I stare at Russo D'errico in silence, unable to move. I don't know what it was about him but he always made me so nervous. Say something! I willed myself to speak but my tongue refused to move. "Well, well..." Russo's voice oozed with condescending mirth as his pale eyes slowly raked over me with undisguised insolence. "The little American tart who has caused our family such delightful complications."The cutting insult landed like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs and leaving me gaping wordlessly. I watch in confusion. What complications?? awash in shame and indignant fury, as that sickening smirk stretched wider across Russo's features. "That's enough, zio." Giovanni's tone was soft yet laced with an unmistakable edge of quiet menace as he seemingly materialized in the doorway behind his uncle. Russo barely spared him a contemptuous glance over his shoulder, a derisive sneer curling his lip."Feeling protective of your plaything, nipote?" he taunted with an arc
I fidgeted restlessly in the plush leather chair, my eyes continuously darting towards the gleaming brass clock adorning Giovanni's desk. Two agonizing hours had gone by in this suffocating silence, the padding of opulent carpets and thick oak paneling seeming to muffle all sound to a deafening hush.Where was he? A series of increasingly unsettling scenarios began to take shape in my mind and the longer I sat alone, the longer the anxiety grew in me.I admonished myself for such ridiculous thoughts and tried to dismiss the insidious tendril of doubt and trepidation working its way deeper into my consciousness. Giovanni had assured me he wouldn't be long, that I would be undisturbed here in his office suite. He wouldn't just leave me stranded like this indefinitely...would he?The soft growling in the pit of my stomach served as an unwelcome reminder that midday had come and gone, I realized that I hadn't had anything to eat, eyed the polished oak sideboard across the room, weighing t
My heart thundered in my chest as I froze under the intense scrutiny of the hefty men before me. I gulped nervously, realizing they just caught me eavesdropping. How the hell do I get myself out of this one, "Um-Um, I-I-I, I-it's n-not what it… I w-w-was just—"Suddenly the deep timbre of Giovanni's voice interrupted my pitiful stuttering."Who's there?" He emerges in front of the hefty men, his chiseled features devoid of any emotion as his penetrating gaze bored into me. I saw his jaw clench together, I suddenly wondered what was going through his mind?Before I could stammer out an explanation, Russo's gruff voice rang out. "Is that Emily Rivera? she should join us"Giovanni and I both whipped our heads toward him, stunned by what he said. My eyes widened at the unexpected invitation. "Oh, n-no, I was simply looking for Giovanni," I stammered, intimated by Russo's presence amidst the other imposing figures. "I didn't mean to interrupt..."Giovanni shot Russo a withering glare. "
Before I could fully process what he had just said, Russo's oily voice cut thorougg the silence. "So now that you know who we are..." His smile turned predatory as his hawk-like gaze bored into me. "What exactly do you plan to do about it?" I felt the weight of every set of eyes in the room on me, looking at me mockingly. Like wolves waiting for their prey to make a slip, before devouring them Lifting my chin a fraction, I met Russo's stare head-on, refusing to let fear show on my features. I could feel the scorching intensity of Giovanni's eyes, awaiting my reaction. "Tell me more," I stated, keeping my voice carefully modulated. If they expected me to break by whatever he was about so say then I would disappoint them so badly. Russo's smile widened fractionally as a rumble of surprised chuckles sounded from the others. He spread his hands in an easy shrug, all too happy to satisfy my curiosity. "By all means, Emily..." That oily tone dripped condescension and satisfaction in
Russo continues what he was saying and I Iisten carefully, it seemed he was talking about the drug business. I realize to my frustration that he was using coded words to talk about the operation they were going to undergo this night. They still didn't think I was worthy enough to be a part of them. Their talk of "moving product" and "handling merchandise" only piqued my curiosity further. "How do you manage the drug business without the police intervening?" I couldn't stop myself from asking brazenly. Russo's eyes glinted with amusement, he was obviously amused at my boldness. "We have people in all the right places, Emily. Certain officials look the other way...for a price." My mind went back to the time Giovanni was worried about me calling the police, could it be what he was talking about?My brow furrowed as I tried to understand the implication behind Russo's words. Were they bribing law enforcement? The thought made my stomach churn. "I want in on tonight's operation," I s
Salvatore doesn't say anything further and I stare at the unfamiliar man who had entered with Salvatore and Gabriel. There was something about him that made me instinctively wary, like as if a predator had suddenly entered the room. As if sensing my uneasiness, his steely eyes flicked up to meet mine briefly before I quickly averted my gaze to Gabriel. He on the other hand had a sardonic smile on his face much like the one he had last night and I suddenly wondered why the three of them were here.They approached Russo who looked at them calmly, it seemed like they'd been expecting them, the unfamiliar man handed Russo something that appeared to be a small wooden box or relic of some kind. I leaned forward unconsciously, my curiosity piqued as Russo accepted the object, cradling it almost tenderly in his thick hands.What on earth was that? If I could just get a closer look at whatever that was. Before I could get a closer look, Giovanni was rising abruptly from his seat and gripping
"What are you talking about?" I demanded still trying to remain calm. In truth I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there.The woman let out a derisive chuckle. "Your husband isn't exactly who you think he is, my dear."Confusion swirled within me as her words sunk in "Just tell me why you brought me here. What do you want?"Panic slowly set in, and an overwhelming urge to flee took over. Were they going to kill me? Who on earth were they? "Let me out of this car," I said, hating how my voice trembled. "My husband is probably looking for me right now"Another chilling laugh. "You talk to much, maybe I should get on with it and kill you now". My heart sunk and cold sweat broke out on my face. "W-What?" I whisper. The car was silent, I was surprised the beating of my heart didn't cut through the silence. "But that would be a waste, you see Emily Rivera, you are going to help me and im going to help you, do you understand?"She says, she looks at me through the mirror."Un
I stared at Giovanni in disbelief, the anger boiling inside me. "He can't be serious," I exclaimed under my breath. That son of a bitch can't be fucking serious"I clenched my fists, struggling to maintain my composure. I couldn't let Giovanni see just how livid I was. Glancing down, I realized I was still clutching Anastasia's card in my hands. I swiftly concealed it behind my back."Calm down, Emily. I'll take care of it," he said with a wink. Take care of it? I narrowed my eyes at him."And by 'take care of it' I hope you don't mean anything...unwise," I said carefully. Giovanni let out a chuckle that made my skin crawl. I spent the rest of the day waiting, fuming, in Giovanni's office - replaying the incident with the card over and over in my mind. What game was he playing at? As evening fell, Giovanni ordered his men to take me home without him. That night, I tossed and turned, haunted by questions. Where was Giovanni? Who was Anastasia? By morning, I had gotten little sleep.
I stood in the abandoned warehouse, my heart pounding. The plan was simple: I'd act as bait to lure Primo here. Then, our team would capture him. But something felt off. "Are you ready, Emily?" Giovanni asked, squeezing my hand. I nodded, trying to look braver than I felt. "As ready as I'll ever be." As Giovanni and the others hid, I heard a car approach. This was it. Primo entered, his cold eyes scanning the room before landing on me. "Well, well," he smirked. "Little Emily, all alone." I took a deep breath. "I want to make a deal, Primo. The gem for my family's safety." He laughed, a chilling sound that made my skin crawl. "Oh, Emily. You're in no position to make deals." Suddenly, smoke filled the room. I heard shouts and gunfire. This wasn't part of the plan! Through the chaos, I felt someone grab me from behind. "Sorry, cousin," a woman's voice whispered in my ear. "But I need you more than they do." As the smoke cleared, I found myself face to face with a woman
Suddenly, a very loud explosion shook the car and it wobbled violently, tires screeching against the ground. Before I could process what was happening, the door beside me was violently opened, and a familiar face appeared."Hadid!" I gasped in disbelief."Come on, Emily! We need to move!" she shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me from the car. This would be the second time Hadid would hijack me from a situation it seemed.Gunfire erupted around us as we ran towards a waiting motorcycle. I glanced back to see Primo and his men stumbling from the damaged vehicle, their faces contorted with rage.Hadid revved the engine as I clung to her waist. We sped off into the night, leaving the chaos behind us."Where are we going?" I yelled over the wind."Somewhere safe," Hadid replied. "Hold on tight!"We maneuvered through traffic at an alarming speed, my heart pounding in my chest. After what felt like hours, we finally slowed, pulling into a dark, quiet alleyway.Hadid killed the engine and
As the guards began to drag me away, a desperate idea struck me. "Wait!" I shouted, my voice cracking with fear. "I... I know something about the gem!"The guards paused, and I felt all eyes in the room turn to me. Primo raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest crossing his otherwise emotionless face."Bring her back," he ordered.I was roughly shoved back into the chair, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I knew I had to buy time."Well?" Primo leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. "What do you know?"I took a deep breath, my mind racing. "The... the gem. Giovanni told me it was hidden in a place where the sun meets the sea."Primo's eyes narrowed. "Go on.""He said it was in a lighthouse," I continued, the lie growing as I spoke. "On the coast of Maine. A red and white striped lighthouse, with a secret compartment in the lantern room."For a moment, there was silence in the room. Then Primo turned to one
Desperation and fear clawed at my throat as I looked around the room. These men, with their cold eyes and cruel smiles, terrified me. But I had to know."Please," I begged, my voice trembling, "what do you know about my mother? Where is she?"Their laughter hit me like a physical blow. It was cruel, mocking, and devoid of any real humor.Before I could say anything else, the door burst open. A group of armed men stormed in, their weapons at the ready. Two of them grabbed me, their grip painfully tight on my arms. I struggled against them, but it was useless.The blonde man, who had been watching me with those emotionless eyes, finally spoke. His voice was calm, almost conversational, which somehow made it even more chilling."Allow me to introduce myself," he said. "I am Primo Belluci."He paused, as if expecting a reaction. But the name meant nothing to me. I just stared at him, confused and scared.Primo scoffed, shaking his head. "My, my. You really are an ignorant little thing, ar
The person stepped closer, a strange smile playing on their lips. "Hello, Emily."As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I felt my heart drop. It was Salvatore, Giovanni's half-brother. My mind reeled, trying to make sense of his presence here."Salvatore?" I croaked, my throat dry from fear and dehydration. "What's going on? Why are you here?"His smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, Emily. You played right into our trap. It was almost too easy."I shook my head, confusion mingling with terror. "Trap? What are you talking about? Where's Hadid?"Salvatore laughed, a cold, mirthless sound that sent chills down my spine. "Hadid? She was just a pawn, my dear. A means to an end. And that end was bringing you here.""What?" I gasped, struggling against my bonds. "No, that can't be true. Hadid wouldn't... Where is she? What have you done with her?"His face hardened, all traces of amusement gone. "Shut up," he snapped, "or you'll regret it."Before I could say another word, he p
I jolted awake in the middle of the night, my heart racing. I suddenly hear a sound, barely audible but out of place in the quiet safehouse. Straining my ears, I caught muffled voices from downstairs.I moved stealthily towards the door, my feet silent on the cold floor. As I reached for the handle, a thought struck me - what if it was Hadid, finally returned?But when I tried to open the door, I found it locked. Panic began to rise in my chest. Why would they lock me in?"Hello?" I called out, my voice trembling slightly. "Is anyone there? Is Hadid back?” After a moment, I heard footsteps approaching. The lock clicked, and the door swung open. But instead of the friendly faces of Sarah and Maria, I was met with the barrels of two handguns pointed directly at me.I stumbled back, my mouth dry with fear. "W-what's going on?"Sarah's usually kind face was now hard and cold. "Get back inside, Emily. Now.""But... I don't understand," I stammered. "Where's Hadid? What's happening?"Maria
"What?! Is he alright? Please tell me he's alright. Where is he now? Who shot at him?" The questions poured out in a rush."I don't know all the details," Hadid said, tiredly. "I think it happened at the Oasis. He was also there at the brothel, Marcus must have led all of them there."I threw off the covers and got down from the bed "We have to go see him. Now. Where is he?"Hadid placed a gentle hand on my arm. "Emily, I don't think that's a good idea. It's not safe out there. You should try to get some more sleep."I shook my head roughly "No, you don't understand. I can't wait. I need to see my husband.”Her eyes widened in surprise."Please," I begged, ignoring her surprise.Hadid sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Emily, I'm sorry, but I don't think he's back at the hotel. I'm not even sure where he is."My heart sank. "Then where is he? We have to do something!""I know, and we will," Hadid assured me. "But right now, the best thing we can do is wait until morning. We'll
The next morning, I woke up with a start, my heart pounding. I quickly made my way to Hadid's room. To my astonishment, Hadid was not only awake but up and about, pacing the small room with surprising energy."Hadid!" I exclaimed, relief washing over me. "How are you feeling?"She turned to face me, a wry smile playing on her lips. "I told you, I won't die easily. It takes more than that to keep me down."I marveled at her resilience. "I'm glad to see you're doing better. But you should still take it easy."Hadid shook her head, her eyes gleaming with determination. "There's no time for that. I think I know a way to find your mother."My eyebrows shot up. "Really? How?""She sent me a message last month, just before she disappeared again," Hadid explained. "Now I have no idea where she is or what's happened to her, but that message might hold a clue.""What did the message say?" I ask anxiously.Hadid's brow furrowed. "Something about 'returning to the place where it all began' and 't
Marcus would suddenly release me and I fell to the ground, I quickly scrambled out of the way and watched as Giovanni and Marcus clashed, their confrontation escalating into a full-blown fight, I watched as they shot at each other. Marcus began shooting rapidly, bullets began to fly everywhere and I went down and took cover to avoid being hit. Suddenly I felt a hand grab my arm and I shriek. It was Hadid."We need to go, now!" she hissed urgently. Without thinking, I let her pull me away from the chaos. We slipped through a side door and found ourselves in a dimly lit corridor. The sounds of the fight grew muffled as we ran, my heart pounding in my ears. We burst out of the building and into the cool night air. Hadid's car was right where we'd left it. We jumped in, and she started the car driving quickly away from place. When we were at a safe distance away from the place. I finally caught my breath enough to speak. "Hadid, what the hell just happened back there?"She kept her ey