Claire's POV I couldn't stop smiling as I hung up the phone with Nick. It felt amazing to reconnect with my old friend. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. We had so much to catch up on. Where had he been? Was he in love now? Did he have a boyfriend already or was it just a train of fling after fling? There was so much to talk about. He called when I was in the kitchen doing the dishes. I had just finished eating my favorite dish and I was about to take a shower. Now I had to suspend that and fix something for Nick. I had to receive him in grand style. I quickly texted Nick my address, eager to see him soon. His visit would be a lovely surprise to brighten up my evening. I grabbed a packet of spaghetti from the cupboard and threw the strands into a pot. Pasta and meatballs were Nick’s favorite so I was just going to prepare that for him. I moved around the kitchen from one point to the other, picking ingredients and throwing them into the pot. I stirred and taste
Claire's PovHe was brutally injured. Why must anyone do this to a human? The flesh in his wounds oozed out blood. The doctor didn't arrive on time and I could not help but pace the room fearing it would be worse even with Luke calming me down.As the doctor packed up his medical supplies and bid us farewell, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. Nick's wounds were tended to, but I bet the emotional scars would take longer to heal."Thank you, doctor," I said. Nick's eyes lingered on mine, I could see the fear settled in his eyes. He must have been so terrified by the robbers who assaulted him. "I'll be here tomorrow," The doctor said and left."It's late, I need to go," Luke said, taking off the hood of his clothes from his head."Please, Claire, let him stay," Nick immediately jumped off his bed like he could stop Luke, but the pain held him back as he groaned falling back on the bed."He can't go back to that place, not after what happened." His eyes pleaded with me, and my heart ra
Don’s POV “Don?” Her jaw dropped as her eyes widened She hadn't expected me to show up, especially after our last heated argument. I was the last person she wanted to see. What was she thinking, letting another man into her space? The images from the cameras flashed in my mind – two people had come in, even three cause someone in a doctor's uniform followed suit.The first was a familiar face, Nick. He was rushed in by someone whose appearance disturbed me as he was wearing a hood and looked like he was deliberately avoiding the camera. The one time he pulled his hood off, he was behind the surveillance."Claire, what's going on here?" I demanded, my voice low, when she finally faced me.Claire, smiling at that stranger, touching her waist, burned me. The moment I saw them, I had taken my car keys and burst out of the house with Elyse and Romano asking where the fuck I was going. I kept watching the apartment camera from my car as I sped off the highway. It was just a two-hour jou
Don’s POV "None of you are picking up my calls," Elyse said on the other end. "You stormed out angrily…is everything okay with Claire"I wasn't surprised she asked about Claire instead of me, of course, she knew the only thing that could get me extremely worried was something happening to Claire."Claire is fine…we are all fine," I told her, my voice opposing my words."Don…take it easy on Claire, you know she's pregnant and…""I know…" I cut her shut. "But being pregnant didn't mean lurking around with other men and…""Claire would never do that, you should talk gently with her without accusing her" Elyse sounded like she had a deep frown on her face.They were inseparable, it was useless to defend myself. "I'll talk to you later…""No…" she insisted, but it was too late as I had hung up. My stomach rumbled just as soon as I ended the call. I stormed into the kitchen, my hunger and fatigue getting the better of me. Not like I was sure I was going to find food but I just went anyway.
Don's PovAs our lips met, the tension between us let loose. My hands roamed her body, relearning every curve as she repaid with her fingers tracing the lines of my face. We had been longing for each other for way too long and the kiss deepened.We broke apart, gasping for air. I carried her up on my waist, wrapping her in my arms. "I need you, Claire," I whispered, my voice husky with desire.She nodded, her eyes locked on mine. I carried her to our bedroom and laid her on the bed, Claire's hands reached for me. I pulled off my clothes, my eyes never leaving hers. "Make love to me, Don," Claire whispered, her voice shivering with desire as her hands wrapped around my neck.Our lips curled into each other once again as I hovered above her. And, tongues intertwined. Claire's fingers dug into my back, her nails tracing my ways of pleasure. Every touch, every kiss, every whisper was as passionate and special. No man could replace doing this to my wife. I would not take it, not stand i
Don's Pov Cowen walked into my domain - just a side of the diner that I had gotten extra comfortable in. He wore a serious look on his face. "Don. I've got something," Cowen said, handing over the bag. The small bag containing the camera tapes. I raised an eyebrow."Tapes from the cafe and mall. I think you'll find them interesting."My eyes widened. He had done the job real quick, just like I wanted it. I quickly inserted the first tape into the player. The coarse footage showed Luke entering the cafe with my wife, but the most interesting was his face was visible.Just like I predicted. This was all I needed."Is this...?" Cowen's voice trailed off.I nodded. "Luke, aka Salvatore. His face is on our database. It's a match." I turned over the laptop to Cowenas he checked Salvatore's file. I had requested that Romano send them to me this morning.My expression turned fierce. "I knew it. He's been trying to play us all along."However, there was more. The second tape showed Luke meeti
Don's POV I adjusted myself in my seat, crossing my right leg over my left as I scanned the packed hall. Today was Claire's diploma verification award day, and I couldn't miss it for the world. My girl was finally graduating and would soon be able to pursue her career as a luxury event planner. The auditorium buzzed with excitement, filled with graduates, families, and friends. Claire's university had transformed the space into a celebration hub, with balloons and streamers adorning the walls.The uniform clapping of persons present in the hall distracted me from the COD game I was playing, making me raise my head. In a bid to show some iota of respect to the gray-haired man who had just finished talking, I joined in the clapping which soon came to a stop. My eyes darted to where the graduates sat and after moving over the heads and profiles of different men and women, I finally spotted Claire. She sat aglow in her graduation gown and her hair was styled perfectly. Her make-up arti
Claire’s POVMy head swam. “Luke is Salvatore” Don’s words reverberated in my head. How was that even possible? Luke and Salvatore were clear opposites. So, how could Salvatore be Luke? “Don, that’s impossible. Luke can’t be Salvatore. Salvatore is a Mafia Boss, Luke on the other hand can’t even hurt a fly”“Wait until he hurts you. I guess that’s when you’ll believe me” Don replied, eyes on the road. Although it was dark, and aside from the car’s headlights, the ceramic tints of the car made us see perfectly well as if it were morning. “I need proof, Don. I just can’t swallow what you said hook, line, and sinker”He tapped his breast pocket repeatedly before sliding down to feel the pockets of his tailored pants. “Are you looking for something?”“Yes, my phone. The proof that you so badly need is in there”“You tossed it in the backseat when we got into the car, remember?”“How come I‘m having memory lapses? I mean, I’m not even forty yet”“Boy, you getting old” I spanked the bac
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