All Chapters of FORBIDDEN INTIMACY: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Lena's POVThe icy water slammed into my face, jolting me awake. My eyes flew open, and I met the smug smirk of Dmitri Sidorov. His face, a mask of cruelty, hovered inches from mine as he roughly sat me upright, his arms pinning me against the cold, hard floor. The moment his grip loosened, I crumpled back down, a choked sob escaping my lips. I couldn't sit up straight, I was too weak, too tired….. I was fucking ready to die. "Sit up right, bitch," he snarled, his voice laced with contempt. But I couldn't. My body, bruised and battered, felt like it was made of lead. My stomach ached with every breath, a dull throb reminding me of the last kick he'd delivered."Владимир, ты и Игорь должны прийти сюда прямо сейчас. Эта сука не может даже сидеть прямо, и вы заставите её, вы, черт возьми, дотронетесь до неё и получите от неё ответы для меня." Dmitri’s voice, cold and ruthless, cut through the air as he barked into his phone. A few minutes later, the distinct sound of heavy boots echoed

Luca's POV The plane hummed, a metal beast carrying me across the sky towards France. France. Of all the goddamn places. Dmitri had played me, hidden Lena in a place you wouldn't even think of looking, a place that was supposed to be a safe haven. The prick was smarter than I’d given him credit for. But D’Angelo, that little genius, had found their location in less than two hours. It seemed like, when he sent that last video, they’d slipped up on security, connections, and all that stupid stuff. D’Angelo only needed a tiny bit, a little connection, to break in. He was the fucking best hacker in the world, and luckily for him, he wouldn’t be killed. I'll hate to lose somebody that important to my mafia, especially because he couldn't give me Lena’s location. Marco and Ricardo were with me, flanking me on either side, their faces stoic. Marco and I hadn't really spoken since that night, not like we talk much anyway, but there was that slight tension, that unspoken wall between us.

Lena's POVThe scent of antiseptic and the soft hum of the life support machines were all I could focus on as I lay in the bed, my head throbbing with a dull ache. Marco and Ricardo were in the room, their presence filling the sterile air with a strange mix of tension and relief.Ricardo, Luca’s cousin, was surprisingly nice. He had a gentle smile that seemed to soften the sharp edges of the room. Marco, on the other hand, was his usual, infuriating self, treating me like a fragile doll, his little sister. Ricardo was fine too, he was so fine. All of them in their family are too fine, but then again nobody got close enough to Luca. His apology, delivered with an air of concern, rang hollow. It was a simple “I’m sorry,” devoid of any real emotion. The time I spent with them, after the nurse had left, was almost peaceful. It was a welcome distraction from the turmoil inside me. But there was one person who occupied my thoughts relentlessly. Luca.He was the one I thought about, the

Luca's POV Lena's bratty behavior was seriously starting to get on my nerves. I needed her to stop. I had fucked up, yes, I knew that. I didn't need her constantly reminding me of it. Seeing the pain in her eyes, the bruises on her body, was damage enough. The bandage on her head, the paleness of her skin, they were constant reminders of what I had allowed to happen, constant reminders of my failures. Three weeks of watching her unconscious body lay motionless wasn't a joke. “Take. Off your clothes,” I said, my voice rough with exhaustion. She didn’t move, didn’t even attempt to do it. I didn’t have the strength for this, for her stubborn defiance. I decided to do it myself. I half expected her to push me away, but she didn’t, so I continued, pulling up her pajama shirt, the baggy fabric revealing the bruises that marred her skin. Rage flared through me. They were healed, but the scars were still visible and I could tell she still felt the pain, a visual representation of the violen

Lena's POVThe water rippled around me, a cool contrast to the firestorm raging within. My legs were jelly, shaking as I tried to catch my breath. My legs trembled, not from the cold, but from the aftershocks of the incredible release I'd just experienced. Luca. I was on cloud nine, in the seventh heaven, my legs felt so weak."That... that was..." I struggled to find the words, my voice a breathless whisper. "Thank you.""Lena," he said, his voice a soft rumble. "Yes?""Don't worry about it," he murmured, his eyes glinting with something I couldn't quite decipher. "It will even be better later on. I'll do things..." He trailed off, muttering to himself, and a jolt of anticipation shot through me."What do you me-" My question was cut short as his warm lips found mine. I melted into the kiss, the world fading away around us. This kiss was different, softer, a silent conversation of love and need. It was everything our words couldn't express. He pulled back, our foreheads touching,