AlessioWith a focused gaze, I watched as the men counted the weapons in the trucks that had arrived. All the families were gathered, each of them being led by their own while one of my uncles led the Fanuccis in my place.Dad stood beside me, silently observing as well. We were in the Midwest, working through our strategy so we would soon be able to hit the Baldini from all angles. Not only the mansion but also the warehouses and their businesses.Based on the information from Mikael, we chose a day when their defenses would be the lowest. There would be a wedding rehearsal, and apparently, Maxine asked Leonardo for a no-weapon policy. It was a golden opportunity.“Everything looks well organized,” Dad had no choice but to acknowledge. I could sense a hint of surprise in his voice.“Because it is,” I replied, relieved everything had been going smoothly. Up to now, Dad respected my leadership and stood back to let me take charge. However, I couldn’t help but wonder how long that would
Alessio"What makes you say that?" I asked, my tone cold as I tried to draw a clear line."The way they're all looking at you, serving you drinks," she replied, her hand on my thigh. With every inch she moved closer, her hand slowly traveled up. "Now, how about I take you to a private room?"Images of Mena filled my mind—and the promise I had made. When it came to relationships, others had low expectations for me. That’s the reason why I had set high expectations for myself. What we had was real, and no amount of pussy was worth risking that. None.With a firm grasp, I wrapped my hand around the stripper's wrist and gently pushed her away. Her mouth was slightly parted, eyes shocked as I denied her advances. "Get lost."She was frozen in her spot and did not move a muscle—so I did. I rose from my seat and walked off, carrying my drink in my hand, instantly feeling dizzy. After a few drinks too many, the alcohol began to hit me. Wanting some air, I fought to make my way through the lou
MenaLying sick in bed, I could only groan in discomfort. Ever since we had gotten back, that’s all I had been doing, and I couldn’t help but think it was some kind of karma for going all detective over the whole Isaac situation.The only thing keeping me together was Naty, and the hilarious voicemail Alessio sent me a few days ago. I had been laughing for days. His drunk confession was embarrassing, cringy, yet undeniably cute.So cute that I texted him back, telling him not to worry about it and that I still loved him.Since then, we had talked every night, carefully avoiding the topics of our fight and his drunken voicemail. We had regular conversations.‘How are you doing?’‘I love you.’‘What did you do today?’‘Get back soon.’Another groan escaped me as I felt a sudden wave of nausea. The worst thing was that I decided to go through this pain all alone. Pilar was with Gian, because I didn’t want to risk getting them sick with whatever I had caught.I was never a big fan of feve
AlessioToday marked the beginning of the end. Not for us, but for the Baldinis, as we were finally ready for their downfall.We had moved quietly into the west, preparing for what was about to come. It was a busy day, and I watched from the sidelines as the families checked their weapons one last time. Same as always, each one of them led by their own, and the Fanuccis by my uncle.Beside me stood Dad, the man who had taught me everything I needed to know about honor, power, and the balance between them.He glanced at me with a chuckle, “I hope you’re sober today, son.”I gave him a chuckle in return. Ever since that night when I’d let alcohol get the best of me, he hadn’t missed a chance to remind me of that reckless moment.After we had returned that night, I made an even bigger fool out of myself by yelling and throwing tantrums like a giant toddler. I refused to go back to the hotel and apparently called out a few individuals for at least one thing I disliked about them.I wasn’t
AlessioBlood splattered across my face, my vision still hazed from the chaos as I stepped over bodies scattered on the floor. We were three minutes in, and there was still no sign of Anson.Believe it or not, but in those minutes, I had searched about every hidden corner of the mansion, but he was nowhere to be found. With each person who surrendered or drew their last breath, I tried to force the location out of them, but no one knew where he was hiding.The only place left unchecked was the office, and my guess was that that coward was probably hiding with that other coward who had abandoned his own people and ran to his safe space.With a desire to kill, I made my way over there, blocking out every cry of mercy along the way. As I reached the hall, each person went down one after another. I spotted Dad and my uncles, just as I did, carving a path for themselves to reach Leonardo's office.It didn’t take long before we did, and we stepped into the office. My eyes scanned for my mai
MenaOnce the news had reached the walls of the mansion that Anson had disappeared, the mood was even more dramatic than it had already been.I too felt dizzy hearing the news, and it wasn’t because of the pregnancy. I felt sick as I was fully aware that Anson would come for me, but also relieved knowing Alessio didn’t get the opportunity to kill him. It was a mix of feelings I couldn’t share with anyone. It would automatically make me the bad guy.The rules of the mansion had become strict. No one came in, no one went out—and only a few selected workers who had been loyal for years were allowed to continue their work for now.The kids were confused and restless as they couldn’t understand why their routines were suddenly changed. They could not go to school or any of their activities.I was on edge, waiting for Alessio to get back. He would be coming alone today to oversee things at home while the rest would continue their search for Anson.It at least meant I didn’t have to face Isa
MenaThe rest of the day seemed to go just as I had expected. I spent most of it with Pilar, trying to get my mind off everything. Alessio was stuck in his office, most likely driving himself crazy with thoughts about where Anson might be hiding.In the late evening, I decided to bring him a cup of tea for some comfort. As I approached his office, I noticed he was on the phone. Not wanting to intrude, I waited outside but close enough to hear the conversation.“No one rests before we find him, and when you do—bring him to me,” I heard him say before ending the call.I understood it was a serious situation, but denying people their sleep was a bit too much. When Alessio noticed me standing there, he greeted me with a faint smile and gestured for me to come in.With the cup in my hands, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. “I brought you tea,” I said, placing it down on his desk.“Thanks,” Alessio forced a smile, but I could tell he was too distracted, and lost in his own tho
MenaI couldn’t remember how long I had walked for, but by the time I got to my old apartment complex, it was safe to say my legs weren’t properly working anymore. The door to the building was left unlocked, but once inside, I decided there was no time to wait for the slow elevator.I took the stairs to the familiar third floor where I used to live before my life at the mansion, remembering every little thing as if I had never left.My heart pounded in my chest as I made my way to Mrs. Rodriguez’s door, and once I had reached it, I knocked three times. I was scared, my fists were shaking, and I was praying she would still be alive. All I could hope for was that I wasn’t too late.The door swung open, and there he was, Anson. A gun was in his hand, pointed straight at me, and as our eyes locked, everything around me froze. Behind him, on the floor, lay Mrs. Rodriguez. Same as in the picture, she had been tied up with tape over her mouth.I stared into her eyes, and they looked big and