(Alessio's POV) "Really? I'm the most important person in your life?" she asked with a smile, her face turning red. I hadn't intended to say that out loud. I felt compelled to respond because she kept insisting that the sex we had were meaningless. How could it be meaningless? I didn't just have sex with her, I made love to her. When she confronted me about where she stood in my life and what she meant to me, I was almost tempted to tell her how much I loved her. But I held back, which is why I chose to walk away from her instead of expressing my true feelings. It's so hard for me to say those three words to her, even though I know I'm madly in love with her. It feels pointless to say it. Whenever I think about my dad and how he was killed by the woman he always confessed his feelings to, it weighs me down. It's not like Lisa could do the same thing my mom did, but I just didn’t want to tell her how I felt. Maybe it’s because I’m still traumatized by what happened to my dad.
(Alessio's POV) "What did you just say?" I asked, pretending I didn't hear what he had just said. Who does he want to kill? Lisa? He'd better be joking. "I told you to get a woman pregnant and have an heir, not form a relationship with her!" he snapped, but my angry eyes only glared at him. Gone are those times in my childhood when I was so scared whenever he showed up in front of me. I admit I used to be scared—so scared of him—but not anymore. Not when there's a monster living inside of me. "Send her back while you still can, Alessio, or her dead body will be the one that returns to wherever she came from," he added, making my anger boil. "You think I'd let you kill her under my watch? I won't back down, not without a fight," I sneered. He smirked and walked closer to me. Being chubby, he was shorter compared to my height. "Are you in love with that woman?" he questioned, and I clenched my fist before answering. "I don't need to answer your question, Salvatore.
(Writer's POV)"Who did you just say is a nice man?" Alessio asked.Lisa smiled more broadly. "The Godfather, of course. I thought he'd be scary because of what Isabella said about him, but meeting him today, he was the opposite of what she said. Are you sure he's the one who made you what you are today? He looks like someone who would never hurt a fly."Alessio stared at her, still in shock at how Lisa was praising Salvatore. He could vividly remember how Salvatore had locked him up in a coffin for two days just because he couldn't win over a man who was old enough to be his father in a wrestling match.He was only eleven, but he had always been asked to wrestle with men who were thrice his age. Salvatore was so heartless that he barely gave him food to eat or water to drink, yet still insisted he train every day.He had also witnessed Salvatore raping many women and killing them afterward. Being young and seeing all the heartless things he did to people filled Alessio with fear. Eve
(Lisa's POV) "Are you really sure about this, Lisa?" my dad asked, his tone full of worry, as I placed the last of my clothes into my luggage. "I'm definitely sure about this, Dad. I'm going to Italy," I replied firmly, giving him a determined smile. I wanted him to know I wasn’t going to change my mind. I was heading to Italy to see my boyfriend, Nathan. He had been there for over three months now, and I missed him terribly. Sure, we texted and video-called almost often, but it just wasn’t the same. I missed being with him, holding his hand, and feeling his presence. Three months ago, Nathan told me he needed to go to Italy for work. He said there was a potential client he had to persuade into partnering with him. Nathan owns a wine business in California, but it hasn’t been doing well. The market is competitive, and he struggles to find the right sponsors to take his business to the next level. I’ve always supported him however I could—financially, emotionally, and in every
(Lisa's POV) I walked down the streets of Italy, unsure of where to go or which direction to take. I was in a foreign land where I knew no one. The only person I came to see—the main reason for this trip—had cheated on me and left me shattered and broken. Everywhere I looked seemed to mock me as if the universe was laughing at my foolishness. I had booked a flight all the way from California to Italy, dreaming of a romantic reunion with my boyfriend, only to witness his betrayal. I should have listened to my dad, who had repeatedly warned me not to invest too much in Nathan. But I didn’t. My stubbornness and my foolish heart didn’t allow it. Now, it was too late to cry over spilled milk. I needed to brace myself, hold back my tears, and figure out how to return to California tomorrow. But it was already late in Italy, and I had no idea where to go for the night. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I clenched my jaw and forced them back. Nathan didn’t deserve my tears. I
(Lisa's POV) I felt his warm hands carefully lay me down on the bed, his touch gentle as though I were something fragile he didn’t want to break. My body sank into the soft mattress, and I let out a shaky breath, too weak and drained to do much. My eyes fluttered open briefly, only to close again. The alcohol I’d consumed earlier was wreaking havoc on my system, leaving me disoriented and heavy. But even with my eyes closed, I could sense him. His presence filled the room like a commanding force, his strong aura wrapping around me. His scent was intoxicating—clean, masculine, and refreshing in a way that comforted me. I felt the bed dip slightly as he sat down beside me. He didn’t speak at first, but I could feel his eyes on me, studying me. Then, with gentle precision, he removed my sneakers, his warm hands brushing against my ankles as he worked. The touch sent a strange, tingling sensation up my legs, causing my body to heat up in response. What was happening to me? I sensed h
(Alessio's POV) I woke up to find the woman from last night gone. In her place, she had left a pillow where her waist had been. How dare she run off as if what happened between us was meaningless? My jaw tightened as I sat up, her absence triggering a strange blend of frustration and longing. I rose from the bed, heading to the wardrobe to grab fresh clothes. After a quick shower, I changed and prepared to confront the day ahead.My eyes flicked back to the bed, lingering on the faint stain on the sheets—a mark of last night’s intensity. The memory rushed back, vivid and unshakable. Who would have thought a woman so breathtakingly beautiful, with an hourglass figure that seemed sculpted by the gods, would still be a virgin? I felt honored—no, privileged—to have been the first man to touch her. Her fragility, her innocence—it was unlike anything I’d experienced before.The night had started like any other. I went to the nightclub to meet with other mafia bosses, as I often did to disc
(Lisa's POV) "Are you sure nothing happened in Italy?" my dad asked, trying to force the truth out of me. Ever since I came back to California two days ago, his question has remained the same. He was clearly surprised when I came back just a day after leaving. He hadn’t expected me back so soon, but I wasn’t ready to tell him the truth about Nathan’s betrayal—or how I had carelessly given my virginity to a total stranger. "Nothing happened, Dad," I replied, forcing the words out. Guilt welled up inside me for lying to him, but I just wanted to forget everything that had happened in Italy and move on. "Then why did you come back so soon?" he pressed, his brows knitting together. "You were supposed to stay at least a week." I swallowed hard. He wasn’t wrong. If Nathan hadn’t betrayed me, I would still be in Italy. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have encountered the stranger who made me feel things I’d never felt before. "He’s busy with work. I didn’t want to stress him out," I l
(Writer's POV)"Who did you just say is a nice man?" Alessio asked.Lisa smiled more broadly. "The Godfather, of course. I thought he'd be scary because of what Isabella said about him, but meeting him today, he was the opposite of what she said. Are you sure he's the one who made you what you are today? He looks like someone who would never hurt a fly."Alessio stared at her, still in shock at how Lisa was praising Salvatore. He could vividly remember how Salvatore had locked him up in a coffin for two days just because he couldn't win over a man who was old enough to be his father in a wrestling match.He was only eleven, but he had always been asked to wrestle with men who were thrice his age. Salvatore was so heartless that he barely gave him food to eat or water to drink, yet still insisted he train every day.He had also witnessed Salvatore raping many women and killing them afterward. Being young and seeing all the heartless things he did to people filled Alessio with fear. Eve
(Alessio's POV) "What did you just say?" I asked, pretending I didn't hear what he had just said. Who does he want to kill? Lisa? He'd better be joking. "I told you to get a woman pregnant and have an heir, not form a relationship with her!" he snapped, but my angry eyes only glared at him. Gone are those times in my childhood when I was so scared whenever he showed up in front of me. I admit I used to be scared—so scared of him—but not anymore. Not when there's a monster living inside of me. "Send her back while you still can, Alessio, or her dead body will be the one that returns to wherever she came from," he added, making my anger boil. "You think I'd let you kill her under my watch? I won't back down, not without a fight," I sneered. He smirked and walked closer to me. Being chubby, he was shorter compared to my height. "Are you in love with that woman?" he questioned, and I clenched my fist before answering. "I don't need to answer your question, Salvatore.
(Alessio's POV) "Really? I'm the most important person in your life?" she asked with a smile, her face turning red. I hadn't intended to say that out loud. I felt compelled to respond because she kept insisting that the sex we had were meaningless. How could it be meaningless? I didn't just have sex with her, I made love to her. When she confronted me about where she stood in my life and what she meant to me, I was almost tempted to tell her how much I loved her. But I held back, which is why I chose to walk away from her instead of expressing my true feelings. It's so hard for me to say those three words to her, even though I know I'm madly in love with her. It feels pointless to say it. Whenever I think about my dad and how he was killed by the woman he always confessed his feelings to, it weighs me down. It's not like Lisa could do the same thing my mom did, but I just didn’t want to tell her how I felt. Maybe it’s because I’m still traumatized by what happened to my dad.
(Lisa's POV) I stood by the window in my room, watching the men on guard. Though my eyes were fixed on them, my mind wasn't. My heart still ached from Alessio's behavior. How he had walked out on me, not caring how I’d feel, replayed in my mind, adding to the sadness I was already feeling. If I had my way, I wouldn’t think about it, but the memory of him leaving continued to haunt me, even when I tried not to dwell on it. Was it wrong to ask where I stood in his life? He couldn't just have sex with me whenever he wanted and expect me not to question what kind of relationship we had. Some of the men who spotted me bowed with smiles, but I didn't wave at them as I used to because my heart was heavy with pain. My phone rang, and when I picked it up from the table, I saw it was my dad calling. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before answering. “Dad!” I said, ensuring I sounded cheerful so he wouldn’t ask why I was sad. I wouldn’t even know what to tell him, because all
(Writer's POV) Bianca had her leg crossed over the other as she waited for someone at the far end of the bar. She entertained herself with a cigarette, losing her patience as she waited for the man she was supposed to meet. "Another bottle of vodka," she ordered a waiter who quickly brought it to her. She gulped it down in one go and returned to smoking. Having lived like a gangster for more than a decade, she was used to drinking and could withstand alcohol no matter her intake. "Why the heck is he wasting time?" she fumed. She took her phone from her bag, and just as she was about to call him, he showed up in front of her. "Hi, Bianca," he grinned. "What the heck took you so long?" she growled. "You're not the only one who pays me for an assignment, Bianca," he replied, sitting in the chair across from her. "Were you able to see the woman Don Alessio came with at the party?" Bianca asked, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "Yes, I did. I was one of the security guards the
(Lisa's POV) I felt the aching in my head as my eyes slowly opened. The blood coming from my head mixed with my skin. Even with my eyes open, I couldn't see clearly until I heard the massive horn of a train coming from a distance, with its light shining from afar. My eyes widened in shock as I realized I was in a tunnel where trains normally pass by. I was lying on the tracks. How the heck did I end up here? Then I recalled how someone had struck a baton against my head, leaving me unconscious. Who on earth could have brought me here? This thought ran through my mind a thousand times in a row. The sound of the train grew louder, signaling that I needed to get out of here if I didn’t want to be crushed by it. I tried to stand up, only to discover I couldn't move my feet. My feet were tightly bound together, making it impossible to move them, let alone stand. As the train's horn got louder, fear gripped me. I kept struggling to stand, but it was futile; I couldn't loosen t
(Alessio's POV) If only she knew I had said that just to protect her, she wouldn't have been so mad at me. I couldn't possibly tell Vincenzo that she is the woman I love. Saying that to him would mean risking her life more than I already have. I haven't even found the strange caller who claims to be watching my every move, and if I had told Vincenzo that Lisa is the woman I love, it would have spread around the hall. They already believe I'm someone who doesn't have a heart. It's not that I can't protect her, but I didn't want her life to become a nightmare because of me. Saying she was no one to me meant no one would pay much attention to her. Isabella will definitely get it for me, because I’m a hundred percent sure she was the one who told Lisa. It had to be her; Lisa can’t just wake up one morning and know some words in Italian. When she couldn’t stand me anymore, despite how I had ordered a drink for her, she stood up to leave. I stopped her, only for her to tell me she
(Lisa's POV) "She is no one." His reply to the man broke my heart a billion times. He had spoken in Italian just so I wouldn't understand what he said, but little did he know—I did. After he told me about the mafia party we would be attending, I had asked Isabella to teach me a little Italian, just so I wouldn't feel too foreign at the party—at least, I'd be able to respond when someone greeted me in Italian. I was getting tired of explaining to everyone that I didn't understand the language. Isabella was kind enough to teach me the basics. Though I didn’t fully grasp all the words she taught me, some of them stuck in my brain. "How do you say 'she is my girlfriend' in Italian?" I had asked with a smile. "Why would you ask me that? You should be learning the important words first," she replied. "Just tell me. I want to know." I pouted, and she smiled before telling me how to say it in Italian. "Lei non è nessuno," she said with a smile, making me furrow my brows. "What
(Alessio's POV) The drive to the party was a quiet one. Lisa didn’t speak to me; her eyes were fixed outside the car window, and I could see her sad face from the side mirror. Speaking harshly to her earlier was never my intention. I just snapped in anger when I noticed she wasn’t wearing the crystal necklace she had promised never to take off. If I wasn’t so observant, I wouldn’t have realized it was missing. I don’t know if she was created on the same day stubbornness was, but she never listens and always wants to act on her own. Still, I felt bad for raising my voice at her. The fear in her eyes—the one I hadn’t seen for a while—reappeared after I shouted at her. If I hadn’t reacted so harshly, she would have been smiling, admiring the beautiful night view of Rome. Instead, her head was resting against the car seat, her gaze lost outside the window, reflecting her sadness. She wasn’t even looking at me, let alone talking to me. I don’t like seeing her this way. I prefer