(Alessio's POV) I stormed into my room, fists clenched in rage and my heart pounding with fury. Why is she so fucking stubborn? I warned her. I fucking warned her not to try to escape again, but she took my words for granted. If I hadn’t been home on time, she'd have died from the smoke and the traps. My house isn’t like the typical house you see every day; it’s not just a maze-like structure, it’s filled with so many hidden dangers that if you're not cautious, you’ll fall right into them. My enemies don't dare to attack me from the inside because they know what will happen if they do—what will befall them if they try. "Tie her up and lock her in the cold room," my order from earlier echoed in my mind, fueling my anger even further. If she had just listened to me, I wouldn’t have had to issue that command. The way I treat her is different from how I treat everyone else, yet all she thinks about is escaping from me. Why can’t she fucking understand that she is mine and I won’t le
(Alessio's POV) All heads bowed to me as I arrived at the clan. They were all shivering at the sight of me—just the way I wanted it. Ivan was beside me; he’s my right-hand man, so he is often everywhere I go. "Good evening, Don," they all greeted in unison, their heads bowed horizontally in front of me. In the DeLuca empire, I’m referred to as Don by everyone who works under me. "Have all the drugs been packaged well for shipping?" I asked, my face cold as ice. It had always been that way, but tonight was worse, and it was all because of Lisa. My mind kept drifting back to her being in the cold room alone with every second that passed. "Yes, we did, Don. But one of the mobsters tried to escape with a drug." My face tightened at the words I just heard. Just when I was thirsty for blood, someone had offered himself. "Where is he?" I asked, my voice laced with fury. I was led to the dungeon of the clan, and the man who had tried to run away with one of my drugs was sitting o
(Lisa's POV) I felt his huge arm wrapped around me as he lay next to me on the bed. I took a moment to visualize where I was, and when I realized I was in his room, I let out a deep sigh. My eyes slowly met his closed eyes, and I couldn't stop myself from admiring him. He looked like an innocent angel who couldn’t hurt a fly while sleeping. His long eyelashes curled up to his eyelids, his pointed nose was well-defined and structured, and his soft, thin lips—it felt so kissable right now. I had to look away, reminding myself that he is a monster and shouldn’t be swayed by how innocent he looks while sleeping. Once those eyes of his open, he becomes a monster who won’t hesitate to gouge out someone’s eyes or kill a person. Not only that, he even asked Ivan to lock me up in a cold room, caring less whether I was going to die or not. When I was locked up in there, I said a short prayer, hoping to make it to heaven because I thought I'd die. How could he have done that to me? He kidn
(Lisa's POV) He took my legs and placed them on his lap, and all I could do was watch him in shock. Was this the same monster who had gouged out someone’s eyes without thinking twice? Why would he even bother to treat my wounds? I thought to myself as I watched him open the first-aid box, pulling out an antiseptic solution. The warmth of his hands moving gently across my feet as he examined my injury sent shivers down my spine. I should have been focused on the pain in my foot, but instead, I was hyper-aware of his touch—almost as though it were igniting something deeper within me. His hands always seemed to evoke sensations I couldn’t suppress, no matter how much I hated him. He applied the antiseptic solution to the wound, and that’s when I winced. “Does it hurt?” His voice was soft, almost a whisper. I nodded slowly, feeling strangely childlike. He lowered his head to my feet and began blowing cool air over the wound to soothe it. I stared at him, utterly baffled. Was this Ale
(Alessio's POV) "Alessio," she called my name, and when I turned to look at her, she raised herself on her toes just so she could reach my height, and she kissed me. The kiss came so unexpectedly that the cigarette stick fell from my hand. I wasn’t expecting this from her. She nearly accused me of trying to have sex with her when she was unconscious, and now she’s kissing me—her lips all over mine as though she was waiting for an invitation to enter my mouth. She devoured my lips even though I wasn’t kissing back. I was too shocked to reciprocate. The way she was kissing me wasn’t the same as that night. That night, it was passionate and filled with longing. But this time, her kiss felt empty, like she was doing it on purpose. Recovering from my shock, I pulled her away. "What are you doing?" I asked, and she smiled at me—something she had never done before. All she ever did was glare at me or look at me with fearful eyes. "Kissing you," she replied, trying to kiss me again, b
(Lisa's POV) "I don’t know what you’re up to, but whatever it is, don’t even think about it. I already told you I can’t control myself when I’m angry. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you push me, I will—and it’ll be bad. You can ask Ivan; I don’t say things I won’t do. Do I make myself clear?" His words echoed a thousand times in my ears, each syllable searing into my consciousness. It was a warning, but I didn’t care. His threats didn’t scare me anymore. I was still going to push through with my plans. Since he refused to let me go and chose to lock me up in his house, I was determined to do whatever it took to leave this place—even if it meant becoming a seductress. If gaining his trust was the key, then I would play the part to earn it. I was resolute in my plan to escape the grasp of a monster like him and the chaotic world he lives in. A small smile spread across my face as determination filled me. I looked around the room, but he was nowhere to be found. I was sure I had f
(Lisa's POV) "Am I really the first woman he ever brought to his house?" This thought surged through me as I sat down on the bed. Ivan had long gone because he said he had some business stuff to handle with Alessio. I didn’t bother to ask Ivan about it because I knew I wouldn’t understand a thing about the kind of business Alessio does. But was Ivan telling the truth when he said I am the first woman Alessio has brought home, or was he just lying to make me stay here and try not to escape again? He’s Alessio’s right-hand man and supports him even when he’s wrong. Besides, no woman in her right senses would want to live in a house where the exit is hard to find. I don’t care if I’m the first woman he ever brought home; I’m still going to push through with my plans. There’s nothing to be impressed about. He was my first, but I wasn’t his first. He has been with lots of women, so I shouldn’t be swayed just because I am the first woman he’s kept close after the night we had sex. Som
(Alessio's POV) Does she like Isabella already? Does that mean she won't try to escape again since she already has someone to talk to? I asked myself as my fingers tapped on the table occasionally. I decided to go through with what Ivan suggested—giving her someone she could chat with anytime she feels bored. The maids won't talk to her freely because I’ve instructed them to show her the same respect they show me. Isabella is one of my workers in the clan. I chose her because she seems less corrupt than the other female mobsters. The female mobsters in the clan are nothing but bitches who sleep with anyone they come across, and I don’t want Lisa to be corrupted by any of them. That’s why I chose Isabella. I hope Lisa won’t try to escape again now that I’ve given her someone to talk to. I only went through with Ivan’s advice, not because she’d succeed in escaping, but because I don’t want to hurt her if she tries escaping again. I just hope this time she won’t disobey, so I won’t
(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