Chapter 19Annalisa As much as I wanted to narrate how the heated moment with Cristiano had continued, it was a pity there was no continuation for it. We had gotten so into the kiss when Cristiano's phone rang, interrupting us from doing more. He ignored it at first, but the phone kept ringing persistently until eventually, he sighed and pulled away, apologizing before disappearing into his study. I had hoped that he would be quick, thinking we could continue from where we left off, but an hour passed, then two, then another, untill eventually I fell asleep while waiting for him on the couch, just like the other night.Now, I was waking up on my big bed, alone. A yawn escaped my mouth as I sat up, stretching my arms. I had no idea what i would be doing today, but I knew I wasn't going to chase anymore auditions, not after the last rejection. Maybe I deserved a bit more time off. I was just starting to imagine a week off when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I knew at once that it
Chapter 20AnnalisaAfter I finished signing the contract, there was this odd thought that crept into my mind. Did Cristiano have a hand in this? I didn't want to be ungrateful by doubting at this moment, but the more I thought about it, it seemed really possible. The role everyone played was too perfect like it had been planned. The same people who had avoided me yesterday, were overly nice today. Everything had happened so fast, don't blame me, that was enough to disbelieve.But, as much as I wanted to question it, there was a confidence built inside me that overshadowed every doubt. I had this feeling that maybe, just maybe, I had actually earned this opportunity on my own. I took a breath, allowing myself to feel the pride of it.The CEO, Mr. Bernardo shook my hand one last time, grinning with a warmth that seemed too genuine to be fake. “Congratulations, Mrs. Morano. We look forward to seeing what you bring to the screen.”“Thank you so much.” I replied, trying to keep my voice s
Chapter 21Cristiano A day before the present…I let out a grunt as I got to my study room, pulling out my phone, and checking the screen to see the five missed calls from Ricardo that had ruined my erotic moment with Annalisa. Few days ago, the Salvatore empire Don had asked to me partner with him to raid a military zone, in order to take possession of the armed equipment that they had. Apparently, the Salvatore didn't have enough men on their own to carry out the mission, so they wanted some of our men to back them. But now, just as I had predicted, they were probably about to go back on their words.I called Ricardo back, and he answered on the first ring. “Cristiano, you’re finally available.”“What’s going on, Ricardo? What couldn’t wait?” I asked, keeping my tone steady even though his own panicked voice kept me on edge.“It’s Salvatore’s men,” he replied in a very low voice. “They showed up at the dock tonight. They are saying we messed up the shipment, claiming we switched th
Chapter 22Annalisa In our haste, Cristiano shut the door behind him with the back of his leg. Before I could react, he was on me, pressing his lips against mine with a fierceness I didn't expect. Every part of him seemed impatient, as if he had been holding back for ages.Cristiano's teeth grazed over my lower lip as he playfully took control of the kiss. His tongue was inside my mouth, darting against mine as though he were playing a game of tag. I struggled to match his pace, finding it difficult to breathe in no time.“Cristiano…” I murmured against his mouth, needing just a second to catch my breath.He pulled back, releasing heavy pants from his mouth as he smiled softly. “I’m sorry, cara. I’ve waited for this moment for so long.” One of Cristiano's hands brushed across my cheek, and the other hand wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer until I could feel his hardness press against my tummy.I felt my face heat up, and I knew by now, a blush must have crept over my face. “I’
Chapter 23Annalisa I couldn't stop myself from gulping when Cristiano’s hands reached down to unbuckle his belt. His gaze never left mine throughout, and by the time he slipped off his trousers to reveal a thick bulge beneath his briefs, my breath caught in my throat. A jolt of excitement spread through me when he yanked open his shirt, the buttons bouncing on the floor. My eyes roamed his bare chest, scanning through his sturdy chest, his thick muscles… goodness, his well-defined abs, and tan skin gleaming under the dim light were to die for.Cristiano was… perfect. Almost too perfect. I had never seen this bare aspect of him up close, even during the swimming pool time, I was so distracted that I didn't take my time to study him. And now, with nothing else obstructing my view, I couldn't believe a human like him could exist. Or perhaps he was a demigod, that was the only way his beauty could make sense. It might sound as though I were exaggerating, but I knew exactly what I was
Chapter 24CristianoAs I laid there beside Annalisa, her soft breaths tickling my shoulder, I couldn't help but replay every second of what had just happened. The way she looked up at me, the softness of her skin, and the trust she had in her eyes—it felt like I was holding something fragile and irreplaceable. Being with her like that, had felt beyond anything I could have imagined. The heat and urgency between us weren’t just physical; there was something unspoken, something that made her different from anyone I had ever been with.I couldn’t deny it. She brought out a side of me I hadn’t seen before. I was the type who never stayed long enough for things to get this close, yet here I was, lying beside her, feeling an inexplicable tenderness I hadn't felt in years. Who was I kidding? I had never felt this way at all. I traced the gentle curve of her cheek with my eyes, memorizing every detail—the way her lashes rested softly against her skin, the subtle rise and fall of her chest,
Chapter 25AnnalisaI woke to that sensation, that all-too-familiar feeling of electricity coursing through me. It took a moment to pull myself from the deep arms of sleep, but as I opened my eyes, I realized why it felt so familiar. Cristiano's head was down there, between my laps when I looked, taking my folds into his mouth with his tongue exploring the deep places of me I didn't even know could feel this incredible.For a second, I thought it must be a dream because, how else could I explain this sort of blissful feeling for an early morning? But when his tongue swiped my pussy, I realized it felt too real to be imaginary. My back arched up closer to his mouth, and my fingers tangled into the bed sheets as I felt him delve even deeper with his mouth. “Cristiano…” I breathed out the only single word I could manage, my voice softly laced with pleasure. My head fell back against the pillow as he continued, his mouth devouring me like he had been waiting for this.Then, he found that
Chapter 26Cristiano I could still feel Annalisa on my skin. I could still taste her unique sweetness on my lips, it was lingering as I stepped out of the car. Her warmth, her natural scent, the way her body molded with mine in surrender when our hips collided… everything about her was intoxicating, clouding my thoughts. Her face was everywhere in my head. I couldn't think safely about something related to her without the thought of bending her over filling my head. Even this morning, it took all that I had in me to let her go to work. I was getting addicted to her, I admit, but today I decided to break it. I had work that demanded my attention, the type of work that required every bit of my focus if I wanted to get over it quickly. I shook off the thoughts of her as I spotted Ricardo waiting by the entrance of the casino, his face having the usual stoic expression in place. Ricardo was someone I met at some phase in my life, and I chose him as my right hand because he was a man who
Chapter 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