{This part takes place after Chapter One-Two-Five: What Reason.}
‘No, don't leave!’
Elizabeth wanted to scream the words at Olivia's back.
Did it make sense for her sister to leave her with her stalker without even glancing back just because her kids fought?
Either way, the door closed, and tension hung in the small space.
With a sigh, Elizabeth closed the lunch boxes and moved to the door, but Christopher's body remained blocking her.
"Excuse me? You are the size of an oak tree, move.”
“Are you pregnant?”
At the abrupt question from Christopher, Elizabeth’s stomach sank.
“I’m on birth control. Are you trying to find a way to keep me by your side? Isn’t that too sad?”
Christoper removes a box from his back pocket that he places in front of me.
A pregnancy test kit.
“Let's take the test together.”
“This is an invasion of privacy.”
He shrugs at my instant response.
“I don’t mind watching you pee.”
“I do. I mind.”
Elizabeth stresses with a frown.
She wasn’t sure, but the ghost of a smile touched his lips.
“Fine. The doctor will be here in two minutes, so stay here.”
“What? So, wait, why were you suggesting to watch me-”
“Because it's fun that way.”
Her lips parted before they closed again.
“Anyway, I just need you to sit still for a bit.”
“Because you need me to be pregnant?”
“Because I follow my hunches.”
Christopher finished as he closed the door, trapping them inside and sitting on the couch next to it.
There was a clear look in his eyes that hung like a dare: ‘try slipping past me’.
“And a hunch is telling you I'm pregnant.”
Elizabeth asked again; the sweat on her pam felt vivid as her gaze scoured the room for another exit; there wasn’t one.
Who the hell designed this boat? How did they get a safety permit?
“My wife mentioned it in a fit.”
Christopher added.
“Your wife, the pathological liar?”
Elizabeth asked, hoping she could defame her way out of the situation.
“Some bloodwork is all I need, and then you'll be free.”
“You mean if I do the test, you won't follow me around anymore?”
“Y- mmm, I will be in Italy.”
“That’s not a yes, Christopher.”
Christopher dropped his gaze and leaned his head back. It was clear that this was the only answer he would give.
“If you promise to stop following me around, I'll pee on that stick.”
“I don’t need your consent to draw blood from you. Also, that was a joke, but if you want to pee on a stick, go ahead. I’ll watch.”
“You are…. I just said I’m squeamish, and even if I am pregnant, which I am not, what makes you think it's yours?”
His gaze turns to me, and he smiles.
What is that supp-
Finally, a complaint that Olivia had uttered flowed to her mind.
‘Can you believe he did that? Samantha was my private secretary, my person. Do you have any idea how dirty I feel knowing that she was working for him?’
“You’ve planted someone on me.”
It wasn’t a question.
She had told no one except Daniel and Olivia that she was pregnant, but she had told everyone that she was going through a dry spell.
She tried hard to find instances where she might have let something slip, but nothing came to mind.
“Hello, everyone; sorry for the delay.”
An older man, from his accent, Italian, walked in with a warm but tense smile.
The only word that went through her mind was ‘fuck’, but even that felt like it was an understatement.
Christopher held Elizabeth’s hand when the needle pierced her skin because she held on to her protest that she was ‘squeamish’. It would be suspicious if she kept on refusing, especially when the doctor began spewing the benefits of prenatal care and knowing one's state, so she did what she could: accepted and continued to gaslight him.“So now what? do you want my medical history?”“If you are offering, I will take it.”Christopher finished as he watched the doctor seal the sample he had drawn.“You D’Amico bastards. I bet you think that because your brother scored with my sister, you’ll trap me in the same way. I use double protection; I am nobody’s baby mama.”“Mhn…”Still, Elizabeth found that it was hard to gaslight an unresponsive person.“How long until the results?”Christopher asked.“Just a few minutes.”The doctor reassured her, and suddenly, her limbs began to shake.“If I'm not pregnant, I want you to disappear from my life.”“Do you mean that?”“Yes.”“Okay.”He said.“If
Wait, wait, wait! Don’t stone me over the bonus ending. Hear me out!For my long-term readers or those who have read my previous works, you know my bonus stories never have a happy ending guaranteed. Sigh, why do you do this to yourself?Olivia and Matteo’s story is almost coming to an end, and these other nuts have problems that would need 50 more chapters to resolve; it is already hard enough to trust a man who has an affair on his wife, but add on to that he is still grieving for his mistress and as a cherry on top, the woman he is interested in witnessed him murder his own wife?That’s a tough cookie. ¯\(°_o)/¯Isn't that just dark romance, though?Hehe… (✿◡‿◡)Well, you know me; I love angst and red-flag male leads, so challenge accepted!I can’t write 50 bonus chapters, but I can add their story as a book two after Matteo x Olivia’s romance is completed. So if you would like to read their dark romance, which will contain non-consent warnings and lots of dark themes, because both
Matteo’s body was cold. He was already dry, so he knew the feeling of his hands and legs was in his head, caused by the fear that rocked through him seeing Olivia jump in the water.She wasn’t sane. She really wasn’t.He muttered to himself as he blew warm air into his hands and thumped his foot anxiously.The twins were in the paediatric section, and it was story time, so he was all alone outside Olivia’s room.“You can see her at any time, Mr. D’Amico.”The doctor who just left her room said, and finally, his legs, which felt as if they had melted to the ground, began to move.A pillow flew from the bed, hitting him square on the face before he had the chance to enter the room fully. "You sedated me."Olivia accused; the anger boiling in her veins was obvious, but given the pillow hadn’t hit him that hard, it was evident that she still hadn’t regained her strength."You were erratic.""My child needed me, you bastard!""I need you!"He yelled.He didn’t want to yell, especially at
Matteo’s back fills my vision as Christopher’s frame fills the room."What do you mean ‘where is Elizabeth’? Does that question make sense? I left her on the boat."I say as I stand from my position on the bed; even then, being shorter than Matteo, I still can't see the expression on Christopher’s face."You expect me to believe that you don't know where she is?"Christopher’s cold voice asks.“Matteo, lower your weapon.”I urge, but it's almost as if I haven’t said anything.“Believe what? Where is my sister?”“Oh, for God's sake, how long are we going to play this game? Are you a broken record? I know you went to a hospital and that she is pregnant.”“I am the one who is pregnant; Elizabeth was escorting me because I wanted to terminate the pregnancy. Why are you interrogating me like this? Where is Elizabeth?”I ask again but only silence follows my question.“Then…why? Why did she…”Christopher sighs.“She tossed my doctor’s equipment into the ocean.”Relief finds me in his confus
"I came to check on you. I heard that there was an accident with Daniel. I don’t know why I have to hear that from a family friend instead of my daughters, but I guess in my next life, I will have boys.”Mum says, clearing her throat and following it up with a fake cough as I walk to where she sits.My face is hot with embarrassment.The corners of my lips hurt, and so does the back of my throat; I can still feel him thrusting in my mouth.I have heavy lipstick on my mouth to cover any bruising from Matteo’s force, anything to get her to forget what she saw, including meeting at the hospital’s cafeteria instead of in the room.Seriously, who the hell would want to talk to their child in a room that reeked of sexAs per my request, Matteo stayed in my room, cleaning and airing the place because that’s where Marigold will sleep, as well as the men depart for the night.Shit, the entire thing was too spontaneous.Is it even okay to swallow cum when pregnant? I should ask the doctor."Yes
"No, my back is fine; I can handle cooking for the dinner potluck."Olivia says despite rubbing her lower back.The answer didn’t satisfy Matteo; there were a lot of things that didn’t satisfy Matteo these days, starting with her refusal to say the words ‘I love you’ and instead opting for ‘me too’ and the most pressing one, her kicking him out of their shared room and into the guest bedroom."Let me give you a back rub."" I said I'm fine; if you want to help, carry the baby and give birth when the time is right; otherwise, go buy them the cereals you promised because you threw them out."“They are just sugar in a box!”“And the kids like sugar, and happy kids equals happy mummy; now go!”Olivia said as she pointed to the door.He wanted to believe that it was all in his head, but Olivia had gotten grumpier by the day, and hence, he was scared to question her on the two topics that made him feel uncomfortable.The solution of getting a harness to lift the bump and ease her lower back
Brother...mother.I thought of the words over and over, wondering if the meaning had changed.Why couldn’t Matteo get a break from his family? It’s no doubt that they wanted money, but they abandoned him first. They have no right to his time or fortune.So why follow him?Desperation?With a sigh, I rest my back on the sofa as I watch the maids move food to the outside dining table.How do I soothe him?There was music and some shimmering light to lighten the ambience, but everything ‘family oriented’ feels lonely without Elizabeth. Was it the same for her when I was gone? "Your head seems far away. Are you okay?"Matteo asks as he slides his hand into mine.“What if your brother asks you for money?”It could be my imagination, but I feel as if Matteo’s lips twitched upward slightly at my question.“I thought you said we talk about this in the evening?”“I can’t help myself.”I answer and he presses a kiss to my lips."Olivia, why do you want me in the guest bedroom?"The question co
"I- hmm."Matteo begins speaking before he swallows his words.It's evident that he has never had to choose between family because his family has never been big enough.My hand squeezes his thigh from underneath the table, and he startles at the contact."He will support his family."I answer on his behalf."We are his family."Mum says, pressing me."Exactly, and Christopher is his family too. When the time comes, if the time comes, Matteo will make his decision, and there will not be consequences for following his heart.”I clarify, and Mum frowns.Matteo has a mother and half-brother, both want his money. Aside from me and the kids, his only other family is Christopher, while I have my family, friends and the occasional cousins once they are in the country.Unlike him, I have multiple people to run to, while he only has Christopher.A complicated expression forms on Matteo’s face before he speaks. "You mean that?”He asks."I do."“Even if I choose to help Christopher?”“Yes, even
I feel the need to mention that, no Etienne and Anthony were harmed during the time skip in the last chapter; they were just posted away from the main family to Italy. Jokes on Christopher, they liked it because they were paid to laze around without the tension of him grumbling all over the place.I'd also like to ask your vote on a setting, would you love to read a transmigration, body switch or rebirth story?Rebirth would be when the female lead dies and goes back in time for whatever reason and purpose.A body switch would be the female lead going into another person's body. Maybe they were rich and ungrateful, and now they have entered the body of another woman who works under an obsessive billionaire, and there are consequences when they refuse to work and instead resign.Finally, transmigration would be if the female lead enters a novel they have read, whether they loved it or not. You know I love villains, so of course it’s the villain’s body that they enter. So, an example wou
Hi guys!We are finally at the end of the story!! Thank you so so much for reading, thank you for voting and thank you for loving the work and leaving a review; if you haven’t, please do.This last chapter is especially dedicated to anyone dealing with anxiety or depressive symptoms; it is a season, and it will pass. If your best is opening a window, open it. If your best is just basic self-care, taking a shower, moisturising, and putting the pyjamas right back on, do that. One step at a time. You are more loved and valued than you believe, and medication doesn't make you 'weak' or a 'failure'. Don’t be afraid to reach out, but more than that, don’t be afraid when people reach out, say 'yes' to that trip to the beach or bowling gig, or hell, to a walk just around the corner. We are all one.For my next work, it will still be a billionaire romance, and the male lead will still be a walking red flag. Aren’t they just the best? Plusss..how could I forget to mention smut will be present? I
"But-""It's fine; I'll be back soon.”I say reassuringly to Henry.I wave off his innocent concern despite half my face being covered by his hand.If he were to slap me the same way I slapped him, I'd probably end up in the ICU. Despite knowing that, I leave Henry with Etienne in the living room and follow him like a prisoner escorted to their sentencing.**"You went to the hospital. What for?"This is not the beginning of the conversation I expect, nevertheless, Christopher’s gaze as he closes the door behind me doesn’t leave my face."The headaches, but I have the medicine, so it's fine; more than that, I haven't seen Anthony in days. Did you change my guard?""Anthony?"Christopher asks with a frown, his mouth twisting as if he has eaten something rotten."Who are you calling 'Anthony'?""My- my bodyguard, with brown hair, you assigned him to me."I explain as if he doesn’t already have that information.What is this? What is he playing at?"Did I? And he told you his name? He an
Christopher D’Amico "Spare me."It took three hours to track Alessio and four hours to corner him like this.Yet this was the nonsense he was spewing?"No."Christopher answered.The gun in his hand had no more bullets, so he hit the back of Alessio's head, causing him to fall to the ground. Of course, Alessio didn't come easily, so the blood he tasted from his lips was his.Hopefully, it wouldn’t leave a mark, but even if it did, the wound was inside his mouth, so Elizabeth would not see it.Still, it didn't matter.Everything would end today, and he could head back to Italy to find another man to take his position.Positions in the mafia could only be replaced through death; there was no such thing as a fair trial, only retirement, that was hard-earned.Alessio held his head at the point of impact as if he thought his skull had shattered. There was blood coming from his head, but Christopher heard nothing crack, at least not yet.Still, there was little he could do to guarantee the
Blood. He smells like blood. No, not just smells; he has blood on his clothes.Closing my eyes and opening them, I focus on the bouncing bunny on the screen while Henry bobs his head to the tune.Before long, his little head sways left and right before falling to my stomach as he was resting between my legs, and a soft snore follows.Aww... how precious.His little hands curl against the fabric of my clothes.I should take him to bed; I think Christopher has eaten by now or should be eating, so there should be an interruption.My hands move to scoop him up, but a voice stops me."Is there a reason you are both on the floor when there are perfectly suitable seats next to you?""Henry and I used to sit like this in the old house.”I explain without turning back to him."Are you thinking of the good old times?”His words seem pointed, so I lift Henry in my arms and turn to him with a frown."What is that supposed to mean?”I ask, noticing the curls in his poorly dried hair.Wait, wasn’t
My gaze lingers on the orange glow of the streetlights while my mind centres on the sounds of the cars whooshing past us.My sex is fine now. Other than mild tickling sensations that will go away after three or four rinses in the shower. I am fine.Well, I guess the dull ache choking my throat is something else entirely."You've been quiet for a while now."Christopher comments as he makes a turn to the estate.Of course, I have been quiet. Yesterday, I went to bed and woke up believing that he liked me, that I could have him wrapped around my finger if I tried, and that gave me the confidence to say no to him at the club, and now, I realise that I had gotten ahead of myself.I almost ruined the marriage.There is no divorce, but if perchance he changes his mind, I'll have nothing. I'll lose the one thing I came into the marriage with—Henry.He doesn't like or love me; he is curious about me. Is that even the best way to describe it?Maybe it's more he thinks he likes me.Fuck... if I
"No. Never. Not when I am with you. No-"“Not anymore, right? That’s what you want to say next, isn’t it?”I ask as the grip I had on Alessio’s leash lessens.Christopher’s lips seal as if he had no answer to my question.“I…I really can’t believe you even know what love is- ah, that’s why you said you don’t have feelings… ah, I got ahead of myself.”My voice grows smaller as I mumble the new findings."Elizabeth, please...please."“Please, what? That's so vague, considering you need me to call you the way another woman does to get you to orgasm.”I ask as I turn to face him.I think I should leave now; this…this is enough to break any ‘soft’ girl’s heart."Please... believe me. Not with you. I never think of anyone but you."He repeats as if sensing my mood."I'm half out of my mind because of the lube they applied on me, and you can't cum until I call you the nickname the 'love of your life’ called you.""You are the love of my life."Does... he even know what that means?“Then why d
"God damn it, Elizabeth!"Christopher yells as he rattles the cuffs binding him.“I said, let's talk about this later. I didn’t say ‘no’.”"You shut me down twice. I don't trust you not to lock me up somewhere and shut me down a thirty time when there are no consequences.""I won't-""Yeah...see now, I don't trust easily. That's kind of the problem with us... what did you call me? 'broken? Soft?”"Elizabeth.""Let's move on to the third round."I yell, and as if on cue, the announcer produces a tune to signal the entrance to the third round."He can choose. He can choose what he wants! He can choose, but he needs to have the full picture."Christopher finally gives in."I want it in writing.""Done. I'll get it to you by Monday morning. I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I'm sorry that I shut you down and made you feel that this was the only way to communicate. Please...please stop this.""Why? Aren't you having fun? You even left me at the store to get dragged here.""That bastard Taz-""Yes, th
"Bu-but I've lost."Participant One defended as if he took Christopher’s words seriously."You touched what is mine."The answer came back coldly.The blindfold covering my eyes feels like a burden. I want to see the expression on Christopher’s face. No, I want to see the expression on everyone’s face.I can still feel the echoes of Participant One’s fingers on my nipples. This is going to be harder than I thought."Hey, this thing has consent written all over it; she consented. So why are you threatening me?"The man asks, his desperate voice bordering on whiney."I didn't consent to you touching my wife.""Yes, you did, Taz-""Ah yes, mentioning another dead man."Christopher says in a light tone; one could almost think he is joking. Almost."Bu-""Next Participant."The announcer announced, perhaps bored with the back and forth."I'm out.""Wait, but..."The familiar voice of Participant One hesitates, perhaps hating that a participant backed down instead of doubling down like him.