(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
(Alessio's POV) Lisa took the bottle of water and medicine from me, avoiding eye contact. She read the prescription on the medicine before swallowing two pills. "Are you okay now?" I asked, hoping the medicine would work quickly so she could stop feeling pain. I didn’t like the way she looked right now; it felt like she’d died. The pain consumed her to the extent that she lost her voice. I didn’t know women went through this kind of pain during their monthly flow. If not for Isabella, I wouldn’t have known what was going on with her. I’ve always known she was stubborn, but I didn’t realize she was this stubborn. She was dying in pain, and yet she chose to hide it from me. Did she have any idea how worried I was when I came into the room and saw her like that? I thought she was going to die with the way she held her stomach, her voice weak and faint. It scared me so much that I rushed to the nearest pharmacy as quickly as I could to get her medicine. What the heck is she doing to
(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) "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