Natalia's POV: Ugh. I think I'm lost. No, I must have taken a wrong turn. My footsteps echoed, the sound bouncing off the walls, way too loudly in the silence as I moved through the dimly lit hallway. I stopped, staring down the long empty corridor. Dead end. My heart sped up. Any moment now and I could get caught, yet, I couldn't figure my way out. I retraced my steps, feeling my pulse hammering in my throat. I had to find Ava, I won’t give up. ~ ~ ~EARLIER: ‘Take me to my sister, please.’Luca’s face fell. “I… I already went against papà’s order by releasing you, I don't think I can break any more rules tonight.”My heart sank. Was this it? My new reality? How long was Carlo going to keep me away from Ava? For fuck’s sake, how could anyone be so cruel? I opened my mouth to plead again, but Luca spoke first. “But I could talk to him, get his permission for you to go see her.” I perked up at the little ray of hope, my pulse quickening. “And you're one hundred percent sure
Natalia's POV: ‘You do have a death wish, don’t you? Fine, I will grant it.” I glared at him. “Let go of me!” I snapped, my breathing uneven as I tried to snatch my hand away from his iron grip. Carlo infuriated and scared me, and I hated him. Carlo’s eyes darkened, his grip tightening painfully around my arm and I fought the urge to squirm. “Seems like you enjoyed your stay in the cell, didn't you, monella? Because I would be more than happy to take you down there again. Do you think you're untouchable because I've shown some restraint?” My heart skipped, but I masked it, lifting my chin in defiance. “I’m not scared of you, you disgusting monster!” I shot back. The second the words left my lips, I knew I’d pushed too far. His expression shifted—darker, crueler—and I saw a flicker of something dangerous in his eyes. “I think I've been too lenient with you, too soft…” His voice was low and steady. And without taking his eyes off me. “Prepare a buyer for the younger one.”I gasped
TW: VIOLENCE!!Natalia's POV: My entire body tensed, panic crashing over me like a tidal wave. I could feel the sharp edge of the gun digging into my flesh, the harsh breath of the man behind me fanning across my neck as the hairs on it stood. Who was this man? Why would he attack me? Was it for money? “I…I don't have… have any money on me if that's what you're after,” I managed, fighting for air with his arm around my neck.“Shut your mouth,” he hissed in my ear, and my body trembled with fear.Oh God, how do I alert the bodyguard or Luca? My eyes darted frantically toward the entrance of the changing room, its blush-pink curtains were slightly opened offering a view of Luca. His back turned to me. I could see him talking on the phone, oblivious to what was happening…‘Luca! Luca, turn around, please!’ My pulse raced so fast I thought my heart might burst. “I’ll take the gun away, and you will follow me quietly. Any funny movements and I pull the trigger. Understood?” The man gr
Natalia's POV: ‘They found us’“Cazzo!” Luca hissed, his breath ragged as he yanked the gun from his back pocket, aiming it at the door. The sounds of footsteps grew closer, bouncing off the cold, concrete walls of the storage room. “What are you doing?” I whispered harshly, my heart hammering in my chest. “You can’t take all of them!”“I don't have any other plans, Nat,” Luca muttered through gritted teeth. “I have to fight even though this is a losing battle. In our world, it’s better to die with honor than die like a coward.”My stomach twisted at his words.Bullshit.“I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself! Benito already died. There’s gotta be another out of this storage room.”Before Luca could respond, the door handle rattled. My breath hitched as I heard muffled voices from the other side. “Bring down the door.” A man barked from behind the door. I broke out in cold sweat as fear spiked through me. The sound of a body slamming repeatedly against the door made my pulse ra
Natalia's POV: Pain…The hot throbbing pain was the first thing I felt.My body ached all over… I peeled my eyes open with great difficulty, my vision swam, and I could hear the faint sound of muffled voices in the background. My head felt heavy, and it took a moment for my brain to catch up, registering my surroundings. “Oh, good. You’re awake.” I blinked as a female doctor leaned over me. What happened? I blinked again, trying to understand what was going on. And then it all came crashing in… Flashes of the attack at the boutique flooded my mind, the chaos, tension, and fear... ‘I made it out alive!’ A breath of relief escaped me—Wait… Luca… did he? “How are you?” The doctor asked gently, interrupting my thoughts. “I’m Doctor Camilla.”I shook my head. “Luca, he…”“I’m here.” Luca stepped out from behind the doctor and my racing heart slowed. Relief washed over me. At least he was alive. As much as I’d hate to admit it, he'd really become a friend and he was really nice
Natalia's POV: I couldn't sleep. My body still ached all over, coupled with a headache. I tossed and turned.It was like the pain meds weren't working anymore. I glanced at the bedside digital clock.2:41 am. My throat felt parched, and deciding to go get a glass of water, I rolled out of bed, wincing a little from the effort.Slipping into the corridor, I noticed the house was quiet. Luca’s door was closed, but I remembered the way to the kitchen so I started downstairs.The kitchen was dark once I reached it, but the patio lights that shone through the sliding glass door leading outside cast enough of a glow that I was able to navigate my way to the fridge. There wasn't any sign of anyone awake and I was mostly grateful for that. Pulling the fridge door open, I found it stocked with an assortment of veggies and fruit. I forgot the idea of water when my eyes landed on the different flavors of ice cream, and while I'd rather have a glass of chilled water for my slight headache an
Natalia’s POV:Morning light filtered into the room, sunshine hitting my eyes and waking me up.I rolled off the bed, wincing as I put pressure on my wound. Fuck, I kept forgetting I was injured whenever I woke up! My belly grumbled loudly, twisting with hunger pangs. After freshening up, I slipped into the hallway. The smell of freshly baked pastries made my mouth water. In the kitchen, I found Caterina and Angela preparing breakfast. Caterina was taking something out of the oven. “Hello,” I said as I walked in.They both turned to me, and Angela smiled at me, holding up a mug. “Hi, coffee?” I took a stool by the island. “Yes, please.” But Caterina frowned. “You shouldn't be moving too much or putting pressure on that,” she said firmly, pointing to my bandaged side. Angela chuckled softly, wheeling her chair over. “You worry too much, Zia.” She passed me a cup of coffee just as Caterina set a tray of freshly baked pastries in front of me. “You should eat more, so the pain m
Natalia’s POV:It’s been four days since I received the strange note. I was anxious as hell. It seemed like an opportunity to escape this hell hole but at the same time... It felt like a trap. Okay, hear me out. First, I didn't know if Vittoria was in on it or not. I couldn't figure out if she even knew about the note, what if she didn't? I’d spent the last few days watching her every move, trying to figure out if she knew about the note, annnnd. Nothing. She was just her usual, calm, polite, and naive self. I do know looks could be deceiving but I didn't want to make any mistakes. Secondly, a part of me thought about the possibility of Carlo being behind this. I mean, his guards are always on high alert, they searched everyone, especially the maids who attended to me. So how did that note go unnoticed? What if Carlo wanted to test me? Get me into trouble? No. I’d lay low, at least until the next message. Maybe then I’d find a clue, something that would help me decide if I could
Carlo's POV: “N–yes.” I chuckled under my breath. “Go on, tell me why you're being punished.” “I.. er.. because.” She paused, breathing heavily as if trying to catch her breath. “Uh.. I barged into your office and spoke rudely to you.” Close enough. “That you did, but that is not why you're in this situation right now.” I heard the moment her breath hitched. “It's… it's not?” Well, it was until I changed my mind. I don't say that out loud. Wanted to keep her guessing. I moved closer to bed, admiring my handiwork on her skin. With how reddish and tender it looked, I bet she wouldn't be able to sit for days without thinking of this moment.Good.I liked the idea of being on her mind all the time.Well, for now, let's get right back to business. “I'm still waiting for your reply, bella. It's either that or I double the punishment.” “Shit.” She cursed under her breath, and I could almost hear the gears in her head turning. “You have only sixty seconds to give me a reply,” I said,
Natalia’s POV: ‘Strip.’That commanding tone of his already had my belly flipping really hard. But I decided to mess with him, I mean, is it going to be a fun punishment if i don't mess with him a bit.“I'm sorry, what?” I feigned ignorance, my eyes tracking his movements as he unlatched that black belt from the belt holes of his slacks. At my words, he arched his brow, folding the belt in two. “Are you trying to disobey me, monella?” I rolled my eyes but kept my lips shut. This was going to rile him up. Good. I wanted him that way.God, I was so fucking sick.Why did the idea of being punished by him make me ruby thighs together, relieving the growing ache between them.“Strip,” he growled, his eyes darkened w as he took several steps forward until he stood toe to toe with me and I could clearly make out the color of his eyes. “I will not repeat myself again. Do as I say or face the consequences.” Fuck.A shiver ran down my spine at his words, I should be afraid of the dangerous
Natalia's POV: Why did I always make bad decisions when I was upset? Because that was exactly what I did earlier. Make a bad decision.Why did I think it was okay to barge in and talk to Carlo in that manner? That in no way helped Angela's case and I think I just made it worse.From the way his jaw clenched hard at the mention of Angela texting a man, I knew I'd fucked up. Fuck. Was there a way to turn things around? And Angela… My chest tightened painfully. The poor girl must be devastated. I think I should go see her first before deciding what to do to salvage this situation.But as soon as I opened my door, I dived face-first into a hard, warm wall, stumbling back, a hand shot out and steadied me.I didn't need to look to tell who it was, I could recognize his scent in my sleep. “Carlo?” He took a few steps forward, forcing me to move backward until he was standing in my room, locking the door behind him. “You wanted to talk. So here I am” I arched my brows, eyeing him warily.
Carlo's POV: “Romeo and Francessco say they have a lead on Luca,” Enzo said, leaning back in his chair. “They said an Intel told them that he was last spotted in Andorra but they aren't sure.”I arched my brow. “Andorra?” “Yes.” Dio. This boy would be the death of me someday. Perhaps I should have just gotten my men to bundle him back home as soon as we realized he'd run to Spain. I couldn't tell what was on his mind, couldn't understand the reason why he was doing all this.But I had wanted to trust his judgement, didn't want to be the kind of father that mine was to me but this time, he was really pushing my hand. And only a matter of time will our enemies begin to go after him.Enough is enough.“If they find him, they must get him home no matter what,” I demanded. “I don't care whatever method they use, they must bring Luca home, got it?” “Sure thing, Don,” he replied with a curt nod, digging into his pockets. He produced his phone, unlocking the screen and typing rapidly on
Natalia's POV:I had to hold back a moan as the rich flavour of Caterina’s special homemade baked chicken exploded on my tongue.Seriously, how does she make a banger every single time? I know Tanya's mom used to make us tasty meals but Caterina’s cooking was on a whole new level.And maybe one day I could get her to teach me some tricks. One day, hopefully.I had just stuffed my mouth full with another piece of my chicken when Angela's loud curse had my eyes snapping up to hers.“Give it back!” She yelled, her face already turning bright red with rage. “Aless!” My eyes shifted to Alessandro who had kicked back his chair, trying to get away from her reach.“Alessandro!” “Quiet sister, you've been smiling like a love sick idiot lately, need to know what's up with that,” he said not bothering to look up from her phone's screen, knowing there was no way she could get to him.Seriously, why was the fucker always so goddamn annoying? Was this how brothers behave? I shoukd probably thank
Natalia's POV: My eyes went round, jaw hanging loose. “You're joking?” “Nope,” he popped the ‘P.’ “I'm not.” My breath caught in my throat at his admission. What…what does this mean? That I've found a woman who could be my birth mother? What if this was all a big mistake and I should have just let the sleeping dogs lie? What if they don't want me anyone? Fuck, was I really getting a cold feet just from hearing about the possibility of find my real parents?“Hey!” Fingers snapped at my face and I blinked to focus, clearing my throat. “Where did you go?” His eyes narrowed on me but I had a lot to ask him… “Did you talk to them? What did she say? Did you talk to her—”“Calm your titties, geez.” His hand dug into the pockets of his baggy jeans, as he searched around for something while I waited patiently for whatever it was. “Gotcha.” He pulled out a small picture, flipping it between his fingers.“Is that her?” I asked softly.He didn't reply but waggled his brows in response inst
Natalia’s POV: “So… how did the date go?” Tanya asked, placing a neatly folded sundress into her bag. “Had fun?” More than fun if the slight ache between my legs was any indication. “Well, it went better than I expected and Carlo was a gentleman.” Yeah, like how fucked me against all the surface in his room like I was some paid whore.She arched one of her brows, her task at hand momentarily forgotten. “That's all I get?” “Uh, what else were you expecting me to say?”She huffed, placing her hands on her hips. “You're not exactly as smooth as you think you are. You literally have a giant hickey on your neck—”“Shit.” My hand flew up to where I was sure he'd been feasting on last night and heat instantly crept up to my cheeks.He did not just fucking mark me for the whole world to see! I heard her snort loudly. “Yeah, ‘shit.’ You're not exactly fooling anyone, so let me hear the juicy details of this ‘date.’” I groaned, flopping backwards on her bed, my eyes facing the ceiling. “I
Natalia's POV: Okay, so I intentionally went on this date without panties on, sue me.This action may or may not have been Tanya's idea AND influence.. She'd walked in on the ladies preparing me for the date and she said and I quote; “Eight out of ten times, dates lead to sex. And I know with all the sexual tension all night, you wouldn't want to waste time getting out of your panties so it's better to go without it.”Look, I couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but I took her advice and I admit, I was stupid. Because now, I felt stupid and I was clearly embarrassed despite the alcohol messing with my head.And I think I broke Carlo. “Well, I—” I let out a soft gasp as I was being hoisted up in the air and my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as my hands find their place behind his neck. “What are you doing?” “Can't hold back any longer,” he grunted, exiting the restaurant with me wrapped around him. “I need my hands on you.”Fuck. My stomach clenched hard. I certainly
Song rec: Moth To A Flame -The Weeknd.Carlo's POV: If I was being honest, tonight had been so much fun. Much more fun than I expected it to be—maybe except for the fact that Enzo gave me the wrong tips on how our date should go which led to the game…That game had been a little childish—don't care if she called me an ancestor, it was childish. But… It I had fun. Probably the most fun I've had in my thirty-five years on earth. And maybe I'd never admit it to anyone but I didn't mind spending more time with Natalia.She made me feel alive, made me feel like I deserved to be happy even though I know that it was impossible for someone like me. People like me don't stay happy for long and people like me don't mingle with people like her.She was light where I was darkness. The calm after a storm where I was the raging storm itself. Like blood and water, we can not mix...I knew all of that, so why wouldn't I let her go? Why do I feel the compelling need to just keep her locked away forev