SARAHMarco’s lips crashed against mine with an urgency that caught me completely off guard. For a moment, I froze, my mind racing to catch up with the sudden onslaught of emotions. His hands cupped my face, holding me steady as his kiss grew more intense. My heart pounded wildly, and I found myself responding, my body melting into his embrace.His kiss was insistent and demanding, as though he had been waiting for this moment for far too long. I could feel the heat radiating from his body as he pulled me closer, his breath mixing with the faint scent of cigarettes that clung to him. The intensity of the kiss made it hard to think clearly.I should have pulled away, should have stopped this, but every part of me was betraying that instinct. It felt as if all the tension and unspoken words between us were finally finding an outlet in this kiss. His hands roamed down my back, his fingers grazing the curve of my waist, sending shivers through me.I was bewildered by the whirlwind of emot
I woke up to a warm sensation, the heat of a body pressed up against mine. For a moment, I felt disoriented, unsure of where I was. My head was pounding, and I squinted against the sunlight filtering into the room. It wasn’t until I shifted slightly that I realized I wasn’t alone.Marco’s arm was draped over my waist, holding me close, his breath steady and calm against my neck. My heart rate spiked, and I quickly scanned the room, piecing together the unfamiliar surroundings. The luxurious dark wood furniture, the heavy curtains, the scent of him lingering in the air—it hit me all at once.I was in Marco’s bed.What the hell?My eyes widened as I jolted upright, trying to shake the fog out of my brain. The movement sent a sharp pain through my skull, and I winced, my hand shooting up to rub my temple. "Ouch..." I muttered, my head pounding as if it was punishing me for the shock.Just then, I felt Marco stir beside me. Before I could make any sort of escape, his arm tightened around
SARAHIt had been a few days since that night with Marco, and honestly, I still hadn’t figured out how I felt about it. Every time I thought about it, a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach, and it didn’t help that I’d been doing everything in my power to avoid him since then. It wasn’t like me to act this way—shy, nervous, practically hiding—but here I was, avoiding eye contact, making excuses, and ducking into rooms whenever I thought he might be nearby.It wasn’t just the awkwardness that made me steer clear of him. It was the fact that, for once, I didn’t know where we stood. That night had shifted something, and I wasn’t sure I liked the way it made me feel. Vulnerable. Exposed. I didn’t do well with either of those things.I mean, what was I supposed to do? Walk up to him and casually say, “Hey, remember that time we slept together? Yeah, let’s just forget about it.” That wasn’t going to happen.I sighed as I paced the length of my room for what felt like the hundredth time t
SARAHAs Martha and I stepped into the living room, the first thing I noticed was the man standing in the middle of the room. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and his face… his face was something out of a nightmare. His features were hard and twisted, his eyes dark and menacing. Everything about him screamed danger. I immediately wondered how the hell he had gotten inside. My mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Who was this man, and why was he here?Before I could say anything, he spoke. His voice was low, rough, and full of disdain.“Well? You just gonna stand there, or are you gonna help me with my load?” He sneered at us, like we were nothing more than servants. “Stupid maids,” he muttered under his breath, making my blood boil.I took a breath, trying to remain calm. I wasn’t about to let some stranger waltz in here and bark orders at us, no matter how intimidating he looked. But my heart was pounding, and I could feel the tension in the air thickening with ever
SARAHI sat on the edge of the bed, still shaken by the confrontation with Marco’s uncle, Danzo. The image of his face, twisted with rage, was burned into my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that settled in my chest since that moment. Living with Marco was already difficult enough—his constant mood swings, the unpredictable tension between us. But now there was someone even more terrifying under the same roof. It was like the walls were closing in on me.I rubbed my arms, trying to calm myself. Danzo had this aura of violence about him, a darkness that seemed to follow wherever he went. The way he looked at me, like I was nothing, like I didn’t deserve to be in Marco’s home—it made my skin crawl. And then he’d tried to strike me. My heart raced just thinking about it. What could have happened if Marco hadn’t walked in at that exact moment? I didn’t even want to imagine it.I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I leaned back against the bed frame. All I could do was pr
MARCOI sat behind my desk, staring at the stack of papers in front of me but not really seeing them. My mind was elsewhere, on the one thing I couldn’t ignore—Danzo. The fact that he had returned to the family house was eating at me. He wasn’t here for a friendly reunion. He never was. Danzo was always about power, control, and bloodshed. And now, after years of being gone, he thought he could waltz back in like nothing had happened?I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the rage bubbling under the surface. I wanted to confront him, throw him out of here before he got the chance to dig his claws into anything. But Tony had a point. If we kicked him out now, it would cause a stir, maybe even spark something we weren’t ready for. So I had to bide my time, play it smart.But every fiber in me wanted to handle this differently. I wanted him gone.A soft knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts. It was Carlos, my father’s closest advisor. He slipped into the room, his expression cal
Danzo sat in the leather chair of the dimly lit study, a faint smirk playing on his lips. It felt good to be back in this house, this place he once ruled with an iron fist. It had been years since he’d been exiled, sent away because of his “methods”—methods that, as far as he was concerned, had kept the family intact and powerful. But now, with Marco in charge, things were different. The family had weakened, fractured under Marco’s so-called leadership. Danzo could see it, and he knew others could too. And that’s why he was back.The pretense of his visit had been simple enough: concern for Marco’s safety, for the stability of the family. But that was just the surface. Beneath it, Danzo was already calculating, already watching for the cracks he could exploit. And there were plenty of them.He picked up the phone on the desk, dialing a number he knew by heart. It rang once, twice, before the familiar voice on the other end answered.“Danzo,” Marcel greeted him, his tone sharp, busines
SARAHThe tension in the house had been building for days. I could feel it in the way everyone moved, the way conversations would abruptly stop whenever I walked into a room. It wasn’t just Marco who seemed on edge—Tony, Carlos, even some of the household staff were acting strange. There was something going on, and it had everything to do with Danzo’s sudden presence in the house.I didn’t trust him. How could I? The whispers about his violent past, the stories of how he used to run the family with an iron fist, made me wary. I wasn’t blind to the fact that people like him didn’t just change. But I also didn’t know enough to piece together what was really happening. All I had were the fragments of overheard conversations and the weight of the unease that seemed to hang over everyone like a dark cloud.Tony, especially, had been distant. Normally, we’d exchange friendly nods, or he’d at least acknowledge me with a smile when we crossed paths. But now, he barely even looked at me. And w