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
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
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
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
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
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
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
ALESSANDRA This time, I heard Dante's footsteps approaching towards us. Although Duncan looked tensed about the situation, he didn't object to the search but instead reached for his cup of rum. As soon as Dante's eyes landed on me, he immediately whipped out his gun and shot the guard beside me. The man fell down with a large thud as he moved towards me. He ripped the tape over my mouth, making me cry out in pain.His eyes were wide from shock and disbelief when he saw my tattered appearance, “Oh mio Dio, Alessandra! Perché sei qui?” he asked. When Duncan heard the gunshot, he reached for his weapon but froze. Leonardo pointed his gun at his head as he called for his brother, “Dante, is everything alright over there?”Dante's grim eyes met mine after his brother's question, so he simply peeled off his jacket and wrapped it around me. He swore under his breath as he helped me stand up, “Leonardo is going to lose his shit again...”I barely registered his words as we walked towards L
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
ALESSANDRAThe room was deathly silent between us, broken only by the sounds of our harsh breaths echoing in the air. My legs gave way, and I sank onto the bed, my voice trembling as I asked, “How long have you known the truth about Marcella's death?”“Since I turned fifteen,” he replied darkly. “I overheard my father scolding Bianca for sneaking out to a party. He reminded her about her ‘mistake’.” Leonardo scoffed bitterly.Seeing the pain in his eyes, my heart ached, and I reached for him. “I'm so sorry about your sister, Leo-”“How did you know what happened to Marcella?” he cut me off, his eyes narrowing. “Who told you?”I gulped nervously, scrambling for a lie. I couldn't risk revealing my connection with Bianca, which would jeopardize everything I'd worked for. My lips moved faster than my brain, blurting out, “I heard it when I was married to Giovanni. He mentioned it during an argument with his sister, calling her a heartless monster or something like that.”“I see.” Leonardo
ALESSANDRA It was late when we finally returned to the mansion. Apparently, all the chaos at the yatch had turned Leonardo into a sex monster, someone with a relentless and insatiable hunger. He barely let me catch my breath throughout the car ride, ravishing my body until I was nothing but a sweaty mess. My legs felt shaky when I tried to come down from the car, causing me to shoot him a dirty look for the way he had left me completely undone. My husband's lazy smirk remained unaffected as he offered his hand to help steady myself. I caught my breath, smoothing my dress and fixing my hair, when I heard a low chuckle rumble from his chest.“What's so funny?” I snapped, trying to maintain my pissed appearance, but it was helplessly falling like a house of cards when I saw him. He looked too damn good, his hair tousled and shirt unbuttoned, exposing his broad chest adorned with tattoos. Right now, I was starting to think that I was the one who was the sex monster, because all I wante
ALESSANDRAAs we entered the cabin, my eyes darted around, instinctively searching for an alternative exit in case the yacht was compromised, but there was none. The place was furnished simply yet elegantly, with a large oak table dominating the center and lights from the ceiling casting a warm glow.Leonardo took his seat first, his eyes following Ivan as he walked to the mini bar to fetch some drinks. Then, with a small tug, he grabbed my hand and pulled me onto his lap. I landed with a faint gasp, the slit of my dress widening to reveal my long legs.“What do you want to drink?” my husband asked, smoothing my dress as he rearranged my legs across his own. His soft caresses sent a jolt of electricity through my body, so I slapped his hand away, giving him a stern look."I'm not thirsty, thank you," I replied, keeping my back straight as an arrow. My nerves were jittery in the heavy silence that filled the room.After a few minutes, Ivan reappeared, carrying a tray with glasses and a
ALESSANDRA In the end, I chose a classic black gown that fell to my knees and wore flats for more mobility. I styled my hair into a tight low ponytail, adorned with hairpins on the side. Leonardo wanted to show off my beauty to his associates, but I had to prioritize my safety since I wasn't sure where we were going."Are you done, babe?" My husband's voice echoed from across the room, making me pause as I put on my earrings."Yes, I am," I replied.Leonardo emerged from the walk-in closet, adjusting his black tie. He looked incredibly handsome and powerful, dressed in an expensive black suit with his hair slicked back.Our eyes met in the mirror, silently examining each other's outfits. My breath hitched slightly when his lips curved into a smile. He said, "You look beautiful, Lexi."Despite hearing this throughout the afternoon when he was worshipping my body, my red-painted lips still curved into a smile. "You don't look too bad yourself, Leo. Now, I can't help but worry if this i
ALESSANDRA The room was thick with tension as Leonardo interrogated me, his eyes searching mine. I was so caught off guard that tears streamed down my cheeks, momentarily clearing my vision as I struggled to find the words. But Leonardo's stern demeanor cracked when he saw my tears, and he immediately closed the distance between us."What's wrong?" he asked, holding me tightly as sobs wracked my body. He shot a helpless look at Dante and Rocco before turning back to me. "Tell me why you're crying, mio amore. Did Bianca bully you?"I shook my head slowly, unable to speak as grief choked my throat. Leonardo couldn't know that I was aware Ilaro was dead, so I simply kept quiet and cried my heart out.Eventually, my sobs subsided, but Leonardo continued to stroke my hair gently. I realized that Dante and Rocco had left, probably to find out why I was crying so much.Once he sensed the tension leaving my body, he gently forced me to face him, but I kept my eyes glued to the floor. I could
ALESSANDRA As I racked my brain about how to find an opportunity to confront Bianca, a sudden knock on the door grabbed my attention. I went to the door and opened it, thinking it was Mia who had come to see me but I was wrong. “You better have a very good reason for calling me here,” Bianca walked past her. “I have to return downstairs before Massimo starts looking for me so you have any new information about the secret Russian trade?” she asked. My blood boiled by her presence, but I forced myself to reply calmly, “I have something even better.” I grabbed a glass of water from the nearby table and threw it at her, drenching her completely.“What the hell, Alessandra?!” Bianca gasped, eyes wide with disbelief and shock. She retreated, her dress soaked. “This dress is very no expensive. Why did you do that?!”“That's what you get for lying to me!” I snapped. Her face switched from genuine confusion to realization and surprise. I planted my hands on my hips and I asked her, “Did y
ALESSANDRA Today was finally my first day of work. Last night, I kept trying on different outfits, each one carefully chosen for the day ahead. Leonardo had assured me that the job interview was just a formality, but I still wanted to impress the restaurant owner and show I was more than capable of handling the position.Although I was very happy to finally leave the house during the day, my spirits were a little dampened because of my fight with Mia. I finally remembered that I didn't tell her about my new job. She would have been so happy to hear I was going to be working if she wasn't so mad with me about Dante. I just hoped Leonardo was able to convince Dante to leave her alone. For both our sakes. The thought of Leonardo also reminded me that I had also gotten into a fight with him. I tried my best to tell him about the secret affair his brother was having with my sister but he seemed too busy with his mistress than listen to me. Deep down, I wondered why I was so possessiv