(Alessio's POV) My eyes scanned every word of the letter Lisa's father had written. Each line was filled with longing and desperation, describing how much he missed his daughter and wished for her return. It was heartfelt and raw, written with the emotions of a father who would move heaven and earth for his child. Every single thing Ivan had told Lisa's father had come from me. The lies, the reassurances—those were my words. The one million dollars I gave him as compensation for Lisa’s absence was meant to quiet his suspicions, not prompt him to write this letter. I never expected he'd write a letter to Lisa. "Are you going to give the letter to her?" Ivan asked. I stared at the words in the letter again. Lisa would definitely try to escape if she saw this letter. She hadn't attempted to escape again, but she would surely do so if I give her the letter from her dad. I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted her to stay with me. I didn’t know how long, but I just wanted her around me.
(Lisa's POV) I felt much better when I woke up. I didn’t know how long I’d slept, but waking up to find the painful cramps gone was a relief. The intense pain I had felt before was now just a memory, and I owed it all to Alessio, who had gone out of his way to get me medicine. With how cold his demeanor usually was, he was the last person I would have expected to care about my cramps. Nevertheless, I entered the bathroom to take a long bath. I spent extra time in there, as I always felt irritated with myself during this time of the month. After stepping out of the bathroom, I put on something comfortable and left the room. Isabella was the first to rush over, coiling her hand around mine. "So, how are you feeling now?" she asked with concern in her eyes. "Much better. I feel free now," I replied with a smile. "That’s good to know! It means I won’t have to be your watchwoman today," she grinned, but her words made me furrow my brows. "What do you mean?" I inquired curiously. "Do
(Alessio's POV) She kept smiling and blushing as she flipped through the pages of the book she was reading. She was so engrossed in it that she forgot I was sitting right next to her. I couldn't help but grow curious about what was so captivating in the book that made her blush and smile with each passing second. "Is the book that interesting?" I asked, so she'd know I was still presence in the library. Lisa only gave me a nod and flip to the next page, her eyes darting on the lines inside the book. I was relief that she was back to herself, and she was smiling again rather than clutching to her stomach in pain. At one point, she laughed out loud. I furrowed my brows, wondering if books could really be that interesting or if she was just exaggerating. I had never read a book before, except for those related to the DeLuca history. The entire collection of books here was purely for show because the library concealed the exit out of this house. It became more stocked with books afte
(Alessio's POV) I chased him down the hallway as quickly as I could. He was a fast runner, but I was still able to catch up with him. Just as he flagged down a cab and was about to get in, I grabbed him, and with a powerful shove, I sent him crashing to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and tried to run again, but a flying kick from me knocked him back down, and this time, he couldn't move. "Who are you?" My voice was thick with anger as I forced him to face me, only to realize he was someone I knew. "Luca?" I muttered, remembering him as a mobster who had worked under me until he chose to resign. But that didn’t stop me from gripping his collar harder and slamming him against the nearest wall. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, my hand tightening itself around his neck. One wrong move from him, and I might snap it with my bare hands. "I'm in the hospital to see my dying mother," he stammered, his voice trembling. "I don't believe you!" I snarled, tightening my gr
(Lisa's POV) A smile surged through me as I stood by the window in my room, embracing the cold air blowing in. Having worked as a weather forecaster for almost two years before being kidnapped by Alessio, I could easily tell it was going to rain. Still, there was a 15% chance it might not. I had studied hard to become a weather forecaster because I always dreamt of announcing the weather on TV and radio, helping people avoid being drenched by unexpected rain. Exhaling, I looked down from the window. The guards were still on patrol, their huge guns slung over their shoulders. I wondered if they ever slept at all because they always seemed to be on watch twenty-four hours a day. One of the guards spotted me and bowed. I gave him a nervous smile before closing the window. If I could remember correctly, he was one of the men Alessio had sent to kidnap me. “Madame,” I heard someone say, knocking on the door. I left the window and went to open it. Vanessa stepped in, a smile spread acr
(Lisa's POV) I sneaked into Alessio's suite, hoping to find the book he took from me. I still couldn't understand why he took it and refused to give it back. I’ve always been curious, especially when it comes to suspenseful stories, and that's why I couldn't bring myself to read another book—I was desperate to find out what happened with Alfred's confession to Nina. "Where could it be?" I murmured to myself as I searched the room. I didn’t want Alessio to return and find me here. I looked under the bed, but the book was nowhere to be found. My last hope was the drawer. Quickly, I went to the drawer and opened it, but instead of the book, I found a letter. For a moment, I considered ignoring it, sensing it might belong to Alessio. But my curiosity got the better of me, so I unsealed the letter. As I read the first line, my eyes widened in shock. The letter wasn’t for Alessio—it was for me. It was from my dad. How had Alessio gotten in contact with my dad? And why didn’t he gi
(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 didn’t know she would get her hands on the letter. Maybe I shouldn’t have given her free privilege to enter and leave my suite however she liked. But it was her, and when it comes to her, it’s 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 she’d know I wasn’t 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 couldn’t even explain. "Lisa," I called out her name, but she buried her face deeper into the pillow, crying as if I had beaten her. I’ve 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 hadn’t 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 wasn’t 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) "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