Matteo D’AmicoThe former prime minister, as if noting his blatant stare, turned to face them."Ah, you must be Matteo D'Amico. I have heard so much about you; I was even considering inviting you for a round of golf now that I am in the country."Matteo stared at the older man for a few seconds before frowning."Is there a reason you speak to me from across the hall?""You are free to approach me."The former prime minister Montgomery Gordon answered Matteo, making him laugh for a few seconds."Is this a Power play?"He asked, and the other man laughed."No, of course not. You see, I am not allowed on that end of the hall, isn't that right, darling?"Darling?Matteo froze at the word before he felt Olivia’s body turn rigid.“Oli-”Matteo turned to call her, but blood had drained from her face, giving her a bluish hue."I-I’ll wait outside."Olivia said in a whisper before tugging her hand from him."Olivia."He called her name, but she didn't turn back or even show the intention to."
The longer I stare at Matteo's jacket on the bed, the more I want to throw it out the window. But even that is a hard task because the minute I lift it, I'll press it to my nose and imagine myself in his warm embrace. “It should be a crime to be that attractive.” I mutter as I turn my focus to something else, anything else. I can smell food from downstairs. Weird, I told Paul I don’t want to eat tonight. Hopefully, he plans on storing the food; perhaps I can eat them for breakfast. With my hair still damp from the shower, I hop onto the bed. My shorts and white shirt are flimsy enough for the warm summer nights, but it's gradually getting colder as we approach autumn. I love fall. My eyes seal shut briefly as I drift off, thinking of leaves falling. Thump! Thump! Thump! Oh god, not again. My heart rate steadily grows, faster and faster, no matter how much I will myself to calm down, I feel myself spiralling to the edge of madness until suddenly, my lungs refuse to take in ai
“What?” I ask with a frown; I don’t think I’ve heard Matteo correctly. "Golfing." Matteo repeats as he places rice and minced meat with sauce in front of me. Dinner had grown to be our norm, and I have it in my outside clothes or a hoodie because nowadays, he only teases me without letting me finish, and bulky clothing prevents too much stimulation. Between sexual frustration and my mother's news, my mind feels as if it is miles away. "Golfing? That’s not a hobby I imagined you doing, do you golf?” "Nope." He answers carelessly as he settles next to me; the second he places his napkin on his trousers, he pulls my chair to him and then pulls my food close. His hand travels up my pants. "Eat first, Matteo." I grumble as I turn to him, but his lips swallow any further protest, and just like that my worries fade. "Teo, please...ahh." I cry as I tear my lips from his, and my head falls on his shoulder. His hand grows insistent on the flesh between my legs, pressing where my cli
"What has you holding a pan over my head, cara?"Matteo presses the question as he dabs the corners of his lips with his napkin. I had given my answer in passing earlier by the door, but I don't think I can avoid it anymore, especially now that he has eaten and is perhaps energised enough for an argument, should I avoid the topic at hand any longer.When I take too long to answer, he turns to the half-empty glass of wine next to me."I thought you didn't want to drink. Is it because tomorrow is a weekend? You remember we are going golfing, right?""I do, I do, I just...It's fine.""Not very convincing; try again.” He says in a dull tone as his tongue circles his mouth before he looks at me again."Does your drinking have anything to do with the pan?""A dead body fell on top of me; I'm still processing things."I answer, and he nods."What about you? You look tired, Matteo.”"Some nights I don't sleep well.""You slept fine with me."I shrug before realising he said ‘some nights’, ma
“Aren't you going to introduce yourself to them?"The former prime minister says as he looks directly at me.There wasn't a long pause; there was barely a pause; he just wanted my attention."I'll trust my partner to do it better.”The former prime minister frowns at my response; I am not falling for his goading. Matteo narrows his eyes as if placing two and two together before I feel his hand on my lower back."I'm Matteo D'Amico, and this is my woman, Olivia Lawson, the new head of Lawson &. I."The former prime minister's wife widens her eyes as if something stirred her. Her hands dig into the shoulders of her children, but they don't even flinch. Almost as if they were used to absorbing her emotions."I expected more from you."The former prime minister mutters under his breath with a cold sneer, but I hear him. The cold emotion flickers away from his face when he clears his throat."I expected you to introduce yourself...like I taught you, Bethany."My skin crawls at the sound o
There is nothing I can say to her, nothing I want to either because she is crazy. My father hates me. There is no way he is passing on his wealth to me; that's an entire dairy company, plus billions that he must have accumulated from his family name.Why, in God’s name, would he pass everything on to a woman he thinks of as ‘apathetic’?"Your club sandwiches."The server says as he places the tray on the table and begins to wipe the spilt water."I haven't spoken to him in-""I'm not asking you to believe me; I'm telling you to reject him when he proposes it."Everything she is saying sounds crazy, but she seems convinced, convinced that my father will die in two months as if monsters die naturally—those kinds of beasts are killed.Why is every older person in my life suddenly dying? Am I doing something to them? Is it me, or is there something in the water?Crossing my legs, I address the woman opposite me more calmly."That's terrible from a business perspective; what do I get for
“No.”I answer without much thought as to what that kind of money will do for me.“You have a family, two daughters; how can you not give them that after they lose their breadwinner.”“You are soft, you are pathetically soft; if I gave Veronica that chance, she would have leapt on it! She has a good sense of when to say yes.”My father spits.“Yes, she does; hence, she knew when to say ‘no’ to you.”“Didn’t I teach you enough?"He asks pointedly, with a disapproving frown on his face.When I don’t answer, his hands fly to his waist, and he looks up at the bright sky that seems to have dark clouds gathering.“When I was in the hospital, they said that the medicine would have worked had there not been traces of arsenic in my blood. Arsenic.”He repeats with a laugh.“That bitch has been poisoning me.”“Pity is not something I can feel for you; you know that, right?”I ask.He has shared too much with me for me to give a proper reaction. My father, the cause of my nightmares, is going to
The bar is noisy, but we are on the first floor, which is more exclusive and less filled for the added benefit of the view of the ground floor. "He…tagged along." I simplify my answer as I gesture to Matteo. "Ugh." Elizabeth groans before reaching for her cocktail. “That’s three mango daiquiris for that blunder.” “I will take them like a champ.” I say as I settle opposite where she sat. “Three mango daiquiris and two mojitos!” My sister yells to a waitress. She already looks busy, but the waitress simply nods. “What do you want, pretty boy?” She turns the question to Matteo, who slides up to me, but he doesn’t answer, merely glances at a waiter, and the man rushes over to serve him. “Sassenach, no ice.” He says simply, and the waiter nods. “Okay, well fuck me for offering to order for you.” Elizabeth says after he orders, then sighs and turns her focus to me. “So, what did that bastard want?" My gaze lands on Matteo for Elizabeth's question. We were to discuss that, b
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.