ALESSANDRAA week passed by after my argument with Leonardo, each day stretching endlessly in the silence of his apartment. He hadn’t returned after that day, leaving me alone with Luigi, my bodyguard. Though I told myself to be grateful for the small victory I had won, the crushing boredom weighed heavily on me, gnawing at my insides and filling me with restlessness.After two more days, I decided that I couldn't continue like this. “Take me to Leonardo,” I demanded one night, my voice firm and unwavering as I addressed the six-foot figure, packed with muscles. With my arms crossed defiantly over my chest, I added, “He said I could go anywhere, as long as you accompany me.”Luigi studied me intently, his sharp gaze sweeping over my dress, and returning my glare with his own. The silence hung heavy between us, charged with unspoken tension. He replied firmly, “Leonardo doesn't want to see you.”I already knew that because I was there when he called, asking for permission but another
LEONARDO What have I done?As I stared into Alessandra's eyes, all I could see was the pain I had caused her. She tried to look strong and unfazed by the discovery of my affair with her best friend but I knew deep down, she might never forgive me for this. I shot up from my seat immediately to reach her, knowing that she could disappear like the wind but she was already out of the door. “Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. I grabbed my gun from the table and caught after her just before she exited the VIP area. “Alessandra, please let me explain,” I pleaded. She jerked away from me like I was carrying a freaking disease that was contagious. I had never heard her scream until now, “Don't you dare touch me, Leonardo! Not with those hands you used to caress your whore!”“I did it all for you,” I knew how pathetic my words sounded, but I didn't know what else to say except the truth. She still had no idea about my hardships and sacrifices so I tried to tell her, “When I returned to the
ALESSANDRA After breakfast alone, I paced back and forth in the living room, scolding myself for being impulsive again. I should have never reacted that way when I saw Valentina and Leonardo together, but I guessed the pain of betrayal from a friend hurt a lot. There was no way I would care if my husband slept with another woman. In our world, men weren't usually faithful to their wives, but I always imagined that Leonardo would be different. I guess it explained the tightness in my heart, a feeling that was stuck in my chest like a hot knife. I was really naive in the past, wasn't I? The Leonardo I once knew as a young girl seemed like a completely different person now. Back then, he was quiet but reckless, often finding himself in the middle of fights for some unknown reasons. Despite his intense exterior, he had a gentle side when it came to me, showing a sweetness that made me feel cherished amidst his antics. But now, he had turned into someone I could hardly recognize. I ra
ALESSANDRA I jolted from the bed, every fiber of my being protesting this absurd deal that had taken place without my knowledge. "You can't be serious! Mia is only 16, Leonardo!" I screamed with frustration and desperation. My husband remained unfazed by my outburst, flicking the edge of the cigarette onto the Persian rug. He seemed not to care about the situation at all and it made me furious how he thought he could acquire us so easily like we were livestock. He replied coldly, "I expressed my dissatisfaction about our marriage to your father and he offered Mia instead. He told me that I would have to wait until she was of legal age before I could have her so I agreed." My heart turned into ice after hearing his words. I had met many ruthless men in this world, some of them were even heartless to sacrifice their own mothers for their greed and ambition. But to see the man I once loved break my heart over and over again was a first for me. "You are talking about my baby sister,"
ALESSANDRA “How could you do this, Patrizio?” I screamed into my phone, anger bubbling in my chest. I paced back and forth while speaking to my father, “I thought we had an agreement. How could you sell your daughter like she was one of the cargoes you traffick across the Atlantic Ocean?!”After my talk with Mia, she immediately returned to her room with the excuse that she wanted to rest. I knew she was disappointed in me but I didn't know how to tell her that she had been sold off by her own father. My father scowled, “It's your fault, Alessandra. Leonardo complained about your inability to please him and demanded your sister. If only you had done your job, this would have never happened-”“Did you know Valentina was sleeping with my husband?” I asked him, holding my breath for his response. My question caught him off guard, and I could tell that he was thinking about how to respond to me. After some quiet seconds, he replied flippantly, “Yes, I did. But I don't see how that woul
LEONARDOAfter dinner, I lingered longer than I probably should have, engrossed in conversation with Mia, who had just arrived to spend some time with us. She radiated excitement about the vibrant city, her eyes sparkling as she shared her plans to explore the city. In contrast, Dante and Rocco sat nearby, expressions flat and disinterested. I couldn’t really fault them for it. We had just finished dealing with a few small-time troublemakers who had attempted to encroach on my territory. They turned out to be more resilient and cunning than I anticipated but I managed to make sure they won't forget my warnings again because I carved it on their bodies.“I think I'm going turn in for the night,” Rocco announced, after checking his wristwatch. As my most trusted Capo, he was the one who handled the aftermath of the mess I created. His tone dropped a few inches as he whispered, “Oh, that reminds me, Luigi told me he was taking a leave to see his sick sister this week. So I'll send someo
ALESSANDRA I knew seducing Leonardo would come with certain challenges, but I hadn't expected it to be difficult. Since that day, he began leaving at dawn and returning early in the evening, devoting all his time to Mia. I noticed that he would only come back to the bedroom when he thought I was asleep, slipping silently into the shower.Frustration simmered within me concerning his iron-clad resolve not to make the first move, and the fact that he was blatantly ignoring me in Mia's presence grated on my nerves. My sister giggled bashfully whenever he was around, utterly oblivious to how her actions hurt me.Damn it. He was my husband, not hers. One weekend, I decided to take matters into my own hands and suggested a shopping trip. Mia happily agreed to it. I had secretly hoped Leonardo would join us, but to my disappointment, he sent Dante to escort us instead. It was obvious that he was avoiding me, but I was determined to end this cat-and-mouse game once we returned. I was goin
ALESSANDRA I could feel my heartbeat pounding in the quiet hallway, watching Noah from a distance. The room seemed to sway around me, inducing a sense of lightness in my body that made me dizzy. His words seemed to drown under the heavy fog of sleep that weighed heavily on my eyes. “...are you okay, Alessandra?” Noah's voice made my spine go cold, his hands wrapped around my waist. He asked me, “Do you need help?”I rasped, “Don't touch me.” The air around me grew thick and suffocating. I tried to push him away but he remained a sturdy wall, firm and unyielding. Noah's sweaty fingers slipped under my shirt, trailing upwards until he reached my bra. He squeezed my breasts hard, molding them out of shape as he cooed into my ear, “Don't worry, baby. I'm gonna take care of you. Fear pumped through my veins, feeling him press his lower body to mine. I willed my body to move, to do something but there was no reaction. Deep down, I hoped that Mia would go looking for me once she realize
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
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
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
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
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. “
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
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
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
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