~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
Hayden's POVMy heart raced with excitement as I pushed the door of my apartment open. Jason would be home. After weeks of business trips and hurried phone calls, I couldn't wait to see him, sit across from him at the dinner table, and watch him complain about putting too much basil in the pasta.My hands were moving fast as my brain whirled over the meal I would cook. It had been ages since we sat down to a decent dinner together. Fast food and quick take-outs had been a ruler in his life while traveling, and it would be different for tonight.Just as I reached for the cutting board, a muffled noise stopped me dead in my tracks. I froze, tensing to listen. Whatever it was that made the sound was softly guttural and much too intimate to be a sound that would be innocent.My stomach twisted to hear it, and I glanced down the hall in time to hear the bed creaking at a rhythmic pace.No… no, it wasn't that, I muttered, hanging onto the countertop.Perhaps he was watching a movie on his
Hayden's POVWeak. Pathetic. Nothing.My fists clenched, my nails biting into my palms. I let the hot, unstoppable tears fall without resisting. It wasn't a place I'd usually go, but I entered the bar nonetheless..I slid down onto a stool at the bar and let my body sink into the old, worn-out leather. A bearded middle-aged man waited on me as he approached; his face showed no expression. "What's your pleasure?" he said."Whiskey," I rasped. "Straight."The bartender raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, kid?""Do I look like I don't know?" I barked, the sudden rage pumping through me. He didn't bat an eyelid, just shrugged, and poured, holding the drink out in my direction.I poured it into my mouth in a single motion. It set something on fire inside of me, some parts scorching me on its way down. But it would not matter—nothing did."Another," I snarled, slamming the glass on the counter.The bartender hesitated this time. "Maybe you should—""Another," I said, overriding him, sq
Vincenzo's POVThe moment he sat on my lap and then kissed me, I could already feel my dick twitch. I hope he doesn't regret it, but even if he did, it's too late.There was no going back.Ten minutes later, we were in my private hotel room. I unlocked the door with my card and then carried him in. As I used a leg to lock the door behind me, I pressed him against it, and, not giving him time to breathe, I smashed my lips on his.I entered his mouth by sucking on his lips and biting his tongue, which caused me to gasp.My tongue swept across his mouth as if I were inspecting my territory, and he tasted like whisky. Then I took hold of his tongue and sucked and played with it, making him groan, turning me on.Slowly I left his mouth and kissed his neck; then, my hand impatiently opened his shirt to reveal his chest. I looked at him with a smirk, then bit his nipple, making him yelp in pain.I stepped back up to give him another kiss, but this time with more force. I smirkd as I felt his
Hayden's POV~I woke in a strange surroundings, my head throbbing and my throat parched. Above me, the ceiling was high and ornate with accents of gold, catching the sun through the windows. Last night's events rolled back into place.Jason. Marcus. Betrayal.The bar.And then him.A heat wave blasted through me as fragmented images of the night flooded my mind. My face burned with shame. I could see myself climbing onto his lap, pressing my lips against his. I could feel his hands gripping my waist, hear the low groan he'd made when I—I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "What the hell did I do?”My body ached in places it never had ached before. A dull throbbing between my legs made it painful to sit up with. I shifted just a little and felt another flash of sharper pain. "Ow! Damn it!" I hissed and let myself drop onto the bed.That was when I saw the note.The note was folded in half on the bedside table. I hesitated for a moment before picking it up, my heart pounding in my
~Vincenzo's POV~The doors opened, and the slam shook through the room, cutting off the hum of voices. I walked in, flanked by my men, guns glinting under the golden light of the chandelier. In a beat, the heavy air changed.Seven pairs of eyes turned my way. Surprise, confusion, and dread painted their faces, but none interested me. My gaze landed on him.Hayden.He stood off to the side, head bowed, clutching the pen as if it weighed a hundred pounds. Our eyes met the moment he lifted his head, and recognition dawned in his wide, tear-streaked eyes.He froze, lips parted in a silent gasp. He saw the guns then, and I saw his slight tremble that ran over his frame."Come here," I barked, a voice slicing the silence like a blade.Hayden blinked fast, chest rising, his head bowed in front of me, gazing up and shaking his head so little. Fists clamping down tight onto his hips."No," the man stammered but proudly.I grinned crookedly. Stubborn even now. My boys tensed, but I waved a han
Hayden's POVIt had been over an hour since the chaotic, surreal scene at my supposed wedding. The image kept replaying in my head like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.Guests gasping in shock, my father’s cold, stoic face as he practically handed me over like a pawn in some twisted deal.The black SUV hummed steadily beneath me as it sped away from the disaster I left behind. Two of Vincenzo’s bodyguards sat in the front, their presence silent but intimidating.Their dark suits and earpieces made them look more like secret agents than criminals.Beside me, Vincenzo sat with the calm, composed authority of a man who always gets what he wants. The subtle scent of his expensive cologne mingled with the smell of leather seats, and it was making my stomach churn. I forced myself to stare out of the tinted window, watching the blur of city lights fade into distant hills.My thoughts were chaotic. How could my father do this to me? Did he even care about what would happen to me? I didn
Hayden’s POVIt was already 7:00 a.m.“What a night,” I thought to myself as I lay stretched out across the plush mattress.The early sunlight filtered through gauzy curtains, casting long shadows over the rumpled sheets. Even as I tried to savor the warm embrace of sleep, memories of the previous night ran through my mind. Each one so…intense.Every detail flashed before my eyes like a movie. The way Vincenzo’s gaze burned into me, the rough caress of his hand, the heady mixture of desire and danger.I closed my eyes at the memory, a smile curling on my lips.The sensation of his touch, so commanding and yet so tender, had left me both trembling and yearning for more. There was something raw and undeniably intoxicating about Vincenzo—his presence a dangerous magnet pulling me into a world where I could lose myself. Where I wanted to.After a long, reflective moment, I reluctantly pushed aside the soft covers.The memory of last night still clung to me like a delicate perfume I wasn’t
~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