Elara's POV"No! Please don't tell her, she'll kill me. Please, Auntie Elara, please." He trembles, the words spilling out of his lips without control."Auntie Elara, please," he keeps begging while I stand frozen, fisting my hands and preparing to bound into that room or to wherever Sophia is and kill her.I briskly walk away from him, making sure my foot doesn’t make any noise against the floor. When I get to the glass panel, I look into the room, noticing that Lorenzo is fast asleep, machines tied up to his body.There is no sign of Sophia. She is not here.Ethan's shaky voice sounds from behind me. "But Auntie Elara, please, you cannot tell her that I have told you. I'm pretty sure she will kill me. I'm so sorry."So it is true. She is abusing her own son. How pathetic and disgusting.Glancing at the little boy and his trembling and shaking figure, I know I can't resist. If he is this scared, she must have threatened him with something.I'll get everything out of him, then I'll ma
Elara’s POVIt's official.Today has been the weirdest day of my life.From finding out about Lorenzo's accident, to being threatened by his dad, to discovering he has a family, then realizing my dad faked his coma, learning that Lorenzo’s son is being abused by his girlfriend—who was supposed to have died eight years ago—and now hearing Lorenzo ask who I am... I don’t think any day in my life can beat this.Whether in the past or future.Not even the day I stole the billionaire's wallet.Or maybe I'm just going crazy.Because why else would Lorenzo ask me who I am? We've dated for almost five months, plus we knew each other for more than a year before that.My hand flies to cover my mouth, my heart hammering in my chest. I can't believe Lorenzo just asked me that. Am I dreaming or something?"Uh, Lorenzo, what do you mean by that? Is this a joke or something? It's not really funny, you know." I chuckle humorlessly, observing his face for any signs of laughter, no matter how subtle.W
Elara's POV"Dad?" I call him again when he doesn't respond to my question.He looks to be in a daze for a few seconds before shaking his head. "It's nothing, darling. I was just talking to someone from the office.""Dad, you're still in the hospital bed, and you're already talking about work? For real, you should rest. I'm pretty sure you can't wait to get out of here and go to the office," I tell my dad, my hands on my waist."Of course, my bossy daughter. I'm going to rest well and enjoy myself. By the way, I already know my company is in capable hands. Oh, who am I kidding? The company is already yours.""Well, you can always take it back, Dad. The workload is killing me," I chuckle.Dad laughs along and tells me to sit by his bedside. When I do, he holds my hand in his. His plasters and bandages have already been taken off, and he's almost good to go, as the doctor told us. So, we should be leaving tomorrow."I'm so proud of who you've become, Elara. In such a short time, you've
Elara's POV I weave my way through the crowded hall. A place this magnificent costs more than the life earnings of a hundred men. Yet, the rich and influential use it for display. The soft strains of jazz music float through the hall. I feel a little out of place, in my dazzling red dress which costs no more than a few dollars. Looking around, I try to see if anyone notices the difference between the cheap material and the thousand-dollar dresses adorning everyone else in the room. Nobody pays any attention to me, all focused on showing off their wealth. A deep baritone voice suddenly cuts through my self-judgment. “Ladies and gentlemen, you are welcome to my 28th birthday party. We are family, and I hope you all feel free." The crowd breaks out in cheers, applauding the man who steals the room's attention with his captivating silver eyes, his affluent accent, and his elegant attire. They have to. Of course, he just said they belong to one family. The wealthy as one and the
Elara's POVMy heart clenches with each thud as the footsteps draw closer to the door. Sprinting to my feet, I hide the wallet in my bag and rush towards the bed, lifting the covers and sprawling against Lorenzo.His broad body takes up much space as he's lying in the middle, so I have to lie on him. His body feels surprisingly cold, and if not for the warmth of his breath against my forehead, I would think he is a corpse.My eyebrows furrow as my mind erupts in thoughts: could it be the effect of the drug? But the packet says only headache and slight dizziness may occur as side effects, and that would only be when the person wakes up.A loud knock on the door breaks through my train of thought, my eyes widening while my heart feels like it's about to explode. "Lorenzo! Lorenzo, you in there? I know you're having fun and all, but it's just 15 minutes to cake cutting, so hurry your ass up."My breath hitches, and I feel sweat trickling down my skin. The man outside expects us to be...
Elara's POV The voice sounds again from the entrance to the alley, sharp and furious. "What the hell is going on here?" My heart rate quickens. I sink further into the wall, feeling the roughness pressing into my back. Whoever this guy is, he sounds furious. I would never want to be on his bad side. I sneak a peek over the edge of the chair shielding me and see the man from earlier—Lorenzo’s guard—staring at the stranger. "Answer me, damnit!" the stranger bellows, causing me to jump. The guard stumbles over his words, unsure. "I—I was just looking for a—" "Get out of my house," the stranger snaps. His tone causes me to shudder. How scary is this man? The guard mutters something and hurries away, leaving just me, the stranger, and the silence. My palms grow sweaty, my mind reeling with all the things that could happen to me. He must be the owner of this place. Of course, I should have known. "Are you planning on staying there forever? Or are you waiting for an invitation?"
Elara's POVMy brain screams at me to run, but my legs are frozen. I fist my little bag until my knuckles turn white. Lorenzo Russo is in my house, sitting as if he owns the place."Are you going to stand there the whole night?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Come in and take care of your guests, Mia Cara."I don't move; my mind is running wild with thoughts of all the things he could do to me. "W-what a-are y-you doing in my house?" I stammer, silently cursing myself for appearing weak in front of this intimidating billionaire.Lorenzo gets up from the chair, his gaze locked on me as he starts striding over to where I'm standing. My eyes widen, and I can hear my own heart pumping hard, as if I'd been running for hours. Finally coming to my senses, I turn on my heel, bolting out the door.It doesn't take five seconds for me to bump into two huge men in black suits, arms crossed as they patiently wait to drag me back to their boss. Well, shit. But maybe I can still try to run. I can out
Elara's POVMy parents used to tell me to be cautious around wealthy people because they were frequently manipulative and could easily disrupt your life if they wanted to. As I stood now before Lorenzo Russo, hands trembling and my heart pounding against my chest, I realized that I should have listened. After using the money, I had discarded the wallet into a river while laughing like a maniac as I enjoyed the sweet taste of revenge. I hadn't bothered to check if there was anything else inside. And now here I was, regretting all my life choices as I tried to figure out what to do."Mr Russo," I stammer, gulping down a large amount of air. "You must be mistaken, sir. I am sure your picture must be in another one of your wallets. Surely you have more than one, right?"Lorenzo Russo's hardened face turns even colder, the expression strong enough to send a shiver coursing down my spine. "I believe you want to play with me, Walker. That picture is very important to me and is the only one
Elara's POV"Dad?" I call him again when he doesn't respond to my question.He looks to be in a daze for a few seconds before shaking his head. "It's nothing, darling. I was just talking to someone from the office.""Dad, you're still in the hospital bed, and you're already talking about work? For real, you should rest. I'm pretty sure you can't wait to get out of here and go to the office," I tell my dad, my hands on my waist."Of course, my bossy daughter. I'm going to rest well and enjoy myself. By the way, I already know my company is in capable hands. Oh, who am I kidding? The company is already yours.""Well, you can always take it back, Dad. The workload is killing me," I chuckle.Dad laughs along and tells me to sit by his bedside. When I do, he holds my hand in his. His plasters and bandages have already been taken off, and he's almost good to go, as the doctor told us. So, we should be leaving tomorrow."I'm so proud of who you've become, Elara. In such a short time, you've
Elara’s POVIt's official.Today has been the weirdest day of my life.From finding out about Lorenzo's accident, to being threatened by his dad, to discovering he has a family, then realizing my dad faked his coma, learning that Lorenzo’s son is being abused by his girlfriend—who was supposed to have died eight years ago—and now hearing Lorenzo ask who I am... I don’t think any day in my life can beat this.Whether in the past or future.Not even the day I stole the billionaire's wallet.Or maybe I'm just going crazy.Because why else would Lorenzo ask me who I am? We've dated for almost five months, plus we knew each other for more than a year before that.My hand flies to cover my mouth, my heart hammering in my chest. I can't believe Lorenzo just asked me that. Am I dreaming or something?"Uh, Lorenzo, what do you mean by that? Is this a joke or something? It's not really funny, you know." I chuckle humorlessly, observing his face for any signs of laughter, no matter how subtle.W
Elara's POV"No! Please don't tell her, she'll kill me. Please, Auntie Elara, please." He trembles, the words spilling out of his lips without control."Auntie Elara, please," he keeps begging while I stand frozen, fisting my hands and preparing to bound into that room or to wherever Sophia is and kill her.I briskly walk away from him, making sure my foot doesn’t make any noise against the floor. When I get to the glass panel, I look into the room, noticing that Lorenzo is fast asleep, machines tied up to his body.There is no sign of Sophia. She is not here.Ethan's shaky voice sounds from behind me. "But Auntie Elara, please, you cannot tell her that I have told you. I'm pretty sure she will kill me. I'm so sorry."So it is true. She is abusing her own son. How pathetic and disgusting.Glancing at the little boy and his trembling and shaking figure, I know I can't resist. If he is this scared, she must have threatened him with something.I'll get everything out of him, then I'll ma
Elara's POVDad pales, and Uncle Damien looks visibly shaken up, his face ashen white. Good. They're scared. Just as they should be after making me believe that Dad was in a coma for so long. How were they even able to pull this off without me suspecting anything?I guess they used the fact that I was heartbroken from Lorenzo's and my breakup to their advantage."Princess, you were still here?" Uncle Damien asks, walking to hug me. "I thought you already went home."Is that why you let your guard down? The question comes so close to my lips, but I hold back from asking it. I'll let them think I didn't hear anything."I did, but couldn't sleep, so I decided to come spend the night here," I respond calmly, noticing how they exchange nervous looks. It almost makes me chuckle, but I hold it in, knowing I can't blow my cover."Dad!" I exclaim out of the blue, hurrying towards his bed and engulfing him in a hug, which is easy because he's sitting in a high Fowler's position. Even though the
Elara's POV"Mr. Russo? N-nice to see you, S-sir."I almost slap myself when I stutter. Why the hell am I stuttering?If I thought Nicolas glared at me when he saw me, then this man's look is enough to freeze the air in the room. I feel goosebumps rise along my skin as he watches me, taking slow, deliberate steps toward me.When he gets close, he extends a hand and pulls me roughly by my elbow, dragging me away from the room where Lorenzo is and down the hallway from where we came in.He doesn't let me go toward the one my dad is in. I'm not sure he even knows my dad is there. He pulls me out of the hospital until we stand in the alley beside it.It is nighttime, and so all I can see is his face illumined by the moonlight and nothing else.Different thoughts race through my mind, reeling with worst-case possibilities of what he plans to do. Is he trying to kill me? Why would he bring me right out this way?"Mr. Russo? What is going on?" I ask him in a shaky voice, hoping that it is al
Elara's POVWho is this woman, and why does she look oddly familiar?That’s all I can think as I stare at the woman who asked me the question. I try to rack my brain for where I know her from but keep drawing a blank until I finally give up."I ask again. Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" she reiterates, this time giving me a disdainful glance from head to foot.I bite my tongue to keep myself from being rude. "I'm nobody you should concern yourself with. Excuse me."Giving one last glance at the room Ethan just ran into, I walk past her, resisting the urge to bump our shoulders together.I am not a troublemaker.Just as I round the corner from the hallway separating this private ward from my dad's, I bump into Nicola.He's dressed casually in blue jeans and a black T-shirt, his face focused on the phone in his hand. I clear my throat to get his attention.When I succeed, I’m surprised at the glare he shoots at me."Nicola, long time no see. How have—"My words get stuck in
Elara's POV(Back to two months later)"Dad, you had a loving relationship with Mom, right? When you guys quarreled, did you ever... block her? Like, I know cell phones weren’t that much of a thing in those days. No, they were. Were they? But did you block Mom? Like, not even contact her in the morning? Or a week later?"I ask another question, speaking to my very unconscious dad as though we are engaged in a conversation."Because I don’t know, Dad, but I don’t feel right about what Lorenzo has done to me. I mean, yes, we did split up on a rocky path, but does it mean he has to go as far as blocking me? That is too much, is it not?"He blocked me without any reason. He just—"But Dad, why do I feel like something is wrong? I just wish Lorenzo is fine because if something has happened to him, I won’t be able to cope."Being lost in thought, I don’t notice when Uncle Damien comes into the room until he clears his throat. I turn to see him leaning against the wall and staring at me with
Lorenzo's POV(Two months earlier)I was supposed to have let it go that night, but I'd be damned if I ever let Alexander Vitali get anywhere close to my woman again.When I walked in and saw him in her house, I didn't think much about it. Of course, they are friends, and there is nothing I could do about that. But his words still rang in my mind, tormenting me, when he had asked, "So, Lorenzo, how does it feel losing your woman because of your stupidity?" Smirking as though he knew that would rile me up."I have no idea what you mean, Vitali. I have lost no woman," I answered nonchalantly.He just chuckled. "You must be kidding. So, you think you stand a chance again? You are a bigger fool than I thought."I ignored him, as always, until he said the words that made me angrier than I had ever been."I know Elara is gullible, but I won't let you take advantage of her. She's going to be mine soon. Imagine having a naive woman under your control. I'll have fun bending her to follow my ev
Elara's POVTwo months later.How time flies when you're CEO of the biggest oil manufacturing company in the country. I'm pretty sure my hair is greying already. Or maybe my face has so many wrinkles. I wouldn’t know, as I barely have time to check myself out in the mirror before coming to work.“If we sell it at this price, I believe we'll have the upper hand,” the arrogant Director of Sales and Marketing says, his voice hoarse from all the alcohol he has consumed over the years.When he's done, he places a hand in his pocket and gazes at me intensely. His posture makes his potbelly stand out, but it seems like he doesn't notice, seeing as he's constantly throwing himself at anything in a skirt that passes by—including me, his own boss.He's one of those who tried to oppose my takeover, saying a woman could never manage a company like this and that I'd do better managing fashion brands.When the board approved me, he made it his plan to ruin all my project ideas. Unfortunately for hi