I met her gaze and casually said, “I needed a break.” “From . . . reading your files?” she drawled. I nodded. “And you chose to read that?” I turned the book to read its title—ten ways to know you’re doing it right. Of course, I had to pick this. ‘Ten ways to know you’re a narcissist’ would’ve sui
She crossed her hands over her chest and queried, “Fine, you tell me. Why was it me?” “Because of power, Ella,” I growled. “I needed your father’s support for all the inferior underbosses to keep their mouths shut.” “You people are so calculative. But what you don’t calculate are feelings.” “Feel
MARIELLA Berkshire, Massachusetts—I had been to this place before with the family on a holiday when I was about ten. And this time, I was with my husband. Our suite was enormous with a king-sized bed, a three-seater couch and a table, television and other necessities. Everything was okay but the r
*** I couldn’t remember half of their names, yet I knew their faces from the party last weekend. They all laughed and gossiped around the large round table, telling stories about their previous trips. These were just normal people doing the normal things, leading normal lives, lives that differed
MARIELLA We were ready to head to our hiking spot when Eros appeared in the foyer with an all-serious face. No one seemed to notice the way he searched the faces, except Malcolm and me as we stood near the main entrance. Mal hovered toward him. That expression wouldn’t have bode well on anyone. Er
“Do you hear that?” “Hear what?” He clicked his tongue at my tone and said, “The sound of water.” “I’m not so sure about following you right now.” “So you want to return alone?” I could sense the hint of warning in his voice as he added, “Do you know the way back?” I snapped back, “Do you?” “A
He had fully settled himself in the water. His chest up was above the water, which meant it would be till my neck or chin. I put my bag over the same boulder Eros had used and took off my crop jacket. With my back to Eros, I held the rim of my sports bra and pulled it over my body. My hands halted
MARIELLA I wanted to ram Eros’s head into the wall. It was a feeling too open to be unexpected. I bet Eros could see it written all over my face. There had been no use of taking our clothes off for the swim, since we were soaking wet under the rain. I wanted to yell at the top of the splattering s
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