The beeping of the heart monitor is the first thing I hear, steady and rhythmic, pulling me from the darkness that has consumed me. My body feels heavy like I'm being held down by invisible weights, and there's a dull ache spreading across my chest and limbs. The sterile smell of the hospital fills my nostrils, and it takes a moment for me to remember where I am.I blinked, squinting against the harsh fluorescent light above, trying to make sense of my surroundings. As my vision clears, I notice my mom, slumped over in a chair next to me, her head resting on her crossed arms, fast asleep. Her face looks worn, more tired than I've ever seen her.I try to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through my ribs, forcing me to wince. The memories hit me all at once—the truck, the crash, Liam's bloodied face. Panic rises in my chest, and I gasp, "Liam."My voice is weak, barely more than a croak, but it's enough to wake my mom. Her head snaps up, her eyes widening as she sees me. "Emma!" she cries
The silence in the room is deafening. Isabella stands before us, her posture rigid, her hands clasped together tightly as if she's holding on to a secret too heavy to bear. My mom and I sit across from her, the tension thick between us, suffocating."There's something you both need to know," Isabella begins, her voice wavering slightly. I glance at my mom, who looks pale, her fingers tightly gripping the arms of the chair. "I've held onto this for years, but it's time you hear the truth. About Enzo."At the mention of my father's name, my heart skips a beat. I feel my stomach churn as I wait for her to continue. Isabella takes a deep breath, then says the words that make my world tilt off its axis."I knew him."The words hang in the air like a weight, pressing down on me. My mom's face pales even more, her lips trembling as she absorbs the shock of the revelation. Isabella presses on, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame and regret."Enzo and I… we had an affair."The room goes co
The darkness is heavy, but slowly, painfully, it starts to lift. I feel a strange tug in my chest, and I'm aware of the beeping sounds, the sterile scent of the hospital filling the air around me. My eyes flutter open, and the brightness of the room stings my vision. It takes a few moments for everything to come into focus.Where… where am I?"Liam?" A soft voice calls out to me, and when I blink again, I see Lilian, Emma's mother, standing by my bedside, her eyes wet with tears. "Oh my God, you're awake."I try to speak, but my throat feels like it's on fire. Instead, I groan, my hand instinctively reaching out to grasp hers. Lilian smiles through her tears, gently squeezing my hand."You've been in a coma, sweetheart," she says softly. "For a while now. But don't worry, you're okay. You're going to be okay." Her smile wavers for a moment before she adds, "Emma… she's at the station with your mother, confronting Serena. But she's fine. She's been by your side every day."My mind race
I glance at the clock and my heart starts racing. I'm late."Okay, stop fussing!" I scold my bridesmaids, but I can't help the nervous laugh that escapes my lips as Gia fluffs my veil for the third time. Natasha is running around, making sure every single detail is perfect, while Odette is already dressed and helping the makeup artist add the final touches to my lips.And then there's Rob. He's pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath, "You're going to be late for your wedding, Emma. Of course, you are. I knew it. I knew this would happen!""Rob," I groan, rolling my eyes. "You're not helping!"He stops pacing and dramatically places his hands on his hips, his eyes full of fake indignation. "Excuse me, darling. Who has been by your side through every single dress fitting, cake tasting, and meltdown?"I chuckled despite myself, the tension easing just a little. "I love you, Rob.""Yeah, yeah, yeah," he mutters, coming over to adjust my gown. "But seriously, we need to get movi
I'd never taken a day off in my life. A leave of convenience? That's not for me. Well, except for tonight. Tonight, I seem to have broken a lot of my rules, no alcohol, no reckless decisions, no dressing and/or dancing like slut, and, no flirting. Is this normally how one reacts after recently learning that their mother is dying from cancer? Nope, but if I continue like this for tonight at least, I can forget my problems for a while. I swung my hips to the blasting music, no one was dancing hard enough, fuckers. I traced my accentuated curves as I spun. It was a shame my ex never got to see this dress, I had bought it for our graduation celebratory dinner, but the asshole decided to fuck my best friend the night before. Now, I get to wear it for a bunch of strangers, ones who look eager to take it off tonight. One person looked more determined than the rest, he was seated quite far from where I was, but his gaze was so sharp. He's beautiful, I thought to myself. If he's lucky enoug
She would be my wife. I would make sure of it. She's the exact opposite of what mother would want for me and I'll make her mine. But tonight, oh tonight. I moved to her, enjoying the look of desperation on her face. With one hand I gripped her breast, teasing her nipple slightly. She moaned. Fuck. These panties, I need to see how soaking wet she is for me. "Lay down." She obeyed, good girl. I slid my fingers against her panties, I could feel her slickness through the fabric, how ready she was for me. I fingered her wet folds through the lace, all while maintaining eye contact. Watching her squirm hardened my cock even further. Shit, I need to feel her bare, raw. I took off my clothing, dropping my briefs down slowly, I couldn't miss the gasp that left her lips after seeing my erect cock. So many emotions sprawled over her face, her cheeks red with arousal, and anticipation. Her nipples, pointy and peaked, begging to be sucked. How could I resist? I swept down on her perfe
What the fuck was I thinking? Did I enjoy the sex? Yes. Was he an ass? Yes. Do I hope I'll never see him again? Maybe. Anyway, the point is, I'm late, I'm meant to have an appointment with Ma's doctor this afternoon, it's currently 12:40 pm, the train to the hospital takes at least 15 minutes, and the appointment is by 1 pm. I had hoped to at least brush my teeth to be a bit presentable, even though I probably reek of alcohol. What kind of fancy suite provides toothbrushes without toothpaste? Waking up late is one thing, but having the time to brush, but not the equipment? Outrageous. As soon as I got on the train, I got a call from my Ma. "Mama." I coughed out. "Emma, where are you piccina? The doctor, I'll be called in soon, you know you're not my only guardian anymore." she sounded worried. "I know mama, I'll be there soon, I'm ten minutes away." I tried to hide the tension in my voice. "Don't worry, just sit and wait, the doctor said worry isn't good for your condition, cal
Emma Hart is the only child of a single mother, Lilian Adams, half American, half Italian.Raised alone, drowning in debts, graduated from Florence Academy of Fine Arts, Florence.So, she does live in Rimini, interesting.I misjudged her earlier, she was probably looking for toothpaste to freshen up, and I realized the wrapping on the toothbrush was torn open.But, I won't apologize, I don't do that, ever."One more thing sir." My assistant James said. "I recently learned her mother has been diagnosed with stage two lung cancer, and they, er…have some financial difficulties."It's been four days since my interesting one-night stand. People are easily bought with money, she'll be my wife with a snap of my fingers."You know what to do James. Find out her workplace, I want to meet with her as soon as possible." I instructed. He nodded and walked out of my office.I have to marry Emma, she's my way out. My mother, Isabella Caruso, wants me to marry Serena Moretti, that Jezebel. I underst