ELEANOR I let out a slow, shaky breath, and finally, I nodded. Without another word, I turned around, my back now facing him, and every nerve in my body on high alert.My heart pounded painfully in my chest as my eyes flickered to the gun on the dresser, its dark metal gleaming under the dim lights of Armando’s room. I had no idea if it was loaded or not, but I wasn’t about to find out. My hands trembled by my sides, and when I finally found my voice, it came out low, nearly a whisper.“What… what do you want from me this time?”I could feel his eyes on me, the weight of his gaze heavy, making it hard to breathe. He leaned in close, so close I could feel his breath on my ear, and then he whispered, his voice stiff and commanding, “Shhh… be quiet.”A cold shiver slid down my spine, my heartbeat skidding as my stomach dropped. I shut my eyes, feeling them sting as tears started to form. I didn’t know what he was about to do, but he wasn’t messing around.I heard him open the drawer, th
ELEANOR Armando certainly did not listen to me. Instead, he reached out for his dresser again, this time pulling out some kind of cloth from another one of the drawers. I stood there tensed, watching as he brought it up to my mouth.“No, please—” I managed to say before he slipped it between my lips, tying it tight around the back of my head. I bit down, the cloth filling my mouth, muffling any sound I tried to make.He stood back, his expression unreadable. “Better,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. The heat between us—in the entire room as well, was unbearable. Every nerve in my body was on edge and my legs trembled so much they could hardly hold me up. My breaths came in sharp gasps, muffled by the cloth tied between my lips. And just when I felt my knees were about to fail me, Armando's strong arms caught me. Without a word, he lifted me and tossed me onto his bed. I landed on the large soft mattress, but there was nothing comforting about it. My heart pounded wildly, f
ELEANOR Armando’s grunt pulled me from my thoughts, grounding me in the reality of what I'd just witnessed. My heart hammered as I tried to process the swirl of emotions that had forced themselves on me—a strange, nauseating blend of anger, embarrassment, and a sickened curiosity I didn’t want to admit to.I didn’t know what to feel. Part of me was disgusted with myself for even feeling anything at all. The whole thing was insane, but I couldn’t stop myself from feeling something.Armando poured himself a glass of whiskey, downing it in one go, his head dropping towards the floor and his face expressionless. He seemed elsewhere, as if lost in thought. For a moment, I thought he’d forget about me—bound and gagged on his bed, until he turned around—without a word—and tossed a wad of cash at his fling.“Take that, go in there...” he said in a low mutter, gesturing towards the bathroom door, “…clean up, and get out.” He continued.She blinked, then held the blanket around herself tight
ELEANOR “What do you mean by ‘betrayal,’ exactly?” I asked, my voice as steady as I could manage.Armando didn’t even look at me, rather he just stared into his own reflection, a small smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. “I think you heard me clearly Eleanor, so let’s not make this difficult. Asking me to repeat myself… it’s not exactly a clever look for you.” He glanced at me briefly, but long enough to throw me a sideways smirk. “Not that you were all that smart to begin with. But at least try to pretend, hmm?”My stomach tightened, the familiar sting of his insults pressing against my patience. But I was too exhausted to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. I’d learned by now that snapping back only fed his need to humiliate me further. So, I just bit my tongue, letting the words slide off me. I needed to get out of this, not start a battle with him.“It’s not that I didn’t understand what you said,” I replied, carefully keeping my voice neutral, “it just… it caught me o
ARMANDO I started my morning like any other—up early and ready to get things moving, but today had a different weight to it. The night’s amusements were over and it was now time to get back to business. By the end of it, Lorenzo, Alessandro, or Giuseppe—one of them wouldn’t be walking out of here. One of them had betrayed me, one of them had been selling me out to my rivals, and today was the day I was finally going to find out who.After slipping my gun into its holster, I headed downstairs, glancing over the rail of the staircase while I was still at the top. They were all there like I expected. I never tolerated tardiness and they understood that well.I could see them standing close together, muttering to each other in low voices—though they wouldn’t bring up the reason they were here, not even between themselves. I‘d trained my men to keep things close to the chest. I had made it clear to each of them that the mission was confidential, so no matter what it was, I knew they eac
ARMANDOI kept the phone to my ear, listening carefully to Matteo’s calm but sharp tone on the other end.“Just as you told me boss, I set up three of my men to blend in with each of theirs,” Matteo said. “They kept eyes on each of them all through their separate deliveries from the ports to the warehouses.”I glanced at Alessandro, keeping my face neutral. It was now almost impressive watching him sit there with that same calm, collected expression.Matteo went on, “One of my men who was keeping tabs on Alessandro, saw him slip away to a corner, where he pulled out his phone and made a call.”He paused, letting that detail sink in. I clenched my jaw, barely containing the anger simmering under the surface.“What did he say?” I kept my voice steady, my eyes still on Alessandro.Matteo continued. “My man said he‘d told someone on the other end of the line that a fresh batch of goods had just arrived. Said he’d clear out the security so they could smuggle some out, though he warned the
ARMANDOI kept my gun steady, its weight grounding me as I stared Alessandro down. His eyes darted between me and Giuseppe—who also aimed at him. His face flickered with something between shock and desperation. Still, he held tight to his denial.Lorenzo glanced shortly at him as well, as if hoping Alessandro would somehow prove me wrong, that he’d explain all this away. But I wasn’t about to give him any more time to spin a story.I leaned forward, my finger resting on the trigger, shifting it ever so slightly. “This is your last chance, Alessandro,” I said quietly, my voice hard as stone. “Either you talk now, or I’ll pull this trigger, and that’ll be the end of it.”Alessandro’s mouth opened, then it closed right back. I could see his chest rising and falling as he looked for the right words, but I could also tell that he didn’t have them. The sweat on his brow told me he was running out of excuses but still, he had the nerve to shake his head—in pretentious disbelief. “Boss, I sw
ARMANDO Alessandro dropped his head, staring hard at the floor. He was barely holding himself together, and when he finally spoke, his voice was rough, breaking with each word.“I’m… I’m sorry, boss,” he said, like the words cost him everything. “I never wanted it to be like this. I honestly never thought it would've gone this far. It… it was all Don Salvatore. He’s the one who led me into all of this.”He shifted a little, glancing up at me before his gaze darted back down. “The sabotages, the… the men we took out… I swear, boss, it was him who pushed me to it.”“Really?” I asked, my voice cold and skeptical. “He just happened to pull you into this? How?”He exhaled a shaky breath, swallowing before he spoke. “Some stranger approached me. I didn’t know who he was at first, but I knew he came out of nowhere, as if he had been following me all along. He said he had someone who wanted to meet with me. Said there was business to discuss. And then he offered me thirty thousand dollars ju
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