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
….. Leonardo felt the earth shake beneath him. Whatever happened, Arya must not die. “Go on”, he said. Doctor Lucy hesitated. “I…I don’t…”. “Go on, Doctor”, he said in a surprisingly calm tone. “It is not a cervical issue. Her case is very complicated and luckily, we brought the necessary equipments”. “Lucy, go straight to the point”, he was loosing his darn patience. “It’s a placenta abruption case. The placenta has detached from the uterine walls. This situation is both harmful for mother and children. She’s bleeding profusely and the babies can’t get oxygen”, she said. Leonardo was too stunned to speak. “How could this have happened?”, he had a hard time processing the news. “Shock must have caused it. I’m sorry, Don. We have to carry out a caesarean section on your wife. Otherwise, she won’t survive. Neither will the babies”, she said. “What the fuck do you mean caesarean section. It’s very risky”. “I’m sorry, Don. It’s the only way”, she said. “H
Leonardo stared at the woman on the surgical table in horror and fear? No, that was not possible. He had no fear. He was the Don. She was lying unconscious with an incision in her abdomen. He resisted the urge to push everyone out so he could hold her and keep her safe in his arms. His chest tightened and so did his fist. “Incision in the uterus”, he heard the doctor say. They already made the first incision and was going for the second. There was only too much he could take but he felt that if he took his eyes off her, she’d disappear. Tension was evident in the room as everyone held their breath. Leonardo’s heartbeat was the loudest sound he could hear, like a drum in a silent forest. He already had anxiety about the whole child birth situation but this only made it worse. The second incision was finished and he watched as they tried to bring the babies out. The nurse pushed on her abdomen lightly and he winced. It was traumatizing. There was no way he
ONE YEAR LATER Leonardo watched her from the doorway, his arms folded as a soft smile played on his lips. Arya stood by the crib, gently stroking the twins’ hair until their breathing grew soft and even. A new mother in her element — flourishing. But he knew it wasn’t just because they were finally reunited with their babies. No, there was another weight lifted off her shoulders. Andrea’s body had washed ashore the morning after they returned to Italy. Whoever killed him had clearly found no more use for him. But Leonardo still wondered — was it Vito? He stepped forward, his voice low. “It’s been a year since we got back. The kids are happy, safe, and drowning in all the love we could give them. Are you finally ready for us?” Arya turned, eyes locking with his in that way that always made him feel like the only man in the world. “More than anything, Leo. I love our family — but throwing parties, decorating, smiling at guests — that’s not what I want to do with my life.” His smile
Arya placed her thumb against the sharp metal protruding from the mirror’s hidden safe. The prick was sharp and quick, a bead of blood welling up instantly. The metal retracted with a soft mechanical hiss, followed by a deep click as ancient locks gave way. The door of the safe creaked open, revealing what lay inside.Her breath caught.An old, thick book, its leather cover worn but unnaturally strong, sat beside a small, sleek device. The contrast between them — one ancient, the other unnervingly advanced — sent a chill through Arya’s spine.Isabel’s breath hitched. “I thought that was destroyed during the final battle between the Order and the Sisterhood — over fifty years ago.”Arya’s fingers hovered over the objects. “What exactly is it?”Dolores stepped forward, her face grim. “It’s a weapon. That device can override every military system on earth. Nukes, missiles, satellites — you name it. With the right codes, you could trigger wars from this room. The book holds those codes, a
The silence after Henry’s death was suffocating. Leonardo and Arya stood over his body, blood painting their hands and faces, their breath ragged and uneven. The room was littered with corpses, a battlefield stained with loyalty and betrayal.Ricardo and Roberto had finished off the remaining men, but Isabel barely had a moment to breathe before a rough hand seized her arm.“Let go of me!” Isabel struggled, but the man twisted her arm behind her back, dragging her toward the far end of the room. Leonardo’s gun snapped up, finger curling around the trigger — but before anyone could react, a single, sharp gunshot rang out.The man crumpled at Isabel’s feet, blood pouring from a hole between his eyes.Dolores stood a few feet away, smoke curling from her pistol. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed years of unresolved rage. “No one touches another woman in front of me again.”Isabel stumbled into Arya’s arms, trembling. “It’s over,” Arya whispered. “You’re safe now.”But then A
“You remind me of him…” Andreas’ voice slithered through the tension like a blade through silk. Leonardo didn’t move, didn’t lower his gun. His heart was a hammer against his ribs, but his hand was steady, aimed straight at Andreas’ head. And yet, the Pope only smiled. “Vito. Your grandfather. You have his temper… his instincts.” A pause, measured, deliberate. Then, softer—“His arrogance.” “You were close to him,” Leonardo said. His voice was steady, but inside, something twisted. Andreas smiled. “Closer than you think. He would have been proud of you, Leonardo. If only he were still alive.” Leonardo’s jaw tensed. Andreas had been a ghost from his past, a man he had once admired, a mentor in a strange way. And now, he was standing against him, speaking about his grandfather as if— He didn’t have time to unpack it. Because in the next second, Ricardo’s gun cracked, the shot echoing through the chamber. Leonardo had silently given the signal, and Ricardo took the sh
Arya could barely believe her ears. None of this made sense. Isabel coming to this town had been a coincidence.Hadn’t it?Her pulse hammered in her ears, drowning out the distant creaks of the ancient walls.“Isabel having Adriana? Her coming here? You’re spewing nonsense,” Arya said, her voice sharper than she intended.Henry smirked. “I am here to ensure my predecessors’ wishes are met. Of course, her coming here wasn’t a coincidence. Neither was Stanley getting her pregnant. We ruined your life in ways that would bring you here. Not that we had to try too hard—Stanley was more than happy to do it and didn’t even come back for his pay.”Isabel gasped, her breath hitching. “Wha—”“I beg you, Isabel.” Henry’s voice turned colder, almost bored. “Don’t speak until you’re spoken to. Now that I’m no longer pretending, I can admit—I never could tolerate you. Always rushing to do the right thing for the church, as if doing good has ever brought you good luck.”Leonardo stepped forward, his
A second of stunned silence stretched between them. Then, as if a trigger had been pulled, everyone moved at once. Ricardo’s hand flew to his gun. Leonardo stepped protectively in front of Arya. Dolores unsheathed a hidden dagger from her belt, while Isabel squared her stance, ready for a fight. Roberto cocked his pistol, finger already on the trigger. But Henry didn’t flinch. Instead, he smiled. And then—the ground shook. A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the underground chamber, vibrating up their legs. Dust rained from the ceiling. The ancient stone beneath their feet groaned, as if something massive had just shifted deep within the earth. For a fraction of a second, everyone hesitated. And that was all Henry needed. A single, sharp whistle left his lips. A sniper’s laser appeared—red and deadly—right over Arya’s forehead. Leonardo’s stomach dropped. “Ah-ah,” Henry tutted, raising a single finger. “You know, I’d really rather not get blood all over these nic
Arya, Leonardo, Ricardo, Roberto, Isabel, Dolores, and Penelope, along with several others, entered the underground hideout and saw that Henry had already opened a secret door.“He left the door open for us to follow him? He’s either an egotistical moron or just plain stupid,” Leonardo said.Isabel was horrified. “I never even knew about this secret door—right here, in the very room where I trained my girls.”“Henry comes from a line of corrupt priests, each one worse than the last. They’ve been pitting you all against each other for years. Of course, he knew more than he let on,” Ricardo said.Penelope placed a comforting hand on Isabel’s shoulder.Dolores didn’t pause—she kept moving through the secret passage, and the others followed. The walkway was dimly lit by old, slow-burning lanterns, their glass clouded with dust. Cobwebs hung in thick strands, untouched for what must have been decades. The walls were covered in strange symbols, a forgotten language carved into the stone.“I
Smoke and dust hung thick in the air, swirling through the ruined convent like ghosts mourning the dead. The scent of burning wood mixed with the coppery tang of blood. The once-pristine courtyard was unrecognizable—bodies lay strewn across the stone floor, habits stained red, fingers still curled around the weapons they had fought with. Bullet holes riddled the chapel walls, and shattered stained-glass windows cast fragmented colors onto the carnage below. Flames crackled in the distance, devouring part of the east wing, their light flickering like dying prayers. Arya stepped over a body, careful not to let her boots slip on the slickness of fresh blood. She felt Leonardo’s presence beside her, solid and tense. Roberto and Ricardo moved with weapons drawn, scanning for any remaining threats. But the battle, for now, had paused. The dead had no more fight left in them. And in the heart of it all stood Isabel. She was drenched in blood, her gray-streaked hair matted with sweat. A
The doctor finished his examination, checking Leonardo’s pulse, pupils, and responsiveness. He pressed against his wrist, watching the steady beat, then moved a small flashlight across his eyes. Leonardo tolerated the prodding in silence, though his body ached from days of inactivity. Finally, the doctor stepped back and exhaled. “He seems clean. The drug is out of his system.” Arya sagged, as if the weight she had carried for days had been lifted just enough for her to breathe again. Her hands, which had been gripping the sheets so tightly her knuckles turned white, finally loosened. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said, her voice raw. The doctor gave her a small nod. “He may still experience some lingering effects—fatigue, confusion, maybe even nightmares—but the worst of it is over. His body will adjust in time.” Leonardo listened, barely absorbing the words. His mind was already moving forward, pushing past the haze of the last few days. He had woken up and gone back under so