LILITH POV"It's okay to love him. We all do," Rachel, the host of this charity event, said.She grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter before sitting where Giovanni had been a while ago before he excused himself.I stared at Giovanni again, as I had been doing for the past few minutes. He was still conversing with the men in black and grey suits.They looked serious and deep in conversation. He had barely turned to glance at me. Even though I didn't mind, he was having an important discussion, and looking at me should be the last thing he wanted to do.I reluctantly peeled my eyes away from him to stare at Rachel.She was a woman in her late forties, with a handsome face and the fullest mouth I had ever seen on a woman. I wanted to believe it was natural, but as a woman of her caliber and wealth, I doubted she hadn't had any work done.Even her nose was too straight; it almost looked unnatural. Her eyes were deep-set, and her cheekbones were high.She didn't give off that Ital
LILITH POVTWO WEEKS LATER(CLINIC NEAR THE UNIVERSITY.)The bleach and antiseptic smell of the hospital stuck to my senses just as doctor's words replayed in my mind.Pregnant. I was pregnant. My stomach flipped, though I couldn't tell if it was the nausea that was threatening to push itself back up my throat or what she had said and the hopeful smile on her face.That was the last thing I'd have thought was happening. I hadn't thought of missing my period; I had only thought of the nausea that hit me every time during the morning. I had assumed it was food poisoning. Even as I barely eat at home and only with Giovanni.I was relieved at the same time, too stunned to speak.Staring blankly at the clipboard in her hands, then the printed confirmation in mine, I folded the paper. I shook my head, barely managing to whisper, "Are you sure?""The test results are conclusive. Congratulations."Congratulations?No. No. No! I didn't want to be Congratulated!I was nineteen years old, in my
GIOVANNI POV"You didn't do that, man," Theo said at the other end."I did," I murmured, taking a drag from the cigar in between my fingers."That's Diego's cousin." Theo reminded me."And?" I arched a brow. "My sister died because of that wimp. And I did what I got to do."I shrugged, walking to the window and peering out of it."You're calling for war, bro. Pulling a hit on his nephew isn't the right way to go about it. What if he isn't responsible? It's possible he's only there at the wrong time-""I don't care if he's not directly involved. He placed his dirty hands on Marcella." I said through clenched teeth.The video I had watched the other day and maybe more of him terrorising her each time. I had tried my best not to give in to my rage, but I couldn't.I couldn't overlook everything he had done, and watching him walk the university as if he fucking owned it.He had been hitting on Lilith, and to stop him from doing the same thing he did to Marcella, I had done what I needed t
LILITH POVHugging him felt so nice. His familiar manly cologne enveloped me, making me momentarily forget my ordeal and the reason I had come to school in the first place.I shouldn't enjoy being in his presence in this form, but I couldn't stop it on my own will. I was Raven. I was Lilith. What Raven felt, Lilith would do, too.I was stupidly in love with someone who didn't care about me. A potential murderer. Even though he hadn't accepted the fact that he killed Melvin, I believed he was the one who did. He was the only one I gave the information to."Did you come here to enjoy what's happening? Perhaps you take pleasure in seeing people cry." I murmured, my back was still turned to him.I hadn't made a move away from where I was, even as I had told him I was leaving."You see me as a monster," Giovanni chuckled. "Even if I was responsible for the death of that little shit, wouldn't you want to know why it happened? Would you think he deserved it after knowing, or would you judge
GIOVANNI POVI walked into the hospital, ignoring the eyes that followed me. When I got to the room Don Massimo was in, I opened the door, stepped inside, and locked it behind me to ward off intrusive nurses.Also, I wanted to be in the room alone with him.I had been restless since I heard the news about Massimo being hit. I had gone to Varese, a town about 15km from Milan. I couldn't leave there as fast as the news came due to the negotiation that was currently ongoing. If I left, I'd be missing out on the deal.In the Mafia world, leaving a negotiation halfway could be seen as a sign of weakness. Since I had enemies everywhere, they'd surely take advantage of the situation and jump in on any offer given in the deal just to spite me.It was Don Massimo who had sent me there, and now, thinking about it, I wondered if this had been set up so I'd leave and Don Massimo could be hit.They knew if I were around, they wouldn't have been able to pull this shit.I drew out a chair and sat on
GIOVANNI POVI stepped out of my car and looked around me.The sun's golden rays covered everything, but they did nothing to distract me from the eerie stillness of this place. Her home—or whatever you could call it—sat at the edge of a swamp, its wooden stilts rising just enough to keep it from sinking into the murky water below. The air was thick with humidity, sticking to my skin like an unwelcome second layer. Around me, the buzz of insects was incessant, making the silence even louder between their calls. But it still gave life to this place.The house itself was a patchwork of faded wood, rusted tin, and scraps of colorful fabric strung up. Wind chimes made of bones and broken glasses hung from the porch, clinking softly in the warm breeze. A small black cat darted out from the shadows, its yellow eyes fixed on me before disappearing just as quickly into the underbush.It wasn't my first time coming here. Whenever we desired to embark on a mission, our first stop would be here
LILITH POV"Does he know about the baby?""Nope," I said, pressing the phone to my right ear with my shoulder.Casey told me about seeing Giovanni in front of his usual spot today. He asked after me, and she denied knowing me.It was funny thinking about it now, but I knew Casey; I believe she was trying to protect me. It wasn't as if she didn't know who Giovanni was since I had told her a lot about him; she must have done that on impulse."Why didn't you let him know? Does your mother know, too?"I didn't respond to her as my mother suddenly appeared in the doorway. I flashed her a brief smile, arching a brow."Dinner is ready," she said."I'll be out in a few minutes," I said to her, hoping they would eat without me. I didn't think I was interested in eating whatever was prepared. By the smell drifting into my room, I could guess she had made pasta, bacon, and some pancakes.They were, in fact, one of my favorites, but at this moment, I preferred not to eat any. I'd rather go to bed
GIOVANNI POVI was at the location Mama Cole asked me to be; honestly, it wasn't like anything I had imagined. Also, I hadn't been here before.The roads were uneven and cracked in some places, but they were still functioning. They wound between low-rise buildings. Some of the buildings looked really old but were livable.It was far from the polished, manicured world I was used to. There was no glamour, no pretense. The people moved with quiet confidence, their clothes simple. They didn't care to impress anyone. There was no need. Their presence alone commanded respect.I was in their settlement—the nomads. As I had heard, they had a tight-knit community that protected its own no matter what. They were known to be resourceful, adaptable, and fiercely independent. However, they were outcasts, wild and ruthless—unforgiving in their ways.They curse people just for the fun of it and when asked to lift the curse, they'd send them to the devil to ask for his mercy because mercy wasn't thei
LILITH POVIt was close to midnight, and Giovanni hadn't returned yet. I was home. When I got home, I met Casey and Christie. I was glad that they were fine.They had all returned from the hospital except my mother. Even though she was still in the intensive care unit, there was an assurance that she wouldn't die overnight. The doctor had said so, and they were monitoring her. If her condition changes, they'll inform us as soon as possible.I was okay with her staying there. At her present condition, I didn't think we'd be able to care for her as much as they'd be able to do so in the hospital.Again, it would be a hassle having her here, and when she had another crisis, we'd need to take her to the hospital again.I looked out the window and saw a light flashing into the room. It was from a car driving in. One of Giovanni’s cars, but not the one he always drove in.I stepped away from the window as the car came to a halt, and Rowland climbed down from it.Snatching my robe from the s
LILITH POVI paced the room. Despite being lovely to look at due to the pastel wall painting and the vast window that allowed light to come into the room, it didn't give me any slight comfort that I needed right now.I believed the room had been specially prepared for me. I'd have thought of how thoughtful they were if the room wasn't a prison to me.No matter how cozy the room looked, it was a prison, and I didn't think I'd be coming out of it anytime soon.I hadn't seen my father in sight, nor Diego. The bastard that brought me to this place had only pushed me into the room before locking the door and walking away.He had even warned me not to attempt jumping out of the window as I'd only break a neck or even die in worse-case scenarios.I walked to the said window, looking down. Instantly, I withdrew my head as a wave of dizziness washed over me.It was higher than I had thought, and he wasn't lying. If I tried to jump, I wouldn't be breaking a neck alone, I'd die from the impact.
GIOVANNI POVI was with the guys, having a drink. We were trying to unwind and hoped for the best.Everyone was on edge. I glanced at Romeo sitting by himself and playing on his phone. He had stopped crying long ago. I wouldn't blame him.If I was his age, I might have that emotion as well. Only if I had my parents and I was as close as he was to them.I never had the privilege to feel this intense emotion because it was seen as a weakness. And I'd never allow myself to be as weak as that.But when it came to Lilith. It seemed like an entirely different thing for me. I had experienced moments of weakness, fear, and even more sensitivity than I had ever experienced in my life.I had tried to distance myself, believing because I was always in her presence, that made it that way.But even in her absence, she still managed everything to be about her.Looking away from Romeo, I caught Casey and Christie's movement. But not Lilith. Both were running towards us.I frowned, looking at both of
LILITH POVMy mother had been taken to the intensive care unit, while we were outside the door pacing, and waiting for the outcome of the doctor's diagnoses.I couldn't understand what was happening. I was still confused. Not only me. But Romeo who was now crying silently while Casey comfortable him, and everyone else.They had the same expression on their faces. I mean my mother had been fine. She was doing fine today and suddenly, she seemed unresponsive and her breath fading.Even though no one would openly admit it, I could tell the end was near for her. I didn't want to believe it too. But it was fucking too soon.I expected her to live months!Or even beat the doctor's words and stay years and even forever. She'd get to see her grandchildren and be the best grandmother ever, but that wouldn't be happening."Where are you going to?"I stopped walking, looking around me. I didn't realise I had left the others and was now very much closer to the main entrance.Giovanni was behind m
LILITH POVOut of all the things I wanted to hear Giovanni say, my father coming back was certainly not it.I stared at him. He wasn't bluffing. He looked absolutely serious. It was weird that he was mentioning my father seeing as I hadn't spoken to him about him. Also, the fact that he knew his name and he mentioned it made it even weirder."How do you know who my father is?" I questioned.Giovanni gripped my hand, pulling me up the remaining step, and towards the room. When we were inside the room, he let go of my hands.I watched as he stepped further inside, tugging his tie, and undoing the top button of his shirt.He rolled up his sleeves, pushing his hand inside his hair before turning to me."I am certain we haven't spoken about my father," I winced at the term father. I didn't want to refer to him as that because he was anything but my father, but at this moment, I had no choice.Since I wanted answers from Giovanni, it was only fitting I used it."There are things you don't k
GIOVANNI POVShe was fine.The thought jumped around in my head over and over again.Since I received Luca's call and went there to take care of business myself, I had been unsettled. Even though Luca had assured me that Rowland had driven her home safely, I didn't want to believe that.But now, seeing her in person, a relieved sigh coursed through me.I stumbled towards her, almost falling to her feet, but she caught me, her arms wrapping around me."What happened to you?" she whispered.I didn't respond to her. I couldn't. I doubted I could find my voice even if I tried to.I hugged her as tight as I could, never wanting to let her go. Inhaling her intoxicating scent, I shut my eyes tightly, opening them as I heard her voice."You have blood all over you, Giovanni. What happened to her?" She tried to move out of my embrace, but I held her back."Don't leave," I choked out.I had never been this emotional. Not even when Diamante left me a day before the wedding. Not even when Diamant
LILITH POVAs soon as I stepped inside the house, I was engulfed in a hug. It wasn't Giovanni as I had thought.Rather, it was the two people I had thought were still in the spa. The two people I was afraid for.As soon as they released me, my eyes widened, and I pulled them into an embrace of my own."You're safe!" I whispered again, holding them as tight as I could, as if they'd disappear if I let go.Casey laughed, "Of course we are."I pulled away, looking at both of them. They seemed fine and barely had any scratches on them. I was confused, but I was also curious to know how they had come out of the spa unscathed.Also, why didn't they bother to come looking for me?"What happened? I tried to make Rowland go back for the two of you and he assured me that you both would be fine. Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered!"I scowled at the smile still present on Casey's face. She was enjoying this. I had almost died because of them. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if I had bee
LILITH POVWe had barely reached the escape exit when I remembered I had forgotten something.The girls!I halted abruptly, my eyes widening as I looked around me. I tried to find Christie and Casey. But it was impossible to see anything due to the crowds and everyone running here and there to save themselves."We need to leave here!" Luca urged, tugging me.I resisted.Turning to stare at him."I need to find Casey and Christie!" I yelled."They'll be fine. We need to save you first," Luca said.I glared at him, tugging my hand from his. "Really? You want me to leave my best friends to some murderers?""I am sure you're ready to answer Xanthos when he knows you purposely left her, " even to Theo.Although Theo wouldn't admit to wanting Casey, and she, too, had denied it several times, I knew there was something going on between them."Or the murderers could be here for you and you'd get hurt because you wish to look for your friends who might have saved themselves. Then, I won't have
LILITH'S POV"Really?" I murmured, scowling as I saw Luca.He must have followed me here on Giovanni's order. But I thought Giovanni didn't care. How the hell did he know I was leaving the house, seeing as he had been avoiding me and we hadn't seen each other all morning?Perhaps he was watching from his window."So convenient of him," I rolled my eyes. He could watch me and despatched his bodyguard to watch me, but he couldn't even bring himself to speak to me."That's Luca," Casey pointed to where Luca was standing at the entrance.He wasn't even making his presence discreet. At least, someone else would have hidden from sight and maybe watched from a distance. Someone like Rowland.But he was doing the opposite."Did you mention you're coming here to your husband?" Christie asked me. "I thought both of you weren't on good terms."I shrugged, then stared at Christie. She shrugged as well. How would she know Giovanni and I weren't on good terms? She was really observant.She must hav