"Ah..." Ryan began nervously, his voice quivering. "Allow me to introduce you to Robert," he hurriedly approached Robert, who wore a worried expression, likely stemming from Rio's presence."Who's that, Mr. Ryan?" Robert asked, his gaze shifting between Ryan and Rio."Don't worry, Robert. He's my friend," Ryan chuckled, turning to Rio, who fixated his eyes on Robert without wavering.Rio approached Robert, his eyes scrutinizing him as he stood merely a foot away. Then, his gaze shifted back to Ryan. "So, now you bring strangers into my house? Ugh. And why are you still here? Are you obsessed with me?" Rio's irritation seeped through his words, causing Robert to feel increasingly uneasy."Let's discuss this later. The kid is scared, Rio," Ryan interjected, forcing a chuckle when he noticed Robert's discomfort."I want him out of my house," Rio declared, his gaze locked on Ryan while his hands pointedly gestured toward Robert.With that, he turned and ascended the stairs to his room, le
Ryan forcefully pushed Rio away, his voice filled with frustration. "Rio, what the hell? There's a kid here," he whispered, his actions revealing a momentary lapse in control.A mischievous smile played on Rio's lips, surprising Ryan. "Why pretend you didn't enjoy it, Ryan? It's what you've always desired," Rio taunted, causing Ryan's cheeks to flush as he nervously bit his lip."This isn't the right time for this," Ryan replied, avoiding eye contact and shifting his gaze to Robert, who observed them innocently."When then? Shall we go upstairs?" Rio's voice dropped to a low, sensual tone, igniting an unexpected desire within Ryan. He had never seen this side of Rio before, and although it felt strange, there was an undeniable appeal.Interrupting Ryan's thoughts, Robert spoke up. "I want to stay," he declared, capturing the attention of both men.Ryan questioned, "Stay? For today?""Yes," Robert confirmed, "but I have a condition." Rio crouched beside him, eager to hear what Robert h
"I'm not entirely certain, Mr. Romano, but Celine is the kind of person who acts before you even have a chance to think about it," Rosa responded. "If I may ask, sir, where is your son right now?" She inquired."At..." Andrea began to reply, but then realization hit him. "He left earlier, and... oh no," he cursed, pulling out his phone and dialing Luca's number. However, it wouldn't connect."What's wrong?" Lucia asked, her face filled with concern."I can't reach Luca," Andrea said, his heart pounding in his chest."What? I thought he went to see Elena.""That's what it seemed like. Luca received a message from an unknown number. This is what I've been trying to tell you, Lucia. Elena and Luca have fallen into a trap. Oh my God, I can't believe I overlooked this," Andrea seethed, standing up."I'm going to the police station. Luca might be in danger.""I'll go with you," Lucia offered."Me too," Rosa chimed in, rising from her seat."It's alright, Rosa. We'll handle this. Thank you f
Before Rio could utter a response, his phone abruptly powered down. "Leave it, Martino," he found himself saying, his disbelief palpable. As he awaited a reply, silence greeted him, and he withdrew the phone from his ear, only to discover it had turned off due to a drained battery. A surge of frustration coursed through him, tempting him to hurl the device to the floor. Instinctively, he knew Martino would act, guided by his own sense of righteousness, even if it put Robert in danger.Without delay, Rio sprinted back to the spot where he had left Ryan earlier, gasping for breath. "Where's Robert?" he asked anxiously.Ryan turned towards the sweet candy stall that had captivated his attention earlier. "There..." His brow furrowed in a frown. "He was just there a moment ago," he replied."Damn it!" Rio cursed, hastening towards the bustling stall, teeming with children. Ryan followed close behind."Excuse me, sir," Rio addressed the man in charge of the stall, a mid-thirties man sportin
"Wow, wow, Luca. You're quite clever, aren't you?" Celine's voice dripped with malicious amusement as Luca stared at her, his disbelief mixed with fear."How..." His voice faltered, but Celine swiftly interrupted him, lifting her hand to silence any further words."Are you not familiar with technology?" Irritation laced her tone as she shot him a disdainful look. "We can easily alter our appearances, virtually anything," she laughed, her sigh trailing off. "I never imagined it would be this simple. Removing Elena from your life, creating a rift... it was child's play."She paced about as she circled him while Luca sat still in the middle, his heartbeat quickening the moment.“What did you do to her?” Luca asked calmly.“That’s not my business. I have someone taking care of her. Don't worry, she's perfectly fine," Celine replied, tapping Luca's shoulder. His gaze fixated on her hand, his terror palpable. She noticed his expression and smiled. "I couldn't help but notice how much you've
Carlos entered the room, finding Elena standing with one hand hidden behind her back. Her demeanor resembled that of a startled kitten, and her gaze met his with a mix of fear and suspicion. Carlos couldn't help but relish the power he held over her, a fact he made evident with a twisted smile. Elena fought to maintain her composure, silently planning her next move. This was her only opportunity, and she couldn't afford to let it slip away.Elena's heart raced, but she concealed her emotions, not letting Carlos see her fear.As he approached her, his presence suffocating the space between them. "Why don’t you just give in? We created magic when we were together,” he drawled, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I wonder what you see in the that loser,” Elena met his gaze, her voice laced with defiance. "At least he's not a deranged maniac like you!" she retorted, her anger seeping through her words.Carlos chuckled. "It's precisely because I'm a maniac that I have you right where I wa
Andrea's eyes fixated on her, his gaze filled with anticipation as he patiently awaited her conditions. He regarded her with suspicion, sensing an underlying tension in the air."It's simple," Celine began, her voice dripping with a sinister tone. "Either Luca stays here, and you, Andrea, will bear witness to every torment I inflict upon him, in the same manner I did before. Maybe then, I'll consider granting you your freedom. Alternatively, Luca can leave to rescue Elena, but you, Andrea, will be left behind... alone with me." Celine narrowed her eyes at Luca, a malicious smile creeping across her face. "And you won't have the privilege of seeing your father again,or maybe you will,” she added, her words laced with malevolence.Andrea couldn't help but chuckle at her feeble attempt to intimidate him. "That's hardly a threat, Celine. I expected better from you," he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.Celine's smile widened as she raised the gun, pointing it directly at Andr
Rio's heart pounded in his chest as he neared the location where Luca was supposedly held captive. Without hesitation, he burst into the cottage, his sole focus on rescuing Luca. However, instead of finding Luca in distress, he was met with a shocking sight. Andrea stood before him, his hands bound and fear etched across his face. Celine, wearing a triumphant smile, stood beside him, a gun aimed at Rio. Celine's eyes narrowed, her anger directed at Andrea. "So you did bring someone, huh? I guess the police are on their way too, you bastard!" she seethed.Confusion and anger coursed through Rio as his gaze shifted between Andrea and Celine. "Where's Luca?" he demanded, desperation and fury lacing his voice. Andrea struggled to speak through the restraints on his mouth, attempting to convey something to Rio.Celine's smile widened with sadistic delight, relishing in Rio's fear. Her gaze darted to him as she spoke with deceitful certainty. "Luca? Oh, he's somewhere you'll never find him,