Arya sighed as she recalled the last months. Just like her husband predicted, the other family protested against him and he spent the last few months cutting down each family tree. Her father on the other hand who now had Maria at his side had backed off and she hope it stayed that way. She’d hate to have her husband murder him. She hated it had to result to murder but her hands were tied. It didn’t help when she realized she was having twins. She remembered the day they found out fondly but also with dread. FLASHBACK They were at the hospital and she was lying on the bed with her obstetrician. “Don, this is amazing. You’re having twins”, the doctor said. Arya’s emotions were all over the place. “Leave us alone”, Leonardo said to the doctor with a smile. The doctor exited the room. “I’m so ecstatic”, he said to Arya. She smiled awkwardly. “What’s wrong?”, he asked when he noticed her expression. “I was scared of bringing one child into the unsafe wo
Leonardo ended the car and told the driver to stop the car. He got off the back seat and got into the driver seat. Without waiting for the driver to get in, he started the ignition and drove off like the devil was chasing him. “What’s wrong?”, Rob gathered the courage to ask. “She’s unconscious”. Leonardo continued driving at maximum speed. He ran his hands through his hair and cursed every second. “We’re still an hour away. Why the fuck did I leave her alone? Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”, he cursed. “It wasn’t your fault, you didn’t know this was going to happen”, Rob said. “If you are going to bother me I’ll leave you stranded like I did the driver”, Leonardo warned. Rob held his tongue. “I understand.” Leonardo was in no mood for a lecture. The only person he ever cared about is in danger and all he could see was red. The blood of whoever was to blame would flood the cell where they would die slowly and painfully. ******************** “Where’s my wife?”, Leonard
Russo had already claimed Arya from the moment he set his eyes on her. If only he knew Leonardo would make a move. In his defense, the man had just taken her as soon as he saw her. While they used to be good friends, he was pissed off and felt betrayed. He even sent some men to kidnap her, but he failed miserably. That was when he realized it was impossible to attack the Don from the outside. But from inside, it was possible. Difficult, but possible. Especially when he used a family member. He couldn’t get access to Dona with Leonardo hovering around her, so he waited until she was alone. He didn’t expect her to fall unconscious, but he expected that she’d come to him with the note, since he was her husband’s old friend and a very good tracker. Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but it all worked out well for him in the end. A lopsided grin appeared on his face as he opened the door to reveal her gorgeous face. His smile turned to a frown as his eyes landed on her
Leonardo was loosing what was left of his mind every second he was away from her. She could be in pain or worse…. He took a deep breath and unfastened his fists. He was in his tech company manager’s office. Only a handful knew he was the boss and he intended to keep it that way. While the rest of the families were plotting against his companies under the mafia, he was out there building and expanding his empire. He had blackmail materials on many top politicians and bent the law to his will whenever he pleased so it was no surprise he had access to video footages from every street in Italy. Again, no one was aware of that. But all of that meant nothing without Arya in his life. He’d sacrifice himself if he had to. She would be the mother of his children and he’d be damned if he just stepped aside and watch Russo get away with it. His sister was part of the squabble too. As much as she pissed him off on a daily, he loved her unconditionally. It had always been both of
Getting to his office in the villa, he pulled a suitcase onto the table. He opened the suitcase and pulled out an Sig Sauer P320 X-Five Legion and an Accuracy International AXSR. He already had a shot gun on him. He pulled out knives and daggers and kept them in his boots. Since he intended to go alone, he needed to make the fight even. A knock was heard on the door. “Come in”. Rob and a handful of soldiers entered the room. “We will come with you Don”, Rob said. “No need for all of that. I can handle this one”, he said. Rob eyed the guns on the table. “We can’t let you go alone, Don. It’s our duty to fight for you. Russo might have back up or a couple of men”, Rob said. “I don’t need you fighting my battles for me, Roberto.” “We won’t fight for you but you can’t stop us from fighting with you”, Rob said and continued. “There isn’t a soldier here that wouldn’t lay down their lives for you”. Leonardo would gladly go alone but Rob and his men ganged up agai
Arya woke up with her a banging head ache. There was a bright light above her head and it reflected in her eyes. “Ouch”, she said and tried to sit up but she couldn’t. Her hands and legs were tied to whatever she was lying on. Soon, her memory came rushing back. FLASHBACK “Ladies….. In a hurry, are we?”, the familiar voice asked. “Come close to us and I’d claw your eyes out”, Bianca replied. Arya was still in shock and she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Russo brought out a gun. “Walk back in”. “Oh, fancy pants. Who needs a gun to capture two helpless women?”, Bianca said. “Not today, lawyer. Don’t try to outsmart me”. Bianca pinched Arya’s shoulder which jotted her back to reality. “Walk back in, ladies. While I’m still trying to be nice”, Russo warned. “You might as well take us fighting. We have nothing to loose”, Arya said. “I love you, Arya. Don’t try to force me to hit you”, Russo said. “And this is your version of love?”. “How is it any di
Arya swallowed as Russo stared her down with the blade to her throat. She tried to distract him. “You will fail. You will never have me”. "But I will. And I do. In a couple of seconds, you’ll be free of these monsters that the devil you call your husband has planted in you." “Big talk for someone who’s trying to kill innocent babies. You are worse than the devil”. He smiled. “You seem to have a taste in men”, he trailed the tip of the knife on her cheek. “I didn’t even choose you. You forced yourself into my life.” “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”. “No. I’ve never had the urge to kill anyone in my life, but you. I’ll personally take care of your murder”, she spat in his face. She watched as his eyes fell on the blade and his expression changed. He must have seen Bianca. Just as Bianca was about to run the knife through him, he turned and she stabbed his arm instead. “You fucking bitch”, he screamed, veins popping on his forehead and neck. His face was contorted w
Leonardo stared at the woman on the couch. His woman. Russo and Fin were tied up and under watch but he resisted the urge to kill them both. He knocked them out, though. But that was him doing nothing. Bianca wasn’t hurt, not physically at least. He had managed to shoot Russo’s hand that was holding the gun just in time. One second late, his sister would have been history. Although Russo missed his shot, the bullet hit the wall so close to her and Arya might have assumed she was hit. Bianca was currently unconscious in one of the rooms upstairs. His men had their eyes on her. “Don, Lucy is here”, Rob said. Soon, the doctor and her teams rushed in with their equipments. “Good morning, Don. I had to bring half the hospital supplies in case it is a serious case”, Doctor Lucy said as her staff put the equipments to use. Doctor Lucy had come a fetal doppler as well to check the babies heart rate. Leonardo grudgingly left his wife side and the medical team got to wo
Isabel cradled the baby close, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as the infant’s soft cries filled the room. Her daughter. She traced the baby’s tiny features with trembling fingers—her button nose, her soft cheeks, and the tiniest fingers she had ever seen. A fierce protectiveness gripped her heart, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. But the moment of tenderness was fleeting. The cold, harsh reality of her situation came crashing down on her. She had no home, no job, and no way to provide for herself, let alone a newborn. The room reeked of decay and dampness, its peeling walls and rat-infested corners a far cry from the safe haven a child deserved. The baby’s cries grew louder, piercing through Isabel’s haze of despair. “Shh, shh, I’m here,” she whispered, rocking her gently. But the cries didn’t stop, and Isabel realized with a sinking feeling that the baby was hungry. She looked around the room, her heart racing. There was no milk, no clean water—nothing. Panic cla
Arya gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “You got impregnated by your mother’s boyfriend?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Isabel nodded solemnly. “I did. I did all I could as a pregnant teenager with no home. I wish I’d known about the convent back then—it would have made my life so much easier. With little to no source of income or support, I was miserable and alone in the trenches of this town after I had to leave the old one. I won’t bore you with all the details. But when I was in labor, I had to make some difficult decisions.” FLASHBACK Isabel sat in the corner of her dimly lit room, chewing on the last bit of food she’d managed to scavenge. Her stomach cramped painfully, but she wasn’t sure if it was from hunger or something worse. It had been four days since her last meal, and her body was weak, her limbs trembling with every small movement. The cramps intensified, radiating through her body, and a wave of nausea swept over her. She pressed her hands again
“By the time I turned sixteen, much had changed in my life, though little for the better. I was the scorn of the town, whispers trailing me wherever I went. It wasn’t just the shame of my past that followed me like a shadow; it was the doors that slammed shut in my face, the jobs that paid me barely half of what they should, the side-eyes from those who thought they knew my story. And then there was Mama’s boyfriend, Stanley, who moved into our already-cramped home.” FLASHBACK Isabel stumbled into the house after a long, grueling day of work. The sun had long since set, and her body ached with exhaustion. She immediately headed to the kitchen, her stomach growling in protest, but her heart sank when she found the pans empty. She had prepared the food earlier that morning before leaving, but as usual, there was nothing left for her. Not a scrap. Her younger siblings, Amanda and Jacob, had already gone out for their own work, leaving the house silent save for the faint rustling
Arya burst into the room, emotions swirling in a storm of frustration. Leonardo, shirtless and in sweatpants, lay on the bed with his laptop, his brows furrowed in deep concentration. When he looked up and saw her, his expression immediately softened. “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. “Fuck! I’m so tired of all of this! When does it actually end?” Arya's voice was thick with anger and despair as she shouted, letting out everything she had bottled up inside. Leonardo remained quiet, letting her vent, and placed a gentle hand on her back for support, feeling the tension in her shoulders. “We can talk about it when you're ready,” he said quietly, his voice calm and steady. She took a shaky breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Isabel said she’s my grandmother,” she blurted out. He froze, stunned by her revelation. It explained so much—Isabel’s secretive behavior, her willingness to help them even at great personal risk. “How do you fe
Arya walked into the Mayor’s office, her mind still swirling with thoughts of her time at the convent, which had ended permanently. Henry had called her the day before, insisting that someone come to the Townhouse to collect a certificate for her volunteer service. She had kindly turned him down, but Henry was insistent, not taking no for an answer. Arya found herself wondering where this sudden niceness was coming from. She didn’t trust a single soul in this town, not even after everything she’d done to protect herself, including running a secret background check on Ricardo—though he would never find out about that. “Ah, Dona, welcome to my office,” the Mayor greeted, his voice oozing charm as his secretary led her into the room. Across from him sat Isabel and one of the council members, Frederick. Arya couldn’t bring herself to look at Isabel, her gaze fixed firmly on Henry instead. “Thank you for having me,” Arya said, offering a smile that barely touched her lips. Henr
She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. “It’s… it’s all too much, Leo. Everything. Isabel, the Sisterhood, my parents—I never even had the chance to mourn them, and now all of this…” He squeezed her hands, the warmth of his touch grounding her. “You don’t have to carry this alone. I know it feels like the world is crumbling, but we’ll get through it. We always do.” She gave a bitter laugh, wiping away a tear. “You warned me about this life. You told me it would be hard, that it would come with pain and danger. And I thought I was ready. But now…” He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his expression softening. “You are ready. You’re stronger than anyone I know. And you’re not alone.” She broke down into even harder sobs, and he just held her close, letting her cry against his chest. His arms were wrapped around her tightly, and he whispered soothing words, his touch gentle and comforting. As her body shook with grief, he fought the urge to share what had happe
By the time they finished work, dusk had settled over the city, casting long shadows across the streets. “I need to get back to the cabin,” Leonardo said, gathering his things. “My wife’s there, and we’ll wrap things up once we’re back.” He knew Arya had gone to the convent earlier to confront Isabel, and although his instincts told him she was safe, a faint sense of urgency nagged at him. Working here, dealing with everything else, had given her space, but he couldn’t help wanting to check in on her. Behind him, Ricardo and Rob were in yet another argument, voices rising and falling as they debated. Leonardo had long since learned to tune them out. Instead, he let his thoughts wander. Spending most of his childhood alone, with only the company of books he’d memorized cover to cover, he’d become accustomed to living inside his mind, finding peace there. But something shifted. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of movement, something or someone moving too delib
Leonardo walked into the room to find everyone already seated, waiting expectantly. He took his seat, and Rob slid a few files across the table. “These are all we could gather, boss. I double-checked—it’s everything they had,” Rob said, his tone firm. Leonardo picked up the files, scanning through them quickly. Setting them back down, he looked up, addressing the room. “Someone is playing a twisted game with my wife. She suspects it might be the Mother Superior, but I’m not convinced,” he began, his voice steely. Rob tensed beside him. Usually, they didn’t discuss these matters openly, especially with others around. But Rob must have trusted Leonardo’s judgment since he didn’t attempt to question it. “Of course, we don’t suspect any of you,” Leonardo added, glancing around the table. “We trust you all completely, especially after the support you’ve shown. And if we need further assistance, we’ll reach out.” He nodded at Ricardo, who took the cue. “You heard the Don. We
Arya could hardly believe Isabel’s audacity. Her voice trembled with anger as she glared at the Mother Superior. “Don’t sit there on your high horse, pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Isabel sighed, placing her reading glasses delicately on the table. “I get that you’re the wife of a very powerful man, a Don, but Arya, I don’t need to hear about the issues in your marriage. I have done nothing wrong, and I genuinely have no idea what you’re accusing me of.” Arya recoiled, taken aback by the indifference in Isabel’s tone. “What? Why would you say that?” “Why shouldn’t I?” Isabel responded sharply, her expression unreadable. Arya narrowed her eyes, studying Isabel's face. “No. Why would you assume this was about my marriage, Isabel? What makes you think that’s what I came here for?” Isabel raised an eyebrow, her mouth curling in a faint, mocking smile. “Oh, it’s not? Then I’m truly sorry for the misunderstanding. But tell me, Arya—what exactly are you accusi