(Writer's POV) Bianca angrily slammed her phone against the wall after calling Salvatore for the tenth time, but he still didn't pick up. She was seething with rage because Lisa had humiliated her by winning over Salvatore. Her fury intensified when she discovered that Salvatore had left Italy, which was why she was trying to call him—only to be ghosted. "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!" she screamed like a deranged woman, banging her hand on the table repeatedly. She never once thought that Lisa would come back alive. Her hopes of having Alessio for herself were about to be crushed because Lisa had won over Salvatore. Bianca tightened her fists as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "This isn't over yet, Lisa. Since the Godfather can't kill you, I'll do it myself. I'll make sure you disappear from this earth, and there's nothing Don Alessio can do about it because he can't kill me. I'm going to kill you, Lisa!" she swore under her breath, her eyes raging with fury. A few minutes
(Alessio's POV) While enjoying my cigarette, I felt thirsty and decided to go to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Just as I stepped into the kitchen, I heard Vanessa asking someone over the phone what she should do. It was surprising to see a cellphone in her hand; I had given them strict instructions not to have any cellphones. I didn't trust any of them, which is why I made an order that they shouldn't have cellphones with them. They only go home to see their families once a year, and they are always taken out of the house unconscious and brought back unconscious when it was time to return to work. "Who are you talking to?" I asked her from behind. Recognizing my voice, she gasped and dropped her phone to the ground. "Boss... Alessio," she stammered as she turned to face me. I walked closer to her and picked up the phone from the ground. The call had already ended, and looking at the caller ID of the person she was talking to, it was saved as "Flora." "What are yo
(Lisa's POV) "You don't mean what you just said, do you?" Alessio asked, disappointment evident in his eyes. He hadn’t expected me to say that, but I couldn't just stand by and watch him kill Vanessa—a woman who had been nothing but kind to me. "Yes, I mean it, Alessio. I can easily go back to California if I want to, so don't make me do it," I replied, looking directly into his eyes. Alessio stared at me, as if trying to form a response, but when he couldn't, he walked out, bumping shoulders with me as he passed. I staggered. Alessio left the kitchen, with Ivan silently following behind him. I watched until Alessio was out of sight. "Lisa," Vanessa called my name, sobbing. I rushed to her, squatting beside her. "Are you alright?" I asked. She shook her head, sniffling. "I didn't do anything wrong, Lisa. I only had a secret phone because my sister is in the hospital. You know how my daughter died because I was too busy traveling the world and learning different dishes,
(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
(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) "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) "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
(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
(Lisa's POV) "It's been a while, Lisa. How have you been?" Nathan asked me with a smile. I furrowed my brows at him, wondering if he had forgotten what he did to me, but nevertheless, I beamed a smile at him. If he hadn't shattered my heart, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to know a man like Alessio. "I've been good. What about you?" I asked, trying my best to be formal. There was no reason to be informal with him. "I've been good too. Where have you been all this while? I constantly go to your workplace, but all what your boss keep saying is that you're on a business trip. I couldn't go to your dad, because you must've told him what I did to you." "Exactly, Nathan. I'm glad you still remember what you did to me. So why do you keep going to my boss asking about me?" I asked sharply. "It's because I miss you, Lisa," he murmured, and I chuckled, finding his words so funny. "You miss me? What about the woman you were with? Didn't she sponsor your business like you claimed
(Lisa's POV) I betrayed the man I love and the man who loves me, and no matter what my reasons were, it wasn't justified. I had a chance to ask him about it, but rather than confronting him, I acted rashly. He lost everything. A lot of innocent souls died because of me, and it's best if I leave. If he had wanted to kill me, I would have accepted it, but since he wanted me out of his life, I will do as he says, even though it hurts being separated from him. Staring at the entrance of the airport, my tears fell down my cheeks, but I wiped them off with a sob. With the despicable thing I have done, I don't know if I could live a normal life. I will forever be haunted for betraying him and for killing innocent souls. I sniffled one last time. I made to enter the airport, but I bumped into someone. "I'm sorry," I managed to say, but fresh tears fell from my eyes and down to my cheeks when I saw I had bumped into Angelo. "Angelo," I said, nearly breaking into tears. I had
(Alessio's POV) "How long have I been unconscious?" I asked. "For a few days," Ivan answered. I sighed, trying to sit up on the bed, but Ivan quickly stopped me from doing so. "You shouldn't do that yet. Your wounds are still fresh," he said, but I ignored him and sat up on the bed, enduring the pain. Every part of my body was filled with injuries. It hurt and itched at the same time. "Where's Salvatore?" "He left a few minutes before you woke up," Ivan replied. "Is it true that Enzo destroyed everything, including my house and the clan?" Ivan looked at me and sadly nodded his head. "We lost the mobsters at the clan. The innocent maids also died from the explosion." "No single person survived?" I asked, hiding how bad I felt. "No one, Boss Alessio. We have nothing left," Ivan answered, wiping his tears, as he was too emotional to control them. I failed to protect my men. If I hadn't been trapped under Enzo's custody, none of this would have happened. "Aren’
(Writer's POV) "What did I just hear you just say? You gave who to who?" Salvatore sneered. He had booked an early flight to Rome so he could know the happenings of the clan, only for him to meet dead monsters and a destroyed clan. Lisa took in her lips, unable to say anything. Salvatore had always said she'd betray Alessio, and she felt so embarrassed because his instinct came to pass. She betrayed the man who loves her. A man who always showed up whenever she was in danger. She made a promise… but couldn't keep her promise. She was just like his mother. "Have your tongue been cut off? Repeat what you just said!" he snapped at her, and tears strolled down her eyes. No matter how much she cried, it wouldn't justify what she had done. "I didn't mean to betray him," she began sobbing. "I thought he killed my dad, so I gave him an apple injected with succinylcholine. He became weak because of it, and Enzo was able to trap him. Enzo has him in his custody and it's all
(Writer's POV) "Did Don Alessio answer the phone?" Isabella asked Ivan in a panicked voice, while Ivan shook his head with a sigh. "Why would Lisa even think of leaving the house?" Isabella murmured, her worries palpable. She had earlier gone to Lisa's room to talk to her, only to find out she wasn't in her room. When she got worried, she asked Ivan for help, and he looked into the surveillance cameras and they both found out that Lisa had sneaked out of the house by secretly entering the car trunk of Alessio's car. "Do you think Don Alessio has seen her already?" "I don't think so, Isabella. It's unlike him not to answer the phone either. Something seems off and I can feel it," Ivan muttered. Isabella swiped her hand through her hair in frustration. "Why can't Lisa just believe that Vanessa was indeed a spy?" "Asking questions won't do. If Alessio still doesn't know she's not in the house, then we should find her before he does." Isabella nodded, and just as they were about t
(Lisa's POV) "I love you so much, Lisa." Those words repeated themselves a thousand times in my ears, and fresh tears rushed down my face. These were the words I had always longed to hear from him. Alessio finally confessed his feelings to me. My glassy eyes shifted to him, and I saw the sincerity in his tears. Did he really not kill my dad? Did I accuse him wrongly? If he wasn't the one who murdered my dad, then who could have done it? "I didn't kill your dad. I will never do that to you," he whispered, and my heart shattered even more. I didn't know who to believe because my dad, who could have spoken for himself, was dead. "Enough with the emotional scenes, lovers. Tell me, Alessio, aren't you happy to see me?" he smirked. Alessio glared at him. "Why should I miss someone like you? You're still the weak person you are. Isn't that why you made me appear weak in front of you? Because you know I would always beat you to a pulp," Alessio said, despite his weakness. Enzo got
(Alessio's POV) I was all alone in my office, thinking of ways I could make Lisa forgive me, when I received a text from her, demanding we meet up. My eyebrows furrowed in surprise, wondering how she was able to leave the house because I had given my men strict warnings not to allow her leave. I sprang up from the chair and called her. It rang many times, but she didn't answer. Grabbing my jacket, I rushed out of my office and almost bumped into Angelo on my way out. He looked shocked upon seeing me. "Why are you looking at me that way? Did something happen?" I asked. "No... nothing happened?" he stuttered, his hand shaking. I didn't have time to ask him why he was reacting that way because all I could think of was going to Lisa and ask how she was able to leave the house. I left Angelo standing there and got into my car. I drove off to Gianicolo Hills, where Lisa had asked me to meet her. Arriving at the hills, she was the only one there, staring into space, lost in t
(Lisa's POV) Angelo arrived at the location the caller had given me. It was a warehouse, but from the looks of it, it was still under construction. I tried getting down from the car, but Angelo held my hand. "Don't tell me you're going in there?" "Yes, I am. That's why I asked you to bring me here in the first place." "You need to tell me what's going on, Lisa. Don Alessio will kill me if he finds out about this," his tone was etched with worry. "You don't need to worry about that. He won't ever find out unless you snitch on me. Are you going to do that?" Angelo sighed, feeling defeated. "You know I would never do that to you. I just want to know why you came here and who you want to talk to." "It's just someone I know. I just need to find out the truth." "The truth about what?" I ignored his question and got out of the car. He tried to follow me, but I stopped him from doing so. "What if you get hurt?" "I'll be fine. I can defend myself," I assured him. "Should
(Lisa's POV) I didn’t know what to do at that moment. There was no way I could possibly leave this house—not when Alessio had his eyes on me. My heart shattered as I spoke to him. Not even in my worst nightmares did I ever dream about losing my dad. Everything was happening so fast in just one day. First, Vanessa died. Then Alessio drastically changing from who he used to be into something worse. And now, I just found out that my dad was dead. It felt like my world had collapsed right in front of me. Why was all this happening to me in one single day? “I… I can't leave. Alessio’s got his eyes on me,” I sniffled. “Then it means you're not interested in knowing who killed your dad!” he snapped and hung up. “Please, don’t hang up on me!” I cried out. Sobbing, I called the number again, but he didn’t pick up. “Please answer the phone,” I cried, almost at the brink of losing myself. I wished this was all just a dream—one where I’d wake up and find Vanessa cooking for me, my dad sti