The day at the park was going better than anyone had hoped. The sun was bright but gentle, the air fresh, and laughter filled the space. The park was also empty that day so they had the entire space all to themselves. Gianna had eaten more junk food than she probably should have—cotton candy, popcorn, hotdogs—and Araceli had been right there with her for every bite, every giggle, every game.They had made up ways to play that Gianna could enjoy. Catch became their favorite, tossing a ball between them while Gianna stayed in her wheelchair and Araceli crouched, always ready to reach out and catch anything she missed. They played on every park ride that accommodated her. Araceli never once made her feel like she was missing out. Gianna didn’t even notice that Araceli was doing most of the playing—she was just happy.As the afternoon wore on, Paula and Benjamin found a bench and sat, completely worn out. But Araceli and Gianna still had energy to spare. Araceli had pushed Gianna toward t
The next morning, the house was unusually quiet, as if even the walls were still basking in the joy of the day before. The memory of Gianna’s and her own tears from the day before haunted Araceli. She felt bad that in trying to comfort the girl, her own pain had leaked through the cracks. She felt like she ruined what should’ve been a perfect day and had to do something to make the girl feel better.That afternoon, the sun was kind and the wind was playful. It was a perfect day to make it up to Gianna.She found her in her room, sitting by the window and twirling a strand of her hair. “Gigi,” Araceli said softly, stepping inside with a gentle smile, “wanna play catch?”Gianna’s eyes lit up instantly. “Like at the park?”“Exactly like at the park.”Paula, who was folding some of Gianna’s clothes nearby, glanced up and rolled her eyes with a smile. “You two never run out of energy, do you?”“Nope!” they said in unison.Paula laughed and stretched. “Alright, I’m off to the restroom. Don
The door slammed shut behind the men, echoing through the damp, blood-scented corridor like a funeral bell. Luciano descended the staircase first, followed by Dante and Silvio, who was another of his close men. Each of them was dragging men gagged and bound, their muffled screams bouncing off the cold stone walls. One was Sergei’s soldier who contributed to messing up the shipment. The other? A rat. He sold information to Sergei about the shipment that allowed him to botch it.“Welcome,” Luciano said, voice calm, yet cold enough to blister skin, “to the place where you’ll both meet your maker.” he stared at them in disgust “Although I doubt the big man up in heaven had any hand in the creation of such pitiful people”The prisoners kicked and twisted in their bindings, eyes wide and pleading. But it only amused Luciano. Excited him even. He gestured to an iron-plated door. Dante shoved one man in. Silvio flung the other down beside him. Both men whimpered like children, the gags chokin
The moment the words left his lips, Araceli looked up and the breath left her lungs.Raw horror swam in her wide eyes, her pupils blown wide with disbelief and panic. Her chest pounded so violently she had to clutch the space over her heart, as though squeezing it could somehow force it back into rhythm. But nothing could stop the way her entire body screamed for escape.Luciano kept advancing, his steps slow and deliberate. He drank in the sight of her—trembling, terrified, utterly at his mercy. A smile tugged at his lips. He thought her joy and laughter were good but her fear was absolutely mesmerizing to him, especially knowing he was the cause. That he had her trembling this way.So… the little saint saw everything. She saw the devil in action. How the hell did she even get down here? It should’ve worried him.But it didn’t. Instead, it thrilled him.He was glad she saw because he was done hiding. Done pretending and most importantly he was done holding back. He wanted her and he
Luciano leaned in again, Araceli flinched violently, expecting the worst—but nothing could have prepared her for the way his lips met her cheek.It wasn’t a kiss. It was a brand. He was possessive, violent, and almost ritualistic in the way he lingered. He kissed it and then licked it. Then sucked it, hot and lingering, like he was trying to take something from her. And finally, he bit down, hard enough to leave a mark.A faint one, but a mark nonetheless.It was revolting to her.Her skin crawled beneath the wet heat of his mouth, a sick, burning trail left behind that made her want to claw it off. She felt violated like he had reached into her chest and tainted something sacred. It was the first time she’d been kissed on the cheek…if she could even call it a kiss.He pulled back, satisfied, as though he’d marked his territory.“Go,” he said simply.She didn’t move. She wasn’t sure if she could move.She stood frozen, cheek still tingling with that disgusting burn. Her entire body w
The moment Araceli saw his face, her soul dropped several feet into the ground.It was like being punched in the stomach violently and cruelly and all the air was ripped from her lungs. Her eyes lit up in pure, unfiltered shock.Is this a cruel joke?Is her entire life just some kind of twisted comedy?No… not a comedy.A horror film for sure.She tried to breathe, but her chest wouldn’t expand. Her vision blurred.The man standing before her was Nico.Her Nico.The man God had ordained for her. The man who had humiliated her abandoned her and married someone else on their supposed wedding day.The man who now looked at her like she was dirt under his designer shoes.Her boss’s brother.Gianna’s other uncle…Her knees buckled. It was all too much. The plate she was holding slipped from her hands and shattered against the floor.On the other side of the room, Nico froze. When his eyes met hers. For a moment, he was mortified. But not from guilt. No, the only thing plaguing his mind was
Hot white rage coursed through Luciano’s body. His jaw was clenched, he was able to keep his eyes cold and sharp, but it was his fist clutching the fork that truly gave him away. He gripped it so tightly, that the metal began to bend beneath his fingers.So the man she was talking about that night…was his brother.He turned his gaze to Nico, whose eyes were conveniently focused on anything but the table, anything but the people in the room.Was it shame? Embarrassment? Or was it something else?Luciano didn’t know. He just knew he wanted to release this rage in him. No, it wasn't just rage. What the hell is this unfamiliar feeling sitting in the pit of my stomach? Why did he want to pull out his gun and shoot at something or someone or maybe everything and everyone until the table was a bloody mess?He glanced back at his brother’s face—still red, still avoiding eye contact. What does he feel about her? he wondered. Does he feel anything at all? And then another, darker thought crept
l“Luciano.” Vivienne’s voice cut into his thoughts like nails on glass.She walked in like she owned the place but he didn’t even bother to look up at her.“I’m going to assume you had a lapse in your senses,” he said, voice low and dangerous, “and give you two seconds to walk out the same way you barged in… or I’ll get angrier.” There was no warmth in his tone.It made Vivienne pause. For a moment, her confidence wavered. But then she pushed forward anyway, giving a theatrical sigh.“Jesus, Luciano. You’ve always been cold and distant but now you’re a fucking blizzard. What happened?”He still didn’t look at her. “I don’t like unwanted visitors.”He stepped forward, placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, and for one delusional second, she thought he was about to pull her into his arms.Instead, he spun her toward the door and gave her a dismissive nudge.“On your way.”Vivienne stumbled a little, caught herself, and then turned around, her face a mix of frustration and disbelief. “Luci
After her failed escape plan, three days of sin with Luciano, and the humiliating encounter with Nico, Araceli had hoped today the rest of the day would bring her some semblance of peace but it didn’t. From the moment she left that living room, she felt like she was walking on pins and needles. Her body ached in places she didn’t want to think about, and her mind was still caught in the swirl of pain, guilt, and quiet panic. She tried to distract herself by spending more time than usual with Gianna, who always managed to lift her spirits, but even that felt… hollow. Her laugh came out wrong. Her responses felt stiff. None of her jokes hit.Because she knew that come night time there would be no escape. Luciano would come for her. And he had warned her, clearly, what would happen if she disobeyed.By afternoon, she was floating around the house like a ghost would, distant and silent. She found herself in the kitchen, wiping down already clean counters while Paula and Roberta chatted
Everyone likened him to the devil. But he had to have God-like self-control to restrain himself the way he had.Luciano clenched the steering wheel, jaw tight as the city blurred past the windows. The fact that he hadn’t fucked Araceli in that hotel suite still gnawed at him even as he drove them back to the estate. All three nights she’d been there, vulnerable and broken, and yet he hadn’t done it.It was really godlike restraint. Or something damn close. He had told her to sit in the back seat as if that would help anything. As though distance could cleanse his thoughts. Much to her delight, she’d obeyed.He noticed that she was off. Quieter and more fragile looking than usual. The unconsciousness still haunted him. He told himself it was just her sensitivity and that her body was too delicate for the intensity of what they’d done. He’d have to break her in more before anything real could happen.Still, the memory of her moans, the sight of her trembling body, stirred something viol
A couple hours later, Luciano was already halfway back to the hotel, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the open window frame. The wind dragged through his hair.His phone buzzed on the dash, Donenico was calling him. Releasing a frustrated sigh, he swiped to answer.“Did I not tell you about the dinner with the Hastings?” his father snapped, voice like gravel.Luciano’s smile curled lazily. “And did I not tell you I wasn’t going to attend?”“This is your last warning, Luciano.” There was a pause heavy with threat. “Take me seriously or there will be serious consequences.”Luciano sighed theatrically. “Oh no. I’m shaking already, Father. Please don’t threaten me like that—I’m driving. You could cause a serious accident.”A hissed breath on the other end. Domenico was seething. Luciano could practically see his face turning red, veins bulging, his perfectly round head resembling a flushed tomato.“Don’t forget to breathe, Father,” Luciano murmured with mock concern. “Anger’s n
Luciano stepped out of the shower, toweling his hair dry, the cool air of the suite prickling his skin. He glanced around the room. His jaw tightened when he noticed it was empty.There was a strange twist in his gut when her absence regained. It wasn’t anger or annoyance. Rather it was something sharper that bordered on panic. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.He scanned the space but found nothing disturbed, no broken windows, no open doors. Then his gaze landed on the second bathroom. The door was closed.He crossed the room in three strides, knocking hard once, twice. “Araceli.”There was no answer. He banged the door louder but still no response. He growled under his breath, something dark and unfamiliar crawling up his throat. “Open the door.”The silence mocked him and his patience snapped. With one powerful shove, he threw his weight into it. The door cracked, resisted, then gave in with a violent splinter of wood and hinges. It slammed against the wall with a hollow crash.He s
“Keep touching it,” Luciano said, voice low and strained, eyes burning into her.Araceli stared at it rigid. The thing between his legs stood upright across his abdomen, thick and flushed, like some strange, burning branch growing where no branch should. It reminded her of a large, veiny pepperoni, angry red, heavy-looking, throbbing with life.She swallowed, bile rising in her throat.“I said,” he repeated, dragging her gaze up to his face, “keep touching it.”Her hand hovered uncertainly in the space between them. She flinched as his fingers wrapped around hers, guiding her forward. She touched it lightly, then immediately pulled back with a startled yelp.“It’s hot,” she said, horror flickering in her voice. “I don’t know what to do.”Luciano’s jaw flexed. He looked down at himself, then back at her, groaning in irritation. “Just move your hand on it. It’s not complicated.”But Araceli was shaking her head now, lips trembling. “No. I—I don’t want to.”Silence thickened between them
The Golden Astoria. That was the name etched in gold against obsidian glass, the name talked about with reverence by the elite, the powerful, the untouchable. Celebrities, royals, oil barons, and politicians passed through its hallowed halls. But none more feared than Luciano Salvatore.Araceli had only heard of the hotel through gossip from Paula. But now, she was about to be dragged toward its gates.They would be staying in his private suite. The presidential suite, tailored for someone who ruled more than a country. And the moment he said it, every hair on her body had risen in alarm.Luciano had already stepped out of the car, his door slamming shut with finality, but she stayed frozen in place, her hand trembling on the handle. When she didn’t move, he opened her door himself, reached in, and dragged her out like she weighed nothing.“No,” she whispered, stumbling in her heels. “I’m not going anywhere with you—”He yanked her against him with force. Her front collided with his h
The car ride was quiet. Araceli sat in the front seat, not because she wanted to, but because he had ordered her to. Every nerve in her body was on fire, screaming at her to do something—anything. But what could she possibly do?This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. She was supposed to be free. How had he found her? How had he gotten into Mrs. Maggie’s house before she even knew it? If she didn’t know any better, she would have sworn he was more than a devil—he was a time traveler too. How else could he have predicted where she’d go?She’d planned it so carefully. It was supposed to be perfect. But nothing was.He had looked at her with that smug expression, and the air had frozen around her. All she could think about was Mrs. Maggie and the children. If not for them, she might’ve fought harder, screamed, and told the truth. But she was certain that he would kill them. He wouldn’t even blink.And the worst part was… she didn’t even know why. Why her? What did he want with her? What
Araceli froze.No air, no sound, no thought could move through her. Her eyes locked onto the man seated comfortably in Mrs. Maggie’s worn floral armchair, his posture casual, confident, and impossibly out of place in the humble warmth of the small home.Her lips barely parted, a small breath escaping them in a whisper. “No…”Mrs. Maggie, completely oblivious to her horror, was cheerfully fussing over her visitor.“Oh, isn’t it sweet?” she called. “He came this afternoon, said he was your boss, and wanted to see the place you were always talking about. I think that’s just lovely, don’t you?”Araceli couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. All she could do was stare at the devil who had invaded her safe haven.The sound of the oven ding made her flinch.“Oh! Let me get the cupcakes,” Mrs. Maggie chirped, bustling off, humming.Luciano’s eyes never left Araceli. A smirk curled the corner of his lips as he studied her like prey, startled, cornered prey.After his father’s unwanted visit, he’d gone
Araceli had everything planned.She’d packed up the essentials—her Bible, a few clothes, her necklace. Nothing too heavy, nothing too obvious. She couldn’t risk drawing attention. Everyone thought it was a short break and she had to keep it that way. She’d almost thrown her entire plan out the window when Gianna begged her with big eyes to not leave for too long but she managed to stay firm in her resolve. She didn’t know exactly how her plan would play out, but she knew one thing: she had to get to Mrs. Maggie. If anyone could help her, it was her.So she found Benjamin outside, right where she hoped he’d be.“Hi, Benjamin,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.“Hi, Araceli,” he replied with that same sheepish smile he always wore around her.“I’m… I’m leaving today,” she told him quietly.“You’re leaving?” His face dropped in surprise and sadness“I’m not leaving for long,” she lied. “It’s just a short break.”“Why?” he asked.“I just miss my town.”“Yeah,” Benjamin nodded,