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UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Retrieving A Piece Of Paper
ALESSANDRA Despite my efforts to keep Leonardo away from his business, he still managed to escape after leaving me nearly brain-dead from his fucking. I grew hungry after such a rigorous exercise so I came down to eat. As I reached the stairs, I spotted Rocco speaking with the guards in the living room. The moment he saw me, he turned and hurried away.It felt satisfying to watch him flee, especially since I had forgotten to report his actions to Leonardo. My plans had vanished the moment I saw my husband injured and weak that day. I was so relieved when we finally saw each other, causing me to wave the white flag between us. The truth was, I still hated his job as the head of an entire mafia organization but the only difference was I didn't want anything to happen to him. Especially since my father was actively trying to kill him. Leonardo seemed determined to be follow through with his plan to carry out that secret trade, and my father was never going to let him succeed. I overh
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) The Only Thing That Turns Her On.
ALESSANDRA I sat in the back passenger seat, checking my phone as we drove down the street. Spotting the gym around the corner, I knew we were getting close, so I texted Bianca again. My heart pounded in my ears as I anxiously waited for the distraction I needed, but it didn't come.Just as I was about to reach out to one of my father's people in the city, the car jolted, causing me to lurch forward. Once everyone recovered from the shock, one of the men, whom I assumed to be the leader, turned to check on me. “Ma’am, are you alright?”“Yes, I am,” I replied, my chest heaving. The men stepped out to examine the damage, and I smiled with relief as I watched them talking to the other driver.I quietly snuck through the back door and blended into the streets. This was not the first time I was doing it anyway, but it was something I swore I would never do again when my father pushed a man's teeth down his throat for taking me out on a movie date. But I was very good at this. I avoided a
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) He Would Never Change.
ALESSANDRA It took Leonardo's men less than ten minutes to find me. All of them stormed into the boutique, dressed in black suits and gloves with labored breathing. As soon as he saw me, the leader approached me with sweat trinkling down his forehead. His voice went hard as he demanded, “We have been searching for you everywhere. Where did you go?”“I came here to shop since you were busy fighting those men who bumped your car,” I replied without looking at him. I shoved the shopping bags into his arms and warned, “And you’d better be careful what you tell my husband when we return. I mean it.”He remained silent as I strode past him and exited the boutique. During the ride, my mind was consumed with worry about the missing note. It was an important piece of evidence, something that could incriminate me and my sister if revealed to Leonardo.I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice when we arrived home. Maybe Bianca could help, I thought as the door beside me suddenly open
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Returning To Her Old Plans.
ALESSANDRA I didn't come down from dinner. Leonardo didn't come up to bed that night either. I stayed in my room until a maid waiting brought my food to me in the afternoon. It took some time for my mind to function properly after what happened between me and my husband. If anything was clear to me, it was that I couldn't stay here any longer with Leonardo. I had to find some information about that damn trade. When Dante came to visit again, I asked him for a favor. I told him, “Please let Mia pack some of my things from the mansion and bring it over.”“If there's anything you need, we can buy it for you,” Dante offered with a stiff expression. I sensed something bad had gone down between him and my sister and it made me happy. The sooner Mia realized the true colors of the De Castello men, the earlier she would be saved from agony and despair. I insisted, “There are some personal stuff I need right here with me. I have already spoken to Mia so she will give it all to you. Plea
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) An Attack In A Restaurant.
ALESSANDRADante dropped by the house at dawn the next day. I had just started descending the stairs when I spotted him about to leave, so I called out, “Hey! Thanks for bringing my stuff. How’s Mia?”His lips tightened. “She’s still bratty as ever.” He paused when he remembered something and gave me a wary look. “Do you know if she’s hanging out with any guy? Did she tell you anything?”I froze. When I saw he was still looking at me, I shook my head. “N-No, she didn’t say anything. I thought you guys were-”“You thought we were what?” Dante tensed, his eyes searching mine.When I noticed his reaction, I faked a small chuckle and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just thought you guys were close enough to talk about these things. She really likes you, you know.”“She does?” Dante’s eyes lit up for a second before he tried to cover it with a light cough, but it was too late.“Yeah,” I affirmed. “She once told me she wished you were her older brother. She thinks you’re cool.” That was a col
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) The White Star Gang.
ALESSANDRA After what happened that night, I couldn't sleep at all. I turned on the TV, hoping to see any news that would report the bald man's death but there was nothing throughout the entire morning. When I couldn't wait anymore, I decided to reach out to the only person I could trust at this moment. I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up the call. After two attempts, she did. “What the hell do you think you are doing, Alessandra? You do know that your husband will be tracing your calls, right?!” she scolded. “I'm sorry, Bianca,” I paced back and forth in my bedroom, worry gnawing my mind. I defended, “But you know I wouldn't have reached out to you if I didn't have a big problem.” She sighed, “So what's this problem about?”“I want to know about a gang that has a star tattooed on their neck,” I described some no further details to her and asked, “Who are they?”Bianca sucked her teeth thrice, “Bad news. They are from the White Star gang, the fourth largest gang in
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Meeting Duncan Crescent.
ALESSANDRA After jotting down the address he had given me, I waited until it was almost midnight before scaling the walls of the house. All these days of subtly observing their work shifts had finally come in handy but I barely escaped just before the guards switched. I walked a few blocks down the street, just to be cautious, before hailing a cab. A few minutes later, I arrived at the hotel he'd mentioned. I strode straight to the reception desk and asked, “Hello, do you have anyone named Duncan Crescent living here?”The lady's eyes went alert when she heard the name. She scrutinized me carefully, eyeing my pink shirt and jeans with sneakers. When she was done, she grabbed the telephone and made a call. I used the distraction to activate my GPS tracker, just in case things turned messy. While I was determined to resolve this situation calmly, I couldn't ignore the fact that most mafia men were patriarchal and irrational. The longer I stood there, the more my resolve wavered, and
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Sofia's Accusations.
ALESSANDRA Sofia's face lit up immediately when she heard his words. While I was struggling to stay alive, she approached us and hugged his back tightly. She praised him, “Oh, honey, I just knew you were the best! You are a real man, the type who would do anything to avenge his child.”Duncan hummed apathetically. He seemed to remember something and turned to her, “Does that mean that after I take care of her, we can try and have another baby?”“O-Of course!” Sofia's face blanched when she heard his words but then, her eyes landed on me. She reassured him, “All you need to do is get rid of her and we will have the family you have always wanted.”My eyes rolled to the back of my head as his grip tightened on my neck. Digging my hand into the back pocket of my jeans, I desperately pulled out a knife and immediately dug it into his side. As he let go of me, I raced towards the elevator, hoping to reach there before any of his guards caught up with me but I was too slow. I cried out whe
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UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Leonardo Doesn't Want Her Anymore?
ALESSANDRA I woke up in the late in the night with a throbbing headache and pain over all my body. It took me some time to realize that I was lying on the couch in an office. The heavy scent of medicine told me that I had been treated, and memories rushed to me. Orlando...beating me....trying to rape me.A single tear slipped down my cheeks as I released a pained sob escaped my lips, when I tried to move a bit. Compared to the incident with Noah, I felt like this one topped the my list of traumatizing experiences I had gone through. I really thought Orlando was going to have his way with me until Leonardo arrived. As I continued to cry, a pair of arms suddenly pulled me up, drawing me closer to a warm body. When I recognized his body scent, fresh tears poured down my cheeks and hugged him tighter.Leonardo stroked my hair tenderly and spoke, “Don't worry, every thing is alright now.”I pulled away and asked, “What will happen to him? Is he still alive or...”“Do you really expect
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Suspicions About Her Betrayal.
LEONARDO I paced back and forth outside my office, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I awaited Keith's diagnosis about my wife. Every fiber of my being wanted to burst into the room and confront the politician, but I forced myself to remain outside the door.“He's all tied up now,” Dante informed me, arriving with my new Capo, Rocco. “Do you want to meet him now?”I shook my head. “No, I need to stay here for Alessandra. Just keep the bastard conscious enough for me to deal with him later.”Dante, sensing my turmoil, placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “She’s going to be okay, mio fratello.”My heart clenched at the memory of finding her so beaten and broken. She had looked so lovely this evening before we left the house, but now her body was bruised and battered. Her face, once unblemished, was now swollen and covered in cuts and bruises.I felt like I was losing my mind each minute that passed without Keith's appearance but just when I was about to burst, the doctor fina
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) The Monster She Just Discovered.
ALESSANDRA I felt like a complete fool staring at the face of my friend who pretended like he didn't know all through the dinner. Even worse, when I discovered that he could speak Russian as he conversed with my husband about secret matters. This situation only reminded me of the words that Bianca had been repeating since she met me. All men were liars and cheats. I couldn't help but make a face when I took the first bite of my meal. The pasta in my mouth felt rubbery and dry, something that even my younger sister would never cooked in a thousand years. “What's wrong, Alessandra?” Leonardo noticed my expression and turned his attention to me. “Do you not feel well?”“I think I need to use the restroom,” I rose from my seat, not casting a glance at either one of them. Leonardo immediately beckoned a nearby waiter and asked her to guide me so I left without looking back. After hiding in the restroom for a good thirty minutes, I decided it was time to come out before Leonardo came l
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) An Unexpected Meeting In A Gambling Den.
ALESSANDRA I still have no idea how I managed it, but somehow, I reappeared before my husband in just thirty minutes. Dressed in a stunning green dress with a fitted bodice and a sweetheart neckline, I made my way toward Leonardo. The A-line skirt cascaded to the floor, sweeping gracefully across the stairs as I approached him.“All set,” I announced, still smoothing the curls pinned at the back of my hair, awaiting my husband's judgement. “How do I look?”He glanced at me, his expression impassive. “Good. Let’s go,” Leonardo replied curtly, grabbing my hand and turning to walk away. His words left a dull ache in my chest, and I couldn’t shake the pang of disappointment as I watched him disappear out of the house.His quick change of attitude left me extremely baffled as we rose the car ride in silence. At first, I thought he was acting like this because of a bad business call, but my unease increased when he started giving me one-word responses. “Is everything okay?” I shot him a q
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Confessing The Truth To Her New Friend.
ALESSANDRAThe next few days passed like a soft breeze, dispelling the boredom and loneliness I had felt before. I spent most of my days working at the restaurant and my nights exchanging stories with my younger sister, Mia. Although she was still depressed with the news of Dante's incoming wedding, she seemed slightly better now that she had gotten a new internet friend. However, I had also acquired a new friend who always dropped by the restaurant to come and eat after work hours. Orlando was a very sweet man who constantly praised my cooking, sharing stories about his days campaigning for the position of the mayor of the city and he always left with an extra helping for his mother. One day, he asked, “I'm having dinner tonight with someone important, and I wanted to know if you'd like to be my escort for the evening.”I could tell he admired me, which was unfortunate since I already belonged to someone else. Noticing the faint blush on his cheeks, I couldn't help but tease him. “
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Meeting An Admirer of Italian Cuisine.
ALESSANDRA The next day, I had just finished preparing my first dish of the day in the restaurant when my boss called me over from the exit. The unexpected summon made me slightly anxious, but I quickly wiped my wet hands on a nearby napkin and hurried over to her.“Is there something I can help you with, Madame?” I asked.The old woman paused, staring through the door at the crowd of customers enjoying their meals. After a moment, she turned back to me and said, “There's someone who wants to meet you, Alessandra. He claims to be a friend of yours.”“A friend?” I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. Leaning over her shoulder, I scanned the room for a familiar face, but saw no one I recognized.Mrs. Dubois gently pushed me back, shielding me with her body as she spoke, “If you don't know anyone over there, then just tell me. I will go and fetch some of Leonardo's men over and-”“Wait, Leonardo's men are also here?” My heart skipped a beat as I stared at her with wide eyes. I
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Alessandra's Dilemma.
ALESSANDRA My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I stood frozen before Rocco who was now standing before. I had no idea what to tell him and I was a hundred percent sure that he wouldn't believe a word I said. My mind remained black even when Bianca shot me a look, silently willing me to do something but I couldn't. “I should have known you were not to be trusted but now, I have proof,” Rocco's snarled, turning away from me. “Just wait and see what Leo would do when he finds out you are nothing but a traitor.”Guilt and anxiety flashed through my eyes as I tried to stop him. “Rocco, wait! It's not what you think-”“How boring,” Bianca commented dryly. She blocked his path and faced him. “If you want to tell him, then go ahead. But the truth was that I gave Alessandra a mission to find out if her hot chef colleague is single. She was supposed to ask him out for me, right, Alessandra?”I cleared my throat when I caught Bianca's look and replied, “Y-Yes, but I told you that Leonardo
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Dante is Getting Married?
ALESSANDRA That evening, I decided to pay Mia a visit. When I entered her room, I found her lying on the bed, her entire figure hidden beneath the sheets. Concern etched across my face, I dropped my bag to the floor and moved my tired body toward her. “What's wrong, Mia? Are you feeling unwell?”“D-Dante...” Mia sobbed, clutching the sheets tightly as I tried to pull them away from her.I stilled, my heart racing with anxiety and worry. “What happened to Dante? Is he dead?”“No,” she shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “He's getting married!”“What?”“Mamma just called me, and she said Valentina and Dante are getting married!” she informed me. I sank into the bed, trying to wrap my head around the idea that my former best friend was getting married to my brother-in-law. With both their personalities, I was sure they would never be compatible with each other but that was not my business anymore. “Well, maybe this is what is best for everyone,” I remarked. I knew Mia was n
UNDER LEO'S COMMAND (The De Castello Family #1) Approached By A Stranger.
ALESSANDRA After that night, Leonardo never returned to the house. He stopped calling and texting me, and I lacked the courage to reach out to him. He had every right to be angry, but I wished he would give me a chance to explain.A few days later, I started working at the restaurant Le Jardin Des Saveurs as a gourmet chef. My employer, Mrs. Dubois, was very pleased with my dishes and always took good care of me. According to her, it was Leonardo who helped her start a new life after being abandoned by her husband and children.“I had stage 3 cancer once,” she confided. “My husband, who was Capo working for Davide, didn’t want the world to know the truth, so he locked me up in a hospital for treatment. When I finally recovered, I returned home to find he had taken a new wife, a new mother for my children.”My heart ached as I saw tears well up in her eyes. I grabbed a couple of tissues from the desk and handed them to her. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Dubois,” I said softly.She dismissed my
