Gianna-/It's been only three days sinde I started working with Maxmillian. I didn't think he could be any more infuriating.My first was just an introduction to what I was experiencing. He became strictly professional and overbearing. If he was having mood swings or any of his partners pissed him, I bore the end of that frustration.Not to mention, that his sister, Melody was here as well as the HR.I sucked in a deep breath and stepped into the office.“I got the files you requested for, sir,” I informed him. He was backing me, cigarette in hand.“Get over here, Gianna,” he said and I dragged my feet in front of him with the papers. “Drop them on the desk.”I obeyed and stepped into his line of sight. He didn't look too good. The stress lines on his forehead were enough proof.“Are you okay?” I asked.“No, baby,” he answered. “I'm very stressed.”The fact that he addressed me as baby told me that he needed me as a wife, not an assistant.“Do you want a massage?” I asked him.“No,” h
Gianna-/“You must be Gianna.”I glanced at the woman beside me in the elevator. I have only seen her once or twice. Even then, I didn't know what department she worked with.“Yes, I'm Gianna. You are?” I kept my tone as polite as possible.“Isabel,” she responded. There was this air of arrogance in her tone, like I was supposed to know her from the mere mention of her first name.“Okay.” I said simply and glanced at the floor number of the elevator.“You know who I am right?” She pushed further and I glanced at her.I frowned slightly. “Should I?”Her lips curled into a smirk, arms folding across her chest. “I work closely with Maximilian. We're partners and friends since college.”Ah.That explained the arrogance.I kept my expression neutral, though my grip on my bag tightened slightly. “Okay,” I said, keeping my tone deliberately flat.Her smirk widened. “That’s all you have to say?”“What else should I say?” I shot back.Isabel let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “I see why
/-Dante-/It's been days and I haven't been able to reach her. I could tell something was wrong because Gianna didn't have the courage to go against me.I was still debating on what to do when Piper descended the stairs in a mini dress. It barely covered her thighs and exposed a lot of cleavage.“Where are you going, Piper?” I asked.“Movie set,” she shrugged.“Dressed like that?” I asked and she raised a brow at me.“And what is wrong with that? Didn't you meet me dressed exactly this way?” She retorted.“Are you seriously using that tone with me?” I growled. A bored look crossed her face and my fists clenched.She was acting like a spoiled brat again. Gianna wouldn't even dare dress like this when we had home guests, talk more of going out with it. But here was Piper, audacious and annoying, challenging me.“What exactly is your problem, Dante? You think just because we're dating now, I'd change for you? You better think again!” She hissed.I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. Thi
Gianna-/“What is this?” I could barely contain the curiosity and excitement in my tone.It was weekend so I was staying home with Max, of course, but he went out earlier this morning, only to return with these.“Sit on my laps, beautiful,” he said and I blushed a little. I was wearing nothing other than his T-shirt, so when my ass settled on his lap, a satisfied expression crossed his face. He easily slipped his hand under my shirt.I shivered slightly as I felt his rough palm slowly move upwards.“I got you something,” he said out of the blue. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I didn't even want to feenIt was quite a small box, yet I could hardly control my happiness at the fact he gave me a gift.“Take it easy, sweetheart. It's not running,” Max snorted, stroking my back gently.I eventually opened the box and my breath caught my throat.“Diamonds,” I breathed.“Do you like them?” He asked. Was he serious? How could I not like them?“I love itttt!” I squealed, throwing
Gianna-/Maxmillan had an ex-wife?I mean, it was understandable, he was almost forty but he never mentioned anything about her to me.Having her in front of me, with him tensing up like this made my stomach churn. I couldn't help but feel like there was still something between them. Lingering feelings that were yet to die.“What are you doing here?” Max asked her. “This isn't a place for you.”Kesley raised a brow at him. “It's not? I'm guessing it is a place for your little girlfriend then .”I expected Max to correct her. To say I was his wife, not girlfriend but he didn't and my chest tightened.“We are solely here for business,” he went ahead to say, adding more salt to my injuries.Kesley's eyes wrecked through me and she snorted. Her eyes twinkled in amusement as if she knew something that I didn't.“I see you still haven't changed. I hope you have a lovely night,” she said simply and walked away. Max's eyes followed her until she was completely out of sight.“Max…” I called, m
Gianna-/“Tough night, huh?” Marco said beside me. He was a scary huge man that I saw once in a while with Maxmillian.He was almost never around but I knew he was some sort of second in command to Maxmillian. If I could call him that.“Yes,” I swallowed a lump.“I take it my boss is getting on your nerves, huh?” He chuckled and I shot him a look. There was nothing funny about this.“Champagne?” He asked, trying to ease tension.“Will do,” I shrugged.He got two glasses from the server and handed one over to me.I took a sip and stared at the bunch of classy hypocrites before me.“You know, the boss really likes you, Gianna,” Marco said and I rolled my eyes.“Yeah, that's what I think sometimes.”He chuckled but didn't say anything. I decided to ask him the questions that were bothering me, since he was rather eager to play defense.“Can you tell me about Kesley? What was she like and why did they separate?” I asked him and his expression changed.I already knew his answer even before
Gianna-/He didn't speak to me after he walked away from me that night.We just saw each other and walked past without saying a word. I honestly couldn't wait for the weekend to be over so I could get back to work.Not that I enjoyed, but because I knew he wouldn't be able to avoid talking to me then.I was preparing dinner when he walked into the kitchen. He didn't spare me a glance and just grabbed water from the fridge.I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pained. I was making his favorite and he didn't even bother to acknowledge it.I clenched my jaw, stirring the pasta sauce with more force than necessary. The silence was suffocating, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. If he wanted to act like I was invisible, fine. Two could play that game.But damn it, it hurt.I wasn’t sure what frustrated me more—the way he was ignoring me or the way my chest tightened despite everything.Maxmillian twisted the cap off his water bottle, taking a slow sip before finally, final
Gianna-/It was a terrible idea.Everything in me screamed not too. Merely dancing with him got Maxmillan so mad at me, getting his number was going to blow things out of proportion.But when I remembered that he rejected my food and didn't come home, my mind ruled out all forms of rationality.“Are you going to memorise it?” I asked and he chuckled.“Right!” He took out his phone and handed it to me.I typed in my number.“Just for friendship purposes,” I added and he grinned.“Of course.”I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince more—him or myself.As I handed his phone back, my fingers trembled slightly. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was adrenaline. Either way, I ignored it.Adrian glanced down at the screen before slipping his phone back into his pocket. “I’ll send you a text so you have mine.”I nodded, suddenly feeling uneasy. This was dangerous territory, and I knew it. But if Maxmillian wanted to act like I didn’t exist, then fine, I’d find ways to remind him that I did.“Hav
Dante-/I knew she was seeing my uncle. I wasn't stupid. I followed her myself and confirmed it. Her movements have been very suspicious for the last few days, so forgive me for stalking my own wife!The fact she could walk in here and still deny it. Pretend like there was nothing when she was nothing but a fucking slut.I thought the alcohol would calm me down but it only fueled my rage, coupled with how slow business was going for me.I was very certain I had been blacklisted for my contacts to suddenly run out of deals for me.“What do you think you're doing, Dante? Have you lost your fucking mind?” she yelled, groaning out in pain as she held her head. She checked her hands and was shocked to see blood. “You bastard, look what you've done!”“I will only ask you once,” I said coldly, smashing the bottle against the wall as I approached her with a deadly glare. “Where are you coming from?”She stumbled back, one hand pressed to the bleeding cut on her scalp, the other raised slightl
Piper-/“You taste so fucking good, sweetheart. It's been weeks and I still can't get enough of you,” Eric said, pulling me back into his arms to give me a kiss.I wouldn't even die it, the old man was a lot more exciting in bed than Dante. He fucked me like I was a whore, just the way I liked it and he was a very generous spender.“You want to go to Dubai this week, right?” He said.“Yeah,” my eyes lit up. “There are so many things I want to get for us.”“Us,” he chuckled. “You mean yourself?”“Oh come on, baby. I will definitely get something for you as well. A wristwatch, maybe,” I shrugged.“You don't need to get me anything. I'll wire a million dollars to you. I'll get my jet ready to take you so you don't have to worry about flight money,” he said and I wanted to scream.The man was so hot when he said things like that.“I also have a beach house there so you can just stay there. It's fine if you still want to lodge in a hotel though,” he said and I was just speechless.Eric Nor
/-Gianna-/We were back in Italy and Maxmillian was yet to say anything to me or even demand an explanation.Guilt ate deep into me and I didn't know what to do but it was obvious he was so mad at me.I adjusted on the bed, staring awkwardly as he walked on his laptop. It was pure torture. Being in the same room with someone and getting silent treatment.Whether it was a bad time or not, I had to talk to him.“Max…” I started out quietly. “Can we talk? Please…”He didn't answer me as expected. Since he found me in Sydney, I have been met with this torturous coldness.I should have just screamed then, that I was pregnant with his child and had to leave because I was afraid when his enemies came for us, he wouldn't be able to protect us.Maxmillian's fingers continued to fly across the keys of his laptop, completely ignoring me, as though I wasn’t even in the room. The silence was thick, suffocating, and it gnawed at my insides, making my chest tighten with every passing second.I could
Maxmillian-/So this is what we're doing now, huh? Running across countries. She was definitely how much I was willing to chase her.If she wanted us to play the hide and seek game from continent to continent then she was welcomed to be my guest.She would always be in the open to me.I stared at the map on my phone. I zoomed in the spot blinking red. Sydney, huh?I suppose I really had to thank Kesley. I'd give her more money if I could. If she hadn't placed that tracker on Gianna, I would have never found her.I couldn't even get pissed at the fact that she put a tracker on my woman. I mean whatever she planned to do didn't happen yet so I could take it.For now.We touched down on Sydney about three hours later because we had to change course midway.I landed at the airport and rented a car. She was staying in some crappy hotel away from the heart of the city. I typed in the location in the gps and began driving.It hurt my heart that she was actually putting in a lot of effort to
/-Gianna-/How the hell did he get this number? I got the phone here, got a new number! The only person who has my number is Mrs Heidi.How the hell did Maxmillian get it all the way from Italy?Or….My heart started hitting fast. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.There is no way he could have found me. He can't possibly be in Germany. My eyes watered. It hasn't even been up to a month yet and he has already found me?“Gianna!” He called again and I blinked.“How… how did you find me?” My lips trembled as I asked the question. “How… I did…”“I am on my way to get you,” His voice was cold and devoid of all forms of emotion. “This is your chance to explain. Say whatever you have to say because when we meet, you won't have the chance to say anything.”I could feel my heart pounding in my ears. I was unconsciously stepping back as if he was right in front of me. I opened my mouth but words failed me. Nothing would come out because it was terrifying.Terrifying that all my efforts were
Gianna-/When I woke up, I felt relieved and better. Ariel wasn't in the room but she dropped off food for me. I picked it up and began eating.I didn't realise how hungry I was until I tasted the delicious food. She really outdid herself if she prepared this but if she bought it, then I had to know that restaurant.After eating, the doctor came in for my daily checkup, after which I was discharged. I was a bit skeptical about going back to my hotel room, even though Johann was arrested.I knew they were only going to detain him for a few months at most and then he would be back here to torture me. Or worse, get his revenge.I had to leave.So when I got to Glamour, I packed up and went to see Mrs Heidi. It hurt that I couldn't work for her any longer, she was such a sweet woman but my baby and safety were my priorities.I couldn't risk that, even for a nice employer.Mrs. Heidi’s office smelled faintly of lavender and furniture polish. She looked up from her desk as I entered, her f
/-Gianna-/God please, no….I couldn't afford to lose this baby now. I have come all this way, ran from the man I loved, all in a bid to protect this child.I would never be able to forgive myself if I lost it at the end of it all. How will I even be able to face Max?“What's wrong with you, Gianna? Is it like your period or something?” Ariel asked worriedly. She didn't know I was pregnant. None of them did.I thought I could keep it that way but I had to speak now. If I didn't, this child might die.“Please take me to the hospital…” I pleaded. “I think I'm losing my baby.”“Oh my God, you're pregnant?!” She gasped.“Ariel please, ask the questions later. I need to get to the hospital right now!” I stated.She snapped out of it instantly, helping me up. “I don’t have a car, but I’ll call for a ride, just hang on!”The pain in my lower abdomen was unbearable. A sharp, tearing sensation, followed by the unmistakable warmth of blood. I tried not to look down. If I looked, I’d break down
Gianna-/I moved out of the way at the last minute and he hit the wall. I slipped past him and ran into the bathroom. I locked it immediately and stepped backwards with a pounding heart.“Gianna!” He growled, pounding the door with his fists. “Open the fucking door!”I pressed my back against the cool tile wall, hands trembling violently as he pounded against the door again.“Open it, Gianna!” Johann roared. “You think you can hit me and just walk away?!”What is he even talking about? I didn't hit him! He hit the fucking wall when he was trying to grab me.Another thud. The hinges groaned. I had no idea how long the cheap lock would hold.My breath came in sharp gasps. I scanned the small bathroom. No window. No other exit. Just a toilet, a sink, and a flimsy towel rack that would snap like a twig if I even tried to swing it.I pulled out my phone, dead. Of course. Of fucking course.“I was trying to be nice!” Johann shouted, voice cracking with fury. “I was trying to fix things!”So
/-Gianna-/I regretted saying yes the second I walked into the quaint little café Johann had picked.The air smelled like freshly baked bread and cinnamon, and the place was so cozy it felt like it belonged in a storybook. But still, this was Johann. The same man who had cornered me days ago with eyes too dark and voice too smooth to trust.He was already waiting at a corner booth, surprisingly well-dressed in a gray coat and a scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. When he spotted me, he stood up quickly and pulled out a chair like we were on some kind of date.“Good morning,” he said, with the kind of smile that made you wonder if he practiced it in the mirror.“Morning,” I mumbled and sat down.“I took the liberty of ordering. I hope you don’t mind,” he said, then added quickly, “Just the traditional stuff.”Moments later, a waitress came by with a tray loaded with food that made my stomach grumble.A basket of freshly baked Brötchen and rye bread sat in the center. Alongside it we