CHAPTER EIGHTMAXIMOThe dining room was still tense as Aria left. Lorenzo looked at me with a mixture of anger and disappointment and I found myself getting angry at the look on his face.“I don’t understand,” he started, dropping his fork on the table. The cutlery made a high pitched, tinkling sound that reverberated throughout the entire room.I rubbed my palms together and placed them folded under my jaw.“What don’t you understand, Lorenzo?” I asked, even though I knew exactly why he was acting the way he was.Aria’s father killed our youngest brother. And he wasn’t just some random rival. He was our father’s second in command when he committed the act. Although he had already been killed, it was basic knowledge that any offspring of a traitor should be killed as well.“You’re the don. You’re supposed to lead by example and do what’s right,” he gritted out in a low voice.I knew my other men were pretending not to listen, but I could tell that they were paying attention to every
CHAPTER NINEARIAMy heart pounded heavily in my chest as the cold barrel of Maximo’s gun pressed tightly against the side of my head. I pressed my eyes shut and tried to ignore the way my heart started to race.So this is it. This is how I finally die.At that realization, a cold sensation spread throughout my body, causing my breathing to become shallow and rapid. Fear clawed its way into my bloodstream and I couldn’t focus on anything else but the weight of the gun against my flesh.I heard the sound of the gun cocking and I realized how much I didn’t want to die. If I die now, there will be no chance of me escaping, or even trying to escape.I inwardly scoffed at the thought. Escaping from Maximo won’t be as easy as escaping from my stepfather. Maximo’s weight was pressed on my body, and there was no way I could ever overpower him.“All it takes is for me to move my finger, and you’re gone,” he said in a low growl.The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as a wave of terror
CHAPTER TENMAXIMOI sat in my office and stared at the laptop that was before me. I had been staring at the screen for some minutes now. I needed to be working, but thoughts of a certain redhead handcuffed to the bed in one of my rooms filled my head.I should have just killed her last night. That would bring an end to whatever this was.‘Nothing is happening,’ I said in my head. She’s just a captive who also happens to be incredibly beautiful and sexy.My Red.The door to my office was opened and I had never been happy to get distracted from my thoughts before.“Scar,” one of my men greeted as he walked into my office and sat on the chair before me.“Enrico,” I said in a gruff voice. As he sat down, he dropped the file he was holding on the table and slid it across the table and towards me.“What does it say?” I asked.“The law enforcement are on us,” he revealed and I chuckled.Enrico was a police officer and also one of my most trusted men. He also helped us get intel on what was
CHAPTER ELEVENARIAI woke up before the sun rose. There wasn't much sleep I could get, especially since I could only remain in a particular position due to the way my hands were handcuffed to the headboard. From where I was restrained, I watched as The sun filtered into the room through the window and the light rays fell on my skin. My heart tugged painfully. I don't know when next I'll be able to stand directly under the sun, under the moonlight or even in snow. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to do that.My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the sound of the door opening. Maximo showed up in my room more frequently now and I wonder why.I knew why, even though I didn't want to think about it. He liked seeing me like this; tied up and waiting. I inhaled a sharp breath as I remembered the way he confessed those words to me. I remembered the way his words made me feel things I shouldn't be feeling, and I became angry all of a sudden.“Shouldn’t you be at work?” I asked witho
CHAPTER TWELVEARIAA shocked gasp escaped my lips as Maximo’s lips covered mine. Everything in my head screamed for me to push him away, but the feel of his soft lips probing mine sent a hot sensation throughout my body.The kiss felt like I was being devoured from the inside. His tongue pushed its way past the barrier of my teeth, and soon, I was giving in to his every desire. He braced his hands on the headboard, hovering over me as one of his hands grabbed my thigh.A quiet moan escaped my lips and I desperately wanted to grab him before I remembered that I was handcuffed to the bed. My heart thumped against my chest as our mouths melded into one.His tongue explored my mouth and then trailed along my neck before dipping under my collarbone. He made small circles with his fingertip around the base of my throat and I couldn’t stop myself from shivering in pleasure. The sensation was overwhelming, making me forget about everything else. Making me forget that he threatened to kill me
MAXIMO Loud sounds filled the room as my fists hit the punching bag before me repeatedly. I’d been here for the past hour, and yet, I still had all the pent-up anger inside me. The look of betrayal in Aria’s eyes kept replaying in my head over and over again. It kept me awake throughout last night and unfocused in my office throughout today. My chest squeezed with a feeling I wasn’t used to. Regret. I hated it. I hated how I wished I could go back to change my actions. I hated how it seemed that I cared. I shouldn’t care. I didn’t earn the nickname Scar because I went around feeling bad for my actions and letting guilt eat me up. I also didn’t become the youngest Don in the Cosa Nostra through that means as well. All these new…emotions and feelings were because of one girl. One girl I should kill but just can’t. One girl who seems to have a strong effect on me. “Fuck!” I growled as my fist came in contact with the punching bag, swinging it in my opposite direction. My limbs felt
ARIA‘I didn’t know you were such a whore.’‘…after all, you fucked a stranger on your first day here.’Maximo’s cruel words continued to ring in my head as I lay in bed. He was right. I was cheap and worthless. How could I even let him touch me after he kidnapped me and had plans to kill me later in the future? How could I let him touch me with the same hand that he has used to kill a countless number of people? How could I even get aroused by a man who had that much blood on his hands?I felt disgusted with myself. My mother would definitely be ashamed of me.My head turned to gaze outside the window. It had gotten dark outside. I could see some stars twinkling in the skyMy thoughts were distracted when the room door was pushed open. My heart skipped a beat. I said a silent prayer, hoping it was not Maximo. I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing him after what happened and the things he’d said yesterday.I released a relieved breath as I saw that it was Maria.“Good morning,” she gree
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
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