(Alessio's POV) I shouldn't have kept the letter. I should have pushed through with tearing the letter into pieces rather than keeping it in my drawer like it was an important documents. I didnât know she would get her hands on the letter. Maybe I shouldnât have given her free privilege to enter and leave my suite however she liked. But it was her, and when it comes to her, itâs always hard to set rules. "They have nothing to do with this! Just let them go!" she raised her voice at me again, something no one had ever done. "If you want them to leave, then go back to your room," I said, trying to keep my voice cold and harsh so sheâd know I wasnât joking. Lisa had always been stubborn, so she made an attempt to walk away again, and the moment I knitted my eyebrows, Ivan fired a shot at the wall and pointed the gun back at Vanessa and Isabella. The three women screamed at the sound of the gunshot. Lisa fell to the ground, trembling. It was her first time being so close to a gun
(Alessio's POV) I arrived in Lisa's room and found her lying on the bed, soaking the sheets with her tears. Her sobs were loud, and they pierced my heart in a way I couldnât even explain. "Lisa," I called out her name, but she buried her face deeper into the pillow, crying as if I had beaten her. Iâve never treated her the way I heartlessly handled other women in the past. "Stop crying and sit up. I need to check something," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. I was worried she might be hurt, but her face remained pressed into the pillow, as though she hadnât even heard me. Why was I even stressing myself over this? I knew how stubborn she could be. With a sigh, I walked over to the bed and gently raised her head from the pillow. It wasnât difficult to move her; she was so light and fragile. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice hiccupping softly, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. "Turn your back," I said, but Lisa ignored me, just as I expected. Frustrated, I carefully bu
(Lisa's POV) âIâm not hungry,â I said to Vanessa, who kept pressuring me to eat. How could I eat, knowing fully well that my dad was sick and alone, waiting for me to come back home? I had always been a food lover, but I would be a cruel daughter to indulge while my dad wasnât well. Vanessa took my hand, caressing it softly, and my tear-streaked eyes met hers. "You should eat," she urged me again, but I shook my head, wiping the tears streaming down my face. Ever since I found that letter, my eyes hadnât stopped producing tears. âYou once said I should consider you my daughter whenever weâre alone like this, right? Well, this is me, as your mother, asking my daughter to eat,â she said, her voice low and soothing. âI'm sorry, but I donât have any appetite. All I want right now is to go home,â I whispered, my voice barely audible through my sobs. Vanessa wiped my tears and offered me a reassuring smile. âYour dad will be okay. Just have faith.â âI canât have that faith,â I r
(Writer's POV) The loud music in the nightclub pulsed through the air as people danced to the beat. Some were lost in their movements, others were busy making out, while a few watched the strippers perform their outrageous routines on stage, tossing money at them. The waitstaff hustled to serve customers who seemed increasingly impatient. Bianca stepped inside the nightclub, the sound of her chain boots echoing as she walked, her eyes scanning the crowd for someone. She wore a pair of shorts that barely covered her backside and dark thigh-high socks. The crop top she worn struggled to contain her huge breasts, but she didnât care. Chewing gum and blowing bubbles, her gaze darted around until she spotted Marco engaged in conversation with a group of men. Their demeanor suggested they were mafia bosses, but no one could be compare to Alessio when it came to exuding a frightening aura. "Marco, can we talk?" she said, dismissing the men with a wave of her hand. Since they weren't A
(Lisa's POV) I sat on the bed, my smile never leaving my face. After much thinking and trying to figure out where the exit of Alessio's house could be, I had finally found it. He wasn't just a monster; he was a tricky man as well. No one would have guessed that the tiny dot could be the key to leaving this house. I had finally come to believe the saying that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Now that I knew the exit, I planned to leave quietly, without anyone noticing. I had no idea how I would book a flight back to California since I had lost my phone and credit card the day he kidnapped me. But it didn't matter; I was going to find a way back to California. What mattered most was leaving this place first. A hand tapped my shoulder, causing me to scream in surprise, as I had been deep in thought. "Are you okay?" Isabella asked, worried about my outburst. I let out a deep sigh and nodded. "Yes, Iâm fine. Why did you tap me like that? You scared me." "I'm sorry I sta
(Alessio's POV) "Welcome back, Boss Alessio," the gatekeeper said as I drove past him. I ignored him, just as I always ignored anyone who greeted me. My face bore nothing but anger as Lisa's words kept echoing in my ears. I had spent the previous night at the clan because I was consumed with rage, and I didn't want to take it out on her. If I did, she wouldn't be able to survive it. The drive to the house took a few minutes since the distance between the gate and my house was a bit far. When I stepped out of the car, I was immediately approached by one of the guards. It was unusual for them to approach me unless something serious had happened. "Don Alessio," he said, his head bowed to the ground. "What do you want?" I asked coldly. "It's the woman you brought home," he replied, speaking in Italian. "What woman?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "The woman that was brought from California." "Lisa?" I furrowed my brows, not quite understanding what he was saying. He was one of the me
(Lisa's POV) I kept my eyes wide open, trying my best not to fall asleep. If I did, I would move my feet, which meant I would die, and the fear of dying scared me to the core. Now I fully understood why everyone here respected his orders; they didn't want to die. My legs ached, and I was growing weaker from standing on this landmine for more than three hours. I had heard a couple of stories about how deadly landmines could be, and Alessio was cruel for leaving me here without even attempting to help. I hated him so much! Who in their right mind would install a deadly weapon in their house just because they had a web of enemies? Just when I thought I could finally go back to my dad, I was trapped here with no one trying to help me. "You are so heartless, Alessio," I muttered as tears continued to pour down my cheeks. My eyes threatened to close, but I fought to keep them open. "Please, anyone, help me!" I screamed, but the response I got was the echo of my voice. The guar
(Alessio's POV) I wanted to leave her there, letting the rain continue to drench her, but she kept calling out my name, making it difficult for me to stand by my words. I brought her inside the house after she lost consciousness. When she woke up this morning, I was on the brink of unleashing my anger at her for disobeying me. However, when she winced in pain as I held her jaw, I let go, because this foolish heart of mine always ached in pain whenever she was in pain. I hated the fact that I was in love with her. It took a lot of thinking for me to understand my heart. I had always said I would never fall in love with any woman, but here I was, already in love with that fragile, stubborn woman. Now that I know how I feel about her, the Godfather might come after her, but I will ensure he never lays a finger on a single strand of her hair. She was mine even before I realized my feelings for her, and now that I know I love her, I wouldn't hesitate to kill millions of people just for
(Lisa's POV) I didnât know what to do at that moment. There was no way I could possibly leave this houseânot 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? âIâĶ I can't leave. Alessioâs got his eyes on me,â I sniffled. âThen it means you're not interested in knowing who killed your dad!â he snapped and hung up. âPlease, donât hang up on me!â I cried out. Sobbing, I called the number again, but he didnât pick up. âPlease answer the phone,â I cried, almost at the brink of losing myself. I wished this was all just a dreamâone where Iâd wake up and find Vanessa cooking for me, my dad sti
(Lisa's POV) I sat down on the bed, burying my face in my thighs and wrapping my arms around them as fresh tears dripped from my eyes. I donât know what had gotten into Alessio, but he had completely changed in just few hours. First, he killed Vanessa, and now he didnât even blink before sending my dad away. I want to leave. No matter how much I love him, I can't tolerate him anymore. He killed Vanessaâan innocent woman who had been so kind to me from the very first day she was brought here by that monster. More tears streamed down my face as memories of Vanessa filled my mind. It felt like a dream, but I knew it wasnât. She was dead. The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, his hands in his pockets. âYouâre finally awake?â he said, but I only gave him a hateful glare. My heart might still love him, but my mind already despised him for what he did to Vanessa. âLisaâĶâ he took a step closer. âDonât. Donât come any closer, Alessio,â I said firmly, though my eyes continued to
(Writer's POV) Jacob trembled quietly as he waited for Alessio. The gateman had refused to let him in, judging by how the security guards had thrown him out earlier. "You can do this, Jacob. Lisa might love him, but he's not good for her. I'm sure she'll find a better man once she goes back to California with you," Jacob assured himself. "I thought I told you to leave?" Alessio asked as he approached him. Jacob became terrified at the sight of him, but he tried to stand his ground. If he did what Enzo instructed him to do, Lisa would never find out he was the reason her mother died. It might not have been deliberate, but in the end, he was still the one who made her motherlessâwhich is why he had showered her with so much love over the years. "I came to see you," he managed to say. "Came to see me?" Alessio repeated. His eyes flicked to the gateman, who quickly understood the signal and opened the electric gate. Alessio stepped out of the compound, his height and build
(Alessio's POV) "I already sent him away, Boss Alessio," Ivan informed. "What about Lisa?" I muttered. "I haven't checked up on her. I kept her locked up like you ordered me to do," he said. "You can leave," I muttered again, and he left. My eyes gazed at my phone screen, expecting a call from Enzo. I was waiting for him to call, even if he was going to use a voice changer, because I knew he mustâve seen Vanessa's dead body. I tried calling him, but, as always, it didn't go through. I even had to use Vanessa's cellphone that I had taken from her, but he didnât pick up, knowing full well I was the one calling since Vanessa was dead. When she mentioned that Enzo was going to come after Lisa, I became too angry, and thatâs why I killed her. I donât regret killing her anyway; I already got the truth I was looking forâEnzo was still alive. My mind drifted to Lisa, and I heaved a deep sigh before going to her room to see her. Opening the door, she was sleeping on the bare fl
(Writer's POV) People murmured to one another, and cars kept stopping just to take a look at Vanessa's dead body. Ivan had dumped her body in the middle of the road where she could be easily seen, just as Alessio had instructed him. "I wonder what happened to her." "Who could have fired so many bullets at her?" "Does anyone know her?" People murmured among themselves as they took pictures of Vanessa's body. The cops were there too, but they couldnât get any CCTV footage of what had happened because Ivan had made sure to delete the footage showing how he dumped Vanessa's body. While people were still murmuring, Enzo, who was taking a ride back home after having his breakfast at a nearby restaurant, stepped out of his car when he saw the crowd. Making his way to the front where Vanessaâs corpse lay, he gasped in shock. She had already turned pale. "Va...nessa," he stuttered as he rushed toward her dead body. The cops tried to stop him, but he pushed them all away, lifting Vanes
(Alessio's POV) "This must be a misunderstanding. Vanessa can't possibly be the spy!" Lisa defended Vanessa for the umpteenth time. The gunshot had startled everyone in the house. They were all fully awake, watching as I tortured Vanessa, who refused to speak. No one was speaking against me; even her own father didnât dare to say a word. All he did was stand there, watching as I tortured Vanessa in one of the torture rooms inside the house. It was Lisa who kept shouting and defending Vanessa, even after I had told her that she was a spy. "You better stay out of this, Lisa!" I yelled at her, hoping to make her flinch and back off, but she stood her ground, her eyes burning into mine. For the first time since I met her, I wanted her to go back to the way she used to beâterrified and scared whenever she saw me, even if it was just for a moment. She no longer showed a single bit of fear for me. This was what I had always wantedâfor her not to be scared of meâbut now I wished
(Alessio's POV) "Are you sure you're alright?" I asked Lisa a few days later. She nodded her head as she yawned. These past few days, she had constantly complained of being tired, even though all she did was sleep. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital?" I asked again, concern lacing my voice. She shook her head in disagreement. "I'm fine, Alessio. It's just a minor sickness. Iâll be fine." "You're sure?" I asked again, even though she had made it clear she was fine. "I'm sure of it. Where's my dad?" she asked. "In his room," I replied. I had allowed her father to stay here all because of her, but I hoped he would get the hint and go back to California. I didnât like him being in my house, and I couldn't possibly tell him to leaveâunless I wanted Lisa to be mad at me. She hadnât been herself these past few days, and I didnât want to add to her stress by asking her dad to leave. Thankfully, he understood the kind of man I was, and we rarely spo
(Alessio's POV) I sat at the far end of the nightclub, sipping from my bottle of tequila and smoking through my mouth and nostrils. Lisa and I fought again. We never seem to run out of things to fight about. One minute weâre sweet with each other, and the next, we have something to argue over. Why canât she understand that I donât want to get married or have kids? Itâs not that I donât want those things, itâs just that I want to be the last legacy of the Declan mafia world. I wouldn't want my child to go through the same pain and suffering I went through, all because he was next in line to rule the DeLuca Mafia world. My late dad tried to prevent it from happening, but in the end, I became a mafia boss. Just because I have no plans of marrying her or starting a family doesnât mean I love her less. Canât we just be happy together? These were the thoughts going through my mind, until a lady wrapped her arms around me. The only thing she was wearing was stilettos, as she was comp
(Lisa's POV) The drive back home was a silent one. I sat in the back seat with my dad instead of the front seat with Alessio. With every passing second, he glanced at me through the rearview mirror, but I pretended not to notice. His words still lingered, and if not for my dad sitting next to me, I would've argued with him again. "Are you okay?" my dad whispered, and I nodded with a smirk. We arrived home, and my dad and I got out of the car, but Alessio didn't. I expected him to blindfold my dad so he wouldn't know the way into of the house, but he just drove off after I got out with my dad. He didnât say a word to me, and it kind of stung my heart. "Why did he suddenly leave like that?" my dad asked, and I forced a smile so he wouldn't notice the sadness in my eyes. "I'm sure he has something important to do, Dad." "His behavior sucks, Lisa." "That's how he is. He's a mafia boss, remember? They tend to act that way." "I don't like him for you." "I know you don't, and I ca