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Althaia I sank into the bathtub, feeling the warmth of the water and the tickle of bubbles on my skin. The water enveloped me, and I let out a contented sigh, feeling the knots in my muscles start to loosen. I made a mental note that I would never again wear flats to an amusement park. I felt the weight of exhaustion settling over me, lulling me toward slumber. The previous night had been sleepless, leaving an undeniable imprint on my features. Every time I shut my eyes, I would hear sounds of gunshots in my mind, and I would wake up, startled. In the end, I gave up and spent the night tracing the curves and lines of Damiano's tattoos with my fingers, finding comfort in the steady rhythm of his breathing. Damiano didn’t sleep either, but I doubt he was awake for the same reasons. He was awake, comforting me by tracing smooth circles on my back. It was so calming that, under normal circumstances, I would have been asleep in seconds. What happened played repeatedly in my mind, and t
Althaia I walked towards the elevator fast. Or as fast as I could. My foot was still throbbing, and every step I took in my heels was agony. My anger towards Damiano was so intense that I couldn't bring myself to speak or even make eye contact with him. Since he wasn't trying to talk to me, it was an effortless task. But I could feel his gaze on me at times. The only sound during the ride down to the underground parking was the hum of the elevator, making it feel like an eternity. Despite feeling Damiano's eyes burning into the side of my head, I refused to look away from the closed elevator doors, a frown still on my face. The moment the doors opened, I stepped out and started walking towards the SUV where Antonio was standing. My eyes darted around frantically, searching for Luca, but he was nowhere to be seen. Just as I was about to turn around and confront Damiano about it, Luca stepped out of the driver’s seat. A wave of relief washed over me, and I exhaled a long breath. I ig
Althaia The banquet hall was set up to be as extravagant as possible, with towering centerpieces and glittering chandeliers. The room was bustling with the sounds of chatter and laughter as the swarm of people, dressed in their finest clothing, mingled with one another. I was taken aback by how many people were there, and I ended up playing a game with myself by guessing which ones were involved in a criminal organization, and which ones were... normal. Antonio and Luca disappeared off to somewhere to give us some privacy, and while we fell into a chat with too many people. Damiano was incredibly well-known, and the second we stepped foot inside, people practically rushed to have a word with him. His presence attracted a crowd of people, all eager to share their business ideas and hoping for a partnership. He pulled me close and wrapped his arm around my waist, and I smiled politely while they talked. “Is it always like this? Them trying to kiss your ass.” I asked after we had excu
Althaia “They must have a return policy.” I kept telling Damiano as we made our way out of the banquet hall. The auction had finished after Damiano’s bid, and then there was a long speech about how they were so grateful to see a full house. After that, people came from all directions to congratulate Damiano on his bidding and to express their admiration for the exquisite necklace. Then there was a long process where Damiano had to sign what felt like a hundred of papers and write a check. He wouldn’t get the necklace immediately, as the one on the stage was a replica, and the real one would be sent to him with top security. “That’s not how it works.” Damiano said, still completely unbothered. “I don’t think you understand how much money it is.” I tried to explain. “I do. I just spent it.” He let out a smug smile. I stopped and placed my hands on my hips. “I’m not accepting it.” “Too late.” Damiano replied in an amused tone. “You already gave me those earrings! Even I think is t
Althaia “Does my dress look all right?” I asked Damiano while I patted down my dress to make sure I wasn’t flashing anyone before I got out of the car. He took a quick glance at my dress and gave a subtle nod before opening the door. He offered his hand to help me out of the car, and I gratefully accepted as I held my heels. I refused to put them back on. “Are you okay to walk?” Damiano looked at my foot. “Yeah, I’m fine. Luckily, I don’t have to take the stairs here.” I said gratefully. “All I want to do is eat and sleep.” “You know, there is a time and place for everything.” Luca leaned against the car, looking at us with a playful grin. I blinked twice before turning to face Damiano with my face burning with embarrassment. “I thought you said it was soundproof!” “It is. We felt the car shake.” Antonio commented, also with a teasing smile. “Just great…” I muttered, walking away from as I couldn’t face them. I was more worried about them hearing us than thinking about shaking
Damiano Althaia's eyes widened in horror as she looked around, and her body trembled with fear at the sight of pictures of herself hanging on the walls. “What is this…?” It came out as a whisper, and her panicked gaze met mine. The sight of her like this flooded my body with a hunger to spill every drop of the fucker’s blood. “Enough. Let’s go.” I went to grab her to get her out of here when she suddenly gasped and put her hand up to her mouth and pointed behind me. Fucking hell. She saw it. I blocked her view when she paled, her entire body trembling. “Is that a heart?” She swallowed hard. “With my picture on?” Althaia swayed unsteadily before her eyes rolled back. I caught her in my arms before she collapsed to the floor. I held her small frame tightly against my body, carrying her to get her out of here. My eyes were fixated on the heart that was hung by a knife with her picture on it. Clenching my jaw, I walked out. “Get Ellie to the manor.” I told Antonio. On the way down
Althaia I blinked away the tears. I looked up to see Damiano staring at me with his hands in his pockets, his thoughts and feelings hidden, as usual. “Okay, you’re all set here.” I looked down to see Ellie had bandaged my foot. “I’s not broken, but I would like you to come to the clinic to do a proper check-up. Until then, do not support on your foot, okay?” I gave a small nod when she smiled and went back to grab a wipe and gently dabbed around on my brow. “I really need to stitch you up now.” Ellie said, and my nose scrunched up involuntarily as I imagined the pain of being sewn in the face. “Fine.” I murmured, feeling relaxed enough to agree. Whatever she had given me was working. She pulled on a fresh pair of gloves, picked up the needle driver and tissue forceps, and moved closer to my face. Out of reflex, I smacked her hands away from me, almost making her drop the things in her hands. “Try not to hurt my wife.” My eyes shifted towards the doorway where Antonio stood. “Sh
Althaia I let out a yawn as I woke up, carefully stretching my aching limbs. My entire body felt stiff, and my face was hurting from kissing the floor too many times. I looked over to where Damiano was sleeping, but his side of the bed was cold and empty. How does that man even function? He barely sleeps. I slightly shook my head and sat at the edge of the bed, trying to figure out how to get to the bathroom with my injured foot. I briefly considered hopping on one but immediately dismissed it as it would only make my body ache some more. So, with no other alternatives, I was forced to take the last option. To crawl. I tried my best to keep my injured foot elevated as I crawled on the floor, inching my way towards the bathroom like a fool. The room was literally the size of an apartment, and I was struggling. By the time I got there, I was out of breath, and I couldn’t tell if it was because of the condition I was in or if I was just really out of shape. Probably a mixture of both