AUTHOR'S POVLuciano was off from work and went to the city's mall to get a necklace which he placed a tracking device on, something that was tiny and could barely be noticed. As if the phone he got her wasn't enough to keep her security in check. Just like every other place he went, he always caught the ladies' attention. Their eyes were glued to his direction, as he walked out of the mall. Their murmurs echoing in the entire place. His expression remained cold and icy, keeping them away from coming too close.Two girls from across him were hesitating and contemplating on who should walk up to him first, as they were hesitating, the second girl adjusting her dress and decided to go up first, but before she could go, they heard a soft and coquettish voice coming from their back.โLucianoโโTheir eyes couldn't help but widened as they turned to the direction of the voice. Words like alluring, irresistible, sexy, fell short of capturing her beauty.Tall and slender, her long silky blon
AUTHORIn a dark corner, a man lounged on a couch, one leg draped elegantly over the other. His face was obscured by shadows and a haze of cigarette smoke that drifted lazily through the room. He was completely indifferent to everything around him, his aura exuding an eerie coldness that could send shivers down anyone's spine. The faint red glow from his cigarette was the only light in his corner.A sudden vibration jolted him from his reverie, and he glanced at his phone screen, smirking as he read the message, he stubbed the cigarette ashes under his foot, straightened up and left the corner.****Nadia couldn't sleep peacefully, as she kept tossing around on the bed. At one point, she sat up, feeling thirsty, she climbed down the bed and went to the kitchen for water. While she was returning, she wondered if Luciano was back, but shrugged it off. If he was back, he'd come to her room, she thought and continued to return to her room.She hadn't taken more than five steps, when she h
AUTHORIt was already past Eight in the morning when Mia woke up, she slowly reached out her hands to her phone to check who was calling so early in the morning.She wiped her eyes when she saw the caller, she looked at the time and widened her eyes in shock. She brought her phone closer to her eyes to be sure.She looked at her side, but the man was not there.She furrowed her brows, when the images and scenes from last night came flooding to her head, her face became hot and she turned scarlette from blushing and couldn't help but smile and hide her face under the pillow, and rolled several times.He wasn't just handsome for nothing, he was everything a woman wants, and he was very good in bed, in fact he was perfect and perfect. Her imagination was running wilder when her phone vibrated again, and jotted her from her thoughts.She glanced at the caller ID and smiled."Where are you?" โI'm still at the hotel.""What?, was he that good that you can't get enough or you can't get up a
NADIA'S POVHaving lunch with Luciano felt like a century, as I tried to finish my food quietly and pretend to not notice his stares on me. But the tense silence was almost suffocating, as I could feel his gaze, heavy, serious, as if studying my every movement.I glanced up and accidentally met his Intense gaze, my heart skipped and instantly averted my gaze, embarrassed.โWhat's going on in your mind?โ He suddenly asked, his voice calm, almost detached.I looked up at him again, trying to hold his gaze this time, but the weight of his attention felt too much, and I looked down collecting my thoughts. โIโm tired of staying in the door, every passing day.โ I finally said, my voice soft. I was about to say another thing but trailed off, realizing how vulnerable I must have sounded. I risked another glance at him, his expression darkened, as though the words hit deeper than I'd expected. I didn't dare to look up again, as he sat quietly, his face unreadable.After a moment he spoke, his
AUTHORMia stormed off Luciano's house, with tears brimming in her eyes, and her chest twisting in pain. She'd slept with him last night, thinking things would become less awkward and easier for them, but it seemed like his disgust for her only increased, and yet she couldn't find it in her heart to dislike him.โDon't be a cry baby, Mia. We both know he's just acting big. Take this.โ Damon said, handing a handkerchief to her.Mia seemed to calm down after a while, then she frowned, recalling Nadiaโs face that she saw in Luciano's house.โDamon,โDamon turned to look at her, swirling the glass in hand. โWhat?โโI saw someone in Luciano's house and I think she's living with him. I'm confused.โDamon's interest was solely piqued, he placed the wine on his desk and leaned closer to Mia. โShe?โโYes, it's a girl. She just looks familiar.โโLuciano is now keeping women in his house? I'm so interested in this topic, I can't imagine Luciano bringing in a girl, with a pussy between her thighs
AUTHORโYou won't take this off, no matter what?โ He warned, his tone dead serious.โAnd why is that?โ โYou won't want to know. Just do what you're told.โNadia nodded and moved away from him, as if running away from a predator, as his gaze on her grew heated. The smirk on his grew wider and got up, about to leave but paused before he could get to the door. โI'd be away for some days, call me if you miss me or need anything.โ he said, and with one last glance, he exited the room.Nadia reached her hand to the necklace, catching the pendant between her fingers. She instinctively got up from the bed and went to stand In front of the mirror stand, admiring the tiny beautiful necklace. A necklace to justify his misdeed? She thought, frowning slightly. Only if she knew the truth behind it.*****Damon kept his plan to meet Nadia at bay, since he had more pressing matters to attend to, outside the country. He had deceived and lied to Mia, using her feelings for Luciano, only to use her t
AUTHORTime slipped by quickly, with weeks blending into a haze. Nadia was growing accustomed to the light workload Jeff handed herโprimarily backing up files, arranging business meetings, and noting down key points from business proposals. Luciano had deliberately kept her away from any files tied to his darker dealings, ensuring Jeff only gave her minimal and non-sensitive tasks.Yet, Nadia had begun avoiding him ever since she received a cryptic message from an unknown number. Luciano noticed her change in behavior almost immediately. She avoided his gaze, flinched when he spoke to her, stepped back whenever he approached, and stuttered through her replies. At first, he brushed it off, but the fear in her eyes gnawed at him.For a man like Luciano, who thrived on the power his presence commanded and relished the fear he instilled in others, Nadia's reaction should have satisfied him. Instead, it infuriated him. It wasnโt fear born of respect or aweโit felt like rejection. And for r
NADIAMy fear for Luciano increased after what happened earlier today. Just because the girl had tried to go against him, he set her up, not with any other person but a gigolo, and now she's pregnant. No, that was way too extreme. Yet I couldn't sit well with the thought of him being the father of the child. I had searched through the internet, trying to know more about Black Death and why he was called that, but I can't seem to find the exact information I was looking for. Who had I gotten myself entangled with?Yeah, he hadn't done anything to hurt me or try to hurt me, in fact he's truly protecting me, just like he had promised. But that can't guarantee he wouldn't try to, in the future. I wasn't sure if he was helping me or wanted something from me, but now, I am sure. I'm sure, he must have a reason for approaching me, just what could it be?From what I heard earlier, he has a brother, but they seem not to be on good terms. Just, who was this man exactly? No one visits him, has h
Inside a dimly lit room, that was quiet, except for the faint glow of Lucianoโs cigarette as he took another slow drag. He sat across an armrest chair, his expression dark and unreadable, as he puffed large flakes of smoke like his life depended on it. The soft rhythmic ticking of a nearby clock filled the silence, marking the seconds that stretched endlessly.Light footsteps were heard and Jeff stepped in, his expression grim, as he stood at the doorway.โHas she woken up?โ Luciano asked, without turning to look at him.โNo, sir.โLuciano hummed in response, flicking the ashes from his cigarettes into the glass ashtray beside him. His gaze was fixed on the wall, but his mind was caught in a whirlwind.He could still hear her voice from earlier, in the hospital โraw, broken, filled with desperation that had made his chest tightened. โPlease, tell me who I am.โHe wanted to tell her what he knew. Hell, he wanted to tell her everything. But he knew she wouldn't be able to handle it?
NARRATOR ~~Luciano stared blankly at Nadia, Her gaze determined and expression solemn, not the usual Nadia's gaze.But then, he couldn't bring himself to tell anything to her, not then, not yet. โYou need to rest.โ He said and turned to leave when Nadiaโs next words halted him.โRight now, I don't mind dying. I don't mind working my ass off to repay you, I don't mind walking away from you and walking into them again and getting tortured ... .I really don't mind.โ Her voice wavered.โMy life has been nothing but a mess, a web filled with lies, secret. I don't even know my own identity, getting accused of what I have no information or idea about. I don't even remember any part of my childhood, not even my parents' faces. Yeah, you've been protecting me quite well, but I still got to experience the whole torture all over again, except this timeโฆit was cruel.โโIโฆ.Iโฆโ Nadia lowered her head as her voice faltered and she broke into tears, hugging her head like she could separate it from
NADIA A stark, blinding whiteness consumed my vision. The scent of antiseptic burned my nose. The steady, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor pulsed in the background, dragging me out of the abyss.My eyelids fluttered open. The ceiling above me was white, too white, like a void swallowing everything. The bright lights stung my eyes, forcing me to blink against the sharp ache pressing against her skull. A dull, throbbing pain radiated from my abdomen, each pulse sharper than the last.My breath shuddered as the memories from last night flooded into my head. Luciano. The chaos. The escape. And thenโฆ.my fingers twitched against the stiff hospital sheets. Slowly, I turned my head, my body protesting even the slightest movement. A deep, dragging exhaustion weighed me down, as though my bones had been replaced with lead.My heart skipped as I suddenly remembered.My stomach. The pain. The warm, sticky wetness. The sharp, gut wrenching pain that ripped through my body before my legs gave
NARRATOR ~~The moment the alarms blared, Luciano knew the escape wasn't going to be easy, but he had vowed to get Nadia out of there.The red warning lights flashed through the dark corridors, casting eerie shadows as men flooded the halls. The silence that had lingered previously shattered into chaos. The air was consumed with the metallic scent of blood and gunpowder as gunfire erupted like a violent storm.Luciano's grip on Nadia tightened as he turned to Logan. โGet her out of here. I'll clear the path.โLogan's face was grim. He nodded, stepping towards Nadia, but before he could even lay a hand on her, bullets whizzed last them, slamming into the walls, sending chunks of stone and debris flying.โFuckโฆ.get down!โ Luciano barked, grabbing Nadiaโs arm and shielding her as he pressed her against the wall. His men had already taken position, returning fire with ruthless precision.The hallway had now turned into a wall zone.Luciano moved swiftly, his gun raised as he fired at the
LUCIANO~~My fingers curled into fists as my patient grew thin, as if hanging on a thread. Every second that passed felt like a blade slicing through my control. Nadia was in that house, surrounded by Damon's men. And yet, here I was, standing and waiting.โTimeโs running out, Logan,โ I growled, my voice a low warning. โIf I find out you've been wasting my time, I swear I'm gonna put a bullet into your fucking skull and get to her myself.โLogan exhaled, steadying himself. โListen, I want Nadia out of there, as much as you do, not just for my sake, but I got her in there. But if you go in now, guns blazing, they'll kill her before you can even step inside.โI clenched my jaw, my body vibrating in frustration. My instincts screamed at me to act. To move. Logan continued, his voice low. โI know the layout. Her room is in the west wing, near Silasโs personal quarters. Damon stationed his most ruthless men outside her door. We're talking about killers that have intense hatred against the
NADIA โYou think your adoption was fate? Some kind couple taking in a poor, abandoned child?โ His fingers trailed down my arm, but I recoiled violently, my breath coming in ragged bursts. โYou were handpicked, Nadia. And the name Eddie, I gave that to you. The orphanage just chose to call you Nadia.โ Silas continued, his voice thick with cruel amusement. โYour adoptive parents weren't Saviours or kind. They were paid by me.โ The room spun.No.No, no, no.โYou're lying,โ I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Silas chuckled, dark and pleased. โAm I? I watched you grow. No. You grew on my money, I was waiting for you to become what I needed. But those bastards? They failed me.โ His smile twisted into something crueler. โSo, I showed them what it felt like to go against me.โBitterness rose in my throat.โYou..โ my voice choked.โYes,โ he said simply. โI killed them, and their precious daughter? Heh, you wouldn't want to know what I did with her.โThe air in my lungs vanished, I
NADIAโI'd been dreaming all these while.โ I cursed under my breath as I sat up from the bed. I'd been so overjoyed to see Luciano, only to find out it was a dream.Could that be a sign? I thought.โGood morning, sweetheart,โ Damon's voice suddenly sounded behind me, startling me out of my thoughts.โWhat do you want?โ โDon't ask obvious questions.โโI wish I could let you relax more, but no. We stopped somewhere last night, I'm eager to finish it.โโSo, tell me. Did you make up your mind to tell the truth?โI swallowed the lump forming in my throat.โDamon, I told you, I have no idea what you're talking about. I swear.โThere was a sharp shift in his gaze, โAre you intentionally testing my patience?โโNo, Iโฆโ โBring her!โ He barked.His men bagged into the room and yanked me up from the bed. Pulling me to follow them.โDamon, no!โI was brought to a dimly lit room, the temperature was very low, almost freezing. Tears pricked my eyes as I glanced at Damon's cold face.โYou have so
LUCIANOMy fingers trembled slightly as I unfolded the crisp white paper, my pulse an unsteady rhythm in my ears. The moment my eyes scanned the bold letters on the top of the document, my world tilted.PATIENT: NADIA ANGELO RESULT: POSITIVE โ APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS PREGNANT My breath caught. I read it again. PREGNANT I inhaled sharply. My grip tightened around the edges of the paper, my knuckles white. My heart, so used to being a weapon of ice and steel, felt like it had just been ablaze.Nadia is pregnantโฆwith my child.A growl tore from my chest, raw and vicious, rattling through the walls of the empty bedroom. My jaw clenched as a thousand thoughts fought for dominance in my head. I had failed herโฆ.. again. I had let them take her. And now she wasn't just Nadia. She's with my child. The mother of my child.And Damon had her. Damon, that bastard, who would stop at nothing to break people. My mind snapped to the worst possibilities, was she hurt? She's scared, I know her and she'
NADIAMy heart pounded in my chest like a war drum. The room, dimly lit and suffocating, felt smaller with every second that passed. Damon's presence was consuming, his dark gaze drilling into my soul with a twisted amusement that we entered chills running down my spine.Luciano was rightโฆDamon is such a monster.โYou still don't get it, do you?โ Damon's voice was smooth, almost scornful. He reached out, brushing a stray of my hair from my face, his fingers lingering on my cheeks, sending chills down my spine. I flinched back, but I couldn't move away from him, my back was against the wall already.โYou act so strong and fearless,โ he said, his lips curling into a sinister smile. โBut I can feel your fear, it's, it's intoxicating.โMy fingers instinctively clenched into fists. โIf you think terrorizing me Is going to change how I feel, then you're wrong and also wasting your time. Luciano will find me, and when he doesโฆโโEnough!โ Damon's hands shot out and gripped my chin between his