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 MoreChapter 44AnnalisaIt was still surprising to me how the days after Cristiano’s disappearance stretched endlessly. At first, I had stayed hopeful, keeping my phone nearby, hoping for a call or even a text. But as the hours turned into days, and then the days turned nearly into a week, my hope withered away. He neither responded to my messages nor my calls. Eventually, I took the silence he gave me as a kind of answer from him.I stopped checking the driveway. Stopped looking out the window every time a car passed by, thinking it might be him. I stopped replaying our argument in my head, and finally stopped wondering what would have become of us if I had I said things differently. Instead, I did what could be only done at that moment—I threw myself into my work.When I finally got back to Bree, and informed her of my free schedule, she had been thrilled about my availability. The scripts she had been bothering me about for days suddenly became my lifeline. Sometimes, I would think it
Chapter 43AnnalisaThe silence after Cristiano walked out on me was deafening; I realized that we had been the only source of noise in the entire estate. I stood in the doorway for what felt like forever, the distant roar of his car’s engine now long gone, leaving me staring blankly at nothing but darkness. The cold night air blew intensely at my skin, giving me goosebumps, but the emotions swirling inside me made me too numb to move. What exactly had just happened?I tried to piece the argument back together in my mind, analyzing every word, every glance, every raised voice. Was it my fault? Had I been too harsh? A part of me wanted to scream that it wasn’t my fault—that Cristiano had pushed too far, insisting on something I had already made clear that I wasn’t ready for. But another part of me, the quieter and more self-doubting side, whispered that maybe I could have handled it better.The faint chirping sound of crickets filled the silence, snapping me out of my daze. And then,
Chapter 42AnnalisaFor two days, Cristiano and I had been dancing around the aftermath of our argument, pretending as if nothing had happened. Our relationship wasn’t perfect during these two days—it was far from it, infact—but at least we weren’t screaming at each other anymore. The tension was still there, simmering just below the surface, but I held on to the hope that we could get through this. That maybe, just maybe, we would figure out how to coexist without breaking each other further.Today had been exhausting. My body ached from the endless takes and late-night shoots, and all I could think about as Buddy pulled into the driveway was a long, warm bubble bath and maybe even collapsing into bed without a single word to Cristiano. We hadn’t spoken much today, which, frankly, was a relief. I didn’t have the energy for another confrontation.Stepping into the house, I noticed the eerie darkness. Not a single light was on, which was unusual for this time of night.“Grace?” I call
Chapter 41CristianoI sat on the cold floor outside Annalisa’s bedroom door, my head resting against the wall, feeling guilt eat me up. The crash of shattered plates from earlier and Annalisa's whispers from the sting of my actions still echoed in my mind, louder than any words she had thrown at me. I had crossed a line, even though it wasn’t my intention to hurt her like that. The image of her teary, devastated face burned behind my eyelids and I hated myself.I sighed heavily, rubbing my palms over my face. What the hell is wrong with me? I wanted to protect her, to guide her—never to break her like this. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was only my frustration over her movie role that had pushed me to the edge, or an entire reason else.I knocked again, soft but insistent on her door. “Babygirl… please open up,” I whispered, my voice thick with regret. “I promise it’ll never happen again. I’m really sorry, cara.”There was no response, only the faint sound of her sobs breaking thro
Chapter 40Annalisa The morning light streamed through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow over the room as I sat alone at the breakfast table, stirring my coffee absentmindedly. The events of last night played over and over again in my mind. I could almost hear Cristiano's live words in my head, and each time I relived the memories, it stung even harder. I couldn’t shake the image of him walking away, leaving me alone in that thick silence. Even now, I felt that ache in my chest, reminding me quietly of how far we had grown apart.I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice his footsteps descending the stairs until the sound of his laughter echoed through the hallway. He seemed to be in a good mood today—relaxed, smiling, as if last night’s tension had never happened. Part of me wished I could let go of it as easily as he seemed to have, but it was impossible. How could he want a child out of a sudden? Cristiano strode up to me, still chuckling as he reached his hand out, his
Chapter 39Cristiano “Ah, Cristiano!” I almost sighed in relief as Annalisa finally moaned for the first time tonight since I started pounding inside her. For most of this intense moment, it felt like she had been somewhere else entirely, lost in thought. But now, as her hands gripped my back, pulling me close and steadying me to keep going, I thrust deeper, and deeper into her walls. Driven by her sudden intensity, we reached our climax together. I rolled off her, waiting for that usual, overwhelming pleasure to settle in. But tonight, a strange heaviness weighed on my chest me instead. I felt like I was being pulled, and Annalisa's silence only made things even more uncomfortable. “Are you okay?” I asked, brushing her hair back from her face as she lay in my arms. She nodded against my chest, but didn’t say anything. “Did I… did I do something wrong?” I pressed, searching through her eyes for any emotions beside the lost one in her eyes.“You were good. I’m just… tired,” she murm
Chapter 38AnnalisaThe revelation that Ronald was Giovanni’s father sent my mind spinning. I found it hard to accept it. Ronald’s wrinkled face, the sly grin he wore when he had sized me up… none of it matched the brooding, intense Giovanni I had known. But then I looked closer. Those thick, full eyebrows and the way both men had a subtle but penetrating stare; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it sooner. A chill ran through me as I tried to process it all.Before I could wrap my mind around this discovery, Cristiano’s gentle voice brought me back to reality. “How about we go home now, baby girl?” he suggested, his hand warm on my lower back. “What mattered was greeting the celebrant, we don’t have to stay till the end.”The look he gave me was reassuring, as if he knew exactly how disorienting this evening had become for me. He could see it in my eyes—the questions, the way I felt suddenly out of place. I turned to him, needing the solidness of his presence. “Do you have something
Chapter 37AnnalisaDespite the vibrant party atmosphere, with its dazzling lights, lively chatter, and stylish guests, I felt like an outcast in the midst of it all. Everyone seemed to flow effortlessly through the room, fitting into their roles, but I still felt like I was trying to remember my lines. Thankfully, Cristiano was by my side, his hand reassuringly wrapped around mine as he squeezed gently. Every now and then, he would flash me a look that said he knew I could do this—and as strange as it felt, I believed him.Cristiano handed me a glass of juice while holding an Irish whiskey for himself, the amber liquid catching the lights as he took a small sip. His confidence radiated like a shield, and it helped calm the nerves simmering inside me. We made our way through the crowd to the host of the party, an older man Cristiano introduced as his late Uncle's friend. He was seated on a plush golden sofa, draped in a tuxedo that seemed as worn as it was fine.Beside him sat his you
Chapter 36AnnalisaThe fashion house felt like stepping into another world, all sleek dresses and luxurious fabrics draped over mannequins that poised perfectly. Soft music played in the background, and everything smelled faintly of rose and something musky that I couldn’t quite place. The staff was polite, almost overly so, treating me as though I was some precious, delicate material they couldn’t afford to mishandle.I tried to put on a calm face as they fluttered around me, asking for my measurements and directing me toward the changing area. Cristiano watched me from a few steps away, his eyes lingering on my every move. His gaze felt heavy, almost possessive, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself.One of the assistants held up a navy-blue gown, her eyes lighting up as she explained its details. “This one would suit you perfectly, Mrs. Morano,” she said, practically beaming as she handed it to me.The fabric was cool and silky to the touch, and as I ran my fingers over it, I co
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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