ZAVERIO’S POVI lit a cigarette, my fifth that afternoon and blew casually blew the smoke out of my mouth. People walking by gave me disgusted looks as they hurried into the hospital behind me. I didn’t care.The security had even asked me to leave, but I had always been defiant. The management was going to create a smoking area if they wanted me gone. My jaw itched and I winced as I scratched the scattered hairs jutting out of my chin.The hospital had been my home for practically a week. I stayed there by my mother’s side all day waiting for her to wake up. The doctor said she could wake up anytime.The coma wasn’t the hurdle though; her stroke was the enemy we needed to tackle when she woke up. Her left cheek had started to sag and I refused to take stock of the rest of her body. My mother was strong, she would pull through.She was the matron of the house of Riccardo; she had dealt with me since I was a young boy, taking all the boyish pain I caused her and landing a slap on my bu
ALMA’S POVThe joy that had permeated every corner of the Riccardo household grew stale under the rule of Selene; she was ten times worse than Mrs. Riccardo, barking out orders and raising her hand at the slightest inconvenience.My cheek stung from one of her heavy back hands, she wore sharp rings on every finger, and didn’t hesitate to strike when provoked. I cleaned the blood rolling down my face with the back of my hand.“If you get your worthless blood on the carpet, I swear you’ll scrub that spot non-stop for a week.” Selene stepped on my hand, digging her heels in. “When I ask for orange juice, I expect to be asked what kind, do you get that?”“Yes ma’am” I bit my tongue; I would never give her the pleasure of seeing my pain. “I understand ma’am.”“Get out of my sight and get me freshly squeezed orange juice.” Selene walked back to her seat. “You have thirty minutes or you’ll be licking it from the floor.”I rose to my feet and rushed into the kitchen. Nadine was standing in fr
ALMA’S POVZaverio’s lips closed around one of my exposed nipples, and I cried out holding his head closer to my chest. I was lying on my back with my gown gathered around my waist. Zaverio fit snugly in between my thighs.I grinded against his hot member, whimpering desperately to be filled, I wanted him inside me. Despite being intoxicated, Zaverio took his sweet time with my body, in no rush to touch me.I didn’t want him this way, there would be a time for him to explore my body, or make me feel desired. Right now I needed him to fuck me until I lost my breath. This was the only time I had to have him, if Selene arrived at the height of my passion, I knew I would not be able to release him.“Zaverio” I sighed breathlessly. “I need you inside me, please.”He hummed, sucking my breast deeper into his mouth. “I want to take my time; your body deserves to be worshipped. I have fantasized about these breasts. I have thought of fucking them-”“I want you to fuck me from behind Zaverio,
ZAVERIO’S POV“What the fuck?” I held my head, rolling around in my bed. What the hell had Von loaded me with? I barely remembered anything about yesterday, except Alma.A smile forced my lips apart and I laughed, spreading my hands over my bed- my bed? The realizations made me sit up, which was a horrible mistake. A headache pounded at the base of my skull like a hammer.“Oh good! You’re awake.” Selene’s voice worsened my headache. “I got you some pills and a glass of water.”“What the hell are you doing in my room?” I slapped away the glass she offered me, not caring when it shattered. “Who gave you the permission to be here?”Selene glared at me, “I stay here. I found you passed out on the bed when I got back yesterday from my outing.”I looked around my room, noticing all the boxes and items that weren’t mine. “Get your things out of my room Selene! I’ll warn you only once.”“I’m not going anywhere Zaverio.” Selene crossed her arms. “Your mother told me to make myself comfortable;
ALMA’S POVZaverio was barely home these days; I didn’t mind his absence either because my heart felt full. We hadn’t spoken about the words he said to me, but I could wait for him to return home.Mrs. Riccardo was doing well, and we were all waiting for her to return home. Selene had grown more agitated now that she was awake and piled any and every work she could think of.I got the short end of the stick when it came to her mercy, thankfully she had striking me across the face but the belt marks on my back weren’t any better.I shivered in my wet dress, pushing the brush harder into the floor. Selene had dumped a bucket of water over me and ordered me to clean it up in my wet clothes. Nadine had offered to help me, but Selene was not going anywhere anytime soon, and I couldn’t afford to put my friend in trouble. I also needed to prepare lunch for Zaverio and time was running out.I didn’t want him to know what was happening in the house; Selene had become an uncontrollable force,
ZAVERIO’S POVSomething strange was happening, I didn’t know what but something kept hitting the base of my skull seeking attention. I gritted my teeth, keeping my eyes on the morning papers I had stopped reading minutes ago.My breakfast had also gone cold but I had no appetite, and I felt the trepidation of the staff waiting on me. Their eyes darted to me and then the untouched breakfast, probably expecting me to throw a fit like my mother.I’d admit I never stopped her from exhibiting her dramatic flair. My father had spoiled her rotten when he was alive, this house was hers, and I tried my possible best to stay out of the matters regarding the Riccardo's estate.I thought I didn’t interfere in the matters of the house, but I had overran my mother’s special request that Selene remain in the house. There was no way she could have predicted her stroke and not for the first time, I detested my mother’s involvement in my life.Selene stood nowhere close to Alma, the one who truly held
ZAVERIO’S POVNadine whirled around and stabbed me in the chest with her finger the moment I shut her bedroom door.“I will not sleep with you, Mr. Zaverio; I refuse to betray my friend like that. You’ll have to kill me before you have my body.” Her eyes hardened. My brows fused into a frown of confusion. My thoughts faltered. “What the fuck are you talking about? Why would I want to sleep- did you say rape you? Why would I do that?”Nadine observed me as if weighing the words of an enemy. “You’re well known in the estate, Mr. Zaverio. With all due respect, everyone knows you will fuck anything that has a skirt on.”I wanted to refuse, but my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. What was the point in denying the truth?“Watch your mouth, Nadine,” I sais sternly, and she presses her lips, shutting her mouth. “Sorry, but I can't,” she muttered. “I have no desire to sleep with you, Nadine. You can stop being on the defensive side.” I leaned against the door, keeping my distance. “I
Alma's povI stopped myself from skipping across the hall, it was unbecoming of a staff of the Riccardo estate, but most importantly it was dangerous to let others see a spark in my life.Everyone had recovered from the scare Mrs. Riccardo had caused the house; those who had mourned her now went back to seeking information for the mistress of the house who would be returning to lead us with an iron fist. The happy home was a jungle all over again. I was aware of the prying eyes and quick footsteps following me around at night and sometimes in the daytime; I had no idea if Selene had said anything to someone before she left.The uncertainty fanned the waves of fear in my heart, dimming my smile until my lips were turned downwards into a frown. I was playing with fire, even when I knew this kind of fire wouldn’t just burn me, but also take my life.For weeks I had called Mrs. Riccardo’s bluff, reading and rereading the papers I had torn to pieces. It had taken a while to piece the full
AVA’S POVThat irritating beeping sound was going to rip my head apart, I had been hearing it in my sleep forever and I wanted to wrap my hands around my neck and choke myself to death.It was harder to wake up than I imagine but I kept at it until my eyelids peeled open, I squeezed them shut when the minimal light stabbed my eyes. I could feel the burn at the back of my brain, and it wasn’t the good kind.I opened and closed my eyes several times, rolling in my fair share of pain as I got used to the light. It took a lifetime before I could keep my eyes open without feeling pain at the back of my head.The beeping sound was loud and I groaned loudly, moving my head slowly to identify where it was coming from so I could end my torture. I couldn’t remember my alarm clock being this loud; did I have an alarm clock?I shook my head, which was another bad idea. The pain stabbing me on all sides left me breathless; it took another thirty minutes for my vision to come back to me. That’s whe
AVA’S POVI watched my daughter from the side of my eye, much more focused on the bouncing baby in my arms. She shrieked and jumped, making me work my arm muscles to hold her steady.Didn’t she know that if she slipped out of my hands she was going to fall? Obviously, she didn’t because after staring at me for a good ten seconds, she resumed her jumping.“You look terrified.”Did I? I tried and failed to relax my facial muscles, which made Alma laugh. This was the third time we were meeting this week and every time I showed up, she handed me the baby and left me alone.“If I lose my grip and she falls, it could be deadly.” I said with all seriousness. I had spent the previous night reading all the books I could find on babies, most of them were confusing and other helped… a little.“She’s going to hurt herself at some point in her life, besides that’s why her toys are by your feet, you can distract her while you rest your arms.”“You’ve got this all figured out.” I wasn’t weak by any
GIO’S POVMy vacation was over, it was time to wear my big girl pants and get back to work. I stayed in Spain for two extra days after Zaverio finally left, keeping my eyes peeled for Norma’s men and also keeping one eye on my phone.I was beyond exhausted waiting for the final ice to crack and be plunged into eternal darkness. My life was on the line, and I had offered my neck to Emily on a platter after what I told Norma.I rubbed my eyes for the tenth time, taking a look at my old cases that had been reassigned to someone who now occupied my former office. He was meticulous and thorough which I loved, but he had been the one to sign off on my open cases, that I hated.Emily hadn’t reached out to me; neither had the other members of God knew what secret organization they were hiding under. If they wanted me to sit at a desk all day and stare into space, I could have as well chosen to work from home and spare myself the mental break down.Rose had kept to herself after I clocked that
ZAVERIO’S POVThe week Gio had given me flew by fast, too fast. Von and I hadn’t packed for this trip so we were good to go anytime. Gio had offered to drive us to the private airport where the private jet was going to be waiting for us.It was too easy to say yes, but I needed to play my cards right and also keep Gio safe, my gut was telling me something was brewing in the background. No one had told me anything since I had been here and in my business, silence was deadly.“You don’t look too happy about returning home.” Von perked up beside me, he had been silent all day, giving me the space I needed to bond with my daughter.“I didn’t know it would be this hard to leave her behind.” Von cocked his head, not knowing where I was leading with this conversation. Alma had agreed to follow us because she felt this place wasn’t safe because Ava tried to kidnap her child.“Leave who behind?” “Alma and my daughter” I held up a hand before he could protest. “I want to take them back home tr
ALMA’S POVMy mother was standing in my home for the second time, taking in the décor as if she hadn’t seen it before. I didn’t speak, allowing her acquaint herself however she wished.No one was in the house except Martha who was taking a much needed nap. She would have loved to meet with the legendary Ava Boltran but her drugs sent her under and kept her there for hours.This meeting was purely Zaverio’s idea and he had bailed the moment Ava arrived, dragging Von with him as he left. It looked like a setup she had no interest in being a part of.Yes, her mother was alive. Yes, she was angry at her for sending her to the other side of world and never reaching out. No, she did not want a relationship with her, she didn’t mind if she stayed dead.Most of the answers in her head were still coated with anger and most of the time she let them simmer and boil. She didn’t owe the woman anything, not even her sympathy.Others gave it freely but she held onto hers for selfish reasons. She was
GIO’S POV“Out with it” I held in an irritated sigh, almost choking myself to death as I fought with my tie.Rose had been quiet since we left Norma’s home, and I hadn’t tried to spark up conversation, if she had a problem with me then she could come out and say, I didn’t have to coax it out of her like she was a child, yet here we were.“Out with what?” Rose watched my murder attempt but didn’t try to step in; she was enjoying the spectacle I was making of myself.I stopped, placed my hands on my hips and sighed again. “You’ve been pouting like a child for hours and I know why but I need you to woman and speak. We can’t function well if you’re going to shut everything inside.”“I don’t have anything to say.” Her jaw clenched, proving me right. We hadn’t known each other for long but long enough for me to know her tells, and now she was furious.“My life is in your hands, I don’t need you throwing me into the line of fire because you can’t stand my guts.”“I would never do anything th
ZAVERIO’S POV“You are fussing over me like a mother hen.” Martha glare held no heat and Alma was too busy arranging the blankets around her legs to notice. “You may be a mother now but maybe I need to remind you that I have lived on this earth more than you have.”“Why don’t you stop distracting me and enjoy my attention?” Alma sighed. “All I did was brew your favorite tea and now I’m making sure you’re tucked in properly.”“As if I need to be tucked in at my age” Martha snorted. “The doctor told me to rest not rot away like a forgotten egg.”I smiled, rubbing my nose into my daughter’s hair. It was simple and charming to watch them bicker and whine. There was no basis but I didn’t think I would ever grow tired of watching Alma pour life into people.Nadine was taking a nap, Von was somewhere in the house catching up with his family, and Gio and Rose were on their way back; I didn’t know if she would return with good news; and a bothersome voice kept telling me my time was up.Alma h
GIO’S POVMy palms were sweaty and I rubbed them on my pant suit, this was the only time I could show a moment of weakness. The Prime minister summoned me like she was the queen of England, and even if I was irritated, I needed to show up or a particular someone would pick me apart.Walking into the halls of grand home was new, and I looked to Rose who didn’t look as panicked as I felt. Her face was an unreadable mask, and I made a note to ask her to teach me how to pull that off.“Madam will be with you shortly, if you wouldn’t mind waiting in the living room” The butler waved a hand to an open door, bowing as we passed.I waited till he locked the door and I was sure we were alone until I spoke. “Don’t you think the butler is a little extra? I mean, I know it’s a big house but a butler?”“Most people like to have them around” Rose shrugged. “I can’t imagine running down those stairs to open the door, and running back up because god forbid you forgot your purse.”“Then why the need t
ALMA’S POVThe woman I now knew was my mother left the same way she came; only this time I noticed her leave. The striking resemblance overshadowed the doubt in my mind. There was no doubt that she was my mother.There were so many emotions fighting for attention in my chest; relief, confusion, fear, distrust. Where do I even start? I grew up thinking my parents were dead, and a few months ago I thought my father was Quinn.I scrubbed my face with my hands, wishing I could flip a switch and turn my brain off; it was getting exhausting to think about the abyss my life was disappearing into.Is that why Quinn left this house to me? This was a way to bring me back to my mother even though he didn’t know he was going to die at the time, but Zaverio hadn’t handed the letter to me like he was supposed to do.If Gio hadn’t given me that letter, I wouldn’t be here in this confusing loop, hearing about people that were supposed to be dead.“Hey, do you want to sit for a while.” Nadine didn’t t