The next morning, Hera woke up to a splitting headache. Her body is sore and aching. She sat up slowly and her whole body protested with pain."Ahh.." she moaned. Her mouth is dry and her throat feels raw. She is feeling like she has been to hell and back. She tried to open her eyes, but the light is making her head feel like it was splitting into two. Immediately she closed her eyes again and held her head between her palms."Here, drink some water. You will feel good" a familiar voice said from beside her and placed the glass near her lips. Greedily she gulped the content in one go and sighed with relief.He heard the sound of glass touching wood and then he sat beside her. "Matt, I don't feel good," she whispered and leaned into the comfort of his arms.Matt hugged Hera tightly. In a roundabout way, he had to thank Fredrick for revealing Sussane's plan. If not, he is scared to imagine what would have happened to Hera. He would have lost the most precious person in his life. "It
"Enough" she pushed the spoon away.Matteo didn't push her. He knows she might puke everything if he pushes her to eat more. She only finished a small portion of the soup. "Alright. Now lie down for a while. The longer you rest, the better you will feel" he told her softly.But Hera shook her head. "Please Matt, let me sit like this. I don't want to lie down now" she begged him.He caressed her cheek softly."I don't mind Baby girl. Try to relax for a while" he agreed.She rested her cheek on his chest. She tried to remember the events of the previous night. But she couldn't recall anything. "What happened to me, Matt? How did I get back home last night? Why can't I remember anything?" she asked him with a frown.Matteo carried her to the backyard, where there is a pool surrounded by a rose garden. He sat on one of the pool chairs and relaxed back taking her with him.The fresh air relaxed her a little. Matteo doesn't want to remind her of anything that happened the previous night
In the Gonsalves villa, Matteo is confused. Hera was sleeping peacefully until she woke up suddenly and ran away as if she has seen a ghost. "Hera?" Matteo ran after her. He knows about the side effects of the drug Sussane gave Hera. He has seen people giving in to the madness of the drug and losing their minds forever. This drug is majorly used in human trafficking. He refused to let Hera dissolve into that kind of state. Hallucinations, body aches, irritation, crying for little things, and moodiness are all a part of the effects of the drug. That is why he doesn't want to leave Hera alone for even a minute. If he notices that her condition is deteriorating, he can do anything to help her instead of letting her become depressed and suffer alone.Hera ran inside and sat in one corner of the room. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hid her face in the folds of her knees. Her body rocked with her sobs. The thought that she allowed Justin to take her virginity so willingly is li
"Matt" she protested.But he pulled her towards him and kissed her again. This time she melted into his arms. She cannot help herself. He has his spell cast upon her, that she can neither fight it, nor she wants to. But the guilt is eating at her. She is feeling like she doesn't deserve him at all. But most importantly, she is hurt by his reaction. She is feeling sad that he is thinking so little of her.Matteo pulled away when she stopped kissing him. He touched her forehead with his. "Like I already told you, Hera Wilson belongs to me. If you think that I will allow any other man to touch what belongs to me, then you are delusional. No one can or will touch the Gonsalves's property and live to tell that tale" he whispered possessively.Hera is so relieved, that she sagged into him with happiness. "You mean, nothing happened?" she asked. She wanted to confirm that she is still a virgin and that Justin didn't soil her.Matteo cupped her cheeks and shook his head. "Nothing happened.
The next day, Sussane is pacing the floor of Thomas's bedroom restlessly. Her mind kept wandering back to the time she spent with Matteo and how she ruined her chances with him. 'I did it for Victor. I did what I always do for him to ward him off my back for a few days. I played with countless men for my brother. But I never felt like I want anyone of them back. Only Matteo is special. I had him in my arms once, even though I was not sure if he had strong feelings for me or not. But now I know he was attracted to me. He was never emotionally invested in me like he is with Hera. The way he cares for her, the way he protects her, I don't think he would ever do anything to hurt her. Matteo's relationship with me was only skin-deep. He didn't even bother to explain when I pretended to learn about his mafia connections by watching some news on tv. I thought he would take the time to explain. But he just ran out of my house to assist his boss. His work and his boss were his main priorities
"What? You had a one-night stand with him and you think we spiked your drink?" Kyle asked her with confusion.Olivia glared at him and Carlos became pale. He is worried that if Alessandro learns about this rumor, then his heartless cousin would kill him. Hera on the other hand is shocked. She is thinking that what Kyle is telling is true and that Olivia really slept with Carlos."What? You slept with him?" she asked Olivia with shock.Olivia shook her head."Trust me, I will never sleep with him even under the influence of a drug. Kyle is delusional" she muttered. Olivia doesn't know that Carlos came to California only to keep her safe under the strict instructions of his cousin.Carlos is taken aback by her statement."What? What is wrong with you? Girls are going crazy just for my attention. You have my full attention, but you don't care about giving me the time of the day. This is so unfair" he complained.He is really surprised that she is not at all impressed by his looks. 'Sh
'Quickly Come to the cafe ' Hera and Olivia read the message from Carlos. Olivia rolled her eyes. "What is so important that he wanted us to come there? I mean we just met them a few minutes ago. Moreover, we have a class now. Let's ignore his message and go to our next class" Olivia said with irritation. She is a little angry and disturbed since morning. Who can blame her? She lost her virginity to a man she fears and detests all because of Justin. She is not understanding how to come to terms with that fact alone. She obviously can't tell Hera. Because it's like a pandora's box. Once you open it, there is no going back. It might even affect Hera's relationship with Matteo. Hera gave a concerned look. "Sorry Olivia, if you didn't sip the fruit punch which was intended for me, you would be fine. But because of that punch, you are feeling more irritated than usual. Matt told me that these are the side effects of the drug" she explained feeling bad. Olivia shook her head. "Are you
"You think Hera doesn't know that Matteo is a mafia man?" Sussane inquired Thomas after he shared what he learned from Hera's neighbors and her high school. Thomas nodded his head. "Yes, Nova and Neil both of them behave differently when she is around. I never got a chance to observe my Boss, but I think they are hiding something from her. And that something is their mafia connections" he explained. Sussane frowned. "Why is he concealing his identity from her? It doesn't make any sense. I mean her father is from the same background. So she will not be scared as well. Then why?" she wondered. Thomas snickered with sarcasm. "She knows that her father is a mafia man and that is why she tried everything she can to stay away from him. Frederick is a vile man and he didn't leave a good impression on his wife or daughter. I think Hera must be thinking that all the Mafia men are the same. She is not too far off the bat, but still. After looking at her father, it is understandable if she
One year later...Matteo and Hera are blessed with a baby boy. Lizzy is happy thinking that her husband Emanuel is reborn. She is pampering the little boy so much. Unlike what Hera thought, Lizzy is taking full care of the little munchkin. Hera is continuing her classes. Lizzy came as a blessing to Hera. Matteo took Hera to the island. She loved the place so much. "Wow, this place is beautiful" she whispered with awe.Matteo is watching her with a soft smile. This is the house they grew up in. He shares a lot of memories with Kyle in here. He saw his mother locking herself inside her room for weeks. That was a dark phase. She stopped doing that when she realized that she is making everyone sad. Matteo used to feel lonely until Kyle came. After that, they became close."Ya, it is" he agreed.This house sits on one of the so many beaches on this island. Marco still lives here, but Lizzy shifted back to the house where she used to live with her husband. But after Matteo's son is born,
Hera is standing in front of the mirror, looking at how gorgeous she is. Her dress has a sweetheart neckline that hugs her frame to her hips before flaring down her hips and touching the floor. The fabric is Organza. The front of the dress has expensive crystals embedded in it, which are shining whenever she is moving. The dress has full sleeves, finishing the outfit with a sheer organza veil. Her hair is pulled up into a bun which is adorned with stones and a white rose on one side. She is holding a white rose bouquet. She is looking like an angel who came down from heaven. She is happy that she is going to marry Matteo today. But there is a small dissatisfaction in her heart. She is going to walk down the aisle alone. The decor is grand, Mia, Olivia, and Chloe along with their daughters are her bridesmaids. They are wearing sky-blue matching fishtail dresses that are hugging their frames. Their little girls look super cute in this dress.Just then Mia, Chloe, and Olivia walked insi
"Congratulations, she is pregnant, " the good doctor who examined Hera told Matteo who is looking at Hera worriedly.Matteo froze with surprise. Out of all the things his mind was making up, this definitely didn't cross his mind. Nova escorted the doctor out, leaving the expecting parents alone. Here is shocked. She is too young to become a mother. She has ambitions and plans for her career. She never expected to marry anyone at such a young age. But she is eager to marry Matteo. She knows that he would always support her in everything she does. But a baby in the picture will complicate everything."Matt? Say something?" she asked him, unable to decide anything about this new unexpected turn in their life.When Matteo heard her voice, he snapped out of his head and looked at her with mixed emotions. He was not expecting to become a father so soon, but still, he is really happy to hear this news. But when he noticed the panic in her eyes, he understood that she was scared. He sat bes
The next morning In the Gonsalves villa, Lizzy is showing Hera some dates for their wedding. "I think this date would be perfect. Within one and a half months, you will finish your exams and you will have your semester break. You can have a good time without worrying about your classes. What do you think?" Lizzy asked Hera.Hera gave her a soft smile. If it is up to Hera, she wants to elope with Matteo and marry him in Vegas as soon as she can. But that will make Lizzy sad. She is very excited about their upcoming wedding. She is planning everything by herself, which Hera doesn't mind at all. As Hera doesn't have a family, she is relieved that Lizzy is helping with everything."I think it will be perfect" Hera replied softly.Lizzy clapped her hands excitedly with happiness. "Now that the date is set, we should think about the venue. I need to search for a good place" Lizzy said while simultaneously searching on her phone for a good place. But Hera already has a place in mind."Lizz
In the Gonsalves basement, the Rossi brothers are being surrounded by Matteo's men who are pointing their loaded guns at them. No one is speaking anything, but their aggressive stance is saying more than what their words are saying. None of them like the Rossi brothers. First Andre and Sergie tried to hurt Hera. So they have half a mind to fire their guns and hurt those brothers for what they did. Sergei is scared. He tried to kill Hera, which is a crime deemed to be a death sentence. Hera is the person whom Matteo loves more than himself. Sergei tried to kill that girl, so he is scared to face Matteo's wrath. He knows Matteo will not leave him without any punishment. He is scared to see what it is and how brutal it is going to be. He is not even sure if he is going to be alive or not. But Andre is not as scared as his brother. He is anxious for sure, but not scared for his life. If Matteo wanted to kill him, then he would have done it the moment he found out about what Sergie is p
"I saw your brother's body outside the Gonsalves villa" Those words are ringing loudly in Sergie's ears. He remembered how much he used to pamper Andre and how his brother used to live like a prince. But now, he came here for a woman and lost his life for the said woman. "Andre, you used to hate hot weather. Tue weather is hot here when compared to Russia. How can they just let your body stay outside their home like that? How can you do that to my brother, Matteo? Is this retribution for what I tried to do to your mate? You are dangling my brother's body in front of me like a carrot. If you think that you can make me weak by doing this, then you are wrong. I will come there, collect my brother's body and start a bloody blood bath. I am coming to Matteo Gonsalves. I am coming to take revenge. I don't care if I live or die. I want to avenge my brother's death" he said out loud with a lot of pain. Sergei is still under the Impression that Andre is dead. He hid guns under his shirt a
After taking Hera back to safety, now Matteo and his men are hunting for Sergie Rossi."Did you find him anywhere?" Neil asked one of his men. "No, none of us found him in or around the campus. He disappeared again" they shared.Neil is irritated. They have been searching for Sergie for hours now, but he is nowhere to be found. "Alright, keep looking for him. I will inform my boss about this" he said while simultaneously pulling his mobile out. In the Gonsalves villa, Hera, and Kyle are talking and laughing with Lizzy and Marco. "Dad, you should have seen his face when I lied to him that I am in love with Hera. He was half a second away from killing me" Kyle joked.Marco and Lizzy chuckled with mirth.As Marco raised Kyle along with Matteo as his own son, Kyle and Matteo call him as a dad. He raised them with love and affection. He treated them both equally. Never let them feel the loss of their own father.Kyle loves Matteo, just like how he would love his own brother. He is prot
In the safe house where Andre was kept,"What? Sergei is trying to kill Hera? For what? We saved his brother and in turn, he is trying to kill one of our own. This is unacceptable. I will bring Andre Rossi to the warehouse. Let's meet there" Nova said into the phone before disconnecting the call.Nova is shocked to hear the news from Neil. 'What the hell is wrong with this Sergie? Was Andre a trap to divide our attention from Sergie to his brother? Is Sergie the real threat?' he wondered."Andre" he called the younger Rossi louder than necessary and with a hint of anger.Andre, who was pacing in his room ran outside when he heard Nova's voice. Nova promised Andre that he would find out about his brother. So when Nova called him, he thought it was to tell him about his brother. His guess is not wrong. But he was not expecting Nova's anger."Nova? You found out about my brother?" Andre asked expectantly.Nova pulled out his gun and pointed it at Andre."You worthless ass*ole, are you t
"Hello Hera, let me properly introduce myself. This time, my true self. I am Kyle, Kyle Carter. Younger brother of Reed Carter. A friend of your beloved fiancee, Matteo Gonsalves" he said and extending his hand for a hand shake. Hera looked at his extended hand with shock. She knows who Reed Carter is. He is the most feared Mafia boss of NY. She heard about him from Matteo. Her fiance likes Reed Carter and his wife Mia Carter. She heard that Reed Carter is an orphan."I don't believe you. Reed Carter doesn't have any siblings. He is a single child. Who are you? Why are trying to fool us? Are you with Sergie?" Hera demanded firmly.Kyle pulled his hand back with a smirk."You are not as dumb as i thought you are. I don't have to lie to you Hera. I am a Carter by birth. Your finance knows that too. He also knows that i don't love you like i claimed. I came here to spy on you. That's the only reason why he left me alive even though I was running after you saying that i love you" he expl