CHAPTER FOURTEEN Four years later, he got what he wanted, but Vivian looked happier now…without him in her life. Bruce watched the clock closely, making sure not to miss a second. Finally, 8pm was here and he now leaned against his car, waiting for Vivian with a smile on his face. Sometimes he wondered if it were possible to turn back the hands of time, to do things a little differently. Just about the same time Vivian had left the office. 8pm sharp. On the other side of the city, near the waters edge where the docks were, a small group gathered. It was a desolate place with barely a living soul to be seen loitering, and other than the one singular street Lamp that casted a light over a group of men in tailored suits, the entire place was shrouded in a thick layer of darkness. And at the center of these men, one was kneeling, tied up, and bloody, barely on his last breath. In the shadows, one of the men remained obscured from the light. taking a slow drag of his cigar and the e
CHAPTER FIFTEEN VIVIAN’S POV Day 1 The annual fashion show to usher in the new season was fast approaching and there was a lot to do. Too much that the mere thought of it made me sick to my stomach. I thought I would pass out just thinking about it. Every year it was like this. The clamor of sewing machines, ringing phones, and gossiping staff created a chaotic symphony of fashion preparation. And my days had become a blur of urgent meetings and meticulous planning. The upcoming fashion show was a rather big deal for us, designers from all over gathered here and with the fashion show which was only mere days away, and the pressure was mounting. And it also meant I would be -oh so privileged- to be in the presence of Lisa Jonathan more than the usual. I sighed. The girl was a nightmare, thankfully I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Yet up until now, faced in the flood of activities, my thoughts kept drifting back to Damien, he hadn’t called in yet and that worried me a bit.
DAMIEN’S POV While the agency was buzzing with preparations for the annual fashion show, I was miles away on the other side of the country, sitting in a sparsely lit room filled with some of the most powerful men in the underworld. Was I anxious? Hardly. If it were to be anyone else sitting in my position, I’m sure they would have been quacking in their leather boots. Not me though. If anything, I was calm and level headed. The gears in my head were already in motion as I drank in the presence of these men. As the heir to the Sullivan name, I needed to maintain my family’s raptor. The Cosa Nostra Demanded my presence. It was a rule set in stone. When the cosa nostra called, you answered, even if your wife were in labor. That’s how serious they were. Under normal circumstances, my father would have been the one here, but here we were. I gauged the setting, causally browsing over the men as though they were books at a library. To my left and right, were six of the most notorious men i
All eyes shifted back to me, the Don remained silent, listening. I knew the kind of game Salvatore was playing at and I didn’t like it one bit. Being pushed into a corner wasn’t my style. “Yeah, we had a…rat.” I admitted. “only one?” Salvatore’s tone was challenging, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous spark as he leaned forward. “since you seem to know so much, why don’t you tell me who the others are?” I snapped. “you’re out of line Sly,” my voice low and controlled. “I don’t take kindly to baseless accusations. Yeah, one of my men was compromised. But that’s a far cry from saying anyone else in my family is involved.” The truth was that, I did have my suspicions, but I kept them to myself for now. Salvatore remained unphased, his smirk only widening. The man seemed to reveal in the discomfort he was causing me. Sly put up his hands in mock defense as though he hadn’t just turned the room against me. “hey, I’m merely presenting the facts as I’ve heard them,” he said, his to
Vivian’s heart skipped a beat. The room seemed to shift and without realizing it, a smile graced her lips. His presence changed the atmosphere, he had always had that effect on people. But right now, gazing upon his smug grin and effortless charisma, all that relief she had felt initially had melded into irritation and an unnamed feeling. He caught her eyes, even admist the throng of people. His eyes drank in her appearance and she saw something flash in them, but she was too far off to tell what it was. The smile he gave her made her stomach flip. How did he manage to do that, even when she was mad at him? As Damien made his way to the stage, the crowd parted for him, and the buzz of excitement grew. He stepped up to the microphone, his voice smooth and confident as he welcomed everyone to the show. The audience hung on his every word, completely under his spell. “I’d like to thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here tonight…” he went on, eyes sweepin
As they entered, Vivian couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. She had never been to Damien’s home before, and it was more impressive than she had imagined. The décor was luxurious but tasteful, with a mix of modern and classic elements that spoke of Damien’s taste. “this way…” he said, leading her to the dinning room, where a table had been set for two. It was clear he had planned this-everything was perfect, from the candlelight to the bottle of vintage wine that sat chilling in a bucket of ice. “I thought you might be hungry after all the hard work you’ve put into the show,” Damien said, pulling out a chair for her, “I know I am.” The way he maintained eye contact with her after saying that sent a shiver down her spine. Unable to shake off the feeling that his words had a second meaning to them. Vivian took a seat, still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. Her heart was beating at an impossible rate as she wondered it this was reality or part of her fantasies
The man deepened the kiss, his hands roaming her body, exploring each deep and curve as he relished the taste of her on his tongue. Vivian’s breath hitched when Damien's lips pressed against hers, the kiss starting slow but quickly deepening, igniting something primal between them. His hands were firm on her waist, pulling her closer to his body as his hands pulled up the length of her slender legs and she felt the heat of his body as her hands moved to his chest, tracing the muscles beneath his shirt. Their kisses grew more frantic, need overpowering restraint. Damien broke the kiss for a moment, his forehead resting against hers, his breath heavy, almost ragged. The look in his eyes, dark with desire, sent a shiver down her spine. Without warning, he reached down, his strong hands gripping the curves of her thighs and lifting her off the couch. Vivian gasped at the sudden movement, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as her arms encircled his neck. Damien's finger
Damien's hands were everywhere, tracing the contours of her body, sending waves of pleasure through her. His lips trailed down her neck, leaving a path of heat in their wake as his hands roamed lower, gripping her hips and pulling her closer to him. Vivian’s body responded instinctively, arching up to meet him, her heart racing with anticipation. Time seemed to blur, the world outside fading away as they gave in to the primal need that had been simmering between them for so long. Damien's hands gripped her thighs again, and with a quick, smooth movement, he pulled her closer, positioning himself between her legs. Vivian’s breath hitched, her heart pounding as she felt the full weight of him against her. Damien leaned down, his lips barely grazing hers as he whispered, “You’re mine, Vivian. Only mine.” The possessiveness she had seen before finally broke through. He was the predator and she was his prey. The words sent a jolt of electricity through her, and with a soft moan, sh
“Please… give me another chance,” he begged, his words raw with desperation. “I can’t lose you. I don't think I can go on without you. I know I’ve hurt you… I know I’ve failed you… but I swear, I’ll do anything to make it right.” His eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. Compared to the cold hearted killing machine she had just witnessed some hours ago, this version of Damien, the way he made himself to bare and vulnerable to her made her heart clench, but could she forgive him so easily? He lied about who he was, putting her in danger. But he hadn't been the only one who lied, Bruce. She couldn't tell who's betrayal hit her more. Bruce or Damien? “But Vivian… if you want to leave… I won’t stop you. I won’t force you to stay in a life you don’t want. I’ll let you go, if that’s what you need.” The silence that followed was suffocating, heavy with uncertainty. Damien’s heart pounded in his chest as he waited patiently for her next wor
Damien stood there, still holding the gun in his hand, as if Marcello’s death meant nothing to him. He didn’t flinch at the sound of Vivian’s distress, didn’t look away from the corpse lying at his feet. This was just another day in his world. But somewhere deep inside, something twisted in his chest at the sound of Vivian’s sobs.Nikolia glanced at him, his expression unreadable. “Enzo will be here soon,” he said quietly, as if the violence they had just witnessed was already being brushed aside. “We’ll take care of the rest.”Damien nodded, his jaw clenched. Without another word, he holstered his gun and turned to face Vivian. But before he could reach her, she swayed, her body giving out from the sheer exhaustion and trauma of the night. She collapsed, her world turning black as she slipped into unconsciousness.---When Vivian woke again, the harsh lights of the white room assaulted her senses. She blinked, disoriented, her body feeling heavy
Marcello’s heart dropped into his stomach. For a split second, it felt like he had seen a ghost. Nikolia stood there, bathed in the faint moonlight, his tall frame exuding a cold menace that froze Marcello in place. His expression was hard, disgust etched into every line of his face and his golden eyes cutting through Marcello like a silent reaper of damnation.“Going somewhere, Marcello?” Nikolia’s voice was as cold as the night air, sending a shiver down Marcello’s spine.Marcello’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find words. “N-Nikolia…” he stammered, taking a step back, but there was nowhere to run. The fat in his cheeks trembled. The wall behind him felt like a cage, closing in around him.Nikolia stepped closer, his eyes darkening with contempt. “ what's the matter, uncle Marc? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said quietly, his voice dripping with disgust. “I guess betrayal has that effect, doesn’t it?”Marcello tried to swallow, but his thr
Rico stormed back to the center of the room, his face twisted in fury as more gunfire erupted outside. “This was supposed to be foolproof!” he spat, turning on Bruce with venom in his eyes. “You told me this would work!”Bruce gave a nonchalant shrug, not bothering to defend himself. He’d done what he was told. If Rico’s plans were crumbling, that was on him.“Looks like you’re the one who underestimated Damien,” Bruce muttered under his breath.“You—” Rico’s hand shot out, grabbing Bruce by the collar of his shirt, yanking him to his feet. “I swear to God, if you had anything to do with this—”“Enough!” Marcello barked, stepping between them, his eyes wide with barely concealed panic. “This is getting out of hand! We need to get out of here before it’s too late!”For the first time since the gunfire began, Bruce’s pulse quickened. He could hear the approaching footsteps, the gunfire getting closer. The time had come. The inevitable was h
Bruce had taken a photo of Vivian and driven down to the fake location where Rico and Marcello had planned to ambush him when he showed up. About a dozen foot soldiers were positioned at strategic places around the warehouse, waiting for the time. But as Bruce stood before the depleted building, he couldn't tear his gaze away from the the picture of Vivian. He stared at the picture for what felt like an eternity before delivering the message to Damien along with the fake location. A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he watched the file deliver. Somehow, he felt Damien wouldn't believe this crap. If he truly did love Vivian, he could tell from a mile away that these coordinates were bullshit. A part of him wanted to call it off, but he knew better than to intervene. No, that's not it. Bruce was just a coward, a dog on Rico's leash and it gnawed at him.Vivian was now a part of his past, but she wasn't the one to blame for the path he had condemned himself to be
Vivian gasped, her eyes widening in horror to think that Bruce was confessing to a murder made her question everything now. “No… no, Bruce, that’s not—” She shook her head, refusing to believe what she was hearing. The man she once knew, the man she had loved, couldn’t be capable of something like that. “You didn’t… You couldn’t have…”His face twisted in a madden excitement. A sick smile marked his features as he grinned from ear to ear like a mad man, but there was no denying it now. “I did. Hah, I shot him. Clean, one bullet to the heart. Just like Rico told me to.”Rico?? Why did that name sound so familiar. Vivian recalled going through Damien's notes the days he had been absent from work. But who exactly was Rico and how were Bruce and Damien even connected to it all.Vivian recoiled in her chair, her body trembling. “How... how could you?"“I didn’t have a choice!” Bruce snapped, his voice rising, raw and defensive. “They have everything on
Sly turned back to his laptop, as if he hadn’t just tried to push my buttons. “We make our move tonight. They don’t know that we know where they are, so we have the upper hand. We’ll strike fast, hit them from all sides.”Right in the middle of our conversation, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out immediately, my gut tightening the moment I saw the notification. An unknown number had sent me a message. I opened it immediately, and my blood ran cold.It was a picture of Vivian. She was tied up, her face streaked with tears, her eyes wide with fear. A message followed: **“Come alone, or she dies.”**I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. Rage, fear, and panic crashed into me all at once, threatening to rip through the thin control I had left. I tightened my grip on the phone, the edges digging into my palm.Nikolia leaned in, his face hardening as he saw the picture. “Shit.”Sly glanced over, his smirk fading when he saw the image. “Ah... there it is. The bai
Nikolia nodded in agreement, though his gaze remained locked on Sly, watching his every move. “Enzo’s right, Damien. The moment you go after them, you’ll be walking right into their trap.” I took a deep breath, trying to let the words sink in. Rico and Marcello were conniving bastards. They would use any weakness to get a leverage. “What do you suggest, then?” I asked after a moment, my tone hard but more measured now. Enzo relaxed slightly. “Sly," he motioned for Salvatore and the man moved quickly, pulling out a laptop from his bag. He perched himself behind a wooden desk and turned on the system, the cold light reflecting over his face as his fingers worked through the keys like a madman. "We got our Intel..." Sly grinned, his fingers already flying over the keys of the laptop. “I’ve been digging into Rico’s operations. I might have an idea where he’s keeping her.” My eyes locked onto Sly’s. “Where?” Sly pulled up a map on the screen, a series of routes and locations highligh
His glare was fierce, but I held my ground. “This isn’t the time to act reckless. And you know it. We need a plan. If you go after them now, you'd be playing right into their hands.”“I don’t care! They took her, Nik. They crossed the fucking line,” he huffed, knocking over a stack of magazines on his desk.I took a breath, keeping my voice steady. “I know. But if you charge in there like this, you could lose more than Vivian. You could lose everything. They’re waiting for you to snap, and when you do, they’ll be ready.”Damien’s eyes flickered with rage, but deep down, he knew I was right. He was smart enough to see the bigger picture, but in moments like this, his emotions were getting the best of him.I placed a hand on his shoulder, locking eyes with him. “We’ll get her back. But not like this. You need to stay focused, stay sharp. We’ll find another way.”He didn’t say anything, but the tension in his shoulders eased, if only a