LOGINAfter a while, Cristiano slumped over her, breathing hard, his weight pressing her into the sheets. Siena opened her eyes to find him staring at her like she was the only thing keeping him alive.He didn’t give her time to pull away. His mouth crashed into hers again—hungry, claiming, desperate.Her chest flooded with emotions she didn’t want. Didn’t allow herself to feel anymore. And yet, she couldn’t stop them. She should have felt repulsed by his touch. She should have hated the way he held her, as she belonged to him.But he kissed her as if his world was ending. As if letting go would destroy him.This wasn’t the cruelty she had read about. This wasn’t the torture whispered about in dark corners, the kind men associated with a mafia don. There was no deliberate pain, no cold punishment stretched over hours.Then why?Why did his actions betray his words so completely?“If you hate me so much,” she asked hoarsely when he finally broke the kiss, “then why do I feel only love when y
Siena steadied her breath, forcing her anxiety down. She gathered what little strength she had left and looked straight into his eyes. “Why do you care?” she asked, her voice shaking but defiant. “You said you don’t love me… you don’t, right?”Cristiano smirked, his eyes narrowing.She really was his match.In the beginning, she had barely been able to stand in his presence—nervous, guarded, never breathing freely. Now she challenged him. Fought him. Met his gaze without fear.The Italian don felt a dangerous swell of pride.If anyone could rule his empire beside him, it would be her.If only things were different. If only blood and hatred hadn’t torn their families apart for generations.Then maybe—just maybe—they could have belonged to each other forever.“Baby doll, listen to me—and listen carefully. You can never escape me,” he said, his voice low, carrying a warning. “Don’t even think about it. Not in your dreams. The consequences would be more than you could bear.”She lifted
Cristiano didn’t answer. He just stood there, watching her—his gaze dark, steady, almost tender in a way that unsettled her more than cruelty ever could.Siena’s control finally broke.Tears spilled as something hot and unbearable rose inside her, stripping away the last of her patience. She grabbed his collar, her fingers trembling, trying to shake him, to force something—anything—from him.“You… you said you would never leave me!” she yelled, desperation tearing through her voice. “Then why did you do this, Cris? How could you?”Her fists struck his chest in blind anger, not to hurt him—but because the pain inside her had nowhere else to go.Once, she hadn’t known who her husband truly was. Now she did. The Italian Don. A man the world feared. And still—she stood in front of him, unafraid.The corner of Cristiano’s mouth curved into a slow, dangerous smirk.Not mocking. Proud.That smirk shattered something inside her.“So this is it?” she whispered bitterly, lips trembling. “Yo
“I told you,” Fabio said, frustration roughening his voice. “That man isn’t trustworthy. He never deserved your love. At least now you see it. Better late than too late.”Siena released a shaky breath before answering. “I didn’t call you to ask whether my decision was right,” she said quietly. “I called to tell you that I’m ready to leave.”There was a brief pause on the line—then Fabio exhaled, as if holding himself back. “Good,” he said, forcing calm into his voice. “Now listen to me carefully, Siena. Do exactly as I say.”He laid out the plan—precise, urgent, leaving no room for hesitation.“Follow it,” he finished. “Stick to it. I’ll get you out of that hell.”Siena swallowed. “How?” Her voice trembled despite herself. “Cristiano is the Italian Don. He won’t let me walk away so easily—not until he gets what he married me for.”“Don’t worry,” Fabio replied firmly. “I won’t betray your trust. Not now. Not ever. I’ll protect you with my life.”She didn’t respond.Because once upon
She should have barged in. She should have screamed, cried, fought—dragged that woman out of the mansion, and slapped her husband for daring to do this to her.But her feet wouldn’t move.It was as if something inside her had shut down all at once. The exhaustion that flooded her wasn’t physical—it was emotional, bone-deep, the kind that drained all strength for anger or confrontation. Her chest tightened, her breath turned shallow, and tears burned her eyes before she could stop them.And in that moment, she realized she didn’t want anything from him. Not explanations. Not apologies. Not lies.Whether it was the fear of heartbreak or the pain itself, the feeling overwhelmed every other emotion until all she wanted was to escape—to run, to disappear.Before he could see the tears spill over, she turned abruptly and fled, her steps unsteady as she rushed upstairs, the walls blurring around her.She didn’t stop until she reached her bedroom—the room that was supposed to be theirs. S
The moment Riya and Anna heard Siena crying, their voices softened instantly.“Si… don’t cry,” Anna said gently, her voice coming through the phone like a hand on Siena’s back.“Yeah,” Riya added, anger lacing her concern. “Why waste your tears on an asshole like him?”Siena let out a shaky breath, wiping at her eyes even though the tears kept coming. “I don’t know how to stop,” she whispered. “No matter how much I try to be strong… they just fall on their own.”Her throat tightened before she could continue. “Today is Valentine’s Day,” she said softly. “I had planned so many things. I thought—” her voice cracked, “—I really thought he had a surprise for me. When I heard we were going to a party, I believed it was for us.”She laughed bitterly through her tears. “It was a surprise… just not the kind I imagined.”There was a pause, heavy and aching.“I never thought Cris would betray me,” she murmured. “Not like this. Not after everything. It feels like my past is repeating itself a







