying to get their good sides.Larisa was hanging on to my arm for dear life like I was going to fade away into dust if she didn’t, and irritation clawed up my throat. If Bianca had been beside me instead of this bitch, I would have been able to enjoy the look on the Dobre patriarch’s face as his revered gala became a celebrity meet-and-greet. I only had to wait a little; she was in the ro
LIMARI’S POVThe conversation had become a tangled mess of pleasantries, small talk, and carefully crafted smiles. It was all just so… predictable. I could feel the eyes on me, but not in the way I wanted. Tonight was supposed to be mine—mine to shine, mine to be the center of attention. I had worked hard for this, after all. I was the newest Dobre, the woman Samuel had chosen, the one who would help bring the family into the new age. I wasn’t just attending this gala; I was the gala.And yet, despite everything, my heart still thudded uneasily in my chest. The sensation wasn’t from Samuel, who stood tall beside me, a constant presence as calm as ever. No, the feeling came from Ricardo, Ricardo of all people, who, of course, had shown up looking effortlessly handsome, as though he hadn’t even tried. And, worse yet, he was with… her.Linda Collins.She stood beside him, the actress and writer who had quietly slipped into the crowd as though she owned it. People had already begun to rec