Alora's POVAlfonso shifted a bit to the side, placing the hands that had just been on me on the kitchen counter. Marco strolled into the room, a curious glance on his face as he stared at us."Is everything okay?"I gulped, seeing Alfonso pass me a warning look from the corner of his eye, as though he was daring me to say a word."Alora?" Marco pressed, scrutinizing my face.I tried to keep a neutral expression, although my mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. Alfonso had threatened mine and Luciano's lives if I reported him to Dante or anyone else. Was I willing to take this risk and tell Marco?Maybe I should.Just as I opened my mouth, it seemed like Alfonso read my thoughts because I heard a drumming sound. When I looked, I saw his fingers drumming on the kitchen counter. But that wasn’t what shut me up. No, it was the murderous glint in his eye—a silent reminder of his earlier threat.A shiver ran down my spine, and I turned back to face Marco, forcing a smile onto my face."Eve
Chapter 50Alora's POVI gulped, Luciano's glare burning holes into my face. I was trying hard to stare anywhere else but him, but he wasn't making it easy for me. My eyes darted towards the open window, into the backyard of the mansion where the garden was, and I tried to focus on the leaves blowing softly with the wind. But I could feel his eyes, feel his gaze moving over me, compelling me to look.Don't look, Alora. Don't fall for it. I tried to tell myself, although knowing it was wishful thinking.Between my dad and Luciano, I always tried to avoid the latter as much as I could whenever he got angry. I would always run to Dad and pretend to play or hang out with him just so I could avoid Luciano. No, he would never hurt me, but he could get really angry. His wrath was not something you would want to mess with.Unfortunately for me, there was no Dad today, and I could only endure his glare while praying for Gianni to stay in the room forever. The thought of Dad brought tears to my
Dante's POVAlora stiffened in my arms, but that was the least of my concerns. I narrowed my eyes toward the direction she had just come from. Her brother? What could he have done or said?“Alora, is everything okay?” Dang it. I almost kicked myself when the words I just spoke registered in my brain. Why would I ask that when she's clearly not okay?But my girl seemed to be in the mood to rile me up. She pulled away from me and stood at arm’s length, then nodded. “Yeah. Sure, everything’s good. I just remembered something from a movie that made me cry.”Bullshit. I knew Luciano must have said something to her, and I was going to find out. “I know you're lying, Alora. Just go to your room. I'll come, and we’ll talk soon.”“Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about now, excuse me.” Before I could say or do anything, she whizzed past me and ran to her room. The door slamming shut behind her. Well, if she wasn't going to tell me what was wrong, then I’d find out myself.I stormed int
Alora's POVRestlessness had hugged me like a glove ever since I ran into my room. I tried sleeping, but my thoughts were all over the place, and I kept feeling my stomach churn. So now, here I was, pacing back and forth in my room while humming a soft tune.It was doing nothing to calm me down. My pacing ceased when I heard a knock at my door. I trudged towards it and pulled it open. Luca stood outside, leaning against the wall with his hands resting in his pockets."Hey, Alora. Miss me?" He raised a brow and pouted, but I just rolled my eyes and walked back into my room."What do you want, Luca?" I asked in a bored tone, flopping down on my bed and lying facing the ceiling."Ouch, girl, you can hurt a man so bad, you know. Would it hurt to say, 'Yes, I missed you, Luca'?"I chuckled, sitting up to face him. "Why should I lie? You're the last face I wanna see right now.""OMG," he gasped, clutching his chest in a dramatic display of being hurt. "Well, I came to tell you that Dante is
Alora's POVOkay, something terrible had happened. I mean, I was just with Luciano about an hour ago, and he wasn't like this.A black eye, bruised cheek, and a limp as he walked. Since when did head injuries cause this?"Luciano. Oh my goodness, are you okay?" I asked in panic and almost hit myself for being so stupid. He smiled softly but winced as he dragged his feet into the room.I jumped into action, peeling the covers off the bed and tapping on the empty space for him to sit, my eyes wide with worry."Hi," his gruff voice greeted.I blinked twice, my lips pulling into a frown. "Are you kidding me? Hi? Luciano, what the hell happened to you? You look like you just escaped death.""Alora. You always worry too much. I've told you to stop stressing at this age because—""Oh, spare me that crap, Luciano. What the hell is going on?"Luciano went silent, his eyes watching me keenly for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, baby. I've been a jerk."Luciano must be high on something. "Just tell me
Dante's POVIs it possible for a man to feel butterflies in his stomach? Because if not, then I need to see a doctor as soon as possible. The minute our lips touched, I felt a warm simmer in my veins, taking my breath away.Even though I was the one who initiated the kiss, I froze for a few seconds before moving against her lips. All her struggles ceased as she lost herself in the moment—a moment I didn’t want to end.I bit her bottom lip, trying to assert dominance, and Alora let out a moan that sent a rush of heat to my groin. Fucking hell. Even Bianca could never bring out a response from me like this. What is this little nurse doing to me?After a minute, I reluctantly pulled away from her but leaned my forehead against hers, her warm breath hitting my face.I used my finger to pull away some strands of her hair from her face, then in a swift movement, lifted her to sit with her legs on both sides of me. She gasped, her legs hitting m
Alora's POVDante didn't look okay. Whatever had been said to him on the phone had made him pale before letting out a string of curse words while tugging at his hair. When he and Luca exchanged glances and then stared at me, my heart lurched.Whatever had happened, it involved me. Cautiously, I asked, "What's going on, Dante? You don't look okay."He didn't immediately respond but held me by the waist and pulled me towards him. Once I was wrapped in his warmth, he uttered the words that had goosebumps erupting along my skin as a shiver crept down my spine."Alora. I want you to be calm, okay? We are going to handle everything, and all will be well.""What do you mean by that? Why should I be calm? I'm already very calm. Is there a reason for me not to be?" The questions tumbled out of my lips as I detached myself from his arms and gazed at him with curiosity etched on my face."Just know that all will be well, okay?"I hated this, going around in circles instead of just saying what wa
Alora's POVMy heart was pounding, my palms getting sweaty. I tried to scream but was stopped by the man's hand landing on my mouth."Shhh. You don't want to attract the wrong attention now, do you?"My eyes, which were closed due to fear, snapped open, and a smile broke out on my face as I looked into the eyes of my brother."Luciano, what the hell? We've been looking everywhere for you. Are you crazy? Disappearing out of the blue. Come on, let's go. The others have been worried sick for no good reason. Don't try this again, brother. It's hella annoying."The words spilled out of my mouth faster than I could control. I was relieved, knowing that my brother wasn't kidnapped and probably being tortured somewhere."Alora, listen. I have a lot to tell you."Luciano whispered, cutting off my words. He sounded worried, and my doubts were confirmed when he moved towards the open window and pulled the curtains together, causing the room to descend into pitch darkness."Luciano, what's going
Alora's POV I was crying again while Marco and Luciano looked at me, both panicked, a tinge of concern all over their faces. Vittoria was laughing her ass off on the couch, and Gianni still seemed unbothered, typing away on his phone while his AirPods filled his ears. Dante marched in, his face already twisted with concern and anger because he suspected what was going on. "What is it, baby?" I jumped into his arms, letting my tears soak his crisp white shirt. I felt sorry for him. He was just about to go to a gala, but at this point, I doubted he was going to go anyway. "What is it, Alora? Who? Just tell me the name." I lifted a shaky finger and pointed at both Marco and Luciano, who were shaking their heads. Once Dante’s eyes fell on them, they both pointed at each other. "It was him, not me!" "I have told you guys to stop. You're grown men, for shit's sake. You know what? You are going to get punished for this." "Wait, what? Come on, Dante, it wasn’t even that serious!" Luci
Alora's POVI still couldn't believe I had two brothers. And that Bianca was my sister. We looked nothing alike.I was chubby; she was slim. I had black hair; she had blonde. I was good. She was evil.See? Nothing alike.Marco and Luciano, too, took it upon themselves to make me miss growing up with siblings. Yep, you guessed that right—annoying me."Marco, Luciano, if you don't get out of this room, so help me God, I am going to castrate you and feed your balls to my alligator! Get out now!"Vittoria screamed, making them stop snickering and start walking toward the door with their heads bowed.Both of them had something for her—I could feel it. But she hated Luciano and tolerated Marco, according to what she had told me."Luciano, give me the brush before you leave."Marco laughed at Luciano, who pouted and brought out the comb he was hiding in his pocket. They both walked out, and I turned to Vittoria, who huffed.“These men act like children. Tell me, how are they even in the Mafi
Alora's POV"Wait, what?"The men holding Dante back stepped aside, moving backward with their heads bowed. All the men who had entered with Dad did the same, placing their guns at their sides, leaving the guests to stand up—except for a few, who I now knew were working with Dad.The elders. Not surprising."What the hell is going on? You're supposed to have them at gunpoint until I say we leave. What is happening?""What is happening is that you, Giovanni, have just been outsmarted. You thought you were the most intelligent, you thought you were the wisest, and now what? You have been reduced to nothing. Boys, you can come out now."Marco and Luciano emerged from the corner, Marco giving me a small wink and a nudge on my shoulder."I never wanted to betray you. It was all part of the plan—infiltrate him, get his men on our side, and win," he whispered to me, making me nod, though I was still dazed."Yes, sister, it was tough, but with your help, we managed to do everything as we shou
Alora's POVNo.It couldn't be.Bianca froze, same as me, and everyone else, as we watched the man I thought was my father—and whom she thought was hers—walk up to us. He had glasses on, but I knew my dad, even if I hadn't seen him for some years, thinking he was dead.His words were still ringing in my mind."One of my children."Daughters? We were his daughters? Bianca was my sister? No. I shook my head. No, it couldn't be."What the hell do you mean, Dad? What do you mean by children? Do you mean...?" Bianca trailed off, disbelief etched on her face."Of course, Bianca. You are a very intelligent girl—catch up quickly. I am your father, and I am Alora's father. Just a few years apart and two different women, and I got both of you." He explained calmly, as if discussing the weather."Wait... so, all my life, when you left saying you were going on business trips, you were with her?" Bianca cried, tears slipping from her eyes.For me, shock was all I could feel—no other emotion. He ha
Alora's POVI ran my hands over the delicate ends of the mask I was wearing. Black. Paired with a black dress, black shoes. Everything on me was black. The dress was floor-length and hugged my curves.This was never me. I don't think I had ever dressed like this before. But Vittoria said, "The sexier, the wiser." Whatever that meant.I was coming in with Luciano as his date so that no one would suspect who I really was.My black hair was covered up by a blonde wig. Everything about me had changed, and only someone who knew me extremely well would even suspect I was still the same person.Black lip gloss as well. I didn't know if I was going for a Halloween party or a masked party.This ball was by Bianca's father, Giovanni—to celebrate his daughter's engagement to the Italian mafia don. How he thought that was going to happen baffled me.Grand. Elegant. Those were the words to describe the hall. The crowds were gathered, showing off their finest. And thankfully, Vittoria's choice of m
Alora's POV"Hey, little man, don't scare us like that again," I told Gianni as soon as I sat down by his hospital bed, where he was receiving his last infusion before being discharged.All in the same house."I didn't scare you, but that scary aunt—gosh, I hate her now. She just told me she wanted to show me something, and I followed, a-and—"My heart broke alongside his voice."It's okay, it's okay, don't say any more," I whispered, trying to stop him from talking. That kind of memory should be left behind. How was it that she had planned to kill a kid? It baffled me."Are you feeling any pain? Are you strong? Do you want something? I can get anything for you."Gianni rolled his eyes. Yes, he rolled his eyes at me. Again."Come on, Alora, I'm not dying. I'm just a bit weak, but I'll sleep, and I'll get stronger when I wake up.""If you're weak again, you should eat something. Let me go get something for you, alright?""No, I won't eat now. I'll eat later. Let's just—"A knock on the
Dante's POVI strolled into the dungeon, a small smile on my face.They thought they had won. They thought we would never know. Unfortunately for them, it was too late.Luca, upon seeing me, smirked, making Carlos turn to me with a smug smile. They had been chatting as if they were in seventh heaven, not knowing what fate awaited them. Or maybe they knew, but they thought they would take my happiness away with it.Hell no."Nice to meet you again, guys. How are you coping in this beautiful place?" I asked as they dangled from the chains in the ceiling."We are enjoying it just fine, aren't we?" Carlos sneered. "Making funeral arrangements already?"They had no idea that we had caught Rosa yet, and it was going to be painfully exciting to watch them see her drown in the same way she had planned to drown Gianni. Fortunately, something had distracted her, and she left the bathroom. That was how—why—we met him still fine."Oh, no, no, no. Don't worry. There's no need for a funeral. Why sh
Alora's POVThe world was falling apart, and it was all my fault. I shouldn't have kept quiet. I should have said something. All of this would have been avoided if I hadn't been such a scaredy cat. Now lives were endangered, including Gianni's. The one person I swore to take care of.As we ran down towards Vittoria's room, as the cameras had shown us, my heart was almost beating louder than the numerous footsteps hitting hard on the floor.Since the kid hadn't placed cameras in people's rooms, well, private areas, none of us knew what we'd find there.It could be an unconscious boy. A badly beaten one or, worst-case scenario—a corpse.I would never forgive myself if he was killed because of my stupidity.My nerves spiked as we ran in. Dante kicked down the locked bathroom door and went inside. Marco held me back from following them.I was the nurse. I was the one who was supposed to go in first. I glared at him. He probably thought he was safe. Ha! There was no way I was going to keep
Dante's POVEver felt like your heart was going to be ripped out of your chest? Or that it was beating at 250 beats per minute? That was exactly how I felt as we ran down towards Gianni's room. I had been a fool.The signs were there, but I chose not to believe them. I should have been wiser. I am the Don, for goodness' sake. If anything happens to Gianni, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself.The moment we barged into the room, it was all chaos, making my mind buzz even more. Clothes were scattered around, his gaming instruments lay on the floor, and blood—so much blood that I couldn't comprehend what my eyes were seeing.Worst of all, there was no Gianni in sight."Gianni? Gianni?"Silence.Utter silence. Except for the noise from the corridor as everyone ran around, trying to spot him or the shooters, if they were still around."Gianni!"Alora's voice was shaky. When I looked at her, my heart clenched even more at the sight of her red-rimmed eyes. Marco stood beside he