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 g
What were the chances that he would even spare me a thought now that Bertha was there…did he truly mean all those words? "No, I... could we just get a drink instead?" Vincent hesitated. "Are you sure? What happened here-" "Please," I cut him off. "I just... I need a minute. There's a bar just o
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 circlin
"Nothing?" I straightened in my seat, anger cutting through the alcohol haze. "You could barely keep your eyes off her or even hear a word I said! You haven't even bothered to look at me…to really look at me, Roman!” I snarled back at him with equal ferocity. I was sure I had scratch marks on my fac
Roman's expression darkened as his eyes landed on my cheek, finally seeing what I assumed would be red nail marks. "She put her hands on you?" I nodded, feeling tears prick at my eyes. "She said... she said such horrible things about my mother, about me. About us. And you were inside with Bertha, a
GREECE I watched as the waves rose and crashed repeatedly against each other and sometimes soak the sand by the shore. I was quiet. I hadn't spoken to anyone or even myself in hours. It gave a strange sensation, like I'd forgotten the sound of my own voice. Like I'd always been here, sitting on th
GREECE The club was noisy, that was the first thing that registered. The music was so loud I could feel each bass drum in my feet and head like a throbbing headache. Still, I managed to maintain my composure as I weaved through the crowd of gyrating bodies and drunk adults, going deeper into the cl
“Hey!” One of them called out, stepping down from her stool and grabbing his arm, ripping it away from mine. “She says she's not interested, asshole!” The rest of them blocked me from Mike's view and I could tell he was fuming. “Stay out of this you fucking whores!” “Oh? Who are you calling a
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
"I don't want anyone near you right now," he admitted quietly. "The thought of letting anyone close after what happened..." "Rome," I reached up to cover his hand with mine. "We can't live like that. I won't live like that – trapped in fear, suspicious of everyone." I wasn't going to tell him what
The thought of Roman losing control made my chest ache. I knew how he could get when his emotions overwhelmed him, knew the darkness he fought to keep at bay. "How bad was he? Really?" Maria led me toward the kitchen, her grip steady and supportive. "Bad enough that when this cousin appeared, even
AMELIA I 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 iron
AMELIA A 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