“There is no better time to enjoy the death of an enemy's ally than in the early hours of the morning. Do you agree, Marshall?” Alessia’s voice rented the air which after she and Marshall laughed wholeheartedly. The whole room was filled with laughter as they had just achieved their goal. Marshall danced around for a while still using his stick. Obviously, a trick he has under his sleeves to make Alessia work with him which she had fallen for. “I always knew you were the perfect woman for the job.” Marshall dropped a positive comment. Alessia raised an eyebrow though with a smile on her face. “Really! I mean it. The Santini’s never miss their target.” “Celebrate less. One target down. One more to go.” Alessia smirked. “Until I don't kill Francesco myself, I won't stop this mission.” “Wow! I love your spirit. And I would like to be there at that moment. I would love to see you dive a knife into his chest. Also, I might also taste his blood.” Marshall's eyes narrowed, his gaze pierc
Francesco Sitting on the bed Brinda was laid and rubbing her hair, I can not believe it has been four weeks already. Though it had been tough since I have been escaping death from Marshall who had been relentless in his pursuit to get me killed. Moreover, he wants back the crypt key but I won't give it back to him. The time I had waited for for so long is coming, so why should I lose it just like that? I can't just wait for her to be back. Only then will my plans be active. If she had been here, everything would have almost been settled. Nevermind, just a little more time, she will be back. That reminds me, no matter how strong Marshall and his men were, he couldn't have pulled up such an attack alone. There must have been a mastermind behind him. A power or a force that can see everything. A force that knows me in and out. A force that wants nothing but my destruction but… Who is that force? But whoever he is, I won't spare him. Especially because of what he did to Brinda. I br
Bullet“What?” I inquired, shocked at the question Don had asked me. Hours ago, I asked the question but now… He threw the question at me. Should I actually tell him what I think or I should lie? What have I put myself into? Would he accept the truth from me or would he prefer a lie to satisfy his ego?I let out a sigh. “You love her. It is obvious. Even a blind man can see it.” I retorted, but with my head bowed. I dare not look him in the eye. His tone answered my question today. “How dare you? What did you say?” He thundered, his voice a baritone of anger and fury mixed together. There was even every bit of cruelty in it. I raised my head a bit to see his angry face. I looked sideways because he was just too furious to look at. Just then, the echo of his footsteps filled the room as he closed the gap between us. My chest tightened as it grew louder and closer. “Say it again,” he commanded before he pushed me to the metal door. His hand grabbed my neck, forcing me to look him in
BulletAs the iron belt cracked against his skin, I felt a thrill run through my veins. I stood tall, my eyes fixed on the man before me, his back now a canvas of crimson stripes.“More, Bullet. I want more!” The sound of his ragged breathing filled the air, and I felt my own breath quicken in response.I took a step closer, my eyes drinking in the sight of his broken skin. A drop of blood trickled down his spine. I reached out a trembling hand, my fingers tracing the path of the blood. Why does he get to feel pain, but I am the one who has to live with the memories of what he has done? Never! I will just make his life more miserable. “It is beautiful. Just as you had instructed, Don.” I whispered, my voice barely audible.He groaned, his body tensing beneath my touch. I felt a surge of power run through me, and I leaned in closer, my lips brushing against his ear.“Should we stop? I fear your body might not take it anymore.” I whispered, my breath sending shivers down his spine.“D
“Pick up the call.” Mark said for the third time while he tried pulling Bullet away from him.“What? What is your problem? Do you plan on being a loser all your life? How long will you serve Francesco?” Bullet raised her voice. She smacked his hands off her, let out a heavy sigh, nodded her head for some seconds and bit her lips. “You dare push me away because of Francesco?”“I am pushing you off because I want you alive. I can’t bear it if you die. Do you want me to live all my life in regret?” Mark asked, then he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then do you want to live the rest of your life in bondage? I can’t believe this.” She clicked her tongue before she settled on the bed. Mark spread his right hand across his face, tired of the argument between them. He brought down his ego and reached out to his woman. He went on his knees and rubbed his palm on her lap. “I do not wish for all this to happen. I just… I just do not want us to die. As long as we get to live, there is hope.”
Brinda“Fool, wake up! When will you kill Francesco if you keep sleeping? Time is not on your side.”“Mom?” My voice shook at the realization of the voice I heard. “Mom, where are you?” How nice would it be for me to live with her in the afterlife? I looked around for a while and saw nothing. Everywhere was shrouded in darkness as I could not see a thing. Only our voices echoed where we… Not we, it is I. “Stop looking for me. I have and I am always with you because I live in your heart. Do you remember the promise we made?”Yes, I remember. I remember it so well. How she had started planning my wedding. How she was so desperate to let me marry Peter then who had now turned himself to a cruel human that wants me dead. “Live and make your enemies pay!” “Francesco?” I questioned.“Search for the answer or ask your heart. Wherever you find peace is where your heart lies.”That was the last I heard before my body jerked forward. My arms flew in the air and my breathing came in hard ga
Brinda“Francesco, are you completely insane? What do you think you’re doing? Are you so desperate to see me gone? The Deadly Nightshade isn't enough for you, is it? I have less than eight months to live already!” I shouted, my voice sharp, the anger surging through every word.He didn’t flinch. His smirk deepened, but his eyes never left mine, dark and calculating. Slowly, he turned the gun toward the nurse. My pulse thundered in my ears, every breath a struggle as panic clawed at me.“Francesco, don’t do it. Drop the gun. Think about what you're doing.” My voice was tight, every warning laced with fear. “This is something you do not want to do. Don't regret it. Don’t make it worse.”“Regret?” He scoffed, his voice cold and mocking. “I don’t know what that is. What is regret? It’s for the weak, the pathetic.” He feigned ignorance, but I saw the darkness behind his eyes.Those were the last words I heard before the deafening crack of the gun echoed in the air, slicing through everythi
Brinda Her green eyes locked onto mine and I looked away trying to avoid her gaze at all cost. “Hello, ma'am.” “Go greet your mother in hell.” The woman responded while she laughed with bitterness. “My mouth is sore just from looking at you.” I raised my head and looked into her eyes carefully. There was something in them — Something that drew me to her but she was unwelcoming. It was as though she was a part of me. Like… I have seen her before or we have been together sometime. But where? Those eyes of hers are pretty, man. “I'm sorry, ma'am. I will just leave.” I apologized before I ran towards the stairs ready to avoid her completely but long can I avoid her while she stays here? Who says she is staying here? Stop assuming, Brinda. “Was it done successfully?” Francesco asked suddenly.“Yes, Don.” I replied. “I can't believe that is the little dead rat that has been giving you headaches. Once she's done with her job, send her to the jaws of death. I hate her face and person
FrancescoThe morning light filtered through the curtains, but peace didn’t follow it. As I descended the stairs, the moment my foot hit the last step, I saw them.Bullet. Guerrero. Brinda.She was at the center of it all, like the sun around which everyone revolved — even when she was chaos.They were gathered in the living room with some of my men. But the moment I walked in, silence sliced through the room like a guillotine. Their formation shifted. Their conversation snapped shut like a forbidden book.I didn’t need to ask. I knew.Brinda hadn’t liked the finality in my voice yesterday. I knew her too well — and now, I saw it clearly. She must have called them. She was going to take the Santinis down herself if I didn’t move fast enough.I scanned the room, eyes locking onto the one person I could never seem to control — her.She was biting her nails. A nervous tic.I smirked. Got you, Damsel.I
“Francesco, what do we do now?” Brinda’s voice cracked as she gripped his shoulder, her fingers trembling. “Before we even blink, everything will spiral out of control. We need to plan something big. Something Alessia won’t see coming. It has to catch her off guard… it has to.” Francesco’s jaw clenched, the veins on his neck twitching. His eyes were cold — so cold they looked carved from frozen steel. “I don’t know,” he muttered, his voice low, haunted. “I can’t say this is what we should do. I’m… I’m confused, Brinda. Any wrong step right now could destroy us all. One wrong move, and it’s over.” Brinda exhaled, slowly, almost as if her lungs were caving in. “What if I said I had a plan?” “No.” His response cut the air like a blade. “Whatever you are thinking — keep it locked in your mind. I won’t put anyone at risk again. Enough is enough.” Her eyes burned as she stared at him. “How do you know what I’m thinking, Francesco
FrancescoMy hands trembled as I placed them on The Black Book.This isn't going to be easy. But I have to do it.I sucked in a sharp breath and flipped open the cover.Deadly Sins. Wild Secrets. Mafia Rules.Do You Dare To Enter?A chill ran down my spine. What the hell does that mean?I swallowed hard and turned the first page.Nothing.A frown creased my forehead. I flipped to the next.Still nothing.Page after page — Blank.My pulse pounded in my ears. No, this had to be some kind of joke. The Black Book — The book so many had bled and died for, the book that could shift the balance of power in the mafia world… was empty?Impossible.Am I the first human to open it? Or had someone else erased its secrets?My left fist clenched, nails biting into my palm as my breathing turned erratic. Rage coiled inside me, hot and uncontrollable, but I for
Brinda slowly climbed out of bed, her pulse hammering against her ribs as a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. If Francesco had truly pranked Marshall and Alessia with The Black Book, then they were walking a razor-thin edge of disaster. She could already picture the storm brewing on the horizon, a tempest of blood and vengeance waiting to swallow them whole.She turned sharply toward him, her voice low, uncertain. “Is this really The Black Book?”Francesco, lounging against the headboard, stretched his arm out lazily, dangling the infamous book between his fingers. A knowing smirk played on his lips. “Why don’t you check for yourself?”Hesitant yet eager, Brinda stepped forward and took the book from him, her fingers grazing his for a fleeting second. She let out a sharp breath, the weight of secrets pressing against her chest. When she was satisfied, a bright smile of relief tugged at her lips, though it quickly faded into susp
Brinda carefully assisted Francesco, guiding his battered body until he sat upright beside her on the bed. His muscles tensed with the effort, but she was there, her touch light yet steady. As soon as he was settled, she curled into his arms, her body melting against his as if she belonged nowhere else. He pulled her in, his hold instinctively protective, like he was cradling something precious — Something he couldn’t afford to lose again.Their heartbeats found a rhythm, syncing in the quiet intimacy of the moment.“I never thought you would come to save me,” Brinda murmured against his chest, her voice still hoarse but gaining strength. “I thought you wouldn’t want to.”Francesco inhaled sharply, his fingers absently threading through her hair, twining the strands around his calloused fingertips. The weight of her words settled deep in his chest.“You should know better,” he muttered, his voice edged with quiet reprimand. “You should k
Seconds have turned to minutes and minutes have turned to hours and hours have turned to days since Francesco had brought Brinda back to the Dante's mansion. Elizabeth, on the other hand has not returned from her sexcapades while Guerrero has been in charge of Francesco's men who had returned after they heard of the return of The Mafia's Black Rose. Bullet had also urged Francesco to get more women to work in the house, especially in the kitchen. The food cooked by Francesco’s men is nothing to write home about. Bullet had also started to forget about her lover, Mark while she was also saddled with the responsibility of taking care of Brinda. Francesco had also gone back to work to attend to a lot of work he had left undone. He struck a deal with Charlotte Kavanaugh who seemed delighted to work with Dante Group of Companies. Their life had finally taken a new toll of longing for peace. Alessia, on the other hand, was still
Francesco alighted from his car as he clutched the black bag to his chest. His eyes were fixed on the red Range Rover parked a few metres from where he was. A few minutes later, Alessia and Marshall emerged from the backseat of the car with smiles radiating on their faces. Francesco’s breathing quickened as he laid his eyes on his once-upon-a-time lover. He studied her for a moment before he concealed his emotions. “Where is The Black Book?” Marshall asked, while he puffed smoke into the air. “Where is she?” Francesco demanded. “I need to see her before dropping the item.”“Trust is essential in our world. By now, you should know that I don't go back on my words.” Alessia spoke up. Francesco glanced at the bag for a moment. Coming alone to get Brinda from the two bloody past friends of his was already a risk. Would he take another risk of dropping The Black Book without seeing Brinda to know if she was still fine?
“What do you say about the deal?” Leopard Russo’s voice echoed through the room. His brother, Tiger Russo, was seated beside him on the sofa smoking as he enjoyed the conversation his brother was striking with Alessia Santini and Marshall Fernandez. They had come to meet the duo — Alessia and Marshall — With the high hope of getting them to side with them to fight the Dante family. However, can they strike the deal as they had planned? Could it be possible that they have a motive behind the collaboration they want? Will Alessia and Marshall let their guard down and seal the deal? Alessia's laughter was a cold, mirthless sound. “Without anything to offer, you dare call it a deal? I don't see it as one.” “Exactly what I was thinking. What are you willing to offer?” Marshall who had been sitting quietly all along finally let some words slip out of his mouth. “Really?” Tiger scoffed. “Are you going to w
Francesco “Why are you silent? Are you so shocked to hear my voice? It's me. The woman you left broken.”My blood turned to ice.Alessia Santini.Of all my enemies, she shouldn’t be back.My breath came in short, sharp gasps, my legs rooted to the floor. Move, I told myself, but my body wouldn’t obey.“Could it be…?” My voice cracked as I forced the words out.A soft chuckle came from the other end. Cold. Mocking.“You guessed it right. I am the real mastermind. Do you love the plot twist?”A jolt of guilt shot through me. No. No, this isn’t happening.I made a mistake. I made a fucking mistake.Five years ago, when I returned on The Dark Night, I should have killed her.I found Alessia near the mountain’s edge, The Black Book clutched in her hands. The crypt key was with her too. My men overpowered hers. I took back what belonged to me. But later lost the crypt key too