ARMANDOThe silence in the room was heavy, and it didn't take too long before Matteo stepped in, greeting me with a single nod. He didn't waste any time because he already knew why he was here. Lorenzo and Alessandro were still sprawled on the floor with blood pooling beneath them.I looked at Lorenzo’s body for a moment longer, not saying anything. Death wasn’t new to me. Hell, I’d seen it more than enough times to know it was just part of the deal. I’d watched men die, ordered the killing of some, pulled the trigger myself more times than I could count. But this… seeing Lorenzo there lying lifeless, struck something different. He hadn’t just been any man but one of my best—a man who never asked too much questions, was always loyal to the cause, as well as always being available when I needed him. The loyalty he had given me… that kind of loyalty was rare.I glanced up at Matteo, who was watching me. He knew better than to ask questions, but I could see the way he studied me. I co
ELEANOR The pounding in my chest grew a lot louder as I heard a hard voice command us from outside. “Whoever is in there should get out of the car slowly and with both their hands where I can see them.” The tone left no room for doubt that whoever these men were, they were dead serious and fully prepared to make good on any threat. I stole a glance at Enzo, praying he’d understand that this was the time to just do whatever they asked—hopefully they'd take whatever they wanted sooner and let us be.“Enzo,” I whispered, voice shaking. “Please… don’t do anything stupid. Put the gun down. Let’s just… let’s just go along with it, okay?” I didn’t even know what I was saying—just that I was scared out of my mind, terrified that any wrong move could end in disaster.His eyes were fixed on me, hard and unmoving. “Eleanor, you don’t understand,” he murmured, tightening his grip on the gun, as if holding onto it would somehow fix this. “Let me handle it.”“No,” I said, pleading. “You’re not ha
ARMANDOThe sun had set a little over an hour ago and the night was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of wind against the windows. The quick flick of my lighter had a flare of light reflecting off the cigar in my hand before I brought it to my lips, smoke curling around me and drifting lazily towards the ceiling as I let out a slow exhale. It didn’t do much to ease the pressure weighing on my chest, but at least it was something.I stared out into the darkness, watching the faint shimmer of the stars against the black canvas of the sky. Normally, a view like that might’ve been calming, but tonight, it felt like a cruel joke—a serene backdrop to the chaos brewing just beneath the surface. The air in the room was still a bit heavy and thick with suspense as I waited to see when Enzo would finally return my calls.I had stopped calling his phone after the fifth attempt, each ring ending in silence. Although I didn’t want to admit that I was irritated, I definitely was. I mean, Enzo
ARMANDO The chauffeur’s words hung heavily in the air, but I wasn’t ready to believe it. My mind refused to let it sink in even as he stood there stammering.“What the fuck did you just say?” I asked, my voice low, sharp, and deadly calm.He shifted on his feet nervously, both hands trembling at his sides. “B—boss… I said… Miss Eleanor, s—she’s been taken. And Mr. Enzo…” He swallowed hard, unable to meet my eyes. “...Mr Enzo, he didn’t make it.”I barely managed to keep my composure after hearing him say that again.I turned my gaze towards Matteo who stood stiffly by the door. My patience was already on a razor’s edge and this wasn’t helping.“Why the fuck,” I said, my tone dangerously low, “would you let this fool say such nonsense to you outside, and then bring him in here to spew the same shit to my face?”Matteo didn’t answer right away, his lips pressed into a thin line as if weighing his words carefully.“At first I hoped it wasn’t true boss,” he said finally, his tone steady
ELEANORTears blurred my vision as I sat frozen in the car, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear the hum of the engine. My legs trembled uncontrollably, and I couldn’t seem to stop them. The man sitting beside me—the one Enzo had called Stephan—was silent, staring ahead like nothing had happened.But what had happened still kept on replaying in my memory like some traumatic event, something I was never going to forget—especially not anytime soon. I had watched Enzo die right in front of me, how they killed him like he was nothing—like he didn’t matter. And now, I was sitting next to one of the men who had done it. My throat felt tight, but I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe.Stephan didn’t look at me. His calmness was unnerving and I couldn't help but wonder how he could be so composed after what he had just done?I clenched my hands in my lap, my nails digging into my palms. I wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out—but I was terrified. I didn’t know what these men
ELEANOR When I woke up, everything was so dark that for a moment I thought I had gone blind. I could feel something pressing against my face, and that was when I realized that I had been blindfolded. My breathing quickened, panic rising as I tried to move my hands, but they wouldn’t budge. I tried my legs next, but the same rope seemed to have them bound together, keeping me curled up on my side.I was trapped. Helpless.The low hum of an engine vibrated beneath me so I could tell that was still in a moving vehicle. My heart raced as the memories came flooding back. Stephan, the handkerchief, Enzo...How long had I been out? Hours? Days? I had no way to know. My throat felt dry, my muscles ached, and the sheer helplessness of the situation made me want to scream. But I couldn’t. Not yet. I needed to stay calm—at least until I figured out what was going on.The vehicle slowed down suddenly and then came to a stop, making my heart skip beats repeatedly.This is it.I strained my ears
ELEANOR I stood there frozen with both my legs trembling beneath me. My knees were weak—barely holding me upright, my ankles throbbed from where the ropes had burned into my skin, and every slight shift of my weight sent sharp aches through them. The guard assigned to watch me loomed a little too close than necessary, as if daring me to make a move he could punish.I had no intention of running because there was nowhere I could possibly go. I didn’t even know where I was, much less how to get out. The mansion was huge—a fortress surrounded by God knows what, and trying to escape would only prove to be pointless. I also wasn’t ready to test the patience of the same men who had kidnapped me.I tried to steady myself—taking slow breaths to stop the shaking—as my thoughts spun wildly, panic tugging at every corner of my mind. I needed to stay conscious, to stay present, else I would collapse under the weight of my own fear.Time dragged on—every second stretching into an eternity—as I
ELEANOR Stephan's boss remained standing at the top of the staircase a while longer as he seemed to carry the entire room’s attention on his shoulders. It was clear that he wasn’t just about to walk down the stairs, he was also about to make an entrance, ensuring everyone in the room knew exactly who was in charge.The air felt heavier with each step he took—each slow step a deliberate declaration of dominance. His polished shoes gleamed under the chandelier's light, and both his hands tucked inside his pockets as though he had all the time in the world. By the time he reached the base of the stairs, the room was dead silent.They all moved almost in unison—Stephan, the senior guard, and the one who had been keeping an eye on me—and one by one, they bowed their heads, murmuring greetings I couldn’t quite catch. I could tell that it wasn’t just respect because these men looked at him like he was untouchable.Fear kept my body stiff, but something else—stubbornness, or even my anger—
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