AMELIA I woke up the next morning with both determination and dread settling in my stomach. The events of the previous night felt almost like a dream, but the weight of what Alexander had said was all too real. As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, I made a decision. Today was the day I would ge
How can I accept the fact that I've had family this entire time…yet I spent so many years being treated like an outcast? Steeling myself, I made my way downstairs. As I approached the kitchen, the sound of voices reached my ears. One was familiar - Trenton, the very person I was looking for. The o
"Why now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why come forward with all of this now?" Alexander's expression turned serious, a shadow passing over his features. “I wish I had the answer to that…all I can say is, maybe it is fate,” He spoke in a low voice, though I could tell he didn't bel
I felt my breath catch in my throat. "Are you saying our family is involved in organized crime?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Alexander's lips curved into a humorless smile. "That's putting it mildly," he said. "The Guerrero family is one of the most influential crime syndicates in Ita
After what felt like hours of intense conversation, I finally stood up from the chair, my legs slightly wobbly from sitting for so long. The weight of everything I had learned pressed down on me, making even the simple act of standing feel like a monumental effort. "I need to head out," I announced
He said he would talk to Roman…does that mean I don't have to say anything now? Finally, taking a deep breath, I pressed call. The phone rang once, twice, three times. Just as I was about to hang up, thinking Roman was too busy to answer, the call connected. But it wasn't Roman's deep, accented vo
Bertha's words echoed in my mind: "A love that transcends all obstacles." Was there truth to what she said? Was she really just there on business or was he lying about it? And if so, where did that leave me? I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed when the car pulled up to the salon.
AMELIA As I stood in front of the full-length mirror, my breath caught in my throat. The woman staring back at me was familiar yet strangely new. My once dark limp locks had been transformed into a stunning shade of warm blonde with faint curls, the color seeming to catch and reflect the light in 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