Emma I never thought my life would come to this point. I was married and pregnant with a man who could have familial ties to me, and who forced me into this marriage. Could it get any worse? I think so; there's always a way for things to worsen. Well, I regret it. I knew I could have avoided all of this if I had just not slept with him. All of this could have been prevented, why, God? I left the cafe where I met my father; I needed to act immediately. I had no one I could trust in that house, not even Ize. She couldn't know about these things, not yet. I entered the mansion; the security guards watched me, probably to report to the boss. I was skeptical and cold towards Andrew. In the contract clause, it was explicit that I couldn't get pregnant by Andrew. We broke that. But the blame wasn't solely mine. If he found out I was pregnant, firstly, I didn't know what he would do to me. Whether he would kill me, take the child, I couldn't trust him. I was in a position where I had no
EmmaI knew I needed a plan to send the DNA samples on my own without arousing suspicions in the mansion.After much reflection, I decided the best time to do this would be when Andrew was away on mafia business. He had regular meetings and commitments that would give me a window of opportunity.I waited for a long five days when he would have a meeting outside New York, but Andrew wasn't a fool; he would have someone watching me. During those days, I stayed close to him, needing to appear as if everything was normal. But most of the time, I stayed in my room. I would vomit and feel sick regularly, possibly due to the pregnancy. Obviously, I needed tests, but I couldn't trust anyone.I couldn't trust anyone, knowing that everyone was under Andrew's influence and control. The only person who knew about my pregnancy was Ize, and she questioned when I planned to tell Andrew.Ize entered the room, observing me as I struggled to tie my hair back. My hair had grown longer."I'll help you wi
EmmaThe tension in the room was palpable. The feeling that everything was on the brink of collapse hung over us. Andrew stared at me with furious and bewildered eyes, his grip tight on my arm."Let go, you're hurting my arm," I managed to say, my voice trembling.He dragged me into his room and pressed me against the door, staring intensely into my eyes. His normally hypnotic blue eyes now glowed with uncontrollable rage."What were you doing on the street? I'll give you one last chance to tell me, Emma," he growled."Nothing, Andrew," I replied, my voice shaky.He shook his head in disbelief. "Wrong, Emma. Don't think you can fool me; you can't, do you understand?" he said, his face dangerously close to mine.My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might explode at any moment. I had to be brave and face the truth, no matter how terrifying it was.I took a deep breath and showed him the photo I had taken of his mother as a child. Andrew looked at the picture with a puzzled expr
AndrewI entered my office with heavy steps, a sense of despair weighing on my shoulders. The office routine often served as my escape, but today there was no escaping the flood of tumultuous thoughts tormenting my mind. I made my way to my imposing mahogany desk, where a bottle of whiskey patiently awaited next to a crystal glass. Without much ceremony, I poured a generous sip of the amber drink and raised it, gazing at the impressive view unfolding before me.New York, the city that never slept, stretched out like a sea of lights. However, my mind couldn't stray from the inner darkness that enveloped me. How could it be possible that Emma and I were siblings? Fate seemed to be having fun, playing cruel and ironic games with our lives.All my certainties and achievements seemed to be hanging by a thread, all thanks to a revelation I had never dreamed of.As my hands gripped the whiskey glass, I tried to rationalize all of this. How could my mother, an almost unknown figure, be someho
Andrew DeLuca Two weeks had passed since the dreaded discoveries. Uncertainty and anxiety were eating away at us, and I knew it was time to make a decision. I went to Emma's room and gently knocked on the door. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring into space, lost in her thoughts. "Emma, we need to talk," I said seriously. She looked at me with a concerned look. "What do you have in mind, Andrew?" "I was thinking... Maybe it's better if we join forces in this search. Together, we can find answers more quickly." Emma looked surprised. "You want to form an alliance? That's unexpected." "I don't like being in the dark, and I don't think you do either," I explained. "Uncertainty is consuming us. If we are siblings, we need to find the truth. If we're not, we need to know that too." She nodded, slowly, pondering my words. "You're right. I'm willing to work together, Andrew. Our best chance to find the clues we need is if we help each other." I breathed a sigh of relief.
Andrew I called my uncle in a friendly tone, asking him to come here, pretending that I needed to talk to him about some business. I needed to uncover the truth about who I was, my origin, and he seemed to know a lot about it, much more than he was willing to reveal. Although, to be honest, I had never been interested in getting married or feeling anything for a woman, I didn't want in any way to have slept with my own sister, even unconsciously. And besides, I liked her, or at least I thought I did. "Do you know that if Emma is your sister, it's not your fault, right?" Lorenzo said. "You won't go to hell for something that's not your fault." "I know that. But I hope it's not," I said. "And I think most people in the Famiglia organization are going to hell, including me." "You won't," he said. "The number of people I've killed, my hands are completely dirty, Lorenzo. And for most of them, I don't regret it at all." "Changing the subject. Did you let yourself fall in love with h
Continued As my uncle hesitated to continue, a flood of thoughts and emotions overwhelmed my mind. I was the Don of the DeLuca Family, but that revelation about my true origin changed everything. "Who is this man?" I pressed, trying not to lose my composure. "Your real father... he was one of the most powerful mobsters in Italy, that's the only thing my brother ever told me." My uncle's explanation raised more questions than answers. Who was this powerful mobster? And why did he leave me with another family and disappear from the world? If he was so wealthy, why didn't he ever try to find me? "But why was I never told the truth, uncle? Why was this kept from me?" I pounded the wall. "Your real father didn't want you to be dragged into the underworld of crime and the mafia. He believed that by leaving you with the DeLuca family, you would have a chance at a slightly better life, without having to run." I felt like a puppet, manipulated by the decisions of men who believed they k
Emma The revelations that I was Ize and Gian's sister killed me. I had two brothers who lived in the world of the mafia, and I would never have known. What comforted me was knowing that Andrew was not my brother. Not that it comforted me. Because I knew he was suffering, discovering he was adopted and knowing nothing about his existence is terrible. If I'm already feeling this way, just imagine how he must be feeling. But now, I could breathe a little easier. At least this child wouldn't come into the world in the wrong way. Andrew wasn't really mine, so we hadn't done anything wrong. I breathed a sigh of relief. But something didn't feel right. Out of all the houses, all the places in the world, I ended up here to be in a contractual marriage with Andrew. Given all these secrets, someone might have used my father to bring me here in some way. And we had no idea who that could be. My body was begging for a break; I hadn't rested in the past few days, or any day, for that matter.
EmmaIt never even crossed my mind that my life would be the way it is now. Everything seemed so lost, so far away, until a certain mobster brought me to an unknown mansion. Andrew had changed from being that closed man who was cold and calculating. He was different now, more open, more affectionate.Five years flew by as if they were just a breath of time. Life has unfolded into countless possibilities since we ventured into a new chapter. The frenetic routine of a hospital became my world, where every day was a constant learning experience, every patient a story to be cared for. Today was my graduation, a day I never imagined I would be witnessing.It wasn't easy, I studied so much that my hands hurt.“Honey, have you seen my underpants? I can't find them,” Andrew says.“If you look in the closet instead of the sock drawer, I bet you'll find them,” I laughed. “Funny.”Liam comes running into the room, he's a beautiful boy, his golden hair like mine, and a bit like Andrew's, his e
POV Emma“Put the Christmas tree more in the center of the room, love,” I said to Andrew.We were decorating the mansion for Christmas, I really loved this time of year, but we'd never had a full house on this date. It was just me and my dad, but now we were going to have a full family.Today was Christmas Eve, and I was proud of the beautiful work I was doing at my father-in-law Matteo's NGO. We distributed food, clothes and toys, and I knew that every single one of those things would make the children happy. I felt fulfilled.I looked at Andrew who was struggling to put the star on the top of the tree, I loved him! And every day I became more sure of that. Liam was growing at lightning speed, this child already wanted to run around the house.“Son,” I went after him nimbly.“He really can't sit still,” Andrew said, “Come with daddy son, let's go and see the Christmas tree.” He carried Liam on his lap, and then gave me a kiss.”Everyone was coming over tonight, we were having a spe
Emma's POVToday was Friday, one of my favorite days of the week, and the day I received news that would completely change my life.Do you know that moment when your heart seems to want to jump out of your mouth? I felt that way today, when I finally held up the letter that represented everything I had longed for. College has always been a challenge, and today, there, in my hand, was the proof that it was all worth it.The sunlight seemed to shine in a different way, as if it were congratulating me too. Every step to the college was a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. It seemed that everyone around me knew what I was about to discover.When I entered the building, everything seemed to take on a new meaning. The corridors were like trails to a new beginning, and every room a learning opportunity. And there it was, the letter, the gateway to a new phase of my life.As I read those words, a whirlwind of emotions flooded over me. It was as if the world was welcoming me to a new cha
POV AndrewThe wedding was perfect, but I can't deny that I was looking forward to our honeymoon a thousand times more. "Wow, how beautiful every place is," she said, looking at the scenery."We were in the private jet, and Emma hated it. She said we were going to die and that she was scared, but after a few minutes by my side she forgot all about it. "Italy is enchanting," I said with a twinkle in my eye. I had chosen this as my city. My biological father, Matteo, had left me some property here and I was going to enjoy it too.Speaking of him, we were getting better and better as father and son. We were close, he and I talked about everything, and he showed me that it's possible to have a healthy relationship with your father. I forgave him, I understood that we can make mistakes. And holding a grudge wasn't going to make me a better person. I knew that.We were going to Milan. The best part of Italy for me. I was happy to bring my Principessa along."I've never traveled to place
POV EmmaOne hour, ten minutes, and twenty seconds.That's exactly how long it was until I walked down the aisle, and my heart was racing faster than ever. The make-up artist finished making the final adjustments to my make-up and hair. Then the seamstress makes the final adjustments to the wedding dress.When everything is ready, I turn around and look at myself in the mirror, I look beautiful, holding back the tears from falling from my eyes.My make-up was basic, but it completely highlighted my beauty. My hair was tied up in an elegant updo.“Here you are, the most beautiful bride I've ever seen in my life,” my father said as he entered the room.His eyes were watery, and although he hadn't agreed one hundred percent with my marriage to Andrew, he was thrilled. My father still felt guilty about everything he had put me through.“Dad,” I smiled, “I can't believe you're here.It was going to be one of the happiest days of my life. I would truly be united with Andrew, the vows would
POV Andrew When we arrived at the place where Lexie was supposed to be with my son, Emma got out of the car and I asked her to get back in.I didn't feel at all good about the situation, and I felt guilty about the whole thing. Lexie had always loved me, and I hadn't wanted to reciprocate. I always made it clear that it was just sex, nothing more, and that I would never take on any woman. When she saw me with Emma, she went berserk. I'd put a stop to it, I asked them to put her up against the wall, but it was no use. Lorenzo strategically positioned himself outside the car, watching for any movement.“I'm going in first,” I said to everyone in the car, and Emma looked at me."“I'm going in too, it's my son."“Emma. We don't know what this crazy woman wants, I'll go in first and try to talk to her, please wait in the car. That's an order,” I said.“Okay, sir,” she looked at me with fire in her eyes.She swallowed and sat back down in the back seat. My heart squeezed, I knew she was
POV EmmaThe wedding preparations were driving me crazy. There were so many things to sort out, the venue, the dress and a thousand other things that I couldn't even measure. On top of that, I was the mother of a baby, and now I had the responsibility for the NGO. But I didn't complain, I liked being busy. It occupied my mind. Liam, now four months old, continued to bring me joy every minute. Everything was amazing to me again. His eyes identical to his father's, his huge smile, he was a baby who brought so much light into our lives. I was completely happy with this new phase. I was trying on the dress, I was going to buy it in the same place I bought my first one. We weren't going to call many people, just family members and some of Andrew's mafia friends. “This dress is perfect on you!” Ize smiled, looking at the dress.I looked at myself in the mirror. My emotions were running high, I was finally going to get married, the first marriage couldn't count as real, because it wasn
Andrew's POV“Gentlemen, it's always a pleasure to be with you,” I say to the guests attending Liam's christening.Our little boy was three months old, three months of happiness and love. I never thought I'd be a father, in fact, I never even considered the idea, it was far from my plans, they only included partying, women and business. But she arrived and changed my whole perception of everything.Liam is on Emma's lap and has just been baptized. We Italians, and especially Mafiosi, consider baptism to be very important. The Catholic tradition was present in Sicilian culture.I look around at all the people who were significant to us. Ize's belly is taking shape, and I can't believe I'm going to be an uncle. Well... A year ago I couldn't have imagined getting married and becoming a father."In a little while it will be the baptism of your child," I whispered to Lorenzo and we toasted with a glass of wine. "I'm anxious, and tired. Your sister has every strange desire, and I'll be da
Emma POVFour months later.“You don't have to run, we're at the mall, not the Formula 1 race,” I say to Ize, who's standing in front of me.“I was trying to find the pharmacy,” she rolls her eyes.After we've walked around the mall a bit more, she finds the pharmacy. My giant belly is almost unbearable to bear. After Ize's wedding, she decided that she would stay with us in the mansion, at least until our son was born, she wanted to be part of the birth of her nephew or niece. As the mansion was huge, I was very happy. I loved her presence. My mother wasn't going to stay there, but she always visited us. She got along with my father, and they're living together in our house, Andrew paid off the mortgage as a present for me. I was immensely happy. It was one of the things I thought would never be possible.We were at the mall looking at clothes for the baby, most of the outfits were unisex since we didn't know the sex yet. And of course, the wardrobe was always behind us.“What do