"Dax," I said in surprise, unable to believe what I had done. He was supposed to let me say goodbye without anyone knowing the truth, I was simply supposed to disappear from the lives of all my loved ones, as if a new person had taken over me. That I had changed, that the traumas of the Vegas trip had made me realize the life I was missing out on, everything I really wanted. Draven wasn't aggressive, he didn't have the slightest intention of hurting another person and he didn't know how to fight, so he was easily overpowered by Dax: the fear that the Dangello's could provoke, it froze your blood, as if they had taken over your system. However, I wasn't planning on letting Dax go hurt my fiancé, it wasn't part of the plan. He wasn't even supposed to be in the apartment and I let him be, simply because of how I felt. I got carried away and made the worst mistake. At that moment I felt betrayed in a way for trusting someone who had already shown me that he was not to be trusted;
I felt like I was on a roller coaster, dizzy before the emotions that hit my abdomen with force and how lost my conscience was, before the turmoil of my life and the eyes of different color that accompanied me that same night; the cause of my hormonal desperation, as if the law of male pheromones had been injected into my skin as soon as he his hands surrounded my existence.Learning to reason clearly probably had to be some of my worst flaws in the view of my captors, yet I had not had to be forced to pretend to live ever and that was what I had to do to keep my heart beating.What was wrong with my mind to hide my suffering and replace it with the burning fire that melted me from within?His hands squeezed the black leather steering wheel, swelling the veins and exposing the tension of his muscles, like an image no woman would want to miss. While his bushy, dark eyebrows pressed against his eyelids, invading the small space with a clear sign that he was not in the mood and that a sim
Chapter 29The roar of the private jet’s engines barely masked the sound of my racing heart. From the moment Dax had dragged me onto this plane, I’d been on high alert, searching for options, a way out—anything. But there was nothing. No open door, no friendly face. It was just me, trapped in a world I didn’t understand, spinning completely out of control.Maddox sat on the other side of the cabin, a glass of whiskey in hand, his piercing gray eyes locked onto mine. That glacial gaze made me feel stripped bare, as if every thought I had was on display for him to dissect.“Enjoying the flight, Amalia?” he asked, his voice calm yet laced with a warning that sent shivers down my spine.“What do you really want from me?” My voice came out steadier than I expected, though my hands trembled at my sides.He set his glass down on the polished table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.“I want you to understand your place.”“My place?” I scoffed, feeling a surge of defiance rise
The constant sound of the jet's engine became a distant hum as the plane ascended into the darkness of the night. I didn’t care about the noise or the movement of the air. Everything seemed irrelevant, as if time had stopped existing. I was caught between fear and curiosity, between the decisions I had made and the ones I still couldn’t understand.I looked out the window, watching the lights of Rome fade quickly into the distance. Everything I knew, everything that had once been familiar, was disappearing as we flew higher. What was I really doing? Where were they taking me? The question hammered in my mind over and over, but the answer was always the same: I had no idea.Beside me, Maddox sat motionless in his seat, staring out at the horizon. It wasn’t a look of love or concern. It was a cold, calculating look that always made me feel small and insignificant. He didn’t look at me like a woman; he looked at me like another piece on his chessboard. And I was well aware of that. Someho
The plane descended smoothly, the sound of the engine changing as we touched down. I was trapped in my own silence, not because I wanted to be, but because I couldn’t break it. The Dangello brothers had dragged me into their world, and now that I was in the heart of it, everything seemed unreal. The lights of Rome quickly faded as the plane landed on the runway. I didn’t know what to feel.Maddox and Dax didn’t bother to look if I was feeling comfortable or nervous. They simply stood up, as if this moment were nothing out of the ordinary. I no longer had space for questions. My doubts faded into the air like smoke. I was here with them, and that meant I no longer had control over my destiny.The ride in the car was silent. Not a word between us. Not a single gesture indicating that they cared about me, or that I cared about them. The Dangello brothers looked at me only as a piece that needed to fit into a place they had designed for me, and the more I thought about it, the clearer it b
The pain in my chest didn’t disappear. On the contrary, it grew stronger. The mansion I was in seemed to crumble on top of me, a gilded cage, but a cage nonetheless. It didn’t matter what the Dangello brothers said, it didn’t matter what they promised me, the reality was that I no longer had control over anything. I was a piece in their game, a pawn on a board I hadn’t chosen.Maddox and Dax had left me alone in one of the largest rooms in the mansion, with walls adorned in gold and heavy curtains falling over the windows. Everything in this place was designed to make me feel small. To constantly remind me that I was nothing more than another item in a luxury closet. I felt invisible, as if my presence here was nothing but a void they needed to fill.I sat on the bed, my hands clenched on the sheets, not knowing what to do or where to go. I felt a mix of anger, fear, and desperation. I couldn’t bear to be here. I couldn’t bear being controlled like this. But at the same time, I couldn’
The weight of the mansion continued to crush me, as if every corner was designed to remind me how small and insignificant I felt. The opulence was nothing but a facade, a constant reminder that I was trapped. It wasn’t just the wealth surrounding me—it was the power. A power that went beyond what I imagined, beyond what I could understand. The Dangello brothers weren’t just powerful in their world; they had enemies as dark and dangerous as they were.Maddox, in particular, was a man who not only controlled the situation I found myself in but was at the top of a network of influences that extended far beyond what anyone could see. There was something about his presence, his gaze, that made it clear that he wasn’t just a powerful man. He was someone who could move mountains and destroy empires with a single word. And I, despite everything I had been through, still didn’t know if I was his victim or simply another piece on his chessboard.That morning, unlike others, there was no silence
The mansion seemed colder than usual. It wasn’t just the temperature. It was the feeling of being trapped in a place I couldn’t escape, surrounded by luxury and opulence but with no freedom. The endless hallways, the walls adorned with valuable tapestries, the large windows letting in light from a distant sun, all reminded me of how small I had become.The Dangello brothers showed no interest in me. In the first few weeks, their indifference was almost palpable. They went on with their lives, managing their empire of shadows, while I became just another part of the mansion, a space that only occupied room. My presence didn’t affect them. I had been absorbed into their world without being able to deny it.Maddox, in particular, remained distant. His cold, calculating gaze left no room for emotions. At that moment, I didn’t care. I was furious, resentful of everything that had happened, everything they had done to me. My world had been shattered into a thousand pieces, and the only way t
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus
I tensed my jaw worriedly, as I tried to think of what to say, however, his burning eyes wouldn't let me think clearly. They seemed to be absorbing me, like a hurricane storm taking everything in its path."Max.""Do you really feel like murdering the people you love?" he interrupted me to ask and my breathing stopped for a second."I don't mean to, but...""But? Do you think this is a game?" he looked at me with intensity in his eyes, as if trying to understand what was happening to me. In any case it was very simple, I couldn't just tell him that he didn't love me anymore, it was suspicious and that was also going to hurt my family for my behavior, "Come here," he ordered pointing to his leg and with no intention of contradicting him, I approached him and sat on the leg he had free, while I looked sideways at the gun."How about we make a deal?" I asked softly and he looked at me curiously in silence."Do you think Dax and Maddox would be willing to make a deal with you, you've caus