Cara sat up on her knees as her fingers traced the long scar in the middle of Adonis's back, the first one she had seen, and her heart squeezed in her chest once again.The rose tattoo was the biggest on his back and spanned across his entire spinal line.His back wasn't rough, but it wasn't completely smooth either. The scars looked to have been thoroughly treated.Maybe that's why it didn't occur to her. She thought. They were not so obvious. Her finger drifted to another one that wasn't as large as the scar beneath the tattoo but was also visible, and she asked."How did you get this one?" "During one of the beatings, he pushed me so hard I crashed into a glass table and it broke," Adonis replied, and a tear rolled down Cara's face again.He didn't even think about the one she was touching first. He just said it like he had it memorized."How did you even know the one I was asking about? Don't tell me you recognize each scar and when you got it." Adonis remained quiet. Cara bro
Cara wore a puzzled expression. "If your parents left together, how come only your father was found dead? And where is she now?" It didn't make sense to her. The circumstances around the death seemed sketchy.Adonis peeked down at her, stroking her wild brunette hair, which resulted from their recent vigorous activities. He found it hard to comprehend the situation.How did they get here? From having silly daily bickering to their love-hate relationship... feelings can be very scary.Feelings? Does he feel for her? She got him to do what no one has ever done. Open up. His grandfather tried. His therapist tried. They all tried to bring back the free-spirited, playful little boy he once was, but nothing worked. The closest to him being normal that they could achieve was when he met Luca—the talkative boy. It took a while to let him in, but Luca made him a better person.Before then, he was basically scared of everything. At the littlest sounds, he'd lock himself up in a closet. H
Adonis POV"That's the last of it! Come on guys! Move the truck. We're going home." I heard Luca say to the men as they loaded the final bags into the truck.Looking around me, my eye caught the unconscious figure of three men heaped on one another in front of a warehouse. I took a drag from my joint and puffed.Smoking wasn't something I regularly did but rather when I had a lot on my mind, and I had a lot on my mind.Scratch that, I've had a lot on my mind for a while now. A certain five-foot-five beauty had decided to make it her home. That should be normal. I thought about a lot of things regularly. But the fact that it was rent-free made me unsettled.I don't do anything or give anything for free.I took a drag again.So I decided to go after the shipment myself tonight. Maybe it'd surmise as a distraction.It was a known fact! No one who dares to cross me would be free, but they do it anyway. I shook my head at their stupidity.An entire shipment worth fifty million? Moreover, w
"Why didn't Nonno (grandfather) say a word?" Adonis barked. "I've spent most of my life resenting my father. I hated him, Cara. I feel like I've been cheated. I said some really messed up things about him. And he left that lunatic alive after everything he said? After he admitted to killing my father?" He rushed out in a breath."Maybe it's because he didn't want you to be more hurt." Cara cautiously reasoned. "You were already taking it hard; he didn't want to make it worse on you. If he had killed the man, then your mother would've been alone. I'm sure he did it for you!"Adonis gave her a blank stare. "What a load of crap!""Sorry?" Cara was taken aback."He should've killed him. Mother or not, she deserves to be alone. She ruined his son's life. And his grandson's." He paused. "No. He ruined his life. Being in love doesn't give you the right to behave like a fool.""Ohhh..." Cara drew out sarcastically.This was taking a dramatic turn."He should've been responsible for his actio
"You've been so busy... when are we going on our first date?" Cara whined to Adonis with a childish pout on her face.His hands ceased their rapid typing, and he peered at her from below his nose, adjusted his glasses, and then turned back to his work."Soon.""You keep saying soon. Give me a specific date." She pressed further."I can't. I have a lot of work." He gestured to his laptop on the table."You always have a lot of work. Can't we just pick any day?" "How about next month?" "You said that last month.""Then next week?""You said that last week." She cried out. "You know what? Do what you want. I just want to spend time with you, but if you don't want that, that's fine." Cara huffed before taking a seat on one of the empty chairs.Adonis stopped his incessant typing. He rose and went to her."Fine. We can have our date tonight." Cara squealed, throwing her arms around him happily. It's been a few weeks since they started dating for real. A few weeks since Adonis was intro
Cara's POV"So where are we going to?" I asked Adonis feeling all giddy. I couldn't believe it. A real date. Me and this hunk of junk.It feels so good to be able to call him mine without any restrictions. Although there was still a lingering voice in my head that I was cheating him by not being completely truthful but things have been going so well, that I don't want to ruin it. I plan to tell him the truth when the time is right. Telling him now would only make Antonio know that I've betrayed him and I wanted to avoid vast consequences. He still communicated through his spy. It had become so frequent. At least once a week. He'd ask for random things and I only gave them because I don't think they can be used against Adonis.What coup can he stage with a file of Adonis's last month's dealings? I was going to tell him before the month runs out. We both agreed not to let the past define us and judging from how sweet he had been recently, I knew they were more than just words. My h
Cara's POVMiss my timing, my foot! There was no way I was letting him leave without telling him.Adonis jumped to his feet immediately. "Get up, baby! We're going back." "But I have something to say. You've not heard me out!" I argued."Cara, there might be a coup at the mansion. We need to get back immediately. Leave the food. I'll get someone to pack it up later." He stalked back to the shrubs."Where are you going? Listen to me!" I watched him disappear before my eyes and followed after him. "Adonis," I called cautiously. "Where are you? If this is a joke, it is no longer funny." I heard nothing in reply.Did he abandon me here?"Adonis! Where are you? Adonis, come out here right now," I demanded, and the next thing I heard was an engine roaring to life.I screamed, stumbling back as I fell on my butt.They say be careful what you wish for.The noise increased as Adonis drove towards me on a badass motorbike."Climb." He yelled above the noise."You have a motorbike?" I sho
Cara's POVI didn't wait to find out. In a split second, I was sprinting out of the living room and heading towards the door.I had never been a patient person anyway."Mrs. Bernardi." One of the men called, realising I was no longer with them, but I didn't stop. My heart was in my throat as I hoped it wasn't him. It shouldn't be. No. It can't be.Pulling the door open, I carefully slipped out, taking cover behind one of the grand pillars. My eyes scanned the scene in front of me.Where was he? I could barely make out anything but a sea of armed men with raised guns. I stretched my neck forward to get a better view, and then I saw him.He was safe, but not completely. Adonis and Antonio had their guns pointed at each other as they stood in a face-off. It was dark, and from where I stood, the lawn light did little to help me see clearly, but from their stance, I could tell they were not smiling at each other. Each of their men also had their guns raised at each other, waiting for the
Cara's POV"So we do not just live for today..." Adonis said, rounding up his speech, "We live for tomorrow, too. People say do not be stuck in the past; we're not. We're just bringing a part of it that we never want to forget." He placed his hand against his heart, the raw pain in his eyes betraying his composed self. "My brother would forever be remembered for his tenacity and courage in the face of trouble. He made this happen." He gestured all around, referring to our family. "And that's why I'll step down with one last word." Adonis's eyes met mine, and I gave him a smile of encouragement. This was the moment—the highlight of his speech. The words we'd been practising for days. He was going to say them..."I love you, Luca Romano. Rest on."The atmosphere was sober, not tearful as I expected, but at the same time, we've all shed a handful of tears during the last few weeks; I didn't think anyone had more in stock.Weeks had passed since the raid, and now, under the Italian sun,
As soon as they filed out of the study, the guard waited till he heard the elevator ding close before slipping out. He immediately dialled Luca's line."Hello? Are you here already? Hold up, I'll meet you at the reception.""No! The mansion is being raided. Diavolo..."Luca, who was already walking out of the waiting room, halted. Oh shit... what perfect timing!"What's going on there?"The guard proceeded to fill him in on everything he had heard, and Luca patiently took them in, some familiar, some new."What did they mean by transfer of ownership?""I do not know. But I think whatever it is, it has to do with Sarah, and they're going to kill her. He already instructed that all the men in the house be killed. What do we do, boss?"That was a question Luca wanted to ask himself. He never noticed any transfer. They were cornered, and walking into that house without a plan was suicide.He glanced back at Miguel, who was whispering harshly over the phone. He had been doing that for a w
Cara's POV As soon as the words left my mouth, all necessary documents were brought to me, and Adonis was wheeled off.Standing in the waiting room while I nearly ran out of my mind felt like a luxury with everything that was going on, and I was somewhat grateful for that.I needed to get to my father, but my phone was broken. Reaching into the bag on the sofa, I pulled out Adonis's phone, which I had intentionally hidden and lied that we left at home, immediately dialling his number.First ring. Second ring. Third ring.The call didn't connect. Who then sent the text that Adonis saw? Perhaps...My finger pressed on his contacts, scrolling through until I settled on the one I had an inkling about. The first ring didn't even complete as the receiver picked up the call."Freddie. What the f*ck is going on? What did you say about Luca?""Cara? Dio, siamo fottuti (god, we're screwed). I don't know what to do." He cried, sending a pang through my heart, but I cleared my throat."What do
Cara's POV"Any news?"Frustrated, I clenched the fabric of my gown to control myself from snapping at my stressor of a husband, gritting out between clenched teeth."No." He stared at me for a second more before turning his face the other way.I began a mental countdown.Three, two, one—"Shouldn't they have reached out by now?""No. No, they shouldn't have." I replied with a tight smile. "It's been barely an hour since they left." "Just an hour?" Adonis breathed heavily, showing how weaker he was getting by the minute. "It feels longer." Yeah. Definitely weaker. The normal Adonis wasn't this talkative."It wouldn't feel that way if you stopped asking. You've asked five times since they left. The phone is on the table." I gestured to my device, which I had placed on a desk I had dragged between the sofa and the bed to prove to him that I wasn't hiding anything when he asked the second time."Look at it. The moment it beeps, you'd know." "Yeah, I would." He murmured. "I just feel
Cara's POVAdonis and I paused, staring at their wide eyes—well, Luca's. The atmosphere immediately switched into one of urgency. "For heaven's sake! Why did he choose to attack now?" I cried out."Because we're occupied at the moment? What better time to strike the sheep than when the shepherd is away?" "What did the men say?""He has over two hundred men with him, and they're heavily armed. I believe it's a takeover. About fifty were ours.""The takeover we've been expecting." My father clarified and I gave him a pointed stare."But everything is set right?""Everything but Adrian's sample.""That shouldn't be a problem, I'll find a way to get close to him and snip one." Luca offered."That isn't necessary. I already did."We all paused, staring at Adonis in surprise. "You... did? When?""Just before I collapsed, remember I fell on him?""Dude... you're crazy," His second-in-command commented. "Hmm... you're very competent." My father supported. "That's settled then. We should le
Cara's POV"Cara." I jerked awake at the sound of my name, blinking away the sleep in my eyes. "You can see him now." Doctor Bruno said. Exhaustion displayed across his face, showing how draining the last few hours had been."He's awake?" I rasped, stifling a yawn. My entire body felt sore from sleeping on the chair.How many hours had it been?Eyeing the big clock on the wall—5am. Thirty-one hours. Sun rays were beginning to stream in from outside lighting up the hallway. This was the second sunrise since Adonis had his...I sighed, pulling myself up when I noticed something odd. Before sleep finally claimed me last night, I was sure there were two men passed out on the chair opposite me. Now I could see just one.My brows knitted in a frown, "Where's my father?""He left to get a cup of coffee. He woke up a while ago." Doctor Bruno replied. My eyes darted to Luca, who still had his head bent, eyes closed, and arms folded over his chest. From the weird position he was in and the
Cara's POVAll through the drive to the hospital, I couldn't stop imagining the what-ifs.What if his case had worsened? What if his case was already beyond the point of recovery? What if he doesn't regain consciousness at all?I didn't know what to expect, and the fact in itself was sickening. Literally speaking.At the hospital, we found my father and Doctor Bruno talking at the reception and were immediately escorted to Adonis's room."What happened? He was fine before I left." I asked, my eyes zeroed in on my husband's unconscious form. "I don't understand either. We stood up to see Diavolo out when fluid suddenly began to leak from his nostrils—My face contorted, "Excuse me, what? Fluid?""I wouldn't say it was sudden. The fluid is from his brain. I believe there's a leak somewhere." Doctor Bruno cut in, "Remember, we have left this untreated for long, so adverse effects like this are bound to occur."My heart skipped a beat. At the end of the day, it was due to Adonis's stub
"To warn you." Was all Cara said, but those three words were enough to get his full attention if it was still divided. "Diavolo's at my father's." Luca leaned forward, clasping his hands in concentration. "The time has come then?" "Yes, it has." She confirmed. Both were speaking in parables... half words. Despite not using complete sentences, they understood each other. "I'm surprised Adonis let you leave the house at all." "He didn't have a choice. My presence there would only cause chaos. It was better for me to be away, believe me." "Still, you could've sent someone. It's not safe for you to be moving around unprotected. Adrian had recruited a lot of people. The threat would be too overwhelming for a mere dozen guards." "I don't have a dozen and have you forgotten what I said?" Cara stressed. "I needed to warn you." "Yeah. From what? Adonis couldn't come himself to do so?" He scoffed, rising to his feet to get his pills. One of the few things he was gratefu
Cara's POV One would think arriving at the mansion I'd missed so much would bring me joy, but it only made my anxiety turn sour.What are the odds that I'd meet Tina at the door just as I was about to walk in?"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in..." she taunted.As usual, I was taken aback; it would take a million years for me to get used to this version of her. She used to be the only reason I looked forward to working at the restaurant... one of the sources of my rarely enjoyed happiness. Now she was... different.She gave me a once-over, her face scrunched up like she was disgusted. "You look fat... I must say. And how is life treating you, now that your rich husband is not so rich? Did you think all your problems would go away when you married him?" Tina laughed mockingly.I eyed her outfit, composed of the latest pieces of Louis Vuitton from her head down to her feet. "Are you sure you're not projecting yourself on me?""Excuse me?""You're the one who changed because you