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A ruthless patriarch
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2024-10-29 19:42:56The sun had settled down in the west; the sky sheathed in an obsidian blanket with no visible stars to stare at.
Lily's heart fluttered as her car neared the Russo mansion gates.Finally, home.The driver, Sebastian, hurried and picked up her luggage, and carried it inside. She stepped out of the car and two familiar faces showed up, with big smiles and open arms.Rosalina, her cousin, and best friend engulfed her in a bear hug. "Welcome home after what seemed like a fucking eternity," Rosalina said."Language, young lady!" Lily scolded playfully, but of course, no one couldn't fix Rosalina's spitfire of a mouth.Rosalina laughed and kissed Lily's rosy cheek and stepped away to let their beloved nonna warm up to her favorite granddaughter."I missed you so much, nonna." Lilliana gave her a long hug. Lilliana had stayed a week in an apartment near the Salvadori residence so she could treat Elena Salvadori in secret."I missed you too. You must be tired after all the work. Go freshen up. I'll cook your favorite pasta tonight." Her grandmother, Bella Russo, said and kissed her cheek.Taking Lily's hand, Rosalina pulled her inside, eager to talk and talk until her mouth fall off, and since Lily was such a good listener, she had no problem listening to Rosalina's adventurous stories."I hear you treating Elena Salvadori these days."Both of them stopped in their tracks and turned around to see their nonno, Matteo Russo, sitting on the couch with his face all scrunched up.Lily averted her eyes from him. She had been excellent at ignoring him like he never existed in her life."I'm just doing my duty as a doctor. Please don't interfere in my business—""That horrendous woman wants you to marry his grandson! That is why she hired you so she could measure your worth!" Nonno's voice boomed like an alarm, causing Lilliana to flinch.Teary-eyed, she glared at him. "You are wrong! She isn't anything as you've described. She is a really sweet old woman, just like nonna, and she never belittled me for being a Russo." Lily didn't know where she got the courage to raise her voice against the fearsome Matteo Russo.He had her pinned under his authoritarian thumb, which she desperately wanted to break free. She lost everything because of this man! Everything!Nonno's eyes flared up, ready to unleash hurtful words that stung her like arrows, but paused when his beloved wife looped her arm around his.Nonna slowly shook her head at him, her delicate brows pulling together.Matteo inhaled a sharp breath. In a calmer voice, he said. "You are not going to the Salvadori Mansion again. Ask her to hire another doctor to take care of her. I'm sure she can afford a more experienced one."Lilliana sniffled and yanked her hand away from Rosalina's hold and ran upstairs to her bedroom.Nonna watched her closing the bedroom door, and this deeply hurt her. She turned to her bull-headed husband. "Why do you always start a fight with her? She just came home after days!""She is my granddaughter! Can't you see that I'm worried?" Nonno asked. He never liked it when his sweet Bella got mad at him. It made him feel like a savage."She is not a child, Matteo! She is a twenty-six-year-old adult who can think for herself!" Bella chided.She was about to pull her hand back when he caught it and clasped it against his weakening heart."So what? She is still so gullible, just like our Ariana. Anyone could take advantage of her." Elena Salvadori was someone who always had her way with everything. She made one of the most ruthless Dons bow to her and lick her feet. Manipulating Lily would be child's play."I know, but please don't underestimate her like this. You will only make her feel worthless." Nonna said. Her husband still loved her so fiercely, even if he was bed-tempered, she couldn't help but love this man with all her heart.Nonno trusted Nonna's words, but he trusted nothing related to the Salvadoris. "Very well then, but I will not say yes to any alliances between the Salvadoris and Russos."__________________Related chapters
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Later the same night in the Salvadori house, a tall, tan, handsome chad showed up on their doorstep, sporting a black leather jacket and jeans, carrying a bunch of heavy backpacks in his hands.The servants had left by now, so he had to carry the load all by himself.Elena's silvery grey eyes lit up with glee after recognizing who it was. "Leo! My boy!" She was about to hurry downstairs when Sasha stopped her, afraid she might lose her foot in all the excitement and end up rolling down the steps."Surprise, beautiful!" Leo dropped all of his bags, ran towards his grandmother, and gathered her frail body in his arms, smiling brilliantly."You tease! Stupido!" Elena playfully hit his rock-hard chest and his laughter rumbled throughout the entire mansion.He pressed his lips on her wrinkly cheek, adoring her. "I heard you had a terrible fever."Elena slightly frowned at him. "It wasn't all that terrible! Look at me. Do I look sick?""Nope." He said, still keeping her in his arms. "You lo
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The phone kept ringing for attention in the living room. Lily hurriedly draped the bathrobe around her still-wet body and picked it up."Hello?""Who is it, Lily?" Nonna asked, placing the knitted sweater on the table and sitting beside Rosalina near the fireplace to get some warmth. Outside the house, it was a cold, mundane, rainy day.Nonno had gone hunting with her uncles and cousin Saint and will be back tomorrow while the three women nestled inside the house.Lily, with a worried look on her beautiful face, said. "It was Sasha, the Salvadori's housekeeper... Elena... she died. Sasha asked us to attend her funeral.""Died? How?" Rosalina asked, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket and leisurely taking a bite."She had a stroke..." Lily said woefully."I don't think Matteo will attend," Nonna said.Of course, he won't.Nonno would rather choose to step on burning coals than attend the funeral of a Salvadori."It's okay. I'll go attend." Lily paced to her closet and changed into
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Lily finished dabbing the foundation on her cheek to hide the bruise on her pale white skin. Her eyes were red and puffy after crying herself to sleep. Lily wasn't the type to overdo her makeup, she preferred being barefaced most times. "Does it look weird?" Lily asked her cousin Rose who was beside her with her arms crossed, staring at her. "Nope. The bruise is barely visible. I don't think anyone will notice." Rosalina grabbed a pink lipstick from her purse and applied the tint on Lily's lips. "A little more makeup won't hurt." Rose rubbed her lips together and Lily imitated her, spreading the strawberry-flavored pink on her lips. "All good now?" Lily asked for confirmation. "All good." Lily got up and picked up her handbag. "I'll head out now." And kissed her cheek. "Thanks for the makeup." Lily rushed downstairs to the kitchen to grab the homecooked lunch nonna had packed for her. She was already getting late for work. The moment she entered the kitchen the smell of somet
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No, no, this can't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. Why is Nonno telling her to marry this man? What is going on? Several questions stormed inside Lily's head, and she couldn't come up with an answer to any of them. Her eyes darted between Enzo and Nonno, both of them glaring at her. "Sit," Nonno instructed, pointing at the nearest chair. His gray, flintstone-like eyes were so sharp they could draw blood. She did as he told, without uttering a sound. Now she sat in the middle of the two men, feeling like a deer trapped between two lions. She stared down at her lap and hoped a black hole would emerge beneath her feet and swallow her. Enzo got up, approached her, and reached his hand out to her face. As a response, she flinched away from a slap that never came. The pad of this rough thumb caressed her bruised cheek and surprisingly, it felt warm against her skin, contradicting his cold disposition. Enzo's eyes narrowed, oozing bloodlust. For a second she thought it was di
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"Why did you agree to marry him, Lily?"Lily stopped brushing her silky brunette hair and glanced at Rose's reflection in the vanity mirror. Rose crossed her arms, a scowl marring her lovely face."This is the only way I can stop nonno from marrying me off some old man," Lily answered glumly and continued untangling her hair."He's not gonna marry you to some old geezer. He was gonna marry you off to the Armandos, and I heard Antonio Armando isn't an old geezer." Rose rebutted.Lily heaved a sigh. Antonio would be worse than an old geezer. "I had my own reasons to choose Enzo." She said. "I... trust him..."Rosalina glared at her. "You WHAT?""He's been honest with me the whole time even though he was insensitive about it..." Lily turned around to face Rose's hazel eyes, the golden specks glowering with anger."That won't change the fact that his family had my Papa killed!" Rose spat acid that corroded Lily's heart.Shakily, Lily held Rose's hands in hers. "I want to end this feud onc
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5 YEARS LATER... LEONARDO'S POV I reclined in one of Enzo's plush office chairs, half listening to my cousins drone on about business. My gaze landed on Enzo's hands as he gesticulated, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. His nails were painted a glittery pink and decorated with Hello Kitty stickers. When he caught me staring, Enzo shrugged. "Gigi ambushed me this morning." "Daddy-daughter time looks good on you, brother," I teased. Enzo shot me a wry look. "We'll see how you handle it when your little hellion grows up." I chuckled thinking about my spirited son. "Adriano keeps things exciting, for sure. Just yesterday he finger-painted a mural on his bedroom wall using Rosalina's lipstick." My cousins howled. "Takes after his old man," Luca said. "In all the best and worst ways," I agreed. Right on cue, my cell phone rang. I didn't have to check the caller ID to know it was Adriano's teacher. "That'll be Mrs. Dawson now. Let me guess - he set off stink bombs in
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