Marco got into the car, directing the driver to Salvador's home. If he has to set everything on track, then he needs to get Gaia to reject the proposal.Just then, Marco got a call from Ezekiel, his father. He wanted to reject the phone call, but he ended up accepting the call.“This better be important_”“Return to the mansion at once.” Ezekiel cut him short in a stern voice.“And what gave you the impression that I’ll obey you?” Marco asked with an amused expression.“That’s because I just found out about something remarkable. If I were you, I’d return at once.”Ezekiel’s words made Marco’s face contort into one of confusion.“What are you planning, father?” He asked calmly, waiting for the impending response.“It’s simple, who is Alessia Simone?”Ezekiel asked, his question accompanied by an evil chuckle.Marco’s hand which was holding the phone froze mid-motion. His eyes widened, shock crossing his features before he quickly masked it. He gripped the phone tighter, trying hard to
“So what exactly do you plan to do now,” Dante’s voice cut through the silence, his tone calm but probing.Marco turned to look at Dante, a brow coming up. “What do you mean?” he asked.“I mean,” Dante paused, then continued. “I know you aren't going to marry Gaia.”Marco’s gaze darkened as he glared at his cousin. A scowl formed on his face as he said in return.“I never had any intention of marrying Gaia. I made it clear from the start.”Dante nodded in understanding, “Of course, I knew that, But after the conversation with your father today, you'll have to get married to her.” Marco’s gaze shifted as the words Ezekiel had said to him earlier clicked in his head.“I found out something suspicious today, something my father said to me while on call.”“What's it about and who?” “Alessia. He said something about her father’s identity. I feel there’s something we don't know.” Marco explained seriously. Dante frowned. “What exactly did he say?” “It doesn’t matter, I need you to help
When Grace and Alessia arrived at Devil's Den, Grace brought her directly to the counter where she served the customers. Alessia felt out of place standing there, but she watched patiently as Grace went about her job. The men at the club couldn't keep their eyes off Alessia whose red hair was tantalizing and beautiful. Alessia felt very uncomfortable having so many people watching her as she tried to fit in. "Hey, do something. Don't just stand there." Grace said and nudged Alessia slightly, aiming to earn a reaction from her. "And what exactly am I supposed to do?" Alessia asked as she glared at Grace. She flipped her hair to the back, turning back to the counter as a man in a luxurious-looking outfit walked over to her instead of Grace.Alessia knew without a doubt that this man wasn't here for anything good. "Hey, beautiful." He called out with a smile, licking his lower lip as his eyes went directly to her cleavage which was a bit exposed.Alessia noticed his gaze on her, so
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
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
“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 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
The next day, Grace arrived at the airport, ready to board the plane to her dream country.Everything she ever dreamed of was coming true, although it looked like everything was falling apart at first, it eventually came together.Standing at the airport gates and clutching her ticket tightly, she couldn’t help but look back over her shoulder. Sicily had been her home, the place where she had laughed, cried and grown. Her heart swelled with a mix of nostalgia and excitement as memories washed over her: moments of laughter with Alessia, sneaking out on wild journies, quiet nights where she and Dante would talk and cuddle until dawn. She had always dreamed of seeing the world, but leaving this life wasn’t easy. Yet, knowing that her best friend was now happy, married, and building a family of her own made it feel right. She had her dreams to chase, after all.Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the gate, trying to push aside the ache in her heart. Just as she took a step forward,
Grace was so excited that she couldn’t stop rambling on and on as she picked out the perfect wedding dress for her dear Alessia. A proud smile crossed Alessia’s face as she watched her best friend getting so excited about her wedding. She was surprised when Grace told her that Dante had also proposed to her. But Grace being Grace had rejected the proposal. To her, she wanted to go to school first.“Do you have to go to school?” Alessia asked as she glared at Grace who wouldn’t stop grinning. “Ali, we’ve talked about this before. You know I’ve always wanted to go to school in the US. Besides, it’s just 4 years.” She said and pouted.“But I don’t want you to leave,” Alessia pouted also.Grace teared up, moving to hug her friend. “Sorry my baby,” she muttered. “But if you’re happy for me, you’ll wish me well instead of crying.” Grace poked, earning a jab from Alessia.The manager of the mall watched them with a smile, wondering how these two managed to push through life to this day. Wh
A month later, Salvatore walked into Devil's Den to find Marco who had invited him there. When he arrived, he met with Selena waiting for him by the corner. “Welcome, please come with me." She said, knowing he was Marco's guest. Salvatore watched her face for a while and nodded. He followed her as they both got into the elevator and went up to the second floor. Ever since Marco and Salvatore made up, they rekindled their previous friendship. They would often drink and go for meetings together, it made Dante feel betrayed, but of course, they never left him behind. When Selena and Salvatore arrived at the top floor where the supposed Marco was supposed to be waiting for him, he found the place empty.“Where is he?" He asked as he sat on one of the couches in the room.“I presume he is on his way," Selena said robotically. Salvatore smirked, baffled by how she took this mafia work even more seriously than the men.He wondered if she ever smiled in her life considering she was always
When Salvatore walked in fully, everyone including Alessia excused themselves to give the two some privacy.Now left alone in the hospital room, Marco smirked and said, “So it's you? You're that one stubborn mercenary." “That's a wonderful way to apologize, Marco," Salvatore said, moving to sit on the chair by the hospital bed.Marco's brow creased in confusion, “Apologize? For what?" He asked.“Please don't act like you don't know the reason we drifted apart." The smile on Tore’s face disappeared, replaced by a serious look.Seriously, Marco didn't understand what he was talking about. “I still don't get you. We drifted apart because your father hated my family." “Are you kidding me? We were friends even after the rift began. That wasn't the reason." Salvatore reminded him, this time he could feel his anger building up in him.Marco stayed silent, trying to recall what exactly had transpired between them in the past. The only thing he remembered was that Salvatore had a girlfriend…
It took Marco two days to finally wake up. When he did, he felt a bit strange. This time, the thing on his face had been removed and his right there was someone else face.Alessia sat beside him, or more like lay beside him on the bed, her dark circles visible and a sign that she hadn't slept well in a while.Marco smiled, then reached out a hand to pat her hair.What happened when he was asleep and how long it had been?When Alessia felt a hand on her hair, she immediately opened her eyes.Her eyes met his and a surprised look consumed her face. “Marco?" She asked carefully, trying to make sure she wasn't hallucinating again.“Mia Cara." He muttered to convince her that she wasn't seeing things.Alessia jerked up instantly and called his name again. “Marco?" “You aren't hallucinating, Baby." Marco chuckled.And before he could guess her next move, she threw herself at him and hugged him tightly.“Oh my goodness! You're awake! You're finally awake!"Alessia pulled away slightly, her
Alessia stared at Marcel and Salvatore, especially Dante. She was confused as to why their faces looked so worried. “Alessia…” Delilah’s voice called from the side. Alessia turned to see who the voice belonged to. Of course she knew that familiar voice.When she saw Delilah, her eyes widened in shock. "Delilah? You're here?” She asked, unknowingly walking over to Delilah. Delilah smiled through the tears coming out of her eyes and immediately hugged Alessia. "It's so good to see you again, Alessia.” She muttered, patting her back.Alessia pulled away from her and smiled thinly. “Why are you crying? Did you miss me that much?" She teased, wanting to make the old lady smile.Delilah chuckled, wiping her tears. “Yes." She said, though it was a lie. She missed Alessia, but she was more concerned about Alessia's reaction if she saw the current Marco.Alessia was confused by the worried faces of everyone. Wasn't getting Marco out a good thing? Why did they all look sad?“What happened?" S
Getting Marco out of that place wasn’t easy, but Salvatore’s men were hellbent. They called Dante and handed the items back to him.Dante was surprised, he had initially thought that Salvatore would never agree. To top it all, he hadn’t even seen Salvatore’s face before.He only wished to see Double S, not that he would tell anyone of him.He received the items, took them back to the base, and informed a few of the family members about it.He even had to forge that Marco had them all those while but chose to hide and see what Francesco and his children would do. When the twins heard of this, they sent people after Dante, they aimed to ruin the items and maybe kill Dante off.Dante, being the ever so smart one, ran off. It wasn’t easy for Lorenzo and Leonard’s men to get to him.He was faster and better than they would ever be.Salvatore’s men launched an attack on the twins, destroying and eventually killing both of them. It wasn’t easy, but they succeeded.Delilah helped Marco to hi
Marcel called Salvatore over, taking his time to plead with his son to forgive Marco for the sake of his sister.Salvatore as usual wasn't easily pleased and he immediately rejected his father's pleading.Marcel didn't give up. For the next one month, he tried his best to get some men to locate where Salvatore had hidden the items he stole from the De Lucas. If he could find it, he would return it to Dante and have him save Marco. But no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find it.Alessia spent the entire day and night crying nonstop in her bedroom. She even fell sick at some point. She would also starve herself often. Salvatore saw all these, but he didn't budge.On this day, Alessia actually slit her wrist, aiming to kill herself.Salvatore went to a meeting with his father. He was about to tell his opinion on the current matter they had at hand, but to his greatest surprise, a sharp pain shot through his left wrist. Because it was unexpected, he winced instinctively.Marcel t
Alessia hurriedly asked the guards to let Dante and Grace into the mansion.She couldn’t believe they had come, although she was scared that her father and Salvatore might come out and get angry at the sight of Dante since he was a De Luca.“Alessia, what are you doing here?” Dante lowered his voice and asked. Of course, he knew this place, Marcel Stefano Marino’s house, one of the most deadly mafia lords of Sicily. It was a place where the De Lucas family was certainly unwelcome.Alessia swallowed, throwing a glance at the looming hallway before leaning closer. “I… I live here. I’m Stefano Marino’s daughter.” Her voice was steady, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.Dante, however, merely shook his head, cutting her off before she could explain further.“There’s no time for that.” His voice was clipped, laced with urgency. “Alessia, Marco’s father is dead. Do you understand what that means?”Alessia’s eyes dropped, and she nodded solemnly. “I know. I saw it in the news right