It was about three weeks later, a month since Luciano and gone missing but Idrio did not give up on looking for him. Life has gotten so much better and we were all doing just fine.That morning, I woke up feeling sicker than the day before. I joined the family for breakfast after washing up and after we were done, I followed Idrio to his study, claiming to want to see him.He kissed me playfully when we got into his study room. "You wanted to see me...huh?" "Yes, Idrio. I would like to step out with Ray today." I said and he raised his brows, looking confused."Where to?" "No idea, yet. I just want to get some peep into the outside and I mentioned Ray because you would definitely have him go with me.""I will just go with you." He offered, turning around to look for his car key probably but I stopped him. "There's a whole lot for you to do, that I know very well. I will be fine, as long as Ray is with me." He was so reluctant to agree to that and that was not his fault actually. L
Elyse looked like she could practically jump out the window as she glued herself to the window. It was so obvious that she hardly sees anything outside the four walls of that tall and huge mansion.As Romano drove the car deeper into the hearts of the city, even I found myself reminiscing on the days I spent in the city. Nick would kill for an opportunity like this but I made sure to keep him busy with Desideria and that’s the only reason he doesn’t know I’m out of the house.The car zoomed past Sky Villa’s cafe and bar and I felt a sense of longing for the place where I worked off my butt at. Alex must be so worried about my suddenly disappearing and leaving work without any notice. The man might act like he’s the hardest person there is but he’s the world’s softest ball. I felt bad for suddenly leaving without giving him time to get someone else to work my shifts but I just hope he understands. Once everything is settled and I am finally out of Luciano’s clutches, I will make it u
I can’t believe I’m doing this.I can’t believe I’m heeding to a teenager and sneaking off with her like a rebellious teen. But I had no choice. With the little time I’ve being with Elyse, I know what she can do and the things she can’t do. Elyse doesn’t make empty threats and she will surely find her way to Don’s club with or without my help. But I thought it best to go with her. I don’t know my way around clubs too but it’s better to keep an eye on her.We walked out of the dressing room after I finally agreed to go with her to the club. I wasn’t sure of her plan to escape without Romano yet but she seemed to have it all planned out. It was then that I realized she has it planned long before we even came here at all. It was why she asked to go with me to the store. And now there’s nothing I can do about it.“Once again Elyse, we’ll be back in front of the store after an hour, okay? No more, no less”I said as we stood outside of the dressing room while she looked around to see if
The men I saw in the shadows were Luciano’s men. The silver seal on their suit pockets was a dead give-away. The club lights hit the seal just in time for it to shine and reveal their identities. I was wrong about Luciano not daring to come here. I should have known better than that and I should have thought twice about it before I let myself get dragged by Elyse down here when I know Luciano is probably turning the city upside down, looking for me. Me stepping out to save Elyse from the drunk man must have been what caught their attention.But I had no time to worry about that. I have to think fast and look for a way to get Elyse and I safely out of here and back to the store. And the only thing we both could do right then was too run. I grabbed Elyse’s hands and yelled to her“Run”She didn’t argue, she must have noticed how agitated I was.Once we took off, the men followed us on our trail and weaving their way through the suffocating crowd. Them running after us proved my thou
Darkness. Pitch black one.And then silence, pin-drop silence.I saw nothing. Heard nothing and felt nothing. It feels like I am in a void. Somewhere in-between being alive and being dead. In the middle of life and death. Life because I could feel myself breath. My breathing was the only thing that broke the silence in my head. Death because I felt nothing. Not my legs, not my hands and certainly not any other part of my body. Not even my heart. I don’t feel it hammering against my chestYet, my breathing-the only thing I could hear-was labored and heavy. Like I ran miles. Like I was barely trying to keep myself alive and breathing. Like it takes more than the usual way for me to breath. And like my life was hanging by a single rope.But I was certain none of that happened even if my memory was vague.I don’t remember a thing about why I’m in this void. Why I can’t move my body or control any muscle of mine. Why I can’t even feel my own heart beat. My memories were in shambles. They
Luciano never dishes out empty threats. Yes, he might not act upon them in that instant or if things change, but I have known him and suffered under him, long enough for me to know that he never dishes out empty threats. He makes sure to see every single one of them through.And that must be why my the smirk froze on my face. That must be why my breathing hitched at his words that came out as every bit of a threat as he has always dished out to me. My heart missed a beat at the sound of the word death. I felt myself tense but I tried to hide the fact that his words got to me.Too late though, because the smirk on his face turned into a full blown smile that gave a wicked glint to his eyes.“What are you talking about?” I dared to ask“You heard me and gosh you should have seen your face. You’re a very beautiful woman Claire but not when the color drains from your face” He said. I struggled with the locks that held me down to the bed. But it was a lost cause.“What the fuck are you t
“Stop!!!!!!!”I screamed so loud that I thought even I would go deaf. But the sound of my hear beating with terror and in fear against my chest proved to be more deafening than the sound of my loud scream.Everything fell silent at first.The beeping sound of the remote control had stopped and Luciano stopped talking too. I realized my eyes was tightly closed as if I was waiting to hear the explosion from miles away.I opened my eyes slowly and looked around.Luciano was still there. Watching me with the remote control still in his hands. His face held amusement and I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking or what was running through his head.And then, he smirked. The bastard fucking smirked after the emotional damage he just made me go through.Did he kill him? Did he really blow him up? God. I don’t even want to imagine that. Is Don really gone. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it but I just heard him count down right now and there was nothing I could do to stop him
I’m back to where I’ve always been all my life.Captivity.And I realized nothing has changed because it still feels like yesterday when I lost my freedom to Don. The only thing that has changed and the striking difference between how it used to be then and how it is now is that I wasn’t locked up in a dungeon that’s dark and filthy.He locked me up in a room. No chains and now barriers other than the locked door and the windows. After crying so much that night, I passed out, only for me to wake up and find myself in a different room from Luciano’s torture room.The room was fairly big. With all the comforts a room could have. Even the closet was filled up with different clothes, shoes and bags. That many clothes and nowhere to wear them too because I was locked up. I don’t even want to wear them.I wasn’t sure about how many days it has been since Luciano captured me because I didn’t know how long I was out for before I got moved here but I’ve counted the days with the food that get
Romano's POV I was back with Brad and we both watched and listened, waiting for Don to start talking. It seemed kind of difficult at first because it looked like he was putting a strain on his ability to remember but eventually, he began to talk. Brad stood nearby, concern written all over his face. “Take your time, Don. We’re here for you” He encouraged, his voice reassuring. I nodded in agreement, eager to hear him speak already, so we would know how far his recovery had gone. Don’s eyes closed for a while, then fluttered open some moments after. “I remember, Claire. She was my wife. I remember her scent. It was like….fresh flowers, maybe lilacs, or even lilies” He recalled. My heart swelled with emotion. He was indeed getting better. “Okay, what else do you remember?” I pressed, hoping to hasten his ability to respond He closed his eyes, trying to struggle. But Brad calmed him. "It's okay. Perhaps you remember something about a lodge?" He asked.He was stretching his memory
Don’s POV Darkness, light, darkness, and then light again. My eyes flickered open as I saw the ceiling of where I was. This wasn't anything like…Wait…The banging in my head and a buzz ringing in my ears and I had to lay back. There was an oxygen tank beside, it wasn't just that, a lot of other medical equipment followed.This wasn't our honeymoon, was it? I tried to search my memory for how I got here. The thing I could remember was a group of men attacking us on our way to the helicopter on the rooftop.Claire and I had planned to go for our honeymoon and, I was… attacked, shot in the arm. Claire had been bleedingI slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in the view of the room I was in. Everything was a blur. I had no idea where I was or how I got there. My mind was a complete blank.I tried to sit up, but dizziness washed over me again, forcing me back onto the pillow. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to calm myself down.As I lay on the bed, feeling lifeless, I started to
Claire's POV In a swift move, Salvatore cocked my head to the angle he wanted and kissed me hard. Hard and rough. His tongue devoured mine, seeking dominance. Surprisingly, I kissed back. With so much fervor. His lips not leaving mine, he grabbed my ass cheeks, lifting me up. On cue, I wrapped my legs around his waist and slowly, he led us to the bed and dropped me in it, hovering over me right after. We kissed some more as he rugged on the strap sleeves of my night dress. Successfully, both hands came off, baring my breasts to him. My nipples were already hardened, ready to be eaten, sucked on or whatever. His lips moved to my left breast, kissed my areola before nibbling on my nipple. He finally took it fully into his mouth, giving it soft bites as he sucked. His right hand strayed to my right breast and settled on it, fondling and squeezing, eliciting a moan from me. His hands switched places with his mouth and he repeated the same action, educing more moans from me. I reache
Claire's POV I knew Elyse suggesting that we should go to Romanthe's house to discuss a baby shower was a ploy to see her man.Getting to his entrance, I caught both of them giving each other a familiar look and a blush on Romano's face. His gaze met mine and I raised my eyebrows, not believing Romano could blush.He ushered us in without hesitation and offered us a glass of juice."So, what's the plan for the baby shower?" Romano asked."We were thinking of renting a multi-purpose hall," I said. "But then we thought, maybe it would be better to have it, at your house, Romano," I said, according to Elyse's idea."My house? Why's that?" Romano asked."Well, it's a family celebration, and we thought it would be more intimate and cozy at your house," Elyse said. "Plus, it's a lot safer than a public hall.""That makes sense," Romano said. "My house it is, then." Was he responding only because Elyse wanted it to?"Great," I said. "We can set up the backyard or the living room or whatever
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