(Alessio's POV) "Lisa!" I called out as I barged into her room. She quickly tightened the towel wrapped around her body. Her skin was slightly wet, indicating she had just taken a shower. "You should know how to knock, Alessio," she said, her voice low. I walked up to her, turning her around to check if she was hurt. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern—something that had never happened before. Lisa stared at me before nodding, and I let out a sigh of relief. "Did someone come in here while I was away?" I inquired, despite knowing that only Ivan and I knew how to exit the house. That left me wondering how the stranger had found out about Lisa's room. "No one came in, Alessio. I was alone in here." "Were you sleeping just a few minutes ago?" I asked, locking my eyes on hers. "No, I wasn't," she replied. Did that mean the strange voice was just playing tricks on me? I clenched my fists, angry that I had fallen into his trap. But I couldn't shake the qu
(Lisa's POV) Why didn't he fall for my tricks? I had asked him to watch me dress, but he chose to leave. Why didn't he give in? I pondered while sitting on the couch in Alessio's suite, where he had instructed me to stay until he returned. Had I not done it properly? Come to think of it, he had barged into my room, asking if I was alright or if someone had entered while he was away. It was the first time I had seen panic in his eyes, and it made me wonder what could have happened. Was he attacked? I sighed, realizing that the quietness of his suite offered no answers to my questions. If he were under attack, he should release me and let me return to my simple life. I don't want to be involved in his chaotic world, which seemed more dangerous than the Great War. After sitting on the couch for almost thirty minutes, I stood up and began pacing around the suite, feeling bored. I wanted to leave, maybe go to the library or go to Isabella, who could easily entertain me with her jokes a
(Alessio's POV) "What happened? How did the explosion start?" Salvatore asked over the phone. "It was an attack from our enemies," I replied, puffing the smoke from my cigarette through my nostrils. Ever since the strange phone call, I had been smoking nonstop due to paranoia. He dared to play games with me—no one had done that before, but this stranger did, even laughing at me for not being able to detect his voice. I had tried calling a thousand times, but whenever I did, it was always unreachable. "Which of our enemies attacked us?" Salvatore inquired. "Leave it to me. I'm going to handle it," I said. Telling the Godfather that I didn't know who had attacked our clan was the last thing I would do. It wasn't that I was afraid; I wasn't afraid of anyone, not even the creator of the earth. I chose not to tell him so he wouldn't have any reason to come back to Italy. I didn't want him to return and see Lisa—maybe I forgot to mention that the Godfather is the third person who knows
(Alessio's POV) "Don Alessio!" Marco approached me as I arrived at the nightclub with Ivan. "I'm glad you came; it's been a while. Should I get the best women ready for you?" he asked, speaking in Italian. "I'm looking for someone," I replied. "Who could it be? Tell me right away, and I'll fetch the person for you," Marco said with a smile. He had always wanted to get on my good side, but unfortunately for him, he was trying to please the wrong person. Signaling to Ivan, he showed Marco a picture of the boy we had obtained from the CCTV cameras. He must have been foolish not to realize that there were cameras around. "Do you know him?" I asked. Marco took the picture from Ivan and stared deeply at it. "I think I know him, Don Alessio. His name is Zach, and he comes here every Friday to gamble," Marco said. "Why are you looking for him?" he added. I took the picture and handed it to Ivan. "I need a VIP seat at the gambling hall," I said. "You want to gamble?" Marco asked, but I
(Alessio's POV)"What should I do, Boss Alessio?" Ivan asked when he returned. With my fist tightly clenched, I turned to face him. Ivan innocently stared at me. He can't possibly be the strange caller, right? Ivan wouldn't betray me because he knows the consequences if he does. A part of me chose to believe that he couldn't possibly betray me, while the other part had doubts."Did I do something wrong? You keep staring at me," Ivan said, and I sighed before shifting my eyes away from him. Trust isn't a commodity in my world, but somehow I was able to trust Ivan. He had been my right-hand man for a couple of years now, and all he had ever shown me was his sincerity. He had been loyal, despite the behavior I often displayed.Thinking about that, I decided not to believe he could be the strange caller. He's too afraid of me to even consider it."I'm going to handle it myself. Where's Zach?" I asked."I dropped him off at a nearby hospital, though I don't know if he'll survive or not.""
(Lisa's POV) Did he just ask me for a cup of coffee? I thought to myself as I stared at Alessio, his dark brown eyes fixed on me. Initially, I thought he was going to kill the maids because they had sat around me while I served them coffee. It took a lot of convincing before they agreed to sit with me. Isabella had helped as well. I just wanted them to feel comfortable around me—at least until I managed to leave this place for good. Isn't he the monster who kills for little or no reason? So why was he asking me for coffee instead of killing them like he usually does? No, I should be grateful he wasn’t acting like his monstrous self today. "All of you should leave," his deep voice commanded, addressing Isabella, Vanessa, and the maids, who kept their heads bowed, clearly terrified. Of course, they’d be scared of dying—no one wants to die. They all stood up at once, and without sparing me a glance, they left. Now I was alone with him. But strangely, he didn’t scare me the way he use
(Alessio's POV) I had told Lisa to sit down because I wanted to tell her about the strange caller who seemed to know about her. But when she sat across from me and stared at me with those innocent, beautiful eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She’s fragile, and I knew she might get scared if I told her. I didn’t want her to live in fear, knowing her life could be in danger. That’s why I had asked her to stay with me while I finished the coffee she made, instead of telling her about the strange caller. From the moment I kidnapped her and brought her into my home, I knew I was endangering her life. Yet, I chose to take that risk and keep her with me. Her face wasn’t something I could ever grow tired of, so I wanted to keep seeing it. I didn’t want any man to lust over her beauty and body—except me. As I sipped the coffee slowly, I noticed the frustrated look on her face. If she had her way, she’d probably yell at me to finish the coffee quickly so she could go back to her room
(Lisa's POV) I could barely move from the bed because my stomach ached so much. I’d have said it was the coffee from last night, but when a liquid dropped into my panties, I knew it was my time of the month. Isabella was kind enough to give me some of her sanitary supplies since she had packed a lot before coming here. I believe her now, after the maids told me they had been brought in here unconscious, but I wasn't dwelling on that because my stomach hurt so much. It had always been like this during my time of the month. I could barely move and would stay on the bed all day, tossing around as I endured the pain that felt like it might kill me. Isabella wasn’t here with me because I had told her I wanted to be alone. The pain came as sharp as a knife, and I winced. I always hated this time of the month because it brought nothing but pain. Back in California, I took drugs to ease the pain, but they never worked for me—probably because I could only afford the cheap ones. “Are you
Isabella groaned in pain as Vanessa stabbed the knife into her back. Vanessa pulled the knife out and tried to stab her again, but despite the pain, Isabella grabbed the blade. The sharp edge cut through her palm, drawing blood. Vanessa, determined to kill her, struggled to overpower her. All she wanted was to eliminate Isabella so no one would suspect her. "Who are you?" Isabella winced in pain, but Vanessa remained silent, knowing Isabella might recognize her voice. Desperate, Isabella tried to remove the mask Vanessa was wearing, but Vanessa fought to keep it on. Their struggle continued until Vanessa finally overpowered her. Vanessa stabbed Isabella again, this time in her stomach, then kicked her hard. Isabella screamed in agony as she crashed to the ground, landing in a pool of her own blood. But Vanessa didn’t care—her only goal was to ensure Isabella didn’t leave this fight alive. She raised the knife to strike again, but then she heard the pounding footsteps of Ales
(Writer's POV) Ivan's eyes slowly opened when he heard a knock on the door. He stretched his whole body, blinking sleepily, before getting up to open the door for whoever was outside. "Isabella?" he yawned, trying to see her clearly. "Can we talk for a few minutes?" she whispered. "Let it wait until tomorrow morning," he replied, attempting to shut the door in her face, but Isabella held it, preventing him from slamming it. "I thought you said you were on your monthly flow. Don’t tell me you changed your mind and want to have sex with me," he said, and Isabella kicked his knee. Ivan pressed his lips together to suppress the pain. "I know I agreed to be friends with benefits with you, but I am not here for sex. It's about Vanessa." "Vanessa?" Ivan uttered, sounding serious. Isabella nodded. "What about her?" he questioned. "Can we talk inside your room? Or should we find a safe place to talk?" she asked, and Ivan opened the door wider, allowing her to enter. "So,
(Writer's POV) "You should have been careful, Vanessa!" Enzo scolded her loudly. Vanessa had managed to escape from Alessio's house to meet up with Enzo. "I have always been careful, Enzo. I didn’t know Alessio would be awake at that time. I thought he would have been tired after having sex with Lisa, which was why I snuck into the kitchen to call you and inform you about Lisa winning over Salvatore," Vanessa explained. "But still, you should have been more careful!" he scolded again and took in a deep breath. "How were you able to survive? Alessio kills his enemies without thinking twice." Vanessa smirked and crossed one leg over the other, picking up a cigarette from an ashtray. She was wearing a black jumpsuit, which made her look younger than her age. "Lisa was able to bail me out. She used her relationship with Alessio to blackmail him." "And that devil complied?" Enzo asked, sounding surprised. "Yeah, he did. He's head over heels for her. And as for Lisa, I have
(Lisa's POV) The sickening sound of something I couldn't quite describe penetrated my ears. My eyelashes fluttered before I slowly opened my eyes. My head hurt, and for a moment, everything around me was dark. It wasn't until I regained my sight that I saw the clan's doctor packing syringes into a plastic box. She didn't seem to notice me, so I intentionally cleared my throat. Her eyes instantly shifted from her work, and when she realized I was awake, she rushed to my side. "Thank God you're finally awake," she said with relief. I tried to sit up in bed, but I was too weak, so she helped me. "Thank you," I muttered, and she beamed at me. "It's nothing, Lisa. What matters most is that you're awake." "What happened to me? All I remember is passing out after I drank the pineapple juice Nadia gave me," I murmured. "The drink was spiked with barbiturates." "Barbiturates?" I furrowed my brows. "Yes. It's a dangerous drug when taken excessively. But what matters right now is that
(Alessio's POV) "Bianca was the one who spiked Lisa's drink with barbiturates?" I asked, and she slowly nodded her head. "Yes. I'm sure of it, Don Alessio. She asked me once about a poison that could kill someone. I wasn't sure what she was up to, so I lied to her, telling her that barbiturates are dangerous." "Why didn’t you tell me about this?" I fumed. "I wasn't sure what she was up to, which is why I lied to her," she replied, and I harshly choked her neck. "What difference does it make now?! Lisa is unconscious! The least you could have done was tell me when you found her suspicious!" I snapped. "I'm sorry, Don Alessio. I never thought she would use the drugs on Lisa," she pleaded, but I added pressure to her neck. "Your mind didn’t tell you Bianca would use the drugs on Lisa, but it could whisper to you to take your phone and call Salvatore, right?" I growled. "I'm a doctor, Don Alessio. I couldn't watch Bianca die when I knew I could treat her; that's why I call
(Alessio's POV) "Where did she go?" I muttered to myself as I entered the shooting range and couldn't find her there. The moment we arrived at the clan, she had told me she wanted to go to the shooting range. I had agreed, but upon arriving at the shooting range, I couldn't find her anywhere. The guns were still intact, meaning she hadn't been here. Did she lie to me? Jealousy flared in me as I sensed she must've gone to see Angelo. I left the shooting range and went to his room inside the clan—he was the only one who didn’t have a condo of his own aside from the room he had in the clan, which was why he was mostly here. Arriving at his room, my brows furrowed when I didn’t find him there. "Where's Angelo?" I asked a mobster I came across. "He's in the power room, Don Alessio," she replied with a bow. Right. For a moment, I had forgotten he normally spent half of his day there since it was his job. Before I could get to the doorstep of the power room, I heard his voice. He w
(Lisa's POV) "They're... they're what?" I stuttered, surprised by what Alessio had just said. He stuck his hands into his pants pockets, giving me a mocking look. "They're fake, Lisa," he replied with a smirk. "If they were real, do you think you would have still been alive after you stepped on it the first time?" he asked in a mocking tone. "So you mean you left me standing for hours in the rain, believing they were real landmines?" I asked, and he gladly nodded his head. "It was a way to punish you for trying to escape from me." "Alessio!!!" I yelled at him, unaware that I had stepped away from the landmine. I gasped, but when I didn't see myself explode, I calmed my nerves. "See? I told you they were fake," he mocked. "Why did you do that to me, Alessio? Do you know how terrified I was that day? I thought I was going to die!" I yelled at him. "You wouldn't have stepped on it if you weren't trying to escape from me," he sneered. "You're a jerk!" I thundered, aimi
(Alessio's POV) I read her text over and over again, but I was too angry to reply. She had no right to threaten me the way she did, and a part of me still hurt, knowing she was using my relationship as leverage to bail Vanessa out of my hell. I wasn't done with Vanessa. I was determined to fish out the truth from her. I just needed to catch her red-handed so she wouldn't have anything to say when I did. I glanced at the cellphone in my hand, which belonged to Vanessa. It wasn't a smartphone. I dialed the number she had called last night, but whoever it was didn't answer. What made me suspicious was when I glanced through the phone and discovered there were no other numbers apart from the one Vanessa claimed was her sister's. It was impossible to have just a single number on your phone. Even I, who hate keeping friends like kids loathe medicine, have plenty of contacts. I became suspicious of her. She better be ready for me, if my suspicions turned out to be true, not ev
(Lisa's POV) "Good morning," I greeted him when I woke up the following morning and discovered he was back in his suite. He didn't answer. He was focused on buttoning the buttons of his black shirt. Didn't he hear me? "Good morning, Alessio," I greeted again with a cheerful smile, but he still didn't reply. That was when I realized he had actually heard me but was pretending not to. I got down from the bed and strode toward him. "Let me help you with that," I smiled, reaching out to help him button his shirt, but he held my hand. "I can do it. I don't need your help," he said, his tone different from the way he usually spoke to me. Was he mad at me? Yeah, he should be. What I said to him last night was really uncalled for, just like Isabella had said. I shouldn't be the only one ignoring him whenever I was upset with him. I guess this time around, it's my turn to apologize. "Alessio, about last night..." I began, but he cut me short. "I have something important to do," h