Hi! Long chapter to make up for the delay! I'm definitely sick lol but I'll try to write through it. I have a question though, what do you think about werewolf novels with strong female leads?
ALEXANDER The ancient hinges creaked ominously as I pushed open the heavy oak doors to my grandfather's bedroom, a sound that had haunted my childhood nightmares whenever I'd been called in for a scolding. The familiar scent hit me first – a complex mixture of Cuban cigars, aged leather, and the subtle undertone of the lavender oil the maids used to polish the antique furniture. It was a scent I'd come to associate with power, with family, with the weight of expectations that came with being a Guerrero. But all of this grandeur paled in comparison to the man sitting in the imposing leather armchair by the window. My grandfather – Il re ombra, the King of the underground world – looked smaller than I remembered from just two weeks ago. The sight of him made my heart clench painfully in my chest. The harsh Sicily sunlight that bathed the room in golden hues did him no favors, casting deep shadows across his gaunt face and highlighting the hollow spaces where his strength used to res
AMELIA “Hey…Vince,” I sighed for the nth time that afternoon, “I haven't heard from you since the exhibition, I've gotten a few calls from potential clients who want customs and quite frankly I'm a bit overwhelmed, so…call me back, please? I need your expert opinion on how to handle this,” I begged, my tone tinged with worry and exhaustion. There was a sound of a beep and the voicemail was sent. I slumped into my chair and let out a heavy sigh. I was in my office, already exhausted before the day had even begun but I just couldn't bring myself to stay alone at home when I knew Roman was busy with the oncoming project with Mr. Henderson and he needed all hands on deck. Aside from the research I've been doing, I've pretty much remembered a few things about the past five years that would help me settle into my role at Grayson Holdings quite comfortably. And…everything had gone to shit without me, until Roman had picked up majority of the responsibility. Still, there was much he c
I stared at the monitor until the words started swimming before my eyes like they were gibberish, but my mind kept drifting back to Roman. The memory of his hands on my skin, his breath against my neck... God, I needed to focus. The stack of reports on my desk wasn't going to review itself, but every time I tried to concentrate, my thoughts circled back to him like a compass pointing north."Get it together, Amelia," I muttered to myself, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. The office felt too quiet, too empty, making it impossible to silence the thoughts bouncing around in my head. What did he want to talk about tonight? What was this gift he mentioned? And why did he always sound so hesitant when it came to having a real conversation about his past?He spoke like it was something to he afraid of and truth be told, I was already afraid. But my curiosity was far stronger than the fear I felt. I reached for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found Jessica's
The car wound through the tree-lined driveway leading to Roman's mansion, and I couldn't stop myself from checking the rearview mirror every few seconds. The headlights I'd spotted earlier had disappeared, but that did little to calm my nerves. If anything, their absence made me more anxious. Where had they gone? Had I imagined them?I glanced at my driver through the mirror again. Marcus – or at least, that's what Roman had told me his name was – kept his eyes fixed steadily on the road ahead. He'd been my driver for the past few weeks since Alexander's reappearance yet we've barely said more than a few words to each other.Suddenly I realized how little I actually knew about him. Had he always been this quiet? This... watchful?My phone buzzed in my hand, making me jump. A text from Roman lit up the screen:"Running late. Henderson's being difficult. Don't wait up for dinner - we'll talk when I get home. Lock the doors."Lock the doors? My heart rate picked up. Roman had never told
"Hello?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is someone there?"Silence answered me. Of course, silence. Because I was being ridiculous, jumping at shadows like a scared child. I was in my own home, with state-of-the-art security systems and cameras everywhere. No one could get in without...Without what? Without access codes? Without inside help? How many people had those codes? Roman, me, Trenton, Marcus, the security team...My phone buzzed again, making me gasp. A text from an unknown number: "Check your email."I blocked the number immediately, but my hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped the phone. Another buzz – another unknown number: "Now, Amelia."My breath caught in my throat. I blocked that number too, but my email app was already open before I could stop myself. A new message sat at the top of my inbox, sent from an address I didn't recognize. The subject line read: "Remember this?"Against my better judgment, I opened it. A photo filled my screen – an o
ROMAN“It's a dead end, sir,”My brows furrowed deeply as I watched the man in front of me. His expression was devoid of any emotion and his voice was cold with polite professionalism as I've always known it to be. There was no way he was lying to me but…with his skills… “Are you serious?” I lifted a brow in question and the man nodded. “I traced the records thoroughly, searched through the country and even the continent but I could not find out who purchased the poison that was administered to Mrs Wellington, sir,”I blew out a frustrated breath and reclined into my seat in exhaustion. “Whoever it was, they knew exactly how to cover their tracks,” Conor, the private investigator, said. I had hired him months ago to get to the bottom of this, to know who exactly had the audacity to sneak poison into my house and use it on my wife, almost taking her life. Yet. Something was off about this whole thing. I nodded to Conor, “Thanks for your effort,” I heard myself say, still soundin
I pushed the car harder than I should have through the winding roads leading to our house, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. The rational part of my brain kept telling me I was overreacting – the phone networks had been spotty lately, and Amelia was safely home. But years of survival instincts were screaming at me that something was wrong. Her last text was hours ago, even so, she would've called to let me know the second she got home. But she didn't. Those instincts had saved my life more times than I could count. And now they were ringing in my head like alarm bells. I tried her number again, my jaw clenching when it went straight to voicemail. "Come on, Amy," I muttered, inhaling deeply as I tried to calm my racing heart and maintain my composure. There was more than enough security around her to make sure no harm would come to her and besides… The security gate opened automatically as I approached, and I scanned the grounds out of habit. Everything looked norma
I studied the man carefully as he remained quiet, measuring my next words. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with the knife Amelia still held behind her back."If you have nothing better to say, I suggest you leave," I said, my voice carrying the quiet authority I'd cultivated over years of command. "Whatever opportunity you're here to present, I'm not interested,"They must think me a fool, a man so pussy whipped that I would jump at every offer solely because I was married to Amelia. But my duty is to only her, not anyone else. I don't owe them shit. Guerrero's weathered face creased with amusement. "The Roman Volkov I knew would have jumped at such an opportunity. Power, influence, legacy – these things used to mean everything to you.""That man is retired," I replied coldly, taking measured steps toward Amelia. Each movement was deliberate, positioning myself between her and any potential threat. "My only priority now is standing right here in this kitchen."I cou
Yaakov’s grand ballroom glittered with enough crystal and gold to make my fucking eyes burn with irritation, or maybe that was just the tension headache building behind my temples. Yaakov's hand pressed firmly against my lower back as he guided me through the crowd, his touch both possessive and protective. I could feel the weight of dozens of eyes following our movement across the polished marble floor.I wish I could say I could ignore the hostile and condescending glances, but it already had me on edge, along with Roman's threats. "Mrs. Wellington," they greeted me, one after another, their smiles not quite reaching their eyes. I played my part perfectly – the adoring young wife, one hand resting protectively over my swollen belly as I smiled and nodded and pretended I couldn't hear the whispers that followed in our wake."Can you believe she had the nerve to show up here?""...broke up his marriage to Victoria...""...lost the backing of the entire Richardson family because of he
BERTHAI stood frozen in the doorway, my heart hammering against my ribs as I stared up at Roman. The corridor light cast shadows across his face, making his expression even more unreadable. My fingers gripped the doorframe for support, suddenly feeling like my legs might give out beneath me.“Roman,” I breathed out shakily, I managed to force a smile but I could tell it looked more like a wince. "W-why are you here?" I managed to ask, hating how my voice trembled. He should have been with Amelia right now, shouldn't he? Amelia had just lost their baby, after all.I hear he hasn't left her side in the past few weeks so, why is he here? What could he possibly want with me? A niggling viuce at the back of my mind had an idea, but I easily dismissed it. No. He couldn't be here for that! The thought made something twist uncomfortably in my stomach as I unconsciously placed a protective hand over my own swollen belly.Roman's lips curved into what might have been a smile, but it didn
BERTHAI stared at my reflection in the large vanity mirror, my fingers trembling with barely contained rage as I adjusted the diamond pendant around my neck. The weight of it felt suffocating, much like everything else in this oppressive fucking mansion. The warm golden light from the lamps above should have made me look radiant, but all I could see was the storm brewing in my dark eyes.Here in this mansion, I felt like a dolled up trinket, just kept here to look pretty, to bear a child that Yaakov can fully mold as he wants.The gala invitation lay mockingly on the corner of my vanity, its gold-embossed lettering catching the light. "Mr. and Mrs. Wellington," it read, as if I was supposed to feel honored to be attending as Yaakov Wellington's wife. I sneered at my reflection, watching as the expression twisted my carefully made-up features. The deep burgundy lipstick I'd chosen suddenly seemed too harsh against my pale skin, but it matched my mood perfectly.I had cut my hair short
AMELIAThe hours crawled by with excruciating slowness. Jessica and I sat in the living room, remnants of our lunch spread across the coffee table, neither of us having much appetite. The black car hadn't returned, but I kept glancing out the window anyway, expecting—or dreading—to see it again.I knew something was going on, deep down I knew that the little peace we'd managed to enjoy these past few weeks was already over. I knew it the second I woke up in that hospital. I knew it the second I was told I lost my baby. "You should try to eat something," Jessica said, pushing a container of pasta toward me, looking rather cautious. She's been that way for a while, like she's unsure of what to say, scared that a word might trigger me or something like that. I shook my head. "I can't. My stomach's in knots." I admitted with full honesty. My heart felt heavy and there was the sense of impending doom that I kept trying to push down. Roman and I were…not okay, that much I knew. Eating a
The argument replayed in my mind like a broken record, each harsh word cutting deeper with each repetition. ‘All you see is your own pain.’ The accusation stung particularly sharp because it was untrue. I'd spent weeks trying to understand Roman's pain, making excuses for his absence, convincing myself that his distance was just his way of coping. And now he had the audacity to throw that in my face? That son of a– My phone felt heavy in my pocket. I could call Jessica, or Alexander—they'd be here in minutes. But what would I say? That my husband, the man who'd been my rock through everything, had just revealed a side of himself I'd never seen before? That he was keeping secrets about who had poisoned me? Instead, I did something I hadn't dared since being discharged; I walked upstairs to the nursery door. My hand trembled as it touched the doorknob. We'd painted it white just two weeks ago, discussing whether we should add some kind of decorative element. Roman had wanted to pai
AMELIAHome was supposed to feel like a sanctuary. Instead, the walls seemed to close in around me, each room holding memories that felt more like wounds. The nursery door remained firmly shut—neither of us had the courage to face what lay behind it.I for one knew that I would break down into tiny pieces if I saw what was behind that door. I had already given instructions for the room to be emptied, without my knowledge, of course. I didn't want to see them. The crib. The stuffed animals, the onesies. Fiona had left or rather…fired. I had a feeling she had something to do with the poisoning seeing as Roman was being kind of secretive about why she left or why he fired her. He never really gave me a straight answer, not even when he hired an older woman to fill in as both housekeeper and maid for the meantime. Roman had been adamant about me staying home. "You need to rest," he'd say, his tone leaving no room for argument. But rest felt impossible when my mind wouldn't stop spinnin
The night air was cool against my skin as I stepped out of the hospital, fishing my phone out of my purse to order another Uber. The parking lot was mostly empty, illuminated by scattered streetlights that created pools of yellow light in the darkness. The sound of rapid footsteps behind me made my heart jump, but before I could turn around, I heard his voice."Greece!"Just one word. My name. But the way Colson said it made something inside me twist. I turned to find him slightly out of breath, as if he'd run to catch up with me. The sight of him – powerful, composed Colson – actually running after someone was so unexpected that for a moment, I could only stare."What are you doing here?" I asked, hating how my voice betrayed my awareness of him. Even in the dim light, he was devastating – the shadows playing across his features only emphasized the sharp angles of his face, the intensity of his gaze."It's too dark for you to be out alone," he said, his tone still carrying that profe
GREECE“Why…” I inhaled deeply, “...are you here?” I asked softly. I didn't know he was back from Mexico. But then again, we haven't kept any contact since I left. He couldn't be here for me, right? "Wellington Corp has a meeting with the university board today," Colson said, his voice carrying that familiar professional tone that I'd almost forgotten existed. "With Roman at the hospital with Amelia, I'm handling the meeting with the dean."The words hit me like a splash of cold water, washing away whatever foolish notions I'd been entertaining. Of course. He wasn't here for me. He was here for business, just like always. The realization stung more than it should have, but I refused to let it show on my face."It's nice to see you again," I managed to say, proud of how steady my voice sounded despite the chaos in my chest. But even as I spoke, my traitorous eyes kept drifting to his lips, remembering how they'd felt against mine that night in Mexico. The warmth, the intensity, the
GREECEThe lecture hall felt suffocating despite its size. Professor Williams droned on about corporate law, but my mind was elsewhere, wandering back to memories of Mexico City – memories I couldn't seem to shake no matter how hard I tried. It had been a month since I'd returned, since Colson had practically forced me onto that plane, and yet everything still felt fresh. Raw.The scent of his cologne. The intensity of his gaze. The way his hands felt when they caught me from falling. The almost-kiss on the balcony that still haunted my dreams."Miss Stavros?" Professor Williams's voice cut through my reverie. "Care to share your thoughts on the Jensen case?"I straightened in my seat, forcing myself to focus on the present. "The Jensen case highlighted the importance of fiduciary duty in corporate governance," I began, drawing on whatever information I could remember from last night's reading. "The board's decision to..."As I continued my response, I couldn't help but notice how dif