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
LEONARDO Shit. That was the only thought in my mind as I watched my wife shoot her best friend. As soon as Valentina's body hit the floor, I started moving toward her, eager to check on her condition. But Alessandra's furious voice cut through the shocked silence, “Don't you dare take another step, Leo.”I shot a look to Dante who immediately went to examine her. After a few tense seconds, he glanced up at me and said, “It's nothing serious. She got hit on the shoulder but she will make it.”My body slackened from relief after hearing his words. I spun around and pulled away my weapon from Alessandra. There was not a single trace of remorse on her face. Although it should have worried me, the fact that she had pulled the trigger because of me turned my cock into stone. “We need to talk,” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the bedroom. I wished I could say that I had done it only with the intention of scolding her but something about being alone with her after what she had d
ALESSANDRAI hurried after Mia, buttoning my shirt with shaky hands. My legs felt like jelly and perspiration clung to my skin when I came out of the apartment and into the hallway. I was so preoccupied with thoughts of my sister that I didn't notice when another figure collided with me. I quickly steadied myself, looking up to see Rocco standing in front of me.Rocco made a disgruntled noise as he turned to face me, “Keep your eyes on the road, woman,” he snapped. My first instinct was to reply with a sassy comeback but the wet patch of blood on his black shirt stopped me from speaking. I asked him, “Have you seen my sister?”“Mia?” He shook his head, glancing back at at hallway behind him, “No, I didn't. Isn't she supposed to be sleeping at this time?”Worry gripped my heart when she was not within my sights anymore. Mia might be bubbly and cute, but she was also very willful sometimes and always got into trouble. If we were in California, I would not be this concerned about her w
ALESSANDRAAfter my fight with Mia, she stayed cooped up in her room whenever I was around. In the past, I would have been the first to give in and try to reconcile, but this time, I was thoroughly pissed at her behavior. I was risking everything to protect her from our father's evil schemes, yet she hurt me with her words.Despite my anger, I refused to give up on her and decided to keep her with me for the meantime. However, I was determined to stay mad until she apologized. I kept glancing at the direction of her room, lost in thought until I felt a sharp flick on my forehead. I cried out in pain and said, “What the hell was that for?”“How many times have I told you to stop thinking about other people when you are with me?” Leonardo supported his face with one hand as he stared at me. I had to admit that he looked incredibly handsome today, dressed in a leather jacket, worn-out jeans, and boots. He looked every inch of a heartbreaker my mother had always warned me about, with his
LEONARDO In my world, there was no such thing as weakness. That was the first thing my father told Giovanni when he had finished his induction ceremony as a Made Man, but I was eavesdropping at the door because I knew he would never let me have such a ceremony. Davide De Castello was well aware of my superior capabilities; I was smarter, faster and stronger than his first son, and he didn't want any competition between us. But that advice had never left my mind since the day I returned to the mafia and took over my father's throne. I was done a good job of making everyone believe that I had no problem sacrificing anyone on my chessboard because that's all they were to me. Pawns. Now things had changed. And it was not looking good at all. “Leonardo?” Alessandra's teary eyes locked onto mine, her voice trembling with worry. “Where is Mia?”I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should tell her the truth or not. It had taken me hard work to fix our relationship, but now everythin
LEONARDO An hour later, Dante and I decided to take Mia to one of our warehouses in the area, instead of taking her home. I insisted on keeping her gagged and tied for private reasons until we reached my office. Dante placed the unconscious girl on the couch near the door and cut her binds, an action that did not go unnoticed. My hands felt slightly sweaty under the black leather gloves, the material growing slick under my palms. However, I resisted the temptation to remove it and simply rubbed them against each other to steady myself. “Okay, you can go now,” I dismissed him, rolling back my sleeves to reveal the black inked tattoos underneath. “I need you to buy some clothes and other essentials she might need. Take one of the girls with you.”My brother sensed my intentions and cast a hesitant look at the girl lying on the couch. He turned back to me and said, “Go easy on her, Leo. She just went through a traumatic experience and needs to-”“Why the hell do you care?” I snapped,
LEONARDO After we confirmed who was behind the attack, Dante stayed with the women to help them pack their stuff while I stayed in the office to make a call. As soon as the person answered, I released a stream of curses in Italian before switching back to English. “You mothefucker, you dare betray me and attack my woman?”“What the hell are you talking about?” A thick, accented voice responded, filled of confusion. The fact that he was trying to deny it made my blood boil. He was like a brother to me, and his betrayal cut deep like a hot knife through butter. I snarled, “I know what you did, Ivan. Your men left one of his weapons in my apartment and I'll be using it to pull out your guts when I find you.”“Don't you dare threaten me, De Castello,” he snapped, his voice cold as ice. “You might be a dangerous man, but don't forget that I'm just as dangerous.”I chuckled sinisterly. “Is that so? Then you can expect me to return the favor, especially after I cancel our little business.
ALESSANDRA The next day, Leonardo took me and Mia to another mansion. He had not spoken to me since the day he saved me in his apartment. I gazed at him, observing every minute expression on his face. He had furrowed eyebrows, tensed jaw as he maneuvered the car on the road. His silence added to the tension around us, and I could tell that something was disturbing him. I shared a look with Mia before I turned to him and asked, “Where are we going, Leo?”“You'll see,” he replied curtly. I fell silent as we approached the mansion, stopping in front of the big, fancy gate. My eyes widened slightly as a spark of recognition lit up in my mind. I knew this place. I was sure about it because I had lived her for three years. This was the De Castello mansion. A security guard stopped our car but when he glanced at the license plate, he immediately rushed out and came to greet us. Leonardo exchanged pleasantries with the old man when we stepped down from the car. I took opportunity to gla
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
LEONARDO This motherfucker was really trying to piss me off. As I turned off the auto-mode and took control of the steering wheel, I cast a look at the black car through the rearview mirror. The car was no longer alone but it had three more cars accompanying it. My blood boiled in my veins as I gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white.Whoever these people were, they must have followed me from my office which meant that my headquarters' location had been exposed. The first black car rammed into me again, causing my car to skid against the asphalt but I quickly regained control this time. My senses became more sharper and attuned to the situation as I avoided being flanked by all three cars. The last car hit me harder this time, but I quickly countered the skid to avoid the close call. I slammed on the brakes, letting the SUV shoot past me, then floored the accelerator, ramming its rear bumper with all the force I could muster. The SUV swerved, momentarily losing control.Taking