He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that sent shivers down my spine. "Alright, I'll play your loving boyfriend. But remember, you're playing with fire," he paused, his eyes darkening with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. "And I'm not known for playing it safe.”His words, heavy with an unspoken promise and laced with a dangerous edge, left me feeling both exhilarated and vulnerable. The closeness of his body, the warmth coming out from him and the intensity in his eyes made my heart race. There was something undeniably sexy and commanding about his demeanor now, a complete opposite to the cold distance he had maintained before. I was completely drawn to his manliness, the authoritative tone of his voice and the way he seemed to claim the space around us. It was as if he had cast a spell over me, leaving me yearning for something I couldn't quite name. "Yes, Luca," I managed to reply, my voice barely above a whisper and I felt utterly captivated by his
BENTLEY'S POV“You stupid bitch!!” My mother screamed as she lounged herself at me.She pushed me away roughly, sending me stumbling backwards and onto the couch. “How dare you?! We were waiting for hours for you to come home!”“Well, I’m here now aren’t I?” I snapped defensively. What gave these two the right to act like I wasn’t important."You have ruined everything once again!" My mother said as she slapped me across the face.She picked up a decorative vase that had been left out on the table and threw it at me as hard as she could, causing the shards to stab painfully into my arm. A few drops of blood oozed out, dripping down my skin like hot wax."Ouch…" I winced, clutching the bleeding wound. ‘Stupid bitch’. Was all I heard repeated over and over in my head. 'Worthless whore’ and ‘stupid slut’ were hurled repeatedly until I felt as though my ears were ringing.‘ I tried to block out their voices, hoping to forget everything that had happened but they were relentless. I hated m
BENTLEY'S POV"Shut up." The words barely left my lips as I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my jaw shut.My mother's eyes widened in fear before narrowing in anger. She raised her fist towards my face, prepared to hit me again when suddenly the front door opened and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the house. Both my parents froze, watching intently as my father entered the room with a large stack of papers under his arm. He looked furious.He stopped in his tracks when he saw our haggard appearances, and the broken vase at our feet. His eyes hardened as he gazed at us. His glare pierced me with so much venom, hatred almost burned the skin of my neck, my chest tightened with anxiety and I quickly dropped my head so my hair covered my face."You lowlife, worthless daughter of mine!" My father roared, advancing forward menacingly. "Why were you even born?!" His fist clenched and unclenched furiously. He stepped forward and grabbed my collar with surprising force. "Ans
BENTLEY'S POV"Get up," he said while extending a hand to help me up to my feet. "We have a lot to do if we're going to convince everyone of this lie."I took his hand and he helped me up, a heavy silence reigned between us."I need to see Accalia," I announced to Luca, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between us. His expression shifted ever so slightly like a subtle sign of surprise at my sudden request of wanting to see his boss's wife."And why is that?" he asked still ensuring that his voice was maintaining its usual cool detachment."She's my best friend," I replied, as if that explained everything. "Besides, I could use some female advice right now. You know, about our 'situation'." I used air quotes around the word "situation," trying to inject a bit of levity into the conversation."Come on, it'll be fun. Plus, you owe me after turning my life into a soap opera," I quipped, hoping to lighten the mood further.Luca raised an eyebrow like a silent question about the s
BENTLEY'S POVAs Luca carried me out of the bathroom, I couldn't help but notice the change between his composed behavior and my own disheveled state. "This is not how I pictured being swept off my feet by a handsome man," I quipped like I was trying to salvage some of my dignity with humor.Luca's lips twitched, I could see a hint of a smile suggesting that my comment had not gone unnoticed. "Well, next time you plan a fall, let me know in advance. I'll make sure to catch you in a more dignified manner," he retorted, his voice laced with a dry humor that surprised me.My mind was still reeling from the fall and the embarrassing yet heroic rescue. When we finally reached my bed, Luca gently laid me down, ensuring the towel preserved my modesty by not allowing it to move away from my most private areas."Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, I noticed his expression softening."I'll live," I replied, trying to find a comfortable position. "But my pride might need some time to recover."
BENTLEY'S POV"You're going to have to put this on."I was still lying on the bed. I tried to sit up but Luca put his hand on my shoulder to stop me, forcing me to lay still.He helped me put on the shirt and I felt myself get wet as his fingers brushed my breast as he helped me put on the shirt, sending chills racing down my spine and eliciting an involuntary moan from my mouth. My blush deepened at the sound, and I averted my gaze, embarrassed beyond belief.Once he pulled the shirt closed, he smiled again, his expression tender."Better?" he asked, his voice low.I nodded shyly.I averted my eyes again, embarrassed and ashamed that he had seen me ogling his body, and attempted to change the subject. "Can you help me get that novel on my desk?" I asked, desperate to distract myself. Anything was better than dwelling on my confusing feelings.Luca looked puzzled. "Which one?" he queried."That one!" I pointed to the shelf above my night table, indicating which book I was referring to
BENTLEY'S POV"It's like living in a romance novel, minus the romance and double the awkwardness," I joked, earning a laugh from her.Accalia's laughter echoed through the phone. "I need to see this. Stay safe, and keep me posted on your 'pregnancy' saga!""I will. Love you, bye!"Hanging up, I couldn't help but smile at the craziness of it all. Luca, still reading, looked up briefly. "Interesting book?" I asked, curious about his sudden interest in my novel."It's... enlightening," he replied with a straight face, returning to the book."So, am I as intriguing as your billionaire boss in there?" he asked, nodding towards the novel."More like the stoic bodyguard who secretly has a heart of gold," I replied, smiling despite the pain coursing through my body.Luca just rolled his eyes but continued reading, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. I shook my head, amused. Life had taken a strange turn, but at least it wasn't boring. And with Luca by my side, pretending to be m
BENTLEY'S POV"I'm bored out of my mind," I confessed, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "Can we watch some TV? I think a change of scenery would do me good, and I could use some mind-numbing entertainment."Luca closed the book, marking his page with a finger, and considered me for a moment. "TV, huh? I was getting to the good part but I suppose I can take a break for some quality television. Any preferences?""Anything that's not a documentary on the mating habits of insects," I quipped, grimacing at the memory of accidentally stumbling upon one such program during a late-night channel surfing expedition.Laughing, Luca stood up and strolled over to me. "Your wish is my command, miss clumsy," he declared, bowing slightly in mock solemnity before scooping me up bridal style without any warning."Luca!" I yelped, surprised by the sudden lift, my arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. "A little warning next time?""And miss the opportunity to see you flustered? Never," he tea
DON'S POV"I spoke with Bentley, her father is the police officer that ruled your sister's death as suicide." Luca said."So?""According to Bentley, Accalia family has no hand in it. Her father was threatened by the other gang and their new leader."I nodded slowly, understanding what he was saying. "We better get the truth out of Ken then, have you handed Florella over to the police?" I asked."Yes boss.""Good."We both headed down to the basement where Ken was being held captive, I needed to torture the truth out of his mouth.He was sitting against the wall with his arms tied behind his back, his wrists chained. His face bruised and bloodied, and his clothes covered in dried blood, he was still shivering, despite his cold exterior."What are you going to do with me?" He spat, spitting blood onto the floor of the dungeon."Well Ken Peterson , I'll give you an opportunity to answer a few of my questions and maybe I'll release you."Ken narrowed his eyes at me, "Why should I believe
DON'S POV "You need to calm down son, I have no reason to kidnap your wife!" My father screamed in annoyance as I held him by the collar, accusing him of being responsible for Accalia sudden disappearance. it has been two days since I've heard from Accalia or seen her.i recalled telling her to go home first after the press conference but when I got home, she wasn't there and no one knew anything about her disappearance.I was beginning to go crazy over her absence, I felt like something bad happened to her and I couldn't control it, I was scared shitless.I was furious that I did not know what had happened to her.who the hell dared to kidnap my woman?!!!"I won't let anything happen to her!" I roared while I tightened my grip on my dad's neck and squeezed harder.After I released my grip, my father gasped and began coughing loudly."What the hell are you?!" He questioned me as he took several deep breaths."Do you really think that I am a weak minded coward like you?!" I replied
ACCALIA'S POVI noticed alot of crowds at the company today but I had no idea why but for some reason Enzo seemed tense and clinged to me."Is the company doing something today? why are there a lot of people and reporters outside?" I asked but before I could hear Enzo's response, an egg hit me on the head."She's the one that hurt our kitten!" The man shouted and everyone's attention was turned to me, I was so confused but had no time to process that confusion because people began hurling insults at me and the eggs kept on flying.I tried to defend myself but people would not allow it, many people were throwing eggs at me and they kept on hitting me and I had no way to avoid the hits. One egg managed to land on my head causing me to stagger.I wanted to defend myself, the insults weren't hurting anyone they were just getting their point across.Someone picked up a bottle and threw it at me. The impact of the bottle hitting me made me flinch.Enzo guided me through and I finally made
FLORELLA'S POVI frowned as I watched the new model, Accalia walk into the studio. She had a radiant smile on her face and everything about her just screamed beauty and perfection, no flaws or imperfections in sight.Her hair was styled in perfect waves that framed her face beautifully, her makeup perfectly complimented her gorgeous olive brown orbs and bright pink lipstick.She looked good. So good! So incredibly good that she could probably win any contest she was in! I almost gasped in admiration as I saw how breathtaking she really looked.I hated how beautiful she was, I never understood why anyone could want to look like that, but she was definitely an exception. She had a unique personality that drew people to her in a different way than everyone else did.I hated the fact that she was pretty that me and could easily over take me in the modeling world, there was no way in hell I was going to let that happen. i have been bullying her for over two weeks since she came but she
ACCALIA'S POVAfter hours of modeling and posing for countless pictures, it was time for me to go home and rest before I had to return to the studio again for another day full of work. My clothes were all wrinkled and dirty after being used so many times for clothing shoots.But I was tired and hungry. So, with only mild hesitance, I walked out of the studio to head back home. my phone chimed and I looked at it and saw it was a text from Don asking me to use the back door of the company and meet him at the car park where he was waiting for me.I smiled weakly at the text before I took the elevator to the car park tiredly.I exited the elevator and walked out of the building and saw Don standing at the entrance of the parking lot, he waved as soon as he saw me approaching and headed over to the car to help me inside. Once I was seated, he walked around the car to the drivers seat."Where is everyone?" I asked curiously, noticing no cars."They had to go somewhere." Is all he told me.
ACCALIA'S POVI smiled as I dressed up for my first day at work, yes, my first day at work. I was so excited when Don told me to dress up today that I would resume work at his company as a model.I wanted to make a good first impression so I needed to dress up nicely. A white button down shirt and a black blazer were the two pieces of clothing I selected from my closet after I finished dressing in bed this morning. I also wore some light makeup but it wasn't much. Not too much, just enough to look like I hadn't slept with it all off last night. That made me think about something else - Don's lips... I shook my head trying to get rid of those thoughts.I brushed through my hair once more then applied one last coat of lip gloss before leaving my room, closing and locking the door behind me. I took a deep breath of air and exhaled deeply, hoping to calm myself before I headed down the stairs to meet Don."Good morning!" Don chirped happily when he saw me. I grinned back at him and walk
ACCALIA'S POVDon squeezed my hand reassuringly, his gaze filled with unwavering determination. "We can do this, Accalia," he said, his voice steady despite the tremble in his hands. "Together, we can face anything."With a heavy heart, I nodded in agreement, drawing strength from Don's unwavering faith in our future. As we boarded the bus and took our seats, I cast one last glance back at the village of Arinthia, its familiar streets now fading into the distance.And as the bus pulled away, carrying us towards an uncertain future, I knew that it was time to go back to my old life.As the bus journeyed towards the city, the landscape outside morphed from rolling hills to towering skyscrapers, a stark contrast to the quaint charm of Arinthia. With each passing mile, my heart grew heavier, the uncertainty of our future weighing heavily upon me.But as we finally arrived at our destination and stepped off the bus, a sense of anticipation tingled in the air. For the first time in what fel
ACCALIA'S POVDon wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as he felt my body tremble with suppressed sobs. "It's okay, Accalia," he whispered, his voice gentle yet filled with unspoken sorrow. "We'll be alright."But the dam had already broken, and I could no longer hold back the flood of emotions that surged within me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I buried my face in Don's chest, my heart aching with the pain of leaving behind everything I had ever known."It's just... so hard," I choked out between sobs, my voice muffled against Don's shirt. "Saying goodbye to everyone, to everything..."Don held me tighter, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know, Accalia," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "But this isn't goodbye forever. We'll come back someday, I promise."His words offered little solace in the face of our imminent departure, but I clung to them nonetheless, finding comfort in the warmth of his embrace. Together, we sat down on the worn wooden b
ACCALIA'S POVWe climbed into the of the truck, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving behind another dear friend. Kito had always been there for us, offering his help and support whenever we needed it, and the thought of saying goodbye to him was almost too much to bear.As we settled into the worn leather seats of Kito's truck, a heavy silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the soft hum of the engine. I glanced out the window, watching as the familiar sights of Arinthia faded into the distance, my heart aching with the weight of farewell.The ride to the bus stop was a somber one, the only sound the steady hum of the engine and the occasional sniffle from one of us. Kito tried to lighten the mood with some of his trademark jokes, but even he seemed to be struggling to find his usual cheerfulness.As we neared the bus stop, Kito pulled over and turned off the engine, the silence that followed almost deafening in its intensity. "Well, this is it," he