SARAHLunch had started off quietly enough. The dishes that kept coming out of the kitchen were nothing short of impressive. Every course felt like a tiny masterpiece—each one more luxurious than the last. I couldn’t help but marvel at how extravagant this whole trip had become. I mean, really, this was almost too much. Who needs lobster for lunch? But the nagging feeling that Marco was up to something sat at the back of my mind, gnawing at me between bites.I was trying to relax, trying to take it all in. But there was something about the way Marco was acting—too calm, too composed. He was always the one to throw a curveball when you least expected it, and I could feel one coming.As the waiter placed down a beautifully arranged plate of seafood, Marco raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.“Gonna eat that? Or just admire it?” he teased, that familiar smirk pulling at his lips.I shot him a playful glare, picking up my fork. “I’m not sure. It’s almost too pretty t
SARAHThe moment felt surreal. I sat there, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the band had just dedicated a song to me in front of all these people. I could feel every single eye in the room on me—strangers smiling, whispering, probably wondering who I was and why Marco had orchestrated such an elaborate surprise. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the heat creeping up my neck. How had I ended up here, in the middle of this?I glanced at Marco, who was looking back at me with the biggest grin plastered across his face. He was practically beaming with pride, clearly enjoying my reaction, while I was just trying to keep myself from completely melting into the floor. I shook my head in disbelief, unable to suppress the small smile that crept onto my lips despite the overwhelming nerves I was feeling.“You’re absolutely unbelievable,” I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady as I leaned closer to him. “What length on earth won’t you go to just to be extr
SARAHAs soon as we stepped into the bar, I could feel the shift in atmosphere. It was cozy, dimly lit, with just the right amount of chatter and soft music playing in the background. The waiter immediately recognized Marco, which wasn’t surprising. He seemed to know people everywhere we went.“Mr. De Luca, good evening,” the waiter greeted with a respectful nod. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”Marco gave a small smile, nodding in return. “Good to see you too. Lead us to your finest table, please.”The waiter gestured for us to follow, and we made our way to a quiet corner of the bar. The table was tucked away, providing just the right amount of privacy, and I couldn’t help but notice the envious glances some of the other patrons gave us as we walked by. Marco had that effect on people—commanding attention without even trying.Once we were seated, the waiter handed us menus and stood by, waiting for our order. Marco glanced through his menu, quickly settling on his drink of choice
SARAHI grabbed the glass, my determination kicking into high gear. There was no way I was going to let Marco win this, not after all his teasing. I glanced at him, sitting across from me, looking so casual and relaxed, like he wasn’t taking any of this seriously. Meanwhile, I was ready to down this drink like my life depended on it.“Ready?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.Marco gave me a slow, amused smile. “Oh, I’m ready. Are you?”I didn’t answer, just brought the glass to my lips and started drinking. The whiskey burned as it went down, but I powered through, my focus locked on him. Marco was sipping his drink with way too much ease. Was he even trying?I gulped faster, determined to get ahead. But suddenly, I felt the burn in my throat intensify, and before I knew it, I was choking. The whiskey came back up, and I coughed hard, feeling the liquid spill out the corners of my mouth.“Oh my God!” I gasped, dropping the glass and reaching for a napkin as I wiped at my face, morti
MARCOI made my way down the hall, stepping lightly to avoid waking anyone up. The last thing I wanted was to disturb the peaceful night at this place. We were supposed to be on vacation, relaxing. But, of course, work had a funny way of sneaking in no matter where I was. Especially with Tony.I pushed the thought aside and made my way down the dimly lit hallway, looking for somewhere more private to talk. As I spotted a balcony at the end of the corridor, I nodded to myself. That’d work. I needed some air anyway.Sliding open the glass door, I stepped outside into the cool night. The breeze felt good against my skin, a reminder that I wasn’t in some stuffy office dealing with the usual problems. Not right now, at least.I leaned on the railing and brought the phone to my ear. Tony picked up on the second ring.“Marco! How’s the vacation, man?” he asked, his voice instantly bringing me back to the usual chaos.I sighed, glancing out at the view below. The moonlight reflected off the w
SARAHI woke up with a jolt, my head pounding like a drum. The sharp pain was unbearable, and my vision was blurry. I tried to blink it away, but everything still seemed off, like I was seeing through a fog. I felt nauseous, my stomach churning in waves that made me want to throw up.I groaned, trying to lift my hand to my forehead to massage away the ache, but I couldn’t move. I blinked again, more aware now, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Something was wrong. My arms… they were tied. I tried to jerk my wrists free, but they were bound tightly. I was sitting on a cold, hard surface, my back pressed against something solid, and both my wrists were tied behind me.“What the—?” I whispered, the panic slowly creeping in as I tugged at the ropes binding me. I looked down at myself, and that’s when I realized: I had no idea where I was. The room was dim, shadows filling every corner. The air was thick and musty, and the silence was deafening.How did I get here?It was like a flo
SARAHThe sound of the key twisting in the lock sent a fresh wave of panic surging through me. My heart was pounding so hard, it was deafening. Who was it? Was someone here to rescue me, or had the person who kidnapped me come back to finish the job? My thoughts spiraled, and I felt frozen, locked in place, eyes glued to the door as it creaked open. I squinted into the dim light, trying to make out the figure standing there. For a moment, it was just a blur, the flickering light from the lone bulb above casting eerie shadows on the walls. But as the person stepped forward, the light hit his face, and my heart leapt.“Carlos?” I gasped, a mix of relief and confusion in my voice. It was him—Marco’s right-hand man. Relief washed over me. “Carlos, thank God! I was kidnapped, I don’t know how I got here, but you have to help me!” My words came out in a rush, stumbling over each other. I tugged at the ropes around my wrists, desperate to be free. He didn’t move. He just stood there, stari
MARCOI spent the last day glued to the hotel’s CCTV footage, running it over and over again, trying to find a trace—*anything*—that could lead me to Sarah. But whoever had taken her was smart, almost too smart. The camera caught a dark figure once, a shadow slipping into a car outside the lobby. I couldn’t make out a face, nothing identifiable. It was like the guy knew the place inside out, maneuvering between blind spots like he had a blueprint in his head. Every corner, every hallway he avoided, it was like he was a ghost.I slammed my hand down on the table, frustration bubbling up inside me. My mind was racing, going through every possible lead, but all I kept coming back to was that damn blurry footage."What the hell am I missing?" I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth in the small hotel room. The silence felt suffocating. I couldn’t just sit here. Every second I waited felt like time slipping away from Sarah.And then, my phone rang. I grabbed it off the table without ev
MARCOThe city lights blurred through the tinted windows as we cruised down the highway. The engine hummed low, steady. Nobody was talking much, just the faint sound of the radio playing some old blues song under the noise of the tires slicing through wet road.I sat in the backseat, window cracked just enough to let the night air slip in. The blunt burned slow between my fingers — smoke curling up against the roof. I took a long drag, letting the smoke sit heavy in my chest before passing it forward.“Here… calm your nerves.”Tony snorted from the passenger seat, taking it without missing a beat.“Come on, Marco… what the fuck you think this is? First rodeo?” He puffed out a cloud, passing it straight to Petrov in the driver’s seat.Petrov grabbed it with a grin, eyes fixed on the road.“The man’s treating us like fresh meat.” He glanced at me through the rearview mirror, that crooked smirk tugging at his lips. “I ain’t been nervous since Danzo’s funeral.”I couldn’t help the faint s
MARCOI sat back in my office, the glass swirling slow in my hand. The whiskey tasted bitter tonight — or maybe it was just me. The window stretched wide in front of me, showing the whole city flickering under the night. New York always looked peaceful from up here… but I knew better.The whole place was a ticking bomb.I watched the headlights crawling along the streets, the faint horns echoing through the night. Somewhere down there… someone was dying. Someone was making money. Someone was getting betrayed.This city doesn’t sleep.I let out a slow breath, tapping my finger against the rim of the glass. My chest felt heavier with every second ticking by. Tonight was going to change everything — one way or the other.I wasn’t scared.I’ve been in worse situations. Buried men with my own hands. Watched bodies bleed out inches away from me. I’ve done shit that still wakes me up at night.But tonight… it was different.Aisha.Her name had been drilling through my skull ever since Tony m
MARCONight had swallowed the city whole. The air hung thick, heavy with something I hadn’t felt in a long time. That familiar tension before a job. The kind that made your blood move slower… made every second feel like it was stretching out.I stood in the armory, loading rounds into a Glock magazine, one click at a time. Tony was by the table, checking the sights on an SMG. Petrov leaned against the wall, spinning a knife between his fingers like he was playing with a toothpick.Petrov smirked.“Been a while since we went on a night like this.” He flipped the knife once, catching it clean. “Not since we took out Danzo.”I glanced up at him, the name stirring up old memories I buried deep. “Danzo…”I sighed, sliding the mag into the Glock with a cold snap.“Yeah… I wish the peace had lasted.”Tony looked up from the SMG, his face tired.“We all do.”The room fell quiet for a second. None of us were built for peace, but we learned how to live in it. Now… that was all gone.Petrov brok
MARCOMartha set the tray down gently on the dining table, arranging the cutlery without making a sound. The smell of fresh eggs and coffee filled the room, but I barely noticed.Three days.Three days since I set the plan into motion — putting Tony and Petrov out on the streets to flush Aisha out and hit back on every bastard who thought I was finished. Three days since I decided to stop sitting back and waiting for the walls to close in.The house had been quiet ever since.Too quiet.I picked up the fork, forcing myself to eat. The food tasted like nothing, but I kept chewing, bite after bite. I needed the strength. The plan had to work.Failure wasn’t an option.Martha lingered by the corner, wiping her hands on her apron. I caught her watching me from the corner of my eye, but she quickly looked away when I glanced up.I cleared my throat, cutting through the silence.“How’s Sarah?”Martha straightened up, clasping her hands in front of her.“She’s been eating better, sir. I made
MARCOThe evening was dragging — slow, heavy.The sun had dipped behind the skyline, leaving streaks of orange bleeding into the sky, but I was still here, trapped between four walls, waiting for the city to get darker before I moved.The vultures were still outside, media dogs camping at the gates like they were waiting to see me buried. The last thing I needed was another fucking scene. Not after the one I gave them earlier.Tony sat across from me, arms folded, eyes fixed on the glass of whiskey he’d barely touched. The whole room felt like it was holding its breath — silent, thick with smoke and tension.I leaned back in my chair, cigarette between my fingers, eyes pinned to the ceiling as I exhaled slowly.The door knocked twice.Sharp. Precise.Tony’s head turned, then the door cracked open. Petrov stepped in — tall, broad, cold-eyed like always.His heavy boots echoed against the marble floors as he shut the door behind him.The mood in the office shifted instantly — darker, he
CHAPTER 263MARCOTony stepped in, shutting the door quietly behind him. His eyes swept across the office, taking in the mess — broken glass scattered by the window, papers tossed across the desk, the whiskey bottle half-empty and lying on its side. The air was thick — like the whole room had been swallowing smoke for hours.He let out a low whistle under his breath.“Jesus…” His eyes flicked back to me. “Place looks like a fucking crime scene.”I didn’t respond. I just leaned further into the chair, fingers pressing into my temples, trying to push the pounding headache out of my skull.I felt Tony’s eyes lingering on me — sizing me up like he was trying to figure out just how bad the damage was.His voice dropped lower.“Boss… you okay?”I let out a slow breath, eyes still shut.“Do I look like I’m fucking okay, Tony?”He didn’t answer — because he knew there was no point.He knew I’d talk when I was ready, knew better than to push me when I was on edge like this.The room stretched
MARCO I walked out of the house, the sun already hitting hard against my face like it had a personal vendetta against me. The guards stood stiff by the gates, their faces blank — the same faces I’d been seeing every fucking day while my life burned down to ashes behind these walls. I was certain they didn’t see me. Not really. I could be bleeding out in front of them and they’d still stand there like statues, pretending they didn’t notice how I was breaking apart piece by piece. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, trying to bury the shaking in my fingers. “Get the car ready… the one with tinted windows.” The guard barely nodded before rushing off. None of them would even meet my eyes. Probably because they believed the headlines too — believed I was just another De Luca bastard who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. I stood there waiting, the heat pressing down on my skin, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was the weight — the fucking pressure of everything closi
MARCOThe sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand pulled me out of sleep. I groaned, rubbing my face as the buzzing continued, relentless. I blinked against the dim light in the room, reaching blindly for the phone. My fingers finally wrapped around it, and I lifted it to my face. The screen was flooded with notifications—calls, emails, and text messages, all demanding my attention.I sighed, unlocking the phone. The first few messages were from business associates, men who had stood by me when everything was stable, when my name was untouchable. Now, they all wanted answers.Giovanni Fabbri: Marco, what the hell is happening? Investors are pulling out. We need a statement ASAP.Emilio Rizzo: This scandal is making waves in the wrong places. The board is restless. Call me.Colonel Bianchi: The media pressure is mounting. This is dangerous. Handle it before it gets worse.Valentino Russo: The stock is plummeting. Your silence is making things worse. Damage control. Now.I cl
DAMIEN I watched Isabella walk away, her head high, her steps firm, like she hadn’t just refused me for the hundredth time. I smirked, shaking my head as I leaned back against the couch, swirling the drink in my hand.Persistent. That’s what she was. A woman who knew what she wanted—or at least thought she did. Most women melted the moment I so much as looked at them. But Isabella? She resisted, turned me down like I was some desperate bastard begging for a scrap of attention. It was almost amusing.Almost.Because at the end of the day, she was still mine to have. Whether she liked it or not.I took a slow sip of my drink, my mind still turning over the interaction. She wanted control, that was clear. She thought saying no to me gave her power, that it kept her in charge of the situation. But I knew women like her. They built walls, thinking they were protecting themselves, not realizing they were only making the chase more interesting. Sooner or later, those walls would crack, and