(Writer's POV) "What do you mean by my daughter isn't back from her business trip?!" Jacob, Lisa's dad, yelled at the woman in her late thirties, who happened to be Lisa's boss. "She is not yet back from her business trip," the lady answered, her tone low and her eyes darting nervously because she knew she was lying to the old man. "Business trip? Among all the workers here, why did you choose my daughter for the business trip?" Jacob asked, annoyed. The lady took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves so Jacob wouldn't realize she had been feeding him lies. "Lisa is the most capable one, and that's why I chose her. You should be happy about this." "Happy about this? The last time I spoke to my daughter was on the night before her sudden disappearance. She never mentioned any business trip to me." "Because it came as an emergency. Go back home, and I am sure your daughter will be home soon," the lady said, hoping he'd leave, but Jacob shook his head. "I'm not leaving until
(Alessio's POV) My eyes scanned every word of the letter Lisa's father had written. Each line was filled with longing and desperation, describing how much he missed his daughter and wished for her return. It was heartfelt and raw, written with the emotions of a father who would move heaven and earth for his child. Every single thing Ivan had told Lisa's father had come from me. The lies, the reassurances—those were my words. The one million dollars I gave him as compensation for Lisa’s absence was meant to quiet his suspicions, not prompt him to write this letter. I never expected he'd write a letter to Lisa. "Are you going to give the letter to her?" Ivan asked. I stared at the words in the letter again. Lisa would definitely try to escape if she saw this letter. She hadn't attempted to escape again, but she would surely do so if I give her the letter from her dad. I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted her to stay with me. I didn’t know how long, but I just wanted her around me.
(Lisa's POV) I felt much better when I woke up. I didn’t know how long I’d slept, but waking up to find the painful cramps gone was a relief. The intense pain I had felt before was now just a memory, and I owed it all to Alessio, who had gone out of his way to get me medicine. With how cold his demeanor usually was, he was the last person I would have expected to care about my cramps. Nevertheless, I entered the bathroom to take a long bath. I spent extra time in there, as I always felt irritated with myself during this time of the month. After stepping out of the bathroom, I put on something comfortable and left the room. Isabella was the first to rush over, coiling her hand around mine. "So, how are you feeling now?" she asked with concern in her eyes. "Much better. I feel free now," I replied with a smile. "That’s good to know! It means I won’t have to be your watchwoman today," she grinned, but her words made me furrow my brows. "What do you mean?" I inquired curiously. "Do
(Alessio's POV) She kept smiling and blushing as she flipped through the pages of the book she was reading. She was so engrossed in it that she forgot I was sitting right next to her. I couldn't help but grow curious about what was so captivating in the book that made her blush and smile with each passing second. "Is the book that interesting?" I asked, so she'd know I was still presence in the library. Lisa only gave me a nod and flip to the next page, her eyes darting on the lines inside the book. I was relief that she was back to herself, and she was smiling again rather than clutching to her stomach in pain. At one point, she laughed out loud. I furrowed my brows, wondering if books could really be that interesting or if she was just exaggerating. I had never read a book before, except for those related to the DeLuca history. The entire collection of books here was purely for show because the library concealed the exit out of this house. It became more stocked with books afte
(Alessio's POV) I chased him down the hallway as quickly as I could. He was a fast runner, but I was still able to catch up with him. Just as he flagged down a cab and was about to get in, I grabbed him, and with a powerful shove, I sent him crashing to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and tried to run again, but a flying kick from me knocked him back down, and this time, he couldn't move. "Who are you?" My voice was thick with anger as I forced him to face me, only to realize he was someone I knew. "Luca?" I muttered, remembering him as a mobster who had worked under me until he chose to resign. But that didn’t stop me from gripping his collar harder and slamming him against the nearest wall. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, my hand tightening itself around his neck. One wrong move from him, and I might snap it with my bare hands. "I'm in the hospital to see my dying mother," he stammered, his voice trembling. "I don't believe you!" I snarled, tightening my gr
(Lisa's POV) A smile surged through me as I stood by the window in my room, embracing the cold air blowing in. Having worked as a weather forecaster for almost two years before being kidnapped by Alessio, I could easily tell it was going to rain. Still, there was a 15% chance it might not. I had studied hard to become a weather forecaster because I always dreamt of announcing the weather on TV and radio, helping people avoid being drenched by unexpected rain. Exhaling, I looked down from the window. The guards were still on patrol, their huge guns slung over their shoulders. I wondered if they ever slept at all because they always seemed to be on watch twenty-four hours a day. One of the guards spotted me and bowed. I gave him a nervous smile before closing the window. If I could remember correctly, he was one of the men Alessio had sent to kidnap me. “Madame,” I heard someone say, knocking on the door. I left the window and went to open it. Vanessa stepped in, a smile spread ac
(Lisa's POV) I sneaked into Alessio's suite, hoping to find the book he took from me. I still couldn't understand why he took it and refused to give it back. I’ve always been curious, especially when it comes to suspenseful stories, and that's why I couldn't bring myself to read another book—I was desperate to find out what happened with Alfred's confession to Nina. "Where could it be?" I murmured to myself as I searched the room. I didn’t want Alessio to return and find me here. I looked under the bed, but the book was nowhere to be found. My last hope was the drawer. Quickly, I went to the drawer and opened it, but instead of the book, I found a letter. For a moment, I considered ignoring it, sensing it might belong to Alessio. But my curiosity got the better of me, so I unsealed the letter. As I read the first line, my eyes widened in shock. The letter wasn’t for Alessio—it was for me. It was from my dad. How had Alessio gotten in contact with my dad? And why didn’t he gi
(Alessio's POV) I shouldn't have kept the letter. I should have pushed through with tearing the letter into pieces rather than keeping it in my drawer like it was an important documents. I didn’t know she would get her hands on the letter. Maybe I shouldn’t have given her free privilege to enter and leave my suite however she liked. But it was her, and when it comes to her, it’s always hard to set rules. "They have nothing to do with this! Just let them go!" she raised her voice at me again, something no one had ever done. "If you want them to leave, then go back to your room," I said, trying to keep my voice cold and harsh so she’d know I wasn’t joking. Lisa had always been stubborn, so she made an attempt to walk away again, and the moment I knitted my eyebrows, Ivan fired a shot at the wall and pointed the gun back at Vanessa and Isabella. The three women screamed at the sound of the gunshot. Lisa fell to the ground, trembling. It was her first time being so close to a gu
(Alessio's POV) "It's been a while, Godfather. I'm so happy to see you again," I heard Bianca say as I entered my office. She was pouring him a glass of liquor, trying to win his favor. "Why are you back?" I asked, not bothering to offer him a welcome greeting. He had to return to Rome at a time when Lisa needed me the most. She’s lying in a hospital bed, and I can’t be with her right now because of Salvatore. "Shouldn’t you at least give me a welcome-back hug?" Salvatore asked with a smile. "That’s not my thing," I replied, my eyes shifting to Bianca. She understood the silent command in my gaze and left without a word. "What brings you to Rome?" I asked again. "Am I no longer allowed to be in my home country?" he replied with a smirk. "By the way, where’s Ivan?" he asked, and Ivan entered immediately. "Welcome back, Godfather," Ivan greeted with a warm smile. Salvatore walked up to him and patted his back. "Thanks, Ivan. That’s what I like about you—you always know
"She is going to be fine. The knife didn’t go that deep, which means it’s just a minor injury," I heard a man say. My vision wasn’t clear when I first opened my eyes, but after a brief moment, I saw Alessio talking to a doctor. "If something bad happens to her, you’ll be dead," he said authoritatively, his tone scaring the doctor. "I have been in this medical field for more than eleven years, and I assure you she will be fine. I’ve already operated on her, and the stabbing didn’t go that deep," the doctor explained, though he fidgeted nervously in front of Alessio—he always had a way of intimidating people wherever he went. As for me, the doctor was right when he said the stabbing wasn’t deep, because I had made sure of that when I intentionally stabbed myself. It had taken all the courage in the world to purposely stab myself. It was the only option I had. I thought finding the exit would get me out of his life and back to my normal life in California, but I was wrong. With
(Alessio's POV) "Did you just smile?" she asked, looking surprised to see me smile. This would be the first time she had actually seen me smile, even if I had chuckled or smiled a few times because of her. How she had compared me to her ex-boyfriend stayed glued in my brain, and every time I thought about it, I felt nothing but anger. I couldn’t shake it off no matter how hard I tried, and that’s why I decided to ask her. When she said she no longer loved or thinks of her ex, I felt happy—no, I was over the moon. Do I love her to this extent for me to be overjoyed that she no longer thinks of her shitty ex-boyfriend? If a soothsayer had told me Lisa was a witch, I wouldn’t doubt it, because she had cast a love spell on me. "You just smiled, didn’t you?" she asked again, as her fragile index finger pointed at my lips. "No, I didn’t," I said, keeping a straight face. Even though I was in love with her, I couldn’t make it so obvious. I was still Alessio DeLuca, no matter what.
(Lisa's POV)I kept pacing around the room, not knowing how to leave the suite. I had screamed and knocked on the door, but no one was willing to open it for me. My throat even hurt from screaming so much. Why would he think of locking me in here? Still, I couldn’t shake the thought of how I—no, how we survived the landmine without getting hurt. Was it a real landmine, or was it just for show? I thought to myself as I continued pacing around the room.I need to go back to California now that I was fully aware of the exit, but what if he keeps locking me in here? I quickly went to the door to knock again, but that’s when he entered. I stumbled backward at the sight of him.“You were about to knock on the door again, weren’t you?” he asked. His voice seemed calmer now. Does that mean he’s no longer mad at me?“You locked me in here the whole day. Why would you even do that? You can’t just lock me in here,” I said. He walked closer to me, lowering his head to match my height. I gulped ha
(Alessio's POV) I wanted to leave her there, letting the rain continue to drench her, but she kept calling out my name, making it difficult for me to stand by my words. I brought her inside the house after she lost consciousness. When she woke up this morning, I was on the brink of unleashing my anger at her for disobeying me. However, when she winced in pain as I held her jaw, I let go, because this foolish heart of mine always ached in pain whenever she was in pain. I hated the fact that I was in love with her. It took a lot of thinking for me to understand my heart. I had always said I would never fall in love with any woman, but here I was, already in love with that fragile, stubborn woman. Now that I know how I feel about her, the Godfather might come after her, but I will ensure he never lays a finger on a single strand of her hair. She was mine even before I realized my feelings for her, and now that I know I love her, I wouldn't hesitate to kill millions of people just for
(Lisa's POV) I kept my eyes wide open, trying my best not to fall asleep. If I did, I would move my feet, which meant I would die, and the fear of dying scared me to the core. Now I fully understood why everyone here respected his orders; they didn't want to die. My legs ached, and I was growing weaker from standing on this landmine for more than three hours. I had heard a couple of stories about how deadly landmines could be, and Alessio was cruel for leaving me here without even attempting to help. I hated him so much! Who in their right mind would install a deadly weapon in their house just because they had a web of enemies? Just when I thought I could finally go back to my dad, I was trapped here with no one trying to help me. "You are so heartless, Alessio," I muttered as tears continued to pour down my cheeks. My eyes threatened to close, but I fought to keep them open. "Please, anyone, help me!" I screamed, but the response I got was the echo of my voice. The guar
(Alessio's POV) "Welcome back, Boss Alessio," the gatekeeper said as I drove past him. I ignored him, just as I always ignored anyone who greeted me. My face bore nothing but anger as Lisa's words kept echoing in my ears. I had spent the previous night at the clan because I was consumed with rage, and I didn't want to take it out on her. If I did, she wouldn't be able to survive it. The drive to the house took a few minutes since the distance between the gate and my house was a bit far. When I stepped out of the car, I was immediately approached by one of the guards. It was unusual for them to approach me unless something serious had happened. "Don Alessio," he said, his head bowed to the ground. "What do you want?" I asked coldly. "It's the woman you brought home," he replied, speaking in Italian. "What woman?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "The woman that was brought from California." "Lisa?" I furrowed my brows, not quite understanding what he was saying. He was one of the me
(Lisa's POV) I sat on the bed, my smile never leaving my face. After much thinking and trying to figure out where the exit of Alessio's house could be, I had finally found it. He wasn't just a monster; he was a tricky man as well. No one would have guessed that the tiny dot could be the key to leaving this house. I had finally come to believe the saying that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Now that I knew the exit, I planned to leave quietly, without anyone noticing. I had no idea how I would book a flight back to California since I had lost my phone and credit card the day he kidnapped me. But it didn't matter; I was going to find a way back to California. What mattered most was leaving this place first. A hand tapped my shoulder, causing me to scream in surprise, as I had been deep in thought. "Are you okay?" Isabella asked, worried about my outburst. I let out a deep sigh and nodded. "Yes, I’m fine. Why did you tap me like that? You scared me." "I'm sorry I sta
(Writers' POV) The loud music in the nightclub pulsed through the air as people danced to the beat. Some were lost in their movements, others were busy making out, while a few watched the strippers perform their outrageous routines on stage, tossing money at them. The waitstaff hustled to serve customers who seemed increasingly impatient. Bianca stepped inside the nightclub, the sound of her chain boots echoing as she walked, her eyes scanning the crowd for someone. She wore a pair of shorts that barely covered her backside and dark thigh-high socks. The crop top she worn struggled to contain her huge breasts, but she didn’t care. Chewing gum and blowing bubbles, her gaze darted around until she spotted Marco engaged in conversation with a group of men. Their demeanor suggested they were mafia bosses, but no one could be compare to Alessio when it came to exuding a frightening aura. "Marco, can we talk?" she said, dismissing the men with a wave of her hand. Since they weren't