(Alessio's POV) "She asked about where the exit of the house is," I said to the maid who had reported Lisa to me. "Yes, Boss Alessio," she answered, her head bowed to the floor. "And what did you tell her?" I asked, displeased with the fact that she still wanted to leave. "I told her the truth. We don't know the exit of this house because we were brought here unconscious," she said. My eyes fell on her, and she quickly dipped her head to the ground, afraid that I might kill her. "Leave," I ordered, and she rushed out of my suite immediately. I lit up a cigarette, clearly not happy that Lisa had inquired about the exit of my house. If she hadn't accepted that she couldn't leave, what were all those smiles of hers for? The maid who had just left was right when she said they were brought here unconscious. When they accepted to work for me, I had brought them into my house unconscious. Even Isabella was brought here the same way. So, apparently, only Ivan and I knew that the library
(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 stared at my dad, completely shocked to see him in Italy. He, on the other hand, was also shocked to see me, since I had told him countless times that I was working in Japan. "Dad... what are you doing here in Rome?" I asked, my shock evident. He was the last person I would expect to bump into here in Italy. My dad was silent for a while before he finally spoke up. "I came here to visit a friend. I was exploring the beautiful places of Rome when you suddenly bumped into me," he paused and then asked, "What about you, Lisa? What are you doing here? You said you were working in Japan, right? So what are you doing here, and why do you have tears in your eyes?" He fired off so many questions at once. It felt like he was a godsend that heaven had sent to me because right now, I was on the brink of losing my heart from too much pain inflicted by Alessio's words. "Dad," I whimpered, walking closer to him and wrapping my arms around his waist as I sniffled. "Is ever
(Lisa's POV) Alessio and I walked hand in hand as we climbed the hills together. I felt happy about it because even if I didn't say it out loud, people would be able to tell that he was mine. We arrived at the top of the Gianicolo hills, and as usual, there were a few people there to watch the sunset. It was always mesmerising to see the sunset. Alessio and I found a spot, but I was the one who was more thrilled to watch it. He wasn't a lover of sunsets; he had agreed to come because watching the sunset made me happy. "It's about to start," he informed me, and I nodded eagerly. No matter how many times I had watched the sunset, it always felt like the first time, so I always got excited. I had shared a few precious memories with my mom while watching the sunset, which was why it never felt old to me; it always reminded me of her. "Aren't you going to scream like you did before?" he asked, watching me with a smiling face as the sun began to set. I grinned and shook my hea
(Writer's POV) A few days later, Isabella was discharged from the hospital and was brought home by both Lisa and Ivan. Vanessa quickly rushed to her the moment she saw her, pretending to be meek and innocent as always. "Isabella! Where the hell have you been? I was worried about you," she said in an innocent tone, though she wasn't happy to see Isabella. She wished she had ended Isabella's life when she had the chance. "Worried about me?" Isabella scoffed and glared at her. "Were you really worried about me, or were you praying so hard for me to die?" "Isa, don't be mean. Vanessa is only worried about you," Lisa defended Vanessa as always. "It's fine, Lisa. You don't need to defend me. I don't know why she suddenly grew suspicious of me, but I hope one day she believes I'm innocent of what she's accusing me of," Vanessa said and then smiled. "I prepared some food. You should eat," she smiled at Isabella. "No, thanks. You must have poisoned it," Isabella rolled her eyes. "Isa
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