LILYI watched Mateo closely, my arms crossed over my chest. “I think Clara has feelings for you,” I said, waiting for his reaction. He didn’t look surprised. Instead, he gave a small nod. I raised an eyebrow. “So, you knew?” Again, he nodded. I tilted my head, studying him. “And? Do you have feelings for her too?” For the first time, Mateo didn’t have an immediate response. He just stood there, silent. I sighed. “You don’t have to answer me, you know. But I asked Clara the same question, and she refused to admit it.” Mateo looked at me then, having this unreadable expression. “She said she was only annoyed that we didn’t let her in when she was knocking,” I continued. “But I didn’t hear her knock.” Mateo’s gaze shifted slightly. I narrowed my eyes. “Did you hear it?” He hesitated for a second before answering. “Yes.” I frowned. “Then why didn’t you respond?” He ran a hand through his hair. “She knocked once. We were in the middle of settling our misunderstanding. How was
BRUNOI walked through the doors of my mansion, my fists clenched at my sides. All I could feel was anger. The moment I stepped in, my men turned to look at me, they all looked surprised to see me. Yes, I was locked up for three days if not mistaken, so they had every right to give me that concerned look. They could sense something was wrong, but I wasn’t in the mood to explain myself. “Boss, is everything okay?” Marco, my most trusted man, asked. I forced a smirk. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” He studied me for a moment, but I didn’t let him see past my expression. I had already been humiliated enough today—I wasn’t about to let my men see how much it burned inside me. “Then why do you look like you just swallowed fire?” another man, Diego, questioned. I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.” But it wasn’t. Not even close. Inside, I was raging. Mateo had me right where he wanted me. He had made me look weak, like some puppet on a string, dan
CLARAI stepped into the room quietly, hoping to avoid any conversation with Mateo. But as soon as I saw him standing by the window, my heart clenched. His back was to me, his posture straight, his hands tucked into his pockets. Something about the way he stood there made him look deep in thought, but I wasn’t about to ask what was on his mind. I turned quickly, ready to leave before he noticed me, but his voice stopped me. “Leaving so soon?” he asked, almost too calmly to neglect. I swallowed hard and turned back slowly. He was already walking toward me, his dark eyes locked onto mine. There was something unreadable in his expression, something that made my stomach tighten. I took a step back. And another. He kept coming closer. I stepped back again until I felt the cold surface of the door against my back. There was nowhere else to go. Mateo smirked, his head tilting slightly. “You feel scared around me,” he murmured, his voice low yet teasing, “and yet, you get jealous when
CLARAI couldn’t wait any longer. The dream haunted me, sticking to my every thought like a dark cloud that refused to disappear. No matter how many times I reminded myself it was just a nightmare, the fear wouldn’t leave me. I needed answers. Without telling Lily, without waiting for anyone, I took a taxi to the clinic. It wasn’t even my scheduled day for a checkup, but I didn’t care. I had to know. If there was still a chance, any chance, to stop this before it was too late… I needed to find out. As I sat in the back of the taxi, my hands trembled in my lap. The city passed by in a blur, my mind running in circles. What if the dream was a sign? What if the baby really wasn’t normal? Would they even allow me to get rid of it? Would Mateo stop me? The thought of him made my heart clench. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lucaa’s number. “Clara?” He answered almost immediately, his voice filled with concern. “Lucaa, I need you to meet me at the hospital,” I said quickly. “It’s
MATEOI sat at the bar, swirling the drink in my glass as I waited for Bruno to speak. He looked uneasy, his fingers drumming lightly against the counter. Whatever he had to say, I could tell it wasn’t good. After a moment of silence, he finally leaned in. “Renzetti has been meeting with the Minister of Finance,” he said, almost in a whisper. I lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “He’s been keeping track of the goods and products coming in and out of the state,” he added. “That means he wants to know what everyone does—their businesses, their incomes, their productivity. Not just the regular citizens, but also the Mafia lords.” I exhaled slowly, setting my glass down. This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but hearing it confirmed made things worse. Renzetti wasn’t just expanding his power—he was making sure no one could move without him knowing.I see.“How long has he been doing this?” I asked. Bruno shook his head. “I can’t say for sure, but judging from how organized ev
MATEOI walked into the mansion, my mind raced with everything that had just happened. The unknown caller, the man at the bar, and the warning… I didn’t like any of it. The moment I stepped inside, I called for Dominic. “Track this number,” I ordered, handing him my phone. “I want to know who it belongs to.” Dominic nodded without question and left immediately. I paced the room, trying to put the pieces together. Someone knew about my plans. Someone who wasn’t Renzetti—at least, that’s what it felt like. But who else could it be? Minutes passed before Dominic returned. “Boss,” he said. “The number can’t be tracked.” I frowned. “What do you mean the number can’t be tracked?” I barked. “That bastard just phoned me minutes ago, and it can’t be tracked?”“It’s unavailable. Whoever called you must have destroyed the SIM card immediately after the call.” For the first time in a long while, I felt something I wasn’t used to… defeat. I had dealt with enemies before, men who thought they
MATEOThe phone buzzed in my hand, and I answered without thinking. Dominic’s voice came through, low in a whisper. “Bruno wasn’t the one behind the men.”I sat up straight. “What?” “We roughed him up, threatened him to talk, but he wouldn’t say a word about who he met today. If Bruno was in on it, he would’ve cracked.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. If it wasn’t Bruno, then who the hell was it?“Since you said it’s not Renzetti, and from our attack, it’s not Bruno either, then you’re right. There’s someone else in the picture.”“I’ll figure that out soon.”The call ended, but the words stuck with me. I tossed the phone onto the nightstand and laid back, staring at the ceiling. My mind raced with countless thoughts, trying to place the pieces together. If not Bruno… then who? Renzetti’s name floated in my head, but something inside me refused to pin it on him. He had power, sure. But he shouldn’t know I had eyes on him this close.Damn it. I clenched my jaw. I
MATEO "I'm going to ask you this one question, Bruno." I leaned closer, eyes fixed on him. "Whose side are you on?""What's that supposed to mean, Mateo?" He snapped."It's just a question, Bruno."He scoffed, nodding his head. I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, watching his face twist in frustration. He didn't want to show off that he was vexed at my question, but I could hear the slight tremor in his voice. He was angry, maybe even insulted, but underneath it all, he was desperate. "Don't you trust me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. I tilted my head slightly, pretending to think. "At this point, Bruno, I’m not sure if I should." My voice was calm, but I knew he could feel every bit of it. "And you know... it’s not too late for me to have you killed." Bruno’s eyes flashed with fury. He scoffed, shaking his head. "And what exactly am I supposed to do to prove my loyalty, huh?" His hands clenched into fists on the table. "Because after a threat like that, do you really th
MATEO "I'm going to ask you this one question, Bruno." I leaned closer, eyes fixed on him. "Whose side are you on?""What's that supposed to mean, Mateo?" He snapped."It's just a question, Bruno."He scoffed, nodding his head. I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, watching his face twist in frustration. He didn't want to show off that he was vexed at my question, but I could hear the slight tremor in his voice. He was angry, maybe even insulted, but underneath it all, he was desperate. "Don't you trust me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. I tilted my head slightly, pretending to think. "At this point, Bruno, I’m not sure if I should." My voice was calm, but I knew he could feel every bit of it. "And you know... it’s not too late for me to have you killed." Bruno’s eyes flashed with fury. He scoffed, shaking his head. "And what exactly am I supposed to do to prove my loyalty, huh?" His hands clenched into fists on the table. "Because after a threat like that, do you really th
MATEOThe phone buzzed in my hand, and I answered without thinking. Dominic’s voice came through, low in a whisper. “Bruno wasn’t the one behind the men.”I sat up straight. “What?” “We roughed him up, threatened him to talk, but he wouldn’t say a word about who he met today. If Bruno was in on it, he would’ve cracked.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. If it wasn’t Bruno, then who the hell was it?“Since you said it’s not Renzetti, and from our attack, it’s not Bruno either, then you’re right. There’s someone else in the picture.”“I’ll figure that out soon.”The call ended, but the words stuck with me. I tossed the phone onto the nightstand and laid back, staring at the ceiling. My mind raced with countless thoughts, trying to place the pieces together. If not Bruno… then who? Renzetti’s name floated in my head, but something inside me refused to pin it on him. He had power, sure. But he shouldn’t know I had eyes on him this close.Damn it. I clenched my jaw. I
MATEOI walked into the mansion, my mind raced with everything that had just happened. The unknown caller, the man at the bar, and the warning… I didn’t like any of it. The moment I stepped inside, I called for Dominic. “Track this number,” I ordered, handing him my phone. “I want to know who it belongs to.” Dominic nodded without question and left immediately. I paced the room, trying to put the pieces together. Someone knew about my plans. Someone who wasn’t Renzetti—at least, that’s what it felt like. But who else could it be? Minutes passed before Dominic returned. “Boss,” he said. “The number can’t be tracked.” I frowned. “What do you mean the number can’t be tracked?” I barked. “That bastard just phoned me minutes ago, and it can’t be tracked?”“It’s unavailable. Whoever called you must have destroyed the SIM card immediately after the call.” For the first time in a long while, I felt something I wasn’t used to… defeat. I had dealt with enemies before, men who thought they
MATEOI sat at the bar, swirling the drink in my glass as I waited for Bruno to speak. He looked uneasy, his fingers drumming lightly against the counter. Whatever he had to say, I could tell it wasn’t good. After a moment of silence, he finally leaned in. “Renzetti has been meeting with the Minister of Finance,” he said, almost in a whisper. I lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “He’s been keeping track of the goods and products coming in and out of the state,” he added. “That means he wants to know what everyone does—their businesses, their incomes, their productivity. Not just the regular citizens, but also the Mafia lords.” I exhaled slowly, setting my glass down. This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but hearing it confirmed made things worse. Renzetti wasn’t just expanding his power—he was making sure no one could move without him knowing.I see.“How long has he been doing this?” I asked. Bruno shook his head. “I can’t say for sure, but judging from how organized ev
CLARAI couldn’t wait any longer. The dream haunted me, sticking to my every thought like a dark cloud that refused to disappear. No matter how many times I reminded myself it was just a nightmare, the fear wouldn’t leave me. I needed answers. Without telling Lily, without waiting for anyone, I took a taxi to the clinic. It wasn’t even my scheduled day for a checkup, but I didn’t care. I had to know. If there was still a chance, any chance, to stop this before it was too late… I needed to find out. As I sat in the back of the taxi, my hands trembled in my lap. The city passed by in a blur, my mind running in circles. What if the dream was a sign? What if the baby really wasn’t normal? Would they even allow me to get rid of it? Would Mateo stop me? The thought of him made my heart clench. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lucaa’s number. “Clara?” He answered almost immediately, his voice filled with concern. “Lucaa, I need you to meet me at the hospital,” I said quickly. “It’s
CLARAI stepped into the room quietly, hoping to avoid any conversation with Mateo. But as soon as I saw him standing by the window, my heart clenched. His back was to me, his posture straight, his hands tucked into his pockets. Something about the way he stood there made him look deep in thought, but I wasn’t about to ask what was on his mind. I turned quickly, ready to leave before he noticed me, but his voice stopped me. “Leaving so soon?” he asked, almost too calmly to neglect. I swallowed hard and turned back slowly. He was already walking toward me, his dark eyes locked onto mine. There was something unreadable in his expression, something that made my stomach tighten. I took a step back. And another. He kept coming closer. I stepped back again until I felt the cold surface of the door against my back. There was nowhere else to go. Mateo smirked, his head tilting slightly. “You feel scared around me,” he murmured, his voice low yet teasing, “and yet, you get jealous when
BRUNOI walked through the doors of my mansion, my fists clenched at my sides. All I could feel was anger. The moment I stepped in, my men turned to look at me, they all looked surprised to see me. Yes, I was locked up for three days if not mistaken, so they had every right to give me that concerned look. They could sense something was wrong, but I wasn’t in the mood to explain myself. “Boss, is everything okay?” Marco, my most trusted man, asked. I forced a smirk. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” He studied me for a moment, but I didn’t let him see past my expression. I had already been humiliated enough today—I wasn’t about to let my men see how much it burned inside me. “Then why do you look like you just swallowed fire?” another man, Diego, questioned. I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.” But it wasn’t. Not even close. Inside, I was raging. Mateo had me right where he wanted me. He had made me look weak, like some puppet on a string, dan
LILYI watched Mateo closely, my arms crossed over my chest. “I think Clara has feelings for you,” I said, waiting for his reaction. He didn’t look surprised. Instead, he gave a small nod. I raised an eyebrow. “So, you knew?” Again, he nodded. I tilted my head, studying him. “And? Do you have feelings for her too?” For the first time, Mateo didn’t have an immediate response. He just stood there, silent. I sighed. “You don’t have to answer me, you know. But I asked Clara the same question, and she refused to admit it.” Mateo looked at me then, having this unreadable expression. “She said she was only annoyed that we didn’t let her in when she was knocking,” I continued. “But I didn’t hear her knock.” Mateo’s gaze shifted slightly. I narrowed my eyes. “Did you hear it?” He hesitated for a second before answering. “Yes.” I frowned. “Then why didn’t you respond?” He ran a hand through his hair. “She knocked once. We were in the middle of settling our misunderstanding. How was
CLARAI knocked twice, waiting for a response. Nothing. But I could hear voices inside, though they weren’t clear. My heart pounded a little as I hesitated. Maybe I should wait. Maybe they were busy. But something didn’t feel right. Without thinking much, I pushed the door open. And then I froze. Mateo was standing there, holding Lily’s hands. They were close—too close. Just an inch apart. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t move. Mateo turned his head sharply, his eyes locking onto mine. The way he quickly pulled his hands away from hers made it even worse. It felt like I had walked in on something I wasn’t supposed to see. “Clara?” he called with an uncertain voice.I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My chest tightened painfully, and my fingers trembled as I reached for the door. Without another word, I stepped back, closed it behind me, and walked away. The pain in my heart was sharp, almost unbearable. I didn’t know why it hurt so much, but it did.I wa