Damon The suite was an aftermath of a war zone. The door had been broken down and was hanging off the hinges. The expensive furniture inside the living area had been upturned and used as a makeshift barricade. Behind the largest couch were a few droplets of blood. Corpses littered the floor and the walls bore bullet holes and bloodstains. On the stairs lay another pile of bodies, one hanging off the railings, looking like it would fall with a slight nudge. Behind me, I could hear my men turning the bodies around to see if they recognized any. More bodies littered the hallway to the suite. The pristine white marble and walls were stained with drips and puddles of blood, while bullet holes decorated the walls at strange and abrupt places. The chandelier that once beautified the hallway lay shattered on the floor. I stood at the end of the hallway, staring out at the stained glass into the street below. I knew I wouldn't find Isabella in her room, but my hand twitched desperately to o
Damon "What about her friend?" I asked. "She's in surgery," the man responded. "Leave us," I said, dismissing them all. I pulled the stool beside her bed closer and sat. She looked different. Her skin was somehow paler than normal, making her look overly lifeless. Her mouth was open as a result of the tube that was shoved into her throat. Was it that bad? I questioned myself. Was my absence really that bad? Did it warrant an attack on her? The hotel was supposed to be safe?! Questions like that swirled in my mind until the familiar soft vibration on my phone happened in my pocket. It was Frank. I couldn't hear a word he said, and I didn't know whether it was because I had still not quite accepted the situation or the fact that I simply hated the smell of hospitals, and I hated the fact that Isabella was in one. Frank said something again, and then another. "Call me back," I said and then hung up. Hopefully, Frank shouldn't be so angry, but he wasn't my focus. My hand caugh
Damon Finally, when the last bullet casing hit the ground, the only sound was the steady thumping of the beat. It served as a driving force, matching my steps as I made my way up the stairs to the second floor of the club. A hallway greeted me, its lights flashing from blue to green to purple, hurting my eyes. Doors were placed at regular intervals, most likely leading to private rooms that one would pay a fortune for. I could sense the people inside, their fear evident on their young faces. One by one, I opened each door, but none of them led to the room I was looking for. I continued until I reached the last one at the end of the hall. Without much warning, I kicked open the door. The sight was different from the others. Instead of the red light, the room was brightly lit with a normal white one. It was decadent and gilded with gold, from the floor to the ceiling. Seated behind the desk was a man about my age. He looked surprised, making me think that the room was soundproof.
Isabella 5 hours before: I was nursing a broken heart and a sore shoulder. The shoulder wasn't as painful, but the heart felt like it had split me down the middle and threatened to pull me in different directions. I knew Damon was ruthless, but I didn't think he would extend that ruthlessness to me. I was still staring at the door after he walked out, hoping that he would come back and tell me he would go and find Pablo. From what he told me, Pablo didn't deserve to be saved and might have been the architect of his own misfortune, but he was the man who cared for me, and I would not repay his strange acts of kindness with complete desertion. Or, I would wait. Perhaps if Damon came back later, I would ask him again. Still, the look he gave me when he left was scary. It reminded me of the look I saw when he saved me the first time. His eyes craved blood in some way, even though the urge wasn't as strong, I could see it. I lay on my bed and pressed my head against the pillow, choos
Isabella In my mind, I woke up in my old room. Not the one I had in Rome, but the one on Aalia. High ceilings and the chandelier greeted me. The lovely scent of jasmine and lavender lingered through the room, as was the air freshener I liked to use when I was younger. I looked down to see myself in the nightgown that I loved to wear when I was 14. I refused to let Mama throw it away because I loved the baby blue color so much, so I requested that my comforter be in the same color and fabric. My papa got it for me one random day when I was 14, and I had been wearing it since then. I looked up to find Cassandra sitting across the room. Her legs were folded across her lap. It wasn't the 18-year-old Cassandra I knew; this one was older. Her dyed blonde hair was cut short into a pixie style. Her eyes were wide brown and were lined with so much eyeliner she looked like she was cosplaying an Egyptian outfit. On her cheeks was a light dusting of blush that I bet she was hoping to make h
Isabella Damon placed a soft kiss on my lips and then on my forehead again before speaking into my ear. "Go back to sleep. I'm here," he said, and like the trickster he was, his voice lured me back into sleep like a lullaby. By the time I opened my eyes, it was bright outside, and Damon was still inside the room. He was seated on the couch that was placed beside a door that I figured led to the bathroom. Most importantly, my throat felt as though it was made of sandpaper, and my tongue was so dry I thought I was in a desert. I looked beside me to the dresser table and saw a jug of water with a glass beside it. Just as I was reaching for the glass, I felt a hand on mine, lowering it. It was warm, comforting, and large as it enveloped mine gently. Suddenly, I was exhausted by the little activity that I had performed. I was momentarily startled by the sudden movement of the bed. The half of it that my torso was on suddenly started moving upwards until I was in a near sitting positi
Isabella Two days later, even after I saw Paula, I said nothing to Damon. I was lying to myself and keeping something from him. Perhaps he could tell because every time he came close to me, I would flinch and turn my head away as though he had offended me. The reality was that I was angry with myself for not saying what needed to be said. Perhaps I needed another shot, or perhaps I needed some time away for a while. I shook my head. Going away was the same thing as being a coward, and I wasn't raised to be one. Perhaps my life after 15 had taught me to run as the only way to survive, but I always knew that I would one day face the thing that was chasing me: my birthright. I leaned back against the pillow of my hospital bed and turned towards the window. It was night when I woke up from my nap to find that I was alone. The last time Damon came, I started to avoid his gaze and gave him one-word answers. I wasn't surprised that he had left, even though he promised to be here, but w
Isabella I went back to Paula's room every day after the small conversation I had with Michael. She was sleeping for most of the time until the fourth day when I found her awake. She had a bright smile on her face as soon as she saw me. She looked better, less weak, and more capable of getting up on her own. "Hey," she whispered to me when I sat beside her. "You're okay?" she asked. I was torn between saying yes and saying no. Yes would mean alive because I was constantly in a state of turmoil, and no would mean that I was in pain. So, I chose both. She looked at me as though I had grown a second head and then giggled. This was the Paula I was familiar with, and I felt at ease. "I'll feel better when I tell you something," I said. "What is it?" she asked. I told her about who I was, where I was from, and why she was kidnapped. By the time I told her about who Damon was, she gasped and covered her mouth. "I knew it," she whispered, as though she had happened upon the secret o
IsabellaPerhaps it was Donatella's face that was the most surprising, but the days following my declaration and official ascension to the throne were followed by endless visits to my family's estate.I had to temporarily move there because I was worried about the constant movement and how my son would take it. However, according to Julio, it also applied pressure to bring Cassandra back to the city.She had disappeared a few days ago, and I believed she went to have her child."I must say, he's a very handsome boy," Nicholas said as he carried my son and began to walk around the new nursery. The baby cooed in his arms and raised his little fists towards his face. I smiled but began to miss the little bundle of warmth that he provided. I had once complained to Damon, and his reply was,"You'll just have to get used to it. Or are you going to take my son away from me?" Damon said with a smile.***To my surprise, Cassandra didn't show up over the next few weeks. I began to genuinely w
IsabellaGeorge knelt in front of me in the gazebo. I had given Alessandro the go-ahead to let him come to the mansion. He came accompanied by three more people that I didn't recognize."There was a mistake, Princess. If I had known…”“I know you think that I am a benevolent figure of never-ending kindness that might accept you. But you must understand that given my position, I simply cannot forgive you right off the bat. You have to prove yourself to me. You have to prove yourself to the city. You have to prove your loyalty, and it will cost you more than it did the last time," I found myself saying.Shortly after that, I left the men alone and made a beeline for the nursery where I felt my son squirming and crying in his cot. The maid I had instructed to stay with him was trying to keep him calm, but she was failing miserably, making me laugh.I stretched out my hands, and just as she placed him in it, the infant settled down. Shortly after passing him and singing to him, I felt ar
DamonAfter Isabella told me that I should handle Cassandra, Valentino, and her allies, I got to work instantly, telling Ted to pull out the old files he had on the trust of those she committed."So what do we do with them?" he asked. "We pick the weakest link. We pick the one most sympathetic to the lower City. Find me a couple of them and show them the pictures."A few days later, I received a call from Ted while I was out in town on a meeting with Nicholas."We have a number of them. What do you want us to do?" he asked. "Tell them to come to my place," Nicholas said with his arms raised. "I'm sure we'll do a good job convincing them." I smiled and told Ted to do the same. Six men, members of the lesser families, came through his gate.I recognized Antonio and George to be some of them and stopped myself from snickering behind my mask. The men bowed when they saw me, but it was clear that their initial fear of me was gone. I smirked behind the mask and looked at them.I loved se
IsabellaDamon had carried me into the tub filled with cold water. As soon as my body came in contact with the water, I instantly sighed in relief. Marie came to me with a small figure half wrapped in a cloth and laid the pink infant on my naked chest.I leaned my back against the foam headrest and let my child lean against my skin. He squirmed and cried, but Marie said it was all part of the process, even though my heart was aching as I desperately searched my mind for what to do to ease his sorrows somehow."If he doesn't cry, his lungs wouldn't be strong. You have to let him cry, princess," she had told me before I struggled with her, and Damon carried me into the bathroom. Even now, he was still crying, but I felt a bit assured as Damon held my hand and began to rub soothing circles over my knuckles. "You are so strong," he whispered. "I'm so proud of you." He whispered again, and this time his hand reached up to caress the head of the infant that laid on my chest. I smiled, bu
IsabellaDamon laughed suddenly, his shoulders quaking, and the room filled up with the hearty sound of joy. He stopped after a while and turned his head towards Cassandra. "It looks as though this wannabe princess is uninformed about what's happening in the city. Someone please tell her."Andrew cleared his throat. "The King…" Damon took off his mask, revealing his face, causing Cassandra to gasp and cover her mouth, as did Donatella. "The King has been married to the princess for quite a while now. I happen to be one of those privileged to witness the ceremony and the signing of their marriage certificate.This, of course, meant that as one without a surname, he would take his wife's own, making him Damon Montenegro Therefore, your challenge… your stake on the throne is very much mitigated by him.""That's not possible!" Cassandra screeched. "You wouldn't do that," she said as she turned her head towards me and stared daggers at me through the screen. "I did. Would you like to h
Isabella"Do I need to remind you that you are a fugitive?" Damon's voice cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter."Do I need to remind you that your crimes are so great you deserve to be put to death?" Damon stood up from his seat and walked towards the pregnant woman."Get out, or I will pull my gun and shoot you between your eyes, not caring about the child within your belly." Instantly, Donatella gasped and covered her mouth with surprise.She got up and walked towards both of them and set herself in their midst as though to protect Cassandra. "Ouch," I thought to myself. "So much for loyalty forever," I said out loud. Donatella turned to me."You must understand, princess, it's not as though I will not be loyal to you. It's just with the recent developments, we find ourselves needing an heir. Perhaps once she gives birth, she can leave." "I'm not going anywhere," Cassandra said, protesting as she pushed the older woman out of the way."I'm here to challenge her
Isabella“No, Isabella. We still need Cassandra to come out. We need her to show her cards. I'm sure it's not going to take long, but... you have to hang tight, Mia Bella," Damon said, shaking his head.He raised his hand and began to caress my belly before leaning in and pressing a kiss on my swollen abdomen. As if in response, the baby kicked where his hand was."He's saying hello to me," Damon said with a smile as he leaned forward and then pulled open the robe I wore to reveal my naked belly."So perfect," he said as he pressed another kiss on the pale skin. "So damn perfect," he said again as he met my eyes. I could see the expression there, his eyes flashing red before returning back to their normal hazel color. He spread open my legs and slowly removed the outer robe to reveal my naked pussy. Slowly, he kissed his way from my belly button down to my weeping pussy.***The extra wait was grueling, but I didn't mind it. I filled my days with walking, with Paula up and down the
Isabella"It was just a rumor," I told my husband as he paced the length of the room, hitting one wall and then going to the next to do the same."We both know rumors are next to truth. It wouldn't be said if it wasn't seen at some point. But you're the same person that said the city thrived on rumors. Why is this one only different?" I questioned him, but the man continued his insistent pacing. He had taken off his shirt, leaving him half naked and making my eyes wander to strange places."Please," I begged him as I stood up. I took off my coat."You're making me dizzy," I said.Damon stopped suddenly and looked at me. "And if the rumor's true?""Then we laid a trap. And I think traps are your thing… at least Julio's thing.""So let's call the ultimate trap master and have him whip up something for us," I said as I reached up towards my husband's head.***The day after, Julio sat opposite me in the gazebo. "How could you not tell me you were pregnant?" He asked, his eyes wide and f
DamonIsabella's face was pale when I saw her as she came out of the bathroom. She had a stunned look as though she was trying to remember something. I grabbed her hands and rubbed circles over her knuckles until she smiled at me."I am fine," she said with a shaking voice."Champagne?" I asked as I handed her a flute. She shook her head. "I can't keep it down," she said, forcing another smile at me."Isabella, what is wrong?" I asked with my mouth close to her ear. "I'll tell you when we get home," she said as she squeezed my fingers back.The rest of the evening couldn't come fast enough as I began to wish time could go faster. Finally, three hours after we arrived at the party, she tugged on my arm, telling me she wanted to go home. I bade goodbye to my friends and some others who were desperate to see me for some reason. We decided to take the chopper, being impatient and me wanting to find out what was wrong with my wife.I helped her out of her dress when we reached our room. S