"She is going to be fine. The knife didn’t go that deep, which means it’s just a minor injury," I heard a man say. My vision wasn’t clear when I first opened my eyes, but after a brief moment, I saw Alessio talking to a doctor. "If something bad happens to her, you’ll be dead," he said authoritatively, his tone scaring the doctor. "I have been in this medical field for more than eleven years, and I assure you she will be fine. I’ve already operated on her, and the stabbing didn’t go that deep," the doctor explained, though he fidgeted nervously in front of Alessio—he always had a way of intimidating people wherever he went. As for me, the doctor was right when he said the stabbing wasn’t deep, because I had made sure of that when I intentionally stabbed myself. It had taken all the courage in the world to purposely stab myself. It was the only option I had. I thought finding the exit would get me out of his life and back to my normal life in California, but I was wrong. With
(Alessio's POV) "It's been a while, Godfather. I'm so happy to see you again," I heard Bianca say as I entered my office. She was pouring him a glass of liquor, trying to win his favor. "Why are you back?" I asked, not bothering to offer him a welcome greeting. He had to return to Rome at a time when Lisa needed me the most. She’s lying in a hospital bed, and I can’t be with her right now because of Salvatore. "Shouldn’t you at least give me a welcome-back hug?" Salvatore asked with a smile. "That’s not my thing," I replied, my eyes shifting to Bianca. She understood the silent command in my gaze and left without a word. "What brings you to Rome?" I asked again. "Am I no longer allowed to be in my home country?" he replied with a smirk. "By the way, where’s Ivan?" he asked, and Ivan entered immediately. "Welcome back, Godfather," Ivan greeted with a warm smile. Salvatore walked up to him and patted his back. "Thanks, Ivan. That’s what I like about you—you always know
(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
(Alessio's POV) I stood by the window of my suite, staring out at the moon. Her face replayed in my mind, as if the moon itself had captured the image of her. It wasn’t the look I had imagined when we would meet again. The expression she wore held a combination of fear and hatred, as if she both feared and despised me at the same time. I couldn’t care less about what she thought of me. She had already made her choice when she agreed to be mine—the moment she allowed me to touch every part of her body. And now, I would never let her go. Was it love? I couldn’t say. But one thing was certain: she would never have the chance to escape from me again. I had kidnapped her and brought her all the way from California to Italy because she was mine—mine to touch, mine to possess. No one else would kiss her, touch her, or do any of the things I wanted to do to her body. The memory of that night when I explored her body, marking it as my own, flashed through my mind. The feeling of her ben
(Alessio's POV) "It's been a while, Godfather. I'm so happy to see you again," I heard Bianca say as I entered my office. She was pouring him a glass of liquor, trying to win his favor. "Why are you back?" I asked, not bothering to offer him a welcome greeting. He had to return to Rome at a time when Lisa needed me the most. She’s lying in a hospital bed, and I can’t be with her right now because of Salvatore. "Shouldn’t you at least give me a welcome-back hug?" Salvatore asked with a smile. "That’s not my thing," I replied, my eyes shifting to Bianca. She understood the silent command in my gaze and left without a word. "What brings you to Rome?" I asked again. "Am I no longer allowed to be in my home country?" he replied with a smirk. "By the way, where’s Ivan?" he asked, and Ivan entered immediately. "Welcome back, Godfather," Ivan greeted with a warm smile. Salvatore walked up to him and patted his back. "Thanks, Ivan. That’s what I like about you—you always know
"She is going to be fine. The knife didn’t go that deep, which means it’s just a minor injury," I heard a man say. My vision wasn’t clear when I first opened my eyes, but after a brief moment, I saw Alessio talking to a doctor. "If something bad happens to her, you’ll be dead," he said authoritatively, his tone scaring the doctor. "I have been in this medical field for more than eleven years, and I assure you she will be fine. I’ve already operated on her, and the stabbing didn’t go that deep," the doctor explained, though he fidgeted nervously in front of Alessio—he always had a way of intimidating people wherever he went. As for me, the doctor was right when he said the stabbing wasn’t deep, because I had made sure of that when I intentionally stabbed myself. It had taken all the courage in the world to purposely stab myself. It was the only option I had. I thought finding the exit would get me out of his life and back to my normal life in California, but I was wrong. With
(Alessio's POV) "Did you just smile?" she asked, looking surprised to see me smile. This would be the first time she had actually seen me smile, even if I had chuckled or smiled a few times because of her. How she had compared me to her ex-boyfriend stayed glued in my brain, and every time I thought about it, I felt nothing but anger. I couldn’t shake it off no matter how hard I tried, and that’s why I decided to ask her. When she said she no longer loved or thinks of her ex, I felt happy—no, I was over the moon. Do I love her to this extent for me to be overjoyed that she no longer thinks of her shitty ex-boyfriend? If a soothsayer had told me Lisa was a witch, I wouldn’t doubt it, because she had cast a love spell on me. "You just smiled, didn’t you?" she asked again, as her fragile index finger pointed at my lips. "No, I didn’t," I said, keeping a straight face. Even though I was in love with her, I couldn’t make it so obvious. I was still Alessio DeLuca, no matter what.
(Lisa's POV)I kept pacing around the room, not knowing how to leave the suite. I had screamed and knocked on the door, but no one was willing to open it for me. My throat even hurt from screaming so much. Why would he think of locking me in here? Still, I couldn’t shake the thought of how I—no, how we survived the landmine without getting hurt. Was it a real landmine, or was it just for show? I thought to myself as I continued pacing around the room.I need to go back to California now that I was fully aware of the exit, but what if he keeps locking me in here? I quickly went to the door to knock again, but that’s when he entered. I stumbled backward at the sight of him.“You were about to knock on the door again, weren’t you?” he asked. His voice seemed calmer now. Does that mean he’s no longer mad at me?“You locked me in here the whole day. Why would you even do that? You can’t just lock me in here,” I said. He walked closer to me, lowering his head to match my height. I gulped ha
(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 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) "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 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, I’m fine. Why did you tap me like that? You scared me." "I'm sorry I sta
(Writers' 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 didn’t 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