ZION’S POV I leaned in to kiss Octavia again when her stomach grumbled loudly, making me freeze; she looked up at me with an embarrassed pout, and I burst out laughing. I held my stomach as I laughed hard. "What? I haven't had time to eat since in the afternoon," she said, hitting my arm. I had stopped laughing by now. "Let's get you something to eat," I said, leading her to the kitchen. The structure of my apartment is very similar to hers, but the decor is different. I saw her looking around and taking in her surroundings. What is the nervousness I'm feeling? It's almost like I'm hoping she approves, but then again she can just change anything she doesn't like. "Your house looks...different than I thought," she stated, tilting her head in that cute way she does when she's thinking intently about something. "Different how? You haven't even been in here before," I said in amusement as I brought out ingredients from the fridge."I know, but I thought it would be more like a bache
OCTAVIA'S POV Over the next few weeks, Zion and I have gotten even closer. Since that day he confessed his love to me, I have been seeing a completely different side of him entirely. He has been so attentive and caring, and we go on dates and cook together. Sometime last week, he dragged me out of bed by seven am to accompany him jogging. It was grueling at first, but I have grown to love it; it puts me in the right frame of mind to start the day, so we have been going on morning runs together these days, and most days, like today, we ended up taking a shower together at his house or mine. We spent last night cuddling and playing video games till we fell asleep on the couch. "Have a lovely day, cuore mio," Zion whispered, placing a kiss on my head and picking his back heading. "Is my forehead that far from my lips? Why didn't you reach down?" I said, glaring at him playfully. He laughed and came back to my side and placed a long kiss, a hard kiss, on my lips. Every time this man.
OCTAVIA'S POV I nodded in approval as I closed the ledger in front of me; our finances are finally in order. Our customers increased a while ago, and we had to increase production, and I have been too busy to check it out until today. It's almost eight pm, and we are getting ready to close for the day. I walked towards Rose, who was at the cash register, counting the day's earnings with a satisfied smile on her face. "Not a bad day, huh?" She said, glancing up at me.I nodded, returning her smile. "Yeah, it was a good day. Everything has been steady so far. If it keeps going like this, in a few months we will be able to afford a new interior decor," I informed her, my smile widening. I've had that in mind for months now, and it's starting to look less impossible to achieve now. Just then, one of our employees, Emily, rushed in from the back door, looking flustered. "Octavia, Rose, you won't believe this!"Rose and I exchanged unsurprised looks; Emily has always been such a drama qu
OCTAVIA'S POV The days rolled on, and much to my relief, there have been no changes compared to before; the new café has done very little to affect our business; our regulars still come in for their coffee and pastries, and even more tourists have been checking this place out. I was in high spirits today as I hummed to myself. The calmness of this situation definitely will not sit well with Jenna and Sophia, but I really hope they don't try anything again. I had noticed both of them glaring at me when I came in this morning. The sun was a little on the high side this afternoon. I was tempted to go back in and get an umbrella as I was setting up the outdoor seating; looking up across the street, I noticed Jenna and Sophia standing outside their café, arms crossed and scowling in my direction.Jenna’s voice was loud enough to carry across the street. “I don’t understand how they’re still doing so well for someone like her. It’s infuriating!”Sophia nodded, her face twisted in anger.
ZION’S POV I was finishing up some edits on my latest project when my phone buzzed on the table. My lips stretched in a smile as I saw Octavia's name on the screen; I picked it up immediately."Zion," she said through the speaker; her voice sounds different. She had left my bed very early this morning to go to work. Come to think of it, it is not normal for her to call me at this time of the day. "Octavia, what's wrong?" I asked, starting to get a little worried. "Um, are you busy?" She asked, her voice sounding skeptical. "I'm never busy for you. Why aren't you answering my question? What's going on? Are you not at work?" I fired question after question as my worry grew. "I kind of need you to come to the police station," she said in a low voice. "What did you just say? Police station? What are you doing there?" I asked as I threw on a shirt and grabbed my keys. "Rose and I may or may not have been arrested," she said, letting out an embarrassed laugh. "It's a long story; can
Octavia POV After everything that happened, Zion thought it would be a good idea to ease the tension and kinda forget everything that happened, at least momentarily. Whenever I think about the whole drama that happened, I feel a little embarrassed, but I also feel more confident and free because I stood up for myself. Zion took my hand and smiled,Let’s do something fun, just you and me. No drama. No stress. Deal?”Rose had left as soon as we were bailed, saying she wanted to get started on fixing the shop and we should have fun. With a tight hug, I let her go.Zion took me to a famous ice cream shop where he told me about his day; he’d been editing a new project, and how boring it had been without me there to distract him. He chuckled, but I could see the lingering tension was still there.When I told him about mine, how Jenna and Sophia had vandalized the café and how Rose and I had ended up in a brawl, everything that happened in full detail. His jaw tightened, his grip on his spoo
ZION'S POV I had told Octavia that I want her to meet my family and tonight is finally the night. We are going dinner with her brother's family. I can't wait to introduce her to them, she would love the boys. He had been out of town for a while and now that he was back, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to meet. I could tell Octavia was a bit nervous at first, but as the day approached, her excitement grew. I want her to feel like part of the family.Octavia had spent the afternoon getting ready and when she stepped out of her apartment, she looked stunning. Her smile was radiant and I felt a surge of pride as I took her hand and led her to the car."You look amazing," I said, squeezing her hand gently as we walked towards the door."Thanks," she replied, a hint of nervousness still lingering in her voice. "I just hope they like me.""They will," I assured her. "How could they not? You are going to love the kids."Octavia took a deep breath and I could see her trying to
OCTAVIA'S POV The moment I saw Nile, it felt like the ground had been ripped out from beneath me. My heart pounded in my chest and the room began to spin. The shock was so overwhelming that I couldn't process anything else. I had to get out of there. I bolted from the room in pure panic and horror I didn't stop until I was outside, gasping for breath. I swallowed the bile that threatened to crawl up my throat. I leaned against the cool brick wall as I tried to steady myself, but my mind was racing. Of all people, why did it have to be Nile? Memories of I have buried deep at the back of my mind came rushing back, memories I thought I had left behind. The pain, the shame, the fear, the eyes it all came flooding back. I choked back a sob as it threatened to drown me.Tears streamed down my face as I stumbled away from the house. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. What would Zion think of me now? Nile would have told him everything. How could he not? The truth was out, and there was no hi
CHAPTER SIXTY TWOOCTAVIA'S POV My heart raced slightly as I stepped into the restaurant, and my eyes immediately scanned the room until they landed on Zion. He sat at a table at one corner of the resturant doing something on his phone and nursing a glass of water. My heart clenched as I drank in the sight of him, he still looks almost exactly the same, the same messy brown hair but he now has a faint stubble along his jaw. It made him look darker and more mature and his piercing green eyes popped even more. It suited him though because I can point out why but he has gotten even more handsome. I quickly reminded myself that this is not a date. Yet, as I watched his gaze move upwards and his lips curve in a smile as he looked at me, i felt my heart squeeze again. Memories of everything we used to have flooded my mind, the late night talks, our share jokes the laughter, even when we used to fight, the way he used to look at me like I was his entire world, the memories of the hurt an
CTAVIA'S POVEvery person we passed as we walked by stopped what they were doing, and nodded their heads in respect to my father. Lionel walked ahead with his usual commanding presence, and I followed closely, Aaron walked silently to my left like an unshakable shadow, while Mikel trailed slightly behind. It was hard not to notice the curious, borderline scrutinizing stares of everyone. They weren’t even trying to be subtle. I told myself it wasn’t personal and held my head high not betraying my nervousness. I'm just an unfamiliar face in a world where everyone is practically like family. But still the whole attention made my skin prickle, and this is just the start, I almost laughed to myself. The man leading us, he is a huge man and he had a complicated tattoo that covered his arms and part of his jaw, he was the one that welcomed us and he seemed to be the head of the warehouse. His eyes kept darting to me, and I'm not sure if it is just in curiosity. Either way, it made me want
OCTAVIA'S POV Bree popped out of nowhere, startling me as Aaron and I stepped out of Lionel’s office; she had clearly been eavesdropping, and now she is practically bouncing on her toes with excitement. "Was that really Dimitri, like the main Dimitri, leader of the Russian mob?!" She gushed. I almost laughed at her facial expression and her enthusiasm. "Yeah," I said. "You know him?" Her look turned dreamy, "Well, not personally, but that can be rectified, she sighed. "Dimitri is the youngest vor v zakone there has ever been and the most dangerous too. He took power from his uncle when he was just twenty years old, and he is feared by everyone in Russia." Bree continued as we all made our way to the living room."I have only seen him in pictures; he is the most handsome man ever," she shot Aaron a look. No offense to you, Aaron, but we are talking about Dimitri here." Aaron just looked bored. "I wonder if he wants to get married anytime soon," she continued dreamily, and I burst
OCTAVIA'S POV The first thing I remembered when I woke up was Zion's text from yesterday; I had completely forgotten to reply to his message after I got home. The sunlight streamed through the curtain, and I checked the clock on the wall, and it was already past nine am. I didn't know I still slept in till this late; it's been a while. I blinked and sat up, rubbing the drowsiness from my eyes, and groaned as I stretched out across the bed. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, and I opened my messenger app and saw the text. I started typing a reply, "Good morning, Zion. I'm sorry I didn't," I deleted the whole thing and decided to give him a call instead. I took a deep breath, dialed his number, and pressed the phone to my ear. The dialed twice before he picked up “Octavia?” Zion’s familiar deep voice came through, and my heart squeezed slightly; hearing his voice stirred up a mix of emotions. We have spoken properly since… well, since things fell apart between us. "Hi," I
OCTAVIA'S POVMy body moved swiftly with a practiced ease that I still find fascinating as I kept punching the bag, my fists almost in sync with the beat of the music blasting in my ear, I didn't hear the sound of anyone come in but I saw the door of the gym open through the side of my eye making me still for a brief second. My breath came out in soft pants and I looked at the entrance to see Aaron coming in still in his outfit from earlier. He walked inside and leaned causally again the wall opposite me, his stoic expression still intact as he watched my watch him, he raised a questioning eyebrow at me when I didn't do anything. I felt a bit self conscious under his steady gaze, but I ignored him and turned back to the bag and threw another punch, trying to shake the. But the weight of his presence and his silence was unnerving, and I found myself slowing down. "Are you done?" He asked flatly, his voice breaking the silence. I stopped mid punch and lowered my fists. My knuckles
OCTAVIA'S POV My eyes met Aaron's from across the room, and the buzz, the murmurs, and the quiet conversation—all of it faded to the background. He was leaning casually against the back wall, arms crossed over his broad chest, his face, as usual, was unreadable and stoic, as though nothing in the room interested him. But then, his mouth quirked ever so slightly into the faintest hint of a smile. I blinked, taken aback by the subtle change in his expression. Something flickered in his eyes, something very similar to...pride? Approval? Whatever it was, it made my heart race. For a moment, it feels as if the weight of the day has lifted; I don't feel the stares of the people looking at me; I feel at ease. I held his gaze, the corners of my lips tugging upward instinctively. The room and everyone in it blurred into insignificance, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the world. Wait! What was that?I broke the eye contact, looking around the room to make
OCTAVIA'S POVEvery person we passed as we walked by stopped what they were doing and nodded their heads in respect to my father. Lionel walked ahead with his usual commanding presence, and I followed closely; Aaron walked silently to my left like an unshakable shadow, while Mikel trailed slightly behind. It was hard not to notice the curious, borderline scrutinizing stares of everyone. They weren’t even trying to be subtle. I told myself it wasn’t personal and held my head high, not betraying my nervousness. I'm just an unfamiliar face in a world where everyone is practically like family. But still the whole attention made my skin prickle, and this is just the start; I almost laughed to myself. The man leading us, he is a huge man, and he had a complicated tattoo that covered his arms and part of his jaw. He was the one that welcomed us, and he seemed to be the head of the warehouse. His eyes kept darting to me, and I'm not sure if it is just in curiosity. Either way, it made me wa
OCTAVIA'S POV I just finished dropping my coffee mug inside the dishwasher when I heard someone walk into the kitchen. I turned back to see Aaron walking casually into the kitchen. My eyes widened slightly at the sight of him. He was dressed in a crisp black suit; his broad shoulders filled it out even more perfectly than a mannequin would, and he completed the look with black shades. Even though I have seen him in suits before, something about him today was different. He looked more polished, intimidating, and, as much as I don't want to admit it, exceptionally handsome. “Are you ready?” he asked in his usual low, calm tone. I made to clean my hands over my pants before I remembered that it is leather, and I let it hang awkwardly on my side and gave him a small nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” “Good,” he said. “It’s time to go.” Without another word, he turned and headed for the door. I followed him outside, my heart pounding a little faster with each step. The sight that greet
OCTAVIA Bree gasped, clutching her chest like she was genuinely offended. “What’s wrong with it? Everything! You’re about to meet the cutthroat people in the Mafia, and you’re dressed like you’re going to a grocery store!”“Ohh, I thought this was fine,” I muttered, feeling a bit self-conscious.“No, no, no,” she said, shaking her head as she grabbed my hand. “Come on. We’re fixing this. Right now.”Before I could protest, she got in front of me and grabbed my hand again.“But Bree, is it really necessary?” I tried to argue as she pulled me down the hallway that leads to the rooms.“Trust me, it’s very necessary,” she insisted, practically yanking me toward her room.When we finally reached her door, she flung it open. This is my first time entering her room, and as I stepped inside, I immediately noticed how different her room is from mine. The layout is very similar, but where my room has a minimalistic and neutral decor, Bree’s room is an explosion of color and her personality. So