The next morning broke crisp and clear over the Amato estate.Sunlight streamed through the grand windows, casting golden rays across the polished marble floors.But beneath the beauty of the day, a layer of tension hummed through the air.Alessandro stood by the window of his study, phone pressed to his ear, his voice clipped and commanding."I want two security details," he said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation."One for the house, another for the twins' school. Discreet but thorough. No one gets close without clearance."He paused, jaw tight, as he listened to the head of his private security team."And double-check every staff member's background. I don’t care how long they’ve been with us."His gaze flickered toward the garden, where Antonia was helping Matteo and Antonio adjust their school uniforms.Her laughter floated up to him, light and sweet — a sound he was willing to do anything to protect.He ended the call, exhaling slowly, letting his mind sharpen with purpos
The evening sky bled into soft hues of lavender and gold as the city lights of Milan flickered awake.Inside the Amato estate, the world was still and quiet — save for the faint sound of a wine cork popping in the kitchen.Antonia leaned against the marble counter, her heels already kicked off, her body humming with exhaustion.It had been a long day. Her first full day working side by side with Alessandro — full of whispered glares, tight smiles, and an unspoken war with women who hated her without knowing her.Yet somehow, despite it all... she felt alive.Footsteps approached. Heavy. Familiar. Safe.Alessandro appeared, still in his shirt and vest, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as though he'd raked his fingers through it one too many times.He held two glasses of wine."For surviving," he said with a wry smile, handing one to her.Antonia smiled tiredly, accepting it.Their fingers brushed.A spark ran between them — small, electric."Th
The second morning of school came quicker than anyone expected.The twins, Matteo and Antonio, bounced down the grand staircase of the Amato estate, their tiny backpacks clutched in excitement.Antonia watched them from the kitchen, smiling behind her coffee cup.There was something about their laughter — pure, uninhibited — that always softened the hardest parts of her heart.Alessandro sat at the breakfast table, scrolling through emails on his tablet, but every now and then, he lifted his head just to watch them too.His family.His reason for everything."Papa!" Antonio chirped, dragging Matteo along as they skidded into the dining room."How many more days until Saturday?""Today is Thursday," Alessandro said with a small smirk, putting down his tablet."So two more days, little warrior."Matteo frowned, counting on his fingers."That’s too long," he complained, making both parents laugh softly.Antonia ruffled Matteo's dark hair as she passed him a plate."You’ll be so busy maki
The morning sun filtered weakly through the grand windows of the estate, but inside the house, the atmosphere was thick, heavy — as if even the light was afraid to linger too long.Alessandro stood in the foyer, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his dark tailored trousers, watching as the twins, Matteo and Antonio, sat slumped on the bottom step of the staircase, backpacks at their feet. They were already dressed for school — navy uniforms neat, hair combed carefully — but their usual chatter was missing. Their small faces were pinched in confusion.Antonio’s voice broke the silence."Papa... why can’t we go?" he asked, his tone unusually timid.Alessandro knelt down in front of them, his heart cracking open at the sight of their disappointment. His hand, steady and warm, found Antonio’s shoulder. He squeezed gently, then reached for Matteo too, pulling them both closer."There was... an unexpected delivery this morning," he said carefully, choosing every word as if it were a st
The estate was quieter now — at least on the surface.But Alessandro knew better.Silence was not peace. It was the breath before a storm broke.After ensuring the twins were upstairs under watchful care — after giving Antonia a kiss that tasted like an unspoken apology — he slipped away to the security room tucked deep within the house.The door clicked shut behind him.Inside, six massive monitors illuminated the darkened space, each displaying live feeds from every corner of the property: gates, hallways, gardens, perimeter walls. A silent, ceaseless watch.Marco, his head of security, stood stiffly near the corner, tension radiating from every line of his body."Leave," Alessandro said quietly, his voice brooking no argument.Marco hesitated."Sir, if I could just say—"Alessandro turned his head slightly — a mere flick of his gaze — and Marco swallowed his words, nodded stiffly, and left without another word.As the door clicked shut, Alessandro exhaled slowly and leaned forward,
The ride was supposed to be safe.Silent, secure — a simple drive to the villa where Alessandro had promised protection awaited them.Antonia sat in the backseat, one twin pressed against each of her sides. Matteo clutched her hand tightly, while Antonio quietly hummed under his breath, a nervous habit he hadn’t outgrown.The countryside blurred past the windows in smears of green and gold, the sun low in the sky.For a moment, Antonia allowed herself to believe they were safe.Until she heard the soft, mechanical click.The doors locked.Antonia stiffened immediately.She leaned forward, her voice calm but sharp."Driver," she said, forcing herself to stay composed, "why did you lock the doors?"There was no answer.The man behind the wheel stared ahead, his knuckles tightening around the steering wheel.Antonia’s heartbeat quickened."Driver," she repeated, firmer this time. "Open the doors. Now."Still nothing.Matteo tugged at her sleeve, his voice small and scared."Mamma... what
My heart thundered against my ribcage as I stared at the people in front of me, my breath hitching in disbelief. "What do you mean she ran away... and I should take her place as the bride?" The words came out in a whisper, trembling on my tongue, then a little louder, laced with horror.I scanned their faces, desperate for any sign that this was a cruel joke. But all I saw was panic... urgency... and expectation. My hands trembled violently as I took a step back, the walls of the room pressing in on me."I can't believe Beatrice decided to run away on the day of her wedding... and now I have to take her place." My voice cracked as the words escaped, foreign and surreal. My pulse roared in my ears, palms slick with sweat. This couldn't be happening. Not to me.Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision. "No, Mommy, I can't! I won't marry that man for Beatrice's sake!" My fists clenched by my sides, my chest rising and falling in sharp, ragged breaths. "Why don’t you just tell his famil
I couldn’t believe this was happening.Me—Antonia Rossi—standing at the altar in a gown I didn’t choose, preparing to marry the most powerful man in the tech world. Not because he loved me. Not because I wanted to.But because my sister ran away.And I was the replacement.My fingers tightened around the bouquet as if it could tether me to reality. I could feel the tremble in my knees, the tightness in my chest. I had dreamt of being in this hall—though never like this. I used to imagine walking these marbled floors as an intern, maybe an executive someday. I spent so many nights researching his company, whispering his name to myself as though it were a password to a better future.Alessandro Amato.Now I was about to become his wife.He stood at the altar like a shadow cast from something larger than life—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a black suit so perfectly tailored it looked like it was carved onto his body. His dark hair curled slightly at the ends, immaculately styled, yet
The ride was supposed to be safe.Silent, secure — a simple drive to the villa where Alessandro had promised protection awaited them.Antonia sat in the backseat, one twin pressed against each of her sides. Matteo clutched her hand tightly, while Antonio quietly hummed under his breath, a nervous habit he hadn’t outgrown.The countryside blurred past the windows in smears of green and gold, the sun low in the sky.For a moment, Antonia allowed herself to believe they were safe.Until she heard the soft, mechanical click.The doors locked.Antonia stiffened immediately.She leaned forward, her voice calm but sharp."Driver," she said, forcing herself to stay composed, "why did you lock the doors?"There was no answer.The man behind the wheel stared ahead, his knuckles tightening around the steering wheel.Antonia’s heartbeat quickened."Driver," she repeated, firmer this time. "Open the doors. Now."Still nothing.Matteo tugged at her sleeve, his voice small and scared."Mamma... what
The estate was quieter now — at least on the surface.But Alessandro knew better.Silence was not peace. It was the breath before a storm broke.After ensuring the twins were upstairs under watchful care — after giving Antonia a kiss that tasted like an unspoken apology — he slipped away to the security room tucked deep within the house.The door clicked shut behind him.Inside, six massive monitors illuminated the darkened space, each displaying live feeds from every corner of the property: gates, hallways, gardens, perimeter walls. A silent, ceaseless watch.Marco, his head of security, stood stiffly near the corner, tension radiating from every line of his body."Leave," Alessandro said quietly, his voice brooking no argument.Marco hesitated."Sir, if I could just say—"Alessandro turned his head slightly — a mere flick of his gaze — and Marco swallowed his words, nodded stiffly, and left without another word.As the door clicked shut, Alessandro exhaled slowly and leaned forward,
The morning sun filtered weakly through the grand windows of the estate, but inside the house, the atmosphere was thick, heavy — as if even the light was afraid to linger too long.Alessandro stood in the foyer, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his dark tailored trousers, watching as the twins, Matteo and Antonio, sat slumped on the bottom step of the staircase, backpacks at their feet. They were already dressed for school — navy uniforms neat, hair combed carefully — but their usual chatter was missing. Their small faces were pinched in confusion.Antonio’s voice broke the silence."Papa... why can’t we go?" he asked, his tone unusually timid.Alessandro knelt down in front of them, his heart cracking open at the sight of their disappointment. His hand, steady and warm, found Antonio’s shoulder. He squeezed gently, then reached for Matteo too, pulling them both closer."There was... an unexpected delivery this morning," he said carefully, choosing every word as if it were a st
The second morning of school came quicker than anyone expected.The twins, Matteo and Antonio, bounced down the grand staircase of the Amato estate, their tiny backpacks clutched in excitement.Antonia watched them from the kitchen, smiling behind her coffee cup.There was something about their laughter — pure, uninhibited — that always softened the hardest parts of her heart.Alessandro sat at the breakfast table, scrolling through emails on his tablet, but every now and then, he lifted his head just to watch them too.His family.His reason for everything."Papa!" Antonio chirped, dragging Matteo along as they skidded into the dining room."How many more days until Saturday?""Today is Thursday," Alessandro said with a small smirk, putting down his tablet."So two more days, little warrior."Matteo frowned, counting on his fingers."That’s too long," he complained, making both parents laugh softly.Antonia ruffled Matteo's dark hair as she passed him a plate."You’ll be so busy maki
The evening sky bled into soft hues of lavender and gold as the city lights of Milan flickered awake.Inside the Amato estate, the world was still and quiet — save for the faint sound of a wine cork popping in the kitchen.Antonia leaned against the marble counter, her heels already kicked off, her body humming with exhaustion.It had been a long day. Her first full day working side by side with Alessandro — full of whispered glares, tight smiles, and an unspoken war with women who hated her without knowing her.Yet somehow, despite it all... she felt alive.Footsteps approached. Heavy. Familiar. Safe.Alessandro appeared, still in his shirt and vest, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as though he'd raked his fingers through it one too many times.He held two glasses of wine."For surviving," he said with a wry smile, handing one to her.Antonia smiled tiredly, accepting it.Their fingers brushed.A spark ran between them — small, electric."Th
The next morning broke crisp and clear over the Amato estate.Sunlight streamed through the grand windows, casting golden rays across the polished marble floors.But beneath the beauty of the day, a layer of tension hummed through the air.Alessandro stood by the window of his study, phone pressed to his ear, his voice clipped and commanding."I want two security details," he said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation."One for the house, another for the twins' school. Discreet but thorough. No one gets close without clearance."He paused, jaw tight, as he listened to the head of his private security team."And double-check every staff member's background. I don’t care how long they’ve been with us."His gaze flickered toward the garden, where Antonia was helping Matteo and Antonio adjust their school uniforms.Her laughter floated up to him, light and sweet — a sound he was willing to do anything to protect.He ended the call, exhaling slowly, letting his mind sharpen with purpos
The towering glass building of SKYE TECH glistened under the bright Italian sun as Alessandro’s sleek black car pulled up to the private entrance.Antonia sat beside him, smoothing invisible creases from her cream-colored blouse, her nerves a bundle of tight strings.It wasn't just another first day at a job — it was stepping into a world where everything would be scrutinized, whispered about, judged.Alessandro noticed her tension.He reached over, squeezing her hand warmly."You belong here, Tesoro," he said, his voice low and full of certainty.Antonia smiled faintly, grateful for his unwavering support.As they entered the lobby, a wave of hushes swept through the employees gathered around.Whispers slithered through the air like smoke."Is that her?""She’s beautiful...""No wonder he stayed away for five years.""Assistant? Right. Looks more like his queen."Antonia kept her chin high, her steps even, refusing to let the gossip pierce her skin.Inside the executive floor, Alessa
The heavy mahogany doors of the SKYE TECH boardroom swung shut behind Alessandro, but not everyone moved immediately.Federico Amato lingered at the back of the room, a tight smile frozen on his handsome face.Around him, the board members buzzed with excitement, some congratulating each other, others speculating about Antonia’s sudden rise into the company’s inner circle.But Federico barely heard them.Behind the charming mask he wore so well, his heart boiled with fury."You fool, Alessandro," Federico thought, clenching and unclenching his fists inside the pockets of his tailored jacket."You just made yourself — and her — even bigger targets."He turned toward the long conference window, staring out over the sprawling city. His reflection glared back at him — hollow, furious.Federico’s mind spiraled back to the five years he had quietly manipulated the company, built secret alliances, and nurtured relationships behind Alessandro’s back.He had sacrificed too much to be sidelined
The grand conference hall of SKYE TECH was buzzing with tension. Board members whispered among themselves, their suits immaculate, their faces wary. The press — reporters from the most influential Italian newspapers and global tech media — clustered at the back of the room, clutching notepads, microphones, and cameras poised like weapons.A low murmur rippled through the hall when Alessandro Amato strode in.He was a vision of control — sharp black suit, crisp white shirt, and a steely gaze that silenced the room without a word. His very presence commanded obedience.The cameras immediately began to flash, bursts of white light illuminating the room as if lightning had struck.Alessandro stepped up to the podium, placed his hands firmly on either side, and swept his cold blue eyes over the room."Good afternoon," he began, his voice calm but carrying an underlying weight that made everyone lean closer. "I know it has been five years since I stood before you in this very building."Whi