ROSA I could sense the fire raging in his eyes from across the room.Marco?What the hell is he doing here?!"What's up, babe? You see someone you know?" He tried to turn his head back, but I stopped him."I... I'm fine. I just got distracted for a minute.""What's more important than what's going on between us?" He smirked and his hand started to slide up my legs, slightly squeezing my thigh as he leaned in to whisper into my ears."Do you want me to bring you back down to earth?" His hand moved higher and turned towards my inner thigh, and my eyes locked on Marcos.Let's see how he feels about that... He always takes one step forward and two steps back when it comes to showing me what he wants.Maybe some innocent flirting with Daniel would light a little fire under Marco.I leaned forward, slightly scooting closer making it seem like I was about to whisper into Daniels ear, but the fire raging in Marcos eyes before, suddenly turned into an inferno. He narrowed his eyes at me and t
ROSA "Your wife?!" I gasped in shock.No, no, no. He cannot be serious right now..."Um, this would be the part when you say yes, babe," Daniel said, then chuckled awkwardly.All I could do was stand there, staring at Daniel, utterly speechless.They set me up to marry a total stranger. I can't believe he's asking me to marry him after only one actual date! What the hell! "I...um..." I stuttered."Of course she says yes!" My dad piped in response to Daniel with a smile, while giving me a hard glare."..." No words could escape my lips as I stood shocked by my father's boldness."Amazing! That's what I wanted to hear," Daniel rejoiced."Congratulations, you two. I know you will get along just fine," dad said reassuringly, then took a whiskey bottle from the small hatch behind his desk and poured two glasses; one for himself and the other for Daniel. "I was keeping this bottle for a special occasion," he beamed."I'm honoured, Enzo.""You're family now, Daniel. Cheers to a prosperous
ROSA I was scrambling to find the best outfit to make a good impression and my mind was on its own journey, racing over how this was going to go.I would be meeting the infamous Vinny Cabrera. I was really curious to see what he's like– I've heard many things about him and I wondered what was true and what was not. But in any case, he's a criminal through and through. I bet Daniel didn't get his father's good side from him.I was still wandering in my mind when I heard the doorbell ding.Shoot! I need to hurry up! I dressed in a white lace top and black skinny jeans.Why should I dress my best anyway? It's not like I'm marrying Vinny. **Late, I rushed into the living room to find dad and someone I'd never seen before, who I supposed was Daniels dad, already seated.Vinny turned in his seat to glare at me."Hello. You must be Daniels dad," I grimaced. "Nice to meet you, I'm Rosa," I introduced."Good afternoon," he replied with a nasally voice and a scowl. He was a bulgy man, almos
ROSAI couldn't sleep last night after our conversation about the engagement. Marco's words kept echoing in my head: "You can't call off the engagement, Rosa." There was something in his tone—not just concern, but urgency. Like he was protecting something bigger than just our relationship.I found him in dad's study early the next morning, his head bent over some paperwork. The morning light streaming through the window caught his profile, and for a moment, I forgot my suspicions. The sight of him in his fitted suit, completely at home among my father's business documents, made my stomach twist. How had he adapted so perfectly to this world? Then his phone buzzed, breaking the spell."We need to talk," I said, closing the door behind me.He glanced up, his expression carefully neutral. "Rosa, this isn't a good time.""When is it ever?" I moved closer to his desk. "You keep giving me mixed signals. One minute you're kissing me in the garden, the next you're telling me I have to marry
ROSA The wedding invitations lay scattered across my desk, their gold lettering mocking me. Two weeks. That's all the time I had left to figure out what was really going on in my family's business—and with Marco. I'd been going through dad's old financial records, trying to make sense of the shipping routes Marco had been so interested in. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but there was something off about the numbers. The manifests showed regular shipments to Colombia, but the profit margins were impossibly high for what was supposed to be simple import/export business. A knock on my door made me quickly hide the papers. "Come in!" Daniel strode in, already talking about wedding details. "Baby, I've been thinking. We should move the ceremony up a week. My father insists—" "What? No! There's already so much to do and—" "It wasn't a question," his voice turned hard, nothing like his usual cheerful tone. His eyes, usually warm brown, had turned cold. "My father want
ROSAMy hands trembled as I held the police badge I'd found hidden in Marco's room. Detective Marco Rossi, Chicago PD, Organized Crime Division. The morning light caught the gold shield, making it gleam accusingly.I'd snuck into his room at dawn, determined to find proof of what I'd overheard last night. The badge wasn't hidden as carefully as it should have been—almost as if he'd wanted me to find it.A commotion from downstairs interrupted my thoughts. Angry voices echoed through the halls—I recognized Daniel's father, Vinny, among them.Clutching the badge, I crept to the top of the stairs."You've got some nerve, Castillo!" Vinny's voice boomed. "Trying to cut us out of the Colombian route?""What are you talking about?" My father's voice was cold, controlled."Don't play dumb. Our contact at the port told us everything. You're redirecting shipments through a new channel—cutting our profit margin in half!"I peered around the corner. Dad stood behind his desk, Marco and several g
ROSAThree days after the arrests, I sat in dad's office—my office now—reviewing the damage. Our legitimate businesses were in chaos, employees were panicking, and the Colombians were demanding answers. But I refused to let my father's empire crumble.A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in."Marco entered, wearing a suit that somehow looked different now that I knew what he really was. More federal agent, less consigliere."The FBI is preparing to move against the Colombian connection," he said without preamble. "I thought you should know.""Sit down, Agent Rossi." I gestured to the chair across from me, enjoying how he winced at the formal title. "We need to talk.""Rosa—""No. You've done enough talking. Now you're going to listen." I laid out a stack of folders. "These contain evidence of every illegal operation the Carusos were running without our knowledge. Human trafficking, drugs, weapons—all of it. My father may not be innocent, but he wasn't involved in their w
ROSAThe federal courthouse loomed before me, its stone facade as cold as the morning air. Today would determine everything—my father's fate, the future of our family, and whatever remained between Marco and me.I smoothed down my black blazer and walked up the steps, photographers shouting questions I ignored. Inside, Marco waited by the security checkpoint."You don't have to be here for this," he said softly."Yes, I do." I met his eyes. "You made your choice yesterday. Now I need to make mine."The courtroom was packed when we entered. Daniel and his father sat with their lawyers on one side, my father on the other. The sight of him in prison orange made my heart ache.As I took my seat in the front row, Daniel turned and gave me a smile that sent chills down my spine."All rise," the bailiff called.The proceedings began with the prosecution outlining their case. I listened as they detailed the criminal empire my father had built, the smuggling operations, the money laundering. B
ROSASix months later...The visiting room at the federal prison wasn't where I'd imagined having Sunday dinner with my father, but we'd made it our tradition. I watched him enter, looking healthier than he had during the trial. Prison might have taken his freedom, but it had also lifted a weight from his shoulders."You look good, papá," I said, embracing him."And you look successful," he smiled, noting my tailored suit. "How's the company?""Profitable. Legally." I emphasized the last word with a small smile. "We've expanded the shipping business into Europe. Clean cargo only.""And Marco? He's treating you right?"I twisted the elegant engagement ring on my finger. "He is. Though he's still adjusting to working security for our legitimate operations instead of investigating them."Dad chuckled. "From FBI agent to private security—quite a career change.""Love makes us do crazy things," I said, watching his face carefully. "Like a crime boss working with the feds to protect his dau
ROSAThe federal courthouse loomed before me, its stone facade as cold as the morning air. Today would determine everything—my father's fate, the future of our family, and whatever remained between Marco and me.I smoothed down my black blazer and walked up the steps, photographers shouting questions I ignored. Inside, Marco waited by the security checkpoint."You don't have to be here for this," he said softly."Yes, I do." I met his eyes. "You made your choice yesterday. Now I need to make mine."The courtroom was packed when we entered. Daniel and his father sat with their lawyers on one side, my father on the other. The sight of him in prison orange made my heart ache.As I took my seat in the front row, Daniel turned and gave me a smile that sent chills down my spine."All rise," the bailiff called.The proceedings began with the prosecution outlining their case. I listened as they detailed the criminal empire my father had built, the smuggling operations, the money laundering. B
ROSAThree days after the arrests, I sat in dad's office—my office now—reviewing the damage. Our legitimate businesses were in chaos, employees were panicking, and the Colombians were demanding answers. But I refused to let my father's empire crumble.A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in."Marco entered, wearing a suit that somehow looked different now that I knew what he really was. More federal agent, less consigliere."The FBI is preparing to move against the Colombian connection," he said without preamble. "I thought you should know.""Sit down, Agent Rossi." I gestured to the chair across from me, enjoying how he winced at the formal title. "We need to talk.""Rosa—""No. You've done enough talking. Now you're going to listen." I laid out a stack of folders. "These contain evidence of every illegal operation the Carusos were running without our knowledge. Human trafficking, drugs, weapons—all of it. My father may not be innocent, but he wasn't involved in their w
ROSAMy hands trembled as I held the police badge I'd found hidden in Marco's room. Detective Marco Rossi, Chicago PD, Organized Crime Division. The morning light caught the gold shield, making it gleam accusingly.I'd snuck into his room at dawn, determined to find proof of what I'd overheard last night. The badge wasn't hidden as carefully as it should have been—almost as if he'd wanted me to find it.A commotion from downstairs interrupted my thoughts. Angry voices echoed through the halls—I recognized Daniel's father, Vinny, among them.Clutching the badge, I crept to the top of the stairs."You've got some nerve, Castillo!" Vinny's voice boomed. "Trying to cut us out of the Colombian route?""What are you talking about?" My father's voice was cold, controlled."Don't play dumb. Our contact at the port told us everything. You're redirecting shipments through a new channel—cutting our profit margin in half!"I peered around the corner. Dad stood behind his desk, Marco and several g
ROSA The wedding invitations lay scattered across my desk, their gold lettering mocking me. Two weeks. That's all the time I had left to figure out what was really going on in my family's business—and with Marco. I'd been going through dad's old financial records, trying to make sense of the shipping routes Marco had been so interested in. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but there was something off about the numbers. The manifests showed regular shipments to Colombia, but the profit margins were impossibly high for what was supposed to be simple import/export business. A knock on my door made me quickly hide the papers. "Come in!" Daniel strode in, already talking about wedding details. "Baby, I've been thinking. We should move the ceremony up a week. My father insists—" "What? No! There's already so much to do and—" "It wasn't a question," his voice turned hard, nothing like his usual cheerful tone. His eyes, usually warm brown, had turned cold. "My father want
ROSAI couldn't sleep last night after our conversation about the engagement. Marco's words kept echoing in my head: "You can't call off the engagement, Rosa." There was something in his tone—not just concern, but urgency. Like he was protecting something bigger than just our relationship.I found him in dad's study early the next morning, his head bent over some paperwork. The morning light streaming through the window caught his profile, and for a moment, I forgot my suspicions. The sight of him in his fitted suit, completely at home among my father's business documents, made my stomach twist. How had he adapted so perfectly to this world? Then his phone buzzed, breaking the spell."We need to talk," I said, closing the door behind me.He glanced up, his expression carefully neutral. "Rosa, this isn't a good time.""When is it ever?" I moved closer to his desk. "You keep giving me mixed signals. One minute you're kissing me in the garden, the next you're telling me I have to marry
ROSA I was scrambling to find the best outfit to make a good impression and my mind was on its own journey, racing over how this was going to go.I would be meeting the infamous Vinny Cabrera. I was really curious to see what he's like– I've heard many things about him and I wondered what was true and what was not. But in any case, he's a criminal through and through. I bet Daniel didn't get his father's good side from him.I was still wandering in my mind when I heard the doorbell ding.Shoot! I need to hurry up! I dressed in a white lace top and black skinny jeans.Why should I dress my best anyway? It's not like I'm marrying Vinny. **Late, I rushed into the living room to find dad and someone I'd never seen before, who I supposed was Daniels dad, already seated.Vinny turned in his seat to glare at me."Hello. You must be Daniels dad," I grimaced. "Nice to meet you, I'm Rosa," I introduced."Good afternoon," he replied with a nasally voice and a scowl. He was a bulgy man, almos
ROSA "Your wife?!" I gasped in shock.No, no, no. He cannot be serious right now..."Um, this would be the part when you say yes, babe," Daniel said, then chuckled awkwardly.All I could do was stand there, staring at Daniel, utterly speechless.They set me up to marry a total stranger. I can't believe he's asking me to marry him after only one actual date! What the hell! "I...um..." I stuttered."Of course she says yes!" My dad piped in response to Daniel with a smile, while giving me a hard glare."..." No words could escape my lips as I stood shocked by my father's boldness."Amazing! That's what I wanted to hear," Daniel rejoiced."Congratulations, you two. I know you will get along just fine," dad said reassuringly, then took a whiskey bottle from the small hatch behind his desk and poured two glasses; one for himself and the other for Daniel. "I was keeping this bottle for a special occasion," he beamed."I'm honoured, Enzo.""You're family now, Daniel. Cheers to a prosperous
ROSA I could sense the fire raging in his eyes from across the room.Marco?What the hell is he doing here?!"What's up, babe? You see someone you know?" He tried to turn his head back, but I stopped him."I... I'm fine. I just got distracted for a minute.""What's more important than what's going on between us?" He smirked and his hand started to slide up my legs, slightly squeezing my thigh as he leaned in to whisper into my ears."Do you want me to bring you back down to earth?" His hand moved higher and turned towards my inner thigh, and my eyes locked on Marcos.Let's see how he feels about that... He always takes one step forward and two steps back when it comes to showing me what he wants.Maybe some innocent flirting with Daniel would light a little fire under Marco.I leaned forward, slightly scooting closer making it seem like I was about to whisper into Daniels ear, but the fire raging in Marcos eyes before, suddenly turned into an inferno. He narrowed his eyes at me and t