Sylvia's POVMario didn’t come back that night after he stormed out.I barely slept, tossing and turning, glancing at my phone every few minutes like a fool waiting for a text that never came. By morning, there was still no sign of him. No message. No missed calls. Nothing.I asked around, clinging to hope. The staff all gave me the same helpless looks. Nobody knew anything.Or maybe they were lying. Maybe he had asked them not to tell me.By noon, I couldn’t take it anymore. Sitting around, waiting, pretending I wasn’t falling apart inside. My chest felt too tight. I needed to do something, anything. So I stormed upstairs, straight to Gerard’s room.I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed the door open and walked right in.He barely even looked at me. Just kept rummaging through a drawer, his back tense. A half-packed suitcase sat open on his bed, clothes tossed in like he didn’t give a damn where he was going."What do you want?" he muttered, voice sharp and dismissive.Something inside
SYLVIA’S POVI was too stunned to speak. My mouth hung open slightly, my eyes as wide as saucers as I stared at her."What... what did you just say?" I finally asked.She didn't answer right away, instead, she stared at the grass for a long, heavy moment, like she was trying to gather pieces of herself.When she finally spoke, her voice was so low, I had to lean closer to hear her."They gave the three of them guns after months of abuse," she said. "And they told them if they shot one of themselves, it would all end. The pain, the abuse, the fear... it would all be over. And they could go back to living normal lives."I blinked, feeling my stomach knot tighter and tighter."Gerard..." she paused, pressing her lips together. "Gerard used to be Mario’s favorite brother. And Gerard was Michael’s favorite too. But Mario and Michael... they didn’t get along.There was always tension there."She glanced at me, almost like she was asking for permission to keep going.I nodded silently, urgi
SYLVIA'S POV I didn’t know what to say to Mario, so when the doctor came out and interrupted us, I let out a quiet sigh of relief, sinking deeper into my chair."I would like to speak to you in my office," the doctor said, his tone clipped and professional. His eyes flicked over Mario’s outfit a little too long, his disapproval almost visible before he turned sharply and started walking down the hallway."Why the fuck did you even wear this?" I muttered under my breath, nudging Mario in the side with my elbow as we stood to follow.He smirked, glancing at me sideways. "My friend lent them to me. Figured my usual clothes weren’t exactly... business meeting appropriate for dealing with other gang members."I rolled my eyes. "And is that why you drowned yourself in whiskey and cigarette smoke too?" I asked, tilting my head up to catch his expression.Mario chuckled, that low, warm sound that always seemed to crack my walls a little. "You're so witty," he said, grinning lazily. "One of t
Sylvia's POVThe thirty minutes dragged by like hours. Mario didn’t sit down again. He just kept pacing, back and forth across the waiting room like he was trying to outrun something. I sat there, my hands clasped together so tight my knuckles turned white, sneaking glances at him every few seconds.When a nurse finally appeared at the door and called for us, Mario practically jumped. I scrambled to my feet and went after him, trying to catch up with his long strides.When we reached the door to Regina’s room, Mario froze.He stood there, hand hovering over the handle, breathing like he’d just run a marathon. I reached out, gently brushing my fingers against his arm. He flinched like he didn’t even realize I was there, then looked down at me with this broken, hollow look that twisted my stomach into knots.I opened the door gently, careful not to make a sound. Mario just stood there in the doorway, frozen for a moment. Regina sat up in her bed, her eyes lighting up the second she saw
“What if I don’t want to do this? What if I don't want to sell my body like you—”The slap came faster than I could process, the sting spreading across my cheek as my head snapped to the side.“Don’t you dare question me,” my mother hissed, her voice venomous. “Do you think I wanted to do the things I did? Sleeping with men, lowering myself for you? I sacrificed everything to keep you fed and clothed. You owe me this, Sylvia.”Did every mother say that to their daughter?I held my burning cheek, staring at her in disbelief. Her face was twisted in anger, and the lies dripped from her mouth. She never sacrificed anything for me—not willingly. My father’s death had stripped away the thin veil of decency she once pretended to wear.I took a step back, swallowing the lump rising in my throat. “You didn’t do it for me,” I said quietly. My voice trembling despite my best effort to sound strong. “You did it for the money, for the heels and the dresses, for the nights you could pretend to be
There was a problem with my plan, though. Mario Santiago was a 28-year-old, 6’5” trained killer. And me? I was a 5’4”, 22-year-old KFC waitress with zero qualifications for murder.Before the knife could even graze him, Mario spun around faster than I could blink. One second, I was holding the blade; the next, I was on the floor, flat on my back, and he was standing over me, swinging the knife casually like it was a toy.I was dead.There was no doubt about it. I was going to end up in one of those horror stories people whispered about—dumped in a ditch, hacked into pieces, or worse.Then he grinned.“I didn’t know you had that in you, Piccola.” His tone was almost playful. “I’m going to marry you.”I blinked. What?My heart was pounding so hard I couldn’t hear myself think. Mario Santiago—the deadliest man alive—was smiling at me. Talking about marriage. Like I hadn’t just tried to stab him.What kind of psycho smiles at an attempted murder?My voice cracked as I scrambled for words.
Mario’s POVI took a long swig of vodka, letting the bitter burn scrape its way down my throat. My eyes squeezed shut as I swallowed, but it didn’t help.I hadn’t felt this twisted up inside since... well, since her. Two years ago. And now this girl—the way she looked at me, the way she fought me—she reminded me too much of her.A carbon copy. Same fire in her eyes. Same recklessness.I thought having her here would make me feel better, like it would fill the hole Vivianne left behind. Instead, it was carving me open all over again. What the fuck was I doing?“We’ve prepared her in your chambers, Santiago. Just like you wanted.”Lorenzo’s voice cut through my thoughts as he stepped into my office. He was the only one who could call me by my name, the only one who didn’t tread lightly around me. Maybe that’s why I kept him around—he didn’t put up with my shit.“Who did it?” I asked, my voice harsher than I intended. I took another swig of the bottle, but Lorenzo snatched it from my han
I paced the room, my blood boiling. What exactly did Mario Santiago think he was? Some kind of god? Some untouchable tyrant? This was human trafficking, plain and simple. I was being sold off like a piece of meat. If I could just get out—just once—I’d march straight to the police station, slap a report on his head, and watch the whole empire crumble. I stopped by the window, yanking at the latch. Locked. Of course. It was sealed tighter than my chances of escaping this nightmare. The sunlight taunted me through the glass, bright and warm, reminding me of what freedom felt like—what it looked like. The door creaked open behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. Two women entered, their faces grim. They carried baskets, and one pushed a trolley with what looked like clothes and makeup. The taller one—her sharp features framed by dark hair pulled back into a tight bun—immediately scowled when she saw me. “So it’s you,” she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. She gave me a on
Sylvia's POVThe thirty minutes dragged by like hours. Mario didn’t sit down again. He just kept pacing, back and forth across the waiting room like he was trying to outrun something. I sat there, my hands clasped together so tight my knuckles turned white, sneaking glances at him every few seconds.When a nurse finally appeared at the door and called for us, Mario practically jumped. I scrambled to my feet and went after him, trying to catch up with his long strides.When we reached the door to Regina’s room, Mario froze.He stood there, hand hovering over the handle, breathing like he’d just run a marathon. I reached out, gently brushing my fingers against his arm. He flinched like he didn’t even realize I was there, then looked down at me with this broken, hollow look that twisted my stomach into knots.I opened the door gently, careful not to make a sound. Mario just stood there in the doorway, frozen for a moment. Regina sat up in her bed, her eyes lighting up the second she saw
SYLVIA'S POV I didn’t know what to say to Mario, so when the doctor came out and interrupted us, I let out a quiet sigh of relief, sinking deeper into my chair."I would like to speak to you in my office," the doctor said, his tone clipped and professional. His eyes flicked over Mario’s outfit a little too long, his disapproval almost visible before he turned sharply and started walking down the hallway."Why the fuck did you even wear this?" I muttered under my breath, nudging Mario in the side with my elbow as we stood to follow.He smirked, glancing at me sideways. "My friend lent them to me. Figured my usual clothes weren’t exactly... business meeting appropriate for dealing with other gang members."I rolled my eyes. "And is that why you drowned yourself in whiskey and cigarette smoke too?" I asked, tilting my head up to catch his expression.Mario chuckled, that low, warm sound that always seemed to crack my walls a little. "You're so witty," he said, grinning lazily. "One of t
SYLVIA’S POVI was too stunned to speak. My mouth hung open slightly, my eyes as wide as saucers as I stared at her."What... what did you just say?" I finally asked.She didn't answer right away, instead, she stared at the grass for a long, heavy moment, like she was trying to gather pieces of herself.When she finally spoke, her voice was so low, I had to lean closer to hear her."They gave the three of them guns after months of abuse," she said. "And they told them if they shot one of themselves, it would all end. The pain, the abuse, the fear... it would all be over. And they could go back to living normal lives."I blinked, feeling my stomach knot tighter and tighter."Gerard..." she paused, pressing her lips together. "Gerard used to be Mario’s favorite brother. And Gerard was Michael’s favorite too. But Mario and Michael... they didn’t get along.There was always tension there."She glanced at me, almost like she was asking for permission to keep going.I nodded silently, urgi
Sylvia's POVMario didn’t come back that night after he stormed out.I barely slept, tossing and turning, glancing at my phone every few minutes like a fool waiting for a text that never came. By morning, there was still no sign of him. No message. No missed calls. Nothing.I asked around, clinging to hope. The staff all gave me the same helpless looks. Nobody knew anything.Or maybe they were lying. Maybe he had asked them not to tell me.By noon, I couldn’t take it anymore. Sitting around, waiting, pretending I wasn’t falling apart inside. My chest felt too tight. I needed to do something, anything. So I stormed upstairs, straight to Gerard’s room.I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed the door open and walked right in.He barely even looked at me. Just kept rummaging through a drawer, his back tense. A half-packed suitcase sat open on his bed, clothes tossed in like he didn’t give a damn where he was going."What do you want?" he muttered, voice sharp and dismissive.Something inside
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MIGHT CONTAIN SCENES TRIGGERING TO VICTIM OF ABUSE.Sylvia's POVMario turned slightly, his body still shielding mine, to see who the intruder was. I barely lifted my head from his chest to catch a glimpse of Gerard standing there, his jaw clenched in a way that told me something wasn’t right.His voice came out hard and sharp. "Having sex in the garden isn’t really responsible, but there’s been a development," he said, his tone harsh, almost like he was jealous."We can talk about it later, I’m busy," Mario’s voice was hoarse, his words coming out with a rough edge. Then, unexpectedly, he did something that made it impossible for me to focus on anything but the feeling of him inside me. He slowly began moving his finger again, and before I could stop it, a breathy moan escaped from deep in my chest. I could feel Gerard’s gaze fixed on me."It’s important, we need to talk about it now," Gerard insisted, his arms crossing, the annoyance in his posture grow
MARIO'S POVThe bed was empty when I woke up, and I felt different.Confused, I glanced around the room, trying to piece together the remnants of last night. The sharp light coming through the window only made my head throb, and I groaned, pressing my palm to my forehead. My mind was foggy. What happened?I squinted at the clock; 9:22 am. How did I sleep that long?Then flashes of last night hit me: the club, the drinks, the overwhelming rush of alcohol. I remembered the taxi ride home, my mind hazy, then... the shower.Oh shit.My stomach twisted. The memory, the feeling of her hands. I didn't even want to think about it, but the guilt gnawed at me. The last thing I wanted was to push her into something she wasn't ready for, especially while I was drunk.I jumped out of bed, throwing on a shirt in a panic, then rushed into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to push away the thoughts. I couldn’t remember everything, but what I did remember made me feel like I had cr
SYLVIA'S POVThe moment he stepped into the room, I knew something was off.It wasn’t just the mess of his hair or the way his shirt hung loose around him, it was the undone zipper, the faint whiff of some cheap, flowery perfume clinging to him, and the way his guilty eyes refused to settle on me.And then, of course, the stench of alcohol."I want you to be honest with me," I said quietly, pushing myself off the bed.The strap of my lingerie slipped down my shoulder, and I pulled it back up with shaky fingers.I walked toward him, my heart thudding painfully in my chest."What happened?" I asked, my voice steady even though everything inside me felt like it was cracking.Mario shrugged, stumbling slightly like he couldn’t find his footing."Nothing. I just... had a few drinks at the club, that's all," he muttered.My brow arched. "Club? You said you all were going to the bar."His eyes widened a little too fast. Panic. Guilt. He scrambled for words."I didn't want you to worry," he r
Mario’s POVI glanced at my watch, 10:35 p.m. Shit.“I should head home,” I muttered, getting up from the worn-out couch. “Told my wife I’d be back by ten.”Tjay and Alvin cracked up like it was the funniest thing they’d heard all night.“Man, remember when you used to laugh at dudes who rushed home to their wives?” Tjay said, smacking my arm. “Look at you now, domesticated.”Alvin grinned, shaking his head. “The streets have lost another one.”“Yeah, well,” I shrugged, grabbing my phone, “I’m married. In love. I like it this way.”We were in Alvin’s apartment, small, messy, smelled like stale smoke and spilled whiskey. He liked it like that. Said it helped him stay “off the radar.” The kind of place you don’t ask too many questions in.“Come on, one stop at the club,” Alvin said, lighting a cigarette. “No girls if you don’t want 'em, just drinks. Loosen up. You’ve been tense all night.”“I don’t think...” I started.“Bro, don’t become that boring married guy. Just one drink,” he nudg
SYLVIA'S POV Mario was silent on our plane ride back to New York. Too silent. Something had happened with James, something big. When I got back from my walk, Mario was already packed, saying we were leaving. No explanation, no conversation. And James? He barely looked at either of us. Just nodded once and walked away. I kept stealing glances at Mario during the nine hour duration of the flight, trying to read his face, but he gave me nothing. “Is there something I can do to help since you don't want to talk about what happened?” I asked, nudging his arm gently. He sighed and shook his head. “There's nothing you can do, trust me, Sylvia.” He forced a smile, one of those smiles that looks more painful than comforting. I stood up. I was tired, not just physically, but tired of the back-and-forth. One minute, he was holding me like I was everything. The next, I couldn’t even tell if he liked me. It was draining. I walked to the bedroom at the back of the jet and got into b