ROSALINDA. Although I was immensely grateful to Antonio for saving Carlo, I hated that he claimed me as his substitute bride. I was just a replacement pawn in their business agreement, and I so much hated that. I was livid and didn’t utter a word to him on our way to his mansion, even though he tried talking to me a few times. I had a lot of things to say to him, but I just couldn’t put them out in words. “Bath him and feed him. Take his things to one of the guest rooms; he’ll stay there pending when his room gets set up. While Rosalinda’s things would go to my room.” He instructed his maids once we got out of the car. He just decided that I would stay in his room without asking me first. Fine. I walked inside the main building, and I could feel him walking behind me, but I didn’t bother to look back. I didn’t need to be given directions to his room; I had been there before and knew my way. The moment I walked inside his room, he slipped right behind me and shut the
ROSALINDA. “Please, please, please. I want to play more games.” I heard Carlo’s distant voice. It felt like I was dreaming.“No.” Antonio said, and the next thing I heard was Carlo’s giggles. It seemed like Antonio had tickled him. “You’ve played enough for this morning.” Antonio told him. It was then that I realised that it wasn’t a dream because the voice sounded clearer now.Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Antonio and my son on the sofa that was at one end of the room, looking bright and happy, with Antonio tickling Carlo while he giggled.“Mommy!” Carlo was the first to notice that I was awake. A lazy smile touched my lips as I stared at him. He quickly disentangled himself from Antonio’s arms and pranced towards me with his tiny legs. He found it difficult to climb up the bed, but he was determined to, and he succeeded. “Good morning, handsome.” I said with a smile as I watched him crawl towards me. “Good morning, mommy!” He was so vibrant and seemed exceptionally happy t
ANTONIOI was sick and tired of hearing that phrase over and over again. Carlo was my son, my blood and flesh, and it was my duty as his father to save him. I didn’t need to be thanked for merely performing my duties. It was high time Rosalinda knew about the secret I had been hiding all this time. I didn’t know how to put it out to her; I don’t even know how she would take it. But she deserved to know the truth, and I needed to find a way to give it to her.When Carlo called me ‘daddy’ earlier, the warmth that filled my heart was immeasurable. I wanted to be able to tell him that I was really his daddy, and I planned to do that soon. I had a lot of work to do, so I went to my office to get it done. But my work was cut short as soon as I started with a call from an unknown number. “Who is this?“ I said into the phone when I picked up. “Figlio di puttana!” The person on the other end of the phone groaned, and I instantly knew who he was. I had been waiting for his call. Sergio. Lo
ANTONIOCamilla quickly disentangled herself from Marco. Their gazes were down, avoiding eye contact with me. Rage saturated my entire being as I ventured further into the room. “My sister?” I yelled, folding a fist and attacking Marco’s face with it. He staggered backwards due to the impact and placed his palm over his face. I inched closer to him to throw another punch at him, but Camilla was quick to stand between us, blocking me with her body. “Get out of my way!” I growled. “No, Antonio. Stop it!” She retorted strongly. “Get out of my way!” I growled again, glaring at Marco with murderous intent. “What do you want to do? Kill him?” She challenged. I shifted her out of my way and punched Marco hard in the stomach. I tried to hit him again, but before I could, Camilla stood in my way again. “Antonio, please! What is his crime?” She yelled, tears already forming in her eyes. “Messing around with you.” I replied firmly. “Tell me, has he slept with you?”An awkward silence
ROSALINDAFrom the moment our lips collided to when we tumbled on the bed and made love like never before, everything was a blur. I had done this with him multiple times, but it seemed like a new experience each time. His hands on my body were magical. He knew just the right spots to touch. He knew exactly how to satisfy me. Oh, how I loved him so much.We had just finished having sex, and we were both naked on the bed, staring lustfully into each other’s eyes."The look in your eyes..." A small, charming smile touched his lips. "You want more?"I quickly averted my gaze before I delved into his arms again. "No." Clearing my throat, I continued. "You came inside me.""I know." The next thing I felt was his fingers beneath my chin, forcing me to look at him.As my eyes met his, my heart skipped a beat. Oh, damn, he was so handsome."I need to take the pills, or else I will get pregnant." I told him what he already knew, my voice a whisper."I want a baby with you. Perhaps a baby girl
ROSALINDA“Tell me this isn’t true.” I said again, my voice barely a whisper as I began to slowly approach him. He opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, frustration evident in his features.“So you were the one that night?” I asked, more like a statement. How did I not know? That explained why he liked Carlo so much and why he risked his own life to save him, because only someone’s blood could do that for anyone. I should have suspected, but no, I was too dumb to think that far. “Rosa, I wanted to tell you, but—“ “For how long have you known?!” I cut him off, rage burning within me as I glared at him. “Why didn’t you fucking tell me?!” I yelled. “I have known for a while now. A few months. I don’t know precisely. But I got to find out the day you told me about the all-masked party. I had suspicions that it was the same party I attended, and I also fucked someone the same way you said you were fucked. So…” He blew out a sharp breath and raked his fingers through his hai
ROSALINDAThe air in the car thickened with tension as Antonio, Camilla, Carlo, and I rode in the same car. None of us were on speaking terms, so I just peeked through the window all through the ride with my earpiece plugged to my ear to avoid unnecessary and uncomfortable conversations. Five other men, whom Antonio claimed to be his most trusted men, rode in another car while we all made our way to the safe house. I didn’t know where exactly it was, but he said it was a coastal hideout. We circled locations meticulously to make sure we weren’t being followed before finally making our way to the pier, where we took a boat to a large white beach house that was nestled among swaying palm trees, creating a tropical paradise vibe. In front of the building was a private swimming pool that glistened with sunlight. It was the perfect escape I sought, only that it would have been better if Camilla wasn’t in the picture. Carlo was in my arms as we all silently entered the house. The interio
ANTONIOI never wanted Rosalinda to find out about Carlo’s paternity that way. I was waiting for the right time and the right way to reveal it to her. But she was right. The only right time was the moment I found out. I didn’t even know why I stalled, and because of that, our relationship was in shambles—hopefully temporarily. I didn’t know if she could ever forgive me, but I’d earn her trust again. No matter what it took. But for now, I had to focus on the impending war. And Marco… I really didn’t know what to do with him. He was my best friend, and making a decision was really hard. He had the audacity to fuck my sister under my roof without fearing the consequences. The motherfuckers’s balls were over the roof. As I made a turn into the corridor leading to my office, I bumped into Marco. Speak of the devil. His presence made my blood boil, and I was determined to ignore him as I walked past him, but he suddenly said something that made me stop in my tracks. Something I couldn’t
Third-person POV.Antonio’s lips pressed against the softness of Rosalinda’s cheek, his eyes filled with adoration as he gazed at her.“Good morning.” He whispered sensing her stirring. When she didn’t respond, he murmured playfully, a lazy smile spreading across his lips. “I know you are awake.”“I didn’t want you to stop staring at me.” Rosalinda admitted with a smile, her eyes still closed. “I like it when you stare at me; I wanted to keep feeling your eyes on me.”“It doesn’t matter if your eyes were opened or closed. I could stare at you anyhow, anywhere, anytime.” He said, tracing her nose and lips with his finger. “But do you know when I love staring at you the most?”She shook her head, a smile still on her lips. “When you are naked in the shower.” Her eyes shot open immediately, and she playfully smacked his arm. He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with delight. “Good morning, Pretty.” “Good morning, handsome.” She replied, her voice still laced with sleep. Placing his
ROSALINDA“Mommy is getting married today.” I told my little girl as I rubbed my belly, my smile stretching from cheek to cheek while I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Every detail fell into place flawlessly—my dress, hair, makeup, everything was just perfect. I couldn’t believe that this day was finally here—the day I had always looked forward to—and I couldn’t be happier that I was doing this with Antonio.It’s been a month since the incident that happened at Liam’s mansion. Antonio healed in no time, and I haven’t left his side ever since. I couldn’t imagine how life would have been without him. After two weeks of tirelessly searching for Diego and Liam, Nikkolai found them and ended them immediately. I also heard that it was Nikkolai Petrov who killed Lorenzo’s father, Sergio. I couldn’t fathom why Nikkolai was so keen on taking care of Antonio’s dirty businesses, but I just hoped he wouldn’t demand a huge price in return down the line. One thing was sure—Mafia bosses neve
ROSALINDA “He’s a fighter. He survived it. Luckily, the bullet narrowly missed his heart. He’ll recover soon enough.” These words from the doctor were the best news I had ever heard in my entire life. I couldn’t even imagine what would have happened to me and to my son if I had lost Antonio. My entire existence would have been wounded, and I would have never recovered from it. I was glad about the information the doctor passed, but I was still insanely worried and wanted to see him awake and talk to him before I could break free from the anxiety twisting my insides.It’s been thirty-two hours since the bullet extraction surgery, since the doctor assured us that his vital signs were okay and that he would wake up soon enough, but he still hadn’t. I was sitting by his bedside, silently praying, hoping, and wishing for him to wake up. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and everyone had asked me to go home and rest because of my condition, but knowing that he was in that situation
ROSALINDA I wasn’t going to give up. I had to find a way to leave there as soon as possible. I kept looking through the windows at regular intervals, hoping the men there would leave so I could escape. The sky outside was already dark, and the rope I had tied together was still dangling, calling on me to descend with it. But the only thing stopping me from doing that were the fucking men out there. My mind drifted to Antonio, and my already painful heart was broken even further at the thought of what he would be going through at the moment. He’d be so broken and frustrated looking for me. I just hoped he had found a clue and was on his way to come get me. I had to be found, or escape, for him and for my son. I looked through the window again, expecting to see the men guarding it, but my eyes widened and a pang of hope filled my chest when I didn’t see them there. Without hesitation, I climbed over it and began to descend very quickly. But just as I was about to alight, the men app
ANTONIO My men and I had tried every possible means to look for Rosalinda, but there was no cue. Nothing at all. I was frustrated, scared of losing her. Even the thought of it blocked my airways, making it difficult to breathe. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to get my woman back. Nothing at all. Vito and I had just finished looking through the footage from the security camera from all the buildings around the gas station, but we got nothing. My phone started ringing, and I picked it up, hoping it was one of my men calling me to give me positive feedback, but I drew a long hiss when I realised it was Sofia calling. She had been buzzing my phone for over an hour now, demanding to speak with Rosalinda. I had told her that she was fine and was only sleeping, but she wouldn’t buy it. Fuck! She was fucking adding to my frustration with her persistent calls. “Don’t you think you should tell her the truth?” Vito suggested, as I rejected the call. “She’d tell Roberto, and I don’t want hi
ROSALINDA My head was banging so much that it felt like it was going to explode. For how long have I been sleeping? I wondered, as I tried to open my eyes, only to abruptly close them back due to the blinding light. After a few seconds, I tried again, but this time, slowly, until my eyes adapted to the light. Suddenly, I caught sight of a familiar face sitting on a sofa not so far from the bed, and I jerked up in perplexity. “What are you doing here?” I demanded. “You’re awake.” Liam grinned, and just then, reality sank in. I looked around the room, fear crawling through me as everything that happened rushed back in. I remembered everything—how I was kidnapped from the gas station and drugged until I was knocked out.“Liam. What the hell is this?” I demanded fiercely, hiding the fear crawling through me. “What do you think it is?” He raised a brow, expecting a response from me. And when he didn’t get any, he continued. “I told you, Rosalinda, that I adore you. And whatever I wan
ROSALINDAThe very next day after Sofia’s wedding, our own wedding preparation began. Antonio called Papà over the phone to inform him of our plan, while I, on the other hand, planned to tell Mama, Sofia, Matteo, and Giovanni in person—that is, if Papà hadn’t already told them before we got to the mansion. Antonio and I planned to go to my parent’s place today. We had a lot on our schedule, but the first place we visited was the hospital. I had an appointment with the sonographer to get the baby’s ultrasound done. “She’s so healthy.” The sonographer said, smiling as she moved the transducer around my belly. This wasn’t the first time I saw my baby girl, but each time I heard the whooshing sound of her heartbeat, I felt an unexplainable warmth radiate through my entire being. I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms. “She’s so cute.” Antonio said, a small smile on his face. “I bet she’d look like me.” “She’d definitely be my carbon copy.” I countered. He chuckled softly. “We’ll find
ROSALINDA Who said dreams were unattainable? Whoever said that bluffed because Sofia defied that claim. The dream she thought was out of reach was coming to pass. It’s been two months since she had the emergency surgery; she and the twins—Isabella and Alessia—were healthy and out of the hospital. Today was her wedding day. She was getting married to the love of her life, and I couldn’t be more happy about her finally getting her happy ending. She deserved it, they both deserved it. I had asked Antonio to wait a bit more before we got married, and he agreed without protest, even though I knew he wasn’t so happy about it. He just wanted to do right by me. He had been the perfect man ever, and I couldn’t even imagine my life with any other man. I didn’t even know why I had delayed the marriage, but anyway, that was the least of my problems at the moment. The dress I had on was. I turned around to look at my reflection in the mirror, and Goddamn it, I captivated myself. The thigh-hig
ROSALINDA Antonio grabbed my hand and dragged me outside. I had the strong urge to protest, but I didn’t because I knew whatever I did would have been useless. He would never leave me there, and we would only end up causing a scene. “Why the fuck did you come out here alone, Rosalinda?” He groaned once we were outside, his furious eyes staring intently at me. “And don’t tell me you took alcohol with your condition.”I folded my arms over my chest, casting my gaze away as I retorted. “I only took sparkling water, and you are not the only one allowed to leave the house after a fight.”“Does that mean you should endanger your life?” He fired back. “I don’t care whatever danger surrounds you, but she is an adult and could make her own decisions.” Ruby suddenly chimed in, her voice filled with irritation. He drew his brows together, his frown deepening as he turned his attention to her. “Really? I’m starting to wonder if they used you to lure her out so that they could kidnap and harm