Sylvia’s POVI couldn’t breathe.My chest rose and fell in sharp frantic bursts, but it still felt like I was suffocating. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as my fingers gripped my shirt.I forced myself to look down again.Blood.It was everywhere, on my skin, my torn clothes, the floor. Thick, dark red. My stomach twisted, bile burning the back of my throat.My eyes settled on my step brother that was on the floor in an awkward angle, not moving. Was he dead?I couldn’t think until I saw the shadow at the door as I looked up, my vision swimming.Mario.He stood there, completely still, like he had all the time in the world. A gun in his hand. Silencer attached.I tried to speak, but nothing came out.Calmly, almost lazily, he unscrewed the silencer and slipped both pieces into his pocket. Then, without breaking eye contact, he bent down and picked up my stepbrother’s phone from the floor.Dialed a number.I held my breath, waiting. But after a second, he pulled the phone away from his
SYLVIA’S POVI woke up screaming.My body twisted in the sheets, my nails clawing at the fabric as I tried to get away from the hands I could feel gripping me, words ringing in my ears, the sharp snap of a belt hitting me. My breath came fast like I was drowning."Sylvia, nobody's hurting you. Wake up."The voice was distant, muffled beneath the panic roaring in my head. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t here, I was back there, trapped in a memory I couldn’t escape.A face flashed before me, smug and cruel. My stepbrother. He was standing there, belt in hand, grinning.I fought. I kicked, scratched, lashed out with everything I had."Sylvia, fucking hell!"The sharp curse was what finally pulled me out. My eyes flew open.I was in Mario’s room.And Mario was in front of me, blood seeping between his fingers as he clutched his face.Oh, God.I stared at him, my chest rising and falling too fast, my heart still hammering like it hadn’t caught up to reality yet.I did that.“I... I’m sorry,” I
SYLVIA'S POVI sat frozen, my fingers still curled around my fork, though my appetite had long since disappeared.Mario’s words echoed in my head, sharp and bitter. I waited for him to take it back, to apologize and tell me he didn't mean it, but nothing came."Did you just say that to me after what I went through yesterday?" My voice came out in a shaky whisper, as I tried to calm myself down.Mario didn’t answer. He just shot me a quick glance, his expression unreadable, before getting up and storming out of the kitchen.The shock turned to anger, burning hot under my skin. I pushed back my chair and stormed after him, taking the stairs two at a time, almost losing my foot halfway. By the time I reached his room, he was throwing things into a small duffel bag.I didn’t think. I just swung.My fist connected with his already bruised cheek, snapping his head to the side. His jaw clenched, and before I could swing again, he shoved me back."Don't fucking touch me!" I screamed, launchin
Sylvia's POV When I woke up later that evening, my mouth was dry, my head pounding like a drum and that’s when I saw him.Jonas.He was sitting on the sofa, watching me, arms crossed. On the nightstand, a bottle of water and aspirin sat waiting.Without a word, I reached for them, swallowing the pills with a grimace. My head still felt like it was floating, but at least the room wasn’t spinning anymore."Hopefully, you remember calling me here," Jonas said dryly.I let out a weak chuckle. "Did you leave midway? I think I heard the gate open."He nodded, stretching his legs out. "Went out to get you food. Figured you’d wake up miserable." He gestured toward the bag at his feet.A small, grateful smile tugged at my lips. "Thanks," I murmured, reaching for it.We sat in silence as I ate, until Jonas spoke."I don’t know why you called me here," he started, "And honestly you're trouble, I’m starting to regret ever talking to you in that club."I glanced up at him, raising a brow, but he
Mario’s POVRegret.It sat heavy in my chest, a gnawing feeling that refused to go away. Beneath it lurked guilt, anger, and jealousy, all the emotions I had been too much of a coward to face before. But watching Sylvia walk out that door, it hit me just how much of a mess I had made of her life.I forced her into this marriage. Dragged her into a world she never wanted to be part of. Let my brother try to get close to her. Cheated on her. Gave her divorce papers a night after she got assaulted by her brother like it meant nothing. And now this.I had been a certified asshole.And if I let her walk out of this house tonight, I might never get another chance to make things right.That thought jolted me into action. I rushed out of the room, through the living room, and into the cold night air. Sylvia was at the gate, struggling with the latch. Her hands were trembling. Her shoulders shook. The moment she heard me behind her, she stiffened and turned, her face set in a look that nearly
Sylvia’s POVI felt Mario stiffen behind me the minute I said the words I had held in for thirteen years. His breath hitched, his arm around me going tense, but he didn’t speak. He had promised to listen, and for once, I hoped he would keep that promise.I stared at the wall, my fingers clutching the blanket as the memories I had buried so deep began to surface.***I was ten."Mom," I whispered, standing at the kitchen doorway. My hands were trembling, the hem of my nightgown clenched between my fingers. "He... he touched me."She was cooking, the smell of fried onions and tomatoes filling the air. She didn’t turn around."Touched you?" she asked, her voice distracted, like I had told her I lost a toy, not my innocence.I nodded, tears spilling down my cheeks. "He came into my room last night. He—" My throat closed up, and I couldn't get the words out.She sighed, turning to face me, her expression unreadable. She looked at my tear-streaked face, the way my hands shook, and for a sec
SYLVIA'S POVThe smell of bacon was what pulled me from sleep, my nose twitching as the scent curled into my dreams and dragged me back to reality. I groaned, rolling onto my side, but before I could bury my face into the pillow, a quiet "Careful," reached my ears, followed by a warm hand tapping my arm gently.My eyes fluttered open, still heavy with sleep, and the first thing I saw was Mario’s face above mine, looking down at me with a smile that was way too bright for this early in the morning. I frowned, lifting a weak hand to push at his chest."Why are you so damn bubbly this morning?" My voice came out rough with sleep, and I squinted up at him, trying to look annoyed.He chuckled, yanking the blanket away from me in response. "Because I made you breakfast."I scowled, sitting up as I reached for the blanket, but he only grinned, dodging my grab."And," he continued, puffing out his chest slightly, "it's not burnt. Took a lot of practice. And, well… throwing a lot of ruined one
Mario's POVI sat in my office, the screen of my laptop lit up. Sylvia’s image flickered in front of me, moving through her new apartment, completely unaware that I was watching. I told myself I wouldn’t do this. I promised I would only check if it was necessary. But here I was, breaking my own rules.I should close it. I should stop. But I didn’t.She moved with ease, her body relaxed, her lips curved into a smile as she spoke to Isabel. They laughed, the sound lost to me, but I could see it in the way her shoulders shook. Then she grabbed Isabel’s hand and led her to the bedroom, the one room without a camera. My jaw clenched.The screen now showed nothing but the empty living room, but my mind filled in the blanks. What were they doing? Talking? Changing? My hands curled into fists on my desk. I shouldn’t care this much. I shouldn’t be thinking about this at all.Minutes passed, and then she reappeared. Laughing. Her cheeks flushed, her hair slightly messy. Something in my chest ti
Mario’s POVShe’d said no, and I was proud of myself for stopping.I hadn’t always been the guy who respected boundaries. Hell, there was a time I wouldn’t have even thought to ask.But with Sylvia? I didn’t want to be anything less than careful. Less than perfect.Even if it meant walking out of that room with a hard-on that could crack rock.Her trembling voice when she told me to stop... That haunted me more than I expected.The way her eyes had gone wide, distant, like something had pulled her out of the present and dropped her in a memory she didn’t want to relive.And yet, after all of that, the way she curled back into me; quiet, warm, trusting.That part stuck even harder.She still trusted me. Even when her body remembered pain.And the worst part?I wanted her even more now."I think I'll go for a walk to clear my mind," Sylvia’s voice broke through my thoughts.She shifted away from me with a soft kiss to my lips, apologetic, then padded over to the table, picking up my shi
Mario's POV I let out a shaky breath when Sylvia pressed into me even more."I don't think wiggling your butt on me is going to help me wait," I murmured against her ear.She chuckled softly, and I felt the vibrations through her neck, right into my chest. "I think I like torturing you," she replied, her voice teasing as she pressed her ass even harder against my throbbing dick.I groaned, gripping her waist tightly to steady her, and myself.“God, fuck, Sylvia.”“I thought you were a man with self-control?” she smirked, twisting in my arms and rolling onto her back.“I wanna see how long it takes before you break.”Then the covers slipped.My brain short-circuited for a second. Her bare chest was right there, perfect and soft, a delicate rise with each breath. If only she knew the things I wanted to do to her. How badly I wanted to bury my face between those curves, to suck and squeeze and taste every inch of her skin.But I didn’t move. I just stared, jaw clenched, heart racing lik
SYLVIA'S POV I woke up to a dull throb in my head… and something warm and heavy draped over my waist.Then I felt it.A large hand cupped gently over my breast from under, his palm firm and warm, and behind me… he was hard.I stiffened for a moment, my body tense by instinct, but I didn't pull away.My eyes fluttered open, and the morning light peeked in from the curtains. His hand didn’t move. It just rested there, holding me like I was fragile, like he knew I might break.And somehow, I didn’t feel fear.Instead, I felt wanted.I closed my eyes again, breathing him in. His scent. The rise and fall of his chest. The way his grip tightened slightly in his sleep, fingers curling just a little more.I bit back a sound, because even though it surprised me, even though it should’ve made me panic that I was half naked in bed with a man… it didn’t.It turned me on.A slow ache bloomed low in my belly. It was small, a spark. But real.I stayed like that for a few minutes, letting myself fee
SYLVIA’S POVMario helped me sit up, one arm behind my back, the other holding his phone to his ear. He was barking orders, fast and urgent, but I was too out of it to follow what he was saying. My head was spinning again, the medicine pulling me under, but I caught one thing... “At the front!” and then his voice was gone, replaced by my own weak protest.“I don’t want to go,” I mumbled, trying to fall back into the bed. My body was heavy, every part of me aching, but Mario didn’t listen. He shushed me gently, scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing, and started moving.I clung to his shirt, pressing my face into his chest. His heart was beating fast.“Can you take off your shirt?” I whispered. “I like your skin better.”My fingers were tangled in the fabric. I think I was smiling, but I wasn’t sure. Mario didn’t answer. He just started running.We burst through the hallway, my head bouncing slightly against his shoulder with each step. Two nurses appeared in front of us, bloc
SYLVIA’S POVWhen my eyes fluttered open again, everything felt hazy, muted and surreal, like I was floating just beneath the surface of water.“She's awake! She's awake!”The sudden excitement in the room jerked me back into awareness. A doctor and two nurses hovered over me. The harsh brightness of the hospital lights made me squint my eyes.“BP's coming up... 119 over 81.”“She’s stabilizing.”“We need another bag of fluids and slow down the oxygen.”Their voices overlapped, echoing in my ears like. I tried to move, but a tight, scratchy feeling in my throat made me wince, my ribs were hurting and it made me wonder if I had been given CPR.“Easy,” a nurse said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You passed out, and stopped breathing for over a minute. But you’re safe now, okay? You’re safe.”I tried to nod, but even that took too much energy.I tried to remember why I had passed out, and when I did, a wave if nausea hit me hard. Beth was dead.Before I could dwell much on the t
Sylvia’s POVEverything was plain white when my eyes fluttered open.The ceiling, the sheets, even the blinding light above me, it all blended into a hazy blur. The sterile smell of antiseptic clung to my nostrils. A dull, persistent throbbing pulsed at my neck, and when I tried to move, a tight tug held me back.A neck brace.My breath caught, panic creeping in slowly, until the door burst open.Footsteps echoed, fast and urgent. A doctor in a white coat rushed in, followed by two nurses. Their expressions shifted between worry and focus as they circled me.“Check her pulse again... blood pressure’s stable, oxygen okay,” one nurse said, scribbling onto a clipboard.The doctor leaned over me. “Signora… can you hear me? What is your name?”My lips parted. “Sylvia… Sylvia.”“Good,” he nodded. “Do you know what day it is?”I blinked. “No. I… I don’t remember.”“That’s okay. You’ve been unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours. You had severe bruising around your neck, likely from attemp
Sylvia's POVI couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe, Mario had rushed into the house, and now all I heard was the sounds of fists colliding with flesh.I could hear them grunting, the crash of furniture toppling over, and the sickening sound of bodies hitting the floor. Panic rushed through me, and my mind scrambled for any way to stop this.I rushed to the front door and peered in, my eyes searching for a way to intervene, but I was frozen in terror. Then I heard another loud crash, something shattered, followed by a painful grunt from Mario.That was it. I couldn’t just stand there.I quickly dialed 112, my fingers shaking as I pressed the numbers. The phone rang once, then twice, before the operator picked up in Italian."Polizia di Stato, come posso aiutarla?"I could barely make sense of the words, my throat too tight, but I screamed into the phone, “My husband and our neighbor are fighting, please, it’s horrible! They might kill each other if someone doesn’t stop them soon! Please
SYLVIA'S POV"He's going to regret ever laying his hands on you." That was the only thing Mario said before he grabbed his phone from the table and swiftly turned to the staff. "Send the bill to my Financial PA, he’ll sort it out." His voice was firm, his jaw clenched as he shot a quick glance my way before heading toward the door."Mario, wait!" I called out, rushing to grab my bag. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to stop him or explain myself. The whole restaurant seemed to freeze as we passed, every eye on us, whispers following our every step.By the time I reached the car door, Mario was already inside the car, engine running, his hands gripping the wheel like he was ready to tear the world apart. The door slammed shut as I slid into the passenger seat, my heart pounding.He pulled away without a word, the tires squealing slightly as we sped down the street. I opened my mouth, tried to find the right words, but nothing came out. How could I explain? How could I justify not telling
SYLVIA'S POVThe drive to the restaurant Mario had picked out was calm... too calm. I stared out the window most of the way, watching trees blur past and trying not to think about the bruise hiding beneath my scarf.Mario talked through most of the ride. Something about a client. A deal. Numbers. Honestly, I wasn’t really listening. My mind kept drifting back to the living room floor, back to Jackson’s face twisted in anger, and it made me scared for Beth. What would he do to her if he found her?I nodded when I thought I should, gave a few “mmhm”s at intervals just to make it seem like I was following along. I wasn’t.Then suddenly, the car slowed and pulled over to the side of the road. My brows furrowed as I glanced at him.“You okay?” he asked, one hand resting on the steering wheel while the other turned slightly toward me. His eyes searched mine like he already knew something was off.“I’m fine,” I said quickly, too quickly, then shrugged. “Why?”He gave me that look... the kind