MARIELLA Eros was already in a suit when I stepped out of the bathroom in my long sheath dress. His eyes fell on me through the mirror. His hands paused while his eyes skimmed down my body. I looked down at the plain silk gown with a cowl neckline and spaghetti straps. Niana had forced me to buy t
Alessia had the capo’s eyes and hair, but the rest of her features were so much like Bella’s that no one would’ve said she wasn’t her own daughter. Plump lips. Black hair. Grey eyes. Prominent cheekbones. With features like that, I could only imagine how beautiful she would be when she grew up. Ero
EROS [TWO NIGHTS AGO] I paused by the door, not figuring out the root of the hesitation inside me. Not a single bone in my body wanted to be here, to see Ira, or to fuck my frustration out, which was why I was here. I looked down at my hands, remembering how fucking small she felt pressed up agai
“There’s nothing to deny.” I tried to step back. “Please don’t go. Just speak to me. Let’s work this out.” My jaw twitched. “There’s nothing to talk about. I was pretty clear in my text that it was the last time I was contacting you.” “But then I texted you back. Tried to call you so many times.”
“I will come with you.” “Stay here and help your brother and his wife greet the guests.” “Can’t Ella stay?” I asked with a frown. “Ask her.” She walked away, leaving me wondering what exactly she had heard. I had to explain this to her, but it was too complicated. Mom had seen Ira with me a few
MARIELLA Jealousy. It was the first time I had felt it. Who knew it could be so . . . painful? Knowing someone had what was supposed to be mine was very disturbing. Yet I could do nothing about it. I hadn’t expected Eros to be a saint. Of course, he’d had relationships before. But I hadn’t expecte
“He killed her because she knew too much.” She nodded at my words and went on, “She surrendered herself so that we could be untraceable. But in my quest to help people like her, I became her. Elias used me to hurt Adonis.” “But you saved him.” She pursed her lips. “I saved my daughter’s father. A
She swept her hair to one side of her shoulder. “Adonis loves his daughter from all his heart but he regrets not being there for her when she was born and wants to make up for it, so maybe after that.” “You don’t want to experience motherhood yourself?” “I raised Alessia, so I am pretty experience
I walked toward Ella’s bed and sat down beside her. She pulled herself up with much difficulty and looked down at our daughter. “She’s so small,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. The wait, the pain and everything were worth this—this joy and the deep love I felt in my heart. I met Ella’s gaze a
[FOUR YEARS LATER] EROS I was panicking more than Ella was. But I couldn’t take her screams, let alone look at her. She was covered in sweat from head to toe and her entire body was shuddering. This was partially my fault, I could say. She buried her head back on the pillow and let out another lo
Even in my absence, I had been sure that Mariella was okay. She was upset, which was understandable, but she was safe. Adonis had ensured it. I hurried into my wing and up to my room, unable to control the burdening feeling in my chest. I needed to let out all that I had been holding inside, to tel
Both Mom and Adonis scanned the room. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t have a good feeling about this. Ella was running away. Or perhaps hiding something from me. I sincerely wished it was the prior. Adonis took a deep breath and spoke. “Ma, I need to speak to Eros.” I was dumbfounded. I widened my
EROS With all the men guarding me, I felt like a child being carried to the principal’s office. Every fucking one of them had a brooding look on their face. And I had been seeing them every day for the past two months. No more. I was finally returning home. To my family. To my wife. I wondered ho
As I pushed the door, I noticed the girl sitting on the ground, holding a grey shirt to her chest. Eros’s shirt. Had she been holding onto him in this manner? Crying herself to sleep holding that one shirt? Consoling herself that he was alright? “Mariella?” Her eyes widened and snapped toward me.
ADONIS I couldn’t stand the sight of people who pretended as though my world hadn’t completely changed. Many people greeted me as I walked out to the main wing. Danilo, his wife and younger daughter. Terenzio and Fabiola. Niana Galasso and the idiot who got Danilo’s daughter pregnant. My wife and
“My sister has a habit of meddling in other people’s matters. I’m sorry for that.” She probably didn’t know who I was, either. Her expressions suddenly fell, and she said with an apologetic look on her face, “I’m sorry if I sound rude, but my coming here wasn’t really a coincidence.” I frowned. “I h
Eros leaned down and whispered something into his niece’s ears that made Alessia smile bigger. Letting go of his hands, she motioned toward her father. Eros, the matchmaker, was back in the room. He wanted nothing more than what I did and that was to see this little family of ours be happy and one