KIRA’S POV
I walked into the house quietly, craving nothing more than a long, cold shower and some sleep. My feet dragged across the cool tiles as I inched toward my bedroom. Once inside, I shut the door lazily and dropped my fanny pack onto the bed before pulling my hair into a bun.“Ugh…” I groaned as I peeled off my sweat-soaked sports bra. The relief of having it off was immediate. I tossed it into the laundry basket before hooking my thumbs into the waistband of my shorts.Before I could pull them down, I heard someone make a tsking sound from the other side of the door. It sounded closer than usual, which was odd, but I turned my head around to look and met a familiar pair of dark brown eyes I knew too well.I didn’t shut the door well!“Ah! What the hell?” I yelped, dragging my duvet from off the bed and using it to cover my chest, before turning back around.“Why did you stop? I was enjoying the little show.” Dylan smirKIRA’S POVA huge hand was placed over my mouth and nose, and I braced myself to pass out amidst my little struggle to free myself. Whoever this person was had an iron grip because no matter how hard I twisted or kicked, they didn’t release me. “L…Let me go!” I struggled, muffling into the napkin, hoping that the perpetrator would comply.I was pulled deeper into the shadows, and within a few seconds, Adrian stepped out of the room. He was so sweaty that it was visible on the white shirt he wore. The sleeves had been rolled up and his broad muscles flexed subtly underneath the shirt as I watched in shock. Adrian was torturing that man—but why? I knew life in a mafia household, the Vasillios household came with its complications, but I never imagined witnessing a man being branded with a hot iron would be one of them. My father had always kept his work away from the house.“Romano!” He called out, glancing at where we hid in the shadows.
KIRA’S POV“Again,” Romano said, not even sparing me a glance.“What do you mean again? I hit the bullseye.” I retorted, turning around to face him and pointing dramatically at the dartboard. He was seated lazily on a black bean sack chair at the edge of the armory. Sitting up slightly, he waved the stopwatch in his hand. “Two minutes and twenty seconds,” he announced, flatly. “That’s how long it took you to hit the bullseye. In that time, Ma’am, you could have been shot or stabbed multiple times in a knife fight.”I clenched my teeth, swallowing my irritation. I hated when he spoke to me like a clueless toddler and then threw in ma’am at the end, like that somehow softened the insult.“What does throwing darts have to do with a knife fight? And how on earth would I ever get into one anyway,” I shot back, rolling my eyes at him. I threw my hands up in frustration, annoyed by how much he was enjoying my misery.Romano leaned back on his bean sack and focused his attention back on the
KIRA’S POV“I live here,” she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The girl stared at me from head to toe, her scowl deepening as she took in my appearance. I didn't need a mirror to know what she was thinking. I looked like I’d just crawled out of Hurricane Milton.“What do you mean you live here?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. Was Adrian now giving accommodation to his conquests? The thought made my stomach sink uncomfortably, even though it shouldn’t have. We weren't a real couple, after all, but letting one of his whores shack up here is still disrespectful.Before she could answer, the back door swung open, and Maria entered, carrying a plastic bag overflowing with vegetables.“Hey, Mum!” the girl said, her tone brightening, ignoring my question.Mum? With her back still turned to me, Maria responded in Italian, her voice warm and welcoming and the two launched into a full conversation in Italian, completely ignoring my presence.I blinked rapidly as I stood there feeling com
KIRA’S POVComing out of the mansion, I spotted Romano leaning beside a black SUV, dressed in worn blue jeans and a black sleeveless vest that clung to his masculine frame. For the first time, I noticed the large spider web tattoo crawling from his neck down across his chest before vanishing beneath the fabric. My curiosity piqued, wondering just how far it extended—but I quickly pushed the thought aside.Spotting me, Romano pushed open the rear door for me, waited for me to climb in, slammed the door shut behind me, and slid behind the wheel.As soon as we hit the road, the tension in the SUV became suffocating with Romano driving like a maniac, he took a sharp corner without warning, and I was thrown back against the seat with a hard jolt.“Hey!” I wanted to yell, but I bit my tongue. Losing my cool wasn’t an option… not if I wanted answers.Straightening my dress and smoothing it over my lap, I broke the silence, “Where are we going Romano, I can't enter a mission blind, I need to
ADRIAN'S POV.Nursing a glass of Scotch, I stood by the window of my study, my gaze fixed on Kira as she chatted animatedly with Romano by the car. He laughed-–yeah my fucking underboss laughed. Kira wasn’t funny. She was irritating as hell. So what, exactly, was making Romano giggle so much?Gripping the glass tighter, I watched as his eyes watched her intently as she gestured happily with her hands, clearly caught up in whatever silly story she was telling. She wore a blue sundress that clung perfectly to her curves, her hair loosely tied in a messy ponytail, I watched as her boobs moved with every exaggerated motion. My irritation simmered as I watched their exchange. Where the hell had Romano taken her? My meetings with my father, Blackbone, and Tius ended hours ago, so what had they been doing all this time? And why the fuck did they look so damn comfortable together?The loud ring of my phone tore me from the scene. I stepped away from the window, setting the glass down on the
KIRA’S POV"We're here, ma'am." The driver's voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.I looked up and took in the grand mansion in front of me, a house I knew all too well. This was Paulo Vasillios's estate, but after Adrian's inauguration, it now belonged to my father.According to Romano, when the blood treaty between our families is fulfilled, there are benefits for both sides that each Don must provide. I guess this house was part of my father's share.I knew every inch of the estate, especially since I had spent every holiday here after my kidnapping.Dylan lived in the U.S. but would always return to Italy for the holidays as a way to strengthen the bond between our families.My father often let me accompany him, and I'd spend those holidays here, living a life far remote from the one I had back at home.This house was full of memories, every corner holding a fragment of what remained of my former life.As I stepped out of the car, my gaze drifted up to the roof. The last
KIRA’S POV“Of course, she isn’t, honey,” Sasha said, a fake smile plastered on her face. My father raised an eyebrow in confusion, as though giving her permission to continue, and she didn’t hesitate. “We all know Azreal hasn’t touched her, honey. Last I heard he prefers sleeping with his maid’s daughter rather than our dear Kira.” She faked a sob for dramatic effect.My eyes widened at her words. It was true, but how did she know that?“That’s not—”“Oh, you poor thing. You don’t need to act strong for us. We’re your family,” she interrupted, finishing her unsolicited speech with fake sympathy.Beside her, Kayla and Karina snorted.“Yeah, so what if he prefers sleeping with the maids? You’re still the Dona,” Kayla taunted and Sasha nodded in agreement as if validating her point.My father remained silent, watching as his family tore me apart with their cruel words, mocking me, and like always, his reaction was the same.Nothing.Sasha's hands moved to touch mine but I moved them qui
ADRIAN’S POVTwo days later, I walked into the Gambia de Crianza Investigative Precinct. A few people stood near the door, seemingly waiting for me. They reeked of a scent I recognized all too well from my first visit here.Fear.The last time I was here, it was to confess to a crime my idiot father had committed. But now, the place was bustling with police officers—most of whom were already on my payroll.I had deliberately delayed the summons, instructing my lawyer to claim I was indisposed. Nobody gives me orders, not even the fucking FBI.I arrived with Victor, one of my most trusted guards, and a few other men. Romano, meanwhile, was currently in Ageeis, meeting with our Russian contact and investigating the port workers to track down the fucker who betrayed us. I had sent him there in place of Dead Ted, who somehow got stuck at the Casetra’s border during the ambush.I knew whoever was betraying me had something to do with Dead Ted’s interception. That’s why I sent Romano to Age
THIRD PERSON’S POV“What do you mean you got kicked out?” Kayla Neel, soon to be Vasillios, screamed into the phone. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and looked around the kitchen to make sure no one was listening.She had given Dylan an excuse and left the bedroom to take this call, thinking it would be good news from the spy she had planted to monitor her sister’s every move.“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t know how but it’s like Kira convinced Adrian to kick me and my mom out,” a nervous Jena stammered on the other end of the line.“How does Kira get Azreal to do anything? I thought you said you had him wrapped around your finger!” Kayla snapped, her frustration increasing.“I... I thought so too, but—”“Stop with the fucking excuses! I didn’t get you out of a life in jail just for you to get kicked out,” Kayla interrupted, looking livid.Two months ago, when Jena was arrested for manipulating her principal’s sixteen-year-old son int
KIRA’S POVI entered his room. He was not there but I could hear some rustling in his closet. Why were the curtains drawn and the room so dark?Probably to match his dark heart.I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been inside Adrian’s room. The unfamiliarity made my chest tighten, each step feeling like a violation. My heart pounded in anticipation of his reaction if he caught me here.But I had no choice. I had to help Maria.I walked towards the closet, peeking inside first to make sure that he wasn't naked. Thankfully, he had his jeans on and he was flipping through shirts from the pile of laid-out shirts he had in front of him. It looked like he was trying to decide on what to wear. Which was weird because they were all black, long-sleeved shirts. What was the problem then? Was he looking for one that was darker than his soul?“You know,” his deep voice broke the silence, “I thought I liked this newfound boldness of yours, but i
KIRA’S POV “Please let me go! I didn’t see anything, I promise!” I screamed as my fists pounded on the rusted railings of the cage.The room was pitch black, with the only source of light coming from somewhere outside the heavy iron door. The air was damp and smelled musty, sticking to my skin like glue and the cold, rough stone under me made me shiver; I could tell I was in a dungeon. I banged on the railings again, and the loud clang of metal echoed in the room. I banged and screamed until I felt my throat getting sore. “Stop wasting your time. They’re not going to hear you,” a voice from the cage startled me. Someone else was in here with me.“Where are we?” I asked again, squinting my eyes in an attempt to locate the person, but it was still too dark.“I’m not supposed to say. They’ll kill me,” the voice responded, and I heard shuffling… like someone was getting up. Still, I couldn’t see her face.“What do you mea
ADRIAN’S POVHer words rang in my head as I arranged the folders on my desk. I didn’t need this shit, things were already crazy enough as it was. Another of my shipments was blown to bits yesterday and I was taking out all my frustration on Jena when Kira came in.I was going through the documents, trying to figure out how I was going to compensate and refund my clients but my mind kept drifting to Kira… I couldn't believe she had the guts to threaten me in my own home.If it was someone else, my men would have dragged her corpse outside by now but for some reason, I wasn't pissed. I could see her hands trembling beside her as she spoke, her chest heaving, making her round breasts move up and down, it was hard to not stare at them as they jiggled. But I had to give it to her. I was impressed—annoyed but impressed, not everyone had the balls to me to threaten me like that. The way she drove Jena out while talking about stabbing pectoral muscles and threatening to kill her was superb.
KIRA’S POV“I don’t need to be a whore to know how to seduce a man. Or should we put it to the test? You know what, let's not. I’ve already said what I said, Adrian, I don’t care who you sleep with, as long as they don't live in this house. And if you insist otherwise… well, I guess we’ll both see just how seductive I can be—”Before I could complete that statement, he dropped a folder on the table with a loud bang, I shook slightly but didn’t visibly show any emotion."Enough with the theatrics, Kira," he growled, his voice as cold as steel. "You are in no position to give me orders. This is my house, my rules, and I'll fuck whoever, whenever, and wherever I damn well, please... And trust me when I say this: my men are used to women… not emotionally damaged, lovesick puppies.” he said with a sneer and went back to arranging his table. I stood there, frozen, trying to control my breathing. Adrian’s words landed with the force of a punch, each syllable digging into my skin like a need
KIRA’S POVI turned back and noticed that Adrian had now moved to his minibar behind his chair, pouring himself a drink, completely ignoring me. He was so nonchalant, and it unsettled me. I watched him for a moment, unsure of what to say.He turned to face me, raising the glass to his lips. His eyes locked onto mine as he sipped slowly, deliberately.I wanted to get out of the office but his earlier threat of gruesome torture still ran through my head, why was he keeping me here? He moved from the minibar, the glass still in his hand. I opened my mouth to talk, but his next words knocked the words straight out of my mouth. “Get out,” he said, settling back in his seat. I stared at him for a minute, feeling a mixture of shock and confusion.Was he bipolar? Did he have mood swings?Not that it mattered. I didn't want to stay here anyway so I turned to leave."Wait," his voice stoppe
KIRA’s POV.I stood frozen, staring at the knife in front of me, unwilling to turn around and face him.“I’ve never missed my target twice in one day. Trust me, there won’t be a third,” he said, his voice calm but the warning underneath was very evident. I heard the sound of his chair scraping followed by footsteps moving closer to me, and soon I could feel his warm breath on my back.Oh God.He grabbed my arm lightly, turning me to face him, I kept my eyes down, unable to meet his gaze as I turned. His bare torso was on full display, each muscle perfectly defined, but I forced myself to focus on the floor not knowing how to face him. I had been brave enough for one day, but I knew better than to provoke him further.Without releasing my arm or saying a word, he pulled more like dragged me toward the study door. I heard the heavy drag of the wooden door as he closed it. The sound of the lock sliding into place sent a cold shiver down my spine.
KIRA’S POVBang!The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, and I instinctively closed my eyes. Oh my God, Adrian shot me, he really shot me. My body froze, my mind racing as I braced myself expecting the pain to kick in at any moment.One…Two…Three…Nothing. I didn’t feel anything. Have I actually learned how to redirect pain and this is my body redirecting the pain?No, that's highly unlikely, I am sure I would feel a bullet in my body.Slowly, I cracked one eye open to peek. The room was blurry, so I opened the other, my vision clearing as I looked down at myself. My hands flew to my body, patting frantically, scanning for any sign of a gunshot wound.Nothing.Once I was sure there wasn’t a hole in me, I turned my attention to Adrian. Our eyes met and his lips twitched into a mocking smirk, one eyebrow arched as he stared at me. Using his head, he gestured upward. Following his line of sight, I looked up and spotted a small
KIRA’S POVJena was sprawled on the desk, Adrian deep inside her. Her tiny frame arched under him, her tiny breasts moving upwards as he thrust into her. The desk was a chaotic mess, papers scattered everywhere, yet neither of them seemed to care.They both looked up when I entered, but their movements didn’t stop.Adrian’s eyes locked onto mine, his face twisted with anger, and his usually slicked hair was scattered and disheveled—no doubt from Jena’s hands running her hands through it. “What the hell are you doing here? Get out!” he barked.I froze for a moment, taking in the crazy scene before me. Jena turned to me, her lips curled into a smile that sent a sick wave of déjà vu washing over me. It was the same smug expression Kayla gave me every time she talked about Dylan. That look of triumph, of winning something they had no right to take.I swallowed my emotions, masking my hurt with indifference, and met Adrian’s furious eyes.“No,” I stated, cros