The more time passed, the more I worried about Roman. The strange urgency in Dimitri's voice. The way Roman walked out. Oh for fucks sake! I couldn't get a grip. Then I felt it. A pain. Sharp. Unexpected. So intense that it momentarily stole the breath from my lungs and had me doubling over
When I woke up, the world reassembled itself in soft, sterile white and cream. The familiar antiseptic smell. The rhythmic, almost musical beeping of medical equipment creating a strange symphony that sobered me up completely. I was in a hospital, a rather spacious room from what I could see. My e
Jessica's eyes darted between Roman and me, her gaze sharp and calculating. She was dressed in her coat, she looked like she'd just run over without any prior preparation, her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. I looked between her and Roman, mirroring her actions as I wondered if he was the pe
Jessica's face transformed. The stern doctor melted away, replaced by a grin that was pure mischief. "Absofuckinglutely. It is absolutely my duty as godmother to smother this baby with so much love that they'll be thoroughly embarrassed well into their teenage years." The tension in the room dissol
AMELIA The hospital room seemed deathly quiet yet at the same time a certain kind of tension rose slowly as Jessica finally left the room, leaving only Roman and me. I watched as he fiddled, with the image from the scan and then sometimes my fingers, looking he intended to say something but yet k
“I lived up to his expectations and even surpassed it. We were revered, not just in Russia but in other families outside of the country,” His fingers traced nervous patterns on my hospital blanket, creating intricate shapes. "But now," he continued, "now that rumors have spread about my intention
I was in the hospital for a few more days, under strict observation as the doctor wanted to make sure my blood pressure would be back normal and wouldn't become a complication. In those three days I stayed in the hospital, Roman tried as much as possible to spend his nights by my side while also j
Roman shook his head, “Not any time soon,” I understood immediately. They were probably closer than he was letting on. Best friends even. But it seemed what transpired between them was enough to destroy the friendship that was between them. I could tell there was more to it. But I didn't probe a
"I swear," she laughed, her voice filling the car with warmth, "if he could bubble-wrap me and the baby, he would." I couldn't help but smile, watching her face light up as she talked about her husband. "He's just nervous. First-time dad and all that." "Oh, speaking of nervous," she grinned, tur
AMELIA Morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of my bedroom, casting warm patches across my chilly sheets. I should have felt lighter, triumphant even. The family was finally under control, the threats neutralized, and the Guerrero name secure. Yet as I lay there, staring up at the ce
The color drained from their faces so quickly it was almost comical. Uncle Stefano actually tugged at his collar, while Uncle Paolo seemed to sink further into his chair. "Ricardo made his choice," Uncle Marco said, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity despite his obvious fear. "We are mere
AMELIA The meeting wasn't one I was looking forward to but it was something I had to get done. Something that I hoped would remind me of all the reasons why I was in Italy. All the reasons why I became a completely different person. I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, taking in ho
AMELIA TWO YEARS LATER… I was twenty-seven years old, younger than my mother was when she had me, and five years older than she was when my grandfather entrusted the Guerrero family's responsibility to her. Despite trying my best not to think about her, everything I did, everywhere I walked in It
"And sitting back and doing nothing is better?" My voice rose, a mixture of frustration and desperation. "I'm tired of being the victim. Tired of being passed around like a piece of property, like something to be traded and bartered." His blue eyes flashed. "I would never let that happen to you aga
AMELIA Why was I so hesitant? I had been sure of my choices, I had accepted that it was what I really wanted and what I needed. But sitting here, with his head on my shoulder and his eyes looking so distant, I couldn't bring myself to say a word. Nothing. “Amy?” “Hm?” Roman raised his hea
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
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 cau