Alexander pov. “Seriously? The first thing you do when you wake up is kiss her? Are you out of your mind, Alexander, or have all those bullets finally messed with your already deranged brain?” Daniel scolded, dressing my wound with a mixture of disbelief and anger. “Aw, Uncle Daniel, don’t scold him,” Julian interjected from across the room, smirking as he glanced up from his phone. “Uncle Alexander wasn’t exactly normal to begin with, so why are you surprised?” He leaned back, his voice casual. “Do you know what everyone in Italy calls him? Creatura delle tenebre — ‘creature of the darkness.’ He’s the same man who wiped out an entire mafia clan just because they betrayed him.” I tilted my head to the side, my cold gaze sweeping over him but of course, the dumb idiot didn't even realize. I was already in a bad mood, angry at myself for doing something so foolish. I had kissed her, thinking she was Emily, and before I even realized what I was doing, I had followed my urge. The wors
Valentina pov."Madam! You don't fry porridge!" Martha exclaimed in shock, quickly snatching the oil from my hand. I blinked in confusion, staring at her bewildered expression."You don’t fry it?" I asked, equally puzzled, watching as the entire kitchen staff froze. They stared at me as though I had grown two heads, likely expecting me to laugh and claim I was joking to break the tension."Haha, of course. You don't fry porridge. I know that, I'm not stupid, sometimes I forget things easily," I waved my hands with a cheeky smile, and I swear I heard Martha mutter under her breath."Yet, you didn't forget how to cook the noodles, did you?""Now, where were we?" I ignored her and rubbed my hands together with excitement. By my side stood Felix, his adorable smile lighting up the room as he watched me, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and affection.I chuckled, reaching down to ruffle his hair.“I want to cook porridge for your dad. Do you think he will like it?” I asked, a little hesit
Alexander pov.The air in the room grew tense in a matter of seconds, and I could feel everyone sucking in a breath, freezing in place as they all looked at me, their expressions one of horror.My eyes narrowed into a deadly glare at Felix, but the kid didn’t even flinch. He returned my gaze with equal intensity, and for a fleeting moment, I saw a reflection of myself in him. The same face, the same hair, but more than anything, it was that same emotionless look in his eyes— a void that mirrored my own.I blinked, frozen for a brief moment as I stared at him, trying to process what I was seeing. I had never truly spent time with Felix, even when Emily was alive. Work had always kept me away, and after Emily's death, whatever fragile bond we had seemed to vanish completely, replaced by an emptiness.I never got to know him—didn't know his likes or dislikes, his allergies, or what activities made him smile. I had convinced myself that it wasn't necessary to involve myself in his life as
Don Nico."The wedding day is set. Both families will become in-laws, meaning I'm now connected to the powerful Vance family. We're both father-in-laws to our children," Adam Smith said with a chuckle, raising his glass. His eyes twinkled as he smiled and took a sip of his wine.I nodded with a blank expression as I took a casual sip from my glass.“Yes, but the most beautiful part of all this is that both children will finally be together after having known each other since childhood. Isn’t it beautiful to see them reunited?” My wife replied and everyone instantly laughed.“Mother, stop… you’re making me shy,” Jessica blushed, her hands quickly covering her flushed face. I couldn’t help but glance at the man sitting beside her—my future son-in-law, Luca Smith. I frowned when I noticed his emotionless expression, his gaze locked on his drink as though it were the most captivating thing in the room, or perhaps he’d rather be anywhere but here.To be honest, that made two of us.I took
Valentina pov. Bored, hungry, and depressed. The three worst things a human shouldn't feel at once. I sighed, poking at my food with a fork, eyes fixed on the salad with disinterest and mild disgust. As I stared at the pile of greens before me, my chest tightened, and I sniffed back a tear that threatened to fall. Why was this my life? Why did I always have to eat bland vegetables and greens? It wasn't like I was on a diet—God knew if I lost any more weight, I'd resemble a skeleton. So why was I still subjected to this torture, especially when... “Oh, this is delicious! Can I get more chicken? And add some extra sauce if possible. Haha, this beats hotel food any day!” I shot a glare at Julian, my lips curling into a sneer as I watched him laugh with a mouthful of drumstick. His carefree chewing and enthusiasm made my misery even worse. "Of course, young master Julian. I will inform the kitchen to prepare more food for you. Please eat as much as you like. They also made your fav
Valentina pov. When Julian said he would take me out to a club, he seemed to have forgotten to mention one crucial word before "club." Strip. Yes, he took me to a strip club. Since waking up from whatever coma I had after the accident, I’d never met anyone quite like Julian. He seemed like a different breed of human altogether. How should I put it… he was nothing like Alexander, who was always so serious, or Sebastian, who looked like a jokester. He wasn’t like Daniel, who seemed both sweet and kind, or even Felix, the cutest kid I had ever seen. Julian was indeed different — like my kind of breed. “Oh my heavenly father!” I gasped, covering my mouth in shock as a stripper crawled toward Julian, smiling seductively and throwing in a playful wink while giving him a lap dance. Julian smirked, his hands gripping her waist as he guided her movements against him without a care in the world. “Gosh, my eyes! Get a room, you people!” I exclaimed, covering my eyes in embarrassment, my fa
Luca pov.“I can’t believe you’re getting married! And to Nico’s daughter, of all people. Do you even realize who Nico is? Of course you do—every cop knows him by now. He’s even worse than that other notorious mafia don, Alexander Knight!” Marcus's frustrated voice reached my ears from the driver's seat, but I kept my eyes closed, my mind swirling with endless, consuming thoughts."Damn you, Luca! Are you ignoring me again? Even after using my day off to do you a favor, can't you at least find the decency to pretend to listen!?" he snapped, his tone filled with exasperation.Silence.I didn't respond, my fingers flipping the coin in my hand as my thoughts drifted.From the information I had gathered, Alexander was set to be at Sin City—a notorious club owned by none other than the ruthless mafia don, Xaiver Harrington. The place was infamous for hosting shady business deals, and tonight’s agenda was rumored to involve illegal drug dealings.Xaiver was the kingpin in the drug trade,
Alexander pov.“Ahhh!” The woman screamed, clutching her broken hand in shock, her eyes widening in fear as tears streamed down her face. I merely tilted my head to the side, exhaling the smoke from my cigar, my gaze cold and unfeeling."Touch me again with those filthy hands," I said, my voice steady and cold, devoid of any emotion. "And you won't have them to touch anything else."I signaled to Adrian, who immediately bowed and pulled the woman to her feet before dragging her out of the room. I narrowed my eyes, a frown forming as I took out the handkerchief from my pocket. I wiped the hand that the foolish stripper had touched, as if trying to rid myself of the filth she'd left behind.I hated being touched. I hated being anywhere near that bastard Xavier’s club, but it was business—one that was important and required my presence. That’s why I came here straight after landing in the States.I was already in a pretty bad mood, especially because during the past few days I had spent
Valentina pov “I asked you a question! I know you’re not deaf! What the hell are you doing with my fiancé?” the woman screamed, and at any moment, I felt she was going to lunge at me. I opened my mouth to speak, my voice faltering. “I-It’s a misunderstanding, there’s nothing going on—” Before I could finish, Luca stepped away from me and stood up. Without hesitation, he walked over to the furious woman, stopping right in front of her. He casually tucked his hands into his pockets, his gaze turning icy as he looked down at her—the same cold expression he had given the older man earlier. I stiffened, watching as the woman flinched under his stare, instinctively stepping back. Fear flickered in her eyes, her earlier anger vanishing in the blink of an eye. “What do you think you’re doing?” Luca’s voice was devoid of emotion. “L-Luca, what is the meaning of this?” she stammered, her voice trembling. “Why are you in a room with another woman? Are you already cheating on me before we’v
Alexander pov “We have them surrounded, and the goods from the warehouse have been secured. What should we do with Nico’s men?” Adrian asked from behind me. I didn’t turn around. My eyes remained fixed on the scene below—twenty, maybe thirty of Nico’s men, all forced to their knees, hands bound behind their backs. Some trembled, others glared defiantly, but they all knew their fate. They were going die either by me or Nico. I exhaled slowly, the smoke swirling around me before speaking. “No loose ends, Adrian. You know what to do.” “Understood, boss,” Adrian responded with a bow before turning to carry out my orders. “You really are ruthless, aren’t you? Not even a shred of mercy,” Xavier remarked from behind me as he strolled to the railing, casually leaning against it with a smirk. I took a slow drag from my cigarette, inhaling deeply, but didn’t bother responding. I watched as Nico's men were forced to their knees, roughly lined up as if awaiting execution. No— they were ab
Valentina pov"I said, let go of her."This time, the older man holding my wrist actually frowned but, after a brief hesitation, released his grip. Almost instantly, I took a step back, rubbing my wrist—not because of the bruise, but because his touch made my skin crawl.It disgusted me."Luca, what are you doing here?" The man turned his attention to him, forcing a smile. "The ceremony should be starting soon. Shouldn't you be with your bride-to-be?"Even though I didn't know this man, one thing was clear, he was furious. His forced smile couldn't hide the way his hands clenched into fists, knuckles white with restrained anger.Luca didn’t respond. His expression remained unreadable, but the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders stiffened, made it obvious that he was barely holding himself back.I felt so out of place.How the hell had things escalated to this?I shouldn't have wandered off. I shouldn't have walked into this room.God, why do I always manage to get myself into tr
Luca pov “Why are you sleeping in the car when you’re about to get engaged?” Marcus asked as he opened the door, letting in the cool night air. I didn’t respond, my eyes remained closed as I toyed with the coin in my grip, my mind clouded with thoughts. “Luca, I know you can hear me! Why do you always have a habit of ignoring people? Can’t you be nice to me for once? I don’t want to be anywhere near this place, but I’m here because of you! I even had to cancel my date with my wife. Don’t I at least deserve your attention?” he rambled, his voice breaking at the edges as he sniffed, his eyes boring into me with a sadness that should have moved me but… Silence. I kept flipping the coin between my fingers, the corners of my lips curving into a faint frown. “Should I go through with this… or just drive away?” I murmured to myself. I could feel Marcus’ deadly glare burning into me as he finally dropped the act, no longer pretending to cry. Instead, he sighed in frustration. “This i
Valentina pov The older man before me raised a brow at the word that slipped from my mouth. Before I could process what was happening, my body moved on its own—I fell to the ground, scrambling back, desperate to put distance between us. My entire body trembled, drenched in sweat, and the air around me felt thick, suffocatingly slow. "You useless girl! Can't you just pull the damn trigger? You act all fucking innocent, but if you don’t learn how to kill, you’ll die instead. This world is survival of the fittest, not some fucking fairytale!" "Even though you're useless, you should at least learn how to fight. I don’t care if you’re tired—you’re running those fucking laps until you pass out!" "How dare you! Lock her up in the basement and do not feed her. Maybe when she starves, she’ll learn her lesson." "Continue whipping her, but do not touch her face. Be careful about that." Images. Blurry, fragmented images flashed through my mind like a broken reel, forcing me to squeeze my e
Valentina pov The entire place buzzed with guests, each exuding an air of wealth and importance. The men were dressed in suits, the women in elegant gowns—everyone screamed money and status. My gaze trailed over the massive mansion, and I felt uneasy. With each passing second, the pounding in my chest grew stronger, my breath hitching as everything felt suffocating. This place was suffocating. “Good evening, Dr. Daniel, Madam Emily, and Sir Julian. Welcome.” My eyes snapped to the elderly woman dressed in a maid’s uniform, her head bowed in obedience. I raised a brow, studying her face. She looked familiar. No—scratch that. This entire place looked familiar. I frowned as Daniel responded with a brief greeting, and the maid led us toward the garden where the ceremony was set to take place. “Do you feel okay? You’re looking really pale. Should I check up on you?” Daniel asked in a low whisper. I turned to him, noticing the slight worry in his eyes. Even Sebastian and Julian look
Valentina pov The ride was steeped in silence. No one spoke. Daniel and Sebastian looked awkward, constantly glancing at each other as if silently communicating, while Julian appeared almost bored, lazily crossing his legs as he yawned and scrolled through his phone. Alexander wasn’t here with us. When I woke up this morning, he was already gone, and Martha had told me he had an important business matter to attend to. He would meet us later at the engagement ceremony. To be honest, I didn’t know how I felt right now, but I was restless. I wasn’t sure if it had to do with what happened between Alexander and me again, or perhaps it was something else—maybe it was the place we were going to. Either way, I didn’t feel good. My heart pounded heavily against my chest, my palms were sweaty, and I felt sick, especially with the persistent headache throbbing in my head. “Ugh, I should have asked for some medicine before I left,” I muttered under my breath, closing my eyes and rubbi
Alexander pov I grunted as I pushed into her, and almost immediately, Valentina’s walls clenched around my dick, gripping me like she was made just for me. Fuck, she was tight. The first time I’d fucked her, she’d been just as tight. It had been hard for her to take me fully back then, but this time, she seemed more relaxed, letting me slide almost all the way in. Almost. My hand reached out, grabbing both of her legs that were dangling beside me, giving her a moment to adjust to my dick. Valentina’s eyes were shut, her lips parted, her back arched, and her breath coming in ragged gasps as she gripped the sheets beneath her. I had never seen anything hotter than this — the sight of her trying to take it all, her bare body laid out before me, waiting to be fucked. It was fucking intoxicating. Shit, I was barely holding myself back from slamming into her right then and there. “Mmmm,” Valentina moaned, and before I even realized it, she had started moving her hips on
Valentina povA breathless gasp escaped my lips as Alexander stripped the dress from my body, leaving me bare. His hand parted my legs with a rough urgency, while his other arm wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me flush against him—against the undeniable hardness straining for release.Fuck.My bra was gone in an instant, and Alexander’s mouth found its way to my nipple. I bit my bottom lip, eyes fluttering shut as his sinful tongue flicked over the sensitive peak before his teeth grazed it just enough to send a sharp jolt straight to my core—leaving me breathless, trembling beneath him.Before I could stop myself, my fingers threaded into his hair, but in the next second, he pulled away, seizing both my wrists and pinning them above my head. His dark gaze bore into me, setting my body ablaze with nothing more than the sheer intensity of it.I wanted him. God, I wanted him so fucking bad.“Alexander—”“Do you want me?” he interrupted, as if he could pull the words from my lips