“Alessandro…” Harlow says, “Give me a second.” Amber repeats his words out loud. Then, she bursts into laughter. Her laugh suppressed any sign of tears that had tried their best to flood her eyes. “You’re proposing to me?” She shrieks with laughter. Alessandro shuts the box close and stands up, confused. Then, she stops laughing. “Alessandro. My poor little Alessandro. Do you believe that I loved you?” She questions. Alessandro says, “This is not the time for jokes, Tesoro.” “This is a joke,” she says, pointing to the fairy lights and the cafe. “Did you think one portrait could win me over?” She questions looking at the painting. Then, she turns to the box in his hand, saying, “And this is the biggest joke of the century.” “What do you think?” She questions, rage in her eyes, “You bring over some stupid unicorn ring and I just say yes after all that you’ve put me through for the past two years?!” She screams. Alessandro is taken aback. Amber’s pov: With every word that hits
Ken, Emma, and Bianca crawl out of the bedroom. They stand upright and hold a gift box in their hands. Amber’s eyes widen. “Where’s Alessandro?” They ask in sync, confused at the sight of lonely Amber in front of them. Amber laughs hysterically. “Alessandro asked the three of you to come here?” She questions, her gun still in her hand, but she drops her arm to her side. Bianca says, “No. We came here to celebrate with you.” Amber smiles at them, “Bee, did you assume that I’d say yes?” Ken says, “So, you rejected him?” Amber nods in pride. All three of their mouths form an O. Then, Ken asks, “The choice is yours, we’re in no position to make the decision, but you guys are still together, right?” Amber shakes her head, “Not really.” Bianca asks, “Why? What happened?” “Nothing. I was just playing around with Alessandro…I was devastated when he threw me out of the house and left me all alone. I wanted him to feel my pain, so I did this out of revenge. I have no plans of getting ba
Alessandro’s pov:“Let’s catch up on some sleep, I will tell you tomorrow,” I disappoint him with my words and leave him on the cliffhanger. Why? Because I need to process all the information before I put it out of my mouth. I wake up at seven in the morning and head to the gym. I work out for over an hour and then, take a shower. I try to calm myself down. As I reach the breakfast counter, I see two plates stacked with a heavy dose of breakfast. “Blurt it out, I can’t wait any longer,” Ken leans against the counter and I roll my eyes. I sit down and thank him for the meal before cutting into it. “Damn, this is pretty tasty,” I tell him and he rolls his eyes. “Alessandro,” he groans and I make him wait until we finish our food and load our plates into the dishwasher. Then, I take a seat on the couch. Ken leans against the doorframe as I speak.“Around two months ago, Harlow invaded Amber’s apartment and told her to stay away from me,” I get right to the point. He does not interrup
Amber’s pov: Yesterday has been rather eventful. From practicing dialogues to trying on outfits, it feels like I’ve taken up the career of a full-time actress. The guards are constantly tagging along with me, watching my every move. I’ve had guards with me earlier, but they were there to protect me, but these guards are the ones that I need protection from. And tonight is the mission. I’m going to have to flirt with another man in front of Alessandro. I have faith in him, but how long before he cannot bear it any longer? How long before he stops trying? Hell, even I wouldn’t put up with it. “Amber, the boss will be here in two hours, you need to get in your outfit,” the guards' order and we get to work immediately. Two Hours Later The front door flies open and Harlow marches in. He takes a seat on the couch and looks me up and down, adding to my discomfort. The outfit is scandalous enough as it is. It is made of a flimsy material and it gives me the vibes of the same outfi
Alessandro’s pov:Her face tells me that she’s in shock. I take her in my arms and feel bliss. Pure bliss. But in a split second, she pushes me off, whispering, “Alessandro…You can’t be close to me…Harlow…”“I know what I’ve gotten myself into,” I utter. “But…How?” She questions a spark back in her brown eyes.FLASHBACKTen Hours Ago“Ken, what’s wrong?” Alessandro questions as he steps into Ken’s hotel room. “You were right, Harlow is the man behind this,” Ken utters.Alessandro keeps calm and takes a seat next to Ken. “Ever since I’ve set up my equipment in this room, all that I’ve done is observed the cameras, and I’ll show you the highlights,” Ken tells him.The CCTV camera displays Harlow instructing Amber about tomorrow’s clubbing activity, Alessandro clenches his fists as Harlow raises his voice at Amber. He hates seeing his woman helpless and at the loss of her fierce personality.“Turn it off, I’ve seen enough,” Alessandro stands up and walks away.“Alessandro, you’ve got to
Amber’s pov: “Good girl,” Harlow’s words make me uncomfortable, even more than his presence. I keep my sad face strapped on, but I know that Alessandro is going to fight for us. I walk into my room and thump down on my bed thinking about all that has gone down ever since I left the club. FLASHBACK Amber’s pov: All that has happened is going over my head right now. As Harlow walks in, I freeze in place. My clothes on me quiver with me. “Where is Ryan?” He questions. I answer, “By the time my eyes opened, he was gone.” “That bastard has fled from the venue, but oh, well, at least he has finished his task. We don’t need him anymore,” Harlow grits his teeth through the sentence. “He will be finished soon,” Harlow murmurs. I don’t speak. “You did well, Amber,” Harlow smiles at me. “Watching the scene made me feel anything but uncomfortable,” his smirk is remarkably gross. I roll my eyes and adjust the clothes on my body. His words make things clear to me. My phone rings. It’s Ale
“Of course, the bastard has perfect timing, he’s Santino bloody Martino,” Harlow squeaks. The blood seems to be drained from the face of the bodyguards as he carefully inspects each one of their faces. Bam! A bullet was fired at one of the bodyguard’s foreheads. She drops dead on the floor. “I don’t like people who betray me,” Harlow chuckles. “Clean the floor and dump the body,” he orders as he walks into Amber’s bedroom. “Diletto, rise and shine, it’s time for a ride,” Harlow hums in a tune. Amber wakes up and sits upright. “We’ve got some interruption,” Harlow growls. Amber’s heart thumps faster, worried that Alessandro has gotten himself into trouble. “Santino Martino has initiated an attack at the docks, the trading port that you are familiar with, yeah, that one, darling. So, we’ve got no choice but to delay this mission until I put his breath to rest,” Harlow utters. Amber keeps quiet knowing that if Harlow killed Santino, he would get himself into trouble because of the pac
Amber’s pov: “What’re you doing here? Weren’t you busy dealing with Santino Martino?” I question without losing the sternness in my voice, hoping that Ken would pick up on my words. “I was, but I missed you,” he hissed as he steps closer and I jerk back repulsed. He stops in his track and says, “Mhm…I smell something suspicious.” I gulp. “What do you mean?” I cock an eyebrow at him. “It smells like fresh meat in here, a cologne that I’m familiar with, and yet, it is unrecognizable,” he utters and my heart beats faster. If he finds Ken, then both he and Alessandro will be in a great deal of trouble. He inches closer to the bed. “Wait,” I stop Harlow with my words. “It’s mine,” I lie. “What?” He tilts his head to the side. “I started using a new perfume recently, it’s probably that,” I roll my eyes. “Just go away, Harlow,” I throw my hand in the air to gesture to him. He chuckles. “Poor chicken. You think I don’t know who’s in here?” Harlow questions. My eyes make sure to not look
Amber’s pov: I hear Alessandro hum as he walks out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth. I chuckle and that catches his attention. He rushes back into the washroom, goes on about his unfinished business, and then comes out. “Tesoro, I missed you,” he kisses me. His breath is minty and cool. “It’s just been two hours since I’ve been out of your sight,” I manage to say between his gentle pecks. “There’s something that I would like to discuss,” he says, his tone dropping from bubbly to serious. “Sure, what is it that you’d like to discuss?” I ask him. He takes a seat on the bed next to me. “The one time that we spoke about children, you told me that you didn’t know what you wanted with them. I’d like to ask you the same question now…” he doesn’t look into my eyes as he speaks. “I would like to have children, but someday in the future, as of now, the art gallery is my baby, our baby,” I tell him, my hand wrapped around his shoulder. “I’m glad to know that we’re on the sam
Two Weeks Later Alessandro’s pov: “And done!” I hear Amber exclaim behind me as she drops the last box on the floor. “Mrs. Bianchi, you sound like you did all the work,” I tease her hoping to receive a sassy response. “I did a lot of work,” she exhaled sharply. “I mean, three boxes and three steps are a lot,” I tell her. She groans and strikes a pat on my back. I chuckle. Then, I turn around and say, “I can’t believe we made it.” Amber stands next to me and intertwines our digits. "Me neither," she utters. "We certainly made the right choice," she says. I nod. My eyes roam to the kitchen counter. "I can't wait to see you on top of that counter," I utter making Amber roll her eyes, saying, "And there goes the moment." I chuckle. She picks up the box and walks up the stairs to settle things around the place. At the housewarming ceremony, when Richard mentioned Maria's house in Canoli, I knew that we had to check it out, but I never knew that it'd turn out to be such a blessing.
Amber’s pov: Alessandro pulls over and I tilt my head scanning the location. “This place looks like it was artificially created using a hologram,” I tell him as he unfastens his seatbelt. He does mine as well. “Uh-huh,” he says as he steps out of the vehicle. “Is this place yours?” I question as we walk towards a tiny cabin hidden amongst tall trees. “No,” he says, taking my hand in his. Alessandro knocks on the door. He intertwines our fingers. A middle-aged woman opens the door, greeting us with a smile. “Amber, this is Anna Solem. Anna, as promised, this is my wife, Amber Bianchi,” Alessandro says. “Anna, it’s so nice to meet you,” I smile at her, “How is everything now?” I question. “It’s fine, my sister, Maria Rosela, is doing much better,” she explains, “Now, now, this place is for sale since Maria’s planning to move out of the country. However, it seems like no one wants to live in an isolated area of the island, because despite being for sale for the past month, it hasn
One Week Later “Anna?” Alessandro asks, his phone on speaker. “Yes, Alessandro, it’s me,” she replies. “Richie and I are planning to host a party in honor of purchasing our first house together, and we would love it if you and your family could be a part of it,” Anna tells Alessandro. “Thank you for the invite, I will talk to my wife and let you know about it immediately,” Alessandro lets her know as he cleans the countertop with a cloth. “How’re you? How’s Richard?” Alessandro asks. Anna replies in the positive. They converse for a few more minutes before the call ends. “Tesoro,” Alessandro rings up Amber. “Yes, my love?” She replies. Alessandro’s lips curl into a soft smile. “Anna Solem is hosting a housewarming party and she has invited us..” Alessandro is cut off as Amber says, “Can Bee come with us?” Alessandro replies, “I’ll ask her.” Amber feels relieved and worried at the same time. “Don’t worry, Tesoro, it’ll be alright,” Alessandro assured her. Amber’s pov: Bee will un
“Harlow, regardless of all that had been going down behind the scenes, you have always been a good brother to me. I always looked up to you and learned so much from you. These twenty years have been one hell of a ride of emotions…” Alessandro lets out a sigh, “And I’d hate for you to die.” Harlow scoffs. “Even after all that I’ve done, you’re trying to make it seem like I’m not the bad guy, this is another reason why you were never a successful capo,” Harlow utters. Alessandro shakes his head, then says, “Maybe I was never meant to be one, Harlow.” Alessandro holds Harlow’s reluctant hand in his for a few seconds and then rests it back on his chest. “Goodbye, brother,” Alessandro utters and walks back to Amber. They then drive back home. On the way back, the taxi ride is filled with silence until Alessandro’s phone rings. “Ken?” Alessandro mutters. “Harlow had infiltrated your security system in every possible way, but I’ve got it back on track now, you and Amber have a great securi
“Alessandro,” Amber sniffles. “I missed you,” she mutters. Alessandro and Amber hold each other close, without a care for the world around them. Alessandro pulls her closer, but the closeness isn’t enough, not after all these days of separation. “Tesoro,” Alessandro whispers, “How’re you?” “I’m fine now, Alessandro. Now that you’re by my side…” Amber sniffles. Tears cloud Alessandro’s vision as he buries his head in the crook of Amber’s neck. “My heart nearly stopped as Harlow blurted those words, Tesoro,” Alessandro uttered. “Lucky for you, I’m still alive,” she chuckles as she pulls away from Alessandro’s embrace. He wipes her tears away and she does the same for him. “Let’s wrap this up,” she utters as she walks close to an injured Harlow. Alessandro walks close to Harlow and glares at him. Harlow, as expected, laughs, his laugh echoing through their ear walls. “Both of you are equally pathetic, emotional fools, perfect for one another, truly a match made in heaven and hell
Alessandro’s pov: I stand there in silence. Knowing that words would do nothing to add to the moment. Harlow jerks me back even further. I don’t resist, a million thoughts flow through my mind. What if he harms Amber? What if he harms Ken? What if he- My what-ifs are cut off as soon as Harlow pushes me one final time and I feel the water at my feet. “Why?” The only question that can leave my lips. Harlow scoffs and turns his back to me. He walks a few steps straight ahead. “Why?” He whispers. I could feel his smirk grow. “Why?! I should’ve asked dad that when he assigned you, the younger brother, the role of capo when I was far more capable,” Harlow utters. I remain calm as he continues, “Alessandro Bianchi, the capo of the Bianchis…Ever since father uttered those words, I was set on proving him wrong, but how unfortunate is it that he died before he could understand anything?” “Alessandro, before you stands not only the one who separated you from the love of your life for the
Thank you so much to all those readers who have made it this far. The support has been a great motivation for me to continue my writing venture. Your comments and votes are a constant source of motivation. Thank you once again. The story of Mr. & Mrs. Bianchi will be coming to an end in the next five to six chapters. Don’t miss the climax ;)And I hope that all of you cried, laughed and felt butterflies throughout the story. I’m open to suggestions, so feel free to let me know what can be implemented or improved.I hope that all of you are happy and healthy.Happy Reading!
Alessandro’s pov: “Brother, I need you. One last time, like the old times,” Harlow utters. “What for?” I question, my confusion genuine. “Let’s watch the destruction of Santino Martino, together,” Harlow says, surprising me with his words. “What do you mean?” I pretend to act a fool. “I will let you in on the details, where are you right now?” Harlow questions. “I’m at my workplace,” I lie. “Great, I’ll be there in twenty,” he ends the call with that. “What was that all about?” Ken questions me. “I’ve got no idea, but it’s time to find out,” I tell him as I adjust my tie and roll down my sleeves. “You’ve got no security with you,” Ken says. “I know, it’ll be a one-man show from my end,” I tell him. “That’s stupid, Alessandro, at least take a gun,” Ken hands me my shotgun, one that I haven’t touched since I shot Santino’s brother. “No, Ken. I’ll be fine,” I let him know. He rolls his eyes at me saying, “You’re walking into your doom.” “Maybe I am, maybe it’s what I deserve for ki