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
Chapter 2Amelia“It hurts!” Yes, it was my first time. And apart from the roles that involved kisses when I acted on a movie set, this would be my first erotic kiss too. I was on the bed now, and he was in-between my parted legs. As he penetrated into me, the sharp sting made me sober and my vision became clear at that instance. I couldn't stop myself from crying out. He must've noticed my discomfort as he paused for a moment, allowing me to adjust to his size. Did he realize I was a virgin? I think so, because he took my lips into his in a soft, reassuring kiss. His hands tightened on my hips, and instead of withdrawing, he resumed his movement but this time, they were slower deliberately.The initial pain I had felt slowly got replaced with pleasure as I found myself responding to his every touch. He wasn't whispering those erotic and beautiful sentences I would have wanted, but his low groans and hitching breaths whenever he pushed deeper into me turned me on even better. His
Chapter 3AmeliaI was kneeling in tears before my father who had his back against me. This man was meant to be enjoying his mid-fifties by resting, but all he always had on his mind was money and power. And my mum? She was standing at a corner in the study room, her presence almost non-existing as her opinions never really mattered when it comes to taking decisions.“Annalisa,” he finally turned to face me and I saw a look of disgust in his eyes. “You have disgraced this family.” His voice was unusually calm, but I knew one slight mistake would make him lose control.I opened my mouth to defend myself, but my father cut me off before I could utter a single word. That was it, he snapped. “You foolish decisions has ruined my chance of getting an investment from Giovanni!” Of course, that was all he cared about. “You leave me no choice, Annalisa. We will be holding a press conference to formally disown you.” “Lorenzo—” my mother was taken aback the same way I was surprised.“Hush, woma
Chapter 4Annalisa Surely, they must've noticed my presence but their lips remained locked in a passionate kiss for like forever as if I didn't even exist. My heart clenched in my chest painfully, and for a brief moment, I couldn't move. But then the anger in me bubbled over, forcing me forward.“Bianca!” I yelled when I couldn't endure the sickening sound of their kiss anymore. They ignored my confrontation, Giovanni’s hands on her waist tightened instead as if claiming her right in front of me. “Bianca!” I yelled again, feeling so furious as I lunged forward and tried to separate them. But my hands barely made an impact against their entangled body.Finally, Bianca peeled herself away from Giovanni with a smirk at a corner of her lips. “Oh, Annalisa,” her voice had this fake sweetness that infuriated me even more. All I wanted to do was hit her at that moment, but I controlled myself.“What are you doing here?” She asked.“You set me up with someone in that room, didn’t you?” My vo
Chapter 5AnnalisaCristiano must have prepared for this moment as he handed me a pen without hesitation. My fingers trembled slightly as his cold gray eyes on me made me feel uncomfortable. I was scared, I admit. Once I sign on the space meant for me on the document, my mind, body and soul would be his. Did I really want that?I guessed Cristiano must have sensed my doubt because he leaned back in his seat, although his eyes never left mine, they only softened a little. “You’re about to make a big decision, Lisa. It’s alright to think it over. But know that, if you reject my offer, I’m never coming back for you.”His voice was so calm, almost too calm that it scared me. I didn’t even know this man I was about to give my life control to. Yes, I knew he was feared by many and respected by all, but was this really worth it? What was the worst that could happen if I said no? I still had little money in my account that could get me an apartment, and keep me up for at least a month until I
Chapter 6Cristiano It was supposed to be a one-night stand—Just a brief moment of pleasure and nothing more. But the memories of that night with her… they stayed longer with me longer than they should have. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel her right under me, her body fitting mine just the right way. I had known something was off the moment I felt her walls tighten around me. And when I found out that my client had sent the wrong girl, that the one I had spent the night with wasn't who I had expected, I had my men investigate her.She turned out to be Annalisa, Giovanni’s fiancée. She was the woman my rival had claimed as his. At that moment, I should have walked away. I should have left her to deal with her own problems. After all, it was none of my concern. But the headlines, the stories on the internet about her life after that night… it made me feel very uneasy. There was this tightening feeling in my chest that I couldn't brush off, and I knew it was very unlike me to
Chapter 7Annalisa I could barely remember the details of what happened after Cristiano led me to this huge bedroom that was now mine. He had left to answer a call and I sat on the queen-sized bed to rest for a moment, but before I knew it, I fell into the warm embrace of sleep. Now, with a stretch of my hands, I sat up only to find myself surrounded by five women in maid uniform. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I knew Cristiano was so rich, but who wakes up to five women waiting to dress them like some kind of royal?I almost thought I did something wrong, but before I could get out of the bed, the head maid, who looked a few years older than me, stepped forward to stop me. “We’ve picked your outfit for today, ma’am,” she said in a very calm voice. “We’re ready to dress you.”“I can do it myself,” I mumbled quickly, scrambling to pull the sheet closer to my chest. “And I don’t need to be dressed up… I have nowhere to go.”It was as though my protest had gone in one of her ea
Chapter 8Cristiano I tried my best not to let my eyes linger on her too long as I watched Annalisa from behind my newspaper. She was adjusting to this new life, I could tell, but what she didn’t realize was that I was adjusting too. It took every bit of restraint in me not to close the distance between us and bend her over the table, claiming her right then and there. Her innocence, boldness, and her beauty were what I really liked about her. Each time I caught a glimpse of those blue eyes, something in me that I had no control over always stirred. She wasn’t supposed to have this kind of effect on me. Marrying her was strategic, nothing more. But every time I looked at her, the temptation to take things further itches me. Watching her eat alone brought this kind of odd satisfaction to me. Her presence filled the room even when we were silent. I was the kind of man who enjoyed control, but somehow, this woman made me anxious.When I told her I remembered her sizes, the flush that c
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