***I stumbled against a tree trunk and rushed to get up from the ground. I desperately tried to catch my breath, but my chest was burning, and my heart was aching. I got back up to my feet and continued running through the woods. I came to an abrupt stop when I reached an old graveyard.All the graves were covered in grass, their tombstones shattered to pieces except for one grave in particular. I hesitantly took a step forward. I sucked in a deep breath before carefully walking over to the only standing tombstone in the entire graveyard.I frowned when I saw my name engraved on the tombstone. "Hera Delacruz."Something was written in fine print under my name, so knelt in front of the grave before narrowing my eyes to better my vision. "Like father, like daughter." I read the fine print out loud. I wildly shook my head before getting up from where I was sitting and the ground beneath my feet gave way from under me. A scream left my mouth as I fell into the grave.***"Mommy!""Mo
"Lola, welcome," I said as she stepped over the threshold. She gave me a tight smile before her expression shifted to one of cool assessment. Her eyes swept me up and down without a word before she brushed past me, leaving me to press my lips together awkwardly. "Hola, Martín," I greeted warmly, and he responded with a friendly smile before stepping inside. Aurellia stood still for a moment, her gaze cold and indifferent. She walked past without a word. "Hello to you too, Aurellia," I muttered under my breath, tired of the silent hostility. Beside me, Mila clung to my hand, her big eyes watching the exchange. "She seems mad at you, Mommy," Mila whispered, her innocence cutting through the tension. "She does, doesn’t she?" I replied with a wry smile, and Mila nodded solemnly. Her mood brightened as she spotted the next arrival. "Here comes Uncle Tiago!" she exclaimed, tugging at my hand. Tiago approached with his usual swagger, something hidden behind his back. "The man,
This has been a long night.I quietly sat at our table while watching Mila playing with her friends. Everyone was off conversing or dancing to the music that the live band provided. Everyone here fits in somewhere, except me. I don't belong here. I looked over at Mateo, and a tight and painful knot started to form in my throat. I don't recognize him anymore. He's the complete opposite of the person he used to be when we first met. He never told me what to do or who to talk to. God knows why he's doing so now.My phone suddenly made a pinging sound so I grabbed it from where it was lying on the table. A notification popped up on the screen so I quickly clicked on it. I waited as my messenger app opened. I saw a message from an unknown number. I opened the message and a frown settled on my forehead. A picture. I adjusted my brightness and could finally make out what the picture displayed. My eyes went wide in shock. I left the dinner table before stumbling into a random bathroom.
"Take her away." He angrily told Rafe who nodded at him before he grabbed me by my waist. I fought against him with everything inside of me. I scratched and punched him in the face as hard as I could. Rafe grunted in frustration before he tightened his grip around my waist.He finally managed to pull me away from Tiago and I angrily hit him in the abdomen with my elbows. Still, he didn't let me go. "Let me go!" I angrily yelled at him as he started carrying me over to a black Jeep. He reluctantly placed me on the ground but kept his arms tightly locked around me."Mateo!" I yelled when I saw him pointing his gun at Tiago's lifeless body on the ground. "If you shoot him, I will kill you myself! God knows I will and I will hold this against you forever." I promised him and he angrily tucked his gun back inside his waistband. He came walking over to me, and suddenly, I remembered the gun I had strapped to my leg earlier. I clenched my jaw before grabbing the gun and pointing it at Mat
I grabbed Mila's gloved hand before leaving the diner I work in. It had become dark outside, and the streets were quiet, cold, and covered in snow. The streetlights were dim and weary as they fought against the cold. "Mommy, I'm cold." She whined and I worriedly looked around me as we walked over to my car. "I know, baby. We're almost at the car." I cooed at her as we quietly continued our walk down the sidewalk. I wouldn't usually have Mila out in the cold this late but I can't trust her with a nanny or a daycare. Now she spends her afternoons with me at the diner. Mila suddenly stopped before bending down to pick something up. "My bracelet!" She yelled out in panic so I bent down to help her look for it. "Did it fall over here?" I asked her in a gentle tone and she nodded at me in response. "There!" She excitedly yelled out before running over to her bracelet lying in the snow. "Mila watch out for the cars!" I yelled out before running after her. Luckily there were no car
I quietly watched Rafael as he stood on my doorstep. I turned around and picked Mila up from where she was sitting. I carried upstairs to my room and placed her down on my bed before I quietly made my way into my closet. I tied my hair into a ponytail before breathing out nervously. I opened the secret door in my closet before I entered the room where I stored all of my weapons. Everything in my house is ready for our next escape. I've been planning for this for the last two years and I've never stopped. I grabbed a duffle bag before I placed my best guns into it. I gently added all my ammunition, grenades, and silencers before I zipped up the bag. I went back into my room before I picked Mila up and into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her downstairs with me. I made my way into my office before I opened my safe. I grabbed the last of Mateo's money from it before I put it inside the duffle bag. I left my office before I went into the garage. I put Mi
"Mila!" I called out in panic as I looked down at my baby girl and her eyes slowly fluttered open. I placed the back of my hand on Mila's forehead and found that she was burning up. When did she get sick? I didn't even notice that she was coming down with something. Mila's eyes suddenly widened and her hands clenched into fists. Her body stiffened and my eyes widened in shock. "Uncle Charlie! Get the car!" I yelled before I picked Mila up into my arms. I carried her outside before I jumped into the passenger side of the car. "What's going on?" Uncle Charlie asked me in panic. "I think she's having a seizure," I told Uncle Charlie, and he started speeding down the road. "We're going to the hospital right?" He asked me and I nodded at him. "Good cause that's where I was heading anyway." He told me as he stepped on the gas. I looked down at Mila who's body was still stiff. I started crying while I rubbed the side of her face. "Mila- look at mommy," I told her through tiny so
Mateo's POV My beautiful wife. Still so set in her own ways. Still so unaware that my way is the only right way. I slowly walked closer to her and she backed up against the desk centered in the room. I caged her in by placing my hands on the desk next to her thighs. I looked up, and our lips were mere inches apart from each other, and for a moment, I had her right where I wanted her. "I have a proposal for you, Hera," I whispered into her ear. She didn't move an inch so I assume that she was waiting for me to tell her about my proposal. "Be my wife again," I said before gripping her waist into my hands. "Fully," I uttered before moving my hands to her ass and she looked at me in shock. "Get away from me, Mateo!" She angrily yelled before pushing me away from her and I chuckled to myself. "And stay away from me!" She continued so I nodded at her in understanding. "Fully?" She wildly asked me. "Yes, fully. I want you, Hera." I said before pulling her toward me by her waist.
"Take her away." He angrily told Rafe who nodded at him before he grabbed me by my waist. I fought against him with everything inside of me. I scratched and punched him in the face as hard as I could. Rafe grunted in frustration before he tightened his grip around my waist.He finally managed to pull me away from Tiago and I angrily hit him in the abdomen with my elbows. Still, he didn't let me go. "Let me go!" I angrily yelled at him as he started carrying me over to a black Jeep. He reluctantly placed me on the ground but kept his arms tightly locked around me."Mateo!" I yelled when I saw him pointing his gun at Tiago's lifeless body on the ground. "If you shoot him, I will kill you myself! God knows I will and I will hold this against you forever." I promised him and he angrily tucked his gun back inside his waistband. He came walking over to me, and suddenly, I remembered the gun I had strapped to my leg earlier. I clenched my jaw before grabbing the gun and pointing it at Mat
This has been a long night.I quietly sat at our table while watching Mila playing with her friends. Everyone was off conversing or dancing to the music that the live band provided. Everyone here fits in somewhere, except me. I don't belong here. I looked over at Mateo, and a tight and painful knot started to form in my throat. I don't recognize him anymore. He's the complete opposite of the person he used to be when we first met. He never told me what to do or who to talk to. God knows why he's doing so now.My phone suddenly made a pinging sound so I grabbed it from where it was lying on the table. A notification popped up on the screen so I quickly clicked on it. I waited as my messenger app opened. I saw a message from an unknown number. I opened the message and a frown settled on my forehead. A picture. I adjusted my brightness and could finally make out what the picture displayed. My eyes went wide in shock. I left the dinner table before stumbling into a random bathroom.
"Lola, welcome," I said as she stepped over the threshold. She gave me a tight smile before her expression shifted to one of cool assessment. Her eyes swept me up and down without a word before she brushed past me, leaving me to press my lips together awkwardly. "Hola, Martín," I greeted warmly, and he responded with a friendly smile before stepping inside. Aurellia stood still for a moment, her gaze cold and indifferent. She walked past without a word. "Hello to you too, Aurellia," I muttered under my breath, tired of the silent hostility. Beside me, Mila clung to my hand, her big eyes watching the exchange. "She seems mad at you, Mommy," Mila whispered, her innocence cutting through the tension. "She does, doesn’t she?" I replied with a wry smile, and Mila nodded solemnly. Her mood brightened as she spotted the next arrival. "Here comes Uncle Tiago!" she exclaimed, tugging at my hand. Tiago approached with his usual swagger, something hidden behind his back. "The man,
***I stumbled against a tree trunk and rushed to get up from the ground. I desperately tried to catch my breath, but my chest was burning, and my heart was aching. I got back up to my feet and continued running through the woods. I came to an abrupt stop when I reached an old graveyard.All the graves were covered in grass, their tombstones shattered to pieces except for one grave in particular. I hesitantly took a step forward. I sucked in a deep breath before carefully walking over to the only standing tombstone in the entire graveyard.I frowned when I saw my name engraved on the tombstone. "Hera Delacruz."Something was written in fine print under my name, so knelt in front of the grave before narrowing my eyes to better my vision. "Like father, like daughter." I read the fine print out loud. I wildly shook my head before getting up from where I was sitting and the ground beneath my feet gave way from under me. A scream left my mouth as I fell into the grave.***"Mommy!""Mo
I watched as Mateo and his mom came walking back inside the dining hall. Aurellia and Martín followed shortly behind them. I finally managed to get Mila back from that vampire, Cara. After talking to Umberto and Javi, we decided to go back to our table, and now she was holding onto my hand while she ate a cupcake that Umberto gave her. "Hi Mila, I'm Mateo's mom. It's so nice to finally meet you." Lola told Mila who smiled up at her. "Nice to meet you too." Mila kindly told Lola who nodded at her with a smile on her face. "You're very kind, Mila," Lola told her with a kind smile on her face and Mila looked down at the cupcake in her hand. "May I get a hug?" Lola asked Mila, and she looked back up before she slowly nodded at Lola, and Lola picked her up into her arms. "Oh, you're so pretty; you're a replica of your mom," Lola told her before tickling her and Mila laughed at her actions. "She's so precious," Lola told Mateo. She was avoiding eye contact with me; she cl
"Familia, amigos, estamos aquí hoy para celebrar la vida de nuestro verdadero salvador, Jesucristo. Disfruta de este festín que te he preparado, lo mío es tuyo." Mateo said and everyone raised their champagne glasses in the air. (Family, friends, we are here today to celebrate the life of our true savior, Jesus Christ. Enjoy this feast that I've prepared for you, what's mine is yours.) "Por favor, demos la bienvenida a mi hermosa esposa y a nuestra hija Mila. Serán tratados con respeto y los honraréis. Estas son mis ordenes." Mateo continued, and the room dawned in silence before everyone brought their hands together in a praying manner. (Please welcome back my beautiful wife, and our daughter Mila. They will be treated with respect and you will honor them. These are my orders.) Mateo sat back down before he gestured for the music to continue. I saw Cara waving at Mila so I frowned at Mateo. "She's a friend." He said, knowing what I was about to ask. "I didn't know you
I walked down the hallway before I entered Mila's room. I found her inside talking to a woman with short light brown hair and curly bangs. She smiled when she saw me and I frowned lightly. "And who might you be?" I blankly asked her. "I'm Mila's babysitter. Mateo appointed me. My name is Cara." She told me and I frowned at her."Mateo?" I asked her and she nodded at me. "Shouldn't you address him as the don? I'm the only person who's allowed to call him by his name." I told her and she nodded at me. "Of course, my apologies." She said with a smile on her face and I blankly looked at her. "You don't have to come in anymore. I'll talk to Mateo but I don't think your services will be required anymore. I'll do just fine raising my daughter on my own." I told her before I picked Mila up into my arms. "Mommy but I like her," Mila whined. "Mila we'll talk about this later. Okay?" I told her and she sadly nodded at me. "You may go," I told Cara and she nodded at me before she came over
Umberto held my tiny waist as he took my measurements, moving quickly and quietly while writing them down in a small notebook. "All done." He said after a few minutes, and I started getting dressed again. "I thought it was a joke when the don told me I had to take your measurements. But here you are, little dove." Umberto said with a grin, and I smiled back. "That's right, I'm back," I replied softly, and he sighed lightly. "My god, I can't believe it's been six years. You look good, healthy. And you're still my prettiest client," he told me, and I chuckled lightly. "You flatter me, but I've seen the models you work with," I teased, and he smiled. "And what's the difference between you and those models? You're flawless, Hera. I missed you so much," Umberto said before pulling me into a tight hug. "We've got so much to catch up on. You should come over for lunch sometime. A lot's changed since you left," he added, his voice soft. I nodded at him. "I fear we might've needed you b
We arrived at Mateo's house about an hour ago. Mila was sitting on my lap while she played with my hair. I was waiting for Mateo to come back since he had left thirty minutes ago to go handle "business" downtown. He left me in our bedroom before he took off. I sighed lightly before I placed Mila down next to me. "Here," I handed her iPad over to her and she smiled before she took it from me. She placed all her attention on her iPad so I got up from the bed before I walked over to where my closet used to be. I opened the door and my heart skipped a beat. All my clothes were still there. I thought he would've gotten rid of them by now. I walked into the closet before I sat down on a chair in a far left corner of the closet and memories of Mateo and me came flooding through my mind. I still remember the day Mateo brought me to this house for the first time. After seeing it I begged him to buy it for us. Not that I needed to beg him for it, I just wanted him to see that I n