Gabriella's POVI took a deep breath, smoothing my hands over my red satin gown. It clung to my body just right, making me feel elegant, but the moment Alessio walked in, my confidence started to slip away.Dressed in a sharp black suit, his red tie matched my dress, though we hadn't planned it that way. His dark eyes scanned me slowly, intensely. I felt my face flush under his gaze."You look…" His voice was low, dangerous and seductive. "Perfect."I swallowed hard, looking away. "You’re not so bad yourself."A smirk tugged at his lips as he reached for my hand. His fingers wrapped around mine, warm and steady. "Come," he said, leading me downstairs.His grip was firm, like he had no intention of letting go. Every step we took, I was aware of him, his presence, his scent, the quiet power in the way he moved.The car ride was quiet, but not uncomfortable. I could feel his eyes on me, though he didn't say anything. My hands rested in my lap, fingers twisting together in nervousness."N
Alessio’s PovI stepped onto the balcony, gripping my phone tightly as I answered. “Yeah, talk.”Vincenzo’s voice came through, shaky and uneven. “Boss… there’s a problem. I found out who’s behind the shipment.” He hesitated for a second. “It was the Russians.”My entire body tensed. The Russians. Of course, it was them. Filthy, backstabbing bastards. My fingers curled into a fist around the phone, my knuckles turning white. I could feel my pulse hammering against my ears. “What else?” My voice was low, controlled, but deadly.Vincenzo sucked in a breath. “Don… you need to get out of there. Now.”Something in his tone sent a chill down my spine. My instincts sharpened, my grip tightening on the balcony railing. “What do you mean?” I demanded, my voice coming out sharper than intended. “The place has been raided…..”Before I could reply, gunshots rang out. “Shit,” I muttered to myself. My breath hitched as adrenaline surged through me. My mind raced through a thousand possibilities
Gabriella's Pov “You’re awake,” Alessio says, his voice softer than I expected as he rubs my arm lightly. His touch is warm, almost… gentle. I blink a few times, trying to shake off the lingering haze in my mind.“Here, sit up straight,” he adds, handing me a bottle of water.I stare at him for a moment, my mind struggling to process the situation. Alessio… being nice? Is this a dream? I shake my head slightly, pushing the thought away, and take the water from him. The cool liquid soothes my dry throat as I gulp it down in one go.“Where am I?” I ask, furrowing my brows as I take in my surroundings. The bright hospital lights, the scent of antiseptic, the stiff sheets under my fingers, it all starts to make sense.“You’re in the hospital, Bella,” he replies, his voice low and steady. His hand continues rubbing slow, comforting circles on my arm, sending an unfamiliar warmth through me.I don’t know what shocks me more, the fact that I’m here or the fact that Alessio is being… tender.
Gabriella's Pov I woke up feeling light, like I was floating. My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing I saw was Alessio’s face, his features looking soft as the dim light of the plane cabin reflected on him. His arms were wrapped securely around me, holding me close to his chest as he carried me effortlessly.“Finally awake,” he murmured, his voice deep yet soft but there was something else beneath it, relief? Concern?I blinked, trying to shake the drowsiness from my mind. “What… happened?” My voice came out hoarse, and my throat felt dry. I struggled to recall the last moments before I drifted it to sleep. “We landed,” he said simply. “You were exhausted, so I let you rest.”I swallowed hard and slowly became aware of the hum of the plane’s engines winding down. The scent of Alessio’s cologne wrapped around me, it was woodsy, rich, and something undeniably him. I should have pulled away, but his warmth was comforting, and my body refused to fight against the ease of his grip
Third person pov The dimly lit room smelled of blood and sweat, the air thick with tension. A single flickering bulb hung from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows on the cracked concrete walls. The metallic scent of iron clung to the atmosphere, mixing with the stale odor of cigarette smoke.Victor knelt on the cold floor, his face battered and swollen, blood trickling from his split lip. His left eye was nearly swollen shut, a deep purple bruise forming around it. His hands trembled slightly as he kept them pressed against his sides, barely able to lift his gaze to the imposing figure seated before him.The man in the chair was silent for a long moment, merely observing Victor with cold, calculating eyes. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest, a patient yet ominous gesture. Behind him, two guards stood motionless, their expressions unreadable, their presence filed with a silent warning. Finally, he spoke, his voice calm but laced with danger."Tell me, Victor. Why didn'
Alessio's Pov The warehouse reeked of dust, coil, blood too, maybe. The kind of place which was forbidden to people who didn't deal with guns. I stepped out of the SUV, the gravel stones crunching beneath my boots. I looked around taking in the view. No signs of life, except the figure leaning against the barrel near the far end of the building. Pablo.His arms were crossed, his body relaxed. That alone made my skin itch. I didn’t say anything at first. Just walked. Each step echoing as I moved. Two of my men Carlo and Ricci stood beside me. The tension between all could’ve cracked a concrete wall. “You picked a hell of a place for a meeting,” I muttered when I got close enough to see the sweat on Pablo’s brow. He smirked, his eyes hidden behind those damn mirrored shades. “You’re late.” “Traffic,” I said dryly. “Let’s not waste more time.” He shifted, finally standing up straight. “I got news. But you’re not gonna like it.” I narrowed my eyes. “I haven’t liked much o
Gabriella's Pov The house felt like a damn museum, big, cold but lifeless. I wandered through the long hallways with no real direction, just bare feet against polished floors and boredom clinging to me like perfume.I had already counted the columns in the hallway twice. There were Twenty-eight in total. The exact number of minutes I’d been pacing. I muttered to myself, “I’m going crazy.”No one answered. Obviously.I made my way to the front of the house, hoping, praying, for some reason to go out. Maybe a fire. An earthquake. A scandal. Anything.Two guards stood at the entrance like they were a statue. One of them, the bald one in sunglasses, turned his head as I approached.“I want to head out,” I said, already bracing for the worst. To my surprise the bald guy grunted. “Can’t let you do that, ma’am.”I crossed my arms. “Excuse me?”“Don’s orders. You're to stay inside.”I blinked. “Are you hearing yourself? Am I a prisoner now?”“No one said that,” he replied calmly. Too calml
Gabriella's PovThe car ride back to the mansion was unusually quiet. Paul’s eyes were glued to the road, hands gripped firm around the steering wheel, his jaw locked like he was chewing on a million thoughts he refused to spit out.But me? My mind was racing.Just before Paul interrupted earlier, she slid a paper into my hand. Quiet, quick, unnoticed.I waited until we were clear. I shifted slightly in my seat, making sure Paul’s eyes stayed ahead, and with a racing heart and trembling fingers, I unfolded the little piece of paper.It was a phone number. No name. Just digits.I glanced at Paul again. He was still focused on the road. A slow, strange smile tugged at the corner of my lips. The moment we pulled into the long driveway and the mansion came into view, I practically flew out of the car the second we stopped. I didn’t wait for Paul to open my door. I didn’t even say a word. My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as I bolted through the grand hallway, ignoring th
Gabriella's Pov The next morning, I couldn't sit still. My heart was a tangled mess of questions as I paced my bedroom, glancing every few seconds at the drawer across the room, the one hiding that photograph.I bit my lip, debating with myself. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it's not what it looked likeBut the doubt was there. I couldn't pretend I hadn't seen it.I rushed over, yanking the drawer open and pulling out my diary. Carefully, I slipped the photograph free from between the worn pages.There it was.My mother, smiling so warmly, standing close to Martini like they had shared something... something I wasn't meant to know about. Their bodies leaned just a little too comfortably toward each other, a kind of familiarity that spoke louder than words.I stared at it, my fingers trembling slightly.Why would she be this close to him? What are they hiding?A thousand questions burned in my chest, but only one thing was clear: I couldn't sit here waiting for answers. I'd find them mys
Alessio's Pov The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting golden streaks over the polished wood floors of the mansion. It was rare to feel a sense of calm in this house, rarer still to feel something close to happiness. But as I stood by the window, sipping black coffee, watching the trees move. I realized there was something different in the air. It was warmer and lighter. I didn’t know why I felt it, but I wasn’t going to question it. Maybe it was the silence. Maybe it was the way the chaos in my head had reduced. . Or maybe… It was her.Gabriella.Carki noticed it too. He stood across from me in the hallway, his arms folded, one brow raised like he was trying to read me.“You look less like you want to kill someone today,” he muttered, his usual dry sarcasm creeping in.I grunted, shaking my head. “Don’t start.”He shrugged. “Didn’t say it was a bad thing.”But he knew better than to push further.I hadn’t told anyone, not even Carlo, that I was starting to see Ga
Gabriella's Pov I stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing myself. The soft blue gown hugged my curves like it had been made for me, delicate silk cascading to the floor. It was simple, no jewels, no embroidery, nothing loud, yet somehow, that simplicity made it all the more stunning. My hair was loose, curling softly around my shoulders. After so long behind locked doors, stripped of even the smallest luxuries, it felt almost rebellious to wear something that made me feel... beautiful, alive even. Tonight, I wasn’t going to hide. Tonight, Alessio would see what he’d tried to keep in a cage. I took a deep breath, smoothed the gown over my hips, and left the room. The heels clicked softly against the marble stairs as I descended, the chandelier above scattering golden light across the foyer like falling stars. I saw him before he saw me, Alessio, seated at the long oak dining table, phone pressed to his ear, brow furrowed in that way that meant business. Even when
Gabriella's Pov I sat on the edge of the massive bed, my arms folded tightly across my chest as I stared at the wall. The silence in the room was deafening, but it was nothing compared to anger I felt inside me. How dare Alessio lock me in like some possession? Like I was a bird that needed to be trapped in a cage. I hated him for it. I hated how he thought he could control me, trap me in this mansion and expect me to act like a good wife. But I wasn’t going to let him break me.My stomach growled loudly, interrupting my spiral of frustration. Ugh. Even in anger, my body had needs. I slid off the bed, grabbed the silk robe from the chair, and wrapped it around me before heading out of the room.As I walked down the grand staircase, I was greeted by the cold marble under my feet and the faint aroma of something warm and buttery. My eyes darted around the hall, but it was eerily empty, as always.A maid walked by, her head slightly bowed, and I called out to her.“Excuse me, can you b
Alessio's Pov I sat in my office, my fingers drumming restlessly against the mahogany desk. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, but it felt like time was stuck, like it was mocking me. Gabriela's presence lingered in the corners of my mind. I couldn't focus on any other things except her. She was locked upstairs, tucked away behind steel-reinforced doors and top-tier security. Not because I didn’t trust her, but because I didn’t trust the world with her. It was the only choice I had, the only way to keep her safe. Still, I felt guilty . I could almost hear her voice echoing in my mind, asking why I had become her captor.A knock broke me from my trance. Carlo stepped in, looking rigid as always, his face showing little to no emotion. “We’ve got a lead,” he said simply.I nodded my head furiously. “Good. I’ll finish up here. Then we go.”Carlo didn’t ask questions. He never did. That’s what made him invaluable.When the door shut behind him, I leaned back in my chair, letting my
Victor stood at the front of the mansion, the cold wind doing nothing to make him calm. His boots crunched against the gravel as he took a shaky step forward, his heart pounding louder with every breath.He knew this was a mistake. A dangerous one.No one was allowed to step foot inside the master's estate without being summoned, especially not someone like him. But this wasn’t a time for him to follow the rules. Not tonight.His fingers trembled as he reached for the call button on the gate’s stone pillar. He hesitated but th, he pressed it.He waited for what seemed to be minutes. Just as he was about to turn away, the massive iron gate made a slow noise and creaked open. A single guard stepped forward, his face filled with disgust. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here,” the guard said, eyeing Victor like he was a ticking bomb.Victor didn’t flinch. “I know. But I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”“i need to speak with him,” Victor said quickly. “Please. It’s urgen
The next morning, Gabriella woke up with her heart pounding in her chest, the bitter memory of last night still hanging over her like a storm cloud. She didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want to hear him. Every fiber of her body ached with frustration.Kicking the covers away, she stood and marched over to the balcony. Her eyes scanned the property. Guards. Lots of them. Standing still like statues, guns hanging from their shoulders, eyes constantly sweeping the grounds. It was clear—Alessio wasn’t taking any chances this time. There was no escape.Gabriella let out a deep breath and turned away. The room felt like a golden prison. Big bed, soft rug, polished floor—none of it mattered. It was still a cage.She walked into the bathroom and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water run over her skin, hoping it would wash off the weight sitting on her chest. She stayed there longer than necessary, not wanting to come out. Not wanting to face what was waiting.A soft knock on the bedroo
The tension in the De Luca's mansion could be sliced with a knife. Alessio stood by the large window, arms folded, eyes scanning the grounds with an expression that teetered between fury and fear.Carlo entered without knocking.“She’s not home,” he said flatly.Alessio’s voice dropped, dangerous and cold. “Who?”“Gabriela. I checked her room, the garden, and the west wing. Nothing. I asked one of the maids. They said she left a couple of hours ago. With Stella.”Alessio’s eyes darkened. “With Stella?”“Yes, boss. The guards thought she had your permission.”Alessio turned fully now. “And they’re both missing?”Carlo nodded. “I sent two men to check the nearby blocks. Nothing yet.”Alessio slammed his hand down on the table beside him, making the vase rattle. “Traitors in my own walls, and the one person I need safe is strolling around the city like it’s a damn holiday?”Carlo stayed silent, knowing better than to interrupt when Alessio was on edge.“Mobilize every man we’ve got. I do
The sky was beginning to turn golden as the cab Maria was in finally stopped in front of a small, cozy, looking house with white windows and a porch that had potted flowers sitting on the rails. Hidden just a little down the road, Gabriella and Stella sat inside their own cab, watching closely.“There,” Stella whispered, pointing.“I see her,” Gabriella replied, narrowing her eyes. Her tone was calm, but her fingers were drumming nervously on her knee. “We wait till she goes inside.”Maria stepped out of her cab, adjusting the strap of her bag. She glanced over her shoulder once, then walked briskly to the front door and disappeared inside.“Now,” Gabriella said.They got out quietly and walked toward the house. Stella’s heart was racing like a drum in a parade.“Are you sure about this?” Stella asked, tugging on Gabriella’s sleeve.“Yes,” Gabriella said firmly. “But follow my lead. No surprises, okay?”Stella nodded. Gabriella stepped up to the porch and knocked softly. The door cre