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Ripping the band-aid off
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Her Overdose
Giovanni (5 years ago)“Breathe, just try to breathe through it.” Danielle is losing consciousness again as a feeble whisper leaves her lips. “I can’t.” I don’t think I would be able to hear her if I wasn’t clasping her in my arms as if my life depended on it.But maybe hers does. Her breathing slows down, and she is covered in cold sweat. My panic rises and I shout at Valerio, who is cussing in the driver’s seat, inciting him to drive faster. His stupid sporty BMW is barely doing the job, but it was still the better choice as my shabby Fiat Panda would have died on the road.I need a faster car, damn it and damn me for not investing in a proper car just to save some dime. “Stay with me, Danielle. Don’t fall asleep.” I grab her face, shaking her gently. “Hey, look at me.” “Fuck, where did she get so much stuff?” Valerio asks, his eyes concentrated on the road as he races along the highway. “I don’t fucking know,” I growl at him. I feel sick to my stomach about the fact that s
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Manic Episode
Danielle I enter the dark apartment and turn on the lights as I slip out of my shoes. Stepping down the stairs, I walk into the living room just to get scared the living daylights out of me. “What the -?!” Giovanni is sitting in the corner of the couch, sipping an amber liquid out of a crystal glass. “Why are you sitting in the dark?“ I ask him as I take a few steps closer to him. He smiles at me evilly, and I shudder. But maybe he just finds it funny that this is the first thing I’m asking while he is covered in blood. It splatters his white shirt clinging to his broad chest and he even has a few drops on his face. “Oh, my God, Gio. What happened?” His smile brightens as he puts a finger on his lips, chuckling as if it was a secret. My heartbeat picks up its pace, as this action is highly disturbing. I remember the Joker vibes I got from Domenico, but thinking of it, that was like being with an angry baby kitten in comparison with what I’m feeling now. Instinctively, I ta
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Leave me alone!
Danielle “I’m not going to. So, go ahead!” I challenge him, closing my eyes as I wait for the impact. Slowly, I re-open my eyes as it gets alarmingly quiet and as I don’t hear anything after a few minutes, I nearly think he is gone. I am about to climb from my bed, only to jump right back as a loud bang gets the door wrenched off its hinges. You have to be kidding me. “Did you build it out of cardboard or what?” He steps over the door, inspecting it with a click of his tongue. “Yeah, I should have that secured.” His murmuring is still audible to me and I get off the bed to distance myself from him by retreating into the room even more. “You can’t be serious!” Giovanni looks at me annoyed as he reaches me with a few steps and comes to stand right before me. “Whores usually don’t act up, so I guess I will have to punish you!” He lifts his arms as he speaks while adjusting his cufflinks and rolling back his sleeves indifferently. ¨Why does he have to look so hot doing that? I
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Day One… Two… Three…
Danielle The next day was already a huge pain. But the second night was even worse. I had slept awfully and I couldn’t bring myself to concentrate while I got through my scripts. Usually, we would always end up having sex after such a fight, resulting in me sleeping like a baby. But as I didn’t get to let off my steam in the best of ways, I struggled to ignore him as he seemed to enjoy scurrying around me while I was trying to stay strong. And not jump him. Initially, I felt proud for having stood my ground but it already faltered drastically on the second day as I got out of my room to get some breakfast and met him eating standing while watching TV from his kitchen. He was wearing nicely fitting pants and his shirt was still unbuttoned, I guess to not get it dirty from his food or to provoke me. I tried my best to act nonchalantly, getting a bottle of water out of the fridge as he pushed a toast on a plate in my direction. “Thank you,” I said quietly as I took it, my stoma
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Secret Bank Accounts
Danielle The chill air is perfect for making hard decisions. Standing in front of the shelves filled with cookies, I ponder on which other kind of cookies would go with my Pan di Stelle. Don’t judge me, I’m going through a tough week. I make my way to look for Natalina and find her strolling around, pushing a trolley full of delicious things. “Oh, I’m already looking forward to the next meals.” She smiles warmly at me and holds out her hand to take the bags of cookies out of my arms. “Oh, no. I’m going to pay for it with my money,” I turn slightly, defending my sweets with my body while she giggles.“That’s out of the question. In to the trolley with them, young lady.” I groan, rummaging through my purse. “No, no! I brought my money with me on purpose, please. I’ve sort of a holiday and I’m not spending his money while on it.” As I look up from my purse where I intricately just took my money out, she is looking at me questioningly. “Holiday? But you aren’t on holiday. I saw y
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Day Three
GiovanniThis is never-ending. My patience already wears thin as we meet with two representatives of the Vespasiani territory.Domenico seems to perceive my discomfort and wears an annoying smirk the entire time. The negotiations don’t run as smoothly as the last time and I’m ready to start a war by shooting everyone in the room, just to get home. I really have to make her cut the week short. Checking my watch, I see that it’s a quarter to midnight. She probably has gone to bed anyway. I sigh deeply while Enrico is trying once again to be professional and starts another attempt to go through the contract clauses with Domenico and his poodle. “Maybe we should postpone our meeting to a date when your prime purpose isn’t to make us lose our valuable time. I’m not scum like you, my time is worth a lot, Vespasiani!” Domenico smirks wider at my comment. “What got your panties in a twist, Fortunati? Did your gem already get bored of you?” I scoff, tapping Enrico’s shoulder. Moving m
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Day Four - Part I
DanielleI wake up feeling reborn. As I stretch myself in the big bed, I clutch the black bedsheets, sighing happily. Wait… Black! I sit up as if I’ve been struck by lightning. I’m lying in his bed. Nooo, how much did I drink last night? Holding my spinning head with my hands, I take a deep breath before I look down at my body, lifting the covers and finding myself fully dressed. OK, at least I didn’t make a fool of myself completely. Looking around the room, I notice that I’m alone and my heart squeezes slightly as I pout disappointed. Maybe he stayed out celebrating. I ignore the painful thump of my heart and get out of bed slowly. Checking the time on my phone, I look for him in his office before I go to the kitchen to see if he might be still there. Usually, he wouldn’t be out of the apartment this early. In the kitchen, I don’t run into him, but I find a plate full of Pasticcini and walk to it like a child discovering its gift on Christmas Eve. There is a little car
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Day Four - Part II
Danielle Natalina gasps behind me and lays a hand on my shoulder. “I guess your luck was that Giovanni got you in time,” Sheila continues while I stare at her incredulously. “But I was completely knocked out,” I say in a whisper, making her nod slowly. “Yes. The amount in your blood would have knocked out an elephant. I guess the one who administered it to you wasn’t quite on the bright side. You risked worse.” She sighs, shaking the pill bottle, making the small pills fly around with a clicking noise. “Here are some vitamins I developed. They will help you with the headache and the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach.” “How…” I stare at her incredulously, and she must be used to getting such reactions, as she just smiles and whispers, “You’re welcome.” She gets up, and I jerk up. Obviously, this is the end of the conversation, and she has no time to waste. As soon as she signaled us that she is about to leave, her bodyguard shifts out of his pose, leaving me amazed. This
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The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Finally Yours! (Epilogue)
Giovanni Two Years LaterWrapping my hands around my wife, I help her stabilize on her feet as she holds her head. “Oh.” “Are you sure that you are alright?” I ask her, pushing out a strand of hair out of her face.She nods, making my heart squeeze as I’m not convinced as her face seems so pale. “Yes, all good.” “Bullshit, Danielle. You have been feeling unwell for days. We are going to see a doctor right now.” She groans, pushing herself out of my arms. “Can we please just go see my father? Afterward, we can go.” “No,” I answer firmly, putting my hands on the car’s roof, caging her in. “We will go to the doctor’s and after that, we will go see your father.” Shaking her head, she looks up at me with puppy dog eyes. “But we might lose the window. You know how complicated things can be with those appointments and how strict the prisons are. What if they don’t visit me right away and we have to wait?” I click my tongue, giving in as I can’t resist her looking at me like this. Damn
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Preparations II
Giovanni “Is it normal to wear the tie so tight?” I clear my throat as I pull at my tie again, feeling like it is cutting into my throat. Valerio laughs, pinching my tie, and shakes his head. “It’s perfectly fine. You are about to hyperventilate. That is all.” I scoff, slipping into my jacket as I walk to the window. “I don’t understand why they can’t just have us walk in together. I mean, where did they bring her?” “Calm down. It’s tradition. They will call her in after the first discussions and blessing with the elders,” he explains to me, wanting to calm me down with information that I already possess. “At least you are not a Degli Baronesi, or you would be choosing your favorite knife at this point.” “What the fuck,” I mumble under my breath, watching the people scurrying outside. He snorts, putting his hands into his pockets. “It’s going to be fine. They love you. They chose you. It’s going to be a nice ceremony and then we can all go and get drunk. Relax.” “You have to l
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Be Mine… Completely II
Danielle I look at him intrigued, laying a hand on my chest, and watch him pull off his now-drenched shirt to toss it onto the ground. “Lift me out…” Following the gesture of his head, I gasp as my eyes fall onto a bottle of lube on the edge of the pool. “Pervert,” I whisper, making him laugh. My eyes scan the surrounding gardens, and I gulp. “Aren’t there people who could hear us? I mean, me?” “Maybe,” he grins smugly. “But we are going to be quiet, aren’t we?” I open my mouth, looking at him shocked, and I’m still pondering on the fact if I should feel afraid. But I guess my stupid body betrays me as I shiver in pleasurable anticipation. “I thought that the hot water would help you relax, but we can just chill if you don’t feel like it,” he whispers, leaving featherlight kisses on my cheek and my jawline. Gulping painfully, I let my eyes roam our surroundings again before I turn my head slightly to look at him. “No, I really want to do it.” His lips stretch into a gorgeous
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Be Mine… Completely I
Danielle “Wait,” I throw my hands in front of my face, taking a deep breath as he freezes, grinning up at me. “Wait. Wait. Wait,” I repeat panically, feeling like I can’t breathe. “What are you doing?” Giovanni lifts his brow, glaring at me. “What does it look like, Danielle?” “Is that the reason why you wanted to see my dress?” I ask, my entire body shaking. “But why?” He sighs, letting his arm slump. “I knew that it wasn’t the right timing. I’ll just get up.” “No, no, no!” I shout, making him look at me with furrowed brows. I lean down, putting my hands onto his shoulders. We stare at each other for a split second, my mouth turning dry as I finally push myself up again. I cross my arms, laying my hands flatly on my chest as I calm my racing heartbeat. “Okay… I’m ready.” “Great,” he laughs, shaking his head, and lifts his arm again. With a small movement, he opens the small ring box, getting my heart to halt in my chest. Clasped between velvet cushions, a white-gold ring wi
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me That Thing About Us
Danielle “Sorry,” I tuck my hair behind my ear as I approach a hostess, causing her to smile at me. “I’m supposed to meet with my boyfriend, but I guess he is running late. Must be a table for Fortunati.” The hostess looks at her book and her smile brightens as she gestures to me to follow her. Her Kimono rustles as she walks gracefully, and I am thinking about whether I’m dressed elegantly enough for this luxurious place as she passes the entrance of the hall with the tables and the chatting guests. I gulp anxiously as I follow her down the beautifully decorated hallway. She reaches a door on the right and slides it open with a deep bow. “Please feel at home and leave your shoes at the door.” “Thank you so much,” I say, doing a small curtsy and entering the room. The first thing I see is Giovanni, who stands up from a romantically set table, closing his jacket as he watches me slip out of my heels and step closer. The private room looks like a private restaurant set up just fo
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Gifts
Danielle As Giovanni enters the apartment, my heart is beating out of my chest. He had told me that he would pick up the heirlooms today after work and he took Gro with him to ensure directly if it was everything my father wanted me to have for the ceremony. Lifting a small bag, he smiles at me and walks towards me. But just as I want to grab it, he lifts it out of my reach and leans down. “Ah, ah, ah, my Love,” he mocks me, grabbing my chin to make me look at him. “Without even giving me a kiss?” I roll my eyes before closing them and he kisses me with a chuckle. As soon as he has detached himself from me, I lift my hands, opening and closing them to make him give me the bag. “Here you are, impatient kitten.”Giggling, I turn around with my gaze already in the bag and purr lowly, getting him to wrap his arms around me and lift me up, just as I’ve emptied the contents of the bag on the couch table. “No!” I scream, laughing and thrashing in his hold. “Let me down. I want to se
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Preparations I
DanielleGiovanni surely never fails to keep his promises. I scrunch up my face as the stinging on my ass increases when I walk out of the dressing room, and the shop assistant pulls at my dress. “Don’t you like it?” Loredana looks up at me worried, her question causing my other friends to do the same. “Erm… No, no, I love it,” I stutter out, feeling the heat creeping up my cheeks. As if I could tell her that I’m sore because we took our playtime a bit too far. I pass my hands over the white fabric, and I clear my throat. “But does it have to be white? I really don’t want to… I don’t know… What if he freaks out?” “He won’t,” Loredana shouts, squinting her eyes at me. “Yeah. I think the bigger issue will be him having to keep his shit together not to jump you as soon as he sees you in this dress,” Angelica jokes, making everyone giggle. I roll my eyes while Amelia sighs. She is playing with a veil, passing her fingers over the embroidery as she looks up at me with tears in her
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Tit-For-Tat
DanielleMy heart beats into my throat as I see his lost gaze refocus, and a sly grin grows on his lips. “Well played. You totally fucked me over.” “That’s.. That’s…” I try to form a coherent sentence, as instead of being angry, he seems to be overly enthusiastic. This is bad. I didn’t think this through. “That’s because you lied to me for the last five years,” I stutter lightly as I raise my chin, wanting to appear confident. “You deserved it.” He stays quiet and watches me with a mischievous glint in his eyes as his grin grows. Well, fuck. I laugh as he steps closer, and I lift my finger as if I could stop him. “No, you have to stop. What are you doing?” “What do you mean ‘what are you doing?’? We are playing, right?” he asks, looking like a boy in a toy store. Acknowledging that I have fucked up, my body buzzes in excitement at discovering what he has planned out in his sick mind. And I’m totally sick in mine, too, as it seems. As suspected, he doesn‘t stop stepping clos
The Offer: Love Me - Hate Me Official Invitation
Danielle I walk up a set of stairs and over the terrace, the gravel crunching under my feet. As I step up to the round table in white marble, the man sitting at it in a nice suit already stands up to welcome me with open arms. “Good morning, Danielle. How are you?”“Zio Marco,” I smile as I take my last steps at a quicker pace to walk into his hug. “I’m doing perfectly fine, thank you. How are you?” He gestures to me to sit down, and I take my seat in front of him. “Ah, you know how it is. Always too many things to do and too little time.”“You have to take a few breaks for yourself, Zio. It’s important that you take care of your health. I don’t want Zia Gigia to worry too much, and we surely don’t want her to be angry at you.” A maid hands me a glass of lemonade, and I thank her before she deposits a plate of Taralli onto the table and serves my uncle his espresso. “Thank you, Evelina.” He laughs as he stirs his black coffee with his small spoon and clinks it against the cup.
