ALESSANDRO'S POVThe feeling of unease lingered when Bianca mentioned Matteo, Luca's father. I didn’t like that guy at all. He was selfish and abandoned Bianca. Who hurts someone just because she can't have a child? What century are we in?As Leo got ready to leave, he shot me a serious look. "Alessandro, we need to talk," he murmured.I nodded, knowing what was coming. "About what?""Bianca," he said, locking eyes with me. "I can tell you're developing feelings for her, but be careful. She's been through a lot with Matteo.”I nodded, feeling a surge of anger just at the mention of Matteo's name. I was shocked by how terribly he had treated Bianca just because she couldn’t give him a child. And now he wanted her back. I smirked to myself. What a loser.After Leo left, Bianca looked at me with a curious expression. She asked softly, "What was that about?"I hesitated, unsure how much to share. But Bianca's reassuring look put me at ease. "Leo was just looking out for me," I whispered.
BIANCA'S POVI hurried through the shopping center, my high heels clicking on the tiles. "Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention."The woman I bumped into glared at me, her bright green eyes flashing. "Watch where you’re going. You nearly made me fall!"I stepped back, holding up my hands. "Sorry about that. I wasn’t paying attention."Her anger softened a bit, though she still sounded annoyed. "Do you think so? You’re just as reckless and inconsiderate as he is."I frowned, trying to figure out who she was talking about. "Hey, I already apologized. There’s no need to be rude."The woman sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I’m sorry. I’m just having a really rough day. My boyfriend is being a total jerk."I nodded sympathetically. "Mind sharing what he did?'"She rolled her eyes. "He’s being his usual selfish, arrogant self. I don’t know why I’m still with him."I nodded. "Maybe you should break up with him."She smirked. "It’s more complicated than that. We’ve got histo
BIANCA'S POVWhile getting ready to hit the club, I gazed at my closet in frustration."I have nothing to wear," I grumbled, tossing clothes aside.Charlie chuckled. "Let me help you," she offered, stepping into my closet. "Girl, you've got some killer curves. You need to flaunt them."She started digging through my wardrobe, pulling out a few options. "This one, definitely!" she exclaimed, holding up a short, revealing outfit. Very revealing.I raised an eyebrow. "Charlie, I'm not so sure..."But Charlie wasn’t backing down. "Trust me, you’ll look amazing. Now, let's get ready."We spent the next hour dressing, laughing, and chatting as we styled our hair and did our makeup.When we finally headed downstairs, Alessandro and Leo were already waiting. The way Alessandro's eyes darkened as they locked onto me was undeniable.His gaze roamed over my body with a searing intensity, as if he were stripping my clothes off with his eyes, piercing straight into my soul.When he finally looked
BIANCA'S POVI woke up groggily and slowly began to recognize my surroundings. I was in Alessandro’s room, with him holding me.“Bianca, are you feeling alright?” Alessandro asked, his voice tense with concern.I nodded, still trying to clear my head. “What happened?”“Matteo,” Alessandro growled. “He must have had someone knock you out at the club yesterday. But don’t worry, you’re safe with me now. You’re out of danger.”A wave of comfort washed over me at his words, knowing I was with the only person who could truly protect me from Matteo’s obsession.But when I met Alessandro’s gaze, I saw a determined look in his eyes. “What are you planning?” I asked quietly, my voice just a faint murmur.Alessandro’s jaw tightened. “I’m going to deal with Matteo once and for all. He won’t hurt you anymore.”A chill ran down my spine at his words. I knew Alessandro would do anything to keep me safe.I also knew that Matteo was in serious trouble.But I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were bei
LEO'S POVI couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong with Charlie’s situation. Bianca’s words kept echoing in my mind, fueling a strong urge to protect her. I couldn’t understand why I felt such a pull; it wasn’t like me to get involved. I usually stayed out of other people’s business, but there was something about Charlie that gnawed at my conscience.The next day, I decided to follow her discreetly. I wanted to see if my instincts were right. I kept a safe distance and watched as she arrived at her apartment, relieved that she didn’t seem to notice me.But then I saw him—Alex. He pulled up in his car, and Charlie got in. I thought he’d just drive off, but he got out, grabbed Charlie by the hair, and dragged her into the apartment.My stomach churned with anger. Without wasting a second, I got out of my car and hurried toward them, my heart pounding. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I knew I had to act.As I got closer, I could hear Charlie’s muffled scre
BIANCA'S POVIt was 7:00 a.m., and we’d given Charlie some space to recover from yesterday, after Leo rescued her from her boyfriend—now her ex.When Alessandro called me to let me know Leo had brought Charlie to his place, I was shocked. I rushed over as soon as I got Luca to sleep so he wouldn’t insist on coming with me.As I sipped my coffee, I noticed the faint bruises on Charlie’s arm. She looked exhausted like she hadn’t slept all night. I felt a deep sadness for her and knew I needed to tread carefully."Are you okay?" I asked, taking another sip of my coffee. She glanced at me with an unreadable expression and nodded. I sighed and set my coffee down. "You know you can talk to me, right?"A heavy silence followed. I watched as she struggled with her emotions."It’s hard," she finally said. "I’m not used to being away from him. It feels so strange."I gave her a reassuring smile. "It’s normal to feel that way. I felt the same way after my ex-husband and I divorced. It was tough
ALESSANDRO'S POV After my conversation with Bianca, I decided to talk to Leo to see if he could open up to me. I had a good idea of what was causing his behavior, but I felt I needed to understand more. I went looking for him, knowing he might be in the mansion’s sleek, modern lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows and minimalist décor, a space he often retreated to when he visited. I took a seat beside Leo on the sofa, trying to encourage him to talk. "Hey, Leo, what’s going on?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Leo paused and looked away. "There’s nothing, Alessandro. Just drop it." I exhaled, realizing Leo wasn’t going to make it easy. "I can tell when something's bothering you." "You don’t get it, Alessandro. You have no idea what it's like." I nodded, trying to stay calm. "Maybe not, but you can't shut me out now. We've been friends for fifteen years." "Do you really want to know? How about being hunted every night by your fucked-up childhood? Do you want to unde
LEO'S POVWhen I heard the news, I knew I had to find my mother. She never left the house, and I had specifically instructed the maids to keep an eye on her. I could have called the authorities, but this was something I needed to handle on my own.I rushed out, leaving Alessandro and the girls without saying anything because I was too scared to explain. I would fill them in once I had everything settled.I activated the device, and a map appeared on the screen. It was a GPS tracker, leading me directly to where my mother was.As I drove, anxiety coursed through me, and my heart pounded. I prayed she was safe, considering her health issues. She shouldn't be leaving the house without anyone knowing where she was going.While tracking the signal, memories from my past consumed my thoughts. My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I recalled my upbringing with my father. The location I was tracking was too familiar—it was close to my dad's old house.The signal led me to a small residen