Our journey lasted less than two minutes, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek when I see men standing guard outside my apartment. "Signora Lucia, Don Elio," they say when they recognize us. "I hope he is paying you good money for night shifts to guard an empty apartment," I tell them wryly. The two guards start laughing softly and move aside as I unlock my door. "Are you hungry?" I ask them before closing behind me. "No, Signora Lucia. It's nice of you to always think of us," one of the guards replies. "It's good to have you back with us," he adds, and I can't help but smile at him.I take off my coat while Elio just watches me without saying anything. He stands with his hands against the island in my kitchen that separates my living room. The way he looks at me adoringly when it's just the two of us still intimidates me despite the years. "What?" I ask him as I hang my coat on the metallic rack on the hallway wall. "You make me happy, Luce dei miei occhi," he simply rep
Elio serves me water. Then he takes me by the hand and pulls me to my room. He lies me down on the bed and covers me by pulling the big blanket under my chin. Then, his hand comes to rest on my belly while the other caresses my cheek. I frown as I realize that something is deeply wrong. "Sole mio... how can I be two months pregnant when it's only been two weeks since Santo came for me?" "It's been exactly two weeks and two days, amore mio," he replies. My hands tremble and rest on his hands. I wouldn't say I like the glint in Elio's midnight-blue eyes. He is looking at me with the satisfaction of having accomplished a perfect stroke. "Do you really need to know that much, Luce dei miei occhi?" "What have you done to me again?" I cut him off immediately, and I can't manage to hide the anger in my voice. "Shhh, Shhh, Shhhh," he mutters. "It's not good for our baby that you are getting upset. Go to sleep, Amore mio. And, tomorrow, I will tell you everything with Matteo." He is
"You can't have children normally anymore, Lulu." I gently lay the cereal box on its side. I can feel my hands shaking and a lump rising in my throat. "What exactly does that mean: normally?" Matteo walks over to me and lays his hands flat against the cold marble of the island. Then he takes a deep breath. "Three years ago... the day of the accident. Elio had to make a decision in order to save you." Matteo is cautious of me, but I do not show him any emotion. I just want to know what these men have been hiding from me all along. "Do you remember the day you saw Elio in his hospital room, Lulu?" I nod as I feel a teardrop in the corner of my eyes. How could I forget that day? "That day, several doctors were in the room next to Elio," he comments. "Yes, there were. Doctors for organ donation," I say mechanically. Matteo nods, then purses his lips for a moment. I can see the doubt, remorse, and guilt in him. "There were two other doctors. Fertility experts, Lulu..." I raise
I am stunned by what Elio has just told me. We remain silent for long seconds without being able to detach our glances from each other. I... I never wanted this. I never expected him to eliminate everyone connected to the accident. Except... maybe? I don't... I don't know anymore. Everything is confusing and jumbled in my head. I want to scream. I am terrified of what I've forced him to do, even without realizing it. I feel my heart pounding. Elio has avenged our children. I feel a rush of warmth gradually invading my chest. An unspeakable and immeasurable joy fills my head and my soul. My body finally warms up. A weight finally seems to leave my shoulders, and my heart starts beating with more strength. I am alive. I am alive, and he still offers me the opportunity to be a mother. Elio wants me by his side. Elio wants me to carry his children, this me who is broken in my flesh and soul. "Amore..." I won't let him finish his sentence, and I jump on him. My finge
I nod slowly. I am torn, once again, between several conflicting emotions. I don't know what to think about all this, but one thing is sure now: I am carrying Elio's child inside me. My mind is now clear on this, and I will never allow my child to grow up without his father. It only took us an hour to change and go home. Just as I head to our conjugal room, Elio grabs my hand and pulls me to another hallway in the Villa. "Where are you taking me?" I ask him, intrigued. "To my room," he answers. "Your room? I don't understand, sole mio. Our room is here..." He glances over his shoulder at me and continues to lead me toward an area of the property that I thought was part of the employee quarters. The air around Elio seems to change, becoming icier with each additional step he takes. It's not my husband standing before me, but Don Ganovese. "Amore mio. From the day you left, I never used this room again, and I made sure that it remained perfectly as you left it. But, I can swe
I can hear hurried footsteps and children's voices coming from another room. "Signora Lucia, the children are here," the butler respectfully announces. "Good. Send them in," I reply immediately, placing the various assortments of desserts on the veranda table. I nervously smooth the fabric of my dress over my stomach and glance at the clock. I spent yesterday and the morning preparing them. I made sure there was everything and, most importantly, that Santo wasn't around. He would be able to devour it all before the kids could get a bite. I made sure to wear a powder pink satin dress and delicate jewelry, and my makeup is discreet with soft colors. I want my outward appearance to reassure these two poor, now orphaned children. Leo and Laura enter shyly, holding hands. Ah. What a magnificent picture they offer to my sight. I want them both. They are mine from now on, and nothing and nobody can take them away from me. I should have done this from the beginning, and this is the
I swear I could kill that woman with my own hands a second time. However, my anger subsides as soon as I meet Leo's eyes. I make a promise to myself, and I will personally make sure that this woman never has a grave. But she won't have to worry up there. I will take the best care of her children. They are mine now. I keep my face perfectly inexpressive as I lightly shake Leo's hand. "Don't worry. Just keep going. I can see it makes you feel good to talk about it." He slowly nods his head. I can see in his eyes a host of feelings running through him. What could his mother have done to him, shown him, or said to him to make such a young boy feel so guilty? My anger disappears as soon as I see the tears rolling down his cheeks. "Mama slapped me that day. She insisted that we call Don Elio, Dad. She said he would let us do it, but I didn't agree. If Don Elio had wanted to, he would have asked us. So I was really happy to see you that day, Signora Lucia. I thought that y
It only took a few days for us to tell Leo and Laura that their mother was missing and that we wanted to adopt them. The children refused at first but finally agreed when we presented them with evidence - fabricated evidence - that their mother had abandoned them. They were adopted under my maiden name. Leo surprised us when he said it was the right thing to do. He was afraid that their adoption would cause discord among the Ganovese. He is still so young and yet is already very mature. As soon as the adoption papers were finalized, the children asked for permission to call us Papa and Mama, which we immediately accepted. Elio didn't say anything else, but the moment he closed his eyes and took them in his arms didn't escape me. These children will be loved more than I can imagine. Since that day, I wake up every morning patiently waiting for them to call. And I cherish every moment they are near me. We did the check-up ultrasound, and I was inconsolable for an hour when I was
Cazzo. Of course, Elio knows! But who told him? Which of our men hastened to tell him... and if. What if Elio goes after Didi? What if Elio drags her down here and forces her to be with me? I'm such an idiot. Elio would never do that. My brother's far too cautious. It's not like him to act this way. The proof is that he still hasn't gone looking for Lucia. "There is no girl. Everything you've been told is bullshit," I reply at last. Elio wobbles, and I can see that he's struggling to stay on his feet before me. The dampness of the air over the last few days must be reawakening the pain in his leg. However, he's still coming closer to me, and I can smell the rancid odor of alcohol on his breath. I nervously start banging my knees. "The famous prostitute everyone's talking about?" asks Elio. His expression is icy. There's been no humanity left in my older brother for almost three years now. Elio loses his balance, and I rush forward to pick him up. He reeks of alcohol and tob
Santo : I finally arrive at Villa Ganovese. Eduardo, our old butler, rushes up to me and grabs my leather jacket as I furiously throw it towards the coat rack. Cazzo. I've got to break something. I've got to... I grab the coat rack and rip it from the wall where it was hung last month. Eduardo looks at me, annoyed, but withdraws without saying anything. Besides, this isn't my first crisis. So he knows it's never a good idea to stand too close to me when this happens. Cazzo. Cazzo. Cazzo. I've got to calm down. I nervously run my hands through my hair as I head straight for the kitchen. I take a moment to glance at the large clock, a veritable jewel of goldsmith's art, steel, and craftsmanship, hanging on the wall. I don't know how Lulu managed to find something like this. Only the hands are visible, and there's nothing to indicate the presence of a plug or motor. Cazzo! It's not yet time for me to eat when I'm in Vill
I look at him and start yawning without even putting my hand in front of my mouth. I start laughing the moment he grabs a handful of my hair. I take advantage of this and immediately pull his ponytail in the opposite direction. We look perfectly stupid with our heads tilted to one side, challenging each other with our eyes. "Let go," Salvatore articulates slowly. "Only if you let go first, Sali," I reply, also gritting my teeth. "Stop being childish," Vincenzo orders with a sigh. Salvatore and I let go at the same time, raising our hands. Then he finally comes out, shaking my hair to annoy me. "I want cannoli for breakfast tomorrow," Salvatore declares. "You can stick them wherever I think," I reply, giving him a masterful middle finger under the disapproving gaze of my eldest brother. I hear Salvatore laugh and can't help smiling back. Of course, I'll give him all the cannoli in the universe. Cazzo. He's a bastard, but I love him. Ha! I'll put thos
(Didi) "Let go of me, Vin," I say, trying to free my arm from my older brother's grip. He doesn't let go until the black doors of his armored car open. Vincenzo almost throws me inside, and I immediately find myself seated between Salvatore and Terzo. "We've found her, Don Vincenzo," declares one of our men. I hear Salvatore and Terzo stifle a laugh, then they both put an arm around my shoulders. "In the other car. I've got urgent family business to attend to," replies my eldest brother. I frown, realizing that my brothers have come to pick up a woman. Who is she? "A target," I ask. But Terzo presses his index finger against my temple. "Stai zitto (shut up*), Didi," he orders me. I cross my arms over my chest and just stare into the central rearview mirror so I can observe the expression on Vincenzo's face. But that's a waste of time. The Bonanis aren't known for being very expressive. Salvatore's furious gaze doesn't escape me, and I end up looking
"How much do I take?" I repeat. Santo suddenly pulls me into a hug, and I'm wondering whether I'm dreaming or not. I realize I'm sitting right on his... the Madonna! He looks thrilled to see me there! If I'm dreaming... really, it would be great if I could avoid waking up too quickly. I try to sit up, leaning on his shoulders, but he holds me firmly and starts laughing. Oh, dear. The things his laughter does to my body. "Kiss me, Didi," he commands, sliding his hands just under my chest. "Wh...what?" I reply, pulling my head back. Damn, this dream sounds too real to be true. I know. What I'm saying doesn't make sense, but wow. Santo grabs my jaw with one hand, his eyes are locked on my mouth, and he's looking at me like I'm a white chocolate pana cotta with raspberry coulis. "I want you to kiss me, Didi," he says seriously. Santo straightens up to kiss me. Hey. SANTO GETS UP TO KISS ME!? I'm frozen in place. What should I do? A) let him do it. B
(Didi) Santo presses me against him with a sharp gesture. Wini gives me a big smile before releasing my hands and winking away. Great, sister! She abandons me as soon as a slightly attractive guy touches me. Well, okay. He's not just any guy. Yes. I also agree that it's THE good-looking guy who gropes me, but still! You can't say you're the sister who's looking out for me and abandoning me to the first frotter who comes along... even if that frotter is a living god on whom I'd rather rub myself indecently, but... Hey. I don't know if he's got a flashlight in his pants or if it's... oh. A shiver runs down my spine. Santo's hand moves up under my crop top and stops where my bra is. "It's Santo," he whispers in my ear in a husky voice. To say my panties are soaked at this precise moment is an understatement. It's a fucking tidal wave, and I have to squeeze my legs. I feel like if I breathe or move a millimeter, my thighs will get soaked too. It's the sexies
One of the bartenders waves me over - I know from memory that he's the one in charge of the bar - and he nods towards Wini: "Go get her," he orders me. I nod quickly and feel a warmth gradually building in my chest. Wow. This is the first time I've felt "safe" as a woman among ordinary citizens. Wini was right when she said the employees here were one big family. I quickly put down my tray and move through the crowd to put a hand on Wini's shoulder: "Hey. We need reinforcements. Big order on the way, and I need arms." I don't glance at Wini, but I observe the stronzo standing before her. He's ogling me from head to toe. Moron thinks he's at the top of the food chain in his little striped shirt and gold chains. I just want to jam my pen into his jugular when I see him licking his lips. Wini is completely tense, but she pulls me toward the bar. However, I don't know why, but my eyes land behind the stronzo. And now I'm terrified too. Vincenzo is there. Behind him are my
(Didi-a little before the events in the nightclub.) I got home last night and had to sneak through Villa Bonani to avoid being intercepted by my brothers. There is no way I would let any of them ask me questions and start looking through my things. I'm lying in my room, dressed simply in a large black knit and panties, as I take out my pay for the evening. Between my fingers, I manipulate the sum I've collected in a single night. I'm amazed by the ease with which I've been able to gather so much money so quickly. "So much money?" I say aloud with irony and bitterness. I'm not even close. Merda. At this rate, I'm going to have to take on contracts if I want to get the hell out of this house as soon as possible. No, no, no, Didi. You've done everything you can to become an ordinary citizen. Keep your goal in mind, I can't help but scold myself. I need money. I've got a newspaper spread out in front of me, and I'm horrified by the rent prices. If I take into accoun
(Santo) Did I listen to Matteo and go home to change? Absolutely. Did I scour the net for "total boyfriend" chick mags to find out what to wear? Absolutely. Did I nag our employees for THE outfit for tonight? Yes, I did. So here I am, surrounded by my bodyguards, as we walk past everyone into the strip club-turned-nightclub. No sooner had I arrived than Alvize, the manager, ran up to me and nodded towards the VIP section of the nightclub. Cazzo. My five cousins are all here already. I can tell by the number of girls in skimpy dresses climbing the steps leading up to the room. I can hear them shouting my name when these stronzi notice me. Cazzo. I wanted to go to the "office" first, ask for Didi to serve me, and then I would have joined them. "Saaaaaantooooo" scream my cousins when I arrive. I find myself having to hug each one of them. But I'm livid because their presence ruins all my plans for tonight. One of them stares me up and down and runs his hands