Cara's POV
"Tell me why I decided to do this again," Cecelia asked as we ducked behind a blue sedan. We had been watching Luca for the past thirty minutes, yet he hadn't done anything apart from sipping overly priced coffee. I glanced behind me. "Because we are curious, and we need to be sure." "It doesn't look like he's expecting anyone. Could I have been wrong?" She asked again and I could hear guilt in her voice. Even I was beginning to think this was fruitless. Tailing him wasn't easy, especially since it's something he was a pro at. We had to be extra careful to avoid being caught. Now it seemed like we had been suspicious of him for no reason. "You said you were sure?" Cecelia nodded, then added, "Although I'm not so sure anymore." I sighed heavily, already feeling drained. "Why don't we wait a few minutes more, and if there's nothing to see, we can leave? There's no harm in that, right?" Personally, I found it hard to believe our suspicions, but this was the first time I was doing something fun since Adonis slipped into a coma, so why not see it to the end? With how tired I was, it still felt exciting to be out of the house for something other than the doctor's appointment. "Look." She called, pulling me out of my thoughts to see Luca packing up his things. It seemed like he was getting ready to leave. I didn't know when an involuntary snort escaped me. Does he actually leave home twice a week just to drink coffee? "We need to get out of here before he comes out, or he'll see us," Cecelia advised. Still bent, we shuffled away, much further to the back, only stopping when we weren't going to be seen. Luca walked out of the restaurant, heading towards his car, and for someone who just lost a four-year relationship, he looked too carefree and well. Of course, I didn't point that out to Cecelia. The goal was to help her feel better, not worse. We waited eagerly as he approached his car, ready to disregard our suspicions and head back home when just before he reached, he suddenly turned to the side and began walking down another path. My eyebrow shot up. Maybe he wasn't in the clear yet. He continued on the straight path until he reached a black car with dark-tinted windows. It looked somehow familiar, although I couldn't recall why. "Cara?" Cecelia gripped my hand tightly. "Cara where's he going now?" I pried my lips apart from the grim thin line it was in, "Let's just wait and see." So we waited. He received a call on his phone for a few minutes, after which he darted his eyes around and, when he was sure he wasn't being watched, entered the car. My gaze narrowed in on the car, but we still waited. Minutes turned into an hour, and finally, he came out just when we thought that was as far as we were going to get on our spy mission for the day. There was nothing to worry about— Until his partner stepped out. My hand went to my mouth in shock; an exclamation that had gotten stuck in my head due to Luca's regular repetition flew out from my lips. "Mio Dio (my God)..." "Isn't that—" Cecelia swallowed, probably unable to get the word out like me. "Isn't that Tina?" She spat incredulously. We watched them smile and exchange a few words, and then Luca did what neither of us expected—pulled her in for a hug and placed a deep kiss on her lips. Tina even dared to giggle and flush like it was normal. I ran a hand through my hair, stunned. What was the meaning of this? Why would she do such a thing? I, for one, never knew her to be that kind of a person. She had stopped visiting for a few months now, claiming it had to do with work, but recently, she became unreachable. Was this why she'd been avoiding my calls? How could— "Cecelia? Psht," I whispered-yelled, my assessment being cut short as Cecelia stormed off to them. "Come back. Let's thread with— "Luca?" There goes my thorough investigation. With his hands still wrapped around her, he looked ahead, in the direction of the voice. I ticked my tongue in the corner of my mouth, coming out of hiding since our cover had been blown. Luca scoffed. "You're following me about now, Cece?" "Cece?" Tina spun around, and our eyes came in contact. "Oh. It's you guys?" My jaw dropped. "You guys?" Who was this woman? She didn't even have the decency to look remorseful. Had this always been her true nature? "This is the highest order of betrayal, Tina. Why would you do this?" She moved to speak, but I held up my hand in silence. "Don't bother. I'm most disappointed in you, Luca. How could you do this? In times like this? If this is your coping mechanism, then you had better find a new one because cheating on your fiancé shouldn't even be an option. "It's not cheating when you're not together." He replied, "Luca!" I eyed him with a disgusted look. At first, it was looking like a possible derailment from reality due to trauma, but now it was becoming real. "Are you seriously following through with that? You're going to leave Cece?" Luca avoided my gaze. "I'm not doing this with either of you. Especially out here in the open. If you have nothing more to say, we'll be taking our leave." He pulled open the car door. Tina gave us one last look of mockery before getting into the car, which Luca promptly slammed shut before walking away. Beside me, Cecelia choked back a sob at the sight, making me wonder what I had missed. Where could it have gone wrong? With all that was going on, Luca wasn't the type to abandon his duties for something as shallow as this. My eyes trailed behind him, hoping to get a subtle sign that showed this was all part of a plan, but he just got into his car and drove off like nothing significant happened. I glanced back at Tina, who was blaring her car horn at us to get out of the way. Anger flared up within me. If Luca wasn't going to give us answers. She would. So with a mischievous curl of my lips, I walked over to the fire extinguisher placed by a pole, instructing, "Cece, remain in front of the car." "What are you doing?" Her curiosity flowed to me through her tears. Picking it up, I walked back to the car, straight to the driver's window. "Getting answers." Then it went flying. "Get your cheating a** out of there, Augustina Brooks.""Your drinks."Cara mumbled, dropping the tray filled with drinks on the table before walking away. Anyone could tell she was extra grumpy and moody tonight.Who wouldn't be?Struggling to make ends meet with a drunk and gambler for a father hasn't always been easy for her, but he was her only family. She'd pick doing this every day over losing him.Like everyone else, her family was once a happy one. She had a loving mother who was the best stay-at-home wife and a hard-working father who worked at one of the top marketing firms. Everything went crashing down when her mother became diagnosed with stage three lung cancer in her first year at college. Being the breadwinner of the family, her father couldn't take a break from work, and Cara had to take a year break from college.Who knew a year break would become a permanent drop-out?Fate decided it was time to play a cruel game on them, and her mother passed eight months after. Between the piled-up medical bills and long avoided utilit
"Timothy!" Cara gasped in horror, the tray crashing to the floor as it fell from her hands.Hearing the sudden crash, everyone in the booth looked up at her, but her eyes were stuck on just one person. He hadn't seemed to realise she was the one yet, as he was so occupied with the bimbo sitting on his lap, he couldn't spare her more than a glance.Cara watched in shock as the man she would be getting married to in a few months time-the man who was supposedly in a meeting with a client-whispered into the ears of the lady sitting on his legs and how she giggled unnecessarily in reply.Her eyes welled up with tears. Looking around once more, she saw more familiar faces. This betrayal, she felt her entire world come crashing down.Sitting in the room with Timothy were his friends and their girlfriends-the people she thought were her friends too, but she was wrong. She'd known them for as long as she'd known Timothy and wondered if they only saw her as his girlfriend instead of a friend.D
Timothy stood fuming with rage as he watched Cara break off the kiss with the unknown man, reflecting on her last words.Babe. You're here? Babe. You're here?!His hands balled into fists as he simmered in anger."You've been cheating on me?" He spat out distastefully, and Cara let out a cold laugh."I guess we can call it even then." She entwined her fingers with that of her pretend boyfriend's. "...or maybe not. This is your fourth time, right?"Timothy, visibly annoyed, took a step towards her."Are you crazy? Come over here while I'm still being nice, and let's go home."Cara let out a hollow laugh."Home? You mean the apartment I paid for?""I never asked you to! You did that on your own." Timothy replied with a snarl.Cara felt foolish once again. After everything she had done for him, he was just going to brush it off like none of it mattered. Like it didn't cost her a lot.She was always the one giving, even with the little she had.Was she really foolish?Memories of the time
Bernardi HotelCara let out a small moan as she rolled over on the bed, taking in the unfamiliar room. She felt her ears prickle at the sound of the shower running in the other room and came to the conclusion that she wasn't alone.Glancing at the bedside clock, it read 8 a.m. She sat up suddenly, which wasn't the best choice at the moment, as she felt a slight twinge of pain in between her legs.She was late for work.She moved to get off the bed when memories from the night before flooded her mind.Adonis taking her on the wall of the club. In the car. In the elevator. At the door of the hotel room. On the bed. When she cried out she couldn't take anymore, he took her on the bed again. In the shower... and finally in the early hours of the morning.He was a beast in bed, unravelling even the deepest fantasies she never knew she had.Cara felt her face flush red with embarrassment; she couldn't believe she just had a one-night stand with a man she barely knew-not even his name.She h
All heads turned at the ding of the doorbell. They watched the young woman, who could easily pass for a high schooler, hold tightly to the tote bag on her arm as she skipped into the cafe with a big smile on her face.Multiple faces tried to stifle their laughter as she walked up to the counter in clothes that looked to be three times her size, but she couldn't be bothered. It hadn't even occurred to her that she was the centre of attraction."Good morning. Two cups of caramel machiatto and one walnut pie, please." Cara ordered as she thought back on the last time her family had walnut pie. It used to be a tradition. Whenever there was good news to share, they always had walnut pie.She decided it was time to renew the tradition. It seemed like only good things would happen from now on."Your coffees and walnut pie." The attendant said, and Cara received them with an overly excited thank you.She pulled up the tote bag on her shoulder for the third time since she'd reached the cafe as
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. Th
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's POV "Tell me why I decided to do this again," Cecelia asked as we ducked behind a blue sedan. We had been watching Luca for the past thirty minutes, yet he hadn't done anything apart from sipping overly priced coffee.I glanced behind me."Because we are curious, and we need to be sure." "It doesn't look like he's expecting anyone. Could I have been wrong?" She asked again and I could hear guilt in her voice.Even I was beginning to think this was fruitless. Tailing him wasn't easy, especially since it's something he was a pro at. We had to be extra careful to avoid being caught.Now it seemed like we had been suspicious of him for no reason."You said you were sure?"Cecelia nodded, then added, "Although I'm not so sure anymore." I sighed heavily, already feeling drained."Why don't we wait a few minutes more, and if there's nothing to see, we can leave? There's no harm in that, right?" Personally, I found it hard to believe our suspicions, but this was the first time I w
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