Ricardo’s POVI press the phone to my ear. “This better be good, Angelo. I was in the middle of something.” “It’s getting late,” my younger brother mutters. “I’m running out of things to tell Antonella.” Shit. I run a hand through my hair, realizing I completely forgot about them. “Alright,” I sigh. “I’ll send you an address. You both can start coming.” There’s a pause before Angelo says, “Brother, anything that would make Antonella flip out—get rid of it.” I scoff. “Since when do you care so much about my girlfriend’s feelings?” I say coldly. “She’s my girlfriend, not yours.” Angelo exhales. “I didn’t mean it like that brother. And you know that.” “I don’t care if you meant it like that or not. Just stop caring.” I hang up, send the address, and then step out of the bathroom. The sight in front of me brings me to a halt. Lana and Maria are sitting together, huddled close. Maria’s eyes are puffy, with tears running down her cheeks, while Lana strokes her hair, whispering
Ricardo’s POV I stand face to face with Antonella, with my cheek still stinging from the slap she just delivered in front of everyone. My hand rests on my face, then I let it down as I run my tongue along the inside of my lower lip. Antonella’s eyes are filled with fury, and her chest heaves. She’s not done. She’s going to slap me again, and she’s not going to care. From the corner of my eye, I see Angelo sigh deeply. He doesn’t say a word, just gives me that I told you so look. I step closer to Antonella until I’m inches from her. "You hit me in public?" I say with a low aggravated voice.Her nostrils flare. "Yes," she spits, "and I will fucking do it again if I have to." My jaw clenches. The urge to retaliate crosses my mind but I hold myself back. Then her voice changes, it softens. "The kids have been waiting for you to come home," she whispers. "I have been waiting for you to come home." Her voice trembles with pain. "But you’re here. In Mexico. For some twenty-year-ol
Lana’s POV The moment the door opens, I act fast. I reach up, running my fingers through my hair, messing it up as much as possible. Then, I turn my back to them, making sure my face is hidden. I can’t risk Charles seeing me. Not now. Not like this.I can’t see anything. I only hear it.I hear a broken sob. "Dios mío..." Maria’s father. His thick accent carries shame, regret and humiliation.Then Charles speaks. “Take this. Get dressed.”I hear rustling and clothes shifting. Then Maria’s father asks with a shaky voice, “Did he do anything to you? Did he touch you?”Maria answers. “No,” she chokes out between sobs. “He didn’t have sex with me. He didn’t kiss me. He just made me dance for him and grind on him... with his clothes on. That’s all.”Her voice wavers, with shame evident in every word. Then Charles asks the question I was dreading.“Who’s that?”I freeze.Maria hesitates. “That’s L—”I don’t let her finish. I twist my voice, making it sound different; higher, more nasal.“Lo
Ricardo’s POVI stand before Antonella, with my arms crossed, watching as she shakes with frustration. Her voice is low but it’s filled with fury. “You wanted to see me? Well, I’m here.” She scoffs, shaking her head. “You think I wanted to see you?” Her voice cracks, but she forces herself to hold it together. “I wanted you home. I wanted you home for your daughters. I wanted my husband.” I pause, then let out a short laugh. “Your husband?” I say incredulously. “Remind me when I got married to you.” Her face turns red, and for a moment, she looks humiliated, like she’s realizing just how pathetic she must seem, clinging onto something that doesn’t exist. But she doesn’t back down. I press on, wanting to make her snap, wanting to push her to the edge where all her delusions about me shatter. “Show me your fucking hands,” I demand. “Did I put a fucking rock on it?” And just like that, she snaps. She slaps me, and the slap comes quick and hard, stinging my cheek, but I don’t e
Ricardo’s POVThe gunfire stops and there is silence. No more bullets flying through the air, no more splintering wood. Just stillness. I wait, listening with my gun clenched in my grip. My mind screams at me to move, but I don’t. Not yet. I need to be sure. I need to know this isn’t some trick, some ploy to lure me out. And then, when I’m certain there’s no movement beyond the door, I bolt. I rush to Angelo, dropping to my knees beside him, with my heart beating hard and fast. His body is still, and his face pale. No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. I press a hand to his shoulder, shake him slightly, but he doesn’t react. My jaw clenches as I fight to keep my emotions in check. Don’t lose it. Don’t fucking lose it. If my brother is dead… if Angelo is gone… I don’t know how to move on. He’s my family. My blood. My fucking life. I swallow back the panic I feel. My hands tremble as I check him, until I hear it; a sound, a breath.It’s choked, rasping. A gasping, a desperate
Lana’s POVThe voice from the megaphone sends a shiver down my spine. I freeze for a moment, as the words echo in my head. Then, slowly, I push myself up from where I had been crouched against the bed. I make my way towards the window, gripping the sill tightly as I peer outside. And what I see makes my stomach drop. Over fifty men, lined up in the darkness, surrounding the mansion like a swarm of well-armed ghosts. Every single one of them is holding a gun. This isn’t just an ambush. This is war. And it’s all happening on Davida’s land. Ricardo’s influence is unmatched. Even here, where Davida is supposed to hold the most power, Ricardo Borrelli has managed to turn men against their own leader.I watch, observing the activities outside. The person holding the megaphone isn’t Luca. It’s someone else. He looks as deadly as Luca, only that he’s more calm and collective.The voice rings out again. “Bring them down. Don’t make me count.”It’s beginning to feel too real now. Too fuck
Lana’s POVCharles still has his eyes on me. The disbelief on his face is unmistakable, like he’s trying to piece together whether I’m real or some cruel trick his mind is playing on him.I snivel as I quickly dry the tears from my eyes and look away, willing myself to appear unaffected. I can't afford to let Ricardo see me like this.But Ricardo notices. He notices everything. His eyes flick from me to Charles, studying the way Charles is looking at me. He turns to face me, then back to Charles, and I see the suspicion in his eyes. "Angelo," Ricardo calls out. "Can you take Antonella back to the car and drive her to the hotel?” Antonella’s brows knit together in confusion. "You’re not coming?" Ricardo’s voice turns cold. "Someone tried to assassinate us tonight, honey. I’m coming, just not right away." She hesitates for a moment, then sighs before leaning in and kissing him on his lips. It’s the second time tonight I’ve seen them kiss, and even though I refuse to acknowledge
Charles’s POVAs I walk through the foyer of Señor Davida’s mansion, my mind is on a spiral. My hands clench at my sides, and my jaw aches from how tight I’m holding it. Lana’s alive.All this time, she’s alive and well. And Ricardo fucking Borrelli has her. After all this time, the worry, the guilt… she’s been alive. For months. Months that I could’ve had her back. Months that that bastard Ricardo Borrelli had her.I feel sick. I don’t even want to imagine what he’s done to her. He’s got her dressed up like a slut, parading her around like a possession, calling her his slut like she’s nothing more than a goddamn toy.That image of Ricardo touching her, owning her, breaking her, it makes me want to kill something. I wonder how many times Ricardo has fucked her. How many times he’s laid claim to what was never his to take.I am pissed. How the fuck did Ricardo get his hands on Lana? There was no way, no fucking way, Ricardo could’ve linked Lana to what happened to him. I was careful. I
Ricardo’s POVThe morning sunlight barely rose when I slide out of bed. Antonella is still asleep, tangled in the silk sheets, with her mouth slightly parted, and one arm stretched towards where I used to be. I don’t look back. I leave the house before the rest of the estate fully wakes. The guards outside are already alert. A few guards nod as I pass by, murmuring “sir,” but I give them nothing. My driver, a scrawny man with jittery eyes, pulls up just in time.“Sir,” he says breathlessly, stepping out of the car. “I came as soon as I could.”“Good,” I reply, already heading for the vehicle. “I need you to drive me somewhere.”“Where to, sir?”“My secret mansion.”He gives a tight nod. “Alright, sir,” and moves quickly to ready the car.Before I can reach it, one of the security guards rushes up to me, holding something out. An envelope. His face is pale, like he’s unsure if he should even be handing it to me.“Sir,” he calls out, slowing as he reaches me. “This was dropped at the f
Ricardo’s POVThe moment I step through the front doors of my mansion, I hear small noises, and the place is properly lit. Then, a soft pitter-patter races down the hallway.“Papà!”Gianna’s voice rings out before I even see her. She comes flying into my arms like a bullet wrapped in pink silk pajamas. I crouch slightly, catching her mid-air, lifting her high above my head.“There’s my Gianna,” I say, twirling her once.Her laughter fills the foyer, and for a brief second, everything ugly fades away. I pull her close, hugging her tight.Antonella watches from the archway, with her arms crossed, and her brows arched like daggers. She scoffs under her breath, loud enough to make her presence known.Then, the grandfather clock chimes eight times. “Alright, baby,” Antonella says, brushing invisible lint from her sleeve. “Bedtime. Off you go with Rosa.”Gianna’s face falls. “But I don’t wanna go to bed early…”I kneel slightly and smooth her hair back. “Oh, sweetheart,” I say gently. “I un
Charles' POVI toss my keys onto the marble counter and walk straight to the bedroom, not even bothering to take off my shoes. My body feels like deadweight, but it’s not just physical exhaustion, it’s everything else.Alma didn’t follow me back to the condo. I didn’t ask her to. She wouldn’t understand anyway. Not this.I drop onto the bed, with limbs heavy with fatigue, and my back flat against the mattress. The ceiling above me stares back blankly, just as silent as the thoughts swirling in my head. I can't stop replaying it, Lana. Her face when she looked at me. The embarrassment, fear and shame in her eyes. I need to get her out of that monster’s grip.No one would get it. Not Alma, no one. Only I know why I need to get Lana away from that monster. And it’s not even about her being my secret weapon. That bastard touched my tail the day he had me suspended from the force and smeared my name. He thought he won. But he hasn’t.I close my eyes. No—he won’t.I’ll get Lana back. I’ll
Ricardo’s POVThe private restaurant’s half-empty. I spot Angelo tucked in the far corner, already seated with a half-full glass of red wine in front of him. His shoulders are relaxed, too relaxed, which tells me something's up. I slide into the seat across from him and clear my throat. “What’s the matter?” Angelo raises a brow and smirks sarcastically. “Hello, brother. Thank you for asking how I’m doing this fine afternoon. I’m great, how are you doing?” I chuckle. “Oh, come on, Angelo. We just saw each other in Mexico. Do you really need me to roll out the pleasantries every time?” He shrugs and mutters, “No, but you could stop acting like the world’s ending every time we meet.” I shake my head. “Oh come on brother, isn’t the world already ending?” I give him a smirk, then I continue. “What’s the matter?” Angelo takes a slow sip from his glass before setting it down. “You remember that guy I told you about? The one that’s been following me?” “Yeah,” I nod. “You finally
Ricardo’s POVI finally get myself together. The dull pain in my groin reminds me that Antonella has no limits when she’s pissed. I straighten my blazer, wipe the corner of my mouth with my thumb, and step out of the car.I step through the front doors, and the first sight that greets me isn’t one I expect. Antonella is seated on the couch, holding Isabella in her arms; our youngest, sleeping peacefully like she has no idea her parents are inches away from destruction.Beside her stands the maid, looking awkward as hell, and across the room, standing near the staircase, is Gianna. My Gigi.She doesn’t run to me. Doesn’t smile. Doesn’t light up like she usually does. She just stares at me with those big eyes like she’s looking at a complete stranger.Something inside me snaps quietly. Antonella’s eyes find mine, and her stare says everything. Of course. Of course this is happening. Of course my daughter looks at me like she doesn’t know me.Antonella’s gaze is full of disdain, a silent
Angelo’s POVThe warehouse smells like rust and old blood. It always does. This is the same warehouse where I kept the guy who murdered our loan shark. Back when he was crying about keeping all his fingers. I step inside to see him already waiting, shifting on his feet like he is standing on hot coals. He gives a weak smile when he sees me, then straightens up and puffs out his chest like it would help.“Mr. Angelo,” he says,with his hands twitching nervously. “I—uh—I did what you said.”I cross my arms. “Go on.”He pulls a folder from his coat and hands it over. “You asked me to multiply by five half of the 570 million. I turned that into 855 million.”I flip through the file. Numbers, transfers, dummy corporations. The man has done his homework. I whistle low. “You tripled it.”He nods whilst swallowing hard. “Yes, sir. I—uh—wanted to impress you.”I look up, smirking. “You did good, man. But it’s not enough.”His face drops like I had slapped him. “I—I know. I know,” he stammers.
Charles’s POVWe’re in the car, heading to the airport. My thoughts have been looping, clawing at the same image. Lana with Ricardo Borrelli, dressed like a slut.Alma speaks first. “I still can’t believe you saw Lana with Ricardo.”I shake my head. “I still can’t believe it myself. A part of me hates myself, Alma. For being so fucking lackadaisical in the search for her. I should’ve put in more effort. I should’ve known she was with the enemy.”Alma reaches across the seat and rubs my shoulder gently, like I’m some wounded animal. “It’s not your fault. You wouldn’t have known. No one would have guessed.”I lean into the headrest, staring out at the traffic like it’ll give me answers. “I should’ve. You know, if Davida’s men hadn’t screwed up, if those bullets had gone through that door like they were supposed to, Lana would’ve been dead. Gone. And I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”“But she’s not,” Alma says quickly. “She’s alive.”“You don’t get it,” I snap. “And I’m not ready
Angelo’s POVThe next morning, Lana and I drive in silence. The kind of silence that isn’t peaceful, just filled with everything neither of us wants to say first.I keep my eyes on the road. The jet isn’t far now. Twenty minutes, give or take. After that, I don’t know what comes next. Hell, maybe I don’t want to.She is the one to break it, the silence. Of course she is.“What are you gonna do?” Her voice is soft.I don’t answer.“What’s your brother planning?”I suck my teeth, annoyed, and keep my eyes forward. She doesn’t back down.“Please, Angelo,” she says, “tell me. I heard him last night, talking to that cop guy—Charles. He told him to let Señor Davida know he owes him. And he wasn’t talking about money.”Still, I say nothing. Her voice is starting to grate, and not because it is loud but because it is right.“You already know what he’s gonna do,” I mutter.“No,” she says firmly, “I don’t.”I tighten my grip on the wheel. “He’s going to kill someone.”The car goes even quieter,
Charles’s POVAs I walk through the foyer of Señor Davida’s mansion, my mind is on a spiral. My hands clench at my sides, and my jaw aches from how tight I’m holding it. Lana’s alive.All this time, she’s alive and well. And Ricardo fucking Borrelli has her. After all this time, the worry, the guilt… she’s been alive. For months. Months that I could’ve had her back. Months that that bastard Ricardo Borrelli had her.I feel sick. I don’t even want to imagine what he’s done to her. He’s got her dressed up like a slut, parading her around like a possession, calling her his slut like she’s nothing more than a goddamn toy.That image of Ricardo touching her, owning her, breaking her, it makes me want to kill something. I wonder how many times Ricardo has fucked her. How many times he’s laid claim to what was never his to take.I am pissed. How the fuck did Ricardo get his hands on Lana? There was no way, no fucking way, Ricardo could’ve linked Lana to what happened to him. I was careful. I