Emilia’s world is crumbling—her brother is in desperate need of a kidney transplant, and she’s sold everything to keep him alive. She’s on the verge of loosing it all when something unexpected happens at the hospital. Mistaken for the mother of a mafia lord’s daughter, Emilia’s life does a 180 turn.. Alaric Castillo, cold and commanding, demanded she became his daughter’s nanny, and she agreed—on one condition. He’ll pay for her brother’s surgery. A tight bond forms between Emilia and the child. But the more time she spends with Alaric, the more she discovers a side of him that’s buried beneath layers of control and power. What started as a reluctant partnership soon became something deeper, but in a world ruled by secrets and enemies, love is a dangerous game. Caught between her past, her present with Alaric, and the deadly feud that is trying to ruin them all, Emilia must decide—will she fight for her heart or walk away from the only family she’s ever known?
Lihat lebih banyakEmilia’s POV
I tapped my leg continuously on the floor, my hands pressed tight together as I tried to stop them from shaking. My eyes were locked on the doctor's, and I could hear him talking, but I wasn’t even listening. All that was on my mind was thoughts of how I was going to get twenty-five thousand dollars for Matteo’s surgery. Twenty-five thousand dollars! A shudder ran through me. And that wasn’t all. I still had to pay for the other hospital bills apart from the surgery f*e.
It seemed like my life was just going haywire at this point, and there was absolutely nothing that I could do to stop it.
“Miss Abramo?” The doctor called, snapping her fingers in my face twice. I jumped and then gave her an apologetic smile.
“You were saying?” I asked.
“Are you okay, Miss Abramo?” She eyed me warily. “You’ve been zoning out.”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I lied, nodding. My hands began to shake, and I clasped them together once again, taking in a deep breath as she continued.
“Miss Abramo, it’s getting too late. If you don’t pay for your brother’s surgery within this week and the next, I’m afraid you might lose your brother,” she said, her tone sympathetic and warning at the same time.
My heart flew to my throat, and tears welled up in my eyes. She sighed, shaking her head a bit. “I’m sorry, Miss Abramo, but sugarcoating it won’t solve the problem. You have to hurry and get the money; if not, your brother might die.”
My heart clenched as she spoke, and I shut my eyes hard, feeling a tear slide down my cheeks. I shook my head and sighed, opening my eyes. “It’s okay,” I murmured. “You don’t have to keep mentioning it. I get it.”
She pressed her lips together, trying for a smile, but it was a grimace instead. I could see the pity in her eyes. And I hated it. I absolutely hated it.
“Thank you,” I said to her as I got up. “I’ll be back to check up on him later in the evening,” I added before stepping out of her office and closing the door behind me. I needed to find a way to get twenty-five thousand dollars in just a week.
I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my eyes. God. I was so tired. I hadn’t slept properly in days, and I had so much on my mind. Matteo was the only family I had; I couldn’t let him die. At the same time, I had no money at all. I had to pay for his fees, and I still had to pay for our house rent. I’ve even sold my small café just to pay up, but still it wasn’t enough.
“Mommy?” I heard from somewhere around the hall as I walked towards the elevator. And then there was a little tug on my skirt. “Mommy!”
I frowned, looking down just to see a little girl with silver hair tugging at my skirt. “Mommy!” She squealed, her eyes wide and her lips stretched in a grin. She kept tugging at my skirt, her eyes expectant.
I sighed and mustered up a smile as I crouched down to her level. “Sweetie, what’s your name?” I asked, taking her hands in mine.
“But mommy, you know my name!” She mumbled. She couldn’t be more than three years old. “It’s Francesca!”
“Well, Francesca, sweetie,” I began and bit my lip, wondering how I was going to break the heart of the cutest little thing I’ve seen today. “I’m not your mom. But where is your mom, though? I can take you to her.”
“But you’re my mommy!” She insisted, shaking her head. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her lips began to quiver. “You’re my mommy,” she murmured.
“Francesca, sweetie, I’m not—“ She didn’t let me complete the sentence before she shook her head furiously and began to cry.
“Francesca… I…”
“You’re my mommy!” She insisted, rubbing her eyes as she cried.
“Okay, okay,” I murmured, carrying her in my arms as I stood. “It’s okay, baby. Let’s go,” I added.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, putting her head on my shoulder. She had stopped crying at last. I ran my hands through her hair and kissed her. Her cheek while I headed for the elevator. I’d drop her at the reception and go. Her parents or guardians would find her there.
"Mommy, will you come home with Daddy and me?" She asked in a tiny voice, raising her head from my shoulder to look at me with her big, green eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak, but what cut me off were the men who suddenly appeared in front of me as they came out from the corner corridor just before the elevator. One of them locked their eyes on me and raised the gun he was holding immediately, pointing it at me. The other followed suit, scowls on their faces as if they wanted nothing more than to blow my brains off with the gun.
I blinked, gulping as I took a step back, only to feel cold metal at the back of my head.
“Uncle?” Francesca murmured, raising her head from my shoulder once again. But she wasn’t looking at the men in front of me. She was looking at the one behind me, and I whirled around on my feet, my eyes going wide at the man who had held a gun to the back of my head.
His eyes narrowed on me, and I opened my mouth to speak, to ask what exactly was going on when Francesca spoke again. “Daddy! Look who I found!”
I turned around again, seeing as the men parted to make way for someone. Their boss maybe. The first thing I noticed was his forest green gaze as he stormed towards me, his eyes going from me to Francesca and back to me.
“You dare to try to take my daughter away from me?” He seethed, stepping into my personal space. I took a step backwards and felt the gun at the back of my head again. A warning.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered, my voice shaking.
“Where are you taking my daughter to?” He demanded with narrowed eyes. “You’re trying to kidnap her?”
I shook my head. “No, of course not! I was just taking her to the reception so her parents can come meet her there. I... didn't know you’re her dad.”
His eyes narrowed again as he stretched out his hand and tried to snatch her away from me. She only tightened her hold on me. “Daddy, will mommy come home with us today?”
His gaze snapped to me instantly. “Mommy?” He demanded.
“I tried to tell her I’m not her mother, but she won’t listen.” I rushed out, my eyes darting to the men, and then back to him. I was very aware of the one behind me because he wouldn’t stop pressing his gun to my head. Who were these men exactly? I knew one thing though. They were probably the most dangerous people I’ve ever met in my life. I gulped again, looking at Francesca’s father. Really looking at him.
Gods.
He had to be the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. He had dark hair and eyes so intense that I felt like he already knew me inside out. He had the prettiest olive skin and broad shoulders that fit his muscled frame. He was about 6’5. He had this lethal aura around him, and right now it was focused on me.
I blinked, reminding myself that I had gotten into trouble here and I was not supposed to be checking out the man who could order his men to kill me right now.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she’s your daughter,” I mumbled, forcing myself to breathe steadily and calm myself. “She came to me, and I didn’t know what to do.”
“Francesca, she’s not your mother,” he said, his eyes staying on me for a moment longer before he looked at his daughter. “Come here.” He added, stretching his hand and taking her from me in a firm but gentle manner.
“Allesio,” he said. I was guessing that was the name of the man behind me. He dropped his gun.
“Get out,” Francesca’s father ordered as he cradled his daughter in his arms protectively. “Now.”
I didn’t wait to be told twice. I walked carefully till I was away from his men and their guns before I took off to the elevator, my heart pounding so hard in my chest that I was so sure he could hear it.
306Rosa’s POV The jet lag hadn’t hit me yet, but I was already very exhausted and felt done for the day.Italy looked the same as it always did—beautiful, timeless, like it existed in a different universe from the chaos I had left behind. I inhaled the crisp evening air as I stepped out of the sleek black car, the grand estate standing wide in front of me. The Smith family mansion. My father’s empire.The guards stationed outside barely blinked at my arrival, nodding respectfully as I walked past them. I had never lived here full-time, but it was still home in some ways. A piece of me, whether I wanted to admit it or not.The grand doors opened before I could even knock, and there he was—Romano Smith. The infamous Don. My father. He looked the same, even though it seemed he had grown older since the last time I saw him. He was dressed in his usual crisp three-piece suit, his silver hair combed back, his sharp eyes studying me the way they always did, like he was seeing everything I
305Allesio’s POV I couldn’t live without her.Not just in the poetic, tortured way people talk about when they lose someone they love. No, this was worse. This was physical, a gnawing emptiness in my chest that only got worse with each passing day. I had tried everything to forget her—drinking, fighting, drowning myself in work. But nothing helped. Nothing came close to filling the void she left behind.I had been a coward. A liar. A manipulative bastard. And now, I was paying the price for it.“Are you even listening to me?” Alaric’s voice cut through my thoughts, his irritation clear.I looked up from my drink, barely focusing on him. “Not really.”Alaric sighed, rubbing his temples. “I said, let her go.”I scoffed. “Like you ever let Emilia go?”His jaw tightened. “That’s different.”“Is it?” I leaned forward. “Because I remember a time when she hated your guts too. When she wanted nothing to do with you.”“And I gave her time,” he shot back. “I didn’t chase her down like a despe
304Rosa’s POV The moment I stepped out of the ballroom, I knew I should have just stayed in tonight. I should have ignored Emilia’s gentle nudging, should have turned off my phone, should have stayed curled up in bed with a book I wasn’t really reading. Because now, standing in the grand foyer of this ridiculous charity event, I felt like an idiot.I walked away from Allesio like he was nothing. Like seeing him after all this time didn’t shake me down to my bones. Like the way he said my name didn’t make my throat tight. But I did it. I walked away.And I should have kept walking. Should have gotten into a car and gone home. But no. I needed a damn drink first.I made my way to the bar, ordering a glass of champagne, something crisp and dry that wouldn’t sit too heavy on my tongue. Something to remind me that I was fine. I was moving on.And then I saw her.Tall. Elegant. Brunette. Draped in a silk gown that screamed old money and good taste. She laughed at something he said, her pe
303Allesio’s POV The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the grand hotel, its towering glass windows reflecting the golden glow of the city lights. I adjusted my cufflinks, barely listening to Alaric giving instructions to one of his men over the phone. Another pointless charity event, another night pretending to care about something other than the mess I’d made of my life.Inside, the ballroom was dripping in luxury—crystal chandeliers, waiters in crisp uniforms weaving through the crowd with silver trays, and the endless murmur of people pretending they weren’t all rotten beneath their polished exteriors. I grabbed a glass of whiskey from a passing waiter and took a slow sip, scanning the room with idle disinterest.And then I saw her.Rosa.My grip on the glass tightened. For a second, I thought I was seeing things, some cruel trick my exhausted mind was playing on me. But no, it was her. The curve of her jaw, the way her dress hugged her figure like it was made for her. Her
302Allesio’s POV The whiskey burned its way down my throat, but the ache in my chest didn’t ease. It never did, no matter how many glasses I downed, no matter how many fists I threw at nameless men in dark alleyways. I was becoming reckless, but I didn’t give a damn. Maybe if I pushed hard enough, if I destroyed myself enough, the guilt would stop gnawing at me.It never did.“You look like shit,” Alaric said, dropping into the seat across from me in the dimly lit bar. “And you smell worse.”I smirked, lifting my glass in a mock toast. “Cheers to that.”His jaw ticked. “This is getting pathetic.”“What’s pathetic is you tracking me down like a goddamn babysitter.” I tossed back another drink and signaled for another. The bartender hesitated, eyes flicking to Alaric, but I shot him a glare. He poured it. Good man.Alaric exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. “You’re fighting like you’ve got nothing to lose.”I chuckled darkly. “Because I don’t.”“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
301Rosa’s POVThe restaurant was nice. Upscale but not overly pretentious, the kind of place where the waiters wore crisp white shirts but didn’t look like they wanted to strangle themselves with their ties. Candlelight flickered across the polished wood table, catching the deep red of my wine as I swirled it in my glass. Across from me, Jason—or was it Jacob?—smiled, teeth perfectly straight, dimples popping like he had been genetically engineered to charm.I smiled back. It wasn’t hard. He was attractive, well-dressed, and had that effortless confidence that came with knowing you were objectively good-looking. He was saying something about his job—finance, obviously—and I nodded like I was interested. I should have been interested.Instead, my mind drifted to the last time I had sat across from a man at a restaurant. The heat in Allesio’s gaze, the way he had leaned back in his chair like he owned the whole damn place—and maybe he did. The way his hand had rested on my thigh under
300Allesio’s POV The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Alaric sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his jaw clenched, fingers drumming impatiently against the polished wood. Around him, his most trusted men stood at attention, awaiting orders.“She only took her car and even that’s untraceable. No flights booked in her name. No trace of her anywhere,” one of the men reported.Alaric exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I don’t give a damn how much it costs—find them. If they’re hiding, make them regret it.”I sat back in my chair, rubbing a hand down my face. This was getting out of control. I had been barely holding it together as it was, knowing Rosa had shut me out completely. The only thing keeping me from losing it entirely was the fact that Alaric was just as on edge. Maybe more. He was spiraling without Emilia, and I couldn’t blame him. It had been days. No calls. No messages. Nothing. And with Emilia being pregnant? Yeah, he was losing his mind.
299Rosa’s POV. I tried to keep it together. God knows I did. But no amount of pretending, no amount of running, could stop the inevitable.The moment we got back from our trip and crashed out at an hotel nearby, I felt it creeping in. The pain, the longing, the absolute stupidity of my heart. I hated the way I reached for my phone only to remember I’d blocked him, the way my chest tightened at the sight of a dark-haired man on the street, the way I found myself rereading our old texts like a fool.It all came crashing down on me right now.We were sitting on the bed, a ridiculous reality show playing in the background. She had a bowl of popcorn in her lap, her focus barely on me, but she must’ve sensed something was off because she suddenly turned to me with narrowed eyes.“You’ve been weird since we got back,” she said. “What’s wrong?”I shook my head. “Nothing.”She scoffed. “Right. And I suddenly am not angry with my husband.”That made me crack a smile, but it didn’t last. I pre
298Rosa’s POV. The sun was already high in the sky, glistening off the infinity pool as I stretched out on a lounge chair, soaking in every last second of this trip. Our trip. The trip that Emilia and I had taken to escape, to breathe, to exist without the weight of betrayal pressing down on our chests.Emilia sat beside me, oversized sunglasses covering most of her face, her drink in hand as she let out a satisfied sigh. “I’m not ready to go back.”I groaned in agreement. “Same. Reality sucks. We should just stay here forever, become beach bums.”She turned to me with a smirk. “Tempting. But I think Alaric would burn this entire resort down looking for me. And Allesio...” she trailed off, hesitating.I tensed but forced myself to act unfazed. “Allesio is the least of my concerns.”She didn’t believe me, obviously, but she let it slide. “Fine, fine. No men talk. Today is all about us, and we are going to make the most of it.”“Agreed,” I said, clinking my glass against hers. “One la
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