Make a wild guess who Carina and Marianna's father is π
Everyone, from the staff to the Don's men were tired of the bickering, screams, the fights, and the mess. The only time those two stopped was when they were asleep or one of them was out of the house. Not even the Don's presence could get them to settle down. They'd go off in front of him despite knowing how explosive his anger was. Not that he cared. The girls could kill each other and he would ask for a glass of whiskey or brandy. Sometimes it was as if they were invisible to him. No one understood why he didn't bother separating them. Especially since one of them wasn't his biological daughter. Dara, who had worked in the mansion the longest, had told them how the Don neglected his oldest daughter from the moment she was born. He had been looking forward to having a son, you see but after he found out it was a girl, he'd lost interest. "I don't care what you do with her. Just make sure she grows up fast. I might have use for her later" he'd said. That meant, Marianna Lombardi gre
Looking at how my daughters ended up, I regret not fighting harder for them. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be a stranger to Carina. It was years later when I first got the courage to go back to the orphanage. Fear of the Don finding out everything and killing my daughter made me stay away. I hadn't wanted to tip him off in case he got revenge on us for lying to him. But one day I couldn't take it anymore and went back to the place I'd left Carina. I wanted to see her, make sure she was fine and getting along with other kids. Since she'd grown up, I didn't know how she looked. After weeks of trying, I finally got a job as a cleaner only to find out she'd been adopted. The anger and fear I'd felt back then almost sent me to this mansion. The head of the orphanage wouldn't tell me who had adopted her. But she called him and the next day he was there, angry that I'd come back for our daughter even after he'd told me to stay away. I've spent half of my life hating him. For getting me pregnan
She looks like an angel when she's sleeping. I've been sitting here waiting for her to wake up so I could tell her what I found. I don't know how she's going to take it. The arrival of her mother hit her hard. Combined with the past few days, I'm not sure she'll be able to take any more shocks but she has to know this before anyone else. By anyone else I mean Giovanni. I see all the things he's doing to try and get Maria... Carina to trust him. Fuck, it's going to be hard to call her that. Even though I've known all along who she was, calling her Carina is just weird. She told me everything after I rescued her from one of the guys she'd tried to blackmail for Lombardi. I'm not sorry that asshole is dead by the way. I hope he rots in hell or wanders around and sees just how strong Carina is now. The guy she was trying to blackmail was Russian and Lombardi wanted to force him to do business together. That Russian prick wasn't scared of Lombardi. He stuck Carina in the basement saying t
"How do I look, Paulo?" I ask my bodyguard/ best friend/ fuck buddy. He gives me a once-over and judging by the way his eyes darken, I know his answer before he speaks."Hot as Fuck" He says, moving to stand in front of me. At this point, I don't think there's anything he doesn't know about me. He's my ride-or-die. "You're only missing one thing. " "What?" I have diamonds around my neck and my heels that give me an extra four inches of height. I can't think of anything I've forgotten until he gets on his knees. A slow smile spreading across his face. "A glow up" He knocks my feet apart, the slit on my dress giving him easy access, and buries his face between my legs. Pushing my thong to the side, he eats me as if his life depended on it. I grab a handful of his hair and grind myself against his mouth, biting my lip to stop myself from crying out. Fuck, he's good at that. He's good at everything he does. And the best part is that he doesn't expect anything in return. He knows his pla
Broad shoulders, a small waist and even though I can't see his ass, I know it's a good one. Probably even better than mine. He has this dark look about him but then again you can't be a pretty face and survive in the mafia world. His hair is dark and a few locks lay on his forehead. Suddenly I have this urge to brush them back but remind myself who he is. If he's here, then he's one of them. There's no emotion on his face and it's a little unnerving but I don't give a shit. Because he just spilled his drink all over me and now I have to change. "Excuse me?" He asks, his voice so deep and throaty that my lady parts tingle. Ugh, fine, I will admit it's sexy. But that's all you get. "Are you blind and deaf? Can't you see where you're going?""I can ask you the same thing. Are you blind?" "Fuck you. I didn't spill any drinks on you. Besides, if you knew what's best for you, you wouldn't talk to me like that." His lips twitch, and I want to pour my drink down into his boxers. What the f
I only came to this fucking party to figure out if I'll keep this place after I kill this fucker. It's not the first time Lombardi extended an invite and since he decided to hold it at his house, I decided to show up. It's not surprising his place is humdrum. He's been living here for years, but it still looks like a showroom. There isn't a single photo of him and his daughters anywhere. Or anything that indicates people live here. Not that it's any of my business. All I care about is ending his miserable existence. Over the years, I've thought of a million ways to kill him. Sometimes it's slow and painful and other times I put several bullets in his head, one after the other. But mostly, I anticipate the mood I'll be in when I finally avenge my father's death. He and Lombardi were partners, but one day, the bastard just up and killed him. Now I don't know if they had an argument or not, but that is no reason to kill someone who considered you his best friend. I was a child back the
I raise my hand to shake hers and I'm surprised by the zap of electricity that travels up my arm when we make contact. But before I can figure out what that was, she snatches her hand away with a sneer. Even after knowing who I was, her attitude toward me didn't change. She didn't become docile or pretend she suddenly liked me and I like that about her. Of course, it could all be an act. She could be pretending to be hostile toward me now so that later she can fool me into doing whatever Lombardi wants. I'm all too familiar with such tactics. I didn't get to where I am by luck or with my mother's support like that bastard thinks. My father might have left me money and a book with his old contacts, but he didn't leave a step-by-step manual on how to revive the business. I did that all by myself. The men who follow me don't do it because they love and admire me. In the mafioso, love is the most useless thing. Only loyalty matters. It doesn't matter if someone hates or loves you. Being
The house before me is a luxurious mansion with dark and gothic vibes. It has two stories with large windows and is painted in a matte black color. Large columns with intricate details support what looks like a wraparound balcony with men standing beside each. I waited until the end of the day to show up and boy, is this place lit up. Not even a fly can get past them. Several matte black luxury SUVs are parked around the circular driveway and trees surround the large property. Giving them the illusion of privacy. I say illusion because people like De Luca and Padre are always under surveillance. It could be from enemies the cops or even nosy neighbors. We step out of the car and it's only when one of De Luca's men drives toward a door that I realize there's an underground parking lot. The fucker didn't spare any expenses when he built his fortress. I'm impressed.I brought Gianna, Simona, and Paulo because I wouldn't dare come here alone. There's no telling what De Luca has in store f
She looks like an angel when she's sleeping. I've been sitting here waiting for her to wake up so I could tell her what I found. I don't know how she's going to take it. The arrival of her mother hit her hard. Combined with the past few days, I'm not sure she'll be able to take any more shocks but she has to know this before anyone else. By anyone else I mean Giovanni. I see all the things he's doing to try and get Maria... Carina to trust him. Fuck, it's going to be hard to call her that. Even though I've known all along who she was, calling her Carina is just weird. She told me everything after I rescued her from one of the guys she'd tried to blackmail for Lombardi. I'm not sorry that asshole is dead by the way. I hope he rots in hell or wanders around and sees just how strong Carina is now. The guy she was trying to blackmail was Russian and Lombardi wanted to force him to do business together. That Russian prick wasn't scared of Lombardi. He stuck Carina in the basement saying t
Looking at how my daughters ended up, I regret not fighting harder for them. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be a stranger to Carina. It was years later when I first got the courage to go back to the orphanage. Fear of the Don finding out everything and killing my daughter made me stay away. I hadn't wanted to tip him off in case he got revenge on us for lying to him. But one day I couldn't take it anymore and went back to the place I'd left Carina. I wanted to see her, make sure she was fine and getting along with other kids. Since she'd grown up, I didn't know how she looked. After weeks of trying, I finally got a job as a cleaner only to find out she'd been adopted. The anger and fear I'd felt back then almost sent me to this mansion. The head of the orphanage wouldn't tell me who had adopted her. But she called him and the next day he was there, angry that I'd come back for our daughter even after he'd told me to stay away. I've spent half of my life hating him. For getting me pregnan
Everyone, from the staff to the Don's men were tired of the bickering, screams, the fights, and the mess. The only time those two stopped was when they were asleep or one of them was out of the house. Not even the Don's presence could get them to settle down. They'd go off in front of him despite knowing how explosive his anger was. Not that he cared. The girls could kill each other and he would ask for a glass of whiskey or brandy. Sometimes it was as if they were invisible to him. No one understood why he didn't bother separating them. Especially since one of them wasn't his biological daughter. Dara, who had worked in the mansion the longest, had told them how the Don neglected his oldest daughter from the moment she was born. He had been looking forward to having a son, you see but after he found out it was a girl, he'd lost interest. "I don't care what you do with her. Just make sure she grows up fast. I might have use for her later" he'd said. That meant, Marianna Lombardi gre
Flashback I don't want to do this. With every step I take, I feel like my heart is breaking into a million tiny pieces. It's so unfair to me and to her. For the first time in my life, I hate my mother for choosing to be a stripper. Yes, it was her choice. She could have done anything, become anyone but she chose this damn profession. Growing up with someone like her, I had no choice but to follow in her footsteps. She didn't tell me that I could be a doctor or a lawyer or something else. All she did was teach me how to apply makeup, wear heels, and dress like a slut to attract men. We went from club to club because she was always trying to make more money by dancing for rich men. Now that I think about it, I remember how she enjoyed seducing them and how she'd be happy whenever they fell for her. Somehow she was happy with what she did. Me on the other hand, I can't say I was happy. Content, yes but happy? I've only ever been happy once in my life. The day I gave birth to my two lit
"I'm sorry but you must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Marianna. If you're looking for Carina, my condolences then. She died a few days ago" I tell the woman who for some reason hasn't stopped smiling. "My dear, I think you've worn that skin for so long that you've forgotten who you truly are" "I think you should leave before I ask my men to drag you out" I snap because she's starting to piss me off. Who does she think she is to walk in here and start spouting nonsense? "You're still feisty as always. I'm glad to see just how strong and powerful you've become" "Who the fuck are you?" I ask pushing Cris's hands off me. I don't remember her saying her name and I don't think we've met before. "Up close you're really beautiful. You don't know how long I've waited to see you, to talk to you, and to touch you" She moves forward and lifts her hand towards me but I take a step back. Cris steps in front of me, blocking her view of me. "Marianna, do you know who this wo
She tenses and tries to pull away but I hold her in place. There's a beat of silence before she sighs and says, "I'm sorry for everything. I just wanted to escape from Padre so much that I was willing to do anything. I realized later that I could have asked for your help but I didn't want to depend on another man" "I wish you would have come to me, Marianna. I could have killed that asshole for you if you'd just asked" "You wanted to kill him anyway. Saying you would have done it for me is just your way of making me owe you. That was what I was trying to avoid. I'm not going to let myself fall into another man's control ever again" "No, I would have put aside my revenge and killed him for you without expecting anything in return" "Why?" she asks frowning "Nothing is free in this world. I know that more than anyone else. Why would you do that for me?" "Because you're mine to protect and I love you" She goes incredibly still for a few seconds before huffing, "Yeah right"
Actually, I didn't come here for this or to pay respect to that fucker Lombardi. I just wanted to see if Marianna was okay. When I left her the other day, she didn't look well so I thought maybe I should check up on her just to see how she's holding up. And it's a good thing I arrived on time to see that bastard Annibale ogling her. Well, half the men in here can't keep their eyes off her but this one didn't even bother pretending he didn't want her. The motherfucker was halfway hard and I could only imagine what he was thinking. I've seen him a few times in some clubs around town. If he happened to get his hands on Marianna, I can't imagine what he'd do to her. He's got a sick, twisted mind and even though his connections might help get her a few clients, she doesn't need him. She has Giovanni. That fucker can run things without anyone's help. His reputation as Lombardi's right-hand precedes him. Even assholes like Annibale have to be wary of him. And despite everything, Marianna ha
This doesn't look like a funeral at all. I haven't seen a single person shed a tear or even look sad. Then again, this was to be expected. Everyone is dressed in black as is custom but instead of crying they're holding glasses of champagne and wine, toasting each other. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was a party, which works for me. I can take people's condolences but they shouldn't expect me to act like a grief-stricken daughter. Deep down I'm happy Padre is dead. I hope he rots in hell. "My condolences, Miss Lombardi. Your father was a great man and he will remain in our hearts forever" a man says. We both know he's full of shit but since he is one of the men in the file Giovanni gave me, I just nod and offer him my thanks. "Thank you, Signor Conti" "Ah so you do know me" "Yes, Padre told me everything about his business partners. I hope to continue working with you in the future" "The rumor is true then? You will be taking over?" "No, I won't be taking over" I l
I blink my eyes open. It takes a few seconds for me to recognize my surroundings which is funny because I'm home. At least that's what this house is supposed to be. My home. The place I grew up in and which should have a lot of memories. But the ones I have are those I'd rather forget. Growing up here hadn't been easy. Many are the times I wished for a family that would at least care for me. A mother that would tell me everything would be okay. I always imagined her taking my side every time Padre got mad and took his anger out on me. I try not to hold a grudge against my birth mother. I've never met her but there had to be a reason she couldn't be with me.Maybe now that Padre is dead...No. I'm not going down that road. Not when I have so much to do. I managed to get Giovanni to leave me alone yesterday but I know he's going to barge in here any minute now. I still can't believe he's dead. It all seems so surreal, like I'm dreaming and someone is going to wake me up soon. I