“Ughh….. what’s with the look on your face, Delilah?” Dante asked with a confused look on his face as she stared at Delilah who stood there with her eyes wide open and jaw dropped.“Da-da-Dante?” Delilah called out, still thinking that Alessia was standing behind her and they had both been bursting.“Yes, me. What’s wrong?” Dante asked as he walked over to the kitchen island to pick up an apple resting in one of the baskets.Delilah blinked in shock, wasn’t he seeing Alessia?She swallowed her saliva and slowly turned around, expecting to see Alessia still standing behind her. But to her greatest shock, no one was behind her.So Alessia had hidden herself so fast?!Great!She finally breathed a sigh of relief.“Nothing, everything’s fine.”Dante’s eyes narrowed as he took a bite of the apple, making a crunching sound as he spoke, “You're acting strange.” He pointed out, giving her a suspicious look.Delilah moved away from where she stood and walked over to the sink to wash her hands
“Grace? You’re here?” Mrs Alicia Franco, Grace’s mother asked the moment she walked past the living room, heading out for work.She was surprised that Grace hadn’t stepped out of the house yet.Grace glanced up at her mom and sighed, “No mama, I’m not leaving today. I feel sick.” She said as she struggled to sit up straight.Ever since she saw Alessia being dragged like some kind of animal that day, she had never had any peace in her life again. Not also adding the part where she provoked the only person who had promised to take care of Alessia.Dante must hate her now.She could barely focus at work, and today she was so close to having her leg cut off at the gym when she was slightly distracted.“Sick? Come over and let me check.” Alicia harried her as she turned to walk to where she was seated.“No mama, I’m fine. I just need a little sleep and I’ll be back to normal.” She shook her head, extending a hand to stop Alicia who already closed the distance between them as she first plac
“Boss, there’s a problem!” A guard ran forward to the courtyard where Marco sat with Dante as they went through some pieces of information gathered about their all-time enemy: Double S.Dante groaned in utter frustration and ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck it! Can we stay a day or two without bad news?!” He yelled out.Marco looked up at him with an amused smile, “This is the mafia. We’re far from peace.” He probed with a shrug and turned towards the already sweating guard. The guard knew without a doubt that if Marco heard the bad news he brought, he might end up destroying the entire mansion in rage.“What is it? What bad news could make you sweat this much despite the cold weather? Look, it’s going to rain any minute now.” Marco taunted, he relaxed in his seat as he watched his guard.“Boss…. It’s the lady with the red hair.”“What?” Marco finally sat up at the mention of Alessia’s name. He didn’t even let the guard tell him exactly what happened before he got up to his feet and
“Alessia, you have to tell me where you are! I need to come get you!” Grace rushed upstairs to grab her jacket as she rushed out of the house and towards the road.Alessia who was standing in the call booth had already made it clear to herself that she would never do anything to endanger her best friend’s life. If Grace got even closer to Marco, then she would face a much harsher punishment considering that she loved putting up a fight when she felt pressured.“Grace, please don’t come to find me. I’ll leave Sicily for a while and I promise to return once he forgets me.” She promised as she glanced around for any signs of the dreaded enemy.Something told her that Marco might have found out about her absence and would soon be coming to find her.“You can’t do this on your own, baby. You need help.” Grace said as tears stung her eyes. How did things get to this? How?“I’ll be fine, I don’t want you to get entangled in this situation too. It’s too dangerous.” Alessia said with a bitter
Alessia felt gazes on her, but she dared not turn around again to check who was particularly glaring at her.She hurried over to the ticket stand to buy a ticket to Scilla and thankfully, it went faster.She got her ticket and hurried over to the awaiting train. But her luck ran out at this point because two guards came out of nowhere to stand before her, blocking the entrance of the train.Alessia saw those shoes, those shoes that sent fear into the deepest part of her.She slowly glanced up at them and despite the mask she had on, the fear still didn’t disperse, and neither did she feel they might not recognize her.She paused and backed away slowly, also bumping into a passerby who glared daggers at her for not watching where she was headed.Alessia’s breathing hitched and got caught up in her throat as tears began to gather in her eyes.She felt the fear, they found her.She turned around to run, only to be met with more guards standing behind her.Couldn’t the passersby see she w
Dante sitting in the car with Marco couldn’t bear it anymore the moment he saw her fall harshly to the ground as he asked, “Are you just going to sit here and expect those punks to catch her? They’re clearly doing a bad job.”Marco remained quiet. Of course, he wasn’t just letting the guards catch her, he would step in eventually when the time was right.“No.” That was all he said and ignored Dante totally.Dante gritted his teeth and looked away as he ran a hand through his hair.She was hurting herself and he hated to admit that it pained him in a way.Just when Alessia reached the end of the street, she caught sight of hope!There before her, at the last place she already envisioned herself being caught, was a Taxi.“God is really on my side.” She said and smiled happily.She sped up her pace and soon arrived just where the Taxi was parked.Thankfully, the driver was just about to drive away.Marco’s eyes widened already knowing her intentions.He picked up the walkie-talkie again
Seeing her getting into a Taxi and driving off, Marco sighed as he clenched his fist.She was so determined to escape from him. Was he that bad for her?Did she hate him that much?Dante said nothing as he kept on a stoic expression.Marco finally closed the laptop, “I’ll take it from here.” He interjected and pushed the car door open.“Get out of the driver's seat!” He said to the driver of the other car parked right beside him.He then got into the car, a sleek black sedan, and drove off. His mind began to work its wonders as he tried to figure out the route the red hair would eventually take to escape this time.He had a small smile on his lips thinking of the way she took off upon seeing his men.“Crazy little poppy.” He muttered under his breath.He wasn’t the type to do this; go after women who rejected him. But Alessia was different.Marco never dated formally, but he eventually fell for someone at first sight.And, why?Her craziness, her looks, and her sense of humor.She was
The rain thumped incessantly against the windows, a steady, cadenced drumming that filled the room with its grim melody.The opened window let in a gust of wind that carried droplets of rain which splashed on Alessia’s sleeping face. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open slowly as the coolness of the rain kissed her skin.She blinked as her gaze fixed on the white ceiling above, her eyes widening in confusion. With a start, she jerked upright in panic.“What the….” She glanced around the room, taking in the sight of things in it.From the heavy curtains to the ornate furniture, the faint scent of Marco’s cologne lingered in the air.“Wait, Marco?” She asked out loud as she finally realized where she was. Her eyes grew wide and her lips trembled in shock.She was back in the same room she had escaped from yesterday.She was back here in Marco’s house!She shook her head in denial, “This can’t be happening. I almost left Reggio…. I left this place yesterday… Wait, was it yesterday? Y
Finally, the night of the masquerade ball arrived with an air of mystery and excitement. The mansion was transformed into a lavish scene straight out of a fairytale, with decorations that portrayed the world they all lived in; Mafia.It wasn’t like all those royal balls seen in England or on TV. It was a totally different setting and the opposite of elegance. Guests began to arrive, each one dressed in the way they wanted to be addressed. Their mask, coat, and gowns, were all in colors that reflected their personality. Alessia and Grace sat in her bedroom, doing their finishing touches.“I can’t believe Marco is bringing you to the spotlight,” Grace said as she brushed Alessia’s long red hair backward. “I don’t think that’s the point, though. We’re merely coming as his workers.” Alessia corrected.“Workers who got the best Jovani and La Femme dresses? That’s quite an important worker.” Grace chuckled.A knock sounded at the door almost immediately. “Come in,” Grace yelled.The doo
“I can’t believe we’re stuck here,” Alessia grumbled, glancing at Grace, who was lounging comfortably on the chaise in the corner of the room. Grace, ever the optimist, smiled softly. “To be honest, I’m actually relieved that we don’t have to leave. I don’t have the energy to roam the crowded malls today.”Alessia rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she was also relieved. What Grace said about the crowded mall was the truth, plus Marco was trying to keep them safe. If they mingled with the crowd, an enemy could easily attack them and Marco wouldn’t be able to help.“But I just wanted to see the outside for once. We’ve been indoors for a long time now.” Alessia whined and slumped on the couch next to the chaise. Grace didn’t say a word to her and just shut her eyes, wanting to sleep if she could. After a while, Grace finally said something. “Don’t worry your pretty head, Ali. Just know that the attendants would bring something we would like.”As if on cue, there was
Grace walked out of her bedroom, heading to the kitchen to find lunch. She wandered into the kitchen, expecting to find the usual hustle and bustle of the staff preparing food. But to her surprise, the kitchen was eerily quiet. The large space, typically filled with clatter of pots and pans was empty. The counters were spotless, the stove cold, and not a single soul was in sight. “Where did everybody go?" She muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of life.She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and the hunger gnawing at her insides was growing impossible to ignore. “They can't just leave me to starve," she grumbled, turning her heel to leave.But as she turned, she nearly collided with Dante, who was leaning casually against the door frame, a smirk on his lips. His sudden appearance made her jump in fear, her hand holding her chest.“What are you grumbling about, princess?" Dante asked in a teasing tone, his voice filled with amusement.Grace glared at him, he
Marco leaned back in the leather, his gaze fixed on the glass of whiskey swirling in his hand. The amber liquid caught the light from the morning sun, shining a warm glow across the room. Dante sat across from him, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the armrest, a thoughtful expression on his face.“So,” Dante began, breaking the comfortable silence, “you’ve been quiet since that rooftop moment with Alessia. What’s going on in that head of yours, Marco?”Marco sighed, setting the glass down on the polished mahogany table.“I’m just thinking about how things are going to change soon,” he said, his voice heavier than usual. “In a few days, things are going to be changed.”Dante understood where he was heading, it was about his position as head of the clan. Before Dante could say a word, Marco continued, “Before anything changes around here, I want to do something fun.” Dante raised a questioning brow, already showing interest. “You’re thinking about a party, aren’t you?” he asked, e
The sight before her left her utterly speechless as she stepped out of the guest room. Her eyes darted between Marco and the woman who stood beside him. Were they just locked in each other’s embrace, kissing?Her anger surged, boiling over into a fury. “What the hell is going on here?” She demanded as if entitled to their explanation.Marco rolled his eyes and shoved both his hands into his pants pocket.“What does it look like to you?” He returned the question with his.Miracle’s gaze darkened, her eyes now locked onto Alessia. She had red hair—just like hers, and they both looked similar, which was uncanny for Mimi. It only riled her up even more. “Who is she?” She went ahead to ask Marco. “Is she the one? Your lover and the reason you’re refusing to accept me?”“She has nothing to do with you,” Marco interrupted her words, his face grim. “And I think it’s time for you to leave.” He added, his tone leaving no room for argument.But Mimi was far from done. Her first clenched at her
The sight before her left her utterly speechless as she stepped out of the guest room. Her eyes darted between Marco and the woman who stood beside him. Were they just locked in each other’s embrace, kissing?Her anger surged, boiling over into a fury. “What the hell is going on here?” She demanded as if entitled to their explanation.Marco rolled his eyes and shoved both his hands into his pants pocket.“What does it look like to you?” He returned the question with his.Miracle’s gaze darkened, her eyes now locked onto Alessia. She had red hair—just like hers, and they both looked similar, which was uncanny for Mimi. It only riled her up even more. “Who is she?” She went ahead to ask Marco. “Is she the one? Your lover and the reason you’re refusing to accept me?”“She has nothing to do with you,” Marco interrupted her words, his face grim. “And I think it’s time for you to leave.” He added, his tone leaving no room for argument.But Mimi was far from done. Her first clenched at her
“Fuck! The miracle is here,” Marco announced to their surprise. “Find a place to hide yourselves, I’m not ready for any explanations yet.” He directed at Grace and Alessia.Grace snorted in disapproval, “why do we have to hide? I mean we work for you.” She said.Dante sighed and shook his head.“He knows that, Bestie. But you still need to stay hidden.” And with that, Dante pulled her up and directed her towards the staircase.Alessia glanced at Marco for a while, she couldn’t help the feeling in her heart. Miracle had been the woman he was supposed to marry, but she rejected him at the altar, which was good enough for Alessia to believe that Mimi didn’t love Marco. But her sudden arrival stirred up something in her, maybe jealousy if she must admit.Marco turned to see that she was still standing there and frowned. “What are you waiting for? Go!” He ordered in a gruff voice.Alessia nodded, wanting to turn and do as told, but instead, she rushed over to Dante and pulled him in for a
The next day crept in faster than usual, Grace stirred and to her surprise, she was wrapped in someone's embrace. Her first thought was if she unknowingly went with one of those men at the table. Her heartbeat accelerated in fear as she actually thought maybe she had done it. She hurriedly pulled away from the figure but also realized it wasn't one of those men as she had thought. It was actually Dante. Dante's eyes fluttered open, as he jerked up from his sleep, reaching under his pillow as fast as lightning as he pulled out a gun. "Who's the fool?!" He yelled, aiming aimlessly. Grace, who hadn't expected that, froze at the sight of the gun he pulled out. Did... Did he just pull out a gun? The grogginess he felt slowly wore off and he could finally see it was Grace in the room with him and not someone else. He released a sigh of relief and put the gun aside. "Fuck, you scared me." He muttered and fell back on the bed. Grace then glared at him before yelling. "Was that a gun
A day after Dante had exposed his relationship with Grace, he drove directly to Devil's Den to find her. On his way to the place, he suddenly caught sight of a chocolate store by the roadside. An idea struck him, why not buy her a box of chocolate?With a small smirk on his face, he parked the car right beside the store and stepped down, ready to buy a box of chocolate for his bestie. But the moment he stepped before the store, ready to enter, he suddenly thought about something. What if Gracino didn't like chocolates? Yes, he knew girls liked it, but Grace was a hooligan. She wasn't like other girls. She and Alessia were crazy girls who didn't mind ripping a pack of chocolate apart in the twinkle of an eye. "Fuck, I don't think she likes chocolates." He said to himself, rubbing the back of his neck and standing there awkwardly. He groaned, throwing his head back as he turned to leave. He'd better not do something that would end up having Grace mock him at the end. He got back int