To all those who feel sorry for Carlo, raise your hands in the comments and let’s cry for him!
As Carlo stepped out of his father's study, the butler was waiting, almost as if Leonardo had planned it all. The butler approached swiftly, informing Carlo that Valentina Bianchi was in the vineyard behind the mansion.The Ferretti family’s legitimate business included luxury wines, and the mansion boasted a small vineyard and winery, often used to entertain important guests or host grand events.When Carlo entered the vineyard, he saw Valentina quietly painting under the shade of the grapevines. Valentina was a talented artist, and although she had given up her dream of becoming a painter for Leonardo, her skills had not diminished over the years.Carlo didn’t disturb her. He silently moved behind her, watching her in admiration. She was painting a serene scene of the vineyard—the sunlight filtering through the leaves, grapevines wrapped around wooden trellises, and in the distance, the small winery building stood peacefully, bathed in golden light.Leonardo had handed over a dozen
He thought back to the girl named Isabella Cavalieri.Over a year ago, when he was on the run in Italy, he had accidentally revealed his whereabouts. The assassins sent by Blake relentlessly pursued him, forcing him into a dead-end. Desperate, he dashed into a bustling bar, hoping the noise and crowd would conceal his presence.Later, he learned that the bar belonged to the Cavalieri family. The assassins had made a scene, angering the eldest daughter of the Cavalieri clan. She sent her bodyguards to drive them away, thus saving Carlo.He overheard people addressing her as Miss Cavalieri, and instantly realized that the seemingly delicate girl in front of him was from the famous Italian Mafia family. Carlo was not one to let opportunities slip by. He knew this girl wasn’t just his savior but could also be his ticket to survival. So, he began to show up at the same bars and social events where Isabella frequented, deliberately making his presence known. It didn’t take long for him to ca
Instinctively, Valentina knew that the woman named Lyla was the one Carlo couldn’t let go of.Without revealing her thoughts, she smiled warmly at her son. “Alright, let’s drop it. Go down to the cellar, pick a wine you like, and share a glass with your mother, okay?” Carlo was eager to end the conversation as well. He hated showing anger in front of his mother. After the bitter disappointment his father had become, his mother and Hudson were all he had left for family comfort.“Alright.” He nodded, then turned and headed for the wine cellar.Once Carlo disappeared from view, Valentina swiftly picked up his discarded phone. Lyla’s previous call had ended, but just moments later, it rang again. This time, Valentina answered.A panicked voice came through immediately, “Where’s Dr. Riffe? He didn’t show up for class today, and the school contacted his wife. She said he left early this morning, but no one’s heard from him since.”“Was this your doing? Don’t joke with me—I know you’re try
Lyla was arrested by the police in the middle of her class the next afternoon.The arrest warrant, issued for the alleged murder of Dr. Riffe, hit her like a tidal wave. She felt an overwhelming dizziness, as if the entire world around her had dissolved into an eerie silence.A female officer stepped forward and cuffed her wrists. Lyla caught sight of a male officer speaking, but all she could hear was a faint buzzing in her ears. His words were completely lost on her. As she was led out of the classroom, she noticed her students whispering amongst themselves, and other faculty members staring at her with both curiosity and concern. Among them, Lucas came running toward her.“I’ll get you a lawyer, Lyla, don't be scared.'” Those were the last words she heard before the officers pushed her head down and roughly shoved her into the back of the police car.Sitting between two officers in the backseat, Lyla felt utterly numb. Her mind seemed to shut down, overwhelmed with fear and humili
Lyla couldn't remember how long the police had interrogated her. What she did recall was the growing frustration and escalating anger in their voices, as they repeatedly questioned her. In the face of all the so-called evidence, she had only one response: “I don’t know.”Eventually, the officers, getting nothing from her, stormed out, leaving her alone in the cold interrogation room. Her reflection in the one-way mirror emphasized her solitude, and the eerie quiet was broken only by the relentless ticking of the clock, a sound indifferent to the situation, as though it had witnessed countless such moments before.Glancing at the clock, Lyla saw that it was already past midnight.The room’s lighting had been gradually increased to a glaring intensity, as bright as daylight. Lyla recognized this as an interrogation tactic she had once studied in her criminal psychology course—using harsh light to deprive suspects of sleep, weakening their mental defenses, and making them more likely to
Lyla's nose tingled with the onset of tears, her eyes misting over as emotions welled up inside her. She sniffed, stubbornly raising her hand to wipe her face harshly, then forced a bitter smile, trying her best to appear unaffected. “I understand, it’s fine,” she said, though her voice trembled slightly, revealing her vulnerability.Lucas, deeply moved, felt an urge to comfort her further, but before he could say anything, the lawyer, sensing the tension, stepped in with a calm, authoritative voice, breaking the silence, “Let’s focus on the case first.” His composed and professional tone shifted the mood in the room, easing some of the weight that had been building.Lucas cleared his throat and nodded, attempting to regain his composure. “Lyla, this is John Parker, a friend of mine. He has a lot of experience in criminal cases. We could rely on him to help you.”John nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes scanning the documents before him with a sharp, focused gaze. “Ms. Sinclair, from wh
Lyla was escorted out of the interrogation room, but this time, she wasn’t taken back to the same place. Instead, a different officer, one she hadn’t seen before, led her through several security doors until they reached a small cell.The cell was cramped, resembling the ones she’d seen on TV, with two sets of bunk beds occupying most of the space. The narrow hallway between them led to a metal toilet and sink. A tiny window on the wall let in a sliver of light, but there was no proper ventilation, and the entire cell reeked of a foul, indescribable odor.Lyla was unprepared for this. When the officer removed the handcuffs from her wrists, she nervously asked, "How long do you plan to keep me in here?" The officer didn’t respond, just giving her a cold, condescending glance before turning away. That look, filled with a mixture of arrogance and pity, made Lyla’s skin crawl. She turned her head, avoiding his gaze.It wasn’t until she heard the clang of the cell door closing that she sna
Tana’s words sent a chill down Lyla's spine. This was something she hadn’t anticipated at all, but she couldn’t deny that there was some truth in what Tana said. The people framing her had left too many obvious gaps in their plot, so their goal was likely more than just having her imprisoned. Whether they truly intended to kill her or were simply using her to manipulate Carlo, she wasn’t sure.Lyla’s nerves, which had briefly relaxed, were once again on edge, her mind racing through the possible dangers she might face. Tana, oblivious to the shift in Lyla’s expression, continued chattering excitedly about her experiences in prison.“For example, they’ll start a fight on purpose, get the target riled up. Then, they use that as an excuse—a whole group beats that one person until they’re either dead or seriously injured. Even if the guards come, it’s no use. They’ll just say the person started it.”"Or, they’ll pay off some murderer, someone already doing life. They won’t think twice abou
"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
At Lucas’s suggestion, Lyla went to the hospital’s OB department, and the results confirmed it—she was almost two months pregnant.Overjoyed, she planned to call Carlo right away, but Lucas stopped her.“Better hold off on telling him,” he advised, looking uneasy. “You know him well, right? He’s still in the hospital, if he finds out you’re pregnant, he’ll check himself out just to be by your side.” Seeing Lyla’s hesitation, he added, “Besides, pregnancy isn’t very stable in the first three months. Why not wait until then? It would crush him if anything happened.”Reluctantly, Lyla agreed. She knew now wasn’t the best time. She decided to keep this a surprise, waiting until both Carlo and her mother were fully healed before sharing the news.For the next month, Lyla stayed by her mother’s side. Every weekend, Lucas would fly over from Westheaven, nearly convincing Camilla that he was Lyla’s mysterious boyfriend. To keep the truth from her mother, Lyla would only call Carlo late at ni
"Here you go Mom, have some orange." Lyla handed her mother a peeled slice of orange. Camilla Sinclair took it, her eyes drifting to the black-suited men standing outside the ward, her expression uneasy. She had lived a quiet and peaceful life, never imagining she’d one day see her once sweet, obedient daughter surrounded by bodyguards.It had been days now, and Lyla still hadn’t offered an explanation. Every time Camilla asked, Lyla would dodge with some excuse. But today, when one of the guards eyed a nurse suspiciously as she entered, Camilla couldn’t hold back any longer."Lyla, enough! Who are these people, and why are they here?"Lyla sighed. "Mom, I’ve told you—you need to focus on recovering. That’s what’s most important. They’re here to keep us safe. I promise, they’re good people."Camilla’s tone sharpened, “What kind of normal person needs this kind of protection?” Her voice raised, straining her already weakened body. Lyla quickly reached out to calm her mother, but Camil
The ward, a woman's soft, half-amused, half-irritated voice broke the silence."So, you're telling me there was never an Isabella Cavalieri?!" Lyla stood by Carlo’s bed, arms crossed, still a bit red-eyed from the earlier panic. Her face showed a mix of frustration and slight embarrassment after listening to Carlo’s full explanation.According to Carlo, Isabella was merely a fabrication, a lie he’d told to mislead Blake and rescue her. At first, Lyla wasn’t fully convinced. But when Carlo reminded her of the promises he’d made to her on the island, her last doubts melted away.A playful glint sparkled in Carlo's eyes as he grinned. "Oh, but Isabella does exist. And yes, she really is a Cavalieri."Lyla's gaze immediately turned suspicious until Carlo quickly clarified, "Though, she’s only six years old."Realizing how close she came to falling for another of his jokes, Lyla clenched her fist and gave him a light punch on the shoulder. Before she could pull her hand back, Carlo caught