The restaurant hummed with a soft, elegant ambiance that seemed to cocoon us from the outside world. Soft jazz played in the background, its mellow notes dancing around our intimate table. Roman had chosen a secluded corner, giving us the privacy I hadn't realized I needed after the day's emotional
"My... aunt?" The words felt foreign on my tongue, like speaking a language I'd never learned. My mind raced through memories of my mother, trying to recall if anyone had ever mentioned a sister of my mother's. But there was nothing – just empty spaces where family history should have been. But the
I sat at my desk, absently clicking my pen against the stack of papers I should have been reviewing, my mind still caught in a loop of last night's events. The memory of Isabella's face – so eerily similar to my mother's – kept floating to the surface of my thoughts, making it impossible to focus on
I recounted the conversation, watching as Alexander's expression grew increasingly stormy. When I finished, he let out a short, bitter laugh. "So they've begun their move already. Earlier than I expected." "Their move?" I leaned forward, confusion and frustration mingling in my chest. "Alexander, w
I gathered my things, taking a moment to straighten the papers on my desk and slip my phone into my bag – a recent gift from Roman that still made me smile whenever I looked at it. To think we've both reached the point where he can openly give me gifts like these. And now there's a risk that I mi
The last thing I wanted was to give her what she wanted. Attention. She laughed, the sound sharp and brittle, echoing slightly in the hallway. "Oh, our father was right – you really have become quite haughty, haven't you?" Her eyes glittered with malice as she leaned in slightly, her expensive p
The reaction was immediate and exactly what I'd hoped for. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd like waves, disapproving glares directed at Bertha, whose mouth opened and closed soundlessly as she realized what I'd done. The whispers grew louder, more pointed – "Did you see that?" One whisper
The bell chimed softly as I pushed open the diner's door, and the familiar scent of coffee and grilled food wrapped around me like a warm embrace. My heels clicked against the checkered floor as I made my way inside, my eyes immediately finding Vincent in the booth by the window. The afternoon sun s
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