I forced my face into what I hoped was a professionally neutral smile, pretending I didn't recognize the name that had haunted my childhood nightmares. "Good afternoon, Mr. Guerrero. I'm Dr. Jessica Timothy, and I'll be overseeing your cardiac care." I gave him a slight nod as I spoke in the softest, calmest tone I could muster. All of a sudden I was beginning to wish my father was here with me. So he would tell me how to react in this situation I was in. How exactly I could get out of it without losing a limb or two. His weathered face creased with amusement, green eyes twinkling with mischief that seemed at odds with his fearsome reputation. "My my, if I'd known my new doctor would be such a beauty, I would have worn my better suit." His thick Italian accent wrapped around the words like aged wine, smooth yet potent. The corners of his lips tilted up as he regarded me with a look I couldn't read, I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or threatening. Dr. Morrison shifted uncom
The drive home was quiet, almost too quiet considering how much I wanted to escape my thoughts in that moment.Marcus, my driver, kept his eyes trained on the road ahead as the city blurred past us, the late afternoon sun casted long shadows through the tinted windows. I was both annoyed and grateful for his professional silence as it gave me space to process the storm of thoughts in my head. Victoria's words echoed in my mind like a broken record. The memory of her perfectly manicured finger pointing at me, her face contorted with barely contained rage, made me shiver despite the car's warm interior. The sheer hatred in her gaze and her words. It was a threat. Or maybe a warning. A simple bark that would be without a bite. What exactly did she mean by that? The possibilities seemed endless and equally terrifying. I'd seen firsthand what Victoria Wellington was capable of – the way she'd manipulated situations, controlled narratives, destroyed careers – all with experienced pr
The day of the Henderson event arrived too quickly, bringing with it a flutter of nerves I couldn't quite shake. I was in our walk-in closet, mentally preparing myself to start getting ready while trying to ignore the slight tremor in my hands, when Roman appeared in the doorway with a famous brand bag I hadn't seen before. His presence immediately filled the space with a warmth that helped calm my racing thoughts. He smiled and walked in, closing the distance between us. His spicy perfume covered me in its addictive scent and I was left staring into those blue heated eyes, somehow wishing he would do something more than just kiss me. “Roman the romantic…” I cocked up a brow and said breathlessly, “What do you have there?” I pointed at the bag between us. "Before you start tearing apart your closet and declaring you have nothing to wear," he said with that knowing smile that always made him look years younger, "I might have something that could interest you." His eyes held that mixt
As Monica came closer, it was like watching an incoming storm. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew I wouldn't back down easily…not today. If I can take on Victoria Wellington If I can survive one conversation with my mother's father despite all I knew him to be…Monica would definitely be a piece of cake. A fucking big piece, a voice at the back of my mind pointed out annoyingly. I'd seen that expression on her face before, jaw set, eyes blazing with self-righteous fury. She wasn't just angry; she was out for blood. "Well, well," she drawled, coming to a stop barely an arm's length away. Her perfume, something expensive and overwhelmingly floral, invaded my space and made my eyes water slightly. "You've got quite the nerve showing your face in public after everything you've done to your own flesh and blood," Monica sneered, eyeing me with her usual disdain as her eyes took in my appearance. Many years ago that look was the source of my nightmares and low self-esteem. Sure,
Henderson's hand settled on my waist as we began to move to the music, and I couldn't help but notice the difference. Where Roman's touch always felt natural, like coming home, Henderson's felt calculated, each placement of his fingers seemingly designed to test boundaries."You seem distracted tonight, Amelia," Henderson observed, his voice carrying that particular tone of feigned concern that I'd learned to recognize from years in corporate circles. Getting my memories back was really coming in handy because heavens know I would've made a mistake since the first step. "Though I must say, distraction becomes you. Everything becomes you in that dress." He voiced, his voice low, tinged with something I recognized but chose to ignore the second I identified it. I maintained a polite smile, carefully adjusting our distance to be just a fraction more professional. "The dress was a gift from Roman. He has impeccable taste.""Ah yes, Roman," Henderson's eyes flickered briefly to where Ro
Bertha's approach felt like watching an impending collision in slow motion. Each click of her heels against the marble floor echoed in my ears, matching the quickening rhythm of my heart. She moved with the confidence of someone who had never doubted their place in the world, someone who had always belonged in rooms like this.The last time we saw each other, she'd warned me off Roman with a secret she thought would destroy us. I had thought she would leave for good as she kept on promising but I guess you can't have everything you wish for when you're as unlucky as I am. "Roman," she purred as she reached us, her voice honey-sweet but her eyes sharp as glass. "I've missed you."I felt Roman's hand tighten almost imperceptibly on my waist. "Bertha," he acknowledged coolly. "This is unexpected.""Is it?" She tilted her head, a practiced gesture that made her hair catch the light. "Daddy always says family should stick together during important business events." Her eyes slid to me, di
Victoria's perfectly manicured nails dug into my cheek, not enough to break skin, but enough to make her threat clear. I refused to flinch, even as my heart hammered against my ribs. The cold stone of the railing pressed against my back, a stark reminder that I was cornered. "You're nothing but a gold-digger who got lucky," she hissed, her breath hot against my face. "A nobody who crawled her way into our family through manipulation and deceit from your mother," Victoria sneered, “From what I heard, she was a whore who sold her body just to get you a better life!” I knocked her hand away, fury burning through my veins. "And you're nothing but a jealous, bitter woman who can't stand the fact that not everyone can be under your control and not everything will go the way you want!" I seethed, “I am not afraid of you, Victoria, I know what you truly are beneath all this bark!” The slap came fast, the crack of it echoing in the night air. My cheek stung, but I kept my head high, refusing
AMELIA The world swayed as Roman guided me through the dark hallways of the building as we made our way outside, his grip on my waist firm but gentle. The alcohol in my system made everything feel distant and hazy, like I was watching the scene unfold through frosted glass. My thoughts kept circling back to Victoria's words, to Bertha's appearance, to the weight of all these expectations I could never seem to meet. How the fuck am I supposed to be a woman worthy of Roman? A woman worthy of my mother's family and then not becoming the docile creature I was before my amnesia. How can I get myself out of all these messes I've put myself in? "Where are we going?" I managed to ask, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. "Home," Roman replied curtly. The muscle in his jaw was ticking – a sure sign of his anger. "But the party-" "It's over. For us, at least." We reached the parking garage, and I noticed Henderson's valet had already brought Roman's car around. Of course – even wh
Hi! Its me Dchenemi but you already know that lol. I want to thank you for sticking with this book this far and answer a few questions. Firstly O would like to apologize for the lack of updates, I have ongoing exams and I'm unable to focus on writing while the pressure of getting good grades are breathing down on my neck ahah.Secondly, this arc of the book will be over and after that there'll be one last arc to round up everything and then The Forgotten Marriage will be done and Roman and Amelia's story will give way to other books in the Volkov's Series. Thirdly, daily updates will resume first of February without fail and I promise to give you a satisfying ending. Lastly, thank you for sticking around and coming this far, I hope you have a great week ahead and I'll see you in February. Best, Dchenemi. P.S. You can find me on FB @Divine Chenemi to learn more about the upcoming series or get a sneak peek at oncoming chapters or if you have suggestions or anything you wish to ta
AMELIA My mother had always told me I was destined for great things, and at some point in my life, I thought it was being a well-established painter or perhaps a tycoon like she wished to be. But now I realized what she truly meant. No matter how much she had tried to escape it, her past still caught up with her. Just like my grandfather had said, one could not fully leave such a life except through death, and now... I had become one of them. Due to the things I had said and done behind Isabella's back, she had sent me into those rooms to be abused by those men, but what I came out with was power—one that I couldn't ever tell Roman about. The things I had said... and done, just to convince those men... "Amelia, how could you do such a thing without consulting me?!" Alexander whisper-yelled. He stood a few steps away from me, practically trembling from the shock and rage of what I had just told him. I interlocked my fingers and let out a soft sigh, not fazed one bit by his agitatio
AMELIAI cried myself back to sleep, my body was far too exhausted to do anything else. When I came to, Roman wasn't in the bedroom with me. Our bedroom. I was back home. It felt surreal seeing the familiar walls, the sheets, the scents. Everything made my eyes prickle with tears and the irony wasn't lost on me. Not too long ago I had wished to be out of here for good with no reason to return yet, here I was…happy to be back within three walls. My limbs felt heavy, like they didn't belong to me and my head felt like it wasn't a part of my body. I still felt out of it…a strange feeling that spread to my chest. Like I was out of place, like I didn't belong. For some reason, I half expected Marcus would open that door and walk in, sit right next to me and continue the torture I've been in for the past two weeks. It was possible. What did Roman do with him? I sat up slowly, my whole body groaning in protest. My vision spun and it took a few seconds for me to get my head in order.
AMELIAA FEW DAYS LATER… Isabella had kept her word. After the meeting with Mr. Rossi and a few others who Isabella failed to mention, she didn't send me back to the building I was locked up in. She gave me two flight tickets and told me to make a choice, one sent me back home and the other…was to Sicily. To the heart of all our family's operations. She gave me a choice, once she knew would make my mind heavy with thoughts. An opportunity at power. But I already had my own plans…one I intended to execute once I was out of her grasp. I was supposed to be boarding a plane going back home before Marcus got to me, probably angry that Isabella didn't keep her end of whatever it was their bargain was. I suspected it was me. I barely remembered what happened after that, I was pumped full of whatever it was Marcus spent the last few days injecting me with. I could barely keep my eyes open, I couldn't walk and my thoughts were muddled even as panic gripped me. Fear that I had been doub
AMELIAOver a week had passed since I'd first woken in this goddamn bedroom, though time had begun to lose all meaning. The hope I'd initially clung to – that Roman would find me, that someone would notice my absence and come to my rescue – had slowly withered away like flowers left too long without water. I'd spent countless hours staring out at the skyline, watching the sun rise and set over ancient buildings that had witnessed centuries of human suffering. Now they were witnessing mine.My heart ached each time I saw people pass by, moving freely without knowing just how grateful they should be that they could. Marcus hadn't kissed a day of his visits, his constant torture and each day that passed brought me closer to the day he would finally act on his obvious urges that he's been talking about. He's going to start hurting me, not just mentally but physically. The got of it alone got him off. I'd seen him massage his dick a few times with his eyes on me, fantasizing of a day
ROMAN The mining complex loomed before us in the early morning light, a hulking mass of concrete and rusted metal that seemed to devour the shadows around it. I crouched behind a piece of machinery, my body coiled tight with anticipation as I watched the guards make their rounds through my scope. "Three on the perimeter, two at each entrance," Nikolai's voice came through my earpiece, soft but crystal clear. Even from his position in the command vehicle half a mile away, he somehow knew exactly what was happening. "They're rotating every fifteen minutes, clockwork precision. Military training, just like our informant said." "How many inside?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Heat signatures show twelve moving bodies on the main level, four in the lower sections." There was a pause, then, "One signature in the deepest part of the complex. Isolated. That's her, Roman." My fingers tightened on my rifle. "You're sure?" "The body temperature is slightly elevated, consistent
ROMAN My finger tightened instinctively on the trigger as I studied my cousin, but something in his relaxed posture made me hesitate. He moved with an uncanny grace as he stepped closer, his cane barely touching the ground, more an accessory than a necessity. When he removed his sunglasses, I understood why – behind them, white orbs stared unseeingly ahead, yet somehow I felt more seen than I had in years. "The great Roman Volkov," Nikolai mused, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Always so quick to reach for your weapon. Some things never change, cousin." He moved past me with the confidence of someone who could see every obstacle, his cane making soft taps against the marble floor. "Though I must say, your taste in interior design has improved significantly." He spoke like we were close, but I'd only met the man once when I was younger…two years younger than me, a strange child that had no innocence left in him. There was an attack that left both his eyes damaged beyond repai
ROMAN FOUR DAYS AGO… The sketch in my hand trembled as realization crashed over me like a wave of ice water. Those familiar features, that seemingly warm smile that had never quite reached his eyes – Vincent. Pierce! Our fucking neighbor?! The man who had wormed his way into our lives after her accident despite being our neighbor for years. He got so close to Amelia…the way he looked at her, the way he tried to get closer every fucking time. How could I have been so blind? How could I have been so stupid?! My grip tightened until the paper crumpled between my fingers, fury coursing through my veins like molten lead. "Dimitri," I barked, my voice cutting through the tension-filled air of the cabin. "Watch her. If she so much as breathes wrong, handle it." My eyes locked onto Bertha's terrified face, watching as the blood drained from her cheeks. "You helped him get close to my wife again. Remember that when you're lying awake tonight." I rose to my feet, “For every scratc
AMELIAFive days. One hundred and twenty hours of being trapped in this prison, each minute stretching into an eternity of helpless desperation. The room, with its elegant Italian furniture and sweeping views of Rome, had become my personal hell. They had taken off the covers from the furniture, told me it was once my mother's bedroom. I was in Guerrero manor, a family house in a fucking skyscraper. The highest room, a place my mother probably sought solace and now it was my cell. I'd tried every door, every window, even searched for hidden passages like some character in a gothic novel, but found nothing. The doors were sealed tight, the windows reinforced with something that wouldn't break no matter how hard I struck them. Even the beautiful crystal vase I'd hurled in desperation had merely bounced off, leaving not so much as a scratch.From my perch high above the city, I watched life continue below with a sense of surreal detachment. People moved through the streets like tiny d