My words struck home, and something in Bertha snapped. She lurched to her feet, her face contorted with rage. "What does she have that I don't?" she screamed, her composure completely shattered. "What makes her so special? I gave you everything! I would have given you anything you wanted!" She snarl
AMELIA I stared at the door long after Roman had left, my fingers unconsciously tracing the spot on the sheets where his warmth still lingered. The silence in our bedroom felt oppressive now, punctuated only by the steady tick of the clock that seemed to mock each second he stayed away. I kept hop
Bertha had every means to smuggle that poison into my meals through Fiona, I read it in the files as she admitted to doing it and even more shit I couldn't begin to fathom. Fiona was so innocent, so quiet. A harsh reminder to never judge a book by its cover, to never trust a person just because t
AMELIA Consciousness returned to me slowly, like wading through thick fog. My head felt heavy, my thoughts scattered and unfocused as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. The last clear memory I had was of Vincent's embrace, the comfort of a friend's arms around me, and then... nothing. I op
I was having a panic attack, unable to breathe, unable to strung along a single sensible thought. My mind, my breath, my heart beat was all over the place and right there and then, I thought I was going to die. I was certain I would lose my life… My aunt watched my internal struggle with obvious di
AMELIA The smile playing across Isabella's face as she watched me process Vincent's presence made my heart burn with intense hatred. She was clearly savoring every moment of my devastation, drinking in my pain like fine wine. Vincent – or whoever he really was – stood there impassively, his familia
AMELIA Five 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
It led me to realize that he was the one who intentionally put up those pictures, to leave me shaken, to have the pleasure of seeing me affected again by what he did. I would try to ignore him, try to silence him. But he never stopped. He would sit there, hour after hour, recounting moments of m
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