ELEANOR I held my breath as the phone rang, gripping it tighter with each second. When the nurse finally answered, my heart skipped a beat.“Hello?” she said, her tone professional but slightly tired.“Hello,” I replied, my voice shaky. “Am I speaking with Miss Annabelle?”“Yes,” she answered. “Who am I speaking with?”I felt a rush of excitement and relief, almost stumbling over my words. “I’m... I’m a sister to one of the patients under your care.”There was a brief pause on the other end. “I have a lot of patients, dear,” she said. “You’ll need to be more specific. Can you tell me a bit more about which patient you’re referring to?”My heart sank. How could she not remember? I hadn’t thought about how to describe myself or my sister in any other way. I searched my mind, desperate to find something to help her recall. My mind spun with images of that night—running into the hospital, my sister barely able to breathe, the frantic doctors, the nurses rushing around. Then it hit me.
ELEANOR I handed Enzo’s phone back, feeling a mix of relief and unease after the call. He took it from me, but instead of just thanking me or brushing it off, he gave me this look—like he wanted to say something.“That was… well, an emotional moment,” he finally said, a little smile on his face. “Maybe you should let me in on what’s going on?”I tensed up instantly. As much as he had been kind to me, even saving me from being locked in that room, I wasn’t ready for this conversation. My emotions were all over the place, and before I could think, the words flew out of my mouth.“I told you it’s personal!” I snapped, surprising even myself with how sharp my voice sounded. “I appreciate what you did for me, but please, stop trying to dig into my private life, especially when it’s about my family.”He looked at me, still calm. He wasn’t even fazed by my outburst. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said, his tone steady. “I wasn’t trying to pry, just thought I could be… I don’t know, friendly. That’s j
ELEANOR I couldn’t help it—I was too curious about Armando. I needed to know more about who he really was and how he’d become the cold, intimidating figure that he was. Maybe understanding his past would help me understand the man he was now, and maybe, just maybe, I could figure out how to avoid his temper in the future."Tell me a bit more about Armando," I asked, my voice hesitant but steady. "Like, how was he growing up? What was he like as a child?"Enzo raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my sudden interest. "What’s really got you so eager to learn about Armando?"I paused for a moment, trying to come up with a convincing answer. "I’m just curious," I said, shrugging slightly. "His character… it’s hard to figure out. Knowing more about him, even a little, might help me steer clear of his outbursts, you know? And who knows, maybe I’ll get to see that ‘good side’ of him that you keep talking about."I saw Enzo smirk a little at that. He knew what I was doing, but he didn’t se
ELEANOR The tension in my body became unbearable. Every second made it harder to contain. I'd lost control—I couldn't hold back anymore. My hormones were in charge now, not my mind. Without thinking twice, I reached out, gently placing Enzo's hand back on my thigh, right where he'd touched me earlier. That simple act sent a wave of calm through me, like all the tension had been released in one go.But he didn't react. He didn't pull away, didn't squeeze my leg, didn't push for more. We were just staring at each other,—locked in this strange, intense moment where words seemed pointless. His eyes held mine, searching, waiting, maybe even wondering what I was going to do next. But I had no clue either. It felt like we were communicating without speaking, and somehow, that made everything even more charged.Then he broke the silence, his voice soft and low, like he didn't want to disturb whatever this was. "Are you okay?"I didn't know how to answer. How do you tell someone that their t
ELEANOR I felt a sudden poke on both sides of my waist, and I jumped, startled. I whipped around, only to find Enzo standing behind me, a playful smirk on his face. I wasn’t expecting him to follow me into the kitchen. I had hoped for space, to be alone for a bit, to figure out what was going on inside my head. But he was persistent, always trying to keep the moment going.I didn’t turn to look at him. I just stood there, facing the counter, hoping he would get the hint and leave me alone. But he didn’t."What's going on, Eleanor? You’ve gone all quiet on me," he asked, his voice carrying that same flirtatious tone he’d used earlier.I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The way he was talking, trying to be flirty and charming, I wasn’t in the mood for it anymore. The space between us felt heavy, and I was desperate for air. The heat from earlier had already faded, and now I just felt drained. All I wanted was to be alone with my thoughts, to figure out why I had let things go so far in th
ELEANOR It had been quiet here for days now, and I had gotten used to the silence. Since the argument with Enzo, everything felt strange, like the calm after a storm. I hadn’t seen him since he left, and honestly, I didn’t want to. Now I was alone, alone in this big house with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company.Armando hadn’t returned from his trip yet, and I had no idea when he was coming back. His absence always gave me a sense of freedom that I cherished, but there was also this strange loneliness creeping in. He had laid off all the staff again—permanently this time. That meant no more Isabella. It was just me in this huge mansion, taking care of everything.I didn’t mind the chores. Actually, having something to do helped distract me from my thoughts. Cleaning the rooms, doing the laundry, preparing meals—even if they were just for myself—kept my mind occupied. But when the tasks were done, when the house was spotless and quiet again, the boredom would set in.I would s
ARMANDO I strode into the house with my men behind me, each step deliberate, every move sending a message of who owned this place—and that wasn’t just a figure of speech. The others stayed outside, taking their positions at every entry point, covering each corner of the house the way they were trained to.Inside, I shrugged off my hat and then my coat, passing both to one of the men who’d followed me in. He moved fast, hanging them on the coat stand without a sound.Stepping farther into the room, I caught sight of Eleanor cleaning the seats, her hands moving quickly over the spotless leather. She’d been at it for a while from the looks of it. I expected her to greet me as usual, and she didn’t disappoint.“Good evening, Mr. Armando,” she said, dropping a slight curtsy as she spoke. She kept her head low, respectful—tame. The wildness she’d once shown, that fiery defiance, was nowhere to be seen. Now, she worked quietly, doing exactly what was expected. That was more like it.I didn’
ARMANDO I paced my office, a glass of whiskey in hand and my thoughts drifting to old memories. It felt strange doubting Lorenzo, Alessandro, and even Giuseppe, but here I was, questioning the loyalty of men I had raised from the streets.Lorenzo and Alessandro were identical twins, impossible to tell apart at first. I still remembered the night when I had first seen them in that filthy underground fight club, blood on their fists, and murder in their eyes. They were more like two sides of a single blade, each one moving in perfect sync with the other, striking as though they shared the same pulse. They weren’t just street fighters—they were something else, something raw and vicious. I watched as they took down every poor bastard that stepped into that cage, squeezing the life out of their opponents until they lay still on the ground.It was that unity, that unbreakable bond between them, that had caught my eye. Men like that could be molded, given purpose and made useful. So when
ELEANOR“You’re lucky I’m not the kind of man who doesn’t ask for consent,” Armando continued, his tone low but cutting. “Or I’d have had you right here and now without a second thought.”My heart skipped, and my pulse spiked at the subtle threat laced in his voice. I clenched my fists at my sides, forcing myself to breathe. I wouldn’t let him see how his words rattled me, how much they cut straight to the core of my fear.I swallowed hard as he lifted my chin. “You’d end up in jail.“ I shot back, my voice sharper than I felt inside. “And honestly… that doesn’t sound so bad for someone like you.” I added, letting spite creep into my tone.For a second, there was silence. Then Armando let out a low, dangerous laugh—a sound that sent chills down my spine. He tilted his head, his smirk sharp and mocking.“Well,” he said, dragging the word out, “if you want me to go to jail so badly, I might as well use you as my free pass.”He then moved his arm suddenly, bringing it close to my chest in
ELEANORAs I stepped further—still clutching the tray in my hands, the only light in the room was the dim glow of the skyline seeping through the large glass window, and the faint orange ember of Armando’s cigarette.I hesitated for a second after I managed to find the light switch—wondering if turning on the lights would push him over the edge, but I flicked the switch anyway.The room lit up instantly, revealing the disarray I’d expected. Empty glasses cluttered the side table and an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts sat beside them. Armando was on a large rounded chair by the window, staring out at the city as if he was trying to count every building in sight. He didn’t even flinch when the lights came on, not a single movement.His face was rigid and blank from where I stood and the way his jaw set and his hand held the cigarette so tightly sent a clear message; he wasn’t in the mood for company.When his voice finally broke the silence, it was cold and threatening.“Who th
ELEANORArmando had been acting strange for the past few days and I couldn’t help but notice it. It had been three days now since he took me to the hospital and ever since then he hadn’t left the mansion, not even to step outside the front door into the compound. It was really so strange for someone like him—who always moved around with purpose—to suddenly become so stationary.The mansion was unbearably quiet and it wasn’t the peaceful kind of silence either. This silence was suffocating, heavy, and stretched across every corner of the house like a thick, invisible fog.Yesterday I had accidentally dropped a spoon while I was in the kitchen and the clattering sound that came from it echoed so loudly throughout the mansion—making the stillness even more pronounced—to the extent that it startled me as though I’d disturbed some fragile balance. That was how quiet everything had become.I had always wanted space—some peace and quiet—away from Armando, yet now that I had it, I wasn’t as r
ELEANORThe gentle hum of the limo filled the silence as we drove out of the hospital's compound. I leaned back against the plush seat—the outside world blurring into nothingness—as I stared outside the window, feeling hollow as though a piece of me had just been left behind.What made it worse was the glimpse of that nurse. I was almost certain she was the one but I couldn’t approach her because Matteo just had to be there like a shadow trailing me everywhere.The doctor’s words began to replay—like some sort of whisper—in my head. She seemed to be a kind woman—middle-aged with sharp glasses perched on her nose—and her demeanor was assuring as she’d handed me a prescription list, speaking in a tone that made it sound like she genuinely cared.“You’ll need to take these as directed,” she had said in a tone that was both soft and firm at the same time. “Three times a day after meals. Don’t skip a dose. And also try to get good rest as much as possible.”Then she’d given me a small, enc
ELEANORThe receptionist waved over a male nurse—gesturing toward where we had sat—and he approached quickly, a polite but professional expression on his face. “Right this way, sir,” he said, his voice calm and steady.Armando stood—adjusting his coat with a deliberate motion—and then he glanced at me. His look wasn’t harsh, but it carried a silent command. It was clear he expected me to walk ahead of him.I stood slowly, feeling the weight of the awkwardness I’d been carrying since we arrived. Matteo—ever silent and watchful—followed closely behind as we began to walk. The nurse led the way—his strides steady and purposeful—and I found myself matching his pace, though my gaze kept drifting.The further we moved away from the reception area, the more relieved I felt. The burning stares and muffled whispers of the queue had left an imprint on me, but at least now I could breathe without the judgment of strangers pressing down on me. Armando had a way of making every public moment feel
ELEANORI glanced at Armando cautiously—hoping to catch some clue in his expression—but his eyes were fixed outside his own window, his posture as rigid and composed as always.It just didn’t make sense. Well, sure I wasn't feeling too strong—my body ached, and the fever hadn’t let up since the rainstorm—but this was Armando Luca. He wasn’t the kind of man who cared about whether I was healthy or not. The only thing he cared about was his control, his power, and making sure I knew my place.The car slowed as the chauffeur guided us toward the hospital’s entrance, weaving through the compound to find a parking spot. Armando had brought me all the way here across the city—putting me through the stress of getting all dressed up and everything—just to visit a hospital.But why?“Why are we here?” I asked as I still couldn’t help myself, my voice barely above a whisper. It cracked slightly, but I pushed through, forcing myself to meet his gaze even though I already knew it was a risk.Arma
ELEANORArmando’s words kept playing over and over in my head as I hurriedly rummaged through my wardrobe. The tone he used left no room for argument, and I didn’t need anyone to tell me that if I didn’t act quickly, his temper would explode. The massive mansion—which sometimes felt like a labyrinth—was suddenly suffocating once again, its walls closing in as the weight of the previous evening’s events pressed down on me. My mind flashed to the blood, the screams, the gunshots—all too much that I could barely think straight.I pulled out a sleeveless white gown—simple but neat—and slipped it on. I didn’t have time to fuss over accessories or the perfect look, especially because Armando wasn’t exactly the type to wait and I didn’t want to test his patience today. I quickly applied a light layer of makeup—enough to mask my tired eyes and pale complexion—and glanced at myself in the mirror. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.Taking a deep breath, I made my way downstairs. Each s
ELEANORI couldn't seem to find any sleep because each time I closed my eyes, the images came rushing back—sharp and unforgiving—like shards of glass cutting through my mind.I sat up on the edge of my bed staring at the shadows dancing across the wall. Sleep wasn't just far, it felt impossible. My body felt too heavy, my mind too restless, and I couldn't even lie down properly all night.After Armando had gone upstairs last night, I forced myself to mop the living room floor just like he'd asked, even though my hands wouldn't stop trembling. The cold seeped into my bones, and my clothes stuck to my skin as I worked, but I still pushed through. When I finally dragged myself upstairs, my room was exactly as I'd left it—cold and silent.Don Salvatore's words haunted me. His threats still hung over me like a storm cloud even though I was now miles away from him—wherever he was.Still, I couldn't dwell on it now. If Armando sensed even the slightest shift in my behavior, he'd know somethi
ARMANDO The ride back to the mansion was silent, but my head wasn’t. I couldn’t shake the image of Enzo’s face—cold and lifeless—in that bag. It played on a loop in my mind, every detail—the stiffness of his features, the unnatural stillness—etching deeper with each passing second. It wasn’t just grief that gripped me. It was anger—burning, unrelenting anger.I sat in the back seat, staring out at the rain-dotted windows with my jaw clenched so tightly that it ached a bit. The thirst for revenge was clawing at me—demanding I act, but I couldn’t afford to be reckless just yet. The police sniffing around my operations was something I just couldn’t afford at the moment.When the limo pulled into the driveway, Matteo jumped out even before the chauffeur had fully parked. He opened the door for me—holding an umbrella in one hand. “It’s starting to pour boss. Let me—”I waved him off and stepped out into the rain, ignoring the drizzle that quickly turned into a steady downpour. The cold wa