(Alessio's POV) "Bianca was the one who spiked Lisa's drink with barbiturates?" I asked, and she slowly nodded her head. "Yes. I'm sure of it, Don Alessio. She asked me once about a poison that could kill someone. I wasn't sure what she was up to, so I lied to her, telling her that barbiturates are dangerous." "Why didn’t you tell me about this?" I fumed. "I wasn't sure what she was up to, which is why I lied to her," she replied, and I harshly choked her neck. "What difference does it make now?! Lisa is unconscious! The least you could have done was tell me when you found her suspicious!" I snapped. "I'm sorry, Don Alessio. I never thought she would use the drugs on Lisa," she pleaded, but I added pressure to her neck. "Your mind didn’t tell you Bianca would use the drugs on Lisa, but it could whisper to you to take your phone and call Salvatore, right?" I growled. "I'm a doctor, Don Alessio. I couldn't watch Bianca die when I knew I could treat her; that's why I call
(Lisa's POV) The sickening sound of something I couldn't quite describe penetrated my ears. My eyelashes fluttered before I slowly opened my eyes. My head hurt, and for a moment, everything around me was dark. It wasn't until I regained my sight that I saw the clan's doctor packing syringes into a plastic box. She didn't seem to notice me, so I intentionally cleared my throat. Her eyes instantly shifted from her work, and when she realized I was awake, she rushed to my side. "Thank God you're finally awake," she said with relief. I tried to sit up in bed, but I was too weak, so she helped me. "Thank you," I muttered, and she beamed at me. "It's nothing, Lisa. What matters most is that you're awake." "What happened to me? All I remember is passing out after I drank the pineapple juice Nadia gave me," I murmured. "The drink was spiked with barbiturates." "Barbiturates?" I furrowed my brows. "Yes. It's a dangerous drug when taken excessively. But what matters right now is that
(Writer's POV) "You should have been careful, Vanessa!" Enzo scolded her loudly. Vanessa had managed to escape from Alessio's house to meet up with Enzo. "I have always been careful, Enzo. I didn’t know Alessio would be awake at that time. I thought he would have been tired after having sex with Lisa, which was why I snuck into the kitchen to call you and inform you about Lisa winning over Salvatore," Vanessa explained. "But still, you should have been more careful!" he scolded again and took in a deep breath. "How were you able to survive? Alessio kills his enemies without thinking twice." Vanessa smirked and crossed one leg over the other, picking up a cigarette from an ashtray. She was wearing a black jumpsuit, which made her look younger than her age. "Lisa was able to bail me out. She used her relationship with Alessio to blackmail him." "And that devil complied?" Enzo asked, sounding surprised. "Yeah, he did. He's head over heels for her. And as for Lisa, I have
(Writer's POV) Ivan's eyes slowly opened when he heard a knock on the door. He stretched his whole body, blinking sleepily, before getting up to open the door for whoever was outside. "Isabella?" he yawned, trying to see her clearly. "Can we talk for a few minutes?" she whispered. "Let it wait until tomorrow morning," he replied, attempting to shut the door in her face, but Isabella held it, preventing him from slamming it. "I thought you said you were on your monthly flow. Don’t tell me you changed your mind and want to have sex with me," he said, and Isabella kicked his knee. Ivan pressed his lips together to suppress the pain. "I know I agreed to be friends with benefits with you, but I am not here for sex. It's about Vanessa." "Vanessa?" Ivan uttered, sounding serious. Isabella nodded. "What about her?" he questioned. "Can we talk inside your room? Or should we find a safe place to talk?" she asked, and Ivan opened the door wider, allowing her to enter. "So,
Isabella groaned in pain as Vanessa stabbed the knife into her back. Vanessa pulled the knife out and tried to stab her again, but despite the pain, Isabella grabbed the blade. The sharp edge cut through her palm, drawing blood. Vanessa, determined to kill her, struggled to overpower her. All she wanted was to eliminate Isabella so no one would suspect her. "Who are you?" Isabella winced in pain, but Vanessa remained silent, knowing Isabella might recognize her voice. Desperate, Isabella tried to remove the mask Vanessa was wearing, but Vanessa fought to keep it on. Their struggle continued until Vanessa finally overpowered her. Vanessa stabbed Isabella again, this time in her stomach, then kicked her hard. Isabella screamed in agony as she crashed to the ground, landing in a pool of her own blood. But Vanessa didn’t care—her only goal was to ensure Isabella didn’t leave this fight alive. She raised the knife to strike again, but then she heard the pounding footsteps of Ales
(Writer's POV) A few days later, Isabella was discharged from the hospital and was brought home by both Lisa and Ivan. Vanessa quickly rushed to her the moment she saw her, pretending to be meek and innocent as always. "Isabella! Where the hell have you been? I was worried about you," she said in an innocent tone, though she wasn't happy to see Isabella. She wished she had ended Isabella's life when she had the chance. "Worried about me?" Isabella scoffed and glared at her. "Were you really worried about me, or were you praying so hard for me to die?" "Isa, don't be mean. Vanessa is only worried about you," Lisa defended Vanessa as always. "It's fine, Lisa. You don't need to defend me. I don't know why she suddenly grew suspicious of me, but I hope one day she believes I'm innocent of what she's accusing me of," Vanessa said and then smiled. "I prepared some food. You should eat," she smiled at Isabella. "No, thanks. You must have poisoned it," Isabella rolled her eyes. "Isa
(Lisa's POV) Alessio and I walked hand in hand as we climbed the hills together. I felt happy about it because even if I didn't say it out loud, people would be able to tell that he was mine. We arrived at the top of the Gianicolo hills, and as usual, there were a few people there to watch the sunset. It was always mesmerising to see the sunset. Alessio and I found a spot, but I was the one who was more thrilled to watch it. He wasn't a lover of sunsets; he had agreed to come because watching the sunset made me happy. "It's about to start," he informed me, and I nodded eagerly. No matter how many times I had watched the sunset, it always felt like the first time, so I always got excited. I had shared a few precious memories with my mom while watching the sunset, which was why it never felt old to me; it always reminded me of her. "Aren't you going to scream like you did before?" he asked, watching me with a smiling face as the sun began to set. I grinned and shook my hea
(Lisa's POV) I stared at my dad, completely shocked to see him in Italy. He, on the other hand, was also shocked to see me, since I had told him countless times that I was working in Japan. "Dad... what are you doing here in Rome?" I asked, my shock evident. He was the last person I would expect to bump into here in Italy. My dad was silent for a while before he finally spoke up. "I came here to visit a friend. I was exploring the beautiful places of Rome when you suddenly bumped into me," he paused and then asked, "What about you, Lisa? What are you doing here? You said you were working in Japan, right? So what are you doing here, and why do you have tears in your eyes?" He fired off so many questions at once. It felt like he was a godsend that heaven had sent to me because right now, I was on the brink of losing my heart from too much pain inflicted by Alessio's words. "Dad," I whimpered, walking closer to him and wrapping my arms around his waist as I sniffled. "Is ever
(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