LINDA’S POVThe figure stepped fully into the dim light, his white shirt immaculate despite the dusty, grimy warehouse. How had he kept a white shirt inconspicuous? His hair was dark, roughed up in a way that made him look like a vampire that had just risen from his coffin, and his sharp jawline was set with an almost casual disdain. His eyes swept over the room, taking in the cowering men, the scattered weapons, and finally, me.It was Ricardo.I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. Sure, he wasn’t here to tear me limb from limb—probably—but the terror he had already wracked on my soul didn’t really inspire comfort. And now, here he was, sauntering in like the king of hell had just taken a leisurely stroll into my own personal disaster.I could only hope he still didn’t want me dead because his menacing aura was crushing me, and I was sure I couldn’t take him even in a fair fight naturally, not to talk of when he was exuding this kind of presence.“Dante,” the Boss stamme
LUMARI’S POVIt was another annoying day, waking up to the cries of my one-year-old and the babbling of his older sister. I didn’t deserve to live like this. This hadn’t been what I agreed to when I propositioned Ricardo.He was a Moretti, someone part of a very important family in Italy. I was born and bred in Romania, but their influence spread so far that my family knew of them. I had latched onto him quickly before any other woman would get the chance to. It was my one-way ticket to living the life I deserved.Unfortunately, he was a baffling man, and he dropped his family name not long after we got married. I had tried my best not to feel offended. Perhaps he was testing me. That was what I kept thinking until the first year passed, and he was still bearing his own name. He was also unbelievably underwhelming. Our house was average and nothing remarkable, our cars were regular cars, and yet I knew his younger brothers rode in sportscars every day.That said, I couldn’t fully take
LUMARI’S POV “So, have you heard from your runaway husband recently?” Samuel said, dipping his food into his mouth elegantly. I had to watch several YouTube videos to learn how to monitor how I ate. Ricardo ate differently. It was clear that he still held those rigid eating principles, but he did it nonchalantly like he was above watching his every move. “He didn’t ‘run away.’ He went to get your sister married to his brother,” I teased back. I wondered why the princess of the Dobre family wanted to be with Alessandro so much. She was the daughter of the biggest oil conglomerate in Romania. She could have anybody she wanted. Why she was obsessed with a Moretti all the way in Italy was beyond my comprehension. “And how’s that working out?” He got slightly serious. They really valued the feelings of their ice princess. “I wonder why you married someone so… incompetent.” “I wonder too,” I facepalmed. I had no illusions about Samuel. I knew he was nothing but a spoiled brat without h
LINDA’S POV“I don’t have any affinity for trouble!” I argued. I was a peaceful woman, and everything just seemed to happen to me instead. When I got to New York, I would end Claire. It was more than just a petty rivalry. If Ricardo hadn’t busted in to save my ass, I would have been chilling with my great-grandparents in the great beyond.“I’ve been watching from the interstate,” he deadpanned. Blondie squinted and mirrored him. So now I had two men calling my bullshit. The me at the interstate was absolutely different from me now.“That was self-defense,” I said in a small voice, purposefully directing my gaze at Blondie so whatever I was currently feeling about a certain someone would die a death as quickly as it deserved.Ricardo huffed again, and I wasn’t sure whether it was a scoff or a laugh, so I looked at him. He was already looking away, his eyes on the mafia boss still trying to wake his men. I had to say, he was very loyal. He looked like he was three seconds away from fain
THIRD PERSON POV Bianca descended the stairs, ready to start her day. She had been feeling strangely uncomfortable and scared, so she went down in hopes that a walk through the gardens would help her feel better. Meeting her almost brother-in-law, Ricardo, sitting like a vampire on the couch was not what she had expected at all, as evidenced by the way she jolted and fell back when she caught sight of him. He raised his eyes to her as she caught herself, and she pretended he wasn’t currently exuding terrifying vibes. “Good morning,” he said. Bianca scrunched up her nose. His voice wasn’t soft now; it was deep, like when Alessandro just woke up. Did he just wake up too? Although, judging by the calm way he was sitting, Bianca determined he had been sitting in wait for her all morning. The uncomfortable feeling she had been experiencing was now explained. “...Morning. Do you… Can I help you?” she asked, unsure what to do. On one hand, she was still cross at him for all he had done
THIRD PERSON POVThe room was heavy with silence after Ricardo’s confession—a suffocating kind of quiet that pressed down on all of them. Alessandro and Giovanni were still standing by the coffee table, the folder open between them, its contents like a slow-burning fire. The photos, the reports, and the meticulously detailed evidence of what their parents had done, and what Ricardo had endured, spoke volumes.Neither of them could look at him right away. They were too busy trying to process what they had just learned. Their suspicions about their parents had been brewing for years, but this… this was beyond anything they could have imagined.Ricardo sat stiffly, his hands clasped tightly in his lap, his expression carefully blank. Inside, though, he was bracing himself for the inevitable. They would hate him now, just as he had always feared—not for what he had done, but for who he was; for how cold-blooded he had been as a child, following orders without question, and for the years o
THIRD PERSON POVIt had taken Ricardo half the day to rally his brothers together to begin the process of making a suitable plan. He had known he should have made one before. When they were alone, they were each master at what they did, even though he wasn’t really sure what Giovanni did. When they knew they had someone who could make it for them, they became brats.“This is a serious situation. I will need Alessandro to pretend to agree with Larisa so he will get an invite,” Ricardo began, spreading papers on the table documenting the Dobres' movements. He had been paranoid for years and had spent meticulous time tracking them down. Previously, it had only been to know when he would sacrifice himself. Now, however, it came in handy to free himself and his family from the imminent threat they posed.“How about you? How are you getting an invite?” Giovanni asked with a yawn, his legs splayed wildly over Ricardo’s. For someone who had claimed to not care for him, he had acclimatized to
LINDA’S POV“Bianca, the answer is no.” I held the phone a little too tightly, pacing the guest room I was staying in at Ricardo’s place. The carpet muffled my restless footsteps, but it didn’t do much to smother the rising panic I felt. He could be anywhere in the house, after all. I had gone out like a light after he had cut the ropes that tied me the previous night, and I woke up in a cool and cozy house that had brown and cream as the theme. It was rather disorienting to realize he matched his furniture, especially with such warm colors.Bianca had called me about three hours after I woke up. I hadn’t left because I didn’t really know if I was in danger of anything, so I’d let him give me free rein to go himself.“Linda, please!” Bianca’s voice came through the speaker, laced with desperation. “You don’t even have to do much. Just look pretty, say a few words, and let Ricardo handle the rest. It’s one night!”“One night,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “One night with Ricardo, your
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