Stefano Ten Years AgoThunder roared in the night sky, a young boy sat by his bed side. He seemed startled and scared. Something had woken him up but not what most might expect.If anything, Stefano enjoyed thunderstorms as a child, he still was but he had heard something else. The sound of window glass shattering.He stood up and looked at his little brother, Guillermo. He was fast asleep, unbothered by anything that was happening, but not Stefano, he seemed more conscious of his surroundings. Father had always said so.He walked towards the door, opening it as quietly as he could, he couldn't sleep, neither did he want to. Talking with his father would ease his nerves, he climbed up the stairs, further to his father's room.Hidden in the Shadows with his pillow in hand, he heard a voice, two men seemed to be talking. It was probably one of father's men, Stefano thought to himself.Father had never liked being disturbed at all, it didn't matter how important what Stefano had to say
TeresaTeresa blinked furiously, she wasn't sure where she was and who surrounded her. But she was sure enough to know what was happening about her. A sack cloth was placed upon her face blocking her sense of sight and smell.Chains rattled in her hand as they were bound tightly, her wrists ached but she held on, a hand shoved her forward, making her almost trip on herself.She grouted her teeth and moved on with the others. They were arranged to stand side by side with each other, then a curtain was drawn, although Teresa couldn't see, she could hear her surroundings. And that included the several gasps and sighs she heard about her.'Are we being sold off like an auction?'She shook her head, that can't be. Her thoughts reeled back to when she had just been given over to the man who held the whip.Back then, Teresa had happily complied, she would do anything not to be whipped by that man. If anything he seemed to take pleasure in the cries and agonies of others.After Adam had dropp
Teresa Two men walked up from the crowd, walking towards Teresa with a determined expression on their face. Eyes followed them while others looked behind the guards at the man who had bought her.Someone unlocked the chains that bound her hands from behind her, she rubbed at them, her wrists were sore and swollen but her eyes watched the two men before her.Two men stood in front of her and stretched out their hands, Teresa instead, ignored their gesture and walked past them, then stood behind them. Her face was calm and unreadable.The men looked at her with confusion, then shrugged and walked towards where they had come from, Teresa followed after them. She was eagerly curious to see the man that had brought her.Although other eyes followed her, those of other men and women, whispers could be heard amongst the crowd."Who is she?""Does he know her? Is she a lost relative or perhaps his woman?""This could be it. His weakness"The words flooded her head and she couldn't think of a
Stefano's POV 'Shit Shit. Why did she have to wake up right now?' Stefano cursed inwardly. He swerved the car, a sharp drift avoiding a collision with another car. He momentarily lost control of the car, just for a moment but matched the pedal, changed the gear and drove even faster."What the hell is going on?!" Teresa shouted like a stumped maniac behind him, she looked raving mad, or perhaps startled. Or both, not that it mattered now."Nothing's going on, go back to sleep" Stefano shouted through the chaos...Soon he heard a metal scraping against the frame of the car, then another and another. They were being shot at, thankfully the car was bulletproof but how long would it hold out?"What do you mean go back to sleep!" She screamed at the top of her voice.Stefano gritted his teeth, turned to face her with a dark scowl on his face, "Listen here. I'm about to die because of you, you put me in this mess and I'm desperately trying to climb my way out of it so why not just sit your
Teresa's POVTeresa tightly held her palms together, to stop them from shaking. The experience she had just lived through wasn't something that she ever wanted to live through again. She tried taking deep breaths, calming her nerves but the words Stefano had said to her still left her reeling.'What exactly did he mean? Fuck me and Kill me?'.She glanced at him once more, by now they had reached a certain estate. Stefano had parked inside the estate with two other cars trailing behind him. He still looked a bit tense from the chance but judging by how lax the other men around him were, it was safe to say that they were out of the clear.While Teresa kept quiet, her thoughts raced in a spiral, she thought of her situation, how best for her to escape her new prison. She had no reason not to believe Stefano. He said he would kill her and she believed it.'I have to escape!'She looked around her, would tonight be a good time to escape? Everyone still felt disoriented and bothered, she co
Teresa's POV The night was silent, save for the distant hum of the crickets beyond the walls of the room. The air smelled of rain, damp and fresh, carrying the faint scent of roses from the garden below. Teresa pressed herself against the cold stone of the balcony, her breath shallow as she peered down. It was a long drop, but not impossible.She had studied every inch of her prison for days, memorized the men that had been sent to watch her, had been exceptionally nice to the maids that came to feed her. Yes, she had decided to give in to her hunger and eat.Her pulse pounded as she swung one leg over the railing. Freedom.Then, a slow clap echoed from the doorway behind her. Teresa’s blood ran cold.“Very smart move, Teresa.”She turned sharply.Stefano stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. His expression was one of amused delight, dark eyes glinting. He was wearing a black silk robe, casually draped over his frame. He stood there as if he had expe
Teresa's POV Stefano thought he had broken her. He thought she was beaten, compliant, obedient?He was wrong.She had no delusions about what staying meant. His threats were not empty words. If she defied him again, he wouldn’t hesitate to follow through. But she would not let him shape her into something docile, something he owned.Tonight, she would take her freedom back.The moon was high when Teresa moved.She had waited patiently for the estate to settle, listening as the muffled footsteps of the bodyguards grew more infrequent. Her plan was simple.The northern side of the estate led to the maids quarters, which had a discreet back entrance. It was used for deliveries, hidden from the main gates where security was heaviest. If she could reach it, she could slip out undetected. She hadn't found this out by going out, rather it was her idle talk with one of the maids, she had befriended.She took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway.Her bare feet were silent against the m
Teresa's POV “I see my brother has taken a special interest in you.” Guillermo spoke softly, the men who had been pressing her down stood up, but bound her hands behind her. She couldn't run with her hands tied behind her back.Teresa froze. This was Guillermo, Stefano's younger brother. She had heard whispers of him before, but they were always overshadowed by tales of Stefano’s ruthlessness.Where Stefano was sharp and overwhelming, Guillermo was… calm. Deceptively so.And that calmness deeply bothered her.He had the same dark eyes, the same striking features, but there was something different about him.A quiet kind of menace. Like the calm before a raging storm, the peaceful moments that existed before an unfortunate disaster. The kind that didn’t need to be loud to be dangerous.Teresa straightened, keeping a calm expression.“I didn’t realize I had drawn anyone’s interest,” she said carefully.Guillermo smiled.It was slow, measured... Diabolical. She couldn't see through him,
Guillermo's POV Guillermo adjusted his cufflinks as he stepped into the dimly lit, smoke filled private lounge of an upscale restaurant. The Yakuza didn’t do casual meetings, they did things close to events, and this meeting was no different. The air smelled of expensive cigars and aged whiskey, the kind of ambiance designed to remind you of power.Seated across the room, three men in sharp, traditional garment covered a fourth figure, whose presence immediately commanded respect. His slicked back silver hair and measured, assessing gaze spoke of decades in the game.Takashi, the man representing the Yakuza in Rome.Guillermo approached with a confident stride, offering a respectful nod but not lowering himself beyond that. He was the King of Rome’s underground, after all. He would not bow.Takashi gestured to the seat across from him. "Guillermo. We meet at last."Guillermo sat, taking a moment to study the man in front of him. "Takashi. I appreciate you accepting my invitation."Ta
Teresa's POV Teresa sat in the dimly lit lounge of one of her safe houses, fingers tapping idly against the surface of her phone as she waited for Lisa’s report. She had given the order as soon as she parted ways with Ethan, her instincts telling her that the charming stranger was more than he appeared to be.A soft buzz signaled Lisa’s incoming message. Teresa opened it quickly, scanning the short but important message."No immediate ties to Guillermo. But… he’s connected to someone powerful. Still digging." She read out loud, then pursed her lips.That was enough to set her further on edge. If Ethan wasn’t Guillermo’s pawn, then who exactly was pulling his strings? She needed more information, and she was going to get it the old fashioned way, by playing the game herself. She felt happily excited for some reason, thrilled even.The next evening, Ethan had chosen a high end but secluded cafe for their meeting, the kind of place that catered to the wealthy but maintained an air of qu
Teresa's POV Teresa studied Ethan with careful eyes, her mind racing with possibilities. This man was not from Rome, that much was certain. His presence, his posture, the way his men flanked him protectively... it all screamed foreign, yet powerful. But was he an ally? An enemy? Or just an outsider who landed in the den of Mafia's, death and agony? Was he really oblivious to the game being played or he didn’t even know he was playing?She couldn’t afford to be reckless. Not now. If Ethan was connected to Guillermo, she had to tread carefully. One wrong step, and she could be exposing herself, Vendetta, and everything she had worked to build.Ethan, however, seemed completely at ease. If he was aware of the tension in the air, he didn’t show it. Instead, he smiled, a lazy, confident grin that made Teresa’s suspicion flare even stronger."You seem tense," he said smoothly. "I hope I didn’t startle you.""Not at all," Teresa responded, keeping her tone neutral. "It’s just not every day
Guillermo's POV Guillermo leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling with a sly smile playing on his lips. If he couldn't crush the Yakuza outright, then he would make them dance to his tune. It was simple, if you couldn't destroy your enemy, turn them into your weapon. The Yakuza weren’t the problem. Teresa was. If he could paint himself as an ally, as the lesser evil in their eyes, he could maneuver them like chess pieces against her. Let them do his dirty work. And when the time was right, he’d deal with them, too.He picked up his phone and made a single call. "Send them an invitation. Tell them I want to talk." The person on the other end didn't hesitate. "Understood, Boss."Guillermo tapped his fingers against the desk. The plan was already forming in his mind. He would welcome them with open arms, show them the advantages of siding with him, and slowly weave them into his war against Teresa. They would be the sword, and he would be the hand that wielded it.And as for h
Guillermo's POVGuillermo sat back in the comfort of his chair, fingers stretched as he lost himself in the deliciously dark thoughts swirling in his mind. The past five years had been long, but now, now the game was finally shifting. Stefano was back. After all these years, after losing everything, his dear brother had finally crawled back into the world he had no place in anymore. 'How exciting', Guillermo smiled inwardly.Guillermo exhaled sharply, lips curling into a smirk as he thought about it. Five years ago, he had used Teresa to bring Stefano down. The way his brother had fallen, the rage, the pain... it had been glorious. Marvelous. Stefano who had been untouchable once, the heir to an empire. And now? Now he was nothing.But Guillermo wasn’t done. No, he would do it again. Only this time, he’d use Stefano against Teresa. The irony made him chuckle, a low, guttural sound that echoed in the quiet space of his office. The poetic irony of it all left a thrill running down his
Stefano’s POVThe rain hit the pavement in a steady, rhythmic shower, filling the silence between Stefano and Vincent as they walked through the dimly lit alleyways of the city. It had been years since Stefano had last been in a place like this, surrounded by people who knew nothing of who he used to be.But that didn’t change the fact that he remembered.The once feared leader of the King Mafia now walked through these streets like a ghost.A nobody.Vincent led him toward their apartment that they both lived in now. There was an understanding between them, unspoken, yet clear. Stefano wasn’t the same man he used to be, and Vincent knew it. Thankfully, he had gotten back his memories soon after Stefano had told him it his ordeal that happened five years ago, not that Vincent remembered every single detail, but he was no longer lost. And with that, he had really understood just how low Stefano has fallen.But that didn’t mean he would be satisfied staying this way.Stefano clenched h
Lisa’s POVLisa stormed through the front doors of Vendetta’s estate, her fury barely contained. The echoes of her boots striking the marble floor ricocheted through the grand hall, each step fueled by frustration.The meeting had been a disaster. A joke. A complete waste of her damn time.Vincent had refused to bow. Refused to acknowledge Teresa’s dominance. Refused to submit like every other fool who knew better than to challenge Vendetta.Lisa clenched her fists as she turned the corner, barely registering the guards who stood at attention when they saw her. She didn’t care about their presence. She didn’t care about anything right now, except making sure Teresa understood just how wrong this was.As she burst into Teresa’s office, she was met with a calm, knowing gaze. Teresa sat at her desk, leaning slightly back in her chair, fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished desk. The dim light from the chandelier cast sharp shadows across her face, making her almost unreadable.
Lisa’s POVLisa hated this.She hated stepping outside the estate, hated walking through the streets where danger lurked in the shadows, and more than anything, she hated that she was on her way to meet Vincent.She didn’t trust him. Didn’t like him. Never had. Never would.Vincent was too damn rigid, too stuck up, too controlling. He was too much like her and that was the worst part.The last time they met, it had been five years ago. On that night where she had held the gun and shot Guillermo's shoulder, then drilled three holes in Morano's chest. She hoped she would end it all there, but sadly she missed it. They had crossed paths for a brief moment, Vincent had been wary, of her but eventually let her go that night, after then, she wasn't sure what happened to him again.Lisa had hated that look in his eyes because it was the same one she gave him. Now, years later, she was walking straight into his territory.She had picked the bar. A local bar as usual, barely lit, barely staff
Teresa’s POVThe city was quite busy and noisy at night, life pulsing with it as people went about their nightly business, the air still filled with the smell of cigarette and meat. From the window of the high rise apartment, Teresa watched the streets below, lost in thought.Stefano was asleep in one of the rooms. At least, she assumed he was. The man barely spoke after they arrived at Vincent’s hideout, too drained to argue when she ordered him to stay put. The Stefano she once knew would’ve fought stubbornly against being taken in, would’ve spat curses and bared his teeth like a wounded animal. But this one? This Stefano had simply nodded, exhaustion weighing down his every movement.It should’ve been satisfying.Seeing him reduced to nothing should’ve been the sweetest form of vengeance.So why did it feel like shackles tightening around her chest?She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She couldn't afford these thoughts. Stefano was a liability. An exposed nerve that Guillermo wou