《The Mafia鈥檚 Forbidden Desire》


 1| Sei Morto (you鈥檙e dead).

    ¡°Sei morto!¡± I heard a voice yell while I was leaning on my best friend¡¯s car, smoking in the underground parking lot of a club.


    Out of curiosity, I peeked up to see what was happening, and the smoke of the cigarette suddenly filled my lungs at the sight of what I saw, and I puffed.


    A blonde man who had bruises all over him was on his knees, surrounded by men. Dangerous men. One of them was holding a gun to his head.


    I was born into a world of crimes, and I witness things like that regrly. But I still haven¡¯t gotten used to it.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I heard a voice say, and it was followed by footsteps. I quickly started thinking of ways to run away; I didn¡¯t want to get into trouble. If my dad knew I was out clubbing, I¡¯d be in deep shit.


    Before I could gather my thoughts, an image suddenly appeared before me, and I gasped.


    He was breathtaking! He had dark brown, lustrous hair and mesmerizing hazel eyes. He had a strong jawline and was dressed in a tailored ck suit that entuated his physique. His presence exuded power, and in an instant, I knew that, without a doubt, he was a powerful mafia boss.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked, his Italian voice was rich and deep.


    Iughed awkwardly and lifted my cigarette up for him to see. ¡°Smoking. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°What did you see?¡± He asked sternly.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I quickly said.


    ¡°I said, what did you see?¡± He asked again as he took intimidating steps towards me. But I wasn¡¯t intimidated.


    ¡°I said nothing.¡± I repeated.


    ¡°You must not mention this to anyone.¡±


    A small smile crept on my lips as I replied. ¡°I know.¡±


    My father is a mafia don, and I know the rules. I wouldn¡¯t be that stupid to mention what I saw to anyone.


    He raised a questioning brow as he stared at me. I knew he was wondering why I wasn¡¯t afraid of him. He had expected me to shriek and shiver at his presence. But men like him don¡¯t scare me.


    ¡°Even if I mentioned it to anyone and thew enforcement got to know about it, you¡¯d still find your way out.¡± I continued when I didn¡¯t get any response from him.


    ¡°I know.¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s going to be less trouble if they don¡¯t find out. And I wouldn¡¯t have to hunt your silly ass down.¡±


    ¡°And do what?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Kill me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s frustrating.¡± He pressed his lips together. ¡°I don¡¯t touch women.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. Most mafia bosses have that rule. They don¡¯t hurt women and children.


    Suddenly, I had the curiosity to know what that man did that caused him to beat him to a pulp.


    I knew it was none of my business, but before I could even stop myself, I quickly asked. ¡°What did he do?¡±


    He stared at me, amused. ¡°You seem fearless.¡±


    A small smile touched my lips. ¡°Maybe because I¡¯ve seen this multiple times.¡±


    He squinted his eyes. ¡°So you know who I am.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I know what you are.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°So, tell me.¡± He inched closer to me. ¡°What am I?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t exin why, but his close proximity caused me to start breathing heavily. ¡°A mafia boss.¡± I quickly said.


    He nodded slightly. ¡°I guess you¡¯re from a mafia family also. Who is your dad? And why did he allow you toe to a ce like this? without a body guard? Girls in our world are meant to be protected at all times.¡±


    Something about him amused me. He seemed hard and, at the same time, soft. He was abination of both.


    ¡°My dad thinks I¡¯m in bed, sleeping.¡± I said, and I subconsciously licked my lips.


    ¡°You sneaked out.¡± A small frown creased his forehead. ¡°What if you get attacked?¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s after me.¡± I blurted out.


    He took another step closer and cocked his head. ¡°What if I do? If I had pulled that trigger and if you had seen me-¡± he suddenly curved his big palm around my throat and pinned me to the car, causing me to let out a sharp gasp. ¡°You know, I could have gunned you down also.¡±


    ¡°My dad would have hunted you down.¡± Was what I managed to say.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have known that his daughter was out here getting killed.¡±


    Damn, he was killing me. His hand on me was causing heat to lick every sensitive part of my body, and I hated it. He was a stranger, and I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel that way for him. The more I stared at him, the more his lips called for me, and the more I wanted to get a taste of it. Before I could even stop myself, I stepped on tiptoe and sought his lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± I suddenly heard my best friend say, and I quickly went back on my feet. She saved me.


    He released his grip on my throat and turned to look at her. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend.¡± I quickly said. ¡°We came here together.¡±


    He returned his gaze to me. ¡°Be careful.¡± He muttered and dashed out before I could even reply.


    I stood there, mesmerized, as I stared at his retreating figure, unable to believe what I was about to do, unable to believe that I could react to a stranger the way I did-a mafia boss at that. And in a sh, that stranger was gone, with no means of contacting each other.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± My best friend, Ruby, asked, snapping me out of my trance. ¡°Did you get yourself into trouble?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I said as I pulled the car door open. ¡°Let¡¯s leave here.¡±


    There was no way I was going to tell her that I almost kissed a man who almost killed someone. She knew nothing about my family or the underworld. If I told her what happened, she would undoubtedly freak out.


    ¡­


    ¡°Rosa!¡± I heard my mamma¡¯s voice call, and I jolted awake.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked with a sleepy voice.


    ¡°Get up and give your sister something to wear!¡± She eximed as she trudged towards my walk-in closet, with my sister, Sofia, following closely behind her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she doesn¡¯t have a decent dress to wear.¡±


    I drew my brows together in confusion. ¡°Why are you looking for clothes for her to wear? Are you going somewhere?¡±


    She quickly turned to look at me with her face twisted into a small frown. ¡°She¡¯s meeting Antonio Russo today. You were told yesterday; how could you have forgotten already?¡±


    Antonio Russo was the man that my sister was said to be engaged to.


    I mmed my palm against my forehead and groaned. ¡°I totally forgot.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She grunted as she turned back and continued walking. ¡°By the way, why are you still sleeping? You went to bed early yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I am just tired.¡± I lied as I stretched. She had no idea that I went clubbing while I made all of them believe that I was sleeping. The thought of that brought back memories of what transpired between me and the unknown mafia boss, and I caught myself daydreaming about him. I quickly shook my head to push the stupid thought out of my head. There was no way I was meeting him again. And even if I did, there was nothing that could happen between us.


    Jumping out of bed, I followed them to my walk-in closet and watched as my mamma rummaged through my clothes.


    ¡°Here. This should fit you.¡± She said as she pulled out a ck sequin dress and threw it at Sofia.


    ¡°Mamma!¡± Sofia whined. ¡°It¡¯s not my engagement party.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much.¡± She retorted as she started walking out of the closet, leaving no room for Sofia toin. She half turned to look at us. ¡°You both should get ready before he arrives. He would be here in an hour.¡±


    With that, she dashed out of the closet, leaving me and Sofia alone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married to him.¡± Sofia groaned; the second Mamma was out of sight. ¡°I just want to live happily ever after with Oliver.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Oliver was my sister¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± I ced my finger on my chin thoughtfully. ¡°Run away with him.¡±


    She raised a brow. ¡°Should I?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°But your love story would end before it even began. Pap¨¤ would find you guys, and you know what would happen after that.¡±


    ¡°Oliver dies.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I hate this life!¡± She groaned in her hands.


    ¡°You are not alone.¡± I said as I inched closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°But this is the fate we are born with. We cannot marry for love. We can only hope to find love in our marriages.¡±


    I felt so bad for my sister because women in our world never get to choose their spouses. My sister was given out as a pawn in a business agreement. I would have been the pawn since I was the first daughter, but due to my dirty past, my papa considered me unfit for the agenda.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Antonio¡¯s story. I¡¯ve heard how ruthless he is. I can¡¯t believe Pap¨¤ betrothed me to him.¡± She cried.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± I consoled her as I patted her back. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would.¡±


    I allowed her to cry on my shoulder for a few minutes while I told her soothing words before she finally pulled away from the embrace and wiped the tears off her face. We freshened up afterwards and got dressed, ready to meet Antonio Russo. A man who was popr for his ruthlessness. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he looked like.


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Mamma said as she opened my room¡¯s door, and Sofia gasped. ¡°He¡¯s in your father¡¯s office. Meet us there now.¡±


    After Mamma left, I turned to look at Sofia and held her hand when I noticed how shaky it was. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay.¡± I assured her. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Nodding, she started walking towards the door, and I walked right beside her with our fingers intertwined.


    When we got to Papa¡¯s office, we stopped in front of it, and I could literally hear Sofia¡¯s heart beating hard against her rib cage. She was nervous.


    I gave her hand a gentle squeeze and assured her again. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± She blew out a sharp breath and quickly opened the door.


    ¡°They are here,¡± Pap¨¤ announced as we slipped through the door.


    Hoisting my head up, I saw a very familiar figure standing beside my Pap¨¤, and my heart sank into my stomach. No, this can¡¯t be. I panicked. He can¡¯t possibly be Antonio Russo.


    The guy from the club can¡¯t be Antonio Russo!

 2| I Want Her.

    ANTONIO.


    Never in a million years did I expect to see the daring girl I met at the club yesterday here. The girl who enchanted me with her captivating green eyes.


    So, she was a Moretti. That exined why she was fearless and didn¡¯t seem intimidated by me. Was she my supposed fianc¨¦e?


    ¡°Antonio, I present to you Sofia Moretti.¡± Roberto said as he gestured at the girl who came in with the daring girl. The girl who dared make my cock go crazy.


    She wasn¡¯t Sofia. So, who was she? Rosalinda, her sister?


    ¡°And this is Rosalinda, her sister.¡± Roberto continued, confirming my guess as he gestured at her.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± I muttered, my gaze fixed on her. Though my intention wasn¡¯t to say that out loud, it just happened to slip off my lips.


    ¡°Have you met her before?¡± Roberto asked, with curiosity lingering in his eyes.


    Yesterday, she mentioned that she sneaked out of the house. Talking about our encounter would only put her in trouble. I didn¡¯t know why I was protecting her, but-


    I flicked my gaze at him and shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    My attention should be on Sofia, the reason I was there, not Rosalinda.


    So, crossing my hands over my chest, I cast my gaze at Sofia. ¡°Nice to meet you, Sofia.¡±


    She only nodded her head in response. She didn¡¯t seem to like me. I didn¡¯t either; I was only marrying her because of the benefit I would get from the alliance with Roberto and also because I needed a bride who would bear me an heir.


    I nced briefly at Rosalinda before flicking my gaze at Roberto. ¡°Can we speak in private?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Roberto asked, confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Don¡¯t you like her?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I want to speak in private with Sofia, not you.¡± I said, and he let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Rosalinda, let¡¯s excuse them.¡± He said as he started walking towards the exit.


    Rosalinda nced briefly at me before turning on her heels and trailing behind her father.


    Unable to take my gaze off her, I watched until she waspletely out of sight. Fuck, she was damn hot, and my cock kept throbbing under its cover, wanting to go after her.


    I gave my head a slight shake, waving off all the dirty thoughts that were roaming through my head. I was getting married to her sister, Sofia, and these unholy thoughts should be about her, not Rosalinda.


    Clearing my throat, I darted my gaze at Sofia. ¡°We would be getting married soon. We should get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°Is that necessary?¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like our marriage would be based on love, so-¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± I cut her off. ¡°You would be bearing my children, and I need to know everything about the mother of my children.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Children? Are we going to, like-¡± she pointed between the both of us. ¡°Me and you?¡±


    She must be perplexed at the idea of having sex with me prior to conceiving my children. I didn¡¯t like the idea either. But it was something we had to do once we got married. If only Rosalinda was the one with whom I was engaged, it would have been much easier for me, as I was insanely attracted to her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°So, tell me about you. I want to know everything.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± She scratched the back of her neck.


    ¡°If you are not ready, we could do this another day.¡± I quickly said. She was wasting too much time, and I didn¡¯t have all day. ¡°Our wedding is not until two weeks from now.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks?!¡± She eximed, widening her eyes in bewilderment.


    ¡°Yes.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°Your father didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She panicked.


    Was she that terrified about the idea of getting married to me? Well, the deal had already been signed, and there was nothing she could do about it. She would have to deal with me for life, just as I would.


    The only thing she had to do was abide by my rules, and she would be fine.


    ¡°I am done with you.¡± I dismissed her. ¡°Go and get your father.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Without hesitation, she turned on her heels and dashed out of the room.


    A few minutester, the door was pushed open, and all my expectations were to see Roberto walk through the door, but he wasn¡¯t the one. It was Rosalinda.


    She was holding a tray bearing a bottle of wine and a wine flute. Her hips swayed as she walked towards me, and each step she took went straight to my groin, causing it to throb uncontrobly under its covers. Fuck! I wanted her.


    ¡°I was asked to bring this to you.¡± She said as she ced the tray on her father¡¯s desk, which I was seated beside.


    I nodded my head in acknowledgement.


    ¡°Thank you. For not telling my papa about yesterday.¡± She muttered and sighed. ¡°He would be with you shortly.¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for my response before turning on her heels and starting to walk away.


    I longed for her, and as much as I hated to admit it to myself, I didn¡¯t want her to leave. I wanted her to stay. With me.


    Before I could stop myself, I uttered her name. ¡°Rosalinda Moretti.¡±


    Slowly, she turned to look at me. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Why did I call her? I fucking didn¡¯t know, but I had to quickly think of an excuse.


    ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to pour myself a drink, do you?¡± Was what I coulde up with.


    Without giving me a response, she inched closer, picked up the wine bottle, and popped it open.As she poured the wine into the ss, all my mind thought of was making her squirt. Just like the bottle was squirting wine. Fuck! I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. I wanted her. I wanted to feel her warmth around my cock. I wanted to feel the taste of her lips, and that was crazy.


    She handed me the ss of wine, but I shook my head. ¡°Drink it.¡± I said.


    Making her drink it would make her stay for a little longer. Call me crazy, but I desperately wanted her to be with me.


    She drew her brows together. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to have a reason? I want you to.¡±


    She shook her head, and before she could speak, I did first. ¡°It¡¯s an order, Rosalinda. You dare not defy me.¡±


    She tipped her head to the side, and I could see the irritation that was starting to mask her expression. ¡°And what if I do?¡±


    I thought she was fearless and didn¡¯t seem intimidated by me yesterday because she didn¡¯t know who I was. Because she didn¡¯t know that I was Antonio Russo. I stroked fear in people, and no one dared to defy me; not even her father could talk to me the way she just did. But she was different, and that I found interesting.


    ¡°What would you do?¡± She continued when she didn¡¯t get a response.


    An amused smile touched my lips. ¡°You are fearless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you gave me your word.¡± She retorted.


    I cocked my head as I asked curiously. ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t touch women.¡± She said boldly. ¡°You said that yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Drink.¡± I said sternly. Her fearlessness might be amusing, but I hated it when I was disrespected. ¡°I might not harm you physically, but there are other ways in which I can get to you. So, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t defy me. So, now-¡±


    Before I couldplete my sentence, she gulped the wine down, surprising me. I had expected her to rebel for a little longer.


    ¡°Done.¡± She said, with rage seeping through her voice as she ced the ss violently on the tray. ¡°Asshole.¡± She muttered under her breath, but I heard her. Who the fuck did she think she was to call me that?


    A sudden rage boiled within me as I leapt to my feet and gripped her neck. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    As I stared at her, the rage within me melted away in an instant and was reced with lust. Her lips were stained with the red wine she just drank, and the urge to take her lips into mine and suck the wine off them surged through me. It was the same urge I had yesterday while my hands were on her neck before her friend interrupted.


    A sound suddenly escaped her lips, and I could swear that it was a moan. Before I could process why she made that sound, the door suddenly dinged open, and I quickly pulled away from her. I turned to see Roberto venturing inside the room, and with the look in his eyes, I was certain that he saw us.

 3| Hell. Fuck. No.

    Antonio Russo¡¯s charm worked on me. Again. His presence had such an immense effect on me. An effect that made my body react to him in ways that it shouldn¡¯t. I hated it. I hated him. Not only because I disliked his annoyingly bossy nature but also because he was my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦e and I wasn¡¯t supposed to be attracted to him. But I was.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Pap¨¤ asked briskly as he approached us.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Rosalinda here needs to be taught some manners.¡± Antonio said as he slouched on the chair where he was seated. ¡°I wonder why you aren¡¯t strict with your daughter¡¯s. Strict enough to stop them from sneaking-¡± He paused, darted his gaze at me, and smirked smugly. ¡°I mean, stop the them from going around and disobeying people.¡±


    What was his deal? He was punishing me by making me believe he was going to expose my sneaking escapade to Pap¨¤. And hell yeah, his punishment worked because I almost hyperventted. If Pap¨¤ ever found out that I usually sneak out of the house, I¡¯d be done for real, because that would mean the end of my social life. And not only would he put extra care into watching me; he would use my dirty past to shame me and make my life a living hell. Hell, no.


    Papa darted his gaze at me and shot me a re before returning his gaze to Antonio. ¡°I apologize for her manners.¡± He said and sighed before asking.¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°I asked her to drink a ss of wine, and she refused.¡± Antonio reclined in his seat and clicked his tongue. ¡°How disrespectful.¡±


    Asshole.


    ¡°You choked her because she refused to drink?¡± Pap¨¤ asked, and I could sense the mild irritation in his voice.


    He also found it annoying. Who forces a woman to drink wine while unting their power in the process?


    Antonio ced his hand on the desk and started tapping it gently with his fingers. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡± Pap¨¤ sighed before flicking his gaze at me. ¡°You can go.¡±


    Nodding my head, I dashed out of the office.


    I hate him. I grunted as I made my way to my room. He was so annoying, proud, arrogant, and bossy. He was the embodiment of all the negative character traits. At that moment, I pitied my sister, for she would have to put up with him for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± I suddenly heard my sister call as I pushed my room¡¯s door open.


    I turned to look at her, and my heart broke at once when I saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, concerned, as I wrapped my hand around her shoulders and walked her into my room.


    ¡°Antonio said we were getting married in two weeks.¡± She managed to say in between sobs as we trudged to the bed and sat in it. ¡°Pap¨¤ didn¡¯t tell me that it would be this soon.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks!¡± I eximed in bewilderment. ¡°That¡¯s too soon.¡±


    I wondered why they wanted to rush the wedding when no preparations had even begun.


    ¡°I thought I still had time to spend with Oliver. But-¡°she burst out crying, and I didn¡¯t know what to say or do.


    She looked pitiful, and I wish I could do something about it. I wish there was something I could do to help her live her happily ever after with Oliver like she desired. But there was nothing either I or she could do. Her fate had been decided. A cruel fate she had no say in. And she had no choice but to painfully ept it.


    Sighing, I moved closer to her and wrapped my hands around her. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She shook her head vigorously and jerked away from the embrace. ¡°He wants to turn me into a baby-making machine. That¡¯s all he intends to do.¡±


    A scowl shed across my face. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He said we should get to know each other only because I am going to bear his child.¡± She told me, and I could feel anger rising up inside me.


    ¡°That bastard.¡± I murmured under my breath, but loud enough for Sofia to hear.


    ¡°You dislike him also, right?¡± She asked, and I sighed.


    She was getting married to him, and I wanted her to grow to like him. I didn¡¯t want to say anything negative about him and crush her spirit. I felt guilty enough for being attracted to him.


    I held her hands in mine. ¡°He would be nice to you. Just give him time.¡±


    The door suddenly dinged open, and Mamma appeared before us. Worries quickly skated across her face when she caught sight of Sofia crying.


    ¡°Oh dear.¡± She muttered as she ventured into the room and sat beside Sofia on the bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked concerned, wrapping her arms around her. ¡°Is this because you don¡¯t want to get married to Antonio?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Sofia answered truthfully. ¡°And no one told me I¡¯d be locked up in bondage in two weeks. I had no idea it would be so soon.¡±


    A scowl shed across Mamma¡¯s face before she quickly reced it with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite ce. ¡°I agree that two weeks is too soon because it¡¯s such a short time to prepare for a wedding. I tried to convince your father to change the date, but he said it had been finalized. So, there is nothing I can do about it.¡± She paused and sighed before she continued. ¡°And you will not be locked in bondage. You are going to have a beautiful marriage, and I want you to believe that.¡±


    ¡°You want me to believe what¡¯s not true?¡± Sofia shook her head. ¡°No, Mamma.¡±


    Mamma sighed, then flicked her gaze at me. ¡°I almost forgot. Your father asked me to call you. That¡¯s why I came here in the first ce. He¡¯s in his office.¡±


    ¡°Is Antonio still there?¡± I asked curiously, and she nodded.


    ¡°Fucking shit!¡± I groaned, and Mamma shot her brow up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like him?¡± She asked, but it sounded more like a statement.


    Did I like him? I asked myself. I loved what his voice did to me. I loved the feeling of his palm wrapped around my throat. I loved how he made me feel. But did I like his personality? His arrogant, bossy personality. Of course not.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked as I leapt to my feet, my tone dripping with sarcasm. ¡°He¡¯s a perfect gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Just go.¡± Mamma groaned, shooing me away.


    ¡°You¡¯ll survive.¡± I patted my sister on the shoulder before dashing out of the room and making my way to Papa¡¯s office.


    What could Papa want to discuss with me in the presence of Antonio? I thought as I nervously knocked on the door. No matter how much I loved what his presence did to me, I didn¡¯t want to be close to him. The desire I felt for him was wrong on so many levels, and I needed to stop fueling it. To do that, I needed to stay away from him.


    Pap¨¤ permitted me to enter almost immediately, and I pushed the door open.


    Antonio¡¯s gaze on me was the first thing I noticed when I entered the office, and those alluring eyes of his caused my clitoris to throb. Damn, I wanted to feel his tongue on that.


    He was sitting on the visitor¡¯s chair in front of Pap¨¤¡¯s desk, while Pap¨¤ was sitting behind his desk.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Pap¨¤ called as I slowly sauntered towards them. ¡°Antonio and I were just discussing your sister¡¯s wedding dress.¡±


    ¡°Your mother suggested that she get her dress from Lily Bridals.¡± Antonio added.


    The effect of his gaze on me intensified upon hearing his voice. I hated it. I hated that just a look from him was capable of making my body go wild.


    A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed. ¡°I believe Lily Bridals is a good ce. I have seen a lot of positive reviews from their customers online.¡±


    ¡°Good. I just wanted to hear your opinion.¡± Pap¨¤ said, and I nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll be going there with Sofia tomorrow. And-¡± He lifted his mug of coffee and took a sip before carefully cing it back on its saucer. ¡°Antonio would drive you both there.¡±


    Hell. Fuck. No. All I wanted to do was stay away from temptation in the form of a man to prevent my forbidden desires from growing out of control. But from the look of things, that wasn¡¯t possible as he was my brother-inw, and seeing him was inevitable.


    ¡°It would be wise for you to rid yourself of any trace of disrespect that resides within you before tomorrow.¡± Antonio stated, and when I cast my gaze at him, my eyes met his, his enthralling hazel eyes drawing me in as butterflies danced within the depths of my stomach.


    Fuck! Oveing my desire for this man would be exceedingly difficult. I hated him as much as I hated him.

 4| I love your smell.

    The following day, Antonio picked me and Sofia up from our ce as nned, and he drove us to Lily Bridals.


    The only thing we¡¯d said to each other since he picked us up was a simple greeting. Which was good, I guess, because the less we spoke, the better. The better I would be able to resist the scorching attraction I had towards him.


    When we got inside the building, we were weed by a receptionist.


    Her smile was broad as she spoke. ¡°Wee to Lily Bridals. How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ My mom called and made a reservation for Sofia Moretti. We are here for-¡± Before I couldplete my sentence, ady suddenly appeared beside me and interrupted.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Sofia Moretti.¡± She beamed as she tucked her blonde bob hair behind her ear, revealing more of her beautifully sculptured face. ¡°Wee to Lily Bridals. I have been expecting you.¡± A small scowl suddenly shed on her face. ¡°She told me you were petite and had a little¡­¡±


    She had mistaken me for Sofia. Before she could finish her sentence, I quickly pointed at Sofia. ¡°She¡¯s Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Thedy let out a sigh, which I interpreted to be a sigh of relief. ¡°She¡¯s exactly as Mrs. Moretti described her. Anyway, I am Lily. A designer and I own this ce.¡± She extended her arms wide, proudly, in demonstration.


    ¡°Nice.¡± Was all that Sofia muttered. She didn¡¯t seem interested in being there.


    ¡°So, the fitting room is this way.¡± Lily said as she gestured in a direction and started walking in that direction.


    We trailed behind her, and she walked us through a hallway until she stopped in front of a ss door and pushed it open.


    The room was spacious and adorned with full-length mirrors ced at three angles. In front of the full-length mirrors was a sitting area.


    ¡°I already exined it to Mrs. Moretti; I don¡¯t know if she told you guys about it.¡± Lily uttered as we ventured inside the room.


    ¡°And that is?¡± I asked, raising my brow. Mamma hadn¡¯t told us anything.


    ¡°The notice is so short,¡± she began as she started walking towards a clothing rack that was situated in one corner of the room. ¡°But luckily, there is a bride that recently canceled after we had finished making this magnificent dress.¡± She pulled a dress out of the clothing rack and started sauntering back towards us with it in her arms. ¡°Her groom-to-be dumped her, so, automatically, the wedding was canceled, and now she¡¯s asking for a refund. Who does that? How is it my fucking business that she was dumped?¡± I could hear the irritation in her voice. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s about the same size as you, so if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    ¡°I would try it on.¡± Sofia quickly said, cutting her off.


    Lily¡¯s lips perked up in a smile. ¡°Well, then, the private dressing room is over there.¡± She said, gesturing to a small door inside the room.


    Sofia started walking towards the door, and Lily followed behind her with the dress in her arms.


    I turned to see that Antonio was already seated on one of the couches inside the room. His attention was on his phone, and he looked so damn hot without even trying. I hadn¡¯t really looked at him since he picked us up from our ce, even though it took everything in me to stop myself from taking nces at him.


    But the restrictions I ced on myself seemed to have broken because, right now, I couldn¡¯t seem to take my eyes off him as I watched him type so fast on his phone. Only if those fingers were on my cli*t0ri*s instead. Such fast movement would have driven me to the brink of insanity.I quickly shook my head to wave those dirty thoughts off my mind.


    Rosalinda, you promised to keep him off your mind. I reminded myself.


    ¡°Are you just going to stand there?¡± He asked without looking up from his phone.


    Of course not. I thought without giving him a response as I trudged towards the sofa and sat right beside him.


    I couldn¡¯t resist him, and I found myself staring at him again. He looked up, and before I could avert my gaze, he caught me. I still drifted my gaze away from him anyway.


    ¡°Do you think Sofia would like to stay with me, or should I get her own house for privacy?¡± He asked.


    Damn! His voice. His rich, velvety voice.


    ¡°Ask her.¡± I simply replied and swallowed against my dry throat.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude?¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°After moaning at my touch yesterday.¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡± I asked, feigning confusion as my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I knew exactly what he was talking about. I had hoped he hadn¡¯t interpreted it as a moan.


    ¡°The sound you made yesterday while my hand was on your neck.¡± He borated as if it were something normal, as if it weren¡¯t something that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.


    ¡°I gasped, not moaned.¡± I let the lie slip off my tongue. ¡°And, even if it was a moan, I moaned in pain, not pleasure.¡±


    He shot up his brow. ¡°And who mentioned pleasure here?¡±


    There, he got me. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned that.


    ¡°I want to hear you make that sound again.¡± He abruptly said, and my eyes widened in perplexity. What did he mean by that?


    He adjusted his position on the seat, moving closer to me and my pulse pattered at an uneven beat. His close proximity made it incredibly hard for me to breathe.


    ¡°Why do you want to hear me make that sound again?¡± A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed. ¡°Do you enjoy inflicting pain on innocent girls?¡±


    Before I knew what was happening, his hand was already on my neck, grazing his fingers across it sensually.


    ¡°Yes.¡± His voice was low and husky.


    I opened my mouth to talk, but the effect he had on me seized my voice.


    ¡°You smell good.¡± He muttered in a low, velvety tone, and before I could process what he just said, he nestled in until I could feel his warm breath on my neck.He inhaled deeply, slightly grazing his nose on my neck as he straightened back up.


    My already rapid heartbeat elerated, and the walls of my folds contracted. Fuck!


    ¡°What-what-what was that?¡± I managed to say, my cheeks turning red as heat radiated through them.


    ¡°I love your smell,¡± he casually said, as if he hadn¡¯t just done the most inappropriate thing. ¡°What perfume do you use?¡±


    ¡°What-¡± Before I couldplete my sentence, I heard the door ding open, and I darted my gaze to see Sofia walking out of the dressing room with Lily walking right behind her.


    Returning my gaze to Antonio, I realized he had already retained his former position, looking calm and collected like nothing had just happened.


    I quicklyposed myself and tried not to think of what just happened as I leapt to my feet and stretched my lips into a smile.


    Inching closer to Sofia, I finally took in the beauty of her dress. She looked incredibly stunning in the wedding dress. The dress was perfect on her.


    ¡°It looks like the dress was made for her.¡± Lily voiced out my thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s no need for any adjustments.¡±


    ¡°You look amazing.¡± Iplimented, my eyes filled with admiration.


    Sofia just stood in front of the mirror,cking any form of enthusiasm.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we could-¡± Lily started when she noticed how uninterested Sofia looked, but thetter quickly cut her off.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to change anything about it.¡± She said and sighed. ¡°I would go and get changed now.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, she started walking towards the changing room, and I quickly followed her. I needed tofort her. She was obviously overwhelmed by how fast things were moving. I felt for her; if I were in her shoes, I would have acted that way also.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I called as we slipped inside the small room and closed the door.


    Before I could say anything, she wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder.


    I wrapped one arm around her and started patting her head with the other as I muttered. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby.¡±


    I had expected to feel her tears on my shoulder, but surprisingly, that didn¡¯t happen. Instead, she straightened back up and held my hand in hers. ¡°I want to ask you for a favor.¡±


    I raised my brow curiously. ¡°What¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°I need you to help me sneak out tonight. I want to see Oliver.¡± She said. ¡°I want to say my final goodbye to him, and I want to do it in person.¡±


    ¡°You do know what would happen if we got caught, right?¡± I asked, and she nodded.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say no, Rosa.¡± She pleaded as she stared at me with her doe eyes, making it hard for me to say no. Sofia was known for using her cute, innocent-looking doe eyes to coax people into doing things they didn¡¯t want to. And every time she did that, it worked on me. Now was not different.


    I sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She beamed and jumped on me. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    I agreed to her request, knowing the risk that came with her seeing another man while she was engaged to Antonio. If caught, Oliver could either lose his life or his eyes. Or any other part of his body.


    But as the sneaking expert that I am, I would make sure we don¡¯t get caught. Tonight, I will fulfill my sister¡¯s wish to see her lover onest time.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Sofia said, cutting through my thoughts. ¡°Why are your cheeks so red?¡±


    I quickly ced my palms over my cheeks, and they got even more crimson as memories of what Antonio did minutes ago washed through me.


    What exactly happened back there?

 5| Cheers Corner.

    Sofia¡¯s dress wasplicated, so I couldn¡¯t help her pull it off on my own; I had to call Lily to help her out since she designed it.


    She was standing in front of the small room when I stepped out. She must have understood that Sofia was not in the best of moods and waited for me tofort her, hence why she stood outside and didn¡¯t go in with us.


    ¡°Is she okay now?¡± Lily asked concernedly the second she saw me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded slightly. ¡°Her dress is still on. Can you help her pull it off?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She said as she hurried towards the door and pushed it open.


    I strolled back to where I was seated and sat on the sofa while trying my very best not to nce at Antonio. A walking temptation.


    The scene of what he did to me before Sofia and Lily walked out of that small room kept reying in my head, and I wanted to know why he did that. Was he also attracted to me?


    Before I could stop myself, I cleared my throat and asked. ¡°Why did you sniff my neck the other time? You shouldn¡¯t do that again.¡±


    He swung his head to the side, giving me his attention. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Its¡­. inappropriate.¡± It sounded more like a question.


    His forehead creased. ¡°If what I think you are thinking is what you are thinking, don¡¯t. Don¡¯t be delusional.¡±


    Right. I was overthinking things. Like he said the other time, he simply loved the scent of my perfume, which is why he inhaled it. Nothing more.


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± I quickly asked in an attempt to change the subject and not look any more pathetic.


    He raised a questioning brow. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The guy you pointed your gun at at the club¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± He said in a dismissive tone.


    I knew I was supposed to keep quiet, but I pressed on anyway. ¡°I know it¡¯s not. I just want to know. Did you kill him? Did you-¡±


    ¡°You should be grateful I didn¡¯t tell your father that I saw you at the club.¡± He cut me off.


    I rolled my eyes. Did he want to use that to ckmail me?


    ¡°And I promise you, Rosalinda, if I should ever see you sneak out again, I would take you to your father myself.¡± He continued with a firm tone.


    I opened my mouth to respond, but my words died on my lips when Sofia and Lily sauntered out of the dressing room with the dress curled up in Lily¡¯s hands.


    As Sofia approached us, her phone began to ring, and she lifted it up to see who the caller was.


    Hoisting her head up, she flicked her gaze at me. ¡°Rosa, can you take care of the rest, please? Mamma is calling; I should get it. I would be waiting outside.¡±


    I nodded in response before she started taking long strides towards the exit as she picked up the call and ced it on her ear.


    The caller was Oliver, not Mamma. That I was sure of.


    Lily led us to where the payment would be made and went her way afterwards.


    While I waited for Antonio to conclude the purchase, a chubby, bald guy approached me with a big grin on his face. I knew in an instant that I was about to get annoyed.


    ¡°Hi, I am Liam.¡± He said as he extended his hand forward for a handshake.


    I stared at his hand for a few seconds as I debated whether to take it or not. I chose thetter.


    ¡°Oh,e on, beautiful.¡± He retreated his hand, then took it to the bridge of his nose and pinched it. ¡°Your beauty caught my attention, and I decided toe say hello. Maybe, perhaps¡­¡± He trailed off as he flicked his gaze to my boobs before proceeding to peek at my ass.


    Disgusting!


    ¡°We could get acquainted with each other. You know what I mean.¡± He continued.


    ¡°F*u*ck off.¡± My irritation was palpable in the way I groaned.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me f*u*ck you instead?¡± He retorted, rubbing his filthy hands together as he licked his lips in a manner that disgusted me.


    Sighing in annoyance, I turned to see Antonio approaching us with a scowl masking his features.


    I didn¡¯t know how or why I got the idea to spite him, but-


    I swiftly returned my gaze to the disgusting human. ¡°If I allowed you to fu*c*k me, would you make me your wife?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± A wide grin tugged his lips apart, thinking he had triumphed. Fool. ¡°I would make you my wife and live happily ever after with you.¡±


    He tugged his phone out of his pocket and held it out. ¡°Let me have your contact.¡±


    Antonio was standing in front of us now.


    Without saying a word, he took the phone from the man¡¯s grasp and slid it back into his pocket.


    ¡°Get lost.¡± He muttered; his voice was low and dark.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The disgusting man challenged him as he pulled his phone back out and held it out, refusing to relent.


    Antonio lifted his shirt slightly, showing him a glimpse of the gun that was strapped to his pants. ¡°Leave. While I am still asking nicely.¡±


    The man gasped in fear, and without further hesitation, he turned on his heels and walked out of there as fast as he could.


    ¡°Are you always a bully?¡± I scoffed and rolled my eyes. ¡°You just chased a potential suitor away.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°We both know you can¡¯t marry him. So, shut up.¡± He groaned, his voice holding authority, which I refused to bow to.


    ¡°I refuse, you asshole.¡± I countered, and from the look in his eyes, I knew I had ignited rage in him.


    He reached for my neck, and as if I knew he was going to do that, I instinctively bent sideways, dodging him.


    ¡°Not again.¡± I smirked wickedly.


    He shook his head lightly, and I didn¡¯t miss the irritated look that saturated his face before he started plodding towards the exit.


    Is it weird to say that I found joy in annoying him?


    ¡­


    Sofia and I spent the rest of the day waiting for our ns tonight. As nightfall descended, I helped Sofia escape from the confines of the mansion, as promised.


    I knew how risky what we were doing was, and I should have changed my mind after Antonio¡¯s warning earlier today, but a promise is a promise, and I needed to fulfill it.


    We met Oliver at Cheers Corner, a pub that we carefully selected for them to meet since it was far away from home.


    After exchanging pleasantries with Oliver, I warned Sofia to make it snappy so that we could return home before anyone noticed our absence.


    I stepped outside the pub afterwards to wait for them and to also stand guard in case anyone we knew showed up.


    After a while, a chill began to settle in the air, causing me to shiver involuntarily.


    Instinctively, I embraced myself, crossing my arms tightly in an effort to retain warmth as I continued scanning my surroundings vigntly like a street drug dealer watching out for the police.


    I was lost in thought and nervousness when I suddenly felt a hand on my butt, causing me to flinch. I quickly turned to look at the person who dared to touch me, and a middle-aged man with a potbelly came into view. He was drunk.


    ¡°Pretty girl.¡± He slurred, and I quickly held my nose with my hand as a pungent smell hit my nose.


    The smell was a nauseating blend of alcohol and foul breath.


    ¡°I want to take you home tonight; how much would you like to get paid?¡±


    ¡°Fu*c*k off.¡± I groaned as I started walking away from him, but he grabbed my hand before I could inch far and pulled me back.


    I tried to snatch my hand away from his grip, but I couldn¡¯t. He was way stronger than me.


    ¡°Come with me, baby.¡± He grinned, and I had never felt more disgusted in my life. I didn¡¯t know if his calling me baby was what disgusted me the most or his bad breath. All I knew was that I needed to get away from him before I puked my lungs out.


    ¡°Let me go.¡± I screamed, but he didn¡¯tply.


    With the disgusting grin still on his face, he started dragging me with him, and a pang of fear crawled up my spine as I tried to free myself from his grip, but to no avail.


    Suddenly, someone yanked his hand away from mine, and I let out a sigh. I leaned forward, resting both hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. That was a terrifying experience.


    Slowly, I hoisted my head to see who my savior was, and the relief I felt was quickly reced with fear.


    Oh, no. I would have preferred to deal with the disgusting guy rather than this.


    ¡°I thought I warned you about sneaking out?¡± He inched closer to me and leveled my gaze with those dark but alluring eyes of his.


    ¡°I-I-¡± Words failed me. I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say.


    Grabbing my hand, he started dragging me towards the entrance of the pub.


    ¡°Take me to them.¡± He groaned, and an immense fear wed at my chest. ¡°Where are they? Sofia and her so-called boyfriend.


    How did Antonio know about it? I panicked. At that moment, I wished the ground could just open up and swallow me because I, Sofia, and Oliver were in deep shit.

 6| Bane Of My Existence.

    ROSALINDA.


    When we entered the pub, I immediately spotted Oliver sitting alone at the bar, and a wave of relief washed over me.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Antonio asked, scanning the pub intently.


    I yanked my hand away from his grip and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I came here alone.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯te here alone.¡± He firmly grasped my shoulders, intently staring into my eyes. ¡°After you followed her into that room, I followed you and overheard your conversation.¡± He admitted, and I shot my brow at him.


    How creepy.


    I shrugged again, trying to appear nonchnt. ¡°After you warned me about sneaking out, I changed my mind about going with Sofia. I didn¡¯t want to get her into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± He persisted, emphasizing each word.


    I looked around the room, desperately hoping Sofia wouldn¡¯t show up until he left. Where the fuck was she, by the way?


    ¡°I told you the truth.¡± I stood my ground as I started walking away from him.


    ¡°Where the fuck are you going?¡± He growled.


    ¡°What I came here for. I am going to get a drink.¡± I responded as I continued walking towards the bar.


    I needed to warn Oliver and let him know that he had to leave that ce as soon as possible. Fortunately, Antonio didn¡¯t know what Oliver looked like, so he couldn¡¯t recognize him.


    I took a seat next to Oliver and began to speak.


    ¡°Oliver, don¡¯t look at me and don¡¯t reply. Listen to me; wherever Sofia is, you need to get her and leave this ce as soon as possible.¡± I quickly said, discreetly signaling the bartender toe over.


    Without hesitation or asking for exnations, Oliver leapt to his feet and dashed out.


    ¡°A ss of Martini, please.¡± I told the bartender, and a smile curled on his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a good taste, Miss.¡± The bartender grinned before heading toward the shelf.


    I turned my head and noticed Antonio had already taken a seat beside me. I squinted my eyes, expecting him to drag me out, but to my surprise, he called for the bartender and ordered a shot of vodka.


    After our drinks were served, an ufortable silence settled between us as we sipped slowly from our sses.


    ¡°So, how did you know I wasing here?¡± I finally asked after a while, breaking the ufortable silence.


    He turned his head to meet my gaze. ¡°I turned on your phone¡¯s location.¡± He said, and my eyes narrowed as realization hit me.


    After we left Lily Bridals building, he borrowed my phone to call my dad, iming he forgot his. That must have been when he activated my phone¡¯s location.


    Asshole.


    ¡°That¡¯s an invasion of privacy, you asshole.¡± I muttered under my breath, but loud enough for him to hear.


    I anticipated a reaction to my rudement, but he remained calm. Instead, he averted his gaze and signaled for the bartender toe over.


    Suddenly, an urgent need to use the restroom surged within me. I swiftly rose from my seat and started walking away.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He questioned, causing me to stop in my tracks.


    I half turned to look at him. ¡°To respond to the call of nature.¡±


    Without waiting for his response, I continued walking, making my way to the restroom.


    As I pushed open the restroom door, I subconsciously turned to see Antonio approaching, and I gasped. Had he been following me all along?


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°You think I would allow you to leave my sight?¡± He shook his head slightly. ¡°I am only allowing you to remain in this pub because I am with you, and I have to be by your side at all times.¡±


    Did that mean he was acting as my bodyguard? I thought, feeling heat radiating to my cheeks.


    Clearing my throat, I slipped inside the restroom, shutting the door behind me.


    ¡­


    ANTONIO


    A few minutes after Rosalinda went into the restroom, I suddenly heard a short scream, and worry consumed me as I inched closer to the door.


    ¡°Rosalinda, are you okay?¡± I asked as I impatiently rapped on the door. But there was no response.


    Without a second thought, I yanked the door open and hurried inside the restroom.


    The second I slipped inside, I stopped in my tracks, my mouth falling open at the sight before me.


    Rosalinda had taken off her white tank top, leaving her in just jeans and a white bra.I gulped, mesmerized by the sight of her exposed upper body. She was absolutely stunning.


    ¡°What are you doing inside?¡± She yelled, snapping me back to reality. It was then that I realized that I must have stared for too long.


    I averted my gaze and took a sharp breath in attempt to cool off the heat that rushed to my groin.


    ¡°I heard you scream,¡± I said, subconsciously returning my gaze to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°A fire ant stung me.¡± She said in frustration as she rubbed her chest. ¡°I fucking don¡¯t know how it got into my top.¡±


    I trudged further into the restroom, getting closer to her, and she instinctively lifted her top, attempting to cover herself from me.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to yank the top off her body and rest my gaze on the red spot that was just below her neck.


    ¡°What-what-are you doing?¡± She stuttered.


    ¡°Shut up and let me check it,¡± I muttered, lifting my hand and gently rubbing my thumb over the red spot.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be in here.¡± She muttered; her voice was low. ¡°It¡¯s adies restroom.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look bad.¡± I continued rubbing it gently, my eyes fixed on the visible part of her fair breast. ¡°It should heal soon.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She said, and I heard her gulp her saliva as she staggered backwards.


    I swiftly wrapped my hand around her waist, holding her in ce. ¡°Are you tipsy?¡± I asked as I subconsciously nestled in and inhaled her scent. Her sweet vani scent.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­inappropriate.¡± She muttered, her voice barely audible.


    ¡°I already told you this before, Rosa. Don¡¯t be delusional. I am only doing this because I love your scent.¡± I continued sniffing her neck, unable to get enough of her.


    I wanted her. All of her.


    She reciprocated, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her body against mine, igniting a fire within me.


    ¡°It hurts.¡± She muttered and sound escaped her lips. It was a moan.


    ¡°What?¡± I questioned, my hands still hovering near the affected area.


    ¡°The sting.¡± She rified, and I reached for the spot, gently rubbing it with my thumb as I continued sniffing her body like a predator who was ready to devour its prey.


    The door suddenly creaked, and she jerked away from me. I turned to see two drunken girls-a brte and a redhead-staggering into the bathroom.


    ¡°You both have no shame at all.¡± The brte slurred, and the red-haired she was with squealed.


    ¡°Get a room.¡± The red-haired added.


    Shaking my head, I returned my gaze to Rosalinda, and she had already slipped her top on, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.


    What have I done? I berated myself as realization dawned on me. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight and I went far. Too far. Now, my desire for her is evident, and that should have stayed hidden.


    ¡°I should leave now.¡± She said and quickly trudged out of the bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t bother to follow her because I didn¡¯t know what I would do if I caught up with her. With the heat licking every tissue that made up my manhood, I was certain I wouldn¡¯t be able to control myself if I did.


    I had never felt as intensely attracted to anyone else as I did to her. That woman, my sister-inw, was the bane of my very existence.

 7| Endless Questions.

    Not even for a second before I fell asleep did the thoughts of what happened between me and Antonio leave my mind. I fell asleep thinking about him, and now that I¡¯m up, thoughts of him were the first to cross my mind.


    Was he also attracted to me, or was I misinterpreting things? Did he sniff my neck so sensually only because he liked my scent?


    Could it be that he was only under the influence of alcohol? I kept asking myself endless questions. Questions I had no answers to.


    I could still remember the way I involuntarily pressed myself against him as I allowed myself to feel his hard, defined body. I could still remember how intense my arousal was as he rubbed his thumb over the red sting spot and sniffed my neck.


    As those memories coursed through me, I caught myself absentmindedly rubbing the same red spot, feeling my folds contrast as I let out a short moan.


    I quickly snapped myself out of it, shaking my head in disbelief at what I was doing. He was out of bounds for me, and as much as I hated him, I also loathed myself for being attracted to him. My brother-inw.


    Suddenly, my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten dinner before going to bedst night. Antonio¡¯s thoughts had consumed me, causing me to forget about everything else.


    I jumped out of bed and made my way to the kitchen to grab something for breakfast.


    When I entered the kitchen, my brother Matteo was already there. I narrowed my eyes as I noticed the blood-stained ster on his cheek.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I quickly asked, fully expecting a sarcastic response.


    They never tell the women anything, always leaving us in the dark.


    ¡°I fought with a lion, and he shed through my cheek with his ws,¡± he replied, taking a bite of his sandwich before continuing with his mouth full. ¡°But trust me, I didn¡¯t allow it to go unscathed.¡±


    There it was-the sarcasm-filled response.


    ¡°Good morning, Rosalinda.¡± Grace, the home cook, greeted me, and I flicked my gaze to see her brewing coffee. I hadn¡¯t even noticed her when I entered the kitchen; my gaze and concern were fixed on my brother.


    ¡°Good morning, Grace.¡± I responded as I ventured further into the kitchen and sat across from Matteo by the counter.


    ¡°What would you like to have for breakfast?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Sandwich and coffee will do.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°So, Rosa. What do you think a girl would prefer for a gift, pants or-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to y a role in ruining a girl¡¯s life.¡± I cut him in.


    I knew Matteo way too well. He uses gifts to woo women, fuck them, and dump them. Lather, rinse, and repeat. He was never serious about any woman. He saw women as mere sex objects, and that was heartbreaking. I tried talking him out of that lifestyle several times, but to no avail.


    ¡°What?¡± He ced his hand over his chest, feigning shock. ¡°That hurts. I¡¯m not a life-ruiner. I¡¯m actually serious about this one.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that phrase a billion times before.¡± I retorted, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He lifted his hands up in surrender. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for your help anymore.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I muttered.


    Grace inched closer to Matteo and dropped a cup of coffee on the counter before him.


    He gave her a slight nod before picking it up and taking a sip.


    ¡°You make the best coffee, as always.¡± Heplimented her, and her blush reached her ears.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s up.¡± Matteo said, his gaze directed at the door, and I turned to see Sofia venturing inside the kitchen.


    She let out a sigh of relief the second she sighted me, and she inched closer to me.


    ¡°Good morning, Sofia.¡± Grace greeted her, and Sofia shed a smile at her.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She replied before quickly returning her gaze to me.


    ¡°I was so worried; I am so d you¡­¡± She trailed off and flicked her gaze at Matteo.


    Pressing her lips tightly together, she changed her mind about talking and jumped on the stool right next to me.


    ¡°What were you going to say?¡± Matteo nodded slightly, gesturing for Sofia to continue.


    ¡°Do you tell us your business?¡± Sofia snickered, raising a brow.


    When she didn¡¯t get a response from him, she proceeded to reply herself. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You are keeping secrets now, ughh?¡± He groaned, darting his gaze between me and Sofia. ¡°Sneaky asses.¡±


    ¡°Just the way you keep secrets.¡± Sofia retorted.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± Matteo said, changing the subject as he pointed to his injured cheek. ¡°You won¡¯t even ask about my wound.¡± He clicked his tongue, slightly shaking his head. ¡°What a great and caring sister I have.¡±


    Sofia rolled her eyes. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t tell me. So why bother?¡±


    Rising to his feet with his cup of coffee in his hand, he clicked his tongue again. ¡°I would remember to warn your husband-to-be about how mean you are.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she mumbled¡°Like I care.¡±


    ¡°And I am going to do that right now. He¡¯s with Pap¨¢.¡± Matteo continued as he made his way to the exit, and my eyes widened.


    ¡°Why is he here so early?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°Business,¡± he muttered before walking out of the kitchen, leaving me without any details.


    At the mention of Antonio, memories ofst night, which I had momentarily pushed aside, came rushing back, and I found myself lost in a daze as I remembered every detail.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± Sofia called, cutting through my thoughts.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I swallowed against my dry throat as I swung my head to the side to look at her.


    ¡°What happenedst night? Why did you ask Oliver to take me with him and leave the pub immediately?¡± She asked, her tone dripping with curiosity.


    I blew out a sharp breath and leaned forward, nting both elbows on the counter. ¡°I thought I saw Antonio. I was wrong.¡± I lied.


    If I had told her the truth, she would have questioned why I didn¡¯t run away with them, and if I told her that I couldn¡¯t run because he saw me, she knew it was almost impossible for him to see me and not report it to Pap¨¤. Telling her the truth would have raised too many questions. Questions I wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer, as I was ashamed of my desires for that man.


    ¡°So. How did it go? Did you-¡± I started, changing the subject, but she cut me off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t end it.¡± She revealed, and my annoyance was palpable in the way I smacked her hard on the shoulder.


    She made us go through all those risks for nothing?


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I eximed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you end it?¡±


    ¡°End what?¡± We suddenly heard a familiar voice say, and we snapped our gaze to the entrance to see Antonio standing in the door frame.


    Damn! He looked as devilishly hot as always, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Simple but irresistible.


    ¡°End-Uhm-the-Uhm-¡± Sofia stuttered as she nervously scratched the back of her neck.


    ¡°She made a deal with Matteo, and I asked her to end it as he was obviously going to win her and cheat her. But she didn¡¯t.¡± I lied, trying to save the situation.


    ¡°I see.¡± He narrowed his eyes in a way that showed that he didn¡¯t buy the lie but was choosing to let it go anyway.


    He moved further into the kitchen, his gaze fixed on Sofia as he spoke. ¡°I asked your sister something, and she asked me to ask you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sofia asked curiously.


    ¡°Would you like to stay with me and my family, or would you like to stay alone? With securities, of course.¡±


    I knew what her response would be even before she uttered it.


    ¡°Alone,¡± Sofia quickly said without hesitation.


    Of, course.


    ¡°Good,¡± Antonio said, giving a firm nod.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Russo.¡± Grace greeted him as she walked past us.


    ¡°Is my sandwich ready?¡± I asked, and she turned to look at me.


    ¡°Almost. I want to go and get pesto sauce from the store. Your favorite.¡± She informed me, and I nodded with a smile on my face.


    She gave me a duchenne smile before continuing on her way. As she reached the door, she nearly bumped into Matteo, and she quickly apologized before disappearing.


    Matteo stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Antonio. He regarded him warily before ncing at Sofia.


    ¡°Meanie, Pap¨¤ asked me to call you.¡± He told her, and she jumped out of her seat and hastily made her way to the exit as if she had been looking for a way to escape.


    Matteo gave Antonio a wary look before following Sofia, leaving me and Antonio alone in the same space. Again.


    Antonio closed the distance between us, his gaze never leaving mine.


    ¡°Just because I spared youst night doesn¡¯t mean I will spare you again.¡± He muttered, his voice low and menacing.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I simply said and nodded, avoiding eye contact with him.


    ¡°Look at me when I am talking to you.¡± His fingers found their way under my chin, slightly lifting my face to meet his gaze. Those alluring hazel eyes


    ¡°Do you hear me?¡± He pressed on, and I nodded my head obediently.


    He removed his fingers from my chin and nced down at my chest. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± His voice was now soft.


    ¡°No.¡± I slightly shook my head.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± His hand moved to my chest, parting the top of my button-down nightwear with two fingers, exposing the red mark where the fire ant had stung me.


    ¡°It¡¯s still slightly red.¡± He observed, and I swallowed.


    He had no idea what his slight touch was doing to me. Desire licked every single spot beneath my skin as I fought the urge to jerk up and throw myself on him, kissing him passionately like never before. I wanted to feel him inside me. My secret part longed for him.


    And he made it so much harder for me as he gently rubbed that spot, his eyes never leaving mine. I couldn¡¯t decipher the exact look in his eyes, but I hoped it wasn¡¯t lust.


    He was my brother-inw and we shouldn¡¯t be lusting over each other.


    Lost in the depths of each other¡¯s eyes, thest shred of control within me was about to snap when the sound of Grace¡¯s singing voice interrupted us, and he swiftly withdrew his finger from my chest.


    I turned to see Grace walking through the door, and the second she noticed that Antonio was still inside, she abruptly stopped singing and focused her gaze on the ground as she ventured into the kitchen.


    Returning my gaze to Antonio, he slipped his hands into his pockets and pressed his lips into a thin line.


    ¡°Behave.¡± He muttered before turning on his heels and walking out of the kitchen, leaving me soaking wet and yearning for his touch.


    A touch I would never feel.

 8| Ruined Dress.

    The past few days have been really overwhelming for me. I¡¯ve been deeply involved in assisting with the arrangements for both Sofia¡¯s wedding and her Engagement party. Today, however, was the engagement party.


    I was dressed in a redcy dress that boasted an off-shoulder neckline, gracefully revealing my d¨¦colletage and an enticing amount of my cleavage. The lower part of the dress had a thigh-high slit, exposing just the right amount of my legs. The entire look exuded flirtatiousness, but did I care? I simply dressed in what I felt beautiful in.


    The moment I stepped into the garden where the party was being held, I sensed the gaze of unfamiliar eyes upon me, which made me feel slightly ufortable.


    Everyone appeared cheerful, dressed in their elegant and expensive dresses and tuxedos.


    I looked around, anticipating seeing the one person that I had been longing for. The groom-to-be.


    It¡¯s been a week since Ist saw him in the kitchen, and not even a day has passed that I haven¡¯t thought of him.


    I thought being away from him would help me ovee my attraction for him, but I was wrong. My attraction for him was deeply rooted within me, and he lingered in my mind every minute of every day.


    ¡°Hello, Rosalinda.¡± A voice suddenly jerked me out of my thoughts, and I swung my head to the side to see a blonde man standing beside me.


    I was familiar with his face; he was one of my father¡¯s many business associates. Although I had seen him a couple of times before, I didn¡¯t know his name or who he was.


    ¡°Lorenzo.¡± He introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake as if he had read my mind.


    A polite smile curled on my lips as I took his hand.


    ¡°You look exceptionally beautiful,¡± heplimented, his gaze lingering on my body in a way that made me profoundly ufortable.


    I faked a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± He began, and I raised a brow as I leveled his gaze, wondering what he was curious about. ¡°Why would Roberto marry off his second daughter when his first daughter is whole, beautiful, and very much still avable?¡±


    I disliked him.


    Again, I feigned a smile as I replied. ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s reserving me for a more suitable man.¡±


    Which wasn¡¯t true anyway. There was a deeper and darker reason behind it.


    He let out a rich, throatyugh, his eyes fixed in a particr direction. ¡°Are you trying to tell me that the Antonio Russo right there isn¡¯t a befitting man?¡±


    I trailed his line of sight, and I let out an almost inaudible gasp when my eyes met someone¡¯s.


    My pulse quickened, and a swarm of butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I stared at him, unable to take my gaze off him.


    Antonio was standing right there in his ck pinstripe suit, looking as breathtaking as always.


    He was standing beside Sofia, and his gaze was filled with murderous intent as he stared at us.


    ¡°So, what type of man do you consider befitting?¡± Lorenzo continued, snapping me out of my daze, and I quickly averted my gaze from Antonio¡¯s.


    I felt my cheeks getting hot, and that heat soon radiated to every part of my body.


    Damn! I needed water. I needed to drink water to cool down the intense heat within me.


    I raised my head to meet Lorenzo¡¯s gaze, and I shed a polite smile at him as I spoke. ¡°Please excuse me.¡±


    Without hesitation, I walked away from him, making my way into the mansion and to the kitchen.


    Fuck. Even after a week, his mere gaze still ignited the same zing effect on me, and I hated it. I hated him.


    After gulping down the second ss of water, the heat radiating within me finally began to cool off.


    With frustration wing at my chest, I violently ced the ss cup on the counter. Raising my head back up, my gaze met Antonio¡¯s, and the heat I had managed to cool off came rushing back with full intensity. Fuck.


    He was standing in the door frame with his hands crossed over his chest, staring at me intently as if he were observing me.


    How long has he been standing there?


    ¡°What are you doing there?¡± I quickly asked.


    His gaze never leaving mine, he walked further into the room, inching closer to me.


    ¡°You have a very decent dress on.¡± He muttered, his deep, velvety voice going straight to my core. He cocked his head when he came to a stop in front of me, his eyes sweeping from my head to my toe as he continued. ¡°So decent that no man would even spare you a nce.¡±


    Sarcasm!


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I carefully chose this dress. I didn¡¯t want ufortable gazes directed at my body.¡± I countered with equal sarcasm.


    ¡°Go and get changed.¡± He muttered, his voice brimming with unwavering authority.


    I raised a brow. ¡°And who are you to order me around?¡±


    ¡°Just because I have been easy on you doesn¡¯t mean you can disrespect me. I could break you if I wished.¡± He muttered, his menacing eyes staring intently at me.


    ¡°You have no right to order me around.¡± I pressed on, refusing to be intimidated by his sudden cold demeanor.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Go and get changed.¡± He repeated, his jaw tightening.


    ¡°No,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Stubborn,¡± he sighed, slipping his hand into his pocket and retrieving a gold lighter.


    He took a step forward, closing the distance between us, and I instinctively veered back.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked as he flicked open the lighter, igniting the me. I stared at it, bewildered.


    His eyes never leaving mine, he crouched down, leaving me to wonder what was going on in his mind.


    Before I couldprehend what was happening, the me from the lighter was already touching my dress, burning its way up from the hem of the slit.


    Instinctively, I veered back, my eyes filling with horror.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I yelled as I leaned forward in an attempt to put out the fire, but he had already patted it out before it could touch my skin.


    An amused smile yed on his lips as he rose up.


    What was so amusing? Did he find pleasure in burning people alive? Fucking psychopath.


    ¡°You drive me crazy, Rosalinda.¡± He replied and nced at me for a second, or maybe longer, before swiftly turning around and walking away from me, leaving me with a ruined dress.


    This man!

 9| Ultimate Weakness.

    ROSALINDA.


    Antonio might be crazy, but I¡¯m even crazier.


    He ruined my dress just because he wanted me to change into something more decent, but I defied that cause. I went back into my room, swiftly removed the ruined dress, and slipped into something even more daring-a silver sequin mid-thigh dress with striking waist-high slits on both sides.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After I finished dressing, I stood in front of the mirror and spun around in aplete 360-degree turn, marveling at my own reflection. Boy, do I tempt myself?


    I looked so hot, and I was well aware that my father would disapprove of my outfit, but I couldn¡¯t care less as long as I got to spite Antonio.


    Grabbing a silver clutch, I made my way back to the garden. I looked around, searching for Antonio, and before I could figure out where he was, I heard a familiar voice call my name.


    Oh, shit. Not again.


    I had hoped to avoid encountering him again, but luck was clearly not on my side. I pivoted to face the source of the voice, forcing a fake smile to creep onto my lips.


    ¡°Lorenzo.¡± I called, and he inched closer to me, closing the distance between us.


    ¡°I must admit¡­¡± he paused, his eyes lingering over my body. He licked his lips in a way that disgusted me before hoisting his head up to meet my gaze. ¡°You are stunning.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I simply replied.


    ¡°So, why did you get changed?¡± He asked, his eyes once again wandering over my body.


    ¡°My dress got ruined.¡± I replied.


    By a psychopath, I continued inside my head.


    He nodded slightly. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Rosa. mia bellissima cugina.¡± I suddenly heard my cousin, Giovanni, call, and a wide smile pulled on my lips as I nced past Lorenzo¡¯s shoulder to see him approaching us.


    (La mia bellissima cugina: My beautiful cousin.)


    ¡°How I¡¯ve missed you,¡± he continued,ing to a halt in front of us and pulling me in for a warm hug.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡± I beamed as we released each other from the embrace.


    ¡°Oh, pardon my manners, Don.¡± He nced at Lorenzo, extending his hand for a handshake. ¡°Good evening.¡±


    ¡°Good evening,¡± Lorenzo replied, taking his hand.


    Giovanni gave him a firm nod before letting go and returning his gaze to me.


    ¡°May I have a dance, Rosa?¡± he asked, extending his hand.


    Without hesitation, I took it. I would rather be anywhere else than standing here with Lorenzo, forcing smiles.


    ¡°I apologize for stealing her away from you,¡± Giovanni told Lorenzo before taking me away from him.


    Oh, how much I love my cousin.


    ¡°You owe me.¡± Giovanni said as he led me to the dance floor.


    I raised a questioning brow. ¡°Owe you?¡±


    ¡°For rescuing you from Lorenzo. From the look in your eyes, I knew you didn¡¯t want to be with him, so I had to intervene,¡± He borated.


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± I muttered, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Did I just see you roll your eyes?¡± He mused and abruptly stopped in his tracks. ¡°I take my dance offer back.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t be a silly boy.¡± I nudged him, and he let out a chuckle as he continued walking.


    ¡°You know you shouldn¡¯t have worn this dress in the midst of lustful men, right?¡± He remarked, changing the subject. ¡°All eyes are on you, Mia Cugina.¡±


    ¡°They can only stare,¡± I murmured as we settled into our dance position and began swaying across the dance floor.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he mused.


    ¡°I thought you were in Italy.¡± I muttered as we continued dancing to the music in the background.


    ¡°I was. In fact, I had important business affairs to attend to, but I abandoned them. I couldn¡¯t miss Sofia¡¯s wedding for anything,¡± he replied.


    Shaking my head, an amused smile yed on my lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked Sofia this much.¡±


    I had known Giovanni almost all my life, and I knew for a fact that he wouldn¡¯t abandon his business for a wedding. He had other motives. That, I was sure of.


    ¡°Well, I would like to use this opportunity to form alliances with Antonio.¡± He divulged, and I subtly shook my head.


    I knew it!


    ¡°And speaking of the devil,¡± he continued, his gaze looking over my shoulders. ¡°Why is he staring at us? ring, in fact.¡±


    ¡°Who? Antonio?¡± I asked, and before I could stop myself, I quickly turned back to look at him.


    Our eyes met, and my heart fluttered erratically. He always had the same effect on me.


    Always.


    ¡­


    ANTONIO


    Rosalinda. An amusingly stubborn woman. As much as I loved how the dress clung to her body perfectly, I detested the fact that other men got to feast their eyes on her. I hated that Giovanni¡¯s hands were on her body as they danced. I knew he was her cousin, but the way his hand roamed her body ignited dark thoughts in my mind, making me envision countless ways to harm him.


    ¡°Antonio,¡± my sister, Cami, called, snapping me out of my trance. I turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    She sighed. ¡°I noticed how you have been staring lustfully at the sister. I know what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t even try it. Even if you intend to drive into infidelity after marriage, not with her sister. Please.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked, pretending to be clueless.


    ¡°You know very well what I am talking about, Antonio.¡± She retorted. ¡°I can tell when a man wants to fuck a woman.¡±


    Yes. She was right. I indeed wanted to fuck her until I couldn¡¯t no more, but it was a shameful thought, and I wasn¡¯t going to admit it to my sister.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be delusional, Cami.¡± I stated firmly.


    ¡°Antonio, I am serious. She¡¯s off limits.¡± She pressed on.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I simply replied, unwilling to prolong the conversation any further.


    The more I gazed at Rosalinda, the more I longed for her. But there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn¡¯t touch her. I couldn¡¯t feel her. All I could do was fucking fantasize about her, and that was making me go crazy.


    Right now, what I wish for the most is to snatch her away from Giovanni¡¯s arms and make her mine to dance with.


    Doing that would only make me look pathetic, but did I really care?


    That woman was my ultimate weakness and the source of my deepest desires.

 10| Tempt You.

    The music came to a stop, indicating that dinner was about to be served. Everybody took their seats at the tables, and Rosalinda was sitting directly across from me.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± Cami, who was sitting beside me, called, and I swung my head to the side to look at her.


    ¡°Stop it. Your attention should be on your bride, not her.¡± She scolded me, and I let out a sharp breath.


    Sitting across from Rosalinda and not staring at her was difficult, but Cami was right. My attention should be on my bride-to-be, not her sister.


    So, leaning in, I rested my arm on Sofia¡¯s seat but retrieved it almost immediately when she started fidgeting in her seat, showing her difort.


    ¡°My favorite wine isn¡¯t here. And that¡¯s the wine I want to make toast with.¡± Roberto suddenly raised his hand to signal for one of the housemaids toe, but before he could do that, Rosalinda quickly rose to her feet.


    ¡°I would get it, Pap¨¤.¡± She offered, and before her father could protest, she started walking away from the table and made her way into the mansion.


    As I watched her walk, every sway of her hips aroused me, causing heat to rush to my groin. Fuck. I wanted her.


    I tried to stop myself from going after her, but my desires won, and before I knew what I was doing, I was already on my feet.


    ¡°Excuse me. There¡¯s something I have to attend to. I would be right back.¡± I said to no one in particr before walking away from the table and making my way into the mansion. To Rosalinda.


    I discreetly trailed behind her as she walked through the hallway, secretly admiring her back view. Everything about her was beautiful and tempting.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± I called when she came to a halt in front of her father¡¯s office and pushed the door open.


    She jumped with a start as she turned to look at me, and her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of me.


    ¡­


    ROSALINDA.


    Antonio? He always showed up wherever I was. Now I¡¯m starting to believe he¡¯s a stalker.


    ¡°Do you have a thing for stalking me?¡± I voiced my thoughts.


    Ignoring my question, he trudged forward, closing the distance between us, and I recoiled. But that didn¡¯t stop him. He took another step forward, causing me to take a step backward.


    We continued in that pattern until we were fully inside Pap¨¤¡¯s office, and he closed the door behind us.


    Coming to a halt, he dipped his hands inside his pocket, and his gaze swept from my head to my toe.


    My dress, I thought, and a smirk touched my lips. Let¡¯s see what the psychopath will do this time around.


    I waited for him to speak, but he didn¡¯t utter anything. He just stood there, staring at me in ufortable silence.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to keep everyone waiting by ruining my dress again.¡± I finally said, breaking the long stretch of silence, and I tried to turn around and walk away from him, but before I could do that, he swiftly wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing me closer.


    Before I knew what hit me, I was already against the door, with his body pressed against mine.


    My heart rate elerated, and my breath hitched.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, my voice trembling.


    He leaned in and started sniffing my neck. ¡°You are stubborn.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± I managed to ask as heat rushed to the pit of my stomach at the feel of his warm breath on my neck. Fuck.


    ¡°Your dress is too revealing. Way too revealing.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± I asked as I involuntarily wrapped my arms around his neck. ¡°Do I tempt you?¡±


    ¡°Is that why you wore the dress? To tempt me and other men?¡± He countered my question, and I suddenly felt his hand on the bare skin in between my dress¡¯s slits.


    A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed.


    ¡°Do I tempt you?¡± I persisted with my question.


    ¡°I am a man.¡± He simply stated, as he continued hovering his hand around myp. ¡°And you are gorgeous.¡±


    Before I could reply, he continued. ¡°Any man could have had easy ess to touching you with this dress.¡±


    He suddenly started caressing myp, and I could feel my core contracting at his touch as a short moan escaped my lips. Fuck.


    Swallowing, I managed to speak. ¡°What would you have done if someone had touched me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± His fingers slid to my inner thigh, caressing the area close to my crotch, and I involuntarily arched my back.


    We just crossed a line. A line we shouldn¡¯t have crossed, and I knew I should push him away, but I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. The effect his touch had on my body was so intense that it clouded my brain. I wanted him inside me, and that was all I could think about.


    ¡°But what I¡¯m sure of is that they wouldn¡¯t have left this mansion without losing something.¡± He continued.


    ¡°If you are so against men touching me, why did you let the man that tried to harm me at the pub go?¡± I muttered as he continued caressing my thigh.


    His fingers weren¡¯t touching my core, but I was sure he could feel how wet I was. How damn wet he made me.


    ¡°I was there with Vito.¡± He whispered into my ear, causing shivers to run down my spine. ¡°He took care of him after I went into the pub with you.¡±


    Oh. So that was it. I didn¡¯t even look back to know if he was with someone else that night. I was so scared of him catching Sofia with another man and making Oliver pay for something he knew nothing about.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± I moaned and arched as his fingers slightly brushed my crotch, causing my core to contract-tighter than it already was. ¡°This is-¡±


    ¡°In-appropriate?¡± Hepleted my sentence, and I nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be delusional, Rosa; I am only-¡± he trailed off when a knock suddenly sounded on the door.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± I heard Matteo¡¯s voice call as he tried to open the door, but he couldn¡¯t as our bodies were against the door, blocking it.


    My eyes widened in perplexity as I quickly ced both hands on Antonio¡¯s chest and pushed him away from me before turning around and cing my hand on the door knob, pulling it open.


    ¡°Matteo.¡± I called, but he ignored me and flicked his gaze at Antonio. I could see his jaw clenching in rage as he walked past me, inching closer to Antonio.


    ¡°What did you do to my sister?¡± He growled, and my heart dropped to my stomach.


    No. No. This shouldn¡¯t be happening.

 11| Extremely Livid.

    ANTONIO.


    Yesterday, I crossed a line I shouldn¡¯t have crossed. I almost lost control of myself, and it became clear to me that she was as attracted to me as I was to her. If not for Matteo, who interrupted, I would¡¯ve fucking fucked her in her father¡¯s office.


    He barged in, thinking I was hurting his sister. Like hell, I would never hurt that woman. As a matter of fact, I feel very protective of her.


    A knock sounded on my office door, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I muttered, clearing my throat.


    I was in my office, working on some important documents, when I drifted off, thinking about Rosalinda.


    The door was pushed open, and Marco, my consigliere, came to view.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± He greeted me as he approached me.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I replied.


    He pulled the visitor¡¯s seat out and settled on it. I studied his face, and the look he had on it indicated he had something to say.


    I raised a questioning brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are treading on a dangerous path, Don.¡± He suddenly said, and I clenched my jaw, knowing exactly where he was heading.


    Did Cami report me to him?


    Before I could reply, he continued. ¡°You like the sister, Rosalinda, right?¡±


    My brows creased together in annoyance. ¡°Did Cami tell you that?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, she did.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°That brat.¡±


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t even have to tell me. I knew.¡± He quickly defended her. ¡°I saw the way you were looking at her with lust. And when you excused yourself at the dinner? I knew you went after her. You really shouldn¡¯t do something that-¡±


    ¡°Is that what you came here for?¡± I groaned, cutting him off.


    I didn¡¯t even try to deny it. As much as I knew he was right, I didn¡¯t want to have that conversation with him. I already knew the risk of getting intimate with Rosalinda, and I didn¡¯t need him to remind me of the dangers.


    He sighed. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± I asked with a firm tone.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I came to tell you about the shipments. They would arrive in two hours.¡± He informed me.


    ¡°Who is going to get the products?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Vito and I.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, and make sure there are no errors.¡± I warned him, and he nodded.


    ¡°Don, about-¡±


    ¡°If there is nothing more, you should leave.¡± I cut him off. I knew what he was about to say, and I wasn¡¯t going to allow him toplete that statement.


    Understanding that I didn¡¯t want to have that conversation with him, he sighed and nodded.


    ¡°I would get going then.¡± He said as he leapt to his feet and slid his hands into his pockets, a small frown masking his features.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t risk it,¡± He warned, before turning on his heels and heading towards the door.


    Fuck! I knew that. But that woman was irresistible, and there was no way I was going to think straight if she continued to be around me.


    I needed to think of a solution.


    ¡°Marco.¡± I suddenly called as he pulled the door open.


    Closing the door, he turned to look at me. ¡°Yes?¡±


    I smacked my lips as I leaned in and nted both elbows on my desk. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible to substitute Sofia for Rosalinda in the agreement?¡±


    Pressing his lips together, he trudged back into the room and settled on the chair he had just risen from.


    ¡°Rosalinda is the first daughter, and there must be a reason why she wasn¡¯t included in the agreement in the first ce. Asking Roberto to substitute one for the other isn¡¯t a good idea. He would never agree to such a thing. Not after an engagement party has been done and everyone knows you¡¯re engaged to Sofia. Suggesting that might start a conflict between the two families, and I know a conflict is thest thing you would want.¡± Marco exined-everything that I already knew.


    I made a steeple with my fingers as I tried to think of other ways to make Rosalinda mine. I had never been this frustrated about a woman. Never. And it was driving me crazy.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s better you take your eyes off her. There are many girls who are built like her and would be ready to fuck you at any damn time. Just not her, please.¡± He continued when he didn¡¯t get a response from me.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°I know. You can leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the lunch meeting you have with Mr. Carter.¡± He reminded me before leaping to his feet and dashing out of my office.


    Now I¡¯m back to fantasising about my forbidden desire.


    ¡­


    ROSALINDA.


    I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing, and I stretched my hand to the nightstand to get it, my eyes barely open.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± The voice rang through my ear when I picked up the call, and I knew in an instant who the caller was.


    I had not bothered looking at who the caller was before picking up.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I muttered in a sleepy voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still sleeping.¡± She yelled into the phone.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Lazy ass.¡± She groaned. ¡°Anyway, I said I wasn¡¯t going to call you, but I decided to be the bigger person.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± I was confused. I didn¡¯t remember having a fight with her, so I wondered what she was on about.


    ¡°I was at your ce yesterday, and of course the security didn¡¯t allow me to go in because you yourself never allow me. I tried your line, and it was switched off. There was a party, and I am livid that there was a party at my best friend¡¯s ce and I wasn¡¯t invited. Is that how insignificant I am in your life? I get that you said your dad doesn¡¯t like visitors, which is why you never allow me into your mansion. But there were tons of visitors in your mansion, and this best friend of yours wasn¡¯t invited. I got to hear from


    the security that it was Sofia¡¯s engagement party and I wasn¡¯t invited. I am livid. Highly, extremely livid.¡± She gushed out, all in one breath.


    I thought of inviting her to the engagement party, but I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t have invited her to a party filled with dangerous men where a single mistake could get her killed. No.


    I really didn¡¯t know how to exin it to her, but all I could do was apologise.


    ¡°I am sorry, Ruby.¡± I muttered, exhaling. ¡°I myself wasn¡¯t interested, so I thought-¡±


    ¡°Thought what?¡± She cut me in. ¡°That I wouldn¡¯t have been interested in attending? Wow. It¡¯s nice to know that you are on my mind. Thinking for me. Anyway, where are you?¡±


    ¡°At home, In bed.¡±


    ¡°Could you ask your brother to escort you out? I know you wouldn¡¯t be allowed toe out alone. I miss you, and I have a lot to talk to you about.¡±


    I had a lot to talk about with her, too. I needed to desperately talk to someone about my attraction to Antonio before I went crazy.


    Yesterday, if Matteo hadn¡¯t interrupted, I would have lost control and made out with my brother-inw. Crazy! Matteo thought Antonio was hurting me, which was why he barged into Pap¨¤¡¯s office. But I was able to convince him that we were just discussing Sofia¡¯s likes and dislikes to help Antonio understand her better. Fortunately, he bought that lie and didn¡¯t suspect anything.


    ¡°I would try to convince him.¡± I told Ruby, hoping Matteo would agree to take me out.


    ¡°Okay, bitch. Let¡¯s meet at Tasty Haven for lunch. 1pm.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bye. I would let you know if he agrees.¡± I told her.


    After the call ended, I rose from my bed and went out of the room in search of Matteo. Luckily, he happened to be walking through the hallway when I stepped out of the room.


    ¡°My favourite brother.¡± I beamed, and he turned back to look at me.


    He raised a questioning brow. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    He knew I definitely wanted something, which was why I called him that.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I scratched my temple as I approached him. ¡°Just that, I want to see Ruby, and I was wondering-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He cut me in.


    I pouted. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We nned to have lunch at Tasty Haven, so you could invite the new girl you are seeing out for lunch. She would love it, you know.¡± I quickly said in an attempt to try to convince him.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to y a part in ruining people¡¯s lives?¡± He asked, an amused smile ying at his lips.


    ¡°Uhm-you know-Uhm.¡±


    The door to the room on the left suddenly swung open, and I swung my head to the side to see Giovanni slipping through the door.


    ¡°Giovanni.¡± I called, raising my brow. ¡°I thought you left already.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, opening his arms wide. ¡°I¡¯m still around, and I have a lunch date with a hot girl. I¡¯ve been trying to think of a ce to take her, but you just gave me an idea. Tasty Haven.¡±


    A grin tugged my lips apart. ¡°Can I tag along?¡±


    He chuckled softly. ¡°Why not, Mia Cugina? Anything for you.¡±


    My face lit up in excitement as I turned to look at Matteo and raised my middle finger at him.


    ¡°You little-¡± he gritted his teeth as he tried to grab my hair, but I swiftly bent sideways and ran towards Giovanni, hiding behind his back.


    Matteo raised a brow at me. ¡°Do you think Giovanni can protect you from me? I¡¯d smack his ass, then smack yours.¡±


    Giovanni smirked wickedly. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try, Matteo.¡±


    He stood there, ring at the both of us as if he were deliberating, and after a few seconds, he shook his head and started walking away from us. ¡°I won¡¯t waste my energy on you two.¡±.


    ¡°Now I remember why I¡¯ve always liked you.¡± I grinned as I gave Giovanni a high five.


    ¡°You are wee, Rosa. Now, tell me. Is there anything going on between you and Antonio?¡± He suddenly asked, and the smile on my face faded as I batted myshes.


    What did he see?


    An ufortable silence settled between us as I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. His question had caught me off guard.


    ¡°Be careful, Rosa. It¡¯s quite obvious.¡± He warned me before walking away from me, leaving me to my thoughts.


    I thought I did a good job at concealing


    my attraction for Antonio. Oh, no. How many more people are aware of this?

 12| Tasty Haven.

    Ruby was already seated at a round table when Giovanni and I arrived at Tasty Haven, and her face immediately lit up as soon as she saw me.


    ¡°Hey, best friend.¡± She beamed as we approached her, causing a smile to spread on my lips.


    She leapt to her feet when we came to a stop in front of her and embraced me warmly.


    Pulling away from the hug, she darted her gaze at Giovanni and raised a brow. ¡°And who is this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Giovanni. Her favourite cousin.¡± Giovanni introduced himself as he extended his hand for a handshake.


    Taking his hand, she muttered in a sweet voice. ¡°Hi, Giovanni. I¡¯m Ruby. Her best friend.¡±


    A few seconds passed, and they were still holding hands while staring intently at each other.


    ¡°Giovanni, don¡¯t you think thedies would need some privacy?¡± I quickly interjected, snapping them out of their trances, and they quickly withdrew their hands.


    What was that about? They couldn¡¯t have possibly fallen for each other at first sight.


    I looked around the restaurant, and when I spotted an empty table, I gestured at it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait there for your girl?¡±


    He turned to look in the direction I gestured and nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    Without even turning back to look at me, he walked away from us and headed towards the table.


    ¡°So, what was that about?¡± I asked Ruby when we were finally alone, raising a suspicious brow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± She feigned ignorance and settled in her seat.


    Sitting on the seat across from her, I muttered. ¡°Oh, yes, you do.¡±


    ¡°I mean, he¡¯s cute.¡± She gave her shoulders a half-shrug. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t roll with people like him. He would only end up breaking my heart.¡±


    I nodded, relieved. ¡°Thank God you know that.¡±


    ¡°Spill, bitch!¡± She eximed, changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯m still livid, but I want updates. Who is Sofia getting married to?¡±


    My face fell at the mention of Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦, and Ruby caught the change in my contortion.


    ¡°OMG. What? Is she getting married to your man? Like stealing your man away from you?¡± She joked and burst intoughter.


    It wasn¡¯t actually funny to me because, in a way, she was right.


    ¡°Just kidding.¡± She continued. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a crush, let alone a man that can get snatched.¡±


    Shaking my head, I blew out a sharp breath. ¡°You are right, Ruby.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± The smile on her face faded as she batted hershes.


    ¡°I am highly attracted to the man Sofia is getting married to.¡± I revealed, and her mouth fell agape.


    She stared at me in bewilderment for a few seconds, utterly bbergasted. I had expected that reaction from her.


    ¡°What-what-how?¡± She managed to say when she finally recovered from the shock.


    ¡°Remember the guy that had his hand on my neck thest time we went clubbing?¡± I asked, and she nodded vigorously.


    ¡°He is the one. I didn¡¯t even know that he was Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦ until the next day, when he showed up at our ce. Like hell, I was already attracted to him.¡±


    ¡°OMG!¡± She eximed, her eyes wide open. ¡°Does he know about your attraction to him?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I believe so. I think he is also attracted to me.¡±


    ¡°This is fucked up!¡± She eximed and blew out an exasperated breath. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I replied honestly.


    I hated that I was attracted to my brother-inw. But as much as I wanted to hide it, I couldn¡¯t control myself whenever I was close to him. He was like a drug to me. And people were beginning to notice.


    ¡°We have to look for a solution.¡± Ruby muttered as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. ¡°This is really fucked up.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I sighed. She wasn¡¯t even as frustrated as I was.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± She suddenly called, her eyes widening, and I focused my attention on her. Did shee up with something? I thought as I waited for her to continue.


    ¡°By the man you said held your neck that night, do you mean the one that just walked into this building?¡± She asked, and I widened my eyes in perplexity as I turned to look at the entrance.


    She was right. There he was, walking in in his ck button-down shirt and pants, looking as attractive as ever.


    His eyes locked with mine, and my heart skipped a beat. I could never catch a break from that hot devil.


    ¡°Oh, damn!¡± Ruby muttered, pulling me out of my daze, and I turned back to look at her. ¡°I¡¯d be attracted to him also if he were my brother-inw. Because, damn.¡±


    When Antonio came to a stop beside us, I didn¡¯t even have to raise my head to look at him to know that he was the one standing there. I could feel his presence.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± There came his deep, velvety voice.


    Without bothering to look at him, I nodded towards Giovanni. ¡°I came here with my cousin.¡±


    He smacked his lips. ¡°I thought you sneaked out again.¡±


    I finally hoisted my head up to look at him. ¡°Apparently, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good for you.¡± He groaned before walking away from us.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Ruby called, waving her hands in front of my face. ¡°Am I invisible? Can you see me?¡±


    I raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It seems he couldn¡¯t see me. He didn¡¯t even spare me a nce.¡± Sheined and shook her head bitterly. ¡°He¡¯s so cold. I take my words back. He¡¯s not hot.¡±


    I chuckled softly. ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Enough about that cold human. Let¡¯s talk about you. What are you going to do about it?¡± She asked concerned, and I shook my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You should rid yourself of the attraction. It¡¯s a terrible idea to bang your brother-inw.¡± She said, and I scrunched up my face.


    ¡°I never said I wanted to.¡± I told her, but I do.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I do want to fuck him. It¡¯s all I could think about when I thought about him, and it was driving me crazy.


    ¡°Good.¡± She picked up her orange juice and took a sip before carefully putting it back down. ¡°When is the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Thising Saturday.¡± I told her, and she drew her brows together.


    ¡°That close?¡± She asked, and I nodded.


    ¡°Oh, my darling. I feel bad for you.¡± She leaned in and put her hand on my cheek, giving it a gentle squeeze. ¡°Let¡¯s go clubbing on the wedding eve to help you ease your mind and perhaps find another hot man there.¡±


    Yes. I needed that clubbing, or else I might go crazy on that day at the thought of the only man I was attracted to getting married to my sister.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Ruby beamed, and I chuckled softly.


    ¡°So, how is Carlo?¡± She suddenly asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± I replied.


    ¡°When was thest time you heard from him?¡±


    ¡°Two weeks ago,¡± I told her.


    I subconsciously hoisted my head up, and my eyes met with a pair of Hazel eyes. He was sitting across from a man in a suit, staring intently at me, causing my clitoris to throb. Oh, fuck.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I called, my gaze still fixed on Antonio.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever get over my attraction to him.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked curiously. ¡°You have to try!¡±


    ¡°How could I? When his mere gaze just made me dripping wet. My V area is contracting, and I don¡¯t know how, but I could somehow feel him inside me.¡± I exined exactly how my body was reacting to him, and she gasped.


    ¡°That¡¯s intense.¡± Her voice was low.


    I subconsciously licked my bottom lip as I continued staring at Antonio. ¡°Intense.¡±


    That man might end up making me sumb to what I was vehemently trying to avoid-a hot, forbidden sex.

 13| Incredibly Tempting.

    ¡°You look like a mourning widow, bitch. Losen up and find yourself a man that would fuck you until you forget about your attraction for that cold human.¡± Ruby slurred as she took a shot of vodka. I didn¡¯t know how many she had taken, but she was clearly drunk.


    It was Sofia¡¯s wedding eve, and me and Ruby were at the club as nned. The idea ofing here was to help me clear my head and lighten up my mood before tomorrow, but it wasn¡¯t working. Ruby ended up being the only one having fun.


    Ruby gestured for the bartender toe, and I shot my brow up at her. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ruby. I don¡¯t want to have to carry your ass home.¡±


    ¡°I am not ordering for me.¡± She grinned. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you multiple times, Ruby. I don¡¯t want to have to deal with a hangover tomorrow. It¡¯s my sister¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She slurred, and augh emanated from her throat.


    How drunk was she?


    ¡°Ruby. My precious gem.¡± A voice suddenly said, and I turned to look at the source of the voice.


    Harry, Ruby¡¯s fuck buddy, came to a stop beside us, a wide smile pulling on his lips.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would end up having hot sex tonight.¡± Ruby slurred, and I shook my head.


    Harry chuckled softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be here. I have a booth booked; do you want to join me?¡±


    ¡°Hell, yes!¡± She beamed as she sprung up.


    Harry darted his gaze at me, finally noticing my presence. ¡°Hi, Rosalinda.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± I muttered, a small smile pulling on my lips.


    ¡°You.¡± Ruby pointed her index finger at me. ¡°Make sure you get fucked before we leave this ce tonight.¡±


    I just shook my head at her without giving her a response. If only she knew how scared I was of having sex with strangers again.


    ¡°Bye,¡± Harry told me before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in.


    ¡°See youter, best friend.¡± Ruby blew me an invisible kiss and giggled before walking away with Harry, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


    After a while of sitting alone, I was beginning to regret that I agreed to go to the club with Ruby. The idea was to lighten my mood, but it was the opposite for me. I got even more irritated when different men approached me, asking me to dance with them. I just wanted to be left alone.


    After thest one, who almost physically assaulted me for turning him down-if not for the bartender who intervened-I decided it was high time I left the club.


    I made my way to the booths in search of Ruby. I didn¡¯t even know which one of the booths she was in; I was just walking through them, hoping something would lead me to her.


    As I walked past a particr booth, I heard a female voice moan, and I stopped in my tracks. I knew Ruby and Harry were most definitely having sex at the moment, and there was a good chance that was her. Without giving it a second thought, I inched closer to the door and pushed it open.


    In the middle of the booth was a blonde girl on her knees, giving a blowjob to someone. Ruby was a redhead, so it clearly wasn¡¯t her.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I let out a frustrated sigh as I turned around to leave, but quickly looked back when I caught a glimpse of the man who was receiving the blowjob.


    My eyes widened in perplexity, and my jaw dropped to the ground when my gaze caught his.


    Holy fucking shit!


    Antonio!


    A smug smile yed on his lips as he stared at me without having a care in the world that I just caught him cheating on my sister.


    I stood there, staring as the blonde bobbed her head on Antonio¡¯s manhood, and I subconsciously licked my bottom lip, wishing I was the one there doing that to him.


    ¡°Care to join us?¡± Antonio asked, pulling me out of my daze, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.


    The blonde tried to raise her head to look at me, but Antonio held her head in ce, ordering her to continue.


    I straightened my shoulders and pointed an usatory finger at him. ¡°You! Have you no shame at all?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Your sister-inw just caught you cheating on her sister, but the least you could do is show remorse, but no?¡±


    His eyes never leaving mine, he tightened his grip on the blonde¡¯s hair. ¡°Faster.¡± He groaned.


    The girl obeyed. And after a few more head bobs, she finally hoisted her head up, and I heard her gulp something down her throat. His semen? How gross.


    She turned to look at me, an agitated look masking her features. ¡°Who are you? Why are you standing there?¡±


    ¡°Leave.¡± Antonio groaned, his menacing eyes still fixed on me, and a pang of hurt washed over me.


    ¡°You heard him. Leave.¡± The girl sneered as she grabbed his cock and started stoking it, causing me to gulp down my saliva.


    Damn! He was a steel fucking rod!


    ¡°Not her.¡± He flicked his gaze at the blonde. ¡°You.¡±


    Oh.


    ¡°But-¡± She tried to protest, but he cut her in.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    With the cold look flickering in his eyes, she dared not disobey.


    Nodding in obedience, she rose to her feet and turned to look at me, a look of disdain masking her features as her gaze swept from my head to my toes.


    ¡°Bitch.¡± She mumbled as she walked past me and dashed out of the booth, leaving me and Antonio alone in the same room.


    ¡°You sneaked out again.¡± He remarked as he leapt to his feet and tucked his cock into his pants.


    ¡°You should be worried about yourself right now. You cheat.¡± I gritted out as I watched him approach me.


    I expected him to stop in front of me, but he didn¡¯t; he kept walking, forcing me to step back until a barrier forced me to stop. The door.


    Snaking his arm around my waist, he pulled me closer, pressing my body against his.


    ¡°You are beautiful, Rosalinda.¡± He muttered with his eyes staring intently at mine, and my already rapid heartbeat elerated.


    ¡°Enough with this inappropriateness.¡± I said, my voice in a murmur.


    Ignoring me, he brought his face close to mine until I could feel his warm breath on my face, causing shivers to run down my spine. ¡°You are so sexy.¡±


    ¡°Antonio.¡± I moaned.


    ¡°You are incredibly tempting.¡± He whispered as he brought his lips dangerously close to mine.


    My pulse pattered to an uneven beat, and the whole of my body weakened.


    I desperately wanted to push him away, but I couldn¡¯t. My brain wasn¡¯t doing the thinking for me; my body was.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± He suddenly groaned and drew in a sharp breath as if he were trying to refrain from something before suddenly pulling away from me.


    Before I could even process what just happened, he raised his brow at me, a smug smile ying at his lips. ¡°Just a few minutes ago, you were crazy about me cheating on your sister. But here you are, willing to allow me to cheat on her with you.¡± He shook his head disapprovingly and clicked his tongue. ¡°How hypocritical.¡±


    His words sliced through my heart, and something heavy weighed on my chest. Guilt. What was I thinking?


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything with you.¡± I let the obvious lie slip off my tongue.


    He raised a brow. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you push me or pull away?¡±


    ¡°I-I-was-shocked.¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to make yourself believe. Anyway, I don¡¯t consider what I did to be cheating. She¡¯s not mine yet. But once we get married, I won¡¯t get intimate with another woman.¡± He ced his palms on my shoulders and gently shifted me out of his way. ¡°I would never inflict pain on a woman I married.¡±


    He nced at me for a second, or maybe longer, before pulling the door open. ¡°See you tomorrow, sister-inw.¡±


    My mouth suddenly went dry, and before I could even reply, he dashed out of the booth, leaving me feeling hurt, embarrassed, and fucking stupid.


    What the hell was I thinking?

 14| The Wedding.

    Gazing at Sofia in her stunning wedding dress, the guilt on my chest from yesterday weighed even more heavily.


    I was supposed to have put an end to the inappropriateness that has been going on between Antonio and me a long time ago, but I didn¡¯t, and I hated myself for that.


    When he called me a hypocrite, I wanted to be mad at him for calling me that, but I didn¡¯t even have the right to be, because he was damn right. I was a hypocrite. Even worse, I was disgusting. When I caught him cheating, I didn¡¯t even think of my sister. I only thought of myself, how insanely jealous I was, and how desperately I wished I was the one doing that to him. I disgust myself!


    I was never supposed to fall for him; I was never supposed to crave his touch; his mere captivating eyes weren¡¯t supposed to do the things they do to me, setting my body on fire. And I definitely wasn¡¯t supposed to feed my attraction to him.


    ¡°A wedding day is supposed to be the best day of a woman¡¯s life. But it is the opposite for me; it is the worst day of my life.¡± Sofia suddenly said, cutting through my thoughts, and I could hear the pain in her voice.


    ¡°No. No. Don¡¯t say that.¡± I told her as I inched closer to her and cupped her face in my palms. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to start off your marriage like this. I want you to be happy in your marriage. I am sure he won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    I really hoped Antonio would keep his word about not inflicting pain on the woman he married. As much as I was attracted to him and wished I was the one getting married to him, I also wanted my sister to be happy in her marriage. Her happiness mattered to me more than my desires.


    ¡°You know how cold he is. Who knows if he¡¯s a woman beater?¡± She said, worried, and I shook my head.


    ¡°If he everys a finger on you, I¡¯m just a call away. I would break his bones and make him beg for mercy. I am that strong.¡± I joked in an attempt to lighten her mood, and it worked as she let out a soft chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± She muttered, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°But I am serious, though. I will always be here for you. Always!¡± I assured her, and a lone tear suddenly rolled down her cheek as a smile pulled on her lips.


    ¡°I fucking love you, Rosa. And I would greatly miss you.¡± She said as she pulled me into an embrace.


    ¡°This house won¡¯t be the same without you, Sofia.¡±


    We stayed in that position for a few seconds, allowing each other to immerse ourselves in the heartfelt embrace, before finally pulling away.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked her, and she nodded.


    I took her hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze before walking her out of the room.


    Now that they were officiating the marriage, I had to end my attraction for Antonio by all possible means!


    ¡­


    The guests were all seated quietly on their seats as they listened intently to witness the officiation of the Russo¡¯s and Moretti¡¯s alliance. I stood behind Sofia, bearing her bouquet, as I watched the man to whom I was irresistibly attracted stand in the alter with my sister.


    I had been trying with all my might to avoid eye contact with him, but even without looking straight into his eyes, his presence was doing what it knew how to do best to my body. Make it hot. Out of desperation to see him, my eyes betrayed me, and I subconsciously flicked my gaze at him. My heart stopped for a second. His eyes were on me, staring intently at me and I was unable to avert my gaze from him as we got lost in the depths of each other¡¯s eyes.


    Suddenly, a loud sound pierced through the air, pulling me out of my trance, and I flicked my gaze to the crowd to see what was happening.


    In the blink of an eye, a fight broke out, and multiple bullets started flying in the air, causing guests to scream and navigate their way out of the venue.


    I stood there, transfixed, unable to move my feet to run or do anything to protect myself as the shock had numbed me.


    Suddenly, I heard Antonio scream my name, and before I knew what was happening, I was already on the floor, with himying on top of me, acting as a human shield.


    Everything around us seized to exist as we stared intensely into each other¡¯s eyes, with my breath hitched and my heart beating dangerously fast against my ribcage.


    The sound of the gunshots suddenly stopped, and the chaos died down as soon as it began, but the pounding of my heart still remained. Our eyes were still locked on each other, and ourboured breathing was still audible.


    I had never craved his touch as much as I did at that moment. It was at that moment that I realised that my attraction for that man would take a lot of effort and therapy to get over because he was like a drug to me. A drug I was addicted to.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± I heard my sister¡¯s tiny voice call, pulling me out of my trance, and I quickly pushed him away from me, causing him tond on his back.


    ¡°Sofia. Are you okay?¡± I asked as I quickly picked myself up from the floor.


    I inched closer to her and searched her body with my eyes to make sure she was okay. And when I didn¡¯t find any blood on her, I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked again, and she nodded her head, a perplexed look masking her features as she darted her gaze between me and Antonio.


    That look wasn¡¯t from the shock of the shootout that just broke out. I could tell from the unmistakable expression on her face that she had figured it out.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± She whispered.


    Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back. What does my sister think of me now? I wondered, as a sharp pain wed at my chest.


    Antonio had prioritised protecting me over his bride, and I felt intense guilt as I looked at Sofia. My emotions overwhelmed me, and before I could stop myself, the tears I was trying to hold back streamed down my cheeks.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± She whispered again, a tear rolling down her cheek.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

 15| A Woman?

    ANTONIO.


    The situation between Rosalinda and Sofia was awkward, as Sofia realised that Rosalinda and I admired each other. It was even more awkward for me because I found myself questioning why I had chosen to protect Rosalinda instead of my own bride.


    ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Roberto¡¯s voice pierced the air, and I swung my head to the side to see him approaching us with worries saturating his features.


    ¡°Rosa, Sofia.¡± He addressed his daughters when he came to a stop in front of us, darting his gaze between the both of them. ¡°Are you both okay?¡±


    They both nodded gently without uttering a word.


    He let out a sigh of relief before flicking his gaze at me, a scowl masking his features.


    Before he could open his mouth to talk, I spoke first. ¡°What happened?¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and ask your men who ruined everything?¡± He groaned, pointing an usatory finger at me.


    Fucking hell! I was going to kill whoever started the fight. I was infuriated that my wedding was disrupted, but the revtion that one of my own men was responsible made me even more livid. I pulled out my gun and charged into the crowd,prising my men, Roberto¡¯s men, and a contingent that I suspected belonged to Lorenzo, given his presence. Every other guest had left the venue already.


    ¡°Who started it?¡± I groaned as I darted my gaze between my men.


    They all flicked their gazes at Luca, and without hearing a word from them, I knew Luca was responsible.


    ¡°You fucking bastard.¡± I groaned as I lunged towards him with rage and kicked him on his balls, forcing him to copse to his knees as he writhed in pain.


    Driven by rage, I pressed my gun against his temple. ¡°You better have a reasonable exnation for ruining this wedding. Fucking start talking, bastard!¡±


    I didn¡¯t get a response, and his silence fueled my anger as I swung the gun and struck his shoulder with it. ¡°I swear, I would kill you if you didn¡¯t start talking now.¡±


    Luca was one of my best men, and that was the only reason he was still breathing. If he were one of the other men, he would have been long gone before he could even get the chance to exin himself as to why he disrupted my wedding when he knew how much the alliance meant to us.


    ¡°Are you too afraid to speak now? Or is it that you are ashamed?¡± I heard a voice say, and I turned to look at the source of the voice.


    It was a man with a gunshot wound on his arm, standing next to Lorenzo.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll save him the embarrassment of having to say it himself.¡± He continued, a smug smile touching his lips. ¡°I told him how sweet his girlfriend¡¯s pussy tasted, and he couldn¡¯t handle it.¡±


    Lorenzo threw a punch to his stomach, causing him to groan In pain. ¡°Shut the fuck up! You bastard.¡±


    He must be one of Lorenzo¡¯s men.


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, the anger within me reaching new heights as I returned my gaze to Luca. ¡°You fucking messed up my wedding because of a fucking woman?¡±


    ¡°A woman?¡± I repeated in disbelief. ¡°Luca, a fucking woman?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, boss.¡± He wheezed while still writhing in pain.


    ¡°You know. It¡¯s taking everything in me not to blow your fucking head off right now. You signed a fucking death wish when you disrupted this wedding. And hearing the fucking reason is even worse.¡± I spat out.


    The anger burning within me was so intense, and the only thing that stopped me from blowing his head off was his mother-my aunt. She was so good to me and treated me like her own son. Before she died, she made me promise that I would protect her son, and that is Luca¡¯s saving grace right now.


    But he won¡¯t go without a punishment.


    ¡°You should be grateful to your mother for your life. Scemo!¡± I groaned before withdrawing my gun from his head and slipping it into my pocket.


    I looked around the venue. Everywhere was fucking scattered, with stters of blood strewn around the venue. Some of the men had gunshot wounds and were wincing in pain, but thankfully, no life was lost because it might have caused a feud between the two families. With the situation at hand, it was obvious that the wedding could no longer hold. As I continued looking around, my eyes unintentionally caught Rosalinda¡¯s, and I stared at her for more seconds than I should have before tearing my gaze away from hers.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss.¡± Luca¡¯s irritating voice grated, and I shot a withering re at him.


    Sighing in frustration, I walked out of the venue because another word from him, another apology, and I might lose my sh*t and end him.


    ¡­


    All the businesses I had nned to execute with Roberto immediately after the wedding would have to be put on hold just because of a fight over a woman. I was livid-extremely livid-at that moment, and in a way that I didn¡¯t understand, thoughts of Rosalinda managed to cross my mind.


    That incredibly sexy but annoying woman. How could she just stand there while there were stray bullets flying in the air without taking cover? So stupidly dumb. It was her fault that Sofia caught a hint that we were attracted to each other because if she had protected herself, I wouldn¡¯t have had the urge to protect her. Fuck, when did I even start having the urge to protect someone other than my family?


    I suddenly heard a knock on the door, and before I could give the person permission to enter, the door was pushed open, and Marco appeared in front of me.


    ¡°Your wedding got ruined, and you are here, working already. Is this some sort of coping mechanism?¡± He muttered as he approached me. I knew he was trying to sound humorous, but I didn¡¯t catch the humour.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t want anyone talking to me about the disaster. I wanted to be left alone. I wasn¡¯t particrly livid about the disrupted wedding; I was only angry because of the business that had been forced to be put on hold.


    ¡°I saw what happened back there. You and Rosalinda.¡± He stated calmly.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking, deaden the thoughts. Nothing happened back there. And don¡¯t ask me why I protected her instead of my bride. Sofia took cover. But Rosalinda was too stupid to protect herself. She stood there without taking cover. So, whatever you thought you saw back there is all in your head.¡± I rified.


    But deep down, I knew that if I had to choose someone to protect between Rosalinda and Sofia, I¡¯d choose Rosalinda.


    I called her a hypocrite when we almost made out yesterday, but I was even more hypocritical for being the one who initiated it and for prioritising her safety over my bride¡¯s.


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s it.¡± Marco said, cutting through my thoughts, and I smacked my lips in annoyance.


    ¡°Enough about Rosalinda. I have more pressing issues to think of and-¡± I trailed off when my phone started ringing, and I flicked my gaze at it to see Roberto¡¯s name shing on the screen.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said when I picked up the call.


    ¡°Good evening. I know no one expected what happened today to happen. Why don¡¯t we meet at my ce tomorrow to discuss everything that happened and the way forward? I already invited Lorenzo, and he agreed toe. 9. AM tomorrow. What do you think?¡± Roberto¡¯s voice emanated from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± I agreed before ending the call.


    It was good to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to fix things as soon as possible so that we could go on with the wedding and business afterwards.


    Come tomorrow, I¡¯d meet with Roberto and Lorenzo to discuss matters, and it would take everything in me to avoid Rosalinda while at it. A lot of people have been noticing ustely, and I needed to avoid more suspicions, especially from Roberto.

 16| Earrings.

    ROSALINDA.


    Sofia hasn¡¯t said anything to me about what she saw yesterday, although she had been distant, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one to initiate the conversation. I already felt guilty about being attracted to Antonio, and talking about my attraction for him with my sister-his soon-to-be wife-would be incredibly embarrassing.


    Even though the wedding turned out to be disastrous, both parties hadn¡¯t lost interest due to the financial gains tied to the alliance. Business priorities overweighed their anger over the event¡¯s oue.


    ncing at my wristwatch, I realised that it was almost time for Pap¨¤¡¯s meeting with Antonio and Lorenzo. I was outside, jogging around the mansion, and I needed to get inside before they arrived. An encounter with either Antonio or Lorenzo was thest thing I wanted.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I started jogging towards the entrance, but luck wasn¡¯t on my side as a car pulled into the driveway just as I approached the entrance. I tried to ignore it and continued making my way to the front door, but before I could make my escape, an annoying voice called my name.


    Lorenzo.


    Pretending I didn¡¯t hear him; I continued walking without halting or turning to look at him, but he called my name again. This time, he was louder, and it was impossible to deny hearing him.


    stering a fake smile on my face, I turned to look at him. ¡°Hi, Lorenzo.¡±


    ¡°So, you are into fitness.¡± Hemented as he approached me.


    ¡°Yes. Wee.¡± I said as I turned around and continued walking.


    ¡°Why do I feel like you don¡¯t like me?¡± His question caused me to stop in my tracks, and I turned to look at him.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± I asked.


    He took his hand to his temple and rubbed it gently. ¡°Because you are trying to avoid me.¡±


    ¡°I am not avoiding you.¡± I responded, wiping sweat from my forehead. ¡°I am just sweaty, and I need to go and freshen up.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± He asked suspiciously, and I nodded.


    He flicked his gaze at my earrings. ¡°Nice earrings.¡±


    Before I could even reply, he inched closer to me and touched my earring, causing me to recoil.


    Is that how he flirts with women?


    A smug smile touched his lips. ¡°I was just ying with it. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of me.¡±


    Who did he think he was?


    ¡°I am not afraid of you.¡± I stated strongly, and that earned a small frown from him. Although that expression faded almost immediately and was reced by a smirk,


    ¡°Good to know.¡± He said, and from his tone, I knew he didn¡¯t mean it.


    Mafia bosses craved one thing-to instill fear in people, and I seemed to have disappointed him.


    ¡°But I like your earrings, though. Where did you get them from?¡± He continued as he took his hand to my earring once again, and I literally had to hold my breath at his close proximity. I didn¡¯t want to breathe the same air as him.


    The sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught our attention, and we both turned to look at the car.


    The car came to a stop, and Antonio stepped out of it. My gaze caught his, and my heart skipped a beat just like it always did. My eyes remained glued to his as he approached us, and with every step he took, my heart rate increased.


    When he came to stop in front of us, his attention was focused on only Lorenzo. He didn¡¯t even spare me a nce.


    ¡°Don Antonio,¡± Lorenzo regarded him, extending his hand for a handshake.


    Antonio epted his hand. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Lorenzo asked after they withdrew their hands, and Antonio gave him a firm nod.


    I waited for him to flick his gaze at me and acknowledge my presence, but that never happened as they both made their way to the front door.


    I turned around to trail them with my gaze, and as I looked towards the front door, I saw Sofia standing in the door frame.


    When they got to the door, Antonio stopped before Sofia, took her hand, and kissed it. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be hurt by that gesture, but a wave of pain washed over me, and I quickly averted my gaze to stop myself from seeing more.


    After they left, Sofia was still standing in front of the front door, her gaze fixed on me. I felt really awkward being around her, and I hated that our rtionship hade to that.


    ¡°Good morning, Sofia.¡± I muttered, breaking the ufortable silence.


    ¡°Rosalinda. Good morning.¡± A small smile spread on her lips, and I could tell that it was fake. Jesus, I hated this. ¡°Did you see my AirPods?¡±


    ¡°I saw Matteo using pink AirPods earlier; they could be yours.¡±


    ¡°That-¡± She didn¡¯tplete her sentence before turning around and stomping inside the mansion.


    I made my way to my room and went straight to the mirror to stare at myself, making sure that I wasn¡¯t invisible.


    ¡°I am not a ghost.¡± I asserted myself as I turned around and walked away from the mirror. Why the hell did he choose to ignore me?And knowing fully well how I felt about him, he kissed Sofia¡¯s hand right in front of me, making my chest explode with jealousy.


    Something I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel.


    My mind was still fuzzy with a mixture of anger, jealousy, and hurt as I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up, hoping that If I poured water over my body, it would help calm me down, but it didn¡¯t. A lot of thoughts were still colliding in my head as I made my way out of the bathroom-thoughts about Antonio.


    ¡±I didn¡¯t know you were dumb.¡± I suddenly heard his voice say, and I veered back with a start. ¡°I expected better from you. Why didn¡¯t you take cover yesterday? Did you want to get yourself killed?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± I yelled when I finally recovered from the shock.


    ¡°I came to see you.¡± He replied nonchntly, as if being in my room was a normal urrence.


    ¡°You came to see me?¡± I scoffed in disbelief. ¡°I thought I was invisible to you.¡±


    He chuckled softly. ¡°Even if everyone else was invisible, Rosa, I¡¯d see. If I can¡¯t see you, I¡¯ll feel your presence because it¡¯s intoxicating.¡±


    Heat rushed to the pit of my stomach at his words, and I felt my cheeks getting hot.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± I said shyly.


    He raised a brow. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my room, and I¡¯m half naked.¡± I said as I stared down at the towel wrapped around my body.


    His gaze travelled over my body. ¡°I could see more skin that night than I can now.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Leave my room.¡± I stated firmly. ¡°Before you call me an hypocrite or other derogatory words.¡±


    Ignoring my words, he continued. ¡°You allow other men to touch you. Lorenzo, to be precise.¡±


    He probably misinterpreted what he saw earlier when Lorenzo touched my earring. But I wasn¡¯t going to exin sh*t to him.


    ¡°Whatever you saw is none of your business.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°It is my business.¡± He groaned as he started approaching me, and I recoiled.


    ¡°Stop there. Don¡¯te close to me.¡± I breathed out. I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to resist his charm if he was in close proximity to me.


    He didn¡¯t listen to me as he continued walking towards me until he stopped right in front of me.


    ¡°Leave my room!¡± I reiterated, but he didn¡¯t seem like he was going to listen, as he took his hand to my face and cupped my jaw with his palm,pelling me to meet his eyes.


    Despite calling me a hypocrite the other night, despite the fact that just a few minutes ago, I almost exploded with hurt, anger, and jealousy elicited by him, and despite the fact that I had promised myself to get rid of my attraction for him and not fuel it, I was still drawn to him. Right now, as I stared intently into his eyes, there was nothing I wanted more than to kiss him dangerously and have him fuck me.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Roberto give you to me, Rosa? Why?!¡± He groaned, cutting through the torrent of dirty thoughts that were running through my mind.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Before I could reply, he continued. ¡°I would have fucked your brains out. You drive me crazy. You make me want you. All of you. You are all I fantasise about.¡±


    My already rapid heartbeat elerated at his confession. I knew he was attracted to me, but he had never spelled it out, and every single thing he said was how I also felt about him. I was insanely attracted to him.


    He began to caress my cheek with his thumb, and I drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Antonio, please stop.¡±


    Being this close to him and hearing those words from him weakened my resistance, and I needed him to leave before thest shred of control in me became severed.


    ¡°Do you want me?¡± He suddenly asked, and I swallowed against my dry throat. Of course, I wanted him.


    ¡°Do you want me?¡± He repeated when he didn¡¯t get a response from me.


    ¡°And what would you do with that information?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Stop countering my question with another. Do you want me?¡± He asked again, with a firmer voice.


    Every single thing about him turned me on, and I wanted him more than he could ever imagine. Before I could even stop myself, I blurted out. ¡°Yes. I want you. You are all I could think about day and night. I don¡¯t know how I managed to-¡±


    I trailed off when he suddenly unhooked my earrings from both ears.


    ¡°What?¡± I narrowed my eyes in confusion.


    ¡°These earrings-do they have significant importance?¡± He asked, staring at them in his hand.


    ¡°No, I bought them cheaply somewhere.¡± I replied, still confused.


    ¡°Good.¡± He tossed them on the floor and pressed his heels against them, crushing them.


    My eyes widened in disbelief as I stared at the remains of the earrings. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Next time, don¡¯t allow another man to touch anything on your body. Unless you don¡¯t value it.¡± He muttered in a low tone.


    I was too stunned to speak as I gaped at him, blinking repeatedly.


    ¡°I should get going before my absence gets suspicious.¡± He continued before turning around and dashing out of my room, leaving me stunned and breathless.


    He fucking destroyed my earring because Lorenzo touched it. His action was infuriating but strangely hot. He was making it really hard for me to get over him, and I hated him for that.

 17| Mommy!

    I was still trying to wrap my head around what Antonio had done when the door suddenly swung open and Sofia appeared before me.


    My heart sank to my stomach as I stared down at what I had on me. I was only in a fucking towel, and she must have seen Antonio leaving. Oh, no. Things couldn¡¯t have gotten worse.


    ¡°I came to get my phone¡¯s charger. I left it here yesterday.¡± She said as she strolled to the dresser where it was sitting and picked it up.


    My eyes never leaving her, I watched as she turned around and started trudging towards the door without even sparing me a nce.


    I hated this. I loved my sister, and I never wanted things to be the way they were because of a man. I needed to make amendments and clear the air about me and Antonio. We might be attracted to each other, but nothing has ever happened between us, and nothing will ever happen. I would make sure of that.


    But given that she just witnessed him leaving my room and, to make matters worse, she found me in only my towel, it would be so much harder to exin and make her believe that there was nothing going on between me and Antonio. But I had to try.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I quickly called just as she pulled the door open. She halted, then turned to look at me.


    ¡°About-¡± I paused, taking a deep breath before I continued. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked and raised her brow, feigning ignorance.


    At that point, I realised that making her believe would be so much harder than I thought.


    ¡°The Uhm¡­ about me and Uhm¡­¡± My hand made its way behind my neck and started scratching it nervously as I struggled to find the right words to say.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, I¡¯ll just leave. I don¡¯t have all day, Rosalinda.¡± Her tone was cold, and she clearly sounded annoyed.


    Sofia had never talked to me in that manner before, and that spiked my worries.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I called softly as I tried to fight back the tears that threatened to roll out.


    She raised a brow, as if waiting for me to continue.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not what you think it is.¡± I muttered, my voice low.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Rosalinda.¡± She persisted as she slipped out of the room and shut the door without waiting for a response.


    A lot has changed between yesterday and today. She called me by my full name again, for the third time today, which was very unusual. Before today, I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time she called me by my full name. It was always ¡°Rosa.


    I didn¡¯t like that.


    The sound of my phone ringing jolted me back to reality, and I quickly trudged to my bed to get it.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I said into the phone as I picked up Ruby¡¯s call, put it on loud speaker, and dropped it back on the bed so that I could dress up while I spoke with her.


    ¡°How was the wedding?¡± She beamed from the other end of the phone, and I let out a sigh.


    Before I could even say anything, she continued. ¡°What happened? Why¡¯d you sigh?¡±


    ¡°The wedding didn¡¯t hold.¡± I told her, and the next thing that filled my ears was an exaggerated gasp before she started asking endless possible questions.


    ¡°What? Why? Did the groom not show up? Did the bride run away? Did they find out that you are attracted to the groom and decided to postpone the wedding?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± I said and sighed.


    ¡°Then what happened?¡± She pressed on, her voice dripping with curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    It was indeed a really long story. One I couldn¡¯t tell her about, as she knew nothing about the mafia world. And thank God she didn¡¯t insist on attending the wedding after I told her that she didn¡¯t have to; if not, she would¡¯ve witnessed the most horrifying thing of her life, and I would¡¯ve run the risk of losing my best friend if she found out who my family really were.


    ¡°I have all day. Spill.¡± She pressed on.


    ¡°I have to go now. I¡¯ll call you backter.¡± I quickly gave an excuse, feigning urgency, before ending the call.


    Knowing Ruby, I knew that was a temporary escape, as she would ask about it again. But before then, I would¡¯vee up with what to tell her.


    By the time the call ended, I had already finished dressing up, so I made my way out of the room and headed for the kitchen to get breakfast. While walking through the hallway, Pap¨¤¡¯s deep voice called my name, and I turned to look at him.


    I raised my brow as I wondered why he was rushing towards me.


    ¡°Lorenzo forgot this.¡± He said as he handed me a cell phone. ¡°Take it to him before he leaves. He just left my office, so he should still be outside.¡±


    Reluctantly, I took the phone and gave my shoulders a half-shrug before turning around and making my way outside the house.


    I was trying so hard to avoid Lorenzo, but now Pap¨¤ made me go right to him.


    As I pushed the door open, Lorenzo and Antonio, who appeared to be in deep conversation, came to view. They both flicked their gazes towards me as I slipped through the door and trudged towards them.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± Lorenzo said, a smirk ying at his lips.


    I didn¡¯t even have it in me to fake a smile as I handed the phone to him. He was the most annoying man ever. Next to the Daredevil standing beside him, of course.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He muttered, that annoying smirk still fixed on his lips.


    Without uttering a word, I nodded. As I turned to leave, I sighted a man and a woman who had a little boy in her arms walking towards the front door, and I quickly drifted my attention to them, wondering who they were.


    The boy was the most beautiful kid I had ever seen, and as my eyes met his, my heart got filled with an unexinable, intense warmth.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± He beamed, his eyes glistering with excitement.

 18| Mystery Boy.

    ANTONIO.


    Mommy?


    I quickly flicked my gaze between Rosalinda and the small boy as confusion masked my features. Why did he call her that?


    ¡°She my mommy, right?¡± The little boy continued as the woman who was carrying him slowly put him down. ¡°You saide meet my mommy.¡±


    He was one smart boy. He doesn¡¯t look any older than two years, and he could already speak so well. Not so well per se, but an understandable speech. I felt a sense of relief when I realised that the boy called her mommy out of a mere guess. But who was the mommy they came here to meet?


    There were only three women in this house. Rosalinda, Sofia, and their mother, Lucia. It couldn¡¯t possibly be Lucia because she was too old to be the mother of a two-year-old, and that narrows the option down to Rosalinda and Sofia.


    ¡°Dorothy.¡± Roberto¡¯s voice suddenly booms through the air, and I turned my attention to him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He continued, the rage zing in his eyes was so intense that I could literally see mes in them.


    ¡°I called you several times, but I didn¡¯t get a response, so we decided toe here in person.¡± The woman replied.


    ¡°I was-¡± Roberto blew out an exasperated breath, his frustration palpable in the way he raked his hands through his hair. ¡°I have been so busy, but I was going to call you back. You should have waited for my call.¡±


    ¡°We waited. But we couldn¡¯t anymore. We need to leave tonight. Tony and I are leaving the country, and we can¡¯t leave with him, so we brought him.¡± The woman told him.


    Everything was starting to be more interesting as I crossed my arms over my shoulders and listened with my curious ears. Who was the boy?


    The boy snatched his hand from Dorothy¡¯s grip and opened his arms out wide as he pranced towards Rosalinda with his little legs, giggling happily. He was such a cute little human.


    Rosalinda crouched to his level while staring intently at him with warm eyes. A pang of pain gripped my chest as I watched a tear roll down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into a big, warm hug. The expression on her face, the way she looked at him, was the way a mother would look at her child. Fuck, no. It couldn¡¯t be. I desperately hoped she wasn¡¯t his mother, because I couldn¡¯t imagine what I would do if I found out that she had a son-with another man.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get going now.¡± The man, who I believed to be Tony, said as he inched closer to Rosalinda and dropped a luggage next to her. He flicked his gaze at the little boy, and a sad smile touched his lips as he crouched down to his level.


    Shuffling his hair, he muttered. ¡°Be a good boy, Carlo.¡±


    Carlo. So that was his name.


    ¡°Are leaving already?¡± Carlo asked with his tiny voice. ¡°Are leaving with mommy?¡±


    Tony shook his head slightly. ¡°We aren¡¯t leaving with Mommy. You¡¯ll stay with her.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Carlo tiny voice pierced the air as tears started welling up in his eyes.


    ¡°Carlo.¡± Dorothy called as she quickly trudged to where he was and crouched down to his level, holding him on both shoulders as she looked into his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this before. You¡¯ll now stay with your biological family. Be a good boy and don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Biological family? Who was this mystery boy that no one has ever heard about? What secret was Roberto hiding from the world?


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Carlo cried.


    She took her hand to his face and wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks off his face. ¡°We¡¯lle and visit you someday, baby. Be a good boy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Carlo persisted as he continued crying.


    ¡°We have to leave now.¡± She kissed him on both cheeks before quickly rising to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Carlo wrapped his tiny arms around her leg as she turned around to leave, causing her to halt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go. Please¡± He pressed on as he looked up at her with his wet face.


    A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at Carlo for a few seconds before Roberto suddenly grabbed him and took him into his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t create a scene here.¡± Roberto groaned.


    Dorothy wiped the tear on her cheeks with the back of hand before turning around and starting to walk away, with Tony following closely behind her.


    Carlo started screaming and crying profusely and tried to break free from Roberto¡¯s hold as he watched them walk away. But Roberto only tightened his grip on him while shooting a death re at him.


    What the hell did I just experience? Was Carlo really Rosalinda¡¯s son? None of them denied it when he called her his mommy. I needed answers!


    ¡°Well, well, well. What a heartfelt moment I just experienced.¡± Lorenzo¡¯s voice suddenly boomed, and I turned to look at him to see an amused expression saturating his face. ¡°Who is this smart, handsome boy here?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not someone you should worry about.¡± Roberto replied, waving him off.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a secret that was hidden from the whole world. I wouldn¡¯t push it.¡± Lorenzo muttered before turning on his heels and starting to walk away without waiting for a response.


    I stood there, still shocked and confused, as my gaze lingered on the crying kid. Who was he? I asked myself again for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Thanks foring.¡± Roberto¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts, signaling that it was time for me to leave.


    I wanted to ask the millions of questions running through my mind. But I knew it was baseless; there was a reason why he kept it a secret in the first ce, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t get answers to my curiosity. So I wasn¡¯t going to push.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I turned around and walked out of there.


    A few minutes after leaving Moretti¡¯s mansion, I sighted Lorenzo¡¯s car alongside an old, shabby car packed in the middle of the road. In front of the cars were two people whose backs were to me and on their knees. Beside them was Lorenzo, with his gun pointed to their heads. I didn¡¯t even need to see their faces to know who they were.


    What the fuck was happening?

 19| A Disgrace.

    ANTONIO.


    Without hesitation, I parked my car and scrammed out of it. Lorenzo¡¯s gaze was on me as I trudged towards them in long strides with a frown masking my features.


    ¡°We have apany now.¡± Lorenzo grinned as I approached them. I disliked him. He had an off-putting aura about him that I couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°Getting answers.¡± He simply replied, and I blew out a sharp breath, shaking my head.


    Did he really intend to kill them just to feed his curiosity?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know who these people are?¡± He continued.


    I pressed my lips tightly together. ¡°Do you want to start a feud?¡±


    ¡°A feud?¡± He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. ¡°These people aren¡¯t precious enough to make Roberto retaliate if I kill them. He would be pissed, but not enough to start a feud. And by the way, I don¡¯t have to kill them. They were about to talk.¡± He flicked his gaze at them. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± He asked again with a firmer voice, pressing the cold metal against the woman¡¯s temple when he didn¡¯t get  a response.


    ¡°Ye-yes.¡± They both stammered in unison with terrified voices.


    Lorenzo flicked his gaze between the two of thembefore settling his gaze on the man. ¡°Start talking, or else your woman will be gone in seconds.¡±


    The horror on their faces intensified upon hearing that, and I really wanted to stop Lorenzo because I hated violence against women. But I couldn¡¯t. As much as it irked me to see him hurt an innocent woman, I wanted answers too.


    So, turning a blind eye to the way he was hurting the woman, I stepped aside and waited for Lorenzo to make them talk.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you started talking yet?¡± Lorenzo asked as he pressed the gun further into her head. ¡°Your woman would die if-¡±


    ¡°I would talk.¡± The man cut him off breathlessly. ¡°I would talk. Please don¡¯t kill her.¡±


    Lorenzo cocked his head to the side, a smirk ying at his lips. ¡°Okay, start then.¡±


    The man let out a small cough before he started spilling. ¡°Two years ago, Mr. Moretti came to us and asked us to be his grandchild¡¯s foster parents for a fee. He paid us monthly and asked us never to tell anyone about it. He said Carlo was a disgrace, and he didn¡¯t want to keep him around. My wife and I were excited to take him in since we didn¡¯t have a child of ours. But my wife conceivedst year and gave birth three months ago. Since we now have ours, we decided to return Carlo to his original family under the pretence that we wanted to travel. And-¡±


    ¡°His grandchild?¡± I cut him off. I wasn¡¯t interested in his stories. I only wanted to know one thing. ¡°Who is his mother?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± The man said as he scratched the back of his neck. It was obvious that he lied.


    ¡°Oh really? Then I would have to pull this trigger if-¡± Lorenzo pressed the cold metal against the woman¡¯s head.


    ¡°I would talk.¡± The man quickly said.


    Lorenzo nodded. ¡°Ok.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s-¡± He scratched the back of his neck, looking really frustrated.


    ¡°Are you hesitating?¡± Lorenzo asked as he pressed the gun against the woman¡¯s head again, causing her to wince in pain.


    ¡°No. No. No.¡± He quickly said as he continued scratching the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s thedy Carlo ran to.¡±


    Oh no. Thedy Carlo ran to. Was his mother really-Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rosalinda?¡± I asked to confirm, and he nodded.


    A pang of hurt wed at my chest upon realising that the woman I was attracted to had a child with another man. Fuck, I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel this way about it, but I was really hurt. And angry.


    Everything began to make sense to me. So that was why Roberto said Rosalinda wasn¡¯t fit for the agreement. Because she had a child.


    Who was the father?


    I swear, I was going to kill the person who got her pregnant. The person who blocked my chance of having her as mine.


    As the multitude of thoughts kept roaming through my head, I turned around and trudged to my car in long strides with intense rage burning within me.


    ¡­


    ROSALINDA.


    He was a disgrace. I was a slut. There was no derogatory name Pap¨¤ didn¡¯t call me when I had him. I knew I messed up, and I regretted the action I took that led to his birth, but I still loved him.


    When Pap¨¤ said he wanted to give him up for foster care, I almost went crazy. I begged and pleaded to keep him, but to no avail. I just had to ept faith and let him take him away from me. But not anymore. Now that my son was here with me, I would fight with everything in me to keep him with me. My heart had never felt this much love for anyone. A love so pure, so divine.


    The whole family was gathered in the living room, and everyone had a gloomy face on as if we were all gathered for a funeral.


    ¡°We have to look for another foster parents for him and find a way to convince Lorenzo and Antonio that he isn¡¯t someone important.¡± Pap¨¤ groaned before flicking his gaze at Carlo, who was in my arms. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t called her mommy, it would have been so much easier to do that.¡±


    ¡°But she my mommy.¡± Carlo said innocently, and the frown on Papa¡¯s face deepened.


    ¡°Shup up.¡± He barked, causing Carlo to shriek as he wrapped his little arms tightly around me.


    ¡°Roberto!¡± Mama scolded as her face contorted into a scowl. ¡°He¡¯s just a child!¡±


    ¡°A disgrace.¡± Pap¨¤ mumbled under his breath.


    I hated my life at that moment. I wished I could just pack my bags and run away with Carlo, but I couldn¡¯t. Pap¨¤ would find me wherever I went, and my actions might put Carlo in trouble. So, to protect myself and my son, I just had to bottle up the insults and act oblivious to them.


    ¡°And you.¡± He continued, pointing his index finger at me. ¡°You still won¡¯t tell us who the father is, right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± We suddenly heard a familiar voice say, and we all turned our attention to the source of the voice. I gasped in shock when I saw him standing there, and the rage burning within him was evidenced by the way his veins bulged on his neck. ¡°You don¡¯t know who the father is?¡±


    Why did he look so angry? And for how long has he been standing there?


    Antonio.

 20| Audacity.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t know who the father is?¡± Antonio asked again as he approached us, his eyes growing darker with each step he took.


    ¡°Uhm, he was adopted, and we¡­¡± Pap¨¤ scratched his temple, looking confused as he tried to concoct a lie.


    ¡°Cut that.¡± Antonio groaned, shaking his head slightly. ¡°I know that this boy right here is your grandson.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not-¡± Pap¨¤ tried to persist with his lies, but Antonio cut him off.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And Rosalinda here,¡± he said, pointing his index finger at me. ¡°Is the mother.¡±


    Why did he seem so sure? I wondered as I narrowed my eyes at him. How did he find out?


    A thought came to my mind, but I shook it off. I knew Antonio was a Mafia boss, but I didn¡¯t think he was cruel enough to torture innocent people just to feed his curiosity.


    ¡°Is that why you said she wasn¡¯t a good fit for the agreement?¡± He continued, his eyes growing darker by the second.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Pap¨¤ asked, a scowl creasing his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you did what I am thinking.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Antonio shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Lorenzo did. He forced the answers out of them. But don¡¯t worry, he didn¡¯t hurt them.¡±


    I knew it! The second Lorenzo left the mansion without pushing for answers, I knew he was up to something. That sneaky man.


    ¡°That bastard!¡± Pap¨¤ groaned, the rage zing in his eyes capable of burning the house down.


    ¡°So, who is his father?¡± Antonio asked as he flicked his gaze at me, his eyes boring into mine.


    ¡°Mommy, who is my daddy?¡± Carlo¡¯s tiny voice suddenly asked, and I darted my gaze at him.


    ¡°I said shut the fuck up!¡± Pap¨¤ boomed before I could even think of a reply to Carlo¡¯s question.


    ¡°Roberto!¡± Mama scolded as she quickly flicked her gaze at Pap¨¤. ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, remember?¡±


    ¡°Rosalinda, I¡¯ll ask you this again. Who is this boy¡¯s father?¡± Antonio asked again with a stern voice, his eyes still boring into mine.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your damn business.¡± I retorted as anger started rising within me. I could see the shock on everyone¡¯s faces at the way I talked to him, but I couldn¡¯t care less. Who the fuck was he to question me about that?


    Cradling Carlo against my hips and steading him with my hand, I leapt to my feet and started stomping out of the living room as rage continued to boil within me, but I didn¡¯t even get to walk two steps before I felt a strong hand grab my other arm, forcing me to stop in my tracks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you before; you are not to talk to me in that manner.¡± Antonio groaned, the rage burning in his eyes matching mine. Just that his was more intense.


    ¡°Get your hand off me.¡± I yelled as I tried to snatch my hand away from him, but he only tightened his grip on my arm.


    ¡°Rosalinda!¡± Pap¨¤ groaned. ¡°Where are your manners? Apologise to him now.¡±


    No! I don¡¯t owe him an apology. I wasn¡¯t in the wrong. If anyone should apologise, it should be him, not me. I knew Pap¨¤ was scared that he might hurt me or something, but I wasn¡¯t afraid of him. I knew deep within me that Antonio wouldn¡¯t hurt me, and that was what gave me all the audacity.


    ¡°Rosalinda!¡± Pap¨¤ called again, but I didn¡¯t even flinch. Antonio and I continued staring deeply into each other¡¯s zing eyes without even blinking. The intensity of the fire colliding felt like a volcano was about to erupt, but in our eyes,


    In the midst of everything, my heart managed to find a soft ce for him, and I couldn¡¯t even exin it. Damn! I hated the man standing before me. I hated that I was still attracted to him despite the fact that I was extremely angry at him. My body was supposed to be in sync with my mind, but it betrayed me. It reacted to him in ways that it shouldn¡¯t.


    Carlo suddenly started crying, jerking us back to reality as we finally broke eye contact. Antonio flicked his gaze at Carlo, stared at him for a few seconds, and sighed before finally releasing my arm from his tight grip.


    I subconsciously flicked my gaze at Sofia, and she shook her head slightly, pressing her lips tightly together before walking out of the room.


    Another misconception.


    ¡°Have you tried to search for the father on your own since she¡¯s too stubborn to say?¡± Antonio turned his attention to Pap¨¤.


    Papa sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve tried every means possible to look for him. But to no avail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for him.¡± Antonio offered, and I quickly swung my head to the side to look at him, my eyes widening in perplexity. Why would he do that?


    ¡°Why would you want to go through such stress?¡± Pap¨¤ voiced out my thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself. You won¡¯t find him.¡±


    ¡°I would soon be part of this family. So, she¡¯s also my responsibility.¡± He replied, and I squinted my eyes at his reply.


    Pap¨¤ raised a questioning brow at him. ¡°Are you sure you want to take up this task?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Pap¨¤ sighed before nodding his head in agreement. ¡°Okay. I hope you¡¯ll be sessful and bring the bastard to us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need her phone number. Tracking her calls and messages would be the first step.¡± Antonio said before flicking his gaze at me, his eyes growing darker. ¡°This is yourst chance to tell us who the father is, or-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you look for him and actually find him.¡± I cut him off before I quickly turned around and started walking away from them.


    I could feel everyone¡¯s gaze on me as I walked out of the living room, and I was sure that there was only one question hanging on their minds.


    When did she develop such audacity?¡±

 21| Darkness.

    ANTONIO.


    I had been searching for Carlo¡¯s father for days now, and I hadn¡¯t found any clue. Her phone calls and text messages from three years ago had been traced, and the only people she ever talked to were her family and one Ruby Thompson. Her movements, where she frequents, had been traced by the professional private investigator I hired, and he couldn¡¯t unearth any leads.


    I didn¡¯t know how Rosalinda managed to cover her tracks, but I was determined to find him, and if I did, I was going to fucking kill him.


    The list of phone calls she¡¯d made over thest three years was in my hand, and I had been going through it for almost twenty minutes, refusing to believe she hadn¡¯t been in contact with any man aside from her family. Talking about her family, could it be that-


    ¡°No.¡± I said to myself and shook my head as I waved off the thought. It couldn¡¯t possibly be a case of incest. But how the fuck did she contact her baby daddy?


    The door suddenly dinged open, and I hoisted my head up to see Cami trudging into my office.


    ¡°Brother.¡± She called as she approached me.


    I set the list that was in my hand on the table and made a steeple of my hand as I focused my attention on her. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    She settled into the seat in front of me, leaning back and crossing her legs. ¡°You¡¯ve been on this case for how many days now? Five days? You hardly attend to business anymore, which is so unlike you. You never put business before anything. Why are you so interested in this girl¡¯s case? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s even the one you¡¯ll be getting married to.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my sister-inw, so she¡¯s also my responsibility.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s just it or-¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± I groaned, cutting her off as anger began to rise within me.


    Whatever she was about to say was right, and that was what fueled my anger. I hated that she was right. Yes, I wasn¡¯t doing this solely because she was my sister-inw. I was doing this because I was attracted to her and I wanted to get back at the person who impregnated her. I wanted to get back at the person who dared to touch her.


    ¡°Well, if you say so, I¡¯ll leave. But¡­¡± She leapt to her feet and straightened her dress. ¡°I came here to give you a hint that might help you, but since you insist on me leaving, I¡¯ll do just that.¡±


    Cami was a smart girl, and I knew she might actually have something that would help, but my ego wouldn¡¯t let me ask for it, as I had initially asked her to get out.


    Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched her turn around and start trudging towards the door. She didn¡¯t even get to take three steps before my pride finally gave in, and I called out to her in a low voice.


    ¡°Cami.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked as she turned around to look at me, an amusing smile curling at her lips. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡±


    I cleared my throat, still finding it hard to ask for the hint she had.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t saying anything, brother. What do you want?¡± She raised her brow, acting oblivious to why I called her back.


    ¡°Just say it.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Say what?¡± She asked, drawing her brows together, feigning confusion. ¡°If you don¡¯t spell it out, I won¡¯t know.¡±


    Annoying brat. I was tired of being involved in the annoying game she was ying. As evidenced by the smile curling at her lips, she was indeed enjoying it. But I was not.


    ¡°What hint do you have, Cami?¡± I finally asked, and the smile on her lips broadened into a wide, satisfying one.


    Annoying brat.


    She gave her shoulders a half shrug before the smile on her lips finally faded, her expression turning serious.


    ¡°Her friends.¡± She started, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°If you can¡¯t get information from her, I believe you can get one from her close friends. That¡¯s if she has any. Girls tell each other everything. All you have to do is convince them to tell you what you want for a price. A substantial amount of money. Who would refuse life-changing money?¡±


    ¡°Her friends?¡± I asked, raising a brow.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Cami nodded. ¡°Smart girl. She was probably being careful, knowing the kind of world she was in. That¡¯s why she left no traces.¡±


    ¡°Her friends.¡± I repeated, and she nodded again.


    ¡°You are wee, brother.¡± She muttered as she turned around and walked away.


    After Cami left, I kept pondering what she had said.


    Friend.


    Friend.


    Friend.


    There was a particr girl I usually saw her with. They were together at the club and at the restaurant. She was most definitely the Ruby Thompson she always talked with over the phone.


    I needed to get to her and get answers from her!


    My phone suddenly rang, and the private investigator¡¯s name shed on the screen. Perfect timing.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Sir.¡± He greeted me when I picked up the call.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I am sorry, sir. But-¡±


    ¡°Trace Ruby Thompson¡¯s location right now and send me the information.¡± I cut him off.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, sir.¡± He quickly said, and I ended the call.


    Ruby was myst hope, and I really hoped I would get answers from her.


    ¡­.     ROSALINDA.


    The sun was so hot that my skin was burning. I wondered why Ruby asked us to meet that hot afternoon. She called me, asking me to meet with her. Her voice was filled with urgency, so I couldn¡¯t refuse. If it turned out that what she called me for wasn¡¯t so urgent, I would fucking kill her.


    I asked Giovanni to go with me, and he happily agreed because he wanted to hit on Ruby.


    Ruby had already arrived at Tasty Haven, where we agreed to meet, and was standing in front of the building when we arrived. As we approached the building, a face-splitting grin curled on her lips, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t your expression matching hers?¡± Giovanni asked. ¡°What¡¯s with the frown?¡±


    I swung my head to the side to look at him. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to be here. The sun is scorching.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Giovanni suddenly groaned, his gaze fixed in a particr direction, and I quickly traced his line of sight.


    My heart sank to my stomach, and I became transfixed when I saw two hefty men dragging Ruby into a ck car while she struggled to free herself. Before I could even get over my shock, the car had already sped off.


    ¡°Giovanni!¡± I cried as I grabbed his shirt and held it tight. ¡°Please-please-¡±


    I was still in so much shock, unable to find my words.


    ¡°Get into the car,¡± Giovanni told me as he turned around and started heading to his car, with me following right behind him.


    Within seconds, we were already on the road, chasing the car that kidnapped Ruby. As we followed them, a myriad of thoughts raced through my mind. Who could it be? What did she do? Did she involve herself with the wrong people?


    Oh, no. All I wanted at that moment was for Ruby to be saved.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Giovanni yelled, pulling me out of my trance.


    Before I could even do as he asked, a bullet had already pierced through the windscreen, luckily missing the both of us.


    ¡°They noticed that we are following them, and they are trying to stop us.¡± Giovanni groaned as he pulled out his gun and fired back at them.


    As they exchanged gunfire, my fear intensified. I didn¡¯t want Ruby to get hurt; I didn¡¯t want Giovanni to get hurt while trying to save her; and I also didn¡¯t want to get hurt.


    Suddenly, Giovanni lost control of the wheel, and everything I feared happened in a sh as we plunged into the bridge-the sound of the ss shattering and the metal screeching was deafening.


    Panic surged through me as the car descended, and in a second, water rushed in, swallowing the car.


    A sudden rush of coldness engulfed me as I gasped for air. But to no avail. My vision started blurring as darkness crept in. Everything went silent, and in that moment, I felt myself slipping deeper into darkness.

 22| Talk!

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°I fucking asked you to treat her with care!¡± I yelled at the men-Enzo and Stefano-who I asked to bring Ruby to me as they entered with her.


    Uncontroble tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her mouth was tightly taped, her hands were securely tied, and she had bruises around her wrists from trying to set herself loose.


    ¡°She¡¯s a stubborn one, boss.¡± Stefano said, and I let out a sigh as I observed her.


    She was indeed a stubborn one. Despite her mouth being taped and her hands tied, she continued to shout and struggle to run. I understood that my men had to do what they had to do to avoid getting caught by the cops.


    ¡°Make her sit.¡± I ordered my men as I gestured at a sofa, and they promptly followed my instruction.


    I inched closer to her and crouched in front of her. The horror in her eyes intensified, and I let out a sigh.


    ¡°I am not going to hurt you.¡± I assured her, but she wouldn¡¯t stop crying and attempting to scream through the duct tape.


    I let out another sigh as I turned to look at my men, who were still trying to make her remain still on the couch. ¡°Leave her. I¡¯ll handle her. You can go.¡±


    They released their grips from her shoulders but remained standing, with their gazes fixed on the floor.


    ¡°You can go.¡± I reiterated, but they didn¡¯t move an inch.


    Something was wrong. What did they do? I wondered as I squinted my eyes, looking at them.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked in a low growl.


    They both scratched the napes of their necks as they continued to avoid eye contact with me.


    Ruby¡¯s cries intensified, and I quickly flicked my gaze at her, peeling the duct tape off her mouth.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± She screamed as soon as the duct tape went off, her cries bing more audible.


    ¡°What happened to Rosa?¡± I was confused. What was she trying to say?


    ¡°Rosa. Bridge. She bridged Rosa.¡± Her words were incoherent, but I knew something was wrong. I flicked my gaze at my men as rage started rising within me.


    ¡°Start talking now!¡± I demanded furiously.


    They continued scratching the backs of their necks, hesitating, and their actions infuriated me further.


    ¡°Talk!¡± I roared again.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t intend for it to happen. It just happened.¡± Enzo finally said, and I squinted my eyes.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°When we took her inside the car, we realised that another car was following us, so we tried to stop the car but ended up firing at it. The situation escted, and we began exchanging gunfire before the driver of the other car lost control and crashed on the bridge.¡±


    ¡°I swear we had no idea that it was your sister-inw who was inside that car,¡± Stefano added.


    My head took a quick spin after hearing what they said. Fuck, no. Nothing must happen to Rosalinda.


    ¡°What bridge?¡± I asked with a low growl.


    ¡°The one near Tasty Haven, where we picked her from,¡± Enzo said.


    With thebination of fear and anger surfing through me, I darted my gaze between the both of them. ¡°If anything happens to her, consider yourselves gone.¡±


    At that moment, Marco walked into the room, confusion masking his features at the sight before him. He was oblivious to what was happening, as I didn¡¯t inform him about my ns to question Ruby.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± He asked, raising his brow.


    ¡°Take care of her till I return.¡± I ordered Marco as I grabbed my car keys from the centre table.


    I didn¡¯t wait for his response before making my way outside the house and to my car.


    As I drove out of the mansion, I started making calls to the hospitals around the bridge, searching for the hospital where she was taken. I finally located her after making the fourth call, and I started driving towards her with full speed.


    I didn¡¯t care about breaking traffic rules; I just wanted to get to her as soon as possible. I had never been so afraid of losing someone as I was of losing her. We couldn¡¯t be together, yet I was so scared of losing her. I needed her to be alive. I needed to see her again. I would fucking hate myself if she died. The men I sent couldn¡¯t do one simple task well; they just had to put her life at risk. I would fucking end them.


    By the time I got to the hospital, Roberto and his family were already there, their faces full of worries.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked with urgency as I approached them.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Roberto asked, confused.


    ¡°I have ears.¡± I simply replied.


    ¡°Giovanni has woken up. But Rosalinda-¡± He shook his head dishearteningly. ¡°She¡¯s still unconscious.¡±


    My worry heightened upon hearing that she was unconscious.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°There. That¡¯s her ward.¡± He replied, pointing at a particr door. ¡°The doctors are trying to revive her.¡±


    ¡°What of Giovanni? Did he say what happened?¡± I asked, and he shook his head.


    ¡°He can¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all?¡± I asked, raising my brow.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Roberto shook his head, and a sense of relief washed over me.


    I might have ordered my men to bring her to me as part of the n to locate Carlo¡¯s father, but I couldn¡¯t let them know that I was responsible for the ident. If anything happened to Rosalinda, I would be med, potentially sparking a feud between the two families, and I had to avoid that.


    After a few seconds, a doctor stepped out of the ward Rosalinda was in, and everyone became alert as they approached the doctor, seeking an update.


    ¡°Her vitals are stable.¡± The doctor announced, and sighs of relief filled the air. ¡°She should wake up soon and-¡±


    Before he couldplete his statement, a nurse hurried out of Rosalinda¡¯s ward and informed the doctor. ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡±


    A wave of relief washed over me as I turned around and started walking away. That was all I needed to know. She was okay, and I wouldn¡¯t lose her.


    I really wanted to see her, but I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide how much I cared about her when I saw her, and I didn¡¯t want that. I needed to keep my feelings hidden at all costs.


    She¡¯s alive, and that¡¯s a relief. Now, back to the motherfuckers who put her in that situation.

 23| Murder Attempt.

    ROSALINDA.


    The muffled sound of distant noises and the rhythmic beeping of machinery I heard were unusual. I wondered who was making the noises and what machine was beeping as I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt so heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force. With a great effort, I summoned the strength to force them open, and the world exploded into blinding lights, forcing me to quickly close my eyes.


    What was happening?


    The intensity was overwhelming, like staring directly into the heart of the sun. I tried to open my eyes again, but this time I squinted at first, and an indistinct glow of light pierced through. I slowly opened them wider until they adjusted to the onught of light. Everything was blurry at first, but gradually, shapes and colors began to emerge. It took me a minute to notice the unfamiliar surroundings.


    Where was I? I thought. A hospital?


    One of the nurses around rushed outside, and she soon returned with a doctor, and behind them were my family-Pap¨¤, Mama, Sofia, and Matteo.


    What was happening? I panicked as I tried to sit up, but the throbbing ache that saturated my head forced me toy back and cradle my head as I winced and groaned in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to stand up. You haven¡¯t fully recovered.¡± The doctor said, and I darted my gaze at him. ¡°I¡¯ll examine you now.¡± He continued as he approached me.


    I nced at my parents, my eyes darting anxiously between the both of them.


    ¡°Mama, Pap¨¤. What happened? What am I doing here?¡± I asked, my voice barely audible.


    ¡°You also can¡¯t remember?¡± Mama asked, and I squinted, confused.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s experiencing retrograde amnesia, just like the other patient.¡± The doctor stated, further adding to my confusion.


    Another patient? What were they talking about?


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked again, and Pap¨¤ opened his mouth to talk, but the doctor spoke before he could.


    ¡°You all would need to excuse us while I attend to her.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Mama tried to protest, but the doctor cut her off.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    I could see the worries etched on my family¡¯s faces as they reluctantly turned around and started walking towards the door while ncing back.


    Once they were finally out of the room, the doctor inched closer to me, checked the reading on the machine beside me, and began to ask questions.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I have a pounding headache, dizziness, my body is in pain, and I feel incredibly weak.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel confused?¡± He continued, jotting down notes.


    ¡°Not really. I just feel like a huge chunk of my memory has been cut out.¡± I told him.


    ¡°What is thest thing you can remember?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Thest thing I recall is nning to meet my friend at Tasty Haven. I can¡¯t remember if I met her or not,¡± I exined, and he nodded.


    ¡°What day was that?¡±


    ¡°Thursday, 15 August. Around 1 p. m., I think.¡±


    ¡°Year?¡±


    ¡°2019.¡± I told him, and he nodded.


    ¡°You are suffering from retrograde amnesia. It is a result of the impact of the ident. You¡¯ve lost your memory of everything leading up to the ident.¡± He exined, and I squinted my eyes in perplexity.


    ¡°ident? How? Where?¡±


    ¡°You were involved in a car crash, but you¡¯ll recover soon. Fortunately, the impact wasn¡¯t severe.¡± He assured me, and I nodded, my mind still wandering, trying to remember how I got into an ident and who I was with.


    Giovanni. I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to go out with him. Could he be the one?


    ¡°Doctor. Who was in the car with me?¡± I quickly asked him.


    ¡°There is a man named Giovanni who I believe to be your cousin.¡± He told me, and worries coursed through me.


    ¡°Oh my God, is he okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call in your family now.¡± He added, and I nodded.


    He offered a small smile before turning around and starting to walk out of the room, with the nurses trailing behind him.


    My family came rushing in a few secondster, and the worries that ted their faces earlier were still evident.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± My mom called as she came to a stop beside my bed, her hands cradling my face as tears started rolling down her eyes. ¡°Thank you foring back to me. Thank you.¡±


    Sofia trudged to the other side of the bed, nestled in, and embraced me with tears rolling down her cheeks.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine life without you.¡± Sofia cried as she straightened back up. ¡°Thank you foring back to us, Rosa.¡±


    As I stared at her with a lone tear rolling down my cheek, there was only one thing on my mind-I was d she still cared about me.


    ¡°Do you really not remember anything?¡± Pap¨¤¡¯s voice broke through, and I darted my gaze at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± My voice came out as a whisper.


    ¡°Think Rosalinda. The car is riddled with bullet holes. Try to remember something.¡± Pap¨¤ urged.


    So, it wasn¡¯t just an ident. Could it be an attempt on our lives? I thought as I tried to pull back my memory, but my attempt to recall only intensified my headache, making me groan in pain as I clutched my head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Try Rosalinda. Try!¡± He urged.


    ¡°Roberto!¡± Mama¡¯s voice almost came out as a yell. ¡°Allow her to recover before you start asking questions.¡±


    He sighed exasperatedly as he scratched his temple. ¡°Sorry. I was just worried. But I am d you are okay.¡±


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Matteo called, a small smile touching his lips as he leaned in and patted my head. ¡°Thank you foring back to us.¡±


    ¡°You are wee. I know you won¡¯t be able to live without me, so I had toe back.¡± I teased, and he scoffed.


    ¡°You wish.¡±


    A small smile touched my lips before I looked around, and when I didn¡¯t see my dear son, I asked. ¡°Where is Carlo?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at home.¡± Mama informed me. ¡°He¡¯s fine; you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    I only nodded and smiled in response.


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring him here tomorrow.¡± She added.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want him to see me like this. I¡¯ll see him when I get discharged, which would be soon, right?¡± I raised a brow, expecting a response. I was sick of the hospital already. I wanted to go home.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. Until you recover and perhaps regain your memory.¡± Pap¨¤ chimed in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be alone. Guards would be stationed at the door to protect you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, baby.¡± Mama added.


    The door suddenly dinged open, and Giovanni slipped in with an intravenous pole.


    ¡°Giovanni.¡± I quickly called, a wide smile ying on my lips, relieved that he was okay.


    ¡°Giovanni! You should be on your bed.¡± Mama scolded, concerned that he was up and about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, prettydy. I am fine.¡± He assured, winking at her before flicking his gaze at me.


    ¡°You are a chicken, Rosa. I heard it took you a long time to wake up.¡± He taunted with a mischievous grin on his face.


    My body ached so much, but I managed to raise my middle finger up at him before mouthing. ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Chicken.¡± He teased again, and my lips curled into a small smile. I could never win against him.


    ¡°What happened, Gio?¡± I asked as curiosity and worries creeped in.


    The smile on his face suddenly faded before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am just as nk as you. I heard from the nurse that you also lost your memory.¡±


    Giovanni also lost his memory. What could have happened? Who wanted us dead? Panic coursed through me as these thoughts raced through my mind.

 24| Carlo鈥檚 Father.

    ANTONIO.


    I have been sitting here for a while now, observing Ruby, as I contemted whether to question her now or wait till she¡¯s settled. She still appeared visibly terrified.


    She had refused to eat or drink anything since she was brought here and hadn¡¯t uttered a word to me since I was seated here. Although she looked frightened, it didn¡¯t seem like she was scared of me. She was scared of something else. Perhaps she was scared of losing Rosalinda.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± She finally asked after a while, breaking the long stretch of silence.


    Without uttering a word In response, I continued staring at her.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± She persisted, her voice growing more desperate. ¡°I know you went to see her. Is she okay? Does she know that you were the one who sent those men?¡±


    I maintained my silence, debating whether to ask her what I needed to know now orter.


    ¡°Say something, please.¡± She pleaded when she didn¡¯t get a response.


    ¡°I have something to ask you, which is why you are here. But I won¡¯t ask now. I woulde back when you are more settled.¡± I finally spoke.


    Without waiting for her response, I leapt to my feet and started walking away from her.


    ¡°Please just tell me if she¡¯s okay or not. Please. I am really worried. Please.¡± She pleaded, and I could sense the worries weighing on her voice.


    I stopped in my tracks, then half turned to look at her. ¡°She¡¯s fine and stable.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped her lips, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest. ¡°Thank God.¡± She muttered.


    I nced at her for a second before continuing on my way. Before I made it out of the room, she quickly spoke again.


    ¡°Just ask whatever you want to ask now. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.¡±


    I turned to look at her and observed her for a minute before nodding my head in agreement. ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    She sounded bolder now and less terrified, so it was safe to ask her questions.


    I strolled back to where she was seated and settled on the seat opposite her.


    Without wasting more time, I went straight to the point. ¡°Who is Carlo¡¯s father?¡±


    Her mouth fell agape as a look of shock saturated her features for a second, before swiftly changing her expression into a neutral one.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Carlo?¡± She asked, feigning ignorance.


    I was certain she knew exactly who I was referring to; it was quite evident.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I called as I made a steeple of my fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take this the hard way. Give me what I want while I am still asking nicely.¡±


    She raised a questioning brow. ¡°What are you talking about? Who the fuck is Carlo?¡±


    ¡°You know who Carlo is.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t. Who is he?¡±


    She was just as stubborn as Rosalinda.


    I sighed. ¡°It seems you are enjoying your stay here and would like to prolong it longer than I intended for you to.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know who Carlo is. And once I get out of here, you are going to jail. You can¡¯t just kidnap me out of your own will to question me about a matter I know nothing about. You are going to jail, and guess what? Not on one charge, but on two charges. Attempted murder and kidnapping.¡± She blurted out in a single breath.


    I leaned forward, my voice low but loud enough for her to hear. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t know who I am, ma¡¯am. I can¡¯t go to jail.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Just because you are rich doesn¡¯t mean you are above thew. Even if I don¡¯t have the power to send you to jail, Rosa¡¯s father is more than powerful enough to send you to jail for trying to kill his daughter. Read my lips. YOU ARE GOING TO JAIL.¡± She stated, with emphasis on thest words.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    I pressed my lips together in a thin line. She clearly knew nothing about her friend¡¯s background and I wondered how Rosalinda managed to keep that aspect of her life hidden. I wanted to tell her that Roberto would never report me to the authorities because he wouldn¡¯t want to throw a stone in a ss house, but I wouldn¡¯t do that because she wasn¡¯t worth my time.


    ¡°I would return and ask you that question again, and you better cooperate then. If you don¡¯t, I will do what I have to do.¡± I told her before rising to my feet and trudging towards the door. She began to yell, demanding I let her go, but I paid her no mind.


    As I stepped out of the room, I saw Marco Stefano and Enzo standing in the hallway, waiting for me.


    ¡°What do you intend to do with them, boss?¡± Marco asked me, and I pressed my lips tightly together before sighing.


    ¡°What do you think we should do with them?¡± I asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°It¡¯s your decision to make me boss. You won¡¯t like my own decision considering the person involved.¡±


    I darted my gaze between Stefano and Enzo, contemting whether to get rid of them or just punish them for their misdeeds. After a few seconds of thought, I made a decision and sighed.


    Darting my gaze at Marco, I sighed again. ¡°The police are looking for them. Ask them to surrender. I won¡¯t cover for them. And they know the consequences if they dare mention my name.¡± I spoke to him as if the people I was referring to weren¡¯t standing right there.


    Fortunately, the police weren¡¯t aware that someone had been abducted, so they were only searching for the culprits responsible for the ident. Stefano and Enzo were lucky that Rosalinda had survived; if not, they wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to go to jail-they would have joined her in the grave.

 25| Tell Me.

    ROSALINDA.


    Everyone had gone home, leaving me to my loneliness. I had been watching the news for over an hour now, and I was bored already, but there was nothing more to do. I hated it here.


    I had been trying to remember what happened that led to the ident, but my head was nk. Thest thing I remembered was that I was supposed to meet Ruby.


    Right, Ruby. I was all over the news, and I wondered why she hadn¡¯t visited or called already. She probably hasn¡¯t heard of it. If she knew that I was in the hospital, she would have rushed here that second.


    Looking to my side, I picked up the phone that was on the bedside table to call Ruby. Pap¨¤ had given me another phone through which they could contact me, and luckily, my SIM card was retrieved from my damaged phone and was still working well.


    I dialed Ruby¡¯s number, but it wasn¡¯t reachable, and I wondered why. Before I could try her number again, a knock sounded on the door, and the people behind the door didn¡¯t even wait for my permission before pushing the door open and slipping through the door. A man with a bald head and a blonde woman appeared before me.


    As they approached me, I wondered who they were. Before I could voice out my thoughts, they shed their badges at me, introducing themselves.


    ¡°I am detective Tony.¡± The bald guy said before gesturing at the woman. ¡°And this is my partner, detective Sarah.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°We came here to ask you some questions about the ident and-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything.¡± I cut him off.


    ¡°Nothing at all?¡± He asked, raising a questioning brow.


    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°What is thest thing you can remember?¡± He asked. I had heard that question a billion times already. The doctor, Pap¨¤, and everyone kept asking me that question, and I was really tired of having to answer each time.


    Tony suddenly received a phone call and asked me to excuse him before picking it up.


    ¡°Good evening, sir.¡± He said into the phone.


    I didn¡¯t know what the person on the other end of the phone said, but he nodded his head and muttered. ¡°Understood sir.¡±


    After the call ended, he darted his gaze at his partner. ¡°We are to report back to the station right now. A suspect has been found.¡± He informed her, and my eyes widened with curiosity.


    ¡°Who?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I just got an order to return. Get well soon, Ms. Moretti.¡± He told me before turning on his heels and walking out of the room, with Sarah walking behind him.


    A few seconds after they left, the door dinged open again, and I had expected to see their faces again, but my expectations were wrong. My eyes widened and my heart rate increased as Iid my eyes on the person who slipped into the room.


    Antonio.


    ¡°What-what-are you doing here?¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Checking up on you, sister-inw.¡± He muttered, a small, charming smile ying on his lips as he approached me.


    This man. Even though I was not feeling okay, he still managed to exert his effect on me.


    ¡°Leave. I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± I muttered as I turned to face the other side of the bed. I still hated him, no matter what.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    I waited for his retreating footstep, but it never came. Instead, he exhaled as he slouched on the sofa beside me.


    I swiftly turned to look at him, raising a brow. ¡°What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you busy or something? You can go back to looking for Carlo¡¯s dad, or you could even look for the culprit that tried to kill me and Giovani.¡±


    ¡°The culprit has been caught.¡± He muttered as he picked up the remote control to change the TV channel.


    ¡°You know about it too?¡± I quickly asked, surprised. ¡°Did the police tell you on their way out?¡±


    He waited for about three seconds before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did they tell you who it was?¡± I asked as I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain struck my abdomen, causing me to groan in pain.


    I tried to sit up again, but Antonio quickly leapt to his feet and held my shoulders, forcing me toy back.


    ¡°Stay down.¡± He groaned.


    My pulse pattered to an uneven beat at his close proximity, his hands on my shoulders causing heat to rush to the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked with his entrancing voice, and I nodded, unable to utter a word.


    ¡°I am d you survived. I was scared of losing you.¡± He admitted, and my already rapid heart rate elerated.


    Words betrayed me, and I became speechless. As I continued staring at him, with him smiling charmingly at me, I miraculously managed to find my words.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Was the stupid question I blurted out.


    He shook his head, his smile still lingering on his lips. ¡°I haven¡¯t. I will when I go back home.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t finish the food that was brought for me. You can have some.¡± I offered as I gestured at the food sk that was sitting on the over-bed table.


    I tried to stand up to get it, but he swiftly stopped me by holding down my shoulders.


    ¡°I would serve myself, Princess.¡±


    Princess? That was unexpected. My cheeks started heating up involuntarily at his words, and I could feel them getting red. Oh, no.


    Leaping to his feet, he walked towards the over-bed table to get the food-Brown Rice with Spinach and Parmesan Cheese.


    After serving himself, he trudged back to the seat that was beside me and settled on it.


    ¡°Mmm. Who made it?¡± He let out a satisfactory sigh after taking the first spoon.


    ¡°Mama.¡± I told him, and he turned to look at me, satisfaction still glistening in his eyes.


    ¡°I guess I would visit your ce more often. This is the best I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    A muffledughter escaped my throat. ¡°Really? What of your mom¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°My mom?¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about how terrible her cooking skills were.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡± I insisted as I continued to stare amusedly at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll literally vomit if I tell you.¡± He said, and I couldn¡¯t control myself as I burst into a fit ofughter. Myughter infected him, and echoes ofughter  soon filled the room.

 26| Rooftop.

    I loved this moment!


    Afterughing for a few seconds, silence fell, and our eyes locked as we stared deeply into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I am d you are okay.¡± He said after a while, breaking the silence, and I nodded slightly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± A small smile curled my lips. ¡°Thank you for making meugh. I was bored to death before you came.¡±


    Thoughts of Ruby suddenly crossed my mind again, and I reached for my phone to try her line again.


    ¡°Who are you calling?¡± Antonio asked as I dialed her number.


    ¡°Ruby. She¡¯s my best friend. I¡¯ve been trying her line; I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s not reachable. I just hope she¡¯s okay.¡± I told him, and he only nodded in response.


    He embodied all the traits of a typical mafia boss. He was so emotionless. He didn¡¯t even care if my friend was in trouble or not. I just hoped she wasn¡¯t.


    I sighed in frustration after trying Ruby¡¯s line for a while, but to no avail. I really hoped she was okay.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Antonio asked, and I turned to look at him.


    I wasn¡¯t okay. Not at all. My friend¡¯s line wasn¡¯t reachable, and I was worried sick about her. I was also sick and tired of the hospital already. I needed a breath of fresh air.


    ¡°I am not okay.¡± I breathed out. ¡°I want to walk out and receive fresh air. But the guards outside won¡¯t let me.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t feeling well.¡± He leapt to his feet and trudged to the over-bed table to drop the te he used to eat.


    ¡°Who said so?¡± I quickly lifted myself and sat up before he could stop me. ¡°I am strong.¡± I continued, flexing my biceps.


    He chuckled softly. ¡°Stubborn girl.¡±


    A small smile curled on my lips as I slowly leapt to my feet, but the smile quickly disappeared when my head took a quick spin the second I stood up, causing me to stagger.


    ¡°Get back to bed.¡± Antonio groaned, his eyes growing darker, as he swiftly grabbed my shoulders, stabilizing me.


    His sudden change in demeanor terrified me, and I widened my eyes in perplexity.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± His voice immediately softened. ¡°I was just worried. Go back to the bed. You are still hurt.¡±


    Why did I get scared of him? I wondered. Perhaps it was because I was sick.


    I blew out a sharp breath to calm myself. ¡°Who said so?¡± I asked, raising a brow. ¡°I¡¯ve walked around the room three times before you came. I am strong.¡±


    He pressed his lips together in a thin line and sighed. ¡°Okay. Where do you want to walk?¡±


    ¡°Rooftop.¡± I said excitedly.


    Antonio was able to convince the guards stationed outside my room to allow me to stroll to the rooftop. When we got there, we sat on the floor and stared at the beautiful view of the city before us in silence as a refreshing breeze brushed against our skin.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t remember what happened?¡± He suddenly asked after a while.


    I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything, and it¡¯s frustrating.¡±


    I suddenly sighted a shooting star, and I pointed at it excitedly. ¡°A shooting star. Make a wish.¡±


    I made my own wish, hoping I could recover soon and get out of the hospital. Also¡­


    I flicked my gaze at Antonio and made an impossible wish. I wished he could be mine.


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± He asked, cutting through my thoughts, and I cleared my throat.


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± I shot the question right back at him.


    He shook his head slightly. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± I pressed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll rather not know.¡± He abruptly flicked his head to the side to look at me, and my heart beat elerated as our eyes met.


    ¡°But it¡¯s about you.¡± He added, intensifying my curiosity.


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± I asked again, my voiceing out as a whisper.


    He didn¡¯t utter a word as we continued staring deeply into each other¡¯s eyes. The intensity of his gaze caused my core to contract as I craved his touch.


    I could also see it in the eyes. The way he yearned for me was undeniable, and I wanted him as much as he wanted me. Fuck! There was nothing I wanted more than kissing him at that moment.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± He rasped as he moved closer to me, wrapping his palm around the nape of my neck without breaking eye contact.


    My already rapid heartbeat elerated, and my breathing becamebored as we got lost in the depths of each other¡¯s eyes.


    I wanted him.


    His phone suddenly started ringing, and he quickly jerked away from me as if we were doing something bad. Something forbidden. He took a few deep breaths before finally picking up the call.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± He spoke into the phone and ended the call.


    I didn¡¯t know who called him or what the person told him. But I knew he was leaving me, and that broke me.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, he returned his gaze to me. ¡°I have an emergency to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Hope nothing¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, concerned.


    ¡°Business.¡± He simply said before hoisting up.


    He turned to look at the guards who had followed us. ¡°Make sure to escort her back safely. Nothing must happen to her.¡±


    Thest part unmistakably came out as a warning.


    Returning his gaze to me, he muttered. ¡°Goodnight, Rosalinda.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± I replied, my voice in a murmur.


    He stared at me for a few seconds before finally turning around and walking away from me.


    I desperately wanted to beg him to stay with me and never leave. But I couldn¡¯t. He had business to attend to, and he would never choose me over his business.


    I missed him so much already. Today, he showed me a soft side I never knew he was capable of possessing, and I loved it. So much.


    Thoughts of Sofia suddenly crossed my mind, and an overwhelming wave of guilt hit me.


    I vigorously shook my head in an attempt to lift the guilt off my chest. I did nothing wrong. Antonio and I only established a harmless brother-inw/sister-inw rtionship. Nothing more-so I made myself believe.

 27| Ruby? Shit!

    ANTONIO.


    I had never been so soft and tender with anyone before. But Rosalinda? Shepelled me to do things that I had never imagined. She was stubborn, yet she always found a way to fill me with joy. When I told her she wouldn¡¯t want to know what I wished for, I meant it. She wouldn¡¯t want to know that I wished for her to be mine so I could fuck her every minute of her life. Fuck! What has she done to me?


    I pushed the door to the room where Ruby was kept open, and I paused for a second to observe the surroundings. Marco wasn¡¯t exaggerating when he called and told me that Ruby was causing a tantrum and might end up bringing the building down. She had destroyed almost everything in the room. The mirror, windows, flower vases-every breakable thing!


    ¡°Finally!¡± She yelled. ¡°I have finally gotten your attention.¡±


    A scowl masked my face as I shook my head disapprovingly. ¡°What have you done?¡±


    ¡°I would continue breaking things if you don¡¯t get me out of here.¡± She threatened as she approached me.


    ¡°If you want it the hard way, then I will give it to you.¡± I groaned, closing the distance between us.


    I was beginning to lose my patience.


    ¡°Get me out of here!¡± She persisted as she stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sit.¡± I ordered, my eyes growing darker, but she didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Sit!¡± I repeated, my voice firmer.


    ¡°Get me out of here.¡± She insisted, refusing to feel intimidated by me.


    A call came in, and I let out a sigh as I drifted my attention to my phone and picked up the call. A call I had been expecting.


    ¡°Vito.¡± I said into the phone.


    ¡°All set, boss.¡± Vito informed me, and I nodded.


    I slid my phone into my pocket before turning on the screen of the tablet I had on my other hand.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Ruby waved at my face, calling my attention to her. ¡°I believe I am talking here. Let me go.¡±


    I nced at the screen of the tablet for a second before slowly turning it to face Ruby so that she could get a view of it.


    ¡°Why are you showing-¡± She trailed off the second her brain registered what was on the screen. Her mouth fell agape, and she blinked her eyes repeatedly.


    ¡°Please-please-no.¡± Her lips trembled as she continued staring at the screen. ¡°Please don¡¯t. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You know what I want. You either spill or you¡¯ll lose them. Your parents¡¯ are just an order away from losing their lives.¡± I stated firmly.


    I didn¡¯t want things to get to that point, but she pushed me. If she had just told me what I wanted to know earlier, she would have been free a very long time ago, and I wouldn¡¯t have had to result in that. I had ordered Vito to go to Ruby¡¯s parent¡¯s house and point a gun at her parents to threaten her. Luckily, her parents¡¯ windows were open, and they were visible through the window, so Vito didn¡¯t have to traumatise them by pointing the gun directly at them. He just pointed at them from a distance.


    ¡°I would confess.¡± She said shakily, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I know who Carlo is.¡±


    I nodded, encouraging her to continue.


    ¡°But I swear to God, you have to believe me. I don¡¯t know who his father is. Rosa didn¡¯t tell me. She said it was too embarrassing. Please don¡¯t kill my parents, please. You have to believe me.¡± She cried, frightened.


    I squinted my eyes as I observed her. She didn¡¯t seem to be lying. If she knew anything about Carlo¡¯s father, she would have said it the second she saw the gun pointed at her parents.


    ¡°She is my best friend, and we tell each other everything, but that is the only thing she hasn¡¯t told me. Please believe me. I don¡¯t know who Carlo¡¯s father is. I asked her several times, but she refused to tell me, so I just gave up. Please, please, please don¡¯t kill my parents.¡± She continued, terrified, desperately trying to make me believe.


    I believed her.


    I blew out a sharp breath before tugging my phone out of my pocket and dialling Vito¡¯s number.


    ¡°Abort the mission ande back.¡± I ordered and ended the call immediately.


    Ruby let out a sigh of relief before copsing to the ground and continuing to cry.


    ¡°You can go after cleaning yourself. One of my men would drop you off. Remember, you are not to mention what happened to anyone. Not even Rosalinda.¡± I warned, staring intently into her eyes to get the message across, and she nodded vigorously. ¡°If words get out, I will find you. Not only you. Your parents and everyone rted to you would be affected. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She whimpered.


    ¡°And don¡¯t even try to report to the police. That would be the beginning of your doom because I would get myself out of whatever mess you try to put me in and hunt you.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt my parents. Please.¡± She pleaded, the horror in her being evident through her voice.


    ¡°Your parent¡¯s lives are in your hands, Ruby.¡± I said, my voice suddenly getting softer. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt them as long as you keep your lips sealed.¡±


    ¡°I promise not to mention anything to anyone.¡± She assured me, and I nodded.


    She better keep to her words.


    stering a small smile on my face, I extended my hand to her to help her up. ¡°I am sorry for the inconveniences, Ruby. I truly apologise.¡±


    Confusion masked her features as she stared at me, puzzled. She quickly collected herself after a few seconds and nodded reluctantly.


    But she didn¡¯t take my hand; instead, she sped her hands and quickly averted her gaze.


    As I stared at her pitiful figure, thoughts of Rosalinda suddenly crossed my mind, and I wondered what her reaction would be if she ever found out about all the things I did to Ruby. I sincerely hoped she never got her memory back, because if she did, she would remember that Ruby was kidnapped and might end up finding out that I was the culprit. I couldn¡¯t have the woman I wanted hating me. We just got along, and I wanted things to remain that way.


    ¡°Boss.¡± Marco called, knocking on the door. ¡°You have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°At this time?¡± I asked as I nced at my wristwatch. It waste, and I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone.


    ncing at Ruby, I assured her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to live your life in fear. I would nevere for you or your parents as long as you kept your mouth shut.¡±


    She nodded in response, still visibly terrified.


    I stared at her for a few more seconds before turning around and making my way out of the room.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked Marco as we walked down the hallway.


    ¡°Sofia. Your fianc¨¦.¡± He revealed, and my forehead creased.


    ¡°What is she doing here? And who is she with?¡± I asked, surprised.


    He shrugged slightly. ¡°I am as clueless as you are.¡±


    I blew out an exasperated breath. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Living room.¡± He told me, and I began to make my way there.


    She was seated on one of the couches when I got there. Sighting me, she quickly rose to her feet and approached me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°I need to discuss something with you.¡± She told me, and I raised a questioning brow.


    ¡°What? And did youe here alone?¡±


    ¡°I snuck out.¡± She confessed, causing a small frown to mask my features.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I demanded, my eyes darkening.


    ¡°I know-¡± She suddenly trailed off, her eyes widening as she looked past my shoulders.


    ¡°Ruby?¡± She called, confused, her gaze glued to her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Shit!

 28| Good Girl.

    ROSALINDA.


    I missed him. I missed him so much. He shouldn¡¯t have shown up only to make me fall in love with him harder than I already was. He was all that I could think of, and I hated it as much as I loved it.


    My family was with me. I was surrounded by the greatest form of love, but I still felt empty, like something was missing, and I knew exactly what was missing-him. It was crazy, but I wanted him by my side all the time.


    ¡°Mommy,¡± Carlo called, pulling me out of my deep thought.


    Even after pleading with Mama not to bring Carlo here, she still did anyway. In her defense, Carlo missed me, needed me, and desperately wanted to see me. I was d she brought him, though, because I also missed him.


    ¡°Yes, baby.¡± I ruffled his hair. ¡°What do you want?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I want to watch cartoons. I don¡¯t like the news.¡± Heined, pouting.


    ¡°Okay baby.¡± A smile curled on my lips as I turned to look at Matteo, who had the remote in his possession, and asked nicely. ¡°Can you please change the channel?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked gruffly. ¡°Never mind. No.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a bully. It¡¯s Carlo who wants it. Not me.¡±


    ¡°I am aware. But still, no.¡± He muttered, his attention glued to his phone.


    ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Matteo. You are not even watching TV.¡± I groaned frustratingly.


    A smug smile touched his lips as he flicked his gaze at me. ¡°I¡¯m aware. I just love frustrating you. And it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll rip your teeth out of your gums if you don¡¯t give the remote to me this minute.¡± I seethed as I slowly sat up, my eyes growing darker.


    He chuckled softly as I approached him. ¡°You¡¯re sick and threatening me.¡±


    Shaking my head, I snatched the remote from him, and I was d he didn¡¯t struggle because I didn¡¯t have the strength to drag it with him.


    I changed the channel to a cartoon station, and Carlo jumped up excitedly, his face lighting up.


    ¡°Thank you, mommy.¡± He beemed, and I acknowledged him with a small nod.


    ¡°Do you know what I think?¡± Matteo asked, his head slightly tilted to the side. ¡°I think someday you¡¯ll choose Carlo over me.¡±


    ¡°Someday?¡± I scoffed as I flopped towards the bed and sat on it. With my eyes gazing directly into his, I continued. ¡°I already chose him over you the moment I birthed him.¡±


    And I meant every single word. The moment Carlo came out of me, I chose him over every living soul. When I held him in my hands, I was filled with an overwhelming love that I couldn¡¯t exin. One I had never felt before. I loved him intensely until Pap¨¤ took him away from me. I was so devastated and looked for him desperately, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn¡¯t find him. All I got was a phone call from him every once in a while. His voice alone was what kept me going.


    ¡°Ouch. Sofia, did you hear that?¡± Matteo groaned, his gaze darting at her. ¡°She chose Carlo over me. But I¡¯m not that hurt. I have you. I know you¡¯ll choose me over anyone else.¡±


    Sofia sighed, shaking her head as she looked away.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked, his concerns saturating his features. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting-what¡¯s the word? Weird.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She simply replied.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be fine. She looked bothered, and I couldn¡¯t tell if she was acting weird because of the awkwardness between ustely or something else.


    A sudden difort enveloped me as the thought of Sofia suspecting that something was going on between me and her fianc¨¦ resurfaced. Remembering the new connection I formed with Antonio yesterday, being in the same space with Sofia suddenly became suffocating, and I needed to get out of there.


    ¡°I want to go and check on Giovanni.¡± I announced as I briskly leapt to my feet.


    Pap¨¤ sighed. ¡°You are sick. Lie down.¡±


    ¡°But not crippled.¡± I retorted as I started walking towards the door.


    ¡°We might leave before you return.¡± Mama told me, and I turned to look at her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see him before leaving?¡± I asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°We went there beforeing here.¡± She informed me, and my lips formed an ¡®o¡¯


    Rolling my eyes, I muttered. ¡°I am your daughter, but you favorited him.¡±


    Matteo burst out inughter. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± He asked as I turned to look at him, my brows creasing. ¡°You really didn¡¯t know that no one liked you?¡±


    ¡°Weakeback.¡± I retorted as I trudged towards Carlo and nted kisses all over his face.


    ¡°See you soon, baby.¡±


    ¡°Mommy.¡± He pouted. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, baby.¡± I told him, knowing fully well that he would have left before I returned. If I told him the truth, he would cling to me, begging to stay with me, and I didn¡¯t want to get emotional if he did that. We might have known each other physically for only a few days, but our bond had been unbreakable.


    I turned to look at Matteo. ¡°You better be a good uncle to him.¡±


    ¡°You wish.¡± He scoffed, and I shook my head before turning around and walking out of the room.


    As I walked through the hallway, I sensed the guards trailing behind me, and I quickly halted. Looking over my shoulders, I confirmed my guess. They were right there, standing just three feet behind me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need an escort. No one¡¯s going to attack me in the hospital. You can go.¡± I shooed them away, but they didn¡¯t budge. I didn¡¯t expect them to anyway.


    Shaking my head, I continued on my way.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss.¡± I suddenly heard a voice say after a few seconds, and I immediately stopped in my tracks, my heart beating faster.


    ¡°You¡¯re limping. Would you like help?¡± The voice continued, and I slowly turned back to look at him, a smile forming on my lips.


    ¡°Hello, brother-inw.¡± I muttered, my smile growing wider. ¡°You¡¯re here again today.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He muttered as he walked past me. ¡°To pay your cousin a visit.¡±


    Not Antonio either. He was going straight to see Giovanni first, just like my family did. I guess no one really liked me.


    Trailing behind him, I voiced my thoughts. ¡°So it¡¯s really true that no one likes me.¡±


    He slightly turned to look at me, a half-smile touching his lips. ¡°Who said so?¡±


    ¡°Matteo.¡±


    ¡°You might be disrespectful, but you¡¯re quite likeable.¡± He remarked, and I couldn¡¯t suppress the blush that began to spread across my cheeks.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked as we came to a stop in front of Giovanni¡¯s room.


    ¡°To see Giovanni.¡±


    cing his hand on the door knob, he slowly pushed it open. ¡°Then here we are.¡±


    ¡°Mia cugina.¡± Giovanni beamed as I slipped into the room. The smile on his face suddenly faded and was reced with a frown as he looked behind me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked gruffly.


    ¡°Checking up on you, of course.¡± Antonio said as he approached him.


    Giovanni immediately dropped the frown and forced a smile. ¡°Sorry. I was just, uh, surprised. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Antonio stared at him for a few seconds before continuing. ¡°You don¡¯t remember anything?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°I was told you guys were headed to see this girl; what¡¯s her name? Ruby? Do you know if you met her or not?¡± Antonio asked.


    He stared at him hesitatingly before finally replying. ¡°No. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Antonio shook his head. ¡°I am just trying to help.¡±


    An ufortable silence settled between them, and something seemed off. But that wasn¡¯t important at the moment.


    ¡°Speaking of Ruby.¡± I chimed in. ¡°I still haven¡¯t gotten in touch with her. I am worried about her.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Giovanni asked before flicking his gaze at Antonio, a menacing look ying on his face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him to help you look for her since he¡¯s willing to help?¡±


    No. As nice as Antonio might seem to me, he was still a dangerous man, and I didn¡¯t want him to get involved in Ruby¡¯s life. He could hurt her, knowingly or unknowingly, and I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    My head suddenly started spinning, and I felt myself falling to the floor, but a hand swiftly wrapped around my waist, steadying me. Before I could even process what was going on, I was already scooped into his arms, and instinctively, I hooked my hands around his neck to support myself.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered. You should be on your bed, resting. I don¡¯t want to ever see you leave your room again, and you better do as I say.¡± He groaned, his demeanor suddenly changing to a darker one.


    I wanted to speak up and tell him that it wasn¡¯t his ce to dictate for me, but I didn¡¯t. Because beneath his dark demeanor, I could see that he cared for me. I could see that he was just trying to protect me. So, holding back my words, I allowed him to walk to my room in silence, with me in his arms.


    After carefullyying me on the bed, he caressed my cheek as a small smile started forming on his lips. ¡°Be a good girl, Rosalinda.¡± He muttered, and obediently, like a good girl, I nodded.


    Oh, Antonio, What have you done to me?

 29| Fuck Buddy.

    It¡¯s been two weeks now, and I have been discharged from the hospital, but my memory still hasn¡¯t returned. I also hadn¡¯t seen Antonio since that day. Although I missed him and taught about him every single day, I persuaded myself that his absence was for the best.


    Ruby¡¯s absence, on the other hand, hurt me even more than Antonio¡¯s absence did. I was worried that something might have happened to her, only to realise that she was hale, hearty, and well aware that I was in the hospital. After calling her several times without reaching her, I decided to try using another phone, and behold, Ruby picked up. The second she realised that I was the one on the line, she ended it, without hesitation, shattering my heart to pieces.


    ¡°Here it is.¡± Grace said, cutting through my thoughts as she ced a cup of coffee before me on the counter. ¡°You look so lost in thoughts. What are you thinking about?¡± She continued, her face brimming with curiosity.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Uhm, where¡¯s Carlo?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦ in the living room.¡± She told me, and I widened my eyes in perplexity.


    ¡°He¡¯s with Antonio?¡± I asked to confirm, thinking I heard wrong. But upon nodding her head, I realized I heard her correctly.


    Confusion spread across my face as I questioned. ¡°Why is he with Antonio?¡±


    ¡°He brought out a sweet to lick, and when Carlo saw it, he excitedly ran towards him and asked for it. I tried to stop Carlo, but he insisted that it was okay. Carlo has been with him since then.¡± Grace narrated, and I let out a sharp breath.


    Quickly leaping to my feet, I rushed to the living room, but Antonio wasn¡¯t there, nor was Carlo, and that further frustrated me. I wasn¡¯t sure why I was so desperate to get to them. If it was to keep Carlo away from him or because I wanted to see him-Antonio.


    ¡°Joy.¡± I called one of the maids that happened to walk into the living room at that moment.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She responded immediately, approaching me.


    ¡°Have you seen Carlo?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°I think I saw him by the swing outside.¡± She told me, and I quickly turned around and started making my way outside.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°With Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± She added, but I didn¡¯t bother to reply. That was a fact I knew already.


    Outside, by the swing, was Antonio with my son,ughing and giggling. Antonio was sitting on the swing, holding Carlo on hisp. With how happy they seemed, one would¡¯ve sworn that they had known each other for a long time when in reality, they just met today. I didn¡¯t approach them immediately; I just stood there, admiring the both of them as something warm swept inside me.


    It wasn¡¯t even up to a minute before Carlo noticed my presence and beamed. ¡°Mommy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby.¡± I replied, a wide smile pulling on my lips as I started walking towards them.


    ¡°Sorry for the inconveniences.¡± I said as I tried to reach for Carlo and lift him up, but Antonio held my hand, gently pulling it away from Carlo.


    ¡°Do I look inconvenienced?¡± He raised a brow, staring at me with those killer eyes.


    ¡°No, but-¡±


    ¡°I am having fun with Carlo.¡± He cut me off, and I titled my head to the side, speechless.


    He used his head to motion to the swing next to him. ¡°Join us, Rosalinda.¡±


    I flicked my gaze to the swing, sceptical about whether to oblige or not. After a few seconds of consideration, I decided to join them.


    ¡°How are you?¡± He asked the moment I settled on the swing seat.


    ¡°I am fine.¡± I replied.


    He nodded. ¡°I am d.¡±


    After that, there was a long stretch of silence, and I wondered what was going on in his head. Did he miss me within the two weeks that we were apart, or was I the only one doing the missing? Was he happy to see me again just the way I was? A torrent of thoughts kept coursing through my little head.


    ¡°So¡­ how did you manage to clean up your tracks?¡± He finally asked, breaking the ice.


    I arched my brow as I turned to look at him. ¡°Does that mean you weren¡¯t sessful?¡±


    ¡°Just answer my question.¡± He muttered almost angrily.


    ¡°Stop looking for him. You won¡¯t find him. He is long gone, Antonio.¡± I said with certainty, and he flicked his head to the side to look at me, his brows furrowing.


    ¡°What do you mean by he is long gone? Is he dead?¡± He questioned, his voice dripping with curiosity.


    The conversation was getting too ufortable for me, so I quickly averted my gaze and exhaled a breath I never knew I was holding. ¡°Stop asking questions, please.¡±


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± He called firmly. ¡°Answer me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I persisted, matching his tone.


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately, but I could feel his gaze on me, and that left me wondering what he was thinking.


    ¡°You amaze me.¡± He finally said after several seconds, surprising me.


    I turned to look at him, and our eyes locked, my heart feeling the impact as it pattered to an uneven beat.


    ¡°Do I?¡± I asked, still holding his gaze. I loved how I felt-how he made me feel.


    ¡°Yes. And you are beautiful, too.¡± His hand suddenly went to my hair, causing me to flinch at his unexpected gesture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I don¡¯t bite.¡± He grinned as he slowly tucked my hair behind my ear, brushing his long fingers against my temple in the process.


    As his gaze flicked to my lips, staring at them, a wave of heat began to swirl in my core. Every inch of my skin began to burn, desperate for his touch. I was so hot that it felt like I would explode at any minute.


    ¡°I just wanted to see every detail of your face. Your beauty.¡± He continued, his eyes staring longingly at me.


    I gulped as I fought with everything in me to resist cing my lips on his and kissing him. I wanted him, and that was a known fact.


    ¡°Aunt Sofia.¡± Carlo beamed, pulling us out of our daze, and I quickly turned to look at her. Oh shit!


    I didn¡¯t miss the death re she threw at us. Fuck. She shouldn¡¯t have witnessed what just happened. I should have stopped him the second he touched my hair, but I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. I lost control and got carried away. With him, I never had control.


    She cleared her throat as she darted her gaze between us, her eyes filled with disdain.


    ¡°Pap¨¤ asked me to inform you that he is done.¡± She finally said as she settled her gaze on Antonio. ¡°He is waiting for you in his office.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡± Antonio sprung to his feet, cing Carlo on the swing seat.


    ¡°Be a good boy.¡± He tickled Carlo, causing him tough uncontrobly before turning around and walking away without at least sparing me a nce. He stopped in front of Sofia long enough to mutter something that baffled me-a warning-before continuing on his way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you. Be very careful.¡± He said.


    What the hell did he mean by that? I worried as I sprung to my feet and paced towards Sofia.


    ¡°What was that about? What did you do?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°You suddenly care now, uh? Why don¡¯t you go and ask your fuck buddy?¡± She sassed, her choice of word leaving me perplexed.


    ¡°I guess you have taken it to another level.¡± She continued before I could even gather my words.


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you, Sofia?¡± I groaned, and she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You are in no position to ask me that, Rosalinda.¡± She retorted before turning around and walking away from me.

 30| A New Deal?

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°You are beautiful, Rosalinda.¡± I told her as I ced my hand on her face, tracing every detail as I stared at her, my desires threatening to overwhelm me.


    ¡°This is the 100th time you¡¯re telling me this today.¡± The blush that appeared on her face made my co. ck even harder.


    ¡°You are notining, are you?¡± I traced my fingers down to her chin and held them between two fingers.


    ¡°Yourpliments make me happy.¡± She replied, prompting me to swiftly wrap my arm around her waist, drawing her so close that there was barely an inch between us.


    ¡°I am so fucking attracted to you, Rosa. I want you.¡± I confessed, my eyes filled with desire. I wanted her!


    I could feel her heart beating so fast against her ribcage, the desire in her eyes matching mine, as she whispered. ¡°Then take me.¡±


    Without hesitation, I leaned in, ready to devour every inch of her body, when I felt a light tap on my arm, jolting me awake.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I opened my eyes to see Marco standing before me, and the annoying grin on his face made the rage building up within me even worse. Why did he have to wake me up just when I got to the best part of the dream?


    ¡°Why the long face? Did I interrupt something?¡± He teased, the annoying grin still lingering on his face, and I had the strong urge to punch him hard on the face to stop it. But I decided against it.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Diego is here.¡± He informed me, and I quickly flicked my gaze at the wall clock.


    ¡°But it¡¯s just 9 a. m.¡± I stated as I returned my gaze to him. ¡°We were supposed to meet by 10 a. m. Why is he here an hour earlier?¡±


    He gave his shoulders a half-shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I shut my eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of my nose. I really wanted to go back to sleep and finish what I started with Rosalinda, but I had to attend to Diego and find out why he was here. Last week, he called me out of the blue and told me he had a proposal for me, requesting to meet with him today. Knowing how powerful he was in the mafia realm and how much we could benefit from each other, I couldn¡¯t say no to his request.


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be with him shortly.¡± I groaned as I reluctantly sat up and got out of bed.


    Marco wiggled his brow yfully as he resumed the grin on his face from earlier. ¡°Would you like to share what you were dreaming about?¡±


    It took me a second to reach for a pillow, and I threw it at him before he could even dodge it.


    ¡°Get out.¡± I groaned as I started walking towards the bathroom.


    In thirty minutes, I was done and all set to meet with Diego Romano. One of the most powerful Mafia bosses. I made my way to the living room, and I saw him sitting on one of the sofas, looking so rxed, like he owned the house.


    ¡°Diego Romano.¡± I acknowledged him as I walked towards him and extended my arm for a handshake.


    ¡°Antonio Russo.¡± He grinned. ¡°Good to see you again after a long time. I could vividly remember thest time we met. You-¡±


    ¡°Wee to my home. Have you been offered anything to drink or eat yet?¡± I asked, cutting him off. I knew he was about to talk about my father¡¯s funeral, and thest thing I wanted to be reminded of was that.


    ¡°No. I-¡±


    ¡°Where are your manners, Marco? Why didn¡¯t you have someone bring something to him?¡± I cut him in again as I quickly flicked my gaze at Marco, feigning a frown.


    ¡°Take it easy on him.¡± Diego let out a throatyugh before continuing. ¡°He offered, but I rejected it. I didn¡¯te here to eat or drink. I¡¯m here to propose something that¡¯ll benefit both of us. So let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± I was d he wanted to go straight to the point.


    ¡°I want the two families to unite. The Russo and Romano.¡± He told me, and I knitted my brows in confusion. I wasn¡¯t expecting that. Not like I exactly expected anything, but definitely not that.


    I decided to suppress my confusion and go on with the conversation. ¡°And what would we gain in return?¡±


    ¡°Is that even supposed to be a question?¡± An amused smile yed on his lips. ¡°Think about it. Two of the most powerful Mafia families are uniting. Who would dare dare us when they know we have each other¡¯s backs?¡±


    He was right. Our alliance would make us stronger and even more powerful than we already were. It was a better offer than the one I had with Morreti¡¯s, but his request still seemed suspicious to me.


    ¡°You know an alliance like that can¡¯t be formed without having-¡±


    He cut me in. ¡°Marriage is the best way to make us have trust in each other. when we truly be family. And I happen to have a daughter who is of age.¡±


    I wondered where he was threading to, as I asked. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind if your daughter married someone from my family? Maybe one of my cousins or-¡±


    ¡°Cousins?¡± He scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°My daughter can only marry the boss.¡±


    ¡°I am the boss.¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Of course, I know.¡± He retorted.


    ¡°And I¡¯m engaged to one of Moretti¡¯s daughters.¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°You could easily terminate the agreement and marry my daughter instead.¡± He said nonchntly, as if he didn¡¯t know the consequences of terminating an agreement like that without any reasons.


    ¡°Think about it, Antonio. Roberto wouldn¡¯t even daree close to you if he found out about our unity.¡± Diego pressed on.


    With each word he uttered, my suspicions about him wanting something else out of the proposed deal grew more intense. But I didn¡¯t even care to ask him that. I had already made a deal with Roberto, and his proposal was not tempting enough for me to betray him.


    ¡°Think about it.¡± He continued trying to convince me.


    Suddenly, I leapt to my feet and extended my hand for a handshake. ¡°Thank you for stopping by, Diego. Have a nice day.¡±


    ¡°Deal?¡± He asked me as he took my hand.


    Looking straight into his eyes, I muttered, firmly. ¡°No deal.¡±


    He looked surprised and shocked as I turned around and started walking away.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this.¡± He groaned as anger began to take over him, but I couldn¡¯t care less.


    Just before I got to my bedroom, Marco grabbed my arm from behind, forcing me to turn to face him.


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± I asked, raising a brow as I stared at him. ¡°This is the second time you¡¯re annoying me today.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of that girl?¡± He used, ignoring my remark. ¡°Why on earth did you reject that fantastic offer?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even realize that I rejected Diego¡¯s proposal because of her-Rosalinda-until Marco pointed it out. She controlled my every thought, even in her absence, without knowing it.


    If I had epted Diego¡¯s offer, I would have had to say goodbye to Rosalinda forever, and I couldn¡¯t help being away from her. I wanted her. I needed her.


    ¡°Answer me.¡± He pressed on when he didn¡¯t get a response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Marco.¡± I sighed, pressing my lips tightly together. ¡°How could I possibly break a deal that could cause a feud? And I don¡¯t trust that guy. Not all that glitters is gold.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we all know the unity with the Romanos would make us untouchable.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t betray his trust.¡± I simply stated, and that earned a deep frown from Marco.


    ¡°Something needs to be done about that girl. You are losing it. Where is the ruthless Antonio I knew? The one that only cares about things that would benefit him.¡± His words ignited something within me-rage. The sudden need to protect Rosalinda overwhelmed me as I grabbed him by the cor, pushing him hard against the wall.


    ¡°If you ever touch that girl, I swear to God you won¡¯t live to see another day.¡± I threatened, my eyes zing with rage.


    ¡°I would never dare anyway.¡± He said, and I slowly released his cor as the rage within me immediately started subsiding.


    Without sparing him another nce, I walked into my room, grabbed my car keys, and started making my way out. Yesterday, before leaving Moretti¡¯s mansion, Carlo cried, begging for me to return today, and I intended to do just that.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Cami asked me when I encountered her in the hallway.


    ¡°Moretti¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Antonio. Are-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you lecturing me about that either.¡± I groaned as I walked past her, and judging by my mood, she knew better to just keep her mouth shut.

 31| A Butterfly.

    ROSALINDA.


    The morning sun emitted a gentle warmth. The temperature was just right-neither too hot nor too cold-creating perfect weather.


    Pap¨¤ and I were seated on the porch, enjoying the tranquilly of the atmosphere. He immersed himself in a magazine while I scrolled through social media on my phone. At that moment, my mind was clear, and I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything bothersome like I always did-well, not until my father suddenly broke the silence.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± He called, and I lifted my head to meet his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s something I observed and want to discuss with you.¡±


    Quickly turning off my phone¡¯s screen, I gave him my full attention. ¡°What is it, Pap¨¤?¡±


    ¡°You and Sofia have been acting strangely.¡± He said that, and my heart sank to my stomach. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I knew it was only a matter of time before my family noticed, but still, I wasn¡¯t prepared for the question. What could I possibly tell him? Sofia was mad at me because she thought I had a thing with Antonio. Definitely not. That would cause a very big stir, and I couldn¡¯t allow that.


    ¡°Rosa?¡± He prompted me when I didn¡¯t respond immediately.


    I cleared my throat in an attempt to hide my nervousness. ¡°What happened? Why do you think we have been acting strangely?¡±


    Feigning ignorance was the only thing I could think of, but I knew Papa didn¡¯t buy that when he pressed his lips tightly together.


    ¡°Try again. You can¡¯t fool me. Now, tell me. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The sound of tyres screeching diverted our attention, and we both swung our heads to the source of the sound to see a car pulling up in the driveway. Antonio¡¯s car. I recognised the ck Porsche instantly.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± Pap¨¤ wondered out loud as Antoinio stepped out of the car, hinting that this wasn¡¯t a nned visit. So, was he only here because he wanted to keep the promise he made to Carlo yesterday?


    ¡°Good morning, Roberto.¡± Antonio greeted Pap¨¤ as he approached us. And like he always did, he didn¡¯t spare me a nce.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ We weren¡¯t supposed to meet today, or did I miss something?¡± He asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t miss anything. I should have told you beforehand, but-¡±


    The front door suddenly opened, and Joy appeared, holding Carlo. Carlo¡¯s face lit up the second he noticed Antonio; thetter also grinned in response to Carlo¡¯s excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for this little man. He literally begged me toe back today, and looking at how cute he is, I couldn¡¯t say no.¡± Antonio exined, leaving Pap¨¤ all confused. ¡°I think he likes me.¡±


    You think? He loves you, Antonio. I said it inwardly, and I couldn¡¯t help the smile that crept to my lips as I thought about it. Who would¡¯ve thought that Carlo would like a man who¡¯s as intimidating as Antonio?


    Carlo, eager to be with Antonio, snatched his hand from Joy¡¯s and pranced towards him. He didn¡¯t hesitate to lift him up and throw him in the air yfully, the two sharing a joyful moment.


    Carlo began to y with Antonio¡¯s beards, coiling them in his little fingers. ¡°You promised to take me to the park today.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± Antonio feigned a sad face. ¡°Unfortunately, that promise I can¡¯t fulfill. Your grandpa won¡¯t allow me to.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Carlo whined, and Antonio turned to look at Pap¨¤.


    ¡°This gentleman here wants me to take him to the park. And I would hate it if I couldn¡¯t fulfil his wishes. Do you mind if I take him to the park?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We could go with the mom if you aren¡¯tfortable with me going alone.¡± He added, leaving me bewildered.


    Me, Carlo, and Antonio at the ark? No. No. No. As much as I loved the idea, it was a very terrible one.


    ¡°You know the park is a busy ce and-¡±


    Antonio cut him in.


    ¡°Protection? I got that covered. I¡¯ll have my men stationed at every corner.¡± He assured him, and Pap¨¤ nodded, but reluctantly. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want us to go, butcking a better excuse, he had to sumb.


    ¡°So-¡± Antonio darted his gaze at me. ¡°What do you say, Mama?¡±


    The term ¡®Mama¡¯ never sounded better, anding from him, my core twitched. Why did I have to rte everything about him to something freaky? I was too attracted to him, and it was a terrible thing.


    ¡°Eh?¡± He continued when I didn¡¯t respond immediately.


    Even if I wanted to say ¡®no¡¯, I couldn¡¯t. It was what Carlo wanted, and I didn¡¯t want to spoil his fun.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I exhaled.


    Antonio¡¯s gaze swept over me. ¡°So, do you need to change or-¡±


    ¡°I am good to go.¡± I told him, and I started heading towards his car without hesitation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roberto, I¡¯ll protect them like my own family.¡± He assured Pap¨¤ before following me.


    The drive to the park was full of Antonio trying to make a conversation with me and me ignoring him. After trying multiple times and failing, he finally gave up. If I wanted to get through the day with him without giving in to temptation, I had to ignore him. It was the least I could do to help protect myself from the irresistible devil.


    Upon entering the park, Carlo spotted an ice-cream stall and jumped excitedly, saying he wanted some.


    Antonio turned to look at me. ¡°Is it okay if he¡­¡±


    I nodded vigorously before he could finish his sentence.


    He gave me a ¡®what¡¯s up with her look¡¯ before nodding and starting to walk in the direction of the ice cream stall.


    ¡°This gentleman here wants three cones of ice cream.¡± Antonio told the vendor when we got there.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll get what you want.¡± The vendor replied, smiling as he quickly prepared three cones. He was done in less than two minutes, and he handed the ice cream to Antonio.


    ¡°You know he can¡¯t finish all that by himself, right?¡± I stated the obvious, and he swung his face to the side to look at me, feigning surprise.


    ¡°Oh, she talks.¡± He teased, and I rolled my eyes. I hadn¡¯t said a word to him since we left the mansion.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the three of us.¡± He informed me, and my brows knitted together. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t want to have it with us. We could finish it alone. Right, buddy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Carlo beamed, and Antonio high-fived him as they both grinned, annoying the hell out of me.


    What a little betrayer!


    After we found a ce to sit, Antonio handed me one of the ice-cream cones, and he didn¡¯t even have to persuade me before I took it and started licking it while stealing nces at each other.


    ¡°A butterfly.¡± Carlo beamed, motioning in a particr direction. He chased after it in a nearby garden, and although we didn¡¯t stop him, our eyes never left him.


    ¡°So, why have you been trying so hard to ignore me?¡± Antonio broke the ice after a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± My response was short.


    ¡°Are you trying to resist me?¡± He pressed on, surprising me. He took his hand to my lip, gently rubbing it. ¡°You had a little ice cream there.¡±


    My breath heaved as I felt the feel of his hand on my lips. I wanted to resist him. I tried. But it was incredibly hard to resist the man sitting beside me, and he knew that.


    His hand moved down, cupping the side of my neck in his big palm as we continued staring intensely into each other¡¯s eyes. My core began to twitch uncontrobly. Damn it! I desperately wanted him, and my control was only a strand away from snapping.


    ¡°Mommy, I caught it.¡± Carlo¡¯s voice beamed, saving me from doing what I would have regretted for the rest of my life.


    Drawing in a sharp breath in an attempt to cool off the desire burning within me, I curled my lips into a small smile and swung my head in Carlo¡¯s direction. But my smile quickly faded when my eyes caught sight of the person lurking a few feet away from us, looking at us.


    Ruby.


    The second I spotted her, she took off, running as fast as her legs could possibly carry her. Without hesitation, I sprung up and began to run after her, hoping I would be able to catch up with her and ask her what the hell I did to deserve such treatment from her.

 32| His Fling.

    ROSALINDA.


    Ruby ran so fast that I missed her. After looking through the park for a while with no avail, I finally gave up and started making my way back to Antonio and my son. But as I walked through the park, my eyes caught sight of something-a red-haired girl standing behind a tree. Instantly, I knew it was Ruby, and I rushed towards the tree. Her fiery red hair gave her away.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I called when I came to a stop behind her, and she gasped in shock as she turned to look at me, realising I had caught her.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°What did I do to you?¡± I shot the question at her without hesitation.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She raked her fingers through her hair anxiously, causing me to arch my brow.


    What was wrong with her?


    ¡°It is just what?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± She blew out a sharp breath, and her demeanour suddenly changed to an angry one.


    ¡°What?¡± I encouraged her to continue.


    ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t want to be friends with you anymore. Can¡¯t you get that and leave me the fuck alone? Why do you keep calling me even though I didn¡¯t visit you when you were in the hospital? It¡¯s obvious that I don¡¯t care about you anymore. So, just leave me the fuck alone!¡± She spat in one breath, and her words, like a sharp knife, pierced through my heart, shattering it into many pieces.


    ¡°Ruby. Why are you doing this?¡± I asked, my voice low.


    ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± She half-yelled as she turned and hastily started walking away from me, but before she could inch far, I grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I whispered, a lone tear trickling down my face.


    A look of hurt and concern shed across her face, giving me the hint that she didn¡¯t mean any of the things she said. But in a split second, her contortion changed again.


    ¡°Get the fuck off me, you bitch.¡± She yelled as she forcefully snatched her arm from my grip.


    I just stood there and watched as she stomped away from me, unable to process my feelings. I was confused, hurt, and disappointed. All these emotions coursed through me at the same time.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I stood there for before I felt a gentle squeeze on my shoulder, causing me to turn with a start. A sharp breath of relief escaped me when I realised it was Antonio.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked, concerned.


    ¡°No.¡± I answered honestly, shaking my head vigorously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Heforted me as he pulled me into his arms, and I allowed myself to let out the tears that I had been trying to hold back.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He said again as he gently started patting my back,forting me.


    In his arms, I foundfort, and I wasn¡¯t afraid to cry as much as I wanted to or let out my every thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be angry at her or not. I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± I cried bitterly. ¡°She looked sad and kind of scared. I wonder what happened to her. I wonder why she¡¯s been so mean to me. I don¡¯t know what to do. She¡¯s my best friend, Antonio, and I don¡¯t want to lose her. Not without a fight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rosa.¡± He suddenly ced his arms on my shoulders and stepped back until he could see my face.


    ¡°I-¡± I tried to continue, but he interjected.


    ¡°Shhhh.¡± His hand went to my cheeks, wiping off the tears with the back of his hand. ¡°I hate to see you this way. I don¡¯t want you to be sad. Look at Carlo. He also hates to see you like this.¡±


    Oh, my God, Carlo. I flicked my head to the side to see tears rolling down his cheeks. I didn¡¯t even realise that he was crying. I was so lost in my emotions to notice, but the second I saw him, I got my emotions back in check. Suppressing the remaining tears that threatened to roll out.


    ¡°I am sorry, baby.¡± I immediately scooped him up in my arms and started rocking him.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± He cried, and I forced a smile.


    ¡°Mommy is okay.¡± I assured as I continued rocking him.


    ¡°Be a big boy and stop crying too, okay?¡± Antonio chimed in as he wiped the tears off Carlo¡¯s face before taking him in his arms.


    He flicked his gaze at me, pressing his lips together. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about her and have the fun we came here for.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to be here anymore. I just wanted to go home, as I was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. But looking at my son, I found a strong will to pull myself together and go ahead with the day as nned. But something baffled me. I wondered why Antonio was being so nice to Carlo when he wasn¡¯t obligated to. He did everything Carlo wanted him to do without hesitation, and I found that suspicious. Perhaps it was all a facade, and he had a motive. Mafia bosses always have ulterior motives behind their kind gestures.


    ¡°What do you want, Antonio? Why have you been nice to Carlo when you have absolutely no reason to?¡± I blurted out, and the reaction I got from him was far from what I expected.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He chuckled softly, causing me to crease my brows in confusion.


    ¡°You are my sister-inw. which makes him my nephew-inw. That¡¯s enough reason for me to like him. Don¡¯t you think-¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, Antonio!¡± Ady suddenly squealed, and we turned to see her prancing in our direction.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡± She squealed as she wrapped her arms around him, not minding that Carlo was in his arms.


    Antonio, however, didn¡¯t look so excited to see her. But a feeling I didn¡¯t like-jealousy-still wed at my chest as I stared at them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a son.¡± She continued as she pulled away from him, her gaze settling on Carlo. ¡°He¡¯s so cute and looks so much like you. Who¡¯s the mother?¡±


    Before he could say anything, she turned to look at me, eying me from head to toe before returning her attention to Antonio.


    Standing on her toes and kissing him on both cheeks, she beamed. ¡°I missed you.¡±


    ¡°Sarah.¡± Antonio finally spoke, his tone cold.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t see her face, but I was sure she pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer that question; instead, he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How have you been?¡±


    The girl lingered for a few more minutes, forcing conversations Antonio didn¡¯t seem to be interested in while I watched. After a while, she finally gave up and kissed him goodbye on the cheek before walking away. Not without shooting a look of disdain my way, though.


    Antonio sighed. ¡°I am sorry about that. I-¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± I rolled my eyes, averting my gaze.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± He chuckled softly, his question catching me off guard.


    ¡°What? Why would I be?¡± I immediately denied as I took Carlo in my arms and started walking away.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s nothing between us anymore. She was just a fling.¡± He exined, following me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I breathed out.


    Of course, I did.


    An unwanted feeling clung to my chest as the thought of how many more flings he¡¯d had coursed through me. Perhaps that was what he wanted with me-to be one of his many flings.

 33| Antonio and Ruby!

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°How was it? I bet you had a st.¡± Sofia sneered, walking past us.


    She was the first person Carlo and I encountered upon returning home after a long day at the park, and I was sick and tired of the games she had been ying. It was high time we talked about it and smoothed things out. I wouldn¡¯t want Pap¨¤ asking me the same question he asked this morning again.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I called, my brows furrowing, and she turned to look at me. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°Talk about what exactly?¡± She raised a brow.


    ¡°Please.¡± I added. ¡°In my room, now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in anything you want to say, but okay.¡± She rolled her eyes as she began to walk in the direction of my room.


    ¡°Mommy. Is Aunt Sofia upset?¡± Carlo asked, and I shook my head slightly, a small smile touching my lips.


    ¡°She is not. Why don¡¯t you go and y with Joy?¡± I suggested when I sighted Joy.


    Joy smiled approvingly, opening her arms wide for Carlo to run into, and he did just that.


    When I got to my room, Sofia was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed.


    ¡°So. What did you want to talk about?¡± She asked me as I approached her.


    ¡°This morning, Pap¨¤ asked why you and I have been acting strangelytely.¡± I told her as I sat beside her. A surprised look shed across her face in reaction to what I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the way things are between us, Sofia.¡± I continued softly, cing my hands on hers. As expected, she swiftly yanked her hands away from mine.


    ¡°You caused it.¡± She used, adjusting on the bed.


    I knew denying my attraction to Antonio was a waste of time because it was evident. My desire for him was something she had happened to witness a number of times. Instead, I opted for the truth and was transparent with her.


    ¡°Believe me, Sofia, I know you think Antonio and I are having an affair or something, but that¡¯s not true. I hate to admit that I am attracted to him, but I am. And I would never allow myself to give in to temptation. I hate myself for ever being attracted to him, and believe me, if there was anything I could do to get rid of the attraction, I would. I hate how I feel. It shouldn¡¯t have been him, Sofia. It shouldn¡¯t have been him.¡± Tears started streaming down my cheeks as a turmoil of emotions started whirling within me.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Her eyes brimmed with empathy.


    ¡°I am sorry, Sofia. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I continued. ¡°I never wanted any of this to happen. You are my sister, and I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t-¡± She paused for a few seconds before continuing. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have reacted the way I did, Rosa. I should be the one apologizing. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s something else bothering me, and I¡¯m unable to process my emotions, so I just allowed my darker side to overtake and control me. I¡¯m sorry for calling him your ¡®fuck buddy¡¯ yesterday. After seeing Ruby at his ce, I thought she was your intermediary or something, so I just lost it. I didn¡¯t know I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What?!¡± I eximed, my forehead creasing. ¡°You saw Ruby at his ce? What was she doing there?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Her brows raised in surprise.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. Ruby had been avoiding me since the ident, so there¡¯s no way I would have known.¡± I let her on as I started trying to process why Ruby was at his ce and what Sofia went to do at his ce as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. The night you had an ident, I went to Antonio¡¯s ce to discuss something with him, and I was surprised to see Ruby there. I asked why she was there, and she said she was there with Marco. She even denied knowing Antonio and was surprised when she realised he was my supposed fianc¨¦e.¡± She narrated, confusion saturating her features.


    ¡°Rosa, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Something was not adding up. Ruby definitely knew who Antonio was, and thetter was well aware of my inability to reach Ruby. Why didn¡¯t he mention anything? And that night, Antonio left in a hurry, iming there was an emergency. What could have happened? A torrent of possibilities started coursing through my mind, threatening to drive me crazy as I tried to decipher everything.


    ¡°There was something I noticed, though. I wasn¡¯t sure, but I think she looked terrified.¡± Sofia added, taking me back to my earlier encounter with Ruby.


    She looked scared then, too.


    ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I gasped as I started connecting the dots. I was born into the Mafia, and I know very well how things y out in the dark world. Antonio must have threatened Ruby, which was why she had been keeping her distance. But for what reason? I wondered.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sofia prodded, her eyes widening with curiosity.


    ¡°Sofia, I think Antonio threatened Ruby.¡± I went ahead to let her in on everything that had been happening and about my encounter with her at the park.


    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± She asked. I could sense the sincerity in the concern she showed.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I need to get to her and find out the truth.¡± I said as I sprung to my feet, my breath heaving as the thought of Ruby being in danger troubled me.


    ¡°You know Pap¨¤ won¡¯t allow you to go out and-¡±


    ¡°Which is why I need you to cover for me, Sofia. I really need to get to Ruby. I am worried.¡± I interjected.


    She slowly nodded in agreement, and I gave a grateful smile before dashing out of the room and making my way to Giovanni¡¯s room. He had been staying with us since we got discharged from the hospital, and I wondered why. But today, I was grateful he never left.


    ¡°What?¡± A smug smile crept on his lips as I badged into his room. ¡°Did I steal your kidney, or why¡¯d you barge in like that?¡±


    ¡°Giovanni. I know asking you to do this for me would be selfish of me after what happened thest time, but please, I need to go to Ruby¡¯s ce right now. I¡¯m not sure, but I think she¡¯s in danger. And Antonio has something to do with it.¡± I said in one breath, and Giovanni blew out a sharp breath, not showing an atom of surprise.


    He stared at me for a few seconds before finally uttering the words that surprised me. ¡°I had been waiting for you to get your memories back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I knitted my brows in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He went ahead to tell me how he never lost his memory and how everything yed out on that day. His exnation triggered my own memory to return with a pounding headache, forcing me to hold my head in my hands as I groaned in pain.


    Everything began to make sense as I thought about it. Antonio kept asking about Giovanni and I¡¯s memories, and I thought he truly wanted to help, hence why he was persistent about it. I never knew it was all a facade, and was only making sure his tracks were covered. He was truly a monster.


    My head was still in severe pain, but I didn¡¯t allow my physical condition to distort my n to find out the truth. After all I just heard, I decided to confront Antonio himself and not Ruby.


    ¡°Please take me to the Russo¡¯s mansion.¡± I pleaded, and he gave me a questioning look.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± He asked.


    I nodded. I was sure. I needed to find out from the monster himself why he abducted and threatened my best friend.


    By the time we got to the Russo¡¯s mansion, the rage boiling within me was at its peak, and I couldn¡¯t wait to take it all out on Antonio before I exploded.


    Marco was at the front door when I got there, and he tried to stop me from entering the building, but I was obstinate, determined to get to Antonio. And thus, driven by the rage within me, I kicked him hard in the balls. His grip on my arm loosened as he groaned in pain, giving me enough time to escape and run into the building.


    As I navigated the house, searching for Antonio, a sudden pause seized me when I caught sight of the two people sitting across from each other by the hearth.


    Antonio and Ruby!

 34| Dangerous Game.

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°What more do you want from me? You asked me to keep my mouth sealed, and I did. I even had to say hurtful things that I didn¡¯t mean to my best friend just to keep her away from me. Do you know much that hurt me? Why did you bring me here again? You promised to never bother me again.¡± Ruby uttered, her eyes flicking with hatred.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. You shouldn¡¯t keep your distance from her. Now you¡¯ve got her suspecting that something¡¯s wrong with you. I don¡¯t want her to be worried about you. You should act naturally around her.¡±


    ¡°Please just let me go.¡± She cried.


    I shook my head, sighing.


    ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± I growled. I felt a presence moments ago, and I had expected whoever it was to leave immediately, but they didn¡¯t.


    When I didn¡¯t get a response, I flicked my head to the side, ready tosh out at whoever it was, but the second Iid my eyes on her, I froze.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± My voice suddenly went low. Her eyes zed with rage as she started walking towards us, her teeth clenching so hard.


    ¡°Why did you kidnap her? Why are you terrorising her?¡± Her tone increased slowly as she spoke, until it became a yell. ¡°Why the hell are you doing this to her? What do you want from her? I almost fucking died when you kidnapped her!¡±


    After herst statement, the realisation dawned on me that she had regained her memories.


    ¡°When did you get your memory back?¡± I asked, turning my gaze away from her. The hatred she harboured was palpable in the way she looked at me, and I didn¡¯t want to see that. I¡¯d rather not see it.


    ¡°What?¡± Her voice grew darker. ¡°You thought it would be hidden forever? Too bad, Antonio. The cat¡¯s out of the bag.¡±


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Ruby called with a low tone, and she turned her attention to her.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me, Ruby? Why?!¡± She half-yelled. ¡°What did he threaten you with? For God¡¯s sake, what does he even want from you?¡±


    ¡°If you had told me who Carlo¡¯s father is, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to your dear friend.¡± I interjected as I jumped up and approached her in long, intimidating strides.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sheughed mysteriously, making me wonder what was funny.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what all this is all about? You almost killed me just because you wanted to know who my son¡¯s father Is. Who-¡±


    ¡°I never nned for that ident to happen!¡± I defended myself strongly.


    ¡°Why the hell do you want to know who the father is?¡± She asked, matching my tone.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I retorted. ¡°Because I promised your father.¡±


    ¡°Cut that crap, Antonio! We all knowthat¡¯s not true.¡± She countered, her menacing gaze filled with murderous intent.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and tell me why I¡¯m doing this then since you think otherwise?¡± I challenged her, taking another step towards her.


    ¡°Look at you. A typical mafia boss with no remorse or whatever. You-¡±


    ¡°Rosalinda!¡± I groaned, cutting her off.


    ¡°I hate you!¡± She dered sharply, her words hurting me more than they should.


    Without saying another word to me, she walked past me, moving towards her friend. Extending her hands to her, she helped her up and started moving, their hands intertwined.


    Rosalinda took a brief pause in front of me, long enough to utter those hurtful words again.


    ¡°I hate you. And don¡¯t you ever touch Ruby again. Stay out of my life!¡±


    As she walked away with Ruby, I didn¡¯t attempt to stop her. Her poisonced words weakened me, hurting me to an extent that I never imagined. I had never felt like that for any woman before. She was the first. The first I ever felt so deeply for, and the first to ever speak to me in that way and get away with it.


    Damn! That woman was making me lose my mind.


    ¡°Now that she knows, what would you do?¡± Marco¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts, and I flicked my gaze to see him standing in the door frame.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I replied truthfully, exhaling.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°That girl¡¯s so much trouble. You shouldn¡¯t have offered to help find her son¡¯s father in the first ce, and-¡±


    ¡°Would you just shut up?¡± I cut him off, my tone cold.


    ¡°But-¡±


    I interjected again, growling. ¡°You are not one to tell me what to do.¡±


    Blowing out an exasperated breath, I started heading towards my bedroom. Her words stung as they kept ringing in my head over and over again. I didn¡¯t want her to hate me. She shouldn¡¯t.


    The following day, I was at Moretti¡¯s mansion, not knowing what to expect. But I risked it either way, because I knew that whatever happened, Roberto wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to try to kill me unless he wanted to start a feud. The highest he could do after finding out that my actions almost killed his daughter was to terminate the agreement. I doubt he would, though, because he needed the alliance more than I did.


    To my dismay, Rosalinda was with her father in his office when I got there.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Roberto regarded me as I slipped into his office.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I replied, approaching his desk cautiously.


    ¡°Rosa, you can go.¡± He told her, and she nodded before starting to walk away from him. I didn¡¯t miss the death re she threw at me as she walked past me.


    ¡°Shall we? Let¡¯s conclude on the new date for the wedding.¡± Roberto muttered, hinting that she didn¡¯t tell him about my little secret, and I wondered why.


    Yesterday, the hatred that shone in her eyes was so palpable that I thought she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to tell her father about it. Why did she choose to keep it to herself?


    Roberto¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and he asked me to excuse him before answering it.


    ¡°Don Diego.¡± He said into the phone, and my brows shot up.


    Don Diego? As in, Diego Romano?


    Roberto slightly shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you backter then.¡± He said after a few seconds and ended the call.


    For the call to have ended abruptly, I deduced that whatever Diego intended to discuss with Roberto, he wanted him to be alone while he did it.


    ¡°Was that Diego Romano?¡± I asked to confirm, and Roberto nodded.


    ¡°He said he had something to discuss with me, and I wonder what it is.¡± He pressed his lips tightly together, slightly shaking his head before continuing. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    My attention wasn¡¯t on him anymore as I began to think of what Diego could possibly want to discuss with Roberto after proposing that I terminate my agreement with Roberto and form an alliance with him instead.


    What dangerous game was Diego Romano trying to y?

 35| Piero.

    ROSALINDA.


    Giovanni and I almost lost our lives. He kidnapped Ruby and threatened her with her life as well as that of her parents. But even after everything, my feelings towards him remained the same. When I saw him at Pap¨¤¡¯s office, my body still reacted to him in ways that it shouldn¡¯t. What was wrong with me?


    I used to hate mafia bosses and their stupid ruthlessness, hurting innocents just to get their way. Why was everything different when I was directly involved? Why couldn¡¯t I hate him?


    ¡°I fucking hate you!¡± I groaned as I pushed my room¡¯s door open and marched in.


    ¡°Rosa?¡± The sound of Sofia¡¯s voice jerked me back to reality, and I turned to see her sitting by the dresser.


    I was so consumed in rage that I didn¡¯t even realise that she was in the room. I was angry at Antonio for all that he did to all of us. And most especially, angry at myself for being just angry with him and not actually hating him as I should.


    ¡°Your face¡¯s so red,¡± she observed. ¡°What are you upset about?¡±


    ¡°Him, Sofia. Him! That bastard. He¡¯s here.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°What?!¡± She eximed, narrowing her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him toe so fast.¡±


    I inched closer to my bed, tumbling on it. ¡°Same. I expected him to have some fear in him and not show up at the lion¡¯s den. Well, it¡¯s not even a lion¡¯s den.¡±


    Confusion spread across Sofia¡¯s face as she leapt to her feet and started trudging towards me. ¡°What do you mean by it¡¯s not a lion¡¯s den? You didn¡¯t tell Pap¨¤?¡±


    I nodded regrettably.


    ¡°Why?!¡± She eximed.


    ¡°We all know how much Pap¨¤ wants this alliance. He would have swept it under the rug and gone on with the wedding like nothing had happened. So why waste my time?¡± My face scrunched up as I thought of how pathetic Pap¨¤ would look, making excuses and justifying Antonio¡¯s actions. I¡¯d rather not witness that. ¡°You could tell him if you want to.¡± I continued.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± She slightly shook her head, reasoning with me. ¡°Pap¨¤ wouldn¡¯t cancel the wedding for anything.¡±


    A thought suddenly crossed my mind, and I decided to ask Sofia about it.


    ¡°You said you were at Antonio¡¯s house that night. What were you doing there?¡±


    ¡°I-Uhm-I-¡±


    ¡°You can trust me, Sofia. Talk to me.¡± I assured her when I realised she was hesitating.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She pressed her lips together, blowing out a sharp breath before continuing. ¡°I know it was stupid, but I went there to convince Antonio into changing the pawn in their alliance scheme.¡±


    ¡°borate please.¡± My eyes squinted, knowing and hating what she was about to say.


    ¡°I wanted him to substitute me with you.¡± She blurted out.


    ¡°Sofia. What were you thinking?¡± I asked, gawking at her like she was crazy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°It only makes sense since you two are attracted to each other. And my stupid n didn¡¯t work anyway.¡±


    My brow rose. ¡°Is that why he warned you the other day by the swing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He was really upset when I suggested that. It¡¯s not like he cares about me.¡± She rolled her eyes, huffing.


    Just because I was attracted to Antonio didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d like to spend the rest of my life with him. Being married to a selfish, cruel narcissist who only cared about what he wanted would be torture, and that was thest thing I wanted for myself. But I didn¡¯t admit that to Sofia, though. I didn¡¯t want to remind her of the hellish life she was about to get trapped in.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you persuade him instead?¡± She suddenly suggested, causing me to scrunch up my face at her stupid idea. ¡°I mean, he wouldn¡¯t be as mad at you as he was at me when I tried to convince him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I didn¡¯t even hesitate.


    ¡°But Rosa-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being his wife. And you know that these things don¡¯t work that way. It¡¯s impossible.¡± I cut her off, strongly stating thest words.


    ¡°Fine! See youter.¡± She turned and started trudging to the exit.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I called. I wasn¡¯t done conversing with her.


    She turned to look at me. ¡°Yes?¡±


    I jumped out of bed and inched closer to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t quite ce why, but you look troubled. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°How won¡¯t I be troubled when I¡¯m getting married to a scumbag?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been aware of the marriage for a while now, and you didn¡¯t look this troubled even on the day of the supposed marriage, which got messed up. I think it¡¯s something else.¡± I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, assuring her that it was okay to talk to me.


    She stood there, gazing at the floor as if she were deliberating whether to tell me or not. After a few seconds, she just turned around and walked out of the room without uttering a word in response.


    There was definitely something bothering her, and I was genuinely worried about her. I started brainstorming, thinking of endless possibilities as to what she could be bothered by.


    I hadn¡¯t moved an inch from the spot where she left me when my bedroom door suddenly dinged open.


    I had expected Sofia to appear before me, but my expectation was wrong. The person standing before me was someone I despised so much.


    My chest started heaving at his presence. ¡°Piero. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I mean no harm. Just visiting.¡± A cocky smile touched his lips as he raised his arms, his palms facing outward.


    I had no interest in whatever he wanted to say. All I wanted was for him to leave my sight before anger consumed me.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why-¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± I cut him off.


    ¡°It¡¯s been years, Rosalinda. Just get over it already.¡± His nonchnce heightened the rage swirling within me.


    My breathing quickened as I slowly inched closer to him. ¡°Easy for you to say. Do you-¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I made you do something you should¡¯ve never done. something you hate yourself for every day. You were so stupid for allowing me to manipte you, right? Is that not what you wanted to say?¡±


    I hated him. I hated him with everything within me, and I needed him to get out of my sight before I lost control and had his blood in my hands.


    ¡°Get out!¡± I growled as I rushed to the door, yanking it wide open.


    Shrugging, he walked towards the door.


    ¡°Okay, then. Since you insist, I¡¯ll be around for a while, and we¡¯ll talk when you are less¡­ fiery.¡±


    The second he stepped out, I banged the door closed, locking it immediately.


    As memories of that night began to flood back, I dropped to the floor, tears streaming uncontrobly down my cheeks.

 36| Liam.

    ROSALINDA.


    Shortly after, the door suddenly started banging, and the second I heard Sofia¡¯s voice impatiently calling my name, I had to forcefully shut down my emotions and stop crying immediately. Wiping the tears from my face, I inhaled and exhaled to calm myself before trudging to the door and pulling it open.


    ¡°Rosa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, confusion spreading across her face as she slipped inside the room.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I replied, closing the door and heading towards the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that, Rosa. I heard you crying. And I also heard your altercation with Piero. I know you hated him, but damn, I had no idea you hated him this much. What did he do to you?¡±


    The concerns on her face weren¡¯t going to convince me to tell her what the problem was. I didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± I turned to look at her. ¡°Just as there¡¯s something bothering you and you¡¯re not willing to share, I am also not willing to share. So, let¡¯s say we are even now.¡±


    She stood there, staring at me dumbfounded, unable to believe I had just used that tactic to silence her.


    ¡°Pap¨¤ asked me to call you.¡± She said after a while, blowing out a breath.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked curiously, wondering why Pap¨¤ wanted to see me when I just left his office a while ago.


    ¡°Well, he wants you to go with Antonio to inspect the apartment I would be taken to after the marriage.¡± She told me, and my face scrunched up immediately.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be the one to live there, so why not just do that yourself?¡±


    ¡°I hate his presence. I might puke if I go there with him.¡± She mimicked the retching motion before continuing. ¡°So, I fibbed, saying I wasn¡¯t feeling well-you know, menstrual pain. So Antonio suggested you go with him instead.¡±


    ¡°What? Antonio did what?¡± I eximed, surprised that Antonio made the suggestion after everything he did to me. He didn¡¯t even have the decency to at least stay away from me; instead, he initiated going out with me. Fucking psychopath.


    Sofia nodded before turning back and trudging to the door. ¡°See you when you return. Bye, sister.¡±


    After Sofia left the room, I broodingly dressed up with annoyance, consuming my entire being. I made my way to Pap¨¤¡¯s office afterwards, where I saw Carlo in Antonio¡¯s hands. I wasn¡¯t surprised one bit, though; those two had grown to like each other.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Antonio asked, raising a brow.


    Ignoring him, I turned my attention to Pap¨¤. ¡°See youter.¡± I said before turning on my heels and starting to make my way outside.


    When I noticed Antonio following me, still holding Carlo, I tried to get him to leave him at home, but he insisted he wasn¡¯t going to leave him behind. Carlo also insisted he wanted to go with us, and knowing I didn¡¯t stand a chance against those two, I just gave up and angrily scurried to his car.


    The first fifteen minutes of the ride were silent, and I enjoyed the bliss. But just when I thought I was free from Antonio¡¯s annoyingness, he began to ask questions again.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I am curious. What did you mean when you said Carlo¡¯s dad was long gone?¡± He asked, causing me to blow out a sharp breath out of frustration.


    ¡°I loved how quiet and peaceful this ride had been, and I want it to remain that way.¡± I gritted out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to ruin your peace and quiet. Just answer the question, and I won¡¯t say anything again. I promise.¡± He annoyingly retorted.


    Swinging my head to the side to look at him, my eyes squinted. ¡°Are we just going to pretend like yesterday never happened? That I didn¡¯t find out about your atrocities. That Giovanni and I almost lost our lives? That you didn¡¯t kidnap and threaten my best friend? all just because of your desperation to find his paternity identity. And you are still asking me about the same thing right now. Do you have any shame at all? There is no remorse or regret for everything you have done. Are you even human? Do you have a heart?¡±


    He shrugged nonchntly, staring at me briefly before returning his attention to the road. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell your dad about it? Why did you choose to protect my little secret?¡±


    ¡°I am not protecting your dirty secret. I could still tell him.¡± I gritted out.


    ¡°If you wanted to, you would have. So I now know that you don¡¯t n to.¡±


    ¡°Well, congrattions then.¡± I pped sarcastically. ¡°For not having to deal with the consequences.¡±


    An amused smile touched his lips, and my anger intensified at his nonchnce.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question, Rosalinda.¡± He said, unbothered by my rage. At that moment, I realised that whatever I said to him wasn¡¯t going to affect him in any way. He was unable to feel guilt as his heart was so dark, like all mafia bosses.


    ¡°Rosalinda. What did you mean by he¡¯s gone?¡± He asked again when he didn¡¯t get a response.


    ¡°He¡¯s not gone anymore. He¡¯s back.¡± I sighed. The only way to get him to stop bothering me was to give him a response.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± He countered with another question, frustrating me more than I already was.


    ¡°Antonio, if I was going to tell you who the father was, I would¡¯ve done that a long time ago, so leave me the fuck alone!¡± He was getting on my nerves, and I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could tolerate the psychotic, emotionless man.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Carlo called from the back seat, and I blew out a sharp breath before turning to look at him. I had almost forgotten that he was there.


    ¡°Yes baby?¡± I asked, spreading my lips into a small smile.


    ¡°Can I get some chocte?¡± He requested.


    Slightly shaking my head, I replied. ¡°No baby. There are no choctes here. Maybe when we go back home.¡±


    ¡°But we can go to the store.¡± He pressed on, pleading with his cute little eyes.


    I hated to refuse his request, but¡­


    ¡°Okay, big boy.¡± Antonio chimed in, and my face contorted into a frown as I turned to look at him, knowing exactly what he was about to say. ¡°Let¡¯s go and get you some chocte then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, chuckling, when he felt my gaze on him.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I sighed, averting my gaze.


    Arguing with him would be a total waste of time, so I chose not to, preserving my sanity.


    At the store, while we were walking down the aisle to the chocte¡¯s section, Antonio¡¯s phone suddenly rang, causing him to stop in his tracks.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± He said, picking it up as he turned back and stepped away from me.


    Lacking the patience to wait for him, I continued on my way, leaving him with Carlo. I knew the exact chocte my son wanted, so I was going to get it for him before Antonio finished his call.


    I came to a stop in front of Carlo¡¯s favourite chocte, and as I picked it up, I suddenly felt a presence beside me, causing me to swing my head to the side.


    ¡°Hello beautiful.¡± A tall blonde man muttered.


    ¡°Hi?¡± I replied skeptically.


    ¡°I am Liam.¡± He smiled charmingly, extending his hand for a handshake. I was sure Antonio was watching, and knowing the type of man he was, it was best not to take that hand.


    So, giving him the sweetest smile I could ster on my lips, I responded. ¡°I am Rosalinda.¡±


    ¡°Rosalinda. Italian.¡± He remarked, nodding as he slowly retreated his hand.


    ¡°Italian.¡± I repeated.


    ¡°So, Rosalinda. Are you married, in a rtionship, or-¡±


    ¡°Hundred percent single.¡± I cut in, and shortughs emanated from our throats.


    A silent pause lingered between us before he continued. ¡°So, the coast is clear then?¡±


    A small smile touched my lips as I shook my head in response. I was born into a mafia family, and the coast was never clear with anyone outside the mafia.


    ¡°Get out of here.¡± Antonio¡¯s voice suddenly growled, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Liam challenged him, refusing to be intimidated by him.


    Before I knew what was happening, Antonio¡¯s hands were already on his cor, jerking it as he threatened him.


    ¡°Leave. That¡¯s if you wish to live.¡± He growled.


    ¡°Antonio. Stop it!¡± I yelled as frustration began to crawl up my chest, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°I guess you are the one that isn¡¯t willing to live, Antonio Russo.¡± Liam said calmly, and my eyes widened in perplexity, realising he knew who Antonio was.


    ¡°What?¡± Antonio sounded equally surprised as I was. His nose red as his gaze slowly went down, mine following his. And the second I caught sight of it, I gasped.


    ¡°Liam, please.¡± I whispered, transfixed, my eyes fixed on the cold metal pressed against Antonio¡¯s stomach.

 37| Purple Thong.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°Liam, please don¡¯t do it. Just withdraw the gun.¡± I urged him when I didn¡¯t get a response from him.


    Liam tilted his head, his menacing gaze lingering on Antonio. ¡°Not until he gets his hands off my cor.¡±


    ¡°Antonio. Swallow your pride andply.¡± I said to him, and his frown deepened. After a few seconds, he reluctantly withdrew his hands, sighing.


    A sigh of relief escaped me as I lifted Carlo up and pressed him to my chest.


    ¡°Just so you know, the only reason I won¡¯t kill you is because she hates me right now, and I don¡¯t want her to hate me even more. Consider yourself lucky, because no one threatens me and gets away with it.¡± Antonio warned, his eyes dark as he poked Liam hard in the chest.


    ¡°Antonio!¡± I groaned, eying him for trying to stir up another trouble.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Liam said calmly, crushing Antonio¡¯s ego once more.


    I turned to look at Antonio, hoping Liam¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t provoke him further.


    But when Antonio shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head before opening them again, signalling that his rage was in control, I let out a sigh of relief.


    Liam flicked his gaze at me, and his contortion swiftly changed to a smile. ¡°I guess the coast isn¡¯t clear then.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I-¡± I rubbed my palm over my forehead in frustration, struggling to find the right words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise for other people¡¯s bad behavior. Have a nice day, Rosalinda.¡± He gave me a slight nod before walking away without even waiting for a response.


    There was something about him. He seemed calm and gentle, but I could tell that beneath those qualities was an unwavering darkness.


    I couldn¡¯t shake the fact that Liam knew who Antonio was off my head. It could only mean one thing. Either he was aw enforcement officer or part of the Mafia.I was curious to know, but I couldn¡¯t ask Antonio, as he still looked visibly enraged.


    He didn¡¯t utter a word to me until we got to our destination, which was a favour I appreciated because I wasn¡¯t eager to speak to him after everything he did.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°We are here.¡± He said, opening the front door and holding it for me to enter.


    ¡°Wee, Ms. Sofia.¡± A middle-aged woman greeted us warmly, smiling as she approached us.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I turned to look at Antonio, hoping he¡¯d exin the situation to her. But when he averted his gaze, I realised he had no interest in doing that, and I had to do it myself.


    ¡°Hi.¡± I curled my lips into a sweet smile, extending my hand for a handshake. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Rosalinda. Sofia¡¯s sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Confusion etched her expression as she received my hand. ¡°I thought-¡±


    ¡°Sofia is not feeling well, so I had toe here in her ce.¡± I exined, cutting her off.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She nodded, a smile still lingering on her lips. ¡°Wee, Ms. Rosalinda.¡±


    ¡°Selene, can you look after him while I show her around?¡± Antonio requested, motioning at Carlo.


    Selene didn¡¯t hesitate to spread her lips into a wide smile as she inched closer to Carlo and crouched to his level. ¡°Hello, boy. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    As they got to know each other, Antonio and I walked further into the house, and I allowed him to take the lead as he showed me around. The house was beautifully decorated with pastel colours, just as Sofia would like.


    ¡°This is her bedroom.¡± He stopped in front of a door, opening it.


    Slowly, I walked into the room with a king-sized bed situated at the far end. The thoughts of Antonio having sex with Sofia on that bed shed through my head, and I couldn¡¯t stop the sharp sting I felt in my chest.


    Antonio suddenly towered behind me, wrapping his hand around my waist and pulling me closer before I could even get the chance to turn around. Tingles rippled through my body at his touch, and I wanted more. I wanted to feel his touch all over my body until he sent my senses into overdrive. But I couldn¡¯t get it. We were in that house to inspect it for Sofia, and that shouldn¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°You know everything I did; I did it for you.¡± He whispered into my ears, causing shivers to run down my spine.


    I swallowed, not giving him a response, because I knew that every reckless thing he did wasn¡¯t for me. It was for himself. To satisfy his curiosity, ego, and what not.


    ¡°Please just say something. I hate this silent treatment.¡± He pressed on.


    ¡°Just as much as I hate you.¡± I retorted.


    The longer my body remained pressed to his, the more I craved more of him. Just a few minutes ago, I was angry at him, and I thought that with the anger harboured within me, I would be able to resist him. But I was wrong. Here I was, unable to push him away when I knew I should.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± He groaned confidently, running his hand into my blouse and trailing circles around my belly button.


    ¡°Bold of you to assume.¡± I countered, and a soft moan left my lips afterwards, betraying me.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± His lips collided with my neck, kissing me softly in spots that made the air travelling to my lungs insufficient as my breathing becameboured.


    ¡°Antonio. Please, stop.¡± I pleaded, even though I wanted more. I wanted all of him.


    ¡°Believe me, I want to. But I can¡¯t. Your voice alone is doing crazy things to me, Rosalinda. Look at the bed over there. I could already imagine myself and you on it, having fun.¡± With the way his voice rasped, he was undeniably as attracted to me as I was to him.


    I turned to face him, wrapping my hands around his neck as we stared into each other¡¯s lust-filled eyes.


    He leaned his face so close to mine that I could feel his warm breath on my face, and crashing my lips on his was all I could think about.


    ¡°You are one sexy ass temptress.¡± He groaned.


    If, at that moment, I wanted to give into my burning desires, no one would know, as we were both far from home. But what would that make me? a whore that couldn¡¯t resist her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦e. No, I couldn¡¯t be that type of person. I was better than that. I could resist him. I had to.


    So, drawing in a long breath, I willed my body and mind to resist him, and they worked in sync to do just that, but reluctantly.


    As I tried to quickly withdraw myself from him, he held me back, pressing me tightly against his body.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± He rasped, staring lustfully at me.


    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± I countered, and a confused expression crossed his face. ¡°You¡¯ll be married to my sister soon, but here you are, lusting over your sister-inw. What type of man are you? You hypocrite!¡±


    A taste of his own medicine must have been really bitter, because he didn¡¯t hesitate to release his grip on my waist as his face contorted into a hard frown.


    I didn¡¯t exactly say that to get back at him for what he said to me at the club that night, but I couldn¡¯t stop the satisfactory smile that crept to my lips at his reaction.


    Turning around, I resumed what I was there to do as I ventured further into the room, inspecting it. As I looked around the room, I spotted acy material peeking from under the bed, and I really hoped it wasn¡¯t what I thought it was as I rushed to get it. But my suspicion was right. It was a fucking purple thong!


    ¡°Start talking.¡± I fired as I turned to look at Antonio, rage burning within me. He better have a good exnation.


    His hand went to his temple and started scratching it. It was clear that whatever he was about to say was a lie.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for Cami.¡± He muttered.


    There it was. A tant lie!


    ¡°I guess your sister gained weight overnight. Because this-¡± I opened the thong for him to get a better view of it. ¡°is for a plus-size woman.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± He groaned as he ran his hand through his hair, realising he was busted.


    ¡°How many women have you brought to this house?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you dare lie to my face again.¡± I warned him when he hesitated.


    ¡°About four?¡± He was obviously unsure of the actual number, which intensified the rage burning with me.


    ¡°Take me back home!¡± I spat as I began to walk towards the exit. ¡°My sister won¡¯t stay in a house you turned into a brothel.¡±

 38| Gino.

    ROSALINDA.


    Catching a break from Antonio seemed nearly impossible. After barely resisting his charm earlier, he was sitting in front of me, dressed in a white shirt that entuated his muscles, looking as ravishing as ever.


    Pap¨¤ invited him for dinner, and we were all gathered around the dining table. My other nemesis, Piero, was also seated with us, and I hated the sight of him. Seeing him always reminded me of the horrible thing he made me do as a teenager. Something I hated myself for.


    ¡°Piero.¡± My father suddenly called, sipping from his ss of wine.


    ¡°Yes, uncle.¡± He answered, raising his head to pay attention to what Pap¨¤ wanted to say.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll be here till Sofia¡¯s wedding, which is next month, right?¡± Pap¨¤ asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Piero replied, grinning, and I felt a sudden twist in my stomach.


    I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being in the same space with Piero until then. I hated him, and I wanted him out of my sight as soon as possible. His presencebrought back all the dreadful memories-memories that made me sick to my stomach.


    ¡°Excuse me. I want to use the Uhm¡­¡± I didn¡¯tplete the sentence before leaping to my feet and walking away from the table, hoping no one would stop me.


    I needed to leave there before the memories triggered a panic attack.


    It¡¯s been eight years, and I still haven¡¯t gotten over it. I could never get over being the cause of Gino¡¯s death. He was the sweetest boy I had ever met, and I would never forgive myself for what I did.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± I suddenly heard the voice of the person I hated the most.


    Turning to look at him, my face contorted into a deep frown. ¡°If you¡¯ll stay here till next month, it¡¯s better you avoid me.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Rosalinda. You should get over it already.¡± Piero muttered as he inched closer to me without an atom of remorse depicted on his face.


    ¡°Listen to yourself, Piero. I should get over it. Would that bring him back? Do you know how many sleepless nights I had knowing I was the cause of Gino¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s-¡± He tried to interject, but I cut him off. I wasn¡¯t done talking.


    ¡°Gino died because I protected your ass. I hate you. I hate you more than anything on this earth. If you know what¡¯s best for you, avoid me, or even better, leave!¡±


    As I stared at his remorseless, cold eyes, my mind couldn¡¯t escape the haunting recollections of that fateful night. Gino was my friend, and we were all at his father¡¯s sixtieth birthday party. Gino and I got tired of the party, so we stepped outside the mansion.


    As we strolled within the yard, we spotted Piero and Gino¡¯s older brother-Franco-having a heated argument, so we decided to move closer to them and help them resolve their issues. But everything went downhill when Piero lost control and fatally shot Gino¡¯s brother in the head.


    An instant feeling of trepidation hit Piero, knowing that murdering a member of the Mancini family meant his own death as well. So he turned to me with regret, pleading that I help him out. ording to him, there was only one way to save him, and that was to lie.


    He implored me to lie to the family and say that it was Gino who murdered Franco. He told me that Gino was a Mancini, and they wouldn¡¯t kill him for murdering his brother.


    I didn¡¯t want to do it. I never wanted to lie on my friend, but Piero¡¯s desperate plea clouded my thoughts. He reminded me that he was my cousin and repeated several times that he¡¯d die if I didn¡¯t lie to save him.


    So, regrettably, as a stupid sixteen-year-old, I blindly agreed to help him.


    He tore my dress and fabricated a false story to tell, and I did.I told everyone that Franco was trying to rape me when Gino shot his brother in the head to rescue me.


    They all believed the false story when I told them. Why wouldn¡¯t they? They all knew Gino was crazy about me and would go to any length to protect me. Franco once said that I¡¯d be his woman someday in front of everyone to spite Gino, and a fight almost broke out between the two of them because of that.


    To top everything, Gino and his older brother Franco despised each other so much. So the story was very believable.


    I could still remember how Gino desperately pleaded with me not to do it. But I didn¡¯t listen to him. I chose to help my cousin instead, and that decision haunts me every single day of my life.


    I could remember how Gino denied the usations as his father¡¯s men took him away. I could still vividly remember the hatred that flickered in Gino¡¯s eyes when his eyes met mine as they took him away.


    I thought I was doing the right thing to protect my cousin until the news of Gino¡¯s tragic death reached me. Though his family didn¡¯t intend to kill him, he died from the torture injuries his father inflicted on him.


    Gino died for a murder he didn¡¯tmit! He died because I lied. I killed him!


    As the memories returned again, a weight of guilt crushed me, and the tears that rolled down my cheeks were uncontroble, making each breath a struggle.


    ¡°You know I would have died if-¡± Piero started, but I cut him off before hepleted the sentence I have heard so many times.


    ¡°I wish you had died in ce of Gino a million times. And right now, I wish you a horrible death.¡± I spat bitterly.


    He didn¡¯t care that he killed Franco. He didn¡¯t care that Gino died as a result of the lie I told him to protect him. He had neither a hint of regret nor remorse. All he cared about was that he was alive.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re still mad; that¡¯s why you¡¯re saying all these. But I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± He mumbled the most insincere apology I¡¯d ever heard. But I didn¡¯t care about his apology. I didn¡¯t want it. It wouldn¡¯t bring Gino back to life.


    We were both sixteen when it happened. He was only sixteen when he died.


    ¡°Rosa. I said I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°You heard her.¡± I suddenly heard Antonio growl, and I lifted my head to see him approaching us, a deep frown ted on his face. ¡°Leave!¡±


    Piero darted his gaze between Antonio and me, contemting whether to leave or not. When he saw Antonio rolling his sleeves up, ready to attack him, he promptly walked away.


    ¡°Did you hear our conversation?¡± I asked Antonio, and he shook his head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± He lied, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. ¡°Come here.¡±


    I buried my head in his chest, and I cried uncontrobly as he slightly patted my back repeatedly,forting me.


    He didn¡¯t utter a word to me, but his silence said a lot. It said that he truly cared about me, and I didn¡¯t know how to feel about that.


    ¡°You motherfucker!¡± I suddenly heard Pap¨¤ groan, and before I knew what was happening, Antonio was pulled away from me.


    ¡°Sofia just told me everything!¡± He continued, fuming, as his fist met Antonio¡¯s face.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    This was bad. This was really bad. I thought as panic surged through me.

 39| Russian Family.

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed as rage started building up within me.


    ¡°Rosalinda and Giovanni almost died because of your reckless action,¡± Roberto used, ring at me.


    ¡°First of all, that was my men¡¯s doing, and I made sure I punished them. And again, I promised I would help find Carlo¡¯s father, and I was doing just that!¡± I fired back.


    ¡°You promised to help find Carlo¡¯s dad, not murder my daughter!¡± He countered as he sprinted towards me and tightly jerked my cors.


    ¡°Think before you act, Roberto.¡± I warned, our raging eyes staring daringly at each other.


    I allowed the first punch without retaliation because I deserved it. But another punch? I won¡¯t tolerate it.


    ¡°So, have you found the father?¡± He asked, squinting.


    ¡°No.¡± I replied firmly.


    His daughter was one smart woman who had managed to cover up her tracks perfectly. She was the only one who knew who Carlo¡¯s father was and the only one who could disclose that secret. But apparently, she wasn¡¯t willing to.


    ¡°So everything was for nothing.¡± He spat disappointedly before abruptly releasing my cor from his grip and turning his attention to his daughter.


    ¡°And why are you crying? What were you doing in his arms?¡± He asked impatiently.


    ¡°Piero. He¡¯s the reason I¡¯m crying. I am suffocating from the guilt of the terrible thing that happened eight years ago. And Antonio was only trying tofort me.¡± Rosalinda said truthfully, surprising me. She had kept it a secret for eight years, and it¡¯s surprising that she¡¯s confessing now.


    She never ceases to amaze me.


    Confusion skated across Roberto¡¯s face as he questioned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    She took a deep breath and released it before going ahead to narrate everything that happened eight years ago. As she spoke, tears trickled down her face, and I felt pity for her. She was just a young child who was trying to protect her cousin, and it was evident that she really regretted what she did. She med herself for being the cause of Gino¡¯s death. Despite being born into a world of crime, her heart was pure and innocent.


    Seeing her hurt made me sad, and I just wanted to pull her into my chest and assure her that everything was going to be okay. But I couldn¡¯t do that before, Roberto. I couldn¡¯t let him know how much I cared about her.


    After she was done, Roberto didn¡¯t utter a word before turning on his heels and storming off. The rage burning within him was palpable by the way veins budged beneath his forehead.


    One thing was certain-Piero was in deep sh*t.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    When he was out of sight, I inched closer to her and tried to wrap my arm around her tofort her, but she recoiled, swallowing.


    I arched my brow, wondering why she wouldn¡¯t let me.


    ¡°You should go. Good night, Antonio. It¡¯s a shame that you had to witness all this mess.¡± She sounded so ashamed of herself as she turned around and started walking away from me.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± My voice was low but loud enough for her to hear.


    As much as I would have loved to stop her, as much as I wanted her to stay, I didn¡¯t object and just allowed her to go. She obviously wanted to be alone, and I had to respect that.


    I watched her scurry down the hallway until she took a corner. Once she was out of sight, I turned around and made my way outside the mansion, ready to return home. With the turnout of events tonight, it was clear that the dinner hade to an abrupt end.


    Outside, I saw an enraged Roberto throwing heavy punches repeatedly at defenceless Piero. A punishment he deserved for making my woman cry!


    Turning a blind eye to what was happening, I sauntered to my car and drove off.


    Marco was the first person I met when I entered the mansion, and with the look he had on his face, I knew he had something to say. I knew him way too well.


    ¡°Spill.¡± I muttered, not wasting time, as I started trudging towards my office. I needed to get some work done before going to bed.


    ¡°About Diego Romano-¡± He started, trailing closely behind me.


    ¡°Did you find anything out?¡± I asked curiously. When I realized Diego also contacted Roberto, I was certain that he wanted his alliance, and I found that suspicious. I wondered why Diego was desperate about forming an alliance with another Mafia family, so I asked Marco to do some digging up.


    ¡°It seems he got into trouble with a Russian family. I don¡¯t know the details of their dispute, but Diego is probably looking for allies to fight his war with.¡± Marco exined, and I slightly shook my head.


    I knew it. Diego wouldn¡¯t just start looking to form alliances for no reason.


    ¡°I told you.¡± I muttered, turning to look at Marco. ¡°Not all the glitter is gold.¡±


    He sighed, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°If that is all, then-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± He cut me in, and I narrowed my eyes, curiously waiting for what he wanted to add.


    ¡°He¡¯s seeking an alliance through marriage with Moretti¡¯s.¡± He told me, and I slightly nodded.


    It wasn¡¯t something I didn¡¯t know already. Since I refused to marry his daughter, he¡¯ll obviously offer to marry her off to Roberto¡¯s son-Matteo.


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied before turning around and continuing on my way.


    ¡°His son Liam wants to marry Rosalinda.¡± He borated, causing me to stop in my tracks and abruptly turn to look at him.


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed as an unfamiliar feeling of hurt and jealousy gnawed and pulled at my chest.


    Marco nodded, confirming what he just said. ¡°Liam is to marry Rosalinda as part of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°Liam?¡± I repeated, recalling the experience I had at the store earlier today.


    Rosalinda called the figlio di puttana who dared to press his gun to my stomach, Liam, and I knew that it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that he knew my name. So he was Diego Romano¡¯s son.


    That exined his balls!

 40| Not Worth It.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m still mad at you for not telling me earlier on that Ruby was abducted, right?¡± I told Giovanni as we walked to his car. He was finally leaving after a very long stay with us.


    ¡°If you had told me what Piero made you do, I would have pulled his teeth out of his gum.¡± He grinned, changing the subject.


    I rolled my eyes, sighing. ¡°Oh, please.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, arching his brows. ¡°Did I just see those eyes roll?¡±


    ¡°So, would youe back soon or will you be gone for a long time?¡± I asked curiously. Even though he was the most annoying cousin ever, I¡¯d still miss him.


    ¡°Ah! Rosalinda would miss me!¡± He boasted, a face-splitting grin tugging his lips apart.


    ¡°In your dreams, Gio. In your dreams!¡± I rolled my eyes and quickly averted my gaze to hide the smile that formed on my lips.


    He suddenly wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I hoisted my head up to look at him as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too. And-¡± He paused.


    ¡°What?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°Be careful around Antonio. I know you like him, but don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± He continued, sighing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡± I assured, hoping I would keep my own promise.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± he muttered as we came to a stop in front of his car.


    Pressing my lips together, I wrapped my arms around him, embracing him. ¡°Drive safely, Gio.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± He assured, nodding, as we pulled away from the hug.


    Leaning in, he nted a soft kiss on my cheek before pulling the car door open and slipping inside.


    ¡°La mia bellissima cugina. Bye.¡± He muttered before shutting the door without even giving me the chance to say goodbye.


    As he drove away, I turned around to make my way back into the mansion, but I quickly stopped in my tracks and gasped in surprise when someone I never expected to see again came to view.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± He smiled charmingly, his arms folded across his chest. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I was perplexed, bewildered, and bemused.


    ¡°What are you doing there?¡± I asked when I finally recovered from the shock.


    ¡°To cut it short, business.¡± He stated, taking long strides towards me. ??I knew it when I saw him at the store. He didn¡¯t look like an ordinary man with a gun. I could sense some darkness beneath his calmness, and I wasn¡¯t wrong. He was part of the Mafia.


    ¡°Nice meeting you again, Rosalinda.¡± He said, extending his hand for a handshake. ¡°The name is Liam, in case you forgot.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget.¡± I said, a smile touching my lips as I took his hand.


    ¡°Before I proceed, is Mr. Possessive lurking somewhere?¡± He joked, ncing around, and I couldn¡¯t control theughter that emanated from my throat. ??¡±I won¡¯t want him to jerk my cor just for speaking with you.¡± He continued, chuckling softly.


    ¡°He was just trying to protect me. And by the way, he is my brother-inw.¡± I rified, and he raised an using brow at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I huffed when he didn¡¯t reply immediately.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He said, shaking his head. ¡°I know Antonio Russo is engaged to your sister, Sofia. But you both didn¡¯t seem like just inws.¡±


    I knew what he was talking about, and I didn¡¯t want to have that conversation with him. So, blowing out a sharp breath, I opted to change the subject.


    ¡°So, what business are you here for?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe I find you beautiful, and I¡¯m here to ask for your hand in marriage. Do you think thisd is worthy of you?¡± He chirped and immediatelyughed at his own joke.


    ¡°You¡¯re not so bad for a groom.¡± I replied, deciding to y along.


    ¡°You again.¡± Liam suddenly remarked, his gaze fixed in a particr direction, and I quickly trailed his line of sight.


    Antonio was standing there, a deep frown saturating his features.


    ¡°Are you going to grab my cor and threaten me again for chatting with your¡¯sister-inw¡¯?¡± He continued, putting sister-inw¡¯ in quotes.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± I whispered, my heart pattering to an uneven beat as I stared at him. He was my brother-inw, and I owed him nothing. But I didn¡¯t know why I had a feeling in me that felt like I was cheating on him by speaking with Liam. I didn¡¯t know why I had the urge to exin to him that there was nothing going on between me and Liam, and we were just talking. What was wrong with me? I hated this unwanted feeling of guilt.


    Pressing his lips into a thin line and shaking his head, he turned around and made his way into the building in long, angry strides without uttering a word to any of us.


    ¡­


    ANTONIO.


    If I had stayed there for a second longer, I would¡¯ve lost my sh*t and run a bullet through the skull of that bastard. I despised him with everything in me, and I couldn¡¯t bear seeing him with Rosalinda.


    ¡°What is Liam Romano doing here?¡± I questioned Roberto immediately I stepped inside his office. ¡°The Romano¡¯s wants an alliance, right? Through marriage with Rosalinda.¡±


    He sighed, setting the papers in his hands aside as he leaned in his seat.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied, nodding.


    I pulled the visitor¡¯s seat out and settled on it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you something for free. Diego met me with the bullshit offer first, but I rejected it. He¡¯s having a conflict with a Russian family and needs an ally to fight his war with. The Petrov family, to be specific. I don¡¯t need to tell you how deadly they are. You know.¡±


    Not even a hint of surprise shed on his face after hearing what I said, indicating that he was very much aware of what he was getting into.


    ¡°You know?¡± I asked, raising my brow.


    ¡°I am not stupid. I won¡¯t just give out my daughter without necessary investigations.¡± He admitted.


    My eyes squinted as I stared at him in disbelief. He knew very well how dangerous and ruthless the Petrov family were. They wouldn¡¯t hesitate to wipe out an entire family just to punish their enemy. How could he sign up for something that would put his daughter¡¯s life in danger?


    ¡°What would be in it for you?¡± I asked, surprisingly calmly, despite the rage boiling within me.


    ¡°Is it worth risking your daughter¡¯s life?¡± I added when he didn¡¯t give me an immediate response.


    ¡°About what happened yesterday, I¡¯ll let the fact that you almost killed my daughter go. But in exchange, can you please keep what you heard yesterday a secret? About Gino.¡± He said in an attempt to change the subject.


    ¡°You have my word. No word about it wille from me.¡± I said, meaning my words. I would never do anything that would put Rosalinda¡¯s life in danger, as she was too precious to me. If Gino¡¯s family ever hears that their son died for a crime he did notmit, they¡¯ll stop at nothing to make sure both Rosalinda and Piero are erased from the face of the earth.


    Now, going back to what we were discussing, I couldn¡¯t just let it go.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you? Is it worth it? Why risk her life?¡± I pressed on.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be discussing Rosalinda. She is not your business.¡± He blurted out, causing me to impulsively jump to my feet and bang his desk hard.


    ¡°Of course she is!¡± I snapped.


    His forehead creased, forming multiple lines as he stared at me suspiciously.


    Darn it! I lost control, and Roberto became suspicious. I needed to manage the situation carefully, as I couldn¡¯t let him catch on to how much I cared so much about Rosalinda-which I really did!


    ¡°I mean-¡± I blew out a sharp breath in an attempt to free the heat burning within me. ¡°Rosalinda is not the only issue here. I¡¯ll be marrying Sofia, and that means I¡¯ll be connected to you. If you go on to form that alliance with Diego and fight his war with him, I¡¯ll be directly or indirectly affected, and that is what I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    Whatever reckless game Roberto was ying, I had to stop him. It was Rosalinda¡¯s life that was at stake, and I¡¯d do anything to protect her. That aside, I couldn¡¯t even bear to see her with another man!

 41| Masked.

    ROSALINDA.


    A knock sounded on my bedroom door, and before I could grant permission to whoever it was, the door swung open, and Antonio slipped inside.


    I wasn¡¯t in any way surprised when I saw him. It wasn¡¯t his first time sneaking into my room, anyway.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be in here.¡± I stated, closing the book in my hand andzily sitting up from the bed.


    Ignoring my statement, he leaned on the door, gazing at me menacingly as he folded his arms across his chest. ¡°I can see that you enjoy thepany of that guy. What¡¯s his name again? Liam? What were you discussing with him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± I hissed, shrugging.


    ¡°It is my business!¡± He retorted firmly.


    ¡°Why do you make everything your business?¡± I challenged, jumping to my feet and closing the distance between us. ¡°Sofia is your fianc¨¦, and you never meddle in her business, but mine. Whenst did you even converse with her? Yet, here you are, in my room, talking about sh*t that doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±


    I had been allowing myself to get too close to him, and I needed to let that end. I promised Sofia that I wouldn¡¯t give into the temptation, and to do that, I had to stop fueling the connection we have by pushing him away.


    ¡°You very well know that you¡¯re my business because you are my-¡±


    ¡°Sister inw?!¡± Ipleted the sentence, cutting him off. ¡°Oh, cut that bullshit. I had hoped my father would break off whatever deal he has with you after learning of your atrocities.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. Newssh. He didn¡¯t. You know why? Because he knew I was trying to find out the information you have refused to reveal to anyone.¡± He fired back annoyingly.


    ¡°Why exactly do you want to know who Carlo¡¯s father is?¡± I questioned him, hoping to get a reasonable answer from him this time. He had been trying to look for Carlo¡¯s father without expressing his true intentions. I was fed up with hearing his false reasons about me being his sister-inw.


    I was his sister-inw, not his fianc¨¦, and definitely not his responsibility. I was tired of everyone asking me who Carlo¡¯s father was when I had no answer to their fucking questions.


    ¡°Why is it so hard for you to tell everyone who his father is?¡± He countered, his frown deepening.


    He was getting on my nerves. In fact, he was stepping infuriatingly on my nerves, and the anger rising within me was so rapid that it made my entire being burn.


    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal who the father is because I can¡¯t just tell everyone that I¡¯m such a whore!¡± I red up.


    ¡°How are-¡±


    I furiously hoisted my hand, my palm facing outward, motioning for him to let me continue. I wasn¡¯t done!


    ¡°Three years ago, April 14th, to be specific. I went to a masked house party, and I was dared to fuck one of the attendees. I was so drunk to the point that I didn¡¯t know what I was doing, and I instantly agreed. We went to one of the rooms, had a quick, hot, and unprotected sex. Guess what? I enjoyed it! The first thing he did when we got to the room was position me on a sofa and fuck me from behind. His strokes were so fast, so deep, and so enjoyable. Do you know what I said to him after he was done? ¡®Thank you.¡¯ And just so you know, Carlo was the result of the most sensational sex I had ever had in my entire life!¡± I bbed out in one breath, divulging every detail as I let the anger burning within me control me.


    ¡°You guessed right, Antonio; we were all masked, so I didn¡¯t know who the stranger was!¡± I rattled on after blowing out a sharp breath. ¡°I fucking don¡¯t know who the father of my son is! I kept that a secret from my family because it was shameful. Go ahead and call me a dirty, stupid whore. Because that is who I fucking am!¡±


    ¡­


    ANTONIO.


    No, this can¡¯t be! I thought as I involuntarily staggered, her confession taking me aback. The room suddenly closed in, and it became really difficult to breathe.


    On April 14th, three years ago, I was also at a masked party that Marco took me to. I had lost my only brother a week before that, and I was drowning in sorrow, unable to function well. To help me lighten my mood, Marco took me to a masked party, which was out of the norm for me, but I agreed to go with him because I wanted to momentarily get over the grief that was weighing on me.


    At the party, I was dared to fuck a girl while I was drunk to stupor, and I did.


    Driven by alcohol, I forgot what protection was and burst my nuts inside her. The same experience Rosalinda narrated was the same experience I had with the girl. It was the sweetest and, inarguably, the best sex of my life. Even though I was drunk when it happened, I could never forget how satisfying it was.


    The thought of Rosalinda being the woman I fucked that night was threatening to drive me crazy.


    No. It can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be! She really can¡¯t be the one I fucked.


    There were also other people who were dared to have sex at that party. There was a possibility that she had that sex with someone else and not me. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t even the same party.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    But, fuck! It was the same fucking day.


    ¡°Say something! You wanted to know the truth. Now, you know!¡± She yelled, cutting through my torrents of thoughts.


    If only she knew what I was thinking about. If only she knew howplicated and possibly disastrous my suspicions were.


    If only she knew!


    Albeit, there was a possibility that I wasn¡¯t the one who she had sex with, but based on her narration, the chances weighed heavily on my side.

 42| DNA Test.

    ANTONIO.     ¡°You¡¯ve gotten your answer, and now you¡¯re suddenly quiet.¡± She pressed on. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and call me a whore?!¡±     ¡°I¡¯m sorry-I-¡± I swiped my hand across my face, too perplexed to form a coherent sentence.     Abruptly, I turned around and dashed out of the room. I needed to leave there in order to think well. My thoughts were clouded, and only one thing kept echoing in my mind-getting a DNA paternity test done. That was the only way to confirm my suspicions, and to do that, I needed to find a way to get something with Carlo¡¯s DNA.     After racking my brain, an idea came to mind, and it was to get Carlo¡¯s toothbrush. I have heard a couple of times that toothbrushes contain a considerable amount of DNA.     Changing my direction, I made my way to Carlo¡¯s bedroom.     Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t in there, and none of the maids were there either. I sessfully got hold of his toothbrush, but as I pulled the door open to exit the room, Carlo and one of the maids came into view.     ¡°There he is.¡± I quickly spread my lips into a smile and tried to act natural, like I didn¡¯t just steal a brush. ¡°I was just looking for you.¡±     ¡°Hi.¡± He beamed the second he saw me, stretching his hands for me to lift him, and I did just that.     ¡°Good boy!¡± I grinned as I ruffled his hair.     My expression suddenly changed to a neutral one as I studied his face. Thinking about it now, we kind of have the same shape of nose, lips, eyes¡­     I quickly shook my head, snapping myself out of the observations. My thoughts were clouded, which could exin why I was seeing simrities that were likely not there.     I really didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d feel if I was the father. Would I be happy since I was already fond of Carlo? Or not, because it¡¯ll be so much trouble. Too much trouble. I couldn¡¯t be married to Sofia and be the father of Rosalinda¡¯s son. It didn¡¯t even make sense.     None of the things happening made sense, and I was finding it difficult to wrap my head around the situation.     The thoughts were driving me crazy!     My next stop was to see our family doctor. When I got there, he had a number of patients waiting for him, but I didn¡¯t care as I barged into the consultation room. My case was also an emergency.     ¡°Antonio.¡± He called, a deep frown appearing on his face when he saw me.     ¡°I have an emergency.¡± I told him as I took long strides towards him.     He darted his gaze at the patient sitting across from him. ¡°I¡¯ll attend to you when I¡¯m done with-¡±     ¡°Now!¡± I growled impatiently. I needed to confirm my suspicions, and I needed to do that as soon as possible.     He sighed, gazing at his patient apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you please wait for me outside? I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done. It won¡¯t take long.¡±     The woman nodded as she leapt to her feet and quietly trudged out of the office. It was a good thing she wasn¡¯t stubborn and tried to protest.     ¡°So, what is it?¡± The doctor groaned, clearly showing his distaste. ¡°You can¡¯t juste here and disrupt my consultation sessions. It is wrong.¡±     Ignoring his statement, I went straight to the point. I wasn¡¯t there to receive lectures.     ¡°I need to get a DNA test done.¡±     ¡°What?¡± He asked, confusion saturating his features.     ¡°You heard me right. I want to get a paternity DNA test done.¡± I repeated, slipping my hand into my pocket and retrieving the little boy¡¯s toothbrush. ¡°This would do, right?¡±     Still confused, the doctor nodded.     ¡°But why? What-¡±     ¡°What sample do you need me to give you?¡± I quickly interjected. I knew what he wanted to ask, and I wasn¡¯t going to feed his curiosity. ¡°My hair, or what?¡±     ¡°I¡¯ll just get your oral swab.¡± He sighed as he pulled one of his drawers open and tugged out a swab stick.     Leaping to his feet, he inched closer to me and asked me to open my mouth.     ¡°So, when can I get it? Remember, it¡¯s urgent.¡± I inquired when he finished taking my oral swab.     ¡°Two days.¡± He sighed, walking back to his seat and settling on it.     ¡°Can¡¯t it be faster?¡± I asked impatiently, squinting my eyes.     Two days was a very long time, and I didn¡¯t think I could wait for that long before my anxiety killed me.     ¡°It can¡¯t. I¡¯ll send the samples to theboratory now, and the result will be delivered to you in two days. You may take your leave now. I have patients to attend to.¡± He informed me, dismissing me.     Two days of waiting for the result felt like two years. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else, just Carlo, Rosalinda, and the DNA test.     I had to drown myself in work because the overwhelming thoughts of the possibility of me being Carlo¡¯s father were driving me crazy as I impatiently waited for the result.     What felt like an eternity of waiting ended when Marco walked into my office two dayster, holding a sealed white envelope.     ¡°This is from the hospital.¡± He informed me as he handed me the long-awaited result.     I took the envelope and ced it on the desk, leaning in my seat as I impatiently waited for him to leave before opening it.     ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked, raising a concerned brow.     ¡°Yes. You can leave.¡± I muttered, dismissing him.     He furrowed his brows together as he stared at me for a few seconds before reluctantly turning around and dashing out of my office.     The second the door closed, I snapped the envelope open and impatiently unfolded the paper inside it.     I anxiously read through the paper, my heart pounding so hard that I could hear it. The room suddenly closed in, and the air travelling to my lungs became insufficient as I stared at the information printed on the sheet of paper. Information I had been seeking for weeks now-the identity of Carlo¡¯s father-not knowing I was the answer.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    I was the father of Rosalinda¡¯s son!


    Carlo was my son!


    The DNA test result showed a 99. 9998% probability of paternity!

 43| Deep Shit.

    ROSALINDA.     Clearly, I was not in my right senses when I spilled the secret I had always guarded to Antonio. I allowed my anger to control me, and what made it even worse was that he said nothing to me afterward. Nothing!     I didn¡¯t know what he thought of me, and that was driving me crazy. I only hoped he wouldn¡¯t spill my secrets to Pap¨¤ because I¡¯d die of shame and embarrassment if my family found out that I slept with a total stranger and had no idea who Carlo¡¯s father was.     Pap¨¤ invited the Russo¡¯s for dinner tonight, and I didn¡¯t even know how to face him. What type of eyes would he use to look at me? Would it be the usual lustful ones, or would it change to one of disdain?     The door suddenly dinged open, pulling me out of my trance as I turned to see Sofia venturing into the room.     ¡°Sofia.¡± I called and immediately inched closer to her when I sensed her mood. She looked really downcast.     ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, concerned, when I came to a stop in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±     ¡°I am in deep sh*t!¡± She eximed as her eyes started welling up.     I jumped full stream on the worry train as I ced my hand on her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I quickly asked.     ¡°Rosalinda-I-¡±     The door suddenly dinged open, distracting us, and we drifted our attention towards the door.     Mama stood in the door frame, all mmed up, and dressed expensively. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think she was going to a beauty pageant.     ¡°The Russo¡¯s are here already. I expect you girls to be out any minute.¡± Without giving us the chance to respond, she shut the door, leaving Sofia and me alone once more.     ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, returning to the matter at hand.     She averted her gaze, hesitating, and I immediately squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.


    ¡°You can trust me, Sofia. You are my sister, and I¡¯d do anything for you. Just trust me, okay?¡± I assured her as I titled her head to face me. ¡°Trust me.¡±     She swallowed before going ahead to tell me what was bothering her.     After hearing the five words she just uttered, I became dumbfounded.     ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, batting myshes repeatedly as I tried to fathom those five words.     I knew she had been going through some shit that she didn¡¯t want to share, but what I didn¡¯t know was that it was this gruesome.     My sister was right. She was in deep sh*t, and there was no way to fix it.     ¡­     ANTONIO.     Tonight, I nned to end the engagement and me it on Roberto¡¯s alliance with the Romanos¡¯. I¡¯d make it seem like I didn¡¯t want to be affected by the war with the Petrov family. That was the only way to break my deal with Roberto and not have to deal with the consequences of breaching a contract.     I couldn¡¯t be the father of Rosalinda¡¯s child and be married to her sister, Sofia. Hell, no!     Everything had to end tonight. I had to sacrifice whatever benefit the alliance with Moretti¡¯s would give me. I had to. It was the right thing to do. Before now, I never cared about doing the right thing, but this was different. It was about my son, my blood, and my flesh, so doing the right thing was my only option.     Everyone but Rosalinda and Sofia was already seated around the dining table. We were all waiting for the both of them, and I couldn¡¯t wait for us to begin the dinner and get it over with so that I could make my announcement before all members of the Moretti family and also my sister, Cami, and Marco, who were all seated around the table.     ¡°Ahh. There she is.¡± Roberto sighed, and I hoisted my head to see Sofia approaching us. ¡°Where¡¯s your sister?¡±     ¡°She¡¯sing.¡± Sofia simply replied as she offered herself a seat beside her brother, Matteo.     It was a good thing that she never liked, so breaking off the engagement wouldn¡¯t hurt her after all. She had always wanted it, anyway.     It wasn¡¯t even up to a minute before Rosalinda made her appearance. She was dressed in a simple floral maxi gown, but still, she looked incredibly beautiful in it. Like always!     ¡°You aren¡¯tte.¡± Roberto remarked, sarcastically. ¡°Sit and let¡¯s begin.¡±     ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had to-¡± she trailed off, deciding not to exin herself asshe looked around.     When she realised the only empty seat left was right beside me, a fleeting scowl shed across her face, but I didn¡¯t miss it.     I got to sit next to the woman I was crazily attracted to, thanks to Sofia, who decided to ditch the seat reserved for her and sit with her brother instead.     After Rosalinda settled on the seat beside me, dinner began almost immediately.     The urge to steal a few nces at her became difficult to control as we ate. I wanted to see her and feel her at all times.     The thought of asking Roberto to substitute Sofia for Rosalinda had been lingering in my mind, but it was impossible. My reason for wanting to break off the marriage agreement was because of his alliance with the Romanos, so it would make zero sense if I brought up the request for substitution.     ¡°Why did you leave without saying anything?¡± Rosalinda suddenly cut through my thoughts. Her voice was so low that only I could hear her.     ¡°I was too stunned that you engaged in something like that.¡± I told her, my voice equally low.     She went mute after that, hinting that I just made her feel even more terrible about herself. I had to revert that.     So, sighing, I added. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, though. I don¡¯t judge. I¡¯ve done unimaginable things myself.¡±     I was keeping something from her. A truth she deserved to know, but it was better for her to remain in oblivion.


    That¡¯s what was best for me, her, and our son.     If everyone found out about the secret, things would get really messy, and I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d handle that.     ¡°Could you please keep everything I told you a secret?¡± She requested.     ¡°I have a lot of your secrets in my hands. Fascinating.¡± I muttered, briefly ncing at her.     ¡°Please.¡± She pressed on.     ¡°Your secrets are safe with me, beautiful.¡± I told her, meaning my words. If only she knew that I¡¯d do anything to protect her and put her out of harm¡¯s way. If only she knew how much I cared about her.     ¡°Can I have everyone¡¯s attention, please?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I have an announcement to make and-¡±     ¡°I also have an announcement to make.¡± Sofia interjected, causing me to furrow my brows as I flicked my gaze at her. ¡°And if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to go first, please.¡±     ¡°Go ahead.¡± I permitted, leaning on my seat as I paid close attention to her.     She took in a deep breath and exhaled, as if bracing herself for what she was about to say, and that got me even more curious.     ¡°I am pregnant.¡± She breathed out, earning short gasps from every corner.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

 44| Accusations.

    ROSALINDA.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    The shock on everyone¡¯s faces when Sofia announced that she was pregnant was palpable. I was really worried that things might escte and get really bad after her announcement, which was why I told her to hold on and not just drop the bomb at the dinner when she told me that that was what she nned to do. I told her to wait for us to find a n on how to announce it, and she pretended to agree, not knowing that she had already made up her mind. She had always been stubborn anyway, so I wasn¡¯t so surprised. Well, at least I was not as surprised as I was when she uttered those five words. ¡®I am pregnant for Oliver.¡¯     ¡°You both should have been careful before the wedding.¡± Pap¨¤ sighed disappointedly.     ¡°I agree. You shouldn¡¯t have been sleeping around before the wedding.¡± Antonio muttered, his voice calmer than I expected.     ¡°Sofia!¡± Pap¨¤ growled, registering what Antonio just said as he sprung to his feet. ¡°Who are you pregnant for?¡±     ¡°Pap¨¤ please.¡± Sofia whimpered, leaping to her feet as her eyes started welling up with tears.     I immediately leapt to my feet and rushed to my sister, wrapping my arms around her.     ¡°Please. Just tell me Antonio was joking. Tell me you aren¡¯t sleeping around. Tell me the pregnancy is his!¡± He barked, running his hand through his hair in frustration.     ¡°Tell me!¡± He growled even louder when he didn¡¯t get a response from her, causing her to jump with a start.     ¡°He¡¯s not the father.¡± She managed to say in between sobs.     ¡°Rosalinda!¡± He barked, switching his attention to me. ¡°Is this what you thought her? Because she definitely learned this act of irresponsibility and disgrace from you. You brought shame on this family, and you had to drag her along.¡±     ¡°Rosa didn¡¯t teach me anything. She also didn¡¯t know about it until today.¡± Sofia quickly defended me. ¡°She had nothing to do with it. I was just in love. I still am. I couldn¡¯t let go of the love of my life, so I continued seeing him. But I never nned for me to fall pregnant for him. It was a mistake.¡±     ¡°Who is the father?!¡± Pap¨¤ questioned him, his eyes filled with murderous intent.     ¡°I think I should make everything clear before you start your investigation.¡± Antonio chimed in after being surprisingly quiet for far too long. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, so that means that I can¡¯t marry her anymore. That is, the engagement has been called off.¡±     ¡°I know!¡± Pap¨¤ snapped, then took a deep breath before darting his gaze at Antonio. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry for breaching the contract. It wasn¡¯t my fault, and I¡¯ll punish her ordingly.¡±     ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thatter.¡± Antonio sighed, slipping both hands into his pockets. ¡°We were supposed to have a discussion about the shipments arriving this weekend after dinner, and I¡¯m not going to allow this to get in the way of business. So, just forget this for now and let¡¯s go talk business.¡±     Antonio didn¡¯t look enraged, nor did he look disappointed. He looked so calm for someone who just found out that his fianc¨¦e was pregnant with another man¡¯s baby. If anything, he looked relieved, and that was strange.     ¡°You are right, let¡¯s go talk business.¡± Pap¨¤ sighed, shooting a death re at Sofia before storming off.     Sofia also turned around and started running away from the scene. I nced briefly at Antonio, wondering why he looked so calm before following Sofia.     ¡°Please just go. I want to be alone. Please.¡± She croaked when she turned to see that I was following her.     I didn¡¯t stop listening. I kept inching closer to her with the intense urge to console her because she looked like a hot mess, and my strong sister instinct couldn¡¯t let her be by herself.     I knew how hurt and how much pain I felt when I realised I was pregnant. And I knew that my sister must be going through the same feelings right now, and I wanted to be there for her. I didn¡¯t want her to be alone.     ¡°Stop. Please. I beg you.¡± She persisted, causing me to stop in my tracks. ¡°Please.¡±     ¡°Sofia. I-¡±     ¡°I want to be alone!¡± She yelled as tears started rushing back again. ¡°Rosalinda, please!¡±     ¡°Okay.¡± I muttered, giving in as I blew out a sharp breath.     If that was what she really wanted, I had to respect her decision. So, turning around, I headed to my bedroom.     As I pushed the door to my bedroom open, I felt a sudden presence behind me, and before I knew what was happening, the person pushed me inside and swiftly closed the door behind us.     ¡°Marco?¡± I was confused when I finally realised who it was. ¡°What are you doing in my bedroom?¡±     ¡°It was you, right? It was you that asked your sister to get pregnant, so you could take her ce.¡± He groaned, pointing an usatory finger at me.     ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± I eximed as rage began to build up within me. I tolerated my dad¡¯s usation, but Marco¡¯s? I wouldn¡¯t.     ¡°Admit it. You want to be with him so bad. Now, because of you and your stupid sister, we have lost this alliance.¡± He continued with his usations, causing my rage to grow even more intense.     ¡°Take back your words.¡± I fumed, feeling my cheeks get even hotter than they already were. ¡°You have no right to make such false usations at me.¡±     ¡°First of all, you made him fall so in love with you to the point that he doesn¡¯t even think straight whenever ites to you.¡± He carried on. ¡°But it¡¯s a good thing that after all your efforts to sabotage the marriage so that you can be with him, you¡¯ll never be able to.¡±     ¡°What?¡± I asked, confused.     ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± He asked, raising his brow.     ¡°Know what?¡± I asked curiously.     ¡°That your father made a deal with the Romanos, and you¡¯ll be getting married to Liam.¡± He told me, and my heart sank to my stomach.     Oh, no. So Liam wasn¡¯t joking when he said he came to ask for my hands in marriage. I didn¡¯t want it.I wasn¡¯t ready to get married to someone I had no feelings for-someone I barely knew.     There had to be a fucking way to stop the marriage. I had to find a way, even if it meant doing it with Antonio¡¯s help.

 45| Lion鈥檚 Den.

    ROSALINDA.


    Even after rifying that I wasn¡¯t interested in getting married to Antonio and expressing how much I despised seeing my sister in that situation, Marco persisted with the usations, growing more irritating by the second.     I couldn¡¯tfathom why he and Pap¨¤ believed I would ever lead Sofia into doing something that would put her in big trouble. When I had Carlo out of wedlock, the situation wasn¡¯t asplicated as it is now. I wasn¡¯t betrothed to anyone. But Sofia was betrothed to Antonio fucking Russo, and we didn¡¯t even know how he nned to retaliate for breaching the contract. I would never set my sister up for something like this.     ¡°You know what will be good for you? Stay away from Antonio.¡± He warned me, and I shook my head.     ¡°Leave my room, please. I don¡¯t have to prove myself to you.¡± I sighed, deciding to stop entertaining his assumptive remarks.     ¡°I was going to anyway,¡± his phone started ringing, interrupting him.     He picked up the call and held the phone to his ear, listening attentively.     ¡°Okay, boss. I¡¯lle outside now.¡± He said after a few seconds and hung up.     He opened his mouth to talk, but his words died on his lips when I quickly spoke.     ¡°Is that Antonio?¡± I asked.     ¡°What part of ¡®stay away from him¡¯ don¡¯t you understand?¡± he questioned, his brows drawing together.     ¡°Well, you can¡¯t tell me what to do!¡± I retorted strongly as I walked past him and dashed out of the room.     I headed outside, suspecting that Antonio was outside the building since Marco said he¡¯d meet him outside. I needed to see him. I needed his help.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    As I slipped out of the front door, I saw Antonio standing by his car, with Cami standing right beside him.     Without hesitation, I rushed towards them.     ¡°Oh, the girl¡¯s running after you now. How cute.¡± Cami remarked, her face devoid of any emotions, as her gaze swept over me.     ¡°Cami!¡± Antonio warned, a scowl ted on his face.     ¡°What?¡± She shrugged. ¡°It was just a harmlessment.¡±     My eyes squinted as I stared at her, not knowing what point she was trying to prove. But she wasn¡¯t why I was there, so I decided to ignore her. I had more pressing issues at hand.     ¡°Antonio, please, can I talk to you? In private, please.¡± I requested, gazing at him with pleading eyes.     ¡°Okay.¡± He agreed without hesitation, walking a few feet away from Cami¡¯s hearing, and I trailed right behind him.     Marco joined Cami beside the car, casting a deadly gaze at me, and I quickly averted my gaze.     ¡°So, what did you want to tell me?¡± Antonio¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity.     ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about my dad¡¯s n to marry me off to Liam?¡± I shot the question at him, folding my arms over my chest as I awaited his response.     ¡°Why do you look vexed?¡± He asked, raising a brow. ¡°I thought you enjoyed hispany.¡±     ¡°Oh, please.¡± I muttered, rolling my eyes.     ¡°Seeing that your dad told you already,¡± he said, taking a long pause before sighing. ¡°The contract has been finalised.¡±     ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me.¡± I corrected, motioning my head in Marco¡¯s direction. ¡°He did.¡±     ¡°What?!¡± He eximed, his forehead creasing into multiple folds. He red at Marco for a few seconds, as if using his eyes to tell him that he had a lot of questions to answer, before flicking his gaze back at me.     ¡°What else did he tell you?¡± He questioned.     ¡°Nothing.¡± I shrugged it off.     ¡°Then why did you want to see me in private? Because I know you won¡¯t call me aside just to ask why I didn¡¯t tell you about your dad¡¯s n.¡± He muttered, his demeanour suddenly looking more serious.     ¡°I-¡± I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I confessed. ¡°I don¡¯t want the marriage.¡±     ¡°So?¡± He raised a brow.     ¡°I know I¡¯m not supposed to be asking you to do this for me, considering my sister just betrayed you and-¡±     ¡°Go straight to the point, Rosalinda. I don¡¯t have all night.¡± He cut me off.     I took a deep breath before blurting it out. ¡°Please help me. Help me find a way to stop it.¡±     ¡°And how do you intend I do that?¡± He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazed at me amusingly.     ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re a mafia boss. I know you¡¯re smart enough to think of a way.¡± I muttered, blowing out an exasperated breath.     ¡°Even if I decide to help you, what would I get in return for my favor?¡± He asked, his eyes lingering over my body as he licked his lips lustfully.     ¡°What?¡± Confusion masked my face as I gazed at him, hoping he wasn¡¯t asking for what I was thinking.     After a few seconds, he suddenly let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Rx. I was just kidding. I nned on stopping the marriage anyway.¡±     ¡°What do you mean by-¡± I trailed off, distracted by a male voice yelling from the gate.     The voice sounded familiar-too familiar-and I really hoped it wasn¡¯t who I was thinking it was.     ¡°Let me in! I need to see her.¡± The voice continued yelling at the top of his lungs, and my suspicions grew bigger.     Without hesitation, I ran towards the gate to see what was happening. My heart sank to my stomach when I saw the person causing themotion by the gate, trying to struggle his way in.     Oh, no. Oliver had no idea what he was getting himself into.     ¡°Oliver.¡± I called with urgency. ¡°You have to leave here now!¡±     ¡°Not until I see Sofia.¡± He countered, breathing heavily from all his struggles with the guards.     ¡°No. No.¡± I shook my head repeatedly as the possibility of Pap¨¤ killing him coursed through my mind. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It is very dangerous for you to be here. Go, now! Run!¡±     ¡°Sofia can¡¯t just tell me that she¡¯s pregnant for me and disappear into thin air. She doesn¡¯t pick up my calls, and she doesn¡¯t return my messages. I am not leaving here unless I see her!¡± He pressed on stubbornly.     ¡°You are risking your life by being here.¡± I told him inly, blowing out a frustrating breath. ¡°You have to leave.¡±     ¡°How is wanting to see my woman risking my life?!¡± He snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t care if your parents find out about our rtionship. It¡¯s high time they did anyway.¡±     ¡°Are you brave? Or just stupid?¡± Antonio¡¯s voice echoed from behind.     My lips pressed tightly together in a thin line as I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration.     That was exactly what I was trying to avoid. Oliver should have fucking ran when I told him to!     ¡°And who are you?¡± Oliver asked rather boldly, ring at Antonio.     ¡°I was supposed to look for you, but you brought yourself to me. At ease.¡± Antonio chuckled darkly before turning his attention to the guards.     ¡°Let him in.¡± He instructed.     ¡°No. Oliver, run, please. Run!¡± I persisted, and a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as the fear of Antonio or Pap¨¤ torturing and murdering Oliver gripped me.     Oliver narrowed his eyes, staring at me like I was crazy as he walked through those gates,pletely oblivious to the fact that he just walked right into a lion¡¯s den.

 46| Innocent.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you, and where is Sofia?¡± Oliver questioned Antonio arrogantly, looking around the yard.


    ¡°I am Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± Antonio introduced himself nonchntly as he wrapped his arm around Oliver¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let us go inside, and I¡¯d exin better?¡±


    ¡°Sofia has a fianc¨¦?¡± Oliver eximed and shrugged Antonio¡¯s arm off his shoulders, his face contorting into a scowl.


    ¡°Oliver, please leave while you still can.¡± I muttered exhaustingly, looking straight into his eyes, hoping he would listen this time.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°And who said he could?¡± Antonio raised his brow at me, a smug smile ying at his lips.


    ¡°Antonio please.¡± I begged. ¡°He¡¯s innocent.¡±


    ¡°Who said he wasn¡¯t?¡± Antonio uttered before returning his gaze to Oliver and slightly tapping his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going in. Not until someone tells me what¡¯s going on.¡± Oliver retorted defiantly, and a frown masked Antonio¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m lost here. How are you Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦? I know you¡¯re lying. Sofia would never cheat on me.¡±


    ¡°I think you don¡¯t get the memo here. I am not asking you to go inside.¡± His demeanour grew darker as he gazed at Oliver intimidatingly. ¡°I am telling you to go inside now. Do not allow me to repeat myself.¡±


    ¡°What do you think you are?¡± Oliver questioned, his brows raised. ¡°A big bad mafia boss? Or the president? or even the police? You think I¡¯d be scared of you? I have-¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes to the first guess.¡± Antonio proimed as he pulled out a gun, and in a swift move, he pointed it at Oliver, causing him to let out a sharp gasp.


    ¡°Wait, what? Why do you have a gun? Why are you pointing it at me?¡± Oliver tensed.


    ¡°Now, move inside. Believe me, if you try to run, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot.¡± He warned.


    ¡°Antonio, please let him go. Don¡¯t-¡± I chimed in, but he cut me off before I couldplete the sentence.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Antonio, please-¡± I tried to persist, but-


    ¡°I said shut up!¡± He cut me off again, shooting a dangerous re at me.


    At that moment, I knew it was best if I obeyed him before I angered him further, triggering him to take an impulsive decision.


    In no time, Oliver was forced into the house and was taken to Pap¨¤¡¯s office, with me following right behind them. Oliver¡¯s fear was palpable with the way he was shivering from within, and from the look on his face, I knew he also wished he had listened to me when I asked him to run.


    He knew nothing about Sofia¡¯s family. He was just a boy in love who had no idea how dangerous his lover¡¯s family were. Now he was entwined in this dangerous web, with no idea if he¡¯d make it out alive or not. I just hoped he did.


    Antonio opened the door to Pap¨¤¡¯s office, holding it for Oliver to enter.


    ¡°Look who I found.¡± Antonio muttered darkly as he made eye contact with Pap¨¤.


    Confusion spread across Pap¨¤¡¯s face as he leapt to his feet, carefully inching closer to Antonio and Oliver.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Pap¨¤ asked.


    ¡°Sofia¡¯s baby daddy.¡± Antonio revealed, and Pap¨¤ didn¡¯t hesitate to punch Oliver in the face before he got more information.


    ¡°He brought himself to us when he came here looking for Sofia. How audacious.¡± Antonio added, not affected by the blood trickling down Oliver¡¯s face.


    I rushed to Pap¨¤¡¯s desk to get tissue paper before quickly trudging back to Oliver and holding the tissue paper to his bleeding nose, attempting to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°Rosalinda, what did I do?¡± Oliver asked, his perplexity palpable in the way his voice trembled.


    I wanted to tell him that he should have left when I asked him to, but that wouldn¡¯t have helped the matter. He was here already, and I had to find a way to get him out before he lost his life.


    ¡°Doris!¡± Pap¨¤ barked at one of the maids who was in his office at that moment. ¡°Go and get Sofia, now.¡±


    By the time Sofia arrived, Oliver had already received a few punches to his stomach and was groaning in excruciating pain.


    The second Sofiaid her eyes on Oliver, her eyes widened, and abination of fear and concern consumed her expression.


    ¡°Oliver!¡± She eximed, sprinting towards her lover and crouching beside him on the ground.


    ¡°Who are these people? What are you?¡± Oliver seethed, each word punctuated by painful whimpers.


    ¡°Is he the one that got you pregnant?¡± Pap¨¤ growled as he lifted a fist, ready to design Oliver¡¯s face with another punch. But before he could get close enough, Sofia picked herself up, blocking her lover with her body, protecting him.


    ¡°Get out of my way, now!¡± He ordered her, but she refused to obey.


    Instead, she drew in a long breath and exhaled before strongly holding Pap¨¤¡¯s gaze. ¡°No. You¡¯ll have to go through me to hurt him.¡±


    Confusion saturated Pap¨¤¡¯s features at her unexpected defiance. Sofia had always been the overly sweet, soft, and obedient sister. Before now, she never said no to Pap¨¤ and always did whatever he asked of her. No protests. No matter how much she hated it.


    Love changes people anyway.


    ¡°Pap¨¤ please.¡± She added almost immediately, her voice bing softer. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him. He¡¯s innocent.¡±


    ¡°Not when he decided to impregnate you, my daughter. I would kill him.¡± Pap¨¤ fumed, his jaw tightening and his eyes burning with fury.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t his fault!¡± Sofia retorted and immediately shot her eyes tightly close, as if she were trying her best to contain her anger.


    After a few seconds, she shot them back open, continuing. ¡°I was the one who was engaged, not him. He didn¡¯t even know that I was engaged. So, please, Pap¨¤, please. Let him go; don¡¯t kill him. Please!¡±


    Tears began to trickle down her face as she talked, and for a split second, a glimmer of empathy shed through Pap¨¤¡¯s face before disappearing.


    ¡°Pap¨¤, please.¡± My sister pressed on, her desperation palpable in the way she stressed the ¡®please¡¯


    Who wouldn¡¯t be desperate to prevent the death of their lover? If Pap¨¤ killed him, she would not only lose her lover; she would also lose the father to her unborn child. And I definitely knew how devastatingit was to watch one¡¯s child grow without their father.


    ¡°Antonio. Over to you.¡± Pap¨¤ sighed after a while, darting his gaze at him. ¡°It was your engagement that was ruined. You should decide what you want us to do to him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well,¡± Antonio muttered, slowly pulling his gun out of his pocket, and I quickly shook my head.


    ¡°Antonio, please!¡± I pleaded desperately. ¡°I beg you, please!¡±


    He flicked his gaze at me, his eyes narrowing as he stared at me.


    ¡°Please.¡± I persisted, an entreating expression saturating my features, hoping he¡¯d change his mind and let him live.


    His gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before snapping his eyes back at Oliver and taking a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll decide what I want to do with him tomorrow. Keep him here until then.¡± He uttered before turning around and starting to take long strides towards the door.


    As I watched his retreating figure, I blew out a breath I didn¡¯t realise I was holding. A breath of relief, knowing that Oliver will survive the night-which was enough time toe up with a n to save him.

 47| Gone.

    ANTONIO.


    She, Rosalinda, basically controls me. Before now, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to pull the trigger on the man who dared to impregnate my fianc¨¦e, but when I looked into Rosalinda¡¯s eyes and saw the sadness within them, I hesitated. She was changing me in ways I never imagined, making me do things that soothed her and avoid actions that would make her resent me. I always wanted to please her.


    She asked me not to kill Oliver, and I agreed. She asked me to help prevent the marriage with the Romanos, and I agreed. Even though I nned on doing so anyway, I could never allow her father to seed in pushing her into a death trap. Never! I would protect her with everything I have.


    Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered I had unfinished business with Marco and started heading towards his bedroom. He better have a good exnation as to why he spoke to Rosalinda about the marriage proposal with the Romanos.


    Pushing the door open, I ventured into his bedroom, my gaze never leaving his.


    ¡°Why did you tell Rosalinda about the marriage proposal? What is your business with her?¡± I questioned him firmly, folding my arms around my chest as I awaited his response.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she had no idea. We were just talking and-¡± He started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°You just spilled? What were you two discussing in the first ce?¡± I asked, raising a questioning brow.


    ¡°I told her about the marriage proposal so that she would know she¡¯s taken already and stay away from you. You probably know this already, but she clearly made her sister fall pregnant so her father could do some swapping and make her yours. She ruined everything.¡± He used her, causing my face to contort into a scowl.


    I had not known Rosalinda for long, but I knew her well enough to know that she would never make her sister do such a thing, knowing the consequences that mighte with it. Despite being born into a mafia family, her heart was pure and she would never put her sister in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°Do not speak of her in such regard ever again. She¡¯s not that type of person.¡± I strongly defended her.


    ¡°When ites to her, you barely think straight. When Sofia announced the pregnancy, you showed little or no reaction. Do you think that¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°I nned on ending the engagement anyway.¡± I confessed, blowing out a sharp breath.


    Marco was right; I barely showed any reaction, but that was because I was relieved. As much as I hated that she got pregnant with another man, her pregnancy was to my advantage. Because of her announcement, I was saved from having to break off the engagement myself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you n on moving to Rosalinda. You know you can¡¯t do that, right?¡± Marco questioned, his eyes narrowing as he stared at me like an alien who took the form of his boss. He never thought I could be someone like this, and I understood him; even I would have never thought.


    ¡°No.¡± I muttered, slightly shaking my head.


    ¡®Then-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why I nned to end the engagement, because I won¡¯t tell you.¡± I cut him off. Being Carlo¡¯s father was a secret I intended to keep from everyone, including Marco.


    ¡°And-¡± I pointed my index finger at him, warning him. ¡°Stay away from Rosalinda. I promise you, the next time I have to tell you to stay away from her, it won¡¯t be a warning anymore.¡±


    With that, I turned around and dashed out of his room.


    The following day, I was at Moretti¡¯s mansion early. Not only because I had a decision to make about Oliver, but also because I had a pending business with Roberto. Yesterday, we didn¡¯t get to discuss our products that were arriving because he wasn¡¯t in a good state of mind to talk business after what happened.


    Standing in front of his office, I knocked and was permitted to enter almost immediately.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Roberto and his son Matteo said in unison as I slipped inside the office.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I responded, slightly nodding as I trudged towards him and settled on the seat across from him.


    He darted his gaze at his son, instructing him. ¡°Matteo, go and get that bastard.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Matteo nodded before dashing out of the room.


    I hadn¡¯t even thought of what to do with him yet. One thing I knew for sure was that I could not kill him; that would mean Rosalinda hating me, and I couldn¡¯t bear that. I started racking my brain, thinking of a punishment she would be okay with. Maybe break one of his legs or arms? After being hospitalized for a few weeks, he should be okay.


    Roberto¡¯s phone suddenly started ringing, cutting through my thoughts.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Don Diego.¡± He said into the phone after picking up, and my attention quickly drew to him.


    ¡°Yes, our appointment still stands. Lily¡¯s cuisine,ter, by 2. 00pm, right?¡± He muttered again. After a few seconds of what seemed like confirming an appointment, the call ended.


    ¡°Was that Diego Romano?¡± I asked to confirm, and he nodded.


    ¡°Are you going to lecture me on how dangerous an alliance with him is?¡± He asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my business anymore.¡± I grunted, adjusting in my seat. I lied. Of course, it was my business. Everything that concerned Rosalinda was my business.


    As I thought of his appointment with Diego, a very dark idea coursed through me. I knew the time, I knew the venue, and I knew the date. I might as well use that information to my advantage. I would do anything to end the marriage n.


    ¡°So, what do you n to do with him-Oliver?¡± Roberto asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. ¡°I¡¯ll decide based on my mood when I see him.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± He took his hand to his temple, slightly scratching it. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can we keep doing business together even-¡±


    The door suddenly dinged open, and Matteo ventured inside, breathing heavily and without Oliver by his side or even behind him.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Roberto groaned as he sprung to his feet, approaching Matteo with long strides.


    ¡°Oliver is gone.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Roberto eximed.


    ¡°I looked for him everywhere but couldn¡¯t find-¡± Matteo continued, but-


    ¡°Get me Rosalinda and Sofia, now!¡± Roberto cut him off, his rage palpable in the way his voice thundered.

 48| I Have A Plan.

    ROSALINDA.


    A knock echoed on the door, swinging open almost immediately to reveal Matteo standing before us.


    ¡°What have you two done?!¡± He eximed, darting his gaze between Sofia and me.


    ¡°What we had to do.¡± I retorted as I sprung to my feet and waited for him to say it. I knew Pap¨¤ had asked him to call us-a call we had been anxiously waiting for in my bedroom since freeing Oliver.


    He sighed, staring at us disappointedly. ¡°Pap¨¤ asked me to call both of you. He¡¯s in his office.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I turned to look at Sofia, extending my hand to her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She whispered as she took my hand, and I helped her up.


    She looked really anxious, and I was too. I was anxious to meet Pap¨¤ after freeing Oliver, but we did what we had to do.


    He was innocent and didn¡¯t deserve to die for nothing. So after everyone had sleptst night, Sofia and I went to the room where he was locked in and destroyed the lock, helping him escape. Even in his terrible situation, he still found a way to express how hurt and disappointed he was at Sofia for lying to him. He had always believed that he was the only one, not knowing that Sofia had a fianc¨¦ and was set to marry. He felt really betrayed.


    Coming to a stop in front of Pap¨¤¡¯s office, Sofia and I inhaled and exhaled, bracing ourselves for what was toe.


    After a few seconds, we finally pushed the door open. And as we slipped inside the office, Pap¨¤¡¯s raging eyes met mine, and a wave of chills ran up my spine.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± He fumed.


    ¡°Did you seriously expect us to allow you to kill the father of her unborn child?¡± I retorted, holding his gaze, even though every part of me felt intimidated.


    ¡°What would we tell the baby when he or she grows up?¡± I added, taking a step forward. ¡°That their grand father killed their father?¡±


    ¡°And what gave you the assurance that I would allow her to bring that bastard into this world?!¡± He spit menacingly, taking intimidating steps towards me, forcing me to recoil.


    Even though I tried acting brave before my father, a part of me still feared him.


    ¡°No.¡± I muttered, shaking my head repeatedly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, Pap¨¤. You won¡¯t make her terminate the pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°At least we know who got Sofia pregnant, but we can¡¯t say the same for you. Tell me, who-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this about me.¡± I interjected.


    ¡°Who is Carlo¡¯s father?¡± He continued anyway, raising a brow.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d tell you? So that you¡¯ll hunt him down and kill him?¡± I fired back as my heart started beating really fast against my ribcage. I hated being reminded about that. I didn¡¯t know Carlo¡¯s father, and that was a fact I wasn¡¯t willing to share with my father because he¡¯d use it to taunt me forever.


    ¡°Uhm, let¡¯s focus on the issue at hand.¡± Antonio suddenly chimed in, scratching the back of his neck. ¡°We should find Oliver.¡±


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Sofia finally spoke since we got here.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Antonio cocked his brow, gazing at her menacingly.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ignoring him, Sofia returned her gaze to Pap¨¤, gritting out. ¡°If you so much as hurt one hair on his head, I swear to God, I would kill myself. And I am not even bluffing.¡±


    My eyes narrowed as I stared at her, perplexed at her choice of words. I had never expected Sofia to threaten Pap¨¤. Especially not with her life.


    ¡°And I would give birth to this baby.¡± She added, cing her hand on her belly and gently rubbing it.


    The shock that saturated Pap¨¤¡¯s face was so immense. Her words left him speechless for a few seconds before darting his gaze at me.


    ¡°Sofia was never disobedient. You taught her this, right? You told her what to say.¡± He groaned in fury, pointing an usatory finger at me.


    My eyes narrowed at him as I slowly shook my head. ¡°You really don¡¯t know the difference between having a mind of your own and disobedience!¡±


    ¡°You keep ming her for everything. As if I¡¯m a puppet that could be controlled.¡± Sofia gritted out.


    ¡°What?!¡± Pap¨¤ eximed, darting his eyes between the both of us in disbelief. I bet he never expected a day like this toe. A day where both of his daughters would be strongly rebellious against him.


    ¡°Your daughter¡¯s life is more important. And from the look of things, she¡¯s not bluffing.¡± Antonio sighed, inching closer to Pap¨¤ and tapping his shoulder lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s just let go. I am okay with not punishing him. What¡¯s done has been done.¡±


    Pap¨¤ shut his eyes tightly before opening them again, his raging eyes piecing into Sofia¡¯s. ¡°Okay. You win!¡± He eximed with fury. ¡°He can live. But if I ever see you with him again, I promise you, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill him.¡±


    Sofia and I let out a sigh of relief in sync. Pap¨¤ was a man of his words, and that was an assurance that he wouldn¡¯t go after him. Oliver was safe. We indeed won!


    ¡°Leave my sight, now!¡± He barked, his jaw tightening, and without hesitation, we both dashed out of his office.


    Later that day, while I was in my room watching a movie on myptop, the door dinged open, and I turned to see Antonio walking into my room.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I sat up and slid to the edge of the bed.


    ¡°How are you?¡± He asked warmly, a small smile tugging at his lips.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I muttered. I hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to show my gratitude since yesterday. He was going to pull the trigger, but he hesitated when I pleaded with him. Most mafia bosses wouldn¡¯t have listened to that plea, but he did. And because of him, time was stalled, and we were able to help Oliver escape.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He replied, sitting down beside me on the bed.


    ¡°So-¡± A smile touched my lips as I raised my brow. ¡°How do you have the nerve to sneak into my room all the time? Aren¡¯t you worried that someone will catch you here? Perhaps my dad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worth every risk.¡± He grinned. He suddenly took his hand to my hair, tucking it behind my ear, his fingers slightly brushing my skin.


    My heart pattered to an uneven beat, and heat rushed to the pit of my stomach. His eyes and the way they stared at me caused my body to burn with desires I almost forgot existed. With all the drama ying out, I thought my desires for him had magically disappeared. But I was wrong; the desires were still as strong as they always were. It just took an intense gaze and a slight touch to spark them back to life.


    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡± He asked after a long stretch of silence, his hazel eyes still glued to mine.


    Oh, if only he knew how much my body reacted to him.


    A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°About the engagement with Liam Romano, I¡¯ll help you stop it. Diego Romano got into trouble with a Russian mafia family. The Petrovs are insanely dangerous, and I can¡¯t let you go into that family. Once they start retaliating for what Diego did, the lives of everyone around them will be threatened.¡±


    ¡°What-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry yourself.¡± He interjected, grazing his fingers over his cheeks. ¡°I have a n.¡±


    ¡°What is your n?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll know when it¡¯s done.¡± He affirmed, his alluring eyes slowly gazing down at my lips, and I suddenly felt his thumb on them, slightly rubbing them.


    ¡°Just promise to keep your mouth shut when it happens.¡± He continued.


    ¡°I am good at keeping secrets.¡± I assured, a small smile ying at my lips.

 49| Lily鈥檚 Cuisine.

    ANTONIO.


    I made a promise to her, and I had every intention of keeping it. Not just for her, but also for our son, Carlo. He deserved to grow up with his mother, and with the impending war between the Romanos and the Petrovs, there was every possible chance that she¡¯d lose her life if she became part of the Romano family.


    After leaving Rosalinda¡¯s room, I made my way to Carlo¡¯s room to visit him; unfortunately, he was sleeping when I arrived. But I didn¡¯t leave immediately. I couldn¡¯t resist staring at him, a soothing warmth filling my heart. I had always liked him, but that feeling doubled after discovering that he was my blood and flesh. I never knew what it felt like to have a son, and that feeling was still new to me. But one thing was sure: It was the best feeling ever. And as I continued staring at him with love, I knew I¡¯d do anything to protect him-my sweet little boy.


    After a few minutes of contemtive observation, I leaned in and ced a soft kiss on his forehead before leaping to my feet and trudging to the door.


    As I swung the door open, Sofia came into view, and my face immediately contorted into a frown.


    ¡°You adore him, don¡¯t you?¡± She remarked, a small smile curling on her lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s quite audacious for you to stand before me and ask silly questions after what you did?¡± I asked, raising a brow at her.


    I had no fury in me for Rosalinda after helping Oliver escape. But I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the same case with Sofia. She was supposed to be my bride and went ahead to fall pregnant for another man. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, she freed him and threatened her father with her life if he ever went after him. I had every reason to be furious at her.


    ¡°Uhm..¡± She paused for a few seconds before sighing. ¡°Thank you for not killing him yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you.¡± I gritted out.


    ¡°I know. You did it for her.¡± She muttered in an affirmative tone.


    I wasn¡¯t going to confirm her guess, and I wouldn¡¯t deny it either. So, pressing my lips tightly together, I gently pushed her out of my way and walked away from her.


    After leaving Moretti¡¯s mansion, I went straight home, as I needed to start making preparations for my n. Diego and Roberto were meetingter that day, and my intention was to scare Roberto into backing out of the marriage alliance.


    Marco was in the living room when I got home, and I walked straight to him.


    ¡°Do we have explosives?¡± I asked with urgency, and confusion spread across his face.


    ¡°What do you need explosives for?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Just answer the damn question.¡± I groaned impatiently. I wasn¡¯t going to disclose my n to him, as I didn¡¯t need him trying to talk me out of it, telling me how dangerous it was and how I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. I knew it was dangerous, and I was fully aware of what I was doing when I decided to take that risk.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied, sighing exasperatedly.


    ¡°Good. Get one for me.¡± I instructed before turning to look at Vito, who was also in the living room.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We have somewhere to go together, Vito. Get ready. And¨C¡± I took my hand to my face, pinching the bridge of my nose. ¡°Put on your best disguise.¡±


    Within a few minutes, Marco got the explosive ready, and Vito also put on his best disguise as I had instructed. Everything was ready.


    Diego and Roberto nned to meet by 2 p. m. at Lily¡¯s Cuisine, and by 1 p. m., I was already in the area. I infiltrated an abandoned sixth-floor apartment with a strategic view of Lily¡¯s Cuisine.


    At exactly 2 p. m., they both arrived, and we got into action. A few minutes after they entered the building, Vito walked towards Diego¡¯s car, crouched down beside it, and expertly nted an explosive in the undercarriage of the car as I had instructed. He briskly walked away from the car afterwards, and so the wait began.


    After an hour of impatient waiting, they finally walked out of the building, grinning from ear to ear at each other as if they had bothe to an agreement that was favourable for both of them. Well, that was about to end.


    ¡°Now!¡± Imanded into the phone, signalling Vito, who had been on standby, waiting for my instructions.


    Executing our n seamlessly, he handed a piece of paper to a young boy, instructing him to deliver it to Diego before swiftly disappearing.


    As instructed, the boy walked up to Diego and handed the paper to him. Confusion saturated Diego¡¯s face as he took the paper. Before unfolding it, he looked around for who might have sent the boy on that errand, and when he didn¡¯t notice any suspicious person, he proceeded to unfold the paper.


    The message read:¡°Next time, I¡¯d wait for you to enter the car before blowing it up. Regards, Petrov.¡±


    Diego started recoiling, his expression shifting to sheer horror, signalling that he had read the message.


    Seizing the moment of shock, I pressed the detonator, unleashing a fiery explosion that engulfed his car.


    Luckily, his car stood alone, sparing other cars from the destructive force.


    I went to a great length, assuming the persona of a Petrov, to instill fear in Roberto and prevent the impending marriage alliance with the Romanos¡¯. I needed to put some sense into him by showing him a glimpse of the brutal reality awaiting once the war between the Romanos and Petrovs began.And it was only a matter of time before it happened. A lot of lives would be lost with a high probability of Rosalinda being inclusive.


    Knowing how dangerous what I just did was and knowing how much blood might be shed if Diego ever found out that I was the one behind it, I went ahead to do it anyway.


    I meant every word when I said I¡¯d do anything to protect Rosalinda and my son, Carlo.

 50| Why?

    ROSALINDA.


    I was seated on the front porch, gazing at nothingness and deep in thought, when Pap¨¤¡¯s car pulled up in the driveway, grasping my attention. He scrambled out of the car and walked hastily towards the front door. Noticinghis disheveled appearance, my eyes widened, and I jumped full steam on the worry train.


    He looked like a total mess-clothes were stained with dust and debris, hair disheveled, and skin covered in soot. What the hell happened?!


    Without hesitation, I jumped to my feet and inched closer to him. ¡°Pap¨¤.¡± I called, concerned, as my eyes travelled all over his body. ¡°What happened?¡±


    He opened his mouth to talk, but his words died on his lips when the sound of a car revving distracted him. We both drifted our gazes to the source of the noise, and my eyes squinted when I saw Antonio slipping out of his car. He was here earlier; what was he doing here again?


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Antonio took a sudden pause, his eyes roaming over Pap¨¤, when he noticed the state he was in.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He added as he started approaching Pap¨¤. ¡°Why are you like this?¡±


    ¡°The Petrov family.¡± Pap¨¤ groaned as he frustratedly swiped his palm over his face. ¡°They have started retaliating for what Diego did.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s bad.¡± Antonio shook his head, a scowl on his face. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    ¡°I was with Diego today, and his car blew up.¡± Pap¨¤ revealed, blowing out a sharp breath.


    Antonio didn¡¯t seem surprised, and a hunch began to tick. Earlier, he told me that he would help me prevent the marriage, and when I asked how, he told me that I would know when it¡¯s done. This couldn¡¯t be it. Antonio wouldn¡¯t blow up a car just to prevent that marriage. Or, would he?


    He raised a brow. ¡°I hope there was no fatality.¡±


    ¡°No. No one died.¡± Pap¨¤ told him, sighing. ¡°So, do you need something? Or why are you here?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°I forgot my phone in your office. So I came to get it. I would havee earlier, but I was busy.¡± Antonio told him, sighing.


    The more I stared at him and his every reaction, the more the hunch clung tightly to my chest, and the more I desperately wanted to ask him if he did it.


    Nodding slightly, Pap¨¤ muttered. ¡°You can go and get it.¡±


    Turning around, Pap¨¤ trudged to the front door. And as Antonio began to trail behind him, he briefly nced at me.


    ¡°Did you do it?¡± I mouthed, my eyes widening in perplexity as I stared at him.


    Hoisting his index finger up, he ced it over his lips and smirked before darting his eyes away from me.


    He did it! That man terrified me!


    I had never expected him to go to such lengths just to warn my Pap¨¤. He took a great risk. A risk that might spark a feud if they ever found out that Antonio was behind the explosion and not the Petrov family as they believed. Why would Antonio take such a risk just to prevent the marriage? It just didn¡¯t make sense. At all!


    My mind still racing with thoughts, I headed to my room to wait for him. He would show up before leaving; of that, I was sure.


    I didn¡¯t even have to wait for too long before my door was swung open and he appeared before me.


    A smirk curled on his lips as he approached me. ¡°Hello, princess.¡±


    ¡°You did it, right?¡± I used, and he nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°You know how dangerous that is, right?¡± I asked firmly, a frown masking my features.


    ¡°Of course.¡± He muttered, shrugging.


    ¡°Antonio, are you out of your mind?!¡± I eximed, my breathing getting ragged. I couldn¡¯t fathom why he would ever go to such lengths for me. A very dangerous length.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± He asked, slowly closing the distance between us. ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you, Rosalinda. Anything.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But¨C¡± I trailed off, raking my hand through my hair as I tried to wrap my head around it.


    ¡°What if you get caught?¡± I breathed out. ¡°What if-¡±


    He ced his finger over my lips, shutting me up.


    ¡°But why?¡± I pressed on, staring directly into his eyes. ¡°Why did you take such a risk for me? You aren¡¯t even engaged to my sister anymore; talk more about saying you did it because I was your sister-inw. Why, Antonio?¡±


    ¡°I did it for you, Rosa.¡± He blurted out, cupping the side of my neck with his big palm.


    ¡°But why?¡± I questioned, my eyes brimming with a multitude of emotions. Gratefulness, curiosity, perplexity, and desires.


    ¡°I think you know why already. It¡¯s clear as day. But if you want me to spell it out for you, I would.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¨C¡± I tried to interject, but he didn¡¯t allow me to speak as he continued.


    ¡°I like you. I am crazy about you. Whenever I am with you, I can¡¯t think straight. The only thing I keep thinking of is how I want to kiss you like I own you.¡± He spurted out.


    I stood there, transfixed by his confession. My heart started beating so hard against its ribcage as I batted myshes uncontrobly. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked him too. I was drawn to him in ways that I shouldn¡¯t. He was the very first man I ever liked this much, despite being my brother-inw, despite kidnapping my best friend and torturing her, despite almost losing my life as a result of his actions, despite giving me a million reasons to hate him, despite all the darkness he was made of. I still liked him. And I was insanely attracted to him.


    ¡°And I know you feel the same.¡± He added, gently massaging the side of my neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel the same.¡± I denied, my breathing ragged.


    ¡°Really? Then why can I feel your heart beating so fast? Why has your breathing quickened?¡± He slowly brought his face close to mine, his hot breath blowing on my face. Connecting his nose with mine, he continued. ¡°It¡¯s really hard for me to control myself around you.¡±


    I opened my mouth to talk, but he suddenly ced his lips on mine, and my already rapid heartbeat elerated. As I had a taste of his lips, I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, and myst shred of control snapped.


    He waited for a few seconds, making sure he had my approval, before starting to gently suck my bottom lip. I reciprocated, gently sucking his upper lip. In a split second, what started off as a gentle, sweet kiss escted into something more aggressive, more demanding, as our lips began to smack roughly against each other, the intensity growing with each passing moment.

 51| Ultrasound.

    ROSALINDA.


    Reliving the mesmerizing kiss with Antonio was something I couldn¡¯t stop doing. Once our lips connected, everything else ceased to matter. I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing until the kiss ended-the deep, long kiss punctuated with our shared breaths and asional gasps.


    We had crossed a line. And as much as I tried convincing myself that he wasn¡¯t engaged to Sofia anymore, the guilt of kissing him still clung tightly to my chest.


    But did I regret kissing him? A smile curled on my lips as the sweet memory of the kiss flooded my head for the hundredth time today.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been smiling from time to time. Did something good happen?¡± Sofia asked, cutting through my torrents of thoughts.


    I shook my head slightly as I turned to look at her. ¡°I¡¯m just excited to see the baby.¡± I lied.


    Sofia, Matteo, and I were at the hospital. We apanied her for her first pregnancy ultrasound. The baby was sixteen weeks old. Apparently, Sofia had been pregnant even before the failed wedding. But she was oblivious about her pregnancy status. When she realised she was pregnant, she became moody and distant. All this time, I thought she was distant because of what she thought was going on between Antonio and me. But I was wrong. She was going through an emotional hell. And I really hoped I was more observant.


    ¡°Are we going to wait here forever before you are called on?¡± Matteo asked, impatiently tapping his feet. ¡°I am tired of waiting.¡±


    ¡°Rx.¡± I told him, slightly shaking my head.


    ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯ll go out and take a smoke. Call me if you need anything.¡± He muttered as he leapt to his feet and walked away.


    Typical of Matteo. He was never a patient man. And to make matters worse, he hated hospitals. It was clear that he¡¯d rather be anywhere else than be in the hospital with us. He only went with us because Pap¨¤ wouldn¡¯t allow us to go to the hospital alone.


    Hoisting my head up, I caught sight of an average-height man sprinting towards us. He had a facemask and a  face cap on, making it incredibly difficult to see his face.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I called with a start as I instinctively wrapped my arm around her shoulders.


    ¡°Oliver?¡± She called, unsure, as the person came to a stop before us.


    He swiftly unmasked himself and pulled off the face cap, a smile spreading on his lips.


    ¡°Oliver?¡± I called, surprised, before quickly looking around to be sure Matteo had left.


    Confirming that he wasn¡¯t in sight, I returned my gaze to Oliver, my eyes squinting at him. ¡°Are you out of your mind? I thought I made it clear that you should leave town and never return.¡±


    ¡°I left. But when she told me that she¡¯de for the first ultrasound sound today, I couldn¡¯t help bute. I couldn¡¯t miss it.¡± Oliver exined.


    I swung my head to the side to look at Sofia, raising a brow. ¡°You¡¯ve beenmunicating with him?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I tried not to contact him, but I couldn¡¯t. I cannot do without him.¡± She darted her gaze at Oliver, a small frown on her face. ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you so you coulde. You being here is risky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I waited for your brother to leave beforeing close. I¡¯ve been lurking around, waiting for an opportunity to get closer.¡± He said excitedly.


    Sofia¡¯s face brimmed with joy as she sprung up and wrapped her arms around him excitedly.


    As annoyed as I was, I couldn¡¯t help but sneak a smile on my lips. They both looked adorable. Despite almost losing his life, he still stuck with her. Love was indeed a wonderful thing. But it was sad that they¡¯d never be together.


    Pap¨¤ would never allow that.


    ¡°Ms. Sofia Moretti.¡± A nurse suddenly called, and we all shifted our attention to her.


    ¡°Here,¡± Sofia said, waving her hand frantically.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± The nurse asked, and Sofia nodded excitedly.


    Her mood had gone from zero to a hundred since Oliver appeared. I loved it for her.


    We were led to a room, and as we walked in, a pretty blonde woman who was seated by the examination table shed her teeth at us.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Moretti. I¡¯m Caroline. How are you today?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°Fine. And you?¡± Sofia replied.


    ¡°I am good.¡± She said, darting her gaze between Oliver and me. ¡°I believe this is the father, right?¡± she asked, settling her gaze on Oliver.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Sofia replied, a smile curling on her lips.


    ¡°Hello, baby¡¯s daddy. And-¡± She trailed off, her gaze fixed on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sofia¡¯s sister.¡± I quickly said, saving her the trouble of guessing.


    ¡°Right. Hello.¡± She said, a smile spreading on her lips.


    A polite smile touched my lips as I replied. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Sofiay on the examination table, and when the sonographer was sure that she wasfortable, she applied a gel to her abdomen. We eagerly watched as she skillfully glided the wand over Sofia¡¯s abdomen.


    As she continued moving the wand, a grainy image was revealed on the screen, and the rhythmic whooshing sound of the foetus heartbeat echoed through the monitor. Sofia¡¯s eyes glistened with tears, her lips curling into a smile as she marvelled at the first glimpses of her unborn child.


    Oliver also had the same expression, as would any parent.


    When I saw the first glimpse of Carlo, I was overwhelmed with joy, and the second I heard the gentle echo of his whooshing heartbeat, a profound connection flourished between me and the tiny life growing within me.


    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Caroline beamed, darting her gaze between Sofia and the monitor. ¡°Two hearts beat. Two foetuses.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I eximed as my eyes started welling up with tears. Tears of joy.


    She didn¡¯t have just one life flourishing within her, but two!


    Two!


    That was an incredibly great news, and I was more than happy for her. I¡¯d be an aunt to two beautiful babies.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± We suddenly heard Matteo¡¯s voice call before the door swung open, revealing him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you done?¡± He asked as he slipped into the room.


    My heart dropped to my stomach as I turned to look at Oliver. He had crouched behind the examination table, pretending to pick something up. One could tell that someone was there, but his face wasn¡¯t visible.


    ¡°Wait. Are those two fetuses?¡± Matteo asked, his face lighting up with joy as he walked further into the room.


    ¡°Matteo, you smoked, right?¡± Sofia asked, scrunching up her face. ¡°Please leave.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Matteo asked, confused, as he stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°The smell is all over you.¡± She suddenly started hitting her chest dramatically. ¡°The smell is nauseating. I feel suffocated.¡±


    ¡°Since when did smoke start suffocating you?¡± Matteo asked, still confused.


    ¡°Since I became pregnant!¡± She eximed, shooing him away.


    ¡°Just leave, Matteo. Before she suffocates.¡±, I yed along, raising my brow at him.


    I knew very well that Sofia wasn¡¯t suffocating. It was all pretense. She wanted him to leave so he wouldn¡¯t see Oliver.


    Blowing out a sharp breath and slightly shaking his head, he turned around and walked out of the room.


    ¡°That was close.¡± Oliver sighed as he straightened back up.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯te so close next time.¡± I retorted, shaking my head.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°If I may ask, what was that about?¡± Caroline asked curiously as she darted her gaze between the three of us.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± We all said in sync.


    After getting the photo from the ultrasound, we went back home, excited to share the news with Mama. She was the only one who had been supportive ever since Sofia announced her pregnancy, though she wasn¡¯tpletely okay with it. She hated that her second daughter would also give birth out of wedlock. She was disappointed but understanding.


    ¡°Mama.¡± I beamed as I pushed her door open and slipped into the bedroom.


    But the smile on Sofia and I¡¯s faces slowly faded when we caught sight of the person who was in the bedroom with her.


    Pap¨¤.


    ¡°Good news?¡± Mama asked, a smile curling on her lips.


    ¡°Fantastic news!¡± I beamed as I approached her, not minding that Pap¨¤ was still there.


    ¡°Guess what?!¡± I eximed, excitedly shing the ultrasound photos at her face. ¡°Twins!¡±


    Mama¡¯s face lit up as she took hold of the photos. ¡°This is good news!¡±


    ¡°Double disgraces.¡± Pap¨¤ groaned with disdain.


    ¡°Roberto!¡± Mama eximed, ring at him.


    ¡°I have important things to do.¡± He muttered as he started trudging towards the door.


    He always had a way of ruining moods!


    After a few steps, he suddenly came to a halt, turning to look at me.


    ¡°Anyway, Rosalinda. You¡¯ll be engaged soon. I just thought I should let you know.¡± He announced.


    ¡°To who?¡± I quickly asked, my eyes filling with horror.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees. You should be d someone sees interest in you despite your¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°Despite having a son,¡±


    My heart started beating rapidly at the horrendous news.


    My father still intended to proceed with the marriage alliance with the Romanos. Despite the fear Antonio tried to instill in him.


    Does he really have no regard for my life?


    Does he really put his business before me?

 52| Wrong Number.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°Do you even care about my life at all?¡± I asked Pap¨¤, deciding to confront him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He questioned me, studying my face as if awaiting a solution to a puzzle.


    Taking a step forward, I enlightened him. ¡°I know about your n to sign an agreement with the Romanos.¡±


    His forehead creased into multiple lines, and before he could speak, I continued. ¡°Pap¨¤, he¡¯s at war with a Russian family, and they blew up his car right in your presence. Yet, here you are, still willing to sell me off to that family. Did you ever love me?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that? I can¡¯t remember telling you about a marriage alliance with the Romanos. Who told you that?¡± He questioned, tilting his head to the side.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I trailed off, scratching the back of my head. Marco was the one who told me before Antonio confirmed it, and I couldn¡¯t let Pap¨¤ know about my encounter with Marco, as telling him would lead to more questions.


    Questions that I couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Who told you?¡± he repeated authoritatively.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I opted for the only way out. ¡°Liam told me about it.¡± I blurted out.


    I didn¡¯t exactly lie. Liam really told me about the marriage alliance when he said he came to ask for my hand in marriage. Just that, I thought he was joking then.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been speaking with Liam?¡± Pap¨¤ asked, his frown getting deeper.


    ¡°Not exactly. I saw him when he came herest week, and we only had a little chat then.¡± I said truthfully.


    Pap¨¤ slightly shook his head, sighing. ¡°I was never going to marry you off to Liam. I was just using them for business.¡± He revealed.


    Confusion consumed me as I quickly asked. ¡°But you said I¡¯d be engaged soon. Who-¡±


    ¡°I said you¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± He interjected firmly.His phone suddenly started ringing, and as he slid it out of his pocket, I curiously peeked to see who the caller was.


    My heart skipped a beat when I read the name shing on his screen.


    Antonio Russo.


    How I¡¯ve missed him. It¡¯s been less than twenty-four hours since Ist saw him, but I¡¯ve been dreaming of when I¡¯ll next see him.


    ¡°I¡¯m around. I¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡± Pap¨¤ said into the phone before hanging up.


    His statement could only mean one thing. Antonio was in his office, waiting for him. And that means I¡¯ll get to see him today. The thought of that caused a small smile to creep up my lips, but I quickly reced my expression with a neutral one before Pap¨¤ noticed.


    Without uttering another word to me, Pap¨¤ turned around and trudged out of the room.


    The second he left, thoughts of how Pap¨¤ never intended to marry me off to Liam came racing through my mind. Antonio blew up Diego¡¯s car for nothing!Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Sofia called, and I turned to look at her. I had almost forgotten that she was there.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked, a concerned look masking her face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not allow that announcement to ruin our moods. I had always known that my life partner was never my choice to make anyway.¡± I muttered, forcing a smile on my lips as I approached her and Mama.


    Before she could utter a word, I continued, changing the subject. ¡°When do we start shopping for the babies?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to talk about our problems and-¡± She started, but I cut her off, changing the subject yet again.


    ¡°Carlo would be so excited to have twin cousins!¡± I eximed cheerfully.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± Mama called, concerned.


    I wasn¡¯t interested in having that conversation with either Mama or Sofia. I needed to get out there before they forced me to, and I quickly came up with an excuse.


    ¡°Speaking of Carlo.¡± I muttered, darting my gaze between the both of them. ¡°I think I should go and check on him.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, I turned around and dashed out of the room before they could stop me.


    I needed to go and wait for Antonio anyway. I knew he¡¯d show up in my bedroom once he finished at Pap¨¤¡¯s office.


    But he never did. I waited for an hour, two hours, and three hours till it got dark, but Antonio never showed up.


    A few more days passed-a few more days of me waiting for him, hoping he¡¯d show up in my room. But he never did.


    I kept making excuses for him as to why he stoppeding to see me. I told myself that he was probably busy. But deep down, I knew that if he really wanted to see me, he wouldn¡¯t be too busy for me.


    Antonio kissed and dumped me!


    He got what he wanted and tossed me away. I should¡¯ve known. I shouldn¡¯t have been stupid enough to kiss him. But my desires were too strong to control, and I couldn¡¯t resist him.


    But I had sure learned my lesson. If he ever showed up in my face again, I¡¯d shut him out like a bad habit and never forgive him for the pain he caused me.


    I was hurt and in intense pain. His absence left a void in my heart, and I never knew I¡¯d miss him the way I did. I hated that he had that much effect on me. I was consumed with thoughts of him every second, every minute, and every hour of every day. I was drowning in sorrow, and I could feel my sanity slipping away from me.


    I needed to talk to someone about it. I needed to speak to someone. Anyone!


    Before I could even stop myself, I reached for my phone and dialled the number of the only person I always felt safe speaking with. My best friend.


    Even though we were not as close as we used to be-thanks to the incident that happened with Antonio-I still needed to speak with her.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I said into the phone the moment she picked up, hoping she¡¯d be willing to talk about it, considering how much she hated the person involved.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± A familiar voice, which wasn¡¯t Ruby¡¯s, sounded from the other end of the line.


    Shocked, I quickly withdrew the phone from my ear and nced at the screen to be sure I hadn¡¯t mistakenly dialed the wrong number.


    ¡®Ruby¡¯ appeared boldly on the screen, and my face immediately contorted into a deep frown as I took the phone back to my ear.


    ¡°Antonio! What the hell are you doing with Ruby¡¯s phone?!¡± I seethed.

 53| Who Are You?

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Antonio said from the other end of the line. That was one thing I was incapable of doing at that moment, until I knew why he had Ruby¡¯s phone and if she was safe.


    ¡°Why are you on Ruby¡¯s phone?¡± I impatiently questioned.


    He sighed. ¡°Ruby got into an ident, and I followed the ambnce to the hospital.¡±


    My stomach twisted unpleasantly as fear began to crawl up my spine. I desperately hoped Ruby was okay.


    ¡°Which hospital?¡± I asked urgently.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry; she¡¯s stable. Just stay at home and-¡±


    ¡°Which hospital?¡± I insisted, cutting him off. I was extremely worried already, and he had no right to tell me what to do.


    After he revealed the hospital, I sneaked out of the house and rushed down there, not before narrowly escaping being caught by one of Pap¨¤¡¯s men.


    Antonio was patrolling in the hospital corridor when I got there, and a wave of emotions washed over me the second I sighted him. Above all those emotions was fury.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I demanded as I sprinted towards him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone behind you. Did youe here alone?¡± He questioned, furrowing his brows.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± I gritted out before repeating my question. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    He stared at me for a few seconds, and realising I wouldn¡¯t relent until he answered my question, he sighed.


    ¡°She¡¯s in that room.¡± He finally said, motioning at the door to one of the many rooms in the hallway. ¡°It¡¯s a private ward. I already paid for all expenses.¡±


    ¡°How did it happen?¡± I fired another question at him, ring usingly. ¡°She got into an ident, and you happened to be there? How coincidental. Or-¡±


    ¡°Do not use me.¡± He cut me off, sighing. ¡°Believe me not, I have important things to do, and I¡¯d rather be doing those things than be in the hospital right now.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± He cut me off again. ¡°If I really caused the ident, why would I even bother to follow her to the hospital then? And why would I even want that for her?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you caused it.¡± I replied, shrugging.


    I didn¡¯t even know why I used him. Antonio wouldn¡¯t stoop so low to the extent of orchestrating an ident for Ruby. He had no reason to.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re insinuating.¡± He pointed out.


    A nurse stepped out of Ruby¡¯s ward, and I flicked my attention at her. I immediately forgot about whatever conversation Antonio and I were having and inched closer to her.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked with a hitched breath.


    ¡°And you are?¡± The nurse eyed me cautiously.


    ¡°Her best friend,¡± I replied.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Antonio¡¯s voice sounded beside me.


    ¡°She¡¯s stable. You can go in and see her now.¡± She told us before walking away.


    Without hesitation, I pushed the door open and rushed into the room.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Ruby called the moment she sighted me, writhing in pain.


    My worry grew even more intense when I noticed how bad her condition was. Her head was wrapped in bandages, with bruises all over her body. She looked terrible.


    ¡°How did it happen?¡± I hastened towards her, sitting beside her on the bed. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Like I am going to die.¡± She mumbled, her voice barely audible. She winced in pain, and I wished there was something I could do to help relieve her from the suffering.


    Her eyes widened as she darted her gaze towards the door. Tracing her line of sight, I turned to see Antonio standing by the door.


    ¡°What is he doing here?!¡± She eximed, and a surge of energy suddenly burst within her as she began to throw tantrums, demanding Antonio leave.


    ¡°Ruby, calm down.¡± I quickly said as I tried to get her to rx, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. She was hell-bent on making him leave.


    ¡°He was at the scene of the ident, and he followed the ambnce here. He paid all the bills.¡± I exined.


    ¡°What?¡± Confusion saturated her face as she asked, finally calming down. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a heart, why would he do that? Did he really follow me here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I muttered, nodding my head. ¡°That was how I got to know that you were here. I called, and he picked up the call-on your phone.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t make me forgive all the things he did to me.¡± She seethed.


    I had no intention to argue that with her because she was damn right. The one good thing he did can¡¯t erase the immense pain he caused her. The kidnapping, threatening, and everything he did to her traumatised her, and it took a while before she finally got over it. Ergo, it was totally understandable if she decided to never forgive him.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for your forgiveness.¡± Antonio groaned before pulling the door open and disappearing.


    A part of me wanted to follow him and ask why he abandoned me. But my pride was too high, and it overwhelmed the urge to follow him and ask questions as though I were desperate. In truth, I was desperate, but I had to uphold my dignity.


    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± I asked Ruby, momentarily shaking the thought of Antonio off my head.


    ¡°Terrible.¡± She groaned.


    ¡°It¡¯ll get better.¡± I assured her as I stared at her pitiful figure.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I stayed with her for a while, entertaining her and making sure she wasfortable.


    Her parents were out of town and promised to catch the next flight down here the moment they got the news. And as much as I would¡¯ve loved to stay with her for much longer to keep herpany, I couldn¡¯t. I had to return home before someone noticed my absence.


    ¡°Ruby. I hate to tell you this, but I have to get going.¡± I told her, and my statement earned me a frown from her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while now. And I need to return before Pap¨¤ notices.¡± I exined.


    ¡°What exactly are you, people?¡± She suddenly asked, her face full of curiosity. ¡°I really want to know. You never allow me to go inside your house. You can¡¯t decide to go out without asking for permission. You are never even allowed to go out alone. You are twenty-four, for God¡¯s sake, Rosalinda.¡±


    I opened my mouth to talk, but my tongue failed me, and I remained speechless. I didn¡¯t know how to exin to her that my father had enemies. Enemies who could want him and his family dead and would take any opportunity they had to make that a reality. The world I was born into wasplex, ruthless, and extremely dark. I had no idea how I could exin that to her.


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ possesses arms and ammunition. He kidnapped me out of my will, threatened me just for a piece of information I didn¡¯t know, and to top it all up, he wasn¡¯t even worried about me reporting to the authorities. He was so sure that he¡¯d have his way out. What exactly are you people?¡± She continued spurting when I didn¡¯t respond.


    Antonio¡¯s horrendous action was something she never deeply spoke about since I found her at his house. I knew she loathed him, and she also expressed how much the threats traumatised her, but she never mentioned how suspicious and terrifying it was that Sofia¡¯s fianc¨¦ possessed those arms and power with the authorities.


    And I also didn¡¯t know how to exin it to her. It was all part of the dark world. A world she¡¯d never want to be part of. A world I wish I was never born into.


    ¡°Say something, please!¡± She pressed on, her desperation palpable in her voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say there are questions and curiosities that are better left unanswered.¡± I muttered, finally finding the words to say.


    ¡°I need to know who my best friend is. We¡¯ve been best friends for years, but I don¡¯t even know your background. Who are you?¡± She blurted out, demanding answers.


    Staring at her, I slightly shook my head. It amazed me that, despite her terrible condition, she still found the strength to ask all these questions.


    ¡°All you need to know is that I¡¯m the same girl you¡¯ve always known. And maybe, when I¡¯m ready, I¡¯ll tell you all about it. I¡¯ll tell you who my father is. Bye, Ruby. See you soon.¡± I told her.


    And with that, I sprung to my feet and dashed out of the room before she could ask more questions.


    In front of the hospital, while I was trying to hail a taxi, a ck mustang pulled up in front of me, and I rolled my eyes when the person in it rolled down the ss to reveal himself.


    Antonio.


    ¡°Get in.¡± He said authoritatively.


    ¡°You¡¯re still here.¡± I remarked, looking everywhere but in his direction.


    ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to leave you here when I know that you¡¯re alone. I had to make sure that you¡¯re safe. Now, get in.¡±


    ¡°What do you care?¡± I grunted, stubbornly crossing my arms across my chest, a scowl on my face. ¡°Leave me alone. You¡¯re used to doing that anyway.¡±


    He sighed, slightly shaking his head. ¡°Quit being dramatic and get in.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to give him a response as I started walking away, but the next thing I heard was the sound of the door opening, and that was followed by the feel of a hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me back.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I half-yelled, my eyes burning with fury as I struggled to release myself from his grip.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He suddenly groaned, and before I knew what was happening, he had already pulled me to the ground with him.


    Realization hit me when a bullet flew over our heads, hitting the pole behind us.


    What the actual fuck!

 54| I Never Miss!

    ROSALINDA.


    Everything happened in a blur. From the moment Antonio pushed me into the back seat to when he jumped inside the car and started driving. It all felt like a dream. I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    ¡°Get down and hold onto something tightly.¡± Antonio growled as he mmed his leg on the gas and started speeding.


    I turned back to see a car following us with speed, and the fear already flooding through my body intensified.


    ¡°Rosalinda I said, Get down!¡± He yelled.


    He kept moving at a dangerously high speed, sprinting past all the cars on the highway. Suddenly, gunshots started flying towards the car, violently piercing through the sses.


    ¡°Who are they? What do they want?¡± I yelled, my heart pounding so loudly that I could hear it.


    ¡°I am as clueless as you are. I don¡¯t know who they are.¡± Antonio replied as he swerved frantically, trying to dodge the bullets. The more he tried to dodge them, the more they came piercing through.


    Antonio kept driving really fast, barging into corners, trying to lose them. But that proved hard as the people chasing us also elerated their speed, following suit.


    ¡°Rosalinda, hold very tightly onto something.¡± Antonio groaned. ¡°It¡¯s about to get rougher.¡±


    In a split second, he swiftly turned the car around, my eyes widening in perplexity as he started driving towards them.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I yelled, unable to understand what he was doing. He could get us killed.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He asked as we closed in on the attackers.


    ¡°Yes, but-¡±


    I trailed off when the speed of the car suddenly increased, sprinting past them and taking a quick turn right after.


    Antonio kept moving really fast, taking abrupt turns.


    After a while, I suddenly stopped hearing gunshots, and bullets stopped piercing through the car.


    ¡°Have we lost them?¡± I asked eagerly as I peeked up.


    ¡°Temporarily.¡± He sighed.


    He powered into a tunnel before abruptly hitting the brake and stopping.


    ¡°What are you doing? We need to get going.¡± I yelled.


    He got down from the car and opened the door to the back seat, grabbing my arm.


    ¡°Come on.¡± He groaned as he pulled me out of the car. ¡°They¡¯ll catch up soon; you need to go.¡±


    Confusion spread across my face as I questioned. ¡°What do you mean by I need to go? We need to go!¡± I corrected.


    He waved at a cab, stopping it and dragging me towards it.


    Opening the door, he pushed me inside without giving me the choice to protest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything. You need to go.¡± He told me before shutting the door and instructing the driver to move.


    ¡­


    ANTONIO.


    Running away would have been a very terrible mistake. I didn¡¯t know if they were after me or Rosalinda, but one thing I was sure of was that they¡¯d surely go after their target again. I needed to stay back and know who the enemies were.


    I¡¯ve been in this game for far too long, and I was always ready for an attack, fully loaded with arms and ammunition. Rushing to the booth of my car, I retrieved an Ak-47 that I¡¯d use tobat the attackers once they closed in on me.


    Slipping into the car, I left the doors open and hid in the back seat, aiming to deceive them into thinking that we had fled. Once they get curious and approach the car with their guards down, I¡¯ll attack. That was an element of surprise that always worked-well, for amateurs. An expert would know that it¡¯s a trap, and I really hoped the attackers were amateurs; if not, I¡¯d be fucked.


    The wait onlysted for two minutes before they finally caught up. As I heard footsteps approaching, I got my gun set, ready to spray the bullets on them.


    The first two appeared, and I swiftly fired at them, targeting their hearts, and they dropped dead immediately. I never miss!


    Hoisting up, I swiftly shot the third person¡¯s hand. He yelled in pain, losing grip of his gun, and the metal dropped to the floor immediately. In a split second, I pierced the bullet through the fourth person¡¯s heart, and he dropped to the ground immediately.


    Jumping out of the car, I started approaching thest guy standing. His eyes filled with horror as he turned around and started running away, his hand bleeding heavily.


    I spared him for a reason, and I wouldn¡¯t let him run away. Aiming at his legs, I shot him, forcing him to fall to his knees.


    I inched closer to him and stood right in front of him as I questioned him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked impatiently, a frown on my face.


    ¡°Isaac.¡± He trembled in fear and pain. ¡°My name is Isaac.¡±


    I pressed my lips tightly together and sighed as I rephrased. I had no use for his name.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°Talk now, and I won¡¯t rip your heart out.¡± I groaned when I sensed his hesitation.


    ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± He quickly asked, hope glinting in his eyes.


    Sighing, I uttered. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°We are only hit men. We were hired to take you out.¡± He revealed, and my frown deepened.


    ¡°Who hired you?¡± I questioned, my brows furrowing.


    ¡°A man called Oliver.¡± He blurted out.


    ¡°Wait. Who?¡± I asked, hoping it wasn¡¯t what I was thinking. He wouldn¡¯t dare to do such.


    ¡°Oliver. He has brown hair, average height, and blue eyes.¡± He muttered, confirming my guess.


    ¡°I know him.¡± I replied, my fury intensifying.


    That bloody bastard!


    ¡°Please, can I go now?¡± The pathetic guy before said as he writhed in pain.


    ¡°No.¡± I responded, and sheer horror filled his face.


    ¡°But you said you would let me go, and I¡¯ve-¡± he started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t promise you such, mate.¡± I grunted, cocking the gun and aiming it at his head. ¡°I promised not to rip your heart out; I didn¡¯t promise not to blow your head off.¡±


    Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing through his forehead and ending his life immediately.


    No one messes with me and gets away with it! No one!N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Sofia¡¯s so-called boyfriend was next!

 55| Is That All?

    ROSALINDA.


    I had been anxiously waiting for a call or anything that¡¯d assure me that Antonio was okay. I was crazily worried about him. He should have just kept driving and gotten us both to safety. But he didn¡¯t. Instead, he stupidly chose to stay back and fight them.


    He was a skilled Mafia boss, and I had no doubt that he would be able to fight them all by himself. But anything could go wrong, and that was what I was worried about.


    I wondered who the attackers were and what they wanted. Panic surged through me when my mind went to Diego Romano. What if he found out about Antonio¡¯s atrocity and decided to retaliate?


    ¡°No. no. no.¡± I repeated, vehemently shaking my head. It couldn¡¯t be.


    Antonio would be screwed if Diego Romano ever found out. A feud will begin, and lots of lives will be lost. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if that ever happened, because every single life lost would be on my head. He blew up his car just to protect me. I still wondered why he went to such an extent anyway.


    After what seemed like an eternity, my phone started ringing, and I quickly reached for it.


    An unknown number shed on the screen, and I picked up the call without hesitation, hoping it was Antonio. I was certain he had my phone number because Pap¨¤ gave it to him when he was investigating who Carlo¡¯s father was. But I didn¡¯t have his.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± His voice sounded from the other end of the line, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked at once.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He countered. ¡°Did you get home safely?¡±


    ¡°I am fine.¡± I told him. ¡°Are you okay? Who are those people? What do they want?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep the promise I made about Oliver again,¡± he suddenly said.


    My brows furrowed as I wondered why he was suddenly bringing up Oliver.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I questioned immediately.


    ¡°He was the one who sent those men to kill me.¡± Antonio proimed, confusing me further.


    Oliver would never do that. He was too innocent to even indulge in something that gruesome.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°No.¡± My voice was firm, refusing to believe his ims. ¡°There must be a mistake somewhere. Oliver would never do that.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, he tried to kill me. And I wouldn¡¯t let that slide. I¡¯m on my way home right now; I have to clean up all the blood I have on me. And once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll go after him.¡± He dered.


    The call ended even before I got to ask him more questions.


    My heart started pounding really fast as his words rang in my head. Antonio wasn¡¯t bluffing. He was going to kill Oliver. There had to be a mistake somewhere. I was certain Oliver didn¡¯t do it. I had to stop Antonio.


    I hurriedly made my way to Sofia¡¯s room, panting heavily.


    ¡°Sofia.¡± I called urgently as I pushed her bedroom door open, slipping inside.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked, worried, as she jumped to her feet and inched closer to me.


    ¡°Do you think Oliver is capable of murder?¡± I shot the question at her.


    ¡°What?!¡± She eximed, confusion spreading across her face.


    I sighed, then went ahead to exin how Antonio picked up Ruby¡¯s phone when I called her to how some men attacked us in front of the hospital, and how Antonio asked me to leave while he took care of the men.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what Oliver has to do with this.¡± She muttered, her frown deepening.


    I also didn¡¯t know what Oliver had to do with all that, but Antonio said it was Oliver, and there had to be a reason why he said that.


    ¡°Antonio called me just now and told me that it was Oliver who sent hitmen to murder him.¡± I informed her.


    What came next from her was totally unexpected. She let out a full-blownugh, pping, and I wondered what was funny.


    ¡°Sofia!¡± I chided her, trying to get her to stop. Antonio would begin tracking him anytime soon, and we needed to act fast.


    ¡°Do you seriously believe that?¡± She suddenly stoppedughing, her expression bing serious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But-¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing. ¡°Has he ever shown the will to put Antonio out of the picture? I mean, seeing that he was your fianc¨¦ and all.¡±


    ¡°No. He only asked that we run away, leave everything behind, and start a new life.¡± Sofia revealed.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I asked, searching her face. I also didn¡¯t think Oliver could do it, but we had to be logical and not think blindly. Anyone could change at any damn time. Antonio strongly believed Oliver did it, and he wouldn¡¯t be so sure if he didn¡¯t have anything to back up his ims.


    ¡°He also-¡± she trailed off, confusion saturating her features.


    ¡°He also what?¡± I prodded eagerly.


    ¡°Sofia, you need to think fast. Antonio would go for him anytime from now. And I need to know if he really did it or not so that I¡¯ll know how to approach the matter.¡±


    ¡°He told me that he¡¯d take care of everything so that we could be together.¡± She said atst. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that.¡±


    ¡°Call Oliver and ask him to run and never look back.¡± I muttered, sighing exasperatedly.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Do it now!¡± I eximed, cutting her off.


    There were no buts.


    Regardless of whether Oliver was guilty or not, he had to elope and keep running as fast as he could. If Antonio got a hold of him, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him immediately.


    Worries consumed Sofia as she started breathing heavily. ¡°Rosa, please talk to Antonio. Plead with him to not hurt Oliver. Please. I know he would listen to you. Please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± I assured her, blowing out a sharp breath.


    I intended to do that anyway. Antonio promised to hunt Oliver down once he freshened up, and I needed to get going so that I could catch up with him at his mansion before he left. He might not listen to me, seeing that we both almost lost our lives, but I had to try my best.


    ¡°Please.¡± My sister pressed on, her lips trembling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to stop him. I have to go now.¡± I said as I turned around and hurriedly trudged to the door.


    I pulled the door open to see Joy standing in front of it.


    ¡°I was just about to knock.¡± She muttered, an awkward smile touching her lips.


    ¡°Hi.¡± I said, giving her a small smile as I walked past her, but she suddenly called my name, causing me to stop in my tracks.


    I turned to look at her, my brow raised. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Actually. Your father asked me to call you.¡± She muttered before flicking her gaze at Sofia. ¡°Both of you.¡± She added.


    Oh, no.

 56| No!

    ROSALINDA.


    Pap¨¤ was skimming through a file when we entered his office. The second he saw us, he set it aside, focusing his attention on us.


    ¡°My lovely daughters.¡± He beamed, a face-splitting grin tugging his lips apart, surprising us.


    Sofia and I flicked our gazes at each other, confusion roaming our features, before returning our gazes to Pap¨¤.


    He had been stern with us since the whole pregnancy and Oliver issue. So, seeing him talk to us cheerfully was quite surprising and suspicious.


    ¡°You asked for us.¡± I muttered, approaching his desk.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± He leapt to his feet and walked around his desk, stopping before us.


    ¡°Rosalinda, Sofia.¡± He continued, darting his gaze between us. ¡°I know I¡¯ve not been the best father. Looking back at what happened, I realised I should have handled things differently.¡±


    Sofia and I looked at each other once again, our confusion deepening. Those were thest words I had expected to slip off Pap¨¤¡¯s lips.


    ¡°What? Are you dying?¡± Sofia was the first to speak.


    ¡°No.¡± He chuckled softly as he dipped both hands inside his pockets. ¡°It¡¯s just that it hurts me to see both of you rebel against me. You¡¯ve always been very sweet, and I realised my actions might have changed you. I want my daughters back. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Pap¨¤. If this is you asking for forgiveness, we forgive you.¡± I blurted out.


    I didn¡¯t know where all that wasing from, but that was not the time I wanted to hear about his redemption. I needed to leave there as soon as possible.


    Because the longer I stay there, the slimmer my chances of catching up with Antonio be. I needed to get to Antonio before he started his manhunt on Oliver.


    So, agreeing to forgive him was the fastest way out. I¡¯d still talk about my feelings and how much he hurt Sofia and meter, not now.


    ¡°Sofia, right?¡± I turned to look at her, hoping she¡¯d understand why we needed to pretend to forgive him.


    ¡°Right.¡± She nodded. ¡°You are our father, and we forgive you for all that you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Well, that didn¡¯t seem believable.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Pap¨¤ asked, sceptical about our response.


    ¡°Of-course Pap¨¤.¡± I muttered, closing the distance between us and embracing him.


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you still love us.¡± I told him as we pulled away from the embrace.


    ¡°I never stopped loving you.¡± He dered, his gaze darting between Sofia and me. ¡°I love you both so much.¡±


    After finally convincing Pap¨¤ that we had forgiven him for everything, he finally let us go. I was still sceptical about his apology, though; it was sudden and immensely surprising.


    I snuck out of the house and boarded a taxi to Antonio¡¯s mansion, anxiously hoping he¡¯d still be there when I arrived. Pap¨¤ had wasted a lot of my time, and my chances of catching up with him seemed really little.


    But luck was on my side, as I got to his ce just in time. He was standing by his car, about to slip inside, when I got there.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± I called as I sprinted towards him, panting heavily.


    ¡°Rosalinda?¡± He raised a confused brow, gazing at me. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Marco was standing by the other side of the car, and I couldn¡¯t feel him eyeing me warily, but I didn¡¯t give a damn.


    ¡°Can we talk inside, please?¡± I requested.


    ¡°Please.¡± I added when I sensed his hesitation.


    ¡°Fine.¡± He agreed, pressing his lips tightly together as he started heading to the front door, with me following suit.


    Once inside, he led me through a maze of corridors without uttering a word to me until we finally stopped in front of a door.


    ¡°After you.¡± He said as he pushed the door open, holding it for me to enter.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I responded, nodding slightly as I trudged inside.


    The room was enormous. It was beautifully decorated with a theme of gold and white. To say it screamed royalty was an understatement.


    ¡°Is this your room?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. It was just too gorgeous.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He answered, confirming my guess as he shut the door behind us.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Iplimented as my eyes continued wandering around, momentarily forgetting the reason I was there.


    ¡°So. What did you have to discuss with me?¡± Antonio asked, reminding me of the matter at hand.


    I had a lot of things to say to him, but I decided to start with the less difficult one.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, genuinely meaning it.


    He raised a brow. ¡°For?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ruby. Thank you for following her and making sure she was okay.¡± I borated. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do it. But you did anyway. And I know you did it for me. So, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tter yourself.¡± He chortled, and I chuckled softly.


    There was a long stretch of silence afterwards as we just stared at each other, saying nothing.


    ¡°So, is that all?¡± He asked after a while, breaking the silence.


    ¡°No.¡± I slowly shook my head. I was just starting.


    A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed as I tried to think of the right way to put it. It was Oliver who started it, and I knew I had no right to ask him not to take his revenge, but he was Sofia¡¯s lover, and I had to do something about it. Oliver¡¯s death would break and shatter her into pieces, and I didn¡¯t want to ever see my sister go through such an ordeal.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± He prodded as he wrapped his arms around his chest, awaiting my response.


    ¡°Can I ask you for one impossible favour, please?¡± I finally said.


    ¡°I know what you are about to say. I know why you came here. And just as you¡¯ve said, Rosalinda, it¡¯s impossible.¡± He asserted.


    ¡°Antonio, please!¡± I implored desperately. ¡°I beg you. Please don¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Staring directly into my eyes with a deadpan expression, he replied sternly. ¡°No!¡±¡±

 57| Influence.

    ANTONIO.


    Oliver was the one who stupidly came for me first; how could she even beg for his life? I had never spared anyone who attempted to murder me, and that wouldn¡¯t change now. I would go after him, and I would make him suffer for putting my life and that of Rosalinda in danger.


    ¡°Antonio, please.¡± She continued pleading, refusing to relent after repeatedly making it clear that her request was something I was unable to grant.


    ¡°You should go home.¡± I told her as I walked past her and started walking towards the door.


    ¡°Please. Don¡¯t kill him.¡± She repeated for the hundredth time, but this time the words came out with a shaky voice.


    My eyes narrowed as I swiftly turned to look at her.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Please.¡± She persisted as tears began to profusely stream down her cheeks.


    An unpleasant feeling immediately twisted in my heart as I trudged towards her in long strides, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to my chest. I hated to see her cry. It stirred up an emotion in me-hurt.


    ¡°Rosalinda, stop, please.¡± I groaned, cing my hands on her shoulders and slightly pulling myself away until I could see her face.


    ¡°Stop.¡± I said again, wiping the tears off her face with the back of my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t kill him.¡± She appealed in between sobs.


    ¡°Fine!¡± I groaned, the words leaving my mouth before I could even stop them.


    As thirsty as I was for Oliver¡¯s blood, my desire to stop Rosalinda from crying overweighed that thirst. I hated to see her like that. My heart twisted at the sight of her crying.


    For a moment, she stopped crying and hoisted her head to look at me, her wet eyes staring directly into mine. ¡°You won¡¯t kill him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t.¡± I groaned reluctantly.


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    When I hesitated to reply, the tears came rushing back in a full-blown stream, crushing her pretty face.


    ¡°I promise!¡± I groaned, shaking my head.


    Such a drama queen!


    All it took for me to change my mind about murdering the man who attempted to kill me was tears from Rosalinda¡¯s eyes. That woman had a ce rooted deep inside my heart.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked to confirm.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed, wiping the tears from her face. ¡°Stop crying now, okay?¡±


    She finally stopped spilling the tears, and a long silence lingered between us. As I stared at her, I couldn¡¯t help but admire how beautiful she was, even with the wetness smeared all over her face.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± She finally asked after a while.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I muttered, averting my gaze.


    Flicking her gaze at one of the paintings in the room, she started walking towards it, my eyes trailing her every move.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± She said as she came to a stop in front of it.


    ¡°I got it from an art exhibition.¡± I strolled towards her, standing beside her as we both stared at the painting. ¡°It reminds me of my mom.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± She asked curiously, her eyes still fixed on the painting.


    ¡°As you can see, the butterfly was painted with a mix of vibrant colors. I don¡¯t know much about art, but I can tell that it depicts vibrancy.¡± I paused for a few seconds, a sad smile touching my lips as I thought of her. ¡°My mother was a vibrant woman.¡±


    Rosalinda nced at me briefly before returning her gaze to the painting. ¡°May her soul rest in peace.¡±


    ¡°Amen.¡±


    Silence creeped in, and it remained like that for a while as we both stared at the painting. She was admiring it, and I was thinking of my mother. I missed her. So much.


    ¡°Why did you leave me?¡± Rosalinda suddenly asked, her gaze still fixed on the painting.


    ¡°What?¡± I turned to look at her.


    ¡°You know exactly what I am talking about. You kissed me and then disappeared like nothing happened. We never even got to talk about it.¡± She seethed.


    ¡°I-¡± I trailed off, slightly scratching my temple with my index finger. ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°If you exin, I would understand.¡± She finally turned to look at me, her brows creasing as she gritted out. ¡°I am not daft!¡±


    ¡°Just forget it.¡± I groaned as I turned around and started walking away from her, deciding not to talk about it.


    There was no day that I¡¯d go to Roberto¡¯s ce without having a strong urge to go see her. But each time, I had to chide myself against it. The closer I got to her, the more difficult it would get to let her go. And we both knew that we could never be together. So what was the point of feeding an attraction that was doomed to end?


    ¡°Tell me what I won¡¯t understand.¡± She persisted, following me.


    ¡°We should stop talking about this and just stay away from each other. It¡¯s better that way.¡± I said in a dismissive tone.


    But Rosalinda, being the stubborn woman that she was, refused to relent.


    ¡°So it was all lies.¡± She stated, stressing the ¡®lies¡¯


    Turning to look at her, I raised a brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean it when you said you were crazy about me.¡± She continued, holding my gaze.


    ¡°Of course I meant it! It¡¯s just that-¡± I trailed off, unable to form the right words.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that what, Antonio?!¡± She retorted, her voice slightly raised.


    I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration, the words slipping out as I pulled my hand away. ¡°I am crazy about you, Rosa!¡±


    ¡°Then why did you leave me?!¡± She took a fierce step forward, rage flicking within the depths of her eyes. ¡°Because I am also crazy about you. When you left, I was hurt and in pain. I couldn¡¯t think of anything or anyone else. That¡¯s how much influence you have on me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not even talk about influence, Rosalinda. You were all over my head. I keep dazing off in meetings, while working, and in everything I do, thinking about you. I keep thinking of how much I want you in my arms and how much I miss you. Fuck, sometimes I even see your face on other people¡¯s faces. That¡¯s how much influence you have on me!¡± I spurted out in one breath.


    She was embedded deep in my brain, heart, body, and soul.


    ¡°Then stop pushing me away.¡± She closed the distance between us, wrapping her arms around my neck, our eyes staring intently into each other.


    ¡°Stop pushing me away.¡± She repeated, her voice a whisper.


    Her beautiful green eyes allured me in ways I couldn¡¯t exin. I yearned for her. Every bit of her. Every inch of her skin.


    A pool of blood rushed to my manhood, making it rock hard, and I possessively wrapped my arm around her tiny waist, pressing her against my hardness. I wanted her to feel how much I craved her and how damn badly I yearned to be inside her.

 58| Climax.

    ROSALINDA.


    I had never been attracted to anyone the way I was attracted to the man standing before me. Every inch of my skin tingled at his gaze. My entire being burned for him. I wanted him inside me, and that was all I could think about.


    I hurriedly stood on my tiptoe, my desperation palpable in the way I smashed my lips against his, kissing him like I wanted to suck his soul out.


    He reciprocated my yearnings by quickly lifting me up into his muscr arms and trudging towards the bed in long strides with me in his arms. Our lips never leaving each other.


    He finally halted when a barrier blocked him-the bed-and he threw me into it.


    As I stared into his lustful eyes, I could tell that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him, and that realisation aroused me even more.


    ¡°I want you, Rosa. All of you.¡± He groaned out his needs, his voice going straight to my core, making it twitch.


    ¡°I am all yours.¡± I breathed out.


    Leaning forward, he grabbed my thighs, yanking me to the edge of the bed as my dress folded up to my waist.


    He took a hold of my underwear, and his urgency was depicted in the way he roughly slid them down my legs. My core, now free from its barrier, he nestled in, and my clitoris throbbed intensely as his lips connected to my lips down there.


    Instinctively, I grabbed his hair, unintentionally pulling hard as he continued performing wonders with his lips and tongue. Heat licked every part of me, making me burn.


    ¡°Antonio!¡± I moaned as his lips began to make rapid circles around my clitoris, the pleasure sending me to the verge of insanity. I might as well be momentarily insane because my brain ceased to function well. All I could think about was him and the pleasure he was gifting me-wrapped in his lips, tongue, and the warmth of his mouth.


    Fuck! I wanted more! I wanted him inside me already.


    ¡°I want you inside me.¡± I dered, my breaths gasping in rapid session. ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Not yet, baby.¡± He suddenly pulled his lips away from my core and climbed onto the bed, his knees nted by my sides.


    In a split second, he peeled the dress off my body, leaving me with only a brazier. And even that didn¡¯t remain on my body for a second longer when he expertly unhooked it and flung it across the room, exposing my bare breasts.


    He resumed flooding my senses with pleasure, his tongue making circles around my nipples and his palm cupping my other breast, squeezing it as I moaned in delight. Fuck!


    He took turns sucking both breasts and kneading them to my satisfaction.


    His lips asionally moved to other parts of my body-my neck, ear, and chest-leaving his pleasing imprints on my skin. My eyes closed tightly, my back arching from the intense thrill I was basking in.


    Suddenly, he stopped, and I snapped my eyes open to see him unbuckling his pants. I gulped, and my core tightened in anticipation as he released his steel rod from its prison.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    His eyes finding their way back to mine, he asked in a raspy, needy tone. ¡°Can I?¡±


    I was too dazed to talk, and the only thing I could bring myself to do was nod my head keenly.


    In a split second, he found his way to the hole, pushing into my warmth with a powerful thrust. I let out a loud grasp, and my eyes rolled at the intensity.


    He began to thrust back and forth in a slow, gentle manner. My moans tuned with every thrust. Soon, he went into full beast mode, pumping so rapidly within me that I began to gasp for air.


    My body discovered nerves I never knew existed, calling them together to dance to the tune of pleasure.


    The pleasure was so intense that, for a moment, I ceased to hear or see, and the only sense my brain could process was that of touch. It felt like I was in another world entirely, and nothing else mattered.


    I had never felt this immense pleasure in my twenty-four years on earth. Before now, I thought the sex I had with that stranger that resulted in birthing Carlo was the best I¡¯d ever get. But I was wrong. This one was so intense, soul-pleasing, and so damn good!


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He groaned as he continued pumping inside me like a beast, sweat trickling down his incredible, sexy, and defined body.


    I hadn¡¯t even realised it when he pulled off his shirt.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He asked again when he didn¡¯t get my response.


    Was he kidding me? I loved it!


    I opened my mouth to voice out my thoughts, but instead, what emanated from my throat was a loud, piercing moan. My body vibrated, and I rolled my eyes in pleasure as a milky cream whipped out of my core.


    In a swift move, Antonio pulled out of me and sshed his fluid over the bed.


    We climaxed at the same time.


    He copsed beside me, our breaths in sync as we panted heavily.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked me as he turned to look at me. I nodded, smiling in contentment.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± He asked, and I nodded again.


    ¡°I loved it.¡± My voice was barely audible.


    Suddenly, my phone started ringing, and I flicked my gaze around to see it at the far end of the bed, where I had subconsciously flung it. As I strained my eyes to see who the caller was, my heart fell to the pit of my stomach, and I panicked.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± I eximed as I jumped up and hurriedly crawled towards the phone.


    Picking it up and holding it to my ear, my father¡¯s voice bellowed from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Where are you?!¡±


    I was utterly andpletely screwed!

 59| Hickeys.

    ROSALINDA.


    Ipletely lost track of time. The sex was so damn good that I was trapped in a daze, forgetting everything else.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    My purpose ining here was to convince Antonio to change his mind about murdering Oliver. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine ending up in his bed. He was just too irresistibly tempting. I had been resisting him for a long time, and my control had finally reached its limit.


    ¡°Your father, right?¡± Antonio stalked behind me, nting a soft kiss on my neck before I could even turn around. A new wave of shivers ran through me, making me want him all over again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I moaned as he cupped my breast in hisrge palm, gently kneading it.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re in trouble then.¡± He stated matter-of-factly, his warm breath blowing into my ears.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± I moaned, arching my back in ecstasy.


    ¡°I want you, baby. I can never get enough of you.¡± He rasped, his lips connecting with my neck, nibbling at it, and sending my senses into overdrive.


    ¡°I-need- to-go-home.¡± I told him, my words punctuated by moans.


    ¡°I know.¡± He whispered, his thumb still running circles on my nipples.


    As much as I wanted to experience the incredible pleasure all over again, I couldn¡¯t. I needed to get home as soon as possible.


    So, drawing in a sharp breath in an attempt to cool the heat of desire burning within me, I willed my body to resist the temptation. And it obeyed. Long enough to enable me to free myself from Antonio¡¯s hold.


    Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t protest, as he allowed me to slip away easily.


    ¡°You are one hell of a sexy, pretty little girl.¡± He muttered with a sultry voice, his eyes piercing my skin longingly.


    For a second, I lost myself, ogling at his mesmerising figure, but I quickly snapped out of it.


    ¡°You¡¯re tempting me.¡± I replied, a shy smile touching my lips.


    A smug but seductive smile bloomed on his lips. ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡±


    I quickly looked away and found my clothes before he could make another attempt at tempting me. If he did,I might not be able to resist anymore.


    My brazier, dress, and everything I had on before he stripped me naked were back on my body within five minutes. I had to tie my hair up in a bun to hide how messy it was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Antonio offered, finally jumping out of bed.


    ¡°No!¡± I sharply eximed, rejecting his offer.


    He raised a brow. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It would be suspicious if you took me home. Pap¨¤ would ask too many questions.¡± I exined.


    Inching closer to him, I ced my lips on his for onest kiss.


    The kiss was so short but so sweet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I assured him after pulling away from him.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded slightly.


    He didn¡¯t seem to bepletely fine with letting me go alone, but he respected my decision anyway.


    ***


    Pap¨¤ was on the front porch, waiting for me when I got home.


    Immediately, I registered the fury radiating from his features; the fear within me skyrocketed, and a sudden chill washed over me.


    ¡°Pap¨¤.¡± I acknowledged him as I cautiously approached him, afraid of what was toe next.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± His voice was surprisingly calm.


    I breathed in and out, then went ahead to blurt out the lie I had concocted on my way.


    ¡°I was with Ruby. My friend. She was involved in an ident.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell me before going. Or make someone follow you. Why?¡± He questioned, his brows furrowed together.


    ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t let me go.¡± I replied cautiously.


    He pressed his lips into a thin line, his nose ring. He seemed to be trying to control the anger burning within him.


    ¡°Rosalinda, you are aware that I have enemies, right?¡± He asked after a while. His calm voice didn¡¯t seem to match the evident fury saturating his face.


    ¡°And they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to unleash their wrath on you if they found you unprotected.¡± He pressed on.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± I muttered, my voice a murmur.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again. You can go inside.¡± He said, dismissing me.


    Just like that? He didn¡¯t press further. To say I was astounded was an understatement.


    Trudging to the front door, I kept looking back at him hesitantly, waiting for him to call me back and address the issue like he usually does whenever he catches me sneaking out.


    But he never called me back. Which was beyond shocking.


    Sofia was the first person I saw when I walked inside. She scurried towards me, gazing at me anxiously.


    ¡°Were you able to persuade him?¡± She asked with a croaked voice. It was evident that she had been crying.


    I gave her shoulder a little squeeze, nodding, with a small smile ying at my lips. ¡°Yes. After pleading for a very long time,¡±


    A sigh of relief was quick to escape her lips, and her expression soon changed to a more rxed one.


    ¡°Thank God.¡± She breathed out.


    ¡°Have you been able to reach him? Oliver.¡± I asked with a raised brow.


    ¡°No.¡± She sighed as her worried look married her features once again. ¡°And I am extremely worried. He should at least call me and assure me that he wasn¡¯t so stupid to attempt murdering Antonio.¡±


    She suddenly narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, her gaze fixed on me. But she wasn¡¯t looking at my face.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, raising a brow at her weird behaviour.


    ¡°What¡¯s that on your neck?¡± She questioned me as her eyes returned to my face.


    I quickly ced my hand on my neck, rubbing it as I wondered what she was talking about.


    ¡°My neck?¡±


    ¡°Is that a hickey?¡± She questioned, a hint of disbeliefced in her voice.


    Shoot me! Antonio gave me a fucking hickey while he was trying to seduce me for a second round. He did it intentionally-of that I was sure.


    I would so kill him!


    ¡°Oh. This?¡± Iughed awkwardly as I rubbed the spot. ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s not a hickey. Who would give me a hickey, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.


    ¡°My neck was itchy, so I scratched it. It¡¯s probably a result of that.¡± I quickly concocted an unbelievable lie, which I regretted spewing almost immediately.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She nodded slowly. It was evident that she definitely didn¡¯t believe my stupid lie.


    I didn¡¯t know what to feel at that moment. Shame? guilt? Or even self-loathing?


    Their engagement just got called off, and I straight-up opened my legs for him without thinking twice. And I didn¡¯t even regret doing that.


    I was one hell of a terrible person.


    My phone suddenly started ringing, and I looked at the screen to see his name shing on it. Talk about the devil.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I have to go. You should keep trying Oliver¡¯s number.¡± I shamelessly told Sofia before scurrying away.


    I headed to my room, and the second I slipped inside, I picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello, beautiful. Did you just hesitate to pick up my call?¡± Antonio¡¯s deep, sultry voice sounded from the other end of the line, mesmerising me all over again.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I trust you got home safely. What did Pap¨¤ say?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I was able to escape his wrath with a little lie.¡± I told him, and a chuckle resounded from his end.


    ¡°And I see what you did.¡± I added.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°The hickey was intentional. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It was.¡± He admitted unashamedly. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I love to mark my territory.¡±


    A sudden chill ran up my spine at his statement, and I found myself smiling cheekily like a five-year-old girl.


    ¡°Mmmm, territorial mafia king,¡± I remarked, chuckling.


    It¡¯s been less than an hour since I saw him, and I missed him so damn much already. I wanted to be with him. At all times.


    ¡°I miss you.¡± He suddenly muttered, as if reading my mind.


    ¡°I miss you more.¡± I said it back, smiling from ear to ear.


    ***


    ANTONIO.


    I had to end the call with Rosalinda earlier than I wanted because Marco was in my office, waiting to give me an update. If it were left to me, I would have wanted to speak with her all night long.


    ¡°So are you guys a thing now?¡± Marco asked, casting a disappointed look at me.


    I sighed, pressing my lips tightly together.


    ¡°Boss, you are threading through a dangerous part.¡± He added.


    Oh, I knew.


    But I didn¡¯t need him to remind me.


    So, changing the subject, I asked. ¡°Did you get him?¡±


    Marco sighed, nodding. ¡°He¡¯s in the basement.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I groaned.


    I promised Rosalinda not to go after Oliver. But what she didn¡¯t know was that I didn¡¯t n to keep my word when I made that stupid promise.


    No one makes a threat to my life and gets away with it. No one.

 60| My Only Crime.

    ANTONIO.


    I got to the basement within minutes, and like Marco said, Oliver was there, seated on a chair with his hands tied to the back of the chair, his legs tied together, and a rope tied around his body all together, attaching him to the chair.


    The knots were firm, and it was impossible for him to free himself.


    ¡°So, you think you are a bad guy, uh?¡± My voice was surprisingly calm as I questioned him, approaching him slowly.


    ¡°What do you want from me? Let me go!¡± He retorted, wincing in pain.


    I came to a stop in front of him, folding my arms across my chest and staring down at him.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Use your own mouth to confess to what you did.¡± I said.


    ¡°Please!¡± He yelled, his chest heaving rapidly. ¡°My only crime was to fall in love with Sofia. I won¡¯t deny that I love her. And I don¡¯t think I can stay away from her. That¡¯s the only confession that I have to make.¡±


    ¡°Sofia ain¡¯t my business anymore. If you like, fuck her until you produce a dozen more babies. It¡¯s not my fucking business!¡± I growled.


    Confusion spread across his face as he asked. ¡°Then why am I here?¡±


    ¡°Because you attempted to kill me.¡± I told him what I believed he already knew.


    ¡°What? Kill? What are you talking about?¡± His eyes narrowed as he asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°I had expected that you wouldn¡¯t admit to what you did, which is why you would be tortured until you confess.¡± I stated, my voice low but dark as I crouched down before him.


    ¡°Please!¡± He muttered exhaustingly as tears began to form in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I¡¯ll be a father soon. Because don¡¯t let my babies grow up without a father.¡±


    Babies?


    ¡°What do you mean by babies? Isn¡¯t it just one child?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°No. Sofia has twins growing inside her.¡± He told me. A small, sad smile touched his lips before it quickly faded.


    ¡°You should have thought about them beforeing after my life.¡± I pressed my lips tightly together, blowing out a sharp breath.


    A part of me was tempted to free him and give him a chance to be a father to his children. But a more dominant part of me decided against it. When he sent hitmen after me, Rosalinda also almost lost her life, and I could never forgive that. I could never forgive him for putting her life in danger. She was everything to me. Everything! I couldn¡¯t even imagine losing her.


    And the thought of that was what was driving me to take revenge on Oliver.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Oliver croaked, his voice almost inaudible. ¡°Please let me go.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you are ready to confess.¡± I muttered as I ced my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly. Looking directly into his eyes, I continued. ¡°Marco would help you change your mind.¡±


    Without saying anything more, I leapt to my feet and trudged to the entrance, where Marco was standing with both hands dipped inside his pockets.


    ¡°Torture him until he confesses.¡± I Instructed. Nestling in, I whispered into his ears. ¡°Once he confesses, terminate him without hesitation.¡±


    After leaving the basement, I went straight to my office to continue with work. But ten minutes in, my mind drifted to Rosalinda, and I found myself daydreaming about her. I missed her sweet pussy. I could hear the sweet sound that escaped her lips when I touched her sensitive parts. It echoed in my ears as I reminisced about fucking her. Damn, I missed her.


    If she were here with me, I would¡¯ve fucked her all over again until she couldn¡¯t walk any more.


    At the thought of Rosalinda, I suddenly remembered the physical mail that Marco gave to me, saying it came from Roberto. I had kept it aside because I was extremely busy at that moment, hoping I¡¯d look at it once I was done. But by the time I finished with what I was working on, I totally forgot about it.


    Pulling out the drawer where I had kept the little white envelope, I retrieved it and slowly opened it.


    What was inside was a birthday invitation card. For Roberto¡¯s sixty-first birthday party. It seemed really strange. Roberto had never celebrated a birthday, and all of a sudden he¡¯s celebrating one?


    He had been acting quite weirdtely, and I couldn¡¯t seem to figure out why. Business had been going smoothly and all, but he still didn¡¯t seem at peace.


    The sound of my phone ringing suddenly cut through my thoughts, and I picked up my phone from the desk.


    Diego Romano? My eyes narrowed as I stared at the name shing on the phone¡¯s screen.


    Ever since I blew up his car, I have been trying so hard to avoid doing business with him or anything that would make me get close to him.


    Wondering why he was calling now, I picked up the call and put the phone to my ear.


    ¡°Nicely yed.¡± Were the first words that came out of his mouth.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°My car was blown up.¡± He told me, and a sudden hunch that he knew it was me bubbled up my throat.


    But I decided to remain calm.


    ¡°I heard from Roberto. Sorry about that.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°The person who blew the car up tried to make me believe it was the Petrovs who did it. But I spoke with Niki Petrov, and he said it wasn¡¯t them. You know that they always own up to whatever they do, and-¡±


    ¡°Go straight to the point.¡± I groaned, tapping my feet impatiently on the floor.


    He sighed, before continuing. ¡°The CCTV footage we checked spotted you in the area around the explosion. Same day and about the same time.¡±


    Fuck! I thought I made sure all the footage was deleted. I made sure of that!


    ¡°What are you trying to imply? That I was responsible for the explosion? Come on, man. I didn¡¯t do it.¡± I denied it without hesitation.


    ¡°I am not asking if you did it; I know you did it. What I am just trying to understand is why. I don¡¯t remember us having a dispute. So, why would you threaten me while hiding behind the Petrovs name?¡± He questioned, his voice getting louder as he spoke.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it!¡± I denied it again, my voice raised. ¡°Stop spewing rubbish. Just like you said, I have no reason to. So, I don¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Deny it all you want, but-¡±


    ¡°I am not denying, and there are no buts. Do not call me and use me of such. Ever again!¡± I growled, cutting him off.


    Before he could reply, I ended the call and aggressively mmed the phone on the desk.


    How on earth did he retrieve the footage I made sure I deleted? How?!


    This was bad. Really bad. I didn¡¯t just risk going into war with Diego Romano, but Niki Petrov would also likely not let it pass when he realised that I used his name to carry out that atrocity.


    Rage surged within me as I picked up the flower vase on the desk and smashed it against the wall, shattering it into multiple pieces.


    Fuck!

 61| Hormones.

    ROSALINDA.


    I have never been happier in my entire life. I finally got what I wanted. Although I knew this happiness wouldn¡¯tst and that I was treading in a dangerousne, I decided to revel in it while I still could.


    Talking to him alone soothed my heart in ways I never imagined. His touch wasn¡¯t just pleasing to my body but also resonated with my soul.


    ¡°You look bright today. Good news? Is it a man?¡± Grace interrupted my muse when she noticed my mood.


    I almost choked on my coffee at her unexpected question, but luckily, I quickly chugged it down. Not without spilling a few drops on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Grace quickly said as she reached for a towel and wiped the spige.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, giving her a small smile. ¡°And-there¡¯s no man. I am just in a happy mood today, nothing more. Which is quite normal, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She nodded, evidently not convinced by my lie.


    ¡°Good morning, Sofia.¡± Grace said, and I flicked my gaze to the door to see Sofia walkingzily into the kitchen.


    She looked downcast, and I didn¡¯t need to ask her why.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t been able to reach Oliver?¡± I asked, more like a statement.


    She nodded, taking the seat next to me.


    ¡°I strongly believe Antonio has him.¡± She said, sighing.


    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t go after him, Sofia. He promised. And-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a mafia boss, Rosa!¡± She interjected, her voice slightly raised. ¡°They are all full of deceit. What makes you think he didn¡¯t lie to you?¡±


    I lifted my shoulders in a half-shrug, refusing to consider the possibility that Antonio had lied to me.


    ¡°He¡¯s just so stubborn.¡± She sighed frustratingly. ¡°He should have just left town when we asked him to. All these wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    My eyes narrowed as I tilted my head to the side, gazing at her. ¡°What if he actually left town? Let¡¯s not leave out the possibility that Oliver actually did it. What if he found out that he had been busted and fled?¡±


    ¡°Rosa.¡± She called, looking nkly into my eyes. ¡°Oliver would never want to take a human¡¯s life. I have thought about it deeply, and I know my Oliver would never do that. So, stop entertaining that possibility because he didn¡¯t do it!¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s still-¡± I started, but my sister cut me off with a yell.


    ¡°I said he didn¡¯t do it!¡±


    Her voice was so loud that I almost jumped with a start, wondering where she got the sudden surge of energy from.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see what I can do about it. I¡¯ll ask Antonio again.¡± I told her, choosing my words carefully before sheshes out at me again.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, she nodded. ¡°Please do. I¡¯ll keep trying Oliver¡¯s number.¡±


    A smile crept up on my lips as I looked at her amusingly. Her pregnancy hormones were starting to y tricks on her. That exined her fluctuating mood. One minute she was calm, the next minute she was enraged, and the other minute she was calm again.


    ¡°What?¡± A frown masked her face as she raised a questioning brow.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I said, shaking my head as I leapt to my feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go and call Antonio now to ask what he knows.¡±


    She replied with a nod before turning her gaze away.


    I headed to my bedroom afterwards, and once I slipped in, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialled Antonio¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hello beautiful.¡± His deep, husky voice sounded from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Hi.¡± I said shyly, a wide smile spreading on my lips. ¡°How was your night?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me in person?¡± He unexpectedly said, and before I could fathom his words, the door was pushed open, with Antonio appearing before it.


    A short gasp escaped my lips as I widened my eyes in surprise.


    ¡°What-what-¡± I stammered, finding it hard to form coherent words.


    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± Hepleted the sentence for me as he approached me. ¡°I just finished at your father¡¯s office.¡±


    Stopping in front of me, he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him until our bodies were pressing against each other. He leaned in and captured my lips in a short, sweet kiss.


    ¡°Oh, how I¡¯ve missed you.¡± He rasped as he pulled his lips away from mine.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡± My voice came out as a whisper. Being in close proximity to him was sparking fires in my body. Every spot on my skin began to tingle the moment his hand touched my waist.


    ¡°So, you asked how my night was.¡± His gaze suddenly went to the hickey he left on me, and he took his hand to my neck, rubbing it gently.


    His eyes returned to mine, staring intently into it. ¡°It was full of you. I fantasised about you until I fell asleep. I wasn¡¯t free of you even in my dreams.¡±


    A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed. It was the same for me, too. But hearing him confess his feelings for me made my heart go haywire, pounding really hard against my ribcage.


    A long stretch of silence ensued between us as we continued staringfortably into each other¡¯s desired-filled eyes.


    With the intensity of the desire flicking in his eyes, I could¡¯ve sworn that he was about to lean in and engage my lips in a deep, sinful kiss. But instead, his gaze flicked to my neck again, gently rubbing the spot where the hickey was.


    ¡°It¡¯s fading. Should I leave another one?¡± He asked, a mischievous smile ying on his lips.


    ¡°Hell, no!¡± I eximed and let out a full-blownugh afterwards. Myughter was infectious as he joined me inughing.


    What was even funny?


    After a few seconds ofughing for no reason, we both stopped at the same time, as if there were a timer controlling us.


    Our expressions returned to normal, and within seconds, our eyes were back to gazing deeply at each other with intense passion and desire.


    The urge to ce my lips on his in an intensifying kiss surged through me. And before I could even stop myself, I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoe, smashing my lips against his.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to reciprocate, as he parted his lips and began to kiss me so passionately. He pressed me to his body, closer than I already was, until I could feel his hardness pressing against me.


    ¡°I missed you.¡± I breathed into his mouth as we continued devouring each other¡¯s lips, licking each other¡¯s tongues like candy.


    In a swift move, he grabbed my legs and lifted me into his strong arms. He briefly pulled away from the kiss, his eyes boring lustfully into mine.


    ¡°I missed you more, love.¡± He rasped before mming his lips back on mine, unable to get enough of each other.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The door suddenly dinged open, prompting us to abruptly pull away from the kiss and turn to look in the direction of the door.


    I froze, and my eyes fluttered repeatedly as I stared at the two figures standing in the door frame with a shocked expression etched on their faces.


    Giovanni and Sofia.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I eximed as I quickly jumped out of Antonio¡¯s arms, leading to an inadvertent fall to the ground, with my buttocks making first contact.

 62| Devastating News.

    ROSALINDA.


    My bum was hurting like hell, but that was the least of my concerns at that moment.


    Giovanni and Sofia just caught me in Antonio¡¯s arms, kissing passionately.


    That was messed up. I really messed up, and I didn¡¯t know what to say or do except that I was filled with shame. Complete and utter shame.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Antonio asked, his voice etched with urgency as he helped me back to my feet.


    I nodded in response, my eyes looking everywhere but in Giovanni and Sofia¡¯s direction. My cheeks burned up with embarrassment, turning them tomato red. But Antonio on the other hand, looked reallyposed.


    He scanned my body, and after making sure that I was physically okay, his lips quirked up into an awkward smile.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± He said, and before I could even reply, he trudged towards the door and dashed out of the room. Without acknowledging Sofia and Giovanni¡¯s presence.


    Knowing it was high time I faced my reality, I finally turned to look at them, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you guys think.¡± I blurted out without thinking.


    It was exactly what they thought. I was caught in the act, and no exnation could cut it.


    ¡°Really?¡± Giovanni raised a brow, approaching me.


    ¡°I-¡± I trailed off, lost for words to say.


    He came to a stop in front of me, folding his arms over his chest as he observed me. ¡°I thought you promised not to do anything stupid.¡±


    An idea to change the subject suddenly came to me, and I jumped at it.


    ¡°What are you doing here? When did youe back to town?¡± I asked,ughing awkwardly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject, Rosalinda.¡± He clicked his tongue, shaking his head.


    ¡°I am not trying to.¡± I muttered under my breath, too embarrassed to say the lies out loud.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± he shrugged, and his face unexpectedly lit up. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll miss my uncle¡¯s birthday for anything? I came for his birthday party.¡±


    Oh, right. Pap¨¤¡¯s birthday party. I almost forgot about it. He suddenly announced his intention to celebrate his birthday out of the blues, and that was disturbing. Pap¨¤ had never celebrated his birthday. He had always believed that birthdays were just another day in a year and ssified them as unimportant.


    So, his wanting to celebrate his birthday this year was really baffling. He had been acting strangely recently, and I was starting to get worried. Really worried.


    I needed to talk to him about it.


    ¡°Have you spoken with Antonio about it?¡± Sofia asked, and that was when I realised that I totally forgot to ask him about Oliver. I got carried away, mesmerized with his charm.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t know anything about it.¡±


    Lies. I was too ashamed to tell her that I didn¡¯t ask him after catching us while findingfort in each other¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t I reach him?¡± She breathed out exhaustingly.


    ¡°Whoa¡­wait.¡± Giovanni chimed in, his curious gaze darting between the both of us. ¡°What am I missing? Who is not reachable?¡±


    ¡°Oliver.¡± Sofia said, sighing.


    ¡°Who is Oliver?¡± Giovanni asked again.


    ¡°Sofia¡¯s-¡± I paused, thinking of the right words to use to address him. ¡°Baby dada.¡±


    Giovanni¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he flicked his gaze at Sofia¡¯s abdomen. ¡°You are pregnant?!¡± He eximed, unable to believe his ears.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded, pressing her lips together.


    ¡°Wow. I have a lot to catch up on.¡± His hands went akimbo, darting his eyes between the both of us before settling his gaze on me. ¡°Spill.¡±


    I went ahead and told him everything that happened. From how the engagement was called off after Sofia¡¯s announcement about her pregnancy to how Antonio and I were attacked outside the hospital and how Antonio believed it was Oliver who sent those men. By the time I was done, Giovanni looked really flustered.


    ¡°So you mean to tell me that two little creatures are growing in your belly?¡± He asked Sofia, his face still radiating with surprise.


    She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± He eximed, and before she knew what was happening, he held her by her hip and lifted her into the air. ¡°Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Drop me down!¡± She eximed anxiously, repeatedly tapping his shoulders.


    He refused to listen as he went ahead to spin cheerfully around with her in her arms, hisughter echoing in the room.Sofia looked really terrified as she continued to struggle to free herself, but she couldn¡¯t, as he was way stronger than her.


    After a few seconds, he finally dropped her down, and her displeasure with his action was palpable in the way she red at him. But he didn¡¯t seem to care.


    He shrugged, blowing out a sharp breath, as his yful demeanor suddenly faded, reced by a more serious one.


    ¡°So, this Oliver guy is missing, yeah?¡± He asked Sofia, raising a brow.


    ¡°I am not sure. I just haven¡¯t been able to reach him.¡± She told him, momentarily forgetting about her anger.


    ¡°Send his address to me. I¡¯ll help look for him.¡± He offered.


    ¡°Really?! She eximed, her face lighting up as she wrapped her arms around him. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You are wee, you pregnant woman.¡± Giovanni teased as they pulled away from the hug, and that earned him a smack to the shoulder.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± He eximed, wincing exaggeratedly. ¡°Do you want to dislocate my arm?¡±


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    A chuckle emanated from his throat before he turned his attention to me.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, Rosa.¡±


    He closed the distance between us, wrapping his arms around me in an embrace.


    A smile formed on my lips as I wrapped my arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again too.¡±


    ¡°Think carefully about what you are doing.¡± He whispered into my ears before pulling away from me.


    I knew my forbidden desires for Antonio were dangerous, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I was already involved with him, and I had no control over it anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youdiester.¡± He muttered before turning around and starting to walk away from us.


    ¡°Gio.¡± I quickly called, and he stopped in his tracks, then half turned to look at me.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He raised a brow.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone about what you saw here.¡± I muttered, my gaze flicking between him and Sofia.


    ¡°I am not a snitch.¡± He assured me before continuing on his way.


    Silence lingered between Sofia and me after he left. I waspletely speechless, not knowing what to say to her after she just caught me making out with her ex-fianc¨¦.


    The silence became so ufortable after a while, and I knew I needed to say something.


    ¡°Sofia, I-¡± I started, but she cut me off.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide anything from me, Rosa. I¡¯m not judgmental. And I won¡¯t mention it to anyone.¡±


    Her words surprised me. I had expected her to express how disappointed she was in me, but she did quite the opposite.


    ¡°Girl, couldn¡¯t youe up with a better lie when I asked about the hickey yesterday?¡± Her lips spread in a wide smile, nudging me. ¡°Even Carlo wouldn¡¯t believe that.¡±


    A smallugh emanated from my throat as I thought of how dumb that lie was. ¡°It was a stupid lie. I know.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± She suddenly said, wrapping her arms around me as she soothed. ¡°I know how difficult it is for you already, so I¡¯m not going to make it harder for you.¡±


    A lone tear rolled down my cheek as I replied. ¡°I love you too, Sofia.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better sister.


    ***


    After Sofia left my bedroom, I went down to Pap¨¤¡¯s office, intending to speak with him about his recent weird behaviors. I was really disturbed about it and couldn¡¯t seem to wrap my head around why he was being like that.


    ¡°Good morning, Pap¨¤.¡± I greeted him, slipping inside his office.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± His face lit up as he set aside the document he was skimming through. ¡°Thank God you are here. I was going to call for you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why?¡± I asked curiously as I approached his desk.


    He made a steeple of his fingers, swivelling in his chair. ¡°I told you that you¡¯d be engaged soon, and you never asked who you¡¯d be engaged with.¡±


    I thought he was trying his best to be a better father, but apparently, forcing marriage down his daughter¡¯s throat wasn¡¯t part of it.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked as a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for his response.


    ¡°Lorenzo,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, batting myshes in rapid session. An intense rage bubbled within me.


    ¡°Lorenzo Ri.¡± He repeated.


    ¡°That pervert?!¡± I eximed in disbelief.


    No. No. No. I began to shake my head repeatedly. I couldn¡¯t even spend a day with Lorenzo; talk more of a lifetime.


    Being with him would be an extreme act of torture. Hell on earth.


    That aside, the idea of leaving Antonio for another man was driving me crazy, making me burn with intense rage.


    I was still processing the sudden, devastating news I got when the door dinged open.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Swallowing against my dry throat, I turned my attention towards the door to see Antonio sauntering inside, holding Carlo in his arms.


    When he noticed the profound dismay that was reflected in my expression, he came to an abrupt halt, his brows furrowing in concern.

 63| Danger.

    ANTONIO.


    After leaving Rosalinda¡¯s bedroom, my next stop was Carlo¡¯s. It¡¯s been a while since I saw him, and I missed him. Slipping inside his room, I found him on his bed, absorbed in cartoons on his iPad, unaware of my entrance.


    ¡°What are you watching, boy?¡± I asked,  chuckling, as I approached the bed.


    ¡°Uncle Antonio.¡± He beamed, his face lighting up with excitement as he hoisted his head to look at me.


    I picked him up and threw him in the air before swiftly catching him back in my arms. His giggles filled the room, and that warmed my heart.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked as I dropped him back on the bed and sat beside him.


    ¡°I am fine. I missed you.¡± He pouted, wrapping his tiny arms around me.


    Patting his back, I muttered. ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    ¡°Thest time you were here, you promised to take me to an amusement park.¡± He reminded me, his face lighting up. ¡°Is it today?¡±


    I totally forgot about my promise to him. But unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t fulfil that promise with Diego suspecting that I blew up his car. He might decide to retaliate, and with that in mind, going out with Carlo could be dangerous. I couldn¡¯t risk his life.


    ¡°Carlo.¡± I called, pressing my lips together as I regrettably said, ¡°Uncle Antonio can¡¯t take you to the amusement park for now.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± His voice screeched, and before I knew what was happening, tears started streaming down his face as he threw tantrums, demanding I take him to the amusement park.


    Just like his mother, he was a drama king. The apple never falls far from the tree, they say.


    ¡°Carlo, stop.¡± I groaned in an attempt to get him in check, but that only intensified his cries.


    ¡°I want to go to the amusement park. Please.¡± He cried.


    ¡°Okay, fine!¡± I groaned, the words leaving my mouth before I could even stop them.


    He was so precious to me, and I wanted to give him everything he wanted. If he wanted to go to the amusement park, fine. I would grant his wish. All I had to do was call for backup for protection while he had the time of his life.


    ¡°Okay, boy. Let¡¯s go and ask Grandpa for permission.¡± I told him as I yanked him in my arms and leapt to my feet, trudging out of the room and making my way to Roberto¡¯s office. Carlo giggled and wiggled in my arms in excitement.


    As I walked inside Roberto¡¯s office, the first thing I noticed was Rosalinda and the somber expression on her face. Worry washed over me as I came to an abrupt halt, my brows furrowing together.


    What was wrong with her?


    ¡°You are still around.¡± Roberto¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts, and I turned to look at him.


    ¡°Yes, uhm¡­¡± I cast my gaze at Carlo before returning it to Roberto. ¡°Carlo asked if I could take him to an amusement park. So, I came to ask for your permission.¡±


    My mind still troubled by Rosalinda¡¯s downcast look, I briefly darted my gaze at her before returning my attention to Roberto again.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to do all these anymore. After all, we aren¡¯t families anymore.¡± Roberto told me, sighing.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± I inched closer to his desk, pressing my lips together before continuing. ¡°I am fond of Carlo, and I see him as a son. No matter how the arrangement goes, I will always be fond of him.¡±


    Confusion spread across his face as he tried to understand why I was still fond of Carlo despite the failed engagement. Well, that was something he might never get to know. He might never get to know that Carlo was my biological son, and I would love and protect him with all I¡¯ve got.


    After a while, he leaned in his seat and sighed. ¡°You can take him to the amusement park, but only if you promise to protect him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about protection. I¡¯ve got that covered. He¡¯ll be safe with me.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Fine, then.¡± He said, nodding. ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Carlo beamed, a wide smile spreading on his face. He turned to look at his mother, who had been silent all along.


    ¡°Mommy, you areing with us, right?¡± He asked.


    Rosalinda swallowed. ¡°No, baby. You can go ahead and have fun with Uncle Antonio. Mommy¡¯s not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± He pouted.


    He urged me to put him down, and when I did, he scurried to his mother, wrapping his tiny hands around her leg.


    ¡°Please mommy.¡± He begged.


    Rosalinda sighed before crouching down beside him, wrapping her arm around him. ¡°Do you really want me to go with you?¡± She asked, a small smile touching her lips.


    He nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes mommy.¡±


    ¡°Okay baby.¡± She sighed. It was evident that she wasn¡¯t in the best mood to go to an amusement park, but she loved her son so much that she¡¯d do anything for him. Just like I would do anything for the both of them.


    ***


    I could count the number of words Rosalinda has said since we left their mansion. She was quiet all the way to the amusement park, peeking through the window as she dazed into nothingness.


    She was clearly disturbed about something, and so was I. I needed to know whatever was troubling her and possibly help her get through it. Her pains were also my pains, as she was inarguably one of the most important people in my life.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± I asked the question I had been meaning to ask since I stepped into Roberto¡¯s office.


    The queue on the Ferris wheel was long, and we were waiting for our turn to hop on it. That was the first ride Carlo showed interest in jumping on.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She said, which was clearly a lie. Something was definitely wrong.


    ¡°You know I won¡¯t believe that, right?¡± I muttered as I ced both hands on her shoulder, forcing her to face me. ¡°What is wrong, Rosalinda?¡± I asked again, my voice firmer.


    ¡°Nothing-¡± She tried to lie again, but I cut her off.


    ¡°Do not lie. Tell me the truth.¡±


    Knowing I wouldn¡¯t relent until I got the truth from her, she sighed, finally giving in. ¡°Pap¨¤ told me that I¡¯d be engaged to that pervert soon.¡±


    My jaw clenched at the displeasing news, and rage began to burn within me.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked with a low growl.


    ¡°Lorenzo Ri.¡± She told me, and the anger rising up within me intensified, boiling through my every vein.


    Roberto didn¡¯t just give her to another man; he fucking gave her to someone I despised so much.


    ¡°Liam would have been a better option than Lorenzo. I hate that man.¡± She gritted out, her painced in every word.


    No. Liam was never a better option, nor was any other man. I wanted her to myself only.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way to end the engagement.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t do anything, please.¡± She shook her head vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Pap¨¤; hopefully he¡¯ll reason with me. I don¡¯t want you to end up doing something dangerous for nothing again, just like with Liam.¡±


    My forehead creased as I asked curiously. ¡°What do you mean by something dangerous for nothing?¡±


    ¡°Pap¨¤ told me that he never intended to give me to the Romanos.¡± She revealed, sighing.


    My brows furrowed furiously as I processed that information. So, blowing up Diego¡¯s car was indeed for nothing, and to make matters worse, Diego had caught me on my atrocity and would definitely retaliate. I didn¡¯t know how or when. But I knew he would. I was on a ticking bomb, and all that was for nothing?!Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I want to y that!¡± Carlo beamed, cutting through my torrent of thoughts, and I turned to look in the direction he was pointing.


    It was a target shooting game stall.


    ¡°But you said you wanted to hop on the Ferris wheel.¡± His mother reminded him, stroking his hair lightly.


    ¡°I want that one too. I want to win the teddy bear.¡± He pouted.


    ¡°But we-¡± Rosalinda started, but I cut her off, sighing.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can go and y before it reaches our turn to get on the Ferris wheel.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t get my mind off the news Rosalinda just divulged as we made our way to the target shooting game stand. My intention was to help lighten her mood, but now, after hearing the saddening information, I was even more downcast than she was.


    When we got there, we paid for a few rounds, and Rosalinda and I were to y against each other.


    Carlo couldn¡¯t shoot, so automatically, his mother and I were prompted to win the prize for him. And we had to win the fluffy blue teddy bear he wanted unless we were ready to entertain his tantrum.


    Clearly, we both were not interested in ying at the moment, but we just had to brace ourselves and do it for Carlo. His happiness mattered to us the most. Under another circumstance, this would have been one of the happiest days of our lives.


    ¡°Mommy, you are bad at it.¡± Carlo giggled when Rosalinda failed to shoot the target after a few tries.


    ¡°Mommy is trying her best.¡± A small smile touched my lips as I watched Rosalinda struggle to shoot the red dot on the target paper. But failed each time. She truly sucked at it.


    ¡°No. She¡¯s very bad at it.¡± Carlo said innocently, giggling at his mother¡¯s losses.


    ¡°I am not!¡± Rosalinda denied the obvious as she dropped her riffle frustratingly.


    As it was my turn to shoot, I raised the rifle, targeting the red dot. And in a swift move, I effortlessly shot at it three times, all three bullets piercing through the red dot.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Carlo beamed, dancing in victory.


    I darted my gaze at Rosalinda and smirked. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    ¡°Show off.¡± She scoffed, ring at me.


    ¡°I am sorry. I¡¯ll try to miss next time. But there¡¯s a little problem¡­¡± I teased, winking at her. ¡°I never miss.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she raised her riffle and shot for her turn. But missed all three shots. Again.


    Her frustration was palpable in the way she violently stomped her foot on the ground.


    ¡°You know, if you ask, I could teach you.¡± I chuckled softly as I raised my rifle to shoot for my turn.


    But my phone suddenly started ringing, and I lowered the riffle to quickly take the call. Knowing how dangerous this outing was, I couldn¡¯t ignore any calls.


    Vito was the caller.


    I had Vito, Marco, and Luca follow us to the amusement park to keep an eye on everything happening around us. After the call Diego made yesterday, I couldn¡¯t take them out without backup for protection. I knew Diego could retaliate at any damn moment.


    ¡°Boss, two men had been following you everywhere. To your left. ck and blue shirts. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just them. They seem to bemunicating with others, but I can¡¯t pick up where they are.¡± He told me from the other end of the phone, and my brows drew together furiously.


    ¡°Keep an eye on them. We are leaving this ce now.¡± I instructed and ended the call immediately.


    I turned to look at Rosalinda, and her gaze was on me, confusion spreading across her face.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± She immediately asked, and I sighed.


    ¡°We are being followed.¡± I told her, and when worries began to saturate her features, I ced a hand on her shoulder, calming her. ¡°Act natural. We don¡¯t want them to suspect we know about them.¡±


    ¡°But what are we going to do?¡± She asked anxiously.


    ¡°Follow me. We are leaving here.¡± I said with urgency, picking up Carlo and cradling him in my arms. ¡°Now.¡±


    Rosalinda quickly understood and followed me as we made our way to the car without asking further questions.


    The further we moved, the more I noticed the different men following us. The ones in ck and blue shirts, as Vito had noticed, and many more, scattered around us.


    For the very first time ever, fear threatened to course through me at the sight of danger. Not for myself, but because the lives of my son and that of the woman who had my heart were at stake.


    I would protect them with everything. Even if it meant doing that with my own life!

 64| Who?

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± Rosalinda whispered in fear as she clung to my side, seeking a sense of protection.


    ¡°I¡¯ll not let anything happen to you, Rosalinda. Or your son. I promise.¡± I assured. ¡°Just follow me until we get to the car.¡±


    We continued walking in the direction of the car while I consciously noted the number of men following us. I have counted five so far, but there could be more. Hopefully, they won¡¯t attempt to attack in public; that would give us the chance to get Rosalinda and Carlo to safety before they strike.


    Once we reached the car, I promptly got Rosalinda and Carlo inside first, before rushing to the driver¡¯s side of the car and jumping in.


    Without hesitation, I turned the ignition on and mmed my foot on the gas, powering up the road.


    ¡°You and Carlo should stay down.¡± I urged Rosalinda as I continued driving.


    I couldn¡¯t spot them following us yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Rosalinda asked, her voice filled with fear and horror.


    Sighing, I muttered. ¡°If my guess is right, it¡¯s Diego.¡±


    ¡°Why would-¡± Her words were cut off, recedby a scream, when the sound of a gunshot erupted and a bullet pierced through the ss immediately.


    Suddenly, another car came between ours and the attackers. Within a millisecond, they started exchanging gunfire, distracting them from my own car and giving me the time to escape with Rosalinda and Carlo.


    ¡°Are you okay? Is Carlo hurt?¡± I asked Rosalinda, and her voice was barely audible as she replied with trembling lips.


    ¡°We are fine.¡±


    Carlo was terrified and wouldn¡¯t stop crying at the top of his lungs. He was just a child and didn¡¯t have to experience this. Regret weight heavy on my chest at the thought of exposing him to danger. Knowing my cover had been blown, I shouldn¡¯t have taken him out. But wanting to please my son, I stupidly did.


    I drove so fast until I was out of the attack¡¯s reach, and that was with the help of Vito, Marco, and Luca, who distracted them.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to my ce.¡± I informed her once the sound of the gunfire battle faded out. ¡°I¡¯ll take you both home once it¡¯s safe.¡±


    The Moretti mansion was a bit far, and I needed to get them both to safety as soon as possible.


    ¡°Why would Diegoe after you? Does he know about what happened?¡± She asked curiously as she peeked up to look at me.


    She and Carlo were still curled under the car, fearing that the attackers might appear from nowhere.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed regretfully.


    I was still perplexed at how he retrieved the footage from the area around the explosion after I deleted them, but I nned to find out.


    Another wave of fear hit her, as evidenced by the way her facial muscles tightened.


    ¡°This is because of me.¡± She said to herself as she began to shake her head vigorously, tears rapidly streaming down her face.


    Upon seeing the tears rolling down his mother¡¯s face, Carlo¡¯s cries also intensified.


    Shit!


    ¡°Rosalinda, you aren¡¯t at fault. Trust me.¡± I tried to reassure her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen.


    She kept shaking her head, wallowing in self-loathing as she med herself for everything that was happening. All attempts to get her to understand that none of it was her fault and that I was the one who wasn¡¯t careful enough failed.


    By the time we reached my ce and took them to my room, she had finally stopped crying, but the guilt she carried was written all over her.


    Carlo, on the other hand, still looked very scared and was still crying. No matter what his mother did to try to calm him, he wouldn¡¯t stop crying. She rocked him in her arms and patted his back tofort him, but it was to no avail, and she was starting to get frustrated. Coupled with the guilt she carried with her, she looked to be going through emotional turmoil.


    I knew I needed to do something about Carlo before leaving to join my men in thebat with the attackers.


    ¡°Be a good boy and stop crying.¡± I told Carlo as I prompted Rosalinda to put him in my hands.


    Cradling him on my waist and using my thumb to wipe the tears off his cute face, I continued. ¡°You¡¯re safe. I promise you.¡±


    Surprisingly, he suddenly stopped crying and looked at me with teary eyes.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked, and I nodded assuringly.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe, Carlo. I¡¯ll never let you get harmed.¡± I assured him again.


    Rosalinda narrowed her eyes as her gaze darted between Carlo and me.


    ¡°I have been trying to get him to shut up. How did you do it?¡± She asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Maybe he just needed some sense of protection.¡± I told her as I ced him back in her arms.


    As much as I would¡¯ve loved to stay with them, I had to go back and help my men.


    Leaning in, I ced a gentle kiss on Rosalinda¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I reassured her again, and she gave me the fakest smile I had ever seen.


    Exhaling sharply, I turned around and walked out of the room, intending to go help my men out. But I hadn¡¯t even reached my car when their car drove in.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    It looked like a total mess. All the sses were broken, and every single part of the car was designed with bullet holes. Repairing the car would take a lot of time.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked impatiently, my gaze darting between the three of them as they got out of the car and started approaching me.


    ¡°They are all dead. We tried to keep at least one of them alive, but we couldn¡¯t.¡± Marco told me.


    I exhaled sharply, relieved that my men were at least fine.


    ¡°Find out who those people were. Check the security cameras in that area.¡± I instructed them before swiftly turning around and starting to walk back inside the house. ¡°I¡¯ll call Diego to ask if they were his men.¡±


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s another issue.¡± Marco told me, but I didn¡¯t bother to stop.


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure it can wait. It can¡¯t be bigger than the issue at hand.¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s bigger, even worse.¡± He said with urgency, prompting me to finally stop in my tracks and pay attention to him.


    Turning to look at him, I asked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Cami.¡± He said, blowing out a sharp breath.


    ¡°What happened to Cami?¡± I asked.


    When he hesitated to answer, a sickening possibility began to churn within me.


    ¡°What happened to Cami?¡± I growled as I began to take long strides towards him.


    ¡°She, Uhm¡­¡± He took his hand to his temple and scratched it. ¡°She called me, asking for help. But before I could ask what happened, she began to muffle, as if she were struggling. It seems she was abducted, boss.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Diego!¡± My voice thundered as I stomped my foot hard on the floor.


    Uncontroble rage began to travel through my veins, boiling every drop of my blood. I would so fucking kill him!


    Without hesitation, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialled Diego¡¯s number, pacing impatiently as I waited for him to pick up.


    ¡°Don Antonio.¡± He said so casually from the other end of the phone when he picked it up. As if he didn¡¯t just send men after my life and kidnapped my sister.


    ¡°Look here; whatever you think you have against me, let it remain between me and you. Do not involve my sister.¡± I growled into the phone.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Diego asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I asked, not willing to y his game of ignorance. ¡°You sent your men after me and even kidnapped my sister over false allegations. Diego If you so much as hurt a single hair on her head, I swear to God, I would kill you.¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I own up to whatever I do. And believe me when I say I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I didn¡¯t send men after you. I didn¡¯t kidnap your sister.¡± He tantly denied, and I drew my brows closely together in confusion.


    ¡°And don¡¯t get me wrong; I have ns to attack you, but I want to get my facts 100 percent right first. I want to be sure you were the one who blew up my car.¡± He continued.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then who?¡± I asked, more to myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure you have lots of enemies. Figure out who wants you gone the most.¡± He said and ended the call immediately, leaving me to wonder who actually wanted me dead.

 65| Two Groups.

    ROSALINDA.


    Carlo fell asleep almost immediately after Antonio left; he was really scared, and I couldn¡¯t even imagine how traumatic the experience was for him. Even I was traumatized. I had experienced gun fights several times, but I could never get used to the violence.


    My anxiety was high as I waited for Antonio to return. He didn¡¯t tell me where he was going, but I knew he went back to help his men fight. My heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating dangerously fast as many scenarios of how things could go wrong subconsciously yed in my mind.


    The more I tried to bounce the devastating thoughts out of my mind, the more they kept rushing in.


    Suddenly, the sound of my phone ringing cut through my thoughts, saving me from the suffocating grip of worry. I hastily grabbed my phone, hoping it was Antonio with reassuring news.


    But ncing at the screen, Giovanni¡¯s name shed on it.


    ¡°Giovanni.¡± I said into the phone when I picked up.


    ¡°Rosa. I heard you went on a baecation with your lover.¡± He teased from the other end of the phone, and I could hear him grinning.


    ¡°He is not my lover.¡± I denied sharply, and he chuckled.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± he muttered, clearing his throat. ¡°I went to the location Sofia sent to me, and after a series of investigations, I deduced that Oliver was indeed kidnapped.¡±


    My heart immediately sank to the pit of my stomach at the revtion.


    ¡°Who kidnapped him, and why?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°You might as well ask your boyfriend.¡± He said.


    ¡°What? Antonio wouldn¡¯t lie to me, Gio. He said he didn¡¯t and-¡±


    ¡°He can lie to you, and he already has.¡± He asserted firmly, cutting me off.


    ¡°Unless someone else is after Oliver.¡± He added with a calmer voice. ¡°Can you think of anyone else?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± He went ahead and answered himself. ¡°There. You have your answer.¡±


    Giovanni was right. No one else was after Oliver. So, if his absence meant he was kidnapped, there was a high probability that Antonio was the culprit. But he said he didn¡¯t. Could he possibly have lied to me?


    ¡°Does Sofia know about this?¡± I asked.


    Sighing, he replied. ¡°No. I just thought to tell you first.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her yet. I¡¯m at his ce right now, and he¡¯s not around. I¡¯ll use that opportunity to look around the house and see if he¡¯s hiding Oliver here.¡± I still had doubts that Antonio kidnapped Oliver, but I couldn¡¯t just blindly rely on what I thought he didn¡¯t do. What if he actually did it?


    ¡°At his ce?!¡± Gio eximed, surprised. ¡°What are you doing there? I thought-¡±


    ¡°Long story.¡± I quickly interjected. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to you when I return home. See youter, Gio.¡±


    With that, I ended the call immediately.


    Darting my gaze at Carlo, I observed him, and when I was sure that he was still sleeping, I made my way out of the room.


    The mansion was basically empty. As I walked through mazes of hallways, opening rooms to check if Oliver was in any of them, the guilt of doing that lingered in my chest.


    Antonio put Carlo and me in his room, trusting me, but here I was, touring his house, looking for someone who was probably not here.


    After opening several rooms without seeing traces of Oliver in any of them, I was convinced that he wasn¡¯t in the mansion. I knew Antonio wouldn¡¯t lie to me.


    Just as I was about to turn back and return to Antonio¡¯s room, I spotted an open door, and behind that door were stairs leading to what I presumed was the basement. Thepelling intuition to go descend down the staircase and check out whaty down there hit me.


    Without thinking twice, I started descending slowly down the stairs, but I hadn¡¯t even made it down three stairs when a strong masculine voice sounded from behind, startling me.


    ¡°What are you doing there?¡± He groaned.


    I turned to look at him, my face flushing with embarrassment.


    ¡°Are you looking for anything?¡± He asked, raising a suspicious brow.


    I had never seen him before, but he was probably one of Antonio¡¯s men.


    ¡°Nothing. I Uhm¡­ I was just about to leave.¡± Without waiting for his response, I scurried away from him, rushing back to Antonio¡¯s room.


    Pushing the door open and slipping in, I leaned against the door and exhaled sharply.


    I knew going around the house like a little spy was a very bad idea. Now, that man would think of me as a creep after seeing me attempt to go down the basement.


    It wasn¡¯t my house; why was I creeping around for God¡¯s sake? I mentally scolded myself.


    What would Antonio think if that man told him what he saw?


    At the thought of Antonio, my mind raced to the danger he was possibly in. And I really hoped he was okay, wherever he was. I was extremely worried about him. If anything ever happened to him or his men, I would really hate myself forever. Everything was my fault.


    ***


    ANTONIO.


    Me and my men were able to get CCTV footage of both the areas where we were attacked and the mall where Cami was kidnapped. Her phone was tracked to a mall, but unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t found there.


    She must have lost her phone in the process of struggling with the kidnappers, or perhaps the kidnappers tossed it aside by themselves to avoid being tracked.


    Anyway, we were back at the mansion, inside my office, analysing the footage.


    The first one we analysed was the one from the mall, and unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t find any clue leading to the abductors.


    ¡°Whoever kidnapped Cami is a professional.¡± Marcomented after going through the footage multiple times.


    I nodded in agreement, frustration consuming my whole being. My sister was kidnapped, and I had no idea who did it. Talk more about rescuing her. If anything happened to her, I¡¯d never forgive myself because it was my enemies who went after her. She was innocent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the footage of the attackers from the amusement park. We might find a clue.¡± I told Marco, a deep scowl embedded in my face.


    He yed the footage on therge screen, and we began to analyse it, searching for clues.


    ¡°Wait. Take it back!¡± I eximed when I spotted something familiar.


    ¡°Pause!¡± I eximed again when he rewinded it.


    ¡°Do you see something?¡± He asked as he swung his head to the side to look at me.


    I took my hand to the screen and pointed at the tattoo on one of the men¡¯s wrists. ¡°This. I¡¯ve seen it before.¡±


    ¡°The tattoo?¡± He asked, and I nodded.


    That same tattoo was on the hitmen Oliver sent to me. A tattooed band on the wrist. Oliver couldn¡¯t havemunicated with them while he was trapped here. Either he was a part of a syndicate or there was a mix-up. But one thing was sure-the men that attempted to kill me weren¡¯t just hit men.


    The men that attacked me outside the hospital were from the same gang as the ones that attacked outside the amusement park.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see the footage from the mall again.¡± I quickly told Marco. I needed to see if Cami¡¯s abductors also had the tattoo.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    But after checking the footage from the mall over and over again, we couldn¡¯t see the wrist band tattoo on any of them. And that made me arrive at a conclusion. The group that came after me at the amusement park weren¡¯t the ones that kidnapped Cami.


    Two different groups.


    Who were they? And what did they want?


    Jumping to my feet in utter rage, I began to walk towards the exit in long, hasty strides.


    ¡°Boss. Where are you going?¡± Marco quickly asked.


    Stopping in my tracks, I half turned to look at him. ¡°To the basement to see Oliver.¡±


    I needed to push him harder. Whoever attempted to kill me on two failed asions woulde after me. Again. And I needed to know my enemy. I needed to know who I was fighting against. And Oliver might be my only clue.


    Or not.

 66| Seething Rage.

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± I growled as I approached Oliver in long, hasty strides, with intense anger raging within me.


    ¡°I am Oliver. Nothing more.¡± He weakly replied.


    I clenched a fist, and in a split second, I delivered a powerful punch to his nose. Blood trickled down at the impact.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± He cried, spitting out the blood that rolled down his mouth. ¡°I am innocent. Please let me go. I beg you.¡±


    ¡°Not until you tell me who you work for.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t work for anyone, and I fucking didn¡¯t try to kill you.¡± He denied again, wincing in pain.


    ¡°A band tatted on the wrist.¡± I wiggled my wrist in front of him to demonstrate. ¡°Does that ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± He muttered weakly.


    He had been tortured repeatedly and had hardly eaten anything since he got here. That exined why he appeared so exhausted and looked like he would pass out at any moment.


    But I was determined to get answers from him before he did. Even if he fainted, I would revive him and continue questioning him until I got the answer I wanted, until I knew who the fuck wanted me dead.


    ¡°I will be a father soon, please-¡±


    I threw another punch at him before he couldplete his statement.


    ¡°Who¨Cdo¨Cyou¨Cwork¨Cfor?¡± I growled, emphasising every word.


    ¡°No one.¡± He gave the same reply again. ¡°I am not stupid. I would never send men after you. Please let me go.¡±


    I could sense the sincerity in his voice, but I couldn¡¯t trust him. Either he was innocent or he was really good at concealing the truth after all the torture. But even if he was innocent, why did that man mention his name? Why did the description he gave match Oliver?


    ¡°Did you tell anyone about what happened that night at the Moretti mansion? I know you hate me, but did you tell anyone about your hatred for me?¡± I asked him, my eyes narrowing as I awaited his response.


    If he had told the wrong person about how I almost killed him, that might be the reason why his name was mentioned to me. My enemies might have taken advantage of his hatred for me and used his persona to carry out the atrocity. Just like I did with Petrov and Diego Romano.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t speak with anyone about it. Sofia told me not to.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Think!¡± I eximed, urging him. ¡°Think, Oliver! Think hard.¡±


    He stared into a nk space as he tried to recall. After a while, his eyes suddenly narrowed, hinting that he had just remembered something.     I folded my arms across my chest, paying absolute attention to what he was about to say.


    ¡°Unless, at the bar¡­¡± He paused for a few seconds, his eyes still narrowing, before continuing. ¡°While I was drunk, I was devastated about Sofia and everything that was happening. I was so drunk that I lost sense of everything and blurted everything out to a stranger. I was under the influence of alcohol, though. And he was a total stranger. That¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Do you perhaps remember any features from the stranger? Anything at all?¡± I asked, raising a questioning brow.


    ¡°Not really. But I think he has dirty blonde hair. He has an athletic build, and¡­¡± He trailed off as he tried to think of other features.


    ¡°¡­I can remember he had a weird tattoo inked around his wrist, like a snake or something¡­¡± He trailed off again, his eyes widening as he connected the dots. ¡°Was he? Oh my God.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I groaned, confirming his guess, as I began to untie him. ¡°You were fucking set up.¡±


    Whoever Oliver talked to at the bar must have something against me, and he took the opportunity of Oliver¡¯s hatred towards me to attempt killing me while hiding under his name.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Oliver quickly asked as I continued untying him, and I blew out a sharp breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± I told him, pressing my lips tightly together.


    I had an innocent man imprisoned and tortured when my real enemy was out there, still plotting against me. Oliver was the only clue I thought I had. But I was wrong. Now I have nothing! How could I fight against an enemy I didn¡¯t even know?


    The sound of my phone ringing suddenly cut through my thoughts, and I quickly tugged it out of my pockets.


    ncing at the screen, an unknown number shed on it, and I really hoped it was Cami¡¯s abductor as I picked it up. I needed to know who abducted her, at least.


    ¡°Good evening, Don Antonio.¡± A voice with a rich Russian ent sounded from the other end of the phone.


    I furrowed my brows closely together. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather we skip introductions. Where is Oliver?¡± The person suddenly asked, and the frown etched on my face deepened.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, confused.


    Why would a Russian call to ask for Oliver?


    ¡°To cut everything short, we have your sister, Cami. And we believe you have Oliver. The hostage exchange should be simple. And the address would be texted to you now. Bring Oliver, and we¡¯ll give you Cami.¡± The person said, and abination of relief and curiosity coursed through me.


    I was relieved because I finally knew where Cami was and had hope that she would be safe as long as I took Oliver to them. I was curious because I really wanted to know who the fuck had the audacity to take my sister in order to exchange Oliver for her.


    ¡°Who am I speaking with?¡± I promptly asked.


    ¡°Niki.¡± The person replied. ¡°Niki Petrov.¡±


    What the actual fuck! My gaze swiftly flicked at Oliver, my eyes narrowing in utter bewilderment. Oliver? Niki? How? How is he connected with the Petrovs?


    ¡°Send the address, and we¡¯ll be there soon.¡± I said into the phone, still gazing at Oliver in shock.


    ¡°Good.¡± He replied and ended the call immediately.


    ¡°What?¡± Oliver asked, getting ufortable with my intense and mystified gaze.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I opened my mouth to talk, but my words died on my lips when I heard footsteps trailing down the staircase.


    Turning to look at the exit, I saw Rosalinda standing at the base of the staircase. Damn it!


    ¡°Oliver!¡± She eximed, her eyes widening in perplexity.


    Slowly, her raging gaze turned to look at me as she called my name with seething rage.


    ¡°Antonio!¡±

 67| Trust?

    ROSALINDA.


    He lied to me. Antonio fucking lied to me, and I couldn¡¯t even believe that I actually fell for it. I should have known better.


    ¡°You lied to me.¡± I called him out with rage burning furiously within me.


    ¡°I-¡± he trailed off, raking his fingers through his hair frustratedly.


    After a while, he blew out an exasperated breath, then turned to look at Oliver andpleted losing the rope that was used to tie him around the chair. It seemed like he had started losing it before I went in, though.


    Returning his gaze to me, he muttered. ¡°I was about to let him go. He is free to go.¡±


    ¡°You lied to me.¡± I seethed again as I began to close the distance between us. ¡°Antonio, you lied to me.¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do?!¡± He suddenly snapped.


    My eyes narrowed as I gazed at him, my nose ring in rage.


    He exhaled sharply before continuing with a calmer voice. ¡°I am sorry. I lost it. But Rosa, what was I supposed to do? Sit back anddo nothing when I thought he was after my life.¡±


    ¡°How sure are you that he was the one?¡± I challenged.


    I flicked my gaze at Oliver, and my anger intensified the more I took in his pitiful figure.


    ¡°How sure are you?¡± I repeated as I returned my gaze to Antonio. ¡°Just because someone told you that a person named Oliver sent them, you just assumed that it was this Oliver.¡±


    ¡°You are right! I was wrong! He was setup.¡± He groaned, avoiding eye contact with me.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why he¡¯s free to go.¡± He added, mumbling.


    Confusion spread across my features as I questioned. ¡°What do you mean by he was set up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin that to youter. Now is not the time. I have even more pressing issues to attend to.¡± He retorted.


    Sighing, I turned to look at Oliver and inched closer to him, crouching before him. ¡°I am so sorry this happened to you. I am really sorry, Oliver.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he drawled, his voice barely audible.


    He looked really weak. And as evidenced by the bruises and stters of blood all over his body, he was terribly tortured. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.


    Antonio didn¡¯t just keep him here; he tortured and probably starved him. The thought of that act of cruelness against an innocent man made the rage burning within me consume me more than it already did.


    Leaping to my feet and returning my attention to Antonio, I finally addressed the statement he made earlier.


    ¡°I want that exnation now. No issue can be more pressing than torturing an innocent man.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I figured you wouldn¡¯t relent.¡± He muttered, and before I knew what was happening, he had already scooped me up and ced me over his shoulder, securing me with his hands.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I yelled. ¡°Drop me down!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you home before your dad starts to worry about you. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± He told me as he made his way towards the exit.


    ¡°I am not leaving here without Oliver.¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I am sorry, but you have to.¡± He responded rather calmly.


    Marco and one other man were standing just outside the basement, and Antonio halted in front of them long enough to say. ¡°Watch Oliver until I return. We have a problem. And also, one of you should go to my room and bring Carlo outside.¡±


    I wiggled and twisted in a desperate attempt to get him to put me down, but he was relentless and only tightened his grip on me.


    When we got to his car, he gently dropped me inside, and I didn¡¯t even try to protest anymore. I knew he would forcefully take me home no matter how much I tried to, so why bother?


    I was hurt. Really hurt. But I should have known better. Mafia bosses always did whatever they wanted without caring any less about other people¡¯s feelings.


    I thought I was special to him, and my feelings mattered to him. But well, it was bold of me to assume that.


    Antonio ignited the engine of the car and powered up the road the moment Carlo was brought to the car. He was still sleeping.


    As much as I wanted to ignore him and give him a silent treatment for everything he did, I still needed to make sure that Oliver was really free to go and that he would be okay.


    ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯ll release Oliver?¡± I asked when he pulled up on the driveway of our mansion.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He simply replied.


    ¡°Today?¡± I asked to confirm.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He said again.


    He looked worried. I could tell that it wasn¡¯t because I found out that he lied to me, but because of something else. He told me that he had a more pressing issue to attend to, and I also heard him tell Marco that they had a problem.


    I was curious to know what the matter was, but I hoped that problem or pressing issue wasn¡¯t about Oliver.


    ¡°You told Marco that you had a problem at hand. Is it in any way concerning Oliver?¡± I voiced my thoughts.


    He stared in a nk space for a few seconds before exhaling sharply and finally answering me. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What? What happened?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°Someone else wants Oliver.¡± He replied, and I panicked.


    ¡°Why? Who?¡± I asked impatiently as I scanned his face, waiting for a response.


    He couldn¡¯t even look into my eyes. He had been avoiding eye contact with me ever since I caught him in the basement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to you when I have more details. But for now, I can¡¯t tell you anything.¡± He said.


    Of course, I needed to know everything. I needed to know if Oliver was in danger or not. Who else would want Oliver anyway?


    As if reading my mind, he added. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in any danger. I believe he¡¯ll reach out to Sofia once he can.¡±


    ¡°But who wants him? Why?¡± I persisted with my question.


    ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll tell you everything once I have more details.¡± He blurted out.


    ¡°Trust?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You know you¡¯ve lost me in that department.¡±


    ¡°I know I lied to you. But I just did what I had to do.¡± There he goes again. He didn¡¯t even have it in him to think what he did was wrong. He didn¡¯t have it in him to take ountability for his wrongdoing. No regrets whatsoever. And I hated it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you. I promise.¡± He continued.


    I was livid, extremely livid. If I stayed there for one more minute, I might lose control and do something that I might regretter.


    So, pushing the door open, I angrily stepped out of the car.


    ¡°You are not good at keeping promises, remember?¡± I seethed before forcefully mming the door shut.

 68| Foul Play.

    ANTONIO.


    On my way, I called Marco and instructed him to make sure Oliver took his bath and looked presentable before my arrival.


    Marco was standing on the front porch, waiting for me to arrive when I got there.


    ¡°Wee.¡± He greeted me as I approached him.


    I nodded slightly in response. Noting the curiosity on his face, I decided to brief him before he asked the question I believed he had in mind.


    ¡°Niki Petrov called me, asking for Oliver. They have Cami.¡± I told him as I walked past him, and he followed suit.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What? How is he connected with the Petrovs? Why do they want him?¡± He asked, surprised.


    I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what I also want to find out. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°In the living room.¡± He replied.


    In the living room, Oliver was seated on one of the sofas, guarded by Vito. He had taken his bath and changed clothes. Though still dishevelled, he looked way better than the way I left him.


    The second he saw me approaching, a hint of fear flickered in his eyes.


    ¡°You said I was free to go. Why am I still held captive?¡± He asked.


    ¡°How are you rted to Niki Petrov?¡± I countered his question.


    ¡°How do you know him?¡± His eyes widened in surprise at the mention of that name.


    ¡°Niki called to ask for you. So, tell me. Why does he want you?¡± I raised a questioning brow. ¡°You must be so important to him for him to hold my sister hostage in exchange for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait. My dad kidnapped someone?!¡± He eximed, a disapproving frown saturating his features.


    Dad?


    ¡°Niki Petrov is your dad?¡± I asked to confirm, and he nodded.


    That was totally unexpected.


    ¡°I never thought he¡¯d notice my absence.¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°But your surname is Michaels. How are you, his son?¡± I inquired curiously.


    I was still confused.


    ¡°I took my mother¡¯s surname. My mom was his mistress, and after finding out that she was pregnant, he dumped her. Although he didn¡¯t leave her to carry all the financial burden, he sent money to her every month. But recently, he came back to our lives, trying to make amends.¡± He exined.


    That exined why he wasn¡¯t involved in the mafia realm and appeared to know nothing about it.


    I turned to look at Marco and Vito, realising the gravity of the situation. We all had the same look on us.


    The situation was worse than I had expected. I fucking took Niki¡¯s son! Oh, I was damn lucky that I hadn¡¯t taken his life already. We would¡¯ve all been fucked.


    ¡°Alright. Get our men ready. At least ten of them. We are taking him to the Petrovs.¡± I instructed.


    ***


    The address Niki sent to me led us to a secluded warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Everywhere was so quiet, only the sound of trees and breezes whooshing could be heard. It was also very dark, and the only light illuminating the space was from the headlights of our cars.


    I called Niki to inform him that we had arrived, and the giant warehouse gate swung open almost immediately, revealing armed men assembled in a straight line.


    My men quickly clocked their guns and pointed them at the men standing behind the gate in readiness.


    ¡°Take your guns down.¡± A voice suddenly sounded from behind them, and they obeyed, paving the way for him to pass.


    Niki, alongside Cami, walked through the paved way and stopped just in front of the men.


    My sister looked okay. It was evident that she hadn¡¯t been touched. She just looked exhausted from the stress of being held captive. I couldn¡¯t say the same for my own hostage.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I quickly asked, and she nodded.


    ¡°Where is Oliver?¡± Niki asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s inside the car. Release Cami.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Not until I see my son.¡± He retorted strongly.


    Sighing, I signalled my men. ¡°Bring him out.¡±


    They did as instructed and brought Oliver to stand beside me in no time.


    ¡°Dad. Who are all these people?¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the armed men behind his dad.


    He clearly didn¡¯t know who his father was.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡± Niki¡¯s gaze swept over Oliver from head to toe before returning his attention to me, his strong countenance suddenly softening.


    ¡°Forgive my manners. Good evening, Don Antonio.¡± He grinned, surprising me.


    ¡°No, forgive my manners. Good evening.¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are one of them.¡± Oliver asked again, but his father ignored him.


    ¡°You held someone hostage.¡± He pressed on, and Niki finally flicked his gaze at him.


    ¡°To save you.¡± He said firmly.


    If only Oliver knew that this was just a fraction of all that his dad had done. If only he knew how dangerous and extremely ruthless his father was, he wouldn¡¯t evenin about a mere kidnapping.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just reported to the police.¡± Oliver challenged his father.


    Petrov shook his head at his son¡¯s ignorance. Not bothering to reply to him, he began to walk towards us, with Cami trailing behind him.


    My men instinctively raised their weapons and pointed them at him, but I signalled them to put the guns down. We couldn¡¯t be reckless with Cami standing behind him and within the reach of Petrov¡¯s men, who also had their guns up in response.


    After my men put their guns down as instructed, Petrov¡¯s men also followed suit.


    ¡°If I may ask, what did you want with my son?¡± Niki asked as he came to a stop in front of me.


    ¡°It was just a misunderstanding.¡± I simply replied.


    He raised a brow. ¡°How so?¡±


    Sighing, I exined everything to him.


    He nodded when I was done. ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡± Shrugging, he extended his hand forward. ¡°Nice to finally meet Don Antonio.¡±


    I stared at his extended hand hesitatingly before finally taking it. ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡±


    He had a nk expression on his face, and it was hard to tell what was going on in his mind. That was slightly disturbing. Niki had a strict rule about his family. He never forgave whoever harmed his family. Thus, the seamless proceedings felt disconcertinglysuspicious.


    ¡°I hope to do business with you soon.¡± He continued after we withdrew our hands.


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to that.¡±


    Under another circumstance, Niki proposing business with me would have been very good news. But now I was sceptical about his proposal. I had no idea whether he was willing to let everything go after the hostage exchange or not. I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Let¡¯s get this done.¡± I said, flicking my gaze between Cami and Oliver.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Niki agreed.


    Cami moved past us and walked to the car, while Oliver also moved to stand beside his dad. He was obviously still in shock after finding out his father¡¯s true identity.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get moving.¡± I told Niki as I began to cautiously move backwards.


    Niki was a deadly man who could never be trusted. So, a foul y could be at y, and we had to be careful until we left there.


    ¡°See you soon.¡± He said with a small smile on his lips.


    My men also retreated and cautiously entered the car.


    When I was about to slip inside the car, I spotted someone familiar behind Niki¡¯s men, and I halted.


    Diego?


    I was beyond shocked.


    He waved at me, smiling maliciously, like he knew something I didn¡¯t.


    This was bad. Niki and Diego were enemies on the verge of war, and now they seemed like allies who both had something against me. Things didn¡¯t look good. At all.

 69| She鈥檚 Mine. You鈥檙e Mine.

    ROSALINDA.


    Today was  birthday, and as nned, the party had already begun downstairs.


    I was dressed in a neon orange fitted dress with my raven ck hair packed in a tight bun, entuating my facial features.


    ¡°Mommy. No. I want the blue one.¡± Carlo whined as he stared at the white shirt in my hand.


    I was in his room, dressing him up for the party.


    ¡°The blue one it is, then.¡± I smiled sweetly as I leapt to my feet and trudged to his wardrobe to drop the white shirt.


    He giggled happily as I returned with the blue shirt, and I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread across my lips.


    ¡°Mommy, is Uncle Antonioing?¡± He asked, reminding me of the wound I had been trying to close.


    Antonio hadn¡¯t reached out since that night, and it hurt like hell. He told me that he¡¯d exin everything to me when he got the full details, but that exnation never came. I guess I expected too much from a mafia lord. How absurd.


    I got to hear a little bit of what happened from Sofia, though. Oliver called her that same night to assure her that he was okay. He also told her that he was Niki Petrov¡¯s son, which was insanely surprising.


    His family were the deadliest Russian Mafia family, but he knew nothing about the Mafia. On the plus side, he and Sofia now finally have a chance to be together. I knew my dad; he¡¯d want to exploit that opportunity to form an alliance with Petrov.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± Carlo called, pulling me back to reality, and I quickly painted a smile on my lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, baby. But I think he would.¡± I replied, adjusting the suit jacket I wore on him.


    ¡°You look beautiful, Mommy.¡± He beamed, surprising me.


    An overwhelming warmth filled my heart, and tears threatened to spill out of my eyes. ¡°Thank you, baby. You look handsome as well.¡±


    He was so sweet and adorable. I couldn¡¯t wait to watch him grow into a handsome gentleman.


    Mary came in a few momentster, and I handed Carlo to her to look after him all through the event.


    With that, I went downstairs to where the party was happening.


    ¡°Hello, cousin.¡± A familiar voice sounded from behind me, and I turned to see Giovanni, a face-splitting grin tugging his lips apart.


    ¡°Gio.¡± I addressed him with a smile.


    He hooked his arm. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Nodding, I ced my hand on it, and side by side, we ventured into the garden filled with elegantly dressed but dangerous individuals.


    ¡°Ouu, who¡¯s thedy in the red dress?¡± He suddenly said, casting a flirtatious look at one of thedies in the garden.


    I just knew he was about to leave me.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± He smiled apologetically as he unhooked his arm and walked away from me. As expected.


    I was left alone. Not knowing what to do next. I had just arrived at the party, and I was bored already. If Pap¨¤ hadn¡¯t made my presence mandatory, I would have been on my bed, chilling.


    Looking around, I spotted the buffet stand, and I immediately decided to appease my boredom with food.


    A cupcake was the first thing I started munching on from the food stand. It was so fluffy and yummy that I didn¡¯t even know when I finished two pieces.


    While on my third piece of cupcake, someone suddenly towered behind me, and I froze, wondering who it was.


    ¡°Beautiful, as always.¡± His annoying voice sounded, and my stomach tightened in displeasure.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    The previously yummy cupcake suddenly tasted gross, and my throat threatened to puke it out. I was beyond irritated, thanks to Lorenzo.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I forced the bite of cupcake already in my mouth down my throat.


    His arm suddenly snaked around my waist, and I stiffened, holding my breath.


    ¡°I missed you.¡± He slid his hand down a bit, slightly brushing my butt cheeks disgustingly.


    ¡°Please, can you-¡± I wanted to politely ask him to get his filthy hand off me when another hand suddenly yanked it off my waist.


    ¡°Get your hand off her!¡± He growled.


    My eyes widened in surprise as I turned to see Antonio holding his hand midair, a deep frown ted on his face.


    Lorenzo snatched his hand from Antonio¡¯s grip. ¡°Why? Do you have eyes for her also?¡±


    ¡°Does that bother you?¡± Antonio fired back with fury.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s a dead end, right? Because she¡¯s mine.¡± Lorenzo dered, intensifying Antonio¡¯s rage. ¡°And you can never have her.¡±


    In his dreams.


    Antonio¡¯s jaw tightened, his eyes zing with fury as he charged towards Lorenzo, but I quickly stepped between them, stopping him.


    ¡°Antonio!¡± I cautioned with a firm voice.


    Murmurs erupted, and I could feel everyone¡¯s gazes on us. Not good.


    Antonio¡¯s facial features twitched in intense rage as he red at Lorenzo with murderous intent. Suddenly, he turned around and just dashed out of the scene.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite funny how he¡¯s into you when he just recently got out of an engagement with your sister. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Lorenzo tried to start a conversation with me after Antonio left.


    He looked wellposed, as if that hadn¡¯t just happened.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I swallowed and whisked out of his presence before he could utter another word.


    Lord knows that I would have snapped if I stayed a second longer with his disgustingly annoying ass.


    I was livid, and I was barely looking at where I was going when I inadvertently bumped into someone.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I quickly apologized.


    Hoisting my head up to look at the person, I gasped.


    ¡°Surprise.¡± He beamed cheerfully.


    ¡°Oliver.¡± I chuckled.


    I was surprised to see him. But I was not as surprised when I learned of his father¡¯s identity.


    ¡°My father was invited, so I tagged along.¡± He exined, smiling.


    I figured.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked. My gaze swept over the impressive Navy blue suit he had on. ¡°You look good.¡±


    ¡°You look better.¡± He returned thepliment, and Iughed softly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± he said, slightly scratching his temple with a finger. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to find Sofia anywhere. Her phone¡¯s not reachable, and I didn¡¯t tell her I wasing. I wanted to surprise her.¡±


    ¡°I could help you look for her.¡± I offered.


    He smiled, grateful. ¡°That would be awesome. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I told him before walking away from him and heading into the building.


    Sofia could be in her room,zying around, so I decided to check there first. She was lucky. She could use the pregnancy as an excuse for not being present at the party. Everyone knows that pregnant women can feel sick unexpectedly. I, on the other hand, had no excuse at all, and my experience at the party has been terribly bad so far. It was safe to say I envied her.


    She was nowhere in her room when I got there, and I wondered where she was. I hadn¡¯t seen her at the boring party outside either.


    Blowing out an exasperated breath, I trudged out of her room, only to stop in my tracks and freeze when I saw the person standing outside her room. His back was against a wall, and his hands dipped inside his pockets with his legs crossed. Antonio.


    I swallowed as I began to walk hastily past him, determined to ignore him.


    But jokes on me. His hand gripped my arm, swiftly flipping me around and pulling me closer to him.


    ¡°Let me go.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Why?¡± He questioned, his brows raised.


    Was he seriously asking me that?


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you want to y ignorance. You lied to me!¡± I blurted out, gritting my teeth.


    Exhaling sharply, he said the words I least expected him to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rosa. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you.¡±


    That felt better. But I was still mad at him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t reach out since then.¡± Iined again.


    ¡°I have been busy. But that¡¯s not an excuse, Kitty. I am sorry.¡± He brushed his fingers across my cheeks, and I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that crept to my lips.


    Just like that, the heap of pent-up anger that was burning within melted to nothing with just an apology and a little touch. Fuck! He was so damn irresistible.


    Leaning in, he nted a soft kiss on my neck and traced those kisses up my ear, causing a satisfying shiver to travel up my spine.


    ¡°Why were you with him? Lorenzo.¡± He asked, jealousy thick in his voice.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± I teased.


    ¡°No.¡± He denied, pulling me closer than I already was, crashing his lips hungrily against mine.


    I reciprocated with equal hunger as we smothered our lips against each other with intense passion.


    I missed him.


    ¡°I would never let anyone else have you. You are mine.¡± He dered possessively as he pulled away from the kiss. ¡°I would make sure of that.¡±


    A pleasing smile touched my lips as I stared at him with admiration. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I desire.¡±


    My contortion suddenly changed to a sad one when I remembered the attack from the amusement park. I had been pondering over it, wondering how Antonio would deal with the whole Diego issue. I was the reason he was in that mess in the first ce.


    ¡°About Diego. How do you intend to tackle the issue?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Diego wasn¡¯t the one who attacked that day.¡± He told me, and my brows drew together in perplexity.


    ¡°What? Then who?¡± I blink repeatedly.


    ¡°I think I found the culprit. A few minutes ago.¡±

 70| Jealousy.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I quickly asked.


    Leaning in, he nted multiple gentle kisses on my neck, causing heat to rush to my core.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me a hickey.¡± I said, a soft moan escaping my lips.


    He flicked his gaze at me, a wicked smile ying on his lips. ¡°Toote.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± I worried as I wiped my neck with my hand. How was I supposed to hide it with the off-shoulder dress I had on?


    ¡°Kidding.¡± He chuckled.


    He got me.


    ¡°I dislike you.¡± I gritted out, obviously not meaning it.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the opposite, Love.¡± He sought my lips, engaging me in a soft, sweet kiss.


    ¡°So, who is it?¡± I got back to the matter at hand after we pulled away from the kiss.


    He brushed my lips with his thumb, staring intently into my eyes with sinful desire. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. But I¡¯ll tell you once I confirm.¡±


    ¡°There he goes again. With the secrets.¡± I remarked, rolling my eyes.


    A small smile touched his lips as he continued staring at me with intense desire. ¡°You pretty woman.¡±


    Before I could reply, he smashed his lips against mine, kissing me so hungrily, like we hadn¡¯t just kissed moments ago. We couldn¡¯t get enough of each other.


    I flung my arms around his neck as we devoured each other¡¯s lips. My entire body lit up with heated desires, and my core tightened in anticipation. I wanted him inside me. I wanted him to fuck my brains out.


    Remembering that we were in a hallway in a house filled with people, I quickly pulled away from the kiss.


    He raised a brow at me.


    ¡°Anyone could catch us here.¡± I breathed out.


    A smirk touched his lips. ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    Of-course!


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I swallowed.


    He ced his hand on my right cheek, massaging it gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love. I¡¯ll make you mine soon, my wife, and we won¡¯t have to hide anymore. I promise.¡±


    I was taken aback by his words; my heart was pumping so fast.


    I wanted Antonio. So much. But I had never actually thought about bing his wife. He had just ended his engagement with my sister, and being with him felt morally wrong.


    That aside, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d want a life with him. For the rest of my life. I had always been against the Mafia and everything they stood for, even though I was born into a Mafia family myself. I had always craved a life beyond the violent realm that surrounded me. So, willingly agreeing to marry Antonio-a ruthless mafia boss-would mean going against my own beliefs.


    But I had already deviated from those beliefs when I fell in love with him. He was just so irresistible.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked with concern as he studied my face.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I smiled awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. ¡°You look good.¡±


    He ced a kiss on my forehead, trailing it down to my nose as he replied. ¡°I dressed to impress you. I¡¯m d it worked.¡±


    My blush reached my ears and I suddenly became speechless.


    ¡°I hate to leave you. But I have to see Marco urgently. There¡¯s something I want to talk to him about.¡± He suddenly said, and I drew my brows together.


    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡± I pouted, not wanting to be left alone.


    ¡°No. It can¡¯t. I need him to confirm something. I¡¯ll see youter, Love.¡± He leaned in and captured my lips with a kiss.


    Straightening back up, he painted a smile on his lips before starting to walk away from me.


    ¡°And-¡± he suddenly stopped and turned to look at me, pointing a warning finger at me. ¡°Stay away from Lorenzo and every other man.¡±


    A soft chuckle emanated from my throat as I nodded obediently. He looked hot when jealous.


    My eyes remained glued to him as I watched him continue his journey until he disappeared from my sight.


    And that was when I remembered that I was supposed to be looking for Sofia.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I eximed.


    I got swept away by Antonio¡¯s charms, and I totally forgot about my promise to Oliver.


    Without hesitation, I continued my search for Sofia, checking every nook and cranny of the building. But I couldn¡¯t find her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just when I was starting to get worried, I stumbled upon her in one of the corridors, having a heated make-out session with Oliver.


    He found her first.


    I let out a sigh of relief as I marched towards them.


    ¡°Get a room!¡± I eximed, scrunching up my face.


    They quickly disentangled from each other¡¯s arms, and they turned to look at me, both breathing heavily.


    Sofia swallowed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. ¡°Rosa.¡±


    ¡°Your room is not far. Just take a turn to the left, and you¡¯ll arrive at your room in no time.¡± I teased as I walked past them, a wide smile pulling at my lips.


    I made my way back to the party, hoping to spend more time with Antonio once he finished with Marco.


    But upon getting there, the first thing I saw was the figure of two people standing together and discussing. Antonio and a tall, slimdy who didn¡¯t look familiar.


    My heart swelled with jealousy, and before I could stop myself, I trotted towards them, a deep frown crowning my features.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I stered a fake smile on my face as I came to a stop in front of them.


    I nced at thedy briefly before flicking my gaze at Antonio.


    ¡°My father asked me to pass a message to you. It¡¯s urgent and important.¡± I lied unashamedly.


    A smile touched his lips before he darted his gaze at thedy. ¡°Please, can you excuse us?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She said. I didn¡¯t miss the re she shot at me before walking away from us.


    ¡°So, what is the message?¡± Antonio asked when we were finally alone, and with the smile ying on his lips, it was certain that he knew I was lying.


    But I spelled it out anyway. ¡°I just wanted you to get away from her.¡±


    ¡°Is that jealousy I smell?¡± He teased, wiggling his brows yfully.


    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t re up and tried to hit her before everyone. Unlike someone.¡± I grumbled. I didn¡¯t even try to hide my feelings. ¡°Who is she, anyway?¡±


    ¡°You know that was a different situation, and-¡± a sudden outburst ofmotion caused him to trail off.


    We both turned to look at the source of the noise, and we saw guests gathered around a particr spot, seemingly looking at something dreadful.


    Without hesitation, I scurried to where they were gathered, worry washing over me.


    My eyes widened in horror, and my heart pounded at a dangerous pace. Panic consumed my entire being when I saw what they were all looking at.


    Pap¨¤ had copsed on the floor, lying unconscious.


    Oh, God. No please.

 71| Pull Over.

    ROSALINDA.


    My heart pumped rapidly. My entire world froze as the doctor¡¯s words rang repeatedly in my head.


    ¡°Mr. Moretti has been keeping this to himself for a while now and asked me not to tell you guys, his family. But I don¡¯t think I can hide this anymore. I¡¯m sorry, but you all deserve to know that he has cancer. Cancer of the lungs. But it is still in the early stages, and there is a great chance of it being cured since it was detected early. He has beening here for treatment, and I suppose he fainted as a result of the side effects of the treatment.¡±


    Pap¨¤. Cancer? The news was too painful to take in, and I found myself unable to breathe well. I couldn¡¯t imagine a life without my Pap¨¤. I didn¡¯t want to lose him. Not now.


    ¡°Pap¨¤ why? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± I queried, tears streaming down my face as I held his hand in mine.


    ¡°This is why.¡± He smiled sadly, lightly squeezing my hand in his. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see you cry like this.¡±


    ¡°You should have told us.¡± Sofia, who was sitting beside him on the other side of the bed, cried.


    He turned to look at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t die.¡±


    Mama just stood there, her eyes spilling uncontroble tears and her hand clutching her chest as she stared at her husband. She was too heartbroken to talk.


    ¡°Lucia.¡± He called softly as he stared at her with sad eyes.


    Her lips trembled as she managed to speak. ¡°Why?¡±


    Every single one of us in that room was hurt and devastated. I, Mama, Sofia, Matteo, and Giovanni. What even added to the pain was that he didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. He didn¡¯t tell us, his family, that he was ill. We had to find out from the doctor.


    I had suspected that something wasn¡¯t right, but never in a million years could I have imagined that he had cancer.


    That exined the weird behaviours he had been exhibitingtely. That exined why he wanted to be a better father all of a sudden. That exined why he suddenly stopped smoking when he was an addict. He was so addicted to cigarettes.


    No, this was too much to take.


    ¡°Pap¨¤, I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± I cried.


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± He lifted his hand and wiped my tears off with the back of his hand.


    The door dinged open, and I turned to see the doctor walking inside.


    ¡°You see why I didn¡¯t want to tell them?¡± A frown shed across Pap¨¤¡¯s face as he told the doctor.


    ¡°Mr. Moretti, they deserve to know. You need them to help you through the recovery process. You need their love.¡± The doctor exined.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve preferred to go through it alone without worrying them.¡± Pap¨¤ sighed. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s by the way. I can go home now, right? This hospital sickens me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My brows drew together. ¡°You need to remain here to recover.¡±


    ¡°I am not sick, Rosa.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± I stated firmly. ¡°You fainted just an hour ago, and now we found out that you have lung cancer. Yes, you are sick, Pap¨¤.¡±


    ¡°I have known about this illness or whatever for a while now, and I have been going on with my daily activities as normal. I don¡¯t feel sick right now, and I am going home. Tonight.¡±


    Pap¨¤ was stubborn, and I knew he would never listen to me. So, flicking my gaze at the doctor, I asked with hopeful eyes.


    ¡°You won¡¯t discharge him, right?¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± the doctor said, darting his eyes between Pap¨¤ and me. ¡°I¡¯d have to check if it¡¯s safe for him to go home tonight or not. While I do that, can you all please excuse us?¡±


    Blowing out a frustrated breath, I was the first to leave the room, with the others trailing behind me.


    While we waited for the doctor to finish checking him up, I decided to use the opportunity to see Ruby, as she was in the same hospital.


    I hadn¡¯t gone to see her since the day she had the ident, but we had been talking over the phone, and she had been giving me details about her recovery process.


    Her eyes widened, and she gasped in surprise as I pushed the door open and walked into her room.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing.¡± She beamed.


    I sighed, pressing my lips tightly together. ¡°I also didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be here this night.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Wait.¡± A frown was etched on her face when she noticed my red eyes and the maps of dried tears on my face. ¡°What happened?¡±


    The second she asked that question, I couldn¡¯t control the stream of tears that came rushing down my cheeks.


    She sat up immediately as worries saturated her features. ¡°Girlfriend, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°My dad.¡± I cried as I sat beside her and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°He has cancer, Ruby. Lung cancer.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. No.¡± She breathed, patting my back tofort me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to die. I don¡¯t-¡± I huped. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to die.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to die.¡± Sheforted me, rubbing my back. ¡°He¡¯ll survive. I have a strong faith that he would.¡±


    Ruby was dealing with her own sickness, and I was not supposed to bother her with my sh*t. But she was my best friend, and I foundfort in speaking to her about it. She was the best.


    ¡°I love you.¡± I told her from the bottom of my heart.


    She kissed my temple. ¡°I love you too, Rosa.¡±


    I remained in her arms for a while before finally pulling away from the hug.


    ¡°So, how are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Cry baby.¡± She said yfully as she used her thumb to wipe some of the tears off my face. ¡°I am fine.¡±


    ¡°When would you-¡± I trailed off when my phone started ringing.


    Matteo was the caller.


    ¡°Matteo.¡± I said into the phone when I picked up.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± He asked. ¡°We are leaving now. He has been discharged.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you outside.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± Ruby asked with a raised brow, and I nodded.


    ¡°I begged Pap¨¤ to spend the night at least, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± My annoyance was palpable in my voice.


    He was just too stubborn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me him. This hospital makes me sick to my stomach as well. I wish I could leave also.¡± She replied with a grimace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be out soon.¡± I leaned in and kissed her on both cheeks. ¡°See you soon.¡±


    She pouted. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, Ruby.¡± I said, a small smile touching my lips.


    After I left her ce, I went straight to the underground parking lot of the hospital, where my family was waiting for me.


    As I approached them, my eyes caught the figure of Antonio standing beside Pap¨¤,and my heart skipped a beat. I wondered when he arrived at the hospital.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Pap¨¤ asked with a small frown on his face when he spotted me.


    ¡°My friend, Ruby, is admitted to this hospital. So I went to see her.¡± I exined. I could feel Antonio¡¯s gaze on me, and I was fighting with my life not to stare back at him, even though all I wanted to do was run to him and bury myself in his arms.


    Pap¨¤ sighed. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I inched closer to the car, and when I opened it, I realised there was only space for one person. And there were two people yet to enter the car: Papa and me.


    Pap¨¤ was brought to the hospital in an ambnce, and Matteo followed him. The rest of us came with just one car, hence why we were short on space now. We could manage, but we¡¯d be tight.


    ¡°There¡¯s only space for one person left in this car.¡± Iined with an exasperated sigh as I shut the door.


    Pap¨¤ sighed. ¡°Matteo or Giovanni. One of you should get down and take a cab.¡±


    ¡°I could help. I can drop Rosalinda off if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Antonio quickly offered.


    ¡°That would be nice. Thank you.¡± Papa¡¯s face lit up as he shook Antonio¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Are youfortable with that?¡± Mama¡¯s voice sounded from inside the car.


    I was more thanfortable.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Good night.¡± Antonio told Pap¨¤ before walking away from him and starting to walk towards his car.


    I nodded at Pap¨¤ before following Antonio.


    ¡°I heard the sad news.¡± Antonio told me as he opened the car door and held it for me to enter. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I answered honestly as I slipped inside the car.


    He closed the door, then walked to the driver¡¯s side and slipped inside.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± He ced his hand on mine and gave it aforting squeeze.


    As he drove, his hand never left mine. He kept ncing at me asionally, and I couldn¡¯t control the arousal building up within me. His hand on mine sent tingles dancing all over my body. And the look on those eyes? Oh damn.


    I just learned about Pap¨¤¡¯s illness, and thinking about these things when I was supposed to be immensely sad caused a pang of guilt to w at my chest.


    I drew in a sharp breath in an attempt to cool off the arousal and stop my pussy from dripping.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Antonio asked, concerned, as he nced at me. And as my eyes met his, sensations stirred within me.


    I darted my gaze to the space between his legs, and I gulped down saliva when I saw the bulge.


    Realising he was also aroused, thest shred of control I had in me snapped and I groaned. ¡°Pull over.¡±


    I was insanely attracted to that man.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± He asked, confused.


    ¡°Pull over. Please.¡± I pleaded impatiently, my body burning for him.


    He parked the car immediately, and before he could utter a word, I climbed on top of him and smashed my lips on his.


    I might as well make something good out of the bad night I was having.

 72| Ti Amo.

    ROSALINDA.


    His primal needs were palpable in the way he aggressively unbuckled his belt and ripped my panties apart.


    Without hesitation, he positioned me on his cock and pushed inside me with a powerful thrust.


    An intense sensation rippled through my body when his full length filled me up, and I took over from there, bouncing on him, while our shared heavy breaths filled the car.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He groaned in pleasure, and in an instant, he grabbed my butt cheeks and began thrusting forward in rapid movements.


    The pleasure dancing through my body intensified, and it became difficult to breathe. I couldn¡¯t think of any other thing. Just him. Us. Andthe sinful act we were indulging in.


    I dug into the softness of his hair as the pleasure became unbearable. It was unbearable, yet I craved more. I wanted to feel all of it.


    ¡°Fuck me harder.¡± I moaned.


    And he obeyed.


    The thrusts became insanely rapid. It was as though a beast was doing the movement. Intense sweetness erupted within me, and it felt as if I was about to explode.


    Fuck!


    He rasped something, but I could barely make out his words. The delicious feeling that consumed me had blocked my sense of hearing, and his voice sounded distant.


    His lips sought mine, and he engaged me in a delightful kiss while still thrusting into my wetness tirelessly.


    Suddenly, he lifted me up until his hardness waspletely out of me.


    Although he wasn¡¯t inside me anymore, I could still feel him inside me.


    ¡°Get to the back seat.¡± He ordered, and without questioning him, I obeyed.


    He joined me at the back seat immediately, and, in an instant, he grabbed my waist and plunged inside me from behind.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± My moan was loud.


    He continued where he left off, pushing inside me back and forth in rapid session. My brain was fuzzy, and I grabbed the headrest for support as the familiar sizzling sensations continued rippling through my body.


    ¡°You naughty, sexy damsel.¡± He rasped as he spanked my ass.


    I had never enjoyed a spank so much, and I wanted more. As if reading my mind, he spanked me again. And again. I enjoyed each of them.


    His rapid thrusts continued relentlessly, banging me like a beast and giving me all the pleasure I desired. Even more.


    His hand seized the back of my neck, and I arched my back in response, my moans getting louder. I was close to my orgasm, and I could feel it. I could feel all the nerves in my body vibrating. It was an exhrating feeling that I enjoyed so much.


    After a few more thrusts, he suddenly stopped. And as I felt his fluid flowing inside me, I rolled my eyes in pleasure.


    I took a few deep breaths before turning to look at Antonio. As my eyes met his, I couldn¡¯t stop the blush that rose to my cheeks.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not that we are runningte and I have to take you home before your father calls, I would have fucked you all over again.¡± He rasped as he leaned in and engaged me in a sweet, searing kiss.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want. I want you to fuck me. Again.¡± I teased. Truth be told, I really wanted him to.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tempt me.¡± He groaned before jumping to the front seat and buckling his belt immediately so as to not fall for the temptation.


    I also hopped back to the front seat, my pussy quivering as a result of the intense pleasure I just finished receiving. It was insane! He tends to drive me to the brink of insanity each time.


    ¡°What do we do with this?¡± Antonio chuckled as he picked up my ripped panties and shed them at me.


    A softugh emanated from my throat. ¡°Throw it away.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯d keep it.¡± He leaned in, opened the car¡¯s glovepartment, and shoved it inside.


    I didn¡¯t know why he decided to keep the torn pants, but I didn¡¯t bother to ask. He came inside me, and that was the only thing I was bothered about.


    ¡°You came inside me,¡± I reminded him.


    He nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss the amusing smile that shed across his face, hinting that he knew very well what he was doing.


    ¡°I could get pregnant.¡± I pointed out the consequences for him.


    A smile curled on his lips as he leaned in and ced a gentle kiss on my cheeks.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Even though I would like it very much for you to be pregnant with my child, I know you can¡¯t. At least not now. That is why we are going to the pharmacy to get you some tablets. I care about you too much to put you in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Ti amo.¡± The words suddenly slipped out of my lips. I didn¡¯t know how, but they did anyway.


    A look that I could only interpret as confusion shed across his face, and I knew immediately that I shouldn¡¯t have said that.


    Damn, I was so stupid.


    What was I thinking?


    His expression suddenly changed to a brighter one, and for the first time ever, I saw Antonio blushing.


    ¡°Ti amo amore mio.¡± He said, and my heart pattered to an uneven beat.


    That was our first time saying ¡®I love you¡¯ to each other, and the happiness that washed over me couldn¡¯t be contained. My lips spread into a wide smile as I stared at him.


    I wasn¡¯t just attracted to this man; I was insanely in love with him. He brought me so much joy and happiness in ways that couldn¡¯t be exined.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He asked me with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You.¡± I answered honestly.


    In response, he took my lips into his, and we smothered our lips against each other in a long, sizzling kiss.


    ¡°I love you so much.¡± He breathed when we pulled away from the kiss.


    ¡°I love you too, Antonio.¡± I replied, meaning every word.

 73| Flat Tyre.

    ROSALINDA.


    In all honesty, I didn¡¯t want to return home. I wanted to remain with him. In his arms. Until the sun rises.


    But unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t possible. We got some pills from the pharmacy, and he drove me home afterwards. We had onest scorching kiss in his car before I hopped out. Upon entering the building, I learned from one of our maids that Sofia, Mama, and Matteo were in Pap¨¤¡¯s room, so I went there to join them.


    Pap¨¤ was on his bed, lying down with Mama, Sofia, and Matteo seated all around him. As I stared at him, reality hit me in the chest. A few minutes of pleasure couldn¡¯t erase the pain that lingered in my heart. Pap¨¤ was sick, and the only thing I could hope for was for him to respond to treatment.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Pap¨¤ asked as I approached him.


    ¡°Antonio had a t tyre, so he had to fix it.¡± I lied.


    He nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    My eyes subconsciously darted to Sofia, and the look she had in her eyes said that she didn¡¯t believe my excuse.


    ¡°I was just telling them that I don¡¯t want you all to treat me any differently. As you can see, I don¡¯t look exactly sick.¡± Pap¨¤ started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°But you are sick!¡±


    I was still of the opinion that he should have remained in the hospital for at least tonight so that the doctors could monitor him before getting discharged. The symptoms of cancer might not have manifested yet because he only got diagnosed during routine checks, but he was still sick. And he even fainted during the birthday party.


    ¡°I am not.¡± He said calmly.


    He tapped the empty space beside him on his king-sized bed, gesturing for me toe sit beside him. ¡°Come.¡±


    Sighing, I jumped on the bed and sat beside him, resting my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die, Pap¨¤.¡± I said.


    My emotions came rushing in all over again, and tears began to stream down my face.


    ¡°You heard the doctors. I have a high chance of survival. The cancer hasn¡¯t spread to other organs. It¡¯s a good thing it was detected early.¡± He sighed, patting my head.


    ¡°It hurts me to see you like this. Stop crying. The doctor said I need you guys to help me in the recovery process. I need your love. Not your tears. I don¡¯t want you guys to treat me any differently. Can you do that for me?¡± Pap¨¤ pressed on.


    I hoisted my head to look at him through my wet eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He was right. We were not supposed to worry him. He was the sick one, and he was the oneforting me. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that. I wasn¡¯t supposed to only think about my emotions. I was supposed to think about his as well.


    ¡°Now, stop crying.¡± He urged me as he began to wipe the tears off my face with the back of his hand.


    Leaning in,I ced a gentle kiss on his right cheek. ¡°I love you, Pap¨¤.¡±


    ¡°I love you, P.¡± He said with a warm smile.


    We all remained in his room for a little while, talking about nothing and everything, withughter filling up the space. It had been a while since we bonded together as a family, and I hated that it took my father¡¯s sickness to bring us together.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. You all should go to your rooms. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow. Besides, I want to have a little chat with your mama before we go to bed.¡± Pap¨¤ said after a while.


    Sofia was the first to kiss Pap¨¤ on the cheek and wish him goodnight. She also wished Mama, Matteo, and I goodnight before trudging out of the room.


    ¡°Goodnight, Pap¨¤.¡± I said, kissing him on the cheek.


    I inched closer to Mama and gave her a kiss before whispering in her ear. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She smiled at me, and I mirrored her expression before starting to walk away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve a goodnight.¡± I heard Matteo say from behind.


    I half turned to look at him, surprising him with my words. ¡°I love you, brother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± He retorted sharply, but he couldn¡¯t hide the smile that crept up his lips.


    Rolling my eyes, I continued on my way. I knew he loved me and was just being purposely annoying.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Giovanni and Sofia were standing a few feet away from the room when I stepped out, and they seemed to be gossiping about something.


    ¡°Why are your voices so low? What are you gossiping about?¡± I asked as I approached them, raising my brow.


    ¡°t tyre, uh?¡± Giovanni scoffed.


    I nced briefly at Sofia, knowing that she was the one who told him about it, before returning my gaze to Giovanni.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± I asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°Did he really have a t tyre or-¡± Sofia chimed in, raising a brow.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I lied.


    Giovanni cleared his throat.


    ¡°Dishevelled hair,¡± he said, turning to look at Sofia. ¡°Was her dress rumpled before we left the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not.¡± She responded, scanning my dress with her eyes.


    Pap¨¤¡¯s room door clicked open, and I turned to see Matteo slipping out. He raised a brow as he approached us.


    ¡°What meeting are you guys having?¡±


    ¡°Mind your business.¡± Sofia retorted.


    A small, satisfactory smile curled on her lips when Matteo¡¯s face twisted in annoyance. She loved teasing him.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Matteo groaned as he took threatening steps towards her.


    A smallugh erupted from her as she hid behind Giovanni for protection.


    ¡°Gio won¡¯t save you today.¡± Matteo muttered as he tried to pull her away from Giovanni¡¯s back, but she was relentless, clinging so tightly to him.


    As I watched their never-ending drama with a smile on my face, my phone suddenly started ringing, and I silently hoped it was Antonio. I missed him already.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said as I walked away from them.


    I could feel their gazes on me as I pulled the phone out of my pocket, but I didn¡¯t bother to look at them.


    Looking at the screen, I realised Antonio wasn¡¯t the caller, and I sighed.


    Picking up the call, I muttered, ¡°Ruby.¡±


    ***


    ANTONIO


    I didn¡¯t expect the turnout of events tonight. The way she hopped on my legs and kissed me like her life depended on it, taking me to ces I¡¯d never been. It was totally unexpected, but I fucking loved it. I fucking loved her.


    I wanted to be the one to say ¡®I love you¡¯ first, but she beat me to it, and that was sexy. Knowing she loved me aroused me so much, and I wanted to fuck her all over again when I heard those words, but I couldn¡¯t. We were runningte, and I couldn¡¯t have her father call me before I took her home. It took everything in me to drive her back home. I wanted to take her to my ce and make love to her all night.


    I hated that I couldn¡¯t do the things I wanted to do with her at the time I wanted. But that would change soon. I loved her, and I nned to do everything I could to make her mine. Forever.


    But for now, I had to deal with the matter at hand-the mother fucker who was trying to murder me.


    I made a shocking discovery tonight at the party, and I asked Marco to confirm what I saw. I hadn¡¯t seen him since then, and his room was the first ce I went when I got home.


    ¡°Marco.¡± I called, pushing the door open without bothering to knock.


    ¡°Boss.¡± He hoisted his head to look at me.


    He was sitting on his bed, gazing at theptop, when I entered.


    ¡°Did you confirm what I asked you to confirm?¡± I asked as I approached him.


    He sighed. ¡°I asked a randomdy at the party to roll up his sleeve while pretending to seduce him. And she did.¡±


    ¡°So, did you see it?¡± I asked eagerly.


    When I yanked Lorenzo¡¯s hand off Rosalinda¡¯s waist, I spotted a tattoo on his wrist in the process. But his sleeve didn¡¯t crease up enough for me to see what type of tattoo it was, and I couldn¡¯t draw a conclusion yet. Though I had a strong hunch that it was the same tattoo that my attackers had inked on their wrists, So, I asked Marco to find a way to confirm if it was the same.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°It was the same tattoo.¡±


    ¡°Bastardo!¡± I gritted, my jaw clenching in extreme fury as I began to dial Lorenzo¡¯s number.


    That motherfucker!

 74| Trap.

    ANTONIO.


    I had to calm myself down to speak with Lorenzo. I didn¡¯t want him to know that I knew he was the one who was after my life, as I wasn¡¯t totally sure yet. The tattoo could be a coincidence. So to confirm, I came up with a n and asked us to meet.


    We met at a coffee shop the following morning. My men were positioned strategically all over the ce because I wasn¡¯t so stupid to go alone when I suspected that Lorenzo was after my life.


    ¡°So, what did you want to discuss with me?¡± Lorenzo asked as he nted his elbows on the table and made a steeple with his fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go straight to the point. I want us to do business together.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Business?¡± He raised a brow.


    ¡°Yes, business.¡± I replied.


    He let out a soft chuckle, slightly shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s surprising how you were determined to fight me over a woman yesterday. And now you want to do business with me?¡± A frown crossed his features. ¡°Make that make sense.¡±


    ¡°I apologise for what happened yesterday. I was just trying to protect her. She seemed really ufortable; that was why I tried to get you away from her.¡± I drew in a sharp breath and exhaled to stop myself from exploding in anger after spitting out those words. Words I didn¡¯t mean.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I continued. ¡°Let¡¯s not allow a woman to get in between businesses.¡±


    ¡°Protect her? You like her, uh?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Of course you do. If not, why else would you feel obliged to protect her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± I felt a small squeeze in my chest after I spat out that lie. ¡°She used to be my sister-inw. That exins why I was obligated to protect her.¡±


    I didn¡¯t just like her. I loved her so much that I would do anything for her. But I just needed to lie to him to get him on my side until I fucked him over.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He nodded. ¡°She¡¯s mine, though. I hope you know that. I¡¯ll finalise the deal with her father soon.¡±


    Motherfucker.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I retorted. It took everything in me to control myself and not go nuclear on him for iming what was mine.


    Rosalinda was mine, and no one else could have her. No one!


    ¡°About the business you have for me, I am not interested.¡± He said as he leaned back and rested on his seat.


    I raised a brow. ¡°Even if we¡¯ll both benefit immensely from it?¡±


    He leaned in, staring menacingly into my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do business with you, Antonio Russo.¡±


    I wondered what he had against me that made him hate me so much. Ever since I started suspecting that he was the one after my life, I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out why. But I couldn¡¯t think of anything. We had never done business together. Nothing had ever joined us. So, why?


    My phone started ringing, and when I saw that it was Rosalinda calling, I silenced the call and kept the phone aside. I couldn¡¯t speak with her before Lorenzo.


    She rang my phone again, and I silenced it again.


    ¡°Who is it? Why don¡¯t you want to pick?¡± Lorenzo asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± I waved it off before continuing with the conversation. ¡°Why are you refusing to do business with me?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to.¡± He said gruffly.


    I shook my head. ¡°Diego would have been the perfect person for this business. If not for the fact that he¡¯s after my life.¡±


    ¡°After your life?¡± He drew his brows together. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, he believes I did something that I didn¡¯t do.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°What was that?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Did you hear that his car was blown up? He believes I was behind it. Like, why would I do that?¡± I shook my head and sighed.


    My phone rang again, and I was about to silence it when I realised that it was Marco calling.


    I picked up the call, ready to act out my n with him.


    ¡°Marco.¡± I said into the phone.


    ¡°Yes, correct. Room 409 at the Phoenix hotel.¡± I said after a while. ¡°I¡¯ll be there at eight. Ask her to be there around 10 p. m. I¡¯ll pay once she¡¯s done.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I ended the call immediately and returned my attention to Lorenzo.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯ll be getting pleasured tonight.¡± Lorenzomented with a smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man. I need it.¡± I simply replied.


    He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡°So, can you reconsider my proposal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡± He said firmly as he leapt to his feet. ¡°I have things to do. I have to go. Goodbye.¡±


    I sighed, nodding. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    I was done with him anyway. I had already achieved what I wanted to archive.


    ***


    By 7 p. m., I was already in room 409 at the Phoenix Hotel, with my men situated in the rooms that surrounded it.


    I gave Lorenzo all the necessary information he needed tounch another attack, and we were waiting for him or his men. I called that meeting with him toy a trap. I needed to confirm if he was really the motherfucker after my life.


    At about quarter to nine, a knock sounded on the door. It was a female.


    She was dressed in a sleeveless, short red tube gown.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked warily when I opened the door for her.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ The girl that was supposed toe couldn¡¯t make it, so she asked me to fill in for her.¡± The girl said, smiling. She seemed really nervous.


    Nodding, I ushered her in. ¡°Come in.¡±


    She cautiously walked into the room, clinging tightly to her cross-shoulder purse.


    I folded my arms across my chest as I observed her.


    The thing was, I wasn¡¯t expecting anydy. It was all part of the n to get Lorenzo to attack.


    I wondered if the innocent-looking girl before me was the one sent to kill me or if she was just being used.


    ¡°I would take a shower before we begin.¡± She told me as she started walking towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I said firmly.


    I trudged to the bed and sat on it. I continued observing her, wondering what n she had-what Lorenzo asked her to do.


    ¡°Okay, then. I guess we¡¯ll do it like that.¡± She peeled the tube dress off her body, leaving her only in her panties. She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra.


    She began to take sexy steps towards me in an attempt to seduce me. Although she was beautiful, I wasn¡¯t moved by her nakedness. Rosalinda was the only woman I could react to.


    She came close to me-too close-and kissed my neck.


    I was disgusted, but I didn¡¯t push her away. I had to y her games to the end to find out her n.


    Rosalinda¡¯s call came in at that time, and I groaned exasperatedly. I totally forgot to call her back. I waspletely engrossed in this n of mine. I hated to leave her hanging.


    Regrettably, I silenced her call. I couldn¡¯t talk to her at that moment.


    ¡°Is that your woman?¡± The girl asked me as she looked at me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    Exhaling sharply, I pulled out the bedside drawer and picked up a handcuff.


    ¡°What do you want to do with-¡± Before she couldplete her statement, I deftly secured one end of the cuff around her wrist and the other one to the bed, binding them together.


    I was done ying her game. I needed to find out who she was and what she was sent to do.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± She yelled as she started pulling the cuff vigorously in an attempt to free herself.


    ¡°Quit trying.¡± I told her.


    I walked to where she had dropped her purse and picked it up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open my purse. That¡¯s an invasion of privacy.¡± She yelled.


    Ignoring her, I opened the purse and found a filled syringe.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, furiously drawing my brows together as I approached her.


    ¡°Tranquilizer.¡± She muffled. ¡°I only nned to use it if you turned out to be a serial killer. I have heard stories where sex workers get killed in hotel rooms. I had to prepare something that I would use to defend myself if you turned out to be a serial killer.¡±


    ¡°I know you were sent. I wasn¡¯t expecting any woman, so I know you didn¡¯t take anyone¡¯s ce. This was a trap I set for the person who sent you.¡± I sat in front of her, looking intently into her eyes. ¡°Tell me the truth, and I might spare you.¡±


    Her whole body began to tremble. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sent.¡± She denied.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll inject you with the tranquilizer.¡± I threatened as I ced the tip of the needle on her skin. ¡°And the next time you wake up, you¡¯ll be without an arm.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her eyes widened in horror.


    ¡°It¡¯s your choice. Who sent you?¡± I asked, my voice growing darker.


    I could see the intense fear that consumed her as she blurted out. ¡°I swear, I don¡¯t know him. He contacted me and offered to pay five thousand dors if I came here and injected you with the tranquilizer. That was all he asked me to do.¡±


    ¡°Did he tell you his name?¡± I asked.


    She nodded vigorously. ¡°Diego. Diego Romano.¡±


    Lorenzo! I set a trap, and that son of a bitchpletely dove right into it.

 75| With Pleasure, Boss.

    ANTONIO.


    I called Marco and asked him toe to the room I was in while the other men remained in the respective rooms they were stationed in. It wasn¡¯t over yet. Lorenzo¡¯s men could still be lurking around, and all of us couldn¡¯t be in the same ce. We had to be careful.


    ¡°Please, I am innocent.¡± The woman begged, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t innocent when you decided to aid in killing me.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Kill you? No. I wasn¡¯t going to kill you. I was only asked to tranquillize you.¡± She quickly defended herself.


    ¡°What did you think the person who sent you would do after I became unconscious?¡± I raised a brow, waiting for her to connect the dots.


    ¡°Kill you?¡± She asked, her eyes filling with horror.


    Nodding in response, I reached for her wrist and uncuffed her.


    ¡°Get up and get dressed.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of running.¡± I warned her as I pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.


    She nodded, her body trembling in fear, as she walked to where her dress was and slipped it on.


    Marco came in afterwards. He gazed at thedy warily before turning his attention to me.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± He asked.


    I briefly exined everything to him, and the fury that burned within him afterwards was evident in the way he began to take threatening steps towards her.


    ¡°Marco!¡± I warned.


    He stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath before turning to look at me.


    ¡°What do you n to do now, boss?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I turned to look at her.


    ¡°Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Chloe, Diego didn¡¯t send you here. It was-¡±


    ¡°I swear it was Diego Romano.¡± She defended. ¡°It was him.¡±


    She was naive. Nobody gives their name whenever they send someone to do a dirty job. I knew she didn¡¯t know what she was doing. She was just blinded by money. And I was damn sure she wouldn¡¯t have gotten that money even if she had seeded, because Lorenzo would have made sure she didn¡¯t live. He wouldn¡¯t want to leave loose ends.


    ¡°Chloe. Did they give you a number to call once you havepleted the task given to you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Call that number and put it on loudspeaker. Tell them that you have sessfully injected me with the tranquillizer and that I am unconscious. If you try to give me out, I will shoot you without hesitation.¡±


    Without hesitation, she reached for her phone and did as instructed. She called a number, and it was answered almost immediately.


    ¡°Done.¡± She told the person on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Are you sure? If you are lying, I would kill you.¡± The man threatened her.


    She hesitated to answer, hoisting her head to look at me, and I pointed the gun at her to warn her.


    ¡°Why would I lie?¡± She quickly told the man.


    ¡°Okay. Remain there. I aming.¡± He said and ended the call.


    We didn¡¯t have to wait for long before a knock sounded on the door.


    I asked Chloe to open the door, and I positioned myself behind it, ready to disarm him when he entered.


    As the man walked in, holding a gun with both hands, I swiftly knocked his wrist with my gun. He lost the grip on the gun as a result of the pain in his wrist, and I took that moment to snatch the gun from him.


    I kicked him hard on the balls with one leg and used the other leg to kick the door close.


    Before he could recover from the pain, Marco had already cuffed his hands to his back.


    He dragged him to the middle of the room and made him go on his knees.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± I questioned with a rather calm voice.


    ¡°Diego.¡± He grunted, giving the answer I had expected.


    ¡°Marco.¡± I muttered.


    I didn¡¯t have to voice out my instructions before he understood.


    Marco promptly folded a fist and punched the man¡¯s nose so hard that it broke. Blood trickled down, and he groaned in pain.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Diego.¡± He gave the same response.


    Marco punched him rapidly in the stomach. The punches were so hard that he began to cough out blood as a result.


    ¡°Who sent you?!¡± I asked again, my voice raised this time.


    ¡°Diego Romano.¡± He coughed. ¡°I am telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°No, you are not.¡± I asserted. ¡°I know who sent you, and I want you to say it with your mouth. I¡¯ll continue to torture you until you do.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I crouched to his level and ripped open the sleeve of his shirt. I lifted his hand and pointed at the snake tattoo inked around his wrist. ¡°I know this tattoo so well. I know the gang that has it inked on its members. Diego¡¯s men don¡¯t have it on them.¡±


    He sighed defeatingly when he realised I had figured them out.


    ¡°So, tell me. WHO SENT YOU?¡± I growled.


    ¡°Lorenzo.¡± He breathed. ¡°Lorenzo sent me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I straightened back up and dipped my hands in my pockets as I observed him. ¡°Why does he want me dead? He had made attempts on my life before. Twice. This makes it the third. Why does he want me dead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t-I don¡¯t-know.¡± He stammered.


    ¡°Marco, capture his face and find out about his background. His family and friends.¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Okay, boss.¡± Marco replied.


    He took his phone close to the man¡¯s face and captured a picture.


    ¡°You know I can find your family if I want to, right?¡± I asked the man.


    He nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, and I won¡¯t have to find them. But if you refuse to, I¡¯ll find them and gruesomely murder them; that¡¯s after I¡¯ve killed you.¡± I threatened.


    ¡°You know you¡¯ll die anyway, regardless of whether you tell me the truth or not. But telling the truth would save your family from suffering the same fate as you.¡± I added.


    ¡°Please. I beg you. Please don¡¯t touch my family. Please!¡± He desperately pleaded as sheer horror consumed him.


    ¡°Their lives are in your hands.¡±


    ¡°The-¡± he trailed off, and I could sense that he was contemting.


    ¡°Are you contemting?¡± I raised a brow.


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head, wincing in pain. ¡°You¡¯re affecting his business; that¡¯s why he wants you out.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked curiously as I folded my arms across my chest.


    ¡°You have the same supplier of coke. But recently, your demands increased dramatically, so automatically, he supplies very little coke to our boss. He tried talking to the supplier, but he was more loyal to you. When that didn¡¯t work, he contacted other suppliers that had pure coke, but they all didn¡¯t have products for him.¡±


    ¡°Business has been really slow because of that, and he is frustrated. That¡¯s why he decided to get you out of his way. He nned to have the supplier all to himself once you are out.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡± I eximed, my arms akimbo as I stared at him in disbelief.


    I had thought too far. I had racked my brain, thinking I had done something to Lorenzo in the past that I might have forgotten. I did not know that he was after my life because of some fucking products.


    I turned to look at thedy, who was still trembling in one corner. ¡°Leave. And don¡¯t mention a word about this to anyone. If you do, I¡¯ll find you and your entire family and make sure you all disappear from the face of earth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± She eximed before trotting out.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill my family. Leave them out of this.¡± The man before me pleaded desperately.


    He didn¡¯t bother to beg for himself because he knew it was useless, and he could only try to save his family.


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch them. I have no business with them.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Please.¡± He begged again.


    I turned to look at Marco, my demeanour growing darker. ¡°Finish him off.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure, Boss.¡± He grinned.


    I pulled a cigarette stick out of my pocket and lit it up while I walked out of the room.


    As I walked down the hall, I dialled my beloved¡¯s number. The incredibly pretty woman who captured my heart. Rosalinda.

 76| Resist Him.

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°So, has Pap¨¤ said anything about you and Oliver now that he knows that he is a Petrov?¡± I asked Sofia.


    We were in the kitchen, eating pancakes, bacon, and sausages for breakfast.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t said anything.¡± She sighed. ¡°Do you think I should talk to him about it?¡±


    ¡°You should.¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t object to your union anymore.¡±


    She nodded, pouting. ¡°Hopefully. Because I miss him so much and I want to spend more time with him.¡±


    ¡°Ouuu¡­. lover girl.¡± I teased, chuckling softly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me me.¡± She said, blushing as she gently rubbed her tummy. ¡°My babies need their father.¡±


    I settled my gaze on her belly, and a small smile crept up my lips at her little baby bump. It was so cute.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting to protrude.¡± I remarked, and she nodded.


    ¡°What about you?¡± She suddenly asked. ¡°What¡¯s up with you and Antonio? Have any of you talked to Pap¨¤ about both of you wanting to be together?¡±


    My brow creased. ¡°I thought you hated him?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do!¡± She sighed, rolling her eyes. ¡°He kidnapped my man and tortured him. But that doesn¡¯t erase the fact that you both are deeply into each other. I only wish for your happiness. Nothing more.¡±


    I sighed, pressing my lips tightly together as I remembered how he had neglected me throughout yesterday. I called him three times, and he never picked up or returned my call. I got soinfuriated that I switched off my phone twenty minutes after calling the third time. I didn¡¯t want to keep waiting for a call that would nevere.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± My sister asked immediately; she sensed my change in mood.


    ¡°I called three times yesterday, and he hasn¡¯t returned my call.¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he has tried calling back, though, because I switched off my phone.¡± I added.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s busy. You know the nature of mafia men. Always drowning themselves in work.¡± She said.


    ¡°Even though. He should have left a text or something. Instead of having me wait for his call.¡± I said frustratedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right though, but-¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey prettydies.¡± Giovanni¡¯s loud voice cut her off.


    We turned to see him walking inside the kitchen with a huge grin on his face.


    He sat across from us, then leaned in and picked up one piece of bacon from my te.


    ¡°Why do you look moody?¡± he asked as he began to munch on the bacon. ¡°Did Antonio break your heart? I warned you to stay from that bastardo.¡±


    ¡°Terrible conclusion. He didn¡¯t break her heart.¡± Sofia retorted, eying him.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Why does she look moody then?¡±


    ¡°None of your damn business.¡± Sofia said, eying him again.


    ¡°But seriously. You know how much I care about you, cousin. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He asked me with genuine concern saturating his features.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I simply replied.


    He raised a brow. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded.


    Matteo walked through the door, and we all turned to look at him.


    ¡°Why are you guys suddenly quiet? I heard your voices from down the hall, but I couldn¡¯t make out what you were discussing.¡± He muttered, furrowing his brows, as he sat down beside Giovanni.


    He folded his arms on the counter and turned to look at Gio. ¡°You¡¯ve overtaken my role as their brother, yeah? They now keep secrets from me and discuss everything with you.¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Gio asked, smirking.


    ¡°Why would I be jealous? I¡¯m not.¡± He replied. But from his voice, we could all tell that he was lying.


    ¡°He is jealous.¡± Gio affirmed.


    ¡°Matteo, do you know where Pap¨¤ is?¡± I asked.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him that morning, and I wanted to go check up on him to make sure he was okay.


    ¡°He¡¯s in his office.¡± He quickly replied before returning his attention to Gio.


    ¡°Even if I were, I am confident that they¡¯d always choose me over you.¡±


    The banter between the two of them didn¡¯t seem like it would end anytime soon.


    I leapt to my feet and walked out of the kitchen, heading to Pap¨¤¡¯s office.


    I hated that he was still drowning himself in work despite his diagnosis. No matter how much I tried to tell him to stop, he would never listen.


    I knocked on his door, and I didn¡¯t wait for his permission before pushing it open and slipping inside.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± Antonio¡¯s voice echoed through the office when I walked in.


    I halted.


    He was seated on one of the sofas in the office, staring intently at me. My heart rate increased, and I swallowed against my dry throat.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my dad?¡± I asked.


    He stood up and walked towards me. My already rapid heartbeat elerated with each step he took.


    ¡°He went to get something; he¡¯ll return soon.¡± He told me, stopping in front of me.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I turned back in an attempt to walk out of the office, but Antonio grabbed my wrist, pulling me back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to reach you.¡± He told me as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him.


    ¡°I switched off my phone.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked firmly. ¡°I even came here because of you. I didn¡¯t have any important reason to see your father. I was worried about you, amore mio.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me why you ignored my call all day and refused to call me back?¡± I seethed.


    ¡°I was busy.¡±


    ¡°Of-course.¡± I breathed, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this difficult for both of us, Rosalinda. Believe me, I was truly busy. You know I love you and would never hurt you intentionally.¡± He caressed my cheek, staring intently into my eyes.


    I averted my gaze, refusing to allow his alluring eyes to melt my anger away.


    ¡°Talk to me.¡± He secured my chin with his fingers and made me turn to face him when I didn¡¯t respond.


    As I stared into his eyes, it became increasingly difficult to resist him. My aroused body was not in sync with my angry self. His hand on me, his close proximity, and his heated stare made sensual tingles erupt through my body, and all I wanted to do was wrap my hands around his neck and kiss him like never before.


    Suddenly, the door swung open, and before we could disconnect from each other, Pap¨¤ came in.


    He paused, his brows furrowing, when he registered how intimately close we were.


    ¡°What is happening here?!¡± He barked.

 77| Helpless.

    ROSALINDA.


    My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, and I quickly disentangled myself from Antonio¡¯s arms.


    ¡°What is happening here?¡± Pap¨¤ asked again, his frown deepening as he approached us.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I nervously scratched the back of my neck. I was lost for words to say.


    ¡°Nothing really.¡± Antonio said, sighing.


    ¡°No. You can¡¯t tell me nothing. Your hands were on her, looking at her like¡­ that. What¡¯s going on?¡± Pap¨¤ persisted, darting his gaze between the both of us.


    ¡°Is that the document?¡± Antonio changed the subject as he reached for the file in Pap¨¤¡¯s hand.


    He skimmed through the document before returning his gaze to Pap¨¤. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take my leave now. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Antonio.¡± Pap¨¤ called, his brows furrowing.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Antonio said.


    Before Pap¨¤ could say anything more, he started walking towards the exit.


    I promptly followed Antonio, but Pap¨¤ called me back.


    ¡°Rosalinda.¡± He said firmly.


    I turned to look at him. ¡°Yes, Pap¨¤?¡±


    He waited for Antonio to leave the office before he asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and him?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll believe that?¡± He asked, his forehead creasing into multiple folds.


    I averted my gaze, too embarrassed to look him in the eye after what he just saw. I had nothing to say, because no exnation could make Pap¨¤ think otherwise. He saw it all. The way Antonio¡¯s arm was wrapped around me, staring intently at me. It was clear as day that something was definitely happening between Antonio and me.


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer his question. I couldn¡¯t deny it, and I also couldn¡¯t admit the obvious.


    When he didn¡¯t receive a response from me, he sighed.


    ¡°You can go.¡± He suddenly said, surprising me.


    I finally settled my gaze on him, confused.


    ¡°I can go?¡± I asked to confirm, and he nodded.


    Though still surprised by his sudden will to stop questioning me, I walked out of his office. Pap¨¤ had changed in a lot of ways. I didn¡¯t know if I should be d about it or sad about it. Because it was the illness that fueled his change.


    I went back to my room, and a pang of disappointment coursed through me when I entered to find no one there. I had secretly hoped that I would find Antonio in my room, waiting for me.


    Sighing, I walked to my nightstand, where my phone was, and picked it up, finally switching it on. I had a couple of voicemails. Three from Antonio and one from Ruby.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Ruby¡¯s voicemail, which she sent an hour ago, was the one I listened to first.


    ¡°Hey, bitch. I¡¯m bored. I don¡¯t know why your line isn¡¯t going through. Anyway, like I said, I¡¯m bored. Please call me back when you listen to this. Or better yet, can youe and visit me? Pretty please. I need you. Also,e with Carlo, please, if possible. I¡¯d like to finally meet my godson.¡±


    I was about to listen to Antonio¡¯s voicemails when a knock sounded on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I said, and the door was pushed open almost immediately.


    Mary walked in, holding Carlo in her arms.


    Perfect timing. Carlo¡¯s here. I had always wanted Ruby to meet him, so I decided to grant her wish and surprise her. I was going to take him to meet her.


    ¡°He said he wanted to see you.¡± Mary told me as she leaned forward and put Carlo on his feet.


    ¡°Good morning, mommy.¡± Carlo beamed as he pranced towards me excitedly.


    ¡°The absolute love of my life. Good morning, my baby.¡± I carried him in my arms and stered kisses all over his face. He giggled.


    I turned to look at Mary, who was still standing there. ¡°You can go.¡±


    Nodding, she turned around and left.


    ¡°Do you want to go out?¡± I asked Carlo, pulling his cheeks.


    ¡°Yes!¡± He beamed, his face lighting up. ¡°Are we going with Uncle Antonio?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I smiled, shaking my head.


    He pouted. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I am taking you to see Aunty Ruby.¡± I told him.


    ¡°Who is Aunty Ruby?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll meet her soon.¡± I said.


    I got dressed in a floral maxi gown afterwards and snuck out of the house with Carlo.


    ***


    Ruby couldn¡¯t contain her joy when I walked into her ward with Carlo. She jumped out of bed and limped excitedly towards us, meeting us halfway.


    ¡°Careful. Does that not hurt?¡± I asked, concerned about her bandaged leg.


    ¡°It hurts like hell. But I don¡¯t care.¡± She snatched Carlo from my arms and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°So nice to finally meet you, Kiddo.¡± She beamed.


    Carlo turned his face to look at me. ¡°Is she Aunty Ruby?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, smiling.


    ¡°You are so handsome and-¡± Ruby trailed off, her words reced by a piercing cry of pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked as I promptly took Carlo from her hands and put him to his feet before supporting her.


    ¡°My leg.¡± She groaned.


    ¡°Sorry, girl.¡±


    I helped her back to her bed, and sheid on it.


    ¡°Should I call a doctor or something?¡± I asked, concerned.


    She shook her head. ¡°I am fine. I just stressed the leg a little too much.¡±


    She returned her attention to Carlo, motioning for him to climb the bed. I helped him up and made him sit beside her.


    ¡°Sorry, Aunty Ruby.¡± Carlo said, and I could sense the concern in his voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s so adorable.¡± She beamed, pulling his cheeks yfully.


    We spent about two hours with Ruby, and she didn¡¯t stop mentioning how adorable Carlo was and stering kisses all over his face. Carlo also seemed to like her, as they bonded so beautifully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡± Ruby pouted like a five-year-old who was deprived of a popsicle when I announced that we wanted to leave.


    ¡°Stop being a big baby.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°You know we sneaked here, and we have to leave before our absence is noticed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never understand why you still have to sneak out at this age. Anyway, I¡¯ll miss you.¡± She opened her arms wide for me to hug, and I did just that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too.¡± I said.


    She hugged Carlo afterwards and designed his face with thest round of kisses. He giggled in response.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± I told her and ced a kiss on her cheek before holding Carlo in my arms and walking out of the room.


    ¡°Mommy, is Aunty Ruby sick?¡± Carlo asked while we were waiting to hail a cab in front of the hospital.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I replied, nodding.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°She was involved in a-¡± My words were cut short when a ck mustang pulled over in front of us.


    Instinctively, I began to hurriedly walk away from the car, but before I could go far enough, two hefty men scrammed out of the car and attempted to snatch Carlo from my arms.


    Carlo screamed, but my own screams overshadowed his as I held him so tightly, refusing to let them have him.


    The fight I desperately put up against them was useless, as they were much stronger than me. I felt helpless, unable to protect my son, when the strange men seeded in forcefully grabbing Carlo from me. Within the blink of an eye, they had already hopped inside the car and sped off, leaving with my son.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs as I dropped helplessly to the ground.


    The oxygen in the atmosphere became limited, and I struggled to breathe as I felt my whole world crumble.


    God, please, no!

 78| Oh, Boy!

    ROSALINDA.


    I was so stupid. So fucking stupid. Knowing the dangerous world that surrounded me, I went ahead and took Carlo out alone. Without guards.


    Different thoughts were colliding in my head, and I was going crazy. I couldn¡¯t think straight; my heart was burning fiercely, and my whole body was shaking. I was dishevelled and confused, not knowing what to do.


    I took out my phone to call 911, but I found myself dialing Antonio¡¯s number instead.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± I said breathlessly into the phone when he picked up, my chest heaving up and down.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He quickly asked, worried.


    ¡°I came¡­ hospital¡­ God, Carlo.¡± I cried, unable to form a coherent sentence.


    ¡°Rosalinda. I want you to take a deep breath and breathe out.¡± He told me, and I did just that.


    ¡°Again.¡± He said, and I repeated it.


    ¡°Now, tell me where you are; I¡¯ming there right away.¡± He said with urgency. He didn¡¯t even bother to ask what happened anymore.


    I told him where I was, and he ended the call immediately.


    I lurked around, and it wasn¡¯t even up to twenty minutes when Antonio¡¯s car pulled up in front of me. He scrammed out of the car, his features portraying worries as he rushed towards me.


    He ced both hands on my shoulders and asked. ¡°What happened, Rosalinda?¡±


    ¡°Carlo.¡± I breathed.


    ¡°What happened to Carlo?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I came here with him to visit Ruby. While we were out here waiting for a cab, two men snatched him away from me. They took him away.¡± I cried.


    ¡°Rosalinda, why?¡± He shook me furiously. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you to stop going out alone. Now, you took Carlo with you. Are you-¡±


    He trailed off and blew out a sharp breath, his nose ring. He stomped away from me and raked his fingers through his hair in frustration before walking back to me.


    ¡°Did you see who took him? How do they look? Is there anything at all you can use to identify them?¡± He asked.


    He was visibly angry at me, but he was suppressing it. The only thing that seemed to matter at that moment was finding Carlo.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think to look at their faces; I was struggling to prevent them from taking Carlo. Except¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°Except what?¡± Antonio quickly asked.


    ¡°While I was struggling with them, I saw a tattoo on one of their wrists.¡± I told him. ¡°I think it was a snake tattoo.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Damn it! That mother fucker!¡± He groaned.


    ¡°What? Do you know who took him?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied.


    A pang of hope coursed through me. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll tell you on the way.¡± He trudged to his car, and I promptly followed him.


    Antonio drove me home, and on the way, he exined how he discovered that it was Lorenzo who had been trying to kill him. The snake tattoo was a signature symbol for their gang.


    I wondered why Lorenzo kidnapped my son and what he wanted to do with him. I was insanely worried, hoping nothing would happen to my dear son before he was found.


    Antonio had called Pap¨¤ and exined things to him prior to us getting there. When we got to the mansion, he was on the front porch, impatiently waiting for us.


    The second we came down from the car, Pap¨¤ rushed towards us, his eyes burning with rage.


    ¡°Rosalinda, are you crazy?¡± He yelled furiously. ¡°Why did you take him out? Alone?!¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to tell me how crazy I was. I knew I was. And I regretted my actions. So much. It was all my fault.


    ¡°Call Lorenzo and ask him toe. Don¡¯t let him know that we know what he did.¡± Antonio told Pap¨¤.


    He drew his brows together. ¡°Why?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Just do it. Please!¡± Antonio groaned.


    Pap¨¤ red at me, then sighed before dialling Lorenzo¡¯s number.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Pap¨¤ said when he picked up. ¡°I have an emergency that I¡¯d like your advice on. If you aren¡¯t busy, can youe over to my ce?¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll be expecting you.¡± He said after a few seconds and ended the call.


    ¡°He¡¯sing, right?¡± Antonio asked, and Pap¨¤ nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± Antonio groaned.


    ¡°What are your ns? Why did you ask me to call him here?¡± He asked.


    Antonio sighed. ¡°When hees, ask him questions about Carlo¡¯s abduction. I¡¯m going to his mansion to bring Carlo back. Do not let him leave until I return.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should take some time to strategize before attacking?¡± He suggested.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± Antonio eximed, clearly agitated by Pap¨¤¡¯s suggestion. ¡°My-¡± he paused and exhaled. ¡°Carlo is not spending another hour in captivity. I need to rescue him now!¡±


    Pap¨¤ sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. But I truly appreciate your help.¡± He patted him on the shoulder, his voice dripping with sincerity. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Antonio only nodded in response, then briefly nced at me before turning around and walking towards his car in long strides. I could see it in his eyes that he was highly disappointed in me.


    I messed up!


    ***


    ANTONIO


    I mobilised all my men to go invade Lorenzo¡¯s home. Marco tried to talk me out of it, saying it wasn¡¯t our war to fight. But what he didn¡¯t know was that it was indeed my war to fight. No one could save Carlo like I could. No one else could risk it all just to save my son. It was my duty as his father.


    We didn¡¯t approach the house until we were sure that Lorenzo was with Roberto already. I didn¡¯t want him to be there while we carried out our operation. Taking his men and saving Carlo would be much easier if he wasn¡¯t there to instruct his men.


    The gatemen refused to grant us ess inside after honking the car at them. So, I had to slip out of the car and approach them.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± One of the gatemen asked suspiciously.


    ¡°My son was kidnapped by your boss. I came here to save my son.¡± I said truthfully, looking intently at him. ¡°And you would allow us inside.¡±


    The three men by the gateughed hysterically, like I was some sort of joke, and that irritated me. I didn¡¯t have time for riffraff like them.


    The second I noticed them trying to reach for their guns, I moved faster than them, pulling my gun out and shooting all three of them in the head. Without hesitation.


    I turned to look at my men, who were already out of the car. ¡°One of you should scale the gate and open it.¡± I instructed.


    Once the gate was opened, we all hopped back into the car and continued our journey inside.


    About six men trooped outside, aiming their guns at us, but my men were quick to fire at them first. They all dropped dead.


    We scrammed out of the car and began to approach the main building afterwards.


    ¡°You, you, you, you, and you.¡± I pointed at five of my men. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of us?¡± Marco asked.


    ¡°Remain outside and take watch. More of his men might return anytime soon.¡± I instructed.


    With that, I began to take cautious steps towards the entrance, with the men I pointed at following suit.


    The front door was wide open, and the second I walked through it, a man attempted to knock my gun down, but I was faster than him. I knocked his own gun out of his hand and kicked his balls before shooting him in the head.


    While all that was happening, two other men attempted to shoot, but my backup men shot them instantly.


    A lot of Lorenzo¡¯s men weren¡¯t around, and that was to our advantage.


    ¡°Spread out and find the boy.¡± I instructed them.


    I ascended up the staircase and started banging all the rooms open, looking for my boy. In one of the rooms, I found a woman who I assumed to be the chef because she had an apron on. She was shivering in fear in one corner of the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. Please don¡¯t kill me.¡± She pleaded desperately.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you if you cooperate.¡± I said firmly.


    The distant sound of two gunshots echoed, and the woman recoiled instinctively. I only hoped those gunshots weren¡¯t for my men.


    ¡°I came here looking for a little boy. Have you seen him around?¡± I asked her, and she vehemently shook her head.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I-I haven¡¯t.¡± She replied hesitantly. I could tell that she was lying.


    I inched closer to her, and she shivered increasingly with each step I took.


    Stopping in front of her, I pressed my gun to her forehead to instill more fear in her before threatening.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot if you lie to me again. Answer my question correctly this time. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in the basement.¡± She sharply replied. ¡°I saw them taking him to the basement.¡±


    ¡°Take me there.¡± I said, stepping aside for her to lead the way.


    She walked out of the room, and I followed her, my gun still pointed at her.


    We encountered two dead bodies on our way, and she freaked out. She screamed and tried to run, but I pressed my gun to her head, reminding her of the fate that awaited her if she dared defy me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± She cried.


    ¡°You better.¡± I groaned.


    We continued our journey, and we got to the basement in no time.


    ¡°Can I go now?¡± She asked, and I shook my head.


    ¡°We¡¯re going down there together. Now, walk.¡±


    She did as instructed, and I followed suit. But I was cautious, looking out for men who might be in the basement with Carlo.


    We hadn¡¯t even reached the base of the staircase when I spotted Carlo in one corner, crying profusely. My heart broke into many pieces at that sight.


    ¡°Carlo.¡± I called as I rushed to him.


    The woman took the opportunity to run for her life, but I didn¡¯t bother to stop her because I didn¡¯t need her any more.


    ¡°Uncle Antonio.¡± Carlo cried as he jumped on his tiny feet.


    ¡°Oh, boy!¡± I eximed.


    I carried him up and held him tightly to my chest, relieved that nothing had happened to him.


    ¡°I love you, son. I love you so much.¡± I beamed, stering many kisses on his cheeks.


    ¡°I am scared.¡± He cried.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay.¡± I patted his back tofort him. I had never been so scared of losing someone.


    I would kill Lorenzo and everyone involved in hurting my son. Of that, I promise.

 79| That Animal.

    ROSALINDA.


    Lorenzo arrived shortly after he was summoned and was led to the living room, where Pap¨¤, Mama, Marco, Sofia, Giovanni, and I were all waiting impatiently for him.


    ¡°Don Roberto.¡± He grinned as he approached Pap¨¤. He extended his hand for a handshake, which Pap¨¤ took reluctantly.


    He didn¡¯t even bother to acknowledge the rest of us sitting in the living room.


    ¡°How¡¯s your health? How do you feel now?¡± He asked Pap¨¤.


    Pap¨¤ didn¡¯t answer that question. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t interested in a chitchat.


    Instead, he gestured at the sofa that was opposite him. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    I never knew Pap¨¤ cared so much about his grandson until today. The rage burning beneath his eyes was so intense.


    Lorenzo drew his brows together. ¡°I thought you wanted my advice on business matters.¡± He darted his gaze at us. ¡°Why would we have it here?¡±


    ¡°Seat, please.¡± Pap¨¤ said again, not bothering to exin anything to him.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lorenzo said, exhaling sharply before going to sit.


    ¡°So, why did you call me here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°My grandson is missing. He was kidnapped.¡± Pap¨¤ told him.


    ¡°I am sorry about that. But¡­¡± he raised a brow. ¡°Is that why you called me here? What does that have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Your boys took him.¡± Pap¨¤ muttered; he wasn¡¯t even asking.


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Lorenzo eximed, a deep frown masking his features. He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not a funny usation.¡±


    ¡°Roll up your sleeve.¡± Pap¨¤ said, the frown on his face matching Lorenzo¡¯s.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t joke about my family, Lorenzo. I am not asking; I am telling you to roll up your sleeves. You made a mistake bying here alone.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t threaten me, Roberto.¡± Lorenzo jerked up angrily and slipped his gun out, pointing it at Pap¨¤.


    Matteo and Giovanni promptly clocked their guns, pointing them in Lorenzo¡¯s direction.


    Lorenzo darted his gaze at them, and realising he was outnumbered, he sighed and conceded defeat.


    ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll make you pay for this.¡± He groaned as he rolled up his sleeves in fury. ¡°What now?!¡±


    ¡°The other sleeve.¡± Papa¡¯s voice was surprisingly calm.


    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± He groaned and rolled it up.


    ¡°Rosalinda, Is this the type of tattoo you saw on them?¡± Pap¨¤ asked, his gaze fixed on his wrist.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. It was the same snake tattoo.


    ¡°Where is my son?¡± I asked Lorenzo. It took everything within me to control myself and not charge at the fucker.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He replied nonchntly. He returned his attention to Pap¨¤.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this means, but I¡¯ve had enough. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    He began to walk away, but Matteo and Giovanni promptly blocked his way.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± Gio groaned.


    Lorenzo flicked his gaze at Pap¨¤, with intense rage burning beneath his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± He demanded.


    Pap¨¤ sighed. ¡°The men who abducted Carlo had the same tattoo as the one on your wrist and-¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to insinuate? You believe they are my men because of a fucking tattoo?¡± He cut him off with a growl. ¡°Any idiot could go to any tattoo parlour to get this done!¡±


    Pap¨¤ raised a brow. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°If you continue with this and do not let me go now, I will not continue with our agreement!¡± He threatened. He had so much guts.


    I had never had so much desire to want someone dead like I did with him at that moment.


    Pap¨¤¡¯s nostrils red as he retorted. ¡°The agreement had already been called off the moment you kidnapped my grandson. I won¡¯t argue with you, Lorenzo. Antonio is currently at your house to rescue my grandson. So, until he returns, I have no words for you.¡±


    Lorenzo¡¯s eyes widened in perplexity at what Pap¨¤ just told him. He quickly tugged his phone out of his pocket and attempted to dial a number.


    But Matteo snatched the phone out of his hand.¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Lorenzo groaned, stomping his foot hard on the floor in frustration. ¡°Fuck! Damn it!¡±


    Just then, we heard the sound of a car driving through the driveway, and I ran outside, hoping it was Antonio, hoping he had rescued my baby.


    Antonio came out of the car parked in the driveway. His white shirt was immensely stained with blood, and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach at the sight.A pang of pain pulled on my chest when I didn¡¯t see Carlo in sight.


    ¡°Where is Carlo? Did you find him?¡± I asked eagerly as I ran towards him, my chest heaving continuously.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± He sighed as he opened the door to the back seat.


    Carlo was there, sitting in the car with his face flooded with tears.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± He cried.


    ¡°Carlo.¡± My voice came out as a whisper as I inched closer to him and scooped him up in my arms.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I hurriedly observed every inch of his body, and when I was sure that he wasn¡¯t physically hurt, I burst into tears and hugged him even tighter.


    ¡°My baby.¡± I cried, unable to hold back my tears. I didn¡¯t know what I would have done if anything had happened to him. I didn¡¯t know what I would have done without Antonio.


    I turned to look at Antonio. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t even know how to appreciate you.¡± I inched closer to him and wrapped one arm around him in a hug. ¡°Thank you so very much.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why he risked his life to save my son, but I was immensely grateful to him.


    I pulled away from the hug and looked at his face, the anger I harboured towards Lorenzo rushing back in as I seethed. ¡°Was he the one? Was it Lorenzo who kidnapped my son?¡±


    He nodded. The rage that burned within him was palpable in the way the veins on his forehead bulged.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± He groaned.


    ¡°In the living room,¡± I told him.


    He promptly walked away from me, heading towards the front door in long, angry strides.


    I didn¡¯t know what he nned to do with Lorenzo, but I hoped the rage burning within him was wild enough for him to kill that animal.

 80| New Terms.

    ANTONIO.


    ¡°Sei Morto!¡± I growled, my chest threatening to explode with the multitude of rage that washed over me the second I sighted the bastard.


    Lorenzo narrowed his eyes as he observed my blood-stained shirt. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me why you kidnapped Carlo?¡± I growled.


    ¡°Where is Carlo? Did you find him?¡± Roberto asked.


    Rosalinda walked in with Carlo in her arms, so I didn¡¯t need to answer his question.


    He sighed in relief before turning to look at Lorenzo. ¡°I thought you denied kidnapping him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well.¡± Lorenzo lifted his shoulders in a shrug, grinning. ¡°Busted, right?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Roberto asked, baffled.


    ¡°Did you expect me to marry your daughter, knowing she had a child?¡± He asked,ughing hysterically. He was definitely a mental case.


    ¡°But you said you were okay with it, Lorenzo! What did you n to do with my grandson?¡± Roberto asked, narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°I was never okay with it. I didn¡¯t want a woman who would have an emotional attachment to someone who wasn¡¯t my child. So¡­¡± He turned to look at Carlo and tilted his head as he continued. ¡°I nned to put him out of the picture. But I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way, though.¡±


    I took a few steps forward, my already deep frown deepening even further. ¡°By putting him out of the picture, do you mean killing him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied nonchntly.


    ¡°You monster!¡± Rosalinda yelled as she charged at him, but Giovanni was quick to stop her, holding her still.


    ¡°You are fucking crazy. I hate you. I swear, you¡¯ll pay for this!¡± She continued as she struggled to free herself from Giovanni¡¯s grip, crying.


    I was in extreme fury myself, but I hated to see how broken she looked. And that fueled my anger even further.


    The bastard wouldn¡¯t mess with people I love and get away with it.


    ¡°I swear, you are dead!¡± I growled asI closed the distance between us and punched him hard in the face.


    He staggered backwards due to the impact of the punch, cing his palm over his cheek.


    ¡°He is not even your family. So, why are you getting so worked up?¡± He spat when he regained his bnce.


    ¡°Carlo is like a son to me!¡± I fired at him.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± A malicious look crossed his features as he darted his gaze at Rosalinda. ¡°Or are you doing this because of her? Does Roberto know that you two have been sleeping around?¡±


    ¡°What if we are?¡± I refused to let him have a card against me. I was done hiding my rtionship with her anyway; I might as well let the cat out of the bag myself. I didn¡¯t care about any consequences whatsoever.


    Confusion spread across his face. I bet he wasn¡¯t expecting my response. He was speechless.


    ¡°You wanted to kill a child who¡¯s barely three. Did you think you would have gotten away with it?¡± My voice was surprisingly calm. ¡°You also attempted to kill me. Thrice. Because you stopped getting supplies of products.¡± I raised my voice this time. ¡°Did you think you could go against me and get away with it?¡±


    ¡°How-how did you know?¡± He quickly asked.


    ¡°How did I know?¡± I took an intimidating step forward. ¡°You think you¡¯re smart, but you are so stupid. Your tattoo gave you away. Remember when I called you to propose a business to you? I never wanted to do business with you. I set a trap for you, and you fell right into it. The man you sent to kill me at the hotel room confessed that it was you who sent him.¡±


    ¡°So, it was all a lie.¡± He groaned, and I nodded.


    ¡°I am going to kill you today, Lorenzo.¡± I affirmed.


    ¡°What now?!¡± He eximed with so much rage. ¡°Do you expect me to beg for mercy?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± I pulled out my gun and pointed it at him. ¡°Because that would be useless.¡±


    ¡°Antonio, don¡¯t do it.¡± Roberto quickly interjected as he leapt to his feet. ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t.¡± I groaned, my eyes never leaving Lorenzo.


    ¡°His death would start a blood feud with his father. Sergio.¡± He told me. ¡°Sergio would avenge his son¡¯s death. And you know how ruthless he is. Please don¡¯t put us all in that position.¡±


    I knew very well how ruthless his father was. Sergio had his own Mafia empire and had done unspeakable things just to get whatever he wanted. I was well aware that Sergio would go all out to avenge his son¡¯s death, and I was ready for him. I feared no one.


    ¡°What are you suggesting now? That I let him go after kidnapping Carlo? Knowing that he would have killed him if he hadn¡¯t been rescued, Knowing that he attempted to kill me three times and that I would have been dead if he had seeded, Knowing that he woulde after my life again?¡± I pointed out all the things he had done.


    ¡°Sergio would avenge his son¡¯s death.¡± Roberto reminded me again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I growled, and before I could change my mind, I pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced through his forehead, and in an instant, he dropped to the ground. Dead.


    Carlo¡¯s scream filled the room, and I quickly turned to look at him, worried. I had totally forgotten that he was there; otherwise, I would have asked Rosalinda to take him away first. I didn¡¯t want him to experience what just happened.


    His eyes were covered with his mother¡¯s hands.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t see it.¡± Rosalinda assured me when she sensed my worries.


    I sighed, relieved that she prevented him from seeing that. He must have been crying as a result of the horrifying sound of a gunshot.


    I turned to look at Roberto.


    ¡°I am taking Carlo with me. I can¡¯t risk him being in danger anymore.¡± I dered. ¡°You all know how fond of him I am. I am ready to adopt him, and I would protect him with my life.¡±


    Roberto shook his head vigorously in disapproval. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You-¡± He tried to protest, but I cut him off.


    ¡°You know you owe me for breaching our contract when Sofia got pregnant. I had not said anything about that. But let¡¯s talk about it now. How do you intend to pay for what happened? You know what the terms of the contract say, or should I remind you of how much you would lose?¡± I threatened.


    He fell silent.


    ¡°To make amends for the breach of contract, I¡¯m proposing you rece Sofia with Rosalinda. To be my substitute bride. And unlike Lorenzo, I don¡¯t mind marrying a woman with a child. I would love Carlo like I would love mine.¡± I pressed on. ¡°So-¡± I inched closer to him. ¡°What do you say?¡±


    Roberto drew in a breath and exhaled sharply before seething. ¡°Fine!¡±


    He had no other choice.


    ¡°Good.¡± I briefly nced at Rosalinda before returning my gaze to him. ¡°From this moment onwards, she¡¯s mine. And I¡¯m taking her home with me.¡±

 81| Impure Intensions.

    ROSALINDA.


    Although I was immensely grateful to Antonio for saving Carlo, I hated that he imed me as his substitute bride. I was just a recement pawn in their business agreement, and I so much hated that.


    I was livid and didn¡¯t utter a word to him on our way to his mansion, even though he tried talking to me a few times. I had a lot of things to say to him, but I just couldn¡¯t put them out in words.


    ¡°Bath him and feed him. Take his things to one of the guest rooms; he¡¯ll stay there pending when his room gets set up. While Rosalinda¡¯s things would go to my room.¡± He instructed his maids once we got out of the car.


    He just decided that I would stay in his room without asking me first. Fine.


    I walked inside the main building, and I could feel him walking behind me, but I didn¡¯t bother to look back. I didn¡¯t need to be given directions to his room; I had been there before and knew my way.


    The moment I walked inside his room, he slipped right behind me and shut the door.


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you, Rosalinda?¡± He half-yelled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± I raised a brow, a frown ted on my face. ¡°Antonio, what is wrong with me? You fucking imed me and my son as if we were some fucking property. And-¡±


    ¡°I thought you also wanted it. We are finally together.¡± He cut me off.


    I shook my head. ¡°This is not how I wanted everything to go. I never wanted to be a part of a fucking agreement. It makes me feel like you are only with me because of the benefits you¡¯d get from the agreement.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think? What do you think Roberto could possibly offer me that would make me risk my life to save Carlo?¡± He red up. ¡°Everything is deeper than you think!¡±


    ¡°Then, make me understand!¡± I fired.


    ¡°What would you have had me do? Allow you and Carlo to remain there so you can sneak out and have him kidnapped again. Including yourself?¡± He groaned. His nose red up as he inched closer to me, pointing an usatory finger at me. ¡°It was your fault he was kidnapped in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°So, now you are telling me that it was my fault that Lorenzo was a fucking psychopath!¡± I retorted with so much rage.


    ¡°Yes, it was your damn fault!¡± He eximed. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone out without guards, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten the chance to kidnap him. Have you even thought about the fact that your action could have cost the life of your son? Do you even care about him?¡±


    ¡°I ept. I regret going out with him. I put his life in danger. But what I would not ept is you questioning my love for him. I am his mother, and no one could love a child more than a parent would. Not even you!¡± I fired. My chest was burning with intense rage.


    I knew he cared about Carlo, as evidenced by the way he risked his life to save him. But I wouldn¡¯t tolerate what he was trying to insinuate. I loved Carlo more than anything or anyone in the entire universe.


    ¡°Then you should have never gone out with him because of your selfish interest. Like I said, I had to bring you here because I have to protect you both and stop you from sneaking out again, endangering your lives.¡± He groaned.


    ¡°I refuse to believe that your intentions arepletely pure. Because why would you risk your life for a boy who isn¡¯t even blood rted to you? And don¡¯t even tell me that it¡¯s because of me. Why are you doing this? What do you intend to get from it?¡± I questioned.


    He sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to believe, fine. But you and Carlo will remain here.¡±? He said with finality.


    He angrily spun around and dashed out of the room before I could even form the words to say in reply.


    I regretted using him of having impure intentions towards me and Carlo after everything he did for us. But my emotions were heightened, and I needed to know why he cared so much for my son. There had to be a motive.


    My things were brought into the room immediately after he left. The maid wanted to unpack them, but I asked her to leave them the way they were and leave the room. A lot of thoughts were running through my mind, and I wanted to be left alone while I processed those thoughts.


    Our heated conversation kept reying in my head, and I wondered what he meant when he said things were deeper than I thought. I pondered it, but nothing seemed toe to mind.


    I got so curious and wanted to ask him. So I went around the house in search of him, but he was nowhere to be found. When I asked one of his maids about his whereabouts, she told me that he left the house a while ago and hadn¡¯t returned. Which left me wondering where he went, and I desperately wanted to see him.


    While I waited for his return, a part of me wished he was okay, as I wondered if I had pushed him too hard. But I was onlyying out my concerns, so I wasn¡¯t to be med for anything. Or, was I?


    When it waste, I retired to the bed in an attempt to sleep, but I couldn¡¯t. I kept tossing on the bed, expecting his return. I nced at the wall clock. It was 2 a. m. at midnight. Where the hell did he go?


    After a while of tossing and turning on the bed, the door finally creaked open, and the next thing I heard were his footsteps.


    My eyes remained closed, pretending to be asleep. I could feel his gaze on me, and I became tensed.? I wanted to open my eyes and talk to him because I did have a lot of questions to ask him.


    But suddenly, heid beside me, snaked his hand around me, and pressed his body against my back until I could feel his bulge.


    Instinctively, I grabbed his wrist and yanked his hand off me. I was still angry at him.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 82| Daddy!

    ROSALINDA.


    ¡°Please, please, please. I want to y more games.¡± I heard Carlo¡¯s distant voice. It felt like I was dreaming.


    ¡°No.¡± Antonio said, and the next thing I heard was Carlo¡¯s giggles. It seemed like Antonio had tickled him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve yed enough for this morning.¡± Antonio told him.


    It was then that I realised that it wasn¡¯t a dream because the voice sounded clearer now.


    Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Antonio and my son on the sofa that was at one end of the room, looking bright and happy, with Antonio tickling Carlo while he giggled.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Carlo was the first to notice that I was awake.


    Azy smile touched my lips as I stared at him.


    He quickly disentangled himself from Antonio¡¯s arms and pranced towards me with his tiny legs.


    He found it difficult to climb up the bed, but he was determined to, and he seeded.


    ¡°Good morning, handsome.¡± I said with a smile as I watched him crawl towards me.


    ¡°Good morning, mommy!¡± He was so vibrant and seemed exceptionally happy that morning.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± I asked, brushing his hair with my fingers. He nodded vigorously and excitedly.


    I was immensely d that what Lorenzo made him go through didn¡¯t traumatise him. He was a strong boy.


    ¡°Daddy wouldn¡¯t allow me to y more games.¡± He pouted.


    My brows drew together in confusion. ¡°Daddy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Gabriel and Georgia have a daddy. I want to have a daddy too.¡± He whined. Turning to look at Antonio, who also had shock expressed on his face, he muttered. ¡°Can I call you daddy? Please?¡±


    ¡°Who are Gabriel and Georgia?¡± I asked him with a raised brow.


    ¡°Gabriel and Georgia are from one big family.¡± He replied.


    My mouth formed an ¡®O.¡±


    One Big Family was a show he so much enjoyed watching.


    Guilt weighed on my chest. I felt really bad for not knowing who his father was, where to find him, or how to even find him. He would be deprived of the luxury of knowing his real father, and I felt insanely guilty for that.


    Soon enough, he¡¯ll grow older and start asking questions about his dad. Questions I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer when the timees. I had never regretted my actions as much as I did when Carlo said he wanted a dad too. He deserved better. He shouldn¡¯t have to suffer because of my recklessness. But on the positive side, I was lucky to have a son like him.


    Antonio and I were both speechless as we stared at Carlo, too stunned at the question he asked.


    A knock sounded on the door, saving us both from having to say anything.


    ¡°Yes? Come in.¡± Antonio said with a husky tone. It was so mesmerising that I almost forgot I was still mad at him.


    The door was pushed open almost immediately, and ady who seemed to be in her early thirties walked in.


    ¡°Sandra.¡± Antonio addressed her.


    ¡°The food is ready, sir.¡± She told him.


    He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±


    ¡°Yayyyy!¡± Carlo beamed.


    ¡°Rosalinda, let¡¯s go downstairs and have breakfast.¡± Antonio said, casting his gaze at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡± I stubbornly replied.


    ¡°Sandra.¡± He called.


    She was about to slip out of the room, but quickly shut the door and turned to look at him. ¡°Yes?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Can you go with Carlo? We¡¯ll meet you there shortly.¡±


    Nodding, Sandra inched closer to Carlo and carried him in her arms before trudging out of the room.


    When we were finally alone, Antonio closed the distance between us and sat beside me on the bed.


    ¡°Why are you acting this way, Rosalinda?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You know why.¡± I replied and averted my gaze.


    ¡°You know everything I do; I do it to protect you and your son. You asked why I risked my life to save Carlo. It¡¯s because he is dear to you, and everything that is dear to you is dear to me also.¡± He exined calmly.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought us here like you owned us. Like we were some property.¡± I still stood on my ground.


    Even though it was a normal practice among the Mafia-using the women as pawns in their agreements-I was vehemently against it. I¡¯ve always wanted to be able to make my own choices, regardless of the world I was born in. I¡¯ve always hated it so much when choices were made for me, choices I had to unwillingly concede to.


    ¡°I used the failed agreement as leverage because that was the only way I could get Roberto to allow me to bring you and Carlo here.¡± His voice was calm, which was unexpected. Unlike yesterday, when hell broke loose on earth while we were having the same conversation.


    Before I could reply, he continued, ¡°Lorenzo¡¯s father, Sergio, would avenge his son¡¯s death, and I want you to be at arms reach where I could protect you. I don¡¯t want you to leave my sight. Because I love you so much, Rosalinda.  I would do anything for you. You just have to trust me.¡±


    I was dumbfounded, and my heart rate elerated at his statement. Although I was surprised that a Mafia boss like him took his time to exin things to me, I finally understood his point of view and the depth of the love he had for me. I was so stupid for ever doubting his intentions towards me, when he risked it all for me.


    I loved him as much as he loved me.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Was all I could bring myself to mutter.


    ¡°So¡­¡± he extended out his hand for me to take. ¡°Let¡¯s go and have breakfast.¡±


    A small smile touched my lips, and I took his hand. ¡°Sure.¡±


    When we got to the dining area, we sighted Carlo seated on Sandra¡¯sps while he was being fed pancakes.


    ¡°Mommy. Daddy.¡± Carlo beamed excitedly.


    I was still perplexed by the new name he decided to address Antonio with.


    ¡°A puppy!¡± He suddenly eximed, his eyes fixed in a particr direction. He begged Sandra to allow him to get down, and she did. After that, he chased after the puppy, while Sandra also chased after him.


    Antonio shook his head, an amused smile on his face as he settled on the chair. ¡°The puppy¡¯s for Cami.¡± He informed me.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± was all I uttered.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs were on the dining table, so we served ourselves. We ate in utter silence afterwards, not without stealing nces at each other, though.


    After we finished eating, I was the first to speak. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    I realised I hadn¡¯t properly thanked him for the incredible thing he did for me and my son.


    He raised a brow. ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°For saving Carlo, I really, really appreciate what you did.¡± I said with all sincerity. ¡°You risked your life for someone who isn¡¯t your son. You are truly-¡±


    I trailed off when he suddenly leapt to his feet and angrily walked out of the dining area without uttering a word to me.


    I was confused, wondering if I said something wrong.

 83| Enzo and Stefano.

    ANTONIO


    I was sick and tired of hearing that phrase over and over again. Carlo was my son, my blood and flesh, and it was my duty as his father to save him. I didn¡¯t need to be thanked for merely performing my duties.


    It was high time Rosalinda knew about the secret I had been hiding all this time. I didn¡¯t know how to put it out to her; I don¡¯t even know how she would take it. But she deserved to know the truth, and I needed to find a way to give it to her.


    When Carlo called me ¡®daddy¡¯ earlier, the warmth that filled my heart was immeasurable. I wanted to be able to tell him that I was really his daddy,? and I nned to do that soon.


    I had a lot of work to do, so I went to my office to get it done. But my work was cut short as soon as I started with a call from an unknown number.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± I said into the phone when I picked up.


    ¡°Figlio di puttana!¡± The person on the other end of the phone groaned, and I instantly knew who he was. I had been waiting for his call.


    Sergio. Lorenzo¡¯s father.


    Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and it was pushed open almost immediately, with Marco appearing before me.


    ¡°I would kill you, Antonio. You killed my son.¡± Sergio continued, his pain palpable through his voice.


    ¡°Your son came at me and mine first.¡± I retorted firmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± He groaned.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this, Don. More lives shouldn¡¯t be lost.¡± I told him, in an attempt to stop the impending blood bath. ¡°What do you want? Name your price. Let¡¯s settle this amicably.¡±


    ¡°No amount of money can buy you your life. Wait for me. Live your life in fear. Because I wille for you. And I would kill you and everyone that stands in my way.¡±


    He ended the call immediately. Rage surged within me, and I banged the desk violently with my fist.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Sergio?¡± Marco guessed, and I nodded in response.


    ¡°Boss, what you did-¡± Marco started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°Do not lecture me, Marco. I am not in the mood for that.¡± I groaned with rage. ¡°I do not regret killing that son of a bitch. I would kill him over and over again if given another chance.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I was going to say you did what you had to do. He deserved it.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± I groaned and leapt to my feet.


    I paced the room back and forth, thinking of how to deal with the impending attack from Sergio. There was no doubt that he woulde in full force, and we had to be prepared for him.


    ¡°Do you think we should attack first?¡± Marco suggested. ¡°He won¡¯t be expecting us, so let¡¯s use the element of surprise to take him out.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I replied firmly. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for him toe. And we¡¯ll be fully ready for him. Get all the men avable. We need every single one of them to be on standby 24/7.¡±


    ¡°Okay, boss.¡± He nodded.


    It seemed like he had more to say and was reluctant, so I prodded him.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    He sighed. ¡°About Enzo and Stefano.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been in prison for a while now.¡± He said.


    I raised a brow. ¡°And?¡±


    He scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I was thinking, maybe it¡¯s time to get them released.¡±


    My eyes narrowed. ¡°Have you been in contact with them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied truthfully. ¡°And they regret ever putting Rosalinda¡¯s life in danger. They didn¡¯t know how much she meant to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I simply replied. I didn¡¯t have time for that at the moment. I had more pressing issues to attend to.


    I had totally forgotten about their existence. They should be thankful that they were only serving time in jail, because if Rosalinda had lost her life due to the ident they caused on that bridge, they would have been long gone as well.


    ¡°Boss, please.¡± Marco persisted.


    I flicked my gaze at him, my brows furrowing. ¡°We have more pressing issues. You know that. Stop disturbing me about them.¡±


    ¡°Please allow me to ensure their release. Besides, we need as many men as we can get. And they are both skilled.¡± He convinced.


    I sighed. He was right. Stefano and Enzo were good, and they might be of help.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I agreed to his request. ¡°Arrange their release. All our men should be on standby. Pass the message across.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, boss. I¡¯ll do that right away.¡± He nodded at me before turning around and trudging out of the office.


    Thoughts of Rosalinda and Carlo¡¯s safety coursed through my mind. I couldn¡¯t have them in the middle of the impending war. I needed to take them somewhere safe. perhaps a safe house.


    Picking up my phone, I dialled Marco¡¯s number in order to tell him to prepare a safe house for them. Including Cami. But he wasn¡¯t picking up.


    So, I stood up and decided to go look for him myself and tell him.


    As I walked out of my office, I saw Vito in the hallway. ¡°Did you see where Marco went? He just left my office.¡±? I asked.


    ¡°I think he went to his room.¡± He told me.


    I nodded in response as I walked past him and made my way to Marco¡¯s room.


    I didn¡¯t bother to knock before pushing the door open. And as I slipped inside the room, I came to an abrupt halt, my brows furrowing furiously at the sight before me.


    Cami was in his room. Her hands were wrapped around his neck, and his hands were wrapped around her waist in a very sensual manner.


    ¡°Marco!¡± I growled as a wave of rage began to build up within me.


    My sister and Marco? How on earth did I not ever suspect this?

 84| Control.

    ANTONIO


    Cami quickly disentangled herself from Marco. Their gazes were down, avoiding eye contact with me.


    Rage saturated my entire being as I ventured further into the room.


    ¡°My sister?¡± I yelled, folding a fist and attacking Marco¡¯s face with it.


    He staggered backwards due to the impact and ced his palm over his face.


    I inched closer to him to throw another punch at him, but Cami was quick to stand between us, blocking me with her body.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± I growled.


    ¡°No, Antonio. Stop it!¡± She retorted strongly.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± I growled again, ring at Marco with murderous intent.


    ¡°What do you want to do? Kill him?¡± She challenged.


    I shifted her out of my way and punched Marco hard in the stomach. I tried to hit him again, but before I could, Cami stood in my way again.


    ¡°Antonio, please! What is his crime?¡± She yelled, tears already forming in her eyes.


    ¡°Messing around with you.¡± I replied firmly. ¡°Tell me, has he slept with you?¡±


    An awkward silence ensued, and that gave me my answer. He had definitely slept with her. I would fucking kill him.


    I pushed her out of my way, but she adamantly clung to my arm before I could get to Marco.


    ¡°Antonio, please!¡± She cried. ¡°We love each other.¡±


    ¡°Love?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Yes, Antonio. Love. People find love in many ces. Unexpected ces. Just like you found love in that girl.¡±


    ¡°Do not bring her into this, Cami.¡± I growled lowly.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t I?¡± She replied defiantly. ¡°I love Marco, brother. And he loves me too. Please, allow us to love each other. I cannot do without him.¡±


    ¡°For how long has this been going on?¡±? I asked.


    ¡°Almost a year now.¡± She told me.


    ¡°Almost a year and-¡± I charged for Marco again, but my stubborn sister stood in my way once again.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him.¡± She pleaded desperately.


    I looked at her for a second before ncing at Marco and looking back at her. I could see how scared she was of losing Marco through her eyes. Truth be told, I couldn¡¯t lose Marco either. He wasn¡¯t just my underboss; he was also my best friend. I could never kill him.


    But I was livid-extremely livid-that he had been sleeping with my sister under my roof while I was oblivious to it.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do about him. The decision was hard for me to make, especially when I needed him in this dire time. I trusted him the most out of all my men.? I couldn¡¯t do away with him. Not now.


    Blowing out a frustrated breath, I pointed my index finger at both of them and warned. ¡°Stay away from each other pending when I decide what to do with the both of you.¡±


    I settled my gaze on Marco. ¡°I want to never see you with her anymore. If not-¡±


    I trailed off, my nose ring. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d do to him if I ever saw him with my sister again. Fuck. I hated that I cared about the motherfucker so much. He was like family to me.


    With frustration pulling on my chest, I turned around and stormed out of the room.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell him about the safe house I wanted him to prepare. I couldn¡¯t stand talking with him at that moment, and he was the only one I could trust with the task. Now, I had to do the job myself.


    The moment I took a turn down the hall, I bumped into Rosalinda.


    ¡°Ahh. Thank Goodness.¡± She sighed in relief. ¡°I have been looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why did you dash out like that? We were discussing, and you just-¡± she sighed. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I replied sharply.


    I began to walk away from her because I didn¡¯t want to have that conversation with her. Rage was boiling within me already, and I didn¡¯t want her to add to it with the ¡®he¡¯s not your son¡¯ talk.


    ¡°You look stressed out.¡± She observed as she followed closely behind me.


    ¡°I am stressed out.¡± I affirmed.


    ¡°Is it about the other time? I¡¯m sorry if I-¡±


    I cut her off. ¡°It¡¯s not about you, Rosalinda.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened?¡± She asked curiously.


    I came to a stop in front of my room, our room, and pushed the door open, slipping inside. She followed me inside.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked again.?¡±Are you okay?¡±


    I sighed, then went ahead to tell her about Marco and Cami.


    After I was done, she sighed and closed the distance between us.


    ¡°You know-¡± She began as she ced both palms on my chest, gently rubbing it. ¡°We don¡¯t choose who to fall in love with. Ites naturally. Look at us now. I¡¯m sure none of us ever envisioned falling in love with each other. But it happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing.¡± I groaned in disagreement.


    ¡°It is.¡± She wrapped her arms around me and began to rub my back soothingly in an attempt to calm my anger, and it was damn working.


    The heat of the rage burning within me was suddenly redirected to my groin with her arms wrapped around me. Staring into her beautiful green eyes entranced me, and I wanted nothing but to ce my lips on hers and kiss her with so much hunger.


    What had this woman done to me? She controlled me.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± She asked teasingly.


    Lost in the depths of her eyes, I suddenly breathed. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Her lips curled into a beautiful smile in response.


    ¡°You have to say it back, miss.¡± I told her as I took my hand to her hair and tucked it behind her ear.


    ¡°Or what?¡± She raised her brow challengingly, a small smile touching her lips. ¡°What would you do, sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a mafia boss.¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°I am not afraid of you, big bad mafia boss.¡±


    ¡°But you really do have to say it back.¡± I said with a pleading tone.


    ¡°What would you do to me if I didn¡¯t?¡± She ran her fingers over my neck, tempting me.


    I lowered my head and breathed into her neck. ¡°Give you hickeys?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± She quickly said,ughing. ¡°I¡¯d rather say it than have myself branded.¡±


    A soft chuckle emanated from my throat as I went ahead to suck a spot on her neck anyway, leaving a red patch.


    ¡°But I said it.¡± She whined with a smile on her face when I pulled away from her neck.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say it in the tone I would have preferred.¡± I smirked.


    She licked her bottom lip flirtatiously. ¡°How would you have preferred me to say it?¡±


    I slipped my hand into the band of her sweatpants, down to her wetness, and began to slowly stroke her with my fingers.


    ¡°Now, say it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She moaned.


    Increasing the depth and speed of the stroke, I said authoritatively. ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± She breathed out. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I rasped before withdrawing my fingers from her wetness and mming my lips on hers.

 85| Stark Reality.

    ROSALINDA


    From the moment our lips collided to when we tumbled on the bed and made love like never before, everything was a blur. I had done this with him multiple times, but it seemed like a new experience each time. His hands on my body were magical. He knew just the right spots to touch. He knew exactly how to satisfy me. Oh, how I loved him so much.


    We had just finished having sex, and we were both naked on the bed, staring lustfully into each other¡¯s? eyes.


    ¡°The look in your eyes¡­¡± A small, charming smile touched his lips. ¡°You want more?¡±


    I quickly averted my gaze before I delved into his arms again. ¡°No.¡±


    Clearing my throat, I continued. ¡°You came inside me.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± The next thing I felt was his fingers beneath my chin, forcing me to look at him.


    As my eyes met his, my heart skipped a beat. Oh, damn, he was so handsome.


    ¡°I need to take the pills, or else I will get pregnant.¡± I told him what he already knew, my voice a whisper.


    ¡°I want a baby with you. Perhaps a baby girl this time.¡± He moved closer to me and encaged me in his arms. Our faces were so close that we could feel each other¡¯s warm breath. ¡°You¡¯re mine now anyway. So there¡¯s nothing to be scared of.¡±


    I shook my head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want a baby, not now.¡±


    A frown etched his face at my response. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just not ready for another baby.¡±


    I already felt like a terrible mother to Carlo. The thought of bringing another child into the world filled me with fear. I was scared of letting down another child, just as I had disappointed Carlo by robbing him of the chance to know his father due to my recklessness.


    The weight of that guilt burdened my chest, leaving me unable to bear the thought of disappointing yet another child in any manner.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, concerned, when he noticed the sudden change in my countenance.


    ¡°Nothing really¡­¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Talk to me, Rosa.¡± He insisted with concern, caressing my cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that. I felt really bad when Carlo said he wanted a dad too.¡± I told him. ¡°I feel really terrible for sleeping with a total stranger. Do you think it¡¯s possible to track all the people that were at the party that day?¡±


    What on earth was I thinking? Even if we did track him down, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d want Carlo. I mean, who turns up three yearster iming to have gotten pregnant from a truth or dare game at a party? It didn¡¯t even make sense. And that¡¯s assuming he¡¯s still alive.


    ¡°No.¡± Antonio retorted firmly. ¡°We are going nowhere to look for nobody. Carlo is my son now. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about him not having a father. I am his father.¡±


    I knew he was fond of him, but I wondered if he was truly at peace with fathering another man¡¯s child forever. What if he woke up one day and believed he had made a mistake and wasn¡¯t thinking clearly when he made that decision? What if he one day kicks Carlo out of his house? What would happen then?


    My mind was a mess.


    ¡°Stop thinking about that.¡± He continued before I could reply. He ced a gentle kiss on my lips. ¡°Think about this instead.¡±


    What followed was a long, scorching kiss, and we ended up having sex again. Unable to get enough of each other, we went again and again before I finally fell asleep in his arms.


    ***


    I woke up to see that Antonio wasn¡¯t in bed. The time was 3 a. m. in the morning. Where did he go to? I wondered.


    Deciding to go and look for him, I crawled out of bed and slipped inside his white T-shirt that I found sitting on the bedroom sofa.


    I walked out of the bedroom in search of him afterwards. My guess was that he was in his office, working his ass off. So that was my first stop.? But when I slipped inside, I realised he wasn¡¯t there, and I let out a frustrated sigh.


    As I turned to leave, I suddenly got a surge of curiosity to go through the things he was working on.


    ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± I scolded myself.


    But before I could even stop myself, my legs were already walking towards his desk. My curiosity won. I didn¡¯t know what I was looking for or why I was even doing this. But I was driven by a strong urge.


    Despite the pang of guilt that clung to my chest, I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to explore the drawers attached to the table. The first two were firmly locked, but I was able to ess the third drawer.


    Insidey a white envelope, and without hesitation, I took it and opened it, revealing a white sheet of paper.


    Knowing what I was about to do was wrong, I ignored the nagging voice of conscience and went ahead to open it.


    I read through the paper, and as I absorbed the words written on the page, my hands began to shake so terribly that I was barely able to hold the paper. My stomach clenched, and my heart began to beat dangerously fast against my ribcage.


    I shot my eyes closed, hoping that if I opened them, I¡¯d realise I was dreaming. But when I dared to open them again, the stark reality hit me. The content was still the same-a DNA paternity test result for Antonio Russo and my son, Carlo Moretti, which showed a 99. 9998% probability of paternity.


    ¡°No. No. No.¡± I shook my head vigorously.


    How?


    Could it be that¡­


    No. It couldn¡¯t be.


    No. No. No.


    In that moment, Antonio pushed the door open and walked into the office. When his gaze locked onto what I held, he halted, his eyes opening so wide as immense worries saturated his features.


    ¡°Please tell me this isn¡¯t true.¡± My voice quivered as tears began to form in my eyes.

 86| Temporary Distraction.

    ROSALINDA


    ¡°Tell me this isn¡¯t true.¡± I said again, my voice barely a whisper as I began to slowly approach him.


    He opened his mouth to respond but closed it again, frustration evident in his features.


    ¡°So you were the one that night?¡± I asked, more like a statement.


    How did I not know? That exined why he liked Carlo so much and why he risked his own life to save him, because only someone¡¯s blood could do that for anyone. I should have suspected, but no, I was too dumb to think that far.


    ¡°Rosa, I wanted to tell you, but-¡±


    ¡°For how long have you known?!¡± I cut him off, rage burning within me as I red at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fucking tell me?!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I have known for a while now. A few months. I don¡¯t know precisely. But I got to find out the day you told me about the all-masked party. I had suspicions that it was the same party I attended, and I also fucked someone the same way you said you were fucked. So¡­¡± He blew out a sharp breath and raked his fingers through his hair. ¡°I had the paternity test done.¡±


    I was torn and didn¡¯t know how to feel or react at the moment. To be extremely mad at him or be happy that Carlo wasn¡¯t robbed of the chance of knowing his real father after all. I didn¡¯t know. But what I was sure of was that I needed Antonio out of my sight before I unleashed the rage within me in full force and said or did things I would regret afterwards.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± I spat as I walked past him and dashed out of the office.


    I went straight to the bedroom, locked the door, and leaned against it. My chest tightened, and I couldn¡¯t control the tears that burst out afterwards.


    I wanted to run away-to somewhere? so far away-to process my thoughts. But I couldn¡¯t, and that was killing me. I was helpless and stuck in the mansion with Antonio. The man I trusted so much, only to realise he had been keeping secrets from me all along. He hid something I deserved to know for so long, and I didn¡¯t even know if I could ever forgive him.


    Antonio suddenly started banging on the door, urging me to open it so we could talk, but I didn¡¯t budge. He was the reason I was in so much pain, and facing him was thest thing I wanted.


    He continued banging on the door, but after a while, the series of knocks on the door suddenly stopped, indicating that he had left.


    I remained in that position, my eyes and face not devoid of tears, as I was lost in deep thoughts. I didn¡¯t know how long it took before I was finally able to get myself to stand up and get in bed in a futile attempt to sleep.


    I kept tossing and turning on the bed, with my stomach tightening as I thought about the painful reality. I was restless. I needed to get my mind off it and think of something else before I exploded.


    So, picking up my phone, I dialled Ruby¡¯s number.


    ¡°Rosa!¡± She eximed from the other end of the phone when she picked up.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked with a dry voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She immediately asked when she heard how dull I sounded.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I lied. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked, concerned.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I lied again. ¡°Gist me about something. Anything.¡±


    I definitely had a lot of things to tell her, but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t tell her about Carlo¡¯s kidnapping because I didn¡¯t want her to be worried, even though he was now fine. She¡¯d me herself because she was the one who asked to see him that day, which resulted in him being kidnapped. I also couldn¡¯t tell her about my recent finding because I already knew how she would feel about it. I knew how much she hated Antonio, and it was totally understandable.


    She sighed, still not satisfied with my response. But she went ahead to give me the gist I wanted anyway. She told me about the handsome doctor who was hitting on her. The feelings were mutual. She also told me that she would be discharged soon, and that news elevated my mood-only for a moment.


    When the call ended, the temporary distraction ended with it. I was driven back to the painful truth, my emotions osciting between anger, sadness, and a profound sense of helplessness.


    It was already bright outside, so I decided to go and check in on my son. Forcing myself out of bed, I made my way to his room.


    As I pushed the door open, I saw Antonio ying with him on his bed. A fresh wave of rage was ignited in me at the sight of that man, and I banged the door closed.


    ¡°Fuck it!¡± I groaned, walking away in long, frustrated strides. I couldn¡¯t catch a break from him, and there was nothing I could do about it. That feeling was infuriatingly frustrating.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± He called after me, and I could hear his footsteps behind me.


    I didn¡¯t stop to listen to him; I only increased my pace, hoping I could get to the room fast enough to lock the door and keep to myself.


    ¡°Can I talk to you?¡± I suddenly heard Cami¡¯s voice from behind. I had no idea where she popped out from, but I didn¡¯t bother to look.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that now.¡± He groaned, dismissing her.


    I continued my journey to the room, and when I got there, I attempted to shut the door and lock it, but unfortunately, Antonio had already caught up with me. He effortlessly pushed the door with one hand and barged in, even though I tried shutting him out with all my strength.


    ¡°Stop it, already!¡± He groaned.


    ¡°Stop what?!¡± I retorted firmly, my eyes zing with rage. ¡°Antonio, I trusted you. I fucking trusted you. But what did you do? You hid my son¡¯s paternity from me.¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for the right time to tell you.¡± He said, and his feeble excuse infuriated me further.


    ¡°The only right time was the moment you found out!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°I-¡± he started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°And do you know what I hate the most at this moment? I want to be away from you to process things without having to see you to jeopardise the process. But I fucking can¡¯t, and that¡¯s killing me.¡± I yelled.


    ¡°If you want to be away from me, fine. You can.¡± His response surprised me.


    My eyes narrowed as he continued. ¡°I¡¯ve had a safe house prepared. I was going to take you there anyway to keep you safe. You could go there and have all the time you want for yourself. You, Carlo, and Cami.¡±


    What? Cami? How could I live alone with someone who literally hated me? I didn¡¯t want to be away from Antonio only to end up with another of my nemesis.


    ¡°Pack your bags. You¡¯re leaving in three hours.¡± He stated before turning around and storming out of the room.


    Fuck shit!

 87| Coastal Hideout.

    ROSALINDA


    The air in the car thickened with tension as Antonio, Cami, Carlo, and I rode in the same car. None of us were on speaking terms, so I just peeked through the window all through the ride with my earpiece plugged to my ear to avoid unnecessary and ufortable conversations.


    Five other men, whom Antonio imed to be his most trusted men, rode in another car while we all made our way to the safe house. I didn¡¯t know where exactly it was, but he said it was a coastal hideout.


    We circled locations meticulously to make sure we weren¡¯t being followed before finally making our way to the pier, where we took a boat to arge white beach house that was nestled among swaying palm trees, creating a tropical paradise vibe. In front of the building was a private swimming pool that glistened with sunlight.? It was the perfect escape I sought, only that it would have been better if Cami wasn¡¯t in the picture.


    Carlo was in my arms as we all silently entered the house. The interior was even more mind-blowing than the exterior. It was so spacious and beautifully designed, with floor-to-ceiling windows that had beautiful views of the beach. The soothing sound of waves crashing nearby was soforting. I stood by the widow, admiring the view.


    ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s beautiful.¡± Carlo said, and a smile touched my lips as I kissed his forehead.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± I agreed.


    Antonio cleared his throat. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    I turned to look at him.


    When our eyes met, he sighed and continued. ¡°Cami knows her way around here. She¡¯s familiar with this ce, so you are good to go. If you need anything, ask her.¡±


    I only nodded in response.


    He inched closer to me, and I held my breath at his close proximity. Even though I was extremely mad at him, I still reacted to him, and I hated that.


    He took Carlo from my arms and kissed his forehead, a small smile touching his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, buddy.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡± Carlo whined as he wrapped his small arms around him.


    He patted his hair. ¡°I have to.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Carlo pouted.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you¡¯re older,¡± Antonio said, nting another kiss on his forehead.


    He darted his gaze at me. ¡°Please take care of him and yourself.¡±


    Closing the distance between us, he hesitantly ced a kiss on my cheek. ¡°Know that I¡¯m sorry, and I¡¯ll never stop loving you. I¡¯ll find a way to make things right.¡±


    His words took me aback, and my heart patted to an uneven beat. I loved him too, despite all the hurt he had caused me. But I wasn¡¯t going to say it back.


    He stood there for a minute, staring at me, waiting for me to say something, and when I didn¡¯t, he sighed frustratingly before turning around and making his way out of the house. Not without bidding farewell to Cami, though.


    ¡°Having rtionship issues?¡± Cami sneered once he was out of sight.


    I faked a smile in response, even though what I really wanted to tell her was that it was none of her damn business.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not my problem.¡± She said,  shrugging, as if she had read my mind. ¡°That reminds me. While we are here, we don¡¯t have to be in each other¡¯s businesses.¡±


    Perfect.


    I didn¡¯t bother to reply to her as I looked back at the window. I stared at the beach, but not because I was admiring it. I was lost in deep thoughts. Thoughts of Antonio.


    I was livid and wanted to be away from him, yet I desperately wanted him to stay.? It was infuriating how he could hurt me so deeply, yet I couldn¡¯t imagine a life without him. I was hopelessly in love with that man.


    Blowing out a sharp, frustrated breath, I turned around to see Carlo ying with Cami¡¯s puppy, with Cami crouching beside him.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Do you like her?¡± Cami asked with a smile on her face as she stared at him.


    Carlo nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Coco. She¡¯s my best friend.¡± She told him.


    Cami and Carlo¡¯s bond appeared to be blooming beautifully. She hated me but seemed to like my son. Her nephew. I wondered how she would react when she found out she was his aunt.


    Thinking about that felt really weird. Never in a million years did I ever think that Antonio was Carlo¡¯s father. I was still finding it hard to register that information. But it was true, as evidenced by the paternity test result.


    Cami subconsciously raised her head, and our eyes met. A bitter frown immediately reced the sweet smile on her face.


    Suddenly, she grabbed her puppy from Carlo and jerked to her feet. Rolling her eyes at me, she began to walk away from Carlo.


    ¡°Can I y with her for some more time?¡± Carlo requested.


    ¡°Not today.¡± She retorted without bothering to stop or look at him.


    Carlo darted his gaze at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think she likes me very much.¡± Heined.


    ¡°Of course she does.¡± I assured him as I inched closer to him and carried him in my arms, kissing him on both cheeks. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like you? You¡¯re the sweetest kid ever.¡±


    ¡°But she won¡¯t let me y with Coco,¡± he pouted.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t like you.¡± I told him, brushing his hair with my fingers. ¡°She even told you her pet¡¯s? name. So, you see? She likes you. And besides, she¡¯ll allow you to y with her some other time. She just wants to y with her now; that¡¯s why she took her from you.¡±


    ¡°I want a pet too.¡± He suddenly said.


    I raised a brow. ¡°Really? A puppy?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I would name her Rosalinda.¡±


    My brows drew together in confusion. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Cami said Coco is her best friend. And you are mine. So I¡¯ll name my pet after you.¡± He exined with a grin.


    Realizing he considered me his best friend, warmth surged through me. As I stared at him, my eyes shimmered with tears, and my heart swelled with a blend of tenderness, pride, and amusement. He was such a thoughtful, affectionate, and bright little boy, deserving of nothing but the very best, and I nned to give him just that. Nothing less.

 88| Valuable Asset.

    ANTONIO


    I never wanted Rosalinda to find out about Carlo¡¯s paternity that way. I was waiting for the right time and the right way to reveal it to her. But she was right. The only right time was the moment I found out. I didn¡¯t even know why I stalled, and because of that, our rtionship was in shambles-hopefully temporarily.


    I didn¡¯t know if she could ever forgive me, but I¡¯d earn her trust again. No matter what it took. But for now, I had to focus on the impending war.


    And Marco¡­ I really didn¡¯t know what to do with him. He was my best friend, and making a decision was really hard.? He had the audacity to fuck my sister under my roof without fearing the consequences. The motherfuckers¡¯s balls were over the roof.


    As I made a turn into the corridor leading to my office, I bumped into Marco. Speak of the devil.


    His presence made my blood boil, and I was determined to ignore him as I walked past him, but he suddenly said something that made me stop in my tracks. Something I couldn¡¯t ignore.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked as I turned to look at him.


    ¡°I spoke with an old friend who had a friend among Sergio¡¯s men to ask about their ns.¡± He repeated, reminding me of why it was damn difficult to get rid of him. He was a valuable asset.


    I hated to ask him to continue, but I had no choice. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°He told me that they n to attack tomorrow night.¡± He said.


    A deep frown immediately masked my features. That was too soon. I had expected him to stall a bit.


    ¡°Contact Matt to deliver weapons this evening. We need more weapons.¡± I instructed. Time wasn¡¯t on our side.


    ¡°I already did that.¡± He replied.


    I pressed my lips tightly together, my nose ring, as I turned on my heels and continued on my way.? He kept reminding me of how valuable he was, and that riled me up.


    ¡°Antonio. About Cami¡­¡± He started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°If a word of apologyes out of your damn mouth, I would dip a gun down your throat and shoot it so that you may never be able to talk again. And that¡¯s assuming you survive it.¡± I threatened, my index finger pointing at him, as I angrily turned to look at him.


    He sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to apologise.¡±


    ¡°Then what?!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Cami is right, Antonio. We love each other. Please-¡±


    The audacity!


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± I interjected. My brows drew furiously together as I began to take intimidating steps towards him.


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t kill me.¡± He stated confidently without even budging. I loathed that the motherfucker was right.


    ¡°Fucker!¡± I groaned.


    It took everything within me to control myself from punching him blue and ck until he lost consciousness. I needed him to be sound and healthy for the impending war, as he was the one I trusted the most.


    ¡°Antonio, please.¡± The more he spoke, the more the sound of his voice provoked me.


    I drew in a sharp breath and exhaled to calm down the anger burning within me because, God help me, the anger doesn¡¯t drive me to drill a bullet through his skull.


    ¡°How long have you two been together?¡± I asked.


    I needed to know for how long they had been sneaking around.


    ¡°Almost a year now.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Almost a year, and I¡¯m just finding out?!¡± I groaned with rage. ¡°Why the fuck didn¡¯t you tell me?!¡±


    ¡°Because we knew you¡¯d react this way.¡± He retorted.


    I red at him for a second, or maybe longer, before suddenly turning on my heels and walking away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this after the issue with Sergio.¡± I said loud enough for him to hear before opening the door to my office and trudging inside.


    I resumed work in my office as I couldn¡¯t do away with business because of a threat.


    ***


    I had been trying Rosalinda¡¯s number for hours now, and it hadn¡¯t been going through. Cami¡¯s also. I was insanely worried about them, wondering why I couldn¡¯t reach them. Different terrible thoughts began to course through my mind. What if Sergio or my other enemies had gotten to them? What if something bad had happened to them?


    My mind was a mess, and I was unable to think straight. My chest was burdened, and unable to take it anymore, I grabbed my car keys and rushed out of the house.


    I didn¡¯t care howte it was. I needed to get to them to make sure they were okay. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live if anything happened to the three people I loved the most in the entire universe.


    When I got to the beach house, the doors were wide open, and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Panic surged through my entire being as I horridly rushed inside, screaming their names and desperately hoping they were okay. But my hopes were crushed into irredeemable pieces when I entered one of the rooms.


    Cami, Rosalinda, and Carlo were there, lying on the floor, lifeless, in a pool of their own blood.


    A wave of coldness engulfed me. The room closed in, and the supply of air to my lungs became strained, with each breath being a struggle. My chest tightened, and I felt my heart crushing as I copsed to my knees.


    ¡°No!¡± A loud growl erupted from my chest.


    ¡°No!¡± I growled again as uncontroble tears began to stream down my face.


    Suddenly, my eyes snapped open. I was soaked in sweat, and my chest? heaved in rapid session as I looked at my surroundings. Realising it was a dream, I sighed in relief. I had slept off while working.


    I quickly grabbed my phone and called Rosalinda, but her phone wasn¡¯t reachable. Cami¡¯s also.


    Panic surged through me as what happened in the dream yed in my head over and over again. That dream must nevere to pass. I¡¯d lose my sanity if anything ever happened to my family.


    Fuck. Damn it. Without hesitation, I grabbed my car keys and rushed out of the house, heading to the beach house to make sure my family was okay.

 89| Weird Human.

    ANTONIO


    I sped to the safe house, worried and hoping that nothing had happened to them. I tried to shut the dream out of my head, but I couldn¡¯t. The more it reyed in my head, the more I lost my mind, and the more I desperately wished I could just teleport to the coastal hideout. It seemed so much farther than I remembered it to be.


    When I finally got to the beach house, I found the men I took there to guard them stationed around the house.


    My presence and the look of perplexity that saturated my features surprised them, as one of them, Jasper, quickly approached me and asked.


    ¡°Do we have a problem?¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡± I impatiently asked.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They¡¯re inside.¡± He raised a brow as he asked again. ¡°Do we have a problem?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I responded.


    I was so paranoid that I had totally forgotten to call the men guarding them to confirm if everything was fine. All I could think of was getting there to make sure they were okay. Even though Jasper had assured me that they were okay, I still had to confirm it myself. I needed to see them healthy and alive in order to get the graphic images from the dream out of my head.


    So, without hesitation, I rushed to the front door, disabled the security system in order to prevent the rm from going off, and entered inside.


    Everything seemed fine. It was quiet and peaceful. I assumed they were sleeping, so I started making my way upstairs to where the rooms were in order to see them. Even a sneak peek was enough for me. I just needed to see them.


    But before I could finish ascending the staircase, Cami appeared at the top of the stairs, a confused expression masking her features.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± She promptly asked.


    ¡°Shhhh¡­¡± I ced my index finger over my lips as I continued climbing up.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked when I came to a stop in front of her.


    Still confused, she replied. ¡°I am fine.¡± Her gaze swept from head to toe before asking again. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rosalinda? And Carlo?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Probably in one of the rooms, sleeping. I don¡¯t know.¡± She shrugged nonchntly. Her brows drew together. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, Antonio. Tell me. What¡¯s wrong.¡±


    I sighed, relieved that it was just a dream. I wouldn¡¯t have survived the loss of those three humans.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± She called, waving her hand over my face to get my attention.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then, why are you here?¡± She asked with a raised brow.


    ¡°I called multiple times. Why didn¡¯t you pick up my calls?¡± I asked. My demeanour had changed from being worried to pissed.


    ¡°I was in the shower when you called. I decided to dress up before calling you back, but I forgot after dressing up. And my phone was on silence.¡± She shed her phone at me. ¡°Just for me to pick up my phone now to see this amount of missed calls. I was about to call you back. Antonio, if there¡¯s something wrong, you should tell me.¡±


    She looked genuinely worried.


    I sighed. ¡°Can you go and check on Rosa for me, please? And Carlo.¡±


    She drew her brows together. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just do it. Damn it!¡± I groaned.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting really weird.¡± She muttered, casting a suspicious gaze at me.


    I exhaled sharply. ¡°Would you do it or not?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Without asking further questions, she began to walk away from me.


    ¡°And please don¡¯t tell her that I¡¯m here.¡± I added.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± She mumbled. I couldn¡¯t see her face, but I was damn sure she rolled her eyes.


    She returned in no time, with her hands folded across her chest as she approached me.


    ¡°She¡¯s perfect, Antonio.¡± She waved her hands frantically as she came to a stop in front of me. ¡°Sleeping, meditating, or whatever.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± My response remained the same. ¡°Take care of yourself, Carlo and Rosalinda.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°She can take care of herself.¡±


    The door to one of the rooms suddenly creaked open, hinting that Rosalinda was awake and probably headed to where we were.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell her that I was here.¡± I quickly told her.


    I didn¡¯t wait for her response before rushing downstairs and dashing out of the house, relieved that they were safe and alive.


    ***


    ROSALINDA


    Cami was such a weird human. How could shee to my room and tap me awake, just to ask if Carlo and I were fine? What happened to minding each other¡¯s businesses while we cohabitated in the safe house?


    She never cared about me, so what changed? Or, could it be that something was wrong? I wondered.


    Out of curiosity, Izily crawled out of bed. As I walked out of the room, I heard murmurs, but I couldn¡¯t make out who was talking or what they were talking about. But one thing I was sure of was that there were two voices.


    I tensed, wondering who was in the house other than Cami, as I carefully trudged to the source of the voices.


    But when I got to the staircase, I saw Cami walking down the stairs. No one else was there-just her.


    ¡°Who was here?¡± I immediately asked her, my brows drawing together.


    ¡°No one.¡± She replied nonchntly as she continued descending the stairs without bothering to look at me.


    ¡°Someone was here. Who was it, Cami?¡± I persisted, following her down the stairs.


    ¡°No one.¡± She insisted.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that. I am not deaf. I heard you speaking with someone.¡± I wasn¡¯t having the response she was giving me. Someone was definitely there, and I needed to know who.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She gave her shoulder a little shrug before turning around and walking past me as she ascended the stairs.


    I wanted to hurriedly follow her, but I got distracted by a call from Antonio. I had deliberately refused to pick up his calls earlier because I was clearly still upset with him. But for him to be this persistent, even calling in the middle of the night, there had to be a reason for that.


    So, blowing out a sharp breath, I picked up his call this time.


    ¡°Rosa.¡± He said with a longing tone from the other end of the call.


    Just the sound of his voice was enough to send tingles down my body.? Oh, how I¡¯ve missed him. I desperately wished he was here. With me.

 90| Multibillionaire.

    ROSALINDA


    The following morning, Carlo¡¯s cries jolted me awake. He was hungry, and I was taking too long to wake up. He was used to having breakfast early, and there was no maid to make it for him as usual.


    Here I was in the kitchen, as early as 8 AM, making spaghetti bolognese for him and myself, as he had requested. Thank goodness my mother forced Sofia and me to learn how to cook; if not, we would have starved to death during our stay here.


    The door to the kitchen clicked open, and I turned to see Cami walking in.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She mumbled it back without bothering to look at me.


    She strolled towards Carlo, stering a wide smile on her face as she pulled his cheek yfully.


    ¡°How are you, Kiddo?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He beamed, giggling.


    My left eye suddenly started itching, and I instinctively rubbed it with my hand-an action I immediately regretted.


    ¡°Damn, pepper.¡± I eximed as my eyes began to sting with pepper. I had used the same hand I used to chop the pepper for the meat sauce to rub my eye.


    I quickly rushed to the kitchen sink, sshing a generous amount of water over my eye. But it didn¡¯t work; my eye kept stinging, and I became frustrated, not knowing what to do.


    Cami appeared beside me, holding the salt container. ¡°Here. Have a taste of this. It works.¡±


    I was skeptical, but I decided to give it a try. After putting a very small amount on the tip of my tongue and swallowing, the stinging stopped, like magic.


    ¡°It worked, right?¡± She asked, and I nodded.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn this from? I¡¯ve never heard of it until today.¡± I was amazed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trick I learned from my mom.¡± She told me as she walked away from me and returned the salt container to its rightful position.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Carlo called, hugging my legs. Only then did I realise that he was already next to me.


    ¡°Mommy is okay.¡± I leaned in and ced a kiss on his cheek. I didn¡¯t want to touch him with my hands before washing them. ¡°Go back and sit, baby.¡±


    Like the good boy that he was, he obeyed.


    I nced at Cami, my view of her changing as I stared at her. She wasn¡¯t so bad after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m making spaghetti bolognese. Would you like to have some?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just because I helped you with the pepper issue doesn¡¯t make us best friends.¡± She sneered as she opened the refrigerator and tugged out a bottle of water.


    ¡°Why do you hate me?¡± I suddenly asked, drawing my brows together. I knew it was because of Antonio, but I was curious to know why exactly.


    She scoffed. ¡°Hate you?¡± She chugged down a gulp of water before continuing. ¡°You¡¯re not worth my emotions, darling. I don¡¯t hate you. I simply don¡¯t give a fuck about you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cut that crap, Cami.¡± I inched closer to her in order to have a better conversation with her. ¡°Please, tell me the truth.¡±


    She sighed, contemting whether to tell me or not.


    ¡°Well, you were fucking my brother while he was engaged to your sister. That¡¯s an insane level of pathetic.¡± She spat after a few seconds, her voice dripping with disdain. ¡°I couldn¡¯t hate Antonio for being such a dick, obviously, because he was my brother. But you? I couldn¡¯t not hate you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, narrowing my eyes at her unsubstantiated conclusion. I nced at Carlo, and after confirming that he was busy with his iPad, not listening to our conversation, I continued. ¡°Yes, I admit that we were attracted to each other even before the engagement was dissolved. But I promise you, Cami, nothing ever happened, not until the engagement was called off.¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡± She asked with a raised brow.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Then-¡± She mmed her hand over her forehead and sighed before looking at me again. ¡°My bad for jumping to conclusions, then.¡±


    ¡°So, are we good now?¡± I asked, staring at her with hopeful eyes.


    Opening her arms, she wrapped them around me and gave me a gentle tap on my back. ¡°Sure.¡±


    I never anticipated reconciling with Cami during our time at the safe house.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the only reason I didn¡¯t like you, though.¡± She confessed as we pulled away from the hug.


    I raised a brow. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°You guys get to be together despite all the circumstances that surround your love. But he wouldn¡¯t let me be with the love of my life. I wouldn¡¯t lie; I was hurt and jealous. But then I realised it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle around.¡± I assured her. ¡°Once he thinks about it, he¡¯ll realise all that matters is your happiness.¡±


    She raised a brow. ¡°You think?¡±


    I gave her shoulder a little squeeze. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up with the both of you?? quarrelling already?¡± She suddenly asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I quickly averted my gaze. I wouldn¡¯t be the one to break the news to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to share. I understand.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I darted my gaze at her, pressing my lips tightly together. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just that it¡¯splicated, but you¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    She ced her hand on my shoulder, looking directly into my eyes as she spoke. ¡°Whatever it is, just know that Antonio cares about you. I¡¯m very sure of that.¡±


    I nodded in response, a small smile touching my lips. Of that, I was sure also.


    We ended up eating breakfast together while chatting about random things. She was such a fun person to be around, making meugh uncontrobly every minute.


    Afterwards, we went to the living room to watch movies in order to pass the time because there was basically nothing else to do. And as Cami turned on the television, the news that was being broadcast immediately caught our attention. We tensed, listening to it attentively.


    ¡°Sergio Ri, a multibillionaire and prominent business tycoon, was fatally shot in front of his mansion. Authorities suspect the involvement of a mafia gang, but no suspects have been apprehended.¡±


    My heart rate elerated as I horridly picked up my phone, my fingers dialling Antonio¡¯s number as fast as they possibly could.


    ¡°Have you seen the news?¡± I asked once he picked up.


    ¡°About Sergio?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I just saw it.¡±


    ¡°When did you do it?¡± Was the next question I shot at him.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, he replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, confusion masking my features.


    If he didn¡¯t do it, who did?

 91| Tell Me What?

    ANTONIO


    It¡¯s been a week since Ist saw Rosalinda and Carlo. Cami returned after Sergio¡¯s death, but Rosa didn¡¯t, saying she needed more time to process her thoughts. I missed her so much, and it was never my intention to hurt her.


    I had just arrived at the Moretti mansion toplete the signing of the modified agreement. Now that Sergio was dead and the coast was clear of any danger, we could proceed with the wedding arrangements. I still wondered who killed Sergio, though, saving me from having to do it myself and losing some of my men in the process. Anyway, that wasn¡¯t really my problem. He had a lot of enemies, so the bastardo had iting.


    The front door of the Moretti mansion swung open as I approached it. I immediately stopped in my tracks, my eyes narrowing as I stared at the person that appeared before me.


    Liam Romano.


    I thought Roberto was done doing business with the Romanos. What the hell was he doing here?


    ¡°Look who we have here.¡± Liam remarked, a mischievous smile touching his lips as he approached me.


    Pressing my lips tightly together, I continued on my way, determined to ignore him and walk past him.


    ¡°So that was your n all along. To make Rosalinda yours. You know she was supposed to be mine.¡± He said, catching my attention.


    She was supposed to be his? The thought of that infuriated me as I angrily turned to look at him, pointing a threatening finger at him. ¡°Keep her name out of your mouth.¡±


    He raised a brow, titling his head as he responded. ¡°And if I don¡¯t, what would you do? Kill me like you did Lorenzo?¡±


    ¡°Touch my family, and I wouldn¡¯t even hesitate.¡± I groaned.


    If I didn¡¯t have his father, Diego, to deal with, I would have definitely ended his miserable life at that moment. I hated his guts.


    ¡°But Carlo isn¡¯t your family. Why did you kill Lorenzo for him? Or¡­¡± He took a step forward, raising a questioning brow. ¡°Is there something I am missing?¡±


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I turned around and continued walking towards the front door. I couldn¡¯t waste my time and energy on him. He wasn¡¯t worth it.


    Roberto was in his office, skimming through some papers, when I got there.


    ¡°Good morning, Antonio.¡± He said as I approached him.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I drew the seat opposite him and settled on it, nting both elbows on the desk. ¡°I saw Liam Romano outside.¡±


    ¡°He just left here.¡± Roberto said as he took off his sses and ced them on the desk.


    ¡°If I may ask, what was he doing here? What business do you have with the Romanos?¡± I asked, trying with everything in me to suppress my anger.


    ¡°Just as I wouldn¡¯t discuss my business with you with anybody, I wouldn¡¯t disclose my business with the Romanos either.¡± He stated.


    Before I could respond, he changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s my daughter? I was hoping you¡¯de here with her.¡±


    I raised a brow, surprised that he didn¡¯t know that she wasn¡¯t staying at my ce at the moment. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    A frown immediately masked his features. ¡°Tell me what?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I shook my head. Since Rosalinda had not told her father that she wasn¡¯t with me and was at a coastal hideout, I wouldn¡¯t either.


    ¡°Tell me what, Antonio?¡± He asked firmly, worries evident in his features. ¡°Is something wrong with my daughter?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±


    He gazed at me suspiciously, not satisfied with my response.


    I sighed. ¡°You could call her to confirm. She¡¯s fine.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I spoke with her earlier this morning.¡±


    ¡°So, you see? She¡¯s fine.¡±


    The thought of what Liam was doing at his ce still lingered in my mind, so I asked. ¡°Are you really still doing business with the Romanos? You know, I¡¯m not really on good terms with them.¡±


    ¡°I know about the car you blew off. I don¡¯t know why you did it, but I wouldn¡¯t ask because that¡¯s not really my business. Let¡¯s focus on what we have on the ground-why you are here.¡±


    His words left me speechless, unable to say a word about the Romanos anymore. I still didn¡¯t know how Diego nned to retaliate, but I¡¯d be ready for him.


    Silence lingered for a while before Roberto sighed and reached for a document on the desk, handing it to me. ¡°Here¡¯s the revised agreement. Go through it and sign it. I¡¯ve already signed my own part.¡±


    Taking it, I flipped through the pages before closing it. ¡°I¡¯ll go through it and return it tomorrow.¡± I told him.


    I had to be very careful and go through every single word on the document before signing it, as it was a very sensitive agreement. I couldn¡¯t trust Roberto enough to not have changed the uses that shouldn¡¯t be tampered with.


    ¡°No problem.¡± He nodded. ¡°So, about the wedding. When do you think it should be done?¡±


    Fixing a date for the wedding was a decision Rosalinda should also have a say in. She was the bride, and her opinion mattered.


    I never needed anyone to make decisions for me, but here I was needing Rosalinda¡¯s opinion and wanting to please her. That woman had totally changed me beyond my imagination.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and discuss it with you to see if the date is fine with you.¡± Roberto didn¡¯t need to know about my intention to ask his daughter first.


    I leapt to my feet and extended my hand for a handshake. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Taking my hand, he implored. ¡°Please take care of my daughter and my grandson. Please protect them.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to ask me. It was my duty to take care of them and protect them, and I had every intention to do that, even if it cost me my own life.


    Being separated from them had taken a toll on me. I woke up every day, wishing Rosalinda would call me and ask me toe pick them up, but that call never came. Their absence left a wound in my heart-a wound only their presence could heal.


    I missed them so much and I couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. I was going to the coastal hideout to bring them back home. Right now.

 92| As A Family.

    ROSALINDA     I had been at the coastal hideout for a week now, and everything was starting to bore me out. I¡¯d take walks by the beach, y with Carlo, read books, and watch movies. Lather, rinse, and repeat.     I missed Antonio. I missed every single member of my family. I hadn¡¯t seen any of them since I left home; we had just been speaking over the phone, and that wasn¡¯t enough for me. I needed to see them.     I was hurt and mad at what Antonio did, but I couldn¡¯t hate him forever. Not only for myself but also for Carlo, who also missed his father and wouldn¡¯t stop asking about him every minute. I needed to return home. We needed to return home.     Picking up my phone, I dialled Antonio¡¯s number before I could change my mind.     ¡°Hello.¡± He said from the other end of the phone when he picked up.     ¡°Antonio.¡± I called, my voice barely a whisper. ¡°I am ready. I want toe back.¡±     ¡°Good, because I¡¯ming for you.¡± He muttered before ending the call.     I packed mine and Carlo¡¯s bags afterwards, expecting him toe pick us up in a few hours, but when he walked through the door barely twenty minutester, shock gripped me by the throat, and my mouth fell agape.     ¡°H- ho-how?¡± I stuttered.     ¡°I was already on my way when you called.¡± He cleared my confusion as he inched closer to me in long strides, wrapping his arms around me possessively. ¡°I couldn¡¯t survive one more day without you, Rosa.¡±     I went quiet, unable to portray my feelings in words, as I just allowed myself to feel the sweet warmth his body radiated. I loved him much more than I could even imagine.     ¡°I missed you.¡± He told me as we pulled away from the hug, cing a gentle kiss on my cheek.     ¡°I missed you too.¡± I muttered, meaning every single word.     Leaning in, he ced his forehead on mine. ¡°I am sorry, my love. It was never my intention to hurt you.¡±     ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡± I breathed. Even though he hurt me, he must have also been hurt by my absence, and I was sorry I put him through that.     ¡°I never want to lose you.¡± He expressed himself, his voice barely a whisper yet tinged with vulnerability.     I never wanted to lose him either. Even the thought of that was driving me insane. I needed him in my life. Forever.     ¡°No more keeping secrets.¡± I breathed into his mouth.     ¡°No more kissing secrets.¡± He affirmed before pressing his lips on mine.     We smothered our lips against each other, kissing so desperately like our lives depended on it. The heat of desire licked every fibre of my being, wanting him to touch me and fuck me like he always did. The way I always enjoyed. Oh, how I¡¯ve missed this.     ¡°Daddy!¡± Carlo¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted us, and we quickly disentangled from each other¡¯s hands.     I dipped both hands into my back pocket, looking everywhere except in Carlo¡¯s direction. I was too ashamed to look at my son after seeing me in that position with his father.     Antonio, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem fazed by it as a face-splitting grin tugged on his lips. He rushed towards Carlo, beaming, ¡°My boy!¡±     ***N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    After we left the coastal hideout, I asked Antonio to take me home, as I had missed my family and needed to see them. He agreed without protest.     When we arrived at the mansion, I stood in front of the building, and a lot of memories came running through my mind as I gazed at the environment.     This ce used to be my home, where I grew up, and I couldn¡¯t believe that within the blink of an eye, everything changed-my home was now with Antonio. The love of my life.     Upon entering the building, the first person we encountered was Mary. She jumped on me, overly excited to see me.     ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± She beamed before turning her attention to Carlo and carrying him in her arms.     ¡°Hey, Carlo.¡± She beamed, kissing his cheeks.     I walked away from them, a smile tugging on my lips as I made my way to Papa¡¯s office to see him. I knew just where to find him.     His face lit up immediately I entered his office. He leapt to his feet and hurried towards me, wrapping his arms around me.     ¡°Rosa. My Rosalinda.¡± He beamed.     We stayed in that position for a few seconds, smiling from ear to ear, before finally pulling away from the hug.     ¡°How are you, Papa?¡± I asked him, genuinely concerned.     ¡°I feel more alive than ever.¡± He replied, chuckling.     Before I could say anything more, he added. ¡°Hope he¡¯s not maltreating you.¡±     I couldn¡¯t help but smile at his question, knowing Antonio would never treat me badly.     ¡°No, Papa.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I am fine.¡±     He raised a brow. ¡°Are you sure?¡±     I nodded, assuring him. ¡°Papa. You don¡¯t have to doubt Antonio. He loves me.¡±     A satisfied smile yed on his lips, and he nodded slightly. ¡°I am d.¡±     We talked for a while, catching up on a lot of things, before I finally left his office and went to Mama¡¯s room to see her.     But she was on the bed, sleeping, when I got there. Not wanting to disturb her, I decided to sneak out, but before I could even turn around, her eyes snapped open.     She narrowed her eyes as she stared at me, muttering in a sleepy voice. ¡°Rosa?¡±     ¡°Did I wake you up? Sorry.¡± A smile touched my lips as I inched closer to the bed and sat by her side.     Sitting up, with a bright smile forming on her lips, she opened her arms wide. ¡°Come here.¡±     I sank into her arms. ¡°I missed you, Mama.¡±     She ced a kiss on my forehead. ¡°I missed you too, Rosalinda.¡±     ***     After I left Mama¡¯s room, I went to my sister¡¯s room in search of her, but I didn¡¯t find her there. But luckily, I met one of the maids on my way out, and she informed me that Sofia was in the kitchen.     I made my way to the kitchen, and as I entered, I found her bantering with Matteo as usual. They were so engrossed in the banter that they didn¡¯t even notice my presence. I could watch those two all day without even getting bored. I missed them. So much.     ¡°Missed me?¡± I muttered, a wide smile curling on my lips as I approached them.     Sofia flipped her head to the side, and her face immediately lit up when she saw me.     ¡°Rosa!¡± She screamed as she hurried towards me and jumped on me.     ¡°Easy!¡± I eximed, worried about her protruding belly that was pressed against me. But she didn¡¯t seem to care.     ¡°I missed you so much!¡± She screamed, her arms refusing to leave my body.     I chuckled. ¡°I missed you too, little sister.¡±     ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t miss you.¡± Matteo muttered as he joined Sofia in hugging me.     ¡°I missed you too, brother.¡± I chuckled.     ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here!¡± Sofia eximed when she finally let go of me. ¡°I was going to call you and tell you the good news.¡±     ¡°What good news?¡± I asked curiously.     ¡°We have a wedding to n. The wedding is in two weeks. We are tired of being apart!¡± She beamed excitedly.     My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You and Oliver are getting married?¡±     Before she could even reply, I wrapped my arms tightly around her. ¡°I am so happy for you. Finally!¡±     If three months ago I was told that Sofia and Oliver would end up together, I would have sworn with my life that it wasn¡¯t possible. But here they were, about to get their happily ever after, thanks to Oliver being a Petrov; if not, it would never have been possible. I was genuinely happy for them.     ¡°So, what-¡± Sofia started, but she suddenly trailed off and rolled her eyes, her gaze in a particr direction.     I turned to look at her line of sight, only to see Antonio standing in the door frame.     ¡°Are you done? Let¡¯s get going.¡± He muttered as he ventured into the room.     ¡°Actually¡­¡± Mama appeared behind him, a wide smile curling on her lips as she offered. ¡°I think you guys should stay for dinner. Let¡¯s have dinner as a family.¡±     ¡°No, uhm-¡± Antonio tried to decline her offer, but she cut him off.     ¡°It¡¯s not even a request. You¡¯re staying. I¡¯ll cook.¡± She said with finality.

 93| Go Through Me.

    ROSALINDA


    While Mama cooked and the family chef, Grace assisted, I went to my room to get a feel for it.


    As I entered the room, a sense of familiarity washed over me. It used to be my sanctuary, but I didn¡¯t even know if I could call it my room anymore. I stood in the middle, gazing around as the memories I made there crept through my mind. Memories I could never forget.


    Scarcely a minute passed since I entered the room when the door creaked open, with Antonio trudging inside.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise how much I missed them until I saw them.¡± I told him as I turned around and walked to my bed, sitting on it.


    ¡°I promise you, I¡¯ll treat you so well that you won¡¯t have to miss them anymore.¡± He inched closer to me, cupping the length of my throat with his palm.


    Instinctively, I slowly rose to my feet, my eyes staring deeply into his. Words didn¡¯t need to be spoken. The desire and need were written all over our eyes and faces. I wanted him just as much as he craved me.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait until we got home.¡± He rasped. He briefly nced at the bed before returning his gaze to me. ¡°I had always imagined making love with you on this bed whenever I entered and saw you on it.¡± He confessed.


    My heartbeat was rapid, with heat swirling in the depths of my core. ¡°Then do it. I-¡±


    He silenced me with a kiss, sucking my lips, licking my tongue, my teeth, and everything else that made up my mouth like candy. I didn¡¯t hesitate to reciprocate as we engaged in a wet, dirty, scorching kiss.


    I missed this. I missed him.


    Abruptly, he ended the kiss and stepped away from me, folding his arms over his chest.


    Confusion ted on my face, I asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Pull off your clothes. Everything.¡± His demeanour was dark-like the Mafia boss that he was-but filled with need.


    I didn¡¯t even hesitate to obey hismand. I wanted him to see me in my natural form, and do whatever he saw fit with me. I was all his.


    His eyes flicked with intense need, and the protrusion beneath his trousers seemed like it was going to slice through if not freed.


    I had expected him to push me on the bed and fuck my brains out, but instead, he blew out the air in his lungs and gave me anothermand. One I couldn¡¯t disobey.


    ¡°Touch yourself.¡±


    Iid on the bed, my legs arched and wide open. I dipped my index and forefinger inside my wetness and began to thrust them inside, like I thought he would. My eyes remained glued to his, and the imagination that it was his hand in me sent my nerves dancing in response to pleasure.


    ¡°Faster!¡± He rasped, his eyes heavy with desire.


    ¡°Fuck me already.¡± I demanded.


    ¡°As you wish, mydy.¡± Before I knew what was happening, he had already freed his rock-hard manhood from its covers and lunged onto the bed.


    Grabbing me by my hips, he pulled me closer and pushed inside me with a powerful thrust.


    His thrust was rapid, pushing inside me like the beast that he was, unleashing all his pent-up desires in one night. Just what I wanted.


    My moans were loud. I was lost in the moment, forgetting that anyone could hear me. To be honest, at that moment, I didn¡¯t care if I was being heard.


    ¡°Your sweet, sweet pussy. I missed it.¡± He rasped as he leaned closer and took my lips in his, swallowing my moans.


    I missed him too. I wanted to say, but Icked the coordination to form a coherent sentence.


    My phone suddenly began to ring beside us. We both ignored it. But it rang again, and again.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Antonio groaned with frustration as he took the phone, but he never stopped pumping inside me.


    ¡°Why¡¯s your Mama calling you?¡± He asked before switching the phone off and tossing it to the other end of the bed.


    ¡°Maybe food¡¯s ready.¡± I moaned. In another circumstance, I would have worried that he ended Mama¡¯s call and even switched the phone off, preventing her from disturbing us even further. But right now, I was in full support of that very disrespectful action of his.


    I wanted him. No distractions.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m having a better food here.¡± He groaned. The rapidity of his thrusts increased. It was so intense that he hit a nerve. The nerve. My pussy quivered, and I rolled my eyes in pleasure as a warm liquid whipped out of me.


    After a few more strokes, he stilled, and his fluid flowed inside me.


    His gaze met mine, and he muttered with a low growl. ¡°I am not done with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I responded like the good girl that I was.


    I was sore, but I wanted more. More of him.


    He leaned in and kissed me. No, sucked me. If he had his way, he¡¯d swallow me. Our tongues glided against each other, our needs intensifying with every passing moment.


    He grabbed my hips, ready to push inside me, when a knock sounded on the door. The knock soon became a loud bang that we couldn¡¯t ignore.


    ¡°Rosa. Are you in there? Are you okay?¡± Mama¡¯s voice echoed from behind the door.


    I immediately jumped out of bed and began to put my clothes back on. ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± I yelled.


    After Antonio and I finished dressing up, we trudged to the door and pulled it open.


    Mama was standing in front of it, a small frown on her face.


    ¡°Dinner is ready. Everyone is seated at the table already.¡± She informed us.


    Her gaze darted between the two of us, and before she turned around and walked ahead of us, I caught the amused smile that touched her lips.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the realisation that my mother knew I had just finished getting screwed. How mortifying.


    It felt like I was having a walk of shame as Antonio and I approached the dining table. It was written all over their faces that they knew. My face flushed with more embarrassment, and I almost tripped on my own foot as I avoided their gazes.


    I settled on one of the empty seats, with Antonio seated beside me. What was supposed to be a family dinner didn¡¯t feel like one. The room was filled with unease. Everyone was quiet, but the silence was loud. They all despised Antonio, with each having their own reasons.


    After we finally finished eating, Papa was the first to speak, his question directed at Antonio. ¡°Sofia¡¯s wedding with Oliver Petrov is in two weeks. I want it to be merged with yours.¡±


    ¡°We had this discussion earlier today. I told you already, I¡¯ll think of a date and get back to you.¡± Antonio said dismissively.


    His response seemed to infuriate Papa, as rage saturated his features. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make all the decisions!¡± His nose red, mumbling. ¡°I never wanted to give her to you in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Keep your thoughts to yourself. Rosalinda is mine!¡± Antonio snapped, his rage matching Papa¡¯s. ¡°She¡¯d been mine even before the stupid agreement, and there¡¯s nothing. I repeat, nothing you could ever do to change that.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± Papa groaned with so much rage as he rose to his feet and pointed his gun at Antonio. ¡°I would fucking kill you!¡±


    He swiftly tugged out his gun and pointed it at Papa.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± He retorted with a dark, menacing tone.


    My heart thundered within my chest, the grip of fear amplifying the heavy burden weighing upon me. I wasn¡¯t going to lose either of them.


    Hurriedly, I positioned myself between them, my fury mirroring theirs as I darted my gaze between them. ¡°Drop your guns or go through me!¡± I screamed.

 94| Mrs. Russo.

    ROSALINDAN?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Rosalinda, get out of my view!¡± Papa groaned, intense fury and darkness seeping through his tone.     I refused to move, refused to be intimidated by the pure darkness that clouded the depths of his eyes. Two of the most important people in my life were threatening each other¡¯s lives, and leaving them to continue wasn¡¯t even an option. I was determined to stop them.     ¡°I. Said. Move.¡± Papa groaned, but I stood my ground.     ¡°Drop. Your. Guns.¡± I retorted firmly.     My disobedience and my nerve seemed to infuriate him further as his jaw clenched tighter than it already was, but I didn¡¯t care. Their lives mattered the most.     ¡°For God¡¯s sake!¡± Mama suddenly yelled, banging the table with her palm as she sprung to her feet. Her furious eyes darted between Antonio and Papa. ¡°There¡¯s a child here!¡±     Realisation hit Antonio, and he promptly darted his gaze at Carlo. Seeing the fear in his eyes, he sighed and withdrew his gun.     Without uttering a word, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me along with him. I didn¡¯t protest. He took a brief pause in front of Carlo long enough to carry him in one arm before going ahead to drag me out of the room with the other hand, not giving me the chance to say goodbye to my family.     And to be honest, I didn¡¯t want that chance because the longer he and Papa stayed in the same vicinity, the more fueled their rage would be and the more they¡¯d bepelled to drill a bullet through each other¡¯s skull. That was thest thing I wanted.     The drive to Antonio¡¯s mansion was silent. An ufortable silence. I had a lot to say to him about what happened back there, but I decided to wait until we got home and when Carlo wasn¡¯t there. He had heard and seen enough for the night.     I nced at my son in the back seat, and an ache throbbed in my chest.


    He looked so calm, as if he hadn¡¯t just witnessed the dreadful interaction between his father and grandfather. He was getting used to the frequent violence that surrounded him, and that bit at my heart. No child was supposed to get used to violence.     Once we got home and I was in the bedroom alone with him, I finally broke the ice. ¡°What date do you have in mind for the wedding?¡± I asked.     ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± He simply replied as he walked further into the room, pulling his shirt off without bothering to look at me. He was still visibly enraged, but I knew it wasn¡¯t at me. It was the lingering effect of the heated confrontation he had with Papa.     After pulling off everything on him, rendering him naked, he entered the bathroom, and I followed suit.     Leaning on the bathroom wall and folding my arms over my chest as I watched him, I persisted. ¡°Why?¡±     He finally turned to look at me, his eyes meeting mine since we left my family house, ¡°because it¡¯s your wedding, Rosalinda. You should decide when you want it.¡±     My heart pattered to an uneven beat as the littlest chill ran up my spine, his words taking me by surprise. I had never been allowed to make decisions for myself. Everything I had ever done in every stage of my life had always been decided for me. This was new.     He turned on the shower, and as I watched a full stream of water cascade down his body, my arousal surfaced. That man was fucking sexy, and every day he gave me a new reason to be attracted to him. A new reason to love him.     Without thinking twice, I pulled off my clothes, our eyes never leaving each other as I stepped into the shower with him.     ¡°I was terrified today.¡± I said, as I traced my fingers along his chest. ¡°Please don¡¯t ever do that again. Make peace with my Papa.¡±     A flicker of anger med in his eyes as he groaned. ¡°Now it¡¯s my fault, uh? He fucking came at me first.¡±     ¡°I know. But-¡± I sighed, trailing off.     I quickly quirked my lips up in a smile, not wanting to rile him up any further. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it. I¡¯m sorry for bringing it up. Just know that there¡¯s nothing Papa could do to take me away from you. My heart is with you, and you alone.¡±     I wrapped my palm around his cock, and I watched the anger burning beneath his eyes slowly fade off, reced by lust as he roughly grabbed my neck and crashed his lips on mine. I responded, wrapping my arms around his neck, our bare skin pressing against each other as water cascaded down our bodies.     ¡°I love you.¡± I breathed, my heart swelling with desire.     ¡°I¡¯d make it worth it.¡± He grabbed my waist, swiftly spun me around, and pushed me to the wall.     Before I could process my thoughts, his steel rod had already filled me up, pumping inside me in rapid session.     ¡°You are mine!¡± He growled.     My moan was loud, forming a melodic tune with the water sshing over our bodies.     ¡°Say it!¡± He rasped. ¡°Say you are mine.¡±     ¡°I am yours.¡± I said submissively, with all my heart.     ¡°Louder!¡± He groaned.     ¡°I am yours, Antonio Russo.¡± I moaned, giving him the satisfaction.     He wrapped his hand around my neck, and his pumps became faster. ¡°Good, Mrs. Russo.¡±     ¡°But I¡¯m not-¡± He didn¡¯t allow me toplete the sentence as he covered my mouth with his palm, preventing me from speaking.     ¡°Shhhhh. You¡¯ll be soon.¡± His pumps slowed, each thrust pushing deeper, reaching the ces I wanted them to.     ¡°If it¡¯s up to me, we¡¯ll have our wedding tomorrow.¡± He added.     I swung my head to the back to look at him. ¡°Tomorrow?¡±     ¡°It¡¯s up to you. Decide whenever you want to get married. I¡¯m not pushing. Married or not, you are mine. We don¡¯t have to register on a fucking paper for you to be.¡±     ¡°I am yours.¡± I affirmed with a moan, basking in every pleasure he was administering to me.     Not a word was mentioned after that. We made love in the shower. Again and again. Coming each time, unable to get enough of each other. When we finally finished, he wrapped a towel around me with care, and he gently carried me in his arms as he walked out of the bathroom.     Stepping into the room, he stopped in his tracks when a womanying naked on the bed came into view.     ¡°Reba!¡± He eximed, his tone thick with surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±     Anger rose up within me, vibrating beneath my skin as I immediately jumped out of his arms.     ¡°Who the fuck is she?!¡± I demanded, my blood boiling with fury.

 95| Payback.

    ANTONIO     Reba-a girl I used to fuck and toy with as I saw fit. But ever since my feelings for Rosalinda grew so wild that they became impossible to control, every atom of attraction I had towards other women withered away. She became the only one I could react to. The only one I ever loved. I couldn¡¯t touch other girls without getting irritated. And so, I did away with every woman I used to fuck, including Reba.     But she had refused to let go, persistently asking me to take her back, as she couldn¡¯t do without me. I had warned her to stay away from me, but she never listened, perhaps because I had been gentle on her because she was a woman. But that was a mistake I regretted. Because of my gentleness, she had the nerve toy naked in my room, causing Rosalinda to see her.     ¡°Who is she?¡± Reba asked as she slowly sat up, fondling her breasts with both hands in a futile attempt to seduce me.     There was nothing she could do that would work on me. She looked just like an irritating log of wood before my eyes.     ¡°My wife!¡± I asserted, my nose ring as anger rose to the surface.     I had just reconciled with Rosalinda after a week of being away from her, and with Reba being here, trying to jeopardise every progress we¡¯ve made was making my blood boil with anger.     ¡°What?!¡± She eximed, her eyes widening in surprise. ¡°When did you get married?¡±     ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. Get up, wear your clothes, and get out of my house to never return.¡± I muttered in a low, menacing tone, my intimidating eyes staring directly into hers.     ¡°Antonio, I-¡±     ¡°You know what I¡¯m capable of.¡± I cut her off with a threat.     Her eyes shed with a hint of fear as she scrambled out of bed and slipped inside her skimpy dress. She might have had the opportunity to have me fuck her, but she knew who I was. What I was capable of doing. Regardless of that knowledge, she still stood in the middle of the room after she had dressed up, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me with hopeful eyes.     ¡°Please. I can¡¯t do without you.¡± She cried.     I sighed, walked to my closet, and slipped into a pair of grey sweatpants and a matching shirt.     Rosalinda just stood there, with her arms folded across her chest, as she watched us in utter andplete silence. Her silence was suffocating, as I had no idea what was going on in her head.     I walked to where Reba stood, grabbed her arm with one hand, and began to drag her out of the room.     ¡°Antonio please!¡± She cried desperately.     ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± I groaned and shook her aggressively. Her voice, presence, and everything about her irritated the fuck out of me.     I didn¡¯t know how she did it, but she suddenly managed to free herself from my grip and ran towards Rosalinda.     ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, right?¡± She used her with so much bitterness as she tried to p her, but Rosalinda was quick enough to catch her hand midair, her eyes zing with fury.     ¡°Try it again, and you won¡¯t get to keep your hands anymore.¡± Rosalinda threatened, her demeanour darkening in a way I had never witnessed.     I hated to put her in that situation.     I grabbed Reba¡¯s hand, this time securing it in a way that she wouldn¡¯t be able to free herself, and dragged her out of the room.     ¡°Antonio please. What does she have that I don¡¯t have? I¡¯ll do anything. Please. I beg you.¡± She cried and pleaded desperately, like some crazy woman.     I wondered how she could be so obsessed with me when I never treated her like anything other than a sex toy. I felt the littlest pity for her, but I couldn¡¯t reciprocate what she had for me, as my feelings towards her at the moment were pure disgust. My heart was for one person, and one person alone.     We ran into Vito in the corridor, and he narrowed his eyes in confusion as he stared at us.     ¡°Boss,¡± he briefly nced at Reba, who was seriously trying to free herself from my grip, crying, before settling his gaze on me. ¡°Do you-¡±     ¡°Take care of her.¡± I interjected, handing her over to him.     His grip tight on her arm, he asked. ¡°Like, kill her?¡±     ¡°Fuck, no!¡± I hissed. ¡°Take her far away from here and ask the men at the gate never to let her in again.¡±     Without uttering more words, I turned around and began to walk away from them.     ¡°Please don¡¯t do this to me!¡± She screamed with so much desperation, but I didn¡¯t bother to look at her.     ¡°Antonio.¡± Marco¡¯s voice blurred into hers, and I turned to see him approaching.     He nced at Reba for a second, a frown on his face, before returning his attention to me.     ¡°We need to talk.¡± He told me as he continued walking towards me.     ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure it can wait.¡± I told him before continuing on my way. I had a lot of exnations to give to Rosalinda, and she couldn¡¯t wait. I needed to appease my woman.     ¡°We need more supplies for-¡±     ¡°It can wait!¡± I stated with finality as I pushed our bedroom door open and slipped inside.     She was already dressed in her red silk nightgown with ckce edges when I entered. The fierce look on her face made me tense.     ¡°You have to believe me. Nothing is going on between-¡±     ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± She interjected, pressing her legs tightly together, tensed.     My heart raced at the thought of going through the dark phase I was in when she left me for a week all over again. This woman was my weakness. It was safe to say that she was my life, and I couldn¡¯t live without her. I couldn¡¯t be separated from her, not anymore.     ¡°There is nothing going on between us.¡± I persisted, sitting on the bed beside her.     ¡°But you used to fuck her.¡± She gritted.     ¡°Before I fell in love with you.¡± I countered.     ¡°How many women have you been with since we became a thing?¡± She asked, her eyes looking everywhere but in my direction.     ¡°No one. You are the only one I want.¡± I assured her.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No one?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No one.¡± I assured again.     She sighed, and a long stretch of ufortable silence ensued between us before she finally muttered. ¡°What happened today should never repeat itself.¡±     ¡°Never.¡± I promised.     A knock sounded on the door, and Marco¡¯s voice echoed from behind the door. ¡°Boss. I just got some news. It¡¯s urgent.¡±     I didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him, but the worries that seeped through his voice were concerning.     I nced at Rosalinda, unsure whether to leave her or not, but she gave me an approving nod, assuring me that I could go.     cing a gentle kiss on her forehead, I stood up and headed towards the door, ready to kill Marco if whatever he wanted to say wasn¡¯t as important as he seemed to be.     ¡°Antonio.¡± My woman called just as I ced my hand on the door knob.     I turned to look at her.     ¡°Let¡¯s have the wedding. But not tomorrow. Next tomorrow. I can¡¯t wait to be legally yours.¡± She breathed.     I didn¡¯t know the type of thought she had that led her to that conclusion, but I was d she had it. That news just made my fucking night.     I nodded, a satisfactory smile consuming my face, before turning around and slipping out of the room.     Marco was standing just in front of the room.     I red at him, annoyed that he interrupted my moment with Rosalinda. ¡°It better be worth it.¡±     The troubled look masking his features immediately put me on my toes.     ¡°What is it?¡± I immediately asked.     ¡°The shipment that arrived today got busted. Someone alerted the Federals, and all our products have been seized. One of our men got killed in the process, and one was seriously injured.¡±     Rage boiled through my veins, and my chest threatened to explode from the intense pressure of the anger. ¡°Find out who ratted us out.¡±     Whoever the person was, he was a dead man already. I would never forgive anyone for making me lose products that were worth millions.     ¡°Check this out.¡± He said, handing me a piece of paper. ¡°A mail from Diego Romano that was sent this morning.¡±     Without hesitation, I snatched it from his hand and unfolded the paper.     ¡°Payback.¡± Was the only thing written on the note.     ¡°Fuck! Damn it!¡± I groaned, my rage controlling me as I ripped the paper into many pieces before punching aggressively into the wall.

 96| Warned.

    ANTONIO     The bastard¡¯s way of retaliating ended up costing me millions, far exceeding the value of his damn car. It wasn¡¯t just the financial hit that bothered me, but also the disappointment it would bring to my customers. The arrival of the products had been dyed and had had my customers breathing down my neck, threatening to take their business elsewhere if I didn¡¯t deliver by week¡¯s end. And just when the products finally arrived, that bloody Diego sold me out to the feds. He would pay for what he did, and of that, I would make sure.     ¡°When is the annual golden auction again?¡± I asked Marco.     The golden auction was an annual gathering for New York¡¯s elites that was initially conceived to raise funds for the less privileged but is nowrgely attended by the wealthy to unt their wealth and power. Nheless, it remains a prime opportunity forworking. Initially, I had intended to skip this year¡¯s event, but not anymore. Now I had other ns.     ¡°Tomorrow.¡± He replied.     ¡°Get prepared. We are going.¡± I informed him.     Turning around, I began to walk back to the bedroom.     ¡°Thought you didn¡¯t want to go for this year¡¯s event?¡±     ¡°Change of ns.¡± I turned to look at him long enough to say. ¡°We are going for Diego.¡±     I didn¡¯t wait for his response before pushing the bedroom door open and slipping inside.     I paused, taking a moment to absorb the sight of the woman on the bed. She was already fast asleep, looking so beautiful and at peace-that soothed the storm within me. I felt at peace, knowing she felt safe under my wings.     Gently, Iid beside her, wrapping my arm around her waist and taking in her sweet scent until sleep embraced me into its calmness.


    ***     ROSALINDA     The rays of sunshine shone through the open blinds, the warmth hitting my face soothingly.     ¡°Sleeping beauty.¡± Antonio¡¯s mesmerising voice came from behind. With a smile curling on my lips, I turned to see him on the other side of the bed.     My eyes lit up in surprise and excitement, the smile on my lips spreading even wider when I saw the tray sitting beautifully on the bed.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked as I stared at the pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and cup of coffee on the tray.     He chuckled. ¡°Breakfast in bed, princess.¡±     My heart tinged and swelled up with an immeasurable love that I thought it was going to explode. I had fallen deeply for this man, and there was no going back.


    ¡°I love you.¡± I said, the smile on my face never fading away.


    His smile was even wider. ¡°I love you more.¡±


    Sitting up, I munched on the food while he watched me with a look I could only interpret as abination of love, pride, and satisfaction. It was so delicious that I rushed to eat it, devouring it like a hungry lion. Or maybe I was indeed hungry. I didn¡¯t utter a single word while I ate.


    ¡°Who made it?¡± I asked when I finally finished eating.


    ¡°Yours truly.¡± He said with pride, gesturing at himself.


    I shot him a skeptical look. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He moved closer to me and leaned in until I could feel his warm breath on my neck. ¡°Don¡¯t ever doubt my cooking skills.¡±


    A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed. ¡°What if I did?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d punish you.¡± He breathed into my neck.


    ¡°How-¡±


    I gasped, caught by surprise, when he flipped me over, face down and ass up. He folded my nightwear up until my bare ass was exposed.


    ¡°What-¡±


    I was cut off with a spank on my ass. A painful but sweet sting rippled through my ass, and I found myself licking my lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever doubt my cooking skills again.¡± He spanked me again, causing me to let out a satisfactory whimper. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I wanted more.


    He spanked me again. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    My phone suddenly started ringing, and I peeked over to see Mama¡¯s name shing on the screen. I quickly jerked up to reach for the phone, but Antonio held me back.


    ¡°You¡¯ll talk to herter. You are being punished.¡±


    That was hot. But no matter how much I wanted to stay back and willfully receive all the pleasurable punishment he had to give me, I couldn¡¯t ignore her call. I felt bad already for the way things turned out yesterday, and I couldn¡¯t add to her worry by ignoring her calls. I knew how worried Mama could get.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I jerked up and moved so fast, jumping out of bed and grabbing the phone before Antonio could stop me.


    ¡°Mama.¡± I breathed into the phone when I picked it up.


    ¡°My baby.¡± She spoke from the other end of the phone, her voiceced with worries.


    ¡°I am fine, Mama.¡± I assured her before she could even ask.


    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯d tell me if he was treating you badly, right?¡± She asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I could swear with my life that Antonio would never treat me badly. His love for me was something that could never be doubted.


    ¡°Is that Rosa?¡± Giovanni¡¯s voice sounded from a distance.


    ¡°You little troublemaker. Sofia told me what you did.¡± His voice was now more audible, signifying that he had taken the phone from Mama. He chuckled. ¡°I am proud of you.¡±


    ¡°When did youe to town?¡± I asked, smiling. I had missed his silly ass.


    ¡°Today. The annual golden auction is tonight. I wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to make juicy connections.¡± He replied, and I could tell that he was grinning.


    Gio was on a journey to make himself a man. He had been working so hard, and I was proud of his sess so far.


    Antonio walked up behind me, wrapped his arm around my waist, pressing my back against him, and began to trail kisses down my neck.


    Tingles ran through me, and forming coherent words became difficult. He cupped my breasts in his palm and began to caress them gently. My breath became heavy, and I swallowed my moan.


    ¡°Rosa?¡± Giovanni called from the other end of the phone, snapping me back to reality.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± I managed to quickly say goodbye before ending the call immediately.


    ¡°You won¡¯t let me make one call, uh?¡± I asked, biting my lips.


    ¡°Not when I need you, mydy.¡± His voice was hoarse.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    His fingers found their way to my core, rubbing through my wetness in a sweet delight. I threw my head back into his chest as pleasure rippled through me, short moans escaping my lips.


    ¡°We are going for the golden auction.¡± He whispered into my ears, sending another wave of chills down my spine.


    ¡°But it¡¯s tonight.¡± I moaned, my voice barely audible.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a dress.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get one.¡± He ran his tongue around the curve of my ear. ¡°One that¡¯s as beautiful as you are.¡±


    His phone suddenly started ringing, and the pleasure he was administering to me stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think I¡¯d allow you to make that call.¡± I warned.


    He chuckled before going ahead to pick up the call.


    Sucking my bottom lips in between my teeth, I went on my knees, determined to do the same thing he did to me. My lost-filled eyes staring directly into his, I took his cock out of his trousers and began to slowly suck it with the care it deserved.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He groaned, shutting his eyes.


    I had warned him. He chose not to heed.


    ¡°No, nothing is wrong. Just do whatever you think is best.¡± He ended the call afterwards, his eagerness palpable in the way he carried me into his arms, and tossed me onto the bed.


    ¡°You asked for this!¡± He rasped before jumping on top of me.


    The sex was epic, like every other one.

 97| The Golden Auction.

    ROSALINDA     The opulence of the hall was unmistakable, from thevish decorations to the regal demeanour of the attendees. It was my first time attending the annual golden auction, and I couldn¡¯t help but be awestruck by the sheer disy of wealth and grandeur.     With my hand hooked around Antonio¡¯s, we gracefully navigated the hall, engaging in conversations with the wealthiest people in New York.     Antonio proudly introduced me to them as his wife, filling me with an overwhelming sense of joy.     ¡°But I¡¯m not your wife yet.¡± I whispered into his ear after the third introduction.     ¡°You¡¯d be tomorrow. What¡¯s the difference?¡± He replied with a charming smile that melted my heart.


    A smile curled on my lips. ¡°Have you told my dad about it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The marriage.¡±


    His forehead creased. ¡°Does he need to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I was supposed to inform my family and even my best friend Ruby about the impromptu marriage earlier today, but I got carried away, as I was in bed all day with Antonio. We never get tired of each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know before we go to the court.¡± He averted his gaze, his eyes roaming the hall as if he were looking for someone. He had been looking around since we arrived, and I wondered who he was looking for.


    ¡°Looking for someone?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He simply replied.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mio cugino.¡± Giovanni beamed, and I hoisted my head to see him approaching us with a grin on his face.


    My lips spread into a wide smile as I beamed. ¡°Gio!¡±


    He embraced me, tapping my back lightly before pulling away from the hug. ¡°You look so beautiful. How are you and-¡± he trailed off and darted his gaze at Antonio.


    ¡°Oh, forgive my manners. Uhm¡­ brother-inw?¡± He said, extending his hand for a handshake. ¡°Good evening.¡±


    ¡°Good evening.¡± Antonio took his hand, his gaze still roaming around. ¡°Can you keep an eye on her for me?¡± He quickly asked.


    Darting his gaze at me, he kissed my temple. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I trailed him with my eyes as he walked away from us until he disappeared into the crowd, wondering where he was going. A pang of pain pulled on my chest at the thought of him going to meet another woman, but I quickly shook that thought out of my head. Antonio would never cheat on me.


    Giovanni cleared his throat, snapping my attention back to him. I quickly stered a smile on my face and asked. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, seriously, is that motherfucker treating you right? I swear to God if he-¡±


    ¡°He treats me like a queen.¡± I quickly cut him off, and that was the in truth.


    He raised a brow. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Hundred percent.¡± I assured him.


    The serious look he had on quickly transitioned to a yful one as he nudged me, grinning. ¡°You finally got what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, trying so hard to suppress the smile that threatened to spread over my lips.


    ¡°Oh, spare me that. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Yes, I knew exactly what he was talking about, but I refused to admit it. Giovanni was the first to know how attracted I was to Antonio and how badly I wanted him, but at that time I couldn¡¯t get him because he was engaged to my sister. But now he was mine, just as I was his.


    ¡°My, my, Giovanni!¡± Ady¡¯s voice squealed, and I turned to see a blonde woman with heavy makeuping our way.


    ¡°Felicia.¡± Gio opened his arms, and she sank into them as he wrapped his arms around her. ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Months. I¡¯ve missed you.¡± She said as they pulled away from the hug, their eyes staring intently into each other.


    I just knew I was about to be left alone.


    Thedy darted her gaze at me and frowned before returning her gaze to Giovanni. ¡°Do you want to go somewhere private?¡±     Giovanni didn¡¯t hesitate as he leaned in and nted a kiss on my cheek. ¡°Sorry, cousin. Baby, sitting duty is over.¡± He said m before walking away with thedy, leaving me all alone.


    Where the fuck was Antonio?! I wondered.


    My eyes roamed the hall, and when I couldn¡¯t see him, I decided to while away time by the bar. If he couldn¡¯t keep mepany, some wine would, I thought.


    As I sipped my wine, I kept looking around, anticipating Antonio¡¯s return. But the more I looked, the more disappointment coursed through me, and I was starting to get really ufortable being alone.


    ¡°Is this seat taken?¡± Someone suddenly asked.


    ¡°No. But I¡¯m-¡± I trailed off, my face lighting up, when I saw the person asking.


    ¡°Liam!¡± I beamed.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± He asked as he settled on the seat beside me.


    ¡°Well, good.¡± I replied. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He said with a smile on his face. ¡°You look stunning.¡±


    ¡°You look good as well.¡± I returned thepliment.


    He chuckled. ¡°So¡­¡± He darted his gaze around before retuening his gaze to me. ¡°Are you here alone?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head slightly. ¡°I am here with Antonio.¡±


    ¡°Antonio.¡± He let out a sad smile, nodding. ¡°The man you left me for.¡±


    Confusion spread across my face. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We had a connection. You and I.¡± He gestured his hand between both of us. ¡°But you refused to allow it to grow. Instead, you chose that fucker over me. He would break your heart, I promise you. He doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    The more he spoke, the more fury boiled within me. I couldn¡¯t even fathom the total nonsense he was spewing. Me and him? Connection? How? When? How could he be so delusional?


    I blew out a sharp breath, trying not to explode. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t break my heart.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Where is he now? He left you here, alone. What a jerk.¡±


    ¡°Do not speak of him in that way ever again.¡± I gritted, the anger boiling within me seeping through every word.


    ¡°Open your eyes, Rosalinda.¡± He held my wrist, shaking me vigorously with it. ¡°Come to me. I would treat you right.¡±


    His grip was too tight, and I winced in pain as I tried to free myself from him. ¡°You are hurting me. Get off me!¡± I yelled.


    ***


    ANTONIO


    ¡°I had been anticipating to see you here.¡± A familiar voice spoke while I navigated the crowd in search of Diego.


    I stopped in my tracks and flipped my head to the side to see Nikki Petrov standing with a woman whom I assumed to be his wife.


    ¡°Nice to meet you again, Don Antonio.¡± He said, extending his hand for a handshake.


    Inching closer to him, I took his hand. ¡°Good evening.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I had been anticipating seeing you. I have a lot to discuss with you.¡± He muttered.


    I raised a brow. ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Business.¡±


    I dipped my hands inside my pockets as I carefully observed him. ¡°What type of business?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it in a more secluded ce.¡± He replied with a smile, which I found suspicious.


    The Petrovs were known to be insanely brutal, and doing business with them was highly beneficial but seriously risky. I hated doing business with the Russians; one wrong move and they could fuck their business partners over like they never knew them.


    The benefits were juicy, not only money-wise but also power-wise. Together, we could be untouchable. But the risks outweighed the benefits. I wasn¡¯t thinking for myself alone; I now had a family to protect at all costs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± I said.


    A deep frown masked his features. ¡°I didn¡¯t go through the trouble of solving your Sergio problems just to have you turn down my offer.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, my brows furrowing together. ¡°That was you? You killed him?¡±


    ¡°He had iting.¡± He shrugged. ¡°He had been living his life on a thin thread. He betrayed me, and he knew I wasing for him. I just made it quicker because I wanted to rid you of him and do business with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± My eyes suddenly caught sight of the one person I had been looking for, and I nodded towards him. ¡°Would you help me solve my Diego problem also? He ratted me to the feds yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    My frown deepened. ¡°Were you involved?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He waved at Diego, who, in turn, smiled at him. Returning his gaze to me, he contined. ¡°But I have ears.¡±


    ¡°Would you help me with him just as you did with Sergio?¡± I persisted.


    ¡°You started it. You blew up his car.¡±


    ¡°Does he have evidence?¡± I countered sternly. I still wasn¡¯t going to admit it.


    He sighed, ncing at Diego again before looking back at me. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. He won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    ¡°What type of business do you-¡± I trailed off when my eyes subconsciously flicked to the bar to see Liam gripping my woman¡¯s wrist tightly while she struggled to free herself.


    A dangerous feeling vibrated through my chest, all the nerves within me screaming ¡®kill him¡¯ as I sprinted towards them.

 98| Two Men.

    ROSALINDA     The anger resonating within me was soon reced by fear when I caught sight of Antonio approaching us. The intensity of the dangerous anger burning within him was palpable in his features and the way he strode towards us. I feared that something deadly would happen once he got to where we were.     Blowing out the air umted in my lungs, I miraculously found the strength to push Liam off me and stand on my feet, facing Antonio and blocking him from doing whatever he wanted to do.     ¡°Rosalinda, move.¡± He groaned.     ¡°Antonio, please.¡± I said, rubbing my palm over his chest to soothe him. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±     ¡°I said move.¡± He insisted.     ¡°No. Please.¡± I wasn¡¯t backing down. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t cause a scene here.¡±     ¡°Antonio.¡± Marco suddenly appeared beside us, holding him by his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t let your anger control you. Think before you act. Just let it go.¡±     He shut his eyes tightly, his lips pressed tightly together, and his nose red.


    Flicking his eyes back open, he pointed his index finger at Liam and warned. ¡°Lay your filthy hands on my woman ever again, and you won¡¯t live to see the next morning.¡±     Immediately, he grabbed my arm and walked away with me, his chest heaving rapidly.     I sighed, relieved. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how badly things would have gone if I and Marco hadn¡¯t interjected.     ¡°I would kill him!¡± He ranted. He paused for a second before turning to look at me. ¡°What the hell did he tell you?¡±     ¡°Nothing of importance.¡± I replied. There was no way I¡¯d tell him what he actually said. If anger didn¡¯t control him, jealousy would drive him to turn back and actually murder Liam before everyone.     He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you lying to me?¡±     ¡°No.¡± I lied again, shaking my head. It was a necessary white lie, I told myself.     Just a few feet forward, Giovanni came to view, and Antonio came to a stop, pointing an usatory finger at him.     ¡°You!¡± He grunted.     Gio raised a questioning brow, tilting his head to the side. ¡°What have I done?¡±     ¡°I fucking asked you to look after her, but you refused.¡± He groaned.     ¡°I¡¯m not one of your men who you could order around. And besides, she¡¯s not a baby. I wouldn¡¯t have left her if I wasn¡¯t sure that she could take care of herself.¡± Gio replied surprisingly calmly.     ¡°Is that so?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s why she almost got torn apart by Liam just now.¡±     Gio¡¯s demeanour immediately turned darker as he asked. ¡°Liam Romano?¡±     ¡°Yes.¡±     ¡°What did he do? I would fucking kill him!¡± He groaned, and without bothering to wait for a response, he began to walk away from us, but I quickly stood in his way.     Now I had two men to deal with.     ¡°Gio!¡± I called, squeezing his shoulders lightly. ¡°Look at me; I¡¯m okay.¡±     ¡°What did he do to you?¡± He demanded.     ¡°Answer him, Rosalinda. What did he say to you?¡± Antonio chimed in, and I let out a heavy breath.     Alternating my gaze between both of them, I implored. ¡°Let it go, please.¡±     It took a lot of struggle to get the both of them to stop asking me questions about Liam and not burn down the entire hall because of him.     The auction began soon after, and we were all seated as we watched it y out. It was true what Papa told me a long time ago-that the golden auction was nothing but a showcase of affluence and influence. Random things were being bid at outrageous prices, with the attendees evenpeting to get them.     ¡°Enjoying it?¡± Antonio asked sarcastically when he noticed how uninterested I looked while watching everything.     ¡°Not something I¡¯d like to attend ever again.¡± I mumbled, slightly shaking my head.     ¡°Same.¡± He leaned back on the chair and folded his arms around his chest. ¡°Let me know if you see something you like.¡±     Until the auction ended, I couldn¡¯t find anything that piqued my interest. Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it to Antonio¡¯s hearing because I was damn sure he would have bid it for me, wasting an outrageous amount of money.     After the event ended, Antonio and I got into the limousine we had arrived in, with Vito being the driver.     ¡°You still won¡¯t tell me what that motherfucker said to you.¡± Antonio persisted on our way.     Leaning in, I pressed my lips against his. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Stop worrying yourself about him.¡±     I tried to pull away from him, but he swiftly grabbed the nape of my neck, pulling me even closer.     Staring directly into my eyes, he muttered. ¡°I know he likes you. Did he mention anything about that to you? Knowing you are mine.¡±     His eyes, though filled with subtle rage, were also clouded with intense lust.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Licking my lips, I decided to satisfy his lust as I ced my palm loosely on his jaw line and pressed my lips against his. He reciprocated, kissing me back in a slow, sloppy kiss.     Suddenly, my phone started ringing, and I quickly picked it up to silence it. Whoever was calling could wait, I thought. But when I saw the name shing on the screen, my eyes narrowed.     It was one of the housemaids at my parents¡¯s ce-Mary. I had asked her to call me if anything unusual was happening at the mansion. So, seeing her call made my heart skip a beat, and I couldn¡¯t ignore it.     ¡°Mary.¡± I said into the phone when I picked up.     ¡°Rosa.¡± She immediately said, her voice coated with worries.     Jumping full stream on the worried train, I asked impatiently. ¡°What is it? Go straight to the point.¡±     ¡°I think Sofia developed someplications with the pregnancy and had been rushed to the hospital.¡± Her words formed a knot in my stomach, twisting within it without restraint. My heartbeat became so rapid, and my throat went dry immediately.     ¡°What happened?¡± Antonio asked, concerned when he noticed my sudden change in demeanour.     ¡°Sofia was rushed to the hospital. Take me there, now.¡± My voice was filled with desperation.

 99| Peace. Worries.

    ROSALINDA


    I wouldn¡¯t lose Sofia. I wouldn¡¯t lose Sofia. I wouldn¡¯t lose Sofia. I kept chanting on the way to the hospital to avoid imagining extremely terrible scenarios. Scenarios that were threatening to make my heart jump out of my chest just at the thought.


    The perturbed expression on my parents faces when we got to the hospital made my heart break even further. I hated to see them that way.


    ¡°Mama, Papa.¡± I called as I sank into their arms at once, my eyes streaming with tears.


    Pulling away from them and searching for answers in their faces, I asked. ¡°How is she? Where is she?¡±


    Papa sighed, and Mama waspletely quiet. This was bad, I thought, as the fear gripping me by the throat squeezed even tighter.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked again, impatiently.


    ¡°The doctors said they would have to evacuate the babies now.¡± Papa finally answered.


    Oh, no. She was only seven months along.


    ¡°Why? Would they survive? Sofia? The babies?¡±


    He nodded, and a sense of relief coursed through me, though, the worries that burdened my entire being still weighed heavily.


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°The doctors said she developed preempsia.¡±


    Confusion saturated my face as I wondered what that was.


    Before I could ask, he continued, expounding. ¡°It¡¯s aplication with the pregnancy which is  marked by high blood pressure and potential harm to other organs. They have to be evacuated now in order to save the mother and children.¡±


    Oh, no. I shook my head, an intense pain consuming my whole being. That sounded bad. Really bad. I didn¡¯t want to lose my sister.


    ¡°Where is she?!¡± Oliver¡¯s impatient voice suddenly pierced through the air, and I turned to see him running towards us.


    Stopping in front of us, panting heavily, he asked again. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°In the theatre,¡± Papa replied.


    ¡°What? what-happened? How-¡± he blew out a breath, struggling to form coherent words.


    Papa told him the exact same thing he told me, and the worries saturating his features intensified.


    ¡°Oh, God. No. No.¡± He groaned with so much pain, stomping his foot hard on the floor. ¡°No!¡±


    I felt his pain. I knew exactly what he was going through because we bore the weight of simr sorrows. They were his wife-to-be and unborn children, while they were my sister and nieces. The mere thought of losing them was unbearable.


    Inching closer to him, I wrapped my arms around him in aforting hug. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡± I told him, desperately hoping my words were true.


    After a few seconds, he pulled away from the hug and muttered, unable to look me in the eyes. ¡°I need to be alone right now.¡±


    He turned around immediately and walked away, but I didn¡¯t miss the lone tear that escaped his eyes while he did so.


    This was a dark time- a very dark time, and we weren¡¯t prepared for this. I never thought a day woulde where I would be scared of losing Sofia. My only sister. The very thought of that unleashed a fear that tightened its grip on my chest, squeezing even further, the heavy burden saturating to my throat, up to my eyes, and forcing itself out in the form of tears.


    ¡°No. No. No.¡± I shook my head vigorously.


    Antonio, who had been standing beside me and watching me all along, wrapped his arm around me, and I pressed my head into thefort of his chest as I allowed myself to let out all the tears stinging behind my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose her.¡± I cried.


    He rubbed my back soothingly. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±


    We stayed in the hospital all night with Antonio never leaving my side, not even for a second, making sure I didn¡¯t lose my mind. Or maybe I did? Because they took too long in that damn theater, and for every second I waited, a strand of my sanity was snapped.


    I prayed, waited, and hoped Sofia and her babies would survive.


    Giovanni and Matteo came muchter, as they hadn¡¯t returned home early and weren¡¯t aware of the news. The worries that masked their features were unmistaken. We were all tensed, anticipating the doctors exit from the theatre to announce the oue of the surgery. The wait was driving me crazy.


    I didn¡¯t know how long it took before the doctors finally came out. Oliver was the first to notice their exit from the operating theatre, and he rushed towards them, with the rest of us following suit.


    ¡°How is she? How are my babies?¡± Oliver asked impatiently.


    One of them, who I assumed to be the one in charge, directed his gaze at Papa as he spoke. ¡°It was a tough but sessful surgery.¡±


    A part of the heavy burden weighting down on me was lifted, but the most significant part of the weight still persisted-not until I saw them with my own eyes and confirmed they were okay. To confirm that my sister and her babies survived. To confirm that I could see them again, alive.


    ¡°Can we see them now?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s not awake yet.¡±


    ¡°When would she wake up?¡± I asked and tensed.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. But I can assure you that her vitals are stable.¡± The doctors walked away from us after that, and the fear that consumed my chest still lingered.


    ¡°You all look like a mess. You should go home and rest.¡± Matteo suggested, darting his gaze between all of us with his face scrunched up.


    ¡°No.¡± I was the first to protest. ¡°I would stay here until she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll scare her if she wakes up to see you like this?¡± Giovanni asked, clicking his tongue over the roof of his mouth and shaking his head as he stared at my pitiful figure. ¡°Go home, Rosa. Take some rest. I¡¯ll call you when she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Antonio chimed in, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. ¡°You need to rest.¡±


    As ifpelled, I nodded in agreement. Antonio always had a way of getting through me, making me do whatever he wanted me to do. Was this respect? Or just obsession?


    The drive home was long and quiet. Once we arrived, he didn¡¯t allow me to walk by myself as he carried me and walked all the way to our room with me in his arms. He helped me shower afterwards, treating me like an egg or like a queen, as he had promised.


    I waspletely drained from crying and worrying all through the night, and he was helping me get through the dark ordeal, making me love him harder, even to a dangerous extent. There was nothing-nothing at all-that I wouldn¡¯t do for this man.


    After showering, he carried me into his arms and began to walk out of the bathroom.


    ¡°I can walk.¡± I told him.


    ¡°I know.¡± He replied. ¡°I just chose to make it easier for you.¡±


    He carefullyid me on the bed and tucked me inside the duvet.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I poured out my feelings, staring directly into his concerned eyes.


    ¡°I know.¡± He said, stroking my hair with his fingers. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± I whispered.


    As I stared at him, something that was pushed to the deepest part of my mind after I heard the news about Sofia suddenly surfaced. Holding his hand in mine, I muttered, my voice barely audible. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can get married today anymore.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He responded softly, caressing my cheek. ¡°Be it today, tomorrow, in weeks, months, or even years, I don¡¯t care. The only thing that matters is that you¡¯re mine, and I will always be here for you, Rosalinda. Always.¡±


    My lips managed to curl into a smile, my entire being resonating with him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He leaned in and kissed my forehead. ¡°Thank you too. Foring into my life.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything afterwards; I just kept staring at him with my heart swelling with love. The more I stared at him, the more I realised how just fine he looked, as if he hadn¡¯t stayed up all night with me at the hospital.


    ¡°Used to staying up all night, uh?¡± I remarked, and he nodded with a small smile.


    ¡°Show off.¡± I scoffed.


    He stroked my hair with his fingers. ¡°Get some rest, Rosalinda.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°You too.¡± I drawled. Sleep was starting to whisk me away.


    He shook his head. ¡°I have work to do.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t remember if I replied to him before sleep finally whisked me away. His presence brought a sense of peace deep beneath the worries that enveloped me.

 100| Vendetta.

    ANTONIO     Me and Rosalinda¡¯s minds were troubled all night. Just that it was for different courses-she was troubled about her sister¡¯s safety, while I was troubled because of her safety.     I received a disturbing text from an unknown number on our way to the hospitalst night, and I hadn¡¯t been able to get it out of my mind. It was a threat to Rosalinda¡¯s life.     I had always known that being with her would make her a target for my enemies, but I never anticipated it happening so soon. Words about how much I cared about her would have gotten out, painting her as a prime target for those seeking revenge against me. When I ascended to a position of power in the underworld, umting a lot of enemies with the sesses I had made with the business and putting a lot of them out of business, I vowed never to let anyone in the form of a lover be my weakness.     But¡­ Rosalinda came, and all my self-imposed barriers crumbled in an instant, even without realizing it. She became the most important person in my life, and it was safe to say I loved her more than I loved myself, as I could give my life for her. Oh, I loved her with a depth that surpassed all rationality. Not even once did I ever regret falling so deeply in love with her. She was my everything, and the thought of losing her was unfathomable. Losing her would mean losing my mind, and I couldn¡¯t lose either.     After she fell asleep, I went to my office to work. Soon after, Marco came walking through the door.     ¡°How is Sofia?¡± He asked as he approached me.     ¡°Quit acting like you care.¡± I grunted.     ¡°It¡¯s just amon courtesy.¡± He shrugged, taking the seat opposite me. ¡°Considering she was your fiance and now your¡­sister-inw,¡±     I raised a brow, annoyed. ¡°What point are you trying to make?¡±     He raised his arms in defense. ¡°None.¡±     ¡°Better.¡± I groaned, ring at him.     He shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡±     I hissed. ¡°You have to ept Rosalinda. She¡¯s here to stay, and there¡¯s nothing you could do about it.¡±     ¡°epted.¡± His voice dripped with sarcasm.     I shook my head. ¡°Whether you ept her or not, she¡¯s one of your priorities now, and you have to protect her, even with your life if need arises.¡± I groaned with annoyance.     Marco narrowed his eyes as he stared at me. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how much she¡¯s changed you?¡±     ¡°Can¡¯t you see how being with my sister almost cost you your life? But you still couldn¡¯t stay away from her.¡± I countered sternly. ¡°That¡¯s what love does to you.¡±     I was aware that he and Cami were still seeing each other even after I had warned against it. I was livid at first, but after thinking about it, I decided to let it go. Everyone deserved a chance at love, just as I found love in the most unexpected person.     He adjusted to his seat, pressing his lips together as he suddenly went silent.     ¡°That¡¯s by the way. I called you here for another reason.¡± I picked up my phone and shed the screen at him. ¡°Someone sent this to me after the golden auction.¡±     His eyes narrowed, and he pulled back slightly. ¡°A threat?¡±     I nodded.     ¡°From who?¡±     I shook my head.     He averted his gaze, confusion on his face as he wondered out loud. ¡°Who could it be?¡± Returning his gaze to me, he continued. ¡°Think.¡±     ¡°As if I hadn¡¯t been doing that since I received the message.¡± I hissed.     ¡°Forward the number to Michael to track it and find out who owns it and their address.¡± He suggested.     ¡°Did that the second I got the message.¡± I sighed disappointedly. ¡°He got back to me this morning.¡±     ¡°What did he say?¡± He asked eagerly.     ¡°The number belonged to an olddy who used to live at a care home. She died three days ago.¡± I told him.     He raised a brow. ¡°Family?¡±     ¡°None.¡±     He sighed. ¡°That¡¯s fucked up.¡±     ¡°Yes.¡± I agreed with him.     Rosalinda¡¯s phone suddenly started ringing, and I reached for it. I had taken it from her to enable her to have enough sleep without disturbances.     ¡°What?!¡± I eximed, my eyes narrowing as I stared at the number shing on the screen.     I picked it up immediately and put the call on loudspeaker so Marco could also hear.     ¡°Rosalinda, right?¡± The person from the other end of the phone said. It was ady, and she had a voice that wasn¡¯t familiar. ¡°Whatever, I just called to inform you that your days are numbered.¡±     The call ended immediately, before I could even get a chance to speak. I tried calling the number, but it wasn¡¯t reachable.     That call had narrowed my guess down to a woman. It wasn¡¯t a man. Who could it be? I thought.     I hoisted my head, and my eyes met with Marco¡¯s.     ¡°Do you recognise the voice?¡± He asked, and I shook my head.     Suddenly, the phone started ringing again, and I quickly picked it up, hoping it was the same caller. But a pang of disappointment coursed through me when I realised Giovanni was the caller.     ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my disappointment when I picked it up.     ¡°Sofia¡¯s awake.¡± He informed me, sighing. ¡°How¡¯s Rosa?¡±     ¡°I¡¯ll pass the message to her.¡± I told him before ending the call.     Leaping to my feet, I made my way to our room to deliver the news she had been desperately expecting. But seeing how deeply asleep she was, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to disturb her peace. She needed it.     I carefully strode to the bed and sat beside her as I watched her sleep. The more I stared at her, the more the threatening text kept reying in my mind.     ¡°You think you could be happy? Hahahaha, jokes on you. You¡¯d never know peace. I woulde after the girl, and I would murder her.¡±     I never wanted to lose her. The mere thought of that caused my chest to squeeze so tightly, almost suffocating me. Whoever the person who sent that message was, I would hunt them down and erase them from the face of the earth before even attempting to make a move.     ¡°Sofia. No. Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± Rosalinda suddenly mumbled, her voice filled with desperation as she tossed and turned in her sleep. A wave of worry washed over me.     ¡°Please no!¡± She cried out, anguish evident in her tone, before her eyes snapped open with so much intensity.     Confusion clouded her gaze as she scanned the room.     I held her close and rubbed her back soothingly. ¡°It¡¯s a nightmare. It was just a nightmare, baby. Sofia is okay.¡± I assured her.     She shook her head vigorously, her troubles palpable in her features. ¡°I have to get to the hospital now.¡±     ¡°You should¡­¡± I trailed off when she jumped out of bed. I wanted to tell her to rest a little bit more, but knowing the woman I loved, she wouldn¡¯t relent until she saw for herself that Sofia was fine.     My eyes trailed her every movement as she walked to the closet and hurriedly got dressed while sweating profusely, despite the cold weather. The sight of her broke my heart, and I wished there was something I could do to ease her pain.     Suddenly, she paused and ced her palm over her forehead.     ¡°What is it?¡± I asked at once, closing the distance between us.     ¡°I feel¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°I feel kind of¡­ dizzy.¡±     The worries vibrating through me intensified. ¡°You should rest, Rosa.¡±     She opened her mouth to reply, but what came out was retch. She sped her hand over her mouth as she ran to the bathroom. I hurriedly followed her to see her ejecting all the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl.


    Fuck!     Different scenarios began to y in my head as I crouched beside her and gently pulled back her hair. Her life was threatened, and now she felt sick. Her sudden illness triggered a flood of worries within me. Could it be that she was poisoned at the Golden Auction yesterday?     No. Rosalinda wouldn¡¯t bear the consequences of the vendetta between me and my enemies. I wouldn¡¯t allow that.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 101| Weak and Sick.

    ROSALINDA


    I didn¡¯t know if it was from crying too much, but my entire body felt weak and sick. Regardless, I still found the strength to go see my sister, as I couldn¡¯t wait for a second longer. I needed to see for myself that she was fine, even though I had been told that she was. Antonio had suggested we go see the doctor first, insisted even, but I was adamant on seeing my sister first.


    I had dreamt about losing her to the cold hands of death during my brief nap, and my heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster as we got closer to the ward she was in. What if my dream was true? What if I truly lost her? What if they told me she was fine just to give me fakefort? My mind wouldn¡¯t stop being a dark mess, as those thoughts coursed through my mind.


    Stopping in front of the room, Antonio opened the door and held it for me to enter. My eyes lit up, and warmth saturated my entire body when I saw Sofiaying on the bed, surrounded by my family. She was alive!


    My lips spread into a very wide smile as I hurried towards her, leaned in, and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°Thank God!¡± I eximed, smiling widely, with tears streaming down my face-tears of joy.


    ¡°I heard you were scared of losing me.¡± She spoke, her voice barely audible.


    ¡°Me?¡± I pointed at myself, shaking my head with a grimace.


    ¡°You liar.¡± She used, smiling.


    ¡°What about the babies?¡± I alternated my gaze between everyone in the room, asking no one in particr.


    ¡°In the incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit.¡± Mama replied.


    ¡°They are beautiful.¡± Matteo said.


    ¡°Really beautiful.¡± Papa affirmed.


    I snapped my gaze at him, raising a brow. I thought he despised them even before they were born. I guess Oliver being a Petrov changed everything. Speaking of Oliver¡­


    I turned to look at Giovanni and asked, ¡°Where is Oliver?¡±


    ¡°He went to get something from the store, as requested by his lover.¡± He replied, grinning.


    Blowing out a long breath, I hugged Sofia again, pouring out my feelings this time. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live without you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She said. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, little sister.¡±


    Directing her gaze towards the door, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Antonio, who was leaning against it. ¡°Why is he standing there? He seems like a threat.¡±


    ¡°You know he¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not?¡± She settled her gaze on me. ¡°But why¡¯s he frowning so hard?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because our marriage, which was scheduled for today, couldn¡¯t take ce because of you.¡± The words slipped out of my mouth. I gasped and sped my mouth with my palm the second realisation dawned on me.


    I could feel everyone¡¯s heated stare on me, and I shut my eyes tightly closed in regret. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.


    ¡°What?!¡± Came Mama¡¯s exmation.


    ¡°Oh, shoot!¡± Gio¡¯s followed.


    ¡°Start talking.¡± Sofia urged.


    ¡°You better be kidding.¡± Matteo was thest to express shock.


    Papa was oddly quiet, and his silence scared me more than his words would.


    I definitely shot myself in the leg. But since I had mistakenly spilled, I might as well just let the cat out of the bag and be free of any guilt.


    Inhaling a long breath and exhaling, I told them about our failed n to get legally married today.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Gio folded his arm across his chest, an amusing smile on his lips.


    In my innocent defence, I spurted, ¡°But we would have still had the white wedding and all with the family.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse it!¡± Mama eximed, visibly enraged.


    ¡°It was an impromptu decision, and we were going to tell you.¡± I told her in an attempt to salvage the situation.


    ¡°When? After the wedding?¡±


    I went quiet, unable to find the right words to say in response. There was no exnation I could give that would make sense. I had messed up. There was no denying that.


    I darted my gaze between all of them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Truly sorry.¡±


    A prolonged moment of silence ensued while they all stared at me before Giovanni broke the tension, his gaze shifting between everyone as he spoke. ¡°Come on, we won¡¯t allow a trivial matter to dampen our spirits, especially when we are currently jubting Sofia¡¯s survival.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Sofia added, staring directly at me with a smile on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t want bad energy around me.¡±


    I smiled back at her. A strange wave of thirst suddenly hit me, and I promptly stood up to get some water. But as I took a step, another wave of dizziness struck me, causing me to stagger backwards a bit.


    ¡°Alright, time to go.¡± Antonio announced m before walking towards me in long strides and wrapping his arm around my shoulder to support me.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Mama asked, concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I replied, smiling at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Without protest, I followed Antonio out of the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to see a doctor. It¡¯s probably just the stress. I should feel better once I get enough rest.¡± I told him as we walked through the hallway.


    ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯m worried about.¡± He said, slightly shaking his head.


    ¡°What are you worried about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your health.¡±


    It seemed like there was something more to his worries, but I wasn¡¯t going to press him.


    Due to his influence, we were able to evade the queue and see the doctor early.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°I vomited earlier. I feel dizzy and really weak. Although I believe it is because of exhaustion, I cried to a stuporst night. But Antonio wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± I exined to the doctor.


    ¡°Shut up and let him do his job. Enough with the self-diagnosis.¡± Antonio hissed.


    I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± The doctor asked, and I nodded.


    ¡°Whenst did you see your period?¡± His question caught me by surprise, and I narrowed my eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, thinking I didn¡¯t hear it right.


    ¡°Whenst did you see your period?¡± He asked again.


    Did he think I was pregnant? Of course not.


    ¡°Last month,¡± I replied confidently, adjusting in my seat.


    ¡°Although my periods have been lighter than usual for the past three months,¡± I added.


    He scribbled something on a piece of paper before looking back at me. ¡°We¡¯ll have to run some tests, including a pregnancy test.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve had my period this month, so it¡¯s not possible for me to be pregnant.¡± I queried.


    ¡°Some pregnant women may notice light spotting around the time when they would typically have their periods, leading them to mistake it for menstruation. So, we¡¯ll have to run a pregnancy test also.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. Oh, no.


    *** We were directed to theboratory, and some of my samples were taken for tests before we returned to Sofia¡¯s ward to await the result. My anxiousness was so palpable that everyone around me noticed and asked if I was fine. But I just smiled and lied about being okay. How could I even tell them that there was a possibility of me being pregnant?


    If I were pregnant, I would have known, right? I asked myself. I had been through the journey before when I had Carlo. I refused to believe I was, but the more I thought about it, the higher the possibility weighed. My appetite had increased. I had gained a bit of weight. My sleeping pattern had also changed; I slept a bit too much now. Don¡¯t even get me started on the cravings.


    Antonio¡¯s phone chimed, and I became alert, curiosity threatening to suffocate me.


    My eyes widened. ¡°Is it out?¡±


    He nodded, his eyes lighting up and a wide smile spreading on his lips. He looked too excited, and I couldn¡¯t figure out why he had that expression on. Was he excited that I wasn¡¯t pregnant or because I was?


    ¡°Is what out?¡± Sofia asked curiously, and I shook my head.


    Mama, who was standing next to Antonio, snatched the phone from him and quickly read the content on the screen. Antonio didn¡¯t even attempt to stop her from reading.


    ¡°Pregnant?!¡± She eximed, her eyes widening. She hoisted her head to look at me. ¡°Oh, my God, you are pregnant!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± I murmured to myself.


    I didn¡¯t know how or why, but a strange force within me suddenly drove me to tell them about Carlo¡¯s paternity. I had been wanting to get it off my chest for a while now.


    ¡°He¡¯s also Carlo¡¯s father.¡± I breathed, earning short gasps from every corner.


    I didn¡¯t need to mention a name as all suspicions drew to Antonio, jaws dropped and eyes wide as they all stared at him.

 102| Merciful Lies.

    ROSALINDAN?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Wait, how?¡± Sofia asked, confusion masking her features.     ¡°This is crazy.¡± Giovanni remarked.     ¡°Really crazy,¡± Matteo agreed.     Papa, who had been quiet all along, finally spoke, rage sipping through his every word. ¡°How did it happen? When? You dared mess with my daughter and had the guts to sign a marriage agreement with my other daughter. What are your intentions? What do you aim to get from this?!¡±     Before any of us could reply, he continued, his voice raising. ¡°And you pretended to help look for the father all these while when you were in fact the father.¡± Visibly enraged, he raised his hand, pointing at Antonio. ¡°I. will. Not. Forgive you for this.¡±     Antonio just folded his arms around his chest, not uttering a word as he watched everything y out. He wasn¡¯t even bothered. The look he gave me said nothing but ¡°It¡¯s all on you.¡±     Now, I had to exin how much of a whore I was, which led to the birth of Carlo before Papa burned the whole building down.     Inhaling and exhaling to brace myself for the reaction that woulde after revealing the secret I had hidden from them for a very long time, I breathed everything out without leaving even one detail out.     I knew it! I mentally told myself as I stared at them once I finished narrating. The judgmental look on their faces was ring.     I averted my gaze, biting my fingers, unable to stand the look on their faces. They weren¡¯t saying it out loud, but it was clear that all they were screaming internally was ¡°Whore! Whore! Whore!¡±     Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have told them. But on a brighter side, I was d to have gotten it off my chest.     Too many secrets were revealed tonight.     Suddenly I felt nauseous again, and I sped my mouth with my hand as I retched.     ¡°Time to leave.¡± Antonio said, trudging towards me with long strides.     ¡°Yes.¡± I agreed without a second thought. I needed to leave there as soon as possible because the heated gazes I was receiving from the multiple eyes in the room could burn my skin if I didn¡¯t leave.     After we left Sofia¡¯s ward, Antonio took me back to the doctor, where he prescribed me some drugs, which Antonio got before we started making our way home.     The news of the pregnancy didn¡¯t fully sink in until Antonio and I were alone in the car on our way home. I was pregnant, I thought, rubbing my hands over my stomach. I was pregnant!     I had never thought of being pregnant with another child, but with all the unprotected sex with Antonio, it was bound to happen. A sense of joy washed over me. I was pregnant! I screamed again internally.     ¡°Why¡¯d you tell them?¡± Antonio suddenly asked, reminding me of the judgmental looks I got back there.     ¡°I feel mortified.¡± I breathed, covering my face with my hand to hide my shame.     ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told them if you knew you¡¯d feel this way.¡±     ¡°But I had to. I couldn¡¯t hide it from them forever. What if they start asking about Carlo¡¯s father again?¡±     ¡°Then you lie about it. There¡¯s decency in merciful lies.¡±     My eyes narrowed. ¡°Why are you trying to hide it from everyone?¡±     ¡°What? Fuck. No.¡± He flicked his gaze at me. ¡°I could tell the whole world if need be. I love my son. I¡¯m just concerned about you because you said you were mortified.¡±     Leaning back on the seat, I sighed. ¡°You should tell your family too.¡±     ¡°It¡¯s none of their business.¡±     ¡°You should.¡± I insisted.     ¡°Okay.¡± He simply replied.     ¡°For real, you should, Antonio.¡± I persisted.     ¡°Okay, baby. I would.¡±     I stared at him, still not satisfied with his response.     Noticing my dissatisfaction, he chuckled softly, turning to look at me. ¡°I would, I promise.¡±     Gently squeezing myp, he continued. ¡°I am thrilled about the uing addition to our family. Congrattions to us, baby! I hope it¡¯s a girl this time. I¡¯ll so spoil her.¡±     A smile curled on my lips. ¡°What if it¡¯s a boy?¡±     His eyes lit up as he chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t treat him any differently.¡±     I loved this man!     ***     ANTONIO     I hated to leave Rosalinda alone in her current state, but I had things to take care of. I had been repeatedly trying the number that ced the threat call to Rosalinda and the threat text to me, but it had not been reachable. The only lead we had was the care home where the original owner of the phone was before she gave up the ghost.     Vito and I were there, hoping to get useful information that could lead us to the bastardo that dared threaten Rosalinda-the mother of my son and unborn child.     ¡°Good day.¡± I greeted the first nurse we encountered there.     ¡°Good day.¡± She responded with a smile, darting her gaze between Vito and me. ¡°Looking for someone?¡±     ¡°Not really. I just have a few questions to ask about Agnes Smith, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I told her.     ¡°That¡¯s sad. She died three days ago.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you an acquaintance of hers?¡±     ¡°Yes.¡± I lied so that it would be easier to get information from her. ¡°I just wanted to ask if she left anything behind. Any property at all. I¡¯d like to hold on to it.¡±     ¡°Howe you¡¯ve never visited her?¡± A hint of sadness masked her face. ¡°She never had visitors. She was all alone.¡±     ¡°I was¡­¡± I scratched the back of my head and quickly came up with a lie. ¡°I was not in the country. I came in as soon as I heard of the devastating news.¡±     ¡°We should¡¯ve been here when she needed us the most.¡± Vito yed along as he began to make fake cries, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.     I raised a confused brow at him before returning my attention to the nurse. ¡°We need some form of closure. Her properties-where were they taken to after she died? Who took them?¡±     ¡°They were disposed, but her friend, Florence, took some before they got disposed. Maybe you could ask her to give you something.¡± The nurse said with concern written all over her face.     ¡°Where¡¯s this, Florence?¡± I promptly asked.     ¡°Over there.¡± She gestured towards an old woman seated on a bench. She was quiet and looked visibly sad.     ¡°Thank you. You were very helpful.¡± I nodded at the nurse before making my way to the old woman and crouching beside her.     ¡°Florence, right?¡¯ I said, but I didn¡¯t get a response.     I cleared my throat and spoke again, hoping to get a response this time. ¡°How are you? I have a few questions to ask you; do you think you can answer them?¡±     Still, no response. But I wasn¡¯t giving up.     ¡°I heard you were a friend of Agnes and¡­¡± My sentence was cut short when she began to sob.     ¡°Agnes. Oh, Agnes.¡± She cried. I waited for a few seconds for her to stop crying so that I could continue with my questions, but it didn¡¯t seem like she was going to stop soon.     Sighing, I began to pat her gently, hoping she would stop crying. After another minute, she finally stopped, and I took the opportunity to continue with my question.     ¡°I heard you took some of her property; is her phone included?¡± I asked, but instead of a response, another cry burst out, and I sighed in frustration, not knowing what to do.     After a few seconds, she finally stopped crying and answered my question. ¡°I didn¡¯t take her phone. I only took this picture.¡± She shed the picture of a fair olddy at us. ¡°And her cardigan.¡± She continued, sniffing the cardigan she had on. ¡°I miss her.¡±     ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t take her phone?¡± I asked to confirm.     She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t take it.¡±     Then, who did? I wondered. The old woman had no reason to lie to me.


    Blowing out a sharp breath, I held the woman¡¯s hand in mine and gave it aforting squeeze. ¡°I am sorry for your loss.¡±     ¡°Thank you.¡± She replied, wiping her tears off her face.     I stood up to leave, but just before I turned, the stack of pictures resting on herp suddenly tumbled to the floor. A sense of recognition washed over me as my gaze fell upon a familiar face in one of the photographs.     ¡°Who is this?¡± I asked as I picked Rebba¡¯s picture from the floor and shed it at the old woman.     ¡°My beautiful granddaughter.¡± Her eyes lit up with pride as she spoke about her.     ¡°Do you by any chance know if she took the phone?¡± I asked as rage began to boil within me.     ¡°I don¡¯t know. I saw her going through her things before they were thrashed.¡± She replied.     That bitch! I knew she was obsessed and crazy, but I never knew she was dumb. She had to be dumb to ever attempt to threaten me, signing her own death warrant.     ¡°Do you know where she is right now?¡± I asked the olddy.     ¡°I don¡¯t know. She left here not long ago.¡± She replied. ¡°I could remember her saying she was going to send someone to where they belonged.¡±     That sounded like a deration of murder. Damn it!     I flicked my gaze at Vito. ¡°The day I asked you to escort her out, did you remember to tell the men at the gate to never allow her inside again?¡±     ¡°Uhm¡­¡± he nervously scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I only pushed her out. I forgot to¡­¡±     Rage consumed me, and I punched his face hard before he couldplete the sentence. ¡°Consider yourself dead if anything happens to Rosalinda.¡± I groaned.     Without hesitation, I bolted out of the care home and made a beeline for the mansion, desperately hoping that my suspicions about Reba being there were wrong.

 103| Anger and Jealousy.

    ROSALINDA     The water cascading down my body was smoking hot. Even hours after leaving my family, the sting hadn¡¯t dulled. Maybe the heat would drift my mind away from the lingering embarrassment, I thought. But it was a futile attempt. With each droplet, their disapproving faces shed in my mind-the disdained expression they all had on when I confessed about the masked party that resulted in Carlo¡¯s pregnancy.     Damn it! I didn¡¯t think I could ever face them again.     With a sharp exhale, I turned off the shower after what felt like an eternity and wrapped myself in a towel.     The door to the bedroom creaked open, and a smile tugged at my lips. Antonio came back earlier than expected, I thought.     Stepping out of the bathroom, I muttered. ¡°You¡¯ve not been gone for long, but I missed you alrea¡­¡±     I trailed off, my smile faltering, when I caught sight of the woman who was here, lying naked on the bed the other day. Reba, was it?     I thought Antonio had made sure she would nevere in here again.     ¡°How did you get in here?¡± I promptly asked, a frown crowning my features.     ¡°That should be the least of your concerns!¡± She hissed. Suddenly, she pulled a gun out of her bag and pointed it at me, catching me by surprise.     Instinctively, I raised both hands in surrender and recoiled. ¡°What do you want?¡±     ¡°You think you could take my man away from me and get away with it?¡± She asked, her voice coated with malice, tilting her head to the side.     ¡°Reba, we don¡¯t-¡± I started, but she cut me off.     ¡°Shut up and let me finish!¡± She snapped. ¡°Do you know what I have done for him? Do you even have any idea to what length I have gone just to please him? How many times have I risked my damn life for him?¡±     ¡°Reba¡­¡±     ¡°Shut the fuck up, bitch!¡± She cocked the gun, and I did just as she said to avoid riling her further.     ¡°Do you have any idea how many times Antonio has used me to lure men, thinking I was a prostitute, just so that he, Antonio, could get to them and murder them? Some of those men even slept with me, and their blood is on my hands. There was no length-nothing I wasn¡¯t ready to do just to please him.¡± She paused, took a long breath, and blew it out.     A painful smile crept on her lips as she continued with a surprisingly low voice. ¡°Only for him to find happiness in another woman. After all I have done for him?!¡± She raised her voice. ¡°He would never be happy without me. I would never allow that! Read my lips. Over. My. Dead. Body!¡±     ¡°To what end?¡± My tone was dark as I asked.     ¡°I want you dead!¡± She eximed with so much contempt. ¡°Knowing that Antonio isn¡¯t happy with anyone that¡¯s not me. That alone would bring me peace!¡±     ¡°Drop your gun and let¡¯s talk amicably!¡± I retorted firmly.     ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls. You should be begging for your life!¡± She yelled like the maniac that she was.     ¡°Drop your gun. Please.¡± I said again.     ¡°I will drop it only after I see you in the pool of your own blood!¡±     ¡°Reba, no man is worth doing this for.¡± I tried to reason with her as I began to cautiously walk towards her. ¡°If you kill me, what¡¯s next? You would never get the love and affection you crave from him. Instead, he would hurt you further. Reba, if you kill me, Antonio will either kill you or hand you over to the authorities and you would be given a life sentence.¡±     ¡°I don¡¯t care, as long as you are dead!¡±     ¡°Do not waste your life like that, Reba. Antonio isn¡¯t the only one who would avenge my death. My father is also part of the Mafia. He would hunt you down. And trust me, I know my father too well to know that you aren¡¯t the only one who would suffer for it. Your friends, family, and everyone you care about would go down with you. Do not do this to them.¡±     ¡°No one is that cruel. It¡¯s not possible.¡± She replied, and for a split second, a glimmer of doubt flickered in her eyes.     ¡°I believe you¡¯ve been with Antonio long enough to know that there¡¯s no such thing as too much cruelty in the mafia world.¡±     ¡°Stop!¡± She screamed when I was getting too close. I stopped in my tracks immediately. ¡°Do not try to dissuade me. You should be begging for your life.¡± Her nose red. ¡°It¡¯s useless anyway, because I would kill you regardless.¡±     The determination she had in her eyes was back, even fiercer than ever.     I had to do something. I couldn¡¯t die like this. I couldn¡¯t leave Carlo without a mother. No, I had to save my own life. No matter what it took.     ¡°Reba, think this through. Do not let anger and jealousy control you.¡± I took another step forward. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again. No man is worth wasting your life for. No one!¡±     I took another step.     ¡°Shut up and stop there!¡± She yelled.     I stopped immediately and observed the remaining distance between us. I needed to take just one more step to get close enough to smack the gun out of her hand. It had to be now or never, and never wasn¡¯t even an option.     Swallowing the fear that hung in my throat, I lunged for the gun and utilised all the energy within me to knock the gun out of her grasp, throwing her to the floor.     ¡°You bitch!¡± She screamed.     I attempted to get hold of the gun on the floor, but Reba moved faster than me. She was closer to it, and it was clear that she would get to it before I did. I was closer to the door, and the smartest thing to do at that moment was run. So I did.     I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, screaming, hoping one of Antonio¡¯s men woulde to my rescue.     Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me into a room. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.     ¡°Cami?¡± I called when I saw the person who dragged me inside the room, a sense of relief washing over me. ¡°Oh, thank God.¡±     ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She whispered. ¡°I heard a bit of your altercation with God knows who. I had to quickly get my gun. Why is she trying to kill you? Who is she?¡±     My gaze darted to her hand, and when I saw the gun, my eyes widened in surprise.     ¡°You know how to use a gun?¡±     Papa never allowed Sofia and me to touch one, talking more about using it.     ¡°Of course.¡±     ¡°Wow. That¡¯s-¡±     ¡°Shhh,¡± she said, quickly cing her index finger over her lips. ¡°I can hear her footsteps.¡±     After a few seconds, Camille flung the door open to reveal Reba passing just in front of the room. She immediately stopped in her tracks and turned to look at us, pointing the damn gun at us.     ¡°So, it¡¯s you.¡± Cami hissed as she slowly walked out of the room with her gun pointed at Reba. I followed closely behind, and the door shut itself.     ¡°Get out of my way, Cami, or I¡¯ll go through you.¡± Reba threatened.     ¡°Your problem is with Antonio. Go face him and stop bothering us, stupid.¡± She retorted steely, her annoyance palpable.     ¡°I would kill you!¡± Reba snapped.     ¡°You dirty little bitch! Willing tomit murder because of a man who gives no two fucks about you?¡± She tilted her head as she observed her. ¡°That shows the type of woman you are. Unloved and stupidly dump. Oh,e on. Have some dignity!¡±     Cami¡¯s statement riled her up, and the murder intent piercing beneath her eyes intensified.     ¡°Fuck you!¡± She yelled, and before we knew what was happening, a bullet flew past our heads and hit the door.     My eyes widened, and I froze. That was close. Really close. If she hadn¡¯t missed, either Cami or I would have been dead. Possibly both of us.     Oh, my God!     Suddenly, Marco appeared out of nowhere and knocked the gun off Reba¡¯s hand, pushing her to the floor. He was so quiet that we hadn¡¯t noticed when he approached us.     He turned to look at Cami, worry saturating his features. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She nodded in response.     ¡°What the fuck!¡± Antonio¡¯s voice suddenly pierced through the air, and I cast my gaze to the side to see him hurriedly trudging towards us, the rage zing beneath his eyes, unmistakably murderous.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 104| Second Chance.

    ANTONIO     I cast my gaze at the bullet hole in the door before turning to Reba, who was on the floor, wincing in pain.     ¡°You darede into my home and threaten the life of my wife.¡± I said, my voice surprisingly calm.     ¡°Your wife?¡± She retorted andughed hysterically. ¡°Antonio, your wife? I was supposed to be the love of your life. I did everything I could to earn your love. I guess it wasn¡¯t just enough.¡±     I moved closer to her, and my eyes narrowed. ¡°I told you from the onset that I could never love you. I gave you the chance to make a decision: to stay or to leave. You chose to stay.¡±     ¡°I had hoped you would change your mind!¡± She yelled.     ¡°But I didn¡¯t.¡±     She darted her gaze at Rosalinda before returning her gaze to me. ¡°Why her? What¡¯s so special about her? I could be better than her if you want me to.¡±     ¡°Enough!¡± Marco pointed his gun at her and cocked it. ¡°Boss, give me the order, and I¡¯ll end her life right now.¡±     I signalled for him to take the gun down, and he did, but hesitantly.     My brows furrowed together as I observed her, expressing exactly how I felt about her. ¡°You could never be her. And yes, you could never be enough for me. You never even meant anything to me. And that nothing you never meant just turned into hatred. I despise you, Reba.¡±     ¡°Hate? You hate me?¡± Her voice was barely a whisper as tears began to stream down her face.     She hoisted her head to look at Rosalinda, and an intense frown masked her features as she spat. ¡°This is all because of you. And I would make you pay.¡±     She hurriedly crawled to the gun lying on the floor and picked it up, pointing it at Rosalinda.     ¡°No!¡± She eximed, shaking her head, and swiftly directed the gun at me, seeming to have had second thoughts. ¡°I should face you; you were the one who broke my heart.¡±     ¡°Go on.¡± I opened my arms wide, my eyes growing darker. ¡°Pull the trigger. Kill me. I dare you to shoot me, Reba.¡±     ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± She began to cry again. ¡°I can¡¯t! I cannot live without you. So-¡±     She suddenly pressed the gun to her temple. ¡°So, I¡¯d rather die.¡±     ¡°Reba, no!¡± I eximed in perplexity as I tried to dissuade her from killing herself. ¡°Do not do this.¡±     I might have hated her foring into my home and attempting to kill Rosalinda, but thest thing I wanted was to see her dead. Also, the poor old woman at the care home was too shattered and grief-stricken to bear the loss of her granddaughter. I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.     ¡°Why do you care?¡± She blinked, staring at me through her teary eyes.     ¡°Think about your grandmother. She just lost her friend. Do you think she can afford to lose you also?¡± I said cautiously. ¡°Think about her!¡±     ¡°Right. Grams,¡± she whispered exhaustedly as realization dawned on her. ¡°She would go crazy if I died. I have to survive for her.¡±     ¡°Yes. Now, drop that gun.¡± I urged.     She slowly withdrew the gun from her head, and I hurried towards her, taking the gun into my possession before she had a change of mind.     ¡°Antonio, please-¡±     ¡°I never want to see you near my family again!¡± I cut her off, my tone dark.     ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this to me.¡± She sobbed, looking at me with hopeful and desperate eyes. ¡°Okay. If you don¡¯t want to leave her, I could share. I don¡¯t care, as long as I¡¯m with you.¡±     Shaking my head, I turned to look at Vito, who was behind me. ¡°Take her out. And God help you to forget telling the men outside never to allow her in again.¡±     ¡°I cherish my life.¡± He inched closer to Reba and jerked her up. ¡°I won¡¯t forget.¡±     Abination of confusion and anger saturated Marco¡¯s face as he stared at me. ¡°You are just going to let her go?¡±     ¡°Yes.¡± I simply replied.     The confusion on Marco¡¯s face was replicated on everyone¡¯s face. Even I was surprised at how lightly I took the matter.     As Vito dragged Reba away, she screamed like a lunatic, desperately pleading that I take her back into my life while everyone watched.     ¡°Antonio, she almost killed Cami and Rosalinda.¡± Marco reminded me, his voiceced with fury.     I turned to look at him. ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance.¡±     She wasn¡¯t always like this. She used to be a sweet and innocent girl. I exploited the crazy love she had for me to its full extent, making her do crazily risky things for me and stripping her of her innocence.     I was the one who damaged her, so yes, she deserved a second chance.     Marco angrily stomped out, and Cami followed, leaving only Rosalinda and me behind.     Sighing, I inched closer to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You are safe now. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± I said calmly.     She shook her head, her voice void of emotion as she spoke. ¡°I want to see my son first. I want to make sure he¡¯s fine.¡±     We went to Carlo¡¯s room, and we both quietly watched him for a few minutes as he slept peacefully on the bed. Once she was satisfied that he was fine, we walked back to our room in silence.     ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to let her go.¡± She said once we were in the room, finally speaking about the unsettling situation.     I raised a brow. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to let her go?¡±     ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡±     ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was capable of forgiveness?¡±     She nodded.     ¡°Here.¡± I took her hand and ced it on the left side of my chest. ¡°I have a working heart.¡±     She chuckled softly, easing the tension that had been coursing through me. I had been worried about how she would react to the situation, fearing she might be angry with me. I was d she wasn¡¯t.     ¡°It¡¯s just that arge part of the heart is ice cold.¡± I continued, mirroring the smile on her face. ¡°But some part, where you especially reside, is still alive. Can you feel it beating?¡±     She nodded, looking at me with her sweet, innocent, mesmerising eyes.     I took my hand to her hair and tucked it behind her ear. ¡°It¡¯s beating for you, woman.¡±     My lips sought hers, and I engaged her in a quick, gentle kiss. cing my forehead on hers, I whispered. ¡°I am sorry you had to go through that. I promise to never put you in harm¡¯s way again. I love you so much.¡±     ¡°I love you too.¡± She breathed.     Suddenly, my phone started ringing, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see that it was her father-Roberto-who was calling.     I narrowed my eyes. He was thest person I expected to see calling me.     ¡°Excuse me.¡± I promptly told Rosalinda before walking out of the room and picking up the call.     ¡°What?¡± I groaned into the phone.     He sighed. ¡°I hate to ask you, but I need your help.¡±     I smiled wickedly. ¡°You suddenly need my help after threatening to kill me. Interesting. Anyway, what do you want?¡±     ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when we meet.¡± He said. ¡°You should choose the venue.¡±     ¡°When?¡±     ¡°Now. It¡¯s urgent.¡±     ¡°Where are you?¡± I quickly asked.     ¡°At home.¡±     ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there. That¡¯s if you won¡¯t threaten to kill me like thest time.¡±     He sighed. ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t.¡±     ¡°Deal, then.¡± I groaned before ending the call.

 105| Crescent Hotel.

    ANTONIO     I racked my brain on my way to the Moretti mansion, trying to think of what Roberto needed my help for, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn¡¯te up with anything. But what I did know was that whatever it was, it was really important, possibly a life-or-death matter; if not, the pride-ridden Roberto I knew wouldn¡¯t have asked for my help.     ¡°How¡¯s Rosa? And Carlo?¡± That was the first question he asked me when I entered his office.     ¡°Oh, thank you for gracing my invitation.¡± I drew the visitor¡¯s seat and settled on it. ¡°That should have been the first thing you said to me.¡±     He sighed. ¡°Thank you foring, Antonio.¡±     A wicked smile shed on my lips. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±     ¡°So, how¡¯s my daughter and my grandson?¡± He asked, making a steeple with his fingers.     ¡°They are perfect,¡± I said. He didn¡¯t need to know about the whole Reba situation. ¡°So¡­¡± I nted both elbows on the table, looking directly into his eyes. ¡°Why did you call me here?¡±     ¡°I have a problem.¡± He pressed his lips tightly together, sighing. ¡°A very big problem.¡±     I raised my brow, urging him to continue.     ¡°A few years ago, I had business with a family based in Italy. Two brothers. Mario and Fabio came down to New York because of issues concerning the deal. But unfortunately, they were murdered here in New York. I didn¡¯t kill them.¡± He exined.     I grimaced. ¡°So?¡±     ¡°Now, the father of those brothers, Paolo, is in town, seeking revenge after all those years. I told him I didn¡¯t kill them then, and he believed me. But I don¡¯t know what changed now.¡±     ¡°So?¡± My contortion grew darker.     If he thought I was going to help him fight his battle, he was wrong. I didn¡¯t give a damn about him.     ¡°I need you to help me take him down.¡± He muttered.     A wickedugh emanated from my throat before my countenance went serious again. ¡°And you think I would help you? Why?¡±     ¡°I know you would.¡± He said rather confidently.     I raised a brow. ¡°Why?¡±     He picked up an envelope and handed it to me.     ¡°What is this?¡± I wondered out loud as I took the envelope and checked the content.     My eyes narrowed when I saw that it was filled with pictures of Rosalinda and Sofia¡¯s. I even appeared in some of the pictures that had Rosalinda in them.     ¡°What is this?!¡± I demanded with a growl.     ¡°The father is threatening to take revenge on my daughters. He sent me these pictures, showing he had been stalking them for weeks now. He wants me to live in fear of losing my daughters at any damn time.¡±     A sharp feeling stabbed my chest and erupted throughout my body, boiling so violently-anger.     ¡°Where is this motherfucker? And who the fuck killed his sons?¡± I growled.     Fuck! Roberto¡¯s confidence was warranted after all. He knew so well that I could never say no when it involved Rosalinda¡¯s life. I couldn¡¯t see a potential threat to her life and ignore it. I had to take the motherfucker¡¯s down before he made any move.     ¡°I have done my research, and I found out that he¡¯s lodged in the Crescent Hotel.¡± He informed me.     ¡°Do you have a picture of him?¡± I groaned.     He nodded before handing me the picture of a man who was clearly of Italian origin and seemed to be in his sixties with grey hair.     ¡°I would have gone there myself, but¡­¡± he said, opening his arms. ¡°As you can see, I am not strong enough, and you are the only one I trust to get it done without leaving loose ends. I hate to admit it, but you are incredibly smart. Matteo and Giovanni would go with you, with enough men for backup.¡±     ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do your dirty jobs for you again!¡± I groaned. ¡°I am only doing this because Rosalinda is involved.¡±     ¡°And that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t blown off your head yet. Because you are the only one I could trust to protect my daughter, even after I am not here anymore. I¡¯ve seen how much you love her, and I know you could give up your life for her if need be. And your son, too. Let¡¯s leave the discussion about your son, Carlo, for another day.¡±     The nerve!     ¡°The feeling is the same. The only reason I hadn¡¯t plucked out your heart is because she¡¯d hate me if I did.¡± I retorted fiercely.     He chuckled softly before his expression went serious again. Looking into my eyes, he muttered thest thing I had expected to hear. ¡°Thank you. I am sincerely grateful.¡±     I grimaced in response.     ***     Without wasting further time, I, Matteo, Giovanni, and some of Roberto¡¯s men went to the hotel where the so-called Paolo Rinaldi had lodged. We had to make a move before he made his own move. We had to be one step ahead.     As Matteo, Giovanni, and I stood outside the hotel building, staring at it, I muttered. ¡°We have to make sure he¡¯s inside before we make any move.¡±     ¡°And that¡¯s why I invited this angel.¡± Giovanni grinned. I followed his line of sight to see a young, tall blonde woman walking towards us in exaggerated heels.     ¡°Hello beautiful.¡± He ced a kiss on her cheek.     He turned to look at me, grinning. ¡°Meet my sexy little help. She¡¯d go to the reception and ask to see him. We¡¯d know if he¡¯s around or not from there, because the receptionist would say. No stress.¡±     I nodded, settling my gaze on the ¡®little help¡¯ ¡°Ask them in a way they wouldn¡¯t suspect you have no idea of his whereabouts. If they say he isn¡¯t around, tell them he wants the room clean when hees back. They¡¯d send a cleaner to the room. We would take it up from there. And make sure to get the room number from them; do it in a way they wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.¡±     ¡°And if he¡¯s around?¡± She raised a blow, staring at me flirtatiously.     ¡°Then it would be harder to reach him. Just get the room number ande up with an excuse as to why you need to leave. Make sure they don¡¯t call him to inform him of your presence. Return to us afterwards, and we¡¯ll take it up from there.¡±     A smile curled on her face. ¡°Okay.¡±     Darting her gaze at Giovanni, her expression went dead serious. ¡°Five thousand. It must beplete after I get it done.¡±     He smirked. ¡°Deal.¡±     ¡°Okay!¡± She eximed, her signature sharine smile returning to her lips. She winked at me before going ahead to cat-walk into the hotel building.     ***


    The blonde executed the n perfectly, and a cleaner was sent to clean Paolo¡¯s room. We went into the building immediately and seized the opportunity to upy the room.     Just as the cleaner opened the room and slipped inside, we followed behind her.     ¡°Can youe backter, please?¡± I asked, faking a sweet smile. ¡°We have business to discuss.¡±     ¡°Okay.¡± Thedy nodded and turned back to leave, without any suspicion.     ¡°Smart.¡± Giovannimended, grinning. ¡°We didn¡¯t have to get the key to ess the room.¡±     ¡°Now all we have to do is wait for him to return, hitting him with the element of surprise.¡± I muttered as I strolled further into the room and settled on the sofa.     We had Roberto¡¯s men dispersed all around the hotel for backup and also to be on the watch for Paolo Rinaldi, notifying us of his return.     It wasn¡¯t even up to thirty minutes before one of the men outside called. ¡°He just arrived. He¡¯s going up now.¡±     We immediately became alert, the three of us positioning ourselves in the room, awaiting his arrival.     A few minutester, the door creaked open, and the man who we had been expecting walked in with two other men. They hadn¡¯t noticed us immediately, and when they did, the two men beside him tried to retrieve their guns, but Giovanni and Marco were quick to drill one bullet each through their hearts before they did.     ¡°Who are you?!¡± Paolo demanded, his features clouded with fears he tried so hard to hide.     ¡°Paolo Rinaldi. Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know us. Even if you don¡¯t know them.¡± I gestured at Giovanni and Matteo before returning my gaze to him. ¡°You most definitely know me. I¡¯ve seen myself in the pictures you took while stalking my wife.¡±     ¡°I have no business with you, so-¡±     ¡°Of course you do. You are trying to kill my wife, so you definitely have business with me!¡± I interjected. I took a step closer, my tone darkening. ¡°You don¡¯t threaten her life!¡±     I cocked my gun, pointing it at him. ¡°You should have remained in Italy.¡±     He took a deep breath, his lips trembling as he saw his life shing before his eyes. ¡°Drop the gun and let¡¯s talk.¡±     ¡°Talk to yourself in hell!¡± I groaned, and without hesitation, I pulled the trigger.     Giovanni slipped his gun into his waistband, grinning as he stared at me. ¡°God job, Antonio! Beer?¡±     Shaking my head, I sighed. ¡°No.¡±     Inching closer to the dead man on the floor, I carefully took the pack of cigarettes that was peeking from his pocket and cleaned the blood stain on it with my white handkerchief.     Stuffing the stained handkerchief into my pocket and lighting the cigarette, I turned to look at Giovanni and Matteo. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±     ¡°Sourvenier uh?¡± Matteo chuckled, staring at the cigarette with amusement.     ¡°Maybe.¡± I walked out of the room afterwards.     I didn¡¯t need to hide from the surveince camera as I made my way out of the hotel, as it had been disconnected before we began the operation.     Just as I stepped out of the building, I heard a loud thud, and that was followed by screams from all corners.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    My brows furrowed as I turned my head to the side to see the cause of themotion.     Under the hazy glow of the street lights, a woman sprawled across a crumpled car roof. Her lifeless eyes wide in shock, her hair syed out on the shattered ss, her body twisted in an unnatural angle with blood pooling around her.     I gasped, a profound sense of recognition washing over me.     Oh, my God. Reba.

 106| Denials.

    ROSALINDA     He embodied the archetype of typical mafia bosses, exploiting women for their selfish needs and discarding them at will, like dirt bags. I only knew of Reba, but I was sure there was a lot more. Antonio was everything I was against, everything I vowed to never condone, everything about the mafia.     Yet, here I was, betraying my own principles andpromising my moralpass. Despite what he did to Reba, I didn¡¯t stop loving him. I loved him as much as I loved myself-even more. Now, I was convinced that there was nothing he could do that could ever diminish my love for him. He was my everything. I had fallen so deeply that I could never be saved-I didn¡¯t want to be saved.     I woke up to the sound of sttering water from the bathroom, signifying that Antonio had returned home. I had slept off while thinking of him and waiting for him to return. I wondered where he went.     Getting out of bed, I walked towards the bathroom to see him, only to stop in my tracks when my gazended on something hanging from the pocket of his coat that was draped over the sofa¡¯s arm. With cautious steps, I approached the sofa, and from the pocket of the coat, I retrieved a white handkerchief stained with blood. My brows furrowed together as I stared at it, wondering whose blood it was.     Just then, he stepped out of the bathroom, a smile curling on his lips when he sighted me. But when he saw what I was holding, his smile faltered.     ¡°Did you get injured?¡± I asked as I inched closer to him, loosely holding the stained handkerchief.     Sighing, he snatched it from me. I quickly observed his body to see if there was any cut or injury, but there wasn¡¯t any trace of bandages or injuries-just old scars. A frown masked my face, as only one thought coursed through my mind-he murdered someone.     ¡°Whose blood is this?¡± I demanded.     ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry yourself about it.¡± He said nonchntly as he trudged towards the closet.     ¡°I want to know.¡± I insisted, following him. ¡°Did you kill someone?¡±     ¡°Rosa.¡± He sighed as he briefly stared at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself about it.¡±     He didn¡¯t deny it. He definitely killed someone. But who?     ¡°Antonio¡­¡± I eyed him suspiciously. ¡°Did you kill Reba?¡±     ¡°What? No!¡± He eximed defensively. ¡°Why would I?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Because she tried to kill me.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her.¡±     ¡°Then who did you kill?¡± I demanded.     Sighing, he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s better I don¡¯t tell you.¡±     ¡°I want to know.¡± I insisted.     I wondered why he was adamant about not telling me. His refusal only fueled my curiosity, and I needed to get the answer from him.     ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to tell me?¡±


    I pressed on.     ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to involve you in matters like this. Just let it go, Rosa. I¡¯m not going to tell you who. It¡¯s no one important.¡± He said dismissively.     Angrily, I stomped out of the room and made my way to the living room, wondering who it was, why he did it, and why he was so adamant on not telling me.     I was frustratingly livid!     Slouching on the couch, I grabbed the remote control and turned on the television to watch, trying to get my mind off of my altercation with Antonio.     My eyes widened, and my mouth fell agape at the graphic news ying on the television.     ¡°A twenty-five-year-old woman named Reba Martins fell to her death from the rooftop. It¡¯s not certain if it was murder or suicide, but the authorities are carrying out the necessary investigations. Three men were also found dead with gunshot wounds in a room in the same hotel. Could these deaths be rted?¡±     Oh, no.     Aplete and utterbination of rage, shock, and sadness enveloped me as I jumped to my feet and bustled to the room to confront Antonio for lying to my face.     ¡°Antonio!¡± I yelled as I banged the door open and trotted towards him.     His brows drew together as he stared at me. He was sitting on the bed, seemingly deep in thought, when I entered.     ¡°You fucking lied to me!¡± I yelled.     ¡°About what?¡±     ¡°I just saw on the news that Reba fell to her death from the rooftop.¡±     ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her.¡± He didn¡¯t seem fazed, hinting that he already knew, and that only made my suspicions grow stronger.     ¡°You keep lying to me. I thought we agreed to never keep secrets from each other. I tried to trust you, but you keep giving me reasons not to.¡±     ¡°Fuck, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, Rosalinda. Don¡¯t you get that? I fucking didn¡¯t kill her.¡± He groaned.     ¡°But you killed someone tonight.¡±     ¡°Yes.¡±     I folded my arms over my chest. ¡°Who?¡± A suspicion crossed through my mind, and I asked. ¡°The men at the same hotel?¡±     ¡°Yes.¡± He confirmed my guess.     I raised a brow. ¡°Why? Who are they? I mean, who were they?¡±     He sighed, pressing his lips tightly together as he replied. ¡°Because they were going to kill you.¡±     Confusion spread across my features. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I exhaled sharply. ¡°Suddenly everyone is after my life.¡±     ¡°Ask your Papa about this one. It has nothing to do with me.¡±     That got me even more confused. ¡°Wait. What?¡±     ¡°Fuck. Rosalinda, you shouldn¡¯t be curious about everything. Just let it go! I don¡¯t want to involve you in the darkness of this world in any way.¡±     ¡°I was already involved the second I was born into it!¡± I countered with fury.     Someone was after my life, and I had every right to know why and who.     ¡°If you are well-versed in it, you would know that there are things you shouldn¡¯t know.¡± He retorted strongly.     He leapt to his feet and began walking out of the room.     ¡°Where are you going?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    I demanded. ¡°We are not done here.¡±     ¡°I have to go somewhere.¡± He replied without bothering to look at me.     ¡°Where?¡±     ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Was the only thing he said before opening the door and slipping out of the room.     I was beyond frustrated. He not only denied me the knowledge of who was after my life but also walked out on me. Fuck! Damn it!     Ruby¡¯s call came in, and I took a deep breath before picking it up.     ¡°My heart is broken.¡± Shemented from the other end of the phone.     Oh, same girl.     ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, concerned.     ¡°I¡¯m at the Cheers Corner, and I n to drink my life away. I need you. Where are you?¡± she asked.     ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± I told her.     ¡°You can¡¯t make it right?¡± She sighed exasperatedly, and I could bet she rolled her eyes. ¡°That prison you call home.¡±     ¡°No, I can.¡± I quickly said, surprising her and myself as well. ¡°I would meet you there.¡±     Leaving the mansion wouldn¡¯t be an easy fit, but I needed the buzz, so I was going!

 107| Shake it!

    ROSALINDA     Dressed in a hot pink tube dress, with my hair packed up in a tight bun, I grabbed the key to one of Antonio¡¯s cars and made my way to it.     Antonio left the house after our argument-to heaven knows where-and he¡¯d be damned if he thought I was going to stay home and wallow in sadness.     The men by the gate stopped me when I drove towards them, and as I wound down the window, I stered the sweetest smile on my lips.     ¡°We¡¯re going clubbing. He¡¯s just two minutes away from here, and he asked me to meet up with him.¡± I told the man who came up to me.     He raised a sceptical brow as he leaned in. ¡°Are you sure?¡±     I shrugged slightly, seeming so confident about my lies. ¡°You could call him if you want.¡±     He stared at me for a second before sighing and straightening back up. ¡°No. You wouldn¡¯t lie. You can go.¡±     That was exactly what I did. I lied.     I curled my lips into another sweet smile before winding the ss back up. And as he signalled for the other men to open the gates, I drove through.     That was easier than I had expected.     ***     Ruby was sitting by the bar in the cheers corner when I got there. Her face lit up when she saw me approaching her, but the smile on her lips couldn¡¯t hide the sadness flickering beneath her eyes.     ¡°Oh, my baby.¡± I sat on the stool beside her and took her in my arms.     ¡°I hate men!¡± She eximed so loudly that everyone around her turned to look at us.     Withdrawing from the hug and cing both hands on my shoulders as she looked at me, she asked. ¡°You hate men too, right? We are best friends; we have to love and hate the same things.¡±     I narrowed my eyes. ¡°How many drinks have you had?¡±     ¡°Not much. Two? Five?¡± She raised a questioning brow, as if waiting for me to answer for her. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She concluded after a few seconds, frantically waving her hands in the air.     She pouted, then asked me again. ¡°You hate men too, right?¡±     I didn¡¯t. Not all men, at least. There were times when I was madly pissed at Antonio, like tonight. But I never hated him. The love I had for him was beyond my ownprehension; it was out of this world. I loved how I loved him.     ¡°We have a lot to catch up on.¡± I said, turning to the bartender and gesturing for him toe.     ¡°Of course!¡± She eximed.     I ordered sparkling water, which wouldn¡¯t have been my choice if I wasn¡¯t pregnant. I wanted to drink my sorrows away with potent alcohol, but sadly, I couldn¡¯t. After the bartender went to bring my order, I turned to look at my best friend.


    ¡°So, tell me. What happened? Who dared break your heart?¡±     ¡°Fucking Alfred!¡± She slurred. ¡°I hate him!¡±     ¡°What did he do?¡±     ¡°He cheated.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Let me rephrase. He cheated on someone, WITH ME!¡±     ¡°Oh shit.¡± I leaned in and used my thumb to wipe the lone tear streaming down her face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, B.¡±     ¡°He-he-¡± She shut her eyes and took a gulp of her drink before continuing. ¡°He is fucking getting married next weekend.¡±     ¡°You seem to like him so much. Howe I¡¯ve never heard of him?¡±     ¡°That¡¯s because I only met him two weeks ago. He lied to me that I was the type of woman he had been looking for, and like a fool, I fell for him and that stupid lie. Fuck! I fucking hate men!¡± She spat bitterly.     The bartender brought my drink, and I gulped it down immediately.     ¡°Fuck Shitty Men!¡± I eximed.     ¡°Yes! Fuck shitty men!¡± She agreed with a scream.     A smile touched my lips as I turned to the bartender and requested, ¡°More, please.¡±     ¡°So, tell me. How are things with Antonio?¡± She suddenly asked.     I swallowed my saliva, then averted my gaze before replying. ¡°Fine.¡±     I didn¡¯t want to burden her with my problems. I couldn¡¯t go into details, even if I wanted to tell her about our fight.     ¡°I know you, Rosa. You usually look away whenever you want to lie to me because you feel so guilty about lying.¡± She suddenly sounded sober as she spoke.     She knew me so well.     ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± I lied again, my eyes still looking away from her.     ¡°You could talk to me. You know that.¡±     ¡°In your drunken state? Oh, no?¡± I shook my head,ughing as I tried to make a joke out of it. ¡°You¡¯d give me the worst advice ever.¡±     Sheughed. ¡°Oh, yes. No matter what it is, I¡¯d tell you to leave him.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s actually not bad advice. Is it?¡±     I nodded. ¡°Maybe.¡±     Her countenance went serious again as she held my hands in hers. ¡°Rosa, you don¡¯t have to hide anything from me anymore. I know who your family is, and I don¡¯t love you any less because of that.¡±     My eyes narrowed in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡±     ¡°Duhh.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re part of the Mafia.¡±     ¡°How-how-no-we¡¯re not.¡± I stuttered, taken aback by her sudden statement.     ¡°Rosa, I¡¯m not dumb. I put two and two together and realized it had to be it. You really don¡¯t have to lie to me. Like I said, I don¡¯t love you any less because of that. You are my best friend, and you¡¯ll always be my best friend.¡± She took her hand to my cheek and caressed it a little. ¡°Because I love you so much.¡±     ¡°I love you too.¡± Tears began to form in my eyes as I stared at her. I truly loved her, and it had been so hard keeping secrets about my family from her, thinking she¡¯d hate me and leave me if she found out. But I was wrong, after all.     ¡°Let¡¯s be friends forever. Let no man evere between us.¡± She raised her pinky finger and curled it. ¡°Pinky promise?¡±     I hooked my pinky finger around hers. ¡°I promise.¡±     ¡°I promise too.¡± She smiled.     My drink arrived, and I raised it up. ¡°Cheers to friendship.¡±     ¡°Best friends for life!¡± She giggled as we nked our sses against each other.     ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± She eximed excitedly after we finished gulping the drinks.     I looked around. ¡°Wait. Here?¡±     ¡°Of course.¡± She leapt to her feet and didn¡¯t even give me the chance to protest before dragging me up with her.     ¡°Shake that booty girl!¡± She bumped her ass against mine, giggling. ¡°I missed us, man!¡±     ¡°Shake it. Shake it. Shake it.¡± Myughter was uncontroble as I repeatedly bumped my ass against hers.     It¡¯s been so long since we partied together, and I missed it so much. Partying with her used to temporarily erase my problems from my mind. I never thought of anything else while partying, just the dance floor.     ¡°Come here, baby.¡± She suddenly grabbed my waist, bent me over, and spanked my ass.     ¡°What? Ruby?¡± Iughed so hard as I quickly straightened back up and turned to face her. She was always unbelievable. Such a big vibe!     ¡°If not for anything, Antonio would never leave you because of that ass. And-¡± she trailed off, the light in her eyes deeming as she slightly shook her head. ¡°Uh-oh. Talk about the devil.¡±     ¡°What?!¡± I eximed as I turned back to see what she was talking about.     Antonio was approaching us, the fury evident in his features burning through my skin.     Damn it! I had expected this to happen, and I hadn¡¯t cared about the damned consequences when I decided toe here.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 108| Sweet, Stubborn Girl.

    ROSALINDA


    Antonio grabbed my hand and dragged me outside. I had the strong urge to protest, but I didn¡¯t because I knew whatever I did would have been useless. He would never leave me there, and we would only end up causing a scene.


    ¡°Why the fuck did youe out here alone, Rosalinda?¡± He groaned once we were outside, his furious eyes staring intently at me. ¡°And don¡¯t tell me you took alcohol with your condition.¡±


    I folded my arms over my chest, casting my gaze away as I retorted. ¡°I only took sparkling water, and you are not the only one allowed to leave the house after a fight.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you should endanger your life?¡± He fired back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whatever danger surrounds you, but she is an adult and could make her own decisions.¡± Ruby suddenly chimed in, her voice filled with irritation.


    He drew his brows together, his frown deepening as he turned his attention to her. ¡°Really? I¡¯m starting to wonder if they used you to lure her out so that they could kidnap and harm her.¡±


    ¡°Are you really that bad of a person that you believe everyone is out to get you?¡± Ruby retorted fearlessly, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Just like how my son was kidnapped when they went to see you at the hospital. You were their informant, right? How much did they give you? Or what did they use to threaten you?¡± Antonio muttered, surprising both Ruby and me.


    ¡°Wait, what? Son? Who?¡± She asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Carlo.¡± He told her.


    ¡°Carlo was kidnapped?¡± Her jaw fell to the ground as she turned her attention to me. ¡°Why-why am I just learning about this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so surprised when you know exactly what happened.¡± Antonio hissed.


    I shook my head, and I took a deep breath. ¡°You were sick and all, so I didn¡¯t want to bother you with it.¡±


    Concern saturated her features. ¡°Oh my God, is he okay? Who kidnapped him and why?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry yourself about it, Ruby.¡± I ced my hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. ¡°It¡¯s all sorted now.¡±


    She shook her head, a lot of thoughts evidently going through her mind. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine the trauma he must have passed through. The mafia world is fucked up, man.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I was able to save my son before your employers could do anything to him.¡± Antonio mumbled.


    ¡°Antonio!¡± I cautioned him, casting a warning re at him. I didn¡¯t know why he was being like that, but he had to stop. It was really annoying.


    ¡°What?¡± He grimaced. ¡°You should ask her so you¡¯ll know the type of friends you keep.¡±


    ¡°I trust her with my life!¡± I dered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure she deserves that trust.¡± He retorted firmly.


    Ignoring him, Ruby asked. ¡°Can I maybee and see him someday and-¡±


    He cut her off. ¡°Come close to my son, and-¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep calling him your son?¡± Ruby interjected. ¡°He is not your son!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. He is. Blood and flesh.¡± He retorted.


    ¡°What?¡± Confusion saturated her features as she flicked her gaze at me. ¡°Exin. Now!¡±


    I scratched the back of my neck, unable to find the right way to say it. ¡°I¡­can exin.¡±


    A hint of hurt and betrayal flickered in her eyes as she asked. ¡°Rosalinda, seriously? Tell me, do you even consider me your best friend anymore? I fucking share everything with you, but you always keep me in the dark when ites to your life.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are my best friend, and I love you so much.¡± I breathed.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t act like it anymore. Ever since you met him-¡± she trailed off, paused for a second, and took a deep breath. ¡°You know what? Fuck it!¡±


    She swiftly spun around and began to take angry strides away from us. The hurt in her eyes was intense, and I felt bad. Really bad. She called me out here to help her through the hurt a man caused her, only for me to add more to her hurting heart.


    ¡°Ruby.¡± I called after her and tried to go after her, but Antonio held me in ce, stopping me.


    ¡°We are going home.¡± He said authoritatively.


    I shrugged, my gaze lingering on her. Just a few feet away from us, she staggered and almost fell, but she quickly grabbed a pole to steady herself. She was drunk and hurt-a terriblebination.


    Antonio sighed, then signaled at one of the men who he came with to go get Ruby. ¡°Make sure she gets home safely.¡± He instructed.


    ***Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The ride home was long and silent, with the both of us visibly angry at each other.


    Once we were back at the mansion, as we made our way to the bedroom, I asked a question that had been juggling through my mind since we left the pub.


    ¡°How did you find out that I was there?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°You took my car.¡± He sighed. ¡°GPS.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I nodded.


    After a few seconds, another question popped into my mind. ¡°I thought you hated her. Ruby. Why did you ask her to be taken home safely?¡±


    We came to a stop in front of our bedroom, and he opened the door, holding it for me to enter.


    ¡°You care about her.¡± He shut the door after entering, then turned to look at me. ¡°And I would protect whatever you care about.¡±


    My heart warmed at his statement. I opened my mouth to talk, but I couldn¡¯t find the right words to say. So, taking a deep breath, I began to walk away from him, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me back.


    ¡°I am not done.¡± He groaned.


    I raised a brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Anything could have happened out there, Rosalinda. You lied to those men just so you could go out. Haven¡¯t you learned your lesson from the recent happenings? You are never safe alone. Anything, I mean, anything, could happen at any damn time.¡± His deep annoyance seeped through his voice as he spoke.


    Tilting my head to the side, I replied defiantly. ¡°Really? That¡¯s why I have you to kill the people who are after my life.¡±


    I snatched my arm from his grip, and as I walked away, I muttered. ¡°Since I have no fucking right to know the people after my life, you can go on and keep murdering them for me. I don¡¯t have to know, so I could keep living my life.¡±


    ¡°Rosa, just listen!¡± He groaned with annoyance.


    ¡°Oh, I am listening!¡± I snapped, turning around to look at him. ¡°You are the one who is not. You drive me crazy. You say you love me, but you wouldn¡¯t even answer a simple question. I was so fucking frustrated that I couldn¡¯t reject Ruby¡¯s offer for a drink. I needed to get my mind off everything. Off you! Before I went fucking crazy. If you hadn¡¯t dismissed me like a child when I asked who you killed, I wouldn¡¯t have gone out unprotected.¡±


    The love I had for him was consuming, burning my entire being like an inferno. I loved him more than a human should love another. He had the fucking key to my heart, giving him ess to hurt me this much. But no matter how much he hurt me, my heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating for him.


    Despite everything, as I stared at him and at his lips, kissing him was unbelievably the only thing I could think about.


    He closed the distance between us and cupped my face in his palm as he stared intently into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know. I hate it when we fight. I love you so much, Rosalinda. So very much. But you are just too infuriatingly stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± I breathed. ¡°But my stubbornness is warranted.¡±


    He leaned in and sought my lips. As we smothered our lips against each other, the anger and frustration travelling through me melted with each second.


    At that moment, I realised something-no matter what happened, we¡¯d never leave each other. He was my soulmate, as I was his.


    After the deep, desperate kiss, I suddenly started feeling sleepy, and sensing my sleepiness, Antonio carried me in his arms and took me to the bed. He took my shoes off and helped me undress while he murmured a lot of things. I couldn¡¯tprehend all that he said, as a deep slumber was drowning me away.


    But I could remember thest thing he said before I finally drifted off. ¡°My sweet, stubborn girl.¡±

 109| Ruin You.

    ROSALINDA     Who said dreams were unattainable? Whoever said that bluffed because Sofia defied that im. The dream she thought was out of reach wasing to pass. It¡¯s been two months since she had the emergency surgery; she and the twins-Isabe and Alessia-were healthy and out of the hospital.     Today was her wedding day. She was getting married to the love of her life, and I couldn¡¯t be more happy about her finally getting her happy ending. She deserved it, they both deserved it.     I had asked Antonio to wait a bit more before we got married, and he agreed without protest, even though I knew he wasn¡¯t so happy about it. He just wanted to do right by me. He had been the perfect man ever, and I couldn¡¯t even imagine my life with any other man. I didn¡¯t even know why I had dyed the marriage, but anyway, that was the least of my problems at the moment.     The dress I had on was.     I turned around to look at my reflection in the mirror, and Goddamn it, I captivated myself. The thigh-high, slitted satin dusty rose dress delicately embraced every curve of my body, revealing a lot of cleavage with its spaghetti straps. Antonio would definitely not love this.     The door creaked open, and he walked through it. Talk about the devil.     He stopped in his tracks, his eyes raking over my body, and with the look in his eyes, I could tell how mesmerised he was by me. My cheeks heated up in delight.     ¡°You look ravishing, but¡­¡± His eyes swept from my head to toe again as he slowly approached me. A small scowl suddenly masked his features. ¡°You are not wearing that out. Change the dress. It¡¯s too revealing.¡±     ¡°Or what? What are you going to do if I don¡¯t?¡± I raised a brow, a small smile touching my lip, as the thought of what happened thest time he disapproved of my dress coursed through my mind. ¡°Ruin my dress? Or-¡±     ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me ruin you instead?¡± He cut me in, and before I couldprehend his words, he had already seized my neck in hisrge palm, pushing me against the wall and pressing his sweet, soft lips against mine.


    That was scorching hot! I was literally ruined!     ***N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    No matter how much I tried to persuade him to allow me to wear the beautiful dusty rose dress out, Antonio wouldn¡¯t budge; he insisted on me wearing this baby blue one out. Although it was also lovely, I preferred the one I pulled off.     ¡°My dress would have been the prettiest here if you had allowed me to wear it.¡± Iined as we walked into the wedding venue, my gaze roaming around.     ¡°That¡¯s the thing, sugar pie.¡± He turned to look at me, a devilish smile spreading across his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone¡¯s eyes on you.¡±     ¡°Ouuu, are you insecure?¡± I teased.     ¡°Never!¡± He denied without hesitation, his lips curling into a smile as he spoke proudly. ¡°I trust you with my life.¡±     My blush reached my ears.     When the event started, Antonio and Carlo took seats in the front row. And as the maid of honour, I stood by the alter with the officiant and the groom, Oliver, holding a bouquet, while we waited for the bride¡¯s arrival.     She would be here anytime now. I was with her a while ago, giving her emotional support while her stylist dressed her up and the make-up artist dolled her up. She looked beautiful and happy. Truly happy.     It was nothing like how she felt on the day she was to marry Antonio. It was different. Then, she was being forced to marry a ruthless mafia boss whom she hated so much. But now, she was getting married to the love of her life.     Her happiness was extreme, and my joy was also overflowing. I was truly, truly happy for her.     Finally, she arrived, and everyone rose to their feet to honor the bride as Papa walked her down the aisle.     ¡°Oh my God.¡± Oliver murmured, unable to contain his tears-tears of joy-as he watched her approach in her beautiful wedding dress-a delicatece oveying a soft satin bodice, a sweetheart neckline, and a flowing A-line skirt that cascades gracefully to the floor. She was breathtaking!     Oliver himself looked majestic in his ssic navy blue suit paired with a crisp white dress shirt, a coordinating tie in aplementary colour, and polished brown leather shoes.     The smile on my face never faded as I watched them say their vows and tie the knot. Her dreams, their dreams, finally came true!     ***


    The reception after the nuptials was a st! It was a feast, with food, music, and whatnot.     The decorations were amazingly beautiful and majestic.     I was standing in the middle of the hall with Carlo in my arms when I heard Ruby¡¯s voice suddenly yell my name.     I turned to see her trotting towards me, waving at me with a big smile on her face.     She knew about my family now, and I had nothing to hide from her anymore, which was why I invited her to the wedding. I was d that things were cool between us now. To be honest, I had thought she¡¯d hate me for keeping such secrets from her, but I was surprised to see that she wasn¡¯t too offended. Her anger disappeared like a dew-a day after she learned of those secrets at the pub, she called to tell me that she understood. Our friendship had stood strong ever since, and I stopped hiding things from her. I told her about everything, including the baby girl that was on the way.     ¡°How are you?¡± She beamed when she came to a stop in front of me and kissed me on both cheeks.     ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I said, chuckling.     ¡°Oh, my boy!¡± She stered multiple kisses on Carlo¡¯s face while he giggled.     Looking back at me, she asked. ¡°Where¡¯s the bride?¡±     ¡°Oh, over there.¡± She quickly answered herself before trotting to where Sofia and Oliver were taking pictures with the guests, half of whom they had never seen before. I myself had already taken tons of pictures with the couple and the family.     Someone suddenly towered behind me, and what followed was the annoying sound of Liam¡¯s voice. ¡°You look beautiful, as always.¡±     Turning to look at him, I sighed. ¡°Thank you.¡±     ¡°Thank you? That sounded weak. Uhm¡­¡± He raised his brow. ¡°Are you still mad about what happened that night at the golden auction?¡±     Mad? That was an understatement. His presence was suffocating, and I needed to leave there as soon as possible.     ¡°Enjoy the party.¡± I said as I attempted to walk away, but he gently pulled me back.     ¡°You want to cause a scene here too?¡± I groaned as I stared at his hand on mine. ¡°In front of my son?¡±     He quickly released his grip on my arm, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? Let¡¯s start all over again. It¡¯s no news that I adore you and want you to be mine.¡±     Still delusional!     ¡°And it¡¯s no news that I am taken. Soon to be married.¡± I countered contemptuously.     ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I want-¡±     ¡°You heard her right.¡± Antonio suddenly interrupted him. ¡°She¡¯s taken; leave her alone.¡±     I turned to see him standing beside me. Worries masked my features, afraid that they would beat each other to death with the hatred they harboured for each other.     Liam raised a brow. ¡°Is that so?¡±     Surprisingly, Antonio ignored him and extended his hand at me, a smile curling on his lips. ¡°My beautiful woman, may I have this dance?¡±     ¡°Of course.¡± I smiled cheekily.     Liam snorted and angrily marched away from us.     Darting my gaze at our son, I muttered. ¡°Uhm, Carlo?¡±     Just in time, Cami came walking by us.     ¡°Uhm¡­ Cami, could you help us for a minute, please?¡± He took Carlo from my arms and handed him to her without giving her the chance to protest.     She didn¡¯t even attempt to protest, as she happily took him. She loved Carlo, and her love for him increased even more since she found out that he was her nephew a few weeks ago.     ¡°You have learned to control your rage well.¡± Imented as Antonio led me to the dance floor. ¡°I was scared you would have caused a scene by breaking his nose or something.¡±     Holding me by my waist as we started dancing, he muttered. ¡°Why? Because he was trying to hit on you? I told you earlier, Rosalinda, that I am secure in this rtionship. I¡¯m convinced that I am the only one you want-the only one you would ever want.¡±     ¡°You couldn¡¯t be more right, my love.¡± I said, my heart swelling up with love. ¡°I love.¡± I breathed.     ¡°I love you more, amore mio.¡± He nted a kiss on my forehead, looking directly into my eyes. ¡°So, talking about ¡®soon to be married.¡¯ Are you still not ready?¡±     ¡°I am ready.¡± I breathed.     I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I wanted to be his. Completely. Legally. In all ways,.     He raised a brow, his lips quirking up. ¡°When?¡±     ¡°Anytime. Any day.¡± The decision was his, as I had dyed it for too long.     ¡°I¡¯d think of a perfect ce and make it memorable.¡± He lifted my hand in the air and spun me around, drawing me closer again. ¡°Because you are perfect.¡±     My smile was wide, almost tearing my lips apart. I loved this man!     ¡°And baby, your smile¡¯s forever in my mind and memory.¡± He sang along to Edsheeran¡¯s song that was ying in the background. Spinning me around again and drawing me in, he continued. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how people fall in love in mysterious ways. And maybe it¡¯s all part of a n.¡±     I giggled uncontrobly, like a carefree child, as he spun me around a few more times. Indeed, we found love in a mysterious way. From brother-inw to husband-to-be, what could be more mysterious?     We danced happily, like nothing else mattered, enchanted in each other¡¯s arms. He was my happy ce, and I wanted this happiness tost forever.

 110| Water and Gummies.

    ROSALINDA     The very next day after Sofia¡¯s wedding, our own wedding preparation began. Antonio called Papa over the phone to inform him of our n, while I, on the other hand, nned to tell Mama, Sofia, Matteo, and Giovanni in person-that is, if Papa hadn¡¯t already told them before we got to the mansion. Antonio and I nned to go to my parent¡¯s ce today.     We had a lot on our schedule, but the first ce we visited was the hospital. I had an appointment with the sonographer to get the baby¡¯s ultrasound done.     ¡°She¡¯s so healthy.¡± The sonographer said, smiling as she moved the transducer around my belly. This wasn¡¯t the first time I saw my baby girl, but each time I heard the whooshing sound of her heartbeat, I felt an unexinable warmth radiate through my entire being. I couldn¡¯t wait to hold her in my arms.     ¡°She¡¯s so cute.¡± Antonio said, a small smile on his face. ¡°I bet she¡¯d look like me.¡±     ¡°She¡¯d definitely be my carbon copy.¡± I countered.     He chuckled softly. ¡°We¡¯ll find out in four months.¡±     ***


    Rubbing my already protruding belly, I couldn¡¯t stop staring at the sonogram of our baby girl while we drove to our next destination-the boutique for my wedding dress.     She hadn¡¯t been born yet, but the intense love I already felt for her was ecstatic.     ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll give the world to that girl.¡± Antonio said excitedly as he briefly nced at me.     ¡°Me too.¡± I said, smiling.     We got to the boutique, and we were weed by Lily, the designer, with a big smile.     ¡°Hello, and wee.¡± She said, darting her gaze between Antonio and me.     ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, mirroring her smile.     ¡°This way, please.¡± She said as she turned around and led us through a hallway, down to her office.     Antonio and I settled on a sofa while Lily trudged to her desk and picked up a tabletputer.     ¡°You know, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to patronise me again so soon.¡± She said as she walked back to us, her heels nking against the marble floor. ¡°Your sister made a beautiful bride. The dress I made fitted so well.¡±     She came to a stop in front of us and handed me the tablet. ¡°I promise to make the perfect dress for you too.¡±     I sighed. ¡°I¡¯d be d.¡±     ¡°So, these are the designs I drafted. Go through it and make a pick. Excuse me for some minutes; I¡¯d like to quickly attend to something while you go through the designs. Take your time, pretty.¡± She walked out of the office afterwards, leaving Antonio and me alone.     I turned to look at him, a smile forming on my lips. ¡°Do you want to help me out?¡±     ¡°You needn¡¯t ask.¡± He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer than I already was, causing me to giggle.     ¡°Do you like this?¡± I asked, staring at the design on the screen.     ¡°I like you.¡± He leaned in and nted a warm kiss on my neck.     ¡°Antonio!¡± Iughed, yfully smacking him on the shoulder. ¡°We are here to pick a design, not¡­¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Mess around.¡±     He smirked. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want to do.¡±     ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to do this alone then.¡± I sighed as I tried to stand and walk away from him, but he quickly grabbed my arm, holding me down.     ¡°Okay. Okay. Okay. I would behave.¡± He said, chuckling.     ¡°I promise.¡± He added when I shot him a skeptical look.     We looked through the designs afterwards, and I was amazed at how beautiful they all were. I had told her I wanted something simple but elegant, and she delivered. She was so good at her craft. The designs were so excellent that we had a hard timeing to a conclusion.     Sofia was so good at picking the best dress out of many incredible dresses, and I would have loved to bring her here to help me pick a design, but what kind of big sister would I be if I disturbed her newlywed life?     After what seemed like an eternity, Antonio and I finally picked a design. I mean, he finally picked a design for me.     ¡°So you are going with this, right?¡± Antonio asked, and I nodded.     ¡°Are you sure you like it? I hope you aren¡¯t picking it because I¡¯m the one who likes it. If you don¡¯t¡­¡±     ¡°Babe, if I didn¡¯t like it, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed with you. You selected it, and I like it also, so I¡¯m going for it.¡± I cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m sure about the dress. I want it.¡±     The door was pushed open almost immediately, and Lily walked inside.     ¡°Have you made a decision yet?¡± She asked as she approached us.     ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, showing her the design on the screen. ¡°This one.¡±     ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± She said, shing her teeth at me as she took the tablet from me. ¡°You¡¯ll look beautiful in it.¡±     After every necessary arrangement, we left the boutique and started making our way to my parents¡¯s ce.     ¡°We¡¯re running out of gas.¡± Antonio said, sighing after we covered a few kilometers. ¡°We¡¯ll have to take a quick stop at a gas station.¡±     He drove into the nearest gas station and parked by the gas pump.     ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before jumping out of the car and filling the tank with gas.     A wave of thirst suddenly hit me, and I wound down the car window to talk to my man.     ¡°Babe.¡± I called, stering a smile on my face.     ¡°Yes?¡± He inched closer to me without hesitation. ¡°Need something?¡±     I nodded. ¡°Water.¡±     ¡°Okay, I would get it for you from the convenience store.¡± A sweat trickled down his forehead, and he wiped it off. The weather was so hot. ¡°Anything else?¡±     I nodded, pouting as I rubbed my belly. ¡°Your daughter wants some gummies.¡±     ¡°Is that so?¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±     The smile on my lips spread wider. ¡°You know our souls are connected.¡±     ¡°You¡¯re hrious.¡± He shook his head unbelievably, chuckling, as he turned around and headed to the convenience store to get what I requested.     I loved that man!     ***     ANTONIO.     This was the happiest moment of my life. I had never imagined falling so deeply in love with any woman. My heart used to be so cold that I thought I was incapable of knowing what love felt like. But Rosalinda came and filled my heart with warmth, making me feel all the things I thought I wasn¡¯t capable of feeling-even more.     Once I was inside the store, I quickly grabbed chilled water from the fridge and gummies from the shelf before heading to the checkout counter.     I only left her a few minutes ago, but I already missed her so much. I couldn¡¯t wait to get back to her.     ¡°Do you mind sharing what is making you smile so hard? Did you win a jackpot?¡± The cashier asked, interrupting my thoughts. I hadn¡¯t even realised I was smiling from ear to ear until he pointed it out.     Oh, what has this woman done to me?     I didn¡¯t utter a word. I just handed him the items, and the payment was processed.     ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, finally replying to him after I finished paying. ¡°I won a jackpot with the woman I fell in love with.¡±     ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, man!¡± The cashier eximed, smiling widely.     I was happy for myself too. I walked out of the store, ted that I was finally returning to my woman.     As I exited the store, a brief moment of pause overtook me. My heart raced dangerously against my ribcage as I beheld the sight of the wide-open car doors, with Rosalinda nowhere in sight. Fear surged through my entire being as I sprinted towards the car with urgency.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I searched every corner of the car, looking for Rosalinda as if she were a needle hidden in its depths. Her phone was on the car seat, but she was nowhere to be found.     I shook my head, despair washing over me as realisation fully set in.     ¡°No!¡± A primal growl escaped my lips, reverberating through my chest. Regret gnawed at me as I cursed myself for leaving her alone in the car. She was my greatest weakness, and I had always known that my enemies woulde for me through her. But I foolishly left her alone in the car. I was so damn stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have fucking left her alone!     ¡°No. No. No.¡± I vigorously shook my head, and I felt my chest squeezing so tightly at the thought of losing her.     I couldn¡¯t lose her. I wouldn¡¯t. I would hunt down whoever dared to take her from me and make them pay. Even if I had to burn New York City to the ground.

 111| Let Me Go.

    ROSALINDA     My head was banging so much that it felt like it was going to explode. For how long have I been sleeping? I wondered, as I tried to open my eyes, only to abruptly close them back due to the blinding light. After a few seconds, I tried again, but this time, slowly, until my eyes adapted to the light.     Suddenly, I caught sight of a familiar face sitting on a sofa not so far from the bed, and I jerked up in perplexity.     ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I demanded.     ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Liam grinned, and just then, reality sank in.     I looked around the room, fear crawling through me as everything that happened rushed back in. I remembered everything-how I was kidnapped from the gas station and drugged until I was knocked out.     ¡°Liam. What the hell is this?¡± I demanded fiercely, hiding the fear crawling through me.     ¡°What do you think it is?¡± He raised a brow, expecting a response from me. And when he didn¡¯t get any, he continued. ¡°I told you, Rosalinda, that I adore you. And whatever I want, I take.¡±     ¡°You are not making any sense right now.¡± I took a step closer to him and raised my voice, despite the ache threatening to tear my head apart. ¡°Let me go. Now!¡±     ¡°You are mine, and you are not going anywhere.¡± He stated firmly.     ¡°I am not yours!¡± I retorted fiercely. ¡°And you are going to let me go.¡±     I knew him to be delusional, but I never thought he was a fucking psychopath.     ¡°You should rest.¡± He stood up and closed the distance between us.     ¡°Liam. Stop this.¡±     ¡°Stop what?¡± He took his hand to my hair and tucked it behind my ear. He leaned in, and I held in my breath, refusing to breathe in the same air as him. ¡°I¡¯m only taking what¡¯s rightfully mine. It might take a while, but you would eventually want me too.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Antonio would find you, and he would make you pay.¡± I spat bitterly as I pushed him away from me.


    ¡°Oh, he wouldn¡¯t.¡± He said confidently, shrugging.     The door creaked open, and a middle-ageddy in an apron walked in, bearing a tray of food.     ¡°Food is here. You should eat to regain your strength.¡± He said, chuckling.     What was funny?     ¡°I¡¯d rather die than eat anything in the house.¡± I spat.     ¡°You would eat.¡± He stated firmly, and before I could reply, he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the sofa area, where thedy had dropped the food on the coffee table.     ¡°Eat. Now!¡± He groaned authoritatively, forcing me to sit.     ¡°You think you¡¯re crazy, but I¡¯d show you that I¡¯m crazier!¡± I yelled and quickly reached for the tray, smashing everything to pieces on the wall.     He stared at me, then nced at the shattered tes and food before looking back at me.     ¡°Fierce. I like it.¡± He said, a face-splitting grin tugging his lips apart. ¡°I never liked easy women.¡±     My eyes narrowed as I stared at him in disbelief. He was truly a psychopath. When I first met him, I thought he was smart and sensible, but I was all wrong.     ¡°Let me go. Liam. Please!¡± I ced my hand on my belly and gently rubbed it. ¡°I am pregnant. I need to get out of here. And besides, what do you want to do with a pregnant woman? I can never give you the love you seek. Please, let me go.¡±     ¡°I know you are pregnant, which is why I want you to feed well. Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± He raised his hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster. I won¡¯t evacuate the pregnancy because I wouldn¡¯t want you to die in the process.¡± His demeanour darkened as he continued. ¡°But once the baby is born, I will kill it immediately. But rest assured.¡± His psychopath smile crept up his lips. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to see it before I get rid of it. That way, you won¡¯t develop an emotional attachment to it, and you¡¯ll easily forget it ever existed.¡±     An intense wave of fear jolted through me at his statement. He was much more demented than I had thought.     ¡°You would never take my baby away from me.¡± I muttered slowly, my entire being reverberating with hatred-a hatred that was even deeper than the one I harboured towards Lorenzo.     I would rather send him to hell to dine with his fellow psychopath-Lorenzo-than have him take my baby from me.


    .


    ¡°I¡¯lle back when you¡¯re calmer.¡± He said, smiling, before turning around and leaving me alone in the room.     I trotted to the door and tried to open it, but as expected, it was locked. I banged it repeatedly with all my might, hoping someone would just open it and free me from my current misery, but there was no response.     Turning around, I rushed to the window to see if it was open. A sense of relief washed over me when I realised it was open, but that relief faded when I looked through it and realised I was up on the third floor.     But I wasn¡¯t going to give up. I had to leave there before the psychopath finally lost his mindpletely.     Looking around the room, I gathered all the bedsheets and clothing that I could tie into a rope and descend down the window.     After quickly tying everything together, I secured one end of the rope to the bed frame, which wasn¡¯t so far from the window. I threw the entire rope over the window afterwards, and I looked around to make sure none of his men were in sight. Once I was sure that no one was there, I slowly began to descend. I just had to make sure I got to the ground unnoticed. Once I was on the ground, I would ditch Liam¡¯s men and escape from thepound. I had evaded my Papa¡¯s men multiple times before; I could evade these ones too, I thought.     I continued going down, slowly but steadily. The closer I got to the ground, the more hope filled me. I was scared, but I was determined.     Just as my hope reached its peak when I got so close to the ground, it came crumbling around me. I fuckingnded in the arms of mother fucking Liam.     Oh, no.     I shut my eyes tightly in despair before shooting them back open.     ¡°Liam, please, put me down.¡± My desperation was evident in my voice.     He didn¡¯t say anything to me in response as he quietly walked to the front door, all the way to the same room I just escaped from with me in his arms. I didn¡¯t even attempt to wiggle out of his arms or throw a tantrum because I knew it was all useless. I was fucked!     Once inside the room, he threw me on top of the bed, and I screeched in pain.     ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°Please let me go. I am begging you.¡±     ¡°You are proving stubborn, uh?¡± His voice was as dark as his demeanor as she climbed on top of me and ripped my blouse apart, exposing my breasts in my bra.     My eyes widened in extreme perplexity at the realisation of what he was about to do.     No. No. No.     ¡°Is this how you want me to love you?¡± I cried, screaming. ¡°By raping me? I would never love you!¡±     ¡°Right.¡± He brows drew together as he suddenly lifted himself from on top of me. ¡°I have to earn your trust to earn your love.¡±     I watched as his demeanour changed from extreme darkness to softness. I was beyond shocked and relieved.     Pointing his finger at me, he warned. ¡°Don¡¯t ever try that again. You can¡¯t run away from me.¡± He leaned in and gently caressed my cheek. ¡°Your food would be brought in; make sure you eat this time. If not, I won¡¯t be happy with you.¡±     With that, he stered a wide smile on his lips before turning around and leaving.     After he left, I quickly picked myself up and looked through the window, only to realise that two men were already stationed there, guarding the window.     Oh, fuck, sh*t!     Soon after, the door creaked open again, and the woman who brought in food thest time came bearing another tray of food, with a blue blouse hanging on her shoulder.     She paused for a second, her gaze scanning the condition of my blouse, before trudging to the coffee table and cing the tray on it. She carefullyid the blue blouse on the sofa, then turned to look at me with a smile. ¡°I was asked to bring your food. And also¡­¡± she gestured at the blouse on the sofa. ¡°This.¡±     ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked her.     Her lips curled up in a smile. ¡°Linda.¡±     I rushed to her, holding her by her shoulders as I pleaded desperately. ¡°Linda, please help me. Please. I am-I am pregnant.¡± I couldn¡¯t control the tears that rushed out of my eyes. ¡°Please, I can¡¯t stay here any longer. Please help me.¡±     She shook her head vigorously. ¡°I can¡¯t. There¡¯s nothing I could do, even if I wanted to help you.¡±     ¡°You can do something. I just need your phone. That¡¯s all. Please.¡± I pleaded.     She was my only hope. If I could get her to give me her phone, I could call Antonio, and I would be out of here in no time.     ¡°I can¡¯t. He would kill me if he found out.¡± She immediately refused, shaking her head.     ¡°He wouldn¡¯t find out. Just help me, please.¡± I pleaded. Empathy saturated her features, hinting that she was contemting. I just needed to push harder.     ¡°Just one call, please. I need to get out of here for my baby.¡± I said with desperacy. ¡°He said he would kill my baby once I delivered her. Please, I can¡¯t let him do that to her. You can¡¯t let him do that to her.¡±     Her eyes widened in horror. ¡°What?!¡±     ¡°Yes.¡± Another wave of tears spilled through my eyes. ¡°Please help me.¡±     She scratched the back of her neck, and I could tell she wanted to help but was just scared.     ¡°Please.¡± I pressed on.     ¡°Just one call.¡± She finally said, and I nodded desperately.     Blowing out a sharp breath, she retrieved her phone from the pocket of her apron and handed it to me. ¡°Please make it quick.¡±     I hurriedly typed Antonio¡¯s number and dialled it. He picked up after a few seconds, and I sighed in relief, but before I could open my mouth to say anything, Linda snatched the phone from me and ended the call, slipping the phone into her apron pocket.     ¡°I am sorry.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°I wish I could help, but I can¡¯t. He would kill me.¡±     She quickly turned around and began to walk away from me. I followed her, determined to forcefully take the phone from her and call Antonio again, but my n got ruined when Liam pushed the door open.     ¡°I came to make sure you ate.¡± He grinned, and I let out a frustrated sigh as I turned around and mmed my palm over my forehead.     I was beyond screwed.

 112| Tantrums.

    ANTONIO


    My men and I had tried every possible means to look for Rosalinda, but there was no cue. Nothing at all. I was frustrated, scared of losing her. Even the thought of it blocked my airways, making it difficult to breathe. There was nothing I wouldn¡¯t do to get my woman back. Nothing at all.


    Vito and I had just finished looking through the footage from the security camera from all the buildings around the gas station, but we got nothing.


    My phone started ringing, and I picked it up, hoping it was one of my men calling me to give me positive feedback, but I drew a long hiss when I realised it was Sofia calling. She had been buzzing my phone for over an hour now, demanding to speak with Rosalinda. I had told her that she was fine and was only sleeping, but she wouldn¡¯t buy it. Fuck! She was fucking adding to my frustration with her persistent calls.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should tell her the truth?¡± Vito suggested, as I rejected the call.


    ¡°She¡¯d tell Roberto, and I don¡¯t want him to find out that his daughter was kidnapped while in my possession. Not until we find her!¡± I groaned.


    The more I thought of her, the more the guilt of leaving her alone in that car stabbed at my heart. That piercing pain had been a constant since I realised she was taken and wouldn¡¯t stop until she was found. I fucking left her and our unborn baby alone in the car! I couldn¡¯t live with myself if anything ever happened to them.


    The frustration and anger vibrating through me reached their peak, my mind threatening to explode. In a fit of frustration, I grabbed the keyboard on my desk and smashed it against the wall in intense fury, all the veins in my body protruding. I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could hold on. I needed to find her!


    My chest heaved up and down in rapid session as I tried with everything in me to control the intense urge to destroy everything in my office.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Boss. Calm down.¡± Vito said as he tried to touch my shoulder, but I yanked his hand away.


    ¡°Do not fucking tell me to call down.¡± I groaned furiously.


    Just then, the door was pushed open, and Carlo came into view.


    When the fuck did he learn how to open the door?


    At the sight of my son, I forced the anger within me to subdue, and it obeyed, but reluctantly.


    ¡°Carlo.¡± I breathed.


    ¡°Daddy, where¡¯s my mommy?¡± He asked as he approached me with short, quick steps.


    ¡°Mommy? Uhm¡­¡± I asked, scratching the back of my head and blowing out a sharp breath as I tried to think of what to say to him.


    ¡°I want my mommy.¡± His voice sounded desperate as he spoke.


    Leaning in, I took him in my arms. ¡°Mommy stepped out for a moment, but she¡¯ll return soon.¡± I lied.


    ¡°I want my mommy.¡± He repeated, iling his arms and legs.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± I insisted, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    He screamed as he continued to writhe in my arms.


    I was confused. Carlo had always been well-behaved; he never threw tantrums. Why today of all days? Fuck!


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Sofia¡¯s loud voice suddenly pierced through the air, and the door flew open afterwards.


    ¡°Here you are!¡± She eximed as she trotted towards me, with Oliver walking right behind her. I used to ignite fear in her, but now she seemed fearless.


    I immediately handed Carlo over to Vito and instructed him. ¡°Take him to Cami.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want my son to experience what was about to happen.


    ¡°Where is my sister?¡± She demanded.


    I raised a brow, trying to actposed, when I was shattered within. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be on a honeymoon or something?¡±


    ¡°Leave me to worry about that. Where is my sister?¡± She demanded again.


    I pressed my lips together, sighing. ¡°You guys go days without talking to each other. Why are you so worked up just because you haven¡¯t heard from her in hours?¡±


    ¡°Because we were supposed to meet today, she wanted to tell me something, and I know my sister would never leave me hanging unless something happened. Where the hell did you keep my sister?!¡± She yelled at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°She-¡± I raked my hand through my hair in frustration.


    Before I could continue, she gasped, a look of perplexity masking her features. ¡°Oh, my God. Did you kill her?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± My brows immediately drew together. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her. I would never hurt her.¡±


    ¡°Then where the hell is she?¡± She demanded.


    I shut my eyes tightly closed, and as I shot them back open, I blurted out. ¡°She was kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°By who?¡± The worries saturating her features intensified.


    Exhaling sharply, I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t know?¡± She snapped. ¡°My sister was kidnapped under your watch, and here you are, saying you don¡¯t know. What the actual fuck?¡±


    I wanted to warn her for daring to speak to me in that manner, but I refrained from doing so. She had every right to be furious about her sister¡¯s disappearance, and it was all my fucking fault.


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m working hard to find her.¡±


    ¡°You better!¡± She yelled. ¡°Whoever your enemies are, I don¡¯t care. You would find her and save her from them. My sister must return safe and sound, Antonio. She¡¯s pregnant for God¡¯s sake!¡± She mmed her palm against her forehead, blowing out a sharp breath. ¡°Who could be so heartless?¡±


    ¡°I could speak with my father to help you find her.¡± Oliver offered, finally speaking since they came in.


    ¡°And my Papa? Does he know about it?¡± Sofia questioned.


    I sighed. ¡°No.¡±


    A call came in, and an unknown number shed on my screen. Sofia snatched the phone from my hand and immediately picked up the call, putting it on loudspeaker.


    Someone sighed from the other end of the phone, and the call abruptly ended even before any words were spoken.


    ¡°Oh, my God. Rosa!¡± Sofia eximed, her eyes widening as she quickly dialed the number that just called.


    I tensed. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s the one?¡±


    ¡°Hundred percent.¡± She breathed out.


    The call rang, but there was no response. The stabbing pain in my chest intensified, and my entire body tensed as we dialled the number a few more times, with no avail.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I groaned in frustration as I dialled Michael¡¯s number-a private investigator.


    He picked up almost immediately, and I spoke into the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll send a phone number to you now; find out who owns it and their location.¡±

 113| Last Words?

    ROSALINDA


    I wasn¡¯t going to give up. I had to find a way to leave there as soon as possible. I kept looking through the windows at regr intervals, hoping the men there would leave so I could escape. The sky outside was already dark, and the rope I had tied together was still dangling, calling on me to descend with it. But the only thing stopping me from doing that were the fucking men out there.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My mind drifted to Antonio, and my already painful heart was broken even further at the thought of what he would be going through at the moment. He¡¯d be so broken and frustrated looking for me. I just hoped he had found a clue and was on his way toe get me. I had to be found, or escape, for him and for my son.


    I looked through the window again, expecting to see the men guarding it, but my eyes widened and a pang of hope filled my chest when I didn¡¯t see them there.


    Without hesitation, I climbed over it and began to descend very quickly. But just as I was about to alight, the men appeared, and I let out an exasperated sigh. I had not expected to get away without being noticed, but I just had to try my luck.


    One of them grabbed me by my arm and began to drag me inside while Izily followed.


    ¡°Fucking, get your hands off me!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°So you could run?¡± He looked at me with his dangerous eyes. ¡°We are taking you to the boss.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any conscience at all?¡± I questioned with a yell. ¡°Your boss is keeping a pregnant woman hostage, and you are helping him. You all are fucking disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± He groaned, tightening his grip on my arm.


    ¡°I will only shut up after you let me go!¡± I retorted fearlessly.


    ¡°What is this?¡± A voice suddenly boomed, and I flicked my gaze to the source of the voice to see a man standing beside Liam, the rage burning within him evident.


    Who was he?


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s-¡± Liam trailed off and flicked his gaze at me, his expression darkening. ¡°You little¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just have fucking stayed put?¡±


    Father? Diego Romano? Interesting.


    ¡°How could I stay put when you held me here against my will?¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Liam, what is wrong with you?¡± Diego bellowed, seemingly pissed. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°I am not crazy.¡± He mumbled, shrugging. ¡°You were not supposed to find out.¡±


    ¡°Exin what is happening. Now!¡± Diego demanded.


    ¡°I love her, and I can¡¯t just sit back and watch another man take her.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°You are crazy! That is why you kidnapped her. Antonio would fucking kill you for this. And the Russians¡­¡± Diego blew out an exasperated breath, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. ¡°Fuck! Nikki Petrov would murder you for this!¡±


    Liam drew his brow together. ¡°How does this concern Nikki?¡±


    ¡°He made an alliance with Antonio.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°But they have an alliance with you too.¡± Liam pointed out.


    ¡°He would choose Antonio over me! He had already warned me not to bother Antonio anymore. Or else our deal would seize to stand, and you know that deal is what is keeping me and you alive. And now¡­this? Kidnapping her is war!¡± Diego¡¯s frustration and anger were palpable in the way he ranted. I could tell that he was truly disappointed in his son.


    ¡°Then Nikki does not have to find out that she¡¯s here.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Are you listening to yourself?!¡± Diego barked. He paused, then shook his head before sighing. ¡°We have to return her before the situation worsens.¡±


    ¡°I am not returning her. She remains here!¡± Liam dered with a growl, earning him a resounding p from his father.


    ¡°You are returning her. Now!¡± Diego raged. ¡°You are crazy!¡±


    I agreed. He was truly crazy.


    Liam held his face, ring at his father as he retorted. ¡°She remains here!¡±


    Amotion suddenly erupted outside, and what followed was the sound of gunshots being exchanged. Fear gripped me as I wondered what was happening.


    Diego and Liam immediately rushed to the window and peeped through it to see what was happening.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Diego eximed after a few seconds, stomping his foot hard on the floor.


    He turned to look at his son, groaning. ¡°See what you have caused. How do we deal with this now?¡±


    ¡°How.¡± Liam wondered out loud, confusion spreading across his face. ¡°I made sure that no trail was left. How the fuck did he know that she was here?¡±


    A smile curled on my lips as relief washed over me. I trusted my man.


    ¡°What do we do now? You brought this upon us?!¡± Diego yelled.


    The sporadic gunshots continued, and before they could even have enough time to think, Antonio appeared before us, his white shirt stained with blood and pure darkness zing beneath the depths of his eyes.


    ¡°I would kill you.¡± My man groaned, directing his gun at Diego and Liam as he approached us.


    ¡°Antonio, calm down.¡± Diego quickly said, bringing forth his hand cautiously.


    ¡°You kidnapped my woman, and you are telling me to fucking calm down? I¡¯ll only calm down after I¡¯ve burst your brains out!¡± Antonio¡¯s tone matched the darkness in his countenance.


    ¡°She¡¯s not your wife. She¡¯s mine.¡± Liam retorted strongly.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Diego bellowed at his son before turning to look at Antonio.


    ¡°Please. He made a mistake. Let¡¯s settle this. I¡¯ll make sure he never does something stupid again. I¡¯ll make sure to punish him for this, Antonio, please-¡±


    ¡°Why are you pleading?¡± Liam cut him in. ¡°I only took what I wanted. Moreover, he¡¯s also taken someone from me before. Angelica Guiliani. I¡¯m sure you remember her.¡±


    Antonio drew his brows together. ¡°What has Angelica got to do with this?¡±


    ¡°She was my girlfriend. I loved her. But suddenly, she left me, and I was really heartbroken. I tried to get her toe back to me, but she refused, only for me to find out that it was because of you. She chose to be with you. I was hurt, but do you know what pained me the most? The fact that you never loved her. Your only intention with her was to use her for your selfish needs. And after you were done with her, you dumped her like she was nothing!¡±


    ¡°Despite all she did to me, I was ready to take her back, but guess what? She still didn¡¯t want me. She rejected me. That hurt like hell. And since then, I vowed to take my revenge on you.¡± Liam spurted, the hurt embedded in him seeping through every word.


    He turned to look at me as he continued. ¡°Us meeting at the store that day wasn¡¯t a coincidence. I followed you so that I could talk to you. I saw the way he looked at you, and I decided to take the opportunity to take my revenge on him through you. But¡­¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°After a few interactions with you, I fell in love with you. I hated that, but I am not letting you go like I did Angelica. I¡¯ll make you mine, no matter what it takes.¡±


    ¡°I never even knew of your existence, and you tried to take revenge on me through her? You signed your death warrant the moment you approached her at the store that day.¡± Antonio spat with a deadly tone.


    ¡°I would make her mine!¡± Liam growled.


    Antonio clocked his gun. ¡°Are those yourst words?¡±


    ¡°Antonio, please-¡± Diego started, but he didn¡¯t allow him to finish his sentence before he shot Liam in the arm. Liam groaned in pain as he quickly held the injured arm, blood soiling his shirt.


    Diego¡¯s eyes widened in horror.


    Antonio cocked his gun again. ¡°The next one is going to your head.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t allow you to kill my only son.¡± Diego groaned as he pulled out his gun. In a split second, he pulled the trigger, shooting Antonio in the chest.


    My eyes widened in sheer horror, my insides twisting and my body trembling as I rushed to Antonio, who had already copsed on the floor.


    ¡°No. No. No. No. No.¡± I repeated, my voice barely audible as I kneeled next to him. The room closed in, and my oxygen supply diminished.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± I whispered. ¡°Please. Please.¡±


    As he looked at me, with fear saturating the depths of his eyes, he drew in a long,bored breath and poised his mouth to speak, but was unable to utter a word. After a fleeting moment, his eyes slowly closed, and in that instant, my entire world closed along with them.

 114| In Sickness and in Health.

    ROSALINDA     ¡°He¡¯s a fighter. He survived it. Luckily, the bullet narrowly missed his heart. He¡¯ll recover soon enough.¡± These words from the doctor were the best news I had ever heard in my entire life. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what would have happened to me and to my son if I had lost Antonio. My entire existence would have been wounded, and I would have never recovered from it.     I was d about the information the doctor passed, but I was still insanely worried and wanted to see him awake and talk to him before I could break free from the anxiety twisting my insides.     It¡¯s been thirty-two hours since the bullet extraction surgery, since the doctor assured us that his vital signs were okay and that he would wake up soon enough, but he still hadn¡¯t. I was sitting by his bedside, silently praying, hoping, and wishing for him to wake up. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and everyone had asked me to go home and rest because of my condition, but knowing that he was in that situation because of me, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to leave his side. I needed to be here when he woke up.     ¡°He¡¯s on the line.¡± Vito said, cutting through my thoughts as he handed me his phone. I quickly took it, cing the phone over my ear. I had requested that he call someone who was home with Carlo and hand the phone to him. I needed to speak with my son and make sure he was okay. I would have preferred seeing him, but I didn¡¯t want him to see his parents in their present condition. Antonio was unconscious, and I shattered.     ¡°Mommy.¡± He called from the other end of the line, and that tiny voice of his eased my aching heart-briefly.     ¡°My baby. How are you?¡± I quickly asked.     ¡°Mommy, where are you? Where is Daddy? Come home.¡± The hurt he felt was palpable in his voice, and that shattered my heart even more.     ¡°We¡¯lle home soon, baby. Be a good boy until we do. Okay?¡± I said, trying my best to control the tears that were threatening to burst through my eyes.     ¡°Pleasee home. I miss you.¡± He said.     ¡°I miss you too, baby. I¡¯ll call again soon. Bye. I love you.¡± I quickly said and ended the call as I couldn¡¯t contain the tears anymore.     Tears streamed down my face afterwards, and I held Antonio¡¯s hand as I cried. ¡°Please wake up. For me. For your son. He needs you. We both need you. Please wake up.¡±     ¡°It was all your fault.¡± Marco groaned from one corner of the room, and that intensified my tears. I hated that he was right. It was all my fault. He was only trying to save me from that psychopath.     ¡°If you hadn¡¯t-¡± He tried to continue, but Cami cautioned him.     ¡°Marco!¡±     The thought of Liam and his father filled every bit of my veins with so much hatred and bitterness as I flicked my burning eyes towards Vito. ¡°Have those bastards been found?¡±     They had ran away after the incident, and Antonio¡¯s men had been working tirelessly to look for them.     ¡°It¡¯s all your-¡± Marco started, but Vito quickly interjected.     ¡°We are still working on it. Nikki Petrov heard about it, and he offered to help. We are working with him to find them. I promise you, we will find them and make them pay for what they did.¡±     I couldn¡¯t wait to hear the news of their demise. That was how much I hated them.     The tears stinging my eyes came rushing all over again. I was scared, terribly terrified. It¡¯s been hours now, and Antonio still hadn¡¯t woken up. What if he never did?     I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and I hoisted my head to see Cami standing beside me.     ¡°He would be fine. We would get him back.¡± She assured me. She looked devastated herself, visibly scared of losing her only brother.     ¡°I hope so.¡± I mumbled.     I held Antonio¡¯s hand as I muttered. ¡°Fight through this. Please. For me. For your son. For your unborn daughter. For everyone you love. Please¡­¡±     The more I spoke, the fainter and less audible my voice sounded, as my exhaustion weighed heavily on me. I began to feel my body weaken even more, and I could barely sit upright anymore. I leaned in and rested my head on the bed for support. My head felt light, and oxygen seemed to abandon me as I could hardly breathe anymore. I felt myself losing consciousness. I was too weak to even stand up and seek help. Everything was happening too fast.


    What was happening to me?     ***


    The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital bed. I looked around to see my family hanging around the room. The moment they noticed that my eyes were open, they jumped at alert, worries saturating their features as they took turns to ask if I was okay.     ¡°I¡¯ll get the doctor.¡± Matteo offered as he sprinted out of the room.     I wondered what happened to me and how long I had been unconscious.


    Thoughts of a worst-case scenario coursed through my mind, and anxiety kicked in.     ¡°My baby.¡± I whispered, promptly cing my hand on my bulging stomach.     ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Mama assured.     ¡°What of Antonio?¡± My troubled self quickly asked. ¡°Is he awake? For how long have I been unconscious?¡±     ¡°Approximately five hours,¡± Sofia replied.     ¡°Is Antonio awake?¡± I asked again, worried, as I tried to sit up, but Papa held me down.     ¡°Can you just worry about yourself first?¡± He sighed.     ¡°Is Antonio awake?¡± I persisted.     ¡°He woke up two hours ago and wouldn¡¯t stop asking of you.¡± Sofia finally answered my question.     A sense of relief washed over me as I shut my eyes and breathed. ¡°Thank Goodness.¡±     The door swung open, and a doctor and a nurse walked into the room.


    He examined me and asked me a few questions. After making sure I was fine, he rmended an absolute and extensive rest before walking out of the room with the nurse. Immediately they exited the room, the door was pushed open again, and the person that came into view, in a wheelchair, made my heart skip a beat.     ¡°Antonio.¡± I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes as Cami wheeled him down to me.     He curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Never do that to yourself again. You stubborn damsel.¡±     ¡°I was scared of losing you.¡± I cried.     ¡°Did you think I was going to leave you all by yourself? I would never!¡± He looked and sounded frail, but I was d he was awake at least.     A smile crept up my lips. ¡°How are you?¡±     ¡°How are you?¡± He asked instead.     I nodded. ¡°I have never felt finer now that you are awake.¡± I sighed, swallowing a lump in my throat as the thought of what happened came rushing in. ¡°I am so sorry. It was all my fault, and-¡±     ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that again.¡± He cut me in, a frown masking his features.     ¡°But-¡±     ¡°Shhh¡­¡± He cut me off again. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±     I sighed, then smiled. ¡°I am d you are awake. I wanted to be there when you woke up.¡±     ¡°It¡¯s fine, baby.¡± He held my hand in his, looking directly into my eyes as he muttered. ¡°I love you.¡±     A kaleidoscope of butterflies churned in my stomach at those three words. The effect he had on me and would always have on me was strong and unbreakable. I loved him too. So much.     ¡°More than you could ever imagine.¡± He added, amplifying that sweet butterfly effect.     ¡°And I love you, Antonio.¡± I said, an overwhelming warmth filling my heart.     Marco walked in, and Antonio turned to look at him. ¡°Did you bring it?¡±     He nodded, handing him a small velvet box. My eyes widened, and my mouth fell agape at the realisation of what was inside that box. I never saw thising.     ¡°I got this a while ago,¡± he said, staring at the little box. ¡°And this was not how I wanted it to go. You deserve a better proposal, but¡­¡± He cast his gaze to the ground, sighing, before looking back at me. ¡°We never know what tomorrow holds, and I don¡¯t want to waste any more time.¡±     ¡°Antonio¡­¡± I whispered, tears trickling from my eyes.     ¡°Remember, I promised to keep you out of harm¡¯s way, but I failed to keep that promise, and I am deeply sorry for that. But then, that made me realise that as long as we still belong to this dark, ruthless, and unforgiving world, harm will alwayse our way. So, I¡¯ll rephrase that promise.¡± He squeezed my hand lightly. ¡°I promise to protect you and everyone, everything you care about when harmes. I¡¯ll make whoever crosses you pay. I failed you once, baby, and I am promising you now that I will never fail you again. I love you more than life itself, and I would love you, Carlo, and our unborn daughter forever and ever.¡±     My heart swelled with so much joy and affection. My eyes spilled out tears that represented those feelings.     ¡°I promise you that you will never regret loving me. You¡¯ve changed me in ways I couldn¡¯t even fathom. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.¡± He opened the small velvet box, revealing a diamond ring that shone beautifully. Despite the pain that he was in, he forced himself to go on one knee for his woman, holding the ring between his fingers. ¡°Rosalinda Moretti, would you do me the honour of bing a Russo? Please, marry me.¡±     My heart thundered, and heat rushed to the pit of my stomach.     ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded excitedly, stretching my hand forward. I could never say no. He was also the best thing that happened to me.     He slipped the ring in and kissed it on my finger. ps echoed in the room as everyone cheered us on. I didn¡¯t just love this man; I was in love with him.     He sat back in the wheelchair with the help of Cami. His smile shone through his eyes, never leaving his face.     Holding my hand in his, he muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s have the wedding in Italy. I heard Lake Como is a very nice ce to get married.¡±     I nodded in agreement, tears streaming down my eyes.     He took his thumb to my face, gently wiping my tears with it. ¡°I love you. In sickness and in health.¡±     ¡°In sickness and in health.¡± I repeated with my whole heart.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 115| Today, Tomorrow, Forever.

    ROSALINDA     ¡°Mommy is getting married today.¡± I told my little girl as I rubbed my belly, my smile stretching from cheek to cheek while I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Every detail fell into ce wlessly-my dress, hair, makeup, everything was just perfect. I couldn¡¯t believe that this day was finally here-the day I had always looked forward to-and I couldn¡¯t be happier that I was doing this with Antonio.     It¡¯s been a month since the incident that happened at Liam¡¯s mansion. Antonio healed in no time, and I haven¡¯t left his side ever since. I couldn¡¯t imagine how life would have been without him.     After two weeks of tirelessly searching for Diego and Liam, Nikki found them and ended them immediately. I also heard that it was Nikki Petrov who killed Lorenzo¡¯s father, Sergio. I couldn¡¯t fathom why Nikki was so keen on taking care of Antonio¡¯s dirty businesses, but I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t demand a huge price in return down the line. One thing was sure-Mafia bosses never do things out of the goodness of their hearts. He definitely wanted something. The question was, what?     Everything has been running smoothly ever since. No threats, no kidnaps, no violence-nothing. Just pure happiness and peace. I wished this state of bliss couldst forever.     Right now, I, he, my family, his family, and our loved ones were in Italy for our wedding. Today was the happiest day of my life.     ¡°I know I have said this before, but you look extraordinary.¡± Ruby¡¯s voice pierced through the air, and I turned to see her fangirling over me.     My face turned red with blush. ¡°Oh, please. Stop exaggerating.¡±     ¡°Oh, you know I¡¯m not.¡± She said, wrapping her arms around me. ¡°I still don¡¯t approve of the man you are getting married to. But you are happy, and that¡¯s all that matters. I am happy for you, B.¡±     ¡°Thank you.¡± I muttered, a shy smile curling on my lips. I couldn¡¯t believe I was suddenly shy around my best friend.     We withdrew from the hug, and she held my hand, looking into my eyes, a smile ying on her lips. ¡°You would be a great wife, Rosa, and a great mother. Oh, damn, you are already a wonderful mother to Carlo, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a wonderful mother to our girl also.¡± She paused and stared at me for a few seconds before continuing. ¡°I love you.¡±     ¡°I love you too, Ruby.¡± I said as I tried so hard to blink back my tears. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±     The door swung open, and Sofia walked in, pushing the twins inside their stroller, with Carlo walking beside her. She looked beautiful.     ¡°Wow.¡± Carlo mouthed, amazed, as he slowly walked towards me. I crouched to his level once he was in front of me, my lips spreading into a wide smile.     ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I muttered.     ¡°You look perfect.¡± He beamed, mirrowing my smile.     ¡°You look perfect too, honey.¡± I whispered softly as I straightened thepels of his blue suit jacket. I was immensely proud to be his mother. He made me proud every day.     As I thought of how far I hade with him and his father, I couldn¡¯t control the overwhelming tears of joy that came rushing out of my eyes. My life was perfect with them.     ¡°It¡¯s okay, mommy.¡± His tender voice soothed me as he attempted to brush away the tears streaming down my cheeks with his little hands.     ¡°I love you, baby.¡± I said wholeheartedly as I wrapped my arms around him. ¡°I love you so much.¡±     ¡°I love you too, mommy.¡± His words filled my heart with warmth.     I sprang to my feet afterwards, and Sofia inched closer, a smile dancing on her lips. ¡°I really don¡¯t need to tell you how beautiful you look. You know that already.¡±     Just then, the twins cooed in sync, and we both turned our attention to them, smiles ying on our lips. Those precious little beings were so adorable. I was sure they¡¯d be best friends with my baby girl. We were all so eager for her arrival. Antonio had her nursery set up already, and he spared no expense in doing that, adorning it with an abundance of toys, most of which she wouldn¡¯t even need. And there, proudly disyed on the wall, was her name in bold letters-Isabe.     ¡°See? My babies agree with me.¡± Sofia joked, and augh emanated from my throat.     Her smile widened as she enveloped me in a warm embrace, gently patting my back. ¡°I am so happy for you, Rosa. You make an extremely beautiful bride.¡±     ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡±     ¡°Alright.¡± She breathed, pulling away from the hug, and I caught the lone tear that streamed down her cheek before she quickly turned around. ¡°The groom awaits. Let¡¯s not keep him waiting any longer.¡±     ***


    It was finally happening. I was getting married to the love of my life. As the priest pronounced us husband and wife, my heart pounded so hard that I could hear it. Nerves twisted in my stomach, nearly stealing my breath away. An overwhelming sense of wholeness surged through me. Oh, Antoniopleted me.     I was his now, as much as he was mine. Our gazes spoke volumes, brimming with a love so pure, so divine. Lost in the depths of each other¡¯s eyes, our lips connected to seal the marriage, as did our souls.     I turned towards my family, my smile shining brightly as I gazed at each of them. All of them who once hated Antonio-Mama, Papa, Sofia, Matteo, and Giovanni-now looked at us with immersed adoration as they cheered us on. I cherished them all with every fibre of my being.     ¡°You are officially mine now, wife.¡± Antonio grinned, drawing my focus back to him.     ¡°And I willingly surrender to you, husband.¡± I murmured, feeling the heat of a blush creeping up to my ears.     As we continued staring into each other¡¯s eyes,ughter suddenly bubbled between us without any apparent reason. Though we needed no justification to be happy, our love was reason enough. Today, tomorrow, and forever.     He leaned in and brushed his words against my ear, igniting a fire within me. ¡°I¡¯d give you the greatest sex of your life tonight, baby.¡±     I chuckled softly, an unexinable satisfactory feeling rippling through me, consuming me into a realm where only Antonio existed-the very man who taught me how to love. I had always hated mafia bosses, and I thought I always would, but here I was, utterly captivated by a ruthless one, and I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. His love knew no bounds; he loved me unconditionally, and I would love him forever. Till death do us part.     The End.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Bonus Chapter| The Birth.

    Third-person POV.


    Antonio¡¯s lips pressed against the softness of Rosalinda¡¯s cheek, his eyes filled with adoration as he gazed at her.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± He whispered sensing her stirring. When she didn¡¯t respond, he murmured yfully, azy smile spreading across his lips. ¡°I know you are awake.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to stop staring at me.¡± Rosalinda admitted with a smile, her eyes still closed. ¡°I like it when you stare at me; I wanted to keep feeling your eyes on me.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if your eyes were opened or closed. I could stare at you anyhow, anywhere, anytime.¡± He said, tracing her nose and lips with his finger. ¡°But do you know when I love staring at you the most?¡±


    She shook her head, a smile still on her lips.


    ¡°When you are naked in the shower.¡±


    Her eyes shot open immediately, and she yfully smacked his arm.


    He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with delight. ¡°Good morning, Pretty.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, handsome.¡± She replied, her voice stillced with sleep.


    cing his hand on her belly, he leaned in and kissed it. ¡°Good morning, princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡± He suddenly eximed excitedly before flicking his gaze at his wife. ¡°She just kicked.¡±


    ¡°I guess she really heard you.¡±


    Rosalinda quipped with a smile.


    ¡°She did.¡± He murmured proudly before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. ¡°How was your night?¡±


    ¡°It was fine.¡± She said, caressing his cheeks. ¡°How was yours?¡±


    ¡°With you by my side? With my wife by my side.¡± His lips sought hers, and he engaged her in a sweet, gentle kiss. ¡°It was great.¡±


    A radiant smile saturated her lips. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you more, woman.¡±


    ncing at his attire, she asked. ¡°Going somewhere?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Business to attend to.¡±


    Just then, the door creaked open, and Carlo burst into the room.


    ¡°Good morning, mommy, good morning, daddy,¡± he beamed as he ran into their embrace, his enthusiasm contagious.


    ¡°Good morning, my boy.¡± Antonio tousled his hair affectionately.


    Rosalinda nted multiple kisses in his face as they both giggled uncontrobly. ¡°Good morning. I hope you slept well.¡±


    He nodded vigorously, his eyes wide with excitement. ¡°Yes!¡± His smile suddenly faltered a bit. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Antonio immediately tugged out his phone to call the family chef. ¡°I¡¯ll get Dorcas to prepare something for you right away.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Antonio¡¯s brow drew together in confusion.


    ¡°I want pancakes, and I want mommy¡¯s.¡±


    Antonio, not wanting his wife to undergo any form of stress, ced his palm on Carlo¡¯s shoulder and stared at him persuasively. ¡°Mommy is heavily pregnant with your little sister, and¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Rosalinda quickly interjected. ¡°I¡¯ll make it. I don¡¯t want to sit around doing nothing anyway. I¡¯ll be bored.¡±


    ¡°Baby, you-¡±


    She cut him off again. ¡°For real, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just pancakes, Antonio.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Okay. But be careful, please.¡± He leaned in and ced a gentle kiss on her cheek. ¡°I need to get going now.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to work?¡± Carlo asked curiously, and he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡± He went ahead to say.


    Antonio yfully pulled his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, buddy.¡±


    Returning his attention to Rosalinda, he said. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to call me if you need anything or if anything happens. I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°The due date is not for another two weeks.¡± Rosalinda cut him in, a wide smile spreading on her lips. ¡°You worry too much.¡±


    He ced another kiss on her cheek. ¡°How won¡¯t I worry about my wife?¡± His gaze met hers, and he whispered. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± She whispered back.


    And so, he jumped out of bed and whisked out of the room. He hated to leave her, but he had something important to attend to. Slipping through the front door, he sighted Marco and Cami kissing in the front porch, and his face immediately twisted in disgust.


    ¡°Granting you permission to be together doesn¡¯t mean you are allowed to do filthy things in my presence.¡± He groaned, his disgust evident in his tone.


    ¡°The same filthy thing you do with your wife every day.¡± Cami teased.


    The frown on his face deepened as he red at her with murderous intent. ¡°If you weren¡¯t my sister, a bullet would have gone right through your head.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. You love me too much.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± He sighed, and sheughed uncontrobly.


    He strode to the car afterwards, and Marco followed.


    ¡°Good morning, Boss.¡± Marco greeted once they were inside the car.


    ¡°Have you made the confirmation I asked you to?¡± Antonio asked, not bothering to respond to his greeting.


    ¡°Yes. They are all waiting at the warehouse. No one is missing.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He groaned.


    Reports reached him that products had been going missing inrge quantity from one of the warehouses-products enough to begin a new business. They were going to the affected warehouse to interrogate the workers there and fish out who the hell had the guts and nerves to steal from him. Whoever that was was as good as dead.


    They arrived there after an hour¡¯s drive, and all the workers were already assembled, waiting for Antonio to arrive.


    He didn¡¯t bother exchanging pleasantries with the workers; he went straight to business.


    Striding back and forth before the assembled workers, he began. ¡°I¡¯m giving the thief the grace to step forward now. If the thief or thieves allow me to go through the stress of fishing them out, they won¡¯t be the only ones to suffer the consequences; their families would share in their fate.¡±


    He paused in his tracks, his eyes searching their faces as he continued. ¡°And believe me, I¡¯ll find out who it is. So-¡±


    ¡°Boss.¡± Marco suddenly interrupted him. ¡°There¡¯s an emergency. Vito¡¯s on the line.¡±


    ¡°It could wait.¡± He firmly replied. He wanted to be done with the matter at hand first.


    ¡°Boss it-¡±


    He cut him off again with a groan. ¡°I said it could wait.¡±


    Knowing it couldn¡¯t wait, Marco persisted. ¡°It¡¯s Rosa-¡±


    He didn¡¯t get toplete the sentence before Antonio Immediately snatched the phone from his grip. Anything else, but his wife could wait.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He quickly asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to reach you, but your line ain¡¯t going through. It started moments after you left.¡± Vito spoke from the other end of the line.


    He tensed. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Her water broke, and we are at the hospital. She¡¯s inbor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± He breathed, and without hesitation, he ran to the car with the speed of light and powered up the road, not minding that Marco wasn¡¯t inside yet.


    His stomach tightened, his chest squeezed, and his entire being tensed. He was scared and crazily worried about his wife. He hated that he wasn¡¯t there when she startedbor. Fuck, he shouldn¡¯t have left the house. But, damn, he thought the due date was not until two weeks.


    He sped to the hospital, disobeying all traffic rules. He didn¡¯t care. All he wanted was to get to his wife and be there for her. He wasn¡¯t there when she had their first, and he¡¯d be damned if he wasn¡¯t there for their second.


    By the time he got to the hospital, she  was already in the delivery room, with the doctor and nurses actively trying to help her deliver the baby.


    Recognized as her husband, he was given a scrub to slip on before joining his wife in the delivery room. Upon entering, what looked like relief shed across Rosalinda¡¯s face when she saw her husband.


    ¡°Antonio.¡± She breathed.


    He rushed to her, holding her hand in his. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    Her current state broke his heart. She was in excruciating pain, and he wished there was something he could do to ease that pain.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He assured her, slightly squeezing her hand. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, baby.¡±


    His presence changed a lot. Before he got there, she felt so lost and alone. But now that he was there by her side, she felt supported, she felt stronger, and it became easier for her to get through the intense pain.


    ¡°Push!¡± The doctor urged.


    And with the newly found strength that engulfed her, her grip on Antonio¡¯s hand tightened, giving onest powerful push, bringing the baby to life.


    ¡°She¡¯s here!¡± The doctor rejoiced as he handed her to the nurses to clean her up.


    Her cries filled the room. Antonio and Rosalinda could not take their eyes off her as she was getting cleaned up. After waiting for months, she was finally here! Their joy was immeasurable, as was the love they had for their newly born baby girl.


    After cleaning her up, she was carefullyid on her mother¡¯s chest, the nurse beaming ¡°congrattions¡± as she did so.


    Rosalinda¡¯s eyes glistened with tears as she stared at her baby, her heart threatening to explode with love. Antonio had loved her even before she was born, but seeing her encapsted a whole new dimension of love in his heart.


    Their beautiful, beautiful, Isabe.


    As they continued staring at her, they both knew they would do anything and everything for their little princess. They just met her, but she was their light, their peace, and their happiness, just as Carlo was.


    They wereplete now. Their family wasplete.


    ¡°She¡¯s so cute. As pretty as her mother.¡± Antonio glowed. She had her mother¡¯s raven ck hair.


    ¡°She¡¯s prettier.¡± Rosalinda quipped with a tired smile, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Are you okay, baby?¡± He asked, concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. The smile that spread across their lips was so wide, genuine, and evergreen. They needn¡¯t say their feelings; it shined through their eyes. The love they had for each other and for their children was out of this world, and that immacte feeling wouldst forever.


    For-ever.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!