E L L EI invited Daniel out to have lunch with Giovanna and I, while we discuss how everything goes.He arrived ten minutes late, already having an apologetic face as he approached our table. Daniel has been my friend for the longest time, and he's one of the sweetest guys I know."I'm sorry for being late, ladies. You know how New York traffic is.""It's okay, Daniel. You're not that late. Come, join us." I said and gave him a smile."Thanks.""Do you know Giovanna?" I asked and they shook hands."Nice to meet you, Daniel.""Nice to meet you, too. How have you been, Elle? It's been a while.""It's okay. I'm fine. You?""Yeah, good. So, what's up? Is there a problem?""Yes, there is. And, it's not a small one.""Okay. What is it?""Well, remember when we were at my house and I showed you the product samples from Rome Beauty?""Uh-huh.""Well, they did something really fucked up.""Like what?""They hurt a lot of people.""What? How?""I have no idea. All I know is, a lot of people ar
E L L E"That's what we've been trying to tell you, Elle. We've seen a lot of advertisements on their social media platforms. I can't believe this is happening."I was lost for words and was fuming with anger."They have no limits. Those bastards. I can't believe they are doing this.""They're going to release another line, and hurt millions of people.""And, their profits are going to double, or even triple. Those fuckers. She doesn't care. People's lives are at risk, and she doesn't give a shit. They don't deserve this. All she cares about is money. What a fucking bitch!""What are we going to do now?" Mina asked."We have one month to find out what's in their products, and the side effects. If something happens to a single person, we're suing their ass. And, we'll make sure everyone knows about this.""Are you going to tell Sebastian? Maybe, he's not aware."I looked at her, the sound of his name leaving a bitter taste on my mouth. "No, Mina. I'm not. He's the last person I want to
G I O V A N N AThe drive home was filled with thousands of thoughts, my mind was all over the place. I felt anxious. Was there something wrong? Why did Avery seem so distant lately? Did something happen? What did I do?Questions upon questions ran through my mind.I had no idea what to do.My palms were clammy, and my heart rate was through the roof. It couldn't be that she saw Claire's texts, could it? I shook my head, and continued driving.There's no way. She's not like that. She wouldn't do such a thing. She'd let me explain.I parked the car and took the elevator, taking a few deep breaths, hoping I'd be able to calm down.Once I reached the door, I took my keys out and unlocked the door. I placed them on the coffee table, and walked to the kitchen.Avery was sitting on a chair, staring out of the window, looking so peaceful.She's gorgeous.Her golden locks cascaded down her back, framing her face. Her eyes looked sad, and I could tell she was upset.She must be hungry."Hey,
G I O V A N N AI was out for my morning run and decided to take a rest and get coffee at my favourite coffee shop, before heading home.Once I got there, the place was full of customers and I waited for my turn to order.After a few minutes, the line got shorter and the lady behind the counter greeted me with a smile."Hey, Gio. How are you doing today?""I'm great, thank you. Just getting my daily dose of caffeine." I chuckled."Haha, yeah. It's not even 8 in the morning and I'm dying already. The usual?""Yes, please.""One caramel macchiato, coming right up. Would you like anything else?""No, thank you. Just the drink, please.""Okay, here's the bill." She said, handing me a piece of paper.I handed her the money, and waited for her to prepare the drink."Here's your order." She said, handing me the cup."Thank you, have a nice day.""You too."I took my drink and walked towards a table, when a voice that I hadn’t heard in years said my name. A voice that I had almost forgotten ju
G I O V A N N AWhen I got home, I saw that Avery wasn't around. She usually comes back home at the same time as me, unless she has a photoshoot or interview, but those are usually scheduled after lunch.I went into our bedroom, and grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.After a quick shower, I walked out and changed. I was wearing a black tank top and sweatpants.I walked downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water.As I sat on the sofa, the front door opened and a smiling Avery walked inside, carrying her gym bag and a bottle of juice."Hey, baby. Did you have a good run?" She asked, walking towards me."Not exactly.""What happened?" She asked, placing the bottle and bag on the floor, and then sitting next to me."I ran into an old... friend.""Who? Do I know her?""Claire.""Claire? You mean...""Yeah. I was at the coffee shop and she showed up, trying to make conversation with me."The switch up in her mood was so evident that I immediately regre
E L L EIt's been a couple of days since I gave the products to Daniel for the tests, and the wait was killing me. But, I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to rush him.I couldn't afford any mistakes. Not now.I took the day off from work, because I love been feeling a little under the weather and had been trying to manage it, but I couldn't. So, I thought I'd call it a sick day.I was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with a blanket draped over my legs and my laptop on the coffee table.I was attending to the documents Mina sent to me, basically doing my office job at home and relaxing.My head was banging, and I was feeling too feverish. I could literally feel my bones shivering. A sudden knock on the door brought me out of my daze, and I walked over to the door, and opened it.Giovanna was standing by the door, a smile on her face, as she looked at me."Good morning. I went to the office and was told you're a little unwell. How're you feeling?" She asked and pulled me into a hu
E L L EShe didn't push it further, but I could see she wasn't too happy about the fact."Okay. Well, let's get your fever down and I'll go make you the soup. You should eat something.""Thank you, Gio.""Anything for my best friend. Now, give me the towel."Best friend? I liked the sound of that. She placed the small bowl of water on the table, and sat next to me, and dipped the towel inside the water.Once she was done, she wrung the water out and placed the towel on my forehead. The water was cold, and it felt soothing against my hot skin."How's that? Does it feel good?""It does, thanks." I said with a relieved sigh. I turned and laid in a more comfortable position, with my head resting on the pillow and the towel still on my forehead."I'm gonna go make you the soup, okay? You lie here and rest, and I'll bring it for you.""You're an angel, Gio. I'll owe you.""Nonsense. That's what friends are for. And, I'm your best friend." She winked and I laughed."I don't remember you ask
G I O V A N N AI ran towards Elle and caught her just before she could hit the floor. Her eyes lulled back and her whole body was limp.I immediately picked her up, grabbed my car keys and hurried outside."It's okay, Elle. I'm gonna get you help, okay?"The moment I buckled her inside, I got behind the wheel and drove off towards the hospital.My heart was hammering in my chest, and I could hear my blood rushing through my veins.I was scared. Scared for my best friend.She looked sick and pale and it had only gotten worse.I didn't even waste any time in the waiting area, and rushed straight to the reception."Please help. My friend is really sick, and she fainted. I need help."The lady immediately pressed the button and the doctors rushed to the scene."What's her name?""Elle.""Her surname?""Marino."They placed her on a stretcher and asked me to wait outside the room while they checked her.The moment I left the room, I called Avery."Hey, baby. How's Elle?""I'm at the hospi
M I K H A I LAs the weeks flew by, we were getting closer and closer to Elle's due date. In two weeks time, she'd be entering the very last month of her pregnancy.And I've been angsty, Michael hasn't got much information on Emory, and we still have no idea where the threats were coming from, and what we were dealing with.Everything had been quiet, and there were no news. It was as if we had entered a state of limbo.A weird, calm, limbo.I wanted to be hopeful, but my gut was telling me that she was up to something, and whatever it was, wasn't good.And, I was right.Elle was at home, and safe, and I had decided to spend the day with her. She was in the kitchen, which I had frowned upon but she had insisted that she was craving 'Her' own food. She was making cookies, and I was watching her, and making sure she wasn't overdoing it.Her bump had gotten bigger, and she was looking more and more like a balloon.She was wearing a grey, oversized t-shirt, and black sweatpants, and her ha
G I O V A N N ASebastian left a couple of minutes ago, to go get ready for our flight tonight. I placed back and forth, tugging my hair in frustration.I should have known that allowing Laura go to Italy all on her own was a bad idea. But for some reason, she has insisted on nobody coming with her, which was quite suspicious, because everyone knows how much Laura hayes bring in Italy, because of the horrid memories it holds for her.Something was off, and I had no idea what it was.I could have insisted more on her to let Sebastian come with her, or maybe me. Or even, one of my trusted security men.But, she had refused, saying it was important that she was alone, and now, look what had happened.She was gone.With no trace of who had abducted her, and no single lead.I was losing my mind.I was worried sick, and had been calling non-stop, asking for updates, and I had none. Avery came up to me, stopping my movements. "Relax. You will find her."I groaned. "This is so frustrating. Th
S E B A S T I A NIt's been exactly twenty four hours of calling Laura's number non-stop, and no response.Something was wrong.Really, fucking, wrong.Laura had never missed a call from me, and especially since she had promised to keep communication open. I have dropped more than 300 missed calls, and several texts, yet no response.Where was she?The last text she had sent me was twenty six hours , telling me that the funeral was ongoing and she would facetime me when she gets back home. But, she didn't. Something was definitely wrong.My heart was pounding in my chest, and anxiety was slowly taking over. Where was she?I was having a really bad feeling about her, and I didn't know if I was worrying for nothing or my worries were indeed valid. Laura wouldn't intentionally ignore my calls, knowing I'm sick with worry.What if something happened to her?What if she was attacked?What if her father's funeral had taken a turn for the worse? What if someone was holding her captive?Or, w
L A U R AThe shot rang in my ears, and I watched in horror as blood spurted from Marco's mouth and his body slumped to the floor."What did you do?!" Bile rose in my throat as I watched the horrific sight in front of me, a cold shiver and a feeling of deja vu running through my body.I have seen Viktor take people's life like it was nothing too many times. He kills humans faster than he kills a mosquito. He has no compassion, no emotions, no remorse. He's a monster.If you think my father was horrible, Viktor is ten times worse than him. He's the devil incarnate."Why? Why did you do that? He was innocent.""What he deserved. No one, and I mean, no one, will ever defy me. If he can't do his job, he is useless. There's no use keeping a man who's a coward. I'll have to get another one who is not a pussy like Marco to get the job done, sí?"My mind ran fast, and I had to think of a way to convince him against this. "What's the point of allowing another man to touch what is yours? It's o
L A U R AI felt a pinch on my arm, and I snapped my head to the side, to watch Viktor piercing a needle in my arm."What the fuck are you doing?""This is going to help you relax. You're tense, and nervous, and I don't want you to make a scene. Not now. Not when we're so close to finally being together again. So, stop struggling, and enjoy the ride. You will get there, eventually."He injected the contents into my blood stream, and I watched him, and the man driving, as the world around me started spinning.And, the last thing I saw was Viktor's smiling face.A face that had haunted me every single day, and a face that was the last thing I had ever wanted to see again.It was a nightmare.I slumped on the seat, and blacked out."Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty. Wake the fuck up. I've waited too long for this."I heard Viktor's voice, and I struggled to open my eyes. I blinked a few times, and the room came into focus.I was in a room, sitting in a chair, with my hands tied behind me, an
L A U R AToday is my father's funeral.I woke up, feeling a dar, gloomy cloud over my head. It was screaming danger. Something was about to happen. Something big. I could feel it.But, I didn't let my fear get the best of me. I got out of bed, walking into my bathroom to take a shower. As the warm water cascaded down my skin, I couldn't help but remember the first time Viktor took me, and he made me bleed."Viktor, please..." I cried, trying to pull my wrists free. He was holding them down, hovering over me, and spreading my legs with his own as he smiled sadistically. No single remorse in his eyes."No."He took me forcefully, my frail sixteen year old body unable to withstand the strength and power of a thirty two year old man.It felt like he was splitting me open. My eyes filled with tears, and I begged him to stop. And when I saw that I didn't have a choice, I begged him to go slowly that he was hurting me, I screamed for help, but he slapped a hand over my mouth, and shoved hi
L A U R AMy phone rang, as Sebastian's name appeared on the screen."Hey, baby." I smiled, and walked out onto the balcony, and sat on the chair."How are you doing, Laura? Are you holding up okay?""Yeah. I'm fine." I lied, and he sighed."I know you're not okay, baby. Please, tell me the truth."I knew i had to keep lying to him. For his own sake. He didn't deserve to be dragged into my Mafia world, full of hatred, chaos, violence, and danger. He was an innocent, and his only mistake was loving me."It's just the stress from the funeral arrangements. We're having a wake for my father, and then a burial in the family cemetery. And, there are a lot of preparations that need to be made. The board, and the family members have to attend, and we have to make sure everything is perfect.""Do you want me to come? I can take some time off work, and stay for a few days, and help you. Then we'd come back to America together. How does that sound?""It's alright, Seb. You don't have to come. I'
L A U R AThe next day, I was forced to go see my father's body at the morgue. Not really forced, but it's kind of like a family tradition where a child has to see and pray on the father's body, to send him off for an eternal rest in heaven.If only they knew that even my prayers wouldn't stop God's plans for that man. He was going to make him suffer and rot in hell with the devil, exactly where he belongs. He's a devil, and the devil's family.The coroner pulled the body out of the freezer, and I had to keep myself from retching, and rolling my eyes. He was so pale, and his skin was almost blue. He was wearing an oversized shirt, and his arms were folded on top of his stomach.Fabian held my arm, and I took a deep breath, and watched as the coroner pulled the cloth off his face.He was covered in scars, and stitches, and looked like a corpse.And, the moment I saw his face, I felt nothing.Nothing at all.My heart didn't sink, and tears didn't roll down my cheeks, and no regrets or r
L A U R AGetting off the bed, I decided to unpack my bags, before getting ready for dinner. I unzipped my bag, and took out the dresses, and hung them inside the wardrobe, and placed the shoes and jewelry, and other things on the shelves.I took out my laptop, and plugged it in, and switched it on, and went through some work emails, and replied to some urgent ones, and then logged off, and checked my personal emails, and messages, and responded to a few.Giovanna had called me a bunch of times, and had left a bunch of texts, and I quickly replied, assuring her that everything was alright, and she didn't have to worry.When everything was well arranged, I finally took time to look around my room. My childhood bedroom. All my photos that were hung on the wall were all piled up now at the corner of the room, as if they were a disgrace, and no one wanted to see them.All my favorite books, and toys, and childhood memories were packed away, and stored in the attic, never to be seen again.