Lyla woke up groggily and looked around, confirming she was alone in the bed. She quickly lifted the blanket to check and found that she was still in her clothes from the previous night, finally allowing herself to relax a bit.The king-sized bed was incredibly comfortable. If it weren’t for the important meeting she had this morning, and if this wasn’t Shadow Master’s home, she would have loved to sleep here for 24 hours straight. But at the moment, she felt a little embarrassed—she had asked for his help, yet ended up sleeping soundly in his bedroom.She quickly got up, hurried through the living room, and ran to the studio where she had been the night before.Shadow Master was asleep on the couch, with the three monitors on his desk still glowing. One of them displayed Lyla’s cloud account, showing that all of her lost data had been fully recovered.Lyla could hardly believe her eyes. She pulled out her phone to log in, and sure enough, everything had been restored, just as it was
Hudson swore he had never been in such an awkward situation in his entire life.He lived one floor below Carlo Ferretti and came over every morning at the same time to help manage his daily affairs. Naturally, he wouldn’t disturb his master so early by going straight to his bedroom. Instead, he headed to the studio, the only other place that required daily cleaning.As he pushed the door open, he saw a girl lying on top of his master, and they seemed to be kissing. Carlo had never brought a girl to this penthouse before, so this was a scene Hudson had not expected in the slightest.Thankfully, his quick instincts kicked in. He immediately took two steps back, trying to close the door quietly, but the girl on top of Carlo must have heard something. She turned around, startled like a frightened bunny. Hudson got a good look at her face and realized it was the same girl Carlo had taken to the hotel a few weeks ago!Lyla’s face was flushed with embarrassment, as red as a tomato. From the
Lyla returned to her dorm and slept soundly. When she woke up, it was already afternoon. She plugged in her phone, and as it powered on, she noticed two or three missed calls, all from the same unknown number.Thinking it might be important, she called back, and the person on the other end answered quickly."Not answering my calls? I thought that crazy woman might've killed you in the lab," came the all-too-familiar mocking tone. There was no doubt—it was Carlo.Despite the teasing, his words carried a hint of concern. A warm feeling spread through Lyla’s chest. She replied awkwardly, “I... I was too exhausted and fell asleep.”“Your stuff’s fixed. When are you picking them up?” His tone was casual, as if both of them were purposefully avoiding the awkward kiss from earlier that morning.Lyla glanced at the time. It was already 4 PM. Even if she got up, washed, ate, and took the subway to his place, it would be nighttime by the time she arrived. Just thinking about last night made her
Lyla’s fingers tightened around her phone as she read Carlo’s message. She knew his words were meant to be a warning, but she couldn't wait any longer.Considering the dinner tonight, she quickly freshened up and chose a decent dress, then headed to the lab. There, she used a public computer to write a detailed email to the department chair and her advisor, explaining the events of the previous night and attaching the screenshot as evidence.By the time she finished, it was almost 6 p.m., yet her phone had no messages or calls from Carlo. What happened to dinner? Lyla huffed in annoyance. The wave of relief she'd felt earlier had given way to hunger, and her stomach growled as if on cue.Not one to let a man’s delay ruin her plans, she texted Carlo, "I'm at the lab. When are you coming?"*After five minutes, Carlo responded with a simple, "Busy. Grab something to eat and wait for me." The tone was casual, like she was some secret lover waiting on him to finish up his work.Lyla rolle
Lyla felt a surge of energy as she struggled to open her eyes. Through her blurred vision, she could make out Carlo’s familiar figure running toward her. A few meters away, he leaped into the air and delivered a powerful kick, sending Jessica flying.The pressure on her throat vanished instantly, and Lyla could finally breathe again. She lay on the ground, gasping for air as her vision cleared. For the first time, she saw an expression on Carlo's face that wasn’t his usual mockery or anger—it was fear, as if he was terrified of losing something precious. He grabbed her hand tightly and helped her sit up."Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine concern.Lyla shook her head. She still couldn’t speak, her body trembling from the shock and fear. Carlo didn’t say anything further. He examined her, pressing gently on her limbs and torso to make sure she hadn’t broken any bones. Satisfied she wasn’t seriously hurt, he scooped her up effortlessly in his arms and carried her tow
Lyla grabbed her phone from Carlo’s car and picked up her bag from the ground, signaling for Carlo to follow.Carlo didn’t refuse, but instead of taking the elevator, he motioned for Lyla to lead him up the stairs. As they ascended, he trailed behind her, speaking in Italian on the phone, a language Lyla couldn’t understand. Concern crept over her—what if he was planning something dangerous against Jessica? At every landing, she turned her head slightly to observe his expression, searching for any sign of malice.Carlo, noticing her subtle movements, paused just before the next stairwell. He temporarily put his phone aside and, still in Italian, called out, "Hey, Lyla, will you be my girlfriend?"“Huh?” Lyla stopped and turned around, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you talking to me?"Seeing the confusion in her expression, Carlo realized she hadn’t understood. His lips curled into a mischievous smile as he switched to English, “Oh, I was just ordering food. Authentic Italian. I
Lyla immediately stopped what she was doing, concern flashing across her face. "Did I hurt you?" she asked. She realized she had tied the bandage a bit too tight, and now blood was seeping through, staining the gauze.Carlo furrowed his brows, his expression a mix of pain and innocence. "Lyla, do you hate me that much?"Lyla knew he was faking it—Carlo was a master at twisting words—but guilt still crept in. After all, he had gotten hurt because of her. She carefully unwrapped the bloodied bandage and replaced it with a fresh roll, this time working more gently.Carlo remained silent, his eyes fixated on the equipment in the lab.Lyla followed his gaze before explaining, "That's our lab’s newest piece of equipment. It measures endorphin levels.""Endorphins?" Carlo inquired, intrigued."Yes," she continued, "endorphins are chemicals produced in the brain that act like morphine, providing pain relief and pleasure. Our study explores the relationship between pain and stress relief. One o
Lyla's blue eyes glared defiantly at Carlo as she bit her lip, standing her ground while slowly attaching the sensors to her head.The monitor flickered to life, showing a blank graph with a faintly fluctuating line. She turned, hands braced on the table, leaning slightly forward.“Go ahead,” she breathed deeply, “I’ll prove you wrong.”In the next instant, she felt herself pulled into a firm embrace, spun around until she realized she was draped across Carlo’s lap. Her stomach pressed against his knees, legs dangling over the edge, forming a near-perfect 90-degree angle. The skirt she had carefully chosen for dinner now draped over her knees, its thin fabric tracing the curves of her body.“How dare—” "Smack!"Carlo’s hand struck her backside. “Shout any louder, and I’m sure those diligent students left in this building will hear you.”Humiliated, Lyla flushed a deep red. She knew Carlo wasn’t bluffing—there were probably still people in the building, and the thought of them hearing
Lyla woke up in an unfamiliar room. As she slowly opened her eyes, the dimly lit space made it difficult to observe where she was. The high ceilings and vintage furniture exuded an air of luxury, yet it felt cold and impersonal. Heavy curtains blocked out any light from the outside, leaving the faint, warm glow of a bedside lamp as the room's only illumination.This was clearly not a hospital, but the IV in her arm told a different story. For a moment, she was disoriented, her sense of time muddled. What injury had she sustained? What illness was she recovering from? Fragments of her past—the fight in the prison and the car accident—flashed in her mind. Then, a sharp pain in her lower abdomen pulled her back to reality. A flood of memories surged forth—she might have lost her child.Panic took hold. She sat up abruptly, ignoring the tug of the IV, and instinctively placed her hand over her abdomen.“Lyla, you’re awake. Are you okay?” Lucas’s voice came from beside her. Once a source o
The car sped down the desolate highway. Lucas told Lyla that Carlo would surely send someone to search her mother’s house. It was safer to stay away from her mother, both for Camilla’s safety and her own. He promised to take her to his hometown—a peaceful, quiet place where she could stay until the baby was born.Lyla, unsure where else to go, silently agreed to his plan. Resting her head against the window, she watched the scenery blur past like a fast-forwarded film. Her mind wandered back to moments with Carlo—his sudden appearances, abrupt disappearances, his truths and lies, and the magnetic charm that had once captivated her. She found herself questioning: was it the man she had fallen for, or simply the physical connection between them? More than once, she wished it had only been about his looks—the sculpted body, the possessive control, and the irresistible allure. If that were all, she wouldn’t be in this much pain. There wouldn’t be the betrayal, the despair. The only ce
Hudson’s words left Lucas frozen, unable to recover from the shock. Before he could fully process what he had just heard, Hudson continued, “Listen, Lucas. Ending the pregnancy is for everyone's best. Without the baby, Lyla will have no ties to Sir Carlo. Mrs. Bianchi won’t waste her time going after her, and she’ll lose her value to Blake. Her life will be spared, and you won’t have to pay an even steeper price. Isn’t that a better option than killing her outright?”Hudson’s voice buzzed in Lucas’s ears, like an incessant drone.He couldn’t deny the fact that Hudson's words were convincing. Without the baby, the bond between Lyla and Carlo would be irrevocably severed. A few minutes of tense silence passed before Lucas made his decision.“What do you want me to do?” he croaked, his voice rough with resignation. “I can’t guarantee it will be completely safe to… end it. You clearly have a plan, don't you? What is it?”“Of course, I have a plan,” Hudson replied smoothly, unfazed by Lucas
"Who the hell do you think you are to order me around?" Lucas stormed forward, grabbing Carlo by the collar, his voice shaking with fury. "I warned you—if you hurt her again, I’ll never forgive you.""What the hell does this have to do with you?!" Carlo snapped, shoving Lucas's hand away. He didn’t even know who he was truly angry with, but the storm of emotions raging inside him demanded release. "She’s carrying my baby! Of course, I’ll protect her and the baby. This is none of your fucking business!""Enough!" Lyla’s voice cut through the tension, low but sharp. She clutched her still-flat stomach, her eyes brimming with pain and despair. "This isn’t your baby, Carlo. And I will never let you see it. You don’t deserve to be a husband, a father, or to be loved!"Though she spoke quietly, afraid of being overheard, her words were like daggers. The raspy, restrained anguish in her tone sliced through the night, hitting Carlo like a blow to the chest. His voice trembled as he tried to p
"Who is this woman?!" Isabella quickly approached Carlo, her eyes sharp with suspicion as she examined the disheveled, tear-streaked woman before her. The stranger's casual attire was out of place for the elegant engagement party, and she clearly wasn’t one of the household staff either.Carlo clenched his fists tightly, avoiding Lyla's gaze and refusing to meet Isabella's eyes either. His voice was cold and detached as he replied, "I don’t know. Just some crazy woman. I found her acting suspicious, so I followed her out to check. No big deal. I'll call Hudson to handle this. Come on, babe, let’s head back. We shouldn’t keep the guests waiting."He grabbed Isabella’s arm, attempting to lead her away, but she jerked free. "A crazy woman?" she snapped, clearly irritated. "I won’t allow anyone to ruin our engagement party. There’s no need to bother Hudson over this."With a sharp snap of her fingers, two burly men stepped out from the shadows at her beckon. Speaking in Italian, one asked
The mansion was enormous, filled with laughter and brightly lit from corner to corner. Lyla fought back tears and nausea as she tried to navigate her way out, relying on her memory of how she had arrived. She was aware that Carlo was silently following her, but he dared not call out to her in front of the crowd, and she dared not stop. They weaved through the bustling throng of guests, Lyla quickening her pace with each step, until she finally reached the dark, desolate vineyard.“Stop following me!” Lyla couldn’t hold it in any longer. The emotions she had been suppressing erupted as she turned to Carlo and screamed, her voice raw and miserable. “Don’t you have more important things to do? Go back! Be a happy fiancé! Why should you care if I live or die? I don’t need you anymore! I never will!”Her screams were filled with such pain and despair that she seemed like a porcelain doll, covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering at any moment. Carlo’s instinct was to rush forward a
Lyla sat quietly at a secluded table, her gaze fixed on the center of the grand ballroom. There, Carlo, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, was recounting the story of how he and Isabella met and fell in love.Just minutes ago, Blake had escorted her to this dimly lit corner. He had placed her at an inconspicuous table, posted two men to keep an eye on her, and then disappeared.When she arrived, she caught the tail end of Leonardo’s announcement—Carlo being granted the family name and partial control of its power. Carlo stood proudly beside his father, with his mother on the other side, her arm looped around Leonardo’s, her smile radiant. They looked like the perfect family, united and unshakable. Carlo’s expression was brimming with triumph, his striking green eyes gleaming with ambition and a hunger for power—something Lyla had never seen in him before. In that moment, he felt like a stranger to her.Now, the spotlight had shifted to Carlo and Isabella. The stunning, confident
The mansion on the seaside cliff was unusually lively today. The engagement party of Carlo Ferretti and Isabella Cavalieri wasn’t just a union of two powerful Mafia families; it symbolized their collective expansion into international territories. The Cavalieri family had flown in hundreds of members from Europe, while the Ferretti family made an equally impressive show of force, gathering nearly all their key figures. Adding to the grandeur were representatives from other factions hoping to curry favor with the two Mafia dynasties.The whole thing felt like a royal wedding—lavish and over the top.For Carlo, this wasn’t just another party—it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had spent over two decades fighting for recognition within his family. While his initial agreement to marry Isabella had been a strategy to save Lyla, recent developments had shifted his perspective. Just before the engagement, his father, Leonardo, had visited him in the hospital despite his failing hea
Lyla felt like she’d been hit over the head, her mind foggy and spinning. Stumbling, she grabbed onto the table for support, picking up the invitation and staring at it as if she didn’t recognize the words. She flipped it over, studying it again and again.“No… I don’t believe it,” she murmured, her voice trembling as if she were trying to convince herself. “He told me Isabella was only six. They… they can’t be getting engaged.”“Oh, so that’s what he told you?” Blake sneered. “No wonder. When you heard it yourself that day, I thought your temper would have you walking out on him for good. But looks like even a stupid lie like that was enough to fool you. Ah, poor girl. I almost feel sorry for you.”Lyla shook her head, unsure if she was rejecting Blake’s words or denying that Carlo had lied. Her eyes filled with tears, but she bit them back. “No, you’re lying. You’re just using me to hurt him!”Blake clicked his tongue, his expression laced with fake sympathy and disdain. “Why don’t