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Chapter 24
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2021-12-12 03:47:04Giovanni
Sleep was a ghost to me that night. Haunting me just like Emiliana’s expression did.
I couldn’t wipe the look of fear on her face from my mind. While Emiliana lay still, resting her head on me with her long brown waves draped across her face, I focused on Mateo. More importantly, how I was going to deal with him.
Mateo was once one of my most trusted men. Yeah, he could be a dipshit sometimes, but I didn’t think he would go crawling to help Vittoria. Something didn’t feel right, but after a week of torture, Mateo was still holding strong. I had no information, no clues and I could tell that Louis was breaking. Having him beat the living shit out of his younger brother couldn’t have been easy, but he was just as furious as I was. I sensed that a minor part of his sadistic mind enjoyed inflicting pain on him for his brother’s betrayal.
Vinnie had argued with me for the better part of that morning unti
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EmilianaWhatever was bothering Giovanni, he refused to speak of it. I had an idea that it had something to do with yesterday and me witnessing the torture of Mateo, but that was yet to be confirmed. The only thing I had to go on was the fact Giovanni kept referring to himself as a monster.The words were like crashing waves, the sound of his doubt plummeting against rocks in despair. It broke me to hear how he saw himself because all I saw was a man doing what he needed to in order to survive in this world.I had slept soundly, safe in Giovanni’s arms. On several occasions, I had woken up upon shifting comfortably. Each time he would pull me back, determined to keep a hold for as long as possible. Until he took himself off to the bathroom, leaving a cold space beside me.He couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice. The desperate need to get things right was evident, and so was the fear.
Last Updated : 2021-12-13Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 26
Giovanni“This is the guest list.” Emiliana handed me the piece of paper with a weak smile.“What’s wrong?” I asked, allowing my eyes to scan the names scrawled elegantly on each line.She hesitated on the spot before dropping into the chair in front of my desk. She wrung her hands in her lap, biting down on her lip in an attempt to shove away whatever was bothering her.“Em?” I tugged her attention with my deep voice. There was a slight sadness in her eyes, which squeezed at my chest. I hated seeing her upset and even more so when it was someone else’s fault. My blood began to boil, a fire stoking in my stomach at the thought that someone else had done this to her. Her teary eyes flickered to the piece of pap
Last Updated : 2021-12-14Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 27
Emiliana“This is it.” I nervously sighed at my reflection while smoothing out the non-existent creases in my dress.The white dress pooled around at my feet like sea foam. The silk material hung from my body, the lace bodice clinging to every subtle curve like a white silhouette.I pinched at the thin shoulder straps that were simple yet elegant, extending my neckline and stressing the beautiful diamond necklace Giovanni had bought me - my ‘something new’.The make-up artist slapped my hand as I began playing with my hair that was curled and pinned into a low bun with soft wavy tendrils falling delicately over my shoulder.I stared in awe at my reflection. My make up wa
Last Updated : 2021-12-15Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 28
Emiliana Dancing with Giovanni, it felt like I was floating. Drifting in a day dream where only we mattered. We twirled and swayed, the music laying the foundations for our steps. Every swing of our bodies, every step was together and in time. There was still a hint of sadness that wrapped around my heart, the realisation that my parents weren’t here was still too painful to push past. Giovanni sensed it, in every dilatory stare, he could see the struggle and made every attempt to distract me. “Te amo, princessa.” He whispered to me, his arms wrapped so tightly that there was no way of me floating off of this cloud we were on. “Porque, eres una princesa, mi princesa.” (Because you are a princess, my princess.) Giovanni stretched his arm out, spinning m
Last Updated : 2021-12-16Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 29
Emiliana“Here,” Oli passed a mug of piping hot coffee my way.“Thanks,” I muttered distantly, unable to take my eyes from the wall. I was still frozen with shock and the hot porcelain did nothing to soothe my shivering hands. Cold and unable to comprehend what was happening or our next moves.“We’ll have answers soon, Mimi.” Oli rested a hand on my shoulder, offering me comfort I wasn’t quite ready to welcome. Taking a sip of our drinks, we let the room fall in silence, with only the gentle ticking of the wall clock filling the atmosphere.The door to Giovanni’s study clicked, and we both shot up at the sudden sound. Vinnie stood in the doorway, glancing between us apologetically, like we were half expect
Last Updated : 2021-12-17Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 30
Emiliana My knees shook violently, and my eyes stung, burning with unshed tears. Anger replaced all sense of reason as soon as Vinnie uttered that man’s name and I reached for the closest thing to me. Throwing the mug with so much force that the porcelain and its contents exploded against the wall. Vinnie sat motionless, speechless, watching my heaving body as I threw item after item into the air. My lungs tightened, unable to catch an even breath as my rage fired up. “Even in his death he is ruining our lives!” I screamed, reaching for the paperweight on the desk. “Em, please.” He spoke calmly, resting his hand upon mine. His eyes were soft as he silently pleaded with me. I did not know what his next words were, but I was almost certain he was trying to placate me.
Last Updated : 2021-12-18Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 31
Emiliana “What about my father?” I sank into the chair further, searching for comfort as I clutched my arms around my torso. “He’s in hospital,” I released the small breath I was holding onto, letting it wash over me with the slightest hint of relief. “What happened?” I replied with a steeled tone and stoic face. Despite the heavy thumping of my heart that rattled through my ribcage, I needed to stay calm. I couldn’t afford to let my mind break for a second. “He had a heart attack. He’s in critical condition, but my mother said he’s stable.” Oli’s words tumbled out quickly and efficiently. Nodding silently, Oli stood up. The frown on his face
Last Updated : 2021-12-20Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 32
EmilianaThe solid steel doors slammed shut behind me. I flinched at the sound that echoed down the corridor that we followed. Vinnie held back to my right while we trailed behind a prison guard. The air was cold, thick and heavy. A density like no other filled my lungs as I took deep breaths. Goosebumps littered my skin as the chill seeped through my coat.We made a right turn, through a set of doors adorning iron bars. The squealing of the metal creaking as it opened and closed rang through my ears, piercing the heavy pulse that distracted me.As we rounded the corner, my breathing stopped. I froze in place, staring at Giovanni who had his head in his hands and his hair flopping over.“Gio,” his name fell from my lips with a gasp, my fingers attempting to catch th
Last Updated : 2021-12-21
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Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Epilogue
EmilianaIt had been five years since I had last seen him. Five years since Giovanni last told me he loved me, kissing me with everything he had.It was hard on both of us, knowing we had to part once more and the more we spoke that night, the harder it became. Neither one of us wanted to leave with bad memories–despite losing Vinnie–so he held me, promising the following two days would be filled with happiness.It was a promise I was all too happy for him to break because I understood why he did it. I respected him even more for leaving in the dead of night, while I fell asleep with our son beside us. It can’t have been easy for him, in fact I knew it wouldn't have been. He had lost so much in one night, and walking away from the only thing he had left would have broken him.I put on a brave face, the same one I had painted on for the last five years, even though it killed me.Five years was a long time to pretend that the father of your child didn’t exist, but the truth was so much
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 65
EmilianaI could hear the distinct sound of voices traveling through the darkness. Words were mumbled, jumbled into sentences I couldn’t quite make out. It was the wave of nausea that awoke me, dragging me to a conscious state and thrusting me into bright lights and agony.“Em!” Giovanni’s voice called to me, and when I blinked and turned my head, his green eyes brought me down to reality. They were red rimmed and tired, a torrent of emotions played on his face as he leaned forward and kissed my head and in my confused state, I couldn’t understand why.I let my gaze wander. My eyes focused on the minute details around me.A white room. Monitors. The incessant beep. The wires.And all I felt was white hot pain shooting through my stomach.“Gio?”I felt him grip my hand, his face solemn and pained, like he had lost everything in the blink of an eye.I could only vaguely remember what had happened. I remembered seeing my mother. I remembered parts of my conversation with my father, and
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 64
Giovanni “Why? What did I do that made you hate me so much?” Emiliana’s voice broke into a million pieces, fragments of her words piercing the much awaited declaration. It was the same question I asked myself and my heart broke as I heard the words leave Emiliana’s mouth. I didn’t think Emiliana had this much strength. Yet again, she astounded me with how strong she really was. I should have never doubted her decision. Emilio stepped forward, his features softening a fraction as he said, “I don’t hate you.” It was a fleeting moment where I saw sympathy pass across Emiliana’s face. It was so quick that I was uncertain I had seen it in the first place. She didn’t believe her father. None of us did. No man could say they loved their daughter, yet put them through so much pain. Only a monster could do such a thing. “Then what is it? Why are you so hellbent on ruining Gio? Ruining our family?” I didn’t miss the way she clutched her belly protectively. Just like me, she was prepared to
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 63
Emiliana“I’m fine!” I snapped as Ollie touched up my makeup.We already decided that we would visit my parents tonight, and I wasn’t about to miss out on seeing the look on my father’s face before Giovanni dealt the final blow.“Em.” Giovanni’s stern voice had me spinning around on my stool.“Don’t ‘Em’ me! I’m more than capable of making my own decisions,” I reminded him.He leaned against the door, black shirt stretching across his delicious chest, a sexy smirk spreading his lips. “Always so stubborn,” he tutted, shaking his head.I ignored his comment and turned back around so Ollie could finish my makeup. It was something we both enjoyed, spending time chatting and gossiping while Ollie worked his magic on my face.“Done,” he sang, plopping a brush down on the side. He tugged me by the hands, spinning me around, and the bright blue summer dress floated around my fleet. “Don’t you think she looks gorgeous?” he asked Giovanni.He stepped forward, sliding his arms around my waist. “
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 62
GiovanniI left Emiliana with Vinnie at her apartment while she awaited her surprise. It wasn’t just for her, but for Vinnie, too. Having Ollie around would keep them occupied, keep them happy and hopefully give me enough time to talk business with Massimo.Neither of them had seen Ollie since the wedding, since my incarceration. I was all too aware of how much they both missed him and before this all went down; I wanted to give them something to enjoy.It was much more than Emilio’s death that I had planned.The future of the Magnone’s empire, and the Castellano’s support, was to be aligned in this meeting. Not only did my grandfather want Emilio gone, but Massimo had no qualms about seeing his uncle’s demise. Emilio had done far too much damage, destroying his family and his father’s legacy. It was about time the man served his sentence.Luis drove us through the city, back through the streets I once drove Emiliana. It brought back so many memories. Right from the start, she had cap
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 61
EmilianaI hadn’t realized how tired I was until I woke up with Vinnie carrying me to my room. After the week of rest Giovanni and the doctor had ordered me to take, I didn’t think I could sleep much more, apparently, that’s all I needed.The gentle sway of Vinnie’s massive shoulders, the air that whipped around me, and the quiet conversation between Giovanni and Vinnie, stirred me from my sleep.“Hey, Principessa,” Giovanni smiled down at me as Vinnie laid me down on the bed.A yawn escaped me, my body stretching and adjusting to the sudden change in position.Vinnie left the room, and Giovanni perched on the edge of the bed, stroking my face. I didn’t miss the tiredness in his eyes or the way he watched me with uncertainty.I reached up, cupping his cheek. “What’s wrong, Gio?”He sighed, leaning into my touch. The silence between us was almost deafening and I realized I didn’t need to ask to know what was going on in his head. Vinnie’s words still sat with me a week after our conver
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 60
GiovanniI waited until Emiliana was in the car with Vinnie before I called Massimo. It was something Vinnie wanted to do, not because he loved shopping, but because I had business that couldn’t wait, and I needed Emiliana away from this.She might have given me her decision, approval over her father’s fate, but I wasn’t about to discuss the demise of her father or the details of how I was going to kill him. She also didn’t know that the man I needed to speak to was aware of the entire situation.After what Luciano had done to the Magnone company, it was only a matter of time before it fell into the hands of another Magnone. Only I was happy that Massimo was in charge. From what I had gleaned through intel, business was booming, his ability to manage, direct and hold the company was better than Emilio had ever done.I was already aware of what Massimo thought of Emilio. From what my father had told me, Massimo maintained a safe distance from his uncle, keeping his focus solely on the
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 59
I had always loved shopping. It was always the one time I felt free; free to explore, free to spend money on whatever I wanted and choose whatever I wanted to do. When Vinnie came into the kitchen and said he was taking me, I didn’t know whether it was his suggestion or Giovanni’s. Something told me it was a bit of both because both men had the widest smile on their faces when I finally agreed.Being seven months pregnant had taken it out of me and our boy was growing fast. Over the last few months, Vinnie and Giovanni had walked on eggshells, force fed me vitamins and made sure I got the right amount of exercise, even when all I wanted to do was sleep.It was warming up with the changing seasons and my feet were swollen, aching and sweaty.Vinnie ignored all my protests and took my hand, escorting me out of the car and into the marketplace of Barcelona.“Chiquita, Te ves radiante!” (You look radiant). Vinnie beamed, his cheeks dimpling as he looked down at me.“Parezco un…” (I look l
Mrs Cruz [BOOK 2] Chapter 58
Giovanni From day one, the day the Magnones hired me, Emilio had a plan. That much was clear. He had only one goal in mind and that was to make the Castellano’s pay. While the Verdi’s had their own vendetta, it seemed Emilio had one of his own and it was only a matter of time before Emiliana found out the truth. “Please tell me you’re going to tell her?” Vinnie pleaded from the other side of the desk. “I swore no more secrets. I will tell her.” It was a promise not only to myself, but to her as well. We had come a long way over the last year. So much had happened, and it made me realize Emiliana was a hell of a lot stronger now than she was back then. She had every right to know what her father was capable of—if she wasn’t already aware. Emiliana and I were destined. We were meant to be together, and I wasn’t about to destroy what we had before telling her everything. “Have you spoken to Oli?” I returned my gaze to the computer screen. My grandfather had sent many emails over the
