MenaI relaxed my body in the hot bath Alessio had prepared for me. He sat beside the tub, running a brush gently through my hair after washing it. It was a sweet gesture, one no one had ever done for me before.He even brought me a plate of snacks and let me rest without disturbing my peace. All his actions were completely different from the ‘heartless man’ who was out to avenge his uncle.As I rested there, my mind wandered back to the conversation we had about Anson. He was going to kill him, and I was not allowed to interfere. There was nothing about that, that had to be difficult—yet it was.I was going insane thinking about the reasons why he hadn’t shared his plans with me, and this time I had come to another conclusion. Maybe it was because I hadn’t given him any reaction when he had promised to kill him.At that time, I was too shocked to respond. Especially since those words had left his mouth so easily.Was my silence causing him doubt not to share anything with me?Did he
AlessioEver since Dad had left the country and handed over the business to me, every day had been filled with work and meetings. I had spent the whole week visiting and getting familiar with his allies.His partners, friends, politicians, the other families, and so on. There had been no time to rest, and even then, I was in deep conversation about our plans for revenge against the Baldinis.Around the table sat the heads of ten different families in total. It was the second week since we had begun discussing the problem, and after a while, I had finally made my decision. "It might seem quiet for now, but that doesn't mean it is quiet," I said. “That’s why, after hearing everyone's suggestions, I suggest we don’t waste any time—and just go straight to our target.”I locked eyes with each and every person around the table, one by one. "The wedding will be soon, and trust me, we will be there—and we’ll deal with them then."The entire East stood behind the Fanuccis. I made sure to warn
Alessio"I want you to meet up with the Baldinis, ask them for the one responsible for your Uncle’s death, and if they don’t want to give him—then we’ll go with your plan." Gustavo’s words were of no use.It would have been a failed and hopeless attempt. There was no negotiation possible with the Baldinis, especially not to ask for the head of Maxine’s fiancé.Not to mention, meeting up with the Baldinis would have been dangerous.I glanced back at my uncles, seeking their guidance. All they did was return my look with a nod, agreeing with Gustavo, although they too were certainly not eager to patch things up.Despite being the one with the final say, I respected them more than anything. They were more experienced and had never worked against me."I’ll do what you say—and I’ll get back to you at our next meeting," I said to please him. I would play his stupid game, meet up with the Baldinis, and show him there was absolutely no other option but to go to war.Gustavo smiled, satisfied
MenaThe days dragged on, some even worse than the others, and I was feeling lonelier by the day. I knew this would happen, and I knew Alessio wasn’t doing it on purpose—so I kept that in mind.It didn’t help that he took Donni, Levi, and Dante with him. The three I would hang out with from time to time. They followed him wherever he went. Gian was too busy with therapy, and if not, he was either resting or hung out with some of the guys. His real friends.I gazed out of the window, listening to the excited squeals of the girls behind me as they played with their dollhouse. Yet another car drove past the gates. When I first came here, I used to take a peek every now and then in fear of Anson coming for us. But now it had become a habit, and I didn’t know for what reason.I guess after playing dollhouse for a bit too long at my big age, I was just getting bored. Don’t get me wrong, I loved playing with Naty and I loved being around Melody—but playing ten different characters just wasn’
MenaI woke up the next morning, with Pilar still asleep beside me. Careful not to disturb her, I managed to slip out of bed and headed to my room.As expected, Alessio had already left for the day. Nothing new.After a quick shower, it was time to get the children ready for school. I sat with them at the kitchen table as they ate their breakfast.“Good morning, guys!” Pilar joined us, walking into the kitchen. The girls immediately greeted her back, and she gave them a back hug. Then she took a seat beside me."Morning. What are our plans for today?" Pilar asked, stealing some food off my plate."I have to get these two to school.”Pilar leaned closer. "Even with everything going on?" she whispered.“They have security at the school,” I whispered back.Pilar shrugged. "I guess you’re right. It’s not like anyone from the West is stupid enough to enter this territory right now."Her acknowledgment that no one dared to enter this territory put me at ease. I was indeed nervous about lett
AlessioWalking through the halls of the escort agency, I headed toward my destination. Between visiting Estelle for a favor and having to get to a meeting to face the devil himself—something I didn't want to think about—it would be a busy day.As I reached the door, Estelle was already there, staring at me with an intense gaze. Our arrangement was clear. She had agreed to visit Mikael to be my voice and would deliver the words I had rehearsed with her. She would be the key to the information Mikael would give me."Hi again," Estelle greeted, looking me up and down. She wore high heels and a tight black dress, which she pulled down a bit with a teasing grin."What's up," I raised my head.She brushed her hand through her hair, "Are you going to come in or not?"I entered her room. Music played in the background, and the smell of scented candles hit my nose. She was trying so hard, she had even dimmed the light. My gaze drifted to a collection of pictures on her wall. From portraits to
Alessio“Boss, you should know that your fiancee and Miss Pilar followed you to your last location,” the voice on the other end of the phone informed me as I sat in the car.I had instructed some of the guys to discreetly watch over Jimena if she ever left the mansion. It was only a precaution, nothing as bad as that tracker in her ring.Hearing this made me feel irritated. "Where is she now?" I demanded."She was headed to the mall," he replied."Keep me updated. Make sure she doesn’t follow me to my next location," I instructed before ending the call.Cursing under my breath, I let my forehead fall to the steering wheel. The thought of Jimena seeing me at that escort agency made me nauseous. It wasn’t a good look, and I knew it looked wrong.I had been working hard to protect her, to keep her away from everything—yet she felt the need to track me down.Why would she do that in the first place?All she had to do was sit back and enjoy her day.It was a good thing I had chosen to visi
AlessioThe tension in the room ran high as we all waited for Leonardo to enter. “I want no fights, no guns, just stay chill, don’t say a word—and I’ll do the talking,” I commanded the men, making sure no one would do something out of the ordinary.Dante clicked his tongue, “You telling us or yourself?”Good question.The door opened, and Leonardo entered with his men, a wicked smirk plastered on his lips. Among them was Anson, and I felt a storm of rage brewing inside me.Our eyes locked, and he carried the same smirk as Leonardo, his eyes quite different from the last time we had met. I could hardly believe this was the same man who had begged me for mercy when his life hung by a thread and I was kind enough to let him live.Now he was glaring at me, as if daring me to make a move, and it took every ounce of self-control not to react. I had to remember the bigger picture and the reason we were here. I would get my revenge, just not today.Leonardo seated himself directly across from
IsaacIt was only afternoon when Isaac carried a large bucket of grapes back into the mansion. As he walked, he was surrounded by the giggles of the children running around him.Among them were two of the many children of Amaro Ortega, a ten-year-old and an eight-year-old girl. They reminded him so much of his own daughter.The older one, Milena, looked up at him with wide curious eyes. “Can I help you carry the grapes, Mr. Isaac?” she asked.Isaac glanced down at her with a kind smile. "Maybe next time, kid. You know your brother doesn’t like you working."“So what? He doesn’t like us talking to you either, but I still do it,” Milena retorted. Isaac chuckled softly as the kids ran off.He had been brought to the house of Amaro Ortega, Julian’s brother. Amaro was a lawyer, a good and quiet man who didn’t say much. When Isaac first arrived, he had prepared himself for the worst, expecting some form of punishment or at least harsh treatment for all the damage he had caused the Fanuccis.
MenaI smiled down at the baby in my arms, his tiny fingers curled around mine as I admired how perfect he was. His full head, his dark eyes, the little sounds he made.Naty sat on Alessio’s lap, her eyes warm and curious as she gazed at her new baby brother.“What do you think?” Alessio asked her. “Do you like him?”Naty giggled in response. “He’s really cute, and I already love him so much!”Alessio and I shared a smile. Over the past months, we had both worried about how Naty would adapt, but for now, she seemed to be doing just fine. The delivery had been smooth, just as smooth as the pregnancy. Alessio stayed by my side the entire time, and I hoped raising him would be just as easy.I was still at the hospital, and after some visits, it was finally just us—a moment of peace.Naty reached out and gently grabbed the baby's hand, giving it a little shake. "Hi, baby—it’s your big sister," she spoke softly, a pout on her lips.The baby cooed, and we all laughed softly. "Does he have a
Mena "Look, Mommy, it's pink!" Watching her excitement filled my heart with warmth. "Is it for me? Can I open it?" Naty asked eagerly. "Is this the thing that's better than the candy ring?" Flustered, I looked at Alessio as he took the box from her. "I will open it for you, and while I do that—there’s something I want to ask you," Alessio spoke tenderly. He took Naty's hand across the table, and she smiled at him. I relaxed in my chair, wondering what he was about to ask her. “I’m not good at speaking,” Alessio began, “But I want you to know that what I’m going to tell you comes from the bottom of my heart,” his voice was sincere. Naty nodded, giving him her full attention as her eyes turned wide. For a moment, the air filled with silence as Alessio paused, thinking about his words. "Naty,” Alessio said, nervously. “Having you and your mommy in my life is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love everything about you, I will always be there for you—and I will do
MenaI wrapped a scarf gently around Naty’s neck, making sure she was warm for the evening. She looked adorable in the dress I had chosen for her, for the dinner Alessio had planned.He hadn’t told me much, only that a driver would take us to the location. Whatever he told me, I just went with it—because I was too tired to investigate. I had already done that a lot lately.Naty showed me a wide grin.“What is it?” I asked, curious about the reason behind it."Nothing, I’m just really happy," her eyes sparkled.I immediately pulled her into my arms, caressing her hair with my fingers. She was really happy, that’s all I wanted to hear. After everything we had gone through, this was what she deserved. A joyful and carefree life.“Come on, let’s go,” I took her hand in mine.As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I noticed Liza in the foyer. Our eyes met and a smile spread across both our faces. It was the first time I had caught her alone since she handed me that letter. The letter that
AlessioI stepped into the room, letting the door slam shut behind me. Isaac, who sat on the bed, his back turned against me, turned instantly and our eyes met. His were full of regret, but mine were empty.He looked different, better indeed.His face was still bruised, his neck where the scissors had been, bandaged—but overall he looked good.I stuffed my hands into my pockets and leaned back against the door, watching him in silence. Would he be the one to speak up, act like we were just two old friends catching up—or perhaps offer an apology—or was he really smart enough this time to know he had to keep his mouth shut?Minutes stretched out, and neither of us broke the silence until he finally spoke."I know you still have a lot of questions," Isaac began. “And if you want to know more, I can explain—“I grunted. “There’s nothing more for you to explain, and I don’t have anything else to say to you,” I spoke coldly. "I’m here to give you instructions, and that’s it."Isaac nodded,
AlessioI sat in the chair in Julian’s office, waiting for the man to arrive. He had called me yesterday, told me Isaac was fully recovered, and now it was time to figure out what came next.Quite some time had passed, and I began getting impatient when the man decided to walk in at his own time, with two glasses in his hand. “Ah, if it isn’t my favorite fed lover,” he greeted me, handing me the drink before making his way over to his chair.A grin spread across his face, as if he was proud of his own joke. I scoffed, eyeing the drink in my hand.“The drink isn’t poisoned if that’s what you’re thinking,” Julian spoke.I released a chuckle, setting the glass down without taking a sip. “It’s not that,” I said. “I trusted you when I asked for your help, and I trusted you when I left Mena in your care—but now, I just want to discuss what needs to happen to Isaac.”“And that’s why you won’t drink?” “I don’t have time to drink,” I stated, my tone urgent.Julian’s expression changed, and
MenaI stared at my reflection in the mirror of the boutique, the dress hugging my flat belly. “Can you believe there’s a baby in there?” I caught Pilar’s gaze through the mirrors.It had been a few weeks since everything settled down. Life had returned to normal, or as normal as it could be for us. Domenico and Giulia had returned to Italy, and Alessio was back to his long hours leading the Fanuccis.“I’m sure it’ll grow,” Pilar smiled. “But have you already thought about what we’re going to do if you go into labor while I’m away on a gig?”I pouted, as did she. Pilar would soon be heading back home to continue her career, and I understood she had her own life to lead. As much as I wanted her to, she couldn’t stay here forever. The thought of not having her around had already started to make me feel lonely. She wasn’t just a friend, over time she had become like a sister.She was the one who always had the best advice, the one who made me laugh and forget the stress around me. Who wo
Alessio"Being a good leader means doing what you believe is right, even when it’s hard. You’re doing that. And that’s why you’ll be a great head of this family."I tried to focus and pay attention to Dad’s words, but it was difficult since I didn’t deserve them. After we’d arrived back at the mansion, I found myself in the study with Dad and my brothers to discuss today’s events.As far as he was concerned, Isaac had died. That’s what his little spy, Gian, had told him—and that’s what I would make him believe for the rest of his life.That didn’t mean I didn’t feel bad. I felt like shit. Lying to my family on such a scale was something I had never done before. I had always tried to prove myself and do whatever was necessary to keep this family together—but this time I failed.It was as simple as that. Letting Isaac live? I had no real explanation for why I did what I did. The only thing I knew was that Mena told me to listen to my heart, and it answered for me."I knew there was no r
MenaJulian walked over to his little bar and showed off his three special bottles. "What do you want to drink? Tell me.”I examined each bottle, picking it up to inspect it closer before letting out a deep sigh. I knew I couldn’t touch it, but looking would be alright. “I think I should probably take the one without alcohol.”He looked surprised. "You don’t drink?" Julian questioned."I do...just not now," I replied, setting the bottle back down gently.As Julian looked down at my stomach, I wondered if he knew what I meant. “Hmm,” he hummed, not going into it any further. He grabbed another bottle, waving it in the air.“I think this one is for you,” he poured me a drink. Then he led me to a sofa."You remind me of my niece," Julian started talking as soon as we sat down. He swirled the drink in his hand. "I haven’t seen her in a while, but she’s just like you."“What am I like then?"Julian smiled, "You’re soft, determined, and have these curious eyes—like you want to know everythi