DON’S P.O.VThe journey home was meant to take two hours but we were home in less than that. I wasn’t sure what time exactly or how it happened but I was already running out of the car the moment it rolled into a stop in the garage.I ran into the mansion and looked frantically around.I was losing it. My mind was out of place and all of my thoughts were jumbled together. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. The last time I felt like my whole life was crumbling was when Elyse ran off from home when we had an argument that revolved around her not being allowed to go to my club or any club at all. I lost contact with and I almost went crazy while looking for her. She was the only one that kept me sane and gave me light in the darkness of my life. Her bright exuberance adds color to my dark life.Words can’t explain how relieved I was when she came back home herself. She was in tears and told me she almost got raped but was saved by a stranger who took her home.Weird how that strange
DON’S P.O.V“Red Benz. Number of occupants yet to be confirmed but Luciano is the only one that can be identified in the car. Going towards crescent Highway and taking the route that leads to Edwin Campbell Hospital. Eyes are on him to be sure he’s really heading to the hospital”“Why the fuck would Luciano be going to a hospital?”I bellowed.The moment Romano brought a different news other than the one I’ve always heard. I dashed out of the room , leaving Elyse and into the room that was set up as a control room to track every movement Luciano might make. The control room had eyes on all the roads that had CCTV cameras and it’s how we’ve been trying to track Luciano. My heart lit up with hope when Romano came with that news and my heart beat increased wildly.But how does he suddenly go out of reach only to appear out of nowhere and be heading to a hospital? I saw his car through the cameras as it drove way past the speed limit on the only route that leads to that private hospita
DON’S P.O.VI was still in shock of his attack and a broken nose but I talked anyway.“You’re a coward Luciano, that’s the only reason you came hiding in here. Tell me, have you suddenly run out of tricks?”“I can’t say. Have I really…oh wait! I still have one here”He came at me before I could comprehend his words and landed another to my face. It had me reeling back and falling to the floor that was filled with hay. I groaned hard and tasted blood on my lips. My gun went flying somewhere in the dark barn as the pain seared through my entire body.“You know, I’ve always wondered what made you so different from the rest of us out there. You walk and act like you’re royalty of some kind when you’re just another generation of a stupid family business that has been controlled for ages!. You follow stupid rules. Stupid principles all in the name of upholding a legacy. Made the rest of us seem weak! And then just had to interfere in my affairs. Ruined my business and made me fear you!”“I
DON’S P.O.V“.……she was two months pregnant and from the charts, it shows that----”“Wait….was? What do you mean she was?”The doctor’s face softened and I could see the look of pity and uncertainty in her eyes before she answered. I could bet I looked as horrified as I sounded, trying to believe I heard her wrong.“I’m sorry sir but she lost the baby. Her blood pressure was so high when she was brought here about an hour. She’s stressed, barely fed and traumatized. It’s why she fainted and all of these reasons also contributed to the loss of the baby. I’m sorry sir. Right now all she needs is rest, adequate one and she’ll be fine”No. I don’t think she will. I failed you Claire, I came too late.…...A MONTHS LATER.The smell of antiseptics as well as disinfectant wafted in and out of my nostrils as I stepped into that all too familiar hospital. I hated the pungent smell and for more reasons other than it, I’m always keeping myself from throwing up all over the place.I’ve been in t
My baby. I didn’t see it coming. Fuck! I wasn’t even sure if I was ready to be a father at any point in my life but when I was told that the baby died, it felt like I lost a part of me. A part of me that I didn’t even get to know. I think of a small me all the time with hazel eyes like Claire's if it turned out to be a girl or blue eyes like mine if it was boy. Whatever it is the baby could have looked like, it pained me so much that I lost it that way. It felt like I failed as a father and as a man to Claire. But most importantly, it felt like I lost a connection and bond with Claire.If I went crazy after hearing about the baby, Claire went ballistic.So much that the doctors and nurses couldn’t control her. It hurt to see her hurt so much every passing day of the past month. Claire was the shadow of herself all through that month. Whenever anyone visited, she would just stare into empty space and not talk to anyone. I heard her cry a few times when I’m about to open the door to he
ONE YEAR AFTER(AUTHOR’S POV)“Don’t look Elyse, but I think we’re being stalked.”Claire could have used a more subtle and less terrifying word instead--something along the lines of ‘followed’ but judging by how long she’s noticed the presence of strange men around them, no other word felt more right than that.Elyse turned to look anyway and the men, all scattered around the restaurant that the young women were eating at, looked away immediately and tried to hide themselves from her eyes. A number of them did a terrible job at it, making it so obvious that they were caught looking at the women.“I told you not to look!” Claire whispered. Her hazel eyes flamed as she stared at Elyse. Elyse merely turned back to look at Claire with a shrug of her shoulders. She thought to herself, once again, her brother has hired morons who can’t even do their job right to watch her and the woman he was still pinning after.“Relax. They’re just…I don’t know, admiring how beautiful we are or something
AUTHOR’S P.O.VThey were back to meet Don moments later and his driver helped them put their things in the back of the car boot. Claire made to open the other drivers seat but Elyse was quick to open it and sit. She fastened her seatbelt immediately and smiled smoothly at Claire.“I’ll take the front seat! “she announced.Claire was conflicted. That leaves her to sit with…Oh God! Elyse did it on purpose. She sneered at her before turning resignedly to open the passengers seat at the right and got in with Don who sat by the left.The car began to move moments later. The cold air of the nigh was killing but the tension looked like it would kill them both before the cold. The tension between them was so thick that a knife would be needed to cut through it.They both tried to look at each other from the sides of their eyes.Claire must admit though, he’s gotten finer in just a year. His usually jelled hair was combed down to fall over his forehead and she liked that look better on him. Hi
EpilogueDon pulled away slightly, their foreheads still resting together as their breaths mingled in the quiet aftermath of their kiss. His thumb gently wiped away the remnants of her tears, his gaze soft yet full of unreadable expression. Claire felt her heart settle, the rapid thumping replaced by a calm feeling.“I've been waiting for this moment for so long,” Don whispered, his voice husky with emotion. “But there’s one more thing I’ve been waiting to do for so long.”Claire blinked, her mind still lost in the haze of their kiss. “What do you mean?”With a small smile, Don released her gently and stepped back. Claire’s heart skipped a beat as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. Her breath caught in her throat as he dropped to one knee, his eyes never leaving hers.“Claire,” he began, his voice steady but full of the weight of everything they had gone through, “I know we’ve had our ups and downs, and there have been moments I wasn’t sure we’d get here. B
Claire's POV"I'm so excited for the baby shower," Elyse said, looking up at me with a smile. "We need to start planning the details. What's your theme? Have you thought about games and food?"Elyse and I were resting on the couch in the penthouse, enjoying a lazy afternoon together. We'd just finished lunch, and Elyse couldn't get over her excitement about the baby shower I was planning.I laughed. "Slow down, Elyse. I've barely had time to think about it. But I do know I want something simple and intimate. Maybe just close friends and family."I was almost due…oh, I could feel this baby coming and I was excited at the thought of going into labor and birthing Don's son.Elyse nodded. "That sounds perfect. And I've already started thinking about baby names. I have a few favorites for a boy."I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What are they?"Elyse grinned "Well, I think 'Atticus' is a great name. Or maybe 'Ethan'?"I chuckled. "Those are both nice names. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. W
Claire's POV The ringing doorbell interrupted my movie, causing me to wonder how it was, but I felt too lazy to stand up. Maybe it was my pregnancy after all. The doorbell rang again almost immediately but I didn't see any sign of anyone else coming to answer it. I took that as my cue to answer it. But just as I was about to stand up, Elyse appeared in the living room. “I'll answer it, don't worry” Elyse said I turned to the door when Elyse opened it, and I was greeted by the sight of Romano standing there, with a warm smile on his face. He looked just as handsome as I remembered, with his tousled hair and charming eyes. “Heyyyy” he drawled, stepping forward to wrap her in a hug. I could see the delight on her face as she embraced him. It was a sweet moment, one that made my heart swell and miss Don . I suddenly wished he were here. Damn you, Salvatore! I cursed inwardly. “Heyyy” She replied back “It's so good to see you” Elyse said, pulling back from the hug but keeping her han
Romano’s POV I walked into the room of one of my underground houses set aside as a ward for Don’s healing and recovery. It all came as a flashback, rushing into my memories. How I had been tracking Don for hours, following the clues. I knew Salvatore's men were closing in on him, and I had to act fast if I was going to save his life.From a distance, I had seen Don sprinting towards the river, Salvatore's men drew their guns, aiming at Don who had just jumped into the river. I had to act fast, but I didn't have a choice till they weren't watching and I had stopped shooting. A few minutes after they had gone, I sprinted towards the water's edge, scanning the river for any sign of Don. That's when I saw him, his body in the water as he tried to swim away from the riverbank.But he was hurt, badly. I could see the blood spreading through the water, and I knew I had to get to him, fast. I dove into the river and I swam towards Don. As I reached him, I wrapped my arm around his chest, h
Elyse's POV Just as I settled into the couch for a movie on Netflix with a tube of Pringles and a glass of lemon squash, my phone beeped and a notification came in. It was a message from Romano. My heart skipped three beats. I abandoned my movie for his text. ‘I can't wait to see you in the dress. Sign and collect ASAP. And no, I'm not spilling the location’ Wait, what? This could only mean one thing. Romano was taking me out. He was asking me out on a date. A proper, restaurant date. We hadn't done this before, although we had a lot of chemistry. I liked Romano a lot and he liked me right back, so there was no way I was going to say no or stand him up. The doorbell rang immediately and I answered it. A face–capped man with a package, clipboard and pen stood, waiting for me. I wrote my signature hastily, got the package and dashed back inside.I didn't even bother exiting Netflix, I just grabbed my phone and sprinted up the stairs. I got into the shower right as I got into my roo
Claire's POV Today was the day of baby Nolan's baptism, and I couldn't wait to celebrate this special moment with our little family.I noticed the bodyguards stationed outside our door. A reminder that I still needed to be protected from that monster, Salvatore.The chapel was beautiful, it had been a long time. It had never felt that far. It was so good to be home. Madam Desideria, Elyse, and I took our seats, surrounded by our securities The ceremony was lovely, with baby Nolan looking adorable in his tiny white outfit.As the priest poured the holy water over Nolan's head, I felt a lump form in my throat. And although Don might not admit or it might not seem like it, this baby had brought so much joy into our lives, and I was grateful to be a part of his journey.As we stepped forward, Madam Desideria, Elyse, and I walked over to the front steps of the cathedral, where we knelt on the stone floor."Let us pray," Madam Desideria said, in her soothing voice.We bowed our heads, and
Claire's POV I watched as Elyse and Romano said their goodbyes. He gave her a long peck on her right cheek as they hugged. “Alright guys, let's get going now” I signalled to them. The sun was getting brighter and I wanted us to get to the penthouse before late afternoon. I looked at the wall on the clock. The time read 09:10 am. “Take care, Elyse, I'll miss you” Romano smiled at her “I'll miss you too” She smiled back Our bags were hauled by some bodyguards to the trunks of the two vehicles taking us. When they were done, we said our final goodbyes to Romano, waving and smiling. We boarded the vehicles and soon, we were speeding down the road. It was going to be a long ride so I decided to keep myself busy. I plugged in my earphones and selected a movie –Disney’s Mufasa– to watch. Baby Nolan on the other hand was enjoying Cocomelon which was playing on the mini television in the car. I wasn't sure exactly how long we took but we were at the underground penthouse already. We ali
Claire's POV "Let's take a moment to remember…" I held back more tears, even when my face was red and swollen. "…a mentor, a brave man, a brother, ...a husband" I couldn't control it anymore.Romano came to my side, rubbing me by the side as he comforted me. Elyse sat at a side, her expression numb, she said no word nor did I hear a sob, but her face watered.I wanted to tell her again that I was sorry. That this was entirely my fault. How would I be able to live through this guilt? Staying in the same house knowing that I pulled the trigger and even made no effort to find his body for a proper burial."Don was everything…to me, ..to us" I continue, in between my sobs. "I love you, Don." I kissed the flowers, as I placed them on the little pavement around our former house, where Don and I spent most of our memories.Since there was no corpse to mourn, I thought it was only proper to pay tribute to his property. This wasn't a mode to move on. Never, could I move on from this. But ra
Claire's POV Tears streamed down our cheeks as I returned to hug my late husband’s sister. If only she knew how her brother died. I sighed. We remained in the embrace for God knows how long. After a while, Elyse slowly pulled away, first wiping her tears before she wiped mine. “That's okay, Claire, that's okay. Enough with the tears” She wiped under my eyes “What matters right now is that you're back, hale and hearty” “I know, right “ I replied, my eyes still teary “I'm so glad to be home, Elyse. You don't know how much I've missed you guys” I broke down into fresh tears. My outburst lasted for quite a while and Elyse did nothing but be patient with me, while rubbing my back and saying soothing words to me. I calmed down after a while, only shaking with silent sobs. “Come right in. Sorry we left you at the door” Elyse ushered me into the house “It's fine. You all were surprised to see me” I replied as I sat on a couch. I looked around the house, taking in everything. I had miss
Claire's Pov"Hey, Bambina" the soft voice of Don, like a wind had brought it and taken it away too. "Bambina, you look so good…spreading out your fucking legs like that" The voice suddenly changed into Salvatore's voice and I sprang up from the bed, waking up from a terrible nightmare.The switch from my sweet Don to Salvatore the monster had startled me. It was like Salvatore kept interrupting every moment I wanted to have with Don, even in my dreams.I rolled on the bed, cuddling the pillow to my chest as I resumed crying. I had cried all through the night and had begun again this morning. The feeling of being in New York is all of Don's memories and I thought I was ready, but I was not.I went on my knees beside the bed, in prayer mode. "I am sorry Don, please forgive me." I sobbed. "You were my literal existence and I took that life from you. I hate myself right now. I am so sorry, Don" I cried."I love you, my husband. I do"After more confessions, like Don's spirit was beside m