Antonio's POV“Baby!!!” Sophia screamed as she threw herself on me. She pressed a disgusting kiss on my lips.“I was looking all over for you until I was told you were in here with her.” she said eyeing Giulia, “ I had to rush over before she kills you.”I didn't say a word. I watched Giulia, who ate quietly; she seemed not to care about what Sophia was saying.“Why is she even eating here with you? She looks very wretched.”“She's eating here because I want her to,” I answered dryly.Giulia raised her head to look at me. Our eyes met and she looked away.Well, Sophia didn't back down, “why then is she dressed like this? It's disgusting.”“I know.”I was honestly tired of Sophia's drama. I told her many times that I was tired of the relationship but she kept coming back.“I want her to leave this place.” Sophia pouted.“I want her to stay, Sophia.” I looked at Giulia who struggled to keep her head at her plate. She wanted to look up at me so bad but she continued to act like she didn'
Antonio's POV “No… wait,” I said before she could take the dress off her head. Something more fun came to mind. Giulia stopped. She seemed to relax a bit, but her eyes were filled with uncertainty; she wasn't sure what I was about to do next, and I loved it so much that she had no clue. Well, she didn't feel relaxed for long. “I'll help you take it off.” Giulia gasped; She sure wasn't expecting me to say that. I took a few steps and covered the distance between us. “Now, where do I start?” I asked, looking her over. I let my hands rest on her shoulders and locked eyes with her. I leaned so close that just a little push could land my lips on hers. She didn't flinch. Of course, she wouldn't. Something similar happened the day before. She just looked back into my eyes, and all they said was, “You can't get me this time.” Poor Giulia! Just as she failed to predict, I placed my lips on hers and her eyes widened. I didn't let her recover from the shock before I ripped her dress ap
Giulia's POV“Good morning ma'am.” The chief maid greeted me as I hurried to the kitchen.“Good morning,” I answered and then stopped. “Who makes Don Antonio's tea?”“Tea?” She asked, surprised, and right there, I knew I was doomed. “Yes, tea,” I answered desperately, hoping that what I had in mind was not true. “He asked me to bring his tea to his room before sunrise.”“Don Antonio has never asked us to bring tea to him in the morning, and he normally makes his tea.”It was at this point I knew Don Antonio had set me up. I felt like crying that instant. I had to think of something.“Are you okay ma'am?” She asked in curiosity. An idea came to mind.“ Do you know what he uses to make his tea?” I asked with anxiety kicking in.“Yes, I do.”“Do you know how he makes it?”“No, I don't. I only give him the beverage, I have not seen him use it.” This wasn't going to be so hard since I knew what he used or so I thought.“Show them to me then,” I said and began to walk to the kitchen hopi
Antonio's POV “You are two minutes late,” I said, raising the stopwatch for her to see, and her face fell. Her eyes were red from frustration and it pleased me to see that she looked that way. This was the third time she was running into my room with the tea and she ended up drinking every one of them. “Four… five… six…” I counted as she drank the tea. As she drank, tears rolled down her pretty face. “I'm done.” She said, her voice barely audible. I could tell her tongue was facing trauma. That is what cruel men do right? I quickly set up my watch and said. “Your time starts now.” This time, she didn't run; she fell flat before me, sobbing. “Please, please, I'm sorry. This hurts so bad. I'm not having any fun, please…” “Who says you are supposed to have fun?” I asked with my brows high. “It's my game and I'm supposed to have all the fun.” She raised her head to look at me and I could tell that she was in pain. “Your time starts now.” I said immediately she stood up and she ra
Giulia's POV“What are you doing here?” Sophia asked in shock, which was seemingly covered by her sassy aura.“I was just talking a walk,” I answered with a suspicious look.“It seems to me that you are now jobless,” Lorenzo said, “I'll speak to Don Antonio to fix something crucial for you during the day.”Was the threat necessary?I was taking a quick stroll as Don Antonio hadn't assigned anything to me yet.Not because he didn't want to but because he was busy and for the first time in three weeks of my stay here, I was free.I decided to take a walk and explore the building since I hadn't had the chance to; that was when I bumped into Sophia and Lorenzo coming out of a room.“This place is out of bounds to everyone. It is a restricted quarter.” Lorenzo said again when I didn't say anything after the first statement he made.Why, then, are you here if it's restricted? I asked mentally.“It's alright then; I'll just retrace my steps.” Of course, my mouth will always say otherwise.I
Antonio's POVI walked to the study that I assigned Giulia to clean and I must admit that she did a good job.Although, walking into the room brought back memories of things that I didn't want to remember.I lost the most important person in my life in this room, and thanks to that madman.I walked out of the room before any more thoughts came to mind.I hadn't seen Giulia since after she dropped my tea and she seemed to look pale this morning.I walked to her room and when I pushed the door open, I saw Giulia laying on her bed with a maid cleaning her head with a wet cloth.The maid bowed slightly when she saw me.“What is going on here?” I asked, pretending not to see that she was sick.“She seems to be having a fever, sir.”“Okay.” I looked at Giulia whose eyes were closed. She opened them for a while, and our eyes met, and for some reason best known to me, I didn't feel remorse.She forced herself to sit and I didn't tell her to lay back as any gentleman would do.“I'll call the p
Giulia's POVI walked out of my room to the dining room. Don Antonio had instructed that I join him for lunch.This was my first year here and I still didn't understand why he kept asking me to join him for meals.I thought slaves ate in the kitchen or where? If I wasn't a slave, then what was I? Maybe I was a doomed captive.Yes, a doomed captive I was. Don Antonio didn't cease to frustrate me every passing day. He never ran out of ideas on terrible things to do to me.Neither Lorenzo nor Sophia were helping matters.Even though I made his tea perfectly, he still found a way to frustrate me, I still sold drugs, I still danced naked, I cleaned his room, washed his robes, yet he still invited me to the…“Oh my God! I'm so sorry” I pleaded. I had bumped into Don Antonio while I was lost in thoughts.I thought he was supposed to be at the table. I wasn't late.He didn't say anything, he just folded his hands behind him and looked at me.“I'm so, so sorry master,” I said again.“It's okay
Giulia's POVI sat quietly as I watched two brothers argue because of me.This was the second time Don Antonio had to pounce on someone because they touched me, still yet he wanted to kill me.I wasn't expecting Vincenzo to kiss my cheeks. It was obvious he did that to annoy his brother.It was still a surprise to me that Don Antonio was a twin. An unidentical one at that.Watching Don Antonio push his brother against the wall seemed like he was pushing himself because there was no way one could tell the difference between the two men.There sure was going to be a difference; I just hadn't noticed it yet.Don Antonio walked back to the table angrily the moment his brother left. He stood beside me and I could tell from his eyes that he was mad with anger.“Stand up.” I stood up immediately and I was standing right in front of him.“Stay away from my brother, Giulia.” He said with his burning gaze not leaving mine.How was I supposed to know the difference between them?“Yes, master,”
Giulia POV“Giulia, take off your panties and begin to touch yourself.”There was no smirk on his face, his expression was blank. I wasn't sure if I should do as he had said or disobey.I stood there watching him in silence. I was scared but I wasn't just going to let him take advantage of me.“You are quite stubborn,” he said. “The thing is, there's no guarantee that you are going to see Antonio again.”“I will see him again,” I answered almost immediately.“Well… till then, you'll do as I say.”“I’ll do as you say but not on this one.”“Then, I'll make you,” he scoffed.The crackle of a gun brought me to my senses.“You can either choose to die or do as I say.”I took my panties off and here I was naked before my captor’s rival. All I wanted was to run away from earth entirely.My life was a total mess. I began to wonder how I became so unfortunate.I let my hands roam all over me; from my breasts to my laps and he watched quietly.I walked to him slowly and seductively. He watched
Giulia's POV“Welcome to my home, Giulia,” he said, his voice dripping with charm. “I'm glad we could come to an agreement,” Leonardo said as he gently removed my blindfold.He smiled, his eyes gleaming with triumph.I stepped out of the car and onto the driveway, my eyes widening as I took in the grandeur of Leonardo's mansion.The building was a masterpiece of modern architecture, with sleek lines and towering spires that seemed to touch the sky.Leonardo's hand was wrapped around my wrist, his grip tight as he pulled me towards the entrance. I stumbled and my heels clicked on the marble floor as we stepped inside.The interior of the mansion was just as impressive as the exterior.The walls were adorned with priceless artwork, and the furniture was elegant and modern.I felt a surge of unease as I realized the true extent of my situation. I was a pawn in a game of power and manipulation, and there was no way out. All thanks to my dad.Leonardo's voice cut through my thoughts, his t
Antonio's POV“What just happened has nothing to do with me,” Leonardo shrugged. “I came here for something, and I'm going to leave with it.”Those words hit me like a bomb. I had to think of something fast.If I should let Leonardo take Giulia, there had to be a way to bring her back. I wasn't just going to do something without thinking of a solution.She was my companion and our contract hadn't expired yet but that wasn't excuse enough.My empire was failing and I needed the negotiation but letting Giulia go just didn't go well with me.“Leonardo… you will surely leave with what you came for,” I said and his eyes glimmered in triumph.I turned to Giulia who sat stunned at my speech.“Antonio, do you…” Vincenzo started but I interrupted him.“But we'll have a deal,” I continued. “What deal?” Leonardo asked.“You’ll take Giulia for the negotiation but the moment my empire gets back on its feet, you'll give her back.”Leonardo laughed. “ Your empire is below getting back on its feet;
Giulia's POV“Marco De Luca is here,” the bodyguard who hurriedly walked in said.I suddenly found it difficult to breathe. This was completely insane.What was he doing here?I felt the blood drain from my face as Marco de Luca walked in, his eyes blazing with anger.He had his hands crossed behind his back and bodyguards surrounding him."What's going on here?" Marco demanded, his voice echoing through the room.Leonardo's smile faltered, but he quickly regained composure. "Just discussing a mutually beneficial arrangement, Marco."Marco's gaze locked onto me, and I shrank under his intense stare. How did he know about Leonardo's proposal?How did words spread so fast?"You think you can take her from me?" Marco spat, his voice dripping with venom. "She's mine."I turned to Antonio who watched Marco with intense gaze. He seemed unbothered by whatever he said; he didn't spare me a glance.“What makes you think she is yours?” Leonardo asked.“She was sent here on a mission,” he paused
Antonio's POV"Reports indicate our re-strategize efforts are failing," I growled, frustration etched on my face.I stood at the head of the conference table, surveying my team.The four men whom I had added earlier, Alessandro, Mario, Franco, and Roberto, sat quietly, their faces set.Giulia’s eyes narrowed. "Someone's leaking information."“Exactly! And we still haven't figured out who it is.” Rage was building up inside of me.Vincenzo nodded, his expression thoughtful.Giulia's gaze met mine, concern flickering.Mario, my head of security, spoke. "Sir, I've reviewed the protocols. Our systems are secure."Franco, my financial advisor, added, "Transactions are clean."Roberto, a seasoned enforcer, grunted. "My guys are loyal."Lorenzo took notes, his expression intent."Who could be betraying us?" I demanded.Alessandro, my private detective voice dropped. "We'll investigate every angle."Giulia's hand brushed mine and my gaze swept the room."Vincenzo, what do you think?" I asked
Giulia's POVI navigated the dimly lit warehouse, maneuvering through shady figures negotiating tirelessly over illicit goods.Don Antonio had described where I would find Victor, and I looked around for it."Giulia!" A huge black guy behind a marble counter called out to me.“Name?” I asked as I approached him.“Victor, Why?” he answered with raised brows.“I just wanted to be sure,” I answered, handing over the envelope."Package from Antonio."Victor's eyes scanned the contents before nodding. "Good work. Tell Antonio, 'Eagle's Wings' are secured."I nodded, allowing the cryptic message to sink in.As I turned to leave, my gaze swept across the warehouse. That was when I saw him – Lorenzo, standing near a pillar, conversing with someone.My curiosity sparked and I edged closer.The person beside Lorenzo wore a hoodie, face hidden but a flash of red lipstick caught my attention.Sophia?I froze, unsure.Lorenzo's companion sensed my gaze and swiftly pulled the hoodie tighter, conceal
Giulia's POVI walked to Antonio's study with the files he asked me to keep earlier lost in thought.The current situation of the empire was just so unexpected and unpleasant. Who'd think that this would ever happen?What also bothered me was how Don Antonio allowed Sophia to go after all she did.Maybe he had something special in mind for her, who knows?That dude is dangerous!Suddenly, Lorenzo appeared beside me."Giulia, can I have a word?" he asked, his tone low.“Okay,” I answered a bit surprised.Lorenzo wasn't the one to talk to me. The only time he spoke to me was when Don Antonio asked him to assign me to a task.We stepped into an empty hallway."I'm listening, Lorenzo," I said."You've been noticing things, haven't you?" His eyes locked onto mine.I hesitated. "What do you mean?""Antonio trusts you, but be careful. Not everyone shares his faith." His words sent a shiver down my spine."I still don't understand what you mean by this statement.”Lorenzo's gaze drifted aro
Antonio's POV I paced my study, my mind racing. Sophia's betrayal was all I could think of. How could she? How did she even think of it? "Lorenzo, get in here," I called out, my voice echoing off the walls. Lorenzo entered, his expression cautious. "Sir?" "I need you to find out who's feeding Sophia information," I growled. "I want names as soon as possible." Lorenzo nodded, his eyes darting toward Giulia, who stood by the window. "Yes, sir." Lorenzo walked out and Vincenzo came in almost immediately. "Giulia, what do you know?" I demanded, my gaze locking onto hers. Her eyes widened. "Nothing, Antonio. I swear." I studied her, searching for deception but her expression seemed genuine. Suddenly, a wave of fatigue washed over me and my legs trembled. No, not now. I clenched my jaw, fighting the familiar symptoms. Fibromyalgia which had given me a chance to live a normal life for some time now was lurking back in. "Antonio, are you okay?" Giulia and my brother asked in uni
Giulia's POVAs I walked to Antonio's study, I couldn't help but ponder why he called me.I hadn't been in his study for a very long time. He neither allowed me to go to the casino nor did he ask me to go with him to the warehouse since the last time.As I entered the room, my heart began to race; the space was filled with tension.Lorenzo, Vincenzo, and several other familiar faces who sat around the huge table in the center of the room turned to me.I drew out a chair at the far end of the table and sat down.Lorenzo's eyes darted toward me, his expression guarded. I could sense unease beneath his composure."So, everyone's here now.” Antonio, who sat at the head seat with his elbow resting on the table, said. His gaze commanded attention.Was everyone here? I had looked around for Sophia but I couldn't find her; maybe she was yet to arrive.Antonio began, his voice low and menacing. "My empire is being dismantled, piece by piece. Someone is leaking information to my rivals."The m