Natalia's POV: AFTER BREAKFAST …I think I slept off after crying again. Not sure how long but my eyes snapped open when I felt fingers in my hair. My eyes felt heavy and painful, my vision was a little blurry from all the crying and sleeping…I sat up slowly, forcing the fingers to leave my hair and I blinked as my eyes focused on the figure before me. “Caterina?” I moved slightly, wincing as my whole body ached from sleeping on the ground for hours. “Hey, dear.” Her hand came up to cup my face gently. “I brought you breakfast.” She motioned behind her and that was when I noticed Angela and a maid standing beside her with a tray of food.“There's a chocolate mousse cake too, I know you love those,” Angela urged with a smile.Ignoring her, I let my eyes shift from one woman to the other and I hated how vulnerable I feel. Pushing to my feet with great difficulty, feeling/hearing my bones pop and I winced. “I'm not hungry,” I said softly.“Nonsense.” Caterina's voice was soft, but f
Natalia's POV: LATER AT NIGHT…This was stupid. I thought for a billion times, yet, I found myself standing at Carlo's doorstep…Ever felt so nervous it felt like you're about to shit yourself? Yep, that was how I felt as I raised my hand to knock on his door. With each rap of my knuckles against the wooden door, the pit in my stomach deepened.I counted down to seven before I heard his heavy footsteps pad across the room and in no time, the door swung open, revealing a shirtless Carlo. Those impressive pecs on full display, rock hard abs, flexing. A trail of dark hair starting from his lower abdomen and disappearing into the waistband of that seductive grey sweatpants he had on.I gulped. Hard. ‘Get it together you fool.’My eyes lifted back to his, the surprise in those bluish gray eyes was palpable. I cleared my throat. “Uhh, hi?” ‘Really? Is that all you could say?’“I need to speak to you.” I said, a lot firmer this time and with a lot more confidence. But his expression quic
Alessandro's POV: Going back to have a talk with Luca was a waste of my time. The little shit has his mind made up! Shit! Shit! My hands flew to my hair, tugging painfully as I paced the length of my room. This was bad. For me and my partner. We were so fucking close! What was Luca thinking, really? How could he suddenly come back home and ruin everything for me? If he marries Natalia that was bad news for me. I was already plotting on how to use their growing relationship to my advantage and now that is ruined?! Fuckingshit! But the poor girl though… I knew I didn't care much for her but… she has been through enough already. I could tell she was already in love with Carlo. How would she handle this? Was there even a way to help her out of the mess? I don't think so. Carlo was adamant and very clear about his standing on this matter. The bastard didn't even flinch or show any emotion after he'd just broken the poor girl's heart. I really wish I could hel
Natalia's POV: After giving it a thought, I knew Alessandro was my best bet. Which was why I was here, knocking on his door at almost two in the morning .No answer.I lifted my hand to knock again when I heard feet thudding against the floor followed by rustling, then a loud thud and harsh whispers.He had a visitor at this late hour?Must be one of the girls he was seeing…Should I wait or come back later?I chewed on my bottom lip as I tried to weigh my options… On one hand, I wanted to respect his privacy and come back in the morning but on the other hand, I was impatient. This couldn't wait till morning.Decision made, I lifted my hand again but before if could connect with the door, it swung open and Alessandro came into view.Shirtless, shorts hanging loosely on his waist, hair tousled, lips looking a bit plumper than usual.He was making out with a girl then.An odd feeling tugged at my insides. Jealousy.Must be nice to be this free and go on living without problems. Doing w
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-SIX:Carlo: THE NEXT DAY…“You kissed her?” Enzo asked again and I threw him a glare, grounding my molars harder.Stronzo.He’d been repeating it like he didn't hear a word I said. I watched as he pulled out the chair from across my desk and lowered into it.“Why?” A heavy sigh escaped me. “I do not have an answer for that.”He leaned forward on the desk. “No, I think you do.” I clenched my jaw tightly.He was right. But I'd be damned if I told him I kissed her because I had missed it—missed being near her or missed being able to touch her…It was stupid. I have to be able to let her go, to force myself to come to terms with the fact that she was Luca's now. And it was because of me. She'd asked that I set her free but how could I explain that the thought of never seeing her again made my heart clench in a way I couldn't even begin to understand? I know I'd promised to send them away or leave once they got married but deep down, within my soul, I knew
Carlo's POV: Someone fucking shot at me! I saw red. I barely paid attention to the pain shooting through my arm and the trickling of blood seeping into my shirt and I spun on my feet to find Enzo with his gun out and Ciro was on the floor, gasping as scarlet red liquid oozed from his parted lips. “Give me the gun,” I ordered, stretching out my hand and Enzo placed the cool, heavy metal into my palms. “Forgive him, please!” Alfred begged and I could see the fear in his eyes. Good. “Please, Don. I'm sure he's learnt his lesson!” It was Gianluigi this time, he was crouched over Ciro, putting pressure to stop the blood from flowing profusely from the gunshot wound Enzo had inflicted on Ciro. “Please… He's made a terrible mistake. We apologize on his behalf!” But I huffed a laugh. “Now, what kind of leader would I be if I let the very man who'd shot at me go free all because of silly apologies?” I could feel where the bullet grazed my arm stinging like a bitch. “Step away f
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-EIGHT: Natalia's POV: Cold sweat broke out across my skin as blood roared in my ears. No…. It can't be…. My heart was slamming against my ribcage now…I couldn't possibly have heard that right….But the solemn looks on both Caterina's and Angela's faces confirmed that I'd in fact heard that I'd be getting married to Luca by Saturday. I shot to my feet, hearing the chair behind me fall to the ground with a loud thud. I heard a collective gasp but I was way past caring. “That makes no fucking sense!” I yelled, my chest heaving. “That's only two days from now!”“Yes, and?” Luca asked, staring up at me, seemingly unbothered—not like he has a reason to be. “We would eventually get married so why delay the inevitable?” No. No. No. No!“That's not fair Luca!” I was yelling but why the hell did my voice choke on a sob? “You could have at least given me a heads up or something. You could have given more time!” More time so Alessandro could save me! He didn't
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-NINE:Natalia's POV: FRIDAY…2:03 PM I stayed locked up in my room the whole of yesterday and this morning, thankfully, no one came to bother me. No. Still not a word from Alessandro. I was doomed. I know.I would eventually marry that crazy psycho. Funny how I preferred the asswipe in the beginning!And as for Carlo, I'm never forgiving him! Never.The shrill sound of my ringing tone had me jumping a little—I barely used my phone these days as I was always thinking of ways to escape this mess…I picked it from the bedside drawer, glancing at the screen to see Tanya's name flashing. I'd only briefly informed her about the madness going on in this house and she was equally pissed.I swiped right, and her face came into view. “Hey,” I smiled weakly.“Hey,” she replied, searching my face. “God, you look horrible.” Yeah, tell me about it. “It's official. The wedding's tomorrow.” “Tomorrow?!” Her eyes bulged. “That's… that's ridiculous. Why the hurry?”
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-EIGHT:Carlo's POV: The doctor had said the exact thing Enzo had said. He'd asked that we hoped and prayed. ‘Prayed.’I haven't done that in fucking ages. Where do I start from? And in my experience, it usually goes unanswered. But the way things were going, I didn't mind going down on my knees and trying again. Praying in hope that Gianpaolo makes it out alive.He has to. Not quite long after, Natalia had regained consciousness. Camilla assured me that it was nothing serious, apart from the detected low sugar level which made me frown. Haven't they been watching her diet? Giving her the best meds? And then I thought back to the incident in the last few days. No one around here has had it easy so I brushed it aside and asked that they recommended the right food and all and got my own copy of the list the doctors had made so I could also monitor her feeding and the rest.Soon after Camilla had cleared her, she was up on her feet and asking to be tak
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-SEVEN: Natalia's POV: ‘...He's fighting for his life.’I swayed on my feet, suddenly lightheaded as my chest wound up so tight no air escaped or came in. My vision blurred but I could feel hands trying to steady me.I… I only just got him back.Why?Why?!!!!Why me all the time!?!?What if he dies? WHAT IF HE DIES?!Oh God. Oh God. Which superior being's meal had I pissed in before I was born? Why was I allowed happiness for a fleeting second only to watch it being snatched away?! And… and… Gianpaolo? My heart ached. He's only just met me too! I heard muffled voices around me but I couldn't seem to concentrate. I knew I was panicking but I couldn't do anything about it.Fuck. Fuck.I can't have a panic attack now. My… my baby. It will upset them….I tried to claw my way back to sanity but my throat ached, my chest felt like it trapped air in it and I couldn't fucking breathe.Now, I was panicking because I thought I was killing my baby.I was desper
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-SIX: Carlo’s POV: Something about the urgency of Enzo’s voice made my stomach tighten and beside me, I could feel Natalia go stiff. What could be the problem now? “…Look, if he's upset again, I can go speak with him, there’s no need for trouble,” Natalia said from beside me, already making a move to slip out of bed when I shook my head. “Don’t worry, there will be no trouble,” I assured her. I had no intention of fighting with the man. Still, I wasn't going to hug and kiss his cheeks and make up but for her, I’m willing to act civil. She eyed me with uncertainty and concern. “Are you sure? You heard Enzo, he says there's a problem.”“Doesn’t mean I’ll let it escalate,” I replied calmly. “Come on now, let’s freshen up and we can deal with whatever afterward—”“But, Carlo—”“We reek of sweat and sex, we should clean up before solving whatever the problem is,” I urged and then turned to the door with a louder voice. “Enzo, we’ll be down in ten min—”“Fi
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-FIVE: Carlo's POV: Hot, wet, tight heat enveloped my cock like a fist, massaging the throbbing length as I kept my eyes locked on hers…Beautiful.More than beautiful. Is what I think to myself as I felt my chest expand with emotions.It feels so good. All of it. Loving someone and having them love you back. Sex too. It felt heavenly.I leaned closer until our lips were almost touching and I pulled my cock out, smoothly gliding it against the slickness of her warm, slippery walls—fuck, she felt good. Beyond good. I could come like this.I pulled out all the way until I was only the head buried in her and then, I slammed back in causing her lips to fall open in a silent gasp. I did it, again, again, again, again, and again until her moans grew louder and my balls started to tingle with fullness. From somewhere in the corner of the room, I could hear my phone ringing or was it… hers? I tuned out the incessant ringing, focusing on the woman who stared up
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-FOUR:Natalia’s POV: As soon as the words left my lips, I was lifted off the floor, again, effortlessly and his lips claimed mine.Hot, demanding, possessing. The kiss wasn't slow or tender like it had been earlier, no, he was practically devouring my lips, eating me alive. I loved it.My skirt rode up to my waist, leaving me in only panties, bare to the feel of his palms and I squirmed against them—anything to feel him against my bare skin.I was still reeling from the very fact that he'd confessed his love for me and I can bet it was the reason why everything felt overly sensitive, sensual.I felt him move as he deepened the kiss, hot tongues tangling, teeth biting into soft, warm flesh, and moans and groans echoing in the room. Perfection.I broke the kiss, opening my eyes just in time to see him lower onto the edge of the bed, and bringing me with him so I was still straddling him.Our eyes locked, his curled into a sexy smile. “You're breathtaking
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-THREE:Natalia's POV:I did it!I did it.I did it….I actually did it…That was all I could think about.It was freeing to have finally confessed. Sure, I'd been scared shirtless, unsure, and maybe a little insecure but I'd said, ‘fuck it’ and just lay it out there.I'd meant every word I had said to him. It had taken me hours to think about my life, my past, and what the future holds for me. I'd asked myself if I could live with the fact that Carlo wasn't just some man I met months ago but a man who had separated me from my parents, driven by hurt, anger, and revenge. Of course, I know I might have died that day if Antonio's brother hadn't saved me, I know that… But I was willing to let it go for my own happiness even though that meant people might think I was stupid. I already loved Carlo, there was no turning back now, plus he was different now. I know he is. He and Gianpaolo might hate each other now, but I know in my soul that they would forgive eac
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWO: Carlo's POV: HOURS LATER… It was just eight in the morning and I was still thinking of how to approach Natalia and apologize for my outburst yesterday. My pride wouldn't let me though. It was wounded, bruised and battered. Of course, I knew I had way too much pride for one person and my ego was three sizes bigger than a football stadium. Still, I needed to shove them aside and talk to the woman who meant a lot to me… Haven't even told her that already. Thanks to my pride. ‘You're not fit to be in a relationship, Carlo.’ A voice mocked. It wasn't wrong. It's a wonder how she puts up with me. ‘Just go to her, how hard is that?’ True, it shouldn't be hard. To be honest, I wasn't the only person who had been affected by yesterday's event. She was too. But in a moment of selfishness, I made it all about me. Neither I nor Gianpaolo were completely innocent but she was. She was the one caught in a century-long war and yet, she'd handle it with gr
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY-ONE: Angela's POV: Why did I change my mind? Because I knew he'd always fuck up, just like he had done in the past and I was done putting my hopes on a nineteen year old who acts like a lost puppy! Luca was like that stuck gum underneath your shoe that you couldn't quite get rid of. Why did I think it was a good idea to seduce and manipulate my nephew? The thing is, I wasn't thinking and about two years ago, I thought it was the most brilliant idea, that was before Natalia was brought here. I'd thought if I'd made him fall in love with me, I could control him. Well, I can in fact, control him. The fucker does whatever I want, would put his life in danger without hesitation if I asked, even the planned attack on he and Natalia, he'd agreed to that without hesitation but Luca had one big flaw; he'd always protect his father… He was okay with my plan to take over and rule—he thinks he'd be by my side for that, pathetic—but he keeps insisting that I do
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & TWENTY:Angela's POV:Acting cool and calm when I wanted to scream my head off was exhausting. God!!!!!!I fucking, fucking knew it!!!! I knew the moment he found out Natalia was his fucking daughter, he'd grow weak! And that stupid bitch! I didn't know she'd carry the ring with her, it had always been in her bag! And even when she kept pestering Alessandro to find her parents, I kept leading him to the wrong ends… It didn't take too much since it was really hard to find some random girl's parents but I'd done research on Gianpaolo long before I'd told Alessandro to join forces with him—long before Natalia came into the picture. So as soon as I saw the ring, I knew. Sofia had it on in one of her pictures and that was all I needed to piece two and two together.This was my fault. I left a loose end. I never do those! Now, my brother had gone fucking missing and this pathetic old prick was backing out of our revenge plot! No!I'd given way too much into this. Th