“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that, Don Alessandro.” I chucked. “That’s not enough—not for me anyway. My father and brother would be delighted with it, but I’m not.”
“I thought you came here to set your brother free at any cost?” Don Alessandro asked, puzzled at first. “Yes, I did. But, I’m not going to sacrifice my life for him. I need something that would benefit me in the long run. Simply put, I want to have your power, Don Alessandro. If you can guarantee me that, I’ll accept your terms and be your wife.” I said. “Power isn’t an item to be traded, Gianna. You’re going to be a lot more specific about what you’re asking from me.” Don Alessandro said as watched me. He was confused. “I want to wield your power and your influence because I’m going to take over my father’s position as the head of the mafia when the time is right,” I said. Don Alessandro’s eyes widened in shock but he quickly masks his surprise. “Coups aren’t surprising as they happen now and then but it’s unheard of for a child to spearhead one, much less a daughter.” “I gave my father my life, my sweat and blood. I did everything he wanted, even the things Miguel failed at, I made sure that I excelled in them because I wanted to prove that I could handle the mafia when it was time for him to step down and despite my sacrifice, my father pushed me aside like I didn’t matter and handed everything over to Miguel.” I said, feeling incensed all over again. “Miguel is your father’s son and it’s his birthright to take over from your father, Gianna.” Don Alessandro pointed out. I wasn’t surprised to hear him say this. They were all cut from the same cloth. It was the same reason he wanted me to give him an heir when he had a daughter my age who was already involved in the family business. “Don’t get me wrong, Don Alessandro. I love my brother dearly but frankly put, he’s stupid and he doesn’t have the first clue on how to lead a mafia. If he had, we wouldn’t be in such a precarious position right now.” I stated. “Your family is going to fight back, Gianna. Salvatore is as tough as nails and you know this.” Don Alessandro said. “You’re not going to sit back and let my father hurt the mother of your son, are you?” I challenged him. I was biting off more than I could chew right now but I had no choice. If I didn’t take any risks, I would be left with nothing and that wasn’t how I envisioned my future. Don Alessandro drummed his fingers on the table as he stared at me while I held my breath and waited for his response. There was every chance that he could halt all of these and move on to the next girl that caught his fancy and wouldn’t demand the same crazy terms as I was. “You’ll have my support until I say otherwise,” Don Alessandro said after a few minutes of silence. I felt relief course through my veins as I leaned back into the chair. I was making a deal with the devil himself but I didn’t care as long as I would get what I wanted, nothing else mattered. A baby for a mafia? I would make the deal all over again. “Is there anything left for us to discuss?” I asked. “Well, yes. You’ll stay here with me until you give birth to my son and after that, we will go our separate ways. We don’t have to act married because I’m very much certain that we’re both free birds and free birds aren’t meant to be caged.” Don Alessandro said. I had no issues with his offer, my dream has always been to become the head of a mafia and not a wife. We were both using ourselves as a means to an end and that was fine by me. I wouldn’t be here if my father had done the right thing from the start but it didn’t matter anymore because I was going to grab my birthright from the usurper’s grasp. “You’re right when you called us free birds, I would like to fly free without being restricted. So yes, I accept your terms but I’ll give my approval on one condition.” I began. “You’ve been making a lot of requests, Gianna.” Don Alessandro’s eyebrows shot up as he fixed me with a stare. “I think I have the right to see my child, Don Alessandro. Don’t you think so?” I asked. “Are you asking for joint custody, Gianna? My terms were clear from the start. Your role in this marriage is to give me an heir and that’s all I require from you.” Don Alessandro’s voice was getting harsh. “I’m not asking you for that. I only ask that I see my child regularly. I believe that I’ve earned the right to ask you for that. I do not intend to take him away from you, I know better than to do that.” I said, clarifying my position. “When you give birth, you’ll be afforded three days a week with my son and that’s the best you’re going to get. Don’t push it, Gianna.” Don Alessandro said. Three days a week was perfect for me and I couldn’t dare ask for more. Within three days, I had gone from being in pole position to become the underboss to being cast aside and now, I was going to get married to the most powerful mafia lord in Los Angeles. I barely had time to process everything that’s happened and it still seemed so surreal. “That’s fine by me, Don Alessandro,” I said. “I’ll have my lawyer draw up the contract now we’ve both concluded.” Don Alessandro said with a note of finality. “I guess it’s time to head back, they’d be wondering where we went.” I pushed myself up to my feet and as I attempted to move towards the door, I felt his hand on my arm as he pulled me towards him. I found myself being slammed into his broad chest. “They can wait for a few more minutes,” Don Alessandro said as he stared at me. “Is—is there a problem?” I forced myself to speak as my knees began to wobble. I could feel his breath on my face, making my heart quicken. He kissed my earlobe, tugging on it lightly. “I found the way you handled our business conversation quite hot, but at the same time, you were being too naughty and I like it when my women are submissive and you aren't. As soon as our marriage is finalized, I’m going to punish you, Gianna. I’m going to fuck you so hard that you won’t be able to walk straight for weeks.”My eyes widened in shock as a small gasp escaped through my lips. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach as I clenched my thighs, already feeling my panties getting soaked as his words reverberated through me. Before I could collect myself to speak, Don Alessandro was already at the door. “Come on, Gianna. We have an announcement to make.” His eyes were filled with mischief and I knew he did that on purpose, to get me rattled and he had gotten what he wanted. “Gianna and I have discussed the terms I proposed here in this room earlier,” Don Alessandro began as he stood at the head of the table. The room was silent when we returned but I could sense the tensions in the air. On one hand, my father and Miguel were fervently praying that I accept Don Alessandro’s offer while Maya wanted all of these to be nothing more than an expensive joke. “Gianna has accepted my proposal, we’re getting married in a few days.” I felt Don Alessandro’s eyes on me and I forced myself to hol
The wedding was a huge success largely due to the presence of the well-equipped security forces that Alessandro had surrounding the venue. The guests had also been important members of his mafia and mine as well. Alessandro had refused to answer when I had bugged him about the number of security personnel he had around. He merely told me that he wasn’t leaving anything to chance and that was the end of the conversation. I’d been in his room for the past couple of hours but he wasn’t here yet. He’d promised me that he’d be here over two hours ago. The wedding ended four hours ago so I knew he wasn’t with the guests. Feeling frustrated, I pushed myself off the bed and headed to the door. If Alessandro felt he would leave me here all night and attend to other businesses, he was wrong. I opened the door to see two guards standing on each side of the door. “I’m sorry, ma’am. But, we have instructions not to let you leave this room.” A gruff voice said. Alessandro would’ve given them
We never had the chance to try the white room technique because as soon as the spy heard our discussion, he was all too eager to give us whatever information was demanded from him. The possibility of spending a few months staring at white walls was scary enough to break him completely. Men like him were used to being beaten and having a few bones broken or a tooth removed with pliers but sophisticated torture was where they drew the line. It was a strange feeling they never wanted to experience. The spy revealed he was part of a small gang, still trying to find their feet under the tutelage of Donovan. Alessandro didn’t seem shocked by the revelation or maybe he didn’t want to reveal his emotions there. Alessandro and I made our way back to our bedroom while his subordinates put the guy in dungeons with chains restricting him from trying to take his life. As soon as Alessandro closed the door behind us, I walked into the bathroom to get the stench of blood out of my skin. Giovann
The rays of sunlight seeped through the slightly opened curtains and fell across my face, forcing me to open my eyes.I shielded my eyes with my palm as I turned to the other side of the bed and glanced at the digital clock on the bed stand, it was 9:45 AM. I’d overslept again—if you could say that. For the past couple of days, Alessandro and I had done nothing but have sex at every given moment. I couldn’t remember the last time we had a proper conversation and for the life of me, I didn’t mind. We would have the time to talk later but our wants had to be satisfied before anything else. I heard the shower running, Alessandro was taking his bath. He’d probably just woken up as well. We were up for most of the nights taking turns on ourselves—or more like he was taking it out on me. I touched the back of my neck and winced. Alessandro had grabbed onto it a little too tightly a few hours ago but I didn’t have it in me to complain. He loved his sex rough and while I wasn’t what you w
There was nothing for me to do today after Alessandro angrily stormed out of the house after the little argument we had that morning. We hadn’t yet discussed what my roles would be in his mafia and technically, we were supposed to be on our honeymoon but Alessandro had a ton of engagement here in the mafia that needed his attention. The threat being posed by his step-brother, Donovan, had only grown despite our marriage and he was trying to nullify the threat completely. My best guess was that the only reason Donovan wasn’t in chains and being held in some remote location off the coast of some island was because he shared the same blood with Alessandro. I wasn’t worried about playing my part. I was going to give Alessandro a son and in turn, he would give me the required help to lead a coup against my father and take control of his mafia. The next year was going to be pivotal and exhilarating, I couldn’t wait for the actions to begin but for now, I had nothing to do and an idle mi
Over the next couple of days, my ritual included spending the whole of the afternoon with Delight in the gardens learning about anything she was willing to talk about for the whole day. I didn’t mind sitting down and listening to her talk, she could do it for hours and she always had something to say. Stars are hugely celestial bodies made mostly of hydrogen and helium that produce light and heat from the churning nuclear forges inside their cores. They are the building block of the galaxies of which there are billions of them in the universe.Stars can live for billions of years, most of the stars in our galaxy including the sun are categorized as main sequence stars. Some stars shine more brightly than others as a result of luminosity and distance from the Earth.As stars approach the end of their lives, much of their hydrogen gets converted to helium, the stars then undergo various changes to become a red giant; it then sheds its outer layer becoming a white dwarf before eventual
I took a deep breath as the car drove past the large iron gates. The familiar scent of a home hit me hard as I took a long look at the large house in front of me. I felt a little bit strange to be away from where I grew up for a period longer than a week, but I was no longer a Salvatore anymore. The car pulled to a stop and the door was opened by a guard standing outside, I nodded briskly as he bowed slightly. The mansion was still as busy as ever, business seemed to be good. My father wasn’t here to welcome me home and I knew it was probably because he was attending to business in the comfort of his private study. I spared a few minutes to chat with the maids I had grown up with before scaling up the stairs and taking the long walk to my father’s study. I knocked twice and waited for a second or two before twisting the door handle and making my way inside. My father sat behind his large mahogany table, a phone pressed between his ear and shoulder while his other hand clicked fu
My relationship with Alessandro was extremely sexual and it was pretty difficult for us to do anything aside from having sex whenever we were nearby. If we weren’t having sex anywhere and everywhere, we were having a heated argument and tonight was one of those nights. “Delight has been sulking all day after you yelled at her in the dining room, Alessandro. She has locked herself in the room and has refused to eat since it happened. You have to go talk to her." I said, crossing my arms across my chest. “Tell me you’re kidding.” Alessandro stared at me with an amused expression on his face. “She’s only a child, Alessandro. Did you have to be that harsh?” Delight had spilled a little bit of water while she tried to fill Alessandro’s glass and he had given her an earful. A number of the staff had caught the flu so Delight had to step in but I knew she wished she never did. As soon as she ran out of the dining room crying, I followed after her. I made my way to her room to find it lo
I had lost my touch. That's what happens when you become docile after years of being on guard."Do exactly what I say or you die." I could feel my heart racing despite my best attempts to compose myself.I knew I was walking into a trap but I had no choice. I wasn’t entirely sure that the letter came from Syrius, maybe it was only a silly joke being played by some crazy maniac but what I was certain of was that whoever sent the letter had my son and I was willing to do anything to get my child back. The accent was masculine and Eastern European. There was no quake or tremor in the man's voice. His tone sounded calm and detailed. This was no hoax, if I went out of line, I would die.I tried to remember if either Alessandro or myself had any issues with any mafia from that part of the world but I couldn’t come up with anything. "What do you want?"I asked fearfully as the cold steel of his gun pressed into the small of my back.I needed a distraction. My first instinct was to lean
I felt dejected as I searched each room hoping to find him in there but I knew the truth, he was gone and I had no idea where he had gone to. The wardrobe was empty as well, he had packed his bags and he was probably halfway across the world for all she could know. Despite sitting in our room for hours, I knew I missed him and I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes. This wasn’t how I had envisaged my life a few weeks and it hurt now that I was faced with this shitty reality. Our first conversation after he’d been discharged from the hospital didn’t go too well. I couldn’t stop myself from blaming him for the disappearance of our son. I categorically told him that I believed our son was kidnapped because of the ties he has to him and the mafia. Alessandro had tried to reason with me but I didn’t want to hear any of it, all I wanted was my son. My phone rang and I retrieved it from my pocket, it was Tiffany. She had promised to call back after a couple of hours.“Hey
I had lost my touch. That's what happens when you become docile after years of being on guard."Do exactly what I say or you die." I could feel my heart racing despite my best attempts to compose myself.I knew I was walking into a trap but I had no choice. I wasn’t entirely sure that the letter came from Syrius, maybe it was only a silly joke being played by some crazy maniac but what I was certain of was that whoever sent the letter had my son and I was willing to do anything to get my child back. The accent was masculine and Eastern European. There was no quake or tremor in the man's voice. His tone sounded calm and detailed. This was no hoax, if I went out of line, I would die.I tried to remember if either Alessandro or myself had any issues with any mafia from that part of the world but I couldn’t come up with anything. "What do you want?"I asked fearfully as the cold steel of his gun pressed into the small of my back.I needed a distraction. My first instinct was to lean
I felt dejected as I searched each room hoping to find him in there but I knew the truth, he was gone and I had no idea where he had gone to. The wardrobe was empty as well, he had packed his bags and he was probably halfway across the world for all she could know. Despite sitting in our room for hours, I knew I missed him and I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes. This wasn’t how I had envisaged my life a few weeks and it hurt now that I was faced with this shitty reality. Our first conversation after he’d been discharged from the hospital didn’t go too well. I couldn’t stop myself from blaming him for the disappearance of our son. I categorically told him that I believed our son was kidnapped because of the ties he has to him and the mafia. Alessandro had tried to reason with me but I didn’t want to hear any of it, all I wanted was my son. My phone rang and I retrieved it from my pocket, it was Tiffany. She had promised to call back after a couple of hours.“Hey
It’s been a week since the ugly incident and Alessandro hadn’t woken up yet. I was struggling to pull it together but I knew that I didn’t have any other option, I couldn’t afford to break down right now not when I had to look after myself and Alessandro as well. I needed him to be up and running if we were going to get to the bottom of this tragic incident that had befallen us. The doctor urged me to give him time and be patient till he decided to come around. His vitals were good and his condition was improving, he was going to wake up any moment from now, the doctor would always say giving her a warm smile in return. The conviction in his voice always seemed to calm my nerves so I waited calmly until Alessandro decided to come around.I was in his hospital room, sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed, my knees were pulled up under my chin with my face buried between the latest reports from the investigators who were handling the case until Alessandro took over. Reading help
“Are you sure it’s safe to go on this trip?” I asked, nibbling on my lower lips as I shuffled from one foot to another, unable to be at peace. Alessandro had offered to take me on a three-day trip while Tiffany and the maids we hired would look after our son until we were back. “I had to spend three days convincing Ethan to let you go, Gianna. Do you think I’m not going to take you out to celebrate accomplishing the biggest goal I’ve ever set for myself?” Alessandro chuckled. “Tone down with your flattery, dude.” I laughed, playfully smacking his arm. “I’m only worried about the safety of our son and I hope you can understand that.” Alessandro pulled me close and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I understand why you’re worried and you have every right to be. You’ve never been away from him for more than a few hours and now, I’m asking you to spend three days without him.” “He’s been through so much already, I don’t want him to suffer anymore.” I sighed, placing my head on his
I didn’t exactly know how long it had been but a few hours had passed since Alessandro left the house after our heated argument about him going out despite the doctor’s advice. Unable to bring myself to do anything tangible, I had spent the rest of the afternoons wandering around the house and counting the hours until he would return while taking care of Ethan as well. He had called me earlier but I wasn’t in the mood to talk, else I would break down and I didn’t want that to happen. For my sake, it would be best if I remained silent until I regained every trace of my composure before tackling everything Alessandro had disregarded. I couldn't be worried about him and our son simultaneously, my poor heart wouldn’t be able to take it. Alessandro had assured me that he would be back early enough and I couldn’t wait, the suspense already had me in a chokehold.As soon as she heard Alessandro’s car pull up in the driveway, I bolted off the couch where I had been sitting and rushed out
The operation was successful and the doctor assured me that my son was going to live as soon as his recovery phase was complete. The whole turn of events seemed so surreal. Never in a million years would I have ever come up with something like this. Three years ago, I ran away from Alessandro to start a new life for myself in a different state after abandoning everything I’ve ever known or had to stay hidden and three years later, the same man that I ran away from had just saved the life of the child we created together all those years ago. If this was the universe’s way of patting my back and giving me solace after everything I’d been through, I would gladly accept it after years of turmoil. “I’ve been patient enough, Gianna.” Tiffany began as she stared at me. “I think it’s time you tell me the truth about everything that’s been going on.” She was right. She was my friend—my only friend here and she deserved to know the truth. “You’re going to want to sit down for this one.” I
“I want you back home, Gianna. It’s where you belong, not here in a strange mafia with another mafia Don and you have our son as well, I couldn’t just sit back and watch him grow somewhere else. The thought of that happening didn’t sit right with me one bit.” I explained, drumming my fingers softly against the protective glass as I stared at Gianna.“Have you stopped to wonder if he’s your son or have you made yourself believe he’s yours because we were once involved?” Gianna asked. I knew she was trying to throw me off balance. I’d been expecting this. This was the only way I was going to get the answers I wanted, I was having doubts if she would willingly open up to me if I didn’t persist so I pressed on. “The months don’t tally with when you met Ethan and had that brief fling of yours,” I said after a moment’s pause. “There’s no way he can’t be my son. Nice try, Gianna, but you’re not going to pull a fast one on me. The child doesn’t look like Ethan or anyone else to begin with.