Ariana I sprinted across the parking lot, not daring to glance back.The sound of gunfire grew fainter, replaced by the hum of the city. I sprinted across the parking lot, my heels clicking on the asphalt. The chaos behind me fueled my adrenaline.I reached for one the cars, yanking open the door. I took advantage of my little dance to snatch a key off of the guys. I saw Camilla and the other guys emerge from the stairwell, guns still clutched in his hand.I slammed the car door shut, realizing I couldn't risk using the vehicle. Xavier would have it tracked in no time. My eyes moved frantically, spotting the main road nearby.Without hesitation, I kicked off my heels and hit the pavement running. The cool night air rushed past me as I sprinted onto the main road. Cars whizzed by, horns blaring, but I didn't stop.My bare feet pounded the asphalt, the road was cold but better and more practical than the stilettos I'd worn just minutes before.I walked through pedestrians, trying my po
Ariana The floors were cold. I paced, my footsteps echoed off the cold walls. The darkness suffocated me, making it hard to breathe.This was the room where Xavier had held me captive. Where he'd stripped me of my freedom. Where he'd claimed ownership over me. My mind went blank a couple of times, trying to escape from this prison. I couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped.The shadows seemed to writhe around me, alive. I stumbled, my hand outstretched in front of me.The darkness was absolute.No light penetrated through the room, no sound filtered in from outside. I was alone. I couldn't tell morning from night. There was no way to escape.I've screamed, cried, faked a crisis, all to no avail. By the fourth crisis, I knew there was no such thing as Prince Charming. I had lost all hope. No one was going to save me. The voices had quiet for a while, maybe due to exhaustion, or something worse. When did my life become this? A sliver of light sliced through the darkness everyday.
Xavier I stand in my dimly lit study, surrounded by the shadows that seem to be closing in around me, ice clinking against the whiskey glass in my hand. I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Lorenzo told me she had all these marks on her body. She didn't strike me as the kind of person who self-harmed. Her face couldn't leave my mind. For the three days she was locked up, I couldn't sleep. Sleep, sleep is a luxury that I've lost, in my line of work sleep is a gift, and I am not one of the kids who gets gifts often. I'm tainted, damaged, vile even. Nights, endless and sleepless, stretch out before me everyday. Each night is a reminder of my failure to silence the demons that taunt me. I'm just like them. That's why I can't understand how someone like me fell for someone as innocent as her. The look Ariana's face haunted him. Her eyes fell on me with such disdain. I had seen men look at me with hate, but the look in her eyes, I couldn't stand it. Her screams and tears reverb
Xavier As I gazed down at Ariana, sleeping peacefully on my chest, I realized this was a first for me. I couldn't reach the last time I had woken up with a woman in my arms. Intimacy wasn't something I allowed. Women were pawns, tools to be used and discarded. But Ariana... she was different.Her tiny heart beat against mine was soothing. I felt an overwhelming urge to protect her, to shield her from harm with my life. For the first time, I understood what it meant to truly care for someone. To want to cherish and safeguard them, not just possess them. Ariana's presence in my life had shattered my defenses, exposing a capacity for love I never knew I had. For the first time in years, I slept all through the night. The girl was like some sort of charm. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, savoring the warmth of her body, the softness of her breath against my skin. A sense of peace washed over me, unfamiliar yet intoxicating. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of
ArianaI woke up, memories of last night swirling in my mind. It felt like I had been drugged. I was made a vulnerable captive, yet I felt an unsettling sense of safety and warmth in the arms of the very man who took away my freedom. Why had I let my guard down? I was frustrated and very confused. But I recalled his gentle touch, his soft voice, and the sound of his heartbeat. The war my heart fluttered; it was a sensation I'd never experienced before. How could I feel this way about my captor? It was absurd. But the truth was, in Xavier's arms, I felt protected, sheltered from the world.As I tossed aside the covers, his scent clung to the pillow. I couldn't help but smell it. My cheeks flushed, my emotions were all over the place. What was happening to me? Was I losing myself in this captivity or finding a part of myself I never knew existed?I woke up to an empty room and felt a little hollow. For as long as I could remember, I had always slept alone, without the company of anyon
ArianaThe silence of the night was broken by the sound of the front door opening. I stirred, my eyes fluttering open to find Xavier standing in the entrance, his gaze locked onto me. I had fallen asleep on the couch, determined to be the first thing he saw when he returned.Xavier's expression seemed to soften as he took in the sight of me. He nodded to his Lorenzo and Mateo, and they exited the living area, leaving us alone."Ariana," he said, his deep voice low and husky sent tickles to my senses. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Welcome back Lucky."Xavier approached me, "You waited up for me?" he asked with a hint of surprise.I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I couldn't sleep."His gaze lingered on me, "You look tired," he said, his voice gentle.I felt a flutter in my chest at his concern, his moved closer to me. "I'm fine."Xavier nodded, “Are you sure? This place is kind of cold.”I rolled my eyes at him, “Yes, I'm sure.”Xavier's movements were swift and
XavierI woke up feeling electrified. Another night, another successful sleep. I looked down to make sure she was still there, I needed to know that I wasn't dreaming. Her eyelids fluttered open, and our eyes met."Ariana," I whispered against her neck. I couldn't resist the urge to kiss her forehead."Good morning." Her soft response sent shivers down my spine. I could get used to waking up by her side everyday. I sprang out of bed, energized and eager to start the day. As I entered the bathroom, I turned on the shower. Cold, as always. "Join me?" I called out. She hesitated, but I knew she wanted to."Come," I coaxed, my voice low and persuasive.The bathroom door creaked open, and Ariana stepped in, her gaze locked on mine. My shower was big enough for ten people. My heart skipped a beat. She was stunning, her hair was disheveled for obvious reasons, but I couldn't tell why her skin was glowing. I pulled her closer while holding her eyes. "Let me make you feel good," I whispe
ArianaMy knees didn't leave my chest the whole night. I rocked back and forth like a child. A dead body! My mind betrayed me more than once, flashing back to the gruesome scene. The reality of my situation had sunk in. Xavier was a monster, and I was trapped. My thoughts swirled, horror and disgust swirling in my stomach. This place felt like chamber of unspeakable crimes. Xavier stood in front of that man's body like he was irrelevant. They talked, had a full conversation after taking a man's life. His hands were covered in blood.The victim's vacant eyes still haunted me, chilling me to the bone. How could I have been so blind? Xavier's charming facade hid a monster. How could I believe him when he said he'd let them go? Now I'm surrounded by Mateo and Lorenzo's grave faces, I felt trapped in a living nightmare. There was no way I could avoid them in their own damn house. He is a murderer! And nothing makes what he did right. There's no justification. I wiped away my tears wit
ArianaWe finally settled into our luxurious villa in Sicily after a long day of traveling. Xavier and I collapsed onto the plush couch, exhausted. Camilla and Lorenzo were busy unpacking in the kitchen, chatting quietly to each other. I snuggled into Xavier's side, feeling grateful to be here with him in this beautiful city.Xavier wrapped his arm around me, holding me close. "I'm glad we're finally here," he said, his voice low and soothing. "We can finally relax and enjoy some time together." I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.I gently pushed Xavier away, smiling at him. "You need to go," I said, trying to sound firm. "My glam squad will be here any minute to start getting me ready." Xavier raised an eyebrow, but I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. "And you need to change," I added, glancing at his casual clothes. "The wedding is in a few hours, and you can't show up looking like that." Xavier chuckled and stood up, pulling me to my feet. "I'll go," he sa
ArianaI walked along the beach, feeling the warm sand between my toes. It was hard to believe it had been months since that fateful night. So much had changed since then.Xavier walked beside me, his eyes scanning the horizon. We had grown closer in the past few months, but I still couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by him. He was, after all, the man who had killed Arturo and his men.Camilla and Lorenzo were walking ahead of us, laughing and chatting. They had started dating a few weeks ago, and it was clear that they were meant to be. Camilla was glowing with happiness, and Lorenzo couldn't take his eyes off her.I smiled to myself as I watched them. It was nice to see my friends happy. And as for me? I was still figuring things out. I had been through so much in the past few months, and I was still trying to process it all.But as I looked over at Xavier, I felt a sense of gratitude towards him. He had saved me that night, and he had been taking care of me ever since. I d
ArianaAs the car sped down the highway, I felt a sense of dread wash over me. The driver was going very fast and I was getting anxious. I didn't know where I was going or what would happen to me when I got there.As the car sped down the highway, I realized I had to escape. I couldn't let Arturo take me away. I started kicking and screaming, trying to get the driver's attention.The driver, a tall, menacing man, looked at me in the rearview mirror. "Shut up," he growled.I didn't stop. I kept kicking and screaming, trying to break free. The driver swerved the car to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes.The man in the passenger seat turned around and grabbed me. "Hold still," he snarled.I struggled against him, but he was too strong. Just as I thought all hope was lost, I heard the sound of screeching tires and crunching metal.I struggled against the ropes that bound my wrists, but they were too tight. I stopped, trying to think of a new plan. That's when I remembered the
XavierI paced back and forth in my room, my mind racing with thoughts of Ariana. Where was she? Was she safe? The not knowing was killing me.I stopped pacing and looked around the room, my eyes falling on the phone. I needed to call Mateo. He had to know something.I dialed his number, my heart racing with anticipation. When he answered, I didn't waste any time."Mateo, where's Ariana?" I demanded.There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Xavier, I...I don't know what you're talking about."I felt a surge of anger. "Don't lie to me, Mateo. I asked you to shadow her."Mateo sighed. "I...I had no choice. Arturo was going to hurt you, and I couldn't let that happen. So I made a deal with him. I gave him Ariana in exchange for your safety."I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. Mateo, my friend, my brother, had betrayed me. He had given Ariana to Arturo, the one person who would hurt her the most."Why, Mateo?" I asked, my voice shaking with anger. "Why would you do that?""I
ArianaI was walking back to my house, lost in thought, when I felt a hand grab my arm. I tried to shake it off, but it only tightened its grip.Before I could even react, I was dragged into a dark corner beside the mansion. I tried to scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me.I struggled and kicked, but my attackers were too strong. They pinned me against the wall, and I felt a needle pierce my skin.Everything went black.When I came to, I was in a dark, damp room. I was lying on a narrow bed, and my head was pounding.I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me. I fell back onto the bed, gasping for breath.As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw a figure standing in the corner of the room. It was a woman, tall and imposing, with a cruel smile on her face."Welcome, Ariana," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I've been waiting for you."I tried to speak, but my voice was hoarse and barely audible. The woman laughed, a cold, mirthless sound."D
ArianaI stood in the doorway of the chapel, watching as Xavier knelt in front of the altar. His head was bowed, his eyes closed, and his hands clasped together in prayer.It was his sister's death anniversary. I learnt that this was a ritual that their family had observed every year since she passed away. They would go to the chapel, light some candles, and say some prayers. It was a way for them to honor her memory and to find some closure.But today was different. Today, Xavier was not just mourning the loss of his sister, he was also reeling from the news that his mother had passed away. I had seen the look on his face when he received the news, and I knew that he was hell-bent on getting revenge.As I watched him pray, the only thing I could feel was tension in his body. His jaw was clenched, his fists were tight, and his eyes were blazing with anger. He was a man on a mission, and I knew that nothing was going to stop him.I felt a pang of worry as I watched him. I knew that X
XavierI approached the entrance of Arturo's home base, where several guards were stationed. We moved swiftly through Arturo's territory under the cover of night. I had gathered intelligence on the base's layout and security measures, and I knew exactly how to proceed.We took out the guards quickly and quietly, using my training to neutralize them without alerting the rest of the base. Once I was inside, I moved swiftly to the security room, where I disabled the cameras and alarms.Next, I headed to the armory to stock up on weapons and ammo. With my gear in hand, I began to work my way through the base, taking out Arturo's men one by one.My goal was to reach Arturo himself, who I knew would be heavily guarded. I was prepared for a fierce battle, but I was confident in my abilities and my plan.Our first target was his consigliere. We took him out with a precision strike, our team of skilled operatives moving in and out of the location with ease. The consigliere's death sent a shoc
ArianaI sat in front of the bank of computer screens watching the feeds from Arturo's security cameras. For a few weeks we had been monitoring his operation, looking for any sign of weakness, any hint of vulnerability.Finally, something that caught my attention. Arturo's top men, his consigliere has a weakness for gambling. He had been stealing to pay off debt. Threatening the loan sharks was no longer working. Especially now that they had lost a significant amount. This was the opportunity we had been waiting for. I quickly crafted a message, one that would exploit the man's weakness and drive a wedge between him and Arturo.I smiled to myself as I typed out the message. It was simple, yet devastating. "We know about your little secret," it read. "Meet us at the old warehouse at midnight if you want to keep your head." This was just the beginning of the end for Arturo. We would use every trick in the book to dismantle his operation, to turn his own people against him.I leaned ba
XavierI stood in the shadows, watching my men take down Arturo's warehouse. We had been planning this for weeks, and it was finally coming together.The call was from the Lucianos to my father, Joseph, and it was a surprise to everyone. The Lucianos had been quiet for a while, and we hadn't expected them to reach out.But they had, and they had proposed a deal. They wanted to share some intel they had gathered on Arturo's operation, and in return, they wanted a favor.My father had been cautious at first, but the Lucianos' intel had been too good to pass up. They had provided us with detailed information about Arturo's storage facilities, transportation networks, and other key details.With this intel, we had been able to plan a devastating takedown of Arturo's operation. We had caught them off guard, and they hadn't stood a chance.Arturo's men were fiercely loyal, making it impossible to extract information from them. However, Don luciano got us in touch with someone who could help