Gone was the carefree girl with light eyes that showed happiness; a minute was enough for Cara to understand what was happening. Staring at the men through blazing bloodshot eyes, she whispered.
"Is that my father?" Silence reigned in the room, and Cara's eyes drifted over to the body on the floor. She closed her it in pain, and a single tear rolled out. Followed by another and another until they were gushing, yet a sound didn't come from her. She raised her head to look at the man with the bloodied knife in hand. "Is that my father?" He smirked, his eyes crinkling at the side. "Mine is six feet under, so he definitely isn't mine." His subordinates snickered, and suddenly, All hell broke loose. "You bastard!" Cara screamed as she lunged for him, but was blocked by one of the men. Was her life a joke? Her father's dead, yet they seem to be acting like nothing happened. Is murder a joke to them? She clawed at the air, thinking of a way to free herself from his subordinate's hold. This only made the killer enjoy the show more as he leaned back, watching Cara with a chuckle. Cara let out a scream once again; she didn't care that she was acting out of character or like she had gone feral. "Let me go! I'll kill you. I'll kill you all." She screamed He dared to smile. What? He chuckled? She was going to kill him or die trying to. Trying to free herself, she gripped the forearm of the man that was holding her back, and bit down hard; he let out a painful cry, letting go of Cara, she reached for her tote bag in search of her phone to call the cops. Just in case she fails to kill them all, they mustn't go scot-free, Cara decided. Just as she raised the phone to her ear, she was tackled by the side, the phone slipping out of her hand. She reaches for the phone once again but is shoved to the ground. Cara grunts in pain, her eyes dizzy from the fall. She blinks rapidly to clear her vision as she looks up to tell off the one who had been holding her back but is shocked once again. "Timothy..." She had seen him earlier but didn't have the time to process it. What was he doing here? Was he also involved in this? "Timothy, don't tell me you did this. No." She shook her head in denial, "You're not this callous." Everyone in the room burst out in laughter, and Cara looked on in confusion. The killer stood to his feet, walked over to Timothy, and patted his shoulder. "Thank you, Kane; you can step back." Cara grew more confused. "Kane?" "Oh, sorry, to you, he's Timothy." He mocked making everyone laugh again, as he walked up to her. She couldn't help but feel eerie. His sinister laugh didn't sit well with her. She glanced at him and shuddered at how ruggish he looked. Cara didn't know what he had been through or how he had lived his life, but from the thin, long scar that ran from below his left eye to his chin, she could tell he was dangerous. "You know, Tesoro." He started with a faint Italian accent. "I thought Kane over there was the bad guy. Leading a girl as pretty as you on for so long was cruel. I never knew you had your plans." He chuckled darkly, giving her a once-over. Cara felt her skin crawl, and resisted the urge to throw up. Once again, here was another thing in her life that had been a lie. She couldn't believe she had wasted three years of her life with a scum. Throwing a glare at the man in front of her, she spat out "I've come to expect the worst from him, so I'm not surprised... but what is it to you? Why did you kill my father?" Cara seethed. "You and your dogs, get out of my home! Get out! I'm going to call the cops. You won't get away with this, you bastard." The man shook his head in mock pity. "Dear dear, you should've told your father to curb his gambling habits if you really cared for him." Then, with a serious face, he kneeled before her. Swinging the knife playfully "...and you can say my name. It's Carlo. You should know that much from your work done." Cara frowned So this was about the money her father owed? "What are you talking about? I was given a week. I was going to pay you back." "Oh, really? Kane here had something else to say." Cara turned to her lying ex-fiancè "You know I was going to pay. I always pay back. You could've protected my father. You owe me that much." "Then what about you? Deceiving me whilst you were f*cking Adonis?" Kane sneered at a livid Cara, who gasped in bewilderment. "What?" "Kane!" The man Cara now knew as Carlo boomed, halting their exchange. "Settle your affairs elsewhere." "No. What did he mean by that? You were the one who cheated. I didn't even know him up until yesterday. What do you do?" Cara paused in realization. "Wait, how do you know Mr. Bernardi?" She looked back and forth between Kane and Carlo, then at the other two men, who were silently watching the entire conversation play out. Something doesn't add up; they were too familiar with the tensed atmosphere to be a petty gang. The subordinate, who had been quietly sitting all this while, finally spoke. "State tutti sprecando il mio tempo." Everyone became silent as he rose to his feet and nonchalantly walked over to Carlo. Cara couldn't understand what he said, but from the subtle change in the atmosphere of the room, she could tell he was in charge. "I'm Antonio Greco, but I'm sure you know. You were sent to spy on us. No?" He said, his words heavily laced with an Italian accent. What was it with everyone assuming she knew them? More importantly, why was everyone speaking with an accent? "I didn't spy on anyone." She met his stare head-on. "Kane said Adonis was waiting for you at the staff room in the club last night. He saw you two leave together." Cara frantically shook her head in denial once again. "That's a lie. Yesterday was my first time meeting him. I only pretended to know him to get back at Timothy, well, Kane." She argued. Antonio tutted. "So you're telling me that you just so happened to walk up to a dangerous man who can kill you within the blink of an eye and make out with him for no reason, eh? Knowing his ties with the mafia, eh? Knowing he's the heir to one of the most vicious and treacherous gangs in the world, you expect me to believe that, eh? Dimmi!" He questioned with an angry scowl plastered on his face as his voice rose with each sentence. Cara stared at him, mouth agape at the revelation. What in the world had she gotten herself into? Everything began to add up. The accents, the club, how Adonis was able to get information on her so quickly, her father's death. They thought she was a spy for Adonis. "I show you mercy by giving you a week to pay back my money, and you go and work for the enemy? Having the audacity to spy on me and my brothers on the pretext of love?" Cara remained muted. The information was all too much to take in, and honestly, even if she opened her mouth, she didn't know what to say. They wouldn't believe her anyway, and the worst had been done. "Listen here," Antonio continued. "I'll be back exactly when the given time is over. This is just a warning." He gestured to her father. "If you try to call the cops, you'll end up like him before they reach here." He lowered his voice, leaning forward to whisper in Cara's ear. Tucking a card in her palm, "Tell Adonis I said to come at me openly." He raked his eyes over her, tucking a flay strand of hair behind her ear. "I know for one that you're not his type. Call me if you need a good f*ck." And with that, he turned towards the exit, his men behind him as they exited her home. Cara remained on the spot, sitting quietly as she took it all in. For the past four years, things had been rough for her, but she was coping well. At least she wasn't alone; she had her father. And to think she thought Adonis was her salvation. Her ticket to a better life. She crawled over to her dead father's side with a smile, picking up her forgotten phone on the way. His body had gone stiff and was starting to change colour, but she still dressed his hair, which was matted in blood, as one would a child. This is all because of Adonis. She giggled. No. They all did this. They all lied to her, played her, and made her a scapegoat in their reckless game. Betrayed her. Kane, The Grecos, Adonis... She stood to her feet, looking absurdly calm as she headed for the bathroom. The non-stop trembling of her fingers and her bloodshot, lifeless-looking eyes were the only things that gave away her grief. Dialling a number, she waited patiently as it rang. First ring Second ring Third ring And then the line connected, but the receiver didn't say a word. If it wasn't for the sound of a deep exhale on the other end, one would think the line had dropped. Her face stretched into a bigger smile as she spoke. "We should meet up, Mr. Bernardi. Have your driver come pick me up. Now." And then she ended the call.The Bernardi Mansion.A heavy knock sounded on the door of Adonis's home study, and he ignored it as he leaned back, stretching his legs to get comfortable, his eyes not leaving the laptop screen on his black mahogany desk.It was footage of the club from the night before.Folding his hands beneath his chin, he narrowed his eyes as a young man came into view; he looked around twice before slipping into an office.Adonis's office at the club.The knocking continued, more louder and impatient than the first. Before Adonis could tell whoever it was to go away, the door was thrown open.A young, handsome man who looked to be no more than 35 years old strolled in with a teasing smirk and a bag of chips in one hand. Unlike Adonis, who always wore a simple black-brown, roughly curled hairstyle, he was a blondie with the same build.Adonis threw him a glance."I didn't say enter.""...but I don't care either way." Luca sang out, munching loudly on the chips.Adonis rolled his eyes at Luca. Th
It took Luca longer than he'd like to admit for the meaning of those words to register in his brain.I want you to meet my future wife.Oh, h*ll no!He sprung to his feet just as the door to Adonis's fancy study slammed shut, in pursuit of the man himself. "Tell me you're joking." Adonis paused in his steps, fixed him with a cool, then shrugged as if to say, 'If that's what you want.'"I'm joking." "Thank God." Luca breathed. "And for one second I thought you were actually serious about finding a wife." Adonis stopped once again. This time, he had reached the top of the grand staircase that led to the living room. He turned to Luca."I wasn't joking about you meeting my wife—well, fiancè for now." "You just said you were joking." "Because you asked me to." He retorted and resumed his journey down the stairs. Knowing Luca, it'd take another minute or two for him to fully grasp the situation, but that was just how he was. Whenever he was smart, he was smart to the core, and whene
Cara watched as Adonis-with so much unnecessary grace-lifted a spoonful of food into his mouth.She looked down at her still filled-up plate.Yes, she was hungry and had been the one to suggest that they had dinner first before anything, but she felt too uncomfortable to scoop anything down her throat. Everything about this place made her uncomfortable. She'd been walking on eggshells since she stepped into Adonis's home. Just the chair she was sitting on looked like it'd cost her home, and everything in it, including herself, to replace if she just as much as scratched it.She had caught herself glancing around more times than she could count since she walked into his home. The sofas, the rare antiques, the chandeliers, and even the grand staircase you'd see just as you step in through the big and expensive glass doors of his home.His home. Cara scoffed.No. This wasn't a home. It was a mansion.Not your typical modern glass see-through mansion. No. This mansion had a blend of b
Did he kiss her or did she pull him in? Neither was sure as they met in the middle.Like fire to ice, Adonis and Cara clashed against one another.He sucked in her bottom lips, giving it a painful nip, and earning himself a soft gasp. Taking his chance, Adonis forced his tongue into her mouth. He explored every corner of it, drinking her in like a man that has been starved of water for days.Suddenly Cara felt herself being pulled up. For a moment she was sitting; the next, she was roughly pressed against the wall with her neck in a choked hold.She pushed at him. Closer or away? She wasn't sure. Adonis gripped her tighter, his nails digging into the flesh at her neck, and Cara released a choked sound at the overwhelming feeling.She tapped on his arm as she struggled free, but he didn't let up. His chest was pressed firmly against hers. It took a great difficulty to pull her hands up and she pushed at him once again, but it was futile.He didn't move an inch.Adonis bit down hard o
"Sei pazzo?" Luca exclaimed."Dimmi Adonis! Are you crazy? Uhn? A war? Your coronation is just a few days away, but you want to start a war? You must be crazy." "Keep your voice down!" Adonis hissed."Keep my voice down. Are you even hearing yourself?"Adonis looked away.This was exactly why he wanted to keep it to himself."Your grandfather mustn't hear about this!" Luca concluded. "Forget it, Adonis. Don't start anything." He paused. "You haven't started anything, right?"Adonis remained muted."Mio Dio Adonis. Tell me you haven't done anything stupid and I don't mean literally." All Luca got in return was silence. He stared at Adonis, a disappointed and frustrated look on his face at his nonchalance. Adonis was sprawled out comfortably on the sofa, his arms folded to his chest as he avoided Luca's gaze like he hadn't just dropped a bombshell.This was bad. Very bad. Breaking the treaty could threaten Adonis's position in the family. He might not get a chance to be Capo anymore.
Luca staredAdonis stared back.He raised an eyebrow at him.Adonis nodded"You've got to be kidding me. What is this? A Telemundo series?"This was too complicated for a girl living a simple life. H*ll, it was all too much for him to take in, and he'd seen worse.Gambling and the Grecos in one sentence? The Grecos would do anything for money. Their separation from the family is a testament to that. Surely it was going to be a catastrophe. The wheels kept turning in his head. He unconsciously cracked his knuckles. "How exactly did he get involved with the Grecos? I don't think gambling was the only reason they crossed paths." Adonis hummed in agreement."The gambling facade is just a major trick in reviving their plans. From what I found out, I believe Kane approached Cara intending to fuel her father's gambling habits. His past activity showed that he had always been a gambler, but it became worse when he lost his wife." "She's also not her biological mother?" "No. She isn't.""F
Cara stood by the wall, staring at the closed door. If it wasn't for the pain she felt from her bruised lip, she'd have thought it was all a dream. Did he just do that on purpose?What a psychopath! No. Psychopath isn't the right word. What a sadist!She began to pace around the room. Was she sure she made the right choice? Yes, she was here for revenge and revenge alone. Not for a crazy, annoying, sexy...Sexy? No way! He might be extremely hot and very, very, very good in bed, but the truth remains he was a narcissist.Adonis had just proven a few minutes ago that he didn't care what happened to her. He's just an arrogant and domineering liar. How else could she explain all the lies and things he kept from her? He knew she was going to be in danger if she associated herself with him and look, her father had been killed.Cara mentally prepped herself.She was here for revenge and nothing else. She mustn't get sidetracked. She needed a plan. A plan to make them all pay. These peo
Antonio burst into laughter, cackling like a madman who was high on marijuana. His loud voice echoed through the speakers of the phone, irritating Cara. Had she cracked a joke?Ever since she'd put this call through, he'd laughed at almost everything she said. Willing herself to be patient, she waited a while for his laughter to die down."Nice one, amore, but I would know if Adonis is getting married. My men would have reported that to me."She scrunched up her face at the word amore."Maybe they aren't as skilled as you thought then." "If this is a joke, you had better stop now. I do not appreciate being toyed with." "Why would I want to toy with you? Have you forgotten you killed my father?" "Ahhh... yes." Antonio sighed as though he'd forgotten. "So you're being serious then?" "You can tell your men to ask around. I'm sure everyone will get the news by tomorrow." Antonio hummed, and from the tone behind his voice, Cara knew he was suspicious. This was her chance to convince
Cara's POV "Wait, back up!" I repositioned myself to be sure I was comfortable. Hearing the wrong thing was possible when in discomfort. Believe me, caring for Adonis, I have experienced a lot.There was a time I ran out of the bathroom with lather all over my body thinking I heard him call my name—that is beside the point anyway. I looked up at a disturbed Cecelia."What did you just say?""I said Luca is—"Not that! I heard you clearly the first time; I just find it hard to believe. You mean Luca. Luca Romano?" The same Luca that had encouraged me to get together with Adonis when I barely knew him?Impossible. Cecelia wiped her face again, staring at me with a 'Is my life now a joke to you?' look. I held up my hand in surrender. "You can't blame me. I wouldn't believe this if it wasn't coming from you. You know how much he loves love. You know what?" My face hardened. It may seem unbelievable, but the look in Cecelia's eyes told me it was a delicate situation."Him asking to
Cara's POV"Thank you," I said softly as the doctor wiped away what was left of the gel on my protruding belly. I was in a hurry to get back to the mansion.. in a hurry to see Adonis. It wasn't like he could speak or even blink at me, but being in his presence alone was calming. It made me feel content. Just seeing the light rise and fall of his chest reminded me that there was still hope. Done with my check-up for the day, I stepped out of the hospital with my bodyguards behind me, ushering me into the car, and then we were off.It's been a month since that night. Over seven since I met him, and four since I got pregnant. The time was so little, but a lot had changed. I remember thinking to myself a few months back that I wanted my father's killers gone within six months of being Mrs Bernardi.If you asked me now, everything was so wrong with that thought.The next thing I knew after Alvaro delivered the news to myself and Luca, I was waking up on a bed. It seemed like passing
Luca gave Miguel a pointed look, waiting for him to speak up and say it was a prank, but the elderly man's face remained as stoic as ever. He snorted. Then looking over to Cara, who had on a dumbstruck look, his eyebrows pulled down in a frown, He wasn't the only one who thought that to be blasphemy. There's no way she believed Miguel, right? Her expression said otherwise.This time, he couldn't stop the snort from turning into uncontrollable laughter.By the time he was able to pull himself together, Luca had moisture seeping out of the corner of his eyes. They met Miguel's hard expression again, and all remnants of the smile on his face disappeared."You're serious?"Miguel stared back in reply, and he let out a chuckle that wasn't by any means light."Antonio and Adonis are half-brothers? What sort of deceit is this? Are you feeding us lies? Why would his grandfather hide this from him?" "Dimitri didn't know until his son confessed it during his last days." Luca ran a hand th
Cara's hand moved to cover her mouth, which had dropped open. "Are you saying you're my father?" "Let me reintroduce myself." Miguel leaned forward. "My name is Miguel Rodriguez, leader of the Spanish mafia, and you, Camila Rodriguez, are my only heir." "Well, that's just... f*cked up..." She trailed off with an incredulous look. Her second reason for coming along was to see if she could find any clue about her birth parents since her father was suspected to be part of the Spanish mafia, but this revelation tipped the scale.She wouldn't have imagined something like this in a million years. Taking a seat, before her shaky legs gave out, she spoke."I thought I was adopted but found out recently that I wasn't. My parents weren't who I thought they were..." She started, explaining her recent findings to him.Miguel hummed."What were their names?""Adrian and Martha Rodriguez." The name brought a bitter look to Miguel's face."Adrian is my money-hungry cousin. He has a gambling ad
Cara's POV I took a cautious step back, eyeing him wearily."How do you know my name?"He still had that look of disbelief—no. It had evolved into something more sentimental. A mixture of both sadness and hope."You have her eyes," Miguel responded. "Whose eyes?" "Your mother's." "Y—" I frowned. "You know my mother? She died of cancer a few years ago." He shook his head in disagreement."No. Tatianna died in an accident." I took another step back, getting ready to bolt out of the building if necessary. "I do not follow." Luca stepped forward. "Neither do I. We didn't come here for this, Mr. Miguel. Hand over our capo and men, and we'll be on our way." "You took my shipment," Miguel replied in a bored tone."We did nothing of the sort. We didn't even know that the Spanish mafia was still involved in the dealings. We had planned to poach all your suppliers and buyers, not steal from you. That is beneath us. Imagine how surprised we were to get your note." Alvaro scoffed."Tha
Cara POVThere was no time to waste. Within an hour, all the men were packed, and we were ready to leave.I sat at the back of the seat of the car as Luca drove with Cecelia by his side. She had woken up just as I was about to leave and insisted on coming along."Where's their base?" I asked as he started the car.Luca shrugged."Two hours away from here, but I can make it within one if I step on it." In less time, we were approaching the estate gate, and he spoke in a hard voice, "State tutti attention, il gioco inizia adesso (everyone be alert, the game starts now)."I didn't need an interpretation to know that he was addressing the men behind us. We were about to go into an unknown territory.He slowed down as the gate was thrown open, switching gears as he regarded me and Cecelia this time, "Buckle up. This is going to be a rough drive." And then, we were off.****As promised, we got to our destination early, and I couldn't stop the eerie and jittery feeling I felt as I stood
Cara's POV I once heard the sound of the summer rain was like a balm to a soothing ache. Whoever said that was wrong. My ache wasn't being soothed. If anything, I've just become more aware of how empty the enormous room was. Sitting on the bed behind the covers, staring blankly at the rain as it drew patterns on the window, I looked like a beauty locked up in a luxurious apartment by her beast.Maybe they were right. Just that a balm couldn't be applied to a heart injury. The last time I was here, I left with a giddy feeling, hoping to be back as soon as we achieved our goal.The goal had been achieved. But I was the only one back.Heavy thunder cackled as though it was laughing at my predicament. Ever since I met Adonis, it's been one issue or another. I don't think we've ever gone a month without blood being spilt in the mansion.I knew what I signed up for when I agreed to be with a mafia man, but it was beginning to seem like all he was surrounded by were lies and enemies.I'd
Luca stared at Cara in shock. The Spanish mafia was the strongest of all the mafia families. Even the Bernardis couldn't compare. They'd been in existence long before the Italian mafia found its feet. But that was until a few years back. No one had heard from them in a long time. From what he could recollect, what was left of them had gone into hiding shortly after the attack that almost destroyed their family. Even he didn't know the whole truth exactly, as he was still a child, so he didn't witness their reign or when the attack happened. All he knew from the stories they were told was that the Spanish mafia was not to be messed with, and there was very little of them remaining.It was like they decided to step back after it happened and kept their hands off everything that had to do with the mafia world.Now Adonis was missing, with only their emblem as a clue, and Cara claims to know them?Taking his eyes off her for a minute, he announced."Call back all the men. Tell them we
Cara's POVI pushed my way through the sea of men gathered at the clearing in front of the mansion, stalking up to unknowing Luca, who was busy pelting orders at the men."Luca!" He wheeled around, searching for the source of the voice, and his eyes widened into saucers when they saw me."Why are you here?"I narrowed my eyes at him in disbelief. "Why am I here? Why are you all here?""You're not supposed to know." "That would've worked out if you didn't give me the band." I waved it in his face. "What do you mean Adonis is missing? Isn't he meant to be at the hospital undergoing surgery by now?" Luca avoided my gaze, and my heart skipped a beat. I drew in a shaky breath."What is it? Tell me what happened." I stumbled. "Cara!""I'm fine. Tell me... tell me precisely.""He never made it to the hospital," Luca replied in a small voice, but I heard it. My stomach tightened in knots at his response. It can't be what I'm thinking, right? There's no way Adonis would give up so easil