“So you’d rather kill your innocent grandchildren than change your ways or own up to the consequences of your actions?”, Arya asked. “Grandchildren?”, Carls spat and continued. “These bastards are not my grandchildren.” “Then it’s good those aren’t my newborns”, she said. “But they are someone else’s? Surrogates? You don’t look like you just had a baby so it could be accurate”, he said. Arya laughed. “Go ahead and drop them I could not care less. You are still going to get down on your knees”, she responded with a scoff and crossed her legs in an elegant manner. Leonardo and Rob stood beside her signifying to Carls they were here for business. Carls brows etched in confusion. “You don’t care if I drop your babies?”, he asked. “Please…. I could not care less. Besides, like I said before, those are not my kids”, she said and blew off imaginary dusts from her hands. Carls and Maria exchanged glances. “What is she saying?”, he asked. “I have no idea what she’s talking
“Adriana is my mother?”, Arya asked just to be certain her ears weren’t playing tricks on her. “Yes”, Carls answered. “Wait, you had a baby with your brother’s wife and that baby is me?”, she asked. “No and yes”, he answered and continued. “I loved your mother very very much but she did not feel the same way. She died shortly after she had you. She was murdered”, he said. “So I am not your child?.” He hesitated. “No. You are not my child nor Camilla’s.” It all finally made sense. How he treated her like his worse enemy and made her entire life miserable. How he made her suffer the indignity of being checked out in front of older ugly looking men as if she was some whore on sale. “And my father?”, she asked. “He was my elder brother. Unfortunately, he too was murdered”, Carls answered. “And you took me in only to make my life a living nightmare”, she replied as the tears fell freely. Her shoulders trembled as the life she once thought was hers came crumbling in
It has been two weeks since her fa- uncle’s confession and it still haunted her. Amelia and Alberto had returned from their trip and she could not be more grateful for the timing. They agreed to take care of their grandchildren while the parents work out the situation on ground. Her twins were perfect. They caused little to no trouble at all and they had good appetites. Bianca had to fly back to America for the law firm she was trying to get in. Leonardo had volunteered to talk to the CEO but Bianca would like to get the job on her merit. Arya sighed. She turned to her babies, Aurora and Gabriele, sleeping peacefully in their cradle and her heart melted. Her love for them grew by the second. The door opened but she didn’t need to turn around to know it was Leonardo. “How was work?”, she asked. “It was okay. How are you?”, Leonardo asked, sitting next to her and kissing her forehead. “Better”, she responded. Her hand trembled and she quickly tried to hide it. Fortu
Arya and Leonardo entered the field. The sun was out and it was scorching hot. Their guards held umbrellas over their heads. They walked up to the party on the field. A man was on his knees and the soldiers around him must have been beating him black and blue. “Don, Dona! Welcome”, Fisher, the owner of the field said. He was in his early fifties and had a chubby build. “It has always been a pleasure, Fisher”, Leonardo said as they shook hands. “We caught him a few minutes ago. But that’s not the surprising fact”, Fisher pointed to the prisoner. “What do you say so?”, Leonardo asked. “It was almost as if he wanted to get caught. He was very obvious and didn’t put up a fight. Despite the beatings and injuries, he refuses to speak to anyone but you”, Fisher said. “That is oddly specific”, Arya said. Fisher turned to her, surprised that she just wasn’t a pretty face with an empty head. “You may be right. He seems like he is under a spell or something and he would not
Leonardo watched as Arya hummed a song he was not familiar with. How could she just pretend like she did not just see a man blow into pieces. She had just fed the babies, who by the way had turned a month old, and put them back to sleep. The nannies came in and pushed the baby carts to their grandparents side of the villa. His soldiers followed after. He was not taking any chances with the babies safety even inside his own casa. He made sure the door was locked before speaking up. “What are you doing?”, he asked. “Watching the babies through the cctv”, she said and continued humming. He hesitated. “A man just blew up in pieces, Arya”, he said. “I know”, she responded nonchalantly. He blinked. “Okay, what’s up with this new Arya?”. She looked at him. “What do you mean?.” “I know you are not okay with it. You are hurting and you’re acting tough”, he said. “Well, I have no other choice. You told me so yourself”, she responded. “I know. But you don’t have to act t
Leonardo stood outside his bedroom and took a deep breath. It’s been a week and some days since after the suicide bomber’s message. He got some information the day after and a new assignment to see through but he had been stalling for over a week because he knew Arya would want to tag along. He cleared his throat. “A bit nervous are we? Who would have thought the Don could get cold feet?”, Rob teased. At this point, he already knew how to ignore his best friend’s teasing. If only he understood how pointless his teasing was as it did not help matters. “Are you hesitant, Don? This should be very interesting to watch”, Rob irritated him further. “Shut up”, he said. He was trying to gather his thoughts and his own best friend was sabotaging him. Rob made an expression with his hands and ran it across his lips, signaling that he was zipping it up. Thank goodness. Leonardo stepped into the room and saw Arya stepping out of the shower. Her dark hair and lashes were damp
Arya had her mind made up. There was no way she was standing by the side while the others treated her like a delicate creature. “Go ahead. Tell me. What are you trying to hide from me?”, she asked. “That is the problem. I don’t want to lie but, it does not mean I want you to know”, he answered. Arya blinked. “It’s that bad, right?”, she asked. “It’s not bad. It’s just better with you not knowing”, he said. “Still does not change the fact that I’m coming with you. I know you think you are almighty, and strong, and ruthless but I know, I know you can get hurt, be betrayed or worse set up”, she answered. “And you’re going to save me?”, he asked, amused. “Yes. I’m going to kick butts. Now, what are you hiding?”, she asked. “If you must know, we are going to Frigiliana. You don’t know this, but, it was your mother’s village”, Leonardo answered. “Camilla’s village? She said her village is in Italy. She’s Italian, right?”, Arya asked. “Yes, but I m
WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT AND MAY BE TOO SENSITIVE FOR SOME READERS. SONG: NO CHILL BY PARTYNEXTDOOR AND GET YOU BY DANIEL CAESAR & KALI UCHIS Arya slumped into the seat of the jet and let out a tired sigh. She left the babies to their grandparents. Camilla also insisted on staying in the Villa for the twins and her brothers promised to pop in once in a while. She was grateful her children had people who loved them endlessly around. Amelia made them little caps with their names on it and they looked so cute she began to have second thoughts about going to Spain. She looked at their pictures on her lock screen and held back the tears that threatened to pour out. Leonardo sat opposite her. “How do you feel?”, he asked. “Good. A bit tired but nothing a spa date can’t fix”, she responded and pressed her forehead with her finger tips. “It will be hours before we land. And even more hours to drive to your mother’s town. I can be your masseur, mi amore
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