ARIAMaximo didn’t come to my room in days. Four days to be exact. I tried to pretend like I didn’t care about it. I tried to pretend that his sudden absence, just after I heard him with another woman, didn’t bother me. But it did. Each time I heard someone at my bedroom door, the rate of my heartbeat doubled, hoping he was the one. I was always disappointed when I saw Maria with a tray of food and her usual emotionless face.My heart clenched at the thought of how easy it was for him to replace me with another woman. Did he even have to replace me? Was I ever relevant in his life?Caterina Gallo. She was his lover, his woman. I tried to think of how he acted around her. Does he always threaten to kill her like he does with me? Or does he love her? Did she manage to weave her way into the dark depths of his heart? The more I thought about it, the more my own heart cracked.Why did I care this much? Why did my heart clench painfully whenever I thought of him? Each day, I tried not to
MAXIMOA gruff curse escaped my lips as I stood up from my bed. I've been tossing and turning on my bed, unable to sleep. I need a smoke. Opening my nightstand drawer, I took out a packet of cigarettes and the lighter beside it. I slipped out a stick and lit it, before dropping the lighter back in the nightstand drawer with the rest of the pack. "Cazzo,” I cursed again as I tried to disperse the thick smoke that filled my room from the lit stick. For some odd reason, the smoke felt suffocating.Standing up, I walked to my balcony to get some fresh night air. I stood there and took a deep huff from my cigarettes. If Mama saw me right now, she would lose her mind. She hated that Papa smoked. She would tell him that he would die of cancer or suffer a terrible disease that would leave him frail and weak. The first and only day she saw me smoking a cigar I’d stolen from Papa’s office, she cursed me out loud and told me that I would become one of the sbandato who stood on the road and be
CHAPTER SEVENTEENMAXIMOA loud knock on my bedroom door woke me up. My eyes shot open, and I reflexively reached for my gun from my bedside table. That was until I realized that it was early in the morning, and it was definitely one of the maids knocking."Come in,” I called out, my voice gravelly and rough.The door slowly creaked open to reveal Paula, the middle-aged woman who cleaned my room every morning.Her eyes widened in fear as she looked at me, and then she quickly bent her head to look at the floor.“G-good morning, boss,” she greeted, her voice timid.I threw my legs out of bed, and that was when I realized that she’d probably panicked because I was shirtless."Why didn't you wake me earlier?” I asked in a low growl, looking at the time on my phone.“I-I didn’t know you wanted me to wake you. You’re always awake by the time I get here. I’m sorry. It will never happen again,” she rushed out in a panicked tone.She was right, and somehow that managed to annoy me even more. I
CHAPTER EIGHTEENMAXIMOI rushed towards her and lifted her body from the floor. Her head lolled to the side as I pulled her body into my arms, and I cursed, rage building up within me. Her body was soaking wet. She was not wet when I left her here, which only meant one thing—my men had messed with her.A bitter, sardonic laugh escaped my lips as I carried her out of the dark cell, walking past other occupied cells until I got to the staircase. The prison guards and prisoners stared at me with confusion spread across their faces. I didn’t give a fuck. At least not at the moment. The only thing I cared about was getting Aria warm and fully conscious.A sharp wince left her lips as I began to make my way up the stairs. She released another sound, a groan of pain, and buried her head into my chest. My heart squeezed with various emotions I didn’t know I was capable of. I decided to ignore it like I was doing everything else. The moment I stepped foot into the lobby of my building, I be
CHAPTER NINETEENARIAThe moment Maximo kissed me, everything else ceased to exist. My hatred for him, my desire to flee from him, my promise to never give him whatever it was that he wanted from me—it all disappeared into the air, like smoke on a foggy day. He tasted of whiskey and cigarettes, but underneath it, there was an undertone of something sharper, less sweet. Something dark, something dangerous. His warm hand came up to hold my face as he deepened the kiss. I moaned into his mouth as his teeth caught the seam of my bottom lip as he sucked it between his own. It was rough and wild, making my knees go weak in an instant. His stubble scratched against my chin as he moved his lips down the column of my throat. “Maximo,” I moaned, burying my hands in his thick hair as he pulled me impossibly closer against him.His hands explored my clothed body, caressing and pulling at the buttons of the cashmere sweater—his cashmere sweater—which I was wearing.“Fuck,” he groaned deeply.H
CHAPTER TWENTYARIA“It’s dinner time. The boss requests your presence downstairs,” Maria announced as she stepped into the room.I internally smirked. When Maximo didn’t call me down for breakfast this morning, I was confused, pissed and disappointed. Did he take my word for it when I told him I never wanted to be around him? No. That would mean he was granting my wishes, which isn’t Maximo-like.Did he decide to leave me locked in the room till I starved to death? I doubted that. If Maximo finally decided to kill me, I was sure he would want to do it with his hands. I had spent hours asking myself questions, with nervous anticipation coursing through my veins. I had a plan to escape, and for it to work, Maximo had to be predictable. I had to see him at least once every day. Seduction. That was my plan, to seduce him.There was something between us—a tension, hot electricity and heat that swirled in the air whenever we were in the same room. It had always been there, from the fir
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONEMAXIMOMy hands remained balled into fists as anger coursed through my veins. I never had a problem with Lorenzo showing up for dinner unannounced. He was my brother, the only person I trusted, the only one I would lay down my life for if needed.But at this moment, he was the person I wanted to smack in the head, and he was the last person I wanted here.“I don’t understand why she’s having dinner with you, Scar,” he said, switching to Italian.I stabbed a piece of chicken with my fork, brought it to my mouth, and took my time chewing it before swallowing and turning to answer him. “Because I wanted her to.”We’d had this same conversation in the past, and it annoyed me that he was bringing it up again. Lorenzo’s brown eyes regarded me for a few seconds before he burst out in laughter. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I continued to devour my dinner.“I’m curious to see how this whole thing will play out,” he eventually said after his laughter had died down
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOARIAI was livid. At first, my anger stemmed from the fact that Maximo’s brother interrupted the moment we were having. I had been confident that my plans to seduce Maximo would work, especially as I saw the way he reacted to me. Until Lorenzo showed up, glaring at me like he wanted to kill me with his own bare hands. Lorenzo was the type of man who was all smiles and jokes but was actually very dangerous. Men like that were dangerous because people often underestimated them. But there was something about him that made dread skitter across my stomach. It was different from the transfixing fear I felt for Maximo—the one that held me in a state of captivation, unable to look away from him despite my trepidation.With Lorenzo, the fear I felt was dirty and repulsive. His presence in the room made my skin crawl. My anger only worsened when they began to speak Italian, deliberately exempting me from the conversation. Each time Lorenzo laughed and glanced at me, I wis
CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDEPILOGUE (Eight Months Later)ARIA“Maximo,” Dr. Marini said, adjusting her glasses as she peered at him from across the table. “We’ve talked about this. You can’t solve everything with threats.”Maximo, sitting beside me in a perfectly tailored suit, crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t threaten,” he said smoothly. “I give options. It’s not my fault people don’t like the consequences of the second one.”I stifled a laugh, earning a sharp look from Dr. Marini. She was one hell of a woman. Soft when she needed to be, but also scary nonetheless. It was why she was the only woman in the Cosa Nostra who could call my husband by his first name. I still wasn’t sure how I should feel about that.“Aria,” she turned her attention to me, “how do you feel when Maximo behaves this way?”“Honestly?” I said, tilting my head. “It depends. Sometimes, it can be infuriating..."“I didn’t even do anything,” Maximo grumbled beside me. “Do you know what other dons do
CHAPTER NINETY-NINEARIAThe sting in my hand was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. Maximo stood frozen for a moment, his cheek reddening from where my palm had connected. And then, to my utter disbelief, he laughed—a low, bitter sound that rumbled deep in his chest.“Wow. And here I was thinking you would be happy I’m offering you an easy way out,” he murmured.An angry snarl slipped past my lips as my hand shot up again, ready to slap him a second time. But before I could bring my hand down on his cheek again, he caught my wrist in midair. His grip was firm but not rough, and despite everything, a small, pathetic part of me was happy that he was touching me again.Piercing, grey eyes bored into mine with a mix of frustration and something else I couldn’t quite place.“Aria,” he said sharply, his voice edged with irritation, “I thought you’d be pleased.”“Pleased?” I yelled, my voice rising as tears burned in my eyes. I wrenched my hand free from his grasp, glaring at him th
CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHTARIAIt had been five days. Five days since Maximo killed Lorenzo. Five days since Maximo last spoke to me or looked at me.The house felt colder than usual, and the silence pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket. I’d spent the entire day trying to distract myself from the ache in my chest, but nothing worked.I had tried cleaning the kitchen even though everything was already spotless, scrubbing every surface until my hands were raw. Maria panicked when she saw me, and when she tried to shoo me away from the kitchen, I reminded her that I was her boss’s wife. I did it a little too harshly, I’ll admit, but I’ve been on an uncomfortable edge ever since.I prepared lunch with the rest of the kitchen staff. At first, there was an uncomfortable silence due to my presence in the room. But after I urged them to ignore my presence, a soft conversation amongst the maids followed, and I drowned myself in the city gossip I never knew could distract me.By mid-afterno
CHAPTER NINETY-SEVENMAXIMOA sharp scream pierced the room as Aria crouched to the floor. My heartbeat thudded in my ears as Lorenzo’s head snapped back, crimson blood staining the wall behind him as his body crumpled to the floor.Silence followed, but it was so loud that it felt like a roar.I stared at the lifeless heap on the ground, at the way his blood—my blood—pooled beneath him. My hand stayed clenched around my gun, trembling as I tried to make sense of what was in front of me. The pure rage that had driven me seconds ago evaporated. It was now replaced by a hollowness that spread through my chest like poison.I did it. I killed my brother.The realization ripped through my chest, leaving behind a void so vast that it threatened to swallow me whole. Lorenzo’s face was frozen in a blank state. I stared at his once-sharp features—features that were almost identical to mine—and the slack and lifeless face stared back at me. His eyes—eyes that used to glint with mischief, love,
CHAPTER NINETY-SIXMAXIMOI stood there, gun in hand, staring at my brother as his smirk spread and his mocking laughter echoed around the room. It wasn’t the laugh of someone remorseful or regretful. It was the sound of someone who had nothing left to lose.“You’ll have to be more specific,” I said through clenched teeth. “What exactly did you mean when you said you’ve been behind everything?”Lorenzo tilted his head, his smirk widening. “Do you really want me to go into detail? Are you sure your heart would be able to handle it?” He asked with a mocking pout.My anger burned hotter in my chest, and I tightened my grip on my gun. “Start talking.”“Fine,” he huffed, but then his eyes glinted with malice as he began to speak. “Do you remember when we were boys? How I did everything right? I trained harder, studied more, followed all the rules of the Cosa Nostra, and yet..." He waved a hand as his voice took on a bitter edge. “Yet you—the reckless, weak son—were chosen to lead.”“Yo
CHAPTER NINETY-FIVEMAXIMOI couldn’t wrap my mind around what Aria had just said. Her words echoed in my mind, loud and jarring like a bullet through the air. It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be true.“I don’t believe you,” I finally said, and I saw the way her eyes fell.“I’m telling the truth, Maximo. What will I gain by lying about this?”I gritted my teeth and stepped away from her, needing to clear my head. The woman I loved just told me that my own blood brother, whom I’ve known my whole life, is planning to have us killed. What the fuck was I supposed to make of that?She took a step towards me, and I raised my head to look at her again. My eyes narrowed at her as I tried to understand if she was lying, if she had misheard something, if this was some kind of sick joke. “Have I ever done anything to break your trust?” She asked, and I could hear the hurt in her voice. The fear in her eyes and the slight wavering in her voice were too raw to be fake.“Are you sure?” My voice
CHAPTER NINETY-FOURARIAMy heart thumped heavily within my chest as I slowly turned to face him. The air between us crackled with tension as Lorenzo’s dark eyes fixed on mine. I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat, pretending I didn’t hear or understand a single word of his phone call. “Oh, Lorenzo, I hope I didn’t interrupt your call,” I chuckled lightly. “I was just walking around the compound, admiring it for one last time before we finally leave. I didn’t expect to bump into you.”His expression was unreadable as he studied me for a moment too long, making my stomach churn with nerves. My palms were slick with sweat, and I clasped them tightly behind my back to keep from fidgeting.“You didn’t interrupt my call,” he said finally. His voice was smooth but sharp, like a blade wrapped in silk.I faked a frown, pulling my brows together. “But you look upset. Irritated even.”He chuckled, and the sound was more of a harsh one than an amused one. He took a step closer, and
CHAPTER NINETY-THREEARIAThe morning air was cool and quiet as I stepped outside. My shoes crunched lightly on the gravel path as I stepped away from the main house. For a moment, I just stood there, letting the breeze brush over my skin. It felt so peaceful out here, and I didn’t feel like I was suffocating.I didn’t know why—maybe it was the weight of finally leaving Milan all behind—but I felt something uneasy gnawing at my heart.Someone had just tried to kill Maximo yesterday. Whoever it was had succeeded in killing Luca. I’d tried to calm Maximo down yesterday. I’d offered him the comfort I could give, but deep down, I was troubled and scared. I barely slept a wink last night, even after Maximo and I retired into bed. I kept thinking about the blood I washed off his clothes and body. Luca’s blood. I kept thinking about how, even though we were so close to leaving, it still didn’t make me feel at ease. There was still someone out there who wanted Maximo dead. And heck, the perso
CHAPTER NINETY-TWOMAXIMOLuca’s funeral was set in the small graveyard of a chapel on the outskirts of the city--a place Luca had picked years ago in one of his rare candid moments. “My Papa was buried here. If I’m ever killed, I want to be buried here too,” he’d told me once. I never thought I’d be standing there, watching it happen.The air smelled of fresh-cut grass and incense, the kind that always felt heavy in my lungs. A priest stood by the white coffin, and in a steady voice, he recited prayers that pierced the thick silence hanging over the men who surrounded the grave.Dark suits, stiff shoulders, and lowered gazes--it was the mafia’s version of grief. None of the men spoke, though I caught a few glances aimed my way. Pity. Respect. It all weighed heavy in their eyes. I ignored them all and returned my gaze to the coffin resting over the open grave.Luca’s mother stood closest to the dug ground before us. My heart clenched as I watched her small frame sway slightly under th