All Chapters of REGINA NERA (Black Queen): Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

"Jump" "No way. Are you fucking crazy?" "You need to learn a few survival skills. Your father's men won't always be there to protect you" "But you will. Right? You are going to protect me forever..." "Ma'am? Mr. Gambone is here" I don't bother opening my eyes. I'm too tired to move. His cologne assaults my nose before fingers brush my hair back. Then they caress my cheek. He's so incredibly gentle that I find myself swallowing the lump in my throat. If my eyes were open, they would be shining with tears. I'm glad they're not. Up until this moment, I didn't realize how much I missed feeling someone touch me. "Are you okay?" The answer is no, I'm not okay. If Christian hadn't forced me to jump out of a moving car, who knows what would have happened? I'll admit, I'm shaken. It just occurred to me how easy death is. I've been numb for so many years that I didn't care whether I lived or died. When I took over as the boss, a lot of people tried to kill me. I got shot at in events, som

"Bring him to me. I'll make him talk" "Ma'am..." "That was an order, Tobia!" I snap, my anger flaring. "We cannot kidnap the mayor. At least not while he's still in office" "Then let's pay him a little visit" The location doesn't matter. I will make him talk. There's no way he didn't have a hand in my accident. If someone used him then they are either acquaintances who know he's holding a grudge because I refused to support him or they planned it together. "We go anywhere near him and he'll use it to take you down" "Are you suggesting that I let this go?" "No, ma'am. Never. All I'm saying is that he has less than a year in office" "What if he tries again and succeeds?" "I cannot let you walk into danger, ma'am. Let's think of another way" Right. I forgot the reason I hired him was because he is level-minded. The world could be falling apart around him and he'd only move after he had a solid plan. Most of the time, I like that about him but not today. The only lead we had turne

"You're hovering" "Let me come along. You know that bastard is a fucking asshole and we haven't caught the person who tried to kill you" "What will your presence change?" "I can end him once and for all" I lean back and look at him "This is the reason you're staying behind. I can handle assholes just fine. How's training going? Is your protege getting any good?" Alessio huffs "I want to kill him at least a hundred times a day. Tell me why you're doing this again. Why am I wasting time with that idiot?" "I'm going to turn one of them against their fathers. Do you think he has potential?" "No. With all due respect, I think the men in your family are useless. I'd rather start training Miss Ophelia as early as now" I've been thinking about doing that. While I grew up having everything I wanted, not once did Papa ask his men to train me. It was always "They'll protect you" and never "You should learn to protect yourself". If it wasn't for Christian, I wouldn't even have known how th

It wasn't me. I didn't get there on time and I wasn't the one who blew up the warehouses. As much as I'd like to chalk all this up to coincidence, I know it's not. But I have no idea who could be behind this. Regina has a lot of enemies. As a woman in this business, of course, men hate her and want to see her gone. She's the proof that women can also succeed in something men thought only they were capable of and it doesn't sit well with them. Given the chance, even her closest relatives would kill her to prove a point. So the fact that someone helped her and took revenge for her is suspicious. My first guess was Bianchi but he wouldn't be foolish enough to declare war against the Irish. Not if he wants to win the election. Could it be someone new? But what do they want from her? Fuck, I hope they're not trying to woo her because I will kill them before they make their first move. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to impress her. While others want her dead, there are a few w

I've spent the last twenty minutes trying to understand what is happening and what it is I truly want but I don't have a clear answer. Does Federico want me? I think so. Do I want him or do I just like knowing he wants me? I've only ever been in a relationship with one man. Growing up, any boy who approached me either wanted to make connections for their fathers or were just out to conquer the great Regina Vincelli. Bets were placed to see who would win and some went as far as hiring people I'd to seduce me. It was the reason I fell in love with Christian. He did everything he could to push me away so I knew that if I managed to change his mind, his feelings for me would be true. After him, I wasn't interested in anyone else. I couldn't stomach the thought of another man touching me. Despite living with Federico for two years, not once was I attracted to him. He became someone I could rely on and trust but nothing more. After all these years, why now? He's had several lovers, some of