“I am not your sub, and I never will be!” Lyla sobbed as she said these words. All she needed was just a little—just a small bit of honesty from Carlo. Carlo, the illegitimate son of a powerful mafia family, never learned how to love. He thought that control and dominance were the same as love. He always disappeared at the critical moments, leaving Lyla to deal with the painful aftermath. Scandals, murders, imprisonment—these events almost dragged Lyla into hell. Yet Carlo always played the role of a god, the one who pulled her back from the edge of the abyss just as she was about to fall. But in the end, Lyla could no longer endure the lies. Pregnant and heartbroken, she chose to run away, while Carlo, driven mad, searched for her across the world…
View More"Hello, son." Leonardo's voice was stern over the phone, a tone that carried more authority than concern. "Your mother said you needed to speak with me. But I think your top priority now should be recovering. Wouldn’t you agree?"Carlo felt a faint warmth at his father’s rare display of concern, something that softened him, if only briefly. His voice trembled slightly as he replied, "Father, I'm alright now, I—"Leonardo quickly interrupted. "I disagree. You must understand just how dangerous that little street race of yours was. You may have survived this time, but luck won’t always be on your side. I hope you take this as a lesson if—""Father!" Carlo’s voice rose, cutting him off, frustration leaking through. "You know I didn’t call to discuss that. Lyla—Lyla was taken. Blake has her." His chest tightened in agony, forcing him to suppress the urge to cough, desperate not to miss a single word of his father’s response.There was a pause. Leonardo said nothing about who Lyla was but
When Carlo opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an intense white light, stark and endless, as though he were suspended in a pure void—a sensation so surreal he almost thought he’d reached heaven. But the sharp, searing pain in his body quickly pulled him back to reality. His vision gradually focused, and he noticed his right leg bound tightly in plaster, suspended in mid-air, while a thick bandage wrapped around his head sent waves of heat and pressure. Any slight movement caused his head to throb as if it would split open.Nearby, he could hear Valentina’s soft sobs, as if she had been crying for hours. Her voice was weak, yet tinged with relentless sorrow. When she saw Carlo was awake, her quiet sobbing turned into relieved, almost frantic weeping as she clasped his hand, tears streaming down her face. “Son, you’re finally awake. I’m so sorry. I never thought things would turn out like this... I almost—almost lost you.”The meaning of her words eluded him, but Carlo gripped
The cruise back moved swiftly, reaching the shore in just five days. Afterward, Lyla and Carlo took a flight to the nearest city to Westheaven.With the new semester just around the corner, Lyla's break was coming to an end, but she hadn’t come back for classes. She planned to hand in her resignation. Although the school had emailed her after her case was discharged, inviting her to stay on, Lyla couldn’t let go of the bitterness. The school’s cold reaction and swift suspension notice during the investigation had left her heartbroken. They had seemed eager to distance themselves, not even offering her legal assistance. She no longer felt she belonged there and intended to spend some time with her mother before deciding her next steps.Westheaven College was over a three-hour drive from the airport. Carlo, wanting to spend some time alone with Lyla, dismissed all the bodyguards and drove her to the school himself.As the car pulled up by the campus gate, Carlo insisted on going in with
After that day, the South Americans disappeared, and even Hudson was nowhere to be seen. It seemed Carlo’s troubles were temporarily resolved, bringing a newfound lightness to his spirit. He settled down on the island with Lyla, savoring a fleeting peace.Island life was idyllic, unhurried, and lovely. Though the weather was hot and humid, the scenery was breathtaking. The locals were warm-hearted, the children full of life—some even cheekily called Carlo "Dad" and Lyla "Mom" when they grew especially playful.Lyla and Carlo would often stroll through the island’s market together, selecting fresh ingredients, then giving the staff the day off to prepare their meals themselves. Carlo, who’d inherited his mother’s talent for art, often sketched portraits of Lyla, capturing her expressions and beauty with delicate precision. Sometimes, he’d take her to hidden spots on the island, sharing stories from his childhood or taking her to explore his secret haunts. Their days passed like those of
Amid the children's cheers and laughter, Carlo gently lifted Lyla into his arms, carrying her inland. After a few steps, a young man dressed in local attire zoomed over on a brand-new Harley, halting the bike precisely in front of them. He dismounted, retrieved two helmets from the back, and respectfully handed them to Carlo.Carlo set Lyla carefully on the back seat, fastening her helmet with a practiced touch before settling in the front. As he buckled his own helmet, he cast a playful glance over his shoulder and said, “Oh, right, I remember someone on the cruise saying she ‘doesn’t fight over scraps with dogs.’ So...was that your way of calling me a scrap?”Lyla paused, recollecting, and then let out a soft laugh—it was what she'd said during that heated exchange with the other women on the cruise. She wasn’t surprised Carlo knew about it; with his watchful eye, every moment on the ship was probably within his grasp. What amused her was his lingering irritation over the remark. Sm
"When I wanted to tell you yesterday, I just couldn’t,” Carlo began in a low, slightly raspy voice. “I’m not indifferent to my mother’s pain, you know. Quite the opposite—I’ve tried to find a way to get her out of here since I was very young. When I was six, my father sent for me to start school in the city. I poured everything into becoming the best at whatever I did. I thought that if I earned my father’s approval, he might finally bring my mother to live with us. I just wanted the three of us to be a real family.”“And did it work?” Lyla asked, her tone much softer now, no longer so accusatory.Carlo gave a bitter smile. “You can probably guess that my father’s wife and my half-brother didn’t welcome us. When I was sixteen, I killed two family traitors myself, and only then did my father finally agree to bring my mother into the U.S.”Lyla couldn’t hide her shock; she turned to Carlo, who continued to look out over the ocean, his face calm, as though he were retelling someone else’s
Lyla sighed, knowing that these children were just another one of Carlo’s little schemes to bring her to him. He knew exactly how to push her buttons, leaving her with no choice but to nod helplessly and say, “Alright, lead the way.”The children cheered as if they’d just achieved something monumental, but their sudden burst of noise startled the youngest girl among them, who looked around with wide eyes and started to cry. Lyla’s heart softened immediately. She gently moved through the crowd of kids, knelt down, and picked up the little girl, patting her back and whispering soothing words. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You are fine.” she cooed, shielding her face with one hand and playing a little game of peek-a-boo to distract her.Having worked part-time as a babysitter during college, Lyla had become adept at comforting small children, and sure enough, her silly faces and gentle voice soon coaxed a smile out of the girl. The child wrapped her chubby arms around Lyla’s neck, giggling thr
Lyla hurried back to the cruise, her thoughts tangled, unsure of what to do next. She wanted to find a quiet place, somewhere to calm her mind and sort out her complicated relationship with Carlo.Returning to their shared room was out of the question, and without a room key, she couldn’t access any other cabins either. With no other options, she began to pace along the deck, trying to steady her thoughts.Just then, her attention was drawn to the activity below the ship. A line of bodyguards and crew members were steadily disembarking, each holding a crate filled with supplies. Among them, Lyla recognized Emma and immediately called out to her. Emma turned, surprised, and, seeing Lyla, smiled warmly and hurried over after passing her load to another crew member.“Ms. Sinclair! What are you doing here?” Emma asked, breathless, her cheeks flushed with both exertion and excitement. “I thought you’d already gone ashore with Mr. Carlo.”Lyla shifted uncomfortably. “It’s… a bit complicated
"You don’t know anything," he retorted coldly. "My father married his wife purely for family alliances, for the sake of business. He met my mother long before that marriage; theirs was real love. As for his wife, there were no feelings between them—just a union of convenience."Lyla frowned. She’d heard of marriages like this before, from royal families in history to modern corporate empires. But she believed that in today's world, with all the freedoms people now have, marriage should be a choice—not something imposed by family obligations.“This isn’t fair!” Lyla’s voice was firm, frustration etched in her tone. “It’s unfair to your mother, and it’s equally unfair to Mrs. Ferretti! Your father used his wife and controlled your mother, all while basking in the benefits from his marriage and taking your mother’s love without giving her dignity in return. Both women were wronged, and yet he still takes pride in it. He should be ashamed of himself!”"What did you say?" Carlo’s interrupti
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