Receiving a glass of wine from her sister on the night before her wedding was the worst mistake Annalisa could have ever made. Unknown to her, the drink had been spiked, setting her up into having a one night stand with a stranger. But the stranger had been none other than Cristiano Morano, a powerful and ruthless man who controlled half of the city's underworld. To make matters worse, he was also the sworn enemy of her fiancé. Annalisa thought she was going to lose it all, her career and her life, when a scandal about her unfaithfulness broke out. Not only that, she found out her fiancé had been cheating with her blood sister. As her family were about to announce their disowning in a press conference, a dashing man from the audience had come out and said he was going to take responsibility for Anna. They got married, but Cristiano had stated a condition in the contract she signed; He would have full control over her life and career. Would a timid girl like Annalisa survive in Cristiano's world? “You’re mine now, Annalisa. And I always get what's mine.” “W-what do you mean?” “I mean I'll break you,” Cristiano said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “And then, I'll put you back together again, my way.”
View MoreEPILOGUEGiovanni's Story Before every villain, there was always a hero.Once upon a time, I was that hero.I was the man with loyalty, with honor, with a love so deep it could burn the fucking world down. Daniella was my world. She was mine. Until Cristiano Morano decided she wasn’t.He was my brother in arms, the man I trusted with my life. And yet, one drunken night was all it took for him to betray me. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even think about how I would feel. He just took her like she was a slut. And Daniella? She chose him.That was the day I buried my soul six feet under and became something else.Revenge became my heartbeat. My every breath. My reason for waking up each morning. It started with his uncle—Armando, the man who dared to stand in my way when I reported Cristiano to him. A bullet between the eyes took care of that. Of course, I made sure someone else took the fall. That was the easy part.Then there was Annalisa.The woman he couldn’t resist growing up.I wa
Chapter 97- GRAND FINALE Cristiano“You are staring at me again.”Annalisa’s voice was soft, teasing, but I didn’t miss the way her fingers traced small circles over the curve of her belly. Like she was just as mesmerized as I was.I smirked, leaning against the armrest of the couch, my gaze drinking her in. “Can you blame me? You look like a literal goddess right now.”She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips twitched, betraying her. “I look like a woman who has been eating way too many croissants.”I shook my head, shifting closer until our knees touched. “Nah, you look like my wife carrying our baby. That’s hot as hell.”She let out a short laugh, shaking her head at me, but I saw the way her eyes softened.God, she was beautiful.The soft glow of the chandelier cast a golden hue over her skin, making her look almost unreal, like something out of a dream I never thought I deserved. But she was here. She was real. And for the first time in my life, I felt… whole. Like every
Chapter 96Annalisa“You know, if you keep staring at him like that, you might as well put up a neon sign that says ‘I have unresolved issues with this man.’”Grace snapped her head toward me, her eyes narrowing when she realized I was referring to her. “Ma’am?”“Drop the formalities, please since you'll soon no longer be our housekeeper.” I smirked, folding my arms as I leaned back in my seat. “And yes, you heard me right.”The wedding was over, and the guests were slowly trickling out, leaving behind the soft hum of conversations and the scent of roses still hanging in the air. The fairy lights twinkled above us, casting a warm glow over the entire setup, but none of that was as interesting as the way Grace kept stealing glances at Ricardo.I mean, she wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it. One second, she would sip her drink, the next, her gaze would flicker toward him like a damn magnet. And the tension? Whew. You could cut it with a butter knife.Grace let out a deep sigh, slu
Chapter 95Annalisa“You do realize you’re talking to your stomach, right?”I blinked and turned my head to see Grace smirking at me, her arms crossed as she leaned against the back of the white wedding chair.“I wasn’t talking to my stomach,” I lied, quickly dropping my hand from my slightly rounded belly.Grace raised an eyebrow. “Mhm. Sure, ma'am. You totally weren’t whispering, ‘Are you going to behave today, little one?’ like some possessed mother-to-be.”I huffed, crossing my arms. “First of all, I was only exhibiting good behavior. And second, I am a mother-to-be. So, yeah, I talk to my baby. Got a problem with that?”Grace grinned, plopping down into the seat beside me. “Not at all, ma'am. It’s actually kinda cute. Like, disturbingly cute.”I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. The wedding was about to start, and Buddy and Bree’s guests had all settled into their seats. I smoothed out the silky blue dress draped over my growing bump, adjusting
Chapter 94Cristiano“You keep staring at me like you're in a dream.” Annalisa’s voice was soft, teasing me, but I could hear the nervous emotions beneath it. She stood in front of the window, wrapped in nothing but the white silk robe that matched the sheets on our honeymoon bed. The street lights outside cast a soft glow against her skin, and for a second, I really did wonder if this was real.I leaned back against the pillows, my shirt unbuttoned, my tie long gone. “Maybe I am.”She turned, raising an eyebrow. “So you think you’re dreaming?”I smirked. “I’m pretty sure I died back there when you walked down the aisle. This is just heaven.”She rolled her eyes, but I caught the way her lips twitched, fighting back a smile. She stepped closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her fingers played with the fabric of my sleeve, tracing slow patterns.“We went through so much as a couple,” she whispered.The tone in her voice hit me like a punch to the gut. Because she was right. Every da
Chapter 93Annalisa“Breathe, Annalisa. Just breathe.” I whispered the words to myself, staring at my reflection in the grand mirror.The dress—my dress—was a masterpiece. Snow-white satin hugged my body perfectly, the delicate lace trailing down like poetry. My veil cascaded over my shoulders, soft and weightless, and my makeup was flawless. I looked like a bride. I was a bride.So why did my heart feel like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest?My hands trembled as I gripped the dressing table, trying to steady myself. This was happening. This was real. In a few minutes, I would walk down that aisle, and Cristiano would be there, waiting for me.“Annaliisa, are you good?” Bree peeked in, holding a glass of champagne. “Because you kinda look like you might pass out.”I exhaled shakily. “I’m fine.”She arched her brow, sizing me up with her eyes. “Yeah, no. Try again.”“I said I’m fine.”Bree wasn’t buying it. She walked over, set the champagne down, and placed both hands on
Chapter 92AnnalisaThey said the quietest moments were the loudest. When the world is still, when nothing is happening, that is when your mind decides to scream the loudest.That was exactly how I felt when I woke up that morning.My eyes opened to the soft golden glow of morning sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains, the warmth kissing my bare skin. For a moment, I just stared at the ceiling, my mind blank. I then shifted slightly, feeling the warmth of another body beside me, and that was when it hit me. I was naked.Naked and tangled up in soft sheets that smelled like him.Oh. My. God.Memories of last night came rushing back—Cristiano’s lips on mine, his hands roaming my body, the way he whispered my name like it was the only word that mattered. The way he had touched me like I was something precious, held me like I was something he never wanted to lose. The way he made love to me like we had all the time in the world. It wasn’t just intimacy—it was a celebration. A pas
Chapter 91Annalisa“You’re wearing this. No arguments, Annalisa.”Bree plopped a sleek black box onto my bed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.I blinked at her. “Uh… what?”She crossed her arms. “Don’t act dumb. Open it.”With a sigh, I lifted the lid and—wow. Inside was a stunning red dress, the fabric smooth and luxurious beneath my fingers. A pair of matching heels sat beside it, looking way too expensive for a casual night out.I frowned. “Bree… What the hell is this?”She grinned. “Just a little something for our girls’ night. Duh.”A girls’ night? Yeah, right. The last time Bree pulled something like this, I ended up at a five-star bar and she ended up getting drunk first. I wasn’t about to get dragged into another setup.I folded my arms. “That’s definitely not happening.”“Oh, come on,” she groaned, flopping onto my bed dramatically. “Don’t be boring, Annalisa. You need this. We both do.”I narrowed my eyes. “You’re lying to me Briana, I can easily tell. What’s really going
Chapter 90CristianoThey say love is like a fire—when it’s real, it burns deep, consuming everything in its path. And damn it, I was burning for her.Annalisa wasn’t just another chapter in my life; she was the whole damn book. Every page, every word, every unfinished sentence—I wanted it all to be about her. That was why I had to get this right.I could afford to make any mistakes, nor could I second-guess the whole plan.The wedding planner sat across from me, flipping through a sleek leather notebook. She was in her late thirties, professional, and looked like the kind of woman who had planned a hundred fairytale proposals. Which was great, because I needed this to be perfect.“So, Mr. Morano,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “You mentioned wanting something intimate but still grand in its own way?”I nodded. “Yeah. Something that feels… personal. Like, if she walks in, she’ll know instantly that it’s for her. No generic bullshit.”She smiled. “That’s a good start. Does she have
Chapter 1AnnalisaI could barely recognize the blue-eyed brunette staring back at me in the mirror. It was me, I knew. But at that moment, I felt like a prisoner preparing to be judged. Tomorrow, I would marry Giovanni Rossi, the man who controlled my father's business and soon, me. I couldn't complain because I had been raised for this; Marrying him wasn't about love, it had never been. This was simply a business deal where I would be the sacrificial lamb. A knock on the door to my hotel room interrupted me from overthinking like every other time. “Anna? It's me,” the voice of my elder sister, Bianca came through the door. “Can I come in?” She asked.I had no idea how, but Bianca always managed to escape from my father's dark decisions. It was always me, all the time, sometimes I even began to question if I was truly his child.“Come in.” I forced out as smile as I stood up from the chair, waiting for her to come in. Bianca entered in the usual way she had always been, her brown h...
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