~Hayden's POV~I swallowed hard. Being involved in the operation felt natural in some ways, but there was also a knot in my stomach. The intimacy between Vincenzo and me hadn’t made things easy. His possessiveness and constant watchfulness were wearing me down. It was hard to focus when I knew that he was always watching, always controlling the situation, always keeping me in his grasp."Understood Mas– Don," I said. "When do we leave?"Vincenzo raised a brow at my words. A faint feeling of embarrassment filled me and I looked away and glanced at Faye."Now.,” Faye replied to me. She blinked slowly and I could see questions in her mind regarding me. “The auction begins in two hours. We’ll head out early to scope the place and make sure there’s no ambush this time. We’ll need to be fast too."I wasn’t sure what to expect when we left. Vincenzo only gave orders for Faye and I to keep our comms open and always stay alert. I could see the warning in his eyes as I left, walking beside Faye
~Vincenzo's POV~The sharp buzz of my phone shattered the silence of the room. I didn’t need to look at the screen to know it was Fate. Her voice, urgent and clipped, confirmed my suspicion."Don Vincenzo, we have a problem," she said. Her words were rapid, rushed, almost breathless. "Dumas set us up. We were ambushed."Every muscle in my body tensed at her words. Dumas had outsmarted us. The bastard had known we were coming."Where are you? What happened?" I demanded, my voice low and tight with tension.“We’re fine, but we’re being followed. We need to get out of here. They knew we were coming, how are they doing it?” Faye’s voice was strained, yet I could still hear the calm beneath it—she was one of the few who never let panic seep into her tone.I slammed the phone down on my desk, my mind already calculating the risks. I didn’t waste another second as I bolted for the door. Fury was etched into every fiber of my being and I had to clench my hands into fists to stop them from tre
~Hayden’s POV~I wondered what had gotten into Vincenzo today as I pulled the shirt off my body. I had just had a shower and now was trying to decide what would be a fitting piece of clothing to wear going out with the De Luca Capo.Not that I was trying to impress him, I thought with a mild grumble as I reached for the royal blue button down. It was rather that Vincenzo would likely disapprove if I embarrassed him because of how I looked. I glanced at my reflection and decided that the shirt would do.I was on a mission you see. It was a mission that required a delicate touch. Something I hadn’t been doing before. Now that Vincenzo had given me a chance to work alongside his men I wouldn’t waste that opportunity. But I had to make sure to keep him as happy as possible so that opportunity wouldn’t slip from my hands. The sound of my phone vibrating caught my attention and I picked it up curiously. I’d never received a call from this phone which Vincenzo had given to me.I doubted an
~Vincenzo’s POV~I was silent through the drive back to the hotel. Hayden looked like a deer in headlights when I had informed him we would be leaving Paris. But I didn’t care. What feeling burned through me with a searing heat was FURY.I left Hayden in the car as we reached the hotel and stormed up to the front doors. My quick strides and glare prevented anyone who saw me coming from standing in my way. As soon as the elevator opened other guests of the hotel parted like the Red Sea not going into it after I had situated myself in it.I felt like punching someone. Blood rushed through my ears and pumped in my veins so loudly that it over took every sane thought I had.Who had it been? Had it been Nadia? Bernito?One of my own people?A smaller sane part of my mind knew that this was inevitable.But it didn’t change things.Swiftly I began the task of packing. It was the only action I could undertake without strangling someone.“Master.”Hayden’s soft voice stopped me and I turned sl
~Hayden’s POV~My body ACHED.Everything that Vincenzo had done to me last night lingered in the back of my mind like a dark nightmare that was difficult to wake up from.Why had I not fought him? I decided not to think too much about that either and turned on the tap to wash my face. The water was warm and comfortable. By the time I finished washing my face however, the door suddenly opened and startled me from my meditative state.“Hayden.”My lips fell open as I stared at Vincenzo’s reflection through the bathroom mirror. He had come after me. Why?I had little space for my own thoughts and agency in Vincenzo’s world. But even with him owning me, I knew that he definitely saw other men and women. And I was aware of every excruciating second that the flight attendant spent flirting with him.Call it jealousy or frustration. But I had left to give them both some space.So what on earth did this mean?The bathroom was barely big enough for one person, yet somehow, with Vincenzo standi
~Hayden's POV~The morning light streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows of the bedroom, bathing the room in soft golden hues. I woke up in the luxurious bed, the satin sheets tangled around my legs, my head resting on the plush pillow, and for a moment, I felt like I was in a dream. Despite it being a prison I could admit the room was lavish, more than even the luxury hotel suite had been in Paris.I lay still for a few moments, taking in the beauty of it all, letting the calmness of the morning sink in. It was hard to shake the feeling that this wasn’t my life. Usually my day started with tense moments that painted the rest of my day as so. But Vincenzo had somehow spared me from that fate today. I laid in bed a few more minutes before slowly sitting up.What was Vincenzo up to?I decided it would be best for me to find out for myself.After a quick shower and outfit change, I rubbed the towel over my damp hair to dry it a little before I tossed it in the laundry hamper.
~Hayden's POV~ The morning light streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows of the bedroom, bathing the room in soft golden hues. I woke up in the luxurious bed, the satin sheets tangled around my legs, my head resting on the plush pillow, and for a moment, I felt like I was in a dream. Despite it being a prison I could admit the room was lavish, more than even the luxury hotel suite had been in Paris. I lay still for a few moments, taking in the beauty of it all, letting the calmness of the morning sink in. It was hard to shake the feeling that this wasn’t my life. Usually my day started with tense moments that painted the rest of my day as so. But Vincenzo had somehow spared me from that fate today. I laid in bed a few more minutes before slowly sitting up. What was Vincenzo up to? I decided it would be best for me to find out for myself. After a quick shower and outfit change, I rubbed the towel over my damp hair to dry it a little before I tossed it in the laundry h
Hayden POV~The night outside was thick with humid heat as Vincenzo’s sleek black car glided through neon-lit streets. I sat in the passenger seat, my heart still pounding in my ears, every flash of streetlight a reminder of the chaos we’d just left behind at the club. Vincenzo, cool as ever, drove with unwavering focus. His eyes were fixed ahead, not betraying even a flicker of emotion, while I struggled to process the wild events that had unfolded only hours before.Silence filled the car, heavy and tense. I stole glances at him in the rearview mirror. The club had been a maelstrom of lust, danger, and indulgence—a stark contrast to the controlled storm brewing inside Vincenzo. Yet here he was, calm and unflappable, lighting a cigarette with a deliberate precision that both calmed and unnerved me. As the smoke curled around his chiseled face, I felt a mixture of longing and dread. His ability to remain so composed amid chaos was one of the things that both drew me to him and terrifi
~Hayden’s POV~I paced back and forth in my room, my fingers tapping against my palm in frustration. My thoughts were spiraling, tangled in a mess I couldn’t seem to unravel. Vincenzo was going to get married. Married. And me? What did that mean for me? Did I even matter? Or was I just some temporary plaything he’d discard now that a wife had been chosen for him? My chest tightened at the thought. The idea of being tossed aside like I was nothing made my stomach churn. I’d known all along that I was at his mercy, but this—this felt like a slap to the face. A reminder that no matter what happened between us, no matter how much control he had over me, in the grand scheme of things, I was nothing. Just a body. Just a toy for him to use until he got bored. I shook my head. No. I needed answers. I needed to hear it from his mouth. I needed him to look me in the eyes and tell me exactly where I stood. I stormed out of my room, my feet carrying me down the long, dimly lit hallways of t
~Vincenzo’s POV~The weight of the night still hung over me, a dull irritation lingering in my chest. Hayden had been testing my patience earlier, pushing boundaries he wasn’t supposed to cross. His little act of defiance had stirred something in me—something dark, something restless. I needed a release. There was only one place to go when I wanted to forget, even for a few hours—the club. Not just any club, but one of the wildest in town. A place where alcohol flowed freely, where bodies moved in an intoxicating rhythm, and where I could lose myself in the chaos. As soon as I walked through the doors, the heavy bass of the music vibrated through my bones. Neon lights flickered, cutting through the dim haze of cigarette smoke and expensive perfume. The crowd was alive—dancing, drinking, indulging in the night’s pleasures. This was exactly what I needed. I made my way straight to the bar, ordering whiskey without bothering to look at the bartender. Within seconds, the glass was
~Sofia Esposito's POV~ Pfft! I scoffed inwardly at the very thought of getting married to that arrogant man. Vincenzo De Luca—feared by many, ruthless, and unpredictable. He was exactly the kind of man I had spent my whole life avoiding. Yet here I was, being forced into an arranged marriage for the sake of power and alliances. The idea made my skin crawl. I wanted nothing more than to bolt out of this room and forget any of this had ever happened. I sat silently at the dining hall, my hands resting stiffly in my lap as the discussion dragged on. The others—my uncle Federico, Maria De Luca, and the other council members—spoke in hushed yet firm voices about the wedding preparations, discussing everything as if I wasn’t even here, as if I were just a pawn to be moved into place. "So now that we're all in agreement, this meeting is over. We can start making preparations tomorrow," Maria announced, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument. I barely held back an eye roll. Prep
~Hayden’s POV~I made my way down to the dining hall, my heart pounding in my chest. The atmosphere in the mansion had changed the moment I stepped out of my room. The usual opulence felt suffocating, the weight of the silence pressing down on me like a storm cloud ready to burst. As I got closer to the hall, I could feel the tension rising. It wasn't just the air; it was palpable, the kind of pressure that only comes from a gathering of powerful people.I paused just outside the dining hall, hidden behind one of the grand pillars that lined the corridor. The voices of the council members—an amalgamation of different families—filled the space, but the words were muffled, indistinct from where I stood. It was a murmur of words, of hushed whispers, like the buzzing of bees before an attack. I strained my ears, trying to catch something, anything, that would make sense of this strange gathering.Then, the chatter abruptly stopped. The room quieted, and I felt all eyes focus on the figure
~Hayden's POV~I sat on his bed, staring at the door as if willing it to open, but it never did. Vincenzo had locked me in, a decision that didn't surprise me at all. He never let me move freely, always keeping me under his control, like a puppet on a string. I could feel the walls closing in on me as I shifted uncomfortably on the soft, smooth bed. I sighed heavily and leaned back, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.The bed was almost too comfortable, and for a moment, I allowed myself to forget where I was, but then the reality of the situation hit me again. This was his bed, his room, and I was just a temporary fixture in his life. I knew I shouldn’t be here, should be looking for a way out, but the thought of leaving—of facing whatever was out there, with him so volatile—made me hesitate. A flicker of concern gnawed at me. There had been something different about him earlier, something I couldn’t quite place. A shift in his mood, like a storm brewing just beneath the surfac
~Vincenzo’s POV~"Is Hayden here?" I asked, my voice steady, though anticipation curled in my gut like a predator waiting to pounce. "Yes, boss," one of my men replied. "We brought him here just as you asked." I grinned, slow and deliberate, as satisfaction rolled through me. Good. My fingers flexed at my sides as I took a moment to picture him—waiting, likely restless, probably trying to piece together why I had him brought here instead of letting him stay at the hotel. I turned to Alphonso. "Where is he?" "In your room." Perfect. Without another word, I strode through the hallway, the weight of the night shifting into something else entirely—something darker, more enticing. The mansion was silent, save for the faint hum of conversation from the men stationed downstairs. I climbed the stairs with purpose, my mind already envisioning how this would go. Hayden had been testing me, knowingly or not, pushing against the boundaries I’d set. But now, in my space, under my c
~Vincenzo’s POV~Find a wife.The words echoed in my mind like a sick fucking joke. I scoffed at the thought, my jaw clenching as I leaned back in my chair. A wife. A perfect, obedient, well-bred mafia princess to bear my heirs and strengthen our alliances. It was a leash. A fucking chain meant to control me. But I knew I had no choice. Not anymore. I kept my expression impassive as I glanced around the room. Salvador sat with his usual calm demeanor, his hands folded on the table like he wasn’t orchestrating a complete takeover of my authority. Maria, on the other hand, looked amused—like she was waiting for me to explode. And then there was Nadia, sitting across from me, the woman they’d chosen to put in my place. Fucking ridiculous. "We suggest you pick one from one of the families in the alliance, Vincenzo," Don Salvador said, his voice steady. "It will strengthen our forces and ensure no one dares to cross us." I inhaled deeply through my nose, forcing myself to stay
~Vincenzo’s POV~The thrill still lingered in my veins, the pleasure of fucking Hayden into submission, of watching him beg and squirm beneath me. It was intoxicating. He looked so fucking good when he was desperate—when he realized there was nowhere to run, no one to save him. The fear in his eyes, the way his body surrendered despite his protests… Fuck, it was a sight I would never tire of. But there was always something to ruin my moments of satisfaction. "Boss." I turned at the familiar voice. Alphonse stood in the doorway, his stance firm, his expression unreadable as always. He was one of my most loyal men—disciplined, sharp, and not one for unnecessary chatter. If he was here, it meant something serious had come up. "What?" I grumbled, adjusting my cuff as I leaned back against the chair. "I have a message for you from your sister," he said smoothly. "She’s requested a meeting at a discreet location. She wants you there immediately." Maria. Of course. That woman n
~Vincenzo's POV~I locked the door behind me with a sharp click, sealing us inside. The air in the room was thick with tension, and the only sound was Hayden’s unsteady breathing. He stood stiffly, his face bruised and swollen, a testament to the consequences of his actions. Yet, even through the damage, his beauty remained—a twisted contradiction to the betrayal that burned in my chest. I took a step forward, watching him flinch as my presence loomed over him. His reaction sent a rush of satisfaction through me. He should be scared. "You betrayed me." My voice was calm, but the weight of my words sent a shiver through him. Hayden swallowed hard. "Master, I—" "You freed Max," I continued, stepping closer until our faces were mere inches apart. "And you ran away with him. You’re no different from the rest of the cowards who have betrayed me. So tell me, Hayden, why the hell would I treat you any different?" His lips trembled, his hands twitching slightly at his sides. "I didn