《THE MAFIA’S CAPTIVE ANGEL》


 CHAPTER ONE

    Normani Parker


    Lazily, i rolled out of the warm and cosy bed when I heard the sound of the marvellous rm clock.


    Note the sarcasm.


    I m my hand on my stupid rm, yelling for me to go to school. I feel sozy today. Who am I kidding? I feelzy literally every day. I curled into a ball and went under the sheets, pressing my head on myfortable pillow.


    While letting out a disapproving groaned, I lifted myself up from the bed. After tiding up my room, I dragged myself to the bathroom, mming the door as I turned on the shower, waited for it to get to the right temperature before taking off my pyjamas and hoping to shower, and ended up shaving my legs. Twenty minutester, I came out with wet hair and smelling like vani.


    I chose a blue jumpsuit that reached my mid-thigh and had a bow at the waist because I wanted to stand out. I applied a moisturizer to my face, then a little bit of eyeliner, making my blue eyes pop out, and also applied my strawberry lip-gloss. I tied my medium blond hair into a ponytail, bringing out a little bit of hair on both sides of my face. I put on my ck ts and walked out of my room to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, adding two scoops of French caramel cream and two spoons of sugar.


    Yummy.


    I went back to the room to get my phone and a ck bag while still holding onto my coffee. I checked the time and saw that it was already 9:00 a. m. and my ss starts by 10. I drank my coffee in a hurry, grabbing an apple and eating it . I didn¡¯t bother knocking on Stephanie¡¯s room because I knew she would be in school since she had an early ss this morning.


    I took my car keys from the counter as I stepped out of the house. I opened the car and quickly climbed in, putting my seatbelt on, then I started my car. I turned on my radio, turning the volume up as I heard my favourite Ariana Grande song, ¡°position,¡± ying. Pulling out of my driveway, I started to head toward the direction of the university.


    I found a perfect ce to park. I quickly got down from the car as I brought out my phone to check the time, only to find out it was almost 10. I put my phone back in my bag before rushing into the school to get to my first ss of the day.


    ???


    ¡°Hey girl, how was ss today?¡± Steph asked as I stepped into our apartment. We have been best friends for ever and now we attend the same college. I am really grateful to Steph and her family. After my parents¡¯ death in a car crash when I was sixteen, Steph¡¯s parents took me in and treated me like a daughter. I don¡¯t know where I would be without them. They are like my second family.


    ¡°Mrs. Williams can be so freaking annoying. I don¡¯t know why she picks on me every time. ¡± Iined, plopping down on the couch beside her as I rested my back on the seat.


    ¡± She¡¯s still a bitch to you. ¡± She asked, getting a nod from me. ¡± She seriously needs to getid. I doubt her husband is doing a good job at it if she alwayses in cranky,¡± Steph replied. I scrunched up my face, not surprised at her response at all. ¡± Speaking of gettingid, it¡¯s Friday. Let¡¯s go clubbing. ¡±


    ¡°Nope, I have got an assignment to do and clubbing isn¡¯t just my scene,¡± I said .


    ¡± Come on, it will be fun, I promise,¡± she begged, ¡± and you seriously need to let off some steam.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡± Please please please.¡± I turned to look at her as she gave me her best puppy eyes, knowing very well that I couldn¡¯t resist it.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed, earning a squeal from her.


    ¡°Great!, We¡¯ll leave by 7 ¡°, we both stood up together, going into our various rooms.


    I went into the bathroom to take a quick shower, washing off the day¡¯s stress. I towelled off and looked at the time; it was already 6:00. I was hoping to have a good nap before going out with Steph. I took my time blow-drying my hair.


    After blow-drying my hair, I walked into the closet just to find out I had nothing to wear. I don¡¯t really go clubbing, so all I had were sweatpants, jeans, and cardigans. I started contemting if I should go or not, but a knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts.


    Stephanie walked into my room with two dresses on her hands, and they left me with nothing to imagine about.


    ¡± Steph, where are we really going to?¡± I asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°Okay, you caught me. There¡¯s this exclusive club for famous, rich, and powerful people, and I happened to score two passes,¡± she replied excitedly.


    ¡± Steph, I don¡¯t think this is a good idea. We are talking about a club that requires passes. ¡± I tell her I¡¯m not really up for it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing bad will happen,¡± she assured me, ¡°nowe sit and let me get you ready.¡±


    What have I gotten myself into?

 CHAPTER TWO

    After an hour of getting primed and plucked by Steph, she handed me a ck short dress and heels that no doubt I would have trouble walking on. I put all my essentials in a tiny bag she gave me, and I must say she really outdid herself; I looked breathtakingly beautiful.


    ¡± Are you sure that is me and not someone else?¡± I asked, stunned as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.


    ¡± It is you, Mani. I just enhance the beautiful features you have naturally.¡± She says back to me, ¡°Now let¡¯s go; we don¡¯t want to bete.¡± She grabs my hand and drags me out of my room towards the main door.


    The drive to club was filled with a lot of cheer and squeal, mostly from Stephanie, since she was the energetic one of us two right now.


    I clutched onto Stephanie¡¯s hand as we walked into the club. My fear increased as we took a step. Out of all the ces Steph had taken us to, this was by far the most impressive and expensive. The club was pitch ck. We wouldn¡¯t have seen anything if not for the bright blue lights on each side of the club. The name Violenta was curved beautifully but dangerously. Theter V was represented with a red me at the middle. Two bodyguards stood side by side at each entrance .


    There are deem lights shining in the celling, highlighting the people on the dance floor.


    I was trying to get a proper view of my surroundings, but Stephanie dragged me to the bar. The bar surface was made of ck Mable.


    Everything in this ce screamed rich and expensive. Stephanie and I took a seat at the bar stool and ordered our drinks.


    ¡°So, you know how it requires a pass to get into the club, right? Stephanie asked with a guilty expression.


    ¡± What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± I raised my eyebrows, knowing very well that I wasn¡¯t going to like her next words.


    ¡°I may or may not have gotten them from Jason.¡±


    ¡°What¡­..¡± I eximed


    In case you¡¯re wondering who Jason was, he was one of my best friends, whoter became my boyfriend, and we were so close, I thought we loved each other, but I was wrong. I found out in the most painful way when I caught him in bed with my cousin during my parents¡¯ funeral. I was so furious, and that was thest time we spoke to each other. I didn¡¯t know Steph still kept in touch with him, and I felt betrayed.


    ¡± Why would you do that?¡± I asked, annoyed at the fact that she didn¡¯t tell me until now.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re pissed, but you wouldn¡¯t havee with me if you knew where I got the passes from¡±. She was right, thest thing I wanted was to associate with Jason. You could say I¡¯m still not over his betrayal.


    ¡± Damn right I won¡¯t!¡± I answered, angry.


    ¡± He looked like he still isn¡¯t over you, when i saw him and believe me, I was ready to beat him ck and blue,¡± she said, emphasizing each word, ¡± but I¡¯m a little bit ashamed to say he got me when he pulled out those passes.¡±


    ¡°Still Steph¡­¡±


    ¡± I know, I know. I really wanted toe to this club so badly. I¡¯m sorry, ¡°she said, giving me her best puppy eyes. This is the second time she is using that trick on me. I really need to get immune to these before it gets me into trouble.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ fine, you¡¯re off the hook for now,¡± I replied, making her let out a dramatic sigh.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡± Come on, let¡¯s dance,¡± she said, stretching her hand to take mine as we both got up from our seats.


    ¡± I can¡¯t, not with these heels,¡± Iined as she took me to the dance floor.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, when you get tired, we will take a rest,¡± she assured me.


    We both moved to the dance floor, making our way through lots of sweaty bodies to find a perfect spot and moving to the groove as the DJ yed shots and wine by Sean Paul and Steflon Deon.


    I was smiling so widely that my cheeks hurt and I felt my body move dangerously in a teasing manner as the music took control.


    You could say that I was a pretty good dancer.


    I was getting lost in the groove, almost¡­..


    There are times when you feel like you¡¯re being watched, and when you look around frantically, you find out that you are just making a fool of yourself. Then you decide to shrug it off, thinking that it might just be all in your head.


    That¡¯s how I felt right at this moment. I tried brushing it off, but the constant feeling of being watched kept surfacing. I could feel someone¡¯s eyes burning into my skin, watching my every move.


    I felt a shiver down my spine and I felt so cold all of a sudden.


    I kept looking around the club until I caught sight of him and my eyes locked into his dark orbs.


    He was standing on the VIP section balcony with a drink in his hand and a girl with dark red hair and heavy make-up clenching on to his arm as if her life depended on it, dressed in a very skinny dress that left no room for imagination. He rested his elbow on the rail, leaning forward, watching me with those magnificent eyes.


    He was dressed in a ck shirt and trousers. His ck shirt clung tightly to his body, enabling his tattooed muscles to move. His face was forward as he looked at me without blinking. His jaw clenched as his lips formed into a thin line. His ck hair was messy.


    I was so engrossed in him that I forgot what I was doing until I felt a light tap on my shoulder, bringing me out of my trance.


    ¡± Are you okay? You seem to be in another world of your own,¡± Steph asked with a concerned look.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just tired. My legs hurt, ¡°I said, not wanting to worry her.


    ¡± Should we take a break?¡± she asked as I nodded in response, and we both headed back to the bar for another drink.


    My eyes drifted back up to look at him just to find him still watching me, not a hair out of ce, and I doubted if he had blinked once. I couldn¡¯t help but check him out. He is tall and huge, and for some reason, looks scary, and I couldn¡¯t deny how very attractive and freakily handsome he looked, but still scary .


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop staring, and he knew that. His eyes didn¡¯t move an inch from my face.


    ¡± Hey Steph, I think it¡¯s best we just leave,¡± I asked suddenly.


    ¡± But why¡­ We were having fun,¡± she whined


    ¡°I have got assignments to do and I feel tired.¡±


    ¡± Fine, let¡¯s go.¡± She said, finally giving in.


    We quickly made our way to the exit. I was almost close to the door and I didn¡¯t know what possessed me, but I found myself turning back to look at his direction, and my eyes widened when I found him in the same position, staring at me without moving. The side of his lips raised in a smirk and he raised the drink up in a cheer before bringing it to his lips. His dark eyes held promises I surely didn¡¯t want to know and I walked out the door. Steph and I called a cab back to thefort of our home.

 CHAPTER THREE

    It has been a month since Steph and I went to the club and I was finally done with the semester¡¯s exams. I still have one more week due to my assigned project and I¡¯m done with school. I can finally graduate and then start my internship as a doctor.


    We were already at the beginning of summer, making the weather so hot and working as a per-time worker as a waitress in one of the most popr restaurants, V¡ãI¡ãP, didn¡¯t make it easy at all. I could feel the sweat gathering under my white shirt; my forehead needed constant wiping; and I was pretty sure my makeup was a mess at this point.


    ¡± Normani, table six and nine please¡±


    ¡± Coming right up, Mrs. Smith,¡± I said as I smiled at her, which she gracefully returned. She is the manager and a very good and kind one, which makes both the workers and the customers love her.


    I walked into the kitchen to meet her as she gestured to four tes that were lined up on a stainless steel surface. I managed to bnce all four tes on my hands, and I walked over to the kitchen doors and walked backward.


    I set the tes down on the second table and wiped my clumsy palms on the front of my apron. I turned to see Selena, the restaurant receptionist, weing and directing a couple in. I smiled when I saw they were regrs. They were given a seat. I grabbed my notepad from my apron pocket and walked up to them with a smile on my face. I flipped the notepad to get their orders.


    ¡± Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Williams. Wee to VIP. What can I get you today?¡± I asked, still with a smile on my face.


    ¡± Hi Mani, you look good today,¡± Mrs. Williams said, smiling back at me.


    ¡± I doubt that, but you, on the other hand, look breath-taking. Any special asion?¡± I asked


    . ¡°It¡¯s our twentieth wedding anniversary,¡± Mr. Williams answered, taking his wife¡¯s hand in his and cing a soft kiss on the back of her hands as they both smiled at each other lovingly.


    ¡± That¡¯s wonderful. Congrattions,¡± I said, admiring their love and wishing for a love like theirs.


    ¡± Thank you, I will like the steak and chips with your best red wine,¡± Mr. Williams ordered.


    I jotted it down and turned to look at Mrs. Williams for her own order.


    ¡± I will have the same as John,¡± she said.


    ¡± Okay,ing right up.¡± I went back to the kitchen to ce their orders and took a little bit of a break before sending one of the male waiters to deliver their wine.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    As exhausting as the job might be, I loved working here. I have been working here for four years and it has helped me through my tuition and feeding.


    ¡± Done.¡±¡­ Ashley, one of the kitchen staff, says.


    I ced the tes on my hands and carefully walked out.


    ¡± Here you go,¡± I say, as Iy the tes down on both sides of the table.


    ¡± Thank you,¡± the couple replied simultaneously.


    ¡± Don¡¯t hesitate to call if you need anything. Have a wonderful night.¡±


    I left the couple to their dinner and walked to the empty table with tes on it as I tidied it up. I usually tidy up the tables before I go home.


    While doing my chores, I looked around the people in the restaurant. Some of them were couples, businessmen, and families. A family consisting of a father, mother, and daughter appeared in my sight at the far end of the restaurant, close to the windows. They wereughing happily, ignoring the hotness of the weather.


    It was a happy moment, but at the same time, painful for me. My mind drifted back to my family.


    I miss them so much.


    After I finished with my chores, I went to the locker room to get my things and change out of my uniform into my ownfortable clothes, which consist of a sweatshirt and jeans. I know it¡¯s hot, but I feel morefortable in a sweatshirt and jeans. I took out my phone to check if there were any messages or missed calls and saw five missed calls and one message all from Steph. I unlocked my phone and checked the message. Due to the exams, we haven¡¯t hung out properly.


    Besties: Heyy Mani, I¡¯m, nning on going to Club Violenta with a couple of friends. Are you interested.


    Me: Not really. I¡¯m tired and would like to get some sleep. Maybe next time


    Besties: Okay, I will probably be gone before you get back.


    Me: Okay, have fun, but not too much fun.


    Besties: can¡¯t make any promise?.


    I locked my phone before cing it in my bag, not wanting to forget it.


    I said goodbye to my co-workers and Mrs. Smith before walking out of the restaurant.


    It was not unusual for me to go home at this hour and I wasn¡¯t scared. I didn¡¯t bring my car because it wasn¡¯t far from my apartment and I liked the night walk. It was not that dark as I walked towards the direction of my apartment, praying not to encounter any perverts.


    I was almost close to my apartment when I felt these feelings again. It felt like someone was watching me and it had been going on for a month. I told myself that I was just being paranoid but I just couldn¡¯t help it. I looked behind me, but there was no one there. Someone was following me, but I just couldn¡¯t see the person. He didn¡¯t hurt me, he just watched without doing anything. But still, I always make sure to quicken my steps .


    Safety first, right? Just because he isn¡¯t doing anything doesn¡¯t mean he isn¡¯t dangerous.


    I continued walking again, faster than before, and still couldn¡¯t shake out the feeling. I sighed when I saw my apartment across the street.


    Before I could cross over, I felt a presence behind me. I turned around and found myself crashing into a brick.


    No¡­ no. Not a brick, but a man.


    ¡± Hello Be, I think I have waited long enough,¡± he says, looking down on me. I don¡¯t get a chance to reply before I feel the prick of a needle against my skin and just like that, I was out like a light.


    His eyes were thest thing I saw.

 CHAPTER FOUR

    I woke up with a ray of sunshine seeping through the window curtains. I stared at the light. Lying on my stomach, I recall the horror ofst night. Thankfully, I felt nauseated but not enough for me to vomit.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I looked around my surroundings and everything felt quite and calm. After managing to get up from bed, I turned my eyes to the door without wasting anymore time, running towards it fearing it might be locked. But let out a quick sigh when I noticed it was open. I gently opened the door, trying not to make any sound, and looked at the empty hallway before getting out of the room and cautiously descending the stairs.


    The view of the house is magnificent and very luxurious, which made me wonder who the owner is.


    My eyes went straight to the main door, and I gave a quick thank you to the man up there. Then I walked towards the entrance, but before I could get to the door, I heard a voice behind me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡±


    I slowly turned back around like a deer caught in the light and was met with dark brown eyes and curly dark hair. He was attractive.


    ¡± Sin won¡¯t like the fact that you tried to escape,¡± he said again, empathizing more on Sin, who I¡¯m guessing is the guy who kidnapped me.


    ¡°I¡¯m Luca, and as much as I would love to know you more, you need to step away from the door.¡±


    ¡± Where is he ?.¡± I wanted to meet my so-called kidnapper so that I could ask why I was here.


    ¡± He went out to handle some things. I suggest you go back to your room. I won¡¯t want you to face the wrath of Sin,¡± he said, as various emotions shed through his face. I don¡¯t know if it was fear, worry, or pity, but the fact that he was scared of this Sin guy makes me wonder how terrifying he was.


    I moved away from the door, climbing the stairs back to my room with Luca behind me.


    ¡± I will bring something for you to eat,¡± he said as I stepped into the room.


    Luca came back with a tray filled with a te of bread and scrambled eggs, along with a ss of orange juice, which I ate and drank with no struggle. I needed the energy to escapeter. After I was done eating, he took the tray, but the sound of a click caught my attention. I stood up from the bed and went to the door, trying to get it open, but it was locked.


    Great! I¡¯m trapped inside the room.


    There goes my n to escape, but I wasn¡¯t nning on giving up now. My mind drifted off to Steph. She must really be worried out of her mind now. What if I don¡¯t seed in escaping? What would be of me? I paced around the room for a long time, crying in fear and anger, before my eyes turned heavy and my body felt tired as I fell into a dreamless sleep.


    I was awoken due to the cold tingling sensation on my face. I kept my eyes closed, trying to wash away the feeling, but it only intensified. I opened my eyes only to let out a shriek.


    A shiver runs down my spine when I look into his ck orb. I recognized him quickly as the same man I saw a month ago at the club . His face was just an inch away from mine, and when I tried to move, his hands held my side, making it impossible. He was smiling in a dark and evil way, making me very ufortable.


    Was this the kind of smile he gave his victims before he ughtered them?


    A few seconds passed before he finally sat up, giving me a little bit of space. I was too scared to move. His huge form was so intimidating that it made it hard for me to look into his eyes. But he had no problem staring at me as his eyes roamed over my body, watching my every move.


    ¡± Normani Parker, hm. Normani, mani, ani,¡± he chanted with amusementced in his voice. I was surprised he knew my name but said nothing as he looked at the wall behind him.


    ¡± Do you know why you¡¯re here, Mani?¡± he asked, his voice calm but dangerous.


    ¡± No, just let me go,¡± I said in a soft yet hopeful voice.


    ¡± You were so fucking sexy that night, did you know that?¡± he said roughly, and I felt the colour drain from my face.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his eyes were dted. I immediately moved back till my head hit the bed board and he moved with me.


    His face came close to my right ear, and I tried not to tremble, but it was hard. His warm breath fanned my skin.


    ¡± Wh¡­ what do you want from me? Why did you kidnap me? ¡± I whispered, shakenly, trying to hold back a sob.


    ¡± Because I want you, little temptress,¡± he replied casually, as if he was talking about the weather.


    ¡°Why me? You can have anybody you want. Just let me go,¡± I begged.


    ¡± I don¡¯t want anyone else. You are mine,¡± he said calmly but coldly.


    I shut my eyes and my body started shaking uncontrobly. One strong arm held my waist, drawing me closer to him, and his other hand rested beside my head on the bed board, making my eyes snap open. I tried wiggling to get out of his strong hold. His face dipped into my neck region without any warning.


    His cologne hit my nostrils as his nose started brushing against my skin. I ced my hand on his chest, which made him stiff and tighten his hold on my waist. I felt his abs flexing, his skin hot under my hand as I pushed him with all my strength, trying to create space between us, but he didn¡¯t bulge.


    He started drawing patterns with his nose on my bare skin, which sent tingling down my body, and I felt mad at myself for feeling such excitement.


    I was saved by the sound of a phone ringing, and I am grateful to whoever called him inwardly.


    ¡°Che cosa!¡± he barked, angry at the person on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°Sto arrivando, non puoi nemmeno fare niente di giusto idiota.¡± He ended the call. ¡± I have to go now, little temptress, but I will be back.¡± He ced a kiss on my cheek and stood up to walk out of the room. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding as uncontroble tears fell down my eyes.


    ????


    Trantion.


    Che cosa¨C( what)


    Sto arrivando, non puoi nemmeno fare niente di giusto idiota¨C (I¡¯ming, you can¡¯t even do anything right idiot.)

 CHAPTER FIVE

    SIN POV.


    ¡°PL¡­ please, have mercy.¡±


    What an asshole.


    If he thought his pitiful plea was going to make me spare his pitiful life, he was so fucking wrong. He had already messed up when he tried stealing money from me and passing information to my enemies. I am the fucking boss of the Italian Mafia. Even when people hear my name, it sends a shiver down their spine. They would piss their fucking pants just by the sound of my name.


    Niki Violenta


    But I prefer being called Sin.


    People were scared of me, and they were right to feel that way. Only an idiot would dare to challenge and mess with me.


    ¡°Please, ha¡­ have mercy,¡± the man in front of me begged again, as if that was going to change my mind.


    ¡°Then you should never have betrayed the boss in the first ce.¡± Jason, One of my men shouted out at him before kicking him hard in the stomach. He groaned in pain, coughing out blood.


    Such a fucktude.


    As one of us, he should have known that there was no way for him to escape these. My men are as brutal and cruel as me. The monster.


    I squatted in front of him. He was stillying on the floor holding his aching stomach. I must say, my men got him good, but he whined like a girl. What a sissy. I grabbed his hair, forcing him to look at me. He was practically in a mess. His face was covered in his own blood and his eyes were ck. very disgusting.


    ¡°Santiago!¡± His body flinched, trembling at my voice. If he was so scared of me, he should have thought twice before betraying me. ¡°You understand the consequences of stealing and betraying me, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked, my voice calm but terrifying, scaring the shit out of him.


    ¡± Answer me,¡± I growled, making him wince.


    ¡± Y-yes, I¡¯m sorry. It won¡¯t happen again. I swear. ¡± He replied, trembling.


    I sighed. Just how many times have I heard these statements from him in just one night? This guy really knew how to get on my nerves.


    I grabbed his hair tighter, bringing his face towards mine. ¡± I don¡¯t show mercy, and you knew that when you swore an oath to join this agreement¡± i asked, and he mildly shook his head. I smirked and turned my head towards Luca, my second inmand, as if he understood what I wanted. He nodded and brought out something from his trouser pocket, then ced it on my palm.


    A gun


    Santiago immediately tried to get out of my grip but failed miserably. I moved the gun and directed it at his forehead. I could feel his face turning white and his eyes widening as he cried profusely.


    ¡°I gave you so many chances toe clean, I suppose, and you fucking blew it. You had the guts to challenge me. You thought you could escape from me, trying to mess around with me, knowing full well the kind of beast I am. ¡± I spat angrily at him


    ¡°Please, p-please Sin. I beg you. Please don¡¯t. ¡± I stood up with the gun still directed at him.


    I was tired of this game.


    I want to end his life.


    The monster inside me was asking to be released. I gave in to the urge to spill his blood, to blow his brain out and dance in his blood. I click off the safety of the gun and shot him three time, on his chest, stomach and forehead. I handed the gun back to Luca.


    ¡°Sbarazzati del corpo!¡± I ordered my men.


    ¡± You seem to be a little tense. Why don¡¯t we go to one of your clubs and blow up some steam?¡± Luca said. He was the only one who got to talk to me that way and he knows when not to cross the line. We¡¯ve been best friends since we were little and I trust him with my life .


    We both walked out of the warehouse to the car. Luca took the driver¡¯s seat and I sat beside him as we drove to one of my clubs. I didn¡¯t really feel like going, but I could really use some distraction right now.


    Luca went to get us some drinks as I walked towards the VIP section and sat at one of the seats when one of the whores I fu*cked, was it Tasha.. , Sandra.. , I couldn¡¯t care less, clinched onto my arm trying to get me to fu*ck* her.


    Luca said, handing me a drink in a ss. ¡°Whiskey for you Sin, I know how badly you need it.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Ho cos tanta voglia di piantare un proiettile in testa a questa troia¡±


    Luca let out augh ¡°Calmati Sin, ci sono molti testimoni¡± I rose from my seat and looked down at the people dancing and having a good time. I took a sip of my drink. My eyes scanned every face on the dance floor until theynded on one particr blond hair in a tight ck dress, dancing teasingly, catching the eyes of every male in the club. I wanted so desperately to see what she looked like, and I got my wish when she turned towards my direction, shaking that sexy body of hers.


    My breath seized as I took in her beauty, and I must say, she looked fucking divine.


    She turned around like she was looking for something until her eyes met mine and we stared at each other in a trance, but was broken when a girl, whom I¡¯m guessing is her friend, tapped her on the shoulder. They both went back to the bar.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her. It¡¯s like I felt some kind of pull I could not exin. She turned around to look at me, saying something to her friend as they both stood up and walked towards the exit of the club.


    I still couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her as I wished for her to look at me onest time, and she did. A smirk grazed my face, and I raised my ss in a cheer. Mine.


    My little temptress.

 CHAPTER SIX

    Mani¡¯s pov.


    ¡°Miss! ¡± A distressed voice echoed through the room.


    ¡± Please wake up, Miss.¡±


    I felt a hand on my shoulder shaking me, dragging me out of my slumber. My heavyshes peeled open and the first thing I saw was a worried expression of a woman in her twenties like me. She was wearing what I assumed was a maid¡¯s outfit. She was leaning over me on the same bed where I passed out yesterday.


    ¡± Thank God,¡± she sighed when I finally opened my eyes. ¡± I came yesterday to wake you up, but Sin said I should let you rest. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡± I¡¯m fine,¡± I croaked. My vocal cords dried like sandpaper due to all the crying. I could see the pity and remorse on her face, so I decided to try my luck and see if she could help me escape.


    ¡°Please help me, I have been kidnapped,¡± I begged.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°You need to be careful and mind what you say. I can¡¯t help you,¡± the maid replied back anxiously.


    ¡± Were you kidnapped as well?¡± I asked. That was the only logical exnation I coulde up with since she was too scared to help me.


    The question seemed to throw the poor maid off guard. ¡± What do you mean, Miss?¡±


    ¡± Were you forced here against your will? Is that why you can¡¯t help me?¡±


    ¡°No Miss, I¡¯ve worked for the Violenta since I was neen, and I¡¯ve been treated well, just like everyone else who is loyal,¡± the maid exined cautiously.


    I snorted out in disbelief at the words she said, ¡± I don¡¯t care, I was taken against my will.¡±


    ¡± Quiet, you need to be careful,¡± she whispered, looking around the room, ¡± you don¡¯t want to get on Sin¡¯s bad side. As long as you do not disobey him, he won¡¯t hurt you¡±.


    I spat out angrily, ¡°Easy for you to say, you were not kidnapped and taken from everyone and everything you love.¡±


    I could see that my words affected her, making her look away from my direction for a minute before looking back at me. ¡± I really wish I could help you, but I can¡¯t. This is the first time Sin has ever shown much interest in ady except for pleasuring him. I can¡¯t help you. I¡¯m too scared to face the wrath of his anger¡±.


    I let out a frustrated sigh as tears fell down my eyes. Deep down I knew she couldn¡¯t do anything to help since she was just as helpless as me, but I just couldn¡¯t help but take out my anger on her, which I now regret.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I let out, giving out a tight smile as I managed to control my tears.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay, I understand. I¡¯m Zoey. I have been assigned to you by Sin in case you need anything. ¡± She said, trying to ease the tension.


    ¡°Normani, but my friends call me Mani ,¡± I said.


    ¡± It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mani, despite the situation.¡±


    ¡± And you too, Zoey. I¡¯m sorry again for taking my anger out on you.¡±


    ¡± its okay Mani,¡± the dark-haired woman said, giving me a smile. ¡± I will draw you a bath.¡±


    I wanted to protest, but the box in her hand caught my eye, as if she read my thoughts, the woman exined. ¡± It¡¯s a dress. Sin wants you to wear it when you eat dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡± Dinner with him..?¡±


    ¡± Yes, he requested your presence.¡± She handed the box to me before walking towards the bathroom. I could hear the sound of running water drumming against my ears. My stomach coils at the thought of seeing that man again.


    Peering into the box, I found a beautiful red dress and a set of matching coloured lingerie. My fingers trembled, and the lump in my throat made it hard for me to breathe.


    ¡± You were asleep for hours since yesterday till this evening. I thought you weren¡¯t feeling too well.¡± Zoey said as she came out of the bathroom. ¡°Your bath will be ready soon. I will leave you to it.¡± Before she could leave, I called her back.


    ¡± Zoey¡±


    ¡°Yes, do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡± Could youe keep mepany before the dinner?¡± I asked anxiously, not wanting to be alone and needing every possible piece of information about Sin.


    A soft smile grazed her face, ¡°I just need to finish up the choice I was assigned to and I will be back.¡±


    ¡± Thank you.¡±


    After she left, an eerie silence engulfed the room and I drew in a deep breath.


    I need to be brave and smart.


    The warm water hardly soothed the wreck that became my nerves. I wished more than ever that an hour would turn into two hours. Anything to keep me away froming face to-face with that monster.


    I sat inside the bathtub until the water had be cold and my fingers were wrinkled. I came out of the bathtub with a bathrobe wrapped around my naked body, and I walked back into the room.


    Zoey was already there waiting for me. She directed me to a seat in the room as she helped me with my hair and makeup.


    ¡± Why do people call him Sin?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡± I don¡¯t know, but I heard he preferred being called Sin and no one was allowed to call him by his real name, not even family,¡± Zoey said.


    ¡± Do you know his name?¡±


    ¡± We aren¡¯t allowed to say his name, Mani,¡± she replied warily.


    ¡± Please, I think I deserve to know who my kidnapper is. Don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked desperately.


    ¡± Niki Violenta,¡± she whispered, ¡°Please always address him as Sin,¡± she pleaded. I nodded, knowing fully well that I wasn¡¯t going to listen to her. If his name pricks him, then I would dly use it against him.


    An hourter, I was dressed and ready. My breath was shallow and my fingers clung to the soft material of my dress as Zoey led me down the waving hallway to the dining room.

 CHAPTER SEVEN

    Sin was already waiting when I entered. He was like a king at the end of the table. His unyielding gaze stopped me in my tracks. His tattooed arms were exposed, set in full disy as his ck shirt sleeves were rolled up. Heat spread through me when he sized me up.


    ¡± I hoped you enjoyed your rest, since you slept through yesterday and today.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother answering him and took a seat further away from him. Sin looked greatly dissatisfied by this, but didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°You look lovely,¡± he said once more, his voice hoarse and his face cold. I couldn¡¯t read his face, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t notice the heat dancing around his ck orb, making them darker than ever, if it was even possible.


    His stare never wavered. I could feel it burning into my skin even when I refused to meet his gaze. I kept my eyes downcast, staring at the beautiful texture of the table just to avoid looking at him.


    ¡± I know you have questions, so I will give you permission to ask. ¡± The nerve of this guy. Who does he think he is?


    Since I have been given the opportunity to ask questions, maybe he will tell me why he kidnapped me in the first ce.


    ¡± Why am I here?¡± I asked, finally mustering all the courage and strength to look up.


    ¡± I thought I answered this question yesterday. It¡¯s simple. I want you, which literally makes you mine. ¡± he rumbled, rubbing his chin, lips pulled up in a tiny smile.


    ¡± You can¡¯t just im me like I¡¯m some object. I¡¯m a human with rights,¡± I snapped angrily at him.


    He didn¡¯t respond to that. He sank back into his chair, thick brows knitted together. ¡± Does the room suit your taste, little temptress?¡± he said, trying to change the subject.


    ¡± Since it¡¯s no different from a prison cell, I don¡¯t see why I should be enjoying the views and gettingfortable.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡± You won¡¯tck anything here. You belong to me now and I will ensure you have everything you could ever want. You just need to tell me. ¡±


    ¡± Then let me go,¡± I pleaded, trying to get to him. I have been here for two days and he hasn¡¯t harmed me in any way, despite what Luca and Zoey said. Maybe I can find a way to reason with him.


    The look in his eyes sharpened ¡± anything but that. I¡¯m never letting you go. ¡±


    My heart was broken by his words. I held back the tears threatening to fall, not wanting to show any weakness. ¡°Then I need nothing from you.¡±


    Silence settled between us, broken by the sound of the maids entering the room with tes of food. Sin didn¡¯t bother sparing them, not even a single nce. His eyes never leaving mine.


    The delicious smell of food hit my nostrils, making my stomach growl, and I remembered thest time I ate was yesterday morning. I didn¡¯t realize I was so hungry, hungry enough to disregard his unwavering gaze. We ate in silence for a while until a thought crossed my mind.


    ¡± There is one thing I want from you,¡± I said halfway through the meal. Sin didn¡¯t say anything, but I knew he was listening. I felt his eyes on me. ¡± I still have one more week before graduating and I would like to finish what I started. I have worked so hard to get through university and I wasn¡¯t nning on giving up when I was almost close to graduating. ¡±


    Sin looked up like he was pondering the idea ¡°No,¡± the simple word cut like a knife.


    ¡± So much for anything.¡± I spat out, ¡°People will notice I¡¯m gone, especially my best friend since I didn¡¯te home.¡±


    ¡± Nobody is looking for you. I sent a message to your friend Stephanie. I told her you wouldn¡¯t be around for a while, and that you had to make ast-minute visit to a rtive in London¡±.


    ¡°She won¡¯t believe you. I don¡¯t have any rtives in London.¡± I yelled


    ¡°Oh!, but she will. Don¡¯t tell me you forgot your aunt Sera, your dad¡¯s sister, ¡± he replied cockily.


    My face drained of colour. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I talked to my aunt. She is my dad¡¯s younger sister, and during the time my parents died, she was not financially stable to take me in, though we talk from time to time. I haven¡¯t talked to her in almost a year due to our busy schedule, but I can now maybe briefly remember ourst conversation, when she informed me of the job she took in London that pays well.


    I can¡¯t believe I forgot I told Steph about it. How stupid can I be?


    ¡°I hate you, I hate you.¡± I screamed, and I tried standing up, but his next words made me sit right down.


    ¡± Sit down if you want to see your friends and family again¡± i gulped ¡± Now, you will stay here, anything you need from your apartment will be brought to you. You will do what I say. Do you understand me.¡±


    ¡± I¡¯m not some toy that you can just control, I can make my own decisions and do what ever the hell I want NIKOLAI¡± I said emphasising more on his name.


    His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched tight. He looked so scary and evil. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I made the wise decision to call him by his name.


    I looked at the other side of the table, hoping that I could reach the other side before he got to me, but when I turned, he was right in front of me. I let out a scream and tried to run back, but he quickly wrapped his hands around my neck, bringing me towards him. He held my neck tight but not tight enough that I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    He leaned down, his eyes level with mine. I held my breath, not knowing what to expect. Sin let out a darkugh, scaring the shit out of me.


    I flinched, closing my eyes when I saw him. His hand was raised up and I couldn¡¯t hold back the tears. I felt his hands on my cheek, caressing it softly as he wiped the tears from my face.


    ¡± You should eat more, you haven¡¯t had anything since yesterday morning,¡± he said calmly before standing up. I let out a shaking breath and peeled my eyes open when I heard the sound of his footsteps leaving the dining room. I stood up, running back upstairs to my room, losing my appetite.

 CHAPTER EIGHT

    I didn¡¯t bother leaving the room the next day. I stayed coiled up in bed, trying hard to avoid Sin after what happened yesterday. I was thankful to Zoey for bringing me breakfast and some books to read.


    I finally got tired of lying in bed. Zoey brought some clothes for me this morning. So what better way to unwind than with a hot shower? I pulled off my pyjamas and walked into the bathroom.


    After feeling refreshed and rxed, I wrapped a towel around my body. I stepped out and walked towards the bed, where I put on my new pair of pyjamas. Just when I was about to unwrap the towel, a very familiar, cold, deep voice made me shriek, and I abruptly turned around to face the intruder. My blue eyes were met with piercing dark eyes. I quickly wrapped my hands around my body as I started to tremble under his gaze.


    ¡°Impressed,¡± he said in a rough, husky tone as his eyes travelled down and settled on my legs. He was leaning against the wall beside the door. His eyes remained fixed on my legs. He was wearing a ck shirt which was unbuttoned and a ck trouser. His shirt didn¡¯t help to hide his strong muscles. That didn¡¯t stop the fact that I felt so naked under his gaze and wanted nothing more than to be swallowed by the ground.


    ¡± W¡­ what are you doing here?¡± My voice barely a whisper, and I trembled in fear.


    He didn¡¯t answer; it was like he wasn¡¯t even listening. He started taking slow but dangerous steps towards me, his eyes traveling up from my legs. My trembling legs started to move backwards until I hit the wall. Sin stopped right in front of me, just an inch away. His eyes rested on my chest, which was covered by the towel still wrapped around me.


    His eyes were dark and calm as they ranked all over my body before settling on my face. I knew it was wrong, but my body started feeling so warm under his heated gaze and I felt tingling all over my body and desire started to pool between my legs. I squeezed my thighs together and my little movement didn¡¯t go unnoticed by him. His eyes became darker than ever, his lips curled up to one side, showing a sexy devilish smirk. He was so close to me that I could feel his hot breath and my nose was hit with his strong, alluring cologne.


    ¡± I haven¡¯t even touched you yet and you seem to be turned on already, little temptress,¡± he said in a hu*sky tone, making me feel things I never felt before.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡± In your dreams.¡± I refused to give him that satisfaction, and the smirk on his face waspletely wiped out, reced by a dark, nk expression.


    He raised one of his arms towards my face as he ever so slowly tugged some wet strain behind my ear. I flinched at his touch, making him tilt his head as he saw my reaction.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to lie, little temptress; you may not want me, but your body says otherwise,¡± he said, his voice full of arrogance, as if he knew exactly what he was doing to me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel things down there, but I wasn¡¯t nning on admitting that to him.


    ¡± It¡¯s never going to happen, I will never want you,¡± I screamed out.


    ¡± I have tried being nice to you but it seems not to work, no more,¡± his husky rough voice whispered, yet so calmly.


    He ced his head at the crook of my neck as he started to roughly leave open, wet kisses . I pinched my eyes closed and my hands got tighter around the towel. When I felt his tongue sensually kiss my soft spot, I let out a moan, and I instantly wanted to p myself for reacting like that to his touch. He started giving kisses on my wet skin.


    He kept torturing my neck. His hand came up to tug on the towel wrapped around my body. My eyes fluttered open and my grip on the towel tightened more. My heart started to spike at the thought of him seeing me naked. I had no ce to run and hide.


    He kept tugging harder, but I refused to let go of the towel. Tears began to pool in my eyes. He let go of my neck. His gaze met my blurry eyes. His eyes were filled with lust, and he didn¡¯t bother trying to hide them. He tugged harder, making my eyes snap down to see the towel on the floor.


    I quickly moved my hands to hide my upper and lower regions from his captivating gaze. My eyes were filled with fear.


    ¡°P¡­ please, don¡¯t do this.¡± I mustered up the courage to speak these words. My voice pleaded, and my eyes were desperate to get to him.


    ¡± I can¡¯t wait any longer. You don¡¯t know how bad I want you, even your tears turn me on ¡± His face came closer to me. I could feel his warm breath. His words sent a chill down my body.


    His hand crept up and gripped my hands, pulling them away from my body and exposing my bre@st and lower region to his beautiful, hungry eyes. He tilted his head as he thoughtfully watched my round breasts, as if he was enchanted.


    My body was reacting to his every movement, but my mind was screaming at me to find a way to escape him.


    He licked his lips sensually before meeting my eyes and letting go of me. I picked up the towel from the floor faster than you could say H and wrapped it around my body again.


    ¡± I will be sending you home to finish whatever you need to do, but I won¡¯t be around for a few days. That doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t have my men watching you, so behave. ¡± He said, ¡± I will pick you up next week after your graduation, so pack whatever you need because that would be thest time you would be apart from me.¡± He voiced out deeply. I nodded quickly, wanting to end this moment soon.


    After he left, I walked towards the mirror and tilted my head, touching the spot where his lips had tortured me moments ago. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a red mark.


    He freaking marked me.

 CHAPTER NINE

    The sunlight streamed in through the gaps in my curtains. I had been up for hours just thinking. There was a brief, fleeting moment when everything that had happened within the week vanished from my mind. The moment onlysted a moment before it all came crumbling down. My shoulders shag on their own ord, obviously from being depressed.


    My mood briefly peaked when the smell of pancakes hit my nostrils. I heaved my body from the bed to the floor, beneath my freezing feet. I sulked my way through the bathroom. I sighed sadly, turning off the tap of the shower before discarding my clothes on the floor. I stepped into the shower. Tomorrow was supposed to be a happy asion, but I just couldn¡¯t feel it.


    On another note, tomorrow is my graduation and I can¡¯t help but feel nervous and scared. I will be taken again by Sin. I felt like I was going to throw up at any moment. I walked back to my bedroom, wearing a white sweatshirt and shorts. I shoved some socks into my feet before sauntering downstairs.


    Stephanie¡¯s back was facing me when I plopped down at the kitchen counter. It was silent, apart from the flipping of pancakes. Stephanie turned her head for a minute, shooting me a smile over her shoulder before cing a te of pancakes in front of me.


    ¡°So,¡± she began, before we had the chance to take our first bite. ¡°Where have you been for the past week, and don¡¯t tell me you went to see aunt Sera because I called her. Guess who didn¡¯t make it to London? ¡± She continued sarcastically.


    My heart shattered. I was not nning on telling her what happened. The less she knew, the better. I would rather die than put her and her family at risk. I thought of going to the police, but that n went down the drain after I discovered that Sin¡¯s men were watching me.


    ¡°Come on, Mani.¡± She added, causing me to impulsively snap my head up, ¡°Where have you been? I didn¡¯t bother you for days hoping you would tell me when you were ready, but still.¡±


    ¡± I know, I¡¯m sorry. I went home to my parents¡¯ ce. I just wanted to spend some time with them before graduating. ¡°I lied.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Mani, you should have told me. You didn¡¯t have to go visit their grave by yourself. I know how hard it was for you to stay there. That must be the reason why you have been on edge since you came back¡±.


    I nodded my head impassively at Stephanie, who became sceptical at myck of response. She let out a sigh.


    ¡°Mani,¡± she began, but I quickly intervened. If she asked me if I was okay, I would break down, and I don¡¯t think I would be able to stop myself from spilling everything.


    ¡°No problem, Steph.¡± I spoke, but from her facial expression I knew she wasn¡¯t convinced.


    There was a long, silent pause before she spoke again.


    ¡°You can trust me, Mani. You don¡¯t have to pretend to be okay.¡±


    I said, blinking back tears. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, just a little sad that my parents can¡¯t be here.¡±


    Steph walked towards me, wrapping her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.


    ¡°I also need to tell you something important,¡± I spoke, when she went back to her seat.


    ¡± What is it?¡±


    ¡± I will be leaving after graduation.¡±


    ¡°W.. what, what do you mean?¡± she stuttered, unsure of what to say.


    ¡± I just need to get away for a while.¡± I was trying to reassure her, I needed to get away from Sin and this was my only chance.


    ¡± Okay, we could go together,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°No, I just need to be alone.¡±


    ¡± You can¡¯t just get up and go, Mani. What about your residence?¡± Stephanie asked, confused.


    ¡± I can always do it at any hospital, Steph. I just want to have some time for myself.¡± I pleaded for her to understand.


    ¡± Thest thing I want is for you to go alone, but I can¡¯t stop you, can I?¡± I shook my head, ¡± promise to call and text always.¡±


    ¡± I promise.¡±


    ¡± Where will you be going?¡±


    ¡± I don¡¯t know, I will see where the wind goes.¡±


    ¡± I will miss you,¡± she spoke with tears in her eyes.


    ¡± Me too.¡± I cried out.


    ¡± Enough with this depressing atmosphere, we need to go shopping today. You can¡¯t wear old clothes for your graduation,¡± Stephanie told me, leaving no room for arguments as she ate.


    ¡°fine.¡± It came out in the form of a grumble.


    ¡± I¡¯m going to shower and get ready. You do the same.¡± She let out a sigh before heading to her room. I quickly finished up my breakfast and headed back to my room. I changed into a pink sweatshirt and joggers. I put my hair up into a ponytail, then put some concealer around my eyes before applying mascara and eyeliner.


    ¡± Are you ready, Mani¡± I heard Stephanie yell from the living room.


    ¡± Yeah, just let me get my bag and off we go,¡± I yelled back at her, collecting my bag and phone from my room.


    We spent twenty minutes on the car ride, screaming our lungs out to our favourite songs. The second we stepped into the mall, I didn¡¯t know what to buy, so I just let Stephanie decide what to buy and what not to buy.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    The shop we entered was beautiful. It looked like a ce out of a fairy tale. There were hundreds of dresses, from long to short. And they were all stunning.


    We tried out dresses upon dresses. Steph was able to find a beautiful dress with a high slit on the side.


    ¡± What about this one?¡± I looked at Stephanie¡¯s hands. In one there was a beautiful red gown with a slit at the side, in the other was a short off-shoulder blue gown.


    ¡± I will go with the blue gown. Blue was my mom¡¯s favourite.¡± Stephanie smiled at me, giving the red gown back to the attendant.


    I pulled out my card to pay, but Stephanie beat me to it. ¡± Steph, no. You have done so much for me and I can pay for my dress¡±.


    ¡± I know you can, so just take it as a graduation gift.¡± I looked at her disapprovingly. She rolled her eyes and threw a kiss in my direction. After that, she paid, and we headed to the food court for lunch.


    After getting our food and picking a table, I noticed three guys sitting a few tables down from us. They looked huge and scary. One was on the phone, looking at us as he talked to whomever was on the other side of the phone. My eyes gazed over the three of them and stopped at the wrist of one of them, who had a simr tattoo to one I had seen before, of a skull with a V in the middle .


    My face is drained of colour. They were Sin¡¯s men.


    ¡± Mani, are you okay?, What are you looking at? ¡± I zoned back in and quickly looked at Stephanie, stopping her from looking back.


    I stuttered out nervously, ¡°n.. no, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡± Are you sure you look kind of pale?¡± she asked again, essing my face. I put on a fake smile, hoping she would fall for it.


    ¡± I¡¯m okay, just tired,¡± I let out, still with a smile on my face.


    Steph let out a sigh with a pout on her face, ¡°I wish I was graduating with you. It sucks that I still have one more year.¡±


    ¡°Oh boo boo, I¡¯m sure you will be okay,¡± I said,ughing at her dramatic behaviour.


    ¡± Why did I have to take a year off?¡± she whined.


    ¡°If I remembered correctly, you wanted to see the world.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­, why¡­¡± She groaned dramatically.


    Iughed out loud at this ¡± ask yourself.¡± I¡¯m really going to miss her a lot, but this was the only way to keep them safe.


    ????


    Finally, it is the day of my graduation and I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t freaking the hell out. The hall was filled with people, and I couldn¡¯t think straight. There were like five people in front of me when I wanted there to be like a hundred. I definitely did not want to fall on my way up the stage. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.


    ¡°Normani Parker¡±.


    I heard my name and I took off walking towards the stage. I smiled, looking down at Steph screaming. Everyone was pping their hands. I was so grateful for it.


    I shook hands with the president of the school before grabbing my diploma. He congratted me, and I thanked him. I looked at the camera and smiled before walking off the stage. That wasn¡¯t so bad at all.


    After the calling of names and throwing of caps, we were finally able to mingle with families.


    I hugged my aunt Sera tight and sheughed, rocking me from side to side. When we exited the hall, she was waiting for me along with Stephanie¡¯s parents with a big bouquet of flowers, bringing tears to my eyes.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡± She handed me the flower.


    ¡°Thanks, Aunt Sera.¡±


    ¡± You look stunning,¡± Amelia, Stephanie¡¯s mom,plimented.


    ¡°Thanks Aunt Amelia, you look beautiful like you haven¡¯t aged a day.¡± I walked towards her, giving her a bone-crushing hug before letting go of her.


    ¡± Congrattions kiddo, your parents will be so proud.¡± Carson, Stephanie¡¯s dad spoke, hugging me in the process. He ced a light kiss on the top of my head.


    ¡°Move, move. It¡¯s my turn,¡± Stephanie whined, dragging me out of her dad¡¯s hold.


    ¡± There are enough hugs to go round, Steph,¡± I cooed yfully.


    ¡± I don¡¯t care,¡± she grumbled childishly, hugging me as tight as she could.


    ¡± Stephanie Maria King, let the poor girl breathe,¡± Amelia scolded, making aunt Sera and uncle Carsonugh.


    We all let out augh, enjoying the moment.


    ¡°You act like you didn¡¯t see me before the ceremony. We drove together, Steph. Remember. ¡±


    ¡± I know, I¡¯m just so happy and proud of you. Bestie. I¡¯m really going to miss you when you leave. ¡± Steph said, grabbing my hand and giving it a light squeeze. ¡± Come on, let¡¯s take some pictures.¡±


    We all gathered around, taking various kinds of pictures, making silly faces, and I felt really happy.

 CHAPTER TEN

    To celebrate my graduation, we decided to have lunch at a very fancy and expensive restaurant.


    When we stepped in, the hostess was already leading us to a table in the left corner, giving us a perfect view. We got seated and ordered our drinks first, then food. I ordered a chicken sd, Stephanie ordered a shrimp sd, Aunt Sera got soup, and Aunt Amelia and Uncle Carson ordered steaks, saying they were hungry.


    ¡°So Mani, Steph told us, you n on going for a short vacation. Do you have a ce in mind?¡± Aunt Amelia asked.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going; I haven¡¯t decided yet. Now that I¡¯ve graduated, I figured I¡¯d pack up and go on a short trip. You know, enjoy the things I couldn¡¯t, even if it¡¯s for a short while¡±. I replied.


    ¡°I understand, dear, and you need it. If you ever need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to call.¡± Uncle Carson said, and I nodded in response.


    ¡°Same here, Mani. Keep in touch and visit.¡± My aunt Sera said


    ¡°I will, aunt Sera. I¡¯m grateful to have you all there for me. I couldn¡¯t have done any of this without you. I love you all.¡±


    ¡°We love you too,¡± they all responded simultaneously.


    Lunch went smoothly, and it was a st. We talked about a lot of things,ughing while telling each other silly jokes and stories.


    In the middle of our meal, the waitress came with a cocktail and a cake with the inscription ¡°congrattions.¡± She put it in front of me. I looked up at her, confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you must have the wrong table. I didn¡¯t order this.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Normani Parker?¡± She asked with a smile on her face. I nodded in response, not trusting my voice.


    ¡°Then this is definitely yours.¡±


    ¡°From whom?¡± Steph asked, confusion sipping from her tone.


    ¡°SIN.¡± I stilled at the mention of his name, looking around the restaurant to see if he was here, but wasn¡¯t able to spot him, only his goons. ¡°Have a nice day,¡± the waitress said before leaving.


    ¡± Sin. I mean, do people really call themselves that? Stephanie asked, letting out augh, but stopped when she saw the seriousness on my face, and soon confusion sipped in: ¡°Why are you acting so tense?. Do you know who this person is?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m as confused as you.¡± My heart spiked as I spit out these lies, knowing fully well who he was.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Uncle Carson asked, looking agitated. I gave him a puzzled look, wondering why he seemed to be on high alert. His eyes wandered around the restaurant, like he was looking for someone, which made me curious to know if that someone was who I thought it was.


    That would be totally absurd. There is no way Uncle Carson would have ever met the likes of Niki Vinte, let alone known him.


    I cleared the thought from my head and gave him a smile before responding. ¡°I¡¯m positive; they probably just got the wrong table.¡±


    I watched as his features calmed down a little before he nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s just have our lunch and go,¡±


    We all carried on with our lunch, ignoring the cake ced on the table. I could feel my anxiety growing with each passing second.


    When getting home, not before dropping Aunt Sera and Stephanie¡¯s parents at the airport. Stephanie went out with some friends after I persuaded her to go. I didn¡¯t waste any time rushing toward my room.


    I took out a duffle bag from my closet. It quickly became overflowing with clothes, money I had saved, and other necessities.


    A part of me thought this was a foolish act, an attempt to escape from Sin. But I knew I would regret it if I didn¡¯t try, even if I didn¡¯t have a proper n. All I want to do is get as far away as I can from New York. I had to act now, and the distance was the only thing that mattered.


    I zipped up the duffle bag, tossing it around my shoulder. I knew Sin was very capable of tracking me down. That¡¯s why I needed to be careful, especially with his goons watching me.


    The window frame rattled when I opened it. I quickly looked around. My legs dangled from the second-floor window as I tried not to fall to my death. I was thankful it was already dark outside; I didn¡¯t want the neighbours to call the cops on me.


    My heart beat faster with every step I took. The second my foot touched the floor, I sprinted off across the street, not minding the looks I was getting.


    I didn¡¯t care if I looked at all insane; the only thought I had was the need to leave here, to escape.


    No one knew about the danger chasing me or what the train wreck in my life had be. I sprinted past the buildings, passed the crowds, passed the streetlights, and boarded the first cab I saw to the train station.


    I was barely able to catch the train leaving the city. My body slumped against the seat, my chest heaving. The ticket I had purchased was crumbling between my shaking hands.


    Free atst!


    I rested my head on the window sill, letting out a shaken breath. The driver let out a series of details about the journey. I ced my bag on myp, holding onto it like my life depended on it,


    Which it actually does.


    A sigh of relief left my lips. I forced my eyes closed.


    The chatter of people sitting behind me could be heard as I paid no mind to their words. The train began to move only to stop abruptly. I sat up quickly, much like everyone else watching in confusion, trying to understand what was happening.


    The train door burst open, and a man d in ck suit stepped in. Colour drained from my face as a particr man came into view.


    Please, no¡­


    His cold, unwavering stare fell on me, shattering every hope I had to safely escape.


    I pressed myself deeper into the seat, wishing it would absorb me. If only a ck hole could just appear and swallow me up, I would dly appreciate it. My blue eyes fell to the ground. I didn¡¯t bother looking up when he came to stand beside me. His cold gaze was drilling holes into my skull.


    How did he find me so fast?


    ¡°Come with me.¡± His firm tone spoke louder than words, leaving no room for argument.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I was too scared to move, so I stayed rooted to my seat.


    ¡°I hate repeating myself, amore.¡± His eyes were cold, his face nk. ¡°Come with me, or I won¡¯t hesitate to shoot every single person on this train before dragging you out.¡±


    I looked to see a gun strapped to his belt. Without any words, I stood up and followed him out of the train.


    ¡°Get in,¡± Sin ordered, jutting his chin towards a ck SUV. ¡°And don¡¯t even think about doing anything stupid.¡± He threatened


    Nervously, I got into the backseat of the car. He got in beside me before mming and locking the door.


    ¡°I thought you were smart,¡± he said, his expression hard. ¡°Not that I wasn¡¯t expecting this, but did you really think you could escape from me?¡± He didn¡¯t bother looking at me. His jaw moved as he clenched and unclenched his teeth.


    I pressed myself against the edge of the locked car, putting as much distance as possible between the two of us.


    ¡°What did you expect me to do?. You left me with no choice. I have a life of my own.¡± My voice was surprisingly steady, which gave me a boost, even though I was scared off my ass. ¡°You can¡¯t just expect me to leave everything behind just because you have a silly obsession with me.¡±


    In a heartbeat, Sin reached over to me, capturing my chin in his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it is a silly obsession, little temptress, but you are mine.¡± His thumb flicked across my bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯ve been too soft on you. I need to punish you because you can¡¯t seem to grasp the fact that you belong to me, and I would be damned if I ever let you go.¡±


    My body trembled; his voice sent chills of fear down my spine. He slowly let go of my chin but still sat close to me. I tried to speak, but I couldn¡¯t make a full sentence as I felt the prick of a needle on my neck. I felt my body go limp and couldn¡¯t move or talk. My eyes became drowsy, and I weed the darkness.

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

    My body was utterly andpletely drained of energy when I woke up. My head is throbbing, and my eyes are itchy.


    Although I feel thefort of the bed on my back, making me want to stretch out my arms so I can get morefortable, the thing is, I can¡¯t move them. I look up, and they are handcuffed to the headboard. I sat up, feeling a soft fabric beneath me, and tried to put the pieces together, but the colour drained from my face. I was caught. I was dumbfounded. I thought I had nned it all well, but I guess not.


    I¡¯m so stupid, I mentally yell at myself. Of course, he would be two steps ahead of me.


    I tried to shake the chains back and forth, but that only made my wrists hurt. Thankfully, my legs were not tied.


    I keep wriggling my hand, the clinks of the headboard against the metal cuffs intensifying.


    ¡°I suggest you stop that, unless you want to hurt yourself by slicing your skin open.¡± A deep voice erupted from the room, urging me to snap my head around and look for the source. only to see Sin casually sitting on a couch in the room, his hands on each side of the seat and a ss of drink in hand.


    I opened my mouth to talk, but he interrupted me, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t even try to talk; all you need to do is listen.¡± He hisses, and I swallow the ball of nerves forming in my throat.


    ¡°You have no idea how angry I am at you, Normani. You thought you could fucking deceive me and run away from me.¡± He spits in rage, his eyes on me, and I eyed him in fear.


    ¡°When will you get it into that thick skull of yours that you¡¯re mine?. How many times are you going to make an attempt to escape before you realize that you belong to me?¡± He asked angrily and stood up to walk toward the bed before stopping at the foot of it. Fisting his hand in rage as I struggled to move, he simply stared at me for a brief moment before aggressively smashing the ss of drink on the floor.


    My body shook, and I started to move backward until my back hit the bed board, watching hime forward, grabbing a fistful of my hair in his fingers.


    ¡°You stupid little girl, you tried to cross a man like me.¡± With a thud, he pped me hard on my right cheek, and before I could react, one more strikended on my cheek. I sobbed hard. My hair was again in his rigid clutch.


    Heat and anger radiated from his face, and he was too close for my liking.


    I cried out. I kept my eyes cast down on the floor, fearing what he might do next.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± his steely voicemanded calmly, but I knew better. I remained motionless. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to meet his gaze, so my eyes strained on the white marble floor.


    His hand grabbed my chin and made me look at his angry eyes. ¡°When I tell you to do something, you do it.¡± Understand. ¡± He said.


    I looked at his handsome face, and I felt fear and pain numb as fury rose in me.


    ¡°Open your fucking mouth and answer me, Mani.¡± He spoke calmly, but his body shook tremendously due to anger.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± I spat out. There was no way I was listening to this monster. I¡¯d rather die than obey him.


    He stared down at me before handing me another hard p. I cked out for a second. I couldn¡¯t use my hands to relieve my sore cheek, which was throbbing in pain due to being chained to the headboard.


    He clutched my neck in a tight grip and smashed my head behind the headboard. I screamed when my head started to throb badly.


    ¡°But I must admit, seeing you all tired and helpless makes mepelled to do a lot more things to you.¡± He states casually, ¡°The struggle you¡¯re putting on right now is turning me on to the point where I don¡¯t think I can restrain myself,¡± he adds.


    Hovering over me, he runs his fingers up and down my hips, making me fudge in his hold. He slowly lowers his face, bringing it close to mine. I shivered at his touch.


    ¡± p¡­ Please, stop¡±. I sigh in defeat. I can¡¯t push him off, and he¡¯s got all the power now, seeing as I am chained to the bed.


    His hand touched my breast, making me moan unintentionally. ¡°I love how you react to my touch. I¡¯m the only man who will make you feel this way for the rest of your life. No, I mean our lives,¡± he said.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s try this again. Shall we?¡± He asked calmly, his grip on my neck cutting off my oxygen supply. ¡°So what¡¯s it going to be, little temptress?¡±


    I kept moving my body, trying to release his death grip, which only tightened.


    ¡°fuck you.¡± I managed to cry out.


    He smirked at me before releasing the grip on my throat. I took in gulps of air greedily before he trapped my hair again. I red at him, which only made him chuckle softly. I tried using my legs to kick him off as hard as I could.


    Without any remorse, he grabbed my legs and pulled them down hard, making me cry out in pain. He just stood there, towering over me, as i whimper in agony. I struggled to sit up, but he used his hands to pull me back down. His hands pressed down on my stomach, applying enough pressure to cause a bruise.


    ¡°I will never stop looking for a way to escape you,¡± I cried out in a struggle, but all I got from him was a devilish smirk.


    ¡°I see. Then you have no problem if I take Stephanie. She would be the perfect person to taste out my new torture tools.¡± My heart drops as soon as he says those words.


    ¡°No,¡± I begged, his finger running across my cheek as I closed my eyes.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What about your aunt Sera? I can¡¯t seem to pick between the two, so why not both?¡± He yfully suggests, and I feel tears forming in my eyes. He can¡¯t kill them, and I won¡¯t let it happen.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this,¡± I cry out, trying to pry his hands off me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, angel. You can easily fix this. All you have to say is that you¡¯re mine, and you¡¯ll have a great life.¡± He wipes away my tears and says, ¡°I¡¯m the only man who¡¯ll get the chance to make love to you, touch you, kiss you, and worship you. I want to consume every thought in your mind. I want to be the only person you think about every day. I want you to feel lonely when I¡¯m not around, as you beg me to please you.¡± He adds in a dangerous whisper against my ear, then bites my earlobe.


    He inches closer, closing the space between us. ¡°I want you¡­.,¡± he deres, his pupils dting, ¡°in every way.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I sobbed quietly.


    ¡°Because you belong to me, I own you,¡± he said, tucking a strain of my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°You are crazy, you monster,¡± I screamed out, tears dripping from my eyes.


    ¡°I have been called far worse.¡± I tried not to cry, but the tears just wouldn¡¯t stop.


    He brought his hand down to my neck, grabbing it gently. With his eyes showing how much he wanted me, he slightly touched my blouse. slowly but firmly, from my corbone down to my breast. He took his sweet time circling my hidden nipples, knowing their correct position.


    My breath quickened. I have never felt this way before, considering the only boyfriend I ever had was Jason, but I have never been touched like this before. I felt something strange from his touch, making me feel incredibly aroused and disgusted at the same time. I spat at his face in anger as tears gathered in my eyes.


    He wiped the spit off his face and smirked at me, and he brought his hand slowly down to my stomach, sliding his hand down to my blouse to raise it up. slowly. He was ying with me and clearly enjoying my reaction. But I refused to give him that satisfaction. Like he knew, his expression changed, and he chuckled darkly, showing how annoyed he was at my reaction.


    This sent a shiver down my spine, and my heart quickened, beating faster than ever.


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± Sin grumbled as he ripped apart my clothes with a wicked smile on his face. ¡°Stunning, more than I had imagined.¡± Iy naked under his gaze.


    I started kicking him when he leaned down, trying to stop him, but it was like he felt nothing, and without any hesitation, he pressed his lips on my breast. He brought out his tongue, licking my breast one at a time. I felt weak and pathetic, so I decided to look away from his assault.


    There was no point in fighting him; he was strong and lethal. Fighting him would just put me in more trouble. He brought his hand up, releasing my hands from the chains on the headboard.


    The minute my hands came loose, I pushed with all my might, making him stumble. I was so rmed that I quickly got up and started running toward the first door I saw. But he was quick to hold me by the waist and throw me back on the bed with a thud.


    He used his hands to raise me a bit to unhook my bra, forcefully taking it and throwing it on the ground. I immediately covered my breasts, feeling self-conscious. His hands grabbed my elbow, trying to pull my hands away.


    ¡°Show me.¡± I shook my head violently as tears rolled down my cheeks.


    ¡°P-please don¡¯t do this,¡± I muttered, gathering the courage to speak these words. My voice pleaded, and my eyes were desperate to get to him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how badly I want you, and I n on having you in so many ways.¡± His face came closer to mine. I could feel his warm breath. His words sent a chill down my body.


    ¡°Now, show them to me,¡± he said, the words slowly hinting at a threat with each word. My body trembled at hearing him. ¡°Do you want me to force you?¡± He was scary enough, and I didn¡¯t want to see what he would do when he forced me. I let go of my pride and put my hands down.


    He grinned like he had just aplished something. ¡°Good girl,¡± he said, as he rested me back on the bed and attached his mouth to my right nipple while his hand was ying with the other one. He kept licking, sucking, and nibbling like he was starving. He moaned as he sucked and licked the hard nub.


    My clit clenched as a wave of pleasure washed over me, but I couldn¡¯t stop him. I thought of Steph and her family. The thought of losing them brought tears to my eyes.


    ¡°Please, Sin, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Niki, that¡¯s what you would scream when you moan my name,¡± he said. I bit my lip, controlling the tears that threatened to escape as he continued to assault me.


    His touch was gentle, and the pleasure became impossible to bear. I closed my eyes when he bit down on my nipples, as his hand kept fondling my other breast.


    He kissed my stomach and rose on his knee, staring down at me. He removed his shirt, revealing his inked chest and arms curved in beautiful ink symbols. It hurt to look at him, seeing how marvellous he looked but rotten to the core.


    ¡°I would never want you, so just give up and leave me alone. Raping me won¡¯t change anything¡±. I tried to reason with him.


    He tilted his head to the side, staring deeply at me before his hands moved down my waistline, stopping at my shots and pulling them off my legs along with my pants. I gasped in shock and tried to close my legs, but he used his hands, pulling them apart and slipping a finger into my folds.

 CHAPTER TWELVE

    His thumb rubbed my clit area and he moved in a circle, increasing my pleasure. I started to pant. I tried to move away from him, but his other hand gripped my waist, preventing me from escaping his touch as he continued to give me pleasure I couldn¡¯t deny.


    Two fingers slipped inside me, and I let out a painful gasp, which turned into a pleasurable moan. I bit down on my lip hard, trying to stop a loud moan.


    He let out a chuckle. ¡°You say you don¡¯t want me, but look how dripping wet you are for me.¡±


    He removed his fingers from me as his lips attacked my neck, cing wet kisses on it. He slowly made his way down my body and stopped at my stomach, cing kisses on it.


    He kept on leaving his marks all over my body-his mouth on my nipple while his hand grabbed my left breast, pinching the nipple. He made his way lower, stopping at my core. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to ignore the senses that jolted.


    ¡°Fuck, I love how your body responds to me.¡± He gently blew on my clit, and the sensation made me shiver with pleasure. ¡°Just please stop,¡± I begged.


    He made a hmm sound instead before his lips met my clit. He licked my fold, causing me to shiver from the intensity. I hated it but loved it.


    He licked my lower lips, and I tried moving my body again. I couldn¡¯t let him think I liked what he was doing. He grabbed my hips and pulled me back.


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, where do you think you are going?¡± Heughed, and I could see he was enjoying it.


    ¡± Stop, please; I won¡¯t try to run away again. I promise.¡± I yelled at him, hoping to reason with him.


    He just continued. He started licking my clit harder, and I could feel myself getting closer to cumming. A loud moan identally slipped past my mouth, and I closed my eyes.


    Damn, he probably heard that.


    He quickened his pace even more and added a finger. I couldn¡¯t stop screaming, not sure if it was because I was being touched in this way by a criminal or out of pleasure. I hated myself for feeling a slight bit of pleasure, but this emotion was new to me. He started pumping his finger in and out.


    He withdrew his finger and started rubbing my core furiously. My legs parted automatically, giving him more space. He pinched my clit , earning a moan from me.


    I moaned in pleasure, though my mind was screaming like shit at me. My body just didn¡¯t listen, and I started crying silently. Sin kept on sucking harder and harder until he bit my clit , pulling them in the same motion over and over again.


    ¡°Niki,¡± I moaned, his name.


    ¡°Say my name again,¡± he said huskily. Pleasure was rising inside me, and I couldn¡¯t make it stop.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Say my name,¡± he whispered again. I stayed silent, not reacting to his sinful touch.


    He sucked on my clit harder and slipped his tongue into my core, making me gasp.


    ¡°Niki!¡± I eximed with delight.


    When he rubbed my clit furiously, making me scream in pleasure, my wall constricted around his tongue, and I was getting closer to climax. My body started to shiver as he rubbed my core.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, amore,e for me,¡± he praised, and my body obeyed.


    ¡°Delicious,¡± he murmured and got up to his feet, taking off his pants. Panic rose within me. I looked down to see a huge bulge in his boxers.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I beg of you: please don¡¯t do this, Niki. I won¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t ever disobey you, I promise.¡± I whimpered, begging him, hoping that this time he would heed my plea.


    His movement stopped, and he looked at me. He was staring at my tear-stained face, filled with unreadable emotions. ¡°And how am I to trust that you won¡¯t go against me?¡± I gulped, wetting my lips. My mind swirled with so many words, trying to look for an appropriate answer, anything to get him to stop his unwanted assault on my body.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise. Just please, don¡¯t¡­ do this¡±. I answered weakly aftering up with nothing to say.


    He tilted his head to the side, his gaze still on me. He stared deeply into my eyes, like he was trying to deduce if I was lying or not.


    My heart pondered against my chest, hoping for him to retreat, but when I saw his head dipping anding close to mine, I panicked in defeat, withering underneath his hold.


    He moved his head close to mine. His lips brushed my lips before moving to my neck, leaving a feather-like kiss until he stopped at my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m letting you go tonight, not because I want to, but the thought of you begging for me to have you makes it thrilling. Call me a sadistic bastard, but by the end of the week, I n on making youe to me. Desperate for me to have you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never going to happen.¡± I snapped before I could stop myself, and his lips raised in a smirk, loving the challenge.


    ¡°Never say never, little temptress.¡± He whispered. ¡± Questo ¨¨ un gioco che senza dubbio perderai (This is a game you will no doubt lose.)¡± He says in Italian before moving away from me, and I breathe out a breath of relief, watching him put on his clothes and give me one final look before walking out of the room.


    With shaky breath and legs, I rose to my feet, walking towards the door and locking it, scared he might change his mind ande back to finish what he started.


    I forced my legs back to where the bed was,ying on it as I pulled the duvet over my naked body. My hands pped over my lips, holding back the sob as the tears pooled in my eyes. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I cried. All I knew was that I cried till I was dizzy and, no doubt, cried myself to sleep.

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    When I came through again, it was morning. The harsh sun hitting my face did nothing but worsen the headache I was feeling.


    My eyes shifted around the room, settling on the door to see that it was still locked from the inside. This made me puff out a sigh of relief, knowing Sin wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight.


    I remained in the same position on the bed, justying there numb, wondering how my life had turned into such disaster.


    Why did I have to go through such an ordeal? Why me and not someone else?


    Wiping the tears that fell down my eyes, I slowly turned my head to the other side of the bed where a table clock rested, seeing that it read 8:30 in the morning.


    Not that I had anywhere to go. I was trapped here.


    trapped by that monster. with no idea of what he might do next.


    Last night was a clear demonstration of how evil he was. He might not have taken me against my will, but heaven knows he was this close to having his way, and the only reason he stopped was because of his sinister n to have me beg for it.


    He was doing all this for fun.


    I was pulled back tost night and how his fingers had caressed my body, leaving a sweet tingle with each wake. The feeling of disgust instantly hits me. I was angry and disgusted at myself for how easy it was for him to make my body weak to his touch, betraying every resolve I felt against him.


    If he hadn¡¯t stopped when he did, I was certain he would have been able to possess my body and mind like he wanted to.


    I won¡¯t let him win. I don¡¯t care how much my body betrays me; I was going to resist him. There was no way I was ever going to beg for him to take me.


    ¡°Never,¡± I muttered with determination, vigorously wiping the tears off my face and wincing in the process.


    After getting tired of just lying in bed, feeling bad for myself, I tried getting up, but my body ached and my eyes fell on my naked body, which was bruised.


    A loud groan left my lips as I struggled to put both my legs on the floor, pushing myself up while flinching with every step.


    With every step I took, my knees felt weak, and I held onto the wall for support as I walked toward the mirror. A gasp left my lips when I stared back at my reflection.


    My hair is a tangled mess, and there are marks and bruises all over my body in deep red and swollen. My face was in a shade of red due to being hit; my eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles adorned below it.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears that threatened to fall; I just didn¡¯t recognize myself anymore, and all I could do was wish I had just stayed home that night instead of going to that club with Stephanie.


    Not being able to stare at my reflection anymore, I carried on using the wall as a support, walking towards the bathroom.


    I moved towards the bathtub, filling it with warm water before getting in it. The water did its magic, helping ease the stiffness my body felt, but that was all it could do.


    It didn¡¯t help that I was alone and close to my breaking point with no one to help. Raising my knees, I hugged myself and, resting my face on my knees, I sobbed my sadness away.


    I was so miserable.


    Weak, pathetic, and helpless-these words describe me precisely. Why did I be his sick obsession? I had a beautiful life; why did he have to ruin it? He abused me and threatened me with the people I care about.


    What am I supposed to do now? He is dangerous and maniptive, pretending like he doesn¡¯t want to hurt me, but I knew better.


    After my breakdown, I remained seated in the bathtub until I felt the coldness of the water on my skin, which prompted me to rise up.


    I slowly got to my feet, picking up a clean bathrobe and wrapping it around my body before making my way out of the bathroom.


    My footstep halts when I see Sin sitting casually on the couch while typing on his phone.


    How did he get in?


    I didn¡¯t get the chance to ponder on that when his head raised when he felt my presence; his gaze racked my face, and more importantly, my cheek.


    His eyes shifted from my cheek to my eyes then back to my cheek before getting up from the couch and walking slowly towards me, causing me to move back until my back hit the door of the bathroom and his height towered against mine.


    He kept staring at me, which made me feel uneasy. My breath quickened, and my eyes wandered around the room, scared to meet his gaze.


    ¡°How was your night?¡± He asked, and I almost scoffed at how casual he was. I raised my head, my eyes meeting his in a re, not saying anything. ¡°Seeing how puffy your eyes are, I¡¯m guessing you cried yourself to sleep.¡± He says, getting no word from me as I turned away from him.


    Sin sighed, his jaw clenched, and he looked away briefly before speaking again. ¡°You haven¡¯t had anything sincest night; I will get Zoey to bring breakfast for you and an Advil to help with the pain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t really feel like having anything right now or I might throw up.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat. Breakfast is essential, Mani.¡± He said it again, acting like he cared about me.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I just want to sleep some more. I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I said, dismissing his words.


    It was silent for a moment before he spoke again. ¡°Fine, I will get Zoey to bring up something for youter,¡± he said, clearly frustrated.


    I didn¡¯t bother responding and instead walked past him to the bed, getting under the cover. He didn¡¯t say anything or reprimand me for being rude.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    The sound of the door closing had me releasing a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. I slowly closed my eyes, nearly falling asleep, until I felt something cold press against my cheek, causing me to jump due to the sensation as my eyes snapped open.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Sin questioned me with a sorrowful expression, cing a cloth of ice against my cheek, and he gently caressed my bruised and swollen face.


    I hated the look in his eyes and the pain in his voice; I felt like the fact that he had hurt me was a source of conflict for him.


    And frankly, I was tired of crying and feeling pity for myself. I just want to go to sleep and never wake up again.


    ¡°I need to reduce the swelling and redness in your face. I hate seeing you like this. You just won¡¯t understand. ¡± He kept talking like he was talking to himself, because whatever he said made no sense. I kept my gaze cast down to the floor.


    ¡°This is much better.¡± He examined my face closely and said, ¡°Look at me, amore.¡± His voice sounded pleading. I didn¡¯t bother moving my eyes from the floor or acknowledging his presence.


    He let out a sigh. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped.


    ¡°I left the painkiller on the table, have it before you sleep.¡± He paused, waiting for me to reply, but was weed with a silent ¡°I will leave you to rest. If you need anything, call Zoey.¡± He says so after a few minutes, his voice low and dejected. He stood up from the bed, walking out of the room.

 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

    It was noon when I finally came out of my slumber, and just like the morning, Iy in bed, my face towards the window, just staring nkly at it since I had nothing to do and I was scared of leaving the room as I didn¡¯t want to cross paths with Sin. Not that anything was going to stop him if he decided to walk into the room.


    I let out a sigh and held onto my tummy when it grumbled, alerting me that I hadn¡¯t had anything sincest night.


    My eyes shifted from the window to the door, contemting whether or not if it was a good idea to leave the room. The more I swirled about the possible danger, the more my tummy growled with hunger.


    Deciding it was best to get something to eat, I gently rose to my feet, making my way to the door, beforeing to a halt and realising that I was still wearing a bathrobe with nothing underneath.


    I couldn¡¯t go out there like this. I had no idea of the number of people in this house. Letting out yet another defeating sigh, I began making my way back to the bed when I caught sight of a familiar old duffle bag at the far end of the room, beside the couch.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Without wasting any time, I walked over to it, searching through it, and pulling out a blue Jeans and a in white top. I got out of the bathrobe, changing into them before walking back towards the door and peeping out.


    When I was certain that there was no one outside, I stepped out of the room and wandered the halls of the mansion, trying to find my way to the kitchen while taking in the beauty of the mansion, which I hadn¡¯t seen thest time I was here.


    It had many pieces of art, and the d¨¦cor was amazing. Whoever decorated the mansion was a pro. I made my way down the grand staircase and walked in the direction I assumed would be the kitchen, and instantly I was hit with the amazing aroma that filled the air, causing my mouth to water.


    I slowly made my way to the entrance of the kitchen, peeping to see who was inside, and a sigh of relief left my lips when I spotted Zoey.


    She had her back to me while tiding up the kitchen counter, but stopped when she felt my presence. Her head turned slightly to the back, and her face lit up when her eyesnded on me.


    ¡°Hi Mani!¡± Zoey said eagerly.


    ¡°Hi!¡± I smiled. Despite the situation, I was really d to see her.


    ¡°You are finally awake,¡± she beams. ¡°I was about to bring your food up to the room, but since you are here, why don¡¯t youe have a seat while I get it ready for you?¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied with a smile, walking fully into the kitchen and towards the stool, taking my seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; this is what I¡¯m paid to do.¡± A smile graced her lips. ¡°Sin said you needed rest, so I wasn¡¯t allowed to see you.¡± She said, cing a te of spaghetti meatballs in front of me.


    I gave her a small smile before scoffing down the food in front of me. Zoey and I may be nearly the same age, but she is very skilled in the kitchen. She told me that she learned from her mom right before she died. She didn¡¯t know who her father was, but after her mother¡¯s death, Sin took her in and cared for her. Her way of repaying him was to help with cooking and cleaning up his mansion.


    I continued eating silently, not wanting to disturb her while she carried on with her work.


    Once she was done with her task, Zoey made her way back to where I sat. She didn¡¯t say anything, but I could feel her eyes on me. This made me stop eating to stare at her.


    The look of pity was visible on her face as she nced at the bruise on my face, making me feel self-conscious, and I found myself using my hair to cover the marks.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, giving my best fake smile.


    ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡± She counters, her voice dipping with sadness. ¡°You keep looking at the door, scared that he might walk in.¡±


    ¡± I¡­ I.. ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mani.¡± She says, taking a hold of my hand. ¡°It is natural to be scared; you were snatched away from the life that you once knew and put into one that you definitely aren¡¯t prepared for.¡± She paused, giving me a smile. ¡°I know this situation seems overwhelming to you, and you probably hate Sin, but trust me when I say this is the first time he has ever acted out of character. He was probably smitten by you and didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°And you think his kidnapping me is the right thing to do?¡± I snapped, withdrawing my hand from her hold.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t mean for you to take it the wrong way.¡± Zoey mutters with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m just saying he¡¯s not as bad as you think he is.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, scoffing. ¡°Look at my face, Zoey.¡± I pointed to the bruise. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me he isn¡¯t a monster just because he supposedly helped you in your time of need. Your situation and mine are totally different. You chose to work here for him. You were given a choice, Zoey. While mine was snatched away from me, don¡¯t go telling me that he has a heart because he is nothing and would only be a monster to me.¡±


    It was quiet for a second. Our gazes held each other¡¯s before she sighed, backing down in defeat.


    ¡°You¡¯re right; I¡¯m sorry.¡± I gave a nod, staring down at the half-eaten pasta, my appetite long gone.


    I push the te away, taking deep breaths. If I was going to stay here till I found a way to escape, then there was still so much I didn¡¯t know. I wanted to ask Zoey so many questions, yet I was a bit hesitant since I wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to give me the answers I needed.


    She has been living with Sin for three years. There was no doubt that she knew a bit more about him and what he did. I knew for a fact that he was dangerous, but I still don¡¯t know anything about him or about his family.


    ¡°Do you know anything about Sin and his family?¡±


    Zoey¡¯s head shot up with a look of surprise before she chuckled. ¡°I guess it¡¯s understandable to know who you are dealing with, and yes, I do know about the Violenta family.¡± She takes a seat beside me. ¡°So ask whatever questions seem to be troubling you, and I will try to answer them as best as I can.¡±


    I bit my lip, trying to gather the questions I had in my head. ¡°Can you tell me what you know about them? Everything that you think I should be aware of, for instance, what are they like and what do they do?¡±


    She sat straight in her seat. ¡°I guess I would start off with Sin. The Vinte are the richest and most influential family in Italy, if not the world. Sin, of course, is the first son out of three children.¡± She paused, tilting her head to the side, deep in thought. ¡°I believe you also deserve to know about their underground business.¡±


    ¡°underground business.¡± I asked with a raised brow, confused, and she nodded.


    ¡°They are also the most powerful mafia family, Mani.¡± I literally choked on my own saliva as those words came out of her mouth, knowing he had to be involved in something shady but not mafia-rted. That sent a chill down my body.


    ¡°The Vinte family originated in Italy. The family was founded in 1974. They started in Italy and owned over 85% of it at that time. Then, in 1979, they went on to own the whole state of New York. The family made most of their money through drug trafficking, but they also have VIP clubs, restaurants, and many other businesses. They still sell drugs to this day, and their family symbol is a skull with a V-me in the middle. Their current leader is Niki Violenta, also known as Sin, at age 26. He was born in Italy on September 8, 1994. His mother¡¯s name is Serena De-Luca. She came from a prestigious family in Italy and was only twenty-one when she gave birth to Sin.¡±


    ¡°His father¡¯s name was Marcellus Violenta. He was twenty-nine when Sin was born. Serena and Marcellus were in an arranged marriage. Though Serena wanted nothing to do with the mafia family, she still loved Marcellus. She gave birth to the twins, Athena and Alexander, five years after Sin. At the age of six, Sin was taught how to use a gun. He went to a private school for only the rich and famous while being taught about the mafia. Sin¡¯s best friend and right-hand man is Luca Ramirez. His firstnguage was Italian, but he learned to speak English fluently at the age of eleven. At the age of fifteen, Sin took over the family business after his dad was killed. No one knows the full story of his father¡¯s death except for Sin. He was the only one there at that time. We don¡¯t know what happened, but Sin changed after that ident. He had been in charge of his family from a young age. No one was allowed to call him by his name except for Sin, unless they were ready to face the repercussions. The family has only one enemy, which is the Romanov family. The two families have been rivals from the beginning. That is the story of the Violenta family,¡± Zoey said, picking up my te and washing it out.


    ¡°Wow.., you¡¯re like a human Wikipedia.¡± I stared at her in astonishment.


    Sheughed, ¡°I did my research when I first started working here.¡±


    After listening to Sin¡¯s story, I felt sad for him. Having such a burden ced on him at such a young age must be very exhausting. I know what it¡¯s like to lose a loved one. I was curious about what really happened for him to change, as Zoey said.


    No!


    I couldn¡¯t let this cloud my mind. I was in no position to pity him since he was the cause of my predicament.


    He might have been young when he was given such responsibility, yet that is no excuse for his actions now.


    Deciding not to dwell more on the matter, I stayed with Zoey for an hour as we talked about various things before exploring the mansion anding across an enormous library. I spent the rest of the day reading different novels. I had my dinner at the library as I was too engrossed with the novel I was reading.


    This was the only way I could get my mind off things.

 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    As I moved over in bed and buried my face even farther in the pillows, the soft sheets tickled my bare legs. Just another five minutes of rest and sleep were all I needed. My stomach grumbled in protest at this desire, and I moaned before rolling out of the plush warmth.


    I stumbled over to the door of the restroom and entered. I yawned till the fatigue and dryness in my eyes subsided before pulling my thick hair into a rather sloppy bun on top of my head.


    Blinking a couple times, I washed the sleep from my eyes before slipping on some really fluffy slippers that also did match my sleepwear that I had put back on. I exited my room and walked down the stairs. I moved mindlessly in the direction I had spent the majority of my day.


    Zoey has been a source ofpany and entertainment for the past two days. Sin has been out of sight since the morning after my graduation, and I admit, I did wonder where he was.


    A part of me couldn¡¯t help but get curious as to where he had been these past two days, while another was thankful not to encounter him.


    Putting out yet another yawn, I walked through the door of the kitchen beforeing to a halt, having run into arge, solid wall that I was aware hadn¡¯t been there before.


    Crashing backwards, I almostnded on the floor when a strong arm wrapped around my waist and prevented me from gaining a new bruise. A deep chuckle reverberated through the hall, and I slowly pulled open my eyes that I had subconsciously closed.


    ¡°We seem to be meeting for such a droll cause.¡± My mouth dropped open as the wall spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was going. I stuttered out, and he helped steady me on my feet.


    He raised a dark eyebrow just slightly and tilted his head, and I watched his eyes flicker across my face. I was suddenly self-conscious, making my cheeks red. My heart started racing in my chest as he smiled at me. It wasn¡¯t a grand smile, more one of curiosity and interest.


    ¡°You¡¯re heading for breakfast, I assume?¡± He asked, and I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hang out with Zoey while having breakfast with her.¡± I answered, running my finger through my hair nervously.


    Luca stood in front of me, looking very put together, just like thest time I saw him. He had on nice navy blue dress pants and a button-up that was rolled up to just below his elbows. I tilted my head as a sleeve of tattoos peeked out on his left arm, trailing down to cover even the back of his hand.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have breakfast with us instead?¡± He asked, giving a charming smile.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Us¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Sin, I, and a couple of men.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± I stuttered out, not really up for the idea of eating with a bunch of strangers. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to pass on that.¡±


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep running away from him. He might be giving you some space now, but he is going to get tired eventually.¡± He says this with a solemn tone and a wiped-away smile. I didn¡¯t get a chance to respond when the ringing of his phone ended our conversation.


    Luca gave me a smile before taking his phone out and walking towards the direction of the stairs.


    I stared at the direction of the kitchen then towards the path of the dining hall before retreating my step, not sure if I was going to regret my decision.


    Entering the dining hall, I found Sin seated at the long, custom-made table. A few gentlemen I didn¡¯t recognize were seated with him, and Sin had this look of both annoyance and amusement on his face.


    He raised his eyebrows at me as I sat down three seats away from him, and one of the servants brought me a te of eggs and waffles.


    It wasplete silence, with eyes on me, making me nervous, but attention was soon diverted to the doors when they opened. I turned around to watch Luca walk in and head behind Sin at the head of the table to the empty chair directly next to him. He slid the heavy seat back and ced himself down before resuming to eat the half-empty te.


    I could still feel Sin¡¯s eyes on me. His dark orbs watched me the entire time as I remained frozen with my fork halfway to my mouth.


    Luca picked up small talk with the other men, but I couldn¡¯t seem toprehend the words despite them being in english until Luca spoke my name.


    ¡°Mani,¡± he said, and I blinked as the egg flopped onto my te. My cheeks burned red as I closed my eyes.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± I replied, now refusing to look up from my food and trying to stick a bite of waffle that I had soaked in a little too much syrup as per usual.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you took my advice and decided to join us today.¡± He said, and I was finally able to get some food to stick to my fork.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I mumbled in glee and then let the smile drop from my face, red caressing my cheeks instead. ncing up from my te, I saw Sin discreetly raise an eyebrow in my direction but continue to munch on his food.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind that I asked her to join us, do you?¡± Luca turned to Sin. ¡°I just thought she might need morepany instead of hanging out with Zoey in the kitchen.¡± He says this as Sin finishes hisst bite of food.


    ¡°Not at all, though I¡¯m surprised she did listen to you.¡± He replied and nced at me, his eyes holding a hint of desire in them.


    Luca and Sin both excused themselves and left with the men, leaving me alone. As Sin passed directly behind my chair, he paused.


    His men, unaware of his halt in movement, continued out of the dining hall. Sin leaned down close to my ear, and I shuddered as his body heat enveloped mine. ¡°I still haven¡¯t forgotten about our little bet, little temptress.¡± He whispered and then proceeded out of the hall without another sound.


    My heart quickened, and I could feel the goosebumps grow through my skin.


    Why does he have this sick notion that I would ever beg for him to have his way with me? It was never going to happen. This was a bet I nned on winning; maybe I can talk my way out of here.


    I decided not to dwell on his words but instead carried on with finishing my breakfast before deciding to head to the library.


    I plodded down the hallway, passing Sin¡¯s office, and my footsteps slowed down. My curiosity, which seemed to get me into trouble too often, overwhelmed my sense of allowing privacy, and I listened. As I pressed my ear closer to the door, stern voices reached my ears.


    The familiar voice of a man reaches my ears first, and the more I tried to remember where I heard the voice from, the more I was left nk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why it¡¯s such an issue.¡± His tone was cold and full of anger, but Sin¡¯s extremely calm and cool response sent ripples of apprehension down my spine.


    ¡°Because I am very aware of your reputation.¡±


    ¡°which is why I think thirty percent is reasonable. I spoke with Fernando, and he takes thirty percent.¡± The man responded.


    ¡°Fernando has also been with me since my father was the boss. We start at 10, which does not change what you¡¯ve been taking currently, and go from there¡±. Sin sounded way too in charge, like he had the upper hand.


    ¡± Ten? Is that it? The man whined back.


    Why does his voice sound so damn familiar?


    ¡°Would you rather I say fifteen because that¡¯s where I normally start my new investments?¡± He countered, and I shuddered at the force behind his words. ¡°You are aware I don¡¯t need you, but I am offering you a chance, which will also provide you with more growth in the future if you do well.¡±


    ¡°Ten works.¡± The man responded, and I heard footsteps shuffle across the floor. I quickly made my escape to the library before anyone exited the room, knowing I shouldn¡¯t have been eavesdropping. But it left me with so many questions.

 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    I idly strolled through the house¡¯s corridor because I had nothing to do. I was confined here and utterly bored. Even though Zoey had provided me with joy and entertainment, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how my day would have been spent at home with Stephanie.


    I was constantly concerned about Stephanie. Never before have we been away for so long. When Stephanie made the decision to go on a year-long trip while I began my first year of college, that was thest time we were separated. Apart from that, we practically live together every day.


    After all, she was the sister I never had. She was the one thing I most missed. I missed Aunt Amelia and how she would bake my favourite brownies for me when I was having a bad day. I also missed her timely advice. I missed spending time with Uncle Carson while Stephanie and I yfully picked fights with him. I couldn¡¯t help but long for my previous life and ponder whether Sin¡¯s obsessive fixation with me would evere to an end and he would eventually let me go.


    I was in such deep thought that I didn¡¯t hear the footsteps of someone behind me until I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to yell in shock, and I turned to look at Zoey, who was staring at me with a look of worry.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Zoey asked me, concerned. I tried to calm my racing heart before wiping away the tears that had fallen.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just thinking about home.¡± I gave her a sad smile, and she nodded her head in understanding.


    ¡°You miss your family and can¡¯t help but wonder what it would have been like if Sin didn¡¯t fancy you.¡± She wrapped her arms around my back and gave me aforting hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Zoey.¡± I hugged her back and squeezed her a little tighter to show her that I really was thankful for her kind words.


    ¡°I was on my way to the pool and thought you might fancy yourself a swim.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°A swim doesn¡¯t sound that bad, though I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any swimsuits with me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry; I¡¯ve already got you covered.¡± She stated, taking a hold of my hand before pulling me towards the direction of her room.


    ¡°Sorry about the mess. I had been in a rush. I really do need to tidy up these clothes¡±. She says, picking up some clothes from the bed and cing them on a couch.


    I took my time to appreciate her room¡¯s splendour. A king-sized bed was situated against the back wall. Her clothes were stored in two tall dressers that were present.


    There were pictures of her and a woman who I assumed to be her mother, as well as bottles of lotion and perfume on her dresser.


    ¡°Oh, no problem! I¡¯m not bothered. This ce is warm.¡± I grinned at her, and she merely gave me a momentary look as if she were contemting something before grinning back at me.


    ¡°I have a few bathing outfits that might look excellent on you.¡± As she rummages through her drawers, she pulls out three pairs of bikinis in various colours.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can call that a swimsuit,¡± I said, staring at the tiny piece of cloth in her hand, perplexed, which earned me a yful re.


    ¡°Come on! You have to admit they are gorgeous and would look beautiful on you. ¡± She winked, causing me to blush.


    I stared at them, deciding to go with the red one since it was more decent than the rest, and started to undress.


    ¡± Damn Mani! How can you be beautiful and have a killer body at the same time? It¡¯s freaky hot. It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t swing the other way, but I would kill to look like you do naked!¡± She gushed, and I blushed even more.


    ¡°Hmm, you are beautiful too.¡± I honestly told her, and it seemed to have made her feel better.


    I wore a shirt on top of my swimsuit before trailing behind Zoey as she led us to an indoor pool.


    Zoey dove into the pool, shing me with water in the process, and I squealed,ughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there; get in.¡± She squeals, shing water on me, and I giggle, jumping in as well.


    We both started shing water at each other whileughing.


    ¡°This is fun. I totally needed a break from the kitchen.¡± Zoey gushes, swimming around me.


    ¡°I admit it is. It¡¯s way better than being cooped up inside doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°But you have me.¡± She pouts, causing me tough.


    ¡°I know, but I just wish I could go outside and, you know, get a breath of fresh air.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Zoey says. ¡°I¡¯m sure once you get Sin¡¯s trust, he might let you go out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he might.¡± I said bitter.


    My life is basically under his control now. I couldn¡¯t do anything without his permission. My freedom was snatched by him.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    I sighed, diving deep into the water before swimming back up, trying to clear my mind. Zoey and I remained in the water for an hour, swimming around each other while talking.


    We only decided to leave the water because it was beginning to get chilly and we were also starving.


    Zoey and I parted ways, going our separate ways to our bedroom to shower. I changed into a clean set of clothes, deciding to put on a skirt this time. Once I was fully dressed, I returned to the kitchen to see Zoey getting out the ingredients for dinner.


    ¡°What are you making?¡± I asked, plopping down on a stool.


    ¡°Ramen with eggs,¡± she replied, and she began chopping the vegetables. ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡± Zoey asked me with a big, hopeful smile on her face.


    ¡°Um¡­ I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a great cook, but I can certainly whip up something edible, I think,¡± I said unsurely, getting an amused look from her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to cook, do you?¡± She asked me, and I sheepishly shook my head.


    ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I can teach you.¡± When she volunteered, I practically rushed up to her and embraced her, squealing as I did so.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to learn. Thank You! Thank you!.¡± She pulled away a little andughed as I shouted in her ear with excitement.


    ¡°I heard you the first time. Now stop trying to make me go deaf.¡± Iughed when she pushed me away yfully.


    Learning how to cook seems easy enough. I have seen Stephanie do it a lot. I mean, how hard can it be?

 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

    I take back my words when I said how hard it can be to learn to cook.


    It was freaking hard. Literally. I was certain Zoey was already fed up with me. If it wasn¡¯t for the distasteful pout on her lips, then the re in her eyes said it all as she stared at the burnt egg before trailing off to look at the discarded burnt eggs in the bin.


    ¡°At least this looks a bit edible.¡± I smiled hesitantly, lifting the pan of burnt eggs.


    Her re moved from the pan to my face, then back to the pan; the frown on her face was deep. ¡°None of it looks edible, Mani.¡± She cried out, nearly looking pained.


    I chuckled, nervously dropping the pan on the counter. ¡°You know what they say about the seventh time being the charm?¡±


    ¡± What?¡­¡± She calls out, perplexed. ¡°Definitely not for you, Mani. You have done enough cooking for the day.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I really want to learn.¡± I prod.


    ¡± Really? How is it going then?¡± Zoey asked sarcastically.


    ¡°I will have you know that my heart truly is in it; though it might not have turned out the way I expected, I¡¯m sure with enough practice, I might get better. I think. ¡± I said, looking at the burned? before grimacing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, Mani, dear. But sadly, it isn¡¯t today. She says, taking a hold of my hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t I make dinner for us instead, or I might end up with a migraine and an uncontroble rage?¡± She coos, tapping my hand, and looks at me with that reprimanding look a mother usually gives her child.


    I sighed, giving a nod, and the frown on her face was immediately reced by a smile. ¡°Good. Now go have your seat, while I actually make something more edible for us to eat. That won¡¯tnd us in the hospital.¡± She teased, and I gave a sheepish smile before returning to my seat on the stool.


    Zoey immediately started working her magic and began making us ramen while I sat there amazed. The kitchen was filled with the delicacy, and my mouth was watering, eager to have a bite.


    When she ced a te of ramen with fried eggs in front of me, I smiled, letting out a ¡°thank you,¡± then took a bite and almost moaned out at how great it tasted.


    ¡°Wow!, thisisreallydelicious.¡± I mumbled out with food in my mouth and a grin on my face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t pretend to understand what you just said.¡± Zoey says, amused. ¡°Maybe you should try that again, this time without food in your mouth.¡±


    I hurriedly munched on the food in my mouth before speaking again. ¡°I said, this is really delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mani.¡± she says, taking a bite of her ramen.


    ¡°What are we going to do after dinner? I totally don¡¯t want to go back to my room.¡± I asked, hoping she woulde up with something.


    Zoey tilted her head to the side, deep in thought, before her eyes lit up. ¡°We can always watch a movie.¡± She suggested ¡°There is a huge cinema here, and no one hardly uses it.¡± ¡°We can have like a movie marathon of all our favourite movies or watch something new.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°That sounds like¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish my sentence when a figure walked into the kitchen and Zoey went on full alert. She gulped nervously.


    This made me turn to look at who it was, half expecting it to be Sin. But I was surprised when I saw one of Sin¡¯s men standing there. He was big, with a scar that ran from his left eyebrow to his eyes.


    His face was stony, and he had a re in his eyes. He scoffs as his gaze shifts from Zoey to me, then to the half-eaten ramen on my te.


    ¡°You must seriously believe you have superiority simply because you are Sin¡¯s little whore. Parading yourself around the house, acting like the donna of the house without realizing your ce,¡± He spat it out. His voice held nothing but anger and disgust. ¡°Puttana del cazzo¡±


    ¡°Fabian, you know Mani is more than a whore to warm Sin¡¯s bed, and he won¡¯t like you addressing her as such.¡± Zoey spoke, avoiding any form of eye contact with the man.


    Fabian let out a chuckle, which was dark and menacing. ¡°I see; spending time with Sin¡¯s new fling must have given you some courage. You think she is going to protect you. Once Sin is done with her, he will discard her like the rest of them. Who knows? I might ask him to give her to me. I won¡¯t mind teaching her a few things.¡± He winked at me, and I felt a bile of disgust grow in me.


    ¡°In your fucking dreams, bastard.¡± I yelled out, eyeing him. ¡°And for your information, I¡¯m not Sin¡¯s little whore. If you have nothing better to do, I suggest you get lost.¡±


    His eyes grew with anger, not expecting my response. He probably expected me to cower in fear as he talked about me and Zoey as if we were dirt.


    I rolled my eyes, turning my attention to Zoey to see if she was okay. Her eyes widened and her lips parted like she was about to say something when I felt a tight grip on my hair, causing me to mewl in pain.


    I tried digging my nails into his hand to loosen his grip on my hair, but it didn¡¯t seem to work as it only tightened it even more. He turned my face towards him with a sinister look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to say now, do you?¡± He chuckled darkly, and I spat on his face, refusing to back down. This made him even more angry. His hand, which wasn¡¯t gripping my hair, was raised in the air, and my eyes were closed, waiting to feel the impact of his palm on my cheek.


    But a few seconds passed, and I felt nothing. I slowly peeled my eyes up to find his hand still hanging up in the air, with another hand holding onto it.


    My eyes shifted from his hands to Sin¡¯s calm eyes and emotionless face.


    Fabian let go of my hair in an instant, with a terrified look on his face.


    ¡± S¡­. Sin.¡± He stuttered but was pushed away from me, with Sin making sure it was a reasonable distance before turning to look at me.


    ¡± Exin.¡± His tone wasmanding when he spoke. His words were directed at Fabian, but his gaze never left mine.


    ¡°This whore was being disrespectful, and I was simply trying to let her know her ce.¡± Fabian¡¯s response was filled with anger.


    ¡°I see.¡± He mutters, not saying anything else.


    His eyes held mine for a brief moment, then he turns to look at Fabian before he began making his way out of the kitchen.


    This made me pissed even more, and I found myself trailing behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± I yelled. ¡°A simple ¡°I see,¡± and that¡¯s it. You didn¡¯t even bother hearing Zoey¡¯s and my sides of the story, just his.¡± Sin stops, turning to look at me with a raised brow. ¡°Men like you are the reason why women get disrespected and belittled.¡± I continued to yell, ignoring the men forming in the hallway. ¡°You are nothing but a piece of shit, a fucking monster, all of you, and I hope you rot in hell. You mon.. ¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish my word when the sound of a gunshot resonated around the room, followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor.


    A loud scream left my lips, and my body shook in fright as I watched the lifeless body of Fabian on the floor. I turned to look at Sin, who had a cold expression on his face as he handed the gun back to one of his men.


    His eyes turned to look at me before he began taking slow strides towards me, and I found myself shifting back in fear.


    He was indeed a cold monster, one who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone.


    Kill me


    I felt my back hitting a wall and my breath hitching when Sin¡¯s towering figure stood in front of me. His eyes stared at mine. He slowly raised his hand up to my face, causing me to look away, gulping in fright.


    His fingers caressed my cheek gently, and I stole a nce at him, finding his eyes still on me and his lips raised in a smirk, which vanished as quick as it came before his hand grabbed mine and dragged me towards the direction of his office.


    ????????


    SIN¡¯S POV.


    ¡°Get your hands off me, let me go,¡± Mani demanded as I dragged her towards the direction of my office, and it took a tremendous amount of effort not tough at her audacity.


    I walked into the room, pushing her into a seat before taking a seat at the edge of the table beside her.


    Blue eyes that glistened with green shes and were the same colour as the mediterranean sea¡¯s depths red back at me. Her anxiety, rage, and exasperation were visible in her prominent cheekbones¡¯ pink blush, Pouty looked back at me with her lovely lips slightly parted in awe. My gaze travelled down her body, admiring how her solid, taut muscles did not conceal her curves but rather served to emphasize them.


    ¡°Niki,¡± she whispers, and her voice was like music to my ears.


    My brows raised as I observed her anxiously gulp, ¡°I had no idea you were this fiery.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how can you act so calm?¡± She asked quietly, fighting back her tears. ¡°You killed a man. You freaking shot him dead.¡±


    ¡°All this could have been prevented if not for your outburst.¡± I said, observing her apprehensive lip-licking and frantic eyes scanning the room for an exit.


    ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s dead because of me?¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Technically, no. He was still going to die, maybe after torturing him a little. If nothing else, I would have saved you from the horrifying sight of his lifeless body.¡± My fist clenched thinking back at the way he gazed at her, the lust in his eyes. ¡°How dare he touch you, and how dare he talk about you like that?¡±


    ¡°Still, you didn¡¯t have to kill him; perhaps you should have chastised him for how he treated Zoey and me. Thest thing I want is for anybody to die because of me.¡±


    I mmed my palms down on my desk, causing her to squeak.


    ¡°A second ago, you were going on about women¡¯s rights.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d kill him,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, move past it, amore.¡± I snarled. My heart hardened at the delectable sound as she let out a breathy gasp of apprehension.


    She stayed put as I drew nearer to her. I swung for her and ran my fingers over her cheek. ¡°Let Fabian¡¯s passing not upset you, little temptress.¡± She swallowed, licking her lips.


    My mouth began to drool at the prospect. I took a taste of my favourite wine, which had been barrel-aged and sweetened, to divert my attention. yet it did little to conceal my desire for her.


    I decided then and there as I gaped hungrily at her figure. I was going to have a taste of her. I was going to consume her whole. Her body woulde under my control first, followed by her thoughts, and finally her heart.


    Till she was left with nothing but to surrender to me.

 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

    MANI¡¯S POV


    I was horrified to discover that my nipples were hard as I stared as his ghastly eyesbed across my body. I had on a white t-shirt, but I still felt exposed.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I gave him a scathing look while crossing my arms over my chest to cover my breasts. He grinned at me, clearly taking pleasure in how ufortable I was.


    This pleased him greatly.


    crazy bastard!.


    Everything was at his disposal. He could choose any woman. He had enough money, which spoke about his power.


    ¡°Mani,¡± I was snapped out of my anxious thoughts and brought back to reality when he called to me in a forceful, confident tone.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Strip. Take off your clothes,¡± hemands.


    What in the world? No way was he serious.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re absolutely bonkers if you think I¡¯ll strip for you. ¡°I responded and stood up, taking a defensive backward step.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a request,¡± he said, ¡°Mani.¡± His voice wasmanding and patronizing.


    There was absolutely no way in hell I was going to strip off and plead for his mercy-never again.


    Sin sighs, rising from his desk, as the dazzling moonlight shines on him. I knew this wasn¡¯t the time to be awed by his perfectly sculpted feature, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Not when his dark chocte-coloured hair illuminated due to the light that shone on it, and for the tiniest of moments, I wished to run my fingers through it, wanting to feel the thickness against my tips. His iris almost resembled obsidian, and his ck eyes were expressionless, looking much more menacing. He was beautiful-truly carved in perfection.


    ¡°Remove your clothing, Mani.¡± He repeated his words the second time, his voice bing more and more stern as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask you again the third time.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it. You said you weren¡¯t going to force yourself on me, so have you suddenly lost faith in having me beg?¡± In an effort to appear brave, I growled.


    ¡°Definitely not, amore. I do intend to make you beg,¡± Sin replied with a brooding, anticipatory look on his face. I took a step back as he got to his feet and started walking towards me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep to your words and let me go, then?¡± I issued a caution.


    He kepting near me without responding. He was obviously not going to back down, and I would soon find myself in a defensive position.


    No other option was avable to me. I had to find a way to get out. I was certain that he had locked me in the room with him and that I would not be able to leave until I discovered how to unlock the door.


    Sin was obviously unwilling to let me go, at least not until he had his way. Which was never going to happen, not if I could help it.


    He couldn¡¯t take me against my will, that¡¯s for sure. Never.


    I took several steps backward as he proceeded to approach me, pressing my back against the door.


    ¡°Stay back.¡± I pleaded with him not to get any closer as my voice trembled in fear.


    I shrieked in shock as his hands mmed against the wall behind me. His looks were hot and expectant, causing me to snap at him. This only made himugh, swiftly reaching for my chin. He didn¡¯t have a firm enough hold to bruise me, but I didn¡¯t want him to touch me, so I did the first thing that came to me.


    I raised my knee in preparation to strike him where the sun doesn¡¯t shine, but Sin was quick to stop me. My leg was forced backward while holding onto my knees. I gasped in horror as he tightly wrenched my leg, causing me to drop to the ground and hit my knees. As I fell, my shoulders suddenly jerked, and I was certain that I would feel pain the next day.


    Sin pushes me down, making sure to put a lot of pressure in the middle of my back, making every effort to free myself ineffective. It didn¡¯t help that he was so much stronger than I was.


    I shrieked as the coolness of the tile floor was felt through my lifted shirt and skirt. I was also terrified as I sensed the heat of his body advancing from behind me.


    Sin¡¯sughter filled the room. It was a chilly sound, and I immediately realized that I could scream incessantly. Nobody wasing to my aid.


    ¡°Yes, I did say I was going to make you beg, but I never said anything about ying fair,¡± he said coldly, the hardness of his cock pressing against my ass. His knee slid between my legs, sending a chill through my body.


    He tore my thighs open, my nipples painfully stiffening against the cold as my breasts rubbed against the frigid floor. He held me down while exploring my body with one hand and grasping the back of my neck with the other.


    ¡°Get off of me!¡± I screamed, feeling my bones tingle as heughed out loud. His other hand initially moved gently, the exact opposite of how he had behaved when he had pushed me to the ground. His flesh felt like liquid heat on mine, like if he were burning me with fire.


    His finger travelled up the length of my spine and across my back, taking inch after inch of my body by swiping his fingertips in one direction and out the other; it almost felt like I was being imed by him.


    He tightened his hold on the back of my neck as I writhed against the floor. Even though he was bigger, stronger, and more powerful than I was, I wouldn¡¯t give in. He intended to take me purely out of convenience. and I couldn¡¯t give him the benefit.


    Sin¡¯s hand slipped lower, harshly gripping my ass before he smacked it as I attempted to squirm beneath the weight of his body.


    My humiliation increased as the sound echoed.


    My body became still.


    He had spanked me.


    The stillness that followed was heavy with what that signified, like if I were some mischievous child. He had establishedplete and total control over the rtionship between the two of us by seizing the reins of authority.


    After recovering from the shock, I tried to get away from his hold, pressing up against the floor with all the strength I could muster. It was fruitless, as I didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    Sin grabbed my shoulder, flipping me over like I didn¡¯t weigh a thing, forcing me to look into his obsidian eyes as he let out a long sigh. I growled at the triumphant expression on his face as though I were a mere waif of a girl being crushed under the weight of his body.


    Like snatching candy from a baby, he had gained the upper hand.


    He responded by grinding his body against mine as I fought him. In the faint light, his eyes appeared practically ck, greedy, and ready to get his way with me. I immediately realized there was no way I was going to get away as he grinned and arched a chilly brow. He wouldn¡¯t let it happen.


    My pussy was directly crushed on his cock. It was pulsating, strong, and lengthy against my skin. No matter what I uttered, it was almost like a scorching promise that it would eventually sink far inside of me. even if I didn¡¯t want it.


    Having won, he was aware. He grinned more broadly, showing that he was conscious of his triumph. I remained motionless, returning his cold gaze.


    As his other hand proceeded to probe my body, I gritted my teeth. His heat-producing touch scorched my skin as his fingers glided across my neck. My heartbeat quickened, almost as if it were in response to him and him alone.


    My body responded as though a switch had been flipped, as my heart began to beat rapidly in my chest. Suddenly, a huge ball of heat that was a bizarrebination of embarrassed arousal and desire surged from the centre of my body.


    I gently gasped as he brushed his fingertips across my vicle, his touch a hot ze of promise. He continued to descend, grabbing between his thumb and fingertip at my right nipple. He rolled it, first slowly and then more quickly.


    Then he let it go, and I let go of the breath I had been holding secretly at the bottom of my lungs.


    My heart began to race even more when he grabbed the edge of my blouse. He gave me a direct look as he began taking it off despite my struggle; my braless breasts were bare for him.


    I attempted to stop him by pushing up on his chest, but it felt as though I was up against a brick wall.


    ¡°Keep your hands to your side.¡± Sin Commands. ¡°Now.¡± His eyes zed with anger.


    ¡°No!¡± I snarled.


    He seized my right breast with his fingers once more, but this time, he cruelly pinched it. After a few more seconds had passed inplete silence, he began to roughly twist it. I sobbed as anguish sliced across my chest. There was no ambiguity in the message: defy me, and I¡¯ll hurt you. Fighting back the tears that were on the verge of falling, I bit my lower lip.


    I obeyed because something inside of me broke. I was unable to flee or move away. No matter what I had done, he had me exactly where he wanted me, and the smile on his face was enough proof that he was very much aware of it.


    Nothing I could have done would have prevented him from doing what he had decided to do.


    He leaned in and gave me a kiss after I cried out in distress.


    He demanded my full attention with a forceful, strong kiss. He expected me to give him everything he wanted. His tongue forced its way into my mouth, bing caught in mine, and he ordered me to submit and give him anything he wanted.


    A groan cut through my throat, but I trembled and forced it back down.


    Sin massaged my skin in an almost delicate manner, cing one hand on my throat while the other yed with my breasts, and I find myself kissing him back in spite of my mind¡¯s constant need to resist.


    No, I should end this! I shouldn¡¯t cater to his touch. Yet my body kept on betraying me, wanting nothing more than to feel his touch caress my skin.


    Shaking the thought off my head, I struggled against his hold, refusing to give him a im to my body.


    His dark eyes were fixed on mine as he drew his head back. If I simply caved, everything in them was loaded with the danger of violence and the promise of further pleasure.


    But I was powerless to aplish that. Without a battle, I couldn¡¯t give in and let him get his way with me.


    My eyebrows drooped as the fingers massaging my breast slid lower.


    Releasing his hold on my throat, his hand that was caressing my breast dropped lower and dragged down my belly to the hem of my skirt. He seized the edge of my skirt in the same way that he did my shirt, pulling it off my body. My bare thigh was caressed by the icy air. His fingers sank lower, barely touching the material of my panties.


    ¡°Mani, I¡¯m going to have to punish you if you don¡¯t start being a good girl for me,¡± he snarled, the sound a heady blend of pleasure and eagerness. His fingers continued to float lower, touching the top of my mound.


    No! No¡­


    I wiggled against his hold, exerting every ounce of energy and adrenaline I could summon. I attempted to knee him between the legs again after hitting him straight on his face, but failed miserably.


    Sin shook his head and sighed. Before I knew what was happening, he had bound my arms with a piece of my skirt and pushed them to the floor over my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying not to lose my cool with you, but you just have to be so damn stubborn.¡± He growled. ¡°You caused this to happen.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I inquired fearfully. At his words, my pussy twitched, and I questioned whether whatever he was going to do to me would hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to punish you,¡± he stated without borating on what he might mean, getting a whimper from me.


    He easily slipped his hand under the hem of my pants, grinning as he rubbed his fingers along the soft flesh, making sure he took possession of every square inch of my flesh with his daring fingers, moving his hand gradually till they got to the seat of my panties, and finding out my embarrassing secret.


    My body hadpletely forsaken me. Despite the battle in my thoughts, I was drenched in arousal. I had been feeling my damp panties clinging to my skin for some time. trying my possible best to conceal it, believing that it would never reach this point, but now I waspletely exposed by him.


    His chuckles were dark, and his eyes locked onto mine, increasing the shame I felt.


    I could no longer hide the fact that it had turned me on, and he was most certainly aware that his roughness and his need to take me-regardless of my wishes-had aroused me.

 CHAPTER NINTEEN

    ¡°You fight me, little temptress, but your body knows what it wants. You¡¯re too wet for me. I bet you can¡¯t wait until I reward this rebellious cunt with my cock, but naughty girls like you have to wait,¡± he mused, and I scowled back at him.


    His fingers continued to probe my folds, carelessly gliding across my damp skin.


    ¡°You enjoy my touches on you here. Every time I go close to your greedy clit, I can feel your body tense with pleasure,¡± he continued, and I whimpered subtly in shame.


    He gently stroked my weak bud before slowly circling it and making fun of me. I jerked in an attempt to escape being touched, but it was ineffective. He was free to take me as he saw fit.


    He tortured me as his fingers worked slowly and methodically. I wasn¡¯t prepared for how my body responded to his touch, which was nearly violent. His fingers skilfully brushed my pussy¡¯s folds. I had little choice but to ept it because he understood just how to raise my arousal.


    He gave my clit a gentle squeeze before firmly pressing his finger pads over it, and I groaned for the first time as soon as he applied more pressure there. The overwhelming need that sprang from the pit of my stomach caught me off guard. My bodypelled me toply, and I was forced to turn aside as he grinned in victory. He yed with my desire while gazing at the wall, taking me to the brink of death and back.


    ¡°Look at me, Amore.¡± Hemanded


    He removed his hand from my body when I didn¡¯t, causing me to moan forlornly because the mncholy I felt very immediately was too intense. My pussy throbbed, pleading for more of his touch. making it hard to think since my skin ached as my needs rushed through my entire body.


    ¡°Please!¡± I pleaded. I lost track of what I was pleading for.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Now, Mani.¡± He firmlymanded. I had myself turn my head back to him, and he rewarded me for doing so by putting his hand back on my treacherous pussy and repeatedly rubbing my clitoral area with his fingers.


    ¡°please Niki!¡± I begged.


    ¡°You will onlye when I ask you to,¡± he reprimands, and I moaned helplessly, unable to fight the pleasure that was vibrating through my body. Every ounce of desire mbered for my attention and yearned to be let loose.


    He rolled my clit, and the desire that followed was intense. My entire body felt as though it were on fire; I had a feverish feeling inside, and I was certain I was going to catch fire because of how hot my body felt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this.¡± I sputtered


    ¡°Oh, but you do, little temptress. You do.¡± He smirks. ¡°You need me to make you mine, and I n on giving you what you need from me even if it means the world.¡±


    Perhaps he had a point. Here I was resisting everything, including my own body, when all I needed to do was give up.


    As he teased me, hot pleasure shed through my limbs, pushing me ever-so-slightly toward orgasm but stopping just before I hit my peak. He kept doing this, and I was made to repeatedly feel my arousal increase and decrease as a result. Every inch of my flesh was on fire with intense need, which was palpable in my skin.


    The feeling was so overwhelming that I was having trouble breathing.


    He teased me once more before stopping as I was about to reach my peak. I cried out in displeasure, and then my body fully betrayed me. I moved my hips in his direction in an effort to maintain contact with his finger, but it was ineffective.


    He would only let me go once he determined that I had earned it.


    I sobbed helplessly as I struggled to ept this new insight. His fingers came back to my core and lightly pressed against it. He chuckled softly as I swung from side to side, overtaken by the desire coursing through me. I pouted in need for more as he continued to lightly touch me in a teaser manner. My throat made harsh, desperate air releases as my eyes rolled back in my head. There was no denying how seductive this was for me.


    I sighed quietly. My core ached from the release of the intense pleasure I was wanting as my nipples tightened into tiny little peaks. I required an orgasm immediately.


    My hips pushed forward in an attempt to make him apply more pressure, but he was ready for that and withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Bad girl¡±. He murmured gently, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you were punished for your disobedience,¡± and my pussy throbbed with longing.


    ¡°What?¡± I enquired, perplexed. ¡°Just let mee, please.¡±


    He immediately rose to his feet while dragging me along with him by my shackled wrists. I waspletely naked. He walked to a huge, gigantic couch toward the middle of the room with me in his hands, uncertain and awkwardly aroused. He sat down and pulled me onto him, exposing my pantie-d pussy and my ass, which was raised high in the air.


    My ass was briefly touched by his palm before he gently patted each of my cheeks one at a time.


    He questioned, ¡°You¡¯ve never been chastened before, have you?¡±


    ,¡±No.¡± I answered breathlessly. I gasped as he held onto my hips and pressed his cock into the moisture in my pussy.


    ¡°You must bepletely exposed when you are being reprimanded or the repercussions will be severe if you disobey me once more, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I hesitantly replied.


    ¡°Good girl, we can now continue punishing you. Please feel free to shout and sob. I won¡¯t stop until I know you¡¯ve taken the lesson to heart.¡± He issued a warning.


    Sin pulled firmly as he held the hem of my panties in his fingers. As he removed the finalyer of clothing covering me, the sound of shredding fabric reverberated all around me. I yelled out in pain when the fabric pricked my skin, but the pain quickly subsided.


    I was now bare. And he had aplete view of me. His thumb dipped into the crevice of my ass and, as he reached lower, just brushed against the folds of my pussy. He put my panties on the chair¡¯s seat, so I had to look at them directly in front of me, as if to remind me of how exposed I was.


    ¡°Such a gorgeous pink cunt, just begging to be fucked hard, like it deserves.¡± He remarked, and I whimpered back. ¡°But first, little temptress, you must be punished before I can aplish it.¡±


    My ass was touched by his palm. ¡°Perhaps you require a firmer, more personal touch, hmm?¡± he mused.


    He repeatedly rubbed my beaten posterior till I started to unwind. Although smooth and soft, his touch was wholly deceptive. I thought he was teasing me, but I knew better. I didn¡¯t know what he was preparing, but he was nning something.


    The moment his palm left my flesh, it hardened into a crack. Oh my God, he was about to spank me.


    ¡°Wait! I beg you not to spank me!¡±


    ¡°You brought this upon yourself, Mani.¡± He replied


    He gave me a harsh spanking, despite my pleading with him to stop. His rough, painful palm cracked on my skin. His touch on my buttocks felt intimate. The sensation of his punishing palm made it even worse if I already thought I had upset him.


    His disappointment seemed to be directly emitted into my body from his. He quickly transformed me from an overstimted mess to a sobbing, blubbering, mischievous girl with a few spankings.


    Each p was much rougher than it should have been because my ass was burning and already welted from before. He gave me a hard spanking, and I tried to dance around his grip so that I could avoid the painful blows, but it was fruitless.


    ¡°Are you yet prepared to submit? Are you willing to grovel?¡± After a few particrly hard smacks to my upper thighs, he inquired. I sighed in relief at the small reprieve as he stopped for a second to brush his warm hand over my burned skin.


    As Iprehended the idea that I was being punished for the first time in my life-and that there was a small part of me that enjoyed it-tears continued to pour down my face. The more I considered it, the more I came to see that it wasn¡¯t a little aspect of who I am. Now that it was over, my entire body erupted with ecstasy. I wished he¡¯d try it once more.


    I must bepletely mad!


    His nails continued to descend, getting ever-closer to my drenched pussy. I took a tense breath in as he scratched my outer lips. He gently patted my mound after slowly cupping it in his hand. Even though I knew it did absolutely little to shield me from the subsequent wet sound, I had to close my eyes almost as a defensive mechanism.


    ¡°Your skin looks wonderful. When my mark is on it, I like it much more.¡± I trembled at the promise in his gently spoken words. My skin was starting to itch, and I could already feel the welts growing.


    Moreover, I was aware that this lesson would have an ongoing impact on me.


    Iplied with his request to spread my legs. His warm hand slid over my throbbing clit and between my thighs, brushing across my folds. I was still as moist as ever, even though my ass hurt horribly.


    My body reacted to his gentle finger cement on me. It was unstoppable for me. I responded to his summons despite being weak from pleasure and worn out by my struggle.


    He yed with me, gently tickling my eager body until I was pliable in his hands. His moist fingers ying with my folds made loud, raunchy noises that made my hips thud lewdly against him. He wouldn¡¯t let mee, no matter how hard I tried to cram my pussy into his hands.


    He pounded my ass with his other hand, and I felt my pussy contract in response. He repeated it, and I felt myself clench as I grew more and more antsy for his touch with each passing second.


    Fuck.


    I wished not to beg.


    He kept teasing me. He smacked my pussy hard enough to hurt after spanking my ass. My heart beat rapidly.


    ¡°Please.¡± I pleaded, I sobbed, and I begged him to have mercy for me, but he refused. I became more and more frantic as he went on. I did everything I could while writhing beneath him.


    I exerted every effort to keep his hand on my ravenous body. When his fingers pushed more firmly, I meowed, and when he released them, I cried. He yed with my pleasure, nudging me toward orgasm with the lightest, cruellest touch but never letting me fully experience it.


    My core ached horribly, and my skin tingled with want, needing release. My toes curled, and my fingers formed small, tight fists. My throat was raw as I yelled, but he paid no attention.


    ¡°Please what, Mani?¡± he retorted.


    ¡°Please, I need you in me.¡± I said, His fingers released me, and I turned to face him, wondering why he had stopped, until I noticed the smug expression on his face, demonstrating that he had seeded in obtaining his goal.


    Sin picked me up from hisp and helped me stand before getting up and starting to take off his shirt, exposing his abs and toned muscles. He removed the tie from my hands, ced the shirt on, let it fall to my thighs, and then buttoned it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go grab yourself some fresh clothes and get some rest? Surely you¡¯re worn out.¡± He says this as he approaches the door, unlocking it.


    I was astounded and shocked by what had happened. My eyes were filled with emotions I couldn¡¯t put into words as I slowly started to leave the room.


    His statements did not, in any way, make me feel better. They actually harmed me. It was clear from the way he ended his sentence that I had no influence. I was required to carry out his instructions in full. I immediately questioned how it was possible for anything to appear so calm when everything around me was copsing-a tant contradiction to my situation.


    I stood there just gazing at the door while Sin grinned and closed it on my face.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to start feeling sorry for myself. Despite the fact that he had spanked me with both of his hands and I had never been so punished in my life, I got the impression that I was constantly on the verge of happiness.


    Although I had considered myself to be strong, I was unprepared for this.


    I started to cry. I held my chest in an effort to contain the tears that were streaming down my face.


    I despised him.


    He was everything that I despised. I wanted him. I needed him.


    I tried to ept the truth that he had broken me as I sobbed while opening my mouth and licking my lips. I knew that when he had broken me with agony and pleasure, I would never be the same.


    What was his purpose?


    He pretended to want me one moment, and then suddenly seemed unimportant. To him, was it all a game?


    Iughed indignantly. Of course, it was a game. That is what he did. He tried to make me look bad, and this is what he did. He merely wanted to y with me and then throw me away.


    I was nothing more than a pawn in his hands. I had to walk carefully as a result. I would participate in any game he was ying since I had to leave this ce alive in any manner.


    ¡°Mani,¡± a voice called from behind me suddenly, causing me to yelp and snapping me out of my thoughts.


    I swiftly turned around to discover Luca standing a few steps behind me with a perplexed expression. His eyes swept over my scruffy body, noticing my unruly hair and Sin¡¯s shirt. I blushed as I unconsciously took a defensive stance by encircling my body with my arms.


    I could see the concern and realization on his face as he stated, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were still up.¡± and it made me want to cower in shame. ¡°Are you alright? Should I go get Zoey for you?¡± He spoke once again, his face contorting in sincerity.


    I gulped, wetting my lips. ¡°No, I will be fine.¡± I was nervous enough that he had witnessed me in this state. Thest thing I wanted was for Zoey to see me like this.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell Zoey what had happened, at least not today. She would likely press me to do so.


    ¡°You¡¯re rattled,¡± he continued. I look at my quaking body. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re concerned about Zoey seeing you in this way. Why don¡¯t I brew you a cup of hot tea to help you rx?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; you don¡¯t have to bother,¡± I said. I stumbled ufortably. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I just want to rest.¡±


    ¡°If you want to, sure.¡± He sighed as he said it. ¡°Why don¡¯t I walk you to your room?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to¡­¡±


    ¡°I insist,¡± Luca uttered, which left little space for debate, and I sighed and nodded in agreement.


    Standing beside me, he smiled softly, and I cast one more nce at Sin¡¯s door before we started walking towards my room.


    Knowing he had won the wager and that he might have easily taken me, how was I going to deal with him the following day? I was embarrassed by how well and how quickly my body betrayed me.


    I could almost say I didn¡¯t want him, but he was fully aware of the fabrication. He had no reason to consider my feelings as I lied about something he was certain of.


    ¡°Try to get a decent night¡¯s sleep and try not to dwell on today¡¯s events too much.¡± My thoughts were interrupted by Luca¡¯s words.


    I turned around to see him standing at the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest, his muscles bulging.


    I swallowed hard against the lump growing in my throat. When I nodded, he gave a small smile before stepping back and closing the door.


    I sighed in relief when Iy on the bed; my body curled up like a foetus, and I felt feeble as tiredness clouded my vision.


    The silkyforter was soft under my hands, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I snuggled deeper into the soft mattress until my body felt limp, my eyes slowly drifting shut, the memory of today long gone.


    At least for now.

 CHAPTER TWENTY

    ¡°You are nothing but a piece of shit, a fucking monster, all of you, and I hope you rot in hell. You know¡­ I didn¡¯t get to finish my word when the sound of a gunshot resonated around the room, followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor.


    A loud scream left my lips, and my body shook in fright as I watched the lifeless body of Fabian on the floor. His eyes were open, with blood pooling in them.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Everywhere instantly turned ck, and I shivered in fear, my breathing fast.


    ¡°You are the monster, the murderer, the murderer.¡± The voice echoes, and I sob out, terrified. The sound of gunshots follows.     I woke up with a start when I heard the sound of something hitting the floor, shattering into pieces, and I jumped off the bed, shaking violently. My body felt sluggish as I swung to the side slightly.


    My eyes were blurry with sleep, and I had to blink a few times to get myself ustomed to the lights. When I could finally see, I let out a sigh. Zoey was standing there with a guilty look, giving me a sheepish smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for scaring you.¡± She was apologetic, cing a tray of food she held on the table before looking down at the shattered piece of a vase that had once been ced on the table. ¡°You have been asleep all day, so I thought I would bring you dinner since you haven¡¯t had anything.¡±


    I only nodded because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to form any words. I was still trying to calm my racing heart.


    Zoey¡¯s eyes scanned my state, looking deep into thought. It was like she was trying to figure out what was wrong. She takes in a deep breath, carefully walking towards me and taking her seat on the bed.


    ¡°You look like you had one hell of a night. Your face seems puffy, and your eyes are red.¡± She called out. ¡°Did you perhaps cry?¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± I responded, avoiding her gaze. Last night¡¯s ordeal still clouds my mind.


    ¡°You seriously look like a mess.¡±


    ¡°I feel like a mess.¡± I confessed with a groan. My head was aching and my eyes felt like they were burning, not to mention the pain I was feeling from Sin¡¯s spanking.


    She takes a hold of my hand, giving it a light squeeze.


    ¡°Last night must have been quite a scare for you.¡± She says this with a creased brow. ¡°You are probably ming yourself for what has happened, but Fabian¡¯s death isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s going to take some getting used to, but Fabian definitely deserved what he got.


    I was surprised by her words. I knew she had been in the mafia family for a long time, but hearing her say Fabian deserved what had happened to him didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    ¡°Just because we had our differences doesn¡¯t mean he deserves to die. ¡°No one, absolutely no one, deserves to have their lives snatched away from them.¡± Zoey could very well tell my reaction, and she sighed, running her fingers through her hair.


    ¡°I get that you see the best in people, Mani, and I admire that about you. But a scumbag like Fabian doesn¡¯t deserve your pity. You have forgotten that you are in the presence of the most ruthless mafia family in the world. That is, everyone here has taken a life and done far worse than you can imagine. So trust me when I say that Sin¡¯s taking out a man like Fabian did the world all a favour.¡±


    ¡± Really?¡± I scoffed: ¡°Like Sin isn¡¯t any different from him. After all, he happens to be their boss, which makes him the biggest scumbag in the world.¡± The fury in my eyes is visible.


    I was pissed. pissed at the world, pissed at what had happened, pissed for having let sin win. I was pissed at myself for still wanting his touch.


    Maybe you are right, or maybe not. But you shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Sin might look cold, intimidating, and emotionless, but trust me when I say he has a heart, one you are yet to unlock.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I muttered under my breath sarcastically, and I was certain she heard it.


    But Zoey didn¡¯t say anything and instead stared off into space for a few seconds before returning her gaze to me and smiling. ¡°You know what? Arguing with you does us no good. So let¡¯s just put an end to this banter. Your food is getting cold. Why don¡¯t you freshen up and have your dinner? Or eat before freshening up, whichever you prefer.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to freshen up first.¡±


    ¡°Sure, have it whatever way you please.¡± She responds by getting up from the bed. ¡°I better tidy up this mess so you won¡¯t get injured.¡± She nods over to the shattered ss before making her way to the table. ¡± I¡¯m going to reheat the food. Why don¡¯t we have dinner in the garden instead?¡±


    As great as that sounded, I couldn¡¯t risk encountering Sin, so I shook my head, turning down her request. ¡°I¡¯m not really in the mood. I will have it here instead.¡±


    She stared at me for a while before smiling. ¡°Sure,¡± Zoey says as she walks out of the room, picking up the tray.


    Groaning, I got to my feet, walking over to the wardrobe to take a change of clothes before walking over to the bathroom.


    As I closed the door behind me, I walked toward the mirror, ncing at my reflection. I grimaced at what I saw, even though I was half expecting myself to look a mess.


    I looked horrible. Was I really standing in front of Luca and Zoey, looking like this? I was frightened just looking at my reflection in the mirror. I really do need a bath.


    I winced as I quickly removed Sin¡¯s shirt. I looked back at the mirror, turning to my back to see a faint bruise forming below my back due to how hard my back had hit Sin¡¯s cold tiled floor.


    Shaking my head, I stepped into the shower. The moment the warm water hit me, sliding down my bare body and warming the numbness, I felt my tense muscles loosen. At first, my bruises itched and were aching under the warm water, but after a few minutes, all I felt was warmth.


    I took a deep breath as my body went limp. I lifted my face up into the spray and let the water cascade around me. A feeling of rxation consumed me as I reached up, squeezed out some shampoo in my palm, and started to massage it through my hair before washing my body.


    After I was done, I stayed under the water for a few more minutes, letting the heat prate my body. I stepped out of the shower on wobbling legs, and when the cool air hit my body, I shivered. Grabbing a towel from a nearby rack, I started to dry my hair and then my body. I wrapped the towel around me and went to stand in front of the mirror.


    I looked much better. My face was no longer pale. My cheeks were red from the warm water, and my eyes shone brightly. After taking onest nce at my reflection, I towelled my body, changing into a clean top and shorts before stepping out of the bathroom to see Zoey already with our food.


    A smile made its way to my lips, and I walked over to her, taking a seat on the bed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have our movie marathon tonight?¡± She asked, and I smiled, nodding in agreement.

 CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

    SIN¡¯S POV


    I leaned back on my sofa chair, my head tilted toward the ceiling, and my eyes were closed when the door opened. I knew who it was without opening my eyes. Only one person would daree into my room without permission.


    I opened my eyes and caught sight of Luca strolling in. He closed the door behind him, leaned against it, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he asked as he stared at me, his face expressionless.


    ¡°Am I supposed to know what that means?¡± I fired back without answering his question. I knew what he was talking about, but I had no desire to discuss that matter. It was none of his business who I decided to keep or not.


    I stood up and walked over to the small bar. ¡°You know, there were better ways of taking out Fabian. Not in front of Mani and Zoey.¡±


    After I poured some whiskey into two sses, Luca took one from my hand and sipped slowly.


    We both stared at each other; the air was tense around us. When his ss was empty, he ced it on the bar and turned back toward me.


    ¡°What are you up to, Sin?¡± he asked, giving me a strange look.


    I shrugged. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m up to something?¡±


    Luca scoffed and shook his head. ¡°Because you never do anything without a n. First, you take her against her will, which is something you¡¯ve never done. I thought for a second, maybe she was the one. ¡± He paused for a second and then asked slowly, ¡°Butst night when I saw her, she was barely herself and seemed lost in thought. Most of all, she was wearing your shirt, which meant something had happened between you two.¡±


    I red at him. If it were someone else questioning my decision, they would be on the ground writhing in pain. But Luca was my second inmand.


    We were born two weeks apart. His father was my father¡¯s second inmand. When I took over, it was never in question that he would be my second. He was my brother, yet it still didn¡¯t help that I was angry at the fact that he had seen her in nothing but my shirt.


    ¡°You have no right to be concerned about Mani and me. Whatever happenedst night has nothing to do with you.¡± I said through gritted teeth. He gets on my nerves sometimes.


    ¡°If you truly like her, then I suggest you start treating her right, or she might end up hating you more.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say to mind your fucking business?¡± I responded harshly.


    Luca sighed and stepped away from the bar. ¡°I¡¯m just saying you shouldn¡¯t do anything you would regretter on.¡±


    ¡°I make no promises.¡± I say with a smirk, taking a sip of my drink.


    Luca shakes his head, puffing out a breath before muttering something under his breath. I guess it was a cuss word, which made me smirk even more.


    ¡°When does your flight leave?¡± I asked, turning to gaze at him.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning.¡± He replies, twirling the ss of drink in his hand. ¡°I will try to get everything sorted out while you take care of the party beforeing over.¡±


    I nod. ¡°And the crew.¡±


    ¡± They are already in Paris.¡± He answers. ¡°I better go get ready.¡± I turned toward therge windows, dismissing him. I heard his feet shuffling and then the door pulsing open.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered if she is the one,¡± Luca calls out.


    I looked down at the ss in my hand as I moved it around my fingers.


    ¡°She is,¡± I answered, bringing the ss to my lips.


    A smile made its way to my lips as I thought aboutst night. I was intrigued. My body was coursing with excitement.


    I was ready and wanted to uncover her,yer byyer, until I knew everything. Everyst detail And when I was done, her very thoughts and feelings would be consumed by me.


    I let out a smallugh. Shaking my head, I thought about the seemingly innocent girl I saw on the dance floor two months ago. The moment I saw her, I knew I had to have her, even if it meant going against my will.


    Why?


    Simple. She intrigued me.


    A few minutester, I was still standing in front of therge windows that overlooked the majestic back garden. My phone rang in my pocket, and I quickly took it out, answering the call without looking.


    ¡°What?¡± I barked.


    ¡°Sin, we¡¯ve got a problem at the warehouse,¡± one of my men said. My hand tightened around the phone, and I groaned.


    ¡°A shipment has been dyed,¡± he continued, his voice shaky with fearced underneath it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do anything bloody right?¡± I yelled through the phone, ¡°Find out what happened; I¡¯m on my way.¡± I said that and hung up without waiting for an answer.


    I walked away from the window and out of the room, making my way to my car.


    The nice, chilly breeze touched my hard body as I exited my car and made my way towards the old warehouse in the centre of the woods. I entered the home as the two guards who were stationed outside instantly nodded their heads in respect. As soon as I entered, the stench of rotting blood made me scrunch up my nose. Mateo approached me after spotting me.


    ¡°Si riuscito a ottenere qualcosa da quel bastardo. (Were you able to get anything out of the bastard?)¡± I asked. My eyes were glued to the poor, bloody body of a man who was lying down and waiting to die.


    ¡°La mia paura di no, capo. Questa fica sembra determinata a tenere ba chiusa, e imagino che tutto l¡¯addestramento de polizia sia stato utile. (I¡¯m afraid not, boss. This criminal seems determined to keep his mouth shut, I guess all that police training was useful).¡± Matteo said in a stern voice.


    ¡°I guess I have to handle him myself. Let¡¯s see how long he can keep that mouth shut.¡± I said, my eyes never leaving the man lying in front of me. My heart was filled with satisfaction to see him groaning in pain.


    This is what happened to everyone who got in my way. They are left begging for death.


    ¡°What about the shipment?¡±


    ¡°We were able to get some. The rest would be brought to us by tomorrow. Everything has been sorted out along with whatever evidence they collected,¡± Matteo answered.


    ¡°Get me the list of goods in their hands, as well as the file for the new casino I acquired.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± Matteo bows as I dismiss him.


    My eyes followed the fresh blood stain through the basement wall as soon as it was there. I knelt down to the man¡¯s level in front of me and examined each wound on his body. He was filthy and bloody. Even more horrible blood odour was released. His shirt had rips in it and was stained with blood.


    I lowered my hand and applied pressure to the fingers where his nails had been broken, leaving a coating of dark wounds in their ce.


    As I continued to press into them, he shouted in pain. My ears were soothed by his sobbing and pleading, and I started to chuckle.


    As soon as his teary eyes met mine, I noticed that they were filled with terror. He attempted to speak but was unsessful.


    I stood up, went in the direction of the chair, and set it in front of his bleeding body. He was fearfully awaiting my next move as his eyes followed every step I took.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at his pitiful condition. I was aware that if I touched him, he would pass away. He would definitely perish at my hands, but not before giving me the information I desired.


    ¡°I admire your strength,¡± I said with sincerity. ¡°Any man in your ce would have broken a long time ago, but not you.¡± I examined his swollen ankles and burn marks all over his arms. ¡°Too bad you thought you could mess with me.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­ are Sin¡­?¡± He managed to ask. His tone conveyed dread and horror to me.


    ¡°And¡­ you are¡­ unfortunate?¡± I imitated, making mockery of him before letting out a deep chuckle. ¡°Crossing part with me. Now let¡¯s get to the point. Who told you where the shipment is?¡± I asked in a stern voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything! A call was made to the precinct telling us where the shipment was going to be. The captain in charge had been the one to take the call. I don¡¯t know anything else. I s-swear.¡± He begged for his life, and I let him do it. enjoying the thrill of it.


    ¡°Why do I find that hard to believe?¡± I spoke, gritting my teeth, leaning down as my elbows rested on my knees, my eyes zing with fire from wanting to know the answers. ¡°You have been quiet for days, and the first thing you say is that you have no clue who gave you the information. You could do better than that, don¡¯t you think so, Benjamin?¡± His eyes widened, surprised to see that someone knew his name, despite how well he tried to keep anything about his life and that of his family out of the public eye.


    ¡°How¡­ did you?¡±


    ¡°How did I find out?¡± I asked, amused. ¡°Nothing gets past me, Benjamin. It¡¯s one thing to steal from me and another to lie.¡± My ws dug into his skin as I tightly gripped his already bruised jaw. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not ying here, so let¡¯s get straight to the point, shall we? Who sent you? Was it Romanov?¡± My grasp around his jaw grew more firm as I emphasized every word in an effort to get an answer.


    He groans out, ¡°You will have to try better than that because I don¡¯t n on telling you any damn thing.¡± Heughs: ¡°I heard you got yourself a new whore. Make sure to keep her on tight leash because you never know when that bitch¡­¡±


    I raised myself to my feet and pulled out my gun. I didn¡¯t wait for him to finish speaking before shooting him three times in the forehead without thinking twice.


    Taking out a hankie, I cleaned my hands, tossing it to the floor as I exited the warehouse without a second look at the dead body.


    ¡°Sbarazzati di quel fottuto bastardo (remove that fucking bastard)¡± I seethed out as the guards nodded their heads, quickly running into the warehouse to obey what Imanded.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I got into my car as Mateo started the engine.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± He asked.


    How dare he think he could threaten Mani? How dare he refer to her in such a manner?


    My fist clenched with anger as I wondered how he was able to get details about her in the first ce.


    ¡°Sin.¡± Mateo called out, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to get anything concrete out of him.¡± I replied. ¡°Search for the men with him and find out if they know anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± he answers, driving out of the warehouse driveway.


    I tried to calm myself by closing my eyes. My thoughts immediately rxed as they turned to my little temptress.


    Her petite frame, long blonde hair that was now touching her perfect round ass, and a delicate, innocent appearance


    It had taken all of my might for me to restrain myself from having her right there in my office. I refused to make her first time with me be in such a manner since I was certain that she had only ever been with me.


    I was aware that I was in danger of letting go of myposure and that I would very certainly have hurt her if I had had my way.


    I recalled how she had responded when I had sent her to her room. My lips curled up to the side as I noticed the annoyance and fury in her gaze, which she was trying to hide. She was ignorant of the fact that I shared her frustration.


    She was unaware of how much control she had over me.


    one that could drive me insane.

 CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

    Mani¡¯s Pov.


    ¡°Praise the heavens, you decided to leave your room.¡± Zoey mused when I took a seat at the counter, and I yfully red at her while pouting my lips.


    ¡°You act like I don¡¯t leave my room.¡±


    She snorts, shaking her head. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly count spending hours in the library as a breath of fresh air.¡± She says, ¡°I know you love reading and all, but don¡¯t you get bored?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. My aim is to read as many books as I can in the library. Besides, it¡¯s my source of entertainment when you aren¡¯t there to keep mepany.


    ¡°I understand, but still.¡± She sighs, cing a hand on the left side of her waist. ¡°What book do you n to read now?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I actually saw one, Fifty Shades of Grey, and I¡¯m intrigued to see what it¡¯s about.¡±


    Her brows creased and her lips parted a bit. ¡°Are you certain about that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°I mean, are you sure you want to read that?¡± She rifies, eyeing the book in my hand.


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡± I asked, staring at the book before staring back up at her. My frown deepened.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I saw amusement shimmer in her eyes, and she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she says with a smile. ¡°It is a really great book; I was just surprised you picked it.¡±


    ¡± oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you are going to love it. There are a lot of thrilling and entertaining chapters. You could surely pick up a thing or two from them¡±. She winks, and I smile, wondering how great the book is.


    ¡°I better head back up to my room. I¡¯m eager to read this now.¡± I said, raising the book.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are.¡± Sheughs. ¡°I will have some refreshments made and brought up to your room.¡±


    ¡°Sure, thanks.¡± I walked out of the room and began making my way upstairs when I was interrupted by a deep, raspy, familiar voice.


    My eyes shifted to Sin, who walked in with his phone d to his ear as he spoke in Italian.


    I kept an aloof eye on him, like a stalker. I observed the genuineness of the smile spreading across his face. It was strange to see Sin smile and appear so carefree, and I wondered to whom he was speaking that made him this way, and I felt resentful without understanding why.


    While I was watching Sin speak in Italian, I wondered if the person on the other end of the line might be a woman.


    However, the next thing I saw made my stomach drop. Sin¡¯s eyes darted in my direction, catching me staring at him.


    There was no disputing that I had been avoiding him during the past couple of days, which is why I was often holed up in my room or the library. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt when I saw him standing there, but I could feel my heart skip a beat as his gaze scorched my skin.


    ¡°Hey, Mani¡­ Why are you standing here?¡± Zoey asks, dragging my attention away from Sin.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m, I was¡­,¡± I stuttered out, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°I thought you were eager to start reading your new book, but I guess something else caught your attention,¡± she probed.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I stared at Zoey with a baffled expression.


    ¡°Sin¡­¡± Zoey nodded her chin towards where Sin stood, who was still on call but his eyes were fixated on our direction, on me: ¡°You have been avoiding him. Seeing him now makes you realize you miss him. Right ¡±


    ¡°What.. no¡­¡± I shook my head profusely. ¡°I wasn¡¯t avoiding him, and I definitely do not miss him.¡± I lied through my teeth, crossing my fingers behind me.


    Zoey chuckled. ¡°Yeah, sure, I totally believe you,¡± she says sarcastically.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t avoiding him, I truly wasn¡¯t.¡± I scoff.


    ¡°Yeah, you weren¡¯t.¡± She cooed like she was talking to a child. I rolled my eyes, turning my attention back to Sin, which I was certain Zoey didn¡¯t miss, even if it was for a brief moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are dying to know who is on the other line.¡± Zoey snickered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, and I don¡¯t care.¡± I responded, acting nonchntly.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± She says, ¡°From the little I got whileing upstairs, I¡¯m certain it is his mother.¡±


    ¡°His mother.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± She nods. ¡°She is the only one he acts warmly toward and who can make him smile that much.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°So quit worrying about it being another woman.¡± She says, ¡°Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted cookies or ores.¡±


    ¡°I will go with the ores.¡±


    ¡°I better get right to it. You carry on with what you were doing, but not doing.¡± She teased, walking back downstairs.


    I sighed, still surprised at how the mind was such an interesting cognitive faculty. It allows you to think wrongly, and you wouldn¡¯t even realize it unless someone told you otherwise.


    Dragging my gaze back to where Sin stood, I found the spot empty. I looked around but couldn¡¯t see him.


    I was clinging to the book in my hand while wondering where he had gone when suddenly I felt a presence next to me. When I turned to look, I was in awe, realizing that it was the very same man I had been looking for.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± Sin grinned lopsidedly, and his gesture pierced my abdomen with electrifying arrows.


    I had pictured the same set of ck eyes several times during the previous four days. A part of me despised myself for feeling this way, even though I was undoubtedly attracted to the man¡¯s personality and was curious to learn more about him.


    I was well aware that he was staring at me too, and I wondered what he was thinking at the moment, until his question rang in my head again and I was forced out of my thoughts.


    ¡°What if I was?¡± I asked with a smirk, wondering where this boldness wasing from. Just a couple of moments ago, I had openly denied looking at him when Zoey asked. Yet here I was admitting it to him without a second thought.


    Sin tilted his head to the side, his eyes shunned with amusement as he chuckled. Tearing his gaze away from me, his gorgeous smile stayed on his face. ¡°I see you have gotten even more feisty than before, not that I¡¯mining. It¡¯s quitepelling. ¡±


    I melted at the sound of his sexyugh, but pretended to be unaffected and scoffed, ¡°I see you find my honesty appealing. Don¡¯t be so full of yourself. I just wanted to be aware of where you were so I could avoid you.¡± It was only partly true. I couldn¡¯t lie to myself anymore. I was attracted to him.


    Who was I kidding? No one could me me if they saw him. He was like a model who came straight out of a magazine-a freaking Greek god. But he didn¡¯t need to know that. My thoughts were safe.


    ¡°Now why would you do that? I¡¯m very curious as to why you would avoid me.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be associated with you. Not after what happened thest time we were together.¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. Even if I were attracted to him, it still wouldn¡¯t erase the fact that he used me. ¡°You clearly won the bet, after all.¡±


    ¡°Really? Do you seriously think I won the bet?¡± He arched a brow. His voice got darker. ¡°That is where you are wrong, little temptress. You clearly have no idea the hold you have on me.¡± He says, his gaze darting down to the book I was clutching and his fingers yfully tapping the novel¡¯s hardcover.


    Before I could protest, he suddenly grabbed the book from my hand. reading through the title, turning to gaze at me. His dark orbs pierced through my eyes.


    ¡°I see you are making quite good use of the library.¡± He chuckles, flipping through the chapters of the book and settling on a particr page. A smirk graced his lips as he started reading the portion of the book with a low, gruff voice: ¡°For a moment, I wonder what to do about the panties. Christian¡¯s avaricious fingers tore right through them under the dinner table. There¡¯s no point in keeping them on. I¡­ ¡±


    My eyes widened in shock when I heard the words he read, and I attempted to grab the book from his hands. Sin stretched his hand to the side, moving the book away from me as I strived to steal it from him. His face was emotionlesspared to mine, which was filled with horror at not realizing what kind of book this was.


    ¡°Zoey,¡± I muttered under my breath, thinking of a way to n her murder.


    How could she not warn me and end up putting me in such an embarrassing situation?


    Clicking his tongue, a glint shed across Sin¡¯s eyes as he darted the book to me, meeting my shameful nce. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you read novels like this.¡± Using only onerge hand, he mmed the book shut. The action made a thud, causing me to blink. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to, though. Reality is much, much better, as I¡¯m certain you can attest.¡±


    He watched me swallow at his question, and before I could find the courage to reply, he leaned forward until he was only inches away from my face. ¡°I have no problem showing you how insanely great I am, much better than what¡¯s written here.¡±


    He was so close to me that I could smell his tasty, musky scent. And when I was supposed to back away from him, I didn¡¯t move, allowing him to invade my personal space.


    I was too weak against him and didn¡¯t even try to guard myself. I was supposed to be afraid when his voice dipped so low that it warmed my core and sent shivers down my spine.


    I felt his hand on my waist and was almost satisfied. I wanted to refuse my inner desires, yet I was frail under his hand, anticipating what he would do next as I gazed back at him.


    Sin leaned forward further, running the tip of his nose along the line of my jaw and breathing against my ear, ¡°Tell me, amore. How badly did you want me to touch you again for you to want to read a book such as this?¡±


    My eyes involuntarily closed, eager to feel the delicious sensation. I should be pushing him away, but I could only let out an audible breath, betraying my resolve. My heart raced, ramming against my ribcage. A hot flush crept across my cheeks, and, despite wanting so badly to lean into him, I pushed him off of me.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± My voice weakened just as my ears turned red.


    Sin stared straight at me, studying the embarrassment in my reaction that I was sure amused him.


    I watched him take in the flush that coloured my pale skin, and his adam¡¯s apple bobbed.


    When he didn¡¯t answer, my eyes caught sight of the book that was still in his hands, and I had the urge to reach for it, but just as my hand moved forward, he had already shifted it to the side, revealing a knowing smile on his face. ¡°I will be confiscating this and making a thorough cleaning of the library. I don¡¯t want you to read such a book.¡±


    I scoff, eyeing him. ¡°I will have you know that I¡¯m a grown adult and can read whatever book I desire.¡±


    ¡°I never said you weren¡¯t old enough to read such books. I¡¯m saying I don¡¯t want you to read them. You know why, amore?¡± He asked softly, once again closing the gap between us. ¡°Because I n on corrupting you myself.¡±


    My breath hitched, and I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear at the same time that my gaze shifted to the side. I fudged, my fingers absent-mindedly fiddling with the hem of my shirt as I tried to stop myself from blushing.


    I felt warm lips touch my cheek, and I blushed even more. ¡°As much as I would love to carry on with our conversation, amore. I¡¯m afraid I have matters to attend to, though I won¡¯t mind carrying on this conversationter.¡± He says, cupping my cheeks as he caresses them softly, before walking past me with the book.

 CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

    My mind was racing when I returned to my room, not believing what had just happened. I jumped onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow, before letting out a series of screams.


    Why, no matter how hard I try not to do anything humiliating in front of Sin, do I keep embarrassing myself? In front of him, it just keeps happening. It was like the universe was against me.


    I sighed, refusing to take my head out of the pillow even when I heard the sound of the door opening and footsteps approaching the bed.


    ¡°Well, this wasn¡¯t the sight I was expecting.¡± Zoey muttered, making me look up from the pillow, casting a re in her direction, and watching her shudder in confusion as she dropped the te of Oreos and the ss of juice on the table.


    ¡°Woah¡­ why do I have a feeling you are nning my murder in your head?¡±


    ¡°Because I am.¡± I yelled, jumping out of bed and picking up a pillow in the process.


    Zoey takes a step back, racing towards the other side of the bed and picking up a pillow of her own.


    ¡°I believe I deserve to know what I am being killed for.¡± She asked in hrity, and my re hardened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you are going to love it. There are a lot of thrilling and entertaining chapters.¡± I mimicked her words, and her eyes shone with realization before a smile made its way to her lips.


    ¡°I see you know what kind of book it is.¡± She mutters. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t think you would get to the smutty part this quickly.¡± she said, wiggling her brows.


    I sighed in frustration, running my hands through my face. ¡°It would have been a good thing if that was the case.¡± I groaned, plopping down on the bed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked,ying down as well.


    ¡± Niki.¡±


    ¡°Mani.¡± She whispered a yell, tapping my head.


    ¡± What..¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to say his name. I¡¯ve told you of the repercussions.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I realized my slip-up, knowing this was the first time she had heard me use his name. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me losing my head. Apparently, he hates it when I call him Sin.¡±


    ¡± What?¡­¡± She yelled, lifting herself up with her elbow while gazing at me with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡± She asked, and I nodded. ¡°How¡­ when did that happen?¡±


    ¡°The night of my graduation, he said he didn¡¯t want me addressing him as Sin.¡± I stated it nonchntly, acting like it was no big deal even though I knew it was.


    Zoey stared at me with her mouth open wide, and she gasped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t tell me this.¡±


    ¡°You do recall I was pissed about being here and still am. But I have gotten a bit more used to it than when I first came here.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± She replies, lying back on the bed. ¡°So what happened with Sin? Why did you look so petrified and all?¡±


    I sighed before I began exining what had trespassed between Sin and me in the hallway, along with every horror I felt, but I left out a few parts about how he wished to be the one to corrupt me and the like.


    Once I was done with my story, the room was instantly filled with Zoey¡¯sughter, and I struggled not to blush.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡± I said, nudging her hand.


    She turns to look at me, lifting her body slightly while resting her head on her palm. Her mouth fell open as her expression lightened to one ofplete amusement and utter exasperation all at the same time. ¡°Mani¡­¡± Her eyebrows pulled up in the middle, and I couldn¡¯t tell whether she was going tough or sigh.


    Herughter filled the room again, and I so badly wanted to dig my head into my pillow again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t beughing at your expense, but God.¡± She snickers. ¡°You must have been very petrified. I know I would be.¡± She patted me sympathetically on the cheek.


    ¡°You have absolutely no idea.¡± I groaned.


    Zoey and I spent the rest of the day together. We decided to have dinner in my room instead of the dining room, which I didn¡¯t mind. She left, calling it a night. When I eventually slid into bed, I was, of course, unable to fall asleep. It took me a while to fall asleep, but once I did, it was so gently that my dream transitioned into my rambling thoughts without any noticeable pause.


    Naturally, my thoughts were on Sin, and I was picturing our next meeting at his office, exactly like we had done before. There was a slight change in the atmosphere of the room as my brain gradually transitioned from sleep to wakefulness. I had the impression that something significant was going to ur. With a devilish grin on his face, he got up and strolled out from behind his desk before approaching me. By the time he touched me, every nerve in my body was tingling with excitement. My shirt was undone, my skirt was sliding up my thighs, and his fingers had burned a trail down the side of my face, across my neck, and into my chest.


    He knew precisely how to touch me and all of the secret areas that made me tremble and bite my lip since this was only a dream, which I somehow understood, even as I groaned and parted my legs for him. Two of his fingers moved down the valley between my breasts, paused to dip into my navel, moved down my lower stomach, and teasily stopped just above my mound. I felt my nipples pucker and tighten as they did so.


    He grinned.


    He leaned over me, resting his elbow on the desk, and his lips lightly touched mine in an almost-kiss.


    I hadpletely broken down, and he had hardly touched me. I could feel my cheeks burning and my chest heaving with every breath. I was able to immerse myself in my imagination because the area of my brain that was aware I was dreaming moved farther away.


    I showed that I was more than prepared for him by arching my back. When my legs were farther apart and my skirt was gathered around my waist, he grabbed me by the hips and brought me to the edge of the desk.


    As I walked out of my room, flushed by the memories alone, the dream¡¯s memory of him leaning down and nting a scalding kiss on the inside of my thigh was still clearly present in the back of my mind.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    No, this wasn¡¯t the best method for getting my thoughts away from my dream. I shoved the thought out of my head, trying not to dwell on it as I proceeded with my hunt for Zoey.


    ¡± Mani.¡± I felt a hot flush spread across the back of my neck at the sound of his voice. Turning around slowly, I forced myself to meet his gaze. He was standing there casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°Hmm. Yes. Niki,¡± I said. A few of his men, who stood behind me, stared at me with wide eyes, then back at the boss, trying to seize on his reaction before returning their gaze in aww, and I wondered while they were acting this way.


    That was till I realized I had just called their boss by his name. They were probably expecting him tosh out or for him to lose his cool, just like Zoey had expected. Instead, they were left stunned by Sin¡¯sck of emotions.


    Their faces were soical that I would haveughed if not for the fact that my whole being was upied by the man in front of me.


    My mind travels back tost night and the kiss we shared, and I still can¡¯t stop myself from blushing.


    ¡°You are dismissed,¡± he said to his men, and they bowed, walking out of the room. Sin¡¯s attention remained on me, and I swallowed nervously. ¡°I will be attending a ball tomorrow evening, and I need you to be my escort.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡± I stuttered out, looking around with wide eyes before gulping. ¡°You want me to go with you?¡±


    ¡°I believe I just said that, amore.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you at all bothered about it?¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± He asked with a raised brow, and I stared at him perplexed.


    ¡°What if someone I know recognizes me from the ball?¡±


    He let out a chuckle, bobbing his head backward like I had just said something funny, and I stood there admiring his handsome features while looking confused.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± he says with a smirk. ¡°I can very well take care of myself and whatever circumstances may arise.¡±


    I scowled, crossing my hands over my chest. ¡°I never said I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you weren¡¯t.¡± His smirks grows. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a masquerade ball, which means we would all be wearing masks.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I muttered. ¡°Do you trust me enough to let me out of the house? What if I decide to run?¡±


    The smirks on his face were wiped out, and his face turned cold. I began to question myself as to why I had raised such a stupid question.


    Sin took a slow, threatening step towards me, until we were breaths apart. He bent so our faces were close to each other before whispering.


    ¡°You know better than to defy me, don¡¯t you, amore?¡± He asked, his tone calm, and I found myself nodding my head.


    Of course, I knew very well not to go against him, or risk putting the ones I loved in danger.


    ¡°Good.¡± He smiled, cupping my face in his hands before leaning forward to peck my forehead. This was something I definitely needed to get used to.

 CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

    I was sitting close to the window while reading a new book, this time making sure to browse through the book and making sure I hadn¡¯t taken one like thest. Though I doubt that was possible because Sin made sure to remove any books of that nature from the library shelf.


    I giggled, flipping the pages of the book I was reading, when the door of my room pulled open and a woman walked in.


    She was dressed in a sophisticated and elegant way. Her brown hair was tied up in a tight bun with little to no makeup on her face.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked as she looked at me up and down.


    ¡°Mr. Vinte says you need a dress for the ball.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m here to assist you and make sure you get the right gown.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± My demeanour was instantly thawed. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Normani.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Normani, It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Willow. I¡¯ve picked out a few dresses for you. Let me know what you think.¡± She says. ¡°Though Mr. Violenta has already picked out a gown for you that is among the selected ball gowns, I thought you might like to make a choice of your own.¡±


    I looked up at the dresses that had been chosen; there was something blue and slinky, something else in a deep red, and more behind those that I couldn¡¯t really see.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°First, let me take your measurements to ensure that this fits.¡± She was already unwinding a tailor¡¯s tape.


    Once she¡¯d wrapped it around my waist, hips, and bust, she scribbled a few things on a notepad I hadn¡¯t even noticed she had. ¡°All right,¡± she said, ¡°a few of these will probably fit you just fine, but we can work with the others as well. Why don¡¯t you try the blue one first?¡±


    I stepped out of my clothes and slipped them over my head, spinning around in the mirror as the folds of fabric settled on the curves and contours of my body. I had to admit that I liked the way it clung to my chest, but I wasn¡¯t happy with the overall shape of it. I looked to Willow for guidance.


    She shook her head. ¡± It¡¯s not quite right for you. I had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be. Try the red.¡±


    Close, but it still didn¡¯t look right to me. On the other hand, I wasn¡¯t sure if my perceptions of how I would seem in a dress were very urate. I had images in mind of horrendously photoshopped magazine photo shoots. I would always have the lumps and bumps of a real human woman, regardless of what I was wearing.


    Willow was tugging at the hem. It fell in an odd ce, just below my knee, which threw off the whole look of the dress.


    ¡°If you end up loving it, we can incorporate this a little more,¡± she said. ¡°But let¡¯s give it another shot. Let¡¯s try on the ball gown Mr. Violenta chose this time.¡±


    I nodded, and she rummaged through her options for a while before pulling out a stunning ball gown. As I stared in awe at the gown in her hand, my lips parted in amazement.


    Willow was smiling. ¡°Here,¡± she said. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re in love with it already. Try it on.¡±


    It was light and silky, fitting over me like a second skin but not clinging too tight. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at my reflection. Almost instinctively, I reached up and undid my ponytail, letting my hair fall loose around my shoulders. I tossed my head.


    Willow¡¯s smile had broken into a grin, lighting her whole face up with the satisfaction of a job well done.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly beautiful.¡± She smiled. ¡°I will make sure to keep it perfectly safe. The rest of the dressing will be taken care of by Mr. Violenta.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Willow.¡± I said with a smile, and hers stretched.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me; I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± I grinned, turning to the mirror to take one more look at my reflection.


    After about two hours, I was finally ready for the ball. Sin had arranged for a makeup artist and gotten someone to help me get ready.


    I wore a ck silk dress that entuated my curves; my whole back was on disy, and there was a dangerous slit going up until my thigh. I had pretty intense makeup but not too much, and my hair was straightened, making me look more mature.


    When I stared at the mirror, taking in the reflection in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but admire how beautiful she looked, not believing her to be me.


    She was absolutely stunning, ssy, and sophisticated. all the things that I was not


    My eyes settled on the ne that sat daintily around my neck. It was definitely something of its kind. It was coiled in the shape of a snake and was encrusted with diamonds and coloured stones.


    It shone against my skin and gave a tease as it rested on the top of my plump breasts.


    After giving one final look at the mirror and thanking those who helped me get ready, I got to my feet, grabbing my purse, before making my way downstairs.


    As I looked toward the living room, I saw Sin standing near the couch, wearing a ck and greyish suit with a bow tie, and he was buttoning the buttons on his wrist.


    He abruptly stopped as he looked up, meeting my gaze.


    He stared at me as I made my way toward him. His intense stare was making me feel nervous.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Mani, you look beautiful.¡± Zoey gushed, walking into the living room with her hands pped to her mouth. ¡°Absolutely gracious.¡±


    ¡± Thanks.¡± I blushed, turning to look at Sin, waiting for him topliment my look.


    He cleared his throat, making his way towards me and taking out a beautiful golden mask with a gold design shaped in the form of a V on the side.


    He walks behind me, cing it on my face and helping with the tie. I turned to look at him, still waiting for him to say something as he knotted his mask.


    ¡°We should go.¡± He says instead, and I nod, feeling disappointed.


    We both made our way to his car. The driver drove off as we approached the ball venue, taking up position in the back seat of the car.

 CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

    Sin¡¯s Pov.


    As we departed the building for the location of the yearly ball, I fixed my gaze on the woman seated next to me in my car. I initially refused to go to the ball because I didn¡¯t want to pretend to get along with anyone when their only goal was to unt their wealth. However, Luca persuaded me that I should go this time even if I had to stay an hour, as opposed to skipping it like I had done thest time and many times before. I had only attended the ball once, when I took over from my father, and I had gone by myself with nopanions. That was the same as every other party I¡¯d been to.


    I was going with a date for the first time, and for the better, I thought having Mani with me would be nice. She is incredibly stunning now that I have looked at her more. Her lovely blue eyes sparkled like precious stones. Her attention was focused out the window, her lips cast down with a pout, and I wondered what could have possibly made her unhappy.


    As if she could feel my gaze on her, she turned to face me. Her eyes swept over my face before settling on her clothing. ¡°Willow had informed me that you had personally chosen this outfit.¡± I nod when she says this. ¡°So what do you think?¡±


    I gave her evening gown a quick nce. ¡°It is the ideal fit for you. I obviously have good taste.¡± She made a face at me, and I wanted to chuckle at how adorable she looked.


    She pouts once more and turns to look out the window. I grin, grabbing her hand, and pull her focus back to me.


    I kissed the back of her hand and whispered, ¡°You look extremely beautiful with the mask off and unbelievably hot with it on.¡± I enjoyed the fire in her eyes.


    ¡°I must say, I feel different. more like a princess.¡± She chuckles, oblivious to my present rambling thoughts.


    ¡°A queen, that¡¯s what you are. Mia Regina: ¡°I yed with her fingers seductively while teasingly letting her in on the fact.


    I tried to hide my smile as I observed how she refrained from grabbing my hand. She is letting me know in silence that she is resistant to my touch.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m not certain I like the idea of any male gawking at you.¡± As I continued to y with her fingers, my jaw constricted. Once more, I kissed her hand, this time in the centre of her palm. Her eyes had be darker. Good. I thought with contentment. She wasn¡¯t as immune to me as she believed she was.


    ¡°So tell me again about this ball thing that we need to attend.¡± Mani remarked, abruptly altering the subject. The pink marks on her cheeks were visible to me.


    I answered by stretching my aching feet. ¡°It¡¯s just rich asses gathering to unt their money.¡±


    She stared at me for a moment. ¡°You do know you are a part of those rich asses?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I hate to be in the centre of the public¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°Because of your underground business.¡± I raised an eyebrow and chuckled.


    ¡°I find it meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Then why go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have been absent for way too long.¡± I replied, taking a hold of her hand and raising it to my lips.


    The car came to a stop, and I got out of the car first, walking over to the other side of the door before pulling it open. Mani ced her hand on my outstretched hands.


    I checked on my gun, i made sure it was tucked securely in my suit pocket just in case, and then ced my hand on Mani¡¯s waist as we headed inside.


    ??????????


    Mani¡¯s Pov


    My attention was immediately drawn to the fountain as soon as we entered the venue. A colossal statue of a lion with its mouth open stood in front of the enormous structure. The fountain was filled as water erupted from its mouth. It produced a sound reminiscent of roaring rivers that was almost rxing, and I already adored the ce.


    A man led all of us towards the party hall. I walked beside Sin, taking in every detail of the ce, as it was my first time attending a party such as this.


    My eyes kept wandering around the ce as the evening made it look more beautiful.


    The group inside the ballroom hall stopped what they were doing and nced at us as we approached. As soon as we became the topic of their whispered talk, they made me swallow forcefully.


    I tightly grasped Sin¡¯s arm as the crowd murmured and let out shocked gasps, trying my best to seem not to notice.


    ¡®He¡¯s here? I can¡¯t believe it. He never gets around to these things.


    ¡°How does he always look so stinking handsome?¡±


    As we moved forward toward the ballroom¡¯s centre, the whispering persisted.


    ¡°Who is that with him?¡±


    ¡°It has to be his date.¡±


    She must be his new fling because Mr. Violenta never brings a date with him.


    ¡°She would probably be out of his life in a week.¡±


    Ah.. I have been in his life for more than two months. I wanted to gloat at them but instead remainedposed.


    Each whisper grew in intensity, apanied by furtive nces and the asional dreamy sigh directed at Sin.


    ¡°You are probably right. Look at how she keeps clinging to his arm. A gold digger after his money.¡±


    Lots of eyes were on me, and I felt ufortable with how they looked at me. I wanted to pull my hands off of him, but he didn¡¯t let me go.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, amore?¡± He murmured in her ear. You shouldn¡¯t listen to a word they say because it isn¡¯t true. They only talk this way because they are jealous of you. Don¡¯t let their words get to you,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t give anyone even a second nce. I want you to stay glued to my side¡±. I looked into his eyes, confused.


    ¡°Why?¡± I was even more puzzled.


    ¡°You look amazing and sexy in this dress. I don¡¯t want anyone to have any nasty thoughts just because you look their way.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to mistake it for a form of invitation. Let¡¯s try not to put a bullet into anyone¡¯s skull tonight.¡± He kisses my knuckles and ces my hand in the crook of his arm.


    ¡°Mr. Violenta!¡± A deep voice called out. A man not older than forty, dressed in a ck tuxedo with a mask on, walked towards us. His arm was wrapped around a woman who was dressed impably and approached us with a warm smile on her beautiful face and a red mask covering her eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Violenta, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you again.¡± The man said, bringing out an outstretched arm, which Sin shook.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Bianchi. Sin says, giving a curt nod before turning to address the woman beside him. ¡± Lauren.¡±


    ¡°Only you could make an entrance as grand as this, Sin.¡± She chuckles, leaving the side of the man. She tucked both of her arms into Sins¡¯ other arm while her eyes sparkled with delight, pressing her breast to his arm, and I wondered if she had no shame in doing that in front of her date.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you decided toe. I thought this was going to be another gathering without your presence.¡± Great, I thought, with fake enthusiasm.


    I didn¡¯t realize my hold on Sin¡¯s arm had tightened, not until he turned to look at me, the amusement in his eyes as he gazed into mine, and then my hand wrapped around his before he looked at my eyes.


    When I realized what I was doing, I tried pulling away, but just like thest time, he stopped me before slowly removing the hands that looked like a vine on his right arm.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t introduced the woman beside you.¡± The man asked, looking at me with a face filled with curiosity, the same as the woman.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sin needs to introduce her, my love.¡± The woman said, her lips cast down in defiance. ¡°She is simply irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Lauren.¡± Sin responds, his handsome face void of any emotion. ¡°She is anything but irrelevant. Dopotutto sar¨¤ donna che regner¨¤ anto a me¡± (she is, after all, going to be the donna, ruling beside me).¡± He said it in Italian, and while I wasn¡¯t sure what he said, his words were enough to stun both of them.


    ¡°What, you can¡¯t be serious?¡± The woman eximed, still looking stunned, and I began to wonder what he said. She turned her full attention toward me. ¡°Her.¡± She voiced out the word with a sneer.


    I gave her a serene smile as I tilted my head up a little, giving her a firm look. Her eyes darted from my masked face down to my neck, where my ney, and she gasped.


    ¡°You must really mean it, seeing as she is wearing the Vinte family heirloom.¡± She says, her tone being bitter and full of jealousy.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t take to heart my wife¡¯s reaction; she is a bit shocked by the news,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°Though it would be nice to see the face that was able to grab the attention of a man such as Mr. Violenta, I sincerely give you my congrattions.¡±


    Yet again, I had no idea what he was congratting me on, but instead of querying him, I smiled, muttering out a thank you.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I steal away your date for a while. I have matters to discuss with him that are of a private nature.¡± The man asked


    I didn¡¯t like the idea of being here alone without Sin, but I couldn¡¯t turn down the man¡¯s request, not when he had asked politely.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sin said firmly. He removed his hand from mine, wrapping it around my waist. ¡°I do not n on leaving my date.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow in his direction while the man¡¯s face looked conflicted and the woman beside him had a pain-stricken face. But deep in my heart, there¡¯s something lit in his words.


    Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t want to seem like an obstacle to whatever the man wanted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Niki.¡± I smiled sweetly in his face. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty; why don¡¯t you handle your matters while I go get a drink at the buffet table?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    I shook my head while the smile was still ying on my lips, but my eyes hardened in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m fine here. It must be of importance since he requested some privacy with you.¡±


    I heard him sigh heavily. ¡°Okay, fine. But don¡¯t forget our promise.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and smiled. ¡°Sure, I will stay in your line of sight.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her; my wife can keep herpany.¡±


    No! Please take her away. I wanted to yell, but instead I gave a fake smile.


    Sin gave me a brief nce to see if I was alright with it, and I nodded, letting him know I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he says, leaning down to peck my lips. ¡°I¡¯m watching your every move, p tentatrice. Don¡¯t do something that we might both regret at the end.¡±


    I tilted my head while grinning wickedly in his face. ¡°Like what?¡±


    His beautiful dark orb sparked too dangerously for my liking. I should have known that it was not a good idea to provoke him. He might be a civilized gentleman on the outside, but he¡¯s still a barbarian on the inside. ¡°Something like stirring my jealousy, amore. You do not want to know what happens when I get jealous.¡±


    I gave him a coy smile. ¡°Do I?¡±


    He stalked my space even more. My heart gave a sudden jolt at his predatory gestures. I ced my hands on his hard chest when he finally closed the space between us.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try, and let¡¯s find out if you can handle my jealousy, Mani?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, Niki.¡± I smiled warily at his dark eyes. ¡°You should go now. Mr. Bianchi is waiting for you.¡±


    Finally, he turned around and left Lauren and I in the middle of the centre of the ball room. As he signalled everyone¡¯s attention inside, I quietly observed him. Everyone tries to catch his eye so they can get a chance to speak to him because he is such an influential member of society.


    Now I understand the arrogance thates with him.


    Deciding not to look at them anymore, I turned my gaze to Lauren. Her eyes were almost spilling out fire, directed at me.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    There is no way I¡¯m doing this right now!

 CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Before Lauren could finish her sentence, I walked away from her, deciding to approach the buffet table instead of having any conversation with her.


    I picked up a ss of orange juice as soon as I reached the buffet table and sipped it. My mouth watered at the sight of the variety of foods on the table. I was about to pick up a te off the table when a familiar female voice sounded from behind me.


    ¡°I find it quite rude to leave in the middle of a conversation.¡± I rolled my eyes, letting out a sigh.


    ¡°We had nothing of importance to say.¡± I said, not paying any attention to her. ¡°I know for a fact that you don¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I don¡¯t have to pretend.¡±


    ¡°Like you were!¡±


    ¡°How did you manage to get his attention?¡±


    Well, I met him at the club and got kidnapped by him a monthter. I wanted to answer that way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t expect you to reveal your technique, since that¡¯s what you need to keep your ce. Just tell me one thing. How many men have you practiced seducing, just to keep Sin?¡± I scoffed and wanted tough, but instead gave a small smile, knowing she was dying of jealousy.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t started seducing, Sin. I don¡¯t think I need to, because he¡¯s so into me. I believe the heirloom on my neck is a good enough reason to show my importance in his life.¡±


    ¡°You might think you matter to him, but once he gets tired of you, he is going to dispose of you without blinking an eye. So keep warming his bed, like a little whore¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong.¡± I smirked, taking a sip of my juice. ¡°I haven¡¯t even slept with him, and yet he seems enticed by me. What would happen if I did?¡±


    ¡± What¡­.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s funny you think I¡¯m a whore, when you, a married woman at that, is pinning over a man that isn¡¯t your husband. That clearly speaks highly of you.¡±


    Lauren gritted her teeth and raised her hand, but before I could receive the impart of her hand on my cheek, Sin¡¯s voice boomed behind us.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you, not unless you n on leaving here with no hands at all.¡± He threatens,ing to stand beside me. Immediately she recoiled her hand, gulping in fear.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I apologize for my wife¡¯s behaviour, Mr. Violenta.¡± Her husband said, with a look of shame as he dragged her away from the buffet table.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a ma for trouble?¡± Sin muses with a raised eyebrow, and I pout.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I go looking for trouble; it just finds me.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Heughed. He gazed at the people who were starting to form in the middle of the ballroom for a dance. I watched as they moved to the slow pace of the dance, each with a partner. ¡°Care to dance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a great dancer.¡±


    ¡°Why do I find that hard to believe?¡± He smirks. ¡°From what I remember, you were quite a vixen the night we met.¡± He says, taking a hold of my hand.


    ¡°Niki¡­¡± I called out hesitantly.


    ¡°Come on, just one dance. What could possibly go wrong?.¡± I looked back at the dance floor, then back at his masked face, before letting out a deep breath.


    ¡°Fine.One dance.¡±


    Those on the dance floor split up with their partners and moved to the sides as we moved toward the centre of the ballroom.


    He was leading me and easing me into the unfamiliar pace that would soon follow my present reluctance; at first, it was slow, hesitant steps. Sin drew me in, and the music grew more ominous nearly simultaneously. As we danced, my chest touched his, and our faces shared the same air.


    Sin¡¯s eyes never left mine, burning deep into my soul. He takes a step closer, making our noses touch. He asked. ¡°You look nervous. Take a deep breath.¡±


    I did as he said, and while meeting his stare, the melody of the music got softer again. We were now moving over the marble floor in gentle, beautiful steps.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, not with people staring at us.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯re not wrong about them staring, amore. They just can¡¯t get enough of how beautiful and enticing you look tonight.¡± He spanned me around so that my back was against his chest, and he spun me around, twirling my dress, finishing the move by dipping me, and when he did, the candlelight reflected off of his gold mask. making him appear enchanting.


    My chest once more touched Sin¡¯s as he raised me. He repositioned my body, resting his hand on my hip and holding my hand up toward the imposing ceiling. Our dance ultimately came to an end, and the tempo started to calm down. The music slowed down, and the temperature dropped altogether as we danced more slowly.


    pping and a few whistles broke the stillness of the room, making me blush. A wave of giddiness swept through me.


    My mind and thoughts were so upied by the man beside me that I failed to recognize the mask figure in the midst of the crowd, gazing at me with a face full of curiosity and confusion.

 CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

    It had been thirty minutes since Sin and I returned from the ball, and all I could think about was how amazing it was to have him dance with me. Despite encountering Lauren, the night had gone smoothly and was amazing.


    After our dance, we stayed an extra three hours at the party, with Sin introducing me to a couple of people. We decided to call it a night when the clock hit eleven and I was already getting tired.


    But instead of getting ready for bed, all I could think about was the ball and Sin. There was no denying that my feelings for him were growing with each passing day.


    Shaking the thought off my head, I undid the knot of my bathrobe to step into the showers. But as I run my hands over my body, I can¡¯t stop thinking about all the ces he¡¯s touched me¡­ and wishing he was here to touch me again. I shut my eyes under the stream of hot water, imagining Sin beside me, grinning that sly, dark smile of his, and pinning me against the shower door before he bends to kiss me. His hands are wrapped around my waist again, but this time he¡¯s doing more than just bracing me up in the water.


    Stop it. I turn the shower on just cold enough to make me gasp and, hopefully, rein in my overactive mind.


    When I¡¯m finally cleaned up and rinsing off, still dripping, I turn to leave the shower and go back to where I left my towel and my clothing earlier. My mind is still not fully present, too distracted by thoughts of sin. Without watching where I was going, I missed a step, and I let out a scream as I staggered.


    I catch myself on the wall and right myself, but not before someone bursts through the door of the bathroom.


    ¡°Do you all-¡± Sin stops dead on the threshold, eyes wide as he takes me in.


    Completely naked. dripping wet.


    My lips part in shock, and my gaze drops from his face over his bare torso. That makes my palms itch with nerves.


    How did he get here so fast?


    We¡¯re only a foot apart. He takes a step toward me, and I mirror him, unable to resist, even though I know I should reach for my towel or something instead. My nipples are hard in the air between us from the freezing shower water earlier, not to mention the chill now that I¡¯m soaked and naked.


    His gaze darts from them to my eyes and then down to my parted lips. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asks, his voice tight with something. Restraint, maybe? I can¡¯t tell. There¡¯s that light in his eyes again, dark and hungry, but it doesn¡¯t scare me. If anything, it only turns me on and makes the fire in my veins burn higher.


    I feel a pulse between my thighs, and I shiver, aware of how exposed I am.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. Sorry, I should ¨C ¡± I start to turn, but he reaches up and cups my cheek.


    Before I can fully turn away, he kisses me. His mouth crashes into mine hard, and I gasp, my lips parting and allowing him into my mouth almost before I can remember agreeing to it. My body sinks against his, and I slide my hands up, tentatively tracing my way across those hard, familiar muscles of his. I trace the ridges even as he groans against my lips and kisses me harder, pinning me back against the wall.


    When our mouths part for a breath, my eyes dart to his, hesitant, worried. ¡°I, um,¡­¡± I swallowed hard. ¡°There¡¯s something I should tell you,¡± I manage to say, which is a miracle considering he¡¯s kissing his way down my jawline to my throat now, cupping the back of my neck with his hand, and pulling my body flush against his. I can feel every inch of him. Including the hard press of his cock digging into my belly.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Fuck.


    I can feel my pulse throbbing between my legs and my pussy aching with desire. I have never been this exposed in front of a man beforepletely naked, trembling. I¡¯ve never been this tempted to take things further.


    But I can¡¯t, I¡­


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sin reaches up to catch a wet strand of hair stered across my forehead. Gently, he tucks it behind my ear. His fingers are calloused; I can feel them as the tips graze my earlobe, and that single, delicate touch sends a trill of pleasure all the way to the root of me.


    My breath catches in my throat. The throb between my thighs gets stronger. I feel like my clit is swollen, humming with sensitivity, and my hands itch to reach down between us and trace the edges of his cock, pressed against me.


    Sin¡¯s mouth is inches from mine, and all I can think about is how good it felt when he kissed me and how amazing it tasted. My lower lip trembles.


    ¡°I¡¯m a virgin,¡± I whisper, afraid the confession will make him shut down. After all, who wants a girl who doesn¡¯t know what the hell she¡¯s doing, especially at her age?.


    But if anything, after his eyebrows shoot up in amusement, the heat in his gaze only doubles. He reaches up to cup my chin in one strong, deft hand and slowly tilts my face up until I have no choice but to lift my eyes to meet his. ¡°I know, Amore, and that makes me happy, knowing no one else has imed you.¡±


    My breath hitches in my chest. His hand slides down my neck, tracing along the ridges of my shoulders, then over my corbone.


    I swallow hard, finding it hard to keep breathing steadily.


    ¡°You¡¯re all mine.¡± His fingers drip lower now, grazing the edges of my breasts and circling around them, before he reaches up to run a single thumb over one nipple, pressing just hard enough to draw a faint gasp of pleasure from me.


    His hands dip lower, down my sides, tracing my curves, until he ttens one palm against my stomach and drags his fingers down, across the ne of my belly, to my mound. He keeps going until his palm is against my mound, his fingers slipping between my thighs. Then he leans in to kiss me again and squeezes my pussy at the same time, making me moan against his mouth.


    ¡°I want to fuck you, Mani. Mark you as mine,¡± he whispers against my lips, and heat res in my veins at those words.


    But then he releases my pussy and steps back, a smirk ying on his lips as he watches me, judging my reaction. It¡¯s all I can do to hold myself upright against the wall, my pulse thudding in my ears, trying to catch my breath.


    ¡°Unless, of course,¡± he says, moving toward the door. ¡°You¡¯d like me to stop.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I blurted, louder than I meant to. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. But I square my shoulders anyway and power through it. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop. I¡­ ¡± I swallowed hard. I¡¯ve never talked dirty before. never done anything like this. But being around Sin sends a whole new, reckless flood of energy through me. It makes me want to be bold. To live on the edge


    ¡°I want you to make mee,¡± I whisper, just loud enough for him to be able to hear me from where he¡¯s standing.

 CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

    ¡°Good.¡± Sin¡¯s grin widens. With azy smirk, he wraps one arm around my waist, pulling me against him. Our mouths collide again, and this time there¡¯s no hesitation from my end. I let my head fall back and my lips part as his tongue explored my mouth, harsh and possessive. He breaks the kiss, and his lips trail down my neck, following the same path his fingertips did earlier. He licks and nips at my skin, making me gasp.


    Then his mouth traces lower, over my corbone, down to my breasts. He pins my back against the wall of the bathroom and suckles one of my nipples between his lips, his tongue flicking across the hard nub, toying with me, teasing me. I moan and arch into him, and his hands slide around the small of my back, bracing me against him as he sucks and licks at one nipple, then the next.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re perfect,¡± he breathes, his breath hot against my damp skin, when he pauses to tilt his head back and meet my eyes. ¡°You know, I wanted so badly to rip the dress off of you the moment I saw you walk down the stairs.¡± He lifts an eyebrow, holding my gaze. ¡°It took every restraint I had not to do as I wanted.¡± His hands roam down my sides, exploring every inch of my curves.


    It makes me shiver, especially to know that he was just as distracted and turned on as I was earlier in the party. It makes me feel powerful. I was sexy as hell to know that this gorgeous man was as eager to touch me as I was to touch him.


    ¡°I felt the same too,¡± I admit in a low, throaty voice now. The words made him grin with pleasure.


    ¡°What about now?¡± he asks, his hands sliding down to my belly before they deftly part my thighs, pushing me back against the wall so my bare ass is t against it. He leans in and trails his tongue between my breasts and down, tracing the indentation at the centre of my chest down to my belly, where his tongue flicks into my navel and his teeth lightly graze my skin.


    It¡¯s enough to send a full-body shiver through me, all the way from the tip of my head down to my toes, which curl beneath me. I catch my breath in my throat, and my eyes flutter half-shut, watching him taste me. ¡°Don¡¯t stop,¡± I breathe.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    He grins. ¡°Who do you belong to, Mani?¡± He leans in once more, kissing my belly, then lower. His lips reach my mound, and he kisses me harder, one hand sliding behind me to cup a fistful of my ass cheek, pinning me against his face.


    He hasn¡¯t even reached my pussy yet, and I can already tell I¡¯m soaked. My heart throbs, aching with the need for attention. ¡°You!¡± I gasp.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He runs his tongue down the crease of my thigh, tracing it on both sides. When my skin is glistening wet, he blows on it gently, sending a chill through me. I shiver again, and this time he feels it and grins at me, noticing.


    Without warning, Sin picks me up, walking out of the bathroom beforeying me on the bed, my ass right at the edge of it. He kneels between my thighs and drags me along the bed until my pussy is right in front of his face, spread open and bare to him.


    He promise to make me scream so hard that I¡¯ll forget my own name, and my pulse doubles, throbbing in my throat and my belly.


    He leans in and trails his tongue along my pussy lips, not even between them yet. I groan under my breath. He smiles.


    ¡°You taste every bit as delicious as I expected,¡± he murmurs against myher lips. With two fingers, he reaches up to gently part them; his other hand is beneath me, still cupping my ass, using it for purchase as he draws my hips up toward his face.


    This time, he presses his tongue between the folds of my pussy and drags the tip of his tongue along my slit. He moves slowly, from back to front, taking his time, and I moan a little at the unfamiliar, amazing sensation of his hot, wet tongue against my entrance.


    He strokes back and forth in slow, steady motions, moving a little faster with each stroke, until suddenly, without warning, he plunges his tongue into my pussy.


    I gasp, and my hips buck up against his face. He holds me t against the bed with one hand on my belly and presses his mouth up against me, pushing his tongue as deep into me as it will go. When he pulls it out, he curls the tip up and forward, and I moan as he brushes one particrly sensitive spot along my front inner wall.


    I start to rock in time with his movements as he pushes his tongue in and out of me, building up a rhythm. I reach down, hesitant at first. But his eagerness and boldness make me bold too. I bury my fists in his hair. ¡°Right there,¡± I moan as his tongue presses against the sensitive spot again. ¡°Oh, fuck, yes,¡± I gasp as he returns to it over and over.


    The pressure in my chest feels overwhelming, like it¡¯s drowning out the rest of the world.


    He pulls back a little, and I cry out faintly in protest, but he only ttens his tongue and drags it up over my clit instead. Now I really do cry out, loudly, my voice echoing around the room. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m too far gone to even wonder if anyone might overhear us.


    He licks me harder and faster, and I start to thrust up against his face, both fists tight in his hair. ¡°Yes, Niki, right there, yes.¡±


    I don¡¯t feel his hand move between my legs until he pushes a finger deep into my pussy. When he does, I moan in pleasure. He starts to move his finger and tongue together as one, the pressure in me building to an almost insurmountable point. He adds a second finger, and I can¡¯t take it anymore.


    I cry aloud as the orgasm sweeps over me, making my toes curl and my whole body shake from the force of it. I can feel my pussy contracting around his fingers in pulses as the climax hits. He leans back a little, chuckling, his dark eyes still hungry where they fix on mine.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the quiet type. Good. I like that.¡± He pulls his fingers out of me, and I moan a little in protest. He smirks and straightens, reaching down to his pants.


    Oh god.


    He lets the pants fall, taking off his boxers as well, and his cock springs free, fatter and thicker than I could have imagined. My eyes go wide.


    ¡°I want to fuck you, Mani,¡± he says, stepping closer. ¡°I want to feel that tight, sexy pussy of yours wrapped around my cock.¡± I sit upright as he approaches and reaches out before I can think better of it.


    I hesitate, my hands inches from his cock. He reaches down to take my wrists and guides my hands to the base of his shaft, circling them so I¡¯m gripping his cock with both hands. Even so, it takes both of my hands to encircle him because he¡¯s so thick. Will he fit? I feel a nervous flutter of fear.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t im you unless you¡¯re ready for it.¡± His dark eyes study mine. ¡°If you aren¡¯t, I¡¯ll walk away. Right now¡±


    I was surprised he was giving me an option. I always thought he didn¡¯t mind having his way without my consent. But hearing him say those words did something to my heart, knowing a part of him cared.


    My mouth goes dry at the thought of him in me. Even after the orgasm, I¡¯m still so pumped up that my body is practically vibrating with desire. I wanted every inch of him just as much as he wanted me. ¡°No,¡± I say, locking eyes with him. ¡°I want this.¡±


    His smile widens, slow andzy. ¡°You¡¯re tight,¡± he says. ¡°It might hurt.¡±


    ¡± Good.¡± My hands are still around his cock, and I trace them up and down the length of his shaft, marvelling at the velvety softness of him and the contrast between that and how steel-hard his shaft feels beneath the soft skin. But a little pain can be nice.


    Heughs softly. ¡°Well. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to avoid any pain this time, but..¡± He reaches down, then, to catch my wrists and raise them over my head. He transfers them into one hand, so he¡¯s pinning my arms above my head with just one hand while he reaches down with his other to pull my hips a little farther up the bed.


    When he leans down over me this time, eyes fixed on mine, I arch my back and feel the press of his hard muscles all the way down my body-his abs against my belly, his pecs digging into my bare, still hardened nipples.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re perfect,¡± Sin murmurs, his face inches from mine.


    He parts my thighs, and I feel his cock graze my inner thigh. He looks huge. As if sensing my nervousness, he smiles again and slides one hand down to part my pussy. ¡°You¡¯re nice and wet already,¡± he murmurs, his fingers probing for my entrance. One finger slips into mine slowly before a second joins. My eyes flutter half-shut at the sensation. ¡°Just rx, Mani, and let me show you.¡±


    So I do. I rx. He seems to know my body better than I do. And surrendering control feels sexy, like a kind of power in itself, giving myself over to him.


    He pulls his fingers out of me and reces them with the tip of his cock instead. His eyes caught mine and held them. ¡°Normani¡­¡± He murmurs my name like he¡¯s testing out the way it feels on his tongue, before he slowly rocks his hips forward and presses inside me.


    I moan, long and low, as his cock slides into my pussy. I can feel my walls stretching around him, straining to take in his girth. For a moment, my breath hitches, and he pauses, watching me closely, attentive to my every breath and motion, waiting until I catch his eye and nod before he starts to move again, pressing deeper and deeper.


    Finally, his cock is buried fully inside me, my pussy aching with the unfamiliar stretch. but it¡¯s a good ache. the kind of bone-deep ache that makes me want more of this, more of him.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he groans between his clenched teeth. ¡°You are so fucking tight. You feel incredible.¡± He leans down to kiss my neck, then the soft spot below my ear, his teeth grazing my skin and making me gasp with pleasure. He traces his lips over my jawline until his mouth finds mine again, and he crushes my lips against his in a slow, deep kiss.


    I parted my lips, let his tongue slip between them, and let him im every inch of me, my hands still pinned above my head. It feels delicious to surrender like this and let him take charge. When our mouths part, he grins down at me, his gaze full of heat.


    ¡°You feel that?¡± he asks, as he slowly arches his hips to draw his cock back out of me.


    I gasped a little, my hips rising up to collide with his, at the sensation of him leaving me. But before I can miss him too much, he thrusts back in, and the pleasantly stuffed sensation returns.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± he whispers, his voice nearly a growl, as he thrusts back into me again. He reaches down with his free hand to cup my leg and draw it up around his waist. I wrap both of my legs around his waist, hooking my ankles behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours,¡± I breathe faintly, agreeing, eyes fixed on his face as he draws out and thrusts in again. Each time, it feels like he¡¯s spearing me a little more deeply, hitting me in just the right spot. I moan as he starts to move faster, his cock setting off every nerve ending in my body.


    I expected this to hurt more. There¡¯s a little pain, especially when he starts to drive into me harder and faster.


    ¡°Say it again,¡± he growls against my mouth, kissing me harder and thrusting into me. I tighten my legs around him and arch my back and my hips, letting him haveplete control and taking whatever he wants from me.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours,¡± I cry out, louder this time. A faint cry escapes my lips as he arches his hips, angling himself inside me, his cock stretching my walls around him.


    ¡°I want you toe for me.¡± He moves hard and fast against me, reaching down to grab my ass and angling me so he can pound into me. ¡°Come for me, Mani.¡±


    My breath hitches as I feel the pressure building behind my navel again. It¡¯s familiar after thest time. ¡°I¡¯m going to,¡± I panted. ¡°I¡¯m going toe for you.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± he growls. ¡°Now.¡±


    There¡¯s no disobeying themand in his tone. And between that and the pounding pace he¡¯s setting, I can hardly disobey. I arch my back, panting, nearly there, feeling my whole body tremble as I poise on the edge of a climax.


    He slides up and away from me a little, positioning himself at a new angle so the head of his cockroach grazes that sensitive spot I felt earlier within me. Now I really can¡¯t help it. ¡°Come,¡± he says, and I do, screaming so loudly I¡¯m sure half the house will hear us. I don¡¯t care.


    My voice echoes through the room as the orgasm sweeps through me, even stronger than the first time. My whole body shakes from the force of it.


    But it doesn¡¯t even slow Sin down. He just keeps thrusting into me, fucking me so hard that my ass bounces against the bed underneath us. I tighten my legs around him, sensing he¡¯s near the edge himself. He releases my wrists, and I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his body down against mine. He fucks me without control now, withplete abandon, and I drive my hips up into his, giving as good as I get.


    He reaches up to grab the back of my head, his fingers wrapped tight in my hair-so tight it makes my eyes water, but I don¡¯t care. We¡¯re both lost in the moment, in the feeling of his cock buried deep inside my pussy.


    He finishes with a loud, guttural growl, and we fall back against the bed, breathless, my heart racing. For a long moment, all he does is lie across me, his head cradled against my chest, where he no doubt can hear just how hard my heart is pounding.


    When he finally pulled out of me, I let out a little mewl of protest. It felt so right to have his cock inside me, filling me up. Now I feel empty. A trickle of my own juices inches down my thigh as he draws back and away. I sit upright with a gasp, but he just smiles, like he¡¯s anticipating my thoughts, and leans down to kiss me again, more softly this time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I still n on taking you in so many ways.¡± He whispers; his promise echoes through the night, and I smile at the thought of it.

 CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

    ¡°Urg,¡± I mumbled, burying my head in the sheets. ¡°Why is it so bright?¡± I groaned, using the pillow to cover my head.


    I always made sure to close the curtains in my room, so why were they open? And that¡¯s when it hit me. I opened my eyes, still a little tired, and turned to the other side of the bed, but found it empty with no sign of Sin.


    A feeling of sadness engulfed me, and I began to wonder if I made the right choice yesterday. Was this what he wanted? Was Lauren right about me getting discarded after being used? Was I overthinking this?


    Weeping off the tears that fell down my face, I stepped out of bed, groaning as I felt pain between my thighs, the mattress falling off my bare body. I limped into the bathroom, just to be taken by surprise when I saw Sin in there, getting into the shower.


    ¡°Yo¡­¡± I stuttered out, hurriedly wiping the stain of tears from my face.


    He didn¡¯t say anything at first and kept staring at my eyes. ¡°Did you cry?¡± I nervously bit my lip, not responding. ¡°Why? Did you perhaps regret what happened between usst night?¡± He asked, stepping out of the shower, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Then why did you cry amore?¡± His voice was soft and soothing as he cupped my cheek, and I tried not to notice our naked bodies.


    ¡°I thought you left.¡± I sobbed, not sure why I was acting this way. ¡°I woke up, and you weren¡¯t there, so I thought you left.¡± I exined, fiddling with my nails and finding the floor of the bathroom more pleasing to look at.


    His thumbs ran through my cheek, wiping the tears off before cing a finger underneath my chin and raising my face up to meet his gaze.


    ¡°I apologize for making you feel this way. You were still asleep, and I thought of having a quick bath before you woke up.¡± He exined, brushing his lips over mine, causing butterflies to brush against my stomach. ¡°You aren¡¯t a fling; you mean so much to me, Mani.¡±


    I began to scold myself for having thought negatively. Why was I so feeble-minded when ites to him? I knew for a fact that it had nothing to do with the fact that he had kidnapped me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it mattered even more.


    Do I care about my freedom? Yes. But was I certain I could go back to the life I once knew without Sin? I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    My thoughts were put to an end when I felt Sin¡¯s lips press against mine, causing fireworks to explode in my tummy and my core to start throbbing. My arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him back with the same passion as he did.


    My hand slowly left his neck,tching onto his shaft and beginning to stroke it gently. Sin groans, picking me up, pressing our naked bodies against each other.


    We walked into the shower, turning it on as the warm water fell against my skin as my back hit the tiled wall of the shower.


    Sin picked up the bathing cloth,thering it with my shower gel before rubbing it on my skin. His movements were soft and gentle, like I was some delicate flower.


    His hand moves slowly between my thighs, maintaining eye contact with me, and I gasp, letting out a whimper when his finger brushes against my clit.


    I leaned in, tiptoeing to peck his lips, taking the bath cloth from his hand as I washed his body in the same manner he did mine. My cheeks are covered with blush while I try to maintain eye contact with him. But my gaze keeps moving from his eyes to his lips.


    The water tickled down our faces and onto our naked bodies, washing the soap off, but my focus was merely on how pink and plump his lips were looking. I needed those lips.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± I whispered, biting my lip slightly. ¡°I want you to¨C¡±


    Before I could finish the sentence, his lipstched onto mine, shutting me up, and quite frankly, I didn¡¯t mind. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, erupting a wet, warm feeling not only in my mouth but in my core.


    My fingers were entwined in his hair, ying with it. His dark curly locks were surprisingly soft, silky, and nicely moisturized. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be one to care too much about his appearance.


    His lips parted from mine, and he moved down my body, cing soft kisses on my neck, my breasts, and my stomach, and then he reached down there. cing both my legs on his shoulders, heid kisses on my thighs.


    His tongue came out to gently lick my throbbing clit, which caused a small moan toe out. He smirked against the skin, making me moan more.


    ¡°Niki,¡± I moaned out, ying with his hair.


    Every lick given to me made my clit throb faster. I needed him to make me cum right now. ¡°Niki, go faster.¡± I instructed, moving his head to go faster.


    He licked my clit up and down, and just as I was on the verge of cupping, he moved away. I looked down, and a frown was on my lips. ¡± Sin-.¡±


    He slipped his tongue in there and used his thumb to rub my clit, really making me go crazy. My walls tightened around his darting tongue, and his thumb rubbed my clit , increasing the ecstasy coursing through me. ¡°Yes¡­¡± I moaned.


    I finally came on his tongue, and he got that from the way my back arched, so he moved away from my core. He licked his lips, a smile on his face. ¡°You taste so good.¡± He smiled, standing up to meet me.


    Our lips locked once again, only increasing my already fast heartbeat. I was getting a taste of myself from him. We kissed for a few minutes, and Sin was the first to put some distance between us.


    ¡°As much as I would love to do this all day, we need to get dressed, and I need you to pack a few clothes and the things needed for a week-long trip.¡± Sin says, and my brow creased. ¡°I have business to attend to, and you areing with me.¡±


    ¡°Business,¡± I frowned, ¡°what kind of business? Where are we going?¡± I asked, my face now filled with curiosity.


    ¡± Paris¡±


    A loud squeal left my lips, and my eyes lit up in excitement. Was I hearing him correctly? I have always wanted to visit Paris but wasn¡¯t able to. Either I didn¡¯t have enough budget for it or I was too busy to take a trip.


    ¡°You are being serious right now. I just can¡¯t believe it. Paris! ¡± I eximed.


    Sin¡¯s eyes twinkle with amusement as he watches my reaction. ¡°You do know that this is not a vacation. I need to handle some matters of urgency there, and you will be by my side.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Niki,¡± I whined out, pouting my lips while giving him my best puppy eyes, hoping it would work. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s Paris. You can¡¯t expect me not to be excited. I can¡¯t just follow you around all day. I have always wanted to visit Paris.¡±


    He sighed in defeat before cupping my cheek and running his hand against mine. I smiled inwardly, biting down softly on my lips while staring at his dark orbs.


    ¡°Fine, I will allow you freedom as long as you promise not to do anything drastic, and remember to stay in line of sight even if I¡¯m not there. You should not be alone without one of my men with you.¡±


    I jumped in joy and did a happy dance, nodding my head quickly. ¡°yes.¡±


    He smirked, ¡°I will have to assign someone to watch over you and keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, looking at him.


    He turned his back towards me and said, ¡°Finish up ande meet me downstairs.¡± walking out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I hurriedly finish up with my bath, washing my hair, and brushing my teeth.


    Once I was done, I walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my bare body. I made my way to my closet, scanning through the clothes that were neatly arranged. A few of them had been the clothes I hade with, while the majority of them were designers, bought by Sin.


    I took out a small duffel bag and did as Sin instructed, packing the clothes, and things I needed before cing it gently at the side of the bed and hurriedly beginning to dress.


    I put on a grey jumpsuit with white sneakers, choosing to let my hair down after drying it up. Taking one final look at the mirror, I walked out of my room to the kitchen, where Sin was.


    ¡°What time are we leaving for the airport?¡± I asked, watching Sin apply butter to his toast. He looked up at me, taking in my dress, before nodding in approval.


    ¡°We leave right after breakfast,¡± he answered, before shoving a te of buttered toast towards me. ¡°Are you done packing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, with a little bit of enthusiasm. I took a seat beside him, and we both ate our breakfast in afortable silence.


    ????


    We arrived at a deste airport after breakfast. There was only one ne, and it was big, with a big ck letter written boldly on the side of the ne. Vinte. Sin motioned for me to get into the ne, which I did, astonished by the beauty. Money certainly can buy you everything.


    The d¨¦cor was modern and mostly white. The design was tremendous, making me wonder who furnished it. Sin sat next to me while his men took seats on different sides of the ne.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rather fancy, but beautiful,¡± I replied, and looking out the window, my excitement grew.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    We were about to depart when a young male air hostess came and gave us a ss of champagne. I dly epted it and gulped it all down in one goal.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°There is a bedroom at the end of the ne in case you want to lie down.¡± a Sin gesture to the door. I nodded, getting up to my feet, and walking into the bedroom.


    I first went to the bathroom to relieve myself. The bathroom was small but elegant. After I was done, I washed my hands and dried them off with a towel before stepping out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.


    There on the bed was Sin. Hey on the bed. His sleeves were rolled up, and his forearms were showing. He looked up and patted a spot beside him. I slowly approached the bed andid down. He pulled me close to him as we smuggled together in silence. His hands caress my back, pulling me into the wondend of sleep.

 THIRTY

    I felt someone caressing the side of my face. The touch was gentle, and it pleased me. I nuzzled my face in the hand and signed in content.


    ¡°Mani, wake up. We have arrived,¡± the voice said. But I didn¡¯t bother making any attempt to wake up. I heard someone sigh and felt myself getting picked up. The person carrying me was strong, and his grip didn¡¯t falter even for a second.


    I felt myself being carried for some time before I was finally set on something made of cleats. I just smuggled in the warmth and fell back asleep.


    When I woke up and noticed I was in a car, I was at the entrance of a luxury hotel.


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re awake,¡± Sin said,bing his hand through my hair. ¡°Wait here.¡± He says, giving me a smile as he opens the car door, walking over to the other side of the car before pulling it open.


    He extended a hand for me to take, and I did, cing my hand on his and getting out of the car. His strong arm wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me along, making sure that I matched his pace while his men followed behind.


    We entered a huge hotel, and Sin already had the key card, so instead, we made our way to the elevator, going to thest floor, which was a penthouse.


    We walked into the living room, which was morous and huge like an apartment. The entire room was modelled in a polished way, radiating with bright blue lights.


    The living room has two sofas and a TV, with a massive terrace disying the beautiful city outside. There were two bedrooms, so I was elected to choose mine. I opened the first door and walked inside, with Sin following me.


    ¡°I already chose this room,¡± I expressed, giving him a puzzled look.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, not moving an inch.


    ¡°You can have the other room,¡± I stated again, but he remained rooted in his spot.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, love, not after everything we sharedst night and this morning.¡± He stated. ¡°We are staying in the same room.¡± I was surprised by this new development but not at all against it. I felt giddiness in the pit of my stomach and instead chose to nod, not trusting my voice.


    Sin closed the door behind him, then took off his shoes and slumped his huge body on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you with me to meet some people this evening, so do get ready on time,¡± Sin said, typing on his phone fervently.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I answered, not really paying attention, as I walked out of the room to explore the penthouse. My excitement is top-notch.


    I ended up at the balcony situated in the living room. We were on the twelfth floor, and it was dreadful to look down but delightful to look around.


    After exploring the hotel for hours, I returned back upstairs for a rxing bath in the Jacuzzi, then began getting ready for the night, settling on afortable white gown that stopped below my knees and some ck ts.


    I let my hair down, made sure my make-up was minimal, then went out of the bedroom.


    Sin was already waiting for me, since he got ready before me. He looked at my outfits and ced a kiss on my cheek, grabbing my hand and leading me out of the hotel to his car.


    The whole ride was silent. No one uttered a word, and though I was eager to know where we were going, I weed the silence with open arms.


    My gaze remained out the window, taking in the beauty of the city with a face full of excitement and wonder. I couldn¡¯t wait to explore the ce tomorrow.


    Sin drove at least for an hour before the car stopped in front of a fancy-looking restaurant. We got down, and Sin took my hand in his, walking in like we were a loving couple, and I tried not to blush at this.


    The restaurant wasn¡¯t packed, so it was easy for Sin to spot whomever we were meeting, and he pulled me with him towards them.


    I was only able to recognize one of them. Luca, the guy who stopped me from leaving the first time I tried to escape. There was a woman beside him and a man across from him with his back turned in our direction.


    I took a seat beside Sin, facing Luca. I turned to look at the man beside me and almost fainted in surprise and fear.


    Oh my God!


    What is he doing here?


    What the hell is Jason doing here?


    Our eyes met, and with his widening in surprise also, eyebrows raised in confusion. Looking between me and Sin, before his eyes harden. I turn to look at Sin. to find him concentrating on something on his phone while talking to Luca.


    This made me let out a sigh; it¡¯s a good thing that he wasn¡¯t paying attention to me. Luca, on the other hand, was looking at me, still talking to Sin, and watching my every move. His eyes wandered from my face to my hand, which were still locked on Sin.


    I blushed, looking away, trying to take my hand off Sin¡¯s hold, but his grip tightened a little and he turned to give me a stern look, which made me size up my action.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Normani,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°And you too,¡± I murmured quietly. I knew Luca was a good person, but I wasn¡¯t certain I knew him. He was Sin¡¯s right-hand man, which I knew, and he had been the second person to show kindness to me apart from Zoey.


    ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t quite catch your words,¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°I said, it¡¯s nice to see you too.¡± I responded with a small smile.


    ¡°I thought you were kidding when you said you were going to kidnap her,¡± Jason said. I turned to look at him and noticed how much he had changed over the years.


    Gone was the teenage boy who broke my heart. His short, light brown hair was shaved neatly at each side, and his nose was pierced, bringing out his handsome features and making him more sexy but not as sexy as Sin. He had tattoos on his hand, arm, and chest, from what I could see.


    But I wanted nothing to do with him and do not n on associating myself with him. It was best to keep my distance.


    ¡°Amore, since you have already met Luca. This is Jason and Samantha.¡± He pointed toward Jason and the blond-haireddy beside Luca. Jason didn¡¯t acknowledge knowing me and just nodded in my direction, which I dly reciprocated.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Mani.¡± Samantha spoke for the first time, and I could hear the sincerity in her voice.


    ¡°Victoria had to take care of something, so she couldn¡¯t make it.¡± Sin nodded at Luca¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s order; I¡¯m famished,¡± Samantha stated calmly, while I tried to ignore Jason, who was staring down at me.


    Once the waiter left, he took our order. Luca spoke again, saying, ¡°Sam and I would need to take care of the shipment in China.¡±


    ¡°Take care of it this time; you know what to do if there are anypromises.¡± Sin replied softly as the waiter returned with our food, silencing their talk. I was curious about what they meant but didn¡¯t want to involve myself in anything dangerous.


    I wasn¡¯t really hungry, so I just toyed with the food, twisting the noodles around my fork. Sin was watching me.


    ¡°You better start eating, Amore, if you don¡¯t want to be spanked right here in front of all these people!¡± He whispers softly in my ear, making me put the food in my mouth.


    It tasted delicious, and instantly my appetite was restored. Sin went back to his food when he saw me eating.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    The rest of the conversation between the men was in Italian, while Samantha and I conversed about different things, from likes and dislikes to fashion, but our conversation was cut short when Sin stood up.


    I got up too. Samantha and I made ns to hang out with each other before she leaves Paris, and when shees back to New York.


    We bid them goodbye, and I followed him to the car. From everything that happened within thest few hours of the dinner, I could tell they were all scared and respected Sin at the same time.


    When we got inside, I rolled down the window, weing the cool breeze of the night. Sin started the engine and drove straight to the hotel.


    All of a sudden, his hand grabbed my thigh. I saw him concentrating on the road and tried removing his hand, but his grip tightened, holding me in ce. His hand felt warm as they moved up, and I sucked in a breath when his finger brushed my crouch. He slipped his finger inside my panties, and his finger rubbed furiously on my core. The pleasure was building up in me, and I wondered how he was able to concentrate on driving while doing such ascivious act.


    He pulled his fingers back, and I let out the breath I was holding, hating the fact that he was teasing me in such a manner.


    When we reached the hotel, I was still flushed and aroused. deciding that a shower was best, preferably a cold one.


    After I was done with my bath, I realized I didn¡¯t carry a change of clothes. I stepped out of the shower, putting on a bathrobe before stepping out of the shower.


    My eyes wandered off to Sin, still not used to the idea of sharing a room with him. My eyes wandered off to his d chest, showing off his divine muscle and abs, before wondering down and taking in the sight of his Calvin n boxer.


    I find myself subconsciously biting on my lips, my eyes slowly taking in his amazing view. I looked up at his face and eyes, finding his eyes on me with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Take a picture, it willst much longer,¡± he says, making a blush appear on my face for being caught.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad. I don¡¯t have a phone; this would have made a perfect view.¡± I said it boldly, surprising myself, and Sin¡¯s smirk increased.


    ¡°Then we need to rectify that, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­.¡± I replied absentmindedly, still staring at his tone of voice until his words clicked. ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°The phone, amore.¡± He chuckles. ¡°You need to pay more attention, Mani.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help it. You are too distracting.¡± I answered, and Sin¡¯s brow lifted up as he chuckled.


    ¡°You need to stop looking at me like that, Mani.¡± He said this, walking towards me.


    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked when he stood in front of me.


    He leaned down until his lips were almost touching mine. ¡°Like you want me to fuck you.¡±


    My chest rose and fell as I stared at him with eyes full of lust. ¡°What if I do?¡± My voice was breathless.


    Sin¡¯s eyes darkened, and I could see his emotions mirroring mine. ¡°Are you sure about that, Mani?¡± His lips brushed against mine as he asked.


    ¡°I believe we are way past that now. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± I asked, closing the gap between us, and my lips met his in a feverish kiss.

 THIRTY ONE

    Sin¡¯s tongue gently brushed against mine, which made me feel more confident. I then took more liberties with the kiss and twirled my tongue around his. I felt the firmness of his chest against my skin as my hand moved down it.


    ¡°Touch me,¡± I told him softly. ¡°Please.¡±


    Sin¡¯s hands went to my waist, lifting me up and towards the bed. He quickly followed, flipping over to cover me while bracing his weight on his elbows as soon as I mmed my back into the soft mattress. I felt his long body sink into the space between my slightly apart legs, and then, in a gesture that felt both unexpected and appropriate, I instantly opened wide to him. Inparison to my thighs, Sin¡¯s boxers felt extremely thin and scalding.


    He moved a bit closer, leaning in. ¡°Maybe I want to keep kissing you for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, too,¡± I said breathlessly, acutely aware of him.


    He lightly ran his fingers over my face, as if memorizing my features by touch. Then he leaned in and kissed my mouth, his lips feeling light against my own. He then kissed my cheek, his lips skimming my skin until he reached my jaw, where he pressed another kiss.


    My chin was next, then my nose, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of his mouth on my skin and his weight over mine. I could feel the heavy heat of him cradled against my pussy and was half tempted to wrap my legs around him. Would that be too much, too fast? I wanted to keep enjoying him and his touch. If he wanted to go slow, that was fine with me.


    Sin¡¯s mouth moved along my jaw, and then I felt him take my earlobe in his teeth and gently tongue it. A gasp escaped me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.


    ¡°Like that?¡± he asked softly, and he repeated the motion.


    I bit back the moan rising in my throat and gave a small, jerky nod.


    He nibbled on it for a moment longer and then slid his tongue down into the hollow underneath my ear and down my neck, causing shivers to move over my skin. His weight shifted, and I felt his cock press hard against my core, rubbing up and down against it. A whimper escaped my throat, and I automatically lifted my hips, locking my legs around him.


    ¡°Like that?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°Just like that,¡± I breathed, rocking my hips against him. He felt so good.


    His hand slid between their bodies, and I felt him tug at my bathrobe. ¡°Let¡¯s take this off.¡±


    I nodded, and he undid the knot. I raised it up slightly, pulling it from my hand before tossing it on the floor of the room. All the while, I felt him slide farther down my body, and then his mouthtched on to my nipple, tonguing it.


    This made me moan; a jolt of pleasure moved through me at his touch. My hands went to his shoulders, rubbing, then digging my nails in as he flicked at my nipple with his tongue before moving over to my other breast and beginning to nuzzle it. A hot ache bloomed between my legs, and I moaned again, unable to bite back my pleasure. His mouth was so skilled. I raked my nails across his shoulders, encouraging him.


    He sucked hard on my other nipple and then released it with an audible pop. Dazed, I stared down at him in time to see him lightly flick his tongue over the wet tip, then look up at me. ¡°Your breasts are beautiful. I¡¯ve been wanting to y with them all evening.¡± His hand gripped my breast, the thumb grazing my nipple even as he leaned over the other one again. ¡°Watching them naked and glistening with water is quite enticing.¡±


    At his words, I arched underneath him, thrusting my breasts in the air so he could have full ess to them, and I was not disappointed when he pinched the tip of one at the same time that he licked the other. A bolt of pleasure shot straight to my core, and my legs tightened around his torso. My voice was breathy. ¡°Niki.¡±


    ¡°I love it when you say my name,¡± he murmured, his lips moving against my nipple.


    ¡°Oh, Niki,¡± I moaned when he nibbled at the tip again. ¡°You feel so incredibly good.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± he murmured, pressing a kiss between my breasts. His hand left my breast and skated down my belly, then lower, to my mound. A hot, thick finger slid between my folds. ¡°Definitely wet.¡±


    i was. I was so turned on that I ached inside, my sex clenching as if it needed something or someone buried deep within me. ¡°Oh, god.¡±


    ¡°Niki,¡± he murmured, and nipped my breast even as he slid that finger in and out of my pussy. ¡°I want you to say my name again while I¡¯m touching you.¡±


    ¡°Niki,¡± I breathed, the word turning into a whimper when his slick finger moved to my core and began to rub it. My hips rocked involuntarily, and I clung to his shoulders, my nails digging into the tattoo on his biceps. His touch felt so amazing that my entire body seemed like one big bundle of nerve endings, and they were all connected to my core that he was rubbing and rolling under his fingers. Hot tension began to climb through my body, and I moaned low in my throat, my legs tightening around him. ¡°I¡¯m going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Come.¡± He made it sound more like amand than a question, and as he spoke, his fingers worked over my core even faster, circling quickly.


    I cried out as my entire body stiffened in my orgasm, then bit my lip to hold back as he continued to rub at my core in slow, teasing circles that made my orgasm seem tost forever. My entire body was quivering when I finally came down.


    ¡°Um,¡± I breathed, removing my hand when I noticed my nails had left a mark on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    He leaned in and kissed me, hard and possessive. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Y-your shoulder,¡± I said, bewildered. ¡°I¡¯m hurting you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not hurting me, Mani,¡± he said, and kissed me hungrily again, making the mes lick through my belly once more. With his hand, he dragged my arms back around his neck and then flexed his hips, surging forward until his cock rested against my naked pussy and rubbed there. He was incredibly hard and thick, and I made a low whimper at the feel of him through his boxers. ¡°I want you to keep touching me. I don¡¯t care if you w up my back.¡± He tugged at my lower lip with his teeth and then whispered against my mouth.


    ¡°I love how you react to my touch,¡± he said, rocking his hips against mine in a slow, circr motion that made my entire body follow the movement, my legs sliding back around his hips again.


    He pressed a thumb to my clit opening, and I cried out, my nails cutting into his shoulders again as he slid a finger lower and circled around my opening, then ever so slowly pushed into me, causing me to gasp in reaction.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    He leaned in and gave me another light kiss, his fingers leaving my pussy, and I nearly cried out in disappointment.


    ¡°I want to touch you,¡± I said softly, my hands moving over his arms and chest, caressing his skin.


    ¡°I want to fuck you,¡± he murmured against my lips, and I gasped with surprise when his tongue thrust into my mouth, even as he shifted and I felt the head of his cock fit up against the slick opening of my sex.


    He thrust in deep, and I whimpered at the sting of unused muscles as he seated himself deep inside me. He leaned in and kissed me again, his tongue dancing over mine in a way that felt incredibly decadent with his sex buried in mine. When I nudged my hips slightly, he swung his, rocking the two of them in a slow, circr motion that made me instantly aware of every muscle in his body-and mine.


    ¡°Oh, do that again,¡± I breathed, holding on to him tightly.


    Sin did, repeating the motion and exaggerating it for my benefit. It was a subtle roll of his hips, but he pressed forward and pushed enough that it rocked my body with his, and the slow roll of my hips brushed him against my clit, sending sensations pinging through me. I moaned again, my legs digging into his buttocks, encouraging him. not that he needed it.


    This time, when he thrust, he surged deep inside me, rocking my entire body on the nket and causing me to cry out with pleasure. I clung to him as he began a hard, steady thrust, pushing deep and hard inside me with every muscle and every sinew in his body. My world narrowed down to his hips, pushing against mine, the smack of his flesh against mine as he thrust deep again, the bounce of my breasts with every jolt of our bodies. I lost myself in the sensations, my eyes closed, my head thrown back. He was breathing hard over me, every breath a satisfied rasp, as I began to make soft, pleased noises in my throat with each thrust he made.


    The elusive orgasmic feeling was rising again, and I focused in on it, moving my hips in time with his to ensure that each thrust was deeper, harder, and stronger, and with each push of his cock into me, I got a little closer toing.


    He shifted his weight, adjusting my hips, and with his next thrust, my eyes flew open. That had been different. The almost but not quite orgasmic feeling hovering at the edges of my consciousness red to the forefront, and when his next thrust pushed forward, it happened again. My pussy clenched around him in response, and he groaned even as he sucked in a breath.


    Sin¡¯s hands moved to my hips, angling me just so, and then he thrust again.


    Saint! The feeling was exonerating. My nails wed his back again. ¡°I need more.¡±


    He gave another brutal surge, shoving our bodies across the mattress with his next push, and I cried out as the orgasm danced so close. When he pushed in again, I thrust just as hard against him, my hips working furiously in time with his. That spot was back, and his short, quick pumps were rubbing up against it in the most incredible way that made my entire body arch with pleasure. I was so close then.


    I cried out as the orgasm rushed through me with force. My hands clenched tight around him, and I heard him utter a muffled curse, increasing his pace. His hot cum filled me up, and he exhaled heavily, lying down on the bed next to me.


    That was incredible. Mind-blowing.


    Those were the thoughts that filled my mind as I tried to catch my breath. I felt the nket being pulled over my naked body, and Sin tugged at me, his hand sliding possessively over my waist and resting on my breast as if I were a precious diamond.


    Being pressed up against his big, strong body had me drifting off to sleep; his hand, possessively cupping my breast, felt a little too good to be true.

 THIRTY TWO

    Sin pov


    Mani was beyond beautiful. Breath-taking gorgeous.


    I took a deep breath, inhaling Mani¡¯s sweet scent. Her naked body was pressed firmly against mine. My arms tightened around her naked waist, pulling her close to me. We fit each other so perfectly. I trace my finger up over her naked back to her soft hair, grazing her scalp. Mani seems to like it as she presses her body more into me, letting out a soft moan.


    So perfect and all mine, I ced a soft kiss on her temple before resting my chin on her head while my finger yed with her hair. I was so fucking addicted to Mani like a love sick puppy and almost cringe at the thought, but that¡¯s how I became now, and it was so fucking hard to deny the fact now. I became addicted to the way she talks, the way her plump lips will curve into a smile, the way she breathes, and even how fucking beautiful she looks when she¡¯s crying.


    Call me a sick bastard if you want.


    I know a part of her probably still hates me for taking her away from her family and the people she cares about and also for hurting her, but I also know a part of her wants me and is very attracted to me. I n to turn the hate around. When I¡¯m with her, she halts my thoughts, and the war inside my mind, slowly chasing away the devil in my mind.


    I stare at the ceiling. My lips curve into a smile when the memories ofst night sh into my mind, and I think about how great she felt. how being with her chased away the darkness surrounding me. I didn¡¯t think that was ever going to be possible.


    Mani was bing my favourite drug, and between her legs was my favourite ce to be. I hated being referred to as Niki because it reminds me of my dad; that¡¯s why I preferred Sin, yet the way she pronounced my name was so addicting, and I always want to hear my namee out of her tempting lips. It¡¯s like she invented a new me anytime she calls me by my name. I love that.


    Looking at her one more time, I saw her eyes closed, but she was awake, breathing me in and taking my breath away every time I looked at her. I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted her eyes on me and only me.


    ¡°Amore,¡± I whispered. She didn¡¯t move a finger, pretending like she was asleep. I chuckled softly. Oh, my little temptress!


    She looked so cute right now, making me want her attention even more. My finger slowly traced the curvature of her spine, sure to leave a trail of goosebumps behind.


    Despite her attempt to continue her pretense, she trembled at my feather-like touch. I love how she reacted to my simple touches. I will make sure to be the only man she would ever react to this way, and no men wille close to her or take her the way I have. I would get rid of them in the most brutal way possible, making them wish they had never touched what was mine.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know you are awake, amore,¡± I smirked down at her. She looked so adorable.


    She moved a little before opening her beautiful ocean blue eyes. Her face was a dark shade of red as she tried to avoid eye contact with me; she was too shy to look at me. She clearly remembered what happenedst night.


    My cock hardened, and I tried shifting in bed, still holding her close to me. Brushing her blond hair from her face, she finally nced at me with a blush still on her face, and her lips curled up into a smile, but I could still see the mistrust in her eyes-it was just asleep, but it was there.


    I thought of a lot of things I would do instead of talking to her, but I had to restrain myself, knowing fully well that she needed rest given the number of times she camest night.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Good morning, Amore.¡± I leaned down to give her lips a light peck. ¡°Why don¡¯t you freshen up while i order us some breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± she stood and ran to the bathroom so fast like a lightning bolt, making me chuckle at her adorable behaviour.


    Cute..


    I called room service, ordering us some pancakes and coffee, before standing up from the bed, d in nothing. I took a fresh, clean shirt and walked out of the room toward the spare bedroom.


    I came out of the bathroom d in a ck shirt and pants. I heard the sound of a knock on the door, and I walked out of the bedroom to let the room service in with our breakfast when my phone rang.


    ¡°. Pare¡±


    ¡°Sin, we have got a problem,¡± my right-hand man, Luca, spoke almost immediately.


    ¡°What the fuck is it now?¡±


    ¡°There is a matter of urgency, and it concerns Romanov,¡± he said, sounding hateful and annoyed, ready for mymand.


    Romanov, you fucking bastard. He was definitely a thorn in my side.


    Everything has been going great, though the Romanovs and the Violenta don¡¯t get along. There was an agreement between us not to meddle in each other¡¯s lives. But a few weeks ago, our guns and drug shipment started going missing, right after they came to New York, which makes them our suspects. We are still investigating it, and I don¡¯t n on stopping until I have found the person responsible for this cushy situation.


    ¡°Give me an hour.¡± I said sternly before hanging up. I heard the sound of footsteps beading towards the living room.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± a soft voice asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry your pretty head about, Amore. Come have breakfast.¡± I took a seat at the table, devouring the pancakes and coffee. ¡°I won¡¯t be around till the evening; I told Samantha to keep youpany.¡±


    ¡°Will you be back veryte tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love, I have got a situation to handle,¡± I answered, giving her a light peck on the forehead, before taking my car key and phone and walking out of the hotel room.

 THIRTY THREE

    Samantha came five minutes after Sin left, since she booked a room at the same hotel as Sin and I. She was dressed in a red and ruby gown and some killer heels.


    ¡°I was nning on doing some shopping today. I would feel bad if I left you here alone, so why don¡¯t we go together?¡± Samantha suggested.


    It was not a bad idea, and it would stink if I was the only one here with nopany, but I didn¡¯t have enough money with me, so I turned her down.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have enough money with me.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    She looked at me in incredulity: ¡°You do know Sin puts money in your ount every week with no day being missed, right?¡±


    I was shocked; ¡°I had no idea; why would he do that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the silliest question I have ever heard. You¡¯ve got him wrapped around your little finger, dear,¡± Samantha said.


    ¡°I find that hard to believe,¡± I said, sceptically. not believing a word she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth; you just don¡¯t want to admit it.¡±


    ¡°He is only obsessed with me, and that is due to lust and nothing more,¡± I replied adamantly. Things had been great between us, yet I was certain the majority of it had to do with the lust we both felt for each other.


    ¡°You refusing to ept it isn¡¯t going to change anything, and you also feel something for him despite how everything started.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything for him; there¡¯s no way I love him. Yes, I¡¯m attracted to him. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t? But love.¡± I chuckled awkwardly and said, ¡°Definitely not.¡±


    ¡°I give up, you are really stubborn,¡± Samantha said, shaking her head in frustration, ¡°let¡¯s just go to the mall.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I mumbled. I didn¡¯t bother changing since what I wore was appropriate to go out. We got into Samantha¡¯s car and drove off to the mall. We went from store to store, buying different things, from clothes to shoes to bags and so on.


    I¡¯m never going shopping with Samantha ever again.


    ¡°One more shop, and we are done,¡± she promised for the seventh time. She dragged us towards Victoria¡¯s Secret.


    ¡°Why are we here?¡± I asked her warily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see those hickies on your neck. We need to get you something that would blow Sin¡¯s mind out,¡± she replied, wiggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. making me blush scarlet red


    I stepped into the store, and Samantha went about selecting different types of bras and panties, if we could call them that since they left no room for imagination.


    After our shopping escapade, we went into a restaurant to get something to eat, seeing as we were both exhausted and hungry. There were a lot of people there since it was in the middle of the city and anyone could go in there.


    We walked into the restaurant and easily spotted a vacant seat. A female waiter came to take our order the minute we sat down. We weren¡¯t able to decide what to eat yet, so we just asked for a drink and told her toe backter.


    I took a dip in my Guava ck Mango Tea, Samantha, and I went through the menu looking for what to eat. When the waiter came back, we settled on barbequed wings, a habanero wing, and some fries.


    I smiled when our food was ced on the table and quickly reached for a wing.


    ¡°Damn, you must be really hungry!¡± Samanthaughed.


    ¡°Shopping can be very exhausting.¡± I said, chewing the chicken in my mouth.


    ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, and we both burst outughing.


    ¡°So, how did you know Sin?¡± I was curious about how she became entangled with the mafia.


    ¡°You could say that Sin saved my life. That was how we met.¡±


    ¡°Sin saved your life; how?¡± I asked, wanting to know more.


    ¡°I came from a very abusive home. My dad beats me and my mom all the time. All he ever did was get drunk and gamble away every penny we made. He got himself into trouble by taking money from some dangerous people who deal with human trafficking, and when he was not able to pay, you can guess what he did.¡± I felt my heart break at what she had been through. I couldn¡¯t help but disapprove of her father for doing such a thing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he sold you off into human trafficking; what kind of father does that to his daughter?¡± I raged out.


    ¡°Sin saw me at the auction house. He helped me and the other girls there, but I didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go. So I chose to work for him.¡±


    I keep hearing the good things Sin has done, but it feels so surreal.


    Why take me from my family?


    My mind kept on spinning, trying toe up with a reason.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Samantha said, Breaking me out of my thoughts,¡± but believe me, Sin would never do anything that would cause you harm. I know things didn¡¯t start well for you guys, and you might hate me for this, but why don¡¯t you give him a chance? I can tell you are starting to warm up to him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but I can¡¯t help but think I might be crazy for even feeling attracted to him,¡± I said adamantly.


    ¡°I understand, and you aren¡¯t crazy for feeling that way. This is the first time I have seen Sin want something for himself. Just think about it. You can¡¯t survive the mafia if you have no one to rely on.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure.Now it¡¯s your turn; tell me about yourself.¡± She asked excitedly, earning augh from me.


    ¡°There is nothing much to tell. lost my parents when I was sixteen, and just recently graduated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your parent,¡± she said, sincerity sipping from her voice. ¡°What did you study?¡±


    ¡°Medicine; I have always wanted to be a doctor, but I¡¯m not so sure about that now,¡± I whispered, my heart breaking at the thought of it.


    ¡°Never say never. You can always ask Sin,¡± Samantha said, trying to reassure me.


    We continued the rest of our lunch talking about random things and having a great time.


    We were finally back at the hotel, having a movie marathon of The Vampire Diaries. Sin wasn¡¯t back yet, and it was already six in the evening.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored,¡± Samantha whined. ¡°As much as I love Damon, I¡¯m not in the mood for a movie right now.¡±


    I just rolled my eyes at her childishness, not saying a word to her.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. ¡°We are going out tonight,¡± she said, pushing me towards the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going out,¡± I said, knowing fully well where she was nning on going.


    ¡°Come on, please, please!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, and I don¡¯t think Sin would like it. I don¡¯t n on getting on his bad side,¡± I told her truthfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; he won¡¯t do you anything. So please,¡± Samantha said adamantly, batting her eyes at me.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ fine,¡± I sighed in defeat and walked towards the bathroom to freshen up. It was already getting dark outside. Ithered myself up with scented body wash and rinsed my body. The hot water sent tingles down my back, and I let out a soft groan.


    My body desperately needed a loving rub.

 THIRTY FOUR

    I wrapped a towel around my body and then stepped out of the bathroom. Samantha had already freshened up and was getting ready. My eyes widen when I see different clothes sprawled out on the bed.


    ¡°I picked out a few clothes for you since I wasn¡¯t sure which you preferred,¡± Samantha said when she noticed my stunned look. She held up a short ck gown, and I eyed it.


    ¡°Too short,¡± I told her, and i put on the ck thong she bought today underneath the towel. I dropped it to put on my bra while Samantha continued to look through the tons of clothes ced on the bed.


    ¡°What about this?¡± She asked again, holding up a short miniskirt.


    ¡°Way too short,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay, and this one.¡± I stared at the ck jumpsuit she was referring to, and it was more appealing than the rest. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s going to look sexy on you when you pair it up with some killer heels.¡± Her excitement was contagious, so I returned it and nodded my head.


    She handed it to me, and I stepped into it while she helped zip it up the back. I had on silver earrings, and my hair was let down and curled at the tip.


    ¡°Gorgeous,¡± Samantha said, holding onto my shoulder as she inspected her work.


    A blush crept up my face, making me feel self-conscious. ¡°Thank you.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    She quickly changed into the short gown she showed me before, then went straight to fixing her hair and makeup.


    The urge toy down suddenly overwhelmed me, but I shook it off.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call us a cab; I n on enjoying the night,¡± she said, picking up her phone.


    Great!.


    We got to the club safely, and I was immediately dragged to the bar. The club was full, even though it wasrge. It was ridiculously fancy, like the one Steph and I went to back in New York. The lights were just bright enough for me to make out the person beside me. The music was ring, and I so badly wanted to get a drink in my system.


    I tried signalling the bartender since he was busy with other customers, but it was in vain. Samantha let out a piercing whistle, definitely gaining his attention.


    I stared at her in astonishment. She looked at me sheepishly and shrugged with her lips raised at the side, giving me a smirk. I shake my head, rolling my eyes at her, but she smiles. The bartender was standing in front of us; he leaned in on the counter, looking at us, or more specifically at me.


    ¡°What can I get you, beautifuldies?¡± he asked, smirking down at me.


    Samantha leaned in to give our order, ¡°six shots of tequ.¡± I was about to turn down the order but was instead shoved out of the way before I could utter a word. Samantha tapped her card into the machine the bartender offered while I stood there frowning at my order.


    ¡°Loosen up, rx, and enjoy the night. I¡¯m sure you needed this as much as I do.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled out. ¡°But the next round is on me,¡± I told her sternly, but instead she rolled her eyes at me and smiled.


    The bartender returned, sliding our drinks towards us, and I eagerly picked them up. Samantha and I faced each other while we held our shot sses.


    ¡°To our girls¡¯ night out,¡± Samantha screamed out before we both took the shot, one at a time. It burned my throat and instantly started burning my insides.


    My face contorted in disgust at the horrible taste; Samantha gagged dramatically, and Iughed at the expression her face contorted, knowing fully well that she hated it as much as I did.


    ¡°That was disgusting. Let¡¯s order some vodka this time,¡± she said, and I nodded in agreement. She called the bartender, who got us another drink.


    I took a sip of the vodka red bull to get rid of the sharp taste in my mouth.


    ¡°Are youdies doing okay?¡± the bartender asked with the same flirtatious smile on his face as earlier.


    ¡°She¡¯s not interested, so buzz off if you love yourself,¡± Samantha said in a deadly tone, which scared the crap out of him. I have never heard her speak like this, and I almost forgot she was part of the mafia.


    ¡°He was just being nice,¡± I told her, not sure what to say.


    ¡°Do you think Sin would like the idea of another guy flirting with you?¡± she asked in a serious tone.


    I know she was right.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go dance,¡± I beamingly said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. I grabbed her forearm and led her to the middle of the dance floor.


    We swayed and twirled andughed, somehow managing to not spill our drinks. This was the most fun I¡¯ve had in a while. Samantha turned around and started shaking off her ass towards me, and I giggled at her when she turned back to wink at me.


    ¡°You are just too much,¡± I said between fits ofughter, clutching my stomach. The club¡¯s vibe was amazing, and everyone was having fun and minding their own business. We both started dancing like deranged human beings, having the time of our lives.


    I wanted to take a sip of my drink but found it empty. I went back to the bar to order us another drink before going back to the dance floor. The alcohol was already kicking in since I was very light.


    I was beyond drunk.


    Samantha and I kept on dancing till our legs were weak and our throats were sour from singing out loud to the music.


    I suddenly felt the urge to pee. I asked Samantha if she wanted to use the restroom, but she shook her head. I stumbled my way out of the crowd to the hall, looking for the bathroom, until I finally found it.


    A group of girls came out of the bathroomughing and chatting with each other. I entered the bathroom to do my business but looked down at my jumpsuits and groaned.


    certainly did not think this through.


    I tried using my hand to reach behind my back, trying hard to undo the zip, and almost screamed out in frustration when I couldn¡¯t reach it. I kept on stumbling because I was drunk, making it difficult for me to zip it down since my hand wasn¡¯t cooperating.


    After struggling for a few minutes, I somehow managed to get the zip and also struggled to zip it back up when I was done.


    Remind me never to put on a jumpsuit when going to a club¡­


    It can be really stressful.


    After washing my hands and drying them off, I left the bathroom. The only people at the hall were two couples, who were drunk off their asses like me and were seriously making out, acting like the world was going to end the next day.


    I followed the sound of the music, trying to find my way back, when I heard the sound of footsteps behind me and didn¡¯t bother paying any mind to it.


    I gasped when a calloused hand wrapped around my waist, stopping me. I turned around, and the smell of alcohol and cigarettes hit my nostrils. A shiver of disgust racked through me as I watched the stranger smirk up at me. I yanked his hand away from my waist, furrowing my eyebrows, and the smirk on his face dropped. His eyes darkened, and a menacing and dangerous look reced it.


    ¡°What¡¯s a pretty girl like you doing here all alone? Why don¡¯t we go somewhere quiet? Just you and me, we can have a lot of fun,¡± he said, smiling at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± I stated, and turned to walk away when his disgusting hand stopped me again and held my arms.


    I pulled my arms out of his hold, the alcohol leaving my system as anger boiled up inside me.


    ¡°I said, I wasn¡¯t interested,¡± my voice was firm. I turned to move again, but this time I was dragged by my hair, and he hit my head hard against the wall, making my vision blurry. It didn¡¯t help that I was still a little bit intoxicated. I was trying to regain myself when I was suddenly dragged back into the bathroom and heard a lock.


    Terror struck me , and I struggled to move when I was hit against the wall for the second time, watching blood drip from my forehead down to the floor. I couldn¡¯t let this man have his way with me. I cursed myself for being drunk and defenceless.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you be the little slut that you are and please me?¡± he said in a very irritating voice.


    ¡°Let go of me, if you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± I screamed, and my eyes were watering. I looked at him in absolute disgust. His eyes zed with anger before hended a p on my face and i stumbled to the floor of the bathroom. My ear buzzed at the impact, and I was sure it was going to leave a mark.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy that body of yours,¡± he said, moving towards me and trying to tear through the jumpsuit as he struggled to zip it down. I let out a loud, piercing scream, hoping someone would hear amidst the loud sound of buzzing music.

 THIRTY FIVE

    I struggled to pull his hands away and didn¡¯t notice when the door opened; I didn¡¯t hear footsteps, but I did hear the sound of a gun cocking. I looked up at the source; my eyesnded on Sin, and he was fuming, pointing the gun at the man next to me. I breathed out a sign of relief. I was so happy to see him. I felt oddly protected with him here. My heart was pounding when Sin pulled me up to stand behind him. I was shivering in fear at the thought of what could have happened had Sin not shown up.


    The man raised both his hands in surrender with a terrified expression on his face; his body trembled, and his face showed how afraid he was. not so confident after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± He pleaded with wide, frightening eyes.


    I grabbed Sin¡¯s arm that held the gun because, despite everything, I didn¡¯t want him to die. I won¡¯t be able to bear the thought of someone dying because of me. I pulled his arm down slowly, silently begging him to stop. He didn¡¯t say anything, only moving his finger to the trigger.


    ¡± No!¡± I screamed out, causing Sin to look at me. His anger swirled in his dark eyes, and his jaw clenched.


    I nodded my head toward the door, gesturing for the man to leave. ¡°Leave, now!¡±


    He hesitantly wobbled his feet toward the door with his hands still up before sprinting out, leaving just Sin and me. I didn¡¯t bother stopping the tears as they fell from my eyes, and I cried out hysterically.


    Sin¡¯s arms wrapped protectively around my body, trying to console me. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay, amore. You are safe now.¡± I rested my head on his chest, and my arms were linked around his waist.


    He pulled me into his arms, carrying me out of the bathroom and out of the club to where his car was parked in a bridal style. I rested my head on his chest, findingfort in his hold.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hai lui?¡± Sin asked one of his men, d in a ck suit.


    ¡°Si capo, l¡¯abbiamo fermato prima che potesse scappare.¡±


    ¡± Buona. Sai cosa fare, non fare molti danni, voglioo essere io a porre fine a sua miserabile scusa di una vita.¡±


    ¡°Si capo,¡± he replied, opening the car door, and I was gently ced inside.


    ¡°What about Samantha?¡± I asked worriedly. Sin clenched and unclenched his jaw before giving me an answer.


    ¡°She is fine; Luca took her back to the hotel.¡± This made me let out a relieved sigh. We drove back to the hotel in silence. Sin kept talking to me, checking to see if there were any other injuries.


    He packed at the entrance of the hotel, handing his key over to one of the men before walking toward the passenger side and lifting me up into his arms, carrying me straight to our hotel room. He ced me on the bed and then walked into the bathroom for some minutes beforeing out.


    He carried me into the bathroom, unzipping my jumpsuit along with my thong and bra, and I was positioned in the bathtub. Sin got naked and sat behind me, gently washing away the man¡¯s touch from my body. We stayed in there till the water turned cold.


    I was dressed in a shirt and shorts, and my forehead was treated. I stood waiting for Sin toe out of the bathroom. I reached over to his side, wrapping my arms around his neck. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, nuzzling into his shoulders.


    Sin was as stiff as a rock, clearly not expecting this. Eventually, the tension left his body, and he held on to me tightly. We stayed in each other¡¯s embrace for quite some time before pulling apart. I walked towards the bed andid on it with Sin beside me.


    He pulled me close to him, cing a light kiss on my head. ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive and breathing, there¡¯s nobody on earth that would fuck with you and get away with it. Nobody,¡± he whispered.

 THIRTY SIX

    Sin was giving me the silent treatment; he is still pissed at the fact that I went out to a club that happens to be his without informing him or getting protection, and mostly at the fact that I almost got raped. He won¡¯t even look at me and just kept himself busy with his phone andptop. It was kind of frustrating, and I don¡¯t want him to be angry at me.


    Sin booked me a private home service makeup artist and hairstylist since I was his escort to some business get-together of some sort, but he won¡¯t give me more details. This time there won¡¯t be a mask covering my face, and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. I took a quick shower, not wanting to keep the m squad waiting. I hastily blow-dried my hair and slipped on a fluffy robe over my ck Victoria Secret bra and pants before walking out of the room where the transformation was going to take ce.


    Two gorgeous women and a man were working simultaneously; one of thedies was upied with my hair, trying to turn it into perfection. The otherdy was busy with the French manicure nails, making them look spectacr, while the man was in charge of my face, probably doing wonders to it. It took close to an hour and a half before I waspletely done with my makeover.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to see how beautifully transformed you are. not that you needed it since you are a natural beauty?¡± The man asked with excitement, giving me a mirror, while the two women looked at me in awe. I nodded, eagerly grabbing the mirror, equally excited to see how I looked.


    ¡°Oh, my God,¡± I gasped in utter shock, not recognizing the person staring back at me. My hair was worn in a loose, wavy side Patten flick. The makeup on my face enhanced the features I didn¡¯t even know existed, which was paired with a pretty pink lipstick, and my nailsplimented my makeup.


    ¡°I love it.¡± I touched my face to make sure I was real. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They smiled and said their goodbyes before leaving me alone to get ready. The dress was created from a sheer oveyer for unique features, with a gold zig-zagging design that res from the knee, creating an hourss look. The red skirt facilitates easy movement and also keeps up a formal look. The dress could easily sweep across the dance floor with its breathtakingly gold design. I matched it up with white heels and a clutch. I looked absolutely beautiful.


    I stared into my reflection when the door opened, and Sin walked in.


    My breath was knocked out of my chest. I have only seen him wear casual clothes all the time, so seeing him in a suit kept me captivated. He wasn¡¯t wearing a tie, and the top three buttons of his white shirt were open, revealing his inked chest.


    The ck coat and trousers fit him so well, and his hair was perfectly gelled andbed to the side. He stared at me for some time before approaching me. He gave me an appreciative look at my appearance before wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.


    ¡°You look beautiful, my love.¡± He spoke softly, then ced a kiss at the crook of my neck. ¡°This doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m still mad at you.¡±


    I wanted to apologize but was cut off by the sound of his phone. Sin picked up the call and went out of the room, leaving me feeling dejected. I walked out of the room to find him done with his call and doing the cuff of his left hand.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sin asked, and I nodded. Wrapping his arm around my waist, he led me to his car, and like a gentleman, he opened the door for me. We buckled in, and he took off. I looked out of the window at the city bathed in light.


    When the car stopped, I got out and looked at a tall building that screamed wealth. Sin wrapped his arms around me and led us inside. I was awe-struck by how beautiful the inside looked. The room was filled with men and women of high prestige. There were high tables lined up across the floor¡¯s outer part for people to converse freely.


    At the far end was a long table with different kinds of food, ranging from sushi to cheese and crackers. Beautiful chandeliers were hanging low, magnifying the beauty of the room as ssical music was softly yed in the background.


    Sin walked among them, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. Men greeted him with respect and envy, while others looked away in fear. Thedies sent me a hard re as they tried everything to get Sin¡¯s attention, sending him a flirtatious smile that made me want to poke out their eyes.


    Some group of men in suits walked towards us to greet Sin; theyughed and talked for a while, and I stood picking at my nails until they caught my attention when they nodded their heads at me and talked to Sin.


    ¡°Chi ¨¨ bellezza anto a te?¡± A man asked, looking directly at me. I don¡¯t know what he said, but all four pairs of eyes turned to look at me, taking in my form, which made me nervous.


    ¡°E lei l¡¯unica?¡± Another man asked


    ¡°Lei ¨¨ unica. Mia p tentatrice, non sono niente senza di lei.¡± Sin answered after a few seconds, calmly. They looked at me, giving me their best smiles.


    I looked away from them, and Sin took my hand, bidding them goodbye, and walked to the other side of the room to a group of people drinking.


    Once their eyes settled on us, they twinkled with happiness and greeted Sin. Sin nodded his head and led us to the table, where I saw the familiar faces of Luca, Samantha, and¡­ Jason.


    I stiffened when Jason¡¯s eyesnded on me, and he gave me a sinister smile. I held my head high when his eyes racked all over my body, not backing down.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± Luca stood up to hug Sin, then we sat opposite Samantha and Jason.


    ¡°How is it that you always tend to look beautiful every single time?¡± Luca¡¯s hushed voice came from my side. I smiled at him, almost blushing.


    ¡°I will be back; don¡¯t do anything stupid. Unlike the previous party we attended, this ce is filled with a lot of dangerous people, so stay with Jason and Samantha,¡± Sin whispered in my ear before getting up from his seat along with Luca, and they walked toward the hall with some men.


    Samantha took the empty seat beside me, giving me a guilty look. ¡°I heard about what happened yesterday,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry; I should not have let you go to the restroom alone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; you didn¡¯t know that was going to happen.¡±


    ¡°You probably seduced the poor guy, since you are nothing but a slut,¡± Jason sneered out. I twitched a little, hurt by his words.


    ¡°Really, Jason, can you stop being a fucking dick for once in your life?¡± Samantha spat at him, certainly angry at his choice of words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Mani. I coerced you into going to the club with me; I should have taken proper care of you,¡± she replied, unsettled.


    ¡°I¡¯m a big girl, Sam, and you don¡¯t need to look out for me; I can take care of myself. So why me yourself when I don¡¯t me you?¡± I told her, trying hard to assure her, even though I was still scared at the thought of what could have happenedst night.


    ¡°So much for being a big girl when all you do is cause problems for Sin, I¡¯m sure he is just going to use you and dump you like a whore.¡± I stared at Jason, furious at hisments. I get that he doesn¡¯t like me. I should be the one angry, seeing as he cheated on me with my cousin, but I couldn¡¯t care less. I choose to ignore him, not even giving him a nce.


    ¡°che diavolo c¡¯¨¨ che non va in te amico, lo dire a Sin se non ti fermi. Saie si arrabbia quando ¨¨ arrabbiato, specialmente se coinvolge lei. Quindi scegli le tue parole con molta attenzione.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she said, but that clearly shut him up; he stood and walked out of the room. I sent Samantha a grateful smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Mani. Though, Sin, is beyond pissed at me,¡± we both sighed together. Samantha turned to look at me, probably wondering what had made me sigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you sighing?¡± she inquired, taking a sip of her drink.


    ¡°Niki is also angry at me,¡± I subconsciously say, not paying attention to the wordsing out of my mouth. Samantha choked on her drink, eyes wide, staring at me.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    I felt like I had grown two heads.


    ¡°What?¡± I spoke up, staring back at her.


    ¡°He lets you call him Niki?¡± She asked, stunned. I inwardly scolded myself for making such a mistake again and let out a sheepishugh, not sure what to do. So I gave her an honest response.


    ¡°Yes, he does.¡±


    Samantha let out a loud squeak before gawking at me like I had done something impossible. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m short of words. Wow¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone behave like it¡¯s a big deal?¡± I said, I¡¯m not really sure why they all react that way when I utter his given name. I get that he likes being called Sin, but I doubt I¡¯m the only one he lets call him by his name.


    ¡°This is a big deal, girl,¡± she mumbled. ¡°No one, I mean no one, calls him by his name.¡±


    ¡°Not even his family?¡± I asked, astonished.


    ¡°Not even his family. Sin hates it. Girl. You¡¯ve got him wrapped around that finger of yours.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that, seeing how angry he is at me,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Seduce him, it¡¯s as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°what¡­¡± My face turned scarlet red. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°wow. You really are so innocent; it¡¯s cute,¡± she said, pinching my cheeks and petting me like I was a baby.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantions.


    ¡°chi ¨¨ bellezza anto a te ¨C who is the beauty beside you.?¡±


    lei l¡¯unica? ¨C Is she the one?


    lei ¨¨ lunica. Mia p tentatrice, non sono niente senza di lei; ¨C she is the only one. My little temptress-I¡¯m nothing without her.


    che diavolo c¡¯¨¨ che non va in te amico, lo dir a Sin se non ti fermi. Saie si arrabbia quando ¨¨ arrabbiato, specialmente se coinvolge lei. Quindi scegli le tue parole con molta attenzione..: ¨C ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, man? I¡¯m going to tell Sin about this if you don¡¯t stop.¡± You know how he gets when he¡¯s angry, especially if it involves her. So choose your words very carefully.

 THIRTY SEVEN

    ¡°Just get naked in front of him, that would do the trick,¡± Samantha said, taking a sip of her drink and not choking on it this time.


    ¡°You think that is going to work,¡± I implored. Silence fell before us when a waiter passed by. I stretched my arms to take a drink from the tray before the waiter left.


    ¡°It¡¯s undoubtedly going to work, or you could just give him a preview. If you know what I mean,¡± Samantha said, winking at me. This time, I was the one doing the choking.


    ¡°What¡­¡± I whispered quietly, my face still red.


    ¡°Give him a blow job, trust me; you will have him speaking in so manynguages at one time, girl.¡± She smirked, clearly enjoying my reaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that; I have never given a blow job to a guy before,¡± I said, unsure.


    ¡°Can you be less cute?. It¡¯s easy, get on your knees, take off his pants, get his dick out, and suck.¡± She stated it in a matter-of-fact tone, like it was that easy. ¡°Rx; everything will be okay. I don¡¯t think Sin can stay mad at you for long.¡±


    ¡°I hope so; I¡¯m going to the terrace; I need air,¡± I said, standing up.


    ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± Samantha asked, rising up with me.


    ¡°No, I will be okay. If you are worried about what happened yesterday, Sin already assigned me my own bodyguard,¡± I said, pointing at a big, scary guy at the far corner of the room who was staring in our direction.


    ¡°Okay, if you need me, I will be right here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said quietly as I left the hall, walking out to the terrace.


    The voice drained out as the silence of the night flowed around me. The terrace was empty; I stood at the edge looking down the backyard, where there was a tree withnterns hanging on both sides. It was beautiful.


    I stood there for quite some time, watching the night sky. I think of how my life was before all this drama, and my family, missing them terribly. I was getting used to Sin even when I didn¡¯t want to, and I couldn¡¯t seem to do anything to prevent it. He was right when he said he wanted to possess every single thought in my head, and he is doing a perfect job at it.


    I can¡¯t help but me everything on myself. I me myself for letting Stephanie talk me into going to his club that night. I me myself for putting them in danger since they were under Sin¡¯s constant watch. I me myself for wanting Sin.


    ¡°Amore¡± Sin¡¯s soft voice startled me out of my thoughts. I quicklyposed myself and turned around to see him. ¡°What are you doing out in the cold?¡± He stood next to me, staring at thenterns on the tree.


    ¡°Needed some fresh air,¡± I replied and looked away. I felt his hand tuck a strain of my hair behind my ear, and rest the back of his hand on my cheek. I remained still, looking ahead.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± I asked anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Niki.¡±


    ¡°I was freaking out when I thought something bad was going to happen to you,¡± he replied, agitated, and I could almost see a hint of fear in his eyes, but maybe I was just seeing things.


    ¡°Niki, I¡¯m fine; you saved me,¡± he cursed and pulled at his hair, and I pulled him towards me, ¡°Nothing happened, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°If you notice, Mani, I¡¯m not great at controlling my anger when it involves you,¡± he groaned, frustrated.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. His hands didn¡¯t leave any prints on my face, and the scar on my forehead is barely visible. So you don¡¯t need to beat yourself up, Niki.¡±


    His eyes scanned my face, probably to see if I was lying to him, and I was sure he got his answer; he let out a sigh of relief. He leaned in and kissed my cheek.


    We were interrupted by Samantha, who wasughing at something Luca said. Sin muttered something under his breath and made his way to them. I watched them talk among themselves. I looked at Luca, and he waved at me beforeing over and leaving Samantha, Sin, and Jason alone.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡± Luca asked before standing at the same spot where Sin was a minute ago.


    ¡°This is just not my scene.¡± I shrug, staring deep into the night.


    ¡°I know about what happenedst night; I¡¯m not going to ask if you¡¯re okay because I¡¯m sure you are tired of being asked the same question. I¡¯m just d you are okay.¡± I smiled at him, and he smiled back at me, then gave me a pat on the back.


    We were back at the hotel; we left early due to the fact that Sin had a tight schedule the next day, Sin was in the bathroom, having a shower. I swallowed a ball of nerves; my palm was sweaty. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going through with this. I was excited and anxious at the same time. What if I don¡¯t do it right?


    I took a quick breath to calm my nerves before stepping out of my dress. I removed my bra and pants, then walked into the bathroom. Sin turned around in the shower, surprised to see me, clearly not expecting me to stand naked in front of him by my will. He had confusion dancing in his eyes.


    I walked up to him and ced my hands on his chest. I lifted my legs up to kiss his jaw and neck.


    ¡°You are ying a dangerous game, amore. I would stop if I were you because I promise I won¡¯t be gentle.¡± His grip was tight on my arm as he spoke his warning in my ear.


    I gulped looking at him, but I grabbed his hand off my arm and ced it on his sides. I turned off the shower. I looked at him, keeping eye contact with him. I kissed his chest, wanting to touch him, dropping to my knees, watching him watch me. His cock was standing tall and hard, so I used my hand to massage his balls, stroking his length with the other.


    He hummed and grunted, reaching down and pulling my hair back roughly. He bent to my height, and I ced my arms on his thigh to steady myself.


    ¡°You better remember, you brought this on yourself, Torreso,¡± he said with a hint of amusement. ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    I did as he requested, opening it wide and sticking my tongue out, and he pulled my hair all together in a makeshift ponytail. He held my head still, pushing his cock down my throat. I gagged and choked on his length, but he didn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°This is what you wanted right, you wanted my cock down your throat. I told you to back off. You have been teasing me all night with that dress you wore, and I tried hard to control myself. So remember, Mani, I¡¯m going to fuck your mouth like I fuck that tight pussy.¡± I nodded with his dick still in my mouth; my core became moist; his member stretched my throat; as he stared down at me.


    He pulled out of my mouth, a string of saliva connecting the tip of his cock, and was covered in my spit. I coughed, using the time to breathe.


    ¡°Did you like that, huh?¡± he asked teasingly, trying to scare me off. I know he wants what I want, so I don¡¯t understand why he won¡¯t just let me do it instead of trying to challenge me.


    I looked up at him and nodded; a shocked look was on his face as he let go of my hair and quicklyposed himself. I put my hand back on his length, jacking him off a little before putting him back in my mouth, my hand covered in my own spit, and I could feel myself drooling down the side of my mouth.


    I bobbed my head on his dick, and he slowlyid back on the wall of the shower. After a long fight with himself, his hands found their way back to my hair. He kept my hair in ce, pounding into my mouth with no mercy.


    I moaned around his cock, encouraging him to move his hip faster. using my mouth to satisfy himself. His tip reached the back of my throat, and as he pushed it as far back as he could, his ball pped my chin while he aggressively fisted my mouth.


    The weird part of it all was that I was enjoying it. every bit of it.


    He pulled my head back and stuck his drenched cock out. Spit ran down my mouth as I gagged. He kept the tip in my mouth, and I swirled my tongue around it, and he moaned. He pushed it against my right cheek using his hand, softly pping the part of my cheek that bulged out.


    That turned me on more for some reason. He pushed his length back into my mouth, not shoving it all the way in, and let me stroke the base of his cock.


    ¡°You are going to be a good little girl and swallow my cum, right amore.¡±


    I looked at him and nodded my head with my mouth full of his dick. He grunted, and I began to jerk him faster, rubbing his balls. His grunts and groans are getting louder. He came secondter, but I kept on sucking and ying with his tip, taking in his vour in my mouth, the thick, salty substance on my tongue. I looked up at him before swallowing his cum.


    His erection hardened at the sight of that. I was pulled up, and the shower turned on again. He pulled me into his body. He reached behind something at the side of the shower; his lips pressed tenderly against my forehead, and he brought out a washcloth.


    Slowly, he started moving it up and down my back. He tenderly and gently rubbed tantalizing sensations up my body. I lean into him and moan a little, resting my head on his chest. Without a word, he continued to wash my body, and it felt so good. He drops the washcloth and trails his finger down my shoulders and arms. They sweep over my corbone and over my breast, gently flicking my nipples. They were already hard from being turned on, and the cold water didn¡¯t help.


    He smiled and leaned in close to me, letting his finger explore my stomach. Then my side, my hip, the side of my thigh. He gently turned me around, his hard cock pressing against my ass; he sneaks his hand down my clit. He slipped a finger inside of me and started pumpingzily.


    I ced my hands on the wall for support and let out a moan. He slipped a second finger inside me, increasing his pace just a little. He rubbed my crotch in small circles with his thumb. I bit down on my lip, my legs trembling. His hands eased off of me, and I groaned.


    His hand came back down on my clit, and he continued to please me.


    ¡°You have been a bad girl, Mani,¡± he breathed into my ear.


    ¡°And bad girls get fucked,¡± he says before thrusting into my ass. I cried out in pain and pleasure as his cock thrust up into me, splitting me in half and sending me over the edge. I screamed as I came twitching around his cock. He groans and shoves me against the wall, pulling my hip out, still pleasuring me.


    I moan and twitch as he starts to fuck me, rough and relentlessly. Pain and pleasure mix in my mind; he kept thrusting in with his urge cock. But every circle of his finger against my cleavage sends my mind into a raging fire of pleasure.

 THIRTY EIGHT

    As I started to feel his cock harden in me, I was nearing my second orgasm. He came with a loud moan. My eyes became blurry, and I didn¡¯t stop screaming until I stopped.


    He pressed his forehead against the back of my head, panting, his fingernails digging into my hips, and his cock twitched inside of me, filling me up with his cum.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done with you, love. You started this, and I n on finishing it.¡±


    Sin turned me around. Our eyes met, and desire and lust danced through them. He grabbed my cheek, and without waiting a second, his lips were on mine. I let out a gasp when I felt his teeth bite my bottom lip. His tongue started to caress me; desire filled my body; it was like a fire was resting inside me, in my lower stomach, as it spread, burning everything on his path.


    He pushed my curvy body against the bathroom wall, and my back met the cold tile. I felt my breath being knocked out. His rough hands that were holding my face were now ced on the wall on either side of my head. His lower, naked body was pressing me even tighter against the wall.


    A breathless moan escaped from my lips when Sin pulled back slightly and gazed at me. His thumb came down to caress my bruised bottom lip; my eyes followed his movements, and his lips never left mine. He gave me a small smirk, clearly proud of my dishevelled state. He brought his lips back to mine, but this time he was more gentle.


    His hands sneaked toward my naked back and picked me up, walking us back to the room and putting me on the bed without caring about our wet bodies. He took my hands and raised them, leaving them on the headboard.


    He moved his head toward my heaving chest and took a hard bud into his mouth. After doing the same to the other one, he let out a cool breath directly over each one of them, causing a gasp to escape from my parted lips. He started sucking my nipples again, this time with more force, and let out a whimper as he bit the soft flesh teasingly.


    He did not neglect the other, though, like always, his mouth was ying with one nipple while his hand was pinching the other. My breath had turned even more shallow, the moans I couldn¡¯t control filled the dim room, and I almost begged him to relieve my ache again. He lifted his head, and his eyes met mine. Mine was begging him to put an end to this forey, and heplied. He used his hands to part my thigh, sliding his thick, swollen cock up and down my slippery folds, his eyes filled with lust and desire. He thrust himself into me in one go. I gasped loudly as he pressed himself into me.


    ¡°Fuck.., your so tight,¡± he groaned, pulling out and tapping his dick around my entrance before pressing into me again, going deeper this time.


    ¡°Niki, holy shit,¡± I screamed, digging my nails into his back as pain and pleasure coursed through my body in fiery passion.


    He slid out and looked down at me in concern. I nodded my head to let him know I was okay before he shoved his entire length into me in one thrust, knocking the breath out of me.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I managed to choke out through raging breaths, throwing my head back as he filled me up.


    ¡°You feel so good,¡± Sin growled, gripping my thigh and spreading his fingers wider, prating mepletely. I felt my vision blur at the amount of pain and pleasure coursing through my body.


    ¡°You¡¯re so addicting,¡± he mumbled, pulling away as he elerated.


    ¡°Niki,¡± I said his name again, aching my back as he slid deeper into my throbbing pussy.


    ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t get enough of you,¡± his lips captured mine; he fucked me hard, bringing me closer to the edge. ¡°If you keep clenching around me, I won¡¯t be able tost long,¡± he mumbled, dragging his teeth gently against my skin.


    I couldn¡¯t help but clench on him again, eliciting a loud groan from him.


    ¡°Fuck Niki!¡± I screamed, feeling every muscle core contrast as I trembled underneath him. I could feel his warmth deep inside me as he released over and over again, filling me up until his seed began to spill out of me.


    ¡°I love when you scream my name for the world to hear,¡± he whispered, and I gasped when I felt him twitch inside me again.


    ¡°How are you still so hard?¡± I said it weakly, feeling exhausted.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t get enough of you,¡± he said, cupping my ass as he slid out of me and thrust back into me slowly as I bit down on my lips, holding a scream that threatened to escape.


    ¡°Cazzo, sono cosi fortunato che tu sia mio.¡± He growled, raising my hips and sliding the rest of his member in as he cried out in pleasure. I captured his lips with mine; our tongues battled back and forth, and we both gave into the pleasure of the night, exploring each other¡¯s bodies and not willing to let go.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    Cazzo, sono cosi fortunato che tu sia mio- fuck, I¡¯m so lucky that you¡¯re mine.

 THIRTY NINE

    I woke up at the sight of Sin; we were twisted on each other like a human pretzel. My leg was thrown over Sin¡¯s torso, and his face was buried in my breast. His hand wrapped around my waist as he held my ass. My left hand was tangled in his hair. A blush crept up my face at ourpromising situation.


    I was only able to get four hours of sleep, stretching my body and letting out a faint moan. I knew Sin was awake because he was kneading my ass like fresh dough.


    I wriggled out of his hold with the sheet wrapped safely around my body. After contemting, I decided to let go of the sheet, having no reason to hide my body since he had already seen me naked tons of times. I went into the bathroom to have a hot shower to help my aching body.ing out thirty minutester, clean and fully freshened up. I saw Sin fully awake, sitting up on the bed, typing away on his phone.


    ¡°Good morning¡±


    ¡°Good morning, little temptress.¡± He raised his head up to look at me. ¡°No morning kiss,¡± he asked teasingly. I crawled back on the bed and sat on my knees, facing him. I reached my hands out and touched his face. Softly, I pressed my lips on his, parting them, and his tongue glided in. My eyes drifted closer as Sin¡¯s hands caressed my skin. My body felt like it was made for him. I broke the kiss off with a smile on my face.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I call a good morning greeting,¡± Sin teased.


    ¡°Can we go for a little site-seeing, I didn¡¯t get a chance to tour the city.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, princess, but we can alwayse back here, and next time it will be a vacation.¡±


    ¡°When do we leave Paris?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, and I wish I could grant your wish for a tour, but I still have matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.I still have to tidy up my things,¡± I pecked him on the lips before jumping out of bed. Sin stood up and disappeared into the bathroom. I picked up the hotel phone to order breakfast for Sin and me. I was starving and had a little dinnerst night; I ordered some scrambled eggs and toasted bread, and let¡¯s not forget coffee.


    After sessfully cing my order, I decided to pack my things into my bag before our breakfast arrived.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Sin pov.


    I heard gasps from inside the basement as I walked in. The man who assaulted Mani was tied to a chair with a small light over his head. His hair was messy, his face was messed up with cuts and blood, and his clothes were stained with his blood. I watched Luca and one of my trusted men, Mateo, take turns beating the crap out of him, one at a time. Things have been hectic because of the stolen shipment. Luca and I have a suspect, but we are trying to give him the benefit of the doubt as we gather more evidence.


    I watched as Mateo fisted the man¡¯s hair before smashing his other fist repeatedly on his face, and he let out a loud cry. Luca, on the other hand, kept shooting him, on his hands and legs, while the man was shaking in fear, gasping and crying like a fucking kid.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him, Luc; Sin wants him alive.¡± Mateo said to Luca. Luca was a prankster, a devil blessed with deadlier hands and a mind.


    I stood there for close to an hour, enjoying the view of the man begging for his life. How dare he touch what¡¯s mine?


    Now it¡¯s my turn. I walked further into the dark basement, making myself visible to him. I smirked, examining the bruises all over his body, face, and legs. The room was filled with the disgusting smell of his blood.


    ¡°You crazy bastard, let me go,¡± he spat the blood in his mouth before continuing, ¡°you¡¯re doing this all because of a slut. Let me go this instant,¡± he screamed, his eyes boring into mine.¡±


    I took out a de and walked closer to him, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls, I see.¡± I towered over him.


    ¡°Why am I being tortured for some whore? I wonder how great her pussy is to hold a man like you.¡±


    My blood boiled at his words. I fisted his hair and leaned into his face, watching his every move. I slowly brought the de close to his face, making him flinch. Motherfucker. I let out augh, and I could smell the scent of fearing out of him. I leaned in close to his snivelling face, watching him tremble.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± I whispered to his face while ying with my de near his eyes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me; just let me go,¡± he pleaded like a coward, losing whatever courage he had before. ¡°I¡­. ¡±


    Before he could say one more word, I used my de and nicked his skin, the tip of it piercing his flesh slightly. It was barely an injury, but a trickle of blood seeped from the wound I made. I dug the de more into his cheeks, and he let out a loud, piercing scream, giving me great satisfaction. I watched as the blood gushed out of his skin.


    I twisted the de more in his skin before pulling it out with full force and digging back again at the same spot. I stabbed his face as he screamed and writhed in pain. I moved the de to his hands, which he used to touch Mani, and i kept stabbing it repeatedly until he understood what he had done.


    Throwing the de on the floor of the basement, I picked up a baseball bat from the floor before hitting him hard on the head with all my strength.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    As soon as I hit his head, his blood came gushing out, staining the wall and floor of the basement.


    Another hit followed, and he fell from the chair he was tied to. I wasn¡¯t done yet. I pulled my gun out of my pocket, and without waiting a second, I pulled the trigger, ending his miserable life. It was a perfect shot-a single bullet right through his fucking forehead.


    ¡°Clean this mess and dispose of his body properly,¡± I ordered before walking out of the room. I was still pissed off and wanted to be in Mani¡¯s arms but stopped when I stared down at my appearance.


    I had blood stains all over my body, which made me remind myself. I was the viin, not some Cuzzo Prince Charming. That was how I was trained. I have done so many dreadful things that even the devil would tremble from my sin, not to talk of Mani.


    I¡¯m still working on turning her hate into love, and I don¡¯t want anything to ruin it. I entered spare bedroom and pacing in frustration. My fists clenched at my sides, and I suppressed the urge to break something. I ripped off my shirt and pants and entered the bathroom. I turned on the shower as the cold water hit my skin, watching the blood disappear.


    I closed my eyes, and all I could see was my little temptress. I needed her so badly. I was told by my granddad that love makes you weak in this mafia-like, ruthless world. totally different from what my dad believed, but after he died, I was trained by my granddad before I could fully take over the mafia family.


    Now I understand what my dad meant when he said that love doesn¡¯t just bring weakness but also strength.


    Mani was my weakness and strength. My way out of the darkness is through her; without her, I would be thrown back into that darkness again. I didn¡¯t know how long I had been in the cold shower, so I turned off the shower and stepped out of the bathroom with a towel stripped around my waist. I walked into the closet, pulling out a white T-shirt and ck trousers before putting them on and sprayed a little bit of my cologne. I walked out of the warehouse and back to the hotel to look for the only person who makes my dark heart beat. My little temptress

 FORTY

    I was lying on the couch, flipping through the channels. I was the only one in the hotel since Sin had matters to attend to and Samantha had to apany him. I wasn¡¯t given more information like always, and though I was curious to know, a part of me thinks it¡¯s best to be left in the dark, as I don¡¯t want anything to do with the mafia business.


    I giggled as something funny was said on the TV while munching on the chips. I had a bathrobe on with my undies underneath. I had just had my bath and was toozy to search through my bag. It was not like I was going anywhere; it was alreadyte at night, and there was a high chance I might wake up tomorrow naked.


    I was swiping through another channel when the door opened; my head shot up, half expecting it to be Sin or Samantha, but I was left shocked and on full alert when Jason walked in.


    Instantly, I sat up straight, ring at him and wondering what he was doing here in Sin¡¯s absence.


    ¡°You know¡­ anyone in your situation would have been looking for a way out after being snatched and taken against your will,¡± he says, stalking inside the room as he locks the door behind him. ¡°I must say, dear Mani, it¡¯s quite a surprise how little of a fight you put on before giving yourself to Sin, like a little slut.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are here, Jason, but I suggest you get the fuck out.¡± I sneered, getting to my feet, making sure to put as much distance as needed between the two of us.


    Jason¡¯s gaze hardens, and he lets out a dark, sinisterugh. ¡°Have you told him¡­?¡± he questioned, with a sly smile dancing around his lips. ¡°About us.¡±


    ¡°Us,¡± I scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware there was an us,¡± I said, my voiceing out bold despite my racing heart. I hated the fact that he had locked the door, leaving no room for escape.


    ¡°Really, Mani, the years we shared, the memories, you can¡¯tpare it to what you and Sin have.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What Sin and I share feels realpared to what I thought I felt about you. I was young and was only deluding myself into thinking that I was in love with you.¡±


    His jaw clenched, and his hand was moulded into a fist. His eyes spoke anger as he took more strides towards me. ¡°What we had was far more real than this far-fetched fantasy you think you have. He doesn¡¯t know you like I do; he doesn¡¯t have the spark we do.¡± The more he walked towards me, the more I took a step back.


    Jason sighs, halting his step as he closes his eyes before taking a long, deep breath. When he pulled them back open, his gaze met mine, and I could see he was trying to fight off his anger, even though he was failing miserably.


    ¡°You think he is going to keep you forever, uh..¡± he yells. ¡°You need toe out of that delusion that he cares for you. Sin isn¡¯t one to be messed with, and once he is done with you, he won¡¯t be hesitant to put a bullet in your skull.¡±


    I gulped, trying not to let his words bother me. ¡± Get out. ¡± I said sternly, pointing to the door. ¡°Like you said, Sin isn¡¯t a man to be messed with, and I sure as hell know he won¡¯t be pleased knowing you were here.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you fucking understand that I¡¯m trying to help you?¡± he yells, catching me by surprise. ¡°Do you think you matter to him?¡± I looked him dead in the eyes, not saying anything, and refused to indulge him in whatever this was. ¡°Then you leave me no choice, Mani.¡±


    I looked at him in confusion and curiosity, wondering what he meant by that. I didn¡¯t have time to ponder about it when he began taking long strides towards me, and I raced to the other side of the room, the couch separating us.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what sick game you are ying, Jason, but I asked that you leave.¡± I said, trying to reason to him.


    It didn¡¯t seem to work because the gaze in his eyes darkened, and before I could think to run, he was jumping over the couch, grabbing me in his hold.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s been hard reasoning with you, I guess it¡¯s n B.¡± He says this, grabbing both sides of my cheeks, and his lips meet mine forcefully.


    I struggled against his hold, cing both my hands on his chest as I tried to push him away. He moved one hand to grab my hair from behind, keeping my head firm, while the other grabbed my hands on his chest, holding them tightly.


    I tried biting his lips, which caused him to step back a little. A sly smile crossed his lips as he opted to kiss my neck before moving down to my chest.


    ¡°Let go of me¡­.¡± I yelled, my voice loud, hoping to alert any of the guards standing at the door.


    Jason¡¯sughter boomed in the room, his eyes meeting mine in what seemed to be amusement.


    ¡°Oh, Mani. Do you seriously think I would havee here if there was someone stationed at the door?¡± Fear gripped my heart, and I began to feel my panic grow.


    I need to find a way out of here.


    My eyes shifted to the hotel phone on the other side of the room. I tried to think of a way to get out of his grip and call for help. But Jason was able to somehow read my thoughts as he let go of my hand, picking up the phone and smashing it hard on the ground.


    ¡°What are you going to do now, Mani?¡± He teased. ¡°Sin won¡¯t be back for at least an hour, and I n on having an hour¡¯s worth of your body.¡± He chuckles sinisterly.


    ¡°You son of a b?tch!¡± I said, going up to him and punching him straight in the nose. I kept swinging. I didn¡¯t care. I honestly don¡¯t care if he dies because I punched him too many times.


    He caught my wrist before it made contact with the side of his head again. ¡± Get Your Hands Off Me!¡± I said it in between my teeth. He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist and my shoulders. ¡°Let me go!¡± I said, trying to get free from his grip. He held me with one arm, and the other went under my chin and made me look at him. I kept trying to get out of his hold, but his grip got so tight around my waist and chin that I knew bruises were starting to form.


    He pulled my lips towards his and ced a kiss on mine.


    I tried to push at his chest to let me go, but he pulled me closer to his chest, so my arms were pinned on his and I couldn¡¯t move. I tried to move my head back, but the hand holding my chin went behind my neck and stopped me from pulling away. He was kissing me roughly, but I didn¡¯t kiss back. I closed my lips and closed my eyes tightly.


    He kept trying to open my mouth with his tongue, but I wasn¡¯t having it.


    I simply couldn¡¯t let him. He pulled away, and I felt him ce his forehead on mine. I slowly open my eyes and only see blue eyes staring at me.


    ¡°I said, let me go.¡± I said, yanking my arm back, catching him off guard, as I punched his nose and kicked him between his legs.


    He hunched over, and I instantly made my way to the door, unlocking it, and ran towards the elevator, clicking the button. I tried waiting for the door to open, but went for the stairs when I heard the hotel door open and Jasone out.


    I didn¡¯t bother about the pain and ran down the stairs with all my might as I heard the sound of footsteps running behind me. Once I got to the entrance of the hotel, I made my way out of it, knowing that if I stayed there, he was going to catch up with me.


    All I could think about was finding a safe ce before contacting Sin.

 FORTY ONE

    I hurried out of the hotel and onto a rough gravel road, and the ground was hard beneath my feet. The only thing I cared about was getting away from the hotel and Jason as quickly as I could. I didn¡¯t give a damn about the looks I was getting.


    I started to hobble a little as I ran after a rock that dug into my heel and made a loud cry. I had a sudden desire to keep wearing those slippers.


    I was powerless to quit. I wouldn¡¯t quit trying. Sin needed to be made aware of what was happening, so I had to figure out how to do that.


    To start with, I must locate a secure location. Jason was chasing after me, and I couldn¡¯t let him.


    I didn¡¯t pay attention to the difort I was experiencing and instead looked back to see if Jason was still following me. Thankfully, I couldn¡¯t see him. Perhaps he had given up trying to find me and was back at the hotel, trying to figure out how to avoid Sin¡¯s wrath. In any case, I intended to tell Sin everything there was to know about him, including our shared history.


    The moment I spotted a bookstore, I almost broke out in tears of excitement as my feet pped on the cool, asphalt road. Knowing that I only had my bathrobe and underwear on, I hoped that someone would feel sorry for me and give me the opportunity to phone Sin.


    I rushed quickly, using what little power I had left, and when I got there, I banged on the ss door.


    ¡°Please!¡± I cried out, startling the woman inside. ¡°Please let me in!¡±


    She hurried over to the door and unlocked it, her eyes wide. ¡°Que diable¡±


    I rushed inside, nearly knocking her over in the process. ¡°I need help. Do you have a phone?¡±


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asked as I hurried behind the counter. ¡°Are you hurt? Do you need me to call the police?¡±


    I found the phone cradle, but not the phone. I looked at her in desperation. ¡°Please,¡± I croaked. ¡°I need a phone. I need to call someone.¡±


    The door opened behind her, and I gasped, hiding behind the woman, half expecting it to be Jason, but a sigh of relief coursed through my body when I saw Sin strolling in.


    ¡°Who might you be, young man?¡± the woman asked, and I was marvelled at her boldness.


    ¡°Mani,¡± Sin calls out, his hands in his pockets, his eyes on me.


    ¡°Do you know this young man, dear?¡± The woman asked, her gaze warm and filled with worry.


    I moved from behind her, giving her a smile before nodding my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your evening. Thanks for your help.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asks, skeptically looking at Sin, and I nod again, giving her a smile.


    I walked towards where Sin stood, and he took off his suit jacket, wrapping it around my body before cing a possessive hand underneath my waist.


    ¡± Niki¡­.¡± I called out, hoping to exin what had happened, but the look in his eyes and the way his jaw clenched caused me to bite back on my words.


    ¡°Do not say a word till we get back to the hotel.¡± He stated calmly, which was the opposite of what his body was telling me. A sense of deja vu washed over me, recalling the night of my graduation when I tried running away from him.


    Fear gripped my heart, and I tried to imagine what his thoughts were. Things had been going great between us, and thest thing I wanted was for us to go back to the way we were in the beginning.


    I didn¡¯t want to lose his trust again.


    ¡± Niko¡­¡± Sin arched a brow, and all the fight left me. I sighed in defeat as we made our way out of the book shop. Once outside, Sin took my elbow and guided me toward the car parked at the front of the shop.


    The drive back to the hotel was silent. I kept on fiddling with my bathrobe while feeling uneasy, stealing nces at him as he furiously typed away on his phone.


    Sin grabbed a hold of my hand when we got to the hotel, dragging me towards the elevator. We got to the door, still silent, and I stole glimpses at his stony face, letting out a deep sigh.


    Once we got into our hotel room, I heard the sound of the door locking before he yanked me around until I was facing him.


    ¡°You keep disappointing me, Mani,¡± he growled, reaching out to pull down his suit jacket. I yelped when the cold passed through my body as he undid the robe of my bathrobe, leaving me standing there in my undies.


    Oh God, what was he going to do?


    ¡°Niki, let me exin.¡± I begged, attempting to squirm away.


    ¡°What could you possibly say?¡± he asked, grabbing a hold of my hand tightly. ¡°You should have thought about the consequences.¡±


    When his other hand drifted lower on my body, I gasped, feeling his fingers brush my stomach before he ripped off thece pants and tore them in half. Something warm crept across my stomach, intecing with my fear.


    I swallowed against the flood of need coursing through my body.


    This wasn¡¯t the time for this.


    I shouldn¡¯t let him misunderstand what happened.


    He needed to know about Jason.


    ¡± Niki¡­¡±


    ¡°You will remain silent,¡± he said, his hand curling around the scrap of pants. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m going to ensure it.¡±


    Before I could say anything, he stuffed my pants in my mouth, tying the torn ends together behind my head. ¡°There,¡± Sin said, dragging me inside the bedroom.


    My mind imagined his powerful hands pressing me into the bed while his cock filled me up. The warmth of desire rose up, and I felt my cheeks flush.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You have not obeyed my rules,¡± he said calmly as he took off his coat. ¡°You have defied me at every turn in the short time you have been here, Mani. Can I assume this is the fight you will continue to put up?¡±


    He began raising his sleeves when I didn¡¯t respond. Another wave of yearning swept through my veins at the sight of him baring his muscr forearms. My eyes darted aside immediately after catching sight of a tattoo on his left forearm so that my heart wouldn¡¯t beat any faster.


    I could feel a moan tickling the back of my nose as a trace of moisture ran towards my thighs, despite having my underwear pushed in my mouth.


    Why does he have such power over my body?

 FORTY TWO

    Even after thinking back to what had urred in New York, was I anticipating whatever vile punishment he was going to administer? Yet here I was, attracted to the sight of him putting his sleeves up.


    ¡°Why?¡± Sin asked softly, catching my attention once more. ¡°Tell me, Mani. Why did you run?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°IsweartoyouNikiiwasnttryingtorun, pleasebelieveme.¡± I mumbled out what I said, though I doubt he could understand a word I said.


    ¡°I thought maybe by now you were smart enough to know that you couldn¡¯t get away from me,¡± he muttered as he advanced on me. My knees bumped against the bed as I lurched back. His expression was positively homicidal, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether this was the end.


    Is this how I¡¯m going to die? Was I really going to pass away with my own pants in my mouth and little to nothing on?


    ¡°You need to be taught a lesson,¡± Sin continued as his body pressed against mine. ¡°For breaking my rules.¡±


    When he got near me, I could make out the tic of his untrimmed jaw and the slope of his nose, which was inly broken before. When I stared at his steely eyes for too long, which were framed by the longestshes, my heart made a weird swoop.


    I gasped behind the gag when his hands grabbed my hips; the electric shock against my bare skin had my thoughts racing. He must have sensed it as well, because just as I was turned over and my face pressed into the plush mattress, his eyes slightly erged. He took hold of both of my hands and tied his necktie around them.


    ¡°It seems I haven¡¯t punished you well enough.¡± He said this roughly right before my ass erupted from the sting of his hand. Pain bloomed through my body. And just like the first night he spanked me, I felt something else within me. Something dark and unbidden coiled in my stomach.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I struggled to keep from crying, squealing in pain, and moaning into the gag as the second p was just as excruciating as the first. In response to his touch, my rebellious body arched.


    Oh my goodness, I like this! The dampness between my thighs grew worse, and I was unable to control my screams when his fingers caressed my ass cheek before he pped it again.


    To get a better look at me, he turned me over. As I observed his expression, my cheeks began to flush, wondering what he was going to do next.


    But all he did was pull my balled-up pants out of my mouth. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have carried you along if I had known this was what you wanted. Was this the n, Mani? To get me to let my guard down, so you could run away,¡± he growled, his own chest heaving.


    My lips parted, yet no words came out. I was still in shock, trying to process everything that had happened since Jason walked into the room until now. It didn¡¯t help that my body was dialled up to one thousand right now. Every nerve fibre was pulled taut, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. I wanted his hands all over me.


    The bulge in his pants was unmistakable, and I could feel the fear, anticipation, and want mixed all at once.


    Before I had a chance to exin myself, he hauled me against him, his hand grasping the back of my neck roughly as his other hand trailed down to my very core. ¡°Why do you keep defying me? Why do you keep pushing my hands? Why do you keep making me angry?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even focusing on anything he said now, with his fingers pushing between my legs.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said as his other hand tightened on my neck. ¡°Is it to taste my wrath? Does the idea of getting punished turn you on so badly that you don¡¯t mind going against me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­. sorry¡­¡± I breathed.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s toote for that.¡± His fingers spread me, daring me to fight him.


    ¡°Niki!¡± I cried out as his thumb pressed against my throbbing clit. I wanted release, and I would do nearly anything to have it.


    ¡°Do you wish toe, uh?¡± He whispered, rewarding me with anotherzy circle around my clit. ¡°Tell me, Mani.¡±


    I wanted to touch him, but my hands were still bound, leaving my body at the mercy of what he was going to do next. ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    There was a chuckle, and I felt Sin slip a finger at the entrance of my sex. ¡°I like it when they beg. Tell me, Mani, do you honestly think you deserve to be rewarded?¡±


    Fuck, I couldn¡¯t think straight. His finger teased into me, pushing in and out to stoke a fire that was already simmering under the surface. Between that and his thumb, I wasn¡¯t going tost much longer.


    ¡°Come for me,¡± he growled, his fingers flexing against the nape of my neck. ¡°Come only for me.¡±


    And I did. What the fuck did Ie for? I cried out as the orgasm hit me full force. My knees weakened, and when Sin let go of my neck, I practically copsed to the ground, the impact rattling my bones.


    The orgasm had shattered me, turning my bones into jelly. Daringly, I looked up to find him fumbling with his zipper, a hard look on his handsome face, and my breath caught.


    He was going to fuck me, and my body shivered at the thought.


    ¡°Give me your hands,¡± he said roughly. I held them up, and he ripped away the material binding them like it was nothing. He ced his hands on the top of his cks, and slowly, I gave them a tug until his cock fell out.


    He wanted me to suckle him. Involuntarily, I licked my lips, eager to please him. I didn¡¯t protest when he shoved his cock in my mouth and put his thumb between my teeth to keep my jaw open in order to amodate his size.


    Sin grunted, his other hand shifted to the back of my head, and he rxed just enough for me to bring my own hand up to wrap around his shaft.


    He jerked slightly at the contact and swatted my hand away. ¡°Mouth only, amore.¡±


    It was clear. This was for him. Not for me.


    I sped my hands behind me for bnce as he shoved himself deep into my throat, gagging me. Tears blurred my eyes. Pleasure and pain, excitement and degradation-all mixed together at once.


    His thrusts became harder, and I knew he was getting close. His scent of musk tinted with a hint of smoke drowned out all other smells as he gripped his hand tighter behind my head. His cock was stiffening.


    With a guttural groan, his taste flooded my mouth, and he pulled me close to him as he came. I had no choice but to swallow every ropey spurt. Too much. It¡¯s too much. I ced my hand against his thighs, desperate to breathe.


    He held me, struggling against his bucking hips, as he continued emptying himself into my mouth and down my throat. My world grew blurry in a haze of tears. I coughed, and I felt his seed run down my chin.


    Finally, he pulled away with a grunt, and I gasped for air, coughing. A thin gossamer stream clung to the corner of my mouth and dropped to the floor, pooling between my legs. I refused to look at him till I heard the sound of the door banging close.

 FORTY THREE

    ¡°Tell me what you want.¡±


    I stared into Sin¡¯s eyes, feeling my heart flutter at his nearness. ¡°I want you,¡± I whispered, reaching out to cup his cheek.


    For a split second, I feltplete adoration for the man in front of me as he trembled under my touch. He was strong. He was in charge.


    He was my own.


    When he opened his eyes once more, I could see the ferocious heat and desire he would once again bring to my body. We had sentiments for each other that were difficult to express.


    ¡°Mani.¡± My name came out in a whispered plea as he dropped to his knees, his face inches from my throbbing core. ¡°Why do you wish to leave me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I breathed, my hands fisted in his hair. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    His thumb brushed over my clit, and I whimpered. ¡°You don¡¯t ever have to beg for me.¡±


    Oh, but I wanted to. As he continually pushed my body to the edge, I wanted him to make me scream out his name and beg him to stop.


    His mouth touching me and nearly making me cry is my favourite thing about him. He worshipped me as he tore apart my folds and his tongue slid over my swollen nub.


    As I fought to breathe, I jerked awake. My eyes flew open. only a dream, that is.


    Surely a dream, then.


    My face was scratched as I moaned. The window was open, allowing sunlight to pour in. After Sin had left, I made an effort to stay awake, restlessly anticipating the moment he woulde back.


    However, eventually, fatigue prevailed, and I ended up falling asleep, naked.


    I winced as I stretched my body in defiance of getting out of bed as my feet screamed in response. Probably from my attempt to escape from Jasonst night, there were wounds, bruises, and scrapes all over the bottom.


    I could really use a shower. that, and perhaps something else.


    The unwee and unpleasant notion struck, and I became aware that my body was still flushed from my dream. My hand strayed to my sore breasts. Even though I rarely touched myself, something about that dream made me feel¡­ iplete.


    I closed my eyes as my hand travelled down to my stomach and thought about how he had instructed me with his touch. He quickly gained control of me and moulded my response to his.


    My finger brushed my crotch, and I gasped lightly. I was already soaking wet.


    This can¡¯t be happening. I couldn¡¯t possibly walk around all the time wanting him¡­


    However, a monster with an inquisitive eye opened deep within me and made me yearn for more.


    He was supposed to hold me down, pin me to the bed, and then push me open. I was forced to close my eyes by the thought, and the subsequent images in my head filled the gloom with shes of gripped fingers, tangled limbs, and hot, heavy breath lingering near my ear.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I gasped as my fingers spontaneously opened, and I could feel the heat rising.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered to an empty bedroom, wondering if he had any hidden cameras so he could watch. On one hand, I would positively die of embarrassment if he was. But on the other hand, I wanted him to watch.


    My orgasm came quick and fast, and I cried out as my body buckled against it. But as quickly as it came, the pleasure started to fade, and all that remained was a burning need-a need that I knew only one person could fill.


    ¡°Great, just great,¡± I muttered.


    Throwing the covers away, I got up, walked to the bathroom naked, and turned on the shower as hot as it would go.


    When I stepped under the spray, I yelped at how hot it was and turned on the cold slightly so that I wouldn¡¯t scald my skin. There were small things like shampoo and body wash.


    The shower gave me time to reflect. How was he able to know that I had left the hotel at such short notice, and how in the hell did he know where I was?


    Jason?


    Rinsing out the shampoo, I quicklythered up my body with the body wash. I still couldn¡¯t let Sin doubt me; I needed to tell him the truth and set things right.


    There was no way I was going to let Jason win; he had managed to turn Sin¡¯s trust against me, and I wasn¡¯t nning on letting that happen.


    At the thought of Sin, his piercing eyes popped into my mind, and I sighed. How was I going to get him to listen to me since he hadn¡¯t returned to the room since he left? My guess is that he was staying in the spare bedroom.


    This was definitely not how I expected our trip to Paris to end.


    I washed the soap off me, shut off the shower, and picked up one of the fluffy towels to dry my body off.


    I wrapped the towel around my body, walked out of the bathroom to where my bagid, and sighed, searching through the seas of clothes for what to wear.

 FORTY FOUR

    SIN POV     I left Mani in the bedroom and walked over to the kitchen, the automatic lightsing on as soon as I stepped over the threshold. It was sometime after midnight, but I felt like this night was going on forever, wanting nothing more than to crawl into my bed and catch a few hours of sleep.


    Instead, I grabbed the decanter on the sideboard along the wall and poured a healthy swallow of whiskey into the ss, watching as the amber liquid filled the crystal. I was still pissed at the fact that she nned on running away.


    I thought things were getting better between us and she was finally warming up to me, but instead I got a call from Jason telling me about her disappearance.


    I wanted nothing more than to punish her more for what she had done, and I thought leaving her in need was a good enough punishment. Call me a bastard, but I enjoyed watching her shrink from me.


    Picking up the ss, I took a long swallow, feeling the whiskey slide down my throat. I was certain that she was sitting in that room, wondering what was going to happen to her.


    Fuck, I had so many options. I wanted her to beg me for my sake. I wanted her to have a flicker of distrust in those gorgeous fucking eyes of hers so that I could y on that distrust.


    I wanted Mani to wish she had never thought of escaping from me.


    I drained the ss and set it aside, running my hands through my hair. I could already taste her skin on my tongue, drinking in her fear of me intermingled with passion that I would pull out of her.


    Adjusting the front of my pants, I forced myself to think of something else for now. If I didn¡¯t, I would be stroking myself in a few minutes.


    My cell phone buzzed in my coat, and I pulled it out, holding it up to my ear. ¡°Speak¡±


    ¡°Hello, Niki.¡±


    My blood ran cold at the harsh voice. I clenched my free hand into a fist at my side. ¡°What the fuck do you want, Lorenzo?¡± Lorenzo Romanov was someone I had once considered a dear friend, but his betrayal left nothing but regret and anger.


    He was someone I despised with every fibre of my being.


    Somehow I wish not to cross paths with because I wasn¡¯t certain if I could stop myself from shooting him dead.


    ¡°I¡¯m hearing rumour,¡± he stated. ¡°There¡¯s a rumour that you fancy a certain blonde hair.¡±


    I chuckled darkly, figuring that word was spreading like wildfire already. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were interested in my affairs. If I believe correctly, we had taken a pact not to cross each other, but it seems you did not honour it. I won¡¯t be  held  ountable if you decide to go against the agreement.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you mean,¡± he chuckles. ¡°I only wish to congratte an old friend for finding love.¡±


    My good humour left my face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what silly game you have up your sleeves, but I advise you to think wisely; you don¡¯t want to start what you can¡¯t finish.¡±


    ¡°So you keep reminding me,¡± Lorenzo said with clear displeasure in his voice. ¡°I hope you enjoy your trip to Paris.¡±


    ¡°Bastardo!¡± I ended the call before he could say anything else and reached for the bottle once more.


    I was ruthless, straying on the other side of the blurred line between what I wanted to do and what were unspoken rules. I was unapologetic in my killings and dealings.


    Drawing in a breath, I poured another ss and then set the decanter aside on the sideboard.


    I threw back the whiskey, letting it burn my throat this time. cing the ss down, I drew in a breath.


    ¡°Sin.¡±


    I turned to find Mateo at the door, his bulky frame filling up the space. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The CCTV stationed at the front of the hotel room and the staircase were turned off,¡± he stated, his eyes piercing in the dim lighting.


    ¡°Find out what happened.¡±


    ?????


    Luca opened the door for me, and I stepped out, my gaze going directly to Mani¡¯s room as I did so. There was business I needed to attend to here in Paris before we returned to New York City, so I had left Mani in the care of the guards.


    Of course, this time the security was heightened, and Mateo had been assigned to watch over her. I couldn¡¯t let yesterday¡¯s ordeal repeat itself.


    But she, of course, never knew I was gone, and that was how I wanted it. I wanted her to have that measure of uncertainty to keep her in her room until I was ready for her to cross the threshold. The problem was that she hadn¡¯t strayed far from my mind today.


    ¡°She¡¯s been in her room,¡± Luca supplied as we walked inside the elevator, ¡°and hasn¡¯t caused a scene or even made an attempt to step out from there.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    My grin was quick. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it stays that way and she doesn¡¯t do anything more revolting.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Luca mutters. ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard about the CCTV from Mateo.¡±


    I weed the cool air in the house. That was one of the many reasons I had thought about Mani today, and the object of my thoughts disturbed me greatly. I didn¡¯t think about anyone like that, especially not anyone with whom I could paint a vivid picture of what I wanted to do to her.


    ¡°There might be more to this than we think,¡± Luca said again, nudging my shoulders to get my attention. ¡°What did Mani say?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I was too pissed to listen to any exnation.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should have.¡± Luca says, giving me a questionable nce. ¡°I mean, someone must have turned off the security camera, which sparks suspicion, and it doesn¡¯t help that one of the guards assigned to watch over her is missing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Luca,¡± I growled at him. ¡°I very much know that something isn¡¯t right here and have already asked Mateo to check out the situation pertaining to the CCTV.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess the missing guard is all that is left.¡± Luca stated. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I asked Samantha to look into it and would be getting a report by afternoon.¡±


    ¡°And get Jason.¡± Luca nods, making his way out of the hotel room as I walk towards the kitchen, ignoring the newly filled whiskey decanter as I do so. Hell, I no longer wanted to touch the stuff if it was going to have the same effect on my fucking dreams as it hadst night.


    The meeting had gone well, but my mind drifted back to Lorenzo and my conversation. It was no doubt he was keeping an eye out on my movements-not that I me him; I was doing the same thing.


    Yet the one thing I hated was his interest in Mani. I don¡¯t want that fucker¡¯s attention on what was mine; he knew better than to mess with me and go after family.


    But right now, I needed to get to the bottom of yesterday¡¯s event.

 FORTY FIVE

    MANI¡¯S POV


    I was in the living room of the hotel room; Sin was nowhere in sight, and my guess was that he had gone out early this morning when I was in bed. I huffed, not really paying attention to the show on TV; all I could think of was how long Sin was going to carry on giving me the silent treatment.


    Part of me was pissed that he hadn¡¯t given me the chance to exin myself yesterday and had only chosen to listen to Jason.


    Thinking about yesterday, I could not help but think that this was all Jason¡¯s n. to get Sin to loosen his trust in me.


    Was this what he meant yesterday?


    I let out a sigh and curled up on the couch, trying to while away the time while waiting for Sin to return. Thest thing I wanted was for us to return to New York with a bridge between us.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I was affected by this-was it the lust talking, or was I really beginning to feel something for him that was more than just attraction?


    Boredly flipping the channels, I stifled a yawn, trying to fight off the sleep, when the door opened, and Izily lifted up my head, expecting it to be Sin, but instantly rose to my feet when I saw Jason standing there.


    Yesterday¡¯s ordeal shes through my head, and I scan the living room, looking for something to defend myself just in case he decides to redo yesterday¡¯s incident.


    I spotted a tablemp, which I instantly grabbed onto, giving him a threatening nce.


    What the hell was he doing here?


    Jason closed the door behind him, rolling his eyes as he took in themp in my hand.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I growled, ring at him.


    ¡°You can drop themp.¡± He had a smirk stered across his beautiful, yet conniving, features. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can do anything since Sin will be here any minute.¡±


    ¡°Then you can wait outside, till he gets here.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± He says so, ignoring my words, and I raise themp in a defensive stance.


    ¡°Well, I do not wish to speak to you.¡± Get out.¡± I yelled, my voice filled with venom.


    ¡°Will you fucking keep your tone down?¡± He spat, looking briefly at the door before stalking his way toward me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± I yelled as I literally spat in his face.


    This was when I felt his hand on my neck; his grip was tight but not tight enough to leave a mark. His eyes moved back to the door before meeting mine, and I could see the glimmer of fear in them. But it was gone as soon as it came, reced by rage as he stared deeply into my eyes, his nose ring in anger.


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten you all ruffled up?¡± I asked, suddenly interested in what he had to say about his weird behaviour. ¡°Just yesterday, you had full confidence in whatever sick n you made up. So why do you seem tense?¡±


    ¡± You¡­.¡±


    ¡°You know what; don¡¯t tell me. I believe I can make a wild guess as to why you are acting this way.¡± I mocked him, not giving him the chance to speak. ¡°Are you scared that I might tell Sin everything? Scared of what his reaction might be, huh?


    ¡°Cagna,¡± Jason muttered under his breath. ¡°All this is your fault. If you had only looked at me, even once, the way you look at him, then I wouldn¡¯t be this bloody messed up  here.¡± He says, pointing to the side of his head.


    His nose nuzzled into my neck as he sniffed me up and down, getting used to my perfume. Freaky bastard.


    ¡°I missed your smell,¡± he whispered as I felt him smirk against my skin. He nted soft kisses up and down my neck, making me shudder and cringe at the feeling. ¡°I missed your beautiful features,¡± he paused and kissed my jawline. ¡°I missed you,¡± he said onest time as he crushed his lips against mine.


    I hardly felt anything for this man; I didn¡¯t melt into him. He didn¡¯t make me feel as nice and tingly as Sin did. He didn¡¯t turn me on or make me want more of him.


    ¡°You had no idea how much I loved you and still do. I had hope of us starting over again. That was the only reason I had given Stephanie the pass, but no, you ended up being Sin¡¯s little whore.¡±


    I scoffed, ring at him.


    He was still the same. always putting the me on others except himself.


    I pulled his hand away from my neck, and he let it fall to his side as I stared at him with a nk face.


    ¡°You have the nerve, putting the me on me.¡± I said it coldly, pointing a finger to his chest and pushing him backwards as I spoke. ¡°You think a few passes to a club is enough to make us get back together.¡± I chuckle cynically. ¡°Then you better wake up from that silly dream of us, because there is no way that I would go back to a cheating scum like you.¡±


    His jaw clenched, and I felt his anger grow as he looked away, his hand moulding into a fist.


    ¡°It was a mistake.¡± He mutters. ¡°I slept with your cousin on your parent¡¯s burial, and I very much regretted it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you do; all this might just be an act. I don¡¯t care.¡± I spat. rolling my eyes.


    Jason¡¯s eye twitched, and he looked back in the direction of the door before returning his gaze at me. ¡± Look. Sin will be here any minute, and I suggest you keep what happened between us to yourself.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do. There is not an ¡°us¡± between you and me. I don¡¯t n on keeping this secret from Sin anymore; I n on telling him about my past rtionships with you. As well as everything that happened yesterday, including what you tried to do.¡± I said as I cocked my head to the side and smirked again as I folded my aching arms across my chest.


    His nose red, and he rubbed his hands over his face, letting out a frustrated sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this, but you leave me no choice.¡± He threatened.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I cocked my brow, wondering what he meant. I watched him bring out his phone before typing into it, then turn it to face me.


    I gasped when I saw a picture of a happy Stephanie in ss, talking to another girl beside her, oblivious to the fact that she was being watched.


    Taking a step forward, I made an attempt to grab his phone, but he was quick to put it back in his pocket, and a smirk adorned his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s it going to be, Mani?¡± He asked. ¡°Are you going to act stubborn and tell Sin everything, or would you rather keep your mouth shut and save your precious friend¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± I muttered, fighting back the tears.


    ¡°Choose Mani. ¡°You have only a few minutes.¡±

 FORTY SIX

    I fudged with my fingers as Sin walked in with Luca trailing behind him. His eyes wandered from Jason to me then back to Jason, who was a couple of distances away from me with a raised brow.


    He walks into the room, taking a seat on the couch before using his hand to usher me to his side, and I let out a quiet sigh, trying to hide my nervousness before making my way to where he sat, about to take a seat beside him on the couch.


    But Sin¡¯s hand grabbed mine, pulling me down on hisp till his head nestled against my neck, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t give you the chance to exin yourself yesterday.¡± He says, I looked away from him, not able to meet his intense gaze.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to find out what had happened if not for Jason¡¯s exnation and the CCTV camera at the entrance of the hotel.¡± He says again, ¡°His eyes never leave my face.¡± There is a hint of sadness in his voice, but other than that, he sounds cynically mad.


    I took a subtle look towards Jason, and he tapped on his phone, threatening. Suddenly, Sin tips my chin with his index finger to make my eyes meet his.


    ¡°You must have been very scared,¡± he grits out, ¡°I should have paid more attention, and for that I apologize.¡±


    I try to blink the unshed tears away and focus on my breathing. I hated this. I was lying to him and letting Jason get the better of me.


    ¡± Niki¡­.¡± I said, not having the guts to tell the truth.


    I had no idea what Jason had told him, but I couldn¡¯t let him get away with it.


    ¡°It¡¯s no¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are you able to find Bryson?¡± Jason asked, cutting me off.


    ¡± Yes.¡± Luca was the one who answered. ¡°Unfortunately, he was dead before we could get him.¡±


    ¡± Dead¡­¡± I whispered under my breath before casting my gaze at Jason.


    Did he kill someone?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he must have realized his mistake and known Sin woulde for him, so he probably thought killing himself was a way out of him escaping being tortured.¡± Jason says, and Luca gives a curt nod.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of him as such a coward. Too bad he took the easiest way out.¡± Sin muttered, and there was an enraged look in his eyes. His jaw clenches at the revtion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, amore.¡± His armse around my waist, bringing my head tightly to his chest, and he buries his head in the crook of my neck. I feel tears stinging my eyes, and for once, I let them out.


    I seekfort while I can. I cry silently into his chest while he holds me. My eyes found Jason¡¯s, and his lips lifted up in a smirk, and I wanted nothing more than to punch that smile off his face.


    Taking my eyes away from him, I snuggled closer to Sin. He didn¡¯t say anything, that wasforting yet soplicated.


    I pull away from him, giving him a small smile.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tidy up and get ready for dinner?¡± he says, and I nod, getting to my feet.


    I gave Luca a smile before walking past Jason, making sure to re at him as I entered the bedroom to freshen up. I make my way to the bathroom, sshing water in my face as I stare at the mirror.


    I needed to contact Stephanie and see if she was okay, but I couldn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t have a phone with me.


    Taking a deep breath, I made my way out of the bathroom, walking back to the living room to find only Sin alone, with Jason and Luca gone.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Sin sighs and stands up, making our way to the kitchen. We sit at the dining table, next to each other, with a te of beef bourguignon already ced on it.


    ¡°What time do we leave tomorrow?¡± I asked, staring at my food.


    ¡°By noon.¡± He says and nods, keeping my focus on the food even though I was certain that his eyes were still on me.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I started off saying, raising my head. ¡°Is it okay if I could use your phone? I need to check up on Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± He asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°I just want to check up on Stephanie.¡± I said, biting my lips nervously. ¡°Please, I won¡¯t tell her anything, I just¡­¡± I looked away, blinking back the tears. ¡°I just want to hear her voice.¡±


    Sin didn¡¯t say anything, but I could tell he was scrutinizing me, taking in every emotion. When he spoke again, I closed my eyes, feeling defeated.


    ¡± Okay.¡± He says, and my head shoots up, surprised.


    ¡°What¡­¡± I stuttered out, just to be sure I heard what he said.


    ¡°I said okay.¡± He says it again, and a smile lights up my face.


    ¡± Really.¡± I asked again, and he nodded with a grin.


    ¡± Thanks.¡± I muttered with a smile before finally taking a bite of my food.


    We both ate infortable silence, and once we were done, Sin picked up the te, putting it back in the cart for the hotel staff toe and take them.


    I got up from the table, took his phone, and began to dial Stephanie¡¯s number. I listened to it ring as I let out a silent prayer, waiting for her to answer.


    ¡± Hello..¡± I let out a breath when her voice rang through on the other side of the phone. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±


    I cut the call, d that she was okay, before returning the phone back to Sin.


    ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± I said so, and he smiled, grabbing a hold of my hand and pulling me to him. hugging me tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, amore.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize; what happened yesterday wasn¡¯t in your control.¡± I said, softly patting on his hair.


    ¡°I should have listened to you instead of letting my anger get the best of me.¡±


    ¡°What matters is that it has all been settled and is finally behind us. I¡¯m just d that things haven¡¯t changed between us.¡± I said, snuggling into thefort of his hold.


    It was best to stay away from Jason. It was a good thing that we were returning back to New York tomorrow, which meant that I wouldn¡¯t have to see him.


    I just hope that my decision today won¡¯te back to bite me.

 FORTY SEVEN

    ¡°Hey,¡± Samantha says, walking into the room as I zip my bag.


    Sin and I were leaving for New York in an hour, so I was going through my things just to make sure I had packed everything.


    ¡± Hey.¡± I said, taking a seat on the bed with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m still saddened that you are leaving today.¡± She says, plopping down on the bed. ¡°You didn¡¯t get to tour Paris.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bummer, but as much as I want to tour Paris, I think I prefer going back to New York.¡± I said, running my fingers through my hair. ¡°Since I came here, I seem to have one hup after another. It¡¯s like trouble keeps finding me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand. the club, and then Bryson.¡± Samantha, sighs. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I will be.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to say goodbye before you left for New York.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sam.¡± I said it with a smile. ¡°I hope you doe to New York.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you aren¡¯t getting rid of me that easily.¡± She teased, nudging my shoulders. ¡°I still have some things to settle, which might take roughly a month or two, but I do n oning back to New York.¡±


    ¡°Then I would dly wait till youe.¡± I beamed, and sheughed.


    ¡± Sure. And maybe next time when we decide to visit Paris, we will make new memories and wipe away whatever horrible experience you had here.¡±


    ¡°I would love that.¡± I smiled. ¡°Thank you, really, Samantha. You don¡¯t know how much it means to have you here.¡±


    ¡°Your wee.¡± she says, getting to her feet. ¡°I better leave you to it. Sin will be here any minute, so you better finish up.¡± I nod, watching her walk to the door.


    She turned and blew a kiss at me, and Iughed, catching it as she walked out of the room.


    It wasn¡¯t until thirty minutes after she left that Sin returned back to the room, ready to go, and we both checked out of the hotel, making our way to the car and then to the airport.


    We got into the private ne, both of us taking our seats as the pilot read the instructions before taking off. Once the ne was in the air and it was safe to walk around, I undid my seatbelt and made my way into the room when the door pushed open and Sin walked right in.


    He didn¡¯t say anything but just stood there staring at me, which made me feel self-conscious, and I started fudging with my fingers, nervously looking back at him, wondering if something happened or if I had done something wrong without realizing it.


    He signs, walking fully into the room and stopping a foot away from me. ¡°Are you perhaps angry at me?¡±


    ¡± Wh¡­ what.¡± I stuttered out, surprised by his question.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said a word to me since we left the hotel, so I want to know if you are angry about what happened.¡±


    I shake my head, refuting his im. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you, Niki.¡± I paused, wetting my lips. ¡°I thought perhaps you were angry at me.¡±


    His brows creased. ¡°Why would I be angry at you, amore?¡± He questioned. ¡°If anything, you should be angry. I should have made sure every incident that happened in Paris was avoided.¡±


    ¡°What happened wasn¡¯t in your control; it¡¯s not like you can see the future.¡±


    ¡°Still, amore.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just put it behind us.¡± I said, cupping his cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± he replies, his forehead leaning on mine.


    ¡°Though, I¡¯m not so certain about the punishment I had to receive. Not with the way you left me.¡± I pout, and he chuckles.


    ¡°Trust me, amore, it was torture for me as well.¡±


    A shiver rushes through me as I gather my courage. ¡°So what are you waiting for then? I believe we better rectify that.¡± My chest grows tight as I watch for his response.


    His gentle smile gives way to a predatory grin, and he releases my chin to grab the bottom hem of my t-shirt with both hands.


    ¡°Well, then, Your wish is mymand.¡± His voice drips with dark promise. ¡°Lift your arms.¡±


    I don¡¯t even think about it. I just did as he instructed.


    The soft fabric contrasts with his rough fingers as they slide along my bare skin, until he throws my shirt aside. This causes me to shiver with anticipation. He takes obvious pleasure in undressing me, unwrapping me one article at a time. My pantiese next, sliding down from under my loose skirt.


    He turns me and unhooks my bra, sliding his hands around my sides until he¡¯s cupping my breasts as he pushes it away. Pressing himself against my back, he whispers hoarsely into my ear while he rolls my sensitive nipples between his fingers. He gives a hard squeeze to emphasize his words, making me draw a sharp breath.


    ¡°Niki.¡± Leaning into him while tingles and sparks shoot through me, I let out a moan as he squeezes again. He can y with them all he wants. They¡¯re his.


    I push my ass against him, rubbing up against the hard bulge in his pants. He slides a hand from my breast and down across my stomach, pinching my stomach and making me yelp. He then continues to slide south.


    My attention is torn between his hand on my breast and the other working the catch on my skirt, but then myst piece of clothing drops and I be acutely aware of where he¡¯s going next.


    His fingers pause right above my waistline, teasingly stroking my bare skin for a while before his fingers tease their way down over my hips and the insides of my thighs, touching me everywhere except where I want him the most.


    ¡± Niki.¡± I let out a breathless gasp while I moved my hips, chasing his touch.


    ¡°Patience, amore.¡± He dips his thick fingers into my folds, sliding them around in my wetness. Not entering, he caresses, slides, and brushes, making me tingle while stoking the fires burning inside me. I need him, but he¡¯s taking his time.


    His clever fingers find my clit, swirling around it inzy motions until I have to pull away from the intense sensation. I press my hips forward until I feel his touch on me again. a quick pinch that I¡¯m proud of not pulling away from, and then he slides back down towards my slick entrance. Firmly, he pushes in, putting two of his fingers inside me. My moan is deep in the back of my throat.


    For a while, we stood there, him clutching my breast and fingering me, while I tried to keep upright as my knees threatened to buckle underneath me. Inside, my fires burn hotter and hotter, like a volcano preparing to blow, while Sin ys my body like a maestro on his grand piano, teasing every sound in my register out of me with his strokes, pinches, and stabs.


    My moanse faster and louder, and I¡¯m just about to go over the edge when he pulls out. I can¡¯t hold back a disappointed whine.


    ¡°Quit teasing me, Niki.¡±


    ¡°Where is the fun in that then?¡± He asked, and I huffed, making him chuckle.


    He drags the fingers that were in me up along my front, leaving a damp path behind them. past my stomach, up between my breasts, and slowly over my throat until they¡¯re at my lips.


    I parted my lips, letting his fingers in, then closed around them and sucked, imagining his thick cock in their ce. Teasingly, I run my tongue along his skin, tasting myself on him.


    He lets out a soft, sexy moan while he slides his fingers in and out of my mouth. ¡°You naughty girl,¡±

 FORTY EIGHT

    The next morning, I opened my eyes and stretched before I turned to find Sin gone. The bathroom light was off, and the sheets beside me were cold. I couldn¡¯t stop the disappointment I felt.


    Getting up from the bed, I hurriedly freshened up, changing into a pair of ck jeans and a yellow sweatshirt. My hair was tied up into a ponytail, and my face was bare of makeup.


    After taking one final glimpse at the mirror, I began making my way down the stairs. A smile spread across my face, eager to meet Zoey since we had returnedte from Paris.


    I made my way to where the dining room was, and instantly a smile made its way to my face when I heard not just Sin¡¯s but Zoey¡¯s voice.


    I walked into the room and every conversation seized. I bit on my lips nervously, hating the attention as I began making my way to my seat. My eyes scanned the room, meeting Zoey¡¯s, and I waved enthusiastically at her, getting the same positive energy from her as she smiled, waving back at me.


    Taking a seat beside Sin, I giggled when he took a hold of my hand, cing soft kisses on it before giving it a light squeeze.


    ¡°You look beautiful, amore.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you might be hungry, not afterst night.¡± I knew I had turned red from the heat that covered my face.


    The heaven, Was he going to talk about what happened between us on the ne at the dining table?


    Sinughs, flicking my forehead softly. ¡°We didn¡¯t eat dinner, remember?¡±


    I sent a yful re. ¡°Are you seriously going to tease me?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing anything, Amore.¡± He shrugs. ¡°You just have a dirty mind, little temptress.¡±


    I snorted and then leaned back when a te of pancakes was set in front of me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the maid, and she smiled.


    Breakfast began. I was listening andughing at something  Zoey said when the door opened, causing all conversation to seize, and I turned to see who had walked in.


    A woman in herte twenties with a model-like figure walks in and walks in my direction, stopping in front of me, and I am suddenly taken aback by the hate-filled look on her face.


    ¡± H¡­. Hi.¡± I stuttered out, unsure of how to respond to the negative emotions I was getting from her.


    ¡°You are in my seat.¡± She sneers, causing confusion to grow in me.


    ¡± What.¡±


    ¡°I said, move.¡± She says it with more force than before.


    ¡± i¡­.¡±


    ¡°I believe there are plenty more seats you can upy, Victoria.¡± Sin says, cutting me off. ¡°This seat belongs to Mani.¡± His voice was stern.


    The woman, who was now identified as Victoria, shifted her gaze from me to Sin before returning it back to me. ¡± Sure¡­.¡± She says through a clenched jaw, walking over to the other side of the table to take her seat, her heated gaze still on me.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°So, Mani, how was your trip to Paris?¡± Zoey asked, trying to ease the tension, and I gave a small smile.


    ¡°It was great.¡± I said and began telling her all that happened-well, mostly all. I told her about meeting Samantha and what happened in the club but left out the part about what happened between Jason and I.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Mani, are you okay?¡± Zoey asked, concerning what had transpired at the club.


    I smiled, giving a curt nod. ¡°I¡¯m fine; Niki was there to save me.¡± I said.


    My attention shifted to the woman across from me, who kept stabbing at her food, her eyes still on me. Her scorn deepens whenever our gaze met, and she rolls her eyes while looking down at her food.


    I gulped, wondering what I could possibly have done to make her hate me in just a short while. It was certain she was apart of Sin¡¯s teams, part of the mafia like Samantha. Yet the look on her face was enough to tell me she wasn¡¯t as weing and easy-going as Samantha.


    I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt Sin¡¯s hand on mine again, and I smiled when he gave it a squeeze. I decided to focus on my breakfast instead of Victoria.

 FORTY NINE

    ¡°You look different; this is the first time I have ever seen you matte your hair.¡± Luca says, throwing Mani apliment, and I couldn¡¯t help but agree with him.


    With her hair matted back, her face was more visible and beautiful.


    I stared at her, seeing the spark in her eyes at Luca¡¯s words, and she smiled.


    ¡°I have Zoey to thank; she was the one to help me get it backward.¡± Her smile increases. ¡°I was a bit sceptical at first since I wasn¡¯t used to matting my hair. But I do admit it does look good on me.¡±


    I smile, taking a hold of her hand and bringing it to my lips. ¡°You look beautiful, amore.¡± I said this and saw her eyes light up even more as she blushed.


    The maids began working in, carrying with them a tray of food, which they ced gently on the table. cing the food on the table in front of us.


    Zoey walks in, takes a seat, and Mani waves at her, getting a wave in return, causing her to giggle. My lips raised up in a smile, not immune to how cute she looked.


    Dinnermences, and we all start having our meal. My focus is mainly on Mani, and I pay no heed to Victoria when she walks in.


    I carried on eating, drawing soft circles on Mani¡¯s fingers, and watching her chat with Zoey and Luca whileughing at their silly jokes.


    It wasn¡¯t until I felt something cold spill on myp that my attention shifted from Mani to myp.


    ¡°Fucking hell.¡± I yelled, looking up to see Victoria staring back at me.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Oh my God!, I¡¯m so¡­ sorry, Sin, I seemed to have gotten clumsytely.¡± She apologizes sweetly, but she is too sweet for my liking.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Victoria. Be careful next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you?¡± Victoria said, tantly rubbing my crotch with the tissue on the table.


    I grabbed her hand and yanked it away from me. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You can carry along with your meal.¡±


    She smiled at me. ¡°Sure then, but if you need anything, I will be here waiting.¡±


    Fuck, I was going to have to have a talk with this woman. I¡¯d made the mistake of fucking her whenever I needed to blow off some steam, and that was before I met Mani.


    She knows for a fact that whatever happened between us meant absolutely nothing to me, and right now the only woman that matters to me except family is Mani.


    I didn¡¯t want Mani to think there was something going on between Victoria and me when there was absolutely none. I would have to deal with this myself.


    I nced at Mani; though she kept her focus on Zoey, I knew she caught the scene I¡¯d just had with Victoria but was pretending not to. I sighed, clenching on to her hand, and she turned to look at me, letting out a weak smile.


    Her gaze moved from me to Victoria before she returned it to Zoey and continued with her meal.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to spend more time with Zoey, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Mani says, getting to her feet.


    I let out yet another sigh, reluctantly nodding as I watched her make her way out of the dining room with Zoey beside her.


    I got up and made my way to the bedroom to freshen up, getting out of my clothes as I stepped into the shower. I ran my hand through my hair as the water tickled my head.


    After staying in the shower for about thirty minutes, I stepped out, wrapping the towel around my waist. I walked back into the bedroom, making my way to the walk-in closet, when I spotted a figure standing close to the window. I expected it to be Mani, but was surprised to see Victoria standing there instead.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Victoria?¡± I asked with a raised brow, taking in her appearance. She had changed clothes and now wore a sexy nightgown and robe.


    ¡°I thought I could keep youpany,¡± she said. ¡°You know, in case you need anything,¡±


    A scowl made its way to my face as I stared at her nkly. ¡°Well, you thought wrong. I believe you know the way out of the room.¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting so indifferent? You didn¡¯t use to care before.¡± She says, making her way from the window towards me. ¡°Let me please you, Sin; I know you want it to.¡±


    ¡°What we had was a casual fuck, and I¡¯m certain you are very aware of that matter. And yes, things have changed. You aren¡¯t needed by anymore, so get out before I lose my cool.¡±


    Her jaw clenched when she saw how serious I was, but it was reced by a grin. ¡°Not even now.¡± She asked, pulling off the handle of her nightgown, and it tickled down her body to the floor.


    My eyes didn¡¯t leave her face, and I tilted my head, staring at her before smirking. Victoria¡¯s eyes shone with achievement when she saw the smirk on my face, thinking I had given in.


    I made my way past her over to the table, my back to her, as I picked up my gun. ¡°I guess you leave me no choice.¡± I said, and her eyes widened when I turned back with a gun aimed at her. ¡°Leave,¡± I said icily, and she nodded, picking up her nightwear, and stumbled out of the room.


    I ced the gun back on the table and made my way to the walk-in closet to get dressed.


    It was a mistake to have slept with Victoria, one that I was beginning to regret profusely.

 FIFTY

    Mani¡¯s  Pov


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Victoria bother you.¡± Zoey says when we walk back into her room.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered.¡± I said, which was nothing but a big lie.


    I was indeed bothered. I tried not to think of what had happened in the dining room, but the image of Victoria¡¯s hand on Sin¡¯sp clouded my mind.


    We seemed to have escaped whatever obstacle had been in our way in Paris with Jason not here, but now I had Victoria to handle here.


    Just when will I be free from all this drama?


    I was certain I was on the list of Victoria¡¯s most hated people, maybe because of Sin, but I was certain there was more to it.


    ¡± See!. You say you aren¡¯t bothered, but your mind seems to be far away.¡± Zoey says, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I said, giving her a fake smile, though I was certain that I looked constipated. ¡°I better call it a night; it¡¯ste and I want to rest. I haven¡¯t really had the time to get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she says, but I could see the worried look on her face.


    I waved at her, making my way out of her room. I sighed, walking towards the direction of Sin and I¡¯s room when the door pulled open, and I raised my hand with a smile on my face, ready to wave at Sin but stopped when Victoria walked out wearing a sexy nightgown.


    She turns to look at me, smiling smugly at me. ¡°Tell Sin I had fun,¡± she says.


    ¡°Wh¡­. what?¡± I asked, and sheughed, walking past me.


    I turned, staring at her retreating form before returning my gaze back to the door. I walked close to it, my hand hovering at the doorknob for a while before retreating my footstep and making my way to the library.


    I closed the door and leaned back against it. God, I could feel the bile start to rise in my throat. There was no chance at a rtionship between the two of us, and even though I fought it, I still dreamed that it would happen eventually.


    A sigh escaped my lips when I finally rxed on the couch near the window. The first sob caught me by surprise, and I turned to press my face into the edge of the couch. The tears continued toe until there was nothing left.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    It was ridiculous of me to mourn a rtionship that had never happened. After wiping the tears off my face, I settled in, closed my eyes, and slept.


    When I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to find myself in thefort of my own bed instead of on the library couch. My only guess was that Sin had brought me here, but why?


    not after what happened between him and Victoria.


    I rolled from the bed; my head throbbed, and my eyes were swollen. Sin was nowhere in sight, which was a good thing because I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to face him just yet.


    Getting up from the bed, I took a few aspirin before stepping into the shower, hoping the warm water would chase away the rest of the headache and wake me up. After I dressed in a pretty sundress that ttered my figure, I contemted staying in the room, but after a while I opened the door and walked out of the room.


    I was making my way downstairs towards the kitchen when I heard a footstep trail behind me and a hand wrapped around my waist, weed with a familiar scent that engulfs every part of my body.


    ¡°How was your night, amore?¡± Sin asked, spinning me around.


    I stared down at my feet and cleared my throat. ¡°It was good.¡± I tried to pull away, and his grip tightened.


    ¡°I had to carry you from the library yesterday. You had fallen asleep there.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I replied, still not looking at him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to look at me, Amore?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I said, trying again to get away from his grip. ¡°I need to talk to Zoey, so if you¡­¡±


    ¡°Look at me, amore.¡± Hemands. His tone was dark and demanding, making me sigh as I raised my head.


    Sin¡¯s brows snapped together. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Fucking bullshit. I can tell you¡¯ve been crying; why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡±


    ¡°You know very well better than to lie to me, amore,¡± he stated.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to concern yourself with, so don¡¯t pretend to care.¡±


    ¡°What the hell does that mean? Where is all thising from?¡±


    I gritted my teeth to prevent myself from yelling at him. When I got myself under control, I looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have other matters to attend to than being bothered by the likes of me.¡±


    ¡°okay!, What the hell, Mani?¡± he asked. I opened my mouth but was interrupted.


    ¡°Hey, Sin!¡± Victoria called out. ¡°I heard you wanted to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Wait for me in my office.¡±


    ¡°with pleasure.¡± she says, sending a smirk my way as she walks in the direction of Sin¡¯s office.


    ¡± amore.¡± He calls out, causing my attention to shift back to him, and I re at him, making his brows furrow even more.


    ¡°Victoria is waiting for you; I¡¯m sure you have much more to discuss with her than being here with me.¡± I pulled away from him and walked to the other side of the room.

 FIFTY ONE

    SIN¡¯S POV.


    I watched as Mani left and only turned back when I heard the clearing of throats.


    ¡°Well, that was awkward.¡± Luca says,ing to stand beside me.


    ¡± fuck.¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°I have no idea why she is acting this way.¡± ¡°Everything had been perfect since we returned from Paris; now I have no idea why she is mad at me.¡±


    ¡°I believe I might know the reason for that.¡± Luca says, and I turned to look at him, my brows raising.


    ¡°And how exactly would you know that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I had wanted ate-night snackst night and had gotten downstairs for some.¡± He stated, rubbing his chin with a finger, like he was in thought. ¡°I am certain I saw Victoriaing out of your room with the slimmest nightwear, and I¡¯m very sure Mani did too, since she was a couple of distances away from the door when Victoria walked out.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said and wiped a hand down my face.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Luca said. ¡°And just so you know. They did exchange a few words for a brief moment, but it was enough to have Mani change directions.


    ¡°Victoria had gotten the wrong impression that what we had in the past was still on. I had put her in her cest night and sent her away.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I was going to let Victoria know that what happened yesterday won¡¯t happen again, and I hope to make myself clear.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck with that because Mani is beyond pissed.¡± Luca says, tapping on my shoulders before making his way to the dining room.


    I ran my hands through my hair, letting out a frustrated puff of breath. I need to rectify whatever misunderstanding Mani had.


    Making my way in the direction of the kitchen, I was able to block Mani before she could walk in.


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you mind moving out of the way?¡±


    ¡°Whatever thought you have swimming around your head is wrong, amore.¡±


    She looked confused. ¡°Thoughts¡±


    ¡°I know you had seen Victoria walk out of the room. I don¡¯t know what you think happened between us, but trust me when I say this: Nothing happened.¡±


    Mani stiffened. ¡°I have no im on you, so you don¡¯t need to exin yourself.¡±


    I scowled. ¡°I told you already, I don¡¯t want any other woman but you, and I mean it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself; I honestly don¡¯t care. You are free to bed any woman of your choice,¡± she grunted out, a scowl on her face.


    I leaned against the door. ¡°Oh, I think you do care.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And yet you criedst night,¡± I said.


    ¡°What makes you think so?¡±


    ¡°Your face is puffy and your eyes are a bit red,¡± I said, causing her to ce a hand on her cheek and looking away as she bit her lips nervously.


    I took a step closer, taking hold of the hand on her cheek before bringing it to my lips.


    ¡°Let me take you out.¡±


    ¡± What¡­¡± She stuttered out, confused for a second before speaking again. ¡°Like a date.¡±


    ¡°Exactly like a date.¡± I kissed the back of her hand and asked. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about Victoria; I n on putting her in her ce. There is no way I would ever choose her over you.¡± I lean down, capturing her lips with mine for a brief moment before walking past her to my office.


    The earlier I get this sorted out, the better.

 FIFTY TWO

    Mani¡¯s Pov.


    It was gettingte and time for our date. I was nervous, standing in front of the mirror as I took in my appearance.


    I was dressed in a blue gown that fell below my knee with a ck heel, and I packed my hair in a high bun to get the hair out of my face. There was little to no make-up on my face, since I wasn¡¯t really a fan of such. After taking a satisfying look at myself in the mirror, I made my way out of the room.


    When I got to Sin, he was on his phone, not paying any attention to me, so I made the decision to observe him. He was dressed in a ck suit and pants, a white shirt, a ck tie, and a pair of ck shoes that appeared to be their first ever appearances in the sunlight.


    I could not understand what he was saying since he was speaking quickly in Italian, but as soon as he turned to face me and smiled, my stomach was filled with butterflies and my heart melted.


    ¡°I will get back to youter; right now, I have something important to do,¡± he said in a threatening voice, which only made him look hotter.


    ¡°You look beautiful, love,¡± he said as he walked up to me to ce a kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered, nervously fiddling with my fingers.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked, and I nodded as his hands found their way to my back and we began making our way out of the house.


    We drove for nearly an hour and thirty minutes before arriving at a fancy-looking restaurant.


    Sin¡¯s hand once again found its way to my back when we walked in. We were immediately attended to and given a seat with a better view of the city.


    ????


    ¡°What do you want in a man, Mani?¡±


    I lifted my eyes to look into his dark orbs. There had been a few times over the first few weeks when I had been taken back by the intensity in his gaze.


    We hadn¡¯t said a word since we left the house to each other, and as much as I wanted to know about what happened between him and Victoria, I decided against asking him.


    But despite everything that had trespassed between us, his eyes seemed to have gotten softer when it was just the two of us, and tonight wasn¡¯t an exception; tonight they felt almost calm and beautiful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never thought about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you might have thought about it, at least once in your life.¡±


    I tried to tug my hand away from his hold, but he held on to it, making it impossible for me to let go. Forcing a smile onto my lips, I nced around the restaurant, gathering my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be difficult; I have always wondered what it would be like to have a family to share the happy and sad times with, but I don¡¯t think I have ever thought of what I wish for in a man.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Not really.I have been hurt enough in the past to know not to set preferences or have high expectations because it would only leave you hurt when those expectations aren¡¯t met.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°But if there is something I would wish for, then I want nothing more than to be with a man I know would love me irrespective of my ws, someone I know I wouldn¡¯t ever regret giving my heart to.¡± I said, looking away from him shyly.


    ¡°You said you have been hurt before.¡± Sin asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you had been in a rtionship in the past.¡±


    My eyes widened a bit, recalling my mistake.


    He didn¡¯t know about Jason, and I knew I shouldn¡¯t be scared of the threat being made in Paris, but I wasn¡¯t sure if letting Sin know about us was the best thing to do.


    I took a deep breath before turning to gaze at him with a smile. ¡°It was nothing more than a simple crush, though the feeling wasn¡¯t returned.¡± I hated the fact that I was lying to him, but thest thing I wanted was for anyone to die because of me. just like the guard in Paris.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s his loss.¡± Sin said, and I gave a small smile.


    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked, changing the focus from me to him. ¡°You probably like women like Lauren and Victoria.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± He grumbles out.


    ¡°I know that to a certain extent, Niki. I¡¯ve seen the women you¡¯ve been with.¡± I didn¡¯t like the thought of him being with the other women. Again, I tried to tug my hand away, but he wasn¡¯t releasing me.


    Gritting my teeth, I red at him, but he merely tilted his head to the side as if we were only having a conversation.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never met the women I¡¯ve been with.¡±


    ¡°Lauren kept throwing herself at you despite being married, and I saw Victoria walk out of your room in nothing but her nightwear, remember? Are you going to tell me that nothing ever happened between you two?¡±


    He cleared his throat. ¡°I have never, for one day, slept with Lauren,¡± he says, his tone as clear as day. ¡± And for Victoria, she had been a source of entertainment and nothing more. She means nothing to me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I wish I could say the same about her,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    ¡°You know for a fact that nothing happened between us that night.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I had brought up his mistresses, or ex-girlfriends, or whatever they were called. ¡°Will you please let go of my hands?¡±


    ¡°Not when you are still angry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±


    ¡°Jealous, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to be jealous about.¡± Sin smiled.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you being jealous.¡±


    ¡°Whoever you sleep with is none of my business.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So, you are saying if I wish to take up Victoria¡¯s advance on me, you won¡¯t feel a thing.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you wish.¡± I said, trying to act unaffected, but the word left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    ¡°Maybe you should lessen your tight grip on my hand,  maybe then your words would be more convincing,¡± he teased with a smirk.


    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I bit on my lip, looking away from his intense gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it, but that means nothing. Being jealous would mean I harbour some kind of feeling for you, which I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain about that, amore?¡± He asked. ¡°We have definitely shared a lot these past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but how certain are we that what we feel is nothing but lust?¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be having this conversation,¡± Thest thing I wanted was for things to go from bad to worse. The menuy open on the table in front of me. ¡°Maybe we should just order.¡±


    Sin didn¡¯t let go of my hand, and even as I tried to avoid his gaze, he still stared at me. I looked around the room, trying to find an excuse to distract him, but I had no choice but to look at him, and he kept on staring at me.


    He was looking at me with such seriousness.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going on in that mind of his.

 FIFTY THREE

    Sin¡¯s Pov.


    ¡°There is always something that could be done.¡± I was so fucking pissed off with myself.


    I tried toe up with a n or something while tapping my fingers against my leg. Without any advice on how to win Mani over, what the hell was I going to do when I needed to make her feel something for me?


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know that I¡¯m not required to share you with another woman,¡± she remarked.


    I paused in answering as the waiter chose the wrong time to bring us some food. I wanted to get to the bottom of her doubt in me, letting her know that I wanted no one but her and making my intentions known. Instead, I gritted my teeth and smiled, pretending like everything was okay. It wasn¡¯t.


    Once we were alone, I stared into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m used to women wanting me. I¡¯m not trying to sound arrogant or anything; I¡¯m just stating facts,¡± I said.


    She grinned. ¡°I know. I have witnessed how women treat you. It must be just awful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had to put much effort into getting what I want.¡±


    Mani cocked her head in one direction. ¡± And you must put forth a lot of effort for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you..?¡± However, there was a huge noise followed by an explosion, so her query was never heard.


    I turned to face the restaurant¡¯s main entrance and noticed five men walking in while wearing ck masks, which immediately put me on high alert.


    My attention drifted back to Mani; I had to get her out of there.


    Gunshots filled the ce.


    I grabbed her hand and immediately pulled her in front of me as I felt the gunshots whizz past me. Were they trying to kill her? or me?


    Rushing her through the back kitchen, I ordered everyone to get down. As I got to the main exits, Luca was already there.


    ¡°Mateo and Diego followed them in,¡± he said.


    Just as we exited onto the street, I banded an arm around Mani¡¯s waist to keep her by my side. We turned down the long street, and as we did, two men advanced on us. Luca took one, and I had no choice but to let Mani go, to deal with the other  man.


    I pushed Mani behind a dumpster, hoping it would provide her with enough coverage.


    mming My fist against the masked man¡¯s face, I took him down by surprise, and while he was trying to regain his bnce, I was able to tear the mask from him, getting a better look at his face, and I didn¡¯t recognize the scarred man.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There is no saving her,¡± the man said. ¡°We are going to make sure she is dead!¡±


    I pulled out a gun and shot him on both his legs and hands. His cries filled the night. As much as I wanted to shoot him dead, I needed more information as to who he was working for.


    More gunshots rang out.


    Luca stumbled toward me, his face covered in blood.


    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± I asked.


    Mateo and Diego chose that moment toe out of the back of the restaurant. ¡°We need to get you back home,¡± Mateo said.


    ¡°What you need to do is tell me what the fuck happened.¡±


    I watched as Mani stepped out from where she had hidden.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I muttered, walking toward her, but a single gunshot rang out, and I rushed toward her, capturing her as she fell into my arms.


    Her hand went to her chest.


    ¡°Mani?¡±


    The pain in her eyes stared back at me. She lifted her shaking hands away from her chest, and I saw the blood.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed the word, lifting her in my arms, and carrying her toward the car.


    ¡°Sin?¡±


    ¡°Kill him,¡± I said, ordering Mateo to kill the man who¡¯d gotten a shot at Mani.


    I ced Mani, who was so fucking quiet, into the car and then rushed toward the front of the car but found Luca standing there.


    ¡°I should drive,¡± Luca said. I walked past him, getting into the car before mming the driver¡¯s door shut.


    ¡°Shit, Sin. You¡¯re in no fit state to drive.¡± I ignored his words and turned on the ignition.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Luca yelled, as he grabbed the back passenger door and was able to climb behind me.


    Pushing my foot to the floor, I took off. The car jerked left and right with the speed that I was using, but I couldn¡¯t care less; I needed to get Mani to the hospital. ncing at her, I saw the blood seeping from her clothes, making me instantly press my hand to her chest.


    ¡°Mani, stay with me.¡±


    The nearest hospital was ten minutes away. It was the longest ten minutes of my life as I pressed my foot to the gas, losing count of the cars I had nearly hit. Mani was starting to look way too pale.


    ¡°Stay with me, amore. I¡¯m here. ¡°Don¡¯t close your eyes.¡± She didn¡¯t speak, and I saw her eyes were closed.


    ¡°Fuck! I need you to keep your eyes open for me, love, uh.. stay with me, Mani, amore.¡±


    Luca leaned forward, cupping her face. He¡¯d already removed the headrest and was able to get to her.


    ¡°Come on, Mani, wake up. You can¡¯t go to sleep.¡± He pressed his fingers against her neck. ¡°Her pulse is weak.¡±


    ¡°Do not let her die.¡±


    ¡°Mateo will be meeting us in the hospital soon; I already informed Zoey.¡± Luca says.


    ¡°Did we get any of them alive?¡±


    ¡°No. You told them to kill them. Now they¡¯re just cleaning up the bodies.¡±


    This was bad. I knew that, but that fucker had a gun, and he¡¯d hurt Mani. This was all on me. I¡¯d put her life in danger.


    Arriving at the hospital, I parked near the front doors and climbed out, leaving the ignition running. I rushed over to the other side of the car until I got to Mani and opened the door. Her eyes were still closed. Picking her up in my arms, I ran into the hospital screaming. I didn¡¯t know what the hell happened next, but Mani was taken from me, and I seemed to realize I was in a private room.


    ¡°Are you okay, man?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± I went to rub my face, but soon realized  Mani¡¯s blood was on my hands.


    ¡°You definitely frightened the staff.¡± You literally threatened to kill them if anything happened to Mani. You don¡¯t have to worry; Samantha is handling the matter. One of the nurses brought you here, and Mani was taken to emergency surgery.¡±


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have been shot,¡± I said. ¡°That shit is on me. She can¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; how were you to know that you were followed?¡± Luca asked.


    I spun toward him, ring. ¡°I should have taken better fucking precautions! Then this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    ¡°That could have been you,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°It would have been better if I was.¡±


    ¡°Do not say that.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth.¡± I sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I put Mani¡¯s life in danger.¡±


    ¡°We are definitely going to get to the bottom of this, so quit ming yourself for what happened.¡± Luca said. ¡°All you both wanted was to have a good time; you weren¡¯t expecting to get attacked by some masked men.¡± I let out a deep sigh, staring at the blood in my hands. ¡°Who do you think would be behind this attack? Romanov?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°He isn¡¯t one to hide behind a mask or men.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true; with everything that¡¯s happened, I think there¡¯s a third party in y, someone trying to make it all seem like Lorenzo is involved. We still don¡¯t know what their game n is. Is it to start a war or something much more personal?¡±


    I looked toward Luca to see a frown on his face. ¡°I need to make a call,¡± Luca said. ¡°I will not be far.¡±


    I instantly got to my feet when I saw the doctor approaching, rushing over to his side. The doctor gave me a grim look, and I felt my stomach start to twist. A grim look wasn¡¯t good. What did that mean?


    ¡°Was the surgery not sessful?¡±


    The older man sighed. ¡°We have done our best, and though the surgery is a sess, it is always the next twenty-four hours that are most worrisome. She is not out of the woods yet till she scales through the night.¡±


    ¡°Can I go  see her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, though she is unconscious at the moment.¡±


    I nodded, moving down the long corridor, going through a double set of doors, and moving toward the private room. When I stepped into the room, the beeping machines echoed. There were none on her mouth or face. She had a couple on her fingers, and she had something on her arm as well. I didn¡¯t know what it was.


    All I could do was hope that she made it through the night.

 FIFTY FOUR

    Sin¡¯s pov


    I hadn¡¯t left Mani¡¯s side. I couldn¡¯t when she was lying here, barely breathing. Her private room had a small bathroom. The nurses and Luca were the ones bringing me food, but otherwise, I kept my ass in the chair, only getting up for bathroom breaks.


    The first twenty-four hours came and went, but she didn¡¯t wake up. The doctor didn¡¯t seem overly concerned, which I didn¡¯t like. I wasn¡¯t a doctor, but people shouldn¡¯t just stay asleep. They should fucking wake up.


    Reaching for her hand, I pressed a kiss to her knuckles. At least she felt warm to me. ¡°Mani, love.Open your eyes for me, baby.¡±


    She didn¡¯t flutter.


    No sign.


    No movement.


    ¡°She¡¯ll wake up when she¡¯s ready,¡± Luca said from behind me, and I turned slightly to look at him.


    ¡°Were are you able to find out what happened?¡±


    Luca sighed, taking a step forward. ¡°It is just like we suspected; Lorenzo has nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Then who?¡± I asked. My voice was deep and void of any emotion.


    ¡°That is the thing, Sin.¡± He was silent for a brief moment before speaking. ¡°I found the guy who had ordered the hit, and apparently he is a nobody who wishes to make a name for himself in the mafia world. He probably thinks taking you out would mean gaining the fear and respect he needs¡±.


    My blood was boiling, and I wanted nothing more than to put a hole in that bastard. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He must have gotten a whiff as to what happened and realized the mistake he made.¡± Luca said. ¡°When we got to his hideout, he was already gone, but we did manage to get some of his men, and the rest were killed.¡±


    ¡°Put a tab on his back; I want every fucking person looking for him,¡± I growled.


    ¡°I will get right into it.¡± Luca says. ¡°What about his men?¡±


    I was about to reply, to order him to kill them all, when I felt Mani¡¯s hand twitch within my grasp. ¡°Mani?¡± I stared at her eyes and then looked down at her hand.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°She squeezed my hand. Mani, love,¡± I said, and her hand squeezed mine again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the doctor,¡± Luca said, running out of the room, and I stood up, cing a hand by her head, staring down into her eyes.


    Her eyes fluttered for a bit before she finally pulled them open. ¡°Niki¡­¡± Mani says weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you are awake.¡±


    She nodded and then groaned. ¡°Do I want to know what happened?¡±


    ¡°You were shot, amore,¡± I said. ¡°We were having dinner, and the restaurant was attacked.¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    ¡°Are you in pain?¡±


    ¡°A bit. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much though.¡± She sighed.


    The hospital door opened, and I had no choice but to step back and allow the doctor to get to work and check over her.


    I was happy that she was alive, and now I had to focus on keeping her safe.     ????


    Mani¡¯s pov.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to hate this hospital,¡± I groaned.


    I had been trying to leave for over a week. The doctor had requested to keep me for observation. The bullet didn¡¯t cause anysting damage, and he believes I will make a full recovery. Thankfully, everything was fine.


    There was no doubt that I still feel pain, and I have a scar now on my chest that is bound up, and the dressing is changed daily, but even the nurse was impressed with my speedy recovery.


    ¡°Everyone hates hospitals, though I doubt you should beining since you wish to be a doctor,¡± Sin said, bringing in the wheelchair.


    Everyone had been surprised that I followed the orders and rested. What they didn¡¯t realize was that I knew the key to getting out of this ce was to rest. The more rest I took, the faster I healed and could go home.


    Sin moved to my side and helped me into my wheelchair. He hadn¡¯t left my side since I woke up. ording to Zoey, he was by my side while I was asleep. I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, but the full extent of his care for me made me feel happy.


    I sat down on the wheelchair, and Sin stepped behind me, grabbing the handlebars and pushing me out of the room. I didn¡¯t see the need to use a wheelchair, but of course Sin was adamant and kept saying how he didn¡¯t want me stressing myself and opening up my stitches.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just go back home? I promise to get some much-needed rest. Really¡±


    ¡°You need to be here until you are all better and cleared by the doctor to go home.¡±


    ¡°I believe I was cleared by the doctor two days ago, but you are just being too stubborn to let me go.¡± I pout.


    ¡°Well, I need to be certain you are okay, Mani.¡± He says with a sigh. ¡°And until I am certain you are good to go home, you have to stay a few more days.¡±


    I folded my arms and leaned back in the wheelchair as we made our way toward the elevator. Sin reached over and pressed for the ground floor, which would take us toward the private hospital gardens.


    ¡°Were¡­ are you able to get the men that attacked us?¡±


    ¡°If their being dead means getting them, sure, except for their leader¡±. His voice was filled with venom when he said thest part.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything now. I n on getting him and making him pay, that, I promise you.¡± I nodded, knowing he was going to keep his word.


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it and take care of your health. That¡¯s more important than anything else.¡±


    ¡± Sure.¡±


    The elevator doors slid open, and he pushed me out into the main area. Like all the other times before, it was so busy. I looked left and right, and there were so many people. This was one of the many reasons I hateding here. I took a quick nce around the room and saw so many people in different states of distress. It was heart-breaking. People were worried, panicked, annoyed, and in pain.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sin didn¡¯t linger, and the moment we were out in the fresh air, I felt better. I spotted Luca, Mateo and Diego ahead of us.


    They gave us a wave, and Sin pushed me toward the table, where a coffee and a te of food waited for me.


    I noticed there was no other food. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys eating as well?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve had enough of hospital food.¡± Sin said, wrinkling his nose.


    I rolled my eyes. I was hungry. I took a sip of my coffee and then shoved a giant fry in my mouth. The food wasn¡¯t great, but it was food. I missed Zoey¡¯s food.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°Like I¡¯m ready to leave the hospital, since I¡¯m all better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving yet.¡±


    ¡°I have seen people leave with far more wounds than I have, so why can¡¯t I?¡± I asked.


    I wanted to stamp my foot and m my hand against the table, but I feared it would harm my chances of getting out sooner.


    The doctor had stoppeding to my room. There was only a nurse assessing my injuries now. I didn¡¯t see what the big deal was. It was time for me to go home.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this, amore. Till I¡¯m certain you are okay, you aren¡¯t leaving this ce.¡± Sin said.


    I puffed out a breath, knowing talking to him was fruitless. Instead of concentrating on my coffee, I slowly ate the food on my te, taking my time and trying to think of some way of getting out of the hospital.

 FIFTY FIVE

    It¡¯s been two weeks since we came back from the hospital, and it¡¯s been two weeks since I finally returned from the hospital and have been treated like a baby, not by Sin but by Zoey.


    They both kept trying to do everything for me and refused to let me raise a finger, which was both nerve-wracking and nice.


    I had been locked in the room all day, mostly due to the fact that I had been reading a novel and lost track of time.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Things with Sin and I have been great; he pampers me all the time, and slowly the mask of a ruthless leader he wore slips away when we are together.


    Every day with Sin revealed a new side of him: that he was capable of empathy, kindness, and integrity. We both joked andughed like two normal human beings, and whatever I requested of him, he made sure to carry it out. But was it enough to forget about everything and give up my family and freedom?


    The dark and malicious part of him still existed, strong and dominant, even when he tried so hard to hide it. I still saw it flicking beneath his gaze, eating away the kindness I now knew he was capable of.


    Sin never conducts his business in front of me, but most times hees homete at night when he thinks I¡¯m asleep with a bruised knuckle and a blood-stained shirt. I spend most of my time with Zoey, whether helping in the kitchen or spending quality time just the two of us. I honestly consider her a friend. I was enjoying my time here with her.


    ¡°Hey Mani,¡± Zoey called. I looked at her as she continued to do the dishes. ¡°Let¡¯s have a girls¡¯ night.¡±


    ¡°Girls night.¡±


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s Friday night, and I don¡¯t really have anywhere to go tonight.¡± ¡°So what do you say?¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± How about a sleepover? ¡°It¡¯s been ages since Ist had a sleepover,¡± I said excitedly.


    ¡°So what movie are we watching?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure; why don¡¯t we decide when we stroll through Netflix?¡± I suggested it, to which she dly agreed.


    ¡°I will look for some movies, then we can decide which is better.¡±


    ¡°Great, why don¡¯t you get to it while I finish up for you?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now go.¡± ¡°I wille meet you in your room after a shower.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I will ask Luca to get us somete-night snacks,¡± she said before storming outside of the kitchen.


    I continued washing the remaining te when suddenly I felt someone¡¯s eyes on me. I was familiar with their gaze. I turned around and found a pair of dark orbs staring at me intensely. I smiled at him, which he reciprocated. His back rested against the wall, and his white shirt was rolled up, disying his beautiful tattoos.


    He looked so intimidating and charming at the same time.


    ¡°Why are you doing the dishes? Where is Zoey? Your shoulder still hasn¡¯t healed yet,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m fine. And Zoey went back to her room; she wants to look for a movie for us. We are having a sleepover, and I volunteer to do the dishes.¡± I continue to tidy up the kitchen.


    I felt a movement as Sin moved closer to me; his chest hit my back and his lower body hit my waist. His hands touched my shoulder, and he turned me around.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you all day; I missed your beautiful eyes.¡± I blushed at his words, and he let out a smile.


    We stared at each other, and I found myself unable to look away from his gaze. There was a spark between us, and it was quite strong.


    Sin rested his forehead on mine, and my breathing stopped. He always manages to take my breath away with his presence, like he sucks mepletely dry, leaving me breathless all the time.


    ¡°I should really finish up and meet Zoey; I don¡¯t want to keep her waiting,¡± I whispered in one breath.


    ¡°You have really grown ustomed to Zoey.¡±


    ¡°She is my friend and the only one that keeps mepany when you aren¡¯t around, apart from Samantha.¡±


    ¡°I am happy to know you are making friends,¡± he said, not in a weird and twisted kind of way. He was pleased.


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Unknowingly, a smile beamed on my face.


    And we went silent again. His nose was a mere inch from mine. But our lips were dangerously close. If one of us moved, our lips would be connected.


    ¡°There you are, Sin,¡± someone said, walking into the kitchen. With Sin¡¯s bigger body, he had hidden me from whoever was standing behind him. Until he wrapped his hands around me and took a step back. I could see Luca standing at the entrance to the kitchen.


    His eyes were still on Sin, but it was only a matter of time before he saw me, and just like I thought, his eyes met mine. Luca¡¯s lips were raised in a teasing smile before he started making kissing faces at us. I couldn¡¯t look at him and immediately stormed out of the kitchen with a blush on my face. I could hear Sin yell something in Italian towards Luca, and i didn¡¯t need a genius to tell me it wasn¡¯t anything pleasant. I went back to our room and showered before going to Zoey¡¯s room.     ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó     ¡°That was good,¡± Zoeymented. We were in our second movie; after we watched Half Brother, we watched Love Struck Musical.


    ¡°I enjoyed myself,¡± I said.


    ¡°Me too; let¡¯s do this again some other time,¡± she said, turning to look at me.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± I beamingly told her.


    Zoey turned the TV off and went to turn on the light. I grabbed a nket and covered myself, and Zoey soon followed. Sheid beside me, saying, ¡°I love magical love stories.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her cheesy words and let out augh.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t make fun of me,¡± she whined as I continuedughing. ¡°Have you ever been in love before?¡± she asked so suddenly.


    ¡°Um, I thought I was, back when I was in high school.


    ¡°Really, what about Sin?¡±


    ¡°Sin and I¡­¡± I trailed off, not knowing what to say: ¡°I won¡¯t say I¡¯m in love with him; I¡¯m just not sure.¡±


    ¡°I understand. So what happened in high school? Who was the scumbag?¡± I smiled a bit at her words.


    ¡°Well, he was my best friend before he became my boyfriend. I thought we loved each other, but I was wrong,¡± I said. ¡°I caught him with my cousin in my house on the day of my parents¡¯ funeral.¡±


    ¡°What a douchebag!¡± Zoey said so angrily, and I all but agree with her. Jason was nothing but aplete scumbag, and he still is to this day.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree with you on that. What about you?¡±


    It took awhile before she answered. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have asked. I was about to tell her she didn¡¯t need to answer when she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m in love with someone.¡±


    ¡°You are; who is it?¡± She was quite for a second, fudging with her fingers, and for a second, I thought she wasn¡¯t going to give me an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m in love with Alexander, Sin¡¯s younger brother,¡± she said, which caught me off guard. I haven¡¯t seen any of Sin¡¯s family, so I don¡¯t know much about them. ¡°He is everything I wished for, my knight in shining armour.¡±


    He must have really done something amazing to make Zoey so madly in love with him.


    ¡°I love him, but I don¡¯t know if the feeling is mutual. I broke things off with Alexander, and he hates me for betraying him.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ why would you end things with him?¡± I was baffled.


    ¡°Their granddad, Mr. Vinte, is a strict man who thinks I am not worthy of his son. He threatened me with Alexander¡¯s life. What was I supposed to do?¡± Zoey turned to me with a sad smile. ¡°He was my everything, Mani.¡± I couldn¡¯t take it anymore; her confession broke my heart. I hated Sin¡¯s granddad for breaking the two apart and med Alexander for not fighting harder for her.


    ¡°It was a good thing Sin let mee with him to New York. I couldn¡¯t bear seeing Alexander in the arms of different women.¡± Single tears dropped from her eyes.


    I pulled her close, wiping the tears away, and tried to console her. After an hour, she finally fell asleep. I stood up from the bed, fixing the nket properly around her body before walking off to my room.


    Sin was sleeping on the bed; he looked incredibly handsome. I took my time watching him. He looked so vulnerable  in his sleep. I walked up to the bed andid myself on the mattress, my back facing him. I felt his hands sneak around my waist, pulling my body close to his as we both drifted off to sleep.

 FIFTY SIX

    The day was going great; right now I¡¯m in Sin¡¯s office reading a romance novel while Sin works.


    We have been here for quite some time now and have hardly really said anything to each other as we focused on the task ahead.


    I was already tired of reading and wanted to do something else. Lifting my head, I looked at Sin and found him still focused on some documents in front of him. I was bored and hungry.


    Letting out a yawn, I tried to gain his attention and failed miserably. Not wanting to ept defeat, I decided to try again and let out a loud yawn.


    ¡°What seems to be the problem, Amore?¡± I grinned when he finally spoke, happy to finally get his attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored,¡± I whined dramatically.


    Sin rolled his eyes before he answered, ¡°I thought you were reading a book.¡±


    I sighed loudly, trying to make a point. ¡°I was, but now I¡¯m bored.¡±


    ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± This caused me to jump with joy, and I stalked toward Sin.


    ¡°Can I go outside? I haven¡¯t been outside for a month. Please please¡­¡±


    He tilted his head like he was giving it some thought before he spoke again. ¡°No, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Please, Niki, I promise I won¡¯t do anything stupid, and you coulde with me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said again, refusing to give in.


    ¡°It could just be a ride, and we don¡¯t have toe out. Please Niki¡±.


    He didn¡¯t say anything for some time as he looked at me, and I tried the same trick I used when I begged him to let me tour Paris, even though things did go sideways. ¡°Fine.., Non sai cosa mi fai donna.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I leaned in to peck his cheek. My excitement was over the next level.


    Sin stood up from his seat, and I followed him. He opened a door leading to a parking lot filled with a lot of expensive cars like the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, Rolls-Royce Sweptail, Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita (2006 model), Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, McLaren P1 LM, Lykan Hypersport, Bugatti Veron Mansory Vivere LE, and Aston Martin Valkyrie Ferrari. Pininfarina, Sergio; Pagani Huayra BC. My eyes caught sight of a very beautiful leather Sheene bike, and I walked towards it in awe.


    ¡°Can we ride this? I have never ridden a bike before.¡±


    ¡± Fine.¡± Sin walked towards where the keys were being kept and took out a key before walking to where I stood. He put the key in and twisted it to start the engine.


    The motorcycle starts with a roar, and he turns to put on a helmet on me, making sure it is tight before he gets on and pulling me behind him.


    ¡°What about your helmet?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one,¡± he answered arrogantly. I rolled my eyes at this and got down from the bike to where the helmets were kept. I picked up a ck helmet matching mine and walked back to Sin, putting it on and making sure he wore it. I climbed back on the bike, wrapping my hands around Sin¡¯s waist and holding on tight to them.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, and I nodded in response. He pulled out of the driveway; he was going fast. A little too fast, but it was fun. The cold air ran through my body as he rode down the road, skilfully turning the corners, and I kept my hands secured tightly to his waist.


    I smile subconsciously while staring at the cars and buildings around us as we speed down the streets with the air breezing through us.


    What feels like hourster, we finally got back home. Sin takes his helmet and mine off and puts them back in their cabs.


    We walked out of the parking lot and back to the main house. ¡°That was so much fun!¡± I grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± Sin replied.


    ¡°But now I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we prepare something,e on!¡± He said, taking my hands in his. We walked together to the kitchen.


    ¡°What are you making?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°umm. How about spaghetti meatballs?¡±.


    ¡°That sounds nice, though, and I¡¯m kind of surprised you know how to cook,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Of course I do, but I don¡¯t cook that much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like the cooking kind of guy, no offense,¡± I said. Sin rolled his eyes yfully before opening the kitchen door and taking out a pack of pasta and some meat. ¡°Who taught you?¡±


    ¡°I learned from my mom; when I was little, we always cooked together,¡± he said with a small smile that grazed his face for a second.


    I watched as he turned on the stove. I used my strength to lift myself up onto the counter.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me?¡± He asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m just going to sit here and watch.¡± He shakes his head before putting some water into a pot and cing it on top of the stove.


    ¡°What were you like as a teenager?¡± Sin asked as he stirred the pasta.


    ¡°I was kind of like a nerd. I love reading books,¡± I giggled. ¡°I was really not a social person, so I only had two best friends, but I had a falling out with one, and the other one was Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your roommate.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I whispered it out quietly. My thoughts run wild, thinking of how Stephanie and the rest of my family were. Sin turned to look at me, taking in my expression. I quickly let out a smile to show him I was okay.


    We didn¡¯t talk as Sin continued to make us dinner. I sat there watching his every move and admiring the view.


    ¡°Is dinner almost ready?¡± I asked, jumping off the counter to help dish the food.


    We both settled on the dining table, sitting side by side with each other. I rolled the pasta around my fork and put it in my mouth.


    My eyes widened. ¡°This is really good,¡± I said, gesturing toward the pasta. I took another bite, still amazed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this good.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± He said, raising an eyebrow.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I replied teasingly, totally unprepared for his next word.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± he said cockily. ¡°After all, you know very well that I¡¯m good at a lot of things that leave you breathless.¡±


    The fork fell from my hand. I looked up at him and saw a sinister smile stered on his face. I gulped, not knowing how to reply, so I opted to stay silent, but that didn¡¯t stop my face from turning red.


    This man would be the death of me.

 FIFTY SEVEN

    I was walking through the dining room on the way to the kitchen when I heard a loud cry, making me hasten my footstep. I rushed in to see Victoria gripping tightly onto Zoey¡¯s neck as she cried, stretching onto Victoria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What the hell, Victoria?¡± I yelled, walking over and pushing her away from Zoey, who had begun gasping for breath. ¡°Are you trying to kill her?¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you.¡± Victoria sneers. ¡°Carry on your way, since you are Sin¡¯s precious whore.¡±


    I looked at Zoey to see if she was okay. Her face was still red, but she was breathing well. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked, concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; don¡¯t worry.¡± She groans out


    I turned my attention back to Victoria, ring at her. ¡°What gives you the right to hurt Zoey, uh¡­¡±


    Victoria lets out a sinisterugh, giving me a dead stare. ¡°You both sure do have a lot of nerve, don¡¯t you?.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡± Victoria I know you are angry, but you can¡¯t seriously me Mani for what happened to Fabian. She is not the cause of his death, and I¡¯m sure deep down you know it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she isn¡¯t, but that still doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that she yed a part in my brother¡¯s death.¡± She scorns, and I find myself stumbling back a little.


    She was Fabian¡¯s sister.


    I felt a ball of emotion stick in my throat that I fought down. ¡± Victoria.¡± I called out her name, gulping. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what happened to your brother. I honestly am; I didn¡¯t wish for his death, and I wish there was a way to appease you.¡± I took a hold of her hand.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you kill yourself then? That way we be even.¡±


    ¡± What..¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, right?¡± She snickered darkly. ¡°So don¡¯t fucking give me the pathetic excuse of an apology.¡± She says, pushing me with such force that I found myself stumbling back and hitting the wall behind me with a hard thumb.


    Victoria red at both Zoey and I before making her way out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mani?¡± Zoey called out, her voiceced with worry, and I turned to look at her to see the colour was back on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I gave her a small smile, looking at her neck, which already had bruises forming in them. ¡°What about you? Your neck.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She responds. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would clear in a day or two. and your back.¡±


    ¡°It stings, but I will be okay.¡± I groaned a little, but I wasn¡¯t able to dwell on the pain when I heard footstepsing towards the kitchen and saw Sining into sight.


    He takes a look at Zoey¡¯s and my appearances with a puzzled look before speaking. ¡°What happened?


    ¡± Victoria¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­.¡± I began saying the same time as Zoey, and before I could stop her from spilling out the truth, she was already telling Sin all that happened in the span of a few minutes.


    ¡°Where is Victoria?¡± Sin said, with a clenched jaw.


    ¡°She left a few moments ago.¡±


    ¡°Have the guards bring her to my office.¡± He says, grabbing a hold of my hand and helping me up the stairs. He led us into our bathroom and started taking my clothes off.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Niki. It¡¯s just a sting and would be gone before tomorrow.¡±


    He paused and stared at me. ¡°Let me be the judge of that.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°She didn¡¯t mean it and was only hurt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what excuse you make up for her; it still doesn¡¯t give her the right to do this to you, especially when it has only been a month since you returned from the hospital.¡±


    I exhaled, and the man nodded as he continued to strip me until I was bared from the neck up.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Sin chided.


    I looked down to see blood slipping from the bandage. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing to be rmed about.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so calm about this?¡± he asked. ¡°It isn¡¯t just a sting, Mani; your back is bruised, and your stitches seem to have opened from the impact of the wall.¡±


    I smiled, looking at him. ¡°As much as I want to freak out, I think you¡¯re freaking out enough for the both of us.¡± He scowled, and I saw his eyes turn cold.


    There was no doubt he was probably thinking of a way to punish Victoria. I ced my hand on his cheek, bringing his attention back to me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill her, Sin.¡±


    ¡°Well, watch me.¡± He snorted.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please, Niki.¡± I begged. ¡°It¡¯s enough that I already feel guilty about her brother¡¯s death. I don¡¯t think I would be able to handle it knowing she died because of me.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Fabian isn¡¯t your fault, and I believe I already exined why.¡±


    ¡°Yet a part of me still mes myself for what happened.¡± I bit my lips. ¡°Victoria is just hurt and angry. She lost a family and probably hated me for it, which I don¡¯t me her for.¡±


    ¡± Mani¡­.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt her. Please.¡± He sighs, pulling me against his chest, and kisses my temple.


    ¡°Do you have to be so understanding all the time?¡± I smiled, tapping on his chest yfully.


    ¡°I need to check your back and wound to make sure it¡¯s not infected.¡± My eyes widened when there was a knock on the bathroom door, and he told them toe in.


    ¡°I¡¯m not decent, Niki.¡± I whispered a yell, snatching up my shirt and trying to cover my body.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the doctor. He needs to check up on you, remember.¡±


    ¡°Still, a little warning might be better.¡± My mouth snapped shut when the doctor came through the door with a bag in his hand.


    He bowed at Sin before walking over to me, keeping his face professional as he began working on treating my wound. I felt my body rx when I saw that his focus was mainly on my wound and nothing else.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered once he was done, and he nodded, making his way out of the room.


    ????


    Sin¡¯s Pov


    I grabbed her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her neck. ¡°I want you to rx, love. How about Ie up in a little while, and we can cuddle?¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± she grinned. ¡°I¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    After getting Mani situated in bed, I walked down the steps. Every step I took to get closer to my office, the angrier I got.


    I was d that Luca would be there because he¡¯d keep me from putting a bullet in her head, and I can¡¯t do that since it would only make Mani feel more guilty.


    The door shut behind me, and I made my way behind the desk. I sat for a long time just looking at Victoria, noticing that she didn¡¯t seem to have any remorse at all, which shouldn¡¯t surprise me since I knew the kind of person she was. Yet it increased the anger I felt.


    ¡°The only reason there isn¡¯t a bullet in your skull is because I don¡¯t want Mani to feel guilty,¡± Victoria sniffed in disdain.


    ¡°You better fix that attitude of yours if you don¡¯t want to end up leaving here in a body bag.¡±


    ¡°Is she the only thing you care about?¡± She asked bitterly. ¡°Keeping her by your side would only make you look weak.¡±


    ¡°That is for me to decide. What I do with Mani is none of your concern, and if having her by my side makes me look weak, then sure, no problem. I will very well handle it.¡±


    Her jaw clenched and her hand melded into a fist.


    ¡°How can you change in such a little time? When did you be such a pussy all because of that slut?¡±


    ¡°I will have you watch your tone,¡± I sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who you are talking to.¡± I hadn¡¯t known I¡¯d gone for her until Luca pulled me back. If it wasn¡¯t for the fear in her eyes at that moment, I would have killed her.


    ¡°Sin, you can¡¯t kill her,¡± Luca said. ¡°At least not yet.¡±


    ¡°If I ever hear you call her that again, I will dig a hole myself and push you in, and you can enjoy every shovel of dirt I throw at you until I¡¯m done. Do you fucking understand me, you fucking bitch?¡± My eyes were narrow, ruthless, and filled with icy contempt, and my tone was dark with savage rage.


    She nodded. ¡°Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight,¡± I said, watching her race out of my office before I sat back down and sighed.


    ¡°My guess is Mani doesn¡¯t want her to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°You know how she is.¡±


    Luca snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a person as tender-hearted as your Mani.¡±


    ¡°I know it takes some getting used to, but it¡¯s worth it. I can¡¯t imagine my life without her.¡±


    ¡°When are you going to let her know how you feel about her?¡±


    I caught the grin on Luca¡¯s face and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. We seem to argue when ites to how we feel about each other.¡±


    ¡°I guess she is just conflicted,¡± he says before turning to leave.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯ll find your own Mani someday.¡± I stopped him.


    ¡°I hope so, but I¡¯m not counting on it.¡±


    I sat back and thought over the day. I was so desperate to protect Mani; I couldn¡¯t let what happened on ourst outing happen again, and now I had to worry about Victoria since she was out to get Mani.


    Letting out yet another sigh, I got up and made my way back to our bedroom. I had promised Mani I would cuddle up with her, and I n on keeping my word.


    She was lying naked in the middle of the bed on her back with the sheet down around her hips. The afternoon sun came through the windows, making her skin look luminous.


    Fuck, the thought of a nap was dismissed because my cock quickly hardened, and it took my breath. I shut and locked the door behind me.


    Then I pulled the sheet down and crawled between her thighs and sat on my haunches. I tried not to look at the bandaged arm because I would be infuriated all over again.


    My hands slid up and down her sides and then under her to cup her breasts.


    ¡°Mani, amore. Wake up.¡±


    She started moving. ¡°Umm, that feels good.¡±


    I bent forward and started kissing the sides of her face and neck, making sure not to apply any pressure to her injury. I kissed my way down her stomach, moving down and undoing the zip of her pants.


    Putting her pants slightly down, My fingers found their way to her crotch, rubbing circles on them, and her hips buckled up as she moaned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, Niki.¡± She whimpers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n on it, amore.¡± I say, iming her lips.

 FIFTY EIGHT

    I was in the library, sitting close to the window as I flipped the pages of the book. It has been a month and two weeks since I got shot, and thankfully, my injury has gotten better and is healing really well. The downside was I wasn¡¯t allowed to go out and have tried pleading with Sin, but he was just being hot-headed and freaking stubborn.


    Victoria and I have crossed paths a couple of times, and every time, I¡¯m always met with a re, though she doesn¡¯t say anything. But I can tell that whatever hatred she has for me seems to grow, and at times like this, I wish Samantha were here.


    A footstep snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see Sin walking over me with a smile on his face.


    He was looking impossibly handsome in yet another perfectly cut suit. Well, shirt and pants. He had forgone the jacket. I almost wished for the jacket because the shirt left so much to the imagination about his manly shape.


    Broad, thick shoulders; arms bulging with muscles, but not too much. He worked it out; that was obvious.


    He was just¡­ perfect.


    ¡± Hi.¡±


    ¡± amore.¡± He says, Pecking  my forehead. ¡°Imagine my surprise when I woke to find you gone from the bed.¡±


    ¡°I woke up early and couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so I thought to read.¡±


    Heughs, taking the book from my hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you freshen up and dress in casual outing clothes?¡±


    I raised a brow, puzzled. ¡± Why.?. Are we expecting a guest for breakfast?¡±


    ¡± No. You have been pestering me to go out, so I thought we might eat out today,¡± he said, holding up a travel mug.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t pulling my legs, right?¡± I asked, just to be sure.


    He smiled. ¡°Why would I?¡±


    I got up from my seat, lurching myself onto him while squealing, and Sinughed, hugging me back.


    ¡°Thank you, Niki.¡± I say, pecking his cheek. moving back slightly to look him in the eyes. I blinked, trying to ignore the effect of those shiny white teeth and the gorgeous crinkling happening at the corners of his dark, seductive eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, amore. Besides I¡¯m taking you shopping.¡±


    ??????


    ¡°What about this one?¡± Sin said, handing it to the waiting clerk before I got the chance to answer. He was choosing almost everything I would try on. The shop girls were running back and forth to the dressing rooms.


    It was just the first store, and yet I couldn¡¯t help but look more than overwhelmed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all so¡­ expensive,¡± I said, looking helplessly at a tag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at the prices. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need all this,¡± I said, biting my lip. ¡°I have more than enough clothes as it is.¡±


    ¡°Yet, none of them were gotten by me.¡±


    ¡°It was your money. If that helps,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing.¡±


    ¡± Fine.¡± I muttered, giving in, and we carried on shopping, with Sin picking out everything and me constantly moaning whenever I saw the numbers sh on the register. Sin handed the woman a card and guided me away, distracting me from the astronomical amount he was spending on me. Again.


    It was the third store we had been to, and we had shopped in multiple departments.


    Sin literally would not stop buying me things. I didn¡¯t even try it all on. Once he had an idea of my size, he took over, holding things up to my face and tilting his head. looking me over and clucking his tongue or nodding his head.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    That is, until we got to the lingerie department.


    My cheeks grew bright red just thinking about that. He turned away briefly to sign the receipt, and then we were off, heading to god knows where, leaving someone else to collect the bags.


    With the number of his men following us, there was always someone to carry the bags. I had yet to lift a finger, other than lifting my arms to try on yet another dress, shirt, sweater, coat, or jacket.


    But it was the bags full ofcy, sheer stuff that were the most mortifying of all.


    He had picked all of that out for me as well.


    To say he was knowledgeable aboutdies¡¯ underthings was an understatement. I didn¡¯t want to think about how he hade to all that knowledge. And he was clearly not the least bit embarrassed about picking things out for me, even with the lurking eyes of another female.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about the price, Mani,¡± he said with a grin as we headed to the shoe section. I already had ankle boots, knee-high boots, sneakers, loafers, and a pair of heels. All new, all outrageously expensive.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. We have gotten more than enough, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You needfortable shoes and heels as well.¡± He gave me an assessing look, looking me over from head to toe. ¡°A lot of them¡±


    ¡°I still struggle with them, so getting them won¡¯t be beneficial!¡±


    ¡°You would be my escort to parties and dinners hosted by me, which means you need them.¡±


    A salesperson approached, and he asked him for the shoes in my size, then pointed out a few other pairs and anything else he thought might suit.


    I dutifully tried them all on, protesting the entire time. He ignored mepletely, though he paid plenty of attention to my legs, having me walk and spin for his approval. There was a look of pure male admiration in his eyes that warmed me to my core.


    ¡°Anything else, sir?¡± The fawning sales girl asked, practically batting her eyshes at him. ¡°Anything at all?¡±


    I almost rolled my eyes. In fact, I did. It was satisfying to notice that Sinpletely ignored her. She was very pretty, truth be told, but I am very certain now that I matter to him, at least more than her, at the moment.


    Though he did seem a fair bit more willing recently, if I were being honest with myself. Something had changed between us. He was almost flirting with me.

 FIFTY NINE

    I was woken up by a ticklish feeling that felt more like small kisses being trailed on my cheek, lips, and neck. I moved, trying to get away from the person while I snuggled closer to the sheets.


    I expected the feeling to stop, but it just continued, and this time it was even more intense than before. I opened my eyes slowly due to the sun shining through. I turned to find the culprit to my difort and was met with a shirtless Sinying next to me with a grin on his handsome face.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Amore!¡± He whispered, pecking my lips.


    I smiled at him, lifting my hands up to hold both sides of his cheek. I brought him closer, kissed his lips, and turned to the other side to continue my beautiful sleep.


    A hand strapped onto my shoulder, shaking me, and I was turned back around. Groggily opening my eyes again, I looked at Sin, waiting for him to exin why he was disrupting my sleep.


    ¡°Are you just going to go back to sleep?¡± he asked, baffled.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°Then I guess you don¡¯t want this,¡± he teased. My eyes followed the movement of his hand to find him holding a ck iPhone 14, I sat up instantly, taking the phone away from his grasp.


    I smiled as I watched the phonee on. ¡°Since it¡¯s your birthday, I know you would love to talk to them. Their numbers are already programmed in there. You have Zoey, Samantha, and Luca in there as well. You don¡¯t need to contact anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, pulling him in for a quick kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you out on a date tonight, so do get ready at 7.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to know and for you to find out.¡± He stood up from the bed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I finally have a phone, and I let out a squeal, not being able to contain how happy I was.


    I unlocked the phone and strolled through the contacts until I came to Stephanie¡¯s name. I pressed the call log button and waited patiently for her to answer.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Stephanie answered weakly.


    ¡°Steph.¡± Her name slipped out of my mouth as I waited for her response.


    ¡± Mani. Mani is that you?¡± she replied, surprised.


    I nodded at first, then realized she couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Steph.¡± I heard her let out a breath, and the line went silent.


    ¡°Steph¡±


    ¡°Where the hell have you been? You got us all worried sick,¡± she voiced out in anger. ¡°You promised to call and didn¡¯t for  months. I thought something bad happened to you,¡± she finished, crying hysterically.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I lost my phone and haven¡¯t been able to contact you till now.¡± I cried along with her.


    ¡°But still, Mani, I had to report a missing case to the police.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Steph, for making you all worry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better not; I won¡¯t be so forgiving next time,¡± she said sternly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t; I¡¯ve got a phone now,¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re alright,¡± Stephanie asked, still worried and trying to know if I wasn¡¯t in any danger.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡± Good. I need to call my parents and aunt Sera to let them know you are fine.¡±


    ¡°I will send them a text to let them know too.¡±


    ¡°And before I forget, happy birthday! Love you¡±


    ¡°Thanks, babe; I love you too,¡± I said as I hung up the phone. I couldn¡¯t stop the smile on my face; I was really happy to know that they were all doing okay. I sent a text to Stephanie¡¯s parents and my aunt Sera and got back an instant reply. They were all asking how I was and how worried they were, and it ended with a happy birthday wish, which was more than enough for me.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    I wore a ck gown that grabbed my body, aligning every feature of my body. I matched the dress with high-plunging silver heels and some silver earrings. I tidied my hair, putting it up in a ponytail with two strands at each side of my face. I did a little touch of makeup, so it didn¡¯t take long to get ready.


    I walked out of the dressing room and back into the bedroom to find Sin seated on the couch, looking dazzling as he types away on his phone.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked casually with his head bent down, still typing on his phone.


    ¡°Yeah, I think,¡± I said, walking toward the bed to where I had ced my phone. I turned around to look at him; his face had an unreadable expression.


    Do I look bad? Was he disappointed?Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I suddenly asked, feeling self-conscious. Maybe I didn¡¯t pick the right dress, or was it my hair?


    He didn¡¯t speak for some time and kept staring at me intensely; finally, he turned his phone off and stood up, sauntering towards me.


    He backed me against the wall, and my back pressed against the cold tile. He towered over me predatorily. I put my hands on his chest as he lowered his face until his forehead touched mine.


    I couldn¡¯t control my breathing, and I was positive that he could hear my heart beating rapidly out of my chest.


    ¡°You always manage to take my breath away.¡± His warm breath blew across my face.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I tried acting nonchntly: ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it; I was born to dazzle people.¡±


    His lips cut me off, and his tongue swirled around the inside of my mouth. We made out like two starving humans before Sin pulled back.


    ¡°You look perfect, Mani,¡± he said, kissing my cheek sweetly.


    ¡°Thank you¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something for you.¡± Sin took out a small box from his pocket and gave it to me. I took it, wondering what it was as I opened it. Inside was a beautiful pendant with a thin gold chain and a small diamond in the middle.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°They will look more beautiful on you,¡± he replied.


    He took the chain from the set and put the chain around my neck, a soft click joining them. He looked at my neck in satisfaction and leaned down to kiss my cheek.


    ¡°We should probably get going so we can get back on time to finish what we started.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we should,¡± I said, trying hard to contain my excitement. When we got outside, there was already a car waiting. Mateo, my assigned bodyguard, got out of the front seat and came to open the back door for us.


    ¡°You look great today, Mani. Happy birthday,¡± Mateo said cheekily.


    ¡°Thanks Mat.¡± I said. I got into the back seat along with Sin. Mateo rushed right back to the front seat and got in.


    ¡°You know where to go.¡± Sin says to Mat. The car started, and we drove out of the mansion. It took an hour and a half to get to our destination.


    It was dark when we stepped inside, and I could barely see a thing. ¡°Niki  where are we going?¡± I asked him while he pulled my arms, leading me into the darkness of the night.


    He suddenly stops and walks in front of me, saying, ¡°Close your eyes, Amore!¡± I looked at him skeptically at first, then finallyplied.


    I let out a shudder when he picked me up in his arms and walked. ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes yet.¡±


    ¡°Not even a peek,¡± I whined.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied sternly. He walked for a minute. He stopped again, dropping me on my feet. I opened my eyes and was met with an amazing, romantic view.


    There were candles lit up in every part of the room, with a beautiful view of the city. In the middle of the room was a table with two seats and a candle lit in the middle, with two wine sses on either side. At the extreme end of the room was a table filled with a variety of my favourite foods, and at the side of the room was a band ying a birthday song to wee me in.


    I turned to look at Sin with blurry eyes; I still couldn¡¯t believe he had done this for me.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I love it, Niki. Thank you.¡± I pulled him close, dragging him in for a hug.

 SIXTY

    Like every morning, I woke up feeling something wet between my thighs. My eyes shot open, and I leaned my elbows to find the head of a dark hair pampering kisses on my thigh. Iy down again, looking at the ceiling. Sin had woken me several times in the night to have his way with me; I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, but how does he have so much stamina?


    I pulled his head away softly, but he only pushed me closer to him. ¡°Niki..¡± I dragged out his name, caressing his shoulders, but he was so upied that he only let out a hmm in between the kisses.


    The vibration sent a shiver down my spine, making my hips lean slightly forward into Sin¡¯s face. He chuckled at me, holding my panties by the waist side.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going anywhere today, Amore,¡± he said before pulling my new panties away. Without any more words from his side, he used his tongue to separate my folds, and I moaned again.


    Teasing me with sweet tortures, he licked my clit at a slow pace, like he was trying to survey the moment. I could feel my body¡¯s temperature rising, ready tobust, as I fisted my hand on his hair. His tongue licked one of my outer lips, then the other.


    He lightly blow on my clit and on my widely open inner lips. He carefully circled my entrance with his skilful tongue.


    My heartbeat increased as I felt a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach. His hands grabbed my thigh, and his mouth covered my clit, attacking it with flickering moves.


    His teeth and tongue had a gentle fight over my clit, and a shiver ran down my spine. A moan escaped my lips when he increased his speed, and then I screamed, reaching my limit.


    As I collected my thoughts, Sin hovered above me, pulling me into a deep kiss. I moaned into his mouth, tasting my own juice on his lips and tongue.


    He pulled away with a captivating smile on his face. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning indeed,¡± I said sarcastically, but ended up smiling along with him.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± he replied cockily. ¡°You are just so appetizing.¡±


    Sin got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. A secondter, I heard the sound of the shower being turned on. I stayed on the bed since I felt toozy to move.


    The door of the bathroom opened after thirty minutes, and he walked out.


    ¡°I have got some business to handle and will be backter in the evening,¡± he said, walking into the closet.


    He came out dressed in a ck turtleneck sweater and ck pants, which were matched with a ck coat. He walked towards me, kissing my lips before pulling back and walking out of the room. I stayed in bed for minutes, then decided to shower and freshen up. I had no ns for today, and Zoey wasn¡¯t around; she had a family issue to take care of.


    I was totally surprised when she told me that; I thought she had no other family after her mother¡¯s death, but she promised to exin everything to me and asked for some time to get hold of herself. I epted, even when I was dying of curiosity; I didn¡¯t want to pressure her. I scrolled through Instagram on my phone,ughing at funny memes, just to keep myself busy.


    I don¡¯t know how long Iid in bed with my phone trying to look for something productive to do today.


    It was nice staying here with Sin, but I felt cooped up inside the house. I was bored out of my mind. I don¡¯t know what the outside of this building looks like, except for the night of my birthday. Sin says it¡¯s not safe because of the number of enemies he has, now that he has me. They would try to use me to get to him, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. His words, not mine.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I know the world Sin lives in is dangerous and scary; that is why I make sure to follow his words. I don¡¯t want to end up being tortured or worse, killed.

 SIXTY ONE

    Sin had gone out to go about his busy schedule, and Zoey was surprisingly not around again, leaving me once more bored. It¡¯s not like I could hang out with Mateo since he was busy overseeing the house in Sin and Luca¡¯s absence. What better way to eliminate boredom than by reading a book?


    I had recently downloaded a reading app, where you can read your favourite stories of different genres. Right now I am reading a novel called Loving Hayden. It is about two teens who were once archenemies butter became friends with their enemies. Okay, maybe not friends with benefits, more like enemies with benefits. I was eager to see where their rtionship was going to lead. I continue to flip through my phone as I read the story.


    I was so engrossed with the story that I didn¡¯t realize how much time had passed. I was disturbed by the sound of a knock at the door.


    ¡°Mani, are you in there?¡± It was Samantha¡¯s voice; she knocked again, probably waiting for a reply.


    I stood up, checking myself to make sure I was well dressed. I walked to the door and opened it, weed by the sight of Samantha.


    She lunges at me, pulling me into a tight hug. ¡°Mani. I missed you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t breathe,¡± I said, tapping her back as i tried to pull away.


    ¡°oh, sorry. Am just so happy to see you.¡± She screamed, a smile stretching across her face.


    Iughed at her behaviour, finding it very amusing. ¡°I am happy to see you too.¡± I made way for her to step inside the room, and we both walked to sit on the couch.


    ¡°Where have you been? I had asked Sin, but all he told me was that you had something to take care of.¡± She had been gone for almost a week with no phone call.


    ¡°I had to handle something in Japan and just got back yesterday.¡± She didn¡¯t tell me anything else about what she had to do. I know it was confidential, but no matter how many times I ask, I still won¡¯t be given a proper answer. I didn¡¯t bother asking her any more questions again, knowing fully well that it was going to be fruitless.


    ¡°Where is Zoey? I didn¡¯t see her when I came in.¡± Samantha asked. Even though I don¡¯t know where she went, she promised to tell me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; she went out early this morning. said something about family matters of some sort.


    ¡°What kind of family matters? I thought she didn¡¯t have any family left,¡± she asked, looking confused like i was.


    ¡°Same here, but she promised to exin everything when she was ready. So..¡±


    ¡°I feel like she keeps a lot of secrets.¡± I nodded my head, agreeing with her, but I still didn¡¯t me Zoey. Whatever it was that she was keeping must be difficult for her to tell.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just give her some time until she is ready,¡± I say to Samantha.


    ¡°Sure, no problem. So what were you doing all alone, cooped up inside the room?¡± Samantha questioned, ¡°I am sure you are sulking, probably missing Sin.¡± she teased.


    ¡°No¡­ I wasn¡¯t sulking,¡± I retorted back with a smile. ¡°I was reading a novel on my phone.¡±


    Her face turned sour, like she had heard something and was absorbed and irritated. ¡± Books,¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with reading, Sam.¡± I said in a scolding voice.


    ¡°I hate books, or literally anything that has to do with reading so many words.¡± She shivered, and Iughed. Samantha really can be very dramatic.


    ¡°We need to get you something; have you told Sin about doing your residence?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Why, you said you were going to ask him, and that was like a month ago. Why haven¡¯t you done that?¡±


    ¡°I know.. I¡¯m just scared; things with us have been going greattely, and I don¡¯t want to ruin them. Moreover, what if he turns me down? I just don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    I was really worried. I know he won¡¯t hurt me, but with everything that had happened and the way things were before between us, What if I ended up doing my residency here in New York and I ended up meeting someone I know from school, or worse, Stephanie?


    ¡°Just bring it up and see how it goes. But right now we are going shopping,¡± Samantha said, getting up from the couch and dragging me along with her.


    ¡°Shopping, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. It might piss Niki off,¡± I said, being sceptical.


    ¡°Fine, why don¡¯t you call him and ask?¡±


    I walked to the bed to pick up my  phone. I dialled Sin¡¯s number and waited for it to ring. Turning to Samantha, who had her thumbs up, she was cheering me on.


    ¡± Amore¡±. His voice sounded deep and raspy, with a little bit of worry. ¡°Are you okay? What is going on?¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Niki.¡± Sam is here, and I just wanted to know if I could go with her to the mall. I said it all at once, my eyes shooting close, waiting for his response.


    ¡°Okay, I will let Mateo know,¡± he said. I was shocked! I didn¡¯t expect him to agree that fast, and a wide smile spread across my face. I raised my thumb, making Samantha let out a squeal.


    ¡°Thanks Niki¡±.


    ¡°Be safe,¡± he said before ending the call. The both of us jumped, squealing, and I quickly ran into the closet to change into something more presentable. I let my hair down, then walked out of the closet.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Samantha said, gesturing to the door. It¡¯s better to leave early, so we won¡¯te backte. We both walked out. Sin had given me his card a week ago in case I needed to buy something online or anything at all, so I should use it. I tried to decline since he already puts money in my ount, but that man is so stubborn.


    ¡°Oh, yes, we are going to have to pick out a dress for you and me. I have a few things in mind and an idea of what you should wear.¡± Samantha said as I shut the door, and we started walking downstairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you are here; I have no idea what to wear for next week¡¯s party.¡± I say. Sin had told me about a ¡°small party,¡± as he puts it, that we were attending here in New York, making me wonder how many parties I had to attend with him. In a span of a few weeks, this was the third party I was attending with him.


    We got outside of the house; Mateo was waiting with a few of Sin¡¯s men, and three cars were lined up.


    Mateo opened the middle car for me. Samantha and I got in, and we drove off. One car at the front and another behind us.


    After a while, we pulled up at the mall. It was huge, just like I remembered it. I hade here with Stephanie a bunch of times but never really got anything serious. I put on my shades; I didn¡¯t want anyone to recognize me. We got out of the car, with Mateo and the rest of the men trailing behind us.


    People turned to stare, probably wondering if we were some kind of celebrity or something. I chose to ignore them and continued my journey into the mall. My eyes scanned the mail looking for a dress that would suit me, but we didn¡¯t find anything. I was constantly being dragged by Samantha to different stores.


    How could I have forgotten so quickly how she gets when shopping? My feet were aching, and we still haven¡¯t found anything presentable to wear. We had been to a couple of stores, and it was already 2 p. m. in the afternoon when we walked into a beautiful boutique. It was filled with a lot of beautiful dresses and fewer people, so the chances of getting recognized were slim.


    Samantha and I searched and searched for the perfect dress for the two of us, and I was about to give up and just go back home to the mansion when I saw it.


    The Dress.


    It was a beautiful red dress that was definitely fitted. It was a red drop waist mermaid long strapless formal dress.


    ¡°This is it.¡± I say, smiling at it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it on? Let¡¯s see.¡± Samantha says, pushing me off toward the dressing room.


    I took off my clothes and put on the dress. I raised my head to stare at my reflection and was stunned. The dress was indeed beautiful-if possible, way too beautiful.


    ¡°Mani,e out. I want to see how it looks.¡± I could hear the excitement in Samantha¡¯s voice. I unlocked the door and stepped outside; Samantha¡¯s jaw was dropped to the ground. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s like the dress was made perfectly for you. You are going to give Sin a run for his money.¡± She said, pulling me into a hug, then pulled away to look at the dress. ¡°You really look beautiful, Mani.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, my lips raised in a smile. I walked back to the dressing room to take off the dress and change back into my own clothes. As I picked up the dress, I caught sight of the price tag and almost fainted.


    It was freaking expensive.


    I walked back out to put the dress back where I found it, and Samantha stared at me, confused.


    ¡°Why are you putting it back? That dress looks too good on you not to be worn.¡± She asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive, Sam. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this expensive.¡±


    She grabbed my hand. ¡°You do know; Sin doesn¡¯t mind right. Do you see how much money he makes? This is like a change for him, so don¡¯t worry and take the dress.¡± I hate using Sin¡¯s money because I know for a fact it¡¯s not mine. But at the end of the day, I had to get the dress.


    ¡°Okay, but if he gets pissed at me, I am ming it all on you.¡± I won¡¯t even mind looking good, so I took the dress to the cashier and bought it with his card.


    ¡°Name,¡± the cashier asked.


    ¡°Vinte¡±-the minute I said his name, her hands trembled, and she dropped the card on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I will get this done right away.¡± she says, swiping the card. It was obvious that she was afraid. She seemed so scared once I brought up Sin¡¯s name. How influential was Sin that he made people this scared of him?


    I wondered.


    After paying for it, Samantha was able to find a dress that suited her, too, and she paid for it. We walked out of the boutique in search of shoes and other necessities. We walked out of the mall and Mateo took the shopping bags from me. We got in and drove right off, back to the mansion. Samantha and I spent the afternoon together, watching our favourite movie andplimenting the looks of the male lead. We ordered a pepperoni pizza along with some fries and chicken. I have been eating a lottely. Maybe it was stress, but anyway. We had a lot of fun.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

 SIXTY TWO

    Sin got home verytest night. I tried waiting up on him but fell asleep; I didn¡¯t even know what time he came home yesterday. Right now, I felt his warmth as I snuggled deeper into his hold.


    I slowly opened my eyes, adjusting to the sunlight shining through the window. I looked up and was met with dark orbs staring right back at me.


    ¡°good morning¡±. I whispered softly,


    ¡°Good morning, princess.¡± I could never get used to his husky voice. It always managed to bring me to my knees. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Sin asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I tried waiting up for you yesterday and didn¡¯t notice when I fell asleep.¡± I answered truthfully with a pout on my face.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Amore; I came home prettyte. I hoped you had a fun time with Sam yesterday,¡± he asked, stroking my hair.


    ¡°Yes, we did; I was able to get a dress for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you in it. I¡¯m sure you will look great in it; you always do,¡± he responded, his voice sending tingles rising through my body.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He pulled me closer to his bare chest, and I couldn¡¯t help but steal a few nces at his muscles. He flipped us over so that I was underneath and he was above.


    ¡°Niki, what are you doing?¡± I asked him a question. He didn¡¯t say anything but pulled his head down to my face. He nted his lips on mine, asking for entrance with his tongue.


    I wrapped my hands around his waist as we kept on kissing passionately. He broke the kiss to trail his lips up and down my neck. He ced a hot, open-mouthed kiss from my corbone to my earlobe, and I moaned the entire time.


    We were so into it, and Sin  grind his lower bulge close to my clit, and I would moan, wanting him in me. That was until I felt a sharp pain below my abdomen, I groaned, making him pull away.


    ¡°What is it, Mani? Are you in pain?¡± Sin asked, moving his body away from mine as he scanned my body.


    I groaned again; the pain felt so familiar. I looked down at the sheets, and I saw a red stain, blood.


    Oh my.


    Sin was saying something to me, but I was paying attention because of the blood that caught my attention.


    He must have noticed my tense stance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mani?¡± he questioned.


    How could I havepletely forgotten about today? Today starts my period week; this is so embarrassing. My cheek was ming, and all I wanted to do was run away.


    I turned to look at Sin, and he was already staring at me, worried. This is really embarrassing; what am I going to do? I looked at the blood on the sheet that he had yet to notice. His eyes followed where I was looking, and he jumped out of the bed, wrapping his arms in mine. He started looking around my body for an injury, having no clue what the blood meant.


    I pushed his hands away from my body and stood up as fast as I could, my back facing the bathroom door while my front was in Sin¡¯s view. I turned my head to look at the bathroom door before backing up and running towards it, and Sin just kept staring at me like I was deranged, and the worry in his face intensified.


    When I went to the bathroom door and twisted the knob, entering inside with my back, I then locked it. I stood looking for a solution since I had no tampon with me, and I left my phone on the bedside table.


    Ugh. What am I going to do?


    I heard banging on the bathroom door, which startled me a little. ¡°What is wrong, Mani? Why won¡¯t you tell me where you are hurt?¡± Sin asked, banging on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Then why is there blood on the sheet?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I sighed, biting the bottom of my lips nervously. ¡°I didn¡¯t know my period was going to arrive today; itpletely slipped my mind,¡± he didn¡¯t say anything. I guess it¡¯s final; he ispletely grossed out by me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I bled out, all over the bedsheet.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes from shame.


    I heard Sin sigh. ¡°I thought it was something serious; you really scared the hell out of me, Amore. It¡¯s natural to bleed out during your menstrual cycle, so I am not angry.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you grossed out by it?¡± I asked over the bathroom door.


    ¡°It¡¯s blood, Amore. I have seen enough blood tost a lifetime, so you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed because I don¡¯t find it gross at all.¡± He said so, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Give me a sec,¡± Sin says. I heard the sound of his footsteps retreating away from the door, then heard him talking but couldn¡¯t make out what he said. A few minutes passed, and I heard a knock at the room door; the door opened and closed.


    What was he doing?


    He knocked on the bathroom door. ¡°Open up, amore.¡± I shook my head not before realizing that he couldn¡¯t see me.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m still embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be, so open up.¡± I twisted the knob, opening the door just a little bit to stick out my head. I saw Sin standing right at the door with a bag filled with different tampons.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯te in. I asked Zoey to get you a tampon, but I didn¡¯t know which you preferred.¡±


    He handed it over to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered softly.


    ¡°Shower and get dressed in somethingfy. I need to get something, so rest up.¡±


    I closed the door, pulling off my stained cloth, and jumped into the shower, washing my legs and cleaning off the blood. After I was done, I quickly got dressed in somethingfy like he had told me andid back down on the bed.


    Sin came back into the room holding a tray in his hand. It had a te of pancakes with strawberry topping and a ss of cold juice, just the way I liked it. I sat up on the bed, and the tray was ced on myp.


    ¡°Have breakfast; I brought advil to help with the pain,¡± he said, sitting at the other side of the bed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I was really touched; I never had breakfast in bed despite the situation. I scuff down the food and juice before taking the pain relief medicine.


    Sin took the tray from myp, standing up. ¡°Don¡¯ty down yet until your food has digested,¡± he walked out of the room again.


    But this time he didn¡¯te. I sat up waiting for him, but he was nowhere in sight. Where did he go?


    The pain in my abdomen was minimal. I didn¡¯t feel like sleeping, so I put on the TV and watched a movie on Netflix, King of Boys. It is a Nigerian movie, and I loved the way the actress portrayed her leading role.


    I was so immersed in the movie and was close to the final episode when the door opened. Sin stepped in with a bag filled with so many things. I looked at it curiously, wanting to know what was inside.


    He walked towards the bed and took a seat beside me, opening the bag and bringing out different varieties of snacks. Ice cream, dark chocte, coconut chips, cookies, marshmallows, pumpkin bread, and many more


    ¡°I read on the inte that girls like stuff like this during their periods. I didn¡¯t know what you liked, so I got everything,¡± He said, my eyes welling up at his gesture and feeling so touched.


    ¡°Are you OK? Does your stomach still hurt you?¡± he asked worriedly.


    I shake my head, pulling him into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m just grateful, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I would do anything, even if it meant taking a bullet. That¡¯s how important you are to me, Mani,¡± he said, staring deeply into my eyes, showing how much he meant every word he said.


    He ced his hand on my stomach, and I squirmed away. I haven¡¯t been getting any exercise, which means I have added more weight. I didn¡¯t want him touching me because I didn¡¯t want him to feel my belly fat.


    ¡°What is it this time?¡±


    ¡°I have added a little bit of weight; I don¡¯t want you to feel that,¡± i said, feeling self-conscious.


    His face turned dark. He lifted me up from the bed to hisp. ¡°You aren¡¯t fat, Mani; you are perfect, and even if you were, you would still be the most beautiful and sexy woman I have ever seen,¡± he said as he leaned down and ced a kiss on my head.


    And all I felt was contentment.

 SIXTY THREE

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to know and for you to find out, Amore.¡± Sin was mysterious as ever, just like the night of my birthday when he took me out.


    We were inside one of Sin¡¯s limousines. I shouldn¡¯t even be surprised when I found out we were riding the limousine for our date. He always knew how to spice things up and leave me in awe; that is one of the things I love about him.


    We stopped in a parking lot, but there weren¡¯t many cars there, just an average quantity. Sin¡¯s men, who were following behind us, stepped out to secure the premises. I looked out of the window, and I was stunned when I saw a very big yacht that had beautiful lights shining out of it.


    ¡°Are we having our dinner on a yacht?¡± I was surprised and at the same time extremely excited.


    ¡°And what if I told you that yes,¡± I let out a squeal, pulling his face in for a quick kiss?


    ¡°I n on making our first official date special, along with many other special dates. Last time had been a flop, and I want nothing more than to wipe it off your memory,¡± he smiles. That familiar, sexy smile of his


    ¡°What do you have in store?¡± Like I said, he was one to leave me stunned.


    ¡°We are about to find out,¡± we got down from the car, my hands sped with Sin¡¯s as we walked hand in hand into a fancy restaurant.


    The restaurant had a dark, romantic ambiance with soft pianos ying in the corner. We were weed by the manager. ¡°Your table has been reserved for you, Mr. Vinte,¡± he said, showing us to a secluded area of the restaurant. Sin got my seat for me, and I sat down. Then he made his way around the table to sit opposite me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the manager.


    He nodded his head. ¡°very well. Ma¡¯am, sir, have a wonderful evening.¡±


    ¡°We n on it,¡± Sin says; his gaze is on me with a smirk, and my breath bes erratic. I looked around the ce, taking in the view. It looked like a five-star hotel, the furniture was eloquent, and don¡¯t get me started on how amazing the chandeliers were. They reflected the perfect lighting of the restaurant.


    I picked up the menu from the table, and my eyeballs almost fell out at how freakishly expensive it was. One would think that after living with Sin and getting a lot ofvish gifts, I would get used to it, but I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯s freaking expensive here, Niki.¡± An amusing look crossed his face at my reaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Amore, I can very well afford it.¡±


    ¡°I know you can, but we can easily go to McDonald¡¯s or Starbucks and have some fries and chicken nuggets, and it would still be a wonderful date.¡±


    ¡°Maybe next time, let¡¯s focus on the now,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Would you like to order now?¡± the waiter asked. I looked down at the menu, and it was filled with lots of food I had never heard of. I told Sin to order for the both of us since I trusted him and he had a better idea of what was on the menu. He ordered some Italian food and a champagne whose name I couldn¡¯t pronounce.


    The waiter left just toe back a few minutester, carrying a curved bottle in his hand. He left it on the table, walking away not before telling us to enjoy our drink.


    ¡°Thanks foring into my life.¡± He smiled. Already feeling giddy without taking any alcohol, Sin popped the champagne open, pouring it into our respected ss.


    ¡°cheers''¡±. We both clinked our sses together with a big smile on our faces. I took a sip of my drink, and it tasted so divine.


    ¡°I absolutely love it,¡± I said, smiling widely at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you do. That¡¯s my brother¡¯s favourite drink,¡± he replies. This was the first time he has ever brought up anyone in his family without me asking, and it warms my heart to finally see that he trusted me.


    ¡°You must care about him a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do; he is family. I always care about my family,¡± he answered.


    ¡°What is your family like?¡±


    ¡°You can say Alexander is the jovial one of us two, and my younger sister is kind of like a spoiled brat but still nice.¡± He stops to take a sip of his champagne. ¡°My mom; she is the kindest person I have ever met.¡± He really cares about them a lot, but I have never seen him talk to any of them except his mom since I started living with him.


    A different waiter came in with our food, and I took the first bite. ¡°Hmm, this is really good.¡± I said it with my mouth full.


    ¡°I knew you would like it, and you have got something at the side of your mouth,¡± Sin said in his deep, sexy voice as he stretched his hand to clean the corner of my mouth, his thumb moving slowly to my lips as he caressed them. His eyes not leaving them, I felt my neck grow hot at the touch of his thumb on my lips, making me squirm inside.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I whispered, looking down at my te with a deep blush on my face.


    I can never get used to the way he makes my body react.


    When we were done with our dinner, a waiter came to take the te of what he called a sea bream crudo with lemon and olives before dropping on the table what looked like an appetizer.


    ¡°I hope you like it,¡± Sin says, looking at me as he waits for me to taste it.


    I took a sip of it and involuntarily moaned, making his eyes darken and lust with other emotions swimming around his eyes. The intensity of his eyes on me was overwhelming; I subconsciously bit my lower lips and pressed my legs tightly together under the table. I couldn¡¯t deny the burning sensation I had been feeling between my thighs all night.


    ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know how hard I am trying to control myself, especially with you sitting across from me and biting those tasty lips of yours.¡± He said it in a soft tone that woke the butterflies in my stomach. I giggled softly, looking away from his gaze as I tried to control my racing heart.


    The tension between us was rising wildly, and I wanted nothing more than to push away the table separating us and get on hisp with my lips on his, kissing him like crazy as I grabbed hold of his hair, but I knew I couldn¡¯t do that here, not with other people enjoying their blissful dinner.


    ¡°I think we should call it a night and end our dinner here.¡± His voice sounded deeper than ever. I nodded in agreement to his words, and Sin brought out his phone to make a call.


    I stood up along with him, and he ced some money on the table, pulling me towards the door, out of the restaurant, and out of the yacht.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t get the bill.¡±


    Sin looked at me, clearly frustrated by my question. ¡°I own the restaurant , so the bill was written off.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± was all I could manage to say as we continued on our way out.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Violenta.¡± I heard the manager yell from the far end of the yacht. The car was already out front; we got into the back seat, and the driver drove towards Sin¡¯s mansion. Neither of us said a word because we were holding on to the little bit of control that we had left.


    The minute we stepped into the bedroom, I was pinned against the wall with Sin¡¯s lips on mine, and we kissed like two deprived humans. He broke it off. Impatiently, I was about to protest until my eyes met his. His eyes were darkened with lust.


    He trails his finger down my corbone and hovers just above my breast. He slowly pulled my dress off, and itnded on the ground around my leg, leaving me exposed in just my bra and pants.


    ¡°I can never get used to how gorgeous you are.¡± He grabbed my neck, pulling me toward another urgent kiss. He nted a kiss on my neck, my shoulder, and then back to the ridge of my throat, and I tilted my head, giving him more ess.

 SIXTY FOUR

    ¡°Oh my God, Mani, it feels like ages since Ist saw you.¡± Stephanie screamed with excitement.


    I know you are wondering when all this happened. When Sin and I got home, we did make out, but nothing else happened because of nature, if you understand what I mean, so we just showered and cuddled together to go to sleep.


    The next day, which was the beginning of the weekend, Stephanie and I chatted and really missed her and wanted to see her; it was the same for her too, so we made ns to see her on Monday, which is today. I didn¡¯t give her a definite answer yet because I had to ask Sin first before going out of the house.


    Now that was a difficult task, seeing how stubborn Sin gets, especially when ites to my safety. I just don¡¯t understand why, when I asked him to let me go shopping with Samantha, he agreed without any persuasion. I did my best to change his mind until he agreed on Sunday and we made a deal. If I were going out, I wouldn¡¯t be going alone; ten of his men, along with Mateo, are going to go with me, and I promised to spend the next day with him, which is tomorrow. I agreed with noint because today I get to spend a day with Stephanie and tomorrow with Sin; it¡¯s a win-win.


    That brings us to this moment. Two men were standing securely around the premises of the cafe, with Mateo a good distance behind me.


    ¡°I know right, I have missed you so much.¡± I said, with equal excitement as Stephanie,


    ¡°You look good; your skin keeps glowing.¡± Sheplimented.


    ¡°Thanks, and you look fabulous. I have really missed hanging out with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks babe.¡± A smile crossed her face for just a little bit as her eyes wandered around and then settled behind me. ¡°I have got to ask Mani because I am dying here with curiosity.¡± She brought her head forward from the other side of the seat, and I did the same. ¡°What¡¯s up with the men in ck? It¡¯s obvious they are here for you,¡± Stephanie questioned.


    I knew there was no way for me to avoid this, which is why I asked Sin if they could keep him outside, but he bluntly refused.


    ¡°Yeah, they are here for my protection,¡± I told her truthfully.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You left the day of your graduation. We went two months with no contact from you, and now here you are in fancy clothes, shoes, and essories, looking posh, with men protecting you,¡± Stephanie asked sceptically.


    ¡°They are my bodyguards.¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, but why? What is going on? I didn¡¯t even know you were in New York,¡± she asked again, all at once.


    ¡°I met someone during my travels. He didn¡¯t want me going out alone, so hence the guards.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Stephanie eximed, her jaw dropped to the floor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, way.,¡± I replied, amused at her expression.


    ¡°Where did you meet him?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Paris.¡± She looked at me, waiting for more information. ¡°You know how much I wanted to visit Paris, so I went, and that is where I met him. He was there for a business meeting,¡± I say, spitting out more lies.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so romantic; I am really happy for you, Mani. You are able to find love again after so many years.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Steph. Enough about me; tell me what you¡¯ve been up to.¡± I quickly changed the subject before she asked his name, not wanting to lie anymore.


    ¡°There is not much to tell, but I can give you a rundown,¡± she says, leaning forward with her hands ced on the table.


    I can¡¯t help but listen to everything she has to say. ¡°I just have one more semester and am done; after you left, I got a new roommate, Cassie. She is really great and a wonderful cook, unlike some one I know,¡± she teased. I stuck my tongue out childishly and we bothughed.


    ¡°Anyway, like I said, she is a marvellous cook and a wonderful friend, but no one can ever top you.¡±


    ¡°Aww, thanks, Steph. And no one can top you either.¡± I stretched my hand to take hers in my hold, giving it a light squeeze. ¡°anything fun.¡±


    ¡°Like you, I have started seeing someone. I met him a week after you left, and I didn¡¯t like him at first because, despite his looks, he was arrogant to the core.¡±


    ¡°Reminds me of someone I know,¡± I whisper lowly to myself.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing; continue. I want to know more.¡± She blushed like she  was recurring something. ¡°His name is Luca, and he is Italian. We are getting to know each other more; I can see this bing something great.¡±


    Did she say Luca? It can¡¯t be the same Luca, I know right, but she said she met him a week after i left.


    That¡¯s too great a coincidence, or was I just thinking too much about things? If it was really the Luca I knew, why was he hanging around Stephanie, and does Sin know?


    ¡°What is Luca¡¯sst name, Steph?¡± I needed to be sure if he was the one or not.


    ¡°Strangely, I don¡¯t know; I didn¡¯t think to ask him since I kind of like his mysterious vibe.¡±


    ¡°But you both have been hanging out for close to five months, and you don¡¯t know his name.¡± I was surprised and even more suspicious. ¡°What if he was a serial killer or a criminal? How would you know?¡±


    ¡°He is not; I would know.¡± Stephanie answered, clearly convinced by this Luca guy.


    ¡°How would you know? It¡¯s not like they imprint criminal on their forehead.¡±


    ¡°I know; don¡¯t worry, Mani,¡± she replied adamantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but it¡¯s nothing for you to be worried about. We are just tasting the water for now.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡± I need to ask Sin. There was no way Luca would do something like this, and Sin wasn¡¯t aware.


    After leaving the caf¨¦, we went to the movies. We watched the new Fast and Furious movie, then went to the karaoke bar to sing our favourite songs. From Ariana Grande to Nicki Minaj to Beyonc¨¦, we had a st. I really missed our girl¡¯s day out and the fun we always had


    After we left the movies, I wasn¡¯t ready to part ways with her, so we went into a bakery because she was craving something sweet. I could smell the different cakes and treats as my taste buds tingled, and I couldn¡¯t wait to have a taste of the aromatic cake as it melted in my mouth. I moan at the thought of it.


    ¡°Since when did you start eating strawberries?¡± Stephanie asked what I was doing when I put a slice of cake in my mouth and my eyes shot close.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; you know how much I hate eating strawberries, but this day I like them more.¡± I answered, shrugging off my shoulders and taking another bite of the very tasty cake.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t find that strange.¡± What was she getting at?


    ¡°What¡¯s strange about liking something you once disliked? My taste buds changed, and now I prefer strawberries to vani.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! Why didn¡¯t I figure it out before?¡± Her eyes widened, staring right at me.


    ¡°The guy you are dating-have you slept with him?¡± I choked at her question, not expecting it.


    A blush crept up my face. ¡°Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question. Mani. I need to know something.¡± What could she possibly want to know by asking me this question?


    ¡°Yes, we have, Steph.¡± I whispered, not wanting anyone to hear.


    ¡°Are you on birth control, or does he use protection when you guys do the deed.?¡±


    I feel my cheeks blush even more at her question. ¡°I am not pregnant if that¡¯s what you are asking, Steph.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Mani, the clues are there. The glow of your skin and the way you eat, especially foods you hated before,¡± she stated with a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible, Steph, because I just finished my period a few days ago. So no, there is no baby in the bum.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Why don¡¯t you see a doctor?¡± She is definitely not going to give up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant, Stephanie; if I really was, I think I would know. And besides, I might not be a doctor yet, but I did go to medical school,¡± I tried to convince her. I can¡¯t be; I think I would know. I don¡¯t feel pregnant.


    ¡°Mani¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, Steph,¡± I told her sternly.


    Stephanie let out a sigh before speaking again. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t ask again. But do take the test just to be sure.¡±


    ¡°I will, Steph,¡± I said, rolling my eyes yfully at her. I put the te of cake away, not really into it anymore. ¡°I think I am going to leave now.¡±


    ¡°why¡­ ¡± Stephanie asked, not wanting  to have our time together end. ¡°Where exactly are you staying?¡±


    ¡°Niki has a ce here in New York, so I stay with him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice; maybe I cane visit.¡± A smile stretched her face.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary; we will be leaving tomorrow,¡± I quickly said. I don¡¯t want her involved in the mafia.


    ¡°oh.. That¡¯s sad. When are youing back to New York?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but I promise toe to your graduation.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then, see you when I do,¡± she says.


    ¡°Be careful and call me when you need anything,¡± I tell her, standing in front of her.


    ¡°I will,¡± she says, hugging me before we go our separate ways.

 SIXTY FIVE

    I walked over to the mirror for a final check, then grabbed my matching ck clutch purse and went downstairs, where Sin and the others were waiting.


    When I got to thest flight of stairs, Sin was standing there, just a foot away, typing rapidly on his phone while the others were nowhere in sight. I took the time to admire how handsome he looked in a ck Amarni suit, with his hair styled backward and his face wless.


    The more I stared at him, the more I noticed how tightly his jaws were clenched together. letting me know that whoever he was chatting with or whatever message was being exchanged pissed him off. I got down thest set of stairs, clearing my throat to gain his attention. His head was raised, his eyes scanned me up and down like always, and I could see the warmth and gentleness in his gaze.


    I gave a small smile, blushing under his strong gaze as he slowly walked up and stroked my cheeks, which made me blush even harder. Warmth spread through me when he brought his hand around my lower back.


    ¡°Are the guests arriving?¡± I stutter out breathlessly, causing him to smirk at the effect his mere presence has on me.


    ¡± A few.¡±


    ¡°Sorry if I took too long. keeping them and you waiting.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± He replies, pecking my forehead. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    I let out a deep breath before nodding, and we both began making our way to the dining room.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Sin had informed me the day I returned from my outing with Stephanie about a dinner party he was hosting, which was two days ago. He said it was nothing extravagant and only a small group of associates were invited, but he wouldn¡¯t give much detail as to who they were.


    And as much as I was a nervous wreck, I knew not to let it show and tried to swallow it down. I was very grateful when he told me Samantha was going to be there. I decided I was going to keep my focus on her and not worry about the other strangers in the dining room.


    We gathered around the hall of the dining room, and I could pick up multiple voices, some familiar and some I believed were going to be introduced to me in the course of the night.


    Sin pushed the door to the dining room open, guiding me in with his hand still strapped safely around my back.


    ¡°Mr. Violenta, it¡¯s a pleasure to be invited into your lovely home.¡± A man I had never seen before was the first to greet us; he had a woman by his side, which I was guessing was his wife.


    ¡°Mr. Moreau, the pleasure is all mine.¡± Sin says, taking the man¡¯s outstretched arm in a steady handshake.


    ¡°I would like for you to meet my wife, Vivienne.¡± Mr. Moreau introduced the woman beside him, a lovely smile stered on his face as he gazed at her with eyes full of affection.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Moreau.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Mrs. Moreau makes me sound old. I prefer being called Vivienne.¡± She replies with a warm smile stered on her face.


    ¡°Very well then, Vivienne.¡±


    I spent some time observing both the husband and the wife as they interacted. Mr. Moreau, who appeared to be in his early forties, had an even more regal appearance. He has light brown hair and is tall and attractive as well. His wife, however, is fair and very delicate-looking, with auburn hair and startling green eyes. I¡¯m assuming she was in her forties.


    They both gave off a warm and easy-going vibe, making my features rx a little, knowing they weren¡¯t like most of Sin¡¯s associates that I had met during the various parties I had attended with him.


    The couple¡¯s eyes turned to look at me, and I could see the curiosity in them.


    ¡°Ah¡­ where are my manners?¡± Sin says that his hold on my waist tightened as he turned to look at me with adoration. ¡°Allow me to introduce the beautiful woman beside me. Mr. Moreau, Vivienne, I would like you to meet Normani Parker, Mia Regina (my queen).¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you both.¡± I said politely, stretching my arm out and taking both their hands in a firm handshake.


    ¡°You truly are a beauty,¡± Vivienne gushed, and I blushed, letting out a thank you.


    ¡± You¡­¡± I thought topliment her too, but my words were cut short by an awfully familiar voice calling out Sin¡¯s name.


    ¡°Sin, dear.¡± Lauren says,ing to stand beside him, Mr. Bianchi, her husband, trailed behind her as he gave an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Mr. Violenta, Miss Parker, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you again.¡± Mr. Bianchi said with a handshake, getting a nod from Sin.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Bianchi, Lauren.¡± I replied, her name leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.


    Lauren didn¡¯t bother replying to my greeting, ignoring not just me but the beautiful couple standing in front of us. I rolled my eyes and chose to ignore herck of manners.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have our seat? We still have one more guest, but he seems to be runningte.¡± Sin says, directing both couples to the dining table before walking us to our seats.


    He pulled out a seat for me, and I let out a thank you before sitting down, ignoring whatever hateful gaze I was getting from not just Lauren but also Victoria, who was also in the room.


    I decided to ignore both females and instead send a wave and a smile to Samantha, who was sitting opposite me. Sin takes his seat beside me at the head of the table, and his hand finds its way under the table to my exposed thigh, rubbing small circles on it. I shivered at the touch, knowing fully well that he was teasing me.


    I gulped, trying not to focus on his touch but instead keep my eyes on the maids, who had walked with varieties of food as they neatly ced each food on the table. My mouth watered at the sight, and I couldn¡¯t wait to have a bite.


    Just as the maids finished setting the table, the door to the dining room opened, with Luca walking in first and a figure walking behind him.


    A small smile made its way to my face when our eyes met, but just as it came, it was easily wiped off when he moved away and I caught sight of the person behind him.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± The very familiar voice of a man says, his eyes wandering round the room, stopping at mine. I watched him stumble back, stunned. His shocked expression mirrors mine.


    ¡°Uncle Carson.¡±

 SIXTY SIX

    I stared at the man, who was like a second father to me, shocked to see him here. My mind swirls at the possible thoughts of what he might be doing here and how he was connected to Sin for him to be invited to the house.


    And more importantly, was he aware of the kind of business that Sin runs?


    I continue to stare at him, taking in the series of emotions on his face, from shock to disbelief to fear and worry. But just as quickly as it came, his face went nk and void, looking nothing like the man I knew.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte; the traffic was hectic.¡± He says this, bowing his head slightly to Sin, who gives a nod.


    ¡°There is no need to apologize; we were just about to start dinner.¡± Sin says, ushering him to his seat with a hand.


    Uncle Carson nods, walking over to an empty chair beside Samantha, while Luca follows, sits beside him, and dinnermences.


    I tried as much as possible not to be bothered by this revtion, but the more I tried to focus on the conversation going around the table, the more I couldn¡¯t keep the nerves in check.


    What was he doing here?


    Since when was he hand in hand with Sin?


    Turning to look at thetter, I notice his gaze on me. His eyes were on me, and he tilted his head to the side before grabbing a hold of my hand and giving it a squeeze. It felt like it was his way of saying not to worry.


    The dinner carried on as conversation continued to flow around the table. Lauren and Victoria kept to themselves, asionally giving me a stink eye. Samantha and Vivienne talk amongst themselves, both trying to bring me into the conversation, causing me to speak when I needed to, while my eyes are trained on the man opposite me, who doesn¡¯t seem bothered by my presence as heughs and talks freely. Or was he just freakishly good at hiding his emotions?


    ¡°I have some matters to discuss in my study; why don¡¯t you spend some time getting to know Vivienne? She seems to like you a lot.¡± Sin whispered softly in my ear before cing a light peck on my lips as he stood up.


    I gave a small nod, watching him and the rest of the men make their way to his office, Uncle Carson trailing behind him, not giving me a second nce.


    What the hell was going on?


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    ¡± what¡­!¡± I questioned myself,ing out of my trance as I turned to look at Samantha, who stared down at me with a worried expression.


    ¡°Your mind seems to be far away; what¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, and I nced around the dining table, realizing that I was the only one seated and that the rest of thedies had probably gone to the lounge.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I¡¯m just tired.¡± I gave a small smile, standing to my feet.


    ¡°Are you sure, because you have been acting strange for an hour now and hardly even ate anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really hungry; you don¡¯t have to worry about me. Honestly, I¡¯m fine. Maybe a bit overwhelmed, but fine.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look convinced but decided not to drag the matter out, which made me let out a sigh.


    ¡°If you say so, then, but I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, just know that I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I know, thanks.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Okay, then. We better not keep Vivienne waiting; I¡¯m sure thest thing she wants is to be left alone with the likes of Victoria and Laura. Heaven knows that woman can¡¯t stand the sight of them, not that I can me her. Those two just have a way of making you want to strangle them.¡±


    ¡°You and me both.¡± Iughed, agreeing with her, as I got up from my seat and we both made our way to the lounge.


    ????


    Sin¡¯s Pov     We all sat at the dinner table, the conversation flowing through the table, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice how nervous and anxious Mani was.


    Her focus never strayed from the man in front of her, and I very well knew the reason why. As much as I didn¡¯t want her to know that her best friend¡¯s father was involved with the mafia, I knew there was no way to avoid them ever meeting since Carson worked for me.


    Letting out a sigh, I took a hold of her hand, giving it a squeeze, causing her attention to shift to me, and she let out a smile, one that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    I raised her hand to my lips, cing a kiss in her palm, before carrying on eating.


    I was certain she had many questions swirling in that pretty mind of hers, and she was probably wondering about his involvement with me.


    Once we finished up our meals and I gave the men the signal, letting them know it was time to discuss the main reason for the dinner, I turned to Mani and cupped her cheek, bringing her attention back to me.


    ¡°I have some matters to discuss in my study; why don¡¯t you spend some time getting to know Vivienne? She seems to like you a lot.¡± I whispered softly in her ear before cing a light kiss on her lips as I stood, making my way to my study with the men.


    We all took our respective seats, going straight to business. Mr. Moreau, Mr. Bianchi, and Mr. Carson were in charge of running some of my legal businesses. Since I couldn¡¯t be everywhere, they were in charge of eachpany, making sure to run important matters by me before making any decisions. This was the reason for our meeting.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Our discussion carried on for nearly thirty minutes as the trio filled me in on the matters of business.


    ¡°That¡¯s about everything.¡± Carson says, rounding up since he was thest of the three men to give his report.


    ¡°I believe we are done for today. We better hurry back to the lounge; we shouldn¡¯t keep our woman waiting.¡± I said, dismissing them, and they all smiled, except for Carson, who remained rooted in his spot even after the two men left the study.


    ¡°What seems to be the problem, Carson?¡± I ask, sitting back in my chair and crossing my arms, knowing fully well his reason for staying back.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain you know very well the reason.¡± He spat venom, causing me to raise an eyebrow at his boldness.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t; why don¡¯t you enlighten me then?¡± I replied, my gaze darkening.


    ¡°Yes, we no doubt have an alliance.¡± He says, ¡°I would have been wrapped up in debt if it weren¡¯t for you, for which I¡¯m no doubt grateful, but her¡­¡±


    ¡°My involvement with Mani has absolutely nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°It fucking does, Sin!¡± he yells. ¡°She is my daughter¡¯s best friend, and more than that, she is family. She is too kind-hearted and too good to be involved in something as dangerous as this. She won¡¯t fit into the mafia family. She can be easily taken advantage of, Sin. She doesn¡¯t know much about this world, and I¡¯d like to keep it that way. She is way too pure for you; I don¡¯t want someone like you interfering in her life.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, Carson, whatever goes on between Mani and me is none of your fucking business. I can very well take care of her, and I would be damned if I let anything happen to her.¡±


    ¡°How certain are you that you can keep her safe? You have enemies everywhere, Sin. She is not fit for this life; let her go.¡±


    ¡°You have no right to tell me what to do and what not to do; know your ce. Have a nice night,¡± I said, ending the conversation.


    Carson let out a defeating sigh before making his way out of the study, and my jaw tickled with my hand clenched in a fist.

 SIXTY SEVEN

    Thest guest for the night was gone, and I ced my hand to my mouth, trying to hold back a yawn.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what happened between Sin and Uncle Carson, but I knew for a fact that he talked to Sin alone, which must not have gone well since he stormed out of his study, barely saying good-bye or looking in my direction before storming out of the house.


    I tried not to be bothered by it, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I wanted to know what he thought of my presence in Sin¡¯s house and whether he was disappointed with me for having lied to him and everyone else about traveling.


    It might not have been a lie at the start when I said I was leaving and thought of traveling the world, but I didn¡¯t know that there was no way I could get away from Sin, not that I nned on leaving his side now.


    Ugh.


    I just wish Uncle Carson had once looked at me or even tried talking to me.


    The sound of footsteps making their way in my direction snapped me out of my thoughts, and I raised my head to see Sin walking towards me.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You did really great today, Amore.¡± He says, pecking the side of my forehead, and I smile softly, fudging with my fingers, pondering whether or not I should ask about Uncle Carson and if he knew who he was to me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really do anything.¡± I said, but instead earned a peck on the lips.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go freshen up? You look exhausted,¡± he asked, and I responded by raising my hands to him since I was feelingzy and drained.


    Sin looked at me with a smirk on his face before leaning a little,plying with my request. I yelped out in surprise; I expected him to carry me bridal style, but instead he bent down, holding onto my waist, and in one smooth motion, flung me over his shoulder, with my head hanging down his back and his arm holding me securely under my buttocks. The dress I had on slid up, revealing a considerable amount of my legs.


    I gasped and iled weakly as blood gushed straight into my head, but I was too exhausted to oppose him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I have been trying to keep my cool since I saw you in that dress,¡± he said, giving me a p on my buttocks as he started walking.


    I continued to il, which only caused my dress to rise higher. Realizing what I was doing, I stopped and let him carry me the way he wanted.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he walked us to the bedroom, throwing me down on the bed. His body hovered over mine, and his lips imed mine in a feverish kiss.


    Our lips formed into one as we both moaned, the pleasure coursing through our bodies.


    Before I had the chance to deepen the kiss, Sin pulled back and began undressing slowly. His eyes, dark and filled with desire, held mine intently.


    His shirt and pants off, he hit the ground with a soft thud, his smooth, muscled body gleaming under the moonlight. There was arge bulge underneath his underwear. He climbed onto the bed and crawled towards me on all fours.


    ¡°Let me have the pleasure of getting you out of this,¡± he said, and he reached out to me. pulling down the zip of my dress before pulling the gown up over my head and off. He threw it on the floor, and his lustful eyes racked my body, taking in the matchingce undies.


    ¡°Fuck, you are beautiful.¡± He muttered more to himself as his lips imed mine again.


    I wasted no time, sinking into his embrace and his kiss. Every thought and worry were put on hold as desire took control of my body.


    Sin¡¯s lips pressed against mine, thrusting his tongue into my mouth, while his hands reached behind my back and unsped my bra, pulling it off skilfully. I moaned under his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck with my legs secured around his waist, when he lifted us up from the bed and walked into the showers.


    He ced me down on the shower stall as he turned on the water, setting it at the right temperature, before his eyes met mine again, hungrily.


    His fingers trail over my body, stopping for a second on my left bud before flipping it, and I moan. My lips parted in the form of a gasp at the intensity of his touch.


    He carried on moving his fingers until he got to my waist. His thumbs caressed my waistline as he slowly pulled down my panties, leaving me bare and naked for his lustful eyes. He did the same to his boxers; his erection sprang up to attention, long, thick, and hard.


    The soft, warm water sluiced down on them. The temperature was perfect-neither too cold nor too hot. Sin takes a bar of soap, turns me around, and starts to slowly caress my back with his soapy hands. My senses tingled at his gentle hands, which left spots of pleasure down my back.


    He was touching me, soaping every inch painstakingly slowly. Rubbing, sliding, and moving, he is leaving trails of fire behind, and he is moving down to the swell of my buttocks, and I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to moan. My whole body is tingling with pleasure, and I am bing even more wet from desire and throbbing with need. He stopped just at the top of my buttocks and then turned me around.


    His eyes held mine even when he proceeded to slide the bar of soap over my neck, down to my chest, around my breasts, under the breasts, down to my belly, and down to the patch of dark curls there before he stopped. I was now breathing heavily and almost panting with full-on arousal while also being frustrated at his teasing act.


    I grumbled in disapproval, and Sin smirked. clearing up myck of patience. He let go of the soap, and his hand found its way to my clitoral area, dipping his fingers inside me and making me gasp at the feeling of pleasure his fingers gave.


    I groaned when he kept on teasing my wet centre with his fingers and thumb. He was pressing on my throbbing nub with his thumb and thrusting his fingers into me rhythmically.


    My eyes closed of their own ord, and my hips moved against his fingers, moaning at the bursts of pleasure filling me.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± he said. He is moving his fingers faster, and my breath nowes in short bursts as water continues to sluice down on us. His breath wasing faster, too.


    ¡°Niki¡­.¡± I moaned. I was so very near, and before I could reach my peck, his fingers were gone, leaving me throbbing so painfully, waiting for that release.


    His lips met mine, blocking out my disapproving groan, and his tongue thrust deeply into me. I returned his kiss hungrily. My hands groped him and closed over his firm buttocks, pulling him to me and feeling his long, hard flesh pressing against my belly.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I moaned.


    ¡°Tell me, what is it that you want?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You know, I want you inside me,¡± I moaned.


    He lets out a soft grunt of pleasure, and I get a spike of excitement straight to my brain.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± he whispers. I couldn¡¯t say anything after since I was certain my brain had lost its function; all I knew was that I needed him now.


    Sin spreads my legs; his fingers roll through my folds and tease me. He growls, and I feel his cock press against my soaking entrance, making me gasp for breath. His hands gripped my hips, sliding his shaft up and down my entrance, spreading me wide, and getting his cock dripping wet and drenched in my juices. I moan and want him to keep going-just rub my clit with the tip of his cock.


    But he presses himself inside, and my world explodes in an insane mix of pleasure and pain.


    I groan as he fills me. He groans and seems to like it as he pulls back and goes deeper, driving himself further and further with every slow thrust until he¡¯s all the way inside of me. I pant, moaning, and he reaches around my hips to tease my clitoral region. There¡¯s pleasure and pain, and it¡¯s all mixing and mingling, and I can¡¯t think because I¡¯m so blinded by the sensations drifting along my body in sparks.


    ¡°fu¡­ Niki.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I love it when you scream my name.¡± He groans in my ear, causing me to moan and shout out his name again.


    He grabs my hair and slides himself back. His strokes are rough. in and out, in and out. I moan into the night.

 SIXTY EIGHT

    I barely got any sleepst night, despite being exhausted. I knew I needed to talk to Sin and Uncle Carson to find out what was going on and how deeply involved he was in the mafia.


    As much as I wanted to see him, I couldn¡¯t do that without getting Sin¡¯s permission, which was nerve-wracking, especially since I knew he was very aware of who Uncle Carson was to me. Jason had told me he had done a background check when I was brought in.


    I sighed, getting out of bed. I needed to talk to Sin before he left; he had told me during the night about his trip to China. He wasn¡¯t giving much detail, only that he was going to be back before the end of the week as he had a party to attend.


    Running my arms through my hair, I picked up the robe, wrapping it around my naked body before making my way out of the room to Sin¡¯s study. I gave a small knock, waiting for his response, and when I got none, I pushed open the door to find it empty.


    My brows furrowed together, wondering where he was and if he had already left.


    ¡°Hey, Mani, you are up more than usual.¡± Zoey spoke from behind me, surpriseced in her voice.


    ¡°Have you seen Niki?¡± I asked, fudging with my fingers.


    ¡± Sin¡­¡± She asked confusedly, and I was tempted to roll my eyes, seeing as I just asked a question.


    ¡°Yes, Zoey.I need to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did see him a couple of minutes ago.¡± She answered. ¡°You do know he is going on a business trip; I saw him making his way to the entrance. Aren¡¯t you¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± I hurriedly said, cutting her off as I made my way to the entrance of the door.


    Thankfully, I was able to spot Sin before he got into the car.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Sin is standing at the front door of the house, tall andmanding in his suit, every inch of him appearing prepared for battle. He turns to face me with tense features that give the impression that he¡¯s about to pounce on me once more.


    ¡°I know you have to go,¡± I whisper. ¡°But I need to speak to you first.¡±


    He nces at the car and then back at me. ¡°Can¡¯t it possibly wait till I get back?¡±


    ¡°It can, but it¡¯s important. I..¡±


    Perhaps it¡¯s unreasonable of me to discuss this now, but I knew there was no way I could be patient and wait until his return. My mind was swirling with all the thoughts and answers that I knew I needed.


    ¡°Is it about Carson?¡± I bit my lips nervously, giving a nod. ¡°You probably have a lot of questions, and I would dly answer them, amore. But that would be when I get back.¡± He pecks my forehead, attempting to walk to the car, but I clench onto his arm.


    ¡°I think I prefer hearing it directly from him.¡± He reaches up, cing his hand atop mine and pressing down softly. I squeeze onto his bicep, feeling the irrepressible muscle.


    ¡°Does it make a difference if you hear it from him or from me?¡± he asks with a raised brow.


    ¡°Yes, it does, Niki. This is a man I consider a father figure; he has been there for me since the ident. I would very much like to hear what he has to say and how he got rumpled up with the mafia.¡±


    ¡°Please, Niki.¡± I move closer to him, near enough to feel the heat of his body. ¡°Let me meet him.¡±


    ¡°Mani¡­.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to worry about; I will be fine.¡± I said, hoping he would say yes. ¡°If it¡¯s about security, I will go out with as much security as you want me to. Just please let me meet him.¡± I gaze into his eyes; his expression is difficult to read.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him brainwashing you into leaving my side. You are mine, Mani, and I won¡¯t let him try to take you from me.¡± he snarls. ¡°Not that he could, even if he tried.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that; I won¡¯t leave, Niki.¡± I spoke softly, cupping his cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave, never.¡±


    ¡°Well, Carson seems to think otherwise and thinks you aren¡¯t fit for this world, or at least, he thinks we feel nothing more than lust for each other. But you and I know that isn¡¯t the case.¡± He goes on, holding me tighter. ¡°The emotion is intense and raw, Mani. It reaches a level that I wasn¡¯t even aware I possessed. I recognized you as mine the moment I saw you. Although I didn¡¯t know your name, I knew you were right for me. I don¡¯t n on letting you go.¡±


    His words rush out as though he can¡¯t stop, his tone bing more intense.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sin.¡± Luca appears out of the car. ¡°We have to go.¡±


    Sin nces at him. ¡°One minute.¡±


    Luca nods, giving me a small smile before making his way back to the car.


    ¡°Tell me you feel the same.¡± Sin growls softly in my ear.


    ¡°I feel it too.¡± I squeeze onto his chest, curling my hand into a fist and clutching onto his shirt. ¡°Nothing can change that.¡±


    I kiss him as he kisses me, our lips fusing in a congration of devotion and desire. He groans through the kiss, pressing down on my lower back and pushing our bodies together. I whimper and wrap my arms around him, holding on tightly and clinging on even as he makes an effort to bring the kiss to an end.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± he says. ¡°And as much as I don¡¯t want you meeting him, I have no choice but to let you do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Thank yo¡­¡± He kisses me again, cutting off my words.


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m keeping watchful eyes. As much as I trust you and Carson not to betray me, I know for certain he takes you like a daughter and would probably try to scheme a way to take you from here,¡± he whispers softly.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons why I need to talk to him.¡±


    Sin sighs, running his fingers through my hair. ¡°Take care of yourself, Mani. Don¡¯t forget to call me if you need anything or when you miss me. I will always make time for you.¡± He says so, and I smile, pecking his lips one more time before watching him make his way to the car and disappear down the road.

 SIXTY NINE

    The level of awkwardness during lunch with Uncle Carson was unbearable. He had a terrific sense of humour, and whenever we met, we would crack jokes about anything, but suddenly there were walls between us that neither of us could get over.


    At least not yet.


    After getting Sin¡¯s approval for us to meet, I called him that morning, and we agreed to meet the next day at a restaurant for lunch. And like I promised Sin, I was sure to go with Mateo and two other men.


    The silence pulsed between us. As the waitress noted down our order and left, I reached for the ss of water and took a sip. The clinking sound of the knives and forks did its business in the background.


    Uncle Carson was the first to break the ice. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good.¡± I quipped, giving him a smile. His eyes searched my face for any hint of a lie, and he gave a small nod when he saw none.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± He smiled, still studying my face.


    ¡°Wha¡­ what about you? How have you been?¡± I stutter nervously, hoping to keep the conversation going.


    Uncle Carson sighs, clutching his knife, his knuckles turning white. ¡°See, Mani, as much as I would love for us to exchange pleasantries and catch up, we can¡¯t avoid the matter at hand.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± I mumbled, casting my gaze on the table.


    ¡°Sin isn¡¯t a man to be messed with; I don¡¯t know what situation might have caused your involvement with each other, but I suggest you end it now.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Car¡­¡±


    ¡°He is a dangerous man, Mani. I¡¯m very certain you know who he is.¡± He says this, cutting me off. His voice was filled with agitation.


    ¡°I very well know who he is, Uncle Carson, but I want you to know that he would never let anything happen to me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. This is the Mafia we are talking about; you could get killed just because you are involved with the likes of him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are being hypocritical?¡± I sneered, my voice full of venom, without realizing it.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡­¡± His lips parted in shock at my tone.


    I sighed, taking a deep breath before meeting his still-shocked gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you.¡± My brows creased. ¡°I know you wish for nothing but my safety, and I understand your concern. But you know very well that your involvement with him is just as dangerous as mine. And yes, the thought of getting killed terrifies the hell out of me, but I can¡¯t leave him, Uncle Carson. I just cannot.¡±


    ¡°You have feelings for him, don¡¯t you?¡± I nod, my throat constricting into a tight ball. ¡°From what I saw at the dinner meeting, I can tell he feels something for you. But how long till that feeling changes? How certain are you that he won¡¯t get bored and toss you aside when he¡¯s done with you?¡±


    I breathed, my chest constricting at his words. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me; I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you or for you to get hurt,¡± he said, his eyes growing softer. ¡°You are family to me, and I love you just as much as I love Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Carson,¡± I mumbled, twirling the fork in my hands. He smiled back at me.


    ¡°Does Stephanie know about this?¡± Fear rounded his eyes.


    ¡°Heaven, no!.¡± I answered and watched as he let out a relieved breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that one of you is involved with the Mafia; thest thing I want is to worry about her involvement.¡± I twitched nervously, holding back my words before I identally blurted out anything rming.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry; I don¡¯t want her involved, just as much as you do.¡± My gaze flitted from him to the table.


    ¡°Does he treat you well? Don¡¯t sugar-coat it or lie to me; I want honest answers, Mani.¡±


    A smile graced my lips as I spoke. ¡°He does, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He nods, hearing the sincerity in my voice.


    Our conversation drifted to other topics as the waitress returned with a tray of food, and we dug into our meals.


    ????


    ¡°YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO GET RID OF HER.¡± Victoria emphasized each word as she yelled, staring at the shadowed figure in front of her.


    ¡°I very much know what I said.¡± A voice snapped back at her with anger. ¡°How was I to know that those fucking bastards would fail at doing one simple job?¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do when Sin finds out? You very well know he won¡¯t hesitate to kill us, not after what happened to his precious slut.¡±


    ¡°If you are worried about Jordan being found, I already took care of it. There is no way Sin would ever find out about our involvement.¡±


    Their n to kill Mani had been unsessful; Sin had killed everyone involved in the shootout except Jordan, whom they had tipped off to run off to China. It was a good thing they had thought to finish him off before Sin got to China.


    ¡°So what are we going to do with that slut?¡± Victoria asked, hating the fact that Mani was still alive and acting like she was some kind of queen because of the attention Sin was giving her.


    She despised the very sight of her and couldn¡¯t help but me her for the death of her brother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ve got another n in store for her. She won¡¯t know what hits her.¡±


    ¡°It better work this time before Sin figures everything out. The only reason we form an alliance with you is because we both have something to gain, but make no mistake, I won¡¯t hesitate to betray you if it means saving my own ass.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry, sweet Victoria. I won¡¯t hesitate to do the same either.¡±

 SEVENTY

    It¡¯s been days since I met Uncle Carson, and though it¡¯s been a bit awkward knowing our involvement with the Mafia, I know he¡¯s still worried and scared Stephanie might get tangled up as well.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to tell him that it was already toote and that she was already tangled up in the matter since she was supposedly dating a man named Luca, which I was certain was the same Luca I knew.


    Sin was also back from his trip, though he didn¡¯t give me much detail as to what happened. From what I could gather, it had something to do with the small group of gangster wannabes that had attacked us the night I got shot.


    Samantha had told me they were able to find the hideout of the gang leader due to the money put on his head. But from how pissed Sin was when he came back two days ago, it was clear that things didn¡¯t go as nned.


    I was d in a towel that was safely wrapped around my body. I had just finished showering and was about to get dressed. After towelling, I put on my bra and panties. I quickly but efficiently do my hair, putting it in loose curls. I applied makeup at its finest, making me sophisticated.


    I walked to the dress I had bought during my trip to the mall with Samantha, gently put it on, turned to stare at my reflection, and was still marvelling at how wonderful the dress was. I made my way to my silver heels, which made me 6 inches taller because I didn¡¯t have that much height.


    I put a diamond choker on my neck and then put on some fragrance. When I was finally done and satisfied, I moved to the door, turning the silver knob. walking down the hallways and eventually down the stairs


    Sin had on a ck suit with a stream of designs, almost matching my gown. He was looking at his watch but must have noticed my presence as his eyes reached mine.


    His jaw dropped open, taking me in. He stood still like he was in a trance, and his eyes darkened as he stared at me. I saw different emotions swirl around his eyes, but one stood out.


    Pride.


    His stares made me feel like I was a queen-his queen. My gaze met his, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he still stood rooted in his ce, eyes on me. It was like he felt that if he moved, I would vanish.


    I cleared my throat, which seemed to break him out of whatever trance he was in, and a blush crept up my face. He walked towards me to stand behind my back; he put his arms around my waist as he spoke.


    ¡°You look beautiful, Mani. I don¡¯t know how I am going to remain sane throughout the party when you¡¯re with me, looking like a goddess.¡± He said this, bringing his mouth closer to my right ear.


    I sucked in a breath, trying to steady myself but failing miserably. He always manages to set my heart racing. I shivered when he ced a kiss on my neck. My eyes closed, and I felt a smile stretch across his mouth, knowing fully well the effect he has on me.


    ¡°We should leave now, or we will bete.¡± He says, not moving away. He dragged his finger along my arm. ¡°If we stay, we won¡¯t be able to leave the room,¡± he huskily said, and I stuttered out a ¡°yes.¡±


    He took my hand in his, leading me out of the house. He opened the back door of the car and helped me get in, then settled beside me. The car drove off, but Sin seemed to be deep in thought, looking out the car window.


    Before I knew it, I felt a hand lift me up, and I saw myself sitting on Sin¡¯sp. I turned to look at him, surprised as a gasp left my lips, when his lips locked on mine in a passionate kiss. After recovering from the shock, I gave in and started kissing back. He kissed me slowly, exploring every corner of my mouth, and broke it off when he realized I needed air. He ced his head in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent. He put my arms around his body, and I hugged him.


    ¡°You are going to be the death of me.¡± He whispered, which was inaudible to my ear.


    The car came to a stop, and Sin got down first, moving over to the other side of the door to let me out. He stretched out his hand, and I willingly ced mine in his, stepping out of the car and standing side by side with him.


    I heard the sound of clicking and the lights going on and off. I wasn¡¯tfortable with all the cameras directed at Sin and Lili, but I did my best to look confident. I raised my head and my heels as we both stood for them to take our pictures.


    When we walked a good distance away from them, Sin whispered in my ear. ¡°Mani, don¡¯t leave my sight. If possible, stay by my side, and if not, make sure to stay close by with either Samantha or Luca,¡± he said sternly, holding my hand as we entered the hall.


    ¡°Okay, but why?¡±


    ¡°This ce is filled with a lot of dangerous men and women, and with you looking like a fucking goddess, I don¡¯t want some hungry, perverted men to try anything stupid with you. So stay close.¡± He said it in a no-shit tone.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I answered, assuring him.


    As soon as we entered the hall, all eyes turned toward us. I saw most of the women gawking and eyeing Sin like he was a piece of meat. I know there is no way Sin won¡¯t get any attention, especially from other females; after all, he looks like a freaking Greek god.


    Sin¡¯s hand went around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He had a dark look on his face that could send one trembling. He stared down at me, smiling, and I smiled back before his previous look took over his face again.


    ¡°Hey, lovebirds, you finally graced us with your presence. That was quite an entrance.¡± Luca said this cockily, with a teasing smile on his face.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey, Luca, it¡¯s nice to see you,¡± I said with an equal smile on my face.


    ¡°I wish I could say the same,¡± Sin grumbles, lowly but loud enough for the two of us to hear.


    ¡°Hey, how can you be so brutal to your only best friend?¡± Luca ced his hand on his chest, feigning being hurt.


    I just stood thereughing at their bickering. These two were teasing each other, but it shows how much they respect and trust each other.


    ¡°Mani, you look gorgeous.¡± Lucapliments me with a flirty voice. ¡°Way too gorgeous to be with an asswipe like him.¡± He says this, getting a death re from Sin, and I struggle not tough.


    ¡°Thanks, Luca. You look charming.¡±


    ¡°Charming enough to steal you from him and make you my queen.¡± He asked sternly,  that I wasn¡¯t sure if he was serious or joking.


    ¡°That is, of course, if you don¡¯t mind a bullet to your skull.¡± Sin replied instead, his jaw clenching, causing Luca to raise his hands in a form of surrender.


    ¡°I won¡¯t dare.¡± He says this as his lips stretch into a smirk. ¡°Or would I?¡±


    ¡°You just love ruffling him up, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s just so easy,¡± Lucaughs, earning an eye roll from Sin.


    ¡°Guess who.¡± A hand came over my face, blocking my vision.


    ¡°Hmm. ¡± I pretended to ponder about it before replying. ¡± Beyonc¨¦¡±


    ¡°Girl, I would be damned if I looked anything like Beyonc¨¦. That woman is royalty,¡± Samantha says,ing to stand right in front of me.


    ¡°Hey Sin.¡± Samantha said, then turned to look at Luca. ¡± Luca¡±


    Sin nodded in response. ¡°Luca and I need to talk to someone, so stay with Samantha and remember to stay out of trouble, little temptress.¡± He pecked my lips before walking away with Luca by his side. Samantha and I moved forward to the bar, taking a seat.


    ¡°With this lot ofsers being sent in your direction by these desperate women, you could blow up a country.¡± I looked around the ballroom, and Samantha was right.


    I decided not to focus on them or let them ruin my mood. ¡°I don¡¯t care; Sin is mine.¡±


    ¡°Wow, it looks like someone has gotten all possessive now. Like a cave woman,¡± she said with a sly smile.


    ¡°You were the one who asked me to give him a chance, and I did. Sin may not be perfect, but I am willing to try. I don¡¯t care how it first started between us; people may call me crazy for liking my kidnapper or say what I feel is Stockholm syndrome. I know how I feel for him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s deep, but I am happy for you.¡± Samantha replied sincerely. ¡°Have you told him how you feel?¡±


    ¡°No, we had a deep talk, but we haven¡¯t really gotten to the I love you part.¡±


    ¡± really. It¡¯s so obvious. Sin is madly in love with you. I have seen him with other women in the past, and he never gave them as much attention as he gave you. You must be really special since you are still here. Sin hardly keeps a woman by his side for a day, and you manage to stay for months.¡± My brow furrowed at her words; I was not sure what to think of them. Samantha nudged my shoulder,ughing. ¡°I¡¯m saying you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    ¡°I want to believe that, but what if, at some point, he gets tired of me?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen, trust me. He regards you as his queen; that¡¯s one of the reasons he brought you here to let them know the new queen.¡± Her wordsforted me, but was I ready to take on sure responsibility, especially if it involves the mafia?


    I continued talking to Samantha when I heard a loud voice.


    ¡°Sin, is that you?¡± I turned to look in the direction where Sin stood with Luca and two other men, and beside Sin stood a ck-haired woman with a blue gown that had a slit at the side of it starting from her thigh. She had an hourss figure that made her look stunning.


    Sin turned to look at her, but his face didn¡¯t give her any greeting or an acknowledging smile. ¡°Luna.¡± His tone was dismissive.


    But the woman just didn¡¯t seem to read between the lines; she walked straight to him,tching herself onto him. She kept her hold on his hands, like she was making a statement to other females.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked Samantha curiously.


    ¡°Luna Brambi, all fake. I don¡¯t know why she gets so possessive of Sin. It¡¯s a clear fact that anyone with eyes can see that Sin wants nothing to do with her, but she¡¯s as dumb as a rock to understand that.¡± Samantha venomously said, I felt disturbed at the way he kept her hold on him.


    Sin roughly shocked her hands off his, shoving her away and not giving her a second of his attention, and this brought a smile to my lips.

 SEVENTY ONE

    God! Sin must be rubbing off on me if I am happy to see another being treated like this, but a part of me kept on whispering that she deserved it. Who gave her the right to stake a im on my man? When he turned to look at me, I didn¡¯t know what hade over me. I decided to be a vixen and walked teasingly slowly towards him, swaying my hips, which caught the attention of other men in the room, and Sin¡¯s eyes darkened with his jaw clenched.


    Luna still stood close to him, but she wasn¡¯t holding him anymore. I reached where they were; I stepped between the two of them, and my arms were ced on his hard chest. He wrapped his hands around my waist, looking at me amused. I pulled his head down to mine for a kiss on the lips. I pulled away with a smile on my face, which he reciprocated.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Luna asked, pissed.


    ¡°His Queen, and who are you?¡± I looked back innocently, my arms still on his chest.


    ¡°Then you must be really ignorant if you believe that.¡± She said. ¡°Sin doesn¡¯t do rtionships since I¡¯m a¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, boo hoo, I guess you aren¡¯t that important.¡± I retorted, cutting her off. Sin chuckled along with a group of people listening.


    Luna scoffed, clearly affected by what I had said. ¡°At least I am not delusional. He is going to drop you faster than the speed of light after he is done with you.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not as fast as he dropped you, right, Niki?¡± I said, making sure to say his name just to spite her. The people around him were surprised because no one had ever called him by his real name, and they knew not to.


    Luna stood in front of me, jaw to the ground, confused. I smiled, feeling satisfied to have the final word, not wanting to make matters worse. Sin pecked my lips and spoke.


    ¡°You got it wrong, Amore; I can never get tired of you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, staring directly at her; she was shocked and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you to it. I will be with Samantha if you need me,¡± I said to Sin, kissing him onest time before walking back to where Samantha stood, shocked as well; she must have seen the whole drama.


    When I got to her, she raised her hand and pped mine in hers, and we both burst outughing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to give it to you, Mani; that was hot. You put that bitch in her ce.¡± She said this, chuckling.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t help myself. It would teach other women to back up. I¡¯m honestly tired of having to deal with women in his life who just can¡¯t seem to take a hint.¡± I said it bitterly, thinking of Laura and Victoria.


    ¡°What do you expect when ites to a man like Sin? They may all flock over him, but it still won¡¯t change the fact that  he only has eye on you and you alone.¡± She answers with a sway of her head and a snap of her fingers as if to say, Period! ¡°Anyway I need to go to the restroom, are youing?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just going to wait until Niki is done.¡±


    I stood close to the bar while Samantha walked off in search of the restroom.


    ¡°Hello, sexy,¡± a voice said from beside me. Sin was still talking to the two men, with Luca by his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± I smiled with a touch of sarcasm. Did he not see me a few minutes ago making a bold im on Sin?


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be like that. We can have a lot of fun.¡± The man said again that I could smell the alcohol and cigarettes on his breath, which gave off a disgusting stench. He ced his rough hands on my back, and images from the club swiped through my mind.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t interested, so now leave. It¡¯s for your own benefit,¡± I growled, pissed, but instead he smiled. I turned to stare at him, and at the far end of the bar was Luna. She had a smug look on her face. I was sure she was the one who set this up. I thought she had given up on him after the altercation that happened between us, but it seems like she was a leech and nned on not giving up. The man in front of me slid closer, invading my personal space; his cologne smiled like cow dung.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± I said.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t,¡± ncing to my left, I saw Sin matching over to where I stood in anger.


    ¡°I guess you need to face the consequences of your actions. Just remember, I did warn you.¡± I smiled, pulling my face closer to him, and Sin¡¯s anger intensified.


    ¡°What do you mean, princess?¡± His face was close to mine, and I could feel his sharp breath.


    ¡°I think I have said this word a thousand times today, but I don¡¯t mind saying it to you in case you missed the preview. I¡¯m no fucking princess; I¡¯m a queen. His queen,¡± I replied sassily, nodding my head to the side. The man turned to look at what I was talking about and was met with Sin¡¯s stoic face staring down at him.


    ¡°Leave before I kill you.¡± Sin said, grabbing the man¡¯s shirt cor.


    ¡°Sin I¡­ I swear, I didn¡¯t know she was yours. Please forgive me.¡± The man pleaded.


    I looked at where Ist saw Luna, and she was still there, her fists clenched together at her failed n.


    What exactly was the n? Because whatever this was, it was clear stupidity.


    I sent her a victory smirk, and she huffed, walking away. I grabbed hold of Sin¡¯s arms, my eyes telling him to let him go. He closed his eyes, pissed. He released the grip he had on the man, making him stumble back and cowardly run away.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we leave. I am tired of this horny, perverted men looking at what is mine.¡±


    ¡°But I just started enjoying myself,¡± I whined, enjoying his reaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care; we¡¯re leaving now,¡± he said sternly, making me pout.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I groggily answered. He wrapped his arms around my waist, walking out of the ballroom to where the car was. Before I got in, Samantha came running out.


    ¡°Hey Mani, I see your  leaving already. I guess I also have to call it a night,¡± she says, stifling a yawn. ¡°I will talk to youter, I¡¯m waiting for Luca to drive me home since I came with him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll chat you upter,¡± I said, getting into the car beside Sin as the driver drove off into the night.


    ????


    I woke up, stretching my arms to the other side of the bed, to find it empty. It seems Sin had woken up before me, and I was a little disappointed. I groaned while standing up from the bed because of how sore I was, I walked towards the bathroom to freshen up for the day. I got out of the bathroom and put on a light summer dress; once I was done, I put on light makeup.


    ¡°Amore,¡± I heard his deep voice say, and a smile spread across my face. I walked out of the room to meet him in the hallway.


    ¡°Hi, good morning,¡± I say, smiling at him.


    ¡°Good morning. You look beautiful today, baby girl,¡± he says, and I blush.


    ¡°Thanks, Niki.¡±


    He smiles and says, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go down for breakfast.¡± He ces his hand on my back as we walk down the stairs.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I say to everyone in the dining room, getting  a lot of responses.


    ¡°What are your ns for today, Amore?¡± Sin asks me lovingly.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± I shrug. ¡°I¡¯m pretty tired, and I know how busy you aretely.¡±


    ¡°You could always go out if you want to; Mateo is going to be there to guard you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I think I¡¯m going to stay home instead.¡±


    After breakfast, Sin, Luca, and some of the men had to leave. They had something to take care of. Samantha wasn¡¯t with them; she had to meet up with a friend, but Mateo was here at home; after all, he was assigned by Sin as my personal bodyguard. I had asked Zoey if she knew what happened to Jason; it has been a while since Ist saw him, and she told me he was handling something in South Africa and would be back probably next month.

 SEVENTY TWO

    I went into the library in search of a book to read, and after selecting a romance fantasy novel, I took a seat at the far end of the library, close to the window with the marvellous view of the garden. I started reading, getting lost in the world of fantasy, until I was disturbed by a knock on the door and Zoeying in.


    She looked around the library as if she were searching for something before she settled on me, and she walked towards me with a smile on her face. I smiled back at her with my eyebrows raised, wondering why she was here.


    ¡°Hey Mani.¡± She greeted me.


    ¡°Hi, Zoey,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± she says again, taking a seat opposite me with her legs crossed.


    ¡°Yeah, it has.¡±


    ¡°I was nning on going out for groceries and other things; do you want to tag along?¡± she asked, staring directly into my eyes.


    ¡°I think I will pass; I¡¯m just going to stay here and read.¡± I told her, I  wasn¡¯t really in the mood to go anywhere right now.


    ¡°Please, we will be back before you know it,¡± she says again, not willing to take ¡°no¡± for an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not in the mood to go out; maybe next time,¡± I replied sternly, and I felt bad for talking to her like that.


    ¡°You always spend time with Samantha, and we never get to spend time together. I guess you don¡¯t need me anymore.¡± Her eyes watered, making me feel even worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Zoey; you are my friend too. It¡¯s true that Samantha and I spend time together, but that¡¯s because you aren¡¯t always around, and when I ask you why, you say that it¡¯s because you¡¯re busy. You won¡¯t tell me. So I thought maybe you needed time to yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that I am not ready yet, but like I said, I promised to tell you when I feel like I can handle it.¡± She says this, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    ¡°okay.¡±


    ¡°So, would you go with me?¡± She sends me a sheepish smile. I sighed


    ¡°Sure, no problem; let me get change. I will meet you downstairs.¡± I told her, and she responded with a quick okay before going out of the library. I stood up from my seat, cing the book back where I found it, with a promise toe back tomorrow, and continue from where I left off.


    I walked to the door and out of it, going to my room to change out of the gown into blue jeans and a shirt. I packed my hair up into a ponytail, leaving a strain on each side of my face. I walked downstairs to the entrance of the house, where Zoey was waiting.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go; we are taking my car.¡± I stopped in my tracks, facing her with my brows raised.


    ¡°Sin won¡¯t like it; where is Mateo?¡± I asked, looking around the premises to see if I could spot him.


    ¡°Oh, he went to get something inside. Why don¡¯t we go ahead and have him meet us there?


    Was she even hearing herself? If Sin ever finds out I left the house unprotected, he will flip, and thest thing I want is for him to be mad at me.


    I shook my head, disagreeing with her. ¡°No, let¡¯s just wait.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Mani, it¡¯s going to get dark. We need to go so that we can get back early.¡±


    ¡°No, Zoey, let¡¯s wait till Mateoes out, or I¡¯m not going with you.¡± I told her sternly, this time not regretting it.


    I heard the door open, and Mateo stepped outside. ¡°We are taking one of Sin¡¯s cars.¡± I said to Zoey, leaving no room for arguments. She huffed but walked forward behind us as we walked to the car.


    I got in with Zoey beside me and Mateo at the front with one of the Sin¡¯s men. It was just like the day Samantha and I went shopping for dresses-there was one car in front of us and another at the back.


    The cars drove out of thepound in the direction of the grocery store, and I just trailed behind Zoey as she got the things she needed for the house. After she was done, she passed the bag to two of the men, and they took it from her to put it in the truck.


    ¡°Are we going home now?¡± I asked her, shuffling out a yawn.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, we are not; it has not been up to an hour since we got here,¡± she says, taking my hand in hers as she dragged me out of the grocery store to Starbucks, which was next to it. Mateo and two of Sin¡¯s men followed us in while the others waited outside, guiding us around the premises. I was already used to them being around me and was almost getting used to the stare.


    Zoey dragged us to a seat at the window, where we could see the perfect view of the outside. I took a seat and watched her walk to the counter to order us a drink or something.


    I looked around the ce, waiting for her toe back. She came back with our drinks and burgers, cing mine in front of me, and I sent her a quick thanks in appreciation as I unwrapped my burger and started eating. I didn¡¯t even realize I was this hungry.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, since we haven¡¯t been hanging out for some time? What have I missed?¡± Zoey said it in a chirping way.


    ¡°Well, nothing really.¡±


    ¡°Come on, it can¡¯t be nothing; I heard about Sin showing you off at the party that you followed him to,¡± she asked, taking a sip of her drink.


    A blush crept up my face-how did she know this? ¡°Yeah, you could say that.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I can see things are going great with him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± I told her, smiling along with her.


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t mad any more at the fact that he threatened you, kidnapped you, and took away your life.¡±


    I looked at her, surprised by her question. I thought she was happy for me. Her face looked like she was, but her tone and her words said otherwise. ¡°I know things between Niki and me started off bad, with the kidnapping and everything, but you told me he was a good person, and I believe you. Back then, when you told me, I didn¡¯t know if I should trust your words or not, but now I have seen the real Niki, and I am happy to be with him. ¡±


    ¡°So, what you are saying is that you fell in love with your kidnapper?¡± she asked again, her voice stern.


    ¡°Why do you sound like you aren¡¯t happy?¡± I questioned her, looking sceptically at her and trying to figure out her point.


    ¡°Of course I am happy for you,¡± Zoey says, smiling. ¡°I just want to know if what you feel is real or if it¡¯s lust. It is possible that your feelings may be clouded by lust. That¡¯s all, Mani; I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± She stretched her hands on the table to grab a hold of mine.


    I pulled my hand away, taking a big gulp of my drink, before replying, ¡°It¡¯s not lust, Zoey; I think I am mature enough to know if what I feel for him is either love or lust.¡± I told her this nkly.


    ¡°good. Does Sin feel the same way?¡±


    Why does it feel like she is interrogating me? She was the one who suggested I go out with her because we hardly spend time together anymore, and here she was interrogating me about my rtionship with Sin, trying to pick up one fault or another.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t said it yet; none of us have. But we don¡¯t need words to tell us how we feel about each other: ¡± My tone raised a little bit; I was getting tired of her negative feelings.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I just¡­¡± She started off, but I cut her off, tired of hearing anything negative she had to say.


    ¡°Can we go?¡± I asked her, getting up from my seat.


    ¡°Oh, but we aren¡¯t done eating,¡± she whined.


    I rolled my eyes at this: ¡°I lost my appetite and am tired; I just want to rest, so let¡¯s go, Zoey.¡± I walked out, not waiting for her, and got into the car. I looked out the window to see Zoey typing on her phone before getting into the car, and Mateo drove off back in the direction of the mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I pissed you off.¡± Zoey says beside me: ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt, Mani; I consider you my little sister.¡±


    I turned to her, giving her a little smile before replying. ¡°I understand, but you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t help it. I will always look out for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I told her, giving her hand a little squeeze before facing the direction of the window.


    We were close to the mansion, and I closed my eyes for just a little bit, trying to get rid of the dizziness I was feeling. That was until my eyes shut open at the sound of a gunshot, and panic rose through me.


    The gunshot continued, followed by the screech of the car. I lurched forward out of the car and ced my hand forward, trying to avoid the heavy impact on my head. I was pulled back by Zoey before I could crash into the car door. I looked in front of me at Mateo, who had an expression on his face that I had never seen. The man beside him in the front seat was not moving and had a bullet in his forehead. I pped my hands against my lips to stop myself from screaming out loud.


    What the hell is going on?

 SEVENTY THREE

    Mateo reached into his suit and pulled out a handgun, holding it at his side.


    ¡°Do not leave the car,¡± he says sternly to Zoey and me. ¡°Stay right here and put your head down.¡± He opened the car door, I took heed of his words, and Zoey and I kept our heads down.


    I kept hearing the sound of gunshots being fired repeatedly. I slowly turned to the window side to peep at what was going on. There seems to be a set of men shooting at Sins men; there were more than twenty of them.


    I find my eyes wandering to where the bullet holes were at the front of the car seat. There were three holes: two at the front and one at the back. My whole body was stiff when I realized the direction of the bullet hole.


    This time, I was the target.


    I know being shot before should make me less terrified, but it didn¡¯t. I was shaking in fear; they were so close. I could have died if not for the bullet that missed me by an inch. Who were these people?


    Could they be Sin¡¯s enemies, and they are trying to get to him by getting to me? Zoey took my hands in hers, trying to steady them as they continued to shake uncontrobly.


    I couldn¡¯t control how my heart raced in fear; just the thought of almost dying makes me pale and sickly. I began chanting a series of prayers in my mind, praying that the man above would listen to me.


    Mateo opened the door, jolting me from my thoughts. My eyes trailed down to the side of his waist, which he was holding with his right hand, and I saw blood. Panic rose in me. His gun was still secured in his hand.


    ¡°We need to get inside. Come on, follow me.¡± Zoey and I wasted no time and stepped out of the car. Sin¡¯s men covered us while we raced inside the house.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We are going to your room, Mani.¡± Mateo said, and we all moved in that direction. When we got in, Mateo slid through the walls of the room to the floor, grunting in pain.


    ¡°Lock the door!¡± Mateo spat the word with so much difficulty as another shot was heard from downstairs, making me tremble in fear as I stood up, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Lock the door now, Mani!¡± Mateo screamed out at me.


    I quickly ran to lock the door while Zoey assisted Mateo in standing up, supporting his weight on Zoey and the wall beside him. His bloody hands were fumbling with his phone before cing it on his ear while he was speaking to someone intensely in Italian.


    Bullets starteding through the windows, leaving the sses lying on the floor in pieces. Mateo took my hand, and I took Zoey¡¯s. We walked straight toward the walk-in closet. I was confused. I didn¡¯t know what he was doing, and I wasn¡¯t the only one; Zoey raised an eyebrow and asked me, but I just nodded my head in response.


    Mateo went to the table where Sin keeps his watches in the center of the room and opened the shelf. I didn¡¯t know what he did there, but the table was divided, and an iron door could be seen on the floor.


    I helped him pull it open since he was hurt, and we both hurriedly went down the stairs, revealing a passage. Mateo pressed a button by the side, closing everything up like it wasn¡¯t there.


    Soon, light will illuminate the way, showing us the way. We walked into what looked like a cave in silence for a minute before I saw another door with a fingerprint scanner at the side.


    ¡°ce your hand on it.¡± Mateo said. His right hand was covered in blood that had been continually dripping on the floor. But he didn¡¯t seem to mind, even when he grunted in pain and applied more pressure to it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my fingerprints are registered.¡± I told him, confused, wondering why my print was registered on the door when I didn¡¯t even know until a few minutes ago that this passage existed.


    ¡°Just trust me and do it,¡± he grunts out. I ced my fingers on the pad, not really expecting it to respond when it did. I walked inside with Mateo following behind, shutting the door.


    A dim light flickered, illuminating the whole room, and I noticed we were in some kind of cottage. My eyes quickly wandered around the room, taking in the view. Mateo sat on a couch, and Zoey sat on the floor beside him, looking at his wound.


    The ce was kind of dusty, showing that it hadn¡¯t been used for a while. But the ce looked great and marvelous; it had everything, from a kitchen to a bedroom and bathroom.


    Mateo grunted in pain, and I was immediately by his side.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± Zoey asked in horror, watching him press a knife to his side, trying to take out the bullet.


    ¡°What do you think, Zoey? I need this bullet out before it moves and goes down to my spine.¡± He grunts and lets out a strangled growl, his breath deep and slow.


    ¡°Let me help you.¡± I said, reaching for the knife, but he moved it out of my reach.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered firmly.


    ¡°You could get infected if I don¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You could hurt yourself with the knife, and I don¡¯t think I can handle Sin¡¯s wrath.¡±


    ¡°Quit being stubborn, Mateo, and let her help.¡± Zoey tries to reason with him.


    I rolled my eyes at this;


    he was the one hurt, yet he was worried and scared that I could hurt myself. ¡°Did you know I studied to be a doctor. I might not have started my residency yet, but I think I know how to handle a knife, so quit being stubborn and let me help.¡±


    ¡°Do you n on bleeding to death here, Mateo, or would you rather let Mani help you?¡± Zoey asked him, fed up with his stubbornness.


    Mateo looked at me and then at Zoey, probably debating with himself if it was the right choice to give me the knife or not. He grunts out in pain again before handing over the knife to me.


    I dropped it at the table beside him before running to the kitchen. Since the cottage looked stocked, I thought I could find a bottle of alcohol, and I did find a bottle of whisky, along with a small bowl. I told Zoey the things I needed, and we quickly hurried towards the room looking for them and something like a bandage but didn¡¯t see any; instead, we found a thread and a needle.


    Rushing back into the room, I put the knife and needle into the bowl, and Zoey helped pour some whiskey on top to disinfect it.


    ¡°Remove your shirt.¡±


    Mateo let out a smug look. ¡°Sin would be jealous if he heard what you just said.¡±


    I am baffled at how he could still manage to crack a joke right now. I stared at him, and he slowly removed his shirt, grunting when the cloth shed at his wounded flesh. I pulled the alcohol onto his wound, and he groaned, holding tightly to the side of the couch.


    I took out the knife from the bowl and made a little cut on the side of his body. I pulled on a finger to see if I could locate the bullet, which thankfully I did.


    It¡¯s a good thing it didn¡¯t go in too deep and hit any vital organs. I ce another finger; I was sessful enough to get hold of the bullet, while Mateo grunts in pain. I slowly pulled it out, not wanting it to slip from my fingers.


    I managed to bring it out safely before cing it on the table. I took out the needle and thread and fixed the thread on the needle, sewing him up. I torned his shirt into two, using it as a form of bandage. I wrapped it around his waist, not too tight.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s bearable,¡± he whispered.


    The silence was broken when the sound of Mateo¡¯s phone buzzing was heard. He immediately took it and started speaking in Italian. I stood up, taking the bowl and everything else to the bathroom.


    Zoey washed out the blood from the bowl and knife while I washed my hands with water before helping her put them back where we had taken them.


    ¡°We are staying here for the night till Sines,¡± Mateo emphasizes. I nodded my head, then walked to the other couch and took a seat.


    ¡°Go to sleep, both of you; you don¡¯t need to worry; everything is ok.¡± Mateo said. ¡°Sin won¡¯t be back till the early hours of the morning.¡±


    Iid on the spare couch and asked Zoey to take the bed in the room. Of course, she refused at first, but I told her not to worry because I was okay on the couch before she finally agreed to go to sleep in the room.


    The images of the outside filled with dead corpses struck my head, making me shiver. It was not a sight I ever wanted to see.


    ¡°You will be alright, so don¡¯t worry. Sin would have my head if anything happened to you. So just go to sleep.¡± Mateo mutters.


    I let out a yawn, and my eyes shot closed, wanting to end the nightmare of the day.

 SEVENTY FOUR

    I was awakened again when I felt the cool breeze on my skin. I opened my eyes slowly, and the first thing that caught my eye was Sin. He looked forward, walking. His hands wrapped around me, and my head was on his chest. I shiver a little when the cool breeze brushes me, and my hand, in its own ord, immediately clutches his shirt, squeezing closer to his warmth.


    Sin looked down, a strain of hair falling down his face, his eyes staring at me, his pace slow, before looking back up and speeding forward.


    I craned my neck to the other side to see Luca walking in front with no sign of Mateo.


    ¡°Where are Mateo and Zoey?¡± I asked. Sin didn¡¯t bother replying, as he kept on walking. ¡°Where are Mateo and Zoey, Niki?¡± I asked again; my voice was irritated.


    ¡°Luca is with Zoey, so go back to sleep, Amore,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°And Mateo, what about him?¡± Is he okay? Did something bad happen to him when I slept off?¡± I asked, this time worried that something bad must have happened to him.


    Sin let out a sigh, clearly frustrated at my will not to give up. ¡°He is doing fine; you saved him. So don¡¯t worry about anything and just go to sleep.¡±


    The breeze became cold, making Sin pull me closer to his body and walk faster than before. His sleek ck car came into view when we approached the lonely road. One of his men opened the door, and Sin slipped in with me, but Luca took a different car, and I watched from the window as he gently ced Zoey in the front seat of the car before getting into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Sin said it again, staring down at me on hisp.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± I whined. He hummed in response and pulled me into his body.


    Wrapping my arms around his neck, I ced my head in the crook of his neck. I felt safe in his arms. Sin rxed above me, and I felt him kiss my head.


    The car stops in front of a warehouse, with huge, scary men surrounding the premises. They bow to Sin, whose hand holds mine, and we walk in.


    Taking the stairs, we reached the second floor, which had rooms. Zoey was ced in the other room. Sin unlocked thest door and motioned for me to get inside.


    ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t open the door unless it¡¯s me or Luca,¡± Sin ordered. ¡°I have my men watching around the building,¡± he said, making an attempt to leave, but I held tightly onto his shirt, holding him back.


    ¡°Were there any casualties?¡± I asked, praying for him to say no.


    ¡°Two of my men are in the hospital,¡± he stated, ¡°and I lost three, Victoria included.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡­ Victoria is dead.¡± I stuttered out, shocked.


    ¡°Yes, amore. She had been shot in the chest and didn¡¯t make it.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about this information.


    Victoria and I might not have been the best of friends, but I would have never wished her such tragedy. Hearing about her death made my heart clench tightly.


    ¡°I need to go now, amore.¡±


    ¡± Okay. Please be safe.¡± He took a step inside and pulled me by my neck before cing his lips on mine for a short kiss. He then turned around and started walking away with Luca in the same direction we came from. I locked the door and walked to the couch, sitting on it with my head down, still trying to wrap my head around the news about Victoria.

 SEVENTY FIVE

    Sin¡¯s pov.


    The party had gone great despite the little hup we encountered, and I was able to show them who the new Donna of the Violenta mafia family was.


    Waking up with Mani in my arms was amazing, but then I had to leave even when I didn¡¯t want to because I had a situation to handle. I could only wait until after breakfast before stepping out.


    Getting into my car, I mmed my door shut, infuriated at leaving Mani alone, but I had to deal with a bunch of idiots who couldn¡¯t deal with a shipment alone. What the hell was I paying them for?


    ¡°Give me details, Carlos, and it better be worth my time if you have to pull me out of my home.¡± I growled at Carlos through my phone, which was connected to the car.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When he called, he was interrupting my time with Mani. I knew she was about to say something serious. I know my men, and they know I hate being disturbed by irrelevant things. Despite their sometimesckingpetence, they have never dragged me into something useless. It was very important.


    And that pissed me off more because now I have a problem to deal with.


    ¡°Since then, one of our cocaine shipments has been intercepted again at the dock. We managed to subdue one of the men, but the others either escaped or got killed.¡± Carlos responded.


    I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw. I took a deep breath, trying to control myself. I can already feel the headache. ¡°Who do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the Romanovs; whoever is doing this is trying to make it look like they were involved.¡±


    I had the same suspicion too. It might be true that we didn¡¯t get along and Giovanni Romanov came to New York, but I had a talk with him, and it showed they had no idea what was going on.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill whoever this person is,¡± she mumbled.


    Within an hour and a half, I was able to reach the dock. I got out of the car and tried to handle everything as fast as I could so that I could get back home to Mani.


    ¡°I followed Carlos to where they were keeping the man. We entered the warehouse, and I was met with the metallic smell of blood. It filled the air. I looked to my right to see a pile of ten dead bodies packed on top of each other, and beside them were gunsid out on the ground. In the center of the room was a bruised and bloodied man, kneeling on the hard concrete floor, surrounded by six of my men.


    I walked over to the man, bending down to his level, and he looked up at me; the fear was evident in his eyes. His face was beaten beyond recognition.


    ¡°Why did you and your men try to steal from me?¡± I asked, and my hand grabbed his hair. He looked no older than neen.


    He gritted his teeth before looking the other way, avoiding any eye contact with me.


    ¡°I believe I asked a question, and I expect an answer,¡± I whispered loud enough for him to hear.


    ¡°Go to hell; you¡¯re just wasting your time. If you think I¡¯m going to snitch and tell you anything,¡± He spit at me. I¡¯m surprised by his French ent. This was one more reason to rule out the Romanovs; they only deal with the Russians.


    My brain racked through trying to figure out who was calling the shots, but I came up nk. I had no idea who was pulling this kind of game, or maybe they were small gangs like thest one, but still, how were they maybe getting information and everything? It alles down to one thing, as Luca and I concluded. There was a traitor within, and I am so damn sure it was someone close.


    ¡°Who is your leader?¡± I asked the boy, trying to get more insight into what was happening. The kid was really stubborn; I admire his loyalty, but this really wasn¡¯t the time for that. The more he refuses to speak, the more time is wasted before I can get back home to the embrace of Mani.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this; Carlos handles it. If he doesn¡¯t talk for the next hour, you know what to do. I said this to Carlos while looking at the little kid. I could see the tense expression on his face.


    ¡°I¡­.. you. ¡± He was stuttering, but it soon changed into a smirk. ¡°I think you should be the one scared,¡± he said. I raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he meant.


    My hold on his hair tightens. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°I heard about your little queen that has you wrapped around her little finger,¡± he smirked. ¡°Too bad she is going to die and you aren¡¯t there to save her.¡±


    Inded a hard punch on his face repeatedly. How dearly does he threaten my queen? How freaking dare he? I was snapped out of my rage by the sound of my phone ringing. I looked at the screen to see Mateo calling.


    I swiped the answer, bringing the phone to my ear. ¡°yes. ¡±


    ¡°Sin, casa ¨¨ sotto atto. Credo che stessero prendendo di mira Mani. Riesco a porta al sicuro ne tua stanza,¡± he grunts out in pain.


    I was furious; I needed to get home soon. ¡°Port ne stanza antipanico, sai dov¡¯¨¨. Le impronte digitali di Mani sono gi¨¤ registrate.¡±


    ¡°Ok, portera en salvo,¡± he says before ending the call.


    I brought out my gun, not washing it for a second. I shot him in the forehead. ¡°Take care of the body; it reeks.¡± I got out of the warehouse and raced to my car. I drove as fast as I could before telling Luca to meet me at the house.


    ????????


    Trantions


    ¡°Sin, casa ¨¨ sotto atto. Credo che stessero prendendo di mira Mani. Riesco a porta al sicuro ne tua stanza ¨C Sin, the house is under attack. I believe they were targeting Mani. I managed to get her safe inside your room.


    port ne stanza antipanico, sai dov¡¯¨¨. Le impronte digitali di Mani sono gi¨¤ registrate ¨C take her to the panic room, you know where it is. Mani¡¯s finger prints is registered already.


    ok porter¨° in salvo ¨C okay I will get her to safety

 SEVENTY SIX

    Normani POV.


    I hope something like what happenedst night never happens again. I know I had to get used to Sin¡¯s life, but the thought of getting killed was terrifying, especially since it was the second time I was being shot at.


    I didn¡¯t realize when I fell asleep while waiting for Sin to get back to the warehouse. I was woken by the sound of someone knocking at the door, but I stilly on the bed, staring directly at the door, not saying a word-not after what happened at the mansion.


    Sin specifically told me not to open the door if it was him or Lucia, which I n on doing. I waited for a minute, and the knocking stopped. I let out a sigh. I took my phone out to check the time and saw it was six in the morning.


    I hope everything is alright and Sin isn¡¯t hurt. I thought of texting him but decided against it. My eyes shot shut, wanting to get some sleep, when I heard the sound of a knock at the door. I hurriedly stood and looked for something to defend myself in case it was someone dangerous. I unplugged the nightmp beside the bed, holding it tightly as I stood staring at the door.


    ¡°Amore¡±. A deep voice said something on the other side of the door. Letting out a quick breath, I ced themp back on the table before walking towards the door to open it.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why didn¡¯t youe back? Where did you go? What happened?¡± I asked all at once as my eyes scanned his body.


    Sin pulled me in for a hug, and we stayed like that for some time in each other¡¯s embrace before pulling away.


    ¡°One at a time. I should be the one asking you those questions, after everything you went through yesterday.¡±


    We walked back into the room and sat on the bed. ¡°Do you know who attacked our home?¡±


    His lips paused in a frown. ¡°I still haven¡¯t found the culprit behind the attack, but I¡¯m certain that whoever this person is, he is definitely behind the attack at the restaurant. Like a coward, hiding behind those wanna-be gangsters, but don¡¯t worry your pretty head about it; I will take care of it,¡± he replied, pulling me close to him as wey on the bed. ¡°And I¡¯m proud of you, Amore.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡± I asked, surprised at his words. I don¡¯t think I have done anything for him to be proud of.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, removing a strain of my hair from my face. ¡°You haven¡¯t tried to escape from me; you treated Mateo¡¯s wounds so well. Our personal doctor was impressed, and above all, you listened to my words about not opening the door if it wasn¡¯t Luca or me.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    My eyes widened. ¡°How did you know? Were you the one knocking at the door the first time?¡±


    ¡°No, I sent one of my men to get you. Let¡¯s just say I was trying to test you.¡±


    I was a little bit disappointed if he sent his man up just to test me for those who didn¡¯t trust me.


    ¡°No pouting, love; it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. I just wanted to make sure you would listen in case something like this happened. I need you to be safe.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Sin replied, cing a kiss on my forehead and then getting up from the bed. I raised an eyebrow as a way of asking where he was going when he just got here.


    ¡°I still have some things to settle,¡± he rifies. ¡°I want you to know that we will be leaving for Italy today.¡±


    ¡± Italy.¡± I was confused.


    ¡°I need to handle some things there, and it¡¯s not safe here until I get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered, unsure. I have never been to Italy, and I was excited to see the country, but I didn¡¯t want to leave like that, not after what happened. ¡°Do we have to go today?¡±


    ¡± Yes.¡± Sin answered, taking in my reaction with a confused look. ¡°Is there a problem?


    ¡°I just thought we should hold a burial rite for¡­¡± I choked on my words as the memory of yesterday clouded my mind. They all deserve a befitting burial, especially Victoria, since she has no other rtives.


    Sin was able to understand what I meant, and he sighs. ¡°We leave tomorrow, then. I will get Luca to make an arrangement, and after the burial tomorrow morning, we leave for Italy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered, pecking his cheek.


    Samantha is here; she brought some clothes and other essentials. ¡°Stay in the room till shees.¡±


    He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, and not even a minuteter, Samantha came busting in.


    ¡°Hey Mani, Are you okay? I heard about what happened,¡± she rushed out,ing to sit beside me.


    ¡°I am okay. Mateo was able to get me and Zoey to a secured ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing; I am so d that both of you are safe,¡± she said.


    ¡°Have you seen Zoey yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have; she is a little bit shaken up like you, but I know she will be okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank God,¡± I silently whispered to myself.


    ¡°Sin asked me to get you some clothes,¡± she says, dropping a duffle bag on the floor. ¡°I also got you breakfast since I know you haven¡¯t had the chance to eat anything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sam; I owe you one.¡± I told her I really appreciated her presence right now.


    ¡°I will leave you to get ready,¡± she said before getting up and leaving the room. I need to check up on Zoey myself. Like Samantha had said, I wasn¡¯t the only one shaken up by what transpired a few hours ago.


    I knew for a fact that the news would no doubt have reached Uncle Carson, so I sent him a text to let him know that I was unharmed, getting a quick response from him like he had been holding onto his phone. After assuring him that I was indeed fine, I stood up from the bed to freshen up, then put on the white n gown that Samantha bought for me with ck sandals and walked out of the room.

 SEVENTY SEVEN

    The atmosphere of my room when I woke up was gloomy, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I was hunted by the memories of what happened a few days ago.


    I wore one of my ck gowns with my ck heel and packed my hair in a high bun to get the hair out of my face. I didn¡¯t use the mascara and eyeliner because I knew I was going to be doing a lot of crying today, so I just applied a little lip gloss, grabbed my purse that contained my phone, and walked out of my room.


    Sin was talking on his phone when I got to him, oblivious to my presence. His outfit matched mine, as he was dressed in a ck suit and trousers, a ck shirt, and a ck tie, paired with a pair of ck shoes that looked like they were just seeing the light of day for the first time ever.


    He was talking furiously, and from what I heard, it had to do with what happened at the mansion, but as soon as he turned and saw me, he smiled, and my heart melted at the sight of it.


    ¡°Make sure the securities are heightened. Do the necessary rounds. We leave by six.¡± He said it in a dangerous voice, which only made him look hotter.


    ¡°Amore,¡± he said as he walked up to me to ce a kiss on my forehead.


    Is everything okay? I asked as I looked up at him.


    ¡°Just settling something.¡± He said. ¡°Did you pack everything you need?¡± I nod in response, and he smiles.


    He grabbed a hold of my hand, and we made our way out of the warehouse and towards the car, where one of his men stood, holding the door open for us, and I thanked him with a smile.


    As we neared the church, my mood suddenly became gloomy again, and I guess Sin noticed because he was quick to put his arms around me, and I settled into his embrace.


    We got to the church just as the service was about to start, and after exchanging pleasantries with Luca, Zoey, Samantha, and Uncle Carson, we settled down.


    It was a small service, with few people, since we didn¡¯t want to draw the attention of the public. We just wanted to do something for the men who had lost their lives, so it was just me, Sin, his few trusted men, and Uncle Carson.


    The burial service was over, and the dead wereid to rest. The people around us said their final goodbyes and were already leaving.


    ¡°Mani, dear, how are you?¡± Uncle Carson asked me with a smile, and I was quick to return it.


    Sin pecked the side of my head before walking away, giving us privacy to talk.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will be okay in a few days, but I¡¯m still a bit shaken up,¡± I answered, running my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°It is understandable, and that is why I don¡¯t want this life for you, but if despite what happened you still want to be with him, then you need to be strong because Sin has a lot of enemies who won¡¯t think twice to hurt you if it means getting to him,¡± he said softly, the sadness eminent in his eyes.


    ¡°It is terrifying knowing that, and I can¡¯t help but feel that what happened was because of me. They were targeting me, and those who died were causalities and wouldn¡¯t have died if they had gotten me.¡± I cried, thinking about Victoria.


    ¡°That is absolutely bullshit, Mani.¡± Uncle snapped. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault; you had absolutely nothing to do with this, so don¡¯t even think of going on a guilt trip.¡± he says, pulling me into his embrace. ¡°What happened was unfortunate but inevitable. Not with the line of work, and right now, I might sound selfish, but I¡¯m just grateful it¡¯s not you and your deeply buried ground. God knows, I won¡¯t be able to face your parents when we do meet in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Cars¡­¡± I choked on my sob.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, let it out.¡± Those were the only words he had to say for the tears to start pouring out of my eyes. I held onto him tightly as I sobbed my heart out.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long we stood for, but I pulled away when I finally managed to stop myself from crying.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I heard you are leaving for Italy.¡± He asked, wiping the tears from my face, and I nodded in response, not trusting my voice. ¡°Do take care of yourself, and make sure to text or call me to let me know you are doing okay.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I replied, hugging him again.


    ????


    Those ipetent fools had failed. In taking


    her out, she has once again escaped death, but not for long. Sin might think taking her to Italy will keep her safe, but he¡¯s about to realize what a big mistake that was.


    At least I finally got rid of the other bitch; I was getting fucking tired of her whining.


    She had thought she would get the chance to


    betray me first, not even realizing what was about to happen to her. She has been so easy to use without realizing I was partially to me for her brother¡¯s death.


    After all, I was the one who instigated his altercation with Sin¡¯s little whore.


    A darkugh filled the room.

 SEVENTY EIGHT

    Here I was on the Violenta private jet, sitting next to Sin¡¯s empty seat. I took a deep breath. The air hostess hade to ask if I needed anything. I smiled thankfully at her before responding.


    ¡°I would like a ss of orange juice and some diced fruit.¡±


    After the meal, I fell asleep and was woken up by Sin¡¯s lips on my neck. I tried pushing him away to get more sleep.


    Why exactly was he trying to bring me out of my beauty rest!.


    He should let me sleep some more.


    ¡°Niki, no¡±. I said this as I continued to sleep.


    ¡°Come on, amore,¡± he says, nuzzling my neck. ¡°You need to wake up; we are here already.¡±


    I slowly opened my eyes, yawning and stretching my body a little bit. ¡°Are we in Italy?¡±


    He chuckled, handing me a scarf and a shade. ¡°Sei cosi adorabile, amore mio.¡±


    I looked at the scarf and shade puzzle, then looked back at him. He took it from me, wrapping the scarf around my neck to cover my face and putting the sunsses on me.


    He took my hands in his, and we raised ourselves from our seats, walking out of the ne with Zoey, Luca, Samantha, Jason, and some of Sin¡¯s men trailing behind. Mateo included.


    There were paparazzi around the premises. I guess Zoey was telling the truth; Sin¡¯s family must be really influential. Cameras kept going off as reporters swamped the ce, trying to get to Sin. They were all stopped by Sin¡¯s men.


    I watched in awe; this was the true Niki Vinte, the powerful king of Italy, but what I couldn¡¯t understand was the reason for his anger. Were we still in danger here in Italy? He kept on shouting at someone on his phone in Italian; some of the words I understood because Zoey was teaching me thenguage, but there are words I still find difficult to say or understand.


    I sat there in the car, waiting for Sin, as he continued to speak on the phone. It¡¯s been up to an hour, and I wasn¡¯t alone in the car since the driver¡¯s and passenger¡¯s seats at the front were upied by two of Sin¡¯s men.


    I wanted to ask what was going on, but Sin entered the car after his long call. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing more than just sorting out security,¡± I huffed. He never tells me anything.


    He looked at me, swearing in Italian. ¡°Come here, Mani.¡±


    He looked dangerous, but I knew he wasn¡¯t going to hurt me, so Iplied with his demand and went closer to him. He grabbed my waist and pulled me up into hisp, his head resting against my neck.


    ¡°You always manage to calm me down.¡± cing my hands at the back of his head, I moved my hand teasingly, ying with a strain of his hair.


    ¡°I am d I can help calm you down.¡±


    He kissed my shoulder before whispering into my ear. ¡°I know something we could do that can help calm me down even more.¡±


    A blush crept up my face, and I softly hit his shoulder, saying, ¡°Not here, Niki.¡±


    He growled and kissed my neck, inhaling my scent, saying, ¡°If I wanted to fuck you here, I can, and no one will stop me.¡±


    I clenched my thighs together as an image crossed my mind. God! I must be really sick if I am getting turned on by the idea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want anyone looking at what is mine or hearing your sweet moan.¡±


    ¡°So where are we staying?¡± I wanted to know if we would be staying at a hotel or at his family¡¯s house.


    ¡°My ce is soundproof,¡± he smirked devilishly, enjoying the way my face blushed at his crude words.


    I let out a chuckle, swatting his chest hard. ¡°Can you quit thinking about sex for one second?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t when I¡¯m with you, especially if you keep on moving your pretty ass like that.¡± At his words, I sat still. I was trying my best not to move, and heughed at this.


    ¡°Will your family be there?¡± I asked because I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready to meet any of his family yet, even more so if I looked like I just came out of a wormhole. I needed to freshen up and look presentable before seeing anyone in his family. First impressions matter.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t meet them today.¡± He responded, and I let out a relieved breath.


    ¡°When will I get to meet them?¡± I wanted to know so that I could prepare and try to get rid of any nerves, even though I doubt it will work.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we will be going over for dinner,¡± Sin said.


    ¡°Okay, I can do that.¡± Sin pecked my lips, and his hand raised to cup my cheek.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay; I am sure my family will love you.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°really¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am, and you can worry about that tomorrow. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I answered, looking out the window and being amazed by the view. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    He kept on stroking my hair, saying, ¡°Venice, it¡¯s about a two-hour ride, so you can rest.¡±


    I tried moving away from hisp to sit back on the car seat, but he used his hands to hold me down by my waist. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a two-hour drive, Niki; you¡¯re not seriously nning on carrying me in yourp during this journey,¡± I said, trying to get up, but he held me down.


    ¡°Do you see meining?¡± Sin asked, and I shook my head in response.


    ¡± but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­ go to sleep. I will wake you up when we get there.¡± He cooed, patting my back like a baby, and I let out a yawn, resting my head on his chest, and drifted off to sleep.

 SEVENTY NINE

    When I woke up again, I found Sin staring at me. I wasn¡¯t even startled because this wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d woken up to him staring at me. I looked out the car window and was awed.


    This house, or mansion, was way bigger than his house in New York. It had French windows and doors, along with a huge parking space. Although it was already 6:30 p. m., I was still able to see the beauty of the ce. I got out of the car along with Sin and his men.


    There was light surrounding the premises of the building, and the weather felt a little bit warm here in Venice. The house was extremely beautiful. I thought the one in New York was better, but this one literally tops it.


    I smiled and turned to him. ¡°I must say, your ce is magnificent.¡±


    He smiled at my words. ¡°Wait till you see the inside; it will leave you breathless.¡±


    The door suddenly opened, and Zoey, along with a young girl, came into view.


    ¡°Wee, sir and ma¡¯am.¡± The girl greeted Sin, and I stepped inside.


    I walked with Sin through the stairs and entered one of the bedrooms with a dark theme, designed in mostly ck and gray. It was obvious whom this room belonged to.


    ¡°Your room looks amazing but a little dark,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s our room now, so you are free to change it however you like.¡± He shrugged, taking off his suit jacket. ¡°You should shower before we have dinner,¡± Sin said, cing a kiss on my forehead.


    I nodded my head in agreement with what he said. I do need a shower or a warm, rxing bath. I entered the room to which he directed me. I took a warm bath, which helped rx my aching muscles, while reminding myself to text Vicky, her parents, and my aunt Sera.


    I stepped out of the golden Jacuzzi, toweled, and wore a spear bathrobe before walking out of the bathroom. Sin was nowhere in sight; he probably went to freshen up in a spare bathroom. I gently picked up my suitcase, which contained the things Zoey had gotten for me. I ced the suitcase on the bed, opening it. I took out some sweatpants and a baggy shirt from Sin¡¯s clothes and put them on.


    I blow-dried my hair and packed it up in a ponytail, then I tried to remember the way. I opened the door and walked down the stairs. I couldn¡¯t help but hear voices as I got down thest flight of stairs. I heard whispers and was able to recognize the voices as Sin, Luca, and Jason.


    ¡°Hey Mani,¡± Samantha said, waving a hand at me. I waved back at her and looked at Sin, receiving a wink from him. I walked towards the table and took a seat next to him for dinner. I saw an average-sized womaning with food, followed by a younger maid that was about my age, and they both had a friendly smile on their faces as they walked to the table. The woman ced the food on the table, looking at me curiously.


    ¡°Figlio mio, non mi presenterai a be signora anto a te?¡± The woman asked Sin as she spoke in Italian, and I was able to understand some of what she said.


    ¡°Mi dispiace tata. Queste ¨¨ Normani, mia ragazza e l¡¯unica donna che amo a parte te, mia madre e mia sore.¡± Sin answered. ¡°Mani, this is Sarah. My nanny when I was growing up, and the second woman I consider a mother.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Wee, Normani; you are so beautiful,¡± Sarahplimented.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, smiling at her.


    ¡°My dear nanny Sarah, I can¡¯t believe you forgot about me, your favorite kid; I am hurt,¡± Luca whined, cing his hand on his chest to feign being hurt.


    Sin rolled his eyes at this but let out a smirk as a way of taunting Luca. Sometimes he and Luca behave like little kids, regardless of their ages.


    Sarah turned to Luca, shaking her head. ¡°This boy! So dramatic.¡± This earned augh from everyone around the table except for Luca, who had a pout on his face. ¡°Come potrei mai dimenticare il mio polo rasker?¡±


    ¡°Non sono pi¨´ p Sarah. Sono un uomo adulto ora.¡±


    ¡°Davvero, ¨¨ difficile da dire con il modo in cui tiporti,¡± Sarah said, making Luca pout even more.


    She walked to him, cing a motherly kiss on his forehead, and Luca¡¯s face transformed into a full-blown smile. He stuck out his tongue at Sin, who, on the other hand, had a big scowl on his face as he gave Luca the middle finger.


    Iughed at the way they were behaving; it shows how important Sarah is to them. After moving past Luca, she weed the rest of the people at the table.


    ¡°Enjoy your dinner.¡± Dinner was served, and Sarah went back to the kitchen, declining the offer from Sin to join us. saying she had other things to do in the kitchen.


    Dinner went smoothly. Sin, Luca, and Jason chatted among themselves. throwing jokes around and flipping each other off.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    They looked so free, and this is the first time I have ever seen them so rxed. I turned toward Samantha, and we girls talked amongst ourselves as we ate. We tried bringing Zoey into the conversation, but her mind seemed far away. She had been quiet since we got to Italy; even when I asked if she was okay as usual, she said yes, but I knew something was bothering her, and it wasn¡¯t just about the problem she had with Sin¡¯s brother, Alexander.


    I didn¡¯t pressure her anymore; hopefully she would tell me what was wrong when she was ready. The rest of the dinner continued in this way. It had begun to be fun and lively.


    After dinner, Sin and I went back to the bedroom, tired and ready to sleep. I watched as he changed into his pajamas, admiring his sculptured body.


    ¡°It has just been an hour, and I am already starting to like it here,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s good; if you are up to it, we could tour the city, and I can show you the fun ce of Venice.¡± He says this while putting on his pajamas.


    I squealed at his words. ¡°I would love that,¡± I replied, smiling.


    Sin walked to the bed, his chest bare as heid on it. He pulled me close to his warm body, with the duvet secured on top of our bodies.


    ¡°What time are we going to your family¡¯s ce?¡± I asked, letting a yawn escape my lips.


    ¡°by six, which is thirty minutes early. My mom has this policy of everyone being early for dinner; that¡¯s why we always arrive thirty minutes early,¡± he exined, his face resting at the crook of my neck.


    ¡± Sin.?¡±


    ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± he asked as he stroked my hair, which was now dried.


    I raised my head to stare at him. ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to know. You know I hate when you call me Sin,¡± he whined, ying with the strain of my hair. Right now, he doesn¡¯t look like a mafia leader.


    I giggled at this. ¡°Why do others call you Sin and not me?¡±


    ¡°I love how my name sounds on your lips, especially when you moan my name.¡±


    My face turned scarlet red. ¡°Why do you want other people to call you Sin?¡±


    I didn¡¯t get a reply, and for a second, I thought he had fallen asleep. ¡± Niki¡±


    ¡°Sleep, amore; no more talking.¡± Who was I to argue?


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantions.


    ¡± figlio mio, non mi presenterai a be signora anto a te? ¨C my son won¡¯t you introduce me to the beautifuldy beside you


    Mi dispiace tata. ¨C Sorry nanny..


    Questa ¨¨ Normani, mia ragazza e l¡¯unica donna che amo a parte te, mia madre e mia sore -This is Normani, my girlfriend and the only woman i cherish apart from you, my mom and sister.


    Non sono pi¨´ p Sarah. Sono un uomo adulto ora. am not litte any more Sarah. ¨C Am a grown up man now.


    ¡°davvero, ¨¨ difficile da dire con il modo in cui tiporti- really, it¡¯s hard to tell with the way you behave.


    e potrei mai dimenticare il mio polo rasker. ¨C How could I ever forget you my little rascals.

 EIGHTY

    I woke up with the sunlight almost blinding me. I wasn¡¯t feeling good. I don¡¯t recall eating anything bad yesterday; maybest night¡¯s dinner didn¡¯t digest well because I definitely wasn¡¯t feeling good this morning. I turned around to look for Sin but found his side of the bed empty. I ced my hand on the side on which he was lying, and it felt cold.


    Checking my phone clock, I realized it¡¯s almost 9:30 a. m. I can¡¯t believe I overslept. I must be really tired. I tried sitting up from the bed, only to feel nauseated. I quickly got up and ran to the bathroom. After five minutes of dry heaving, I got up to brush my teeth, slouching and putting my entire weight on the sink. I felt weak and didn¡¯t have the energy to stand, so I opted for a bath instead of a shower.


    I stepped into the gigantic Jacuzzi andid down, resting my back with my eyes closed. I didn¡¯t know how long I stayed there, but after I felt the water turning cold, I stepped out and quickly toweled. I got dressed and fixed the bed before walking out of the room.


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with the ce since it was only yesterday that I got here, but I was sure I knew where the kitchen was, and I was starving. I walked in to find Sarah and the girls chatting, sitting, andughing away-well, Sarah, the young maid, and Samantha-but Zoey seemed to be more intense with her phone.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said in general to all of them, and they responded almost together with their own greetings.


    ¡°How are you, dear?¡± Sarah had a motherly smile on her face when she looked at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I made breakfast for you but wasn¡¯t sure when you would wake up, so I left it in the oven.¡± She walked over to where she kept my food, taking it out and cing it in front of me on the table.


    I took a seat and smiled at her in gratitude, then immediately started eating like I hadn¡¯t eaten in days.


    ¡°This is really great, Sarah.¡± I smiled and continued to eat. It tasted divine.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you love it.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Slow down, Mani; the food isn¡¯t running away. You are eating like you didn¡¯t have dinnerst night.¡±


    Samantha says, while they all look at me. As much as I would love to talk to them, the food is important. So instead, I look at them from under myshes and just grunt, going back to eating.


    ¡°I¡¯m just starving,¡± I say to Samantha.


    ¡°Are you okay? You kind of look pale.¡± This time it was Zoey who spoke; she looked concerned. The same expression everyone had while staring at me


    I nodded and mumbled. ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well all morning, that¡¯s all. I probably ate something bad or that didn¡¯t go well with my stomach. I¡¯m sure I will be fine before evening.¡± I tried to ease their concern, but they looked even more worried.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call the family doctor to check you out and see what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    I finished up my food, but Sarah won¡¯t allow me to do the dishes. Even when I tried to convince her that it was okay, she still refused, so I thanked her. Samantha and Zoey were whispering among themselves, and it seemed serious, seeing how Zoey¡¯s hands were clenched together.


    I was about to ask what was wrong when Sin walked inside the kitchen as if he were looking for me and sighed when his eyesnded on mine. He walks up to me with a smile on his face and kisses the top of my head.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay; I¡¯m still a little bit nauseous, but okay,¡± I reassured him. I didn¡¯t want him to be worried.


    ¡°Let me call the doctor, just to be sure.¡± Sin brought out his phone from his pocket, ready to dial and call their family doctor, but I stopped him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; you don¡¯t need to trouble anyone because of a minor nausea,¡± I tried reasoning with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem; we pay him to take care of anyone in the family; it¡¯s his job.¡± Sin counters, referring to the doctor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this; why don¡¯t we wait until tomorrow? If it persists, then you can call him.¡± I bargained. Sin scanned my face, trying to see if I was really okay or not. ¡± please¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m calling him if you aren¡¯t okay by tomorrow,¡± he says sternly, leaving no room for argument, and I nod in response.


    ¡°I will be in my office if you need me.¡± Sin¡¯s lipsnded on mine in a quick kiss before he walked away.


    I heard the cheering from the crowd; I totally forgot they were still here. They all had smiles on their faces, and Samantha was wiggling her eyebrows, making a blush creep up on my face.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked innocently, pretending not to know the reason for their teasing act.


    ¡°You have got him wrapped around your little finger; that man is so whipped,¡± Samanthamented, and the rest nodded in agreement.


    I blushed some more. ¡°I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°I have known Sin since he was a baby, and I have never seen him look at any girl the way he looks at you.¡± Sarah says, backing Samantha up.


    ¡°And how does he look at me?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°Like you are his world.¡± Sarah walks up to me, taking my hand in hers, and says, ¡°I¡¯m so d you are in Sin¡¯s life; he has really changed and he smiles more. I know being in the mafia familyes with a lot of danger, but I hope you never leave him.¡±


    I could see how much she cared for him; she really considered Sin her son, and that touched my heart. ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise,¡± she smiled, then pulled me in for a hug. tapping gently on my back before pulling away.


    ¡°I need to go back upstairs; I haven¡¯t arranged my things yet,¡± I say to them, trying to excuse myself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. Julianne can help you.¡± Samantha pointed to the young girl beside her.


    ¡°No, there is no need.¡± I quickly declined. I don¡¯t want to disturb their fun, and I also want to be alone. ¡°Besides, I need to find a dress for tonight.¡±


    ¡°I can help you if you aren¡¯tfortable with Julianne.¡± Samantha offered; she really is as stubborn as me.


    ¡°I can handle it myself; instead, why don¡¯t you show me around the house so that I can get familiar with things?¡± I said, directing my question to Julianne, which she dly epted.


    I gave them one final nod, then returned to my room. I sat here for quite some time, arranging my clothes while looking for what to wear. Sin clothes were already arranged, he didn¡¯t really have to carry much since he had clothes here before.


    After I was finally done, I went into the bathroom to wash my hands. Iid on the bed, going through my phone, but was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, ma¡¯am.¡± I heard a soft voice call out, and I slowly got out of bed, steadying myself so I wouldn¡¯t end up fainting. I opened the door, giving her a smile.


    ¡°Call me Mani, please.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Julianne says nervously.


    ¡°I insist.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mani,¡± she smiles. ¡°I came to give you the tour; I wasn¡¯t sure if you were done yet or not.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, it hasn¡¯t been long since I finished tidying up my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Would you like the tour now?¡± she asked meekly.


    ¡°Sure, sure.!¡±


    Julianne held my hand, dragging me from room to room, exining who they belonged to and the history of the house. She showed me the library because Zoey told her I loved reading, then the pool and garden in case I wanted to rx. I was also shown the theatre room, which was very big, and then Sin¡¯s study. It took an hour and thirty minutes to finally tour the whole house. making me hungry again.


    After lunch, I remained in the room. I took my phone and texted Stephanie. I still needed to ask Sin about the Luca guy that Stephanie was hanging out with. I replied to every message from Aunt Sara and Stephanie, before deciding to take a nap.

 EIGHTY ONE

    I was freshening up, getting ready for tonight¡¯s dinner. I really wanted to explore Italy, and I n on asking Sin to show me around tomorrow. We could go sightseeing and window shopping; it will be fun.


    I continued showering until I felt a strong hand grip my wet breast. I leaned back and smiled. ¡°Niki.¡±


    He ignored me and ced a kiss on my neck, then kissed my shoulder. ¡°I have missed your body,¡± he groaned as if he were in pain.


    ¡°Whose fault is it?¡± I teased him. He was the one who decided to spend his day strapped inside his office.


    He rolled his eyes yfully and whispered huskily. ¡°As much as I would love to take you right here and now, we need to get ready.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think we can squeeze in some time for this.¡± I ced my lips on his, and his mouth hungrily moved against mine. His tongue darted inside mine, exploring every inch of my mouth.


    My palm curled around his hardened member, slowly massaging it. He let out a grunt against my mouth, cupping my breast. I broke away from the kiss, getting on my knees as I swirled my tongue against the tip of his cock.


    He cursed under his breath, and I smirked to myself as I put hisrge member inside my mouth, sucking at it. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, thrusting his hips, and I gagged as his cock hit the back of my throat. My eyes watered while my teeth scraped against his member.


    He let out a series of curses, and his hot cum filled my mouth. I quickly swallowed it, letting him out of my mouth, standing on my wobbling leg but being able to steady myself against his muscr body.


    Sin wrapped his hand around my waist, and I rested my head on his shoulder, inhaling his intoxicating scent while the water fell down our bodies. We stayed in each other¡¯s embrace for a while before leaving the bathroom.


    I walked into the walk-in closet to do my makeup while Sin got ready. I did natural makeup; I didn¡¯t put any foundation on, but I put a little bronzer on my eyelids and cheekbones to give me the same color. My hair was straightened but a little bit curled at the tip.


    Putting on my dress, It looked absolutely beautiful; it was a ck dress that gummed to my body, aligning every single curve. I took a minute to look at myself. I felt beautiful and powerful.


    I put on the ne Sin gave me on my birthday. I confidently walked out of the room and downstairs. Sin walked away from Luca, who he was talking to. He was wearing a ck tuxedo with his shirt tucked in and a bow.


    Once I was on thest step, he met me and took my hand, kissing the back of it, his eyes never wavering from me. ¡°You look beautiful, my little temptress.¡± Heplimented me, and I blushed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, pecking his lips. ¡°Hi Luca!¡±


    ¡°Hi Mani, you look amazing. I hope you have a nice dinner,¡± he says.


    ¡± Thanks.¡± I smiled back at him.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Sin asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I wrapped my hand around his, and we walked out the front door to the car.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    We got from the house to the front, where the chauffeur was waiting for us in the limousine. Sin opened the back door for me, and I got in with him. There was already a driver at the front waiting for instructions.


    ¡°Dove, boss mafioso?¡± the driver asked.


    ¡°La vi de violenta!¡± Sin replied, and the driver drove out of thepound.


    A ball of anxiety filled me up. I didn¡¯t know what to expect, but I hoped they would like me. Sin held my hand in his through the ride while I tried to steady my breath.


    My palm was sweating like crazy in his big, warm hands. Sin gave my hand a little squeeze, trying to calm me down. He bows down, cing a tender kiss on my lips.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be worried; everything will be alright.¡± He stated in a loving, deep velvet voice, giving me aforting smile to ease my nerves.


    But it didn¡¯t stop the bile of nerves from forming in my throat. This was one of the powerful mafia families, and they are considered royals in Italy. I am anything but calm.


    Oh God.!, I think I¡¯m going to faint.


    Sin takes a step forward, pressing the doorbell. An old woman opened the door, looking shocked when she saw Sin standing in front of her. She bows her head down, afraid to say anything.


    ¡°Wee back, Mr. Violenta. Your family is waiting in the dining room.¡±


    Sin gave a curt nod, then led me inside his family¡¯s mansion. My eyeballs popped out of my eyes at the interior of the mansion. NO, castle. was unbelievable; it was like a dream.


    ¡°Mio figlio.¡± A woman said that as she walked closer to Sin, pulling him into a hug, she ced a kiss on each side of his face before pulling back. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes; she looked like a model.


    ¡°Mamma, it¡¯s good to see you. This is Normani, Mani, and this is my mom, Serena Violenta.¡± I brought my hand out for a handshake but was pulled into a hug, with her kissing both my cheeks in the same way she did for Sin.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Mani. Come take your ce; dinner is about to start.¡± His mother smiled, leading us inside the spacious dining room.


    In the middle of the room was a long table. You know those kinds of tables where there is a long distance at both ends of the table?


    Two figures were already sitting; I guess it was his brother and sister. Their heads turned to look at us when they noticed our presence.


    ¡°Brother,¡± the man who called out to Sin, had their moms¡¯ faces. They had the same hair and shape of face, but the one thing he and Sin had inmon was their dark orbs. Despite their looks, it was obvious they were brothers.


    ¡°Alexander. ¡± Sin said, and the two brothers hugged. Even with the distance, with Alexander here in Italy and Sin in New York, it¡¯s clear to see their brotherly love for each other.


    ¡°What about me? Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± The girl pouted, and both brothersughed.


    She had the same mesmerizing hair as Sin, but their eyes were not the same. She had the same eyes as their mother.


    ¡°Ovviamente non za¡± She jumped on Sins, clenching onto his body for a tight hug, then went back to her seat.


    ¡°Amore, this is Alexander, my younger brother, and Athena, my sister.¡± I had a smile on my face and gave a quick wave to Alexander, which he reciprocated. I did the same to Athena, but she bluntly ignored me like she didn¡¯t see me, and the smile dropped from my face.


    Sin takes out a seat for me, and I awkwardly sit down. Sin takes a seat next to me, cing his hand on my thigh and rubbing circles with his thumb on it.


    ¡°Are you really dating my brother, Mani?¡± Alexander¡¯s deep voice asked with seriousness.


    ¡°Yes. ¡± I responded truthfully, even though we hadn¡¯t really put anybel on our rtionship yet.


    ¡°Wee to the family,¡± he announced with a big smile on his face. I could see why Zoey fell for him; he was really handsome and jovial.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious why she¡¯s dating him. She just wants his money; you can¡¯t easily wee her,¡± Athena hissed, sending a re my way.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    ¡°dove boss mafioso. ¨C where to mafia boss


    vi de Violenta ¨C the Violenta mansion


    ¡°Mio figlio my son.


    ovviamente non za ¨C of course not pumpkin

 EIGHTY TWO

    My eyes snapped open, gazing at her with a nk face. I probably looked like I had seen a ghost.


    Why does she hate me? Does she really think I want to be in Sin¡¯s life for his money? That i was a gold digger.


    ¡°Ari,¡± Sin growls, ¡°I suggest you think carefully before saying another word to Mani.¡± His tone was calm, but I knew better that under that dangerously calm exterior was a storm brewing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you would think that way of me, but I¡¯m not like that.¡± I tried reasoning with her, but she seemed adamant and refused to believe it.


    ¡°Oh, really, why else would he keep you?. You must be good in bed; my brother must pay really well for you to still be here. After all, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, because of the money.¡± She smirked evilly.


    I give up. I¡¯m trying to be the mature one here, but she just has this notion that I want Sin¡¯s money. I don¡¯t want to say anything, or I might end up saying something extremely rude to her, which might escte the situation.


    Picking a fight would be unreasonable.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Sin growled out, mming his hand on the table. His voice beamed through the room, and everywhere went quiet. I could feel his rage radiating from him.


    Sin¡¯s fists were clenched tightly beside me, so tight that they were bing pale white. His hand was shaking; he was trying to control himself. I hurriedly put my hand in his, stopping him before he did something. His eyes met my pleading ones, and I could see he was fighting to control himself. I shook my head as a way of telling him not to do anything; he huffed butplied, even though he was still pissed. He sent a re at his sister, and she quivered in her seat.


    His face, which had a weing smile for his sister, was nowpletely nk while he looked at her with no emotions, and I felt like it was my fault for the sudden change of mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to look out for you. I hear..¡± Athena was cut short by her mother¡¯s voice, which was stern.


    ¡°Enough, zona; I didn¡¯t teach you to be disrespectful to a guest. Your brother hasn¡¯t been back for almost three years, and the first thing you do after seeing him again is pick a fight with the woman he likes.¡± She spoke out with an authoritative voice, making Athena huff in her seat, but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°I apologize for her unprofessional behavior and the way she talked to you, Mani.¡± Serena spoke out with sincerity. ¡°Let¡¯s have the food served.¡± In less than a second, maids came out and served each of us our food before bowing and walking away.


    The tray of food that wasid in front of me looked beyond delicious, and my tummy let out a low growl, wanting to get a taste of it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dig in,¡± Alexander announced, trying to ease away the tension and awkwardness of the room.


    Athena, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, picked up her fork, and started eating, asionally sending a death re my way.


    Alexander manages to take Sin¡¯s mind off things as they converse. He ced his hand back on my thigh, leaving it there while still talking to Alexander.


    ¡°So tell me, what do you do?¡± Serena spoke softly, looking at me with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Right now, nothing, but I¡¯m going to start my residency.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, you want to be a doctor?¡± She still had a warm look on her face.


    ¡± yes¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you started yet?¡± Serena questioned.


    ¡°Niki won¡¯t let me do anything; I¡¯m still trying to change his mind.¡± I replied casually while chewing on the steak.


    The sound of someone choking caught my attention, and I removed my focus from the food in front of me to look up. They were all staring. Serena, Alexander, and even Athena have their mouths agape, looking between Sin and me.


    Alexander was able to control himself and get his cough under control, while Sin rolled his eyes and continued eating, not minding their stunned expressions.


    ¡°He lets you call him by his name,¡± Serena eximed with surprise. She looked at Sin, then back at me.


    ¡± ummm. Yes¡±


    ¡°wow. ¡± Alexander and Serena mouthed in surprise, while Athena looked more pissed, and she continued to stab her food. I¡¯m sure she was imagining me as the meat.


    I don¡¯t get it; I wasn¡¯t dressed like a whore or said anything that would imply wanting Sin¡¯s money, and I wished she would give me a chance. I know she is just being protective of her brother, but I don¡¯t know what to do to warm my way into her heart.


    It seemed like everything I said just pissed her off. I knew Sin had told me his sister was bratty, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be this way.


    The conversation continued despite Athena¡¯s sour mood. I was having a great time talking to Serena and Alexander. We were speaking with each other andughing even when Sin joined in, letting go of his bad mood.


    I learned a lot about Serena and Alexander; they were both friendly and open. While I was speaking with Serena, Sin would asionally y with a strain of my hair, kissing the crown of my hair while chipping in on the conversation when he wanted to.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Athena suddenly said, catching everyone¡¯s attention. She had a smirk on her face. ¡°My bad, I forgot to mention that I invited a friend of mine, or should I say a close friend of Sin.¡±


    At that time, a familiar, high-pitched voice called out. ¡± Sin.¡±

 EIGHTY THREE

    Everyone turned their heads, and a tall figure walked into the room with a seductive smile on her face.


    I first took in her body features; it looked like her whole body was made out of stic. Her high-pitched voice chirped Sin¡¯s name so sweetly, making me want to puke.


    My eyes widened when I saw who it was, and I began to wonder what she was doing here and what her real rtionship with the Violenta family was.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± Luna said lusciously; the wordsing from her mouth were like honey dripping from her lips as she stared at Sin.


    ¡°Hey, Luna, it¡¯s so nice of you to join us.¡± Athena says, she had a victorious smirk on her face.


    ¡°Thanks, Ari; I was surprised when you called.¡± Luna adjusted her clothes; I don¡¯t know if she was pulling them down or pulling them up higher. showing off her tanned, shaved legs.


    She takes little steps to the table with the killer heels she has on. How was she even walking on that thing? I know I wear heels, but not heels that are this high. I was sure that if she took longer steps instead of little paces, she would probably face t on the floor.


    Coming to a halt in front of the long table, she takes a seat on an empty seat right next to Sin. From all the seats she could pick, why does it have to be near Sin? I felt aplex knot tangling in the pit of my stomach. It was like I felt my blood streaming through my veins and my heart pounding in my chest at a tremendous rate.


    She traced her long, manicured fingers across his bulky chest in the most seductive ways. She was like a predator chasing her favorite prey; she had a slight smirk ying in the angle of her red lips. Shepletely ignored my presence, as if I weren¡¯t there, sitting on the other side of Sin.


    There was tension in the air once again; it was awkward, at least for everyone except for Luna and Athena.


    ¡°Are you really just going to ignore me, Sin?¡± She whispered something enthralling but got no response from him; he didn¡¯t even look her way. It was because she was invincible. ¡°Come on, Sin Baby, I know we had our differences when we met in New York, but won¡¯t you at least wee your fianc¨¦?¡±


    And for a second, my whole world stopped right in front of me. Did she just call herself his fianc¨¦? I felt something shatter in me, breaking me down from the inside. My eyes widened in shock, and I shifted my head to look at Sin.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the joke; you aren¡¯t technically his fianc¨¦, Luna.¡± Alexander let out a nervousugh with clenched teeth, trying to warn her in good faith.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We all know this wasn¡¯t a joke; you don¡¯t need to lie, Alexander. It is best to let the truth out.¡± Athena spoke innocently, blinking her eyes rapidly with a sly smile. ¡°Right Sin.¡±


    All heads turned to see him, looking at him like hawks, or maybe I was just exaggerating. I was impatient and waiting for his answer.


    His posture was stiff, and his teeth were clenched, making his jaw tighten. He had a very tight grip on his table, almost breaking it into two pieces with all the force he put on it. His gaze was on the wall, ring a dagger through it.


    ¡°It was a long time ago, Luna. Whatever rtionship you and Sin had was long broken; let¡¯s move on from the past and just have a wonderful dinner.¡± Serena breaks the silence. I knew she was trying to clear up any doubt. She smiled at me, and I tried giving her a friendly smile, but I felt miserable.


    I don¡¯t know why the thought of Sin¡¯s past with Luna was troubling and didn¡¯t sit well with me, causing an ugly emotion to surface in me. Jealousy.


    Sin was a good-looking man; it¡¯s normal for him to have been with another woman in the past, just like what happened at the party in New York. I knew they were in the past, but still, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I was affected by this.

 EIGHTY FOUR

    Sin ced his hand on her, which was still resting on his chest. He looked at Luna before pushing her hand off his chest roughly, giving her a look like she was nothing but dirt on his shoes.


    ¡°Do not ever touch me again; I thought I made myself clear thest time we met.¡± He seethes dangerously, ring daggers at her. His gaze was terrifying and furious, but Luna didn¡¯t seem affected by his reaction. She sat there with an amusing smile on her face. There was no glimmer of fear to be found in that green eye of hers. If possible, she seems to be enjoying his reaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because you found a new toy,¡± she said with a devilish smirk, looking like a maniac. ¡°You can¡¯t really be serious with her.¡±


    ¡°Luna, things between us have been over for a long time, and that will never change,¡± Sin replied in a very deep, deadly tone. ¡°There is only one woman in my life, my queen, and that is Mani.¡± He turned to face me with a smile; my heart skipped a beat.


    Feeling the color rise up in my face, I knew he was sincere, and I knew Sin was never going to leave me for any other woman. I believed him, and like that, the wave of jealousy diminished.


    He ced a kiss on my cheek, making little sparkles erupt from my skin. He pulls my chair even closer to him before pulling me into hisp. His muscr arms slipped securely around my waist. A blush crept up on my face. Alexander and Serena had a smile on their faces as they looked at us lovingly, while Athena and Luna sent a death re my way at their failed n.


    After dinner, we hung out at the dining table. I was still on Sin¡¯sp since he wouldn¡¯t let me go. That was when I felt the pressure against my core, and I knew I couldn¡¯t hold it any longer or I might end up wetting myself, which would be very embarrassing and humiliating.


    I tried getting rid of Sin¡¯s hand around my waist, but he just tightened his hold, refusing to let go. ¡°Niki,¡± I whispered close to his ear, and he hummed. ¡°I need to use the bathroom, like, asap.¡±


    He looked at me before getting rid of his hand, and I quickly stood up. ¡°Please, I need to use the bathroom,¡± I asked. Serena opened her mouth to answer, but Sin beat her to it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Amore, let me take you there.¡± He was about to stand up, but I put my hand on his shoulders to hold him down.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; spend some time with your family. One of the maids can direct me,¡± I say as a maid walks me. I quickly left the dining room, trailing behind the young maid as she directed me to the bathroom.


    When I got inside, I quickly did my business and washed my hands, using a tissue to dry them. That was when the door pushed open, and I heard the sound of heels clicking until Luna came into view.


    She had a small smirk on her face, and her hand crossed over her chest as she stood there observing me. I turned around to finish drying up my hands before tossing the tissue into the dirt bin in the bathroom.


    I moved to leave the bathroom just for Luna to block my way, staring down at me with her model-like height.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°You know you are just another slut that he will do away with once he is done with you.¡±


    ¡°Preach to me something new.¡± I said it sarcastically. ¡°I can count the number of times I¡¯ve heard those words, and here I am, still by his side.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    She scoffs, ¡°He is going to end uping back to me because I¡¯m the only one who can satisfy him the way he wants,¡± she imed, a smirk still present in her face.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Keep waiting-maybe after a thousand years. I wish you luck.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are, uh?¡± Anger zed in her eyes.


    ¡°We have been through this, Luna. Are we going to keep going in circles? You keep embarrassing yourself, trying to get his attention, knowing he wants nothing to do with you. He bluntly ignored you, like you didn¡¯t matter. I guess you aren¡¯t doing that great in bed, If he keeps going after a slut like me like you imed,¡± I moved past her to walk to the door, only for her to drag me back harshly, and I almost lost my footing but was able to steady myself in time before hitting the ground.


    ¡°Stay away from Sin.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!.¡± I furrowed my brows.


    ¡°You heard me; Sin doesn¡¯t want you in his life. You don¡¯t matter to him, so back off and crawl back from whatever garbage bin you came from,¡± Luna threatened.


    I raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to say that again. If she thinks I am going to cower in fear, then she has somethinging for her. ¡°Obsession is a disease; instead of pinning over someone who clearly doesn¡¯t want you, quit deluding yourself and find someone else because sin will never be yours.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I would watch it if I were you; you have no clue what I am capable of. So if you know what is good for you, you will heed my warning while I¡¯m still ying nice to you,¡± she says while taking a step, walking closer to me, but I stayed rooted on my spot, meeting her eyes, and refusing to back down.


    I let out a light giggle, which caught her by surprise, and she looked at me like I was a deranged.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything funny here, bitch.¡± Luna sneered. I brought my manicured hand up to my face as I checked my nails, ignoring whatever word she was spitting out.


    What¡¯s with everyone acting like they know me? I wasn¡¯t the same Mani as before. I still prefer peace to violence, but that doesn¡¯t mean I back down when I¡¯m attacked. I raised my head, giving her the best re I could muster, and she cowered. I could see the fear in her eyes.


    I rolled my eyes before trying to leave for the third time, but her words stopped me in my tracks again. ¡°I guess you are just going to leave; after all, you are a coward and a freaking lunatic.¡±


    I turned and started walking toward her, inking slowly and  threatening steps just like Sin does when he wants to attack a prey, and it worked because with every step I took, Luna took a step back until her backnded on the wall. She might be an inch taller than me, but I was able to meet up with her.


    ¡°You have no clue what I can do.¡± I sneered at her. ¡°Next time, think twice before threatening me; I won¡¯t be so nice as I am now.¡± I said it using the same words she used against me before leaving.


    I walked out of the bathroom, mming the door shut. I turned the corner to get back to the dinner room but ended up hitting my head on a brick wall. I used my hand to numb the pain and took a step back. It wasn¡¯t a wall; it was Sin standing there, hands in his pocket, looking at me with an emotion I couldn¡¯t read.


    ¡°How long have you been standing here?¡± I asked; I wanted to know if he heard the conversation between Luna and me.


    ¡°Since Luna followed you to the bathroom,¡± he says, ¡°I didn¡¯t want her to cause you any harm, seeing how unstable she can be. I guess I was worried for nothing; now I know for a fact you don¡¯t need saving, and you are very capable of standing up for yourself.¡± He had a genuine smile on his face as his hand patted my head, and it felt so nice.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get out of here? This dinner has been hectic mostly for you,¡± he said, taking my hand in his, and we both walked with Sin leading the room in a different direction to what seemed like a rxing lounge.


    The rest of the family was talking amongst themselves, and it looked like Alexander and Serena were reprimanding Athena.


    ¡°We are leaving.¡± Sin stated,  giving a curt nod, dragging me out before anyone said anything. I heard footsteps trail behind me, and a hand touched my free one. I stop, making Sin stop as well. Serena came to stand in front of us.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you, Mani. I apologize about how dinner went.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize; irrespective of everything that happened, I had a great time,¡± I said to her. She smiled, pulling me into a hug, then moved to hug Sin as well. I waved at Alexander before following Sin out of the house.

 EIGHTY FIVE

    It¡¯s been two weeks since dinner with Sin¡¯s family and also two weeks since being in Italy. It was fun. The next day, after dinner, Sin toured me around the city. showing me his favorite ce and his school.


    We went to different restaurants and took a lot of pictures.


    Serena and I talked almost all the time on the phone, and she and I have gotten really close during these past weeks. She had evene to visit four days ago but didn¡¯t stay long, saying she was on her way out and dropping by to see how Sin and I were. We also made a promise to see each otherter in the week.


    I have been doing random stuff in the house since I¡¯m not allowed to leave without security, not after what happened in New York. On the other hand, Sin, as usual, has always been busy; when he is home, he spends most of his time in his office and the rest with me.


    Right now I am in the kitchen, making lunch for Sin and me. When I walked in and told Sarah, she bluntly refused, saying Sin wasn¡¯t going to like it if I cooked or did any housework. It took a lot more convincing; she was one stubborn woman, but she agreed to let me cook in the kitchen after we both argued for an hour.


    I know Italians like pasta, and that is what I n on making. On every date we have been on, Sin has always been the one in charge of it, and he has always made sure it was something i liked and enjoyed. I wanted to do something nice for him as well, because I know he deserves it.


    Sometimes I hang out mostly with Samantha and Zoey, or I help Sarah with dinner by setting the tables and other jobs she needs help with even though she doesn¡¯t want me to.


    I wore Sin¡¯s shirt. I love wearing his shirt to bed. My hair was tied up into a bun. I hummed softly as I stirred the pasta. After I divided the food between two tes, I wanted to cook something for Sin. I used the inte, which was able to help me, and I hope it tastes fine.


    I smiled at myself with pride and brought the te to the kitchen counter, neatly cing a ss of juice next to it. Then I nced up when I heard footsteps descending the stairs.


    ¡°Hey, how is your day going?¡± I asked merrily as he came toward me.


    ¡°Tiring,¡± he voiced out huskily. I could feel the warmth of his breath touch my cheek. We stand toe-to-toe and don¡¯t touch.


    ¡°What smells nice here?¡± I watched himzily lick his lips; I had to hold myself from kissing them. They are plump and moist, now wet with his touch.


    ¡°I made lunch.¡±


    Sin¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What is going on?¡± His eyes settled on the te of pasta on the kitchen counter. He moved to sit on the stool, eyeing the food suspiciously. ¡°Why did you cook? The maids could have done that,¡± he scolded.


    ¡°I wanted to be the one to prepare something nice for you.¡±


    ¡°I see that.¡± He stares at the pasta for a moment, then turns to look at me with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal; I always wanted to make something for you and decided to give it a try today.¡± I grin.


    He smiled, picked up a fork, and twirled the pasta around it before bringing it to his mouth. I stood beside him, waiting for his reaction, but he said nothing and just took a ss of juice.


    ¡°How is it?¡± I eagerly asked.


    He pulled me closer to him until I was trapped between his legs, his hand massaging my hair. I guess the food tasted great if I was getting this reaction from him.


    He brought his face close to my ear, and a grin was stered on my face. ¡°I really appreciate the gesture. But please never cook again; you suck at it,¡± he whispered softly.


    I pulled back, baffled. I took the fork he used to twirl the pasta before putting it in my mouth, and I ended up spitting it out.


    Okay, I agree, that was horrible.


    A pout formed on my face. I wanted to do something nice for him since I had never done anything for him. I sighed, dejected.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; it¡¯s not that bad.¡± He tried to console me, but I knew he was lying. I guess cooking really isn¡¯t just my thing.


    ¡°But I wanted to make something nice for you, and yet I failed at it.¡± A tear welled up in my eyes.


    ¡°Amore, per favore non piangere, mi si spezza il cuore vedere lecrime in quei tuoi bellissimi hi. Shhh, you don¡¯t need to cry,¡± he said, wiping the tears from my face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we order pizza and watch a movie at the theater?¡±


    I stopped crying when I looked at him with blurry eyes. Why was I so emotional? I¡¯ve been emotionaltely. ¡°okay. ¡±


    ¡°Good, why don¡¯t you go tidy up while I order the pizza?¡± I nodded my head and moved away from him, walking up the stairs to our room. I entered the bathroom, turning on the tap. I sshed water on my face, washing away the dried-up tears, then dried my face before heading to the theater room.


    Sin was already there, with a pizza box ced on the table and a jug of juice in two ss cups. He had a nket ced on the seat.


    A smile formed on my face, and I walked to him, taking a seat beside him. He turned on the TV, put it on Netflix, and asked for my opinion on what movie to watch before we settled on an action oredy movie. I took the nket off the seat and wrapped it around myself and Sin.


    We ate our pizza and drank the juice as we watched the movie. In the middle of the movie, Siny on the chair with his head on my legs and my hand on his hair as I yed with it. I continue to watch the movie in silence.


    After the movie ended, I looked down at Sin to find his eyes closed, and my stomach burst with butterflies to see how cute he looked asleep with his head on myp.


    ¡°Sin. ¡± I whispered, but he was in a deep sleep. I didn¡¯t want to wake him up by moving, so I just admired him. I scan over his peaceful face, looking at his longshes, his plump lips, and his smooth skin. I ran my hands again through his soft hair, and he groaned in his sleep with satisfaction. I closed my eyes and ended up falling asleep too.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 EIGHTY SIX

    ¡°I¡¯m so bored,¡± Iined to Mateo as he walked past the living room.


    He was getting better, though Sin refused to let him do anything heavy that could open his stitches, and that was after I grilled him not to let Mateo do anything. So right now, Mateo is stuck in the house with me. Samantha followed Luca and Sin out for business, while Zoey, as always, was AWOL, which brings me to now. I had nothing to do and wasn¡¯t in the mood to watch or read anything.


    ¡°Sin said you could use the pool.¡± Mateo replied. Oh yeah, the pool. I totally forgot that there was a pool in the house, but I guess it wasn¡¯t a bad idea. I could swim around and rx.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± I ran upstairs to put on my bikini and a loose dress and apply sunscreen to my body. I also grabbed a towel before running back downstairs. I stepped outside to the outdoor pool,


    I walked towards the water, throwing my towel on the seat. I took off my dress, revealing my bikini, and jumped into the water, diving down.


    The warm but cooling water made me squeal. I went deeper into the water before swimming back up. I swam around for a bit, enjoying the feel of the water against my skin. Iid back and let my skin absorb the sun, already feeling my body getting its required tan.


    ¡°Baby girl.¡± I turned to see Sin standing at the entrance to the pool; he was dressed in casual wear.


    ¡°You have toe into the water; it¡¯s so cool.¡± I sshed around in my own little bubble of joy. He made no attempt to move, and I got out of the water. His eyes shifted to my body. I decided to taunt him a little and slightly swing my hips as I walked to where he stood, hands crossed to his chest. His muscles were practically going to rip out of his tight shirt that was rolled up, showing off the beautiful tattoo on his arms.


    ¡± I believe my eyes are up here,¡± I said, waving my hand in front of his face, breaking him out of whatever spell he was in. ¡°You don¡¯t need to eye-fuck when you know you can easily have me,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± he yfully asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I answered, walking closer to him. A smirk formed on his face. We looked into each other¡¯s eyes for a few moments, and I got lost in his beautiful dark orbs. Our faces were already inches apart, but I wanted to get closer. Not being able to withstand the buildup anymore, I leaned forward, pressing my lips against his.


    He kissed me back, moving down to my neck and corbone. Sucking and biting, leaving hickeys. I moaned, tilting my head to the side, giving him more space, but it onlysted for a few seconds because his phone had to ring, disrupting the moment between us.


    He pulled away, clearly angry at being disturbed. Casting his gaze down to his phone, he epted the call and brought it to his ear.


    ¡°Questo ¨¨ meglio che sia buono.¡± I could hear a male voice from the other side, but I had no clue what he was saying.


    ¡°Sar li tra trenta minuti. Prepara tutto,¡± he ended the call.


    ¡°Devo andare p tentatrice. I promise to make it up to you,¡± he says before cing a kiss on my lips and walking out.


    I went back into the pool, trying to cool down the desire in me. I stayed for up to an hour, swimming around the pool. I got out and dried myself beforeying on the bench to get more tan on my skin. I picked up my phone from the table beside me, turned to my camera, and began taking pictures. I did a little bit of editing before posting them on my Instagram page, and immediately I started getting likes.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    My phone vibrated on my hand, alerting me to an iing call from Stephanie. I swiped up, answering the call.


    ¡°You look so sexy in that ck bikini!¡± she gushed out immediately.


    ¡°Thank you. How are you? Shouldn¡¯t you be in ss?¡±


    ¡°I am; I was going through my Instagram when I saw your post. I couldn¡¯t pass up the chance,¡± sheughed. ¡°Where exactly are you?¡±


    ¡°Italy.


    ¡°Lucky you.¡± It went silent for a while; it sounded like she was talking to someone else. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go; ss is about to start. Talk to youter.¡± She hung up without waiting for a reply.


    After the call, I didn¡¯t feel like tanning, and I didn¡¯t want to get back into the water, so I put the dress back on and headed upstairs to the bathroom to shower.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion.


    Per favore non piangere, mi si spezza il cuore vedere lecrime in queste tue bellissimi hi; please don¡¯t cry; it breaks my heart to see tears in those beautiful eyes of yours.


    Sar li tra trenta minuti. Prepara tutto. ¨C I will be there in thirty minutes. Get everything ready.


    Devo andare p tentatrice; you¡¯ve got to go little temptress.


    questo ¨¨ meglio che sia buono. This better be good.

 EIGHTY SEVEN

    It had been two days, and Sin wasn¡¯t back yet; he left the day after Luna came for some work outside but hadn¡¯t been back, nor had Luca. Sin, no matter how busy he was, always came back home to me, even if he had to stay outte to take care of business. I tried calling Luca and Sin, but it just went straight to their voicemail. I was really getting worried.


    Samantha kept telling me that Sin was capable of taking care of himself and that he was probably busy. But that did nothing to stop the ball of nerves in my throat as fear gripped my heart at the thought of something bad happening to him. I checked the time on the rm clock beside the bed to see it was 9:30 p. m., but I couldn¡¯t go to sleep due to anxiety and worry. I picked up my phone to call Sin and Luca again, but it went to their voicemail like it had for the past two days.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I sat on the bed, staring into nothingness, hoping for him toe back home. I didn¡¯t realize I fell asleep waiting for him until I woke up. I turned on my phone to check the time and saw it was 2:00 in the morning.


    I yawned and turned around when I heard a hiss of pain, and there he was, standing close to the bathroom door. His hand held his chest, and his shirt was soaked in blood. He looked like he was in so much pain. That was when I realized that he had been shot!


    I hurriedly jumped out of bed and rushed to him as I held back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. It hurt to see him in pain, especially in a sight like this; that was how much I loved him.


    I tried really hard to hold back the tears, but I couldn¡¯t, and a sob escaped my lips. I used my hand to cover my mouth, trying to get myself under control. I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Niki,¡± I called out to him, but he didn¡¯t answer. I took a step closer to where he stood, and he took a step back, hiding in the dark.


    ¡°Niki, I just want to help. I can¡¯t stand seeing you hurt, please. I don¡¯t know what I would do if you ended up dying; I don¡¯t want to lose you too.¡± I swallowed hard as I remembered the painful scene of my parents¡¯ deaths. When I was called into the principal¡¯s office during ss, I thought I had done something wrong because I had never been to the principal¡¯s office before or even been given detention. But when I got there, I knew it was about something else with the look she had on her face.


    It was a look of pity, and my world came crashing down when I was informed about their deaths. A drunken driver hit them, and they died on impact.


    It was as if I were reliving the feeling I had, seeing him like this-hurt. Fear ran through me, and I tried to shake it off. I looked at Sin and let out a series of hups.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Niki.¡± That caught his attention, and he stepped forward from the darkness. I let out a gasp at how bloody his shirt was; he was barely able to stand.


    I quickly walked towards him, holding onto him to support his weight. I took him inside the bathroom, closed the toilet seat, and helped him sit on it. He let out a series of curses in Italian while I searched through the cab for a first-aid kit. I was able to see one, and I kept it on the floor beside him. Then i walked out of the room and ran downstairs to get a bottle of alcohol before running back upstairs and back inside the bathroom.


    I washed my arms, then I took out a cotton ball, held it with a tong, and soaked it in alcohol.


    ¡°Just so you know, this is going to hurt,¡± I said, then put the cotton on his fresh, red wounds.


    ¡°Amore, you need to pour the alcohol on my wound.¡± He said.


    I looked at him, my eyes asking if he was sure, because that would hurt him more. He gave me a nod, telling me to go ahead. I took a deep breath, picked the bottle up from the ground, and poured it on his world.


    He threw his head back and hissed in pain, ¡°Fanculo.¡± He gritted his teeth, then rxed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry; I told you it would hurt.¡± I waited for a moment. I took the tweezer and looked at him. He looked so peaceful, staring at me, but I kept all my focus and concentration on removing the bullet from his stomach. Thankfully, it looked like it didn¡¯t hit any vital organs.


    After sessfully removing the bullet, I took the needle and thread and carefully stitched him up. I picked up the bandage, dipped it in the water, and rolled it around his toned abs. I finished and looked at it to see that it was okay. I let out a sigh. I washed the blood off my hands and disposed of his shirt. I gathered all the medical equipment, put it back in the kit, and ced it back in the cab.


    I moved towards him to check on the bandage to see if everything was okay, but I shivered when I felt his hand between my knees, going up to my inner thigh. Was this man really right in the head? Who in their right mind thinks of sex at this particr moment?


    Only he, Mani, and my subconsciousughed at me as I tightened my legs to prevent his hand from exploring further up. shaking my head. ¡°No, Niki, you are hurt, and you need rest.¡±


    ¡°amore.¡± I shook my head with tears in my eyes. How can he be nonchnt about this? He could have died today.


    Everything came rushing back in, and I couldn¡¯t control myself. I let out a loud sob, crying like I was a baby standing in front of him as he sat on the toilet seat. I covered my mouth to stop the sob from being heard, but it was no use. I looked at the ceiling, crying my eyes out. I felt Sin¡¯s hand p against mine, and he pulled me closer to him. His head rested on my tummy as he listened to me cry, his hands wrapping around my waist. My chest went up and down with hups and cries.


    ¡°sshh, amore. I¡¯m sorry to have scared you. Non piangere di nuovo bambino, ti prego perdonami.¡± He hugged me tightly. I ced my hand on his head, stroking his hair.


    ¡°Mi dispiace bambina, non posso sopportare di vederti piangere. I promise to be careful and not get hurt.¡± He said, his tone sounded broken but sincere.


    ¡°Promise?¡± I asked, looking down at him while he raised his head on my tummy to look up at me.


    ¡°I promise, amore,¡± he said, kissing my tummy before resting his head on it again. I stroked his hair, bending to kiss his head. I used my other hand to clean up my tears.


    I helped him up from the seat, and we walked back into the room. I gently ced him on the bed, heading to the door when I heard a knock. Opening it to see Luca standing on the other side with a man not older than forty. He had a briefcase in his hand and a stethoscope on his neck. I stepped away to let them in, and the doctor walked over to him.


    ¡°How did he get hurt?¡± I asked Luca, who was standing beside me.


    ¡°We had to go to one of his clubs on the outskirts of the city, and we were ambushed unexpectedly. We had no idea how they found our location.¡±


    I wanted to ask more questions but was cut off by the doctor¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Who treated his wounds?¡± The man asked. I stepped forward, wondering if I had made any mistakes.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked sceptically.


    ¡°No, everything is okay. You did a marvellous job with the stitches. I¡¯m just going to give you pain relief medicine to give to him once he wakes up.¡± The man opened the briefcase he was carrying and pulled out a bottle of pills, handing them to me.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really do anything; you handled it all well.¡± He sent me a smile and walked out of the room.


    ¡°Thanks, Mani, for taking care of him.¡± Luca said so as well and walked out, closing the door behind him. I walked to the other side of the bed andid on it, watching him as he slept like a baby. Slowly, my eyes closed, and I drifted off to sleep.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    Non piangere di nuovo bambino, ti prego perdonami. Don¡¯t cry again, baby girl; please forgive me.


    Mi dispiace bambina, non posso sopportare di vederti piangere. I¡¯m sorry, baby girl; I can¡¯t bear to see you cry.

 EIGHTY EIGHT

    It was already the next day, and I was in the bedroom, nervously twirling my fingers like a madwoman. Sin was in his office, and even when I asked him to rest and take the day off, he refused. He said the meeting was important and could not be shifted. So i asked him to let the doctor be there with them, and that was hours ago. It was already getting close to afternoon, and they were still in there.


    I decided to check up on him myself; if it¡¯s just a little nce to see if he¡¯s okay, that¡¯s enough for me. I went downstairs towards his office and gave a light knock on the door. Many thoughts swirled around my head.


    I didn¡¯t know when the door was opened and jumped in shock when I heard a deep voice say, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Sticking my head in first. I saw the number of men that were there; some I was familiar with, and some I had no idea who they were. I was about to close the door, not having the confidence to step inside the room, when Sin¡¯s raspy voice broke the silence.


    ¡°Come here, bambina.¡± I pushed the door open, entering inside. I swallowed hard as I walked towards him; I was able to make out Mateo and Jason¡¯s faces amidst therge numbers of men here. Mateo had a smile on his face, while Jason had a re on his, which was directed at me.


    I guess some things never change.


    At the back of Sin stood Luca, since he was his right-hand man, making him second inmand. He was smiling at me, and the doctor stood on the other side of Sin with his briefcase.


    My legs carried me nervously despite my hard state, but I refused to show how affected I was by the presence of the scary-looking men. I raised my head and shoulders high and walked towards Sin.


    I reached his table and stood a good distance away from him. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my gown, which looked shorter than ever. Was this dress always this short? I pondered.


    ¡°Closer bambina¡±. He practically ordered, pointing to where he was sitting. I took a deep breath and went closer to where he was. Luca had a teasing smirk on his face as he watched me.


    When I got closer to him, he pulled me down on hisp, and I tried to get up because I didn¡¯t want to open up his stitches. He put his hand on my waist, holding me down tightly. making sure I wasn¡¯t able to escape from his hold.


    ¡°Siete tutti licenziati, sar io a upparmi personalmente del tizio nel seminterrato,¡± all the men chorus ¡°yes¡± and leave.


    ¡°You should let me go, or you would end up opening your stitches.¡± I say to him:


    He shook his head, refusing to let go. ¡°I¡¯m okay, amore.¡±


    ¡°You scared me really bad.¡± I whispered


    ¡°I know.¡± That was all he said. I wrapped my hand around his neck, and we stayed like this in each other¡¯s embrace.


    ???


    It was dayster. Samantha and I were having breakfast. Sin¡¯s wounds were already healed, and things were back to the way they were before.From N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha and I were having a conversation while we ate. That was when Sin came in, all dressed up in his ck Amarni suit. Since we came to Italy, he has been very busy, going out more anding backte, or he is trapped in his office going through some documents, but I don¡¯tin because he always makes time for me, despite his very hectic schedules.


    ¡°Sin, join us for breakfast!¡± Samantha beamed at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Sam; I¡¯m going to bete.¡± I let out a quiet sigh. Samantha looked at me and then lightly nudged my shoulders.


    ¡°Come on, Niki, just have breakfast. You haven¡¯t been eating welltely. Please. ¡± I pleaded with him.


    His gaze shifted from me to his watch, then back to me, and he let out a curse. He took a seat on the counter stool, sitting beside me. ¡°I can never say no to you, bambina.¡±


    I stood up to pour a cup of brewed ck coffee into a mug and pushed it to his front, then took two pieces of waffles and put them on a te in front of him. I went back to my seat beside him and took a seat.


    ¡°So Sin, Zoey and I wanted to take Mani shopping today.¡± Samantha said, smiling at him.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered sternly as he ate his food.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep her here all day doing, alone and bored.¡± Samantha tried to reason with him.


    I must admit, I was tired of staying indoors all day doing absolutely nothing. I wanted to work, make other friends, and live a normal life with him.


    ¡°Niki, I can¡¯t stay indoors all day, its bing draining.¡± I covered hisrge hand with my small ones, trying to change his mind.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s dangerous, Amore,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Will I keep on living looking behind my back without doing the things I love? I can¡¯t do that; I can¡¯t be scared all the time, Niki.¡±


    ¡°Amore,¡± he started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°Please, we won¡¯t take long, I promise.¡± I smiled at him, hoping this would work.


    ¡°Fine, Mateo would be going with you, along with double security.¡± It was more of amand, and I just nodded, suppressing my squeal. He kissed my cheek and then walked out of the kitchen.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    siete tutti licenziati, io upo personalmente del tizio nel seminterrato. You¡¯re all dismissed; I will be the one to personally handle the guy in the basement.

 EIGHTY NINE

    When Sin was a good distance away, Samantha and I let out a squeal, jumping and pping hands with each other.


    ¡°Okay, I will go tell Zoey while you get ready.¡± She suggested it, then ran up the stairs to Zoey¡¯s room.


    I went up to the room to change intofortable blue jeans with an off-shoulder ck top. We got into the car with Mateo at the front and Samantha, Zoey, and I sitting at the back. Four cars followed us-two in front of us and two behind us. When we got to the mall, we moved to different stores as we tried on different clothes, shoes, bags, and other things.


    Right now, I am sitting on the sofa while Zoey and Samantha tried on different dresses; I had already gotten the things I needed, but the other girls couldn¡¯t decide on what they wanted.


    I had also gotten a new thong, and I couldn¡¯t wait to show it to Sin. I smiled when I imagined his face and reaction when he saw the sets of thongs. I smiled, and I saw someone in the corner of my eye who looked to have been following us since we got into the mall. He was dressed in a ck shirt and trousers with a cap on his head, which helped hide his face, making it hard to identify his look.


    I knew for sure that he was watching us. I could feel it. After what happened at Sin¡¯s house in New York and how Mateo got shot and I almost got killed, you could say my senses had be sharpened. I turned to look at the girls; they were chatting among themselves, so I turned my gaze back to the mysterious man but didn¡¯t find him there.


    It was like I imagined everything, but I knew better than to think that. I was sure he was somewhere else, watching us.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Mani?¡± Mateo asked, following my nce to look in the same direction the man was.


    ¡°Yes, Mat.¡± I replied, smiling at him. I stood up from the sofa and followed Zoey and Samantha to the cashier, and they paid for their clothes. I was craving ice cream, so I asked Mateo if we could stop for one before heading back home. Mateo wasn¡¯t a fan of the idea but had no other option but to stop for ice cream like I requested.


    We went into a small ice cream parlor, and I took a seat with Zoey beside me and Samantha opposite me. Mateo and the rest of the men sat two seats away from us, ordering absolutely nothing.


    ¡°I can never get tired of shopping.¡± Samantha gushed, scooping a ball of vani ice cream into her mouth.


    ¡°Me too.¡± Zoey backed her up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you guys do it, but shopping is very stressful. Well, at least to me.¡± I whined, not agreeing with them.


    I looked out the window to see the man again from across the street. He had a phone in his ear and was talking to someone on the other end of the line. Pretending to be so immense with the call.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best we go.¡± I say to the girls, standing up.


    ¡°why. I¡¯m not done with my ice cream yet.¡± Zoeyins. I ignored her and walked out of the door with Mateo and the men following after me. I got into the car alone with Samantha. The door swings open, and Zoey enters grumpily. I looked back across the street where I saw him standing, and he was still there, not so discreetly staring at us. I let out a sigh when the car pulled out of the parking lot of the ice cream parlour and headed in the direction of the mansion.


    ????


    I was curled up in a position like a foetus, enjoying the feel of the cold sheet on my body. My eyes were slowly closing up, and I wanted to fall asleep again, when all of a sudden I heard a knock at the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said in a croaked voice.


    The door swung open, and a young girl in a maid¡¯s uniform walked in. She gave a slight bow with her head before speaking.


    ¡°Good afternoon, ma¡¯am. I would like to know if you want your lunch to be brought up to your room,¡± she asked in a very gentle tone.


    At the mention of food, my stomach grumbles even more. I was really hungry.


    ¡°Yes, I would like that; thanks,¡± I responded.


    ¡°I will bring it right up, ma¡¯am.¡± She says so, slightly bowing her head again, then walking out.


    I stood up from the bed, stretched my body, and sighed in contentment. I walked into the bathroom to tidy up. I wasn¡¯t showering, but I brushed my teeth. There was no way I was eating anything without brushing; that would just be gross.


    After I was done, I walked back out at the same time the maid stepped in; she had a tray of food in her arms. I jumped back on the bed, putting the tray on myp. In front of me was homemade pasta; the smell was inviting, and I already had an idea who made it.


    ¡°Thank Sarah for me.¡± I said this to the maid as she walked out of the room. I picked up my fork, inhaling the wonderful aroma before I dug in. I had a bite of the delicious, cheesy pasta, and I moaned. It tasted really amazing.


    Sarah really was a great cook.


    I was enjoying my lunch when the door opened, and Sin came in looking casual. I looked in his direction and gave him a smile, which he reciprocated. He walked towards the bed, taking a seat. I studied his facial expression and noticed he looked pissed.


    And voicing my thoughts, I asked ¡°What is it?¡± He raised his dark eyes to mine, and I nearly gasped at the intensity of them. They were dark and dangerous, and they pinned me to the bed. I stared back deeply into his eyes, not blinking. His wide-ranging eyes shed with mine as I waited for him to respond.


    ¡°I had interrogated the man who shot me.¡± He says trying to control his anger. ¡°I¡¯m just pissed by what he said. That¡¯s all, bambina.¡±


    I nodded in understanding, picking up my fork. The pasta was getting cold, and I knew he wasn¡¯t going to tell me more about it since he wanted to keep me out of the mafia¡¯s business, so I didn¡¯t ask any further questions. I wanted to finish the pasta so I could spend time watching my favorite soap opera. I went to lift the fork up to my mouth when a long finger wrapped around the te.


    I raised an eyebrow at Sin, but was weed with a devilish smirk on his face as he attempted to pull the tray to himself. I wasn¡¯t going to let him have my food, so I held on tightly to the te, and the grip on the fork tightened as well.


    ¡°Get your own; this one is mine.¡± I told him, narrowing my eyes at him. I had no intention of sharing my food with anyone.


    An amused look crossed his face. ¡°I want this one, bambina.¡± Sin said, moving the tray for my leg. I put the pasta on the fork and quickly put it in my mouth, then moved to take the te from his grasp.


    ¡°This one is mine,¡± I answered stubbornly.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, which makes it mine as well.¡± His lips stretched into a slight grin, and his eyes twinkled with pride.


    My breath cut into my throat at how devilishly handsome he looked right now. When I finally managed to register his words in my mind, a blush rose on my cheeks, and my hold on the tray ttened. He pulled the traypletely out of my grasp and took the fork in my other hand before cing the tray on hisp. I looked at him in surprise, and he winked, twirling the fork around the pasta and bringing it up to his mouth. I just sat there, baffled, as he continued to eat my lunch.


    After he was done, he ced the tray on the table, pressing a bell I had no idea existed at the side of the bed. Not two secondster, the young maid who had served me my lunch knocked beforeing in after Sin¡¯smand. He pointed to the tray and said something to her, but I wasn¡¯t listening.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The maid nodded, taking the tray along with her as she walked outside. Sin, on the other hand, was looking at my reaction with an amusing glint in his eyes. He walked towards me, kissed my forehead, and then walked to enter the bathroom.


    Did I just lose my lunch?


    I couldn¡¯t even be sad at that because he made it up to me. I had no idea what he told the maid, but she walked in thirty minutester with two boxes of pizza, chips, and ice cream.


    Who was I toin?

 NINETY

    ¡°Come in,¡± I said when I heard a knock on the door. I was sitting on the bed watching Netflix on TV, my attention turns to the door when I hear it creaks open slowly.


    ¡°Ie bearing food.¡± Samantha said, raising the tray of food up. ¡°breakfast.¡±


    I let out augh. I could have easily gone down for breakfast, but I appreciated her gesture. I stood up from the bed and went to sit on the couch since there was a table at the center of it. Samantha walked towards me, cing the tray on the table, and then took a seat beside me.


    ¡°I hope you are hungry,¡± she says as I stare at therge dish of pancakes and sausage on the side.


    ¡°I would have gone down for breakfast; you didn¡¯t have to stress yourself.¡± I say to her:


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I don¡¯t want to eat in the kitchen or the dining room or eat alone in my room. So, in a way, I¡¯m using you to keep mepany.¡± She replied with a grin on her face.


    I breathe in the wonderful aroma of the meal, and my mouth is salivating. I looked at the other side of the tray to see a different te of pancakes with a banana-vored topping dripping from the top to the bottom. She takes a bite of her pancakes, her eyes focused on the TV in front of her. I ate my food, but the smell of banana from Samantha¡¯s te didn¡¯t sit well with me. ¡°Are you okay? You look pale,¡± she asked.


    My stomach was rumbling weirdly. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± I directed my eyes to my food and tried to take another bite, but the smell was so prominent that I felt my stomach begin to churn.


    ¡°Are you seriously eating pancakes with banana toppings?¡± I was puzzled.


    ¡°Yeah, I  like it. I saw the video of someone trying this on YouTube, and it actually tasted great to me.¡± Samantha replied, putting more pancakes in her mouth.


    I tried not to put my attention on the smell while I ate my food slowly. I kept my gaze straight to the TV and kept repeating in my mind, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± but I made a mistake of looking at it on top of her te, and the next thing I know, I find myself hunched over the toilet, letting out my guts.


    ¡°Mani. ¡± I hear Samantha call out, followed by the sound of her hurried footsteps. I feel her soft, gentle hand pull my hair out, away from my face, and behind my back in one swift movement as I continue to hurl.


    I flushed the toilet and sat back, resting my back against the wall with a thud. ¡°Ugh, I feel like crap.¡±¡± I groan.


    Samantha sat next to me and said, ¡°You may have a stomach bug.¡±


    I nodded my head in agreement: ¡°Maybe I ate something expired or rotten that was identally used when preparing meals yesterday.¡± I suggest, I use my hand to rub the nausea building up in my stomach.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she says almost dismissively. ¡°But you also vomited thest time and refused to see a doctor,¡± she points out, pointing out what happened weeks ago in the kitchen and how I was pestered to see a doctor, and I told Sin if it continued, then I would see a doctor, but didn¡¯t.  It was just a simple stomach bug.


    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± I asked her, trying to understand what she was getting at.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± She says this, facing me.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I answered, feeling uneasy.


    ¡°When was yourst period?¡± was the first thing she asked, and i looked confused before answering.


    ¡°The week before we went to the dinner party,¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked, and I nodded my head, wondering where she was headed.


    She mumbled to herself before speaking again. ¡°Have you been taking birth control pills with the way you and Sin get at it?¡±


    ¡°yes¡­.. I got a new one just recently.¡±


    ¡°And does he wear condoms?¡± she asked, as calm and collective as possible.


    On the other hand, I could feel my heart beat ten times faster than before. ¡°No, that¡¯s the reason for birth control,¡± I whispered.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Taking a deep breath, she stood up, and I followed, standing up as well. We both walked back into the room.


    ¡°Give me a sec; I need to get something from my room.¡± She dashed out of the room before I could say anything, and I just stood there, confused.


    I heard footsteps of someoneing, and a secondter, Samantha walked in again with her hands filled with white and blue sticks.


    She walked towards me, pushing her hand up to give the sticks to me. ¡°Go into the bathroom.¡±


    I took the sticks from her and examined it; my eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant, Samantha; I already told you I had my periodst month.¡± I let go of the test kit and watched them drop, hitting the ground in a rattle.


    Samantha sighed and picked up the test again. ¡°Just go check first; that¡¯s the only way we would know if you¡¯re pregnant or not, Mani,¡± she says with pleading eyes.


    I half-mindedly took the test from her hand and then made my way back inside the bathroom. I locked the door and tossed the sticks on the counter, not caring if they got broken or not. I recall the time Stephanie had asked me this same question; she was so sure that I was pregnant. I felt my hands shake on their own ord. What if she was right?


    What if Stephanie and Samantha were right and I was pregnant? I let out a shaky breath.


    Before reaching for the sticks, I wiped my sweaty palms on my shirt and tried to calm my nerves. I took the stick and peed on five of them. When I was done, I set the stick back on the counter. Then take a seat at the toilet seat, waiting for the set time.


    My eyes were set on the clock on my phone; 15 minutes was all I needed to know how my life was going to turn out.


    5 minutes passed.


    10 minutes passed.

 NINETY ONE

    The timer rang, alerting my trembling body as I forced myself to stand up from the toilet seat. I reached out to the counter and grabbed the test stick with my sweaty palms, which were now sweatier than before.


    ¡°Please, please, please, please.¡± I murmured softly to myself at this very moment as I turned the sticks around to see the results.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± I whispered as I felt the hotness in my eyes grow with every second that passed, staring at the test.


    Two lines!.


    I was pregnant. I didn¡¯t know what to feel-should I be happy, sad, or even worried? I couldn¡¯t move; my hand subconsciously raised to grab my stomach. I was pregnant. I thought again.


    Was I ready to have a child, especially right now with the kind of business Sin was into? Was it right to bring a child into a world like this? I pondered.


    I heard the sound of someone knocking repeatedly on the bathroom door and knew it was Samantha since she was the only one here with me.


    ¡°Mani, is everything alright in there? What was the result? ¡± She asked all at once, and I noticed a hint of worry in her voice due to myck of response. I took a deep, shaken breath, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were red, and my cheeks were puffy.


    How did I miss all the signs? I should have known.


    When Stephanie told me, I shouldn¡¯t have turned down her words. I turned on the tap, using my hands to take the water, then sshed it on my face. I did this four times, washing the tears from my eyes.


    ¡°Mani, answer me or I¡¯m barging in if you don¡¯t say anything.¡± She spoke sternly, and I knew she meant every word.


    I cleaned my face with a towel, took the sticks from the counter, and moved to open the door.


    Samantha was standing just a few feet apart, her hand raised up, ready to bang on the door. She took in my red eyes and puffy cheeks, her facial expressions calming. I walked past her to sit on the bed.


    ¡°So I take it, you are pregnant.¡± She asked,ing to sit beside me. I gave her the sticks for her to check herself. She took it from my hand, looking down at it, and a grin graced her face.


    The grin was washed off when she looked at my face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy about this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Sam; a part of me is happy and another is worried. Thetter dominates the first. ¡± I say to her, my hands ced on my tummy, rubbing it softly.


    ¡°I get that you are worried; I guess that should be a normal reaction. You¡¯re still young and haven¡¯t started your life yet, not to talk about the mafia stuff.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Samantha, would this be the right time to bring a baby into all this mess?¡±


    She looked at me, worried. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you are thinking of aborting this baby.¡±


    I gasped, shocked at her words. ¡°What? No way, never. I know it wasn¡¯t nned for, but this is my child, and I would be damned if I let anything happen to him or her.¡±


    She let out a breath of relief, and a smile formed on her face. She put her hand on mine, which was ced securely on my tummy.


    ¡°See, you are already protective of him or her. You are going to be a great mom, Mani, and you aren¡¯t doing this alone. I know Sin will be with you every step of the way. ¡±


    ¡°you think. What if he isn¡¯t ready to be a father, or what if he has no ns to have a child? We have never really talked about it, and I don¡¯t know what his reaction would be. ¡± My voice quavered. I didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    ¡°I know he would love and cherish this child; it¡¯s his child after all,¡± she says, pulling me into a side hug.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And besides, you have me as well. I will always be there every step of the way, so I better be the godmother. Okay¡± She teases, and we both let out augh.


    I pretend to think about it, making her nudge my shoulders, and weugh again.


    ¡°Thanks, Samantha; I don¡¯t know what I would do without you. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem, girls,¡± she says, waving my words off.


    ¡°How are you going to tell Sin?¡±


    ¡°about that.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to hold off from telling him for now.


    ¡°what. Why..?¡± she voiced out in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s just for a few days; I will tell him, but just not now.¡±


    ¡°Mani, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a wise decision. If Sin finds out, he will be really pissed that you didn¡¯t tell him the moment you took the test. ¡± she said, emphasizing more on the word pissed.


    ¡°Please, Samantha,¡± I say in a pleading voice.


    ¡°Fine, but you need to tell him before the end of this week. I let out a smile, nodding my head.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Samantha. I just have one more request.¡± I raised a finger with a pleading look.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asks yfully, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Can we keep this between us until I have told Sin?¡± I don¡¯t want anyone to know yet.¡±.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. It¡¯s best that Sin knows before the others,¡± she replies.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have another life growing in me.¡± Iughed, finallying to terms with it.

 NINETY TWO

    I woke up the next morning with Sin asleep beside me, one hand wrapped around my waist while the other had my head resting on it. I turned to face him, and he looked so peaceful and calm.


    I slowly traced the tattoos on his arms while he slept like a baby. Looking at him, it feels like I have known him for a lifetime, when in reality it¡¯s just a few months. I still haven¡¯t told him about the baby; even with all Samantha¡¯s pep talks, I was still scared to tell him because I wasn¡¯t sure what his reaction might be.


    Suddenly his eyes started fluttering open, and he had a smile on his face when he opened his eyes fully to see me staring at him.


    ¡°Good morning, Bambina,¡± he said in his deep, sexy morning voice.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I say, leaning in so that his lips can im mine.


    The kiss started off slow and steady until it became feverish, and our tongues fought for dominance, but of course Sin won. I pulled away, trailing a kiss slowly down his exposed chest to his stomach. I pulled his boxer down, and his dickens sprung out hard. I slowly used my tongue to trace the tip, and he moaned.


    My hands were wrapped around his big cock, putting him in my mouth, and my pussy started to throb when I heard his tender moans falling out of his mouth.


    ¡°Fuck.. Just like that, Bambina. Fuck,¡± he says in between moans.


    I suck and swirl my tongue around him faster, massaging his balls with one hand while I increase my pace. I moved my head up and down a few more times, making sure hepletely released his semen, before kissing the head of his length and sitting up with a smile on my face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had your turn now; it¡¯s my turn. I want to taste you.¡± He said, cing a kiss on my lips, removing my single nightgown and pantyhose, getting between my legs, and cing a single kiss in the middle of the sex. I moaned in pleasure, and my body buckled up. His hands wrapped around my waist and held me still as his tongue moved up and down rapidly. He slipped a finger into my pocket, then another one.


    ¡°Fuck Niki, I need more.¡± I moan as I feel a build-up in my stomach. He goes faster and faster, making me moan out loud at the intense pleasure thrusting itself into me with full force. His hand squeezed my breast as his hips pushed against me faster. I wrapped my finger around him and dug my nails into his back.


    ¡°Tell me, Bambina, who makes you feel this way?¡±


    ¡°You, Niki. Please don¡¯t stop.¡± I begged.


    ¡°Non tiscera mai andare principessa,¡± he promised as he mmed his lips on mine.


    He ced my legs on his shoulders and started mming into me harder and harder, causing the whole bed to move. We were both panting and moaning as our bodies moved together in perfect sync. He was relentless, driving faster and harder into me with each thrust.


    ¡°Fuck princess, you are so tight.¡± He cupped my breast with one hand, and the other cupped my clit, massaging it rapidly. His hands grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking me up so that my lips could meet his. Within a second, I was having my second orgasm of the night.


    ¡°Who do you belong to, P Tentatrice?¡± he says through gritted teeth. The pleasure begins to overpower my body as I start to shake from the immense pleasure.


    ¡°You¡­ Fuck¡­ Only you, Niki.¡± I moan against his neck. He grabbed my waist with both hands and started pounding into me roughly. Our moans were in sync.


    ¡°Cum for me, princess.¡± Sin whispers


    ¡°Niki,¡± I moaned, and orgasm pooled through me like a wildfire.


    I put my hands on my lips, trying to control my moans as i find my release. He continued thrusting in, and his ball smacked my ass. He thrust a few more times before spilling in on me. His skin glistened in sweat, and I ran my hand over his cheek, pulling his hair back that was sticking to his forehead due to sweat. He smiled at me, kissing my lips, then down to my neck, then back to my lips again.


    He kissed me on the lips, and I instantly kissed him back, before he pulls away getting out of bed.


    ¡°I have to handle something for an hour, and then I want to take you somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Where.¡±


    ¡°Somewhere special to me. Have breakfast and freshen up.¡±


    ¡°Where exactly is that?¡± I asked as he went into his closet.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret, amore.¡±


    I rolled my eyes yfully as he shut the closet door, and I walked into the bathroom to tidy myself up and get rid of the sticky feeling underneath my legs. After cleaning myself up, I put on my fluffy slippers and marched downstairs to the kitchen. Sarah was standing beside the stove, stirring something in the pot.


    ¡°Buon giorno, Sarah.¡± I saluted, taking a seat on the stool.


    ¡°Ah, my child, buon giorno!¡±


    ¡°How was your night?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°It was fine, dear, and yours.¡±


    ¡°It was great.¡± I answered, and it went silent for a while until I perceived the great aroma.


    ¡°What are you making? It smells really nice.¡± I asked her as I watched her continue to stir whatever was inside the pot.


    ¡°It¡¯s striate, an egg soup.¡± She took out a te, putting some striate on it before cing it in front of me. I took a spoonful of soup, put it in my mouth, and almost moaned out loud at how great it tasted.


    ¡°This is really delicious.¡± Ipliment, pointing down at the soup.


    ¡°Thank you, dear; it was my mother¡¯s recipe.¡± Sarah smiled but kept on doing her work.


    I heard two sets of soft footstepsing towards the kitchen and turned my head to see Samantha and Zoey walking in.


    ¡°Wow, it smells great here.¡± Samantha said, rubbing her stomach as she walked to where Sarah stood, while Zoey came to take a seat beside me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, putting another spoonful of soup in my mouth.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she smiled, watching how Sarah was scolding Samantha because she tried drinking from the pot. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just tired and decided to rest.¡±


    Sarah dropped a te of striate in front of Zoey, and Samantha had hers in her arms, cing it on the table to take a seat on the other side of me.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she whispered to my ears so that Zoey and Sarah wouldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Surprisingly, I slept wellst night.¡± I whispered back to her.


    ¡°What are you guys whispering about?¡± Zoey asked, shifting closer to hear what we were saying.


    ¡°None of your business, Zoey.¡± Samantha said yfully as she gently pulled my stool close to her, ¡°So Polo Fagiolo didn¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    ¡°Polo fagiolo?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m calling the baby in your womb since we don¡¯t know the sex.¡± I shake my head in amusement. I guess Samantha is really excited about the baby. ¡°Speaking of babies, we need to go to the hospital today and see how far along you are.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t; Niki is taking me out.¡± I spoke quietly to her.


    ¡°Okay, tomorrow then. I can already see the baby bump. I thought you were just adding weight with the way you ate, but I guess that was not the case.¡±


    My eyes started to water, and my lips bent in a pout. Samantha¡¯s face suddenly turned concerned as her eyebrows screwed down in worry.


    ¡°Mani, are you OK?¡± she asked in a panicked voice, as i let out a loud sob. Sarah and Zoey looked at me in concern, then Zoey turned to re at Samantha while I kept bawling my eyes out.


    ¡°What the hell did you say to her, Sam?¡± Zoey snapped.


    Samantha stood, arms raised, with a shocked expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything; one minute we were talking, and the next she was crying her eyes out.¡±


    ¡°Dear, what is wrong?¡± Sarah¡¯s motherly voice came through as she patted my back softly to try and calm me down.


    I let out a series of hups, my finger raised to point at Samantha, my eyes blurry. ¡°Samantha called me fat.¡± I said, in the midst of hups.


    It was silent for a minute; Samantha had her mouth opened wide while Sarah and Zoey stared at me in disbelief.


    ¡°wait.. what. ¡± Zoey asked like she couldn¡¯t understand what I had just said. ¡°So let me get this straight. You¡¯re crying because Samantha called you fat.¡± She spoke very slowly, and I nodded my head, confirming it again.


    Samantha kept on staring at me in shock, while Zoey let out a loudugh, while Sarah chuckled softly.


    We all heard footsteps rushing into the kitchen, and Sin came into view, along with Luca tagging behind him. His eyes scanned everyone before settling on my tear-stained face, and he sent a re to everyone in the kitchen. I stood up from my stool and ran towards his embrace, burying my face in his chest as his hands moved up and down my back softly, trying to calm me down.


    I was able to calm down, letting out a shaky breath. Sin¡¯s hands cupped my face, and he used his thumb to wipe away the tears from my face.


    ¡°What is it? Why are you crying?¡± He asked, his voice filled with worry, making me turn towards, Samantha and Zoey pointing at them, before turning back to gaze at him.


    ¡°Samantha called me fat, and Zoey kept onughing.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°wait¡­ What.¡± Luca asked, looking at everyone before his gaze settled on me. His face was red, as if he were trying to contain hisugh.


    ¡°Those were my exact thoughts when she told me the reason for bawling her eyes out,¡± Zoey said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t fat; it¡¯s true you added a little bit of weight, but you¡¯re not fat. In fact, you look beyond sexy, so don¡¯t listen to a word Sam says.¡± Sin says, stroking my hair lovingly and stretching a smile on my face.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go freshen up?¡± We still have an exciting trip ahead of us today.¡± He says that, and I nod my head, giving both Samantha and Zoey a re, as I made my out of the kitchen, the both of them struggling to contain theirughter.


    As I made my way up the stairs, I could hear the faint voice of Luca and Sin conversing.


    ¡°Hai molto nel tuo piatto, uomini.¡±


    ¡°Rontami!. Ma non mi importa se ha qualcosa a che fare con mia p tentatrice.¡± The fading sound of Sin¡¯s voice flowed through the stairs as I walked into the room.


    I took off my clothes, put them in theundry basket, and then stepped into the bathroom. I got into the shower, washing my body and the stress away. My hormones keep going sideways, and I can¡¯t tell when I will be emotional again. I can¡¯t control the way I feel, like what happened a few minutes ago.


    If you asked me why I was crying, I would have no idea. I just can¡¯t control my emotions. I guess it¡¯s the peak of being pregnant. I quickly showered, then stepped out of the bathroom, towelling my body.


    Making my way into the closet, I proceeded to search for something nice andfortable to wear, so I settled on blue jeans, a white top, and white sneakers. I took a blue jacket but didn¡¯t put it on yet. my hair was put in a low bun and did minimal makeup before heading back downstairs to look for Sin.


    I hope this will be an exciting trip.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    Buon giorno ¡ª Good morning


    Polo fagiolo, little bean


    Hai molto nel tuo piatto uomini: You¡¯ve got a lot on your te, men.


    Rontami!. Ma non mi importa se ha qualcosa a fare con mia p tentatrice, tell me about it. But I don¡¯t mind if it has anything to do with my little temptress.

 NINETY THREE

    ¡°Sei bellissima principessa.¡± Sin said while cing his hand in mine. He leans down, his lips beside my ear, as he whispered softly. ¡°Ready¡±. He backed away, looking at me, while I nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m driving. ¡± He wrapped his arms around my waist, and we started walking outside.


    Today Sin was dressed in something warm with a blue jacket just like mine. I waved goodbye to Samantha and Zoey on our way out. I already apologized to Samantha for my sudden outburst, but she waved it off, saying she understood that I couldn¡¯t control my hormones due to the pregnancy.


    When we got outside, I saw a Bugatti La Voiture Noire parked in front. Sin pressed the key button to open the car, and we both got in. He had one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh.


    ¡°We are going snowboarding first.¡± Sin looked at me.


    ¡°I have never been snowboarding before.¡±


    ¡°It will be fun; I¡¯m here to help you.¡±


    The drive to the ski site was nearly an hour and the half, but once we got to our destination, Sin had helped me out of the car and I was awed by the crowd in front of me.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sin brought out two different sets of gloves, goggles, and gears. He helped with the gear, putting it on me with the gloves and goggles.


    After getting suited up, we went to join the line because there were a lot of people. I know it was easy for us to get to the first line with Sin¡¯s connection, but that would be cheating since these people had been here before us. After thirty minutes of sitting and waiting, it finally got to our turn, so I stood up with my gear on, along with Sin.


    ¡°If you go first, I will be behind you.¡± I nodded, letting out a shaky breath as I stared down the mountain. I was beyond nervous.


    I let out a sigh, then gave him onest look before going down the mountain. I screamed out loud, first from fright and thenter from excitement. Sin followed after me like he promised and couldn¡¯t stop the smile on my face when I finallynded.


    I pped in excitement when Sinnded, a smirk adorning his handsome face. We carried on snowboarding, staying for an hour and thirty minutes, with the both of us just having fun andughing.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± We were back in the car, driving to our next destination. but Sin, being as stubborn as he can be sometimes, refused to let me in on what he had nned for us next.


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to know and for you to find out.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to be so mysterious?¡± I pouted.


    ¡°Admit it; you love it.¡± I rolled my eyes at this but smiled because I knew he was right.


    We drove for quite some time infortable silence, and I had fallen asleep in the midst of the ride. It was when I felt a hand tap my shoulder softly, did my eyes fluttered open, as I tried stifling out a yawn, before turning to nce at Sin.


    ¡°We are here, amore.¡± I looked out the window, and all I could see were tall trees and bushes. I turned to Sin with a questionable look, but he just shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face before stepping out of the car, and I followed suit.


    ¡°This is as far as I can go. We still need to go up the hill.¡± Sin said, pointing to the small pathway.


    ¡°How far is it from here?¡± I was a little bit sceptical, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was safe walking this path, especially since the night was drawing near.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far, trust me.¡± He held his hand out for me to take.


    Letting out a sigh, and I put my hand in his as we both walked up the pathway. Just like he had said, he didn¡¯t take too long before the both of us stopped in front of ake; with the fabulous view of gardens that lined the shores.


    ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful up here.¡±


    ¡°My dad used to take me out here once in a while. Sometimes we spend the night here, just the two of us. It was always peaceful, anding here with him, had been a part of the happy memory i have of him. It had been in this veryke I had first tasted torta rustica, and that became our favorite food to eat whenever we came here. During the weekdays, the whole family gathers around here, getting away from whatever stress or problems we may have while having fun. Those were the times I spent with my family without the drama; he made it so easy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice that you have such wonderful memories of your dad to remember. My mom and my dad were just the same. On weekends, we had a family game night where we invited our friends and neighbours, while we yed against each other. On other days, we have a barbecue night and just rx. I must say, I miss them. They always manage to brighten up every ce they step into. I really, really miss them,¡± I say truthfully.


    ¡°I understand you; I feel the same way about my dad.¡± Sin stated this and looked at me.


    ¡°I know you already ate breakfast, and it might be way past lunch time, but still, I wanted you to try this torta rustica.¡± He said this before taking the cover off the tes.


    It looked like a brisee or puff pastry shell concealing pure vegetables blended with soft cheese, crispy bacon bits, and caramelized onions, with a beaten egg to hold it all together.


    I was curious to know how it tasted like, since this was what he had with his father during their time here. I took a bite of the snack and almost moaned at how great it tasted.


    Sin who had been gauging my reaction, had a smile on his face when he saw the satisfied look on my face.


    ¡± I know you would like it.¡± He says, handing me another one, to which I dly take.


    We both took a seat on the grass, watching the sunset, as we ate the torta rustica, the both of us talking about random things. We talked about our likes and dislikes, and after some time, we decided to go into the cabin, which was at the back of theke.


    It was a beautiful, cosy house with a nice firece, a patio, and a wonderful fairy tale view of theke.


    ¡°Wow, the interior really looks good.¡± Ipliment you, looking around the cabin.


    ¡°Yes, my dad was in charge of choosing the design. He wanted something unique, something he knew my mom would be pleased at. That was how much he loved her.¡± Sin says


    ¡°Your Dad, what really happened the night he died? I know you were kidnapped.¡± I asked; I was curious to know what had happened. Zoey had already told me the basics, but no one knew exactly what really went on, except for Sin, which had caused him to changed drastically, from what have been told.


    ???


    Trantion


    Sei bellissima principessa You look beautiful, princess.

 NINETY FOUR

    When I got no response  from him, I turned to look at him, taking in the nk look on his face, and i beginning  to mentally beat myself up for having ruined the happy mood we had going on a few moment ago. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer¡­..¡±


    ¡°No, I trust you, Amore.¡±¡± He sighed before talking. ¡°It was all my fault; I never really told anyone about it. About how they were able to n a surprise attack on my dad. I trusted the wrong person, and it got my dad and I kidnapped, which ended up with my dad being killed in front of me.¡± He paused as if he were trying not to relieve that moment.


    ¡°When I was a kid, I was home-schooled and didn¡¯t like the idea of that; I wanted to hang out with other children my age and make friends. I had an idea what my dad was into, but that didn¡¯t change the way I feel about him; I just wasn¡¯t a part of it. After pestering my dad for months to let me go to an actual school, he finally agreed to let me go, but only if it was a private school. I had no problem with that; I was so excited. At that time I was fourteen years old; I was enrolled in Prestigio, and that is where I met Luca and Lorenzo.¡±


    ¡°The three of us were inseparable; we were like the kings of the school, and we did everything together. We were the best of friends, or so I thought.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Before I could say anything, he continued. ¡°I knew Lorenzo was influential, but I didn¡¯t know he was a Romanov; he refused to tell us what his dad did, and Luca and I didn¡¯t bother questioning him since we all had our own shares of secrets. My dad and I were nning our usual trip here. I had seen Lorenzo going through my phone two days before the trip, but I didn¡¯t read too much into it. I was such a fool; I should have questioned him, but I didn¡¯t. I trusted him. It turned out that his dad was a rival to my dad, and when he found out I was attending the same school as his son, he used him to get to me because that was the only way they could get to my dad. My dad was the one who named me Niki,  he said I was his victory. Which i doubt, i was after all the cause of his death. The me, guilt, and anger kept eating up on me, that  after I took over the mafia, I had locked every emotions that made me loom weak. The more I grew in the mafia word, the more  people became scared of me. That was when I got the name Sinister, because I was just like the devil, to bring destruction in its wakes. Until I met you.¡±


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t your fault; you had no idea Lorenzo was going to betray you. You were just a kid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is Mani. I should have listened to my dad when he told me to be careful who I trusted, but no, I was all over my head, thinking i had it all figured out. Maybe he would still be alive if i hadn¡¯t insisted on going to a private school, instead of sticking to being home-schooled.¡± He yelled out; the pain was imminent in every word he said, and his eyes red in anger, and his fist clenched tight.


    I moved to sit on hisp, my hands wrapping around his neck, and I pulled him in for a hug. I gently patted his back as I spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Niki, and I¡¯m sure everyone would agree with me. If you hadn¡¯t gone to Prestigia, you wouldn¡¯t have met Luca. Death is not the end; we all die. The goal isn¡¯t to live forever; the goal is to create something that will leave a positive impact, and your dad did that. So don¡¯t beat yourself up too much because you aren¡¯t responsible for what happened, and I¡¯m sure your dad would also agree with me if he were here right now¡±. I say this to him, hoping he understands.


    My heart breaks when I feel his shoulders move up and down, and I continue to pat his back as he cries. This was the first time I had ever seen Sin pour out his emotions; it must have been painful keeping it all bottled up for a very long time, constantly ming himself for his father¡¯s death and feeling guilty being around his family.


    I pulled back to look at my face. My hand cupped his face the way he did mine anytime I cried, and I used my thumb to wipe the tears off his eyes. He looked at me, and he moved his head until his lips met mine.


    He kissed my lips before gently trailing kisses down my neck, and I moaned when he sucked a soft spot on my neck and bit down softly. I tilted my neck to give him more ess.


    He lifted his head to look into my eyes. ¡°I need you, amore.¡±


    That was all he needed to say for my hand to trail down his pants, pulling them off along with his boxers. I removed my jeans as well as my pants, leaving us both with our shirts and tops. I watched as his mouth parted slightly when I lowered myself onto him. I let out a loud scream at the feel of his dick almost ripping me open, his lips locked on mine in a passionate kiss.


    I closed my eyes and moaned when Sin was fully inside me. I started moving up and down over him, rocking my hips in a circr motion. His hands wrapped around my hips; he quickened my pace and moved faster. He was thrusting at me faster and harder; I put my hand on his chest to steady myself.


    ¡°Niki.¡± I breathed as my nails dragged behind his clothed back.


    I started to feel my stomach tighten, and my moan was getting louder and louder. He smacked my ass, making me want to pass out from the euphoria.


    ¡°Cum for me, baby girl,¡± he breathed out, and his head fell into the crook of my neck.


    I clench around him as I orgasm. He moans, and I feel his dick pulse inside me before I feel him spill his seed inside me. We breathed out, pressing our foreheads together.


    I pulled away from him, taking his hand, and we walked into the bathroom. We discarded our remaining clothes, stepping into the shower to wash ourselves. He pulled me closer into his embrace, holding me tight in his arms.


    ¡°Thank you, Amore, for being with me.¡±

 NINETY FIVE

    I woke up to an empty bed with Sin out of sight, and I stretched out my limbs. I definitely wasn¡¯t feeling better this morning; I sat up only to feel the familiar feeling of being nauseousness fill me up.


    Ugh, I hate morning sickness. I got up quickly from the bed, with a hand ced on my mouth, and racing  to the bathroom, spending nearly two minutes in the bathroom, pouring out my guts as I vomited everyst bit of content in my stomach. I flushed the toilet while standing up to brush my teeth. I didn¡¯t have much energy to shower, so I opted for a bath.


    After we both let our hearts out yesterday, I couldn¡¯t help but feel we have grown even more closer. I was madly and utterly in love with him, despite  the fact that he hasn¡¯t said it yet, I hoped for him to feel the same.


    There were times I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, but it was hard to fight the urge within me not to spill out the L word,  not with a baby in the midst of everything. Any time I build up the courage to tell him that I was pregnant, it all goes down the drain, and i find my nerves spiking. My mouth ends up being glued shut,  finding it difficult to say anything.


    I took off my clothes, stepping into the jacuzzi, with my backying at the wall of It, as I begin to rx. The warm water coated my skin, as the nauseousness begins to subside .


    After spending a reasonable amount of time in the bathtub, I stood up with a towel wrapped around my body and walked back to the room, getting  dressed back in my old clothes since I didn¡¯te with any spare ones. I gave one final look at the mirror, then began making my way out of the room in search for Sin.


    I found him in the kitchen, his back towards me, as he had only a pant on, while his upper body was free of any clothing.


    ¡°Good morning, Amore.¡± He spoke in his groggy morning voice.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist. My cheek pressed against his back while he made us breakfast. The smell of freshly made waffles with bacon mixes well with Sin¡¯s scent of cologne.


    I reluctantly let go of him to take a seat on the stool, waiting for him to ce the food on the counter.


    ¡°This looks delicious.¡± I smiled when he ced a te of waffles and bacon in front of me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast, then we leave,¡± he stated, taking a seat beside me. I nodded my head in response, and we began eating infortable silence.


    We finished our breakfast, with me offering  to do the dishes while he bathed. Sin refused at first, butter agreed and went back to the room to freshen up. I did the dishes and tidied up, cing everything back in its rightful ce. I didn¡¯t have to wait long before Sin walked out, all dressed and ready to go. We walked hand in hand, going outside, with me taking  a few pictures of us as we walked down the road to where the car was parked, got in, and he drove off.


    ¡°Samantha and I are going outter,¡± I stated, and we both agreed to go to the hospital today to confirm my pregnancy.


    He sighed, and I thought he was going to refuse, but instead he did the opposite. ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t want you cooped up inside, but I don¡¯t n on letting you go alone anytime you want to go out.¡± He says this a bit sternly, but instead I just smiled like a maniac.


    The drive to the house wasn¡¯t as long as when we were going. When we got home, I hurried up the stairs to change out of yesterday¡¯s clothes into something fresh and clean. I left the room with my phone and bag, texting Samantha to meet me outside.


    ¡°Hey, Mani,¡± Samantha said,ing to stand beside me. She was wearing ck jeans, a white top, and a ck jacket.


    ¡°Hey Sam.¡±


    ¡°How was your one-day adventure?¡± She asks cockily.


    ¡°It was great. We went snowboarding before going to a cabin owned by Sin¡¯s family,¡± I replied, smiling cheekily.


    ¡°Looks like someone had fun,¡± she teased,ughing out loud, and I yfully rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Mateo would being with us; how are we going to convince him not to tell Sin?¡± I spoke, worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already thought of something.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. Sin¡¯s men were loyal to him, so they wouldn¡¯t keep a secret. Even as close as Mateo and I were, he would never betray Sin. So there was no doubt that if I went to a gynaecologist, Sin would be informed. I really hoped whatever n Samantha had worked.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, so that we can get there before your appointment time.¡± Samantha said as the both of us walked to the car. ¡°I already called yesterday to set an appointment.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks, Sam; I owe you one.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for?¡± I got into the car first, and Samantha followed afterwards; she gave our destination, and Mateo drove out of the premises in the direction of the mall. The ride wasn¡¯t long because of how free the road was.


    We both got out of the car and started walking inside the mall, with Mateo a few steps away from us. We kept going around the mall, not really buying much, till we got to the baby section, and I gave Samantha a look that said, ¡°What the hell are we doing here?¡±


    She let out a sheepish smile, discreetly looking behind us to see what Mateo was doing.


    ¡°Hey Mani, can we go to the hospital before we go home?¡± Samantha stated it out loud for Mateo to hear, and I got a glimpse of what she was ying at.


    ¡°Why? Are you sick?¡± I made sure my voice sounded worried.


    ¡°No, I just need to visit a gynaecologist for my birth control shot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I responded, trying  not to blush at her words.


    We gathered all the things we bought, then went back outside to where the car was, getting back in. Samantha gave the direction of the hospital to Mateo, and he drove off. The distance between the mall and the hospital wasn¡¯t much, so we got there on time.


    ¡°Can you wait for us in the car? We will be back before you know it,¡± I requested from Mateo when Samantha and I got out of the room.


    ¡°I have been ordered to follow you everywhere, Mani,¡± he said sternly, not batting an eye.


    ¡°What could possibly happen to me in a hospital?¡±  I tried reasoning with him. ¡°Sam just wants to get her birth control shot,¡± I said again, giving him my best puppy eyes.


    He was reluctant to let us go in alone butter agreed when we promised to call if something happened or if we see anything  suspicious.

 NINETY SIX

    We walked into the hospital, with Samantha asking the nurse for an assistant to the gynaecologist¡¯s office, which she was kind enough to direct us to, since the hospital was a big one. We got into the elevator, pressing the third floor as it took us up.


    When we got to our designated floor, we met another nurse, and she asked us to wait at the sitting area while she confirmed our appointment.


    ¡°Dr. Alysa is ready to see you.¡± The nurse directed us into a cozy office. In front of us stood a mid-aged woman in a white doctor¡¯s coat with a reading ss at the tip of her nose.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Dr. Alysa. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± She pulled her hand forward for a handshake, which we dly epted. She waved us to a seat before taking hers across from us.


    ¡°So, what seems to be the problem?¡± she asks, and my gaze shifts from Samantha to her.


    ¡°I have been feeling quite nauseated recently, constantly vomiting every morning, and my body feels weak. I took a pregnancy test, and it confirmed I was pregnant. I just want to get confirmation from a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Have you and your spouse been using protection?¡± She looks straight at me, and I blush, shaking my head. ¡°What you stated are obvious signs of pregnancy, and let¡¯s not forget the result from the test kit. But to be sure, let¡¯s run a urinary test to see if that isn¡¯t the issue.¡± She gave me a cup, directing me to the bathroom.


    After finishing, I close the lid. Wash my hands before heading back to the doctor¡¯s office. Dr. Alysa and Samantha were still there; she took the cup from my hand.


    ¡°I will be back,¡± Dr. Alysa says, excusing herself for a minute as she walks out of her office. I let out a breath, and Samantha held my hand, giving me a light squeeze as a source of support. ensuring me that everything would be okay.


    The door opened, and Dr. Alysa stepped in with a file in her hands. She walked in the opposite direction from us, taking a seat. She ced the file on the table, adjusting her sses, before picking up the file from the table. She nced through it, then put it back down for the second time.


    ¡°Well, it seems the test kit was correct. Congrattions, Miss Parker; from the result, it shows that you are eight weeks pregnant.¡±


    I gasp as I feel tears run down my face, eight weekster. which meant I was two months pregnant. ¡°Thank you, doctor,¡± I breathlessly say. Samantha squeezed my hand; she had the biggest grin on her face, just like the day I took the pregnancy test.


    ¡°Would you like to go for an ultrasound to see how the baby is doing?¡± Dr. Alyse asked, and her hands pped together.


    I shook my head, refusing her offer, and Samantha sent me a questionable look. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know if the baby is okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course I want to, but I want to do it with Sin beside me. I think I¡¯m going to tell him tomorrow,¡± I say, smiling at her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s a nice call to make. I¡¯m sure he will be over the moon.¡± She chuckles.


    ¡°Thank you, doctor,¡± I say to Alysa.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± She smiles. ¡°I have given the nurse the required vitamins you need, so take it from her on your way out.¡±


    We stood up, shaking each other¡¯s hands onest time before Samantha and I left the doctor¡¯s office.


    We walked to where the nurse was, took the pills, and then left the hospital. Mateo was resting on the hood of the car when we got outside. He opened the back door for us to get in, then got into the driver¡¯s seat before driving off.


    We made it to the house safely, and I was about to get in when Mateo called me back.


    ¡°Mani, can I speak to you for a sec?¡± he said, stopping me in my tracks.


    I gave Samantha the go-ahead and turned to look at him. ¡± Yeah¡±


    ¡°You do know you and Samantha are shitty liars. Right.¡± He raised a brow. ¡°You guys made it so obvious at the mall.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are like a little sister to me, I don¡¯t know why you need to lie about your location to Sin when you know he is going to find out eventually.¡± He took a pause. ¡°Why did you need to go to the doctor¡¯s office today?¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°I wanted to tell Sin first before anyone else found out. I guess there¡¯s no harm in you knowing, as long as you don¡¯t tell Sin¡± I took out the file, giving it to him.


    Mateo looked at me unsure, but took it from my hand; he read through it, and his stony face transformed into a full-blown smile.


    ¡°Congrattions Mani¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡±


    ¡°When are you telling Sin?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, I want to n something special for the two of us. But remember, you need to keep it a secret until tomorrow,¡± I warned.


    ¡°I will, only on one condition.¡± He says it with a sly smile.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You make me the godfather.¡± I shake my head,ughing. He and Samantha are truly the same.

 NINETY SEVEN

    It was 9 a. m. in the morning, and I was now exiting the shower with a towel wrapped around my body. Sin was lying on the bed with his phone in his hand, he didn¡¯t even bother looking up as he typed away on his phone.


    ¡°Wow, I feel so invincible. I guess I¡¯m not captivating enough¡±. I teased, standing at the doorway of the bathroom and posing like I was a model, though I was certain I was failing at it miserably.


    He looked up from his phone and chuckled. ¡°You are far from captivating, You are fucking enchanting, but I just need to finish up with some work.¡±


    I yfully rolled my eyes as I stood there, looking over at him with his back resting on the headboard and his legs crossed together in a straight line.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How do I look now?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Very sexy, amore.¡± He wasn¡¯t even looking up at me; he focused more on his phone as he typed away making me frown, I decided to try another tactic. I dropped the towel around my body and stood naked. I slowly made my way to the bed, and the moment he noticed my movement, his head shot up to look at me. He smirked almost immediately, shutting his phone and cing it on the table beside the bed.


    ¡°I see I have finally gotten your attention,¡± I said with a smirk on my face.


    He sat up, using his hand to gesture for me toe close, and I crawled on top of him, saying, ¡°You have always been sexy to me.¡±


    He flipped us over so that I was underneath him and he was above, making me smile up at him.


    ¡°No matter how busy I am, I will always make time for you.¡± He cocked his eyebrows and smirked. Before I could say anything, his lips met mine in a slow, passionate kiss. Then he left my lips, moving downward to my neck and corbone, sucking and biting. Marking me.


    He started going lower; he spread my legs andid himself in front of me. cing his tongue on the very centre of my clit, I gasped when I felt him touch my most sensitive spot.


    ¡°Yeah, just like that.¡± I breathed out.


    He groaned, sending a small vibration through my body as if I wasn¡¯t already turned on enough. Everything Sin did made me explode so much. He reached for my lips, squeezing them a little as he continued sucking, and I let out a breath.


    ¡°Oh yeah, just like that, Niki. I¡¯m going to cum.¡± I moaned; I could feel my orgasm gushing through me, and he slurped it all up. He raised his head up, locked his lips on mine, and I tasted myself on him. He pecked my cheek, then pulled away, walking into the bathroom.


    I stood on the bed, tidying myself up before dressing for the day. After the shower, Sin went straight to his office downstairs while I spent my time in the kitchen; no, I wasn¡¯t cooking. It¡¯s been established that I am a horrible cook, so instead I was helping Sarah bake some homemade cookies.


    I have been craving themtely, and I told Sarah about it. She offers to bake it for me. Right now, we just took the cookies out of the oven to cool down. I waited for thirty minutes before taking some and cing it on a te, with a cup of coffee. I put them all on a tray, picking them up as I headed to Sin¡¯s office. I used one hand to bnce the tray while the other opened the door, just for me to stop in my tracks when I saw thest person I wanted to see sitting closet to Sin, at the edge of the table, with the skinniest dress that covered absolutely nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing more. I have no idea why this creature is here,¡± he answered.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re still here.¡± Luna asked, giving me a menacing smirk, as i walked fully into the room. I ce the tray on the desk, the re on my face harden


    ¡°I should be asking you that question,¡± I counter.


    She shook her head, moving closing the little gap she and Sin had, before cing her manicured hand on his chest, and with a quick instance, he grabbed it, pushing it away roughly.


    ¡°Still rough, I see. You know exactly how that turns me on,¡± she smirked.


    He had a look of disgust on his face. ¡°What do you want, Luna?¡± He sounded irritated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to put on an act just because she is here. Don¡¯t pretend like what we had doesn¡¯t matter to you. We had a very good time together, remember?¡± She touched him again, and it infuriated me. Why in the hell does she keep touching him?


    ¡°Sin, baby, why don¡¯t you tell little Mani here the number of times you have taken me against this very wall of yours? I can always relive every moment.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her tactics; she sure doesn¡¯t give up. ¡°You do know you are wasting your time; he doesn¡¯t want you. How many times do we have to go over this?. That way, you would stop deluding yourself that he is ever going to want you.¡±


    She got up from her seat on his table, walking towards me with a smug look on her heavily caked face. Like, did she use up all the whole foundations and powder she could get her hands on.


    ¡°Are you sure about that because before you walked in, he had ns to bend me over on his desk as he fucked me from behind? You know how rough he likes it. We totally have no problem demonstrating it for you to see.¡± Luna said. She folded her arms and had a smug look on her face as she stared at me.


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Sin looked at me, catching me off-guard with his question.


    My lips parted as I stuttered. ¡°w.. What¡±


    ¡°Come over, Amore, and bend over on the desk; show her who the donna is.¡±


    ¡°in front of her.¡± I was unsure. My eyes shifted from Luna to Sin.


    ¡°Yeah, that would put her in her ce because it seems like she can¡¯t grasp what is right in front of her.¡±


    My eyes lit up, but that didn¡¯t stop my heart from beating so fast. I¡¯ve never done something like this in front of someone else, which made me nervous. Swallowing a ball of nerves, with my head raised up, I walked confidently towards Sin, moving to his desk, before cing both hands on it, and bent over.


    He stood up toe behind me, and my eyes were trained on Luna. She had an angry look stered on her face. I heard the sound of his belting undone, and he slowly pulled my dress up with my pants down. The moment my dress was raised and his pants, along with his boxers, were down, he shoved himself deep inside me, and I moaned.


    ¡°Niki. ¡± I screamed, feeling ecstasy run through me.


    His hand grabbed my neck gently, pulling me back to return to his chest. ¡°Tell me, amore, how much you love the feel of me inside you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I love it,¡± I smiled. My eyes met Luna¡¯s: ¡°So fucking much.¡± I added, taunting her.


    Sin grunted, letting go of my neck to wrap his arms around my waist. Luna grew more angry at the sound of my moans, her fist clenched together. I heard the sound of heel stomping against the tiled floor, followed by door being mmed shut.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± I struggle to say, while Sin continues to thrusts into me.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, biting down on my earlobe.


    I pulled him away, and he gave me a puzzled look. I smirked, pushing him into his chair. I wasn¡¯t done yet. cing both legs on each side of the chair, I put him back in, moving my hips up and down.


    His hands gripped my hips, squeezing them as he continued to move up and down on his cock. The sound of our skin pping filled the room. I ced my hands on his rock-solid chest for support so I wouldn¡¯t copse on him.


    ¡°Right there,¡± I moaned. Sin thrust his hips up, going deeper inside of me. ¡°Fuck, just like that, Niki.¡±


    He groaned, his lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss. ¡°Niki.¡± I breathed out and felt his cocky twitch inside me.


    ¡°Don¡¯te yet; wait for me.¡± As soon as he said that, I tried my best to hold it in. I needed toe so badly, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Sin got up from the chair with me in his hand. He ced me on the desk, and I spread my legs wide, wanting him toe back in.


    ¡°So fucking tight,¡± he groans, sliding back inside me. Thrusting at a fast pace, I moved my hips, rocking against his, and he threw his head back in a deep puddle of pleasure.


    ¡°I need to cum Niki. I can¡¯t hold it any longer.¡± I moaned for the whole house to hear.


    ¡°Cum, baby girl. ¡°Come all over my cock.¡± He grunted, continuing to thrust into me and opening my thigh to take a nce at his cock in my cunt.


    Suddenly I felt him release inside of me, and I moaned in contentment. My legs were shaking, and I most certainly found it difficult to move. I slowly got up from the desk, picking up my pants.


    ¡± having trouble walking,¡± Sin chuckled, pulling up his boxers and pants, noticing me struggling to walk to the bathroom in his office.


    ¡°You can¡¯t me me; you are so freakishly big.¡± I whined. I could feel his eyes on my back. I finally made it to the bathroom, where I cleaned myself up. I washed my face and fixed my hair. I didn¡¯t put on my pants. I will just get another one from our room.


    I walked back to him and sat at his desk. ¡°Cookies.¡± I pointed to the table where the trayy forgotten, the coffee already cold.


    Sin let out augh, finding my staring amusing. ¡°Maybeter.¡±


    ¡°I will leave you to it; don¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± I bent until my lips were close to his ear. ¡°I might need youter.¡± I bit his earlobe slowly, then got up from the desk, taking the tray along with me. I moved to the door, turned back to send a wink in his direction, and then walked out the door.


    I limped a little as I made my way back to the kitchen. Sarah, Zoey, and Samantha were together, talking amongst themselves.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to give Sin the cookie; you were gone for so long. Why did you bring it back? Sarah asked worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, Mani, what kept you for so long?¡± Samantha smirks


    A blush stained my face, and I avoided everyone¡¯s eye contact, cing the tray on the counter. Why can¡¯t Samantha just let it go?


    ¡°He was busy; he will have itter.¡± I tried not to limp while taking the cup of coffee to pour it out into the zinc, rinsing the cups off, and putting them back in their rack.


    ¡°He must have had a different cookie, way better than this one, for him not to take a bite from the te or even a sip of coffee.¡± Samantha teased.


    ¡°I think we should just leave it at that, Samantha, and leave Mani alone. She already looks flushed.¡± Zoey added.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything; I¡¯m just acknowledging her words. I can see how busy he was.¡± Samantha wiggled her brows, making the blush on my face intensify. ¡°Whatever he did must be the cause of your limping.¡±


    ¡°Sam, leave the poor girl alone and quit teasing her.¡± Sarah scolded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it; she looks so cute when she¡¯s flustered, and you know I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°I will be in my room if you need me.¡± I tried to leave before she said anything more embarrassing. That girl has no filters at all; she just loves teasing me.


    I made my way away from them, walking out of the kitchen when Samantha called my name. I turned back, waiting for her to speak.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were quite the screamer with the way you were screaming Sin¡¯s name.¡±


    I ran out of the kitchen with the sound of herughter echoing behind me.


    God! This girl.

 NINETY EIGHT

    Today was the day that I tell Sin about the baby. I¡¯m happy to be pregnant, and I hope he will be too. But that didn¡¯t stop the fear-the fear that i might be a horrible mother. I¡¯m scared that I might end up not loving my child as a mother should and end up doing all the wrong things. I moved my hand over his hair, loving the soft feel of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early; why are you awake?¡± Sin¡¯s sleepy voice rings out, and I smile.


    ¡°I had to use the bathroom and found it hard to fall back asleep.¡± I smiled and kissed his nose.


    He pulled me closer, my head resting on his chest. ¡°You look tired, Amore.¡± Try to get some sleep.¡± He caressed my cheek, and I pulled away to peck his lips beforeying back on his chest.


    We stayed in each other¡¯s embrace, cuddling for some time, until I heard his soft snore and smiled, letting myself fall asleep.


    The second time I woke up, the day was already bright and the bed was empty; I¡¯m guessing he had to go out for an emergency meeting. The feeling of nausea set in, causing me to rush up from the bed, running to the bathroom, letting out everyst bit of content in my stomach. When I was done, I got off the floor and flushed the toilet.


    I ran a bath for myself and waited for the water to warm before stepping in. I got into the bathtub, my back resting on the edge, and stayed there for some time. When I felt the water beginning to get cold, I got out and wrapped a towel around my body. I entered the bedroom, moving to the walk-in closet to get my outfit for the day. I opted for a ck turtleneck jumpsuit, then tied my hair up in a ponytail, leaving two strains on each side of my face. I sat in front of the mirror to do my makeup, keeping it minimal.


    When I was done, I put on a pair of ck t sandals and walked out of the closet with my phone in my hands. I left the room to go downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast before I fully began today¡¯s activity.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    On arriving at the kitchen, I saw Samantha and Zoey already there. They both had a te in front of them, chatting amongst themselves. Sarah was also there, like always; she was moving her body as she sang in Italian.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I say, stepping into the kitchen. They all responded with a smile and a wave.


    ¡°Good morning, dear; I hope you are hungry,¡± Sarah asked, and I nodded, smiling at her. She put a te of frittata in front of me with a ss of orange juice on the side. I smiled warmly at her, thanking her, getting a warm smile in return, before she returns back to her choices.


    ¡°The sleeping beauty has awoken.¡± Zoey jokes, stuffing her mouth with some frittata.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wake upte,¡± I countered back yfully. ¡°Do you guys have any ns today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to do.¡± Samantha responded.


    ¡°Same here. Why do you ask?¡± Zoey questioned.


    ¡°I was thinking of taking you shopping, and I also need to get something for myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, but I¡¯m not really in the mood to shop for anything right now.¡± Zoey replied, her eyes cast down on her te, and she let out azy sigh.


    ¡°What about going to the spa afterwards?¡± Samantha suggested it, and I nodded, sending her an appreciative smile.


    ¡°Now, that is something I can do.¡± Zoey says she is smiling.


    I got up to go back to the room to get my bag after breakfast, then rushed back out. We all walked outside, where eight guards were waiting for us. A limo pulled up with Mateo in the driver¡¯s seat. We hurriedly got inside, beginning the journey of the day. We got to the mall in thirty minutes; Samantha and I got the things we needed, and Zoey just apanied us. Our final stop was in a Victoria¡¯s Secret store.


    ¡°Oh, it seems like someone is nning something naughty for Sin,¡± Samantha teased while I went through the lingerie section.


    ¡°Quit being a tease, Sam,¡± I scolded, trying to look for something captivating to wear for him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± she shrugs. ¡°I think the red one looks damn sexy,¡± shemented about the lingerie in my hands.


    ¡°I think the same too,¡± I say, putting down the ck one and walking over to the cashier to check out.


    The three of us walked out of the mall, got back into the car, and drove towards our second andst destination for the day. The spa.


    The spa was rxing and fun; the girls had some wine, and I almost had a ss until I remembered that I was pregnant. Zoey, though, had questioned my reasoning for turning down the wine, but I was able to make up an excuse that I wasn¡¯t in the mood to drink, and Samantha backed me up. She bought the lie and didn¡¯t ask me any more questions about it, and we all had a great and well-rested time.

 NINETY NINE

    As we headed back to the mansion, it was already evening. I first had my dinner with us girls since the men were not back yet. After dinner, I made my way upstairs to freshen up and get ready for the night. Stepping into the shower, the hot spurts of water hit my back. My hair is drenched, and my body feels rxed. I stepped out of the shower, wrapping my hair and body with a towel.


    Ibed my hair, dried it off, and then did my skincare routine, which took close to an hour. I slipped on the red pair of underwear with nothing on it. I dimmed the light, got on the bed, and waited for Sin toe in.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I waited, but I ended up falling asleep, only to be woken by the soft caress on my face, and I let out a pleasing sigh with a smile on my face. I opened my eyes, waiting for my eye to get used to the darkness before settling it on the face beside me.


    I turned, expecting to see Sin, but was weed by the sight of Jason.


    He was lying next to me with a devilish smirk on his face while he stared at my shocked face. After being knocked back to my senses, I made an attempt to leave the bed, only to be pulled down by his strong grip.


    He got on top of me with the same scary smile on his face, and a chill went through my spine. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but Jason covered my mouth with his hand.


    Why is he doing this now? He had managed to ignore me since what happened in Paris. So why was he here in Sin and I¡¯s bedroom?


    I squirmed down on him, my hand raised to give him a p. His face hardened, and I thought he was going to hit me back, but instead, he tried to use his hand to hold my hands, but I didn¡¯t make it easy for him. I kept moving my hands so he wouldn¡¯t get a hold of it.


    After much struggle to p my hands together, he let go of his hold in his mouth and was sessful enough to pin my hands above my head.


    ¡°Why in hell are you here, Jason? Get the hell up and away from me!¡± My voice was anything but pleasant, and I didn¡¯t give two shits about it. I just wanted him off of me.


    His face came closer to mine, giving me a pleasing smile. ¡°Aww, sweet Mani. Is that the way to talk to a guy you once loved?¡± he asked in a mocking tone.


    The look in his eyes was evil, and the smile ying on his lips screamed nothing but danger, which sent a wave of fear down my spine.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? This isn¡¯t like Paris, where you can get away like thest time. It would be anything but pleasant if Sin sees you here, so leave now if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± I tried threatening him. Surprisingly, my voice came out stern despite the way I felt inside.


    Heughed out loud like a freaking maniac. Clearly not affected by my threat. If anything, he looked more amused.


    ¡°How would it feel for him to walk in on his whore being with another man-not just another man, but one of his trusted men? Who, by the way, happens to be an ex-boyfriend she forgot to mention to him.¡± Heughed again, and he ced his face at the crook of my neck, whispering into my ear. ¡°Mani, Mani, Mani. How well does Sin trust you?¡±


    A look of panic crossed my face. Sin can¡¯t meet us in thispromising situation. especially with me dressed like this. This really doesn¡¯t look good.From N?velDrama.Org.


    I struggled to get out of his hold, but I didn¡¯t want to do anything drastic that would be harmful to the baby. ¡°What would you aplish by ruining my rtionship with Sin? Just end this charade, Jason, and get away from me.¡± I hissed, keeping my face passive.


    ¡°We have sessfully managed to ignore each other these past few months, so why don¡¯t we go back to ignoring each other as we move on with our lives?¡± I spat out at him, hoping to knock in some sense because clearly he was in dire need of one.


    ¡°Oh, sweet Mani, how easily you let him fuck you but won¡¯t let me touch you-even when I pleaded with you back in high school and in Paris, you bluntly refused me,¡± he said, smirking down at me. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I n on enjoying it all today. That sweet pussy of yours that seems to have gotten Sin captivated¡±


    I tried to wiggle out of his hold, and immediately I was able to free my hands. I started hitting him everywhere, not caring where I touched him. I didn¡¯t want him anywhere near me.


    Hisughed even more and seemed to be enjoying my futile struggle. ¡°It¡¯s amusing seeing you try to free yourself when you know you¡¯re nothing but a pathetic, weak whore.¡±


    ¡°Please, Jason, stop this. I beg of you,¡± I said, weakly tired of whatever game he was trying to y.


    He tilted his head to the other side as if he were giving it some thought before bending down to whisper in my ear. ¡°No.¡± Yanking the bra off me, I gasp in pain and extreme shock.


    ¡°Fuck, your tits are marvellous; they always had me every single time. I had imagined what they looked like, and now, finally, I get to see them. All thanks to that bitch; at least she did something useful instead of whining about Sin all day.¡±


    Bitch..


    Who was he talking about?


    I couldn¡¯t pound on it when he started assaulting my neck with painful kisses. I tried to prevent him from doing that, and I started pushing him off of me. He banged my head hard against the headboard, stopping me. My head started to spin, and I felt my eyelid close.


    I struggled to keep my eyes open when his hand went down my stomach. He continued to trail his hand down until it reached my waistline. He tugged on my panties, pulling it off, leaving me stacked naked underneath him.


    He ced disgusting kisses down my stomach until he got to my clit. His lips attached to my core, and my stomach chugged. I put my hand to my mouth, trying to hold down the bile that was trying to make its way out. I moaned out in pain when he inserted a finger in me, and I put both hands in his hair to pull his head away from my core, and that was when my world fell apart.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±

 HUNDRED

    Jason¡¯s Pov.


    Her moans filled the room, which I was sure the neighbours could hear. I smile devilishly at her as I plug deep inside her, my hand wrapping around her waist while I thrust inside her.


    She matched my pace like the little whore that she was, moving up and down my dick. I had no mercy on her as I mmed in on her, harsher and faster.


    ¡°Sin. ¡± She gasped, her voice desperate for more. I didn¡¯t mind that she kept on moaning that dickhead name. I couldn¡¯t care less; there was no feeling between us. I just used her to let out my frustration, and she doesn¡¯tin because she does the same as well.From N?velDrama.Org.


    She screamed his name as I shoved myself deep inside her. Her nails dug behind my back, drawing out blood.


    I had this slut bent over as I fucked her, and all I could imagine was my cock down in Mani while the slut below me moans and cries out in pleasure while I fucked her harder. I wished it was Mani, my Mani. I continue to thrust in on her harder, and I feel the pleasure take over me.


    Moaning in her squeaky little voice, I thrust into her once more, and we both came undone.


    I pulled out of her, pushing myself away from her toy on the other side of the bed. She stood up from the bed to walk into the bathroom while I went through my phone and swiped through the hidden cameras I had put in Sin¡¯s house, looking for a particr petty figure.


    I finally found her in the living room, watching TV. I take in her appearance and groan in frustration, staring at Mani. I can¡¯t believe it; I was hard again.


    The bathroom door opened, and the annoying slut walked in. I was only with her because she promised to get me a night with Mani. I was sceptical at first, wondering what she wanted out of all this, but it became clear when we struck a deal.


    I get Mani, and she gets Sin.


    I just don¡¯t understand what it is with girls and Sin; they always flock around him like some horny pussy. They imed to be in love with him, but all they wanted was his money and a dick.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the day; make sure you do it right.¡± Her annoying voice broke me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Sure, whatever. But you know how Sin is; he would no doubt kill me.¡± I spat out, pissed at the n, when it might go south.¡±


    ¡°You just need to be found in apromising situation with her until Sin gets back.¡± She says she is lighting up a cigarette in her hand. ¡°I need him to see that she is not worthy of him; all he needs is me, not that slut,¡± she said, taking a drag and blowing it out.


    Delusional bitch.


    ¡°How do you n on getting me out because there is no way I¡¯m taking the me for you?¡± I growled, scowling at her.


    ¡°I will get you out before anything happens, so man up and quit being a baby,¡± she cooed.


    I scoffed, looking at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go through the n again. How do you n on making Sin believe Mani and I have been secretly having an affair?¡±


    She smiled at me like a crazy fool. She walked closer to me. crawling on top of the bed to sit on myp. Her hand ran through my hair, and I pushed it off, scowling at her.


    ¡°One of the mistakes little Mani made was not telling Sin about her rtionship with you. They have been together for months-almost close to a year-yet she didn¡¯t say anything.¡± She stopped to take another drag, blowing it on my face.


    ¡°It was a good thing Sin asked me to look into her when he kidnapped her.¡± I was able to omit every piece of information about me.


    ¡°Now we are going to use that against her. One thing Sin hates is lies and betrayal; there¡¯s no way he would ever forgive her.¡± She let out a menacingugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to show Sin the evidence of the both of you tomorrow, and maybe a little bit of fabricated pictures making it look like you have been sneaking behind his back!¡± She says, Her hand trails down to my cock. She went on her knees, swirling her tongue at the tip of my cock, and I cursed under my breath as she smirked to herself. She took me whole into her mouth, sucking at it.


    I must say, she knows how to give a great blowjob. I grabbed a fistful of her hair, thrusting it in roughly, and she gags as my member touches the back of her throat. I continued to thrust myself roughly into her until my hot cum filled her mouth, which she quickly swallowed, letting me out of her mouth toy on the other side of the bed.


    She stood up to pick up her clothes, putting them back on. She walked to the mirror to fix her hair and makeup, making her way to the door of the hotel room.


    ¡°oh! One more thing,¡± she said, looking at me sternly.


    ¡°what.¡± I spat out my irritation.


    ¡°Try not to be rough on her.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± I quirked an eyebrow up; there was no way she felt sympathetic. I doubt she was capable of feeling anything with her constant obsession with Sin.


    ¡°The bitch is pregnant; I have ns for the baby.¡±


    I was shocked when she said that. I was pissed. ¡°What ns do you have for the baby?¡±


    ¡°Sin would be heartbroken, and I will be there to help him get through it. Maybe even fake a pregnancy.¡± She sent a wink my way before going out of the room.


    She is more crazy than I was.

 HUNDRED AND ONE

    Sin¡¯s Pov.


    I felt a soft hand move on his hair, loving the feel of it, and I slowly opened my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early; why are you awake?¡± My sleepy voice rang out, and my beautiful baby smiled.


    ¡°I had to use the bathroom and found it hard to fall back asleep.¡± She smiled and kissed my nose.


    I pulled her closer, her head resting on my chest. ¡°You look tired, amore; try to get some sleep.¡± I caressed her cheek; she pulled away to peck my lips beforeying back on my chest.


    We stayed in each other¡¯s embrace, cuddling for some time until I fell asleep. When I woke up again, it was already 7:30 in the morning. I kissed Mani on her forehead and then slowly lifted up her head to ce it on the pillow. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.


    After freshening up, I got dressed in a ck Amarni suit before stepping out of the house to head to one of my warehouses here in Italy. I head into my office to find Luca sitting on my couch with a cup of coffee in his hand.


    ¡°Morning Sin.¡± He says this, taking a sip of his coffee before cing it back on the table.


    I gave a sly nod, taking a seat in my chair. ¡°What time is the meeting today?¡±


    ¡°At 12 p. m., the meeting will be held in the Liceo Reale Hotel. It¡¯s an hour and thirty minutes¡¯ drive from here, so we should be there before 12.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, we will leave around 10,¡± I say to him, scrolling through my phone.


    ¡°Sure.¡± It was silent for a second. ¡°So, how was your trip with Mani?¡± Luca asked, standing up from the couch to take a seat on a chair in front of me.


    ¡°It was good; she had a lot of fun.¡± I said this while looking at my phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see how great the both of you are together.¡± Heplimented me with a huge smile on his face.


    ¡°I told her about Lorenzo.¡± I heard a choking sound and raised my head to see Luca with a shocked look running across his face.


    ¡°wait. Seriously. ¡± He asked with surprise and nodded in response before turning back to my phone.


    ¡°You really must love her.¡±


    ¡°I do; I n on proposing this week.¡± I said it again, just to hear another choking sounding from Luca. I gave him a questionable look and a re as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You can¡¯t seriously me me; you¡¯ve really changed a lot these past few months.¡± I rolled my eyes at this and kept my focus on my phone.


    ¡°When I heard her call you by your name, I knew she was someone special. I¡¯m really happy for you, man.¡± He had a genuine smile on his face, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. ¡± Congrattions¡±


    ¡°Thanks, man.¡± We did a silly handshake that Luca forced me to learn. ¡°Let¡¯s start going so that we can get this over with and I can go back home to my bambina.¡±


    The drive to the hotel was as Luca had predicted. After the annoyingly long meeting, I had to go back to the warehouse to settle some documents before going home. I looked at the time to see it was 6:30 p. m. in the evening and let out a frustrated sigh. I need to finish this so that I can head home. I just needed an hour or two to finish up.


    Luca was with me, going through some other documents that contained shipments and other things. We were able to finish early, and I stood up to get my things when the door opened and Luna walked in, swaying her hip. She had a smirk on her face, and I knew she was up to no good.


    ¡°Hey Luca!¡± she waved at Luca, and his face screwed up in disgust, sending her a re. ¡°Still the same, I see.¡±


    ¡°And still desperate like always.¡± Luca scoffed, crossing both hands on his chest.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I growled, pissed.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Baby. That¡¯s no way to speak to a guest.¡± She cooed, walking towards my desk to take a seat beside me.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Luna?¡± I voiced out, somewhat calm but dangerous, trying to control my anger.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I missed you so much. Sin,¡± she smirks, and her hand trails down my chest. attempting to seduce me.


    ¡± You know what, fuck this is: I have no patience left in me right now.¡±


    I opened my drawer, pulled out my Ruger 1707 GP100, and raised it to her. Her eyes widened, I watched her gulped, before she put back the facade up, trying to act tough as she raised her hands in a mock surrender. She thinks I won¡¯t be able to shoot her because of her dad¡¯s connection, but she was wrong. I let go of the safety, ready to blow her brains off, when her words stopped me.


    ¡°How well do you know your little toy?¡± She spits it out with a cocky smile dancing around her lips.


    I gave her a questionable look, wondering what she was talking about.


    ¡°Just shoot the slut; she would obviously say anything to save her ass,¡± Luca countered, walking towards us.


    ¡°If you shot me, you would never know the truth,¡± she replied slyly.


    I smirked at her, wanting to know what game she was ying. ¡°Do indulge me.¡±


    She opened her designer handbag to bring out a brown envelope, mming it on the table. I quipped my left eyebrow, looking at the envelope, then back to her.


    Luca picked it up from the table, bringing out whatever content was inside. He had a shocked look on his face, then turn to look at me warily. I snatched a picture from his hand, and my heart stopped.


    There, smiling for the camera, was my princess with my most trusted man. He had his hand wrapped around her, and she rested her head on his chest. I looked down at the date on the picture.


    15-11-2015.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I snapped at Luna. She had a devious grin on her face.


    ¡°It seems like someone kept a little secret from you,¡± she taunts. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show him the rest of the picture, Luca dear?¡±


    I turned to Luca, and he seemed hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word she says, Sin. I¡¯m sure there is a reasonable exnation for this.¡± I gave him a passive look, taking the rest of the picture from his hold, and my emotions went cold when I saw Mani and Jason naked, kissing passionately.


    I stood up from my seat, pissed, and stormed out of the office with Luca at my tail.


    ¡°Sin, you need to rx and think this through. You can¡¯t seriously believe that whore,¡± he said. I didn¡¯t believe her at all, but that didn¡¯t stop the fact that I was hurt.


    ¡°Porta que puttana nel seminterrato, non ho finito con lei.¡± I got into my car and speeded off back to the mansion.


    I tookrge steps on the staircase, rushing towards the room for an exnation, and what I sawpletely left me shattered.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±

 HUNDRED AND TWO

    Mani¡¯s Pov


    I struggled to keep my eyes open when his hand went down my stomach. He continued to trail his hand down until it reached my waistline. He tugged on my pants, pulling them off, leaving me stacked naked underneath him.


    He ced disgusting kisses down my stomach until he got to my clit. His lips attached to my clitter, and my stomach chugged. I put my hand to my mouth, trying to hold down the vomit that was trying to make its way out.


    I moaned out in pain when he inserted a finger in me, and I put both hands in his hair to pull his head away from my head, and that was when my world fell apart.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Jason gave me a smirk; this was what he wanted. He got off me, and I hurriedly put the duvet on to cover myself. I stood up from the bed to walk to him.


    ¡°Niki!¡± my voice quivers. The look in his eyes was something I had never seen before, and it was directed at me. I tried to touch him, but he moved out of my reach.


    His eyes stared behind me; he walked past me to where Jason stood, and he looked murderous. The next thing I knew, Jason was on the floor with Sin mming his fist on him. He kept on hitting him; his blows brutal and aggressive.


    My face was pale white, and I cried out, terrified. Covering my mouth with my palm, I try to hide my sob. I didn¡¯t know what to do; I just stood rooted in my spot as I watched him pound his fist on Jason¡¯s face.


    I watched Luca enter the room. He took in my appearance before racing past me to where Sin and Jason were. He tried pulling Sin away from Jason, which seemed to anger him more. He growled out in anger, pushing Luca away from him to continue his assault on Jason.


    ¡°Sin, you need to get back to your senses.¡± Luca tried again to pull him off Jason, but he was strong and resilient. ¡°Come on, man, you¡¯re going to kill him.¡± Luca shouted.


    Sin pulled away from an unconscious Jason; his eyes were bloodshot when he looked at me. He went ballistic and started punching the wall close to him. I screamed for Luca to stop him; I couldn¡¯t stop looking at the blood pouring from his hand. I took slow steps towards him, hoping he would let me exin. My eyes were blurry with tears, and my lips quivered.


    ¡°Niki, it¡¯s not what you think. Let me exin, he¡­¡± I was cut off by the sound of ss hitting the floor, a piecending on my hand.


    ¡°Lies, all lies; you are just like Lorenzo,¡± he spits out.


    I pped my left palm over the other to contain the blood gushing out due to the deep cut of the ss. His eyes followed my hands, and I thought I saw a little bit of guilt when he saw the blood, but his face soon turned emotionless.


    ¡°Take him to the medical centre; I¡¯m not done with him yet,¡± he said to Luca, who nodded. He picked up Jason, taking him out of the room. Leaving just Sin and I


    His hand stroked my cheek; I whimpered softly, and my eyes shot close. His rough skin scraping against my soft ones, his breath closer to my ear, he coldly whispers. ¡°I will make sure you receive the same fate as your lover.¡±


    He pushed me harshly to the wall, my back hitting the wall hard, my legs bloody after stepping on the broken ss on the floor. He walked out of the room without looking at me, mming the door hard. I heard a lock sound from outside and I dragged my injured legs to the door, turning the knob to find it locked.


    I slid my back down against the door till I got to the ground, sobbing my heart out, loudly, unable to control my tears. My heart was breaking; the look in his eyes was something I never thought I would see.


    Disgust.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    disgust for me.


    I ced a hand on my stomach, crying. crying till there were no tears left to cry. This was not how the night was supposed to turn out. This was supposed to be about me, Sin, and the baby.


    Not this.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I sat there, but I woke up the next morning in the same position I was inst night. on the ground by the door. I looked at the clock to see that it was 7:30 in the morning. I used the door knob to push myself up, walking to the bathroom where the first aid kit was. I brought everything out, treating my legs and palms before stepping into the shower. I cleaned myself up, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were red and lifeless, and my cheeks were puffy.


    I dragged myself out of the bathroom, limping. The room was cleaned, which meant a maid must havee in to tidy up the room. I limped to the door to see if it was open, but it was locked. I slowly made my way to the walk-in closet, dressed, and plopped myself on the bed. My body curled up like a foetus, staring into nothingness. I stayed there, feeling numb. Time passed, but I just didn¡¯t feel anything.


    I sat up from the bed, not minding the pain, when I heard the sound of keys and the door being opened, hoping it was Sin, but instead it was Samantha. She had a tray of food in her hands. She closed the door, walked towards me, and then ced the tray on the bed. I tried meeting her eyes, but she avoided any eye contact with me.


    ¡°Sam¡­¡± I was cut off by Samantha¡¯s cold response. Her face was wiped clean of every emotion, and I couldn¡¯t see the trace of my friend in her.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this because you are pregnant; you need to eat,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Even though the baby might not be Sin¡¯s,¡± Her words were like a p to my face; tears fell down my face, and I struggled to control them but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Sam.¡± I tried talking to her again, but she stood up from the bed and went to the door.


    ¡°Think of the baby,¡± was all she said before mming the door shut and locking it from outside.


    I looked down at the tray to see pancakes with strawberry toppings, but they didn¡¯t look appealing to me. Iid back down, numb. I wasn¡¯t feeling anything; I was just numb.


    That was how it went for a whole week. I still haven¡¯t seen Sin since he walked in on Jason and i. I was still here, locked in the room. Samantha still brings food from time to time, she sits and makes sure I have eaten everyst bit of food on the te.


    That didn¡¯t change the way things were with us; she still refused to talk to me or even look at me. Guilt. Guilt was all I could feel while Iy here, looking out the window of the room. A silvery streak of tears strikes my cheek.


    Regrets.


    I should have told him about Jason and I.

 HUNDRED AND THREE

    I heard the sound of the door opening but didn¡¯t bother checking who it was until a familiar scent of cologne hit my nostrils. I hurriedly sat up from the bed, and there he was, standing beside the door, his eyes hooded. His predatory eyes, remained on me, unwavering with no emotions


    I stood up from the bed, moving to where he stood, my eyes pleading for him to trust me. Uncontroble tears left my eyes when I saw him after so many day.


    ¡°You have the audacity to cry in front of me like a victim when you are nothing but a whore.¡± I winced at his words as he shouted at my face.


    ¡°If you think for a second that your tears will change anything, then you are wrong. You better save them because I n on making you suffer,¡± he said, gripping my cheeks with his hand. I was looking at his eyes-the dark orbs that I adored the most, which only had admiration and pride for me once. But now all I could see was anger and hatred in them.


    ¡°I hate you, Normani Parker. I loathe your existence. I can¡¯t even stand looking at you; you mean nothing to me. Absolutely nothing,¡± he said, clenching his jaw. ¡°Was this your revenge, to hurt me for taking you from the life you once knew? Or had it been ned by the both of you, to weaken my resolve.¡± I shake my head, crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you scream in such pain that you wish you were dead, but I won¡¯t give you death even if you beg for it.¡± He tightened his grip on my cheek.


    ¡°Niki,¡± I pleaded, my voice shaky. ¡°Just let me exin; please just let me exin once.¡±


    ¡°What could you possibly say to justify what I saw? You know, I didn¡¯t want to believe it when I saw the picture, but then you proved me wrong.¡± Each and every word he said was like a dagger in my heart. I knew I deserved it; I betrayed his trust, but I just wished he would give me a chance to exin myself.


    ¡°You betrayed me, Mani; you betrayed every trust I had in you. You betrayed me!¡± He shouted thest sentence.


    ¡°Why did you do it, Mani? Why. ¡± He shouted again, to which I just lowered my gaze, tears pouring down my eyes, and I tried to control myself to steady my breath.


    ¡°Answer me, damn it. Why?¡± he shouted at my face.


    ¡°I wanted to tell you about me and Jason.¡±


    ¡°You and Jason!¡± he shouted in a dangerously high voice.


    I started shivering badly from all the crying and all the anger he was emitting. He seemed like a different person. His eyes were full of hatred and anger.


    ¡°Yes, we knew each other in the past, but that was it. Nothing happened between us; please believe.¡±


    ¡°Believe you; you want me to believe you. I found you naked underneath him, and you say there¡¯s nothing between the two of you.¡± He spat, and his face hardened.


    ¡°I was waiting for you, and when he came into the room, he nned all this, so please Niki. I would never do this to you.¡±


    ¡°You yed a nice game; I give you that. You made me believe you wanted the rtionship between us to work, but all along, you were whoring yourself.¡± I winced again at his words.


    ¡°Why, Mani, you don¡¯t like being called a whore? That¡¯s what you are, after all. a whore¡± All this time, I was just looking at his eyes, searching for the person who would do anything just to please me, who would hurt anyone that looked my way in a bad manner, but he wasn¡¯t there; it¡¯s like he never existed.


    He gave me onest look before shoving me roughly to the ground, and I did everything possible not tond on my stomach. I watched him stare down at me with so much hatred and anger. I knew he wouldn¡¯t trust me again, and I doubt he ever would.


    How was I supposed to tell him the truth? How was I supposed to get him to listen when he wouldn¡¯t even believe a word I said? I watched his retreating back as he left the room, locking the door from outside.


    I can¡¯t let him go; I need to sort out whatever mess and mimunication there is between us. Jason wasn¡¯t working alone. I remembered him mentioning a bitch, but who could it be? Who would go to this extent just to cause a rift between Sin and me?


    I must get to the bottom of this; crying won¡¯t solve anything. I need to find out who is behind this, and I can¡¯t do this alone if I am trapped in this room. I need Samantha and Zoey¡¯s help; they are the only ones I trust.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I wiped the tears off my face, feeling determined.

 HUNDRED AND FOUR

    I woke up feeling like my head was splitting into two. I raised a hand to my head, trying to soothe the headache. I couldn¡¯t take any medicine because of the baby. Stifling out a yawn, I continued toy on the bed, thinking of a way I could convince Samantha and Zoey to believe and help me.


    I patiently waited for Samantha toe in, like she has been doing for the past week. An hour passed-two hours-and still I didn¡¯t see her. I was beginning to lose hope of hering today when I heard the sound of the locksing undone. The door opened, and like usual, she had a tray of food in her hands.


    ¡°I brought breakfast,¡± she said, entering the room. She kept the tray of food on the table but didn¡¯t bother looking at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a quick shower first,¡± I said, pointing to the door, and she nodded. I needed to shower first; it might soothe the headache, and I could muster a bit of strength and courage. I got off the bed, feeling a little dizzy. I opened the bathroom door.


    Stripping myself off, I got in the bathtub. The water was warm. The water felt so good touching my skin. I closed my eyes, rxing my back.


    My mind drifted back to yesterday, reciting every word Sin said to me, especially the ones that stood out when he told me how much he hated me. I felt a pang in my heart, and unknowingly, tears dropped from my eyes.


    No matter how much I recall everything, it still doesn¡¯t feel real to me. It was like a bad dream; I so desperately wanted to wake up from it but couldn¡¯t, no matter how much time I tried. I remembered the way he always looked at me and the way he did yesterday. More tears fell from my eyes. Was the person of yesterday, the same man as my Niki. The one who owns a big part of my heart.


    It hurts a lot when the one who has shown you nothing but love tells you they hate you now. It hurt so much.


    I got up from the bathtub and dried myself, leaving the bathroom. I entered the room, and Samantha was still there. She looked lost in thought. I made my way into the closet and put on the first piece of clothing that caught my eye.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I got out of the closet. My eyes went to the tray of food on the table beside the bed, then to Samantha, who was sitting on the couch. I don¡¯t have any appetite, but I need to eat. I signed, took the tray, and sat on the couch. I started eating, even though I wasn¡¯t that hungry, i needed to eat for the life growing in me. I looked at Samantha, and she looked like she hadn¡¯t slept for days.


    ¡°Sam,¡± I said, causing her to takr a deep breath before letting her head rise to meet my gaze. She didn¡¯t say anything; she just kept staring. It was hard to read her face; I didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. Her face was nk and void of any emotion. Nheless, I still tried again.


    ¡°Sam, just let me exin first; then you can choose to hate me or not, but at least give me the benefit of the doubt and let me exin myself.¡± I pleaded with her, my eyes blurry with tears.


    Her mouth parted like she was about to say something, but no words came out. She let out another sigh, her head cast down like she was in deep thought, before lifting it up to meet my eyes again.


    ¡°Fine, exin¡±¡® A relieved breath left my mouth, and my lips stretched into a small smile.


    ¡°It was true that Jason and I knew each other in the past,¡± I say, wetting my bottom lip as my hands fudge with each other. ¡°He was my ex-boyfriend.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s eyes widened, and she sat up straight with a confused expression on her face. ¡°Wait¡­ boyfriend:¡± She asked, and I nodded. ¡°From what you told me before, you only had one boyfriend in high school who was nothing but a scumbag after he cheated on you with your cousin at your parents¡¯ funeral.¡± She asked again with furrowed brows.


    ¡°Yeah, you are right. That scumbag was Jason,¡± I said, confirming her thought. Her mouth opened in a gasp, like she couldn¡¯t believe what I had just said.


    ¡°I always knew he was a scumbag, but what I don¡¯t understand is, if he hurt you so badly, why did Sin walk in on the two of you in bed naked?¡± She questioned herself, looking more confused than ever.


    ¡°I told you I nned on telling Niki about the baby. Right?¡± I asked, and she nodded. ¡°So, I had already gotten ready and put on the lingerie I bought from the Victoria Secret store. I was waiting for Niki but ended up falling asleep. When I woke up, I felt a presence beside me and thought it was Niki, only to find out it was Jason. ¡± I said to her, ¡±


    I continued to narrate everything that happened, what Jason had said about a woman being involved, and how he set me up so that Sin could walk in on us. I watched as her face changed between different emotions, from confusion to shock to relief and finally anger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that dickhead.¡± She snapped angrily, her fists clenching together. ¡°When I get my hands on him, I¡¯m going to chop off his balls and feed them to him.¡± She had an evil smirk on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mani, that I didn¡¯t believe you.¡± She apologized, and she gave me a guilty look.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sam. What matters is that you do it now.¡± I take her hand in mine, giving it a squeeze.


    ¡°We need to tell Sin about this,¡± she said boldly.


    ¡°I tried Sam, but he won¡¯t even let me talk. He is really hurt,¡± I said to her, and she furrowed her brows.


    ¡°He can be really stubborn, but he loves you a lot, Mani. I have never seen him like this before; his emotions were bare for everyone to see. He looks broken.¡±


    ¡°We could try getting to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°If we can just find out who his partner is, that is why I need you and Zoey¡¯s help. You both are the only ones I trust here to help me out,¡± I pleaded, my voice cracking a little bit.


    ¡°I will tell Zoey, but you should rest. Stress isn¡¯t really good for you right now,¡± she says, helping me up from the couch and back to the bed. ¡± rest¡±


    She walked to the table to pick up the tray, giving me a slight nod before walking out of the room. I felt a part of the burden leave my shoulders, and I could see a glimmer of hope. I just pray this works out.

 HUNDRED AND FIVE

    My mind kept wandering around, thinking of who would be responsible for something like this, and only one person¡¯s name came to mind. Luna.


    She was the only one I could think of, and I knew how desperate she was. Her obsession with Sin was something anyone could see. She didn¡¯t look like someone who would back off that easily. I¡¯m sure this was all her n. It has to be her.


    I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of the door opening, and Luca stepped in. He had a worried expression on his face, and when his eyes found mine, it turned into pity. He walked forward, taking a seat on the couch.


    ¡°How are you?¡± He asked worriedly.


    ¡°Given everything that has happened this week, I would say it is not good,¡± I responded nkly.


    ¡°I figured. The both of you are a mess; Sin won¡¯t leave his office and keeps drinking himself into stupor, and Samantha told me about how you¡¯ve constantly been crying.¡±


    ¡°Do you also think I cheated on him?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I have seen the way you are with him; only a fool won¡¯t notice how much you love him.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess that makes your friend one.¡±


    ¡°I guess it does.¡± It was silent for some time before he spoke again. ¡°Mani, Sin loves you, and he still wants you. I have seen it; after being with him this week, I am scared he will do something irrational!¡± He paused. ¡°He is still the same old Sin who is crazy about you and who is ready to move heaven and earth just to make sure nothing bad happens to you. He is just hurt; he has every right to be.¡±


    I smiled sadly. ¡°I would never do anything to hurt him, Luca; believe me.¡±


    ¡°I know Mani. I find it strange how Luna came to the office with evidence of you and Jason together just for Sin to walk in on you both. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡±


    I was right after all. It was Luna.


    ¡°Can I see the pictures?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I¡¯m not with them, but don¡¯t worry, I trust you. You¡¯ve got to forgive Sin for not believing you; you know he¡¯s got a huge trust issue, especially after what happened between him and Lorenzo.¡± I smiled gratefully at him.


    ¡°Thanks, Luca; I really appreciate it. It means so much to me that you actually believe me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mani; there were just too many holes in the story.¡± He stood up from the couch. ¡°Eat healthy and quit the tears.¡± He gave me onest look, then made his way out of the room. I heard the sound of her door being locked again from outside, and I let out a sigh.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I just want this phase to be over.


    After Luca left, I was able to get some sleep. When I woke up, it was already dark, and I waited for my eyes to get used to the darkness. My eyes wandered round the room, stopping at a figure standing just a foot apart from me; at first, I thought it was Sin, that was until I looked closely and noticed, I had no clue who this man was because his face wasn¡¯t familiar.


    A feeling of deja vu slopes in, and I hurriedly rise from the bed.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I snapped out


    The man stepped forward with a gun raised toward me and I panicked when I noticed he wasn¡¯t one of Sin¡¯s men because he didn¡¯t have the tattoo that signified him being a part of Sin¡¯s mafia family. I took slow steps, looking for an escape route, but the more steps I took, the more steps he took as well.


    ¡°Move one more time, then you have a bullet attached to that pretty skull of yours.¡± I stood rooted in my spot.


    Who was he?


    How did he get in?


    He grabbed a hold of my hand, his faceing in front of mine. He had a disgusting-looking scar that moved from his left eye down to his cheekbone. I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but his gun moved from my head to my stomach. ¡°I suggest you think twice before you do anything stupid. You don¡¯t want to end up losing that baby of yours. That would be tragic.


    I was surprised by his words-how did he know about my baby?


    ¡°No, please. I beg of you.¡± I sobbed, trying to free my hand from his strong grip.


    ¡°I wish I could, sweetheart, but I¡¯m not the one calling the shots.¡± His hand covered my mouth, and I felt a needle pierce through my neck. Soon everything started spinning, and my body was getting weaker and weaker. My vision became blurry, the next thing I knew, my body fell on his, and I passed out.

 HUNDRED AND SIX

    When I came through, my head was covered by a ck bag, and my hands were bound tightly in front of me. I seemed to be sitting in the back of a car, and I felt two presences on either side of me.


    I let out a scream, asking them to let me go. Panic rose through me. I spat at them every Spanish insult I could muster, demanding to be released, until one of them hit my head hard on the iron behind the seat, and I could feel the blood dripping down my head.


    I tried to listen to see if I could hear anything distinctive that would help me out when I nned my escape. I listened as the car soared over bumpy paths, making its way down an unsteady route. It kept on moving for what seemed to be an hour and a half before halting.


    My heart raced, and I felt my nerves surfacing even more when I was dragged out of the car. Two strong arms hoisted me up and carried me, bridal style, to what I assumed was their hiding ce. I heard the sound of a metal door being opened, and whoever was carrying me walked inside, takingrger steps. He climbed a staircase before taking a turn to the left. Another door opened, and I was set down on a chair.


    I moved my head frantically, trying to see if I could get a glimpse of how the room looked, but I ended up with nothing. I let out a deep sigh, thinking of what to do, when I felt a sting on my neck. My eyes started dropping slowly, and no matter how much I tried to keep them open, I couldn¡¯t fight the urge to close them and ended up weing the darkness for the second time that night.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been out, but I was awoken by the darkness of the room. My eyes were heavy as I struggled to keep them open, adjusting to the darkness. My hands were tied so tightly behind a seat that I was sure it would leave a mark.


    I was cold.


    There was no way I could scream for help since my mouth was gagged. My ear peaked, listening for any sound that indicated someone was here with me as well, but nothing. Total silence. I didn¡¯t know if I should be relieved that I was alone or worried.


    But one thing was for sure-the fear was eating me up. My heart kept beating fast at the thought of what mighte. I gulped; my throat hurt, and my head was pounding like a sledgehammer was being hit repeatedly on it.


    The fear was different from how I felt when Sin first kidnapped me; this was different. I wasn¡¯t taken for pleasure or an obsession; I was taken for revenge, and that was what scared me the most.


    My body trembles. The image of Sin¡¯s beautiful face was locked into my mind, and the thought of him sent a pool of tears strolling down my cheeks. My heart raced when I heard the sound of heavy footstepsing in this direction. I heard a man¡¯s voice muttering something in Italian as they got closer. I was able to understand a little bit of what they were saying since my Italian isn¡¯t yet perfect. I felt so useless.


    The footsteps stopped at the entrance of the door, then I heard the knob turn, and the door opened. I saw two blurry figures walking in, and I tried to use all my senses. A bright light burned through my eyes when the room switch was turned on.


    I took in the appearance of the room. It had four concrete walls with a tiny window by the side. It was filthy, and the walls were disgusting to look at as they were stained with what looked like dried blood.


    Looking at the room made me want to throw up, but I had to force myself not to because I might end up throwing up on myself. I removed my gaze from the walls of the room, settling it in front of the bulky-looking Italian men. They both had tattoos running from their necks to their hands.


    Their expressions were nk and ruthless, staring at me like I was an insect they could easily squash. My lips quivered and my heart beat faster when one of them began to approach me. I felt my body shake uncontrobly and my eyes water as he approached me.


    ¡°Look at her, Stefano, how she keeps trembling,¡± the scary guy who stood in front of me said to the one behind me.


    ¡°Seeing you tremble, P Ragazza, is quite the turn-on.¡±


    perverted old fart!.


    I should have really learned self-defense; maybe then I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation I¡¯m in now; maybe then I wouldn¡¯t have been easily kidnapped. Sin was right; I can¡¯t really take care of myself when ites to situations like this.


    ¡°Be careful, Marcos; you know the rule. You are not allowed to touch her or do anything that might harm the baby.¡± The guy behind me, who was called Stefano, warned the Marcos guy in front of me.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad; I could imagine the fun the both of us could have had.¡± Marcos hummed, his eyes focused on my cleavage, his hands folded against his chest.


    I sent him a re, hating his eyes on my skin. His gaze met mine, and he grinned menacingly, wetting his lips as his eyes swept over my body again.


    ¡°On second thought, there won¡¯t be any harm if we just have a little bit of fun. Don¡¯t you think?¡± He closed the gap between us.


    He had his eyes on my face, drinking in my nervous expression, and a smirk formed on the side of his lips. He put his hand on my neck, giving it a little bit of a painful squeeze before trailing it down my neck to my shoulder, moving down, and stopping at the top of my cleavage. I moved my head, trying to get rid of his hand on my body, but it didn¡¯t do anything since I was tied to the chair by my hands and legs.


    I let out a whimper when I saw that he was about to grab a hold of my left breast, but that didn¡¯t happen because Stefano stopped him.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, Marcos,¡± Stefano said, his voice deep and authoritative, leaving Marcos no choice but to step away.


    I let out a breath of relief. My eyes met those of Stefano, and I nodded lightly in a way of telling him how grateful I was, but his face was emotionless. Marcos reluctantly stood up, keeping a distance between us, and I let out a shaky breath.


    ¡°Dai Stefano, devi essere un festaiolo, possiamo entrambi fare a turno. Non ¨¨ che pazza lo saprebbe.¡± Marcos spoke sternly to Stefano.


    ¡°No Marcos,scia riposare povera ragazza. E gi¨¤ abbastanza grave che sia stata rapita, sembra debole e potrebbe svenire da un momento all¡¯altro e non dimentichiamoci del fatto che ¨¨ incinta¡±. Stefano answered in an equal tone to Marcos, sending a hard re his way.


    ¡°identi a quel fottuto bambino, da quando sei cosi figa, non dirmi che ti piace nel poco tempo in cui ¨¨ stata qui.¡± Marcos spat angrily, walking towards Stefano in arge stance. They towered above each other as they continued their heated arguments.


    ¡°Ci sono state date semplici istruzioni per non ta e fare bene a segui. Bloody bastard,¡± Marcos said angrily, walking out of the room.


    Stefano cast me onest nce before walking out of the room. I waited to hear the sound of the lock, but I didn¡¯t hear anything except for their retreating footsteps. After I felt they were a distance away, I heaved out a shaky breath; my entire body shook uncontrobly, and my eyes watered. My nce fell to the door; my vision was blurry.


    Would Sin care about the fact that I was missing? Was he d that I was out of his life? Would he even bother looking for me?Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    All hope in me deteriorated, not after the way we left things. I wasn¡¯t able to prove to him that I didn¡¯t cheat on him and that everything that happened was a set-up done by Jason and some mysterious woman. A sob escaped the cloth that bound my mouth as tears continued to fall down my face. I feared for my life and that of my unborn child.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby, mommy will make sure nothing happens to you,¡± I whispered into the dark. I sat there awake, bound to the chair, for hours before weing the darkness for the third time this night.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantions


    Dai Stefano, devi essere un festaiolo; possiamo entrambi fare un turno. Non ¨¨ che pazza lo saprebbe. ¨C Come on, Stefano, do you have to be a party popper? We can both take turns. It¡¯s not like the crazydy would know.


    No Marcos,scia riposare povera ragazza. E gi¨¤ abbastanza grave che sia stata rapita, sembra debole e potrebbe svenire da un momento all¡¯altro e non dimentichiamoci del fatto che ¨¨ incinta. No, Marcos, let the poor girl rest. It¡¯s bad enough that she was kidnapped; she looks weak and could faint any minute from now; and let¡¯s not forget about the fact that she is pregnant.


    identi a quel fottuto bambino, da quando sei cos figa, non dirmi che ti piace nel poco tempo in cui ¨¨ stata qui. Damn that fucking baby, since when have you been such a pussy. Don¡¯t tell me you fancy her in the little time she has been here.


    Ci sono state date semplici istruzioni per non ta e fare bene a segui. ¨C We were given simple instructions not to touch her, and you would do well to follow them.

 HUNDRED AND SEVEN

    Sin Pov.


    Days and a week have gone by, and I¡¯ve drowned myself in alcohol all because of her. The memory of that night is still fresh in my mind, refusing to give way. It was like a loop running for the hundredth time. How could i be so stupid.


    I clenched my hand into a fist, and my fingernails dug against my palm, making blood tickle the floor.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The memory of Jason and Mani clouded my mind, him on top of her as his hands run over her body like he owns her.


    She made me fall hard for her, making me weak just for her to humiliate me in front of my men and sleep with one of them.


    She had used those innocent faces to fool me, taunting me with a mask she had on like a little temptress. I should have seen iting. The first time I saw her at my club, I should have investigated how she got the pass because that was the only way to get in.


    I mmed my fist hard against the desk, standing up. I make my way to the basement, where I kept Jason. The bastard had recovered very quickly, and I wanted nothing more than to m his face repeatedly against the wall before sending a bullet hole straight through his forehead.


    As I went down the stairs to the basement, I saw Jason tied to a chair, his face bloody and his eyes in a daze. I move to stand in front of him, slouching down to his level.


    ¡°Hello, Jason.¡± I smiled, sending a blow to his rib and groaning out in pain, spitting out a little bit of blood.


    ¡°Sin.¡± He greets me with a groan. ¡°I see you are still mad that I fucked your whore. I just couldn¡¯t resist, especially with her unting that cute little ass of hers and begging me to fuck her hard. It seems like you weren¡¯t doing a good job at it.¡± He smiled, and I punched him. I felt a lump in my throat after hearing those words.


    Jealousy and anger


    Grabbing his sheet, I growled. ¡°Me ne andr dal mattone de morte solo per trattarti finch¨¦ non starai meglio e rifare tutto da capo.¡± I sent him onest blow to the face, knocking him out cold. I made my way out of the basement and back to my office. I took out my phone and dialled a number I hadn¡¯t called in a long time.


    ¡°I want you at my house in an hour,¡± I say before cutting the call off.


    I pour a whisky into a ss cup, drinking it up in one go. Then another one, and another one, and another one, but I just can¡¯t seem to get drunk. The door opened as I watched a familiar blonde make her way toward me. She had on a tight ck dress that puffed at the bottom; she had full, big curves. She took a seat at the desk beside me, her legs open wide for me to see.


    Ginevra.


    We had a beneficial rtionship; her dad worked for my dad before he passed away, and that was how we met. There was no feeling attached to our rtionship, just in pleasure.


    ¡°I never thought you would call me. How long has it been, two years or was it three?¡± she asked seductively, trailing her manicured finger down my chest.


    ¡°You know what you are supposed to do.¡± I said to her, not having time for any chitchat.


    ¡°Still the same, I see.¡± She smirks, standing up from the desk as she gets rid of the tiny piece of clothing she had on. She got in front of me, sitting on the desk with her legs spread wide.


    I stood up, undoing my pants and boxers. There was no time for forey as I shoved myself fully inside her. She gasped, her hand gripping tightly to the edge of the desk. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and I continued to thrust in and out of her roughly.


    She let out a moan of pleasure, but I felt nothing, just anger.


    The door of the office swings up, Ginevra. She screamed, while I pulled away from her. She gathered her clothes from the ground to cover her naked body as she hurriedly put on her dress.


    I sent a re at the intruder, just to see Luca standing there with a pissed look on his face. He cast his gaze from me to Ginevra, his jaw clenching. I put my boxers and pants back on while Ginevra brushed past Luca running out of the office, looking dishevelled. I took a seat in my chair, my hand resting on my chin, and sent a questionable re at Luca.


    I know he didn¡¯t believe anything that Luna said, not even after walking in a second after me and catching the two in the act. I know Luca loves and cares for her like she was a little sister, but he should learn to ept the fact that she betrayed us. She betrayed me.


    He approaches my desk, taking a seat opposite me. ¡°Really, Sin, it hasn¡¯t even been a week, and you are already buried deep inside that slut,¡± he spat out angrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you lecturing me now, Luca.¡± I said, pissed.


    ¡°I get that you are hurt, but there are so many holes in the story. Why don¡¯t you start thinking with your mind instead of your heart?¡± He growls out


    ¡°Watch your tone with me; you might be my best friend, but I¡¯m still your boss.¡± I said it in a very calm but venomous tone.


    ¡°Look, man, think about it. The passes weren¡¯t given to Mani but to her friend Stephanie. I had also looked into Mani and Jason¡¯s pasts. There is no way she would have gone back to him.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°Yeah, and she just so happens to find herself naked underneath him in our bed, moaning.¡± I say it sarcastically, chugging another ss of whiskey.


    ¡°Since he cheated on her at her parents¡¯ funeral with her cousin, who, in their right mind, would go back to him,¡±


    I looked at him, confused. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He throws a bunch of pictures on the desk with a file. I went through them, and my eyes widened. Why would she go back to such a scumbag after everything that had happened?


    ¡°Then exin that night,¡± I say to Luca with furrowed brows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what happened, but don¡¯t you find it strange that Luna suddenly came to the warehouse with proofs and pictures of Mani and Jason together in bed, just for you to find them together on your bed when they knew you would be back anytime soon?¡± Luca points out


    I couldn¡¯t help but pound on it. It was too big of a coincidence, now that I¡¯m thinking about it. Jason wouldn¡¯t have done something this stupid unless he had a n.


    ¡°Did you check out the pictures Luna brought?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I sent it down to Alesso; hopefully we will get a result by the end of the day.¡±


    I could feel a ray of hope at the thought of Mani not betraying me, and I wished for nothing but for all this to be nothing but a conspiracy. I thought of all the harsh words I said to her, and the fact that i just cheated on her, and my heart broke.


    Whoever did this, I would make sure they went through every single pain my bambina and I had to go through this week and much worse than that.


    ¡°Tell him to hurry up; I want the result in an hour, and also tell him toe over; I have a job for him.¡± I looked sternly at Luca, and he nodded, taking out his phone.


    My jaw clenched, thinking of the many scenarios of how I was going to make the person in charge of all this scam suffer, but first I had to make it up to my little temptress. I stood up from my seat and was about to make my way out of the door when it swung open for the second time.

 HUNDRED AND EIGHT

    A frantic-looking Samantha entered. I saw the look of fear in her face, and I moved towards her along with Luca.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sam?¡± I asked, looking at her dishevelled face.


    She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Mani.¡±


    ¡°What about Mani? What happened to her?¡± Luca asked, cing his hand on her shoulders.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Come on, Sam, speak out,¡± I growled impatiently.


    ¡°She is.¡± She stuttered out again; this time her eyes were blurry, and my heart skipped.


    I raced past her, upstairs to the room where Mani should be, and found it empty. Luca and Samantha stepped in as well. I ran to the bathroom to check if she was there, but it was empty as well. I turned back to Samantha, who had a full-blown tear gushing down her face.


    ¡°Where is Mani, Sam?¡± I asked as calmly as I could.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t around this morning, so I couldn¡¯t bring breakfast for her.¡± I decided to check up on her this evening, and when I got here, the door was opened, and I found this on the floor. She brought out a syringe.


    Luca took it from her, inspecting it. ¡°I think she has been kidnapped.¡± Anger boiled deep inside me. ¡°How were they able to pass security without any alert?¡± Luca questioned, and he was right: the security was increased after what happened in New York; no one could get in without the guards being alerted.


    ¡°Someone on the inside must have helped them.¡± Samantha said, after managing to get a hold of herself.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be Jason because he¡¯s been locked up; that means there is someone else here working with Jason.¡± Luca chips in.


    ¡°We need to get Mani back, Sin, especially in her condition.¡± Samanthaughed hysterically.


    ¡°Condition. What do you mean? I felt bad knowing that I had ignored her.


    ¡°She was going to tell me the night all this happened,¡± she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°That she was pregnant.¡±


    I stutter backward in shock, not able to believe her. Baby, she was carrying my baby. I remembered how harshly I had pushed her, and my heart rate escted.


    Luca used his hand to steady me, staring at me with a worried expression. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I shared my head, and my eyes darkened. ¡°We have to find her; we have to find her now.¡± Anger exploded through me. I was angry at myself as well. It was my fault they were able to get to her.


    ¡°We will. We just need to narrow it down and find out who in this house is responsible for all this, which means we can¡¯t tell anyone about this,¡± Luca said, his hand ced behind his back and a worried look on his face.


    I paced around the room, moving back and forth, saying, ¡°We need to interrogate Luna and Jason; find out what they know.¡± I growled. The skin on my knuckles was ghostly white.


    Luca¡¯s phone pings, and he turns it on. reading through the message. ¡°Alesso is here. I told him to wait in the office. ¡± I nodded, taking deep breaths to calm myself.


    ¡°Sam, why don¡¯t you freshen up and rest while we talk to Alesso?¡± Luca says.


    ¡°No, I want to help. Mani is my friend, and she promised to make me the godmother. Let me help,¡± she said, determined. Luca looked at me, waiting for my approval.


    ¡°Fine, but tidy up first,¡± she said weakly before leaving the room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep Alesso waiting.¡±


    ¡°Sin, I know what you are thinking, and I¡¯m sure Mani doesn¡¯t hold it against you.¡± Luca tries to cheer me up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her and the baby.¡± I said, leaving the room.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    I have been here for three days without any food or water to drink. I was too weak to move my body.


    No one had bothered to check up on me, not even the two men who were here the night I was kidnapped. I didn¡¯t know how long I would be able to survive without taking anything. My head fell to my side, and my lips were dried. I brought out my tongue to groggily wet my lips since I had little strength.


    The door opening caught my attention; heavy footsteps made their way towards me, and a te of omelette and water were dropped in front of me. I raised my head to see Stefano looking down at me with a passive look, but I couldn¡¯t give a shit; I was starving and my only focus was the food on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to undo the rope on your hand; think twice before doing anything stupid,¡± he warned, and I nodded.


    He went behind me, losing the ropes that bound my hands to the chair. I looked down at my bruised wrist, which had purple and red marks on it, and I winced in pain. Stefano ced the te on myp, and I hurriedly ate despite the pain I felt in my wrist.


    I kept stuffing my mouth with the food, no matter how disgusting it tasted. I could feel a little bit of energy in me. I continued to eat until the sound of loud heels caught my attention, and I looked up at the entrance.


    A woman walked in with a tight red dress and stockings and red heels on. Her face was painted with heavy makeup. She stood in front of me, her lips stretched into a devilish smirk, looking down at me with total disgust.


    ¡°Zoey.¡± I gasped out of disbelief.

 HUNDRED AND NINE

    ¡°Zoey.¡± I gasped out of disbelief. My eyes widen at the person in front of me.


    ¡°In the flesh,¡± she answered with a smirk on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you here?¡± I asked in a voice that I hoped would hide the panic I was feeling inside.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Mani. Do you really have to ask me that? You can¡¯t be that dense.¡± She asked with a smug smile.


    ¡°Why¡­ why are you doing this?¡± I stutter out, my eyes blurry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Mani; why would I do this?¡± she said, with a creepy smile. She keeps answering every question with a question of her own, with her hands crossed together.


    ¡°What do you want? Why would you do something like this?¡± I think she was done ying because the look in her eyes changed.


    ¡°What do I want? You are seriously asking me when you are the cause of everything.¡± She screamed. She looked like aplete lunatic, totally different from the Zoey I knew. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, even with her standing in front of me and


    I felt the ping of a needle numb my heart. ¡°If I have done something wrong to hurt you, please forgive, but there are better ways to sort things out than this.¡± I tried to reason with her, hoping to see the Zoey I once knew.


    ¡°You took him from me; you just swapped right past and took him from me without knowing your ce.¡± She seethed at thest part with venom.


    Who was she talking about? What did I take from her?Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you mean I took him from you?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Sin was mine first. I saw him first.¡± She spats.


    Sin.


    She was doing all this for Sin.


    Was she in love with him?


    ¡°Sin?¡± I was baffled. ¡°I thought you said you were in love with his brother, Alexander.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t give two shits about Alexander; I wanted to use him to get to Sin, but that old man ruined everything. He found out about my obsession with Sin and wanted me out of their lives, so I thought of another way to stay, and that was getting pregnant with that asshole child when all I wanted was Sin. ¡± She finished with a sick smile.


    I have never seen Zoey with a child before. If things didn¡¯t turn out like she expected, what about the baby?


    ¡°I know you must be wondering what happened to the baby. It helped better when it was gone than being alive.¡± When she says ¡°gone,¡± does she mean dead? I gasped out, looking at her like she had grown two heads.


    ¡°Did you kill your child, Zoey?¡± I asked, fearful of what her response might be.


    ¡°I had a miscarriage, but who cares? I didn¡¯t even want the baby.¡± Sin must have felt concerned after the miscarriage and asked me to move in with him. All this shows how much he is in love with me-until you came and ruined everything,¡± she says with a deadly look in her eyes.


    She was obviously delusional and obsessed with Sin.


    ¡°You know what happened between Sin and me. Before I fell in love with him, I never wanted this. You yourself told me what a good person he was.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was because I thought he was going to get over whatever sick obsession he had with you and end up dumping you back in the ditch where he was found, or better yet, kill you, but no. You must have cast a spell on him to make him head over heels for you, but not anymore. I¡¯m going to be the one to end it. I¡¯m the only one fit to be by his side. He doesn¡¯t need you or that whore Luna, but me; I¡¯m the one who deserves to be donna.¡± Her eyes looked unsettling.


    ¡°What happened to you, Zoey? You were never like this.¡± I said it in a defeated tone.


    She got in front of me and grabbed my cheeks with her hand. Squeezing it tightly, she said, ¡°I have always been like this; you guys were just too stupid to realize it. I never once considered you a friend; you were just another whore to warm Sin¡¯s bed, but now you have overstayed your wee, and to top it all off, you had to get pregnant with that brat in your stomach.¡±


    ¡°You were the one Jason was talking about-the one who set me up.¡±


    ¡°I had to get rid of you in a way that Sin wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye, and don¡¯t worry, I will make sure to take care of him. With him, me, and the baby in your womb, we will all be one big happy family,¡± she says, and that¡¯s when I realized the look in her eyes I had gotten used to.


    ¡°You are crazy,¡± I spat at her.


    ¡°Oh, darling, I believe that fact has been established,¡± she said with a fake smile, taking a step back from me.


    She gave me onest look before turning to make her way out. Sheughed maniacally as she made her way out of the room. Stefano tied my hands behind my back, took the te, and walked out of the room as well.


    I can¡¯t stay here; I must protect my baby. I need to tell Sin everything. I scanned the room, looking for anything that I could use to free myself, but I didn¡¯t see anything, so I decided to pull my hands together, squeezing them together to make them smaller. I bit down on my lips to stop myself from screaming out loud.


    Blood poured down from the side of my mouth as I kept pulling. I was sure I had broken my hands, but I had no other choice.

 HUNDRED AND TEN

    In what felt like an hour, I managed to sessfully pull my hands out, and I winced in pain. I bent down to free my legs. running to the door barefoot. I opened it slightly, not wanting to attract any attention. I peered out to see if there was anyone out there, breathing out in relief when I saw no one.


    I opened the door, running out with no idea where I was going. I saw pieces of ss on the floor and picked up one in case I needed to defend myself. I kept on running until I mmed into a wall.


    No, not a wall, but a person.


    I slowly raised my head to see Marcos staring down at me with a demonic smile on his face. He grabbed my head tightly, making me wince in pain.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn to have fun,¡± he says slyly. His grip tightened, almost pulling out my skull.


    I remembered the broken battle piece on my hand and used it to stab him in the waist. While loosening the grip on my head, I didn¡¯t stop there and kept stabbing him till he didn¡¯t move. I had blood sttered all over my face and hands. I continued making my way, looking for the exit, until I saw one. I wasted no time racing out of the door and into the forest. It was dark outside as I kept running around. I had no idea how long it had been since I escaped, but I felt exhausted, and my feet were bleeding after being picked by thorns in the woods.


    My stomach rumbled. The sun was already rising, which meant I had been running all night and there was still no sign of civilization. My chest heaved as I continued to run, making no attempt to take a rest. ¡°I must protect my baby,¡± I kept chanting to myself. When I heard the sounds of cars and people talking, tears fell down my cheeks. I dragged my weak body after the noise.


    People around me stared at me like I had two heads. They all had a look of worry and fright on their faces. I guess I would, too, if I saw myself. I walked into an old diner; the ce had few people eating in it. I made my way to the counter when an old woman walked in. She took in my appearance. A look of worry crossed her face.


    ¡°Oh caro, non sembri a posto. Oh dear, you don¡¯t look okay¡±. I saw the kindness in her, and it sort of felt weing.


    ¡°Please, can I use your phone?¡± I managed to whisper it out. She raised her palm as a way of telling me to wait, then walked into a small room before walking out. She handed me a couple of coins and pointed to a pay phone just outside the diner.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled weakly.


    I walked out of the diner to where the payphone was, inserting the coins. I dialled the one number I could think of; it rang three times, and anxiety was eating me up when he finally answered.


    ¡°Ciao.¡± His voice sounded furious, and his tone was strained and stressed.


    ¡°Niki. Help me, please¡±. Despite the situation created by Zoey, all I could do was hope that he would listen to me ande to my rescue.


    ¡°Mani, is that you, baby?¡± He cried out, worried. A sob left my lips. ¡°Where are you?¡± he said fiercely. I looked around my surroundings with no clue where I was.


    ¡°There are trees; a ditch is close to a highway. Niki, I don¡¯t know. I have no idea where I am; I¡¯m scared.¡± I cried. I covered my mouth with my palm to control my sobs. I looked around for anyone suspicious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, princess. I have someone tracing the call.¡± He tries tofort me. Tears kept flowing down my eyes; somended at my bare feet. I heard Sin screaming in the background at someone. ¡°Get it done fast.¡± and ¡°What am I paying you for? Do it now.¡± were all I could hear. He swears loudly, and I heard something hitting the floor and shattering into pieces.


    ¡°Niki!¡± I called out to him before the line died. ¡°Niki,¡± I say more loudly.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± he asked all at once.


    ¡°I need to tell you something, so listen,¡± I said, but he started talking again.


    ¡°yes amore. I need you to¡­ ¡± He started, but I cut him off; I needed to warn him about Zoey.


    ¡°No, listen; I don¡¯t have much time. Do not trust Zo.¡± Before I couldplete my sentence, I felt something hard hit my head, and I stumbled before falling to the ground. ¡°My eyes are blurry. making it hard for me to see anything.


    Two strong arms picked me up and carried me, bridal style, to a car while I struggled to keep my eyes open.


    Please, Sin,e save me.


    Come save us.


    I whispered to myself before falling into darkness.From N?velDrama.Org.

 HUNDRED AND ELEVEN

    Sin pov.


    I felt like crap; I wasn¡¯t myself. It was like I was going to faint any moment now. I walked over to where Alesso sat, typing repeatedly on theptop in front of him.


    ¡°Any update yet?¡± I asked him for the hundredth time since he came.


    ¡°The picture has been proven to be fake; whoever did it was an expert. They knew you would probably check to see if it was Photoshop and made sure you wouldn¡¯t be able to notice this:¡± Alesso says, empathizing with each word. ¡°This took time; whoever did this was not in a rush, meaning they were well orchestrated.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Have you been able to pinpoint where she might be taken?¡± I growled.


    ¡°Sincerely, I¡¯m trying my best. It¡¯s not easy to¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care; I don¡¯t want you to try your best. I want you to find her; this is a matter for Mani and my child. So you better find her, or you will be sorry, Alesso.¡± I threatened him and suddenly groaned at the sharp pain I felt in my head.


    It was like my head was being split in two. I felt a hand on my shoulders and turned to see Luca behind me with a worried look on his face.


    ¡°Look man! You need to calm down,¡± he says,ing to stand beside me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that; I just can¡¯t fucking do that, Luca. I don¡¯t know where she is, and it keeps driving me crazy. We need to find her.¡± I growled at him. I knew he was as worried as I was, but he did everything to maintain his calm while I felt I was losing control.


    Who would have thought that Niki Violenta would go nuts over a girl?


    But that is the situation now.


    ¡°We are all worried too.¡± I looked at Samantha, whose eyes were closed as shey on the couch.


    Luca finally got her to have a rest and tried to do the same with me, but thest thing I wanted to do was sleep right now.


    ¡°We need to think rationally; you need a rest, man. Let Alesso do his work while you take a little bit of a nap. If there is any update, I will let you know.¡± I gave him a defeated look.


    ¡°Luca is right, Sin; I will find her. I haven¡¯t seen her yet, and I want to meet the girl who has you wrapped around her little finger,¡± Alesso said, trying to assure me.


    All this was my fault.


    I always bring destruction to the ones I love. The only way to find Mani now is through Alesso. Luca and I had gone to interrogate Jason in the basement when we found out about Mani¡¯s disappearance, but he was found dead along with the guys assigned to monitor him, the same as Luna. This was a big proof that whoever was doing it was among the people in this house.


    ¡°We have to find her, Alesso. My life is worthless without her. I promise to give who ever is responsible for this a slow death when I find them.¡± I mutter angrily.


    ¡°Any news?¡± Samantha says, letting out a little yawn. She looked between Luca and me.


    ¡± No.¡± Luca mutters, shaking his head. ¡°Alesso is still working on it.¡±


    Samantha let out a defeated sigh, burying her head in her hands. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.


    ¡°Who the hell could have done this? Thest time was in New York, when they tried to kill her. This person keeps getting away, like he enjoys ying whatever game this is. This is not just a kidnapping if they aren¡¯t asking for a ransom, not in this line of work.¡± Samantha said, thinking aloud.


    I rubbed my face with both hands, inhaling and exhaling, trying to calm my racing heart. I heard the sound of something ringing, and I walked to my table to see that it was my phone. I looked at the number and didn¡¯t recognize it. I picked up the call, cing the phone close to my ear.


    ¡°Ciao!¡± My voice sounded furious, and my tone was strained and stressed.


    ¡°Niki. Help me, please. I heard the scared voice of Mani.


    My heart kept beating fast, like I was about to have a heart attack. I felt my emotions being mixed together. Just the sound of her voice gave me more courage and determination to find her.


    ¡°Mani, is that you, baby?¡± I voiced my worries. A sob left her lips. ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked fiercely.


    Samantha and Luca were by my side the minute I called out her name. I put the phone on the desk, putting it on speaker so that Alesso could listen and trace the call.


    ¡°There are trees; a ditch is close to a highway. Niki I don¡¯t know. I have no idea where I am; I¡¯m scared.¡± she cried, Her words and tears sent my heart shattering into different pieces.


    Samantha had tears flowing down her face as Luca tried tofort her. She had her hand pped to her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, princess. I have someone tracing the call,¡± I tried tofort her, and I turned to look at Alesso for any updates.


    ¡°It¡¯s a payphone; it¡¯s going to take a little bit of time before I can pinpoint the exact location,¡± he says.


    ¡°Hurry the hell up and get it done fast.¡± I screamed at him. ¡°What am I paying you for? Do it now!¡± I let out a series of swears, both in Italian and English. I took the ss cup off the table and smashed it against the wall, and it shattered into pieces.


    I heard a sounding from the phone but couldn¡¯t hear well because the call was breaking. ¡± Niki¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± I asked all at once.


    ¡°I need to tell you something, so listen.¡± I was worried; I needed to know if she was okay and not hurt. More importantly, she needs to be somewhere safe before wee get her.


    ¡°yes amore. I need you to¡­ ¡± I started, but she cut me off. If she managed to escape, she needed to hide because I was sure whoever took her would be after her.


    ¡°No, listen; I don¡¯t have much time. Do not trust¡­¡±


    ¡°Mani, Mani¡­ Amore, are you still there?¡± I screamed, waiting for her response. ¡± fuck.¡±


    ¡°I was able to get the location,¡± Alesso said, getting up from his seat.


    I wasted no time. Strapping my gun by my side, I walked out of the office with the rest behind me.


    We made our way out of the house, and I almost ran into Zoey, who wasing in.


    She looked at us with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°Why are you guys in such a hurry?¡± She directed the question to Samantha.


    ¡°Oh, we need to take care of something.¡± Samantha responded.


    I had no time for their chitchat and tried to move past her when I felt a hand discreetly brush against mine in a seductive manner. I turned to look at her, and she bit her lips with a smirk on her face.


    I clearly wasn¡¯t seeing well; this was Zoey I was talking about. She has no feelings for me whatsoever. The thought of Mani being missing was really messing with my brain. I made my way to my car, getting in the back seat with Samantha, Luca, and Alesso in the front seat. Luca had already informed our trusted men, like Mateo, who would trail behind us.


    Alesso sat in the driver¡¯s seat, turned on the GPS, and drove out of the house. We kept driving for close to an hour. We passed the payphone, asking people around if they had seen any with the Mani description. The majority of them pointed in the direction of the wood, saying they saw her running out of there.


    They had alerted the police, but when they came, she was nowhere in sight again. We got into the car and drove into the woods to an abandoned house that seemed to be falling apart. I wasted no time getting out of the car alone with my men.


    We looked around the house before entering, just to make sure no one was lurking outside. It was dark inside; it looked like the power had been cut. I brought out my phone, turning on the touch screen to use as a source of light. I also took out my gun; there was blood in the passage, and it was still fresh. We got into a room that looked gross. There were chairs in the center with a loose rope on them. This confirms it all: she was here.


    I kicked at the chair in frustration, and for the first time since my dad died, I prayed. I prayed to God, whom I never really believed in before, asking him to keep her and our baby safe and praying for the blood in the hallway not to be hers.


    ¡°See if you can find out where she has been taken.¡± I ordered Alesso. Luca opened his mouth to say something, but I couldn¡¯t care less as I stormed out of the room and out of the house to where the car was. I punched the windows of the car and kept hitting them as the cracks kept expanding.


    I felt myself being pulled back. I turned to see that it was Luca. I threw him a re, then got into the car, mming the door shut. The rest of them got into the car; no one said a word. The ride back to the house was in silence; I could tell what everyone was thinking, but no one could say it.


    Was she still alive?


    ¡°Sin, we are going to find her, it¡¯s going to be okay.¡± Luca said, cing a hand on my shoulder.


    I was tired of hearing that word. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. It was beginning to piss me off. He and Alesso keep saying it. It¡¯s not going to be okay; it¡¯s never going to be okay. It¡¯s just going to keep getting worse until I have my Amore back in my arms again.


    ¡°I should have listened to her when she asked me too, given her the benefit of doubt, but no, I cared only about how she had hurt me, and now her life is in danger.¡± I whispered more to myself, but loud enough for them to hear.


    No one said a word; Luca already took in my expression and knew that right now noforting words were going to work. Samantha hasn¡¯t said anything at all; I think she¡¯s still petrified.


    These past three days have been hell for all of us. Alexander has taken the Mafia work from me for now so that I can focus more on finding Mani. I had told only Alexander; I told him not to let my mom or sister know. I didn¡¯t want to worry about them, though I doubt my sister would be that worried since she doesn¡¯t like Mani.


    I pulled into the house, and I got down, mming the car door shut. I went up to my room, which still smelled of her. Walking into the closet, i took out a cloth that belonged to her, slowly slipped to the ground, sniffing at the dress. The tears I tried so hard to hold fell from my eyes, as I remained i the same position, crying my eyes out for what felt like hours before getting up to shower and freshen up.


    After feeling a little bit refreshed, I went back downstairs to my office, where Luca and Alesso were. Alesso walked up to me; his face told me he had some beneficial information.


    ¡°I ran the address of the ce to see who it belonged to, and what came out was the name Russo.¡±


    ¡°Russo,¡± my jaw clenched. I looked at Luca, and he nodded, confirming my thoughts.


    My eyes darkened.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN

    I was weak; I could barely move a hand or even blink my eyes. I was tied to a chair just like before, with dried blood stered on my face. My head felt heavy, and my ears rang. I slowly began to regain consciousness, and my eyes finally opened.


    I was in a different room, and I¡¯m guessing a different location from before. This room was dark, like thest one, but had no window. The only source of light was the white, dim light that kept blinking constantly.


    It looked a little cleaner than thest ce I was kept, and it looked more like a basement. Because of how closed off the ce was, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was morning, evening, or what day it was, but one thing was for sure: I had been passed out for some time, sipping in and out of consciousness.


    I can¡¯t believe I was caught and kidnapped again after being this close to freedom. My throat hurt so much that I could hardly speak, and my body kept shivering due to how cold the ce was. The smell of blood wasn¡¯t making it easy, but I¡¯m guessing it was mine since I had blood gushing out of me in so many ces.


    My body felt so drained that I even ran out of tears to cry. Each time I made a small move, my body hurt like hell, and my breath was a little bit shallow as I struggled to breathe because I had a life to protect. I close my eyes, taking a deep, painful breath. I tried to convince myself that I was going to make it out alive, if not for myself then for my child, but that didn¡¯t stop the fear from sinking in, knowing very well that I have a tiny bit of energy left in me. But I didn¡¯t give up, even though I feel like I¡¯m setting myself up to fail.


    My eyes slowly opened when I heard the sound of the door being opened and footsteps drawing near. It was like Deja Vu all over again. The light kept flickering, making it hard to see who the person was until the footsteps came forward, stopping a foot from me.


    ¡°I see you are awake.¡± I recognized the voice as belonging to Stefano, but I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly due to how dim the light was, and it didn¡¯t help that my vision was still a bit blurry or that my head kept pounding repeatedly. It felt so heavy; it was worse than the first time, and I winced at not being able to bear it.


    ¡°ple.. please. Please just let me go.¡± I managed to whisper it out.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, and let¡¯s not forget the fact that you killed Marcos yesterday,¡± he responded in a cold tone.


    Marcos


    Surprisingly, I felt nothing about his death; I knew very well that it was just self-defense. I should have felt something, even if it was guilt, but instead I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing, because there was no need to sugarcoat it; I had wanted to kill him when I repeatedly stabbed him, even after he was done. I felt this fire in me that needed to be quenched, and I knew I would do it all over again. I guess I was bing more and more like Sin, and right now I didn¡¯t care about what I was going through.


    ¡°He could rot in hell for all I care.¡± I¡¯m surprised at how bold my voice sounds, contrary to how I feel, and I wasn¡¯t the only one because when the light showed on Stefano¡¯s face, he looked shocked as well.


    My eyes started spinning. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the dizziness, but that just seemed to worsen the case. I kept getting drowsier and drowsier until I finally fell into darkness.


    When I came through again, I saw a pair of red heels standing in front of me, just like the ones Zoey wore two days ago, or was it three, four days ago? I wasn¡¯t sure. I took my time lifting up my head till it finally got to her face, which had a victorious smirk on it, and just like before, her hands were crossed together.


    ¡°Oh, poor Mani, tsk tsk tsk tsk.¡± It looks like you will be taking yourst breath any moment from now,¡± she pouted.


    She ced a hand on my face, moving it backward to my neck, and she grabbed a handful of my hair in a tight grip, worsening the headache I felt and making it very unbearable for me. I winced in pain.


    ¡°If only you had known your ce and hadn¡¯t taken what was mine,¡± she said again.


    The more I looked at her face, the more I felt betrayed and the more angry I got. She was the one person I never thought would do this to me, someone I had once considered a good friend.


    She was the first friend I had after being kidnapped and taken into an unfamiliar world. The one person I trusted in the mafia world apart from Sin, Samantha, Luca, and Mateo And yet, here we are.


    It was just like they said-we should always be wary of the ones closest to us because sometimes they are the ones who tend to hurt us the most.


    She let go of my hair, standing up right and crossing her hands together against her chest again. ¡°It seems like I don¡¯t need to keep you alive any longer. Sin is finally giving us a chance. With you gone, he has realized that I will always be by his side, and only I deserve to be the queen and future donna of his empire. Not Luna or you, but me,¡± she said, with a venomous smile on her face, and my heart broke at the thought of Sin being with her. Has he already moved on and forgotten about me? When I called him for help, he sounded so worried. Was that all just in my head? Was it less important for him to move on quickly?


    I shake the thought from my head. I refuse to believe whateveres out of this lunatic¡¯s mouth; for all we know, she might be lying and trying to hurt me even more with her false information.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s here that we finally part ways. I would love to say it was nice knowing you, but you and I both know i would just be lying through my teeth. You don¡¯t need to resent me too much; at least I¡¯m sending you off to finally meet your parents again, just like you wanted.¡±


    She took out a gun from her bag, aiming it at me. My eyes were shut, I guess this was my end. I let out a deep breath, enduring the pain.


    ¡°Good bye, Mani,¡± she said. I heard the sound of the safety being turned on and a gunshot being fired.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Bang


    I waited for the pain toe, but nothing did. I peeled open my lips to find Zoeyying on the floor, unconscious. I looked in front of me, and there stood Sin. A smile graced my face; my vision became blurry, and I cked out, allowing the darkness.

 HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN

    Sin¡¯s Pov.


    I walked into the kitchen, where Zoey sat with Samantha. As they both chatted among themselves, I walked to where the fridge was, in the same direction Zoey sat. My hand touched hers teasingly, the same way she did when I set out to look for Mani.


    These past few days, even though I was this close to losing my mind. I had to maintain my calm and not do anything rational. I have been leaving hints around her, making her think that I have some kind of feeling for her.


    I made my way to the fridge, taking out a bottle of water. I opened it, drinking it slowly, and little drops fell on my chest. ording to Luca, this was an act of seductiveness, anddies like it, though i agree to disagree with him.


    This was just pure foolishness.


    After I was done drinking, I threw the empty bottle into the dirt bin, brushing past her again as I made my way to my office, where Luca and Alesso were. I took a seat in my chair, my hands clenching tightly.


    ¡°How did it go? Did she fall for it?¡± Alesso asked,ing to stand beside me.


    ¡°I have no idea; I did whatever stupid thing Luca asked me to do.¡± I growled, pissed.


    ¡°I know it will work,¡± Luca defended. I take in his and Alesso appearance, and just like me, we hardly had any sleep these past few days. I ran my hand over my face, letting out another sigh.


    Luca¡¯s phone went off, and he brought it out of his pocket to see who had massaged him. He hurriedly replied, shoving the phone back inside his pocket.


    ¡°We need to hide Alesso; Samantha just texted me that Zoey is making her way over here right now,¡± Luca says, dragging Alesso into a hidden door at the side of my office. The knob to my main office twisted open just as the hidden room Luca and Alesso entered close shut, with Luca giving me a thumbs up.


    Zoey made her way into the room with a seductive smile on her face, and it took a lot of effort not to bring out my gun and shoot her now at the spot she stood. She made her way toward me, her hands trailing down my chest.


    Think about Mani and the baby. I chant repeatedly to myself while forcing a smile to grace my face. She took a seat on myp, straddling me on both sides. My hands wrapped themselves around her waist, smiling at her like I meant it.


    Her lips trail kisses from my chest, moving up to my neck, then to my jaw, stopping at the side of my lips. I decided to take the initiative and kiss her first, and i almost gagged.


    She kept grinding her hips on mine, moving them slowly, probably hoping to get a reaction from me, but that¡¯s just something I can¡¯t control, even if I wanted to. Before the kiss could progress further, her phone rang, and she pulled away to see who it was.


    Her face paled a little as she stood up from myp. She sent me a look, and I quipped an eyebrow as a way of asking her what was wrong.


    ¡°I need to pick this up; it¡¯s important.¡± She says this hesitantly, not sure if she wants to leave or not.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; we can always continue this into the night.¡± I say that to her, and she smiles. I stood, pulling her chin up to kiss her onest time, trying to make it look confusing, and it worked. It seemed to ease her as she pulled away with a smile on her face.


    She gave me onest look before making her way out of the office. Immediately after she was out of sight, I used my hand to furiously wipe off the feel of her lips on mine. Luca and Alesso stepped out of their hiding ce.


    ¡°I guess the bait worked. She looked tense, so I¡¯m sure whoever called her is also involved in Mani¡¯s disappearance¡±. Luca called out; they had both watched what was happening through the small and barely visible camera in the room.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The door to the office opened, and Samantha walked in. Her eyes scanned the three of us before she walked toward where we stood.


    ¡°Zoey just drove out in a hurry. I already nted the tracker on her car, so we will be able to know where she goes,¡± she tells us.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s not waste more time; Mani¡¯s life is in danger,¡± I said, strapping my gun in. I put on my jacket, and we all made our way outside. Mateo had already gathered the men we needed, so we made our way to the car and got in. Luca sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and Alesso sat beside me, directing him on the route to follow. We drove out of the mansion with the rest of my men tagging along behind us.


    I¡¯ming, Amore.


    I¡¯ming to save you both.


    We kept on following the tracker in Zoey¡¯s car as she drove for hours until she stopped. We were thirty minutes¡¯ drive away from her, and Luca was driving as fast as he could. We finally spotted her car parked on a narrow road, which meant we had to get out of the car and walk because the car couldn¡¯t pass there.


    I took out my gun and put the silencer on it, and the rest of my men did the same. I didn¡¯t want to alert her to our presence when we shot down the men she had guarding the ce.


    We followed the narrow part, going deep into the forest, until we came to an abandoned house, just like thest one. Luca and I took down the men in the front, while my men moved around the house to secure the premises. We broke into the ce, Luca and I not holding back, killing every fucking person standing in our way. I was finally able to act on my anger.


    A man came from behind us, but I was faster. I raised my gun, shooting him right on the head, in between his eyes. We continue to make our way down the corridor, knocking on every door just to find my baby.


    Luca tapped me, pointing to the door at the extreme end of the corridor. I stopped to listen but could only hear whispers. We made our way towards it, guns raised.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s here that we finally part ways. I would love to say it was nice knowing you, but you and I both know i would just be lying through our teeth. You don¡¯t need to resent me too much; at least I¡¯m sending you off to finally meet your parents again, just like you wanted,¡± I heard Zoey say when we got closer to the door.


    I slowly opened the door and saw her take out a gun from her bag, aiming it at Mani. My jaw clenched when I saw my baby close her eyes in fear. I pointed my gun at Zoey, pissed.


    ¡°Good bye, Mani,¡± she said. She took off the safety of the gun, but before she could shoot, I aimed at her hand that had the gun and fired.


    The gun fell from her hand, and she looked surprised to see us. Her mouth parted to say something, but before she could speak, Samantha hit her hard on the head with the back of her gun, knocking her out cold.


    My angel slowly peeled open her eyes, moving from an unconscious Zoey to me. A smile lit up her face, then her eyes closed, sending her into unconsciousness.


    My princess, my beautiful amour¡­


    I ran towards her, losing the ropes that were tied around her hands and legs. I looked at the blood on her head, legs, and arms. It was all my fault; the guilt was eating me up as I looked at her. Holding her against my hand, I tried to stable my shaky hands, as I gently carried her, cradling the one person I cherish and love most in this world in my arms, sobbing into her skin and mumbling an apology.


    It felt like if I let her go, she would disappear, and I don¡¯t know if I could ever handle a life without her near me. I made my way outside the abandoned house, moving down the narrow path to where the car was parked. Luca opened the back door for me so that I couldy her down in the car seat. I got in as well, lifting her up onto myp. I cradled her, not willing to let her go. The dried blood on her head matted her hair. I used my hand to move the strands of her hair to the back of her ear.


    ¡°Call Doctor Fernandez to your house,¡± I said to Samantha, and she nodded, bringing out her phone toply with my request.


    The car started moving, with Luca driving us back to the mansion. I looked down at Mani in my arms, mumbling incoherent apologies. making a promise to her-never to let her go and to always protect her. promising her never to push her away again.


    I will do my best to protect her and stand by her no matter what.

 HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she waking up?¡± I pace back and forth around the room while Maniys on the bed, eyes closed. It¡¯s been three days since we saved her from Zoey; doctor Fernandez had checked her up and the baby. He was surprised at how strong the baby¡¯s heartbeat was, despite everything Mani had to go through.


    My baby girl was a fighter, just like her mom. I don¡¯t know the sex yet, but I have this feeling deep in my heart that it¡¯s going to be a girl. a beautiful girl, just like her mother.


    But right now, despite the doctor¡¯s assurance that she was going to wake up, here she was, eyes closed.


    ¡°She¡¯s home, Sin; she is safe.¡± Luca was also in the room, sitting on the couch and watching me pace around the room. ¡°Like Dr. Fernandez said, her body needs to regenerate. She has been through so much; I¡¯m sure she will wake up anytime soon.


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s been three days, and I can¡¯t stop the anxiety I feel till I see those beautiful blue eyes staring at me again.¡±


    ¡°Your pacing won¡¯t solve anything. You need to rx; you haven¡¯t eaten or slept in days. Do you really want her to wake up seeing you like this?¡± He has been trying to talk me into getting some sleep, but I just can¡¯t. Every single time I close my eyes, I see her all tied up and bleeding.


    ¡°If we had been a minutete, Luca, she would have died.¡± I sighed, resting my back against the wall.


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t; we got there on time, and you were able to stop Zoey. Mani will be okay; she is a fighter, you know.¡±


    I was about to respond to him when I heard a soft whispering from the bed. I rushed over to where Maniy and immediately scooped her up into my hand, hugging her tightly.


    ¡°Mani, amore. Baby, I¡¯m so d you are okay. I will never let anyone hurt you again or let my anger get the best of any form of reasoning.¡± I buried my face in her hair.


    I pulled away, looking at her. She looked skinnier than before, and her cheeks looked hollow and ghostly. She nced up at me, her blue eyes looking dim. She had bruises everywhere and a deep cut at the side of her head.


    She didn¡¯t really look okay, but I was thankful that she had woken up.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Mani¡¯s Pov.


    My head was aching, and my ears were ringing. I started to move my head slowly; it was still a pain to move, and I could hear the voices of someone talking but not very clearly. I opened my eyes just to shut them again due to the sun sipping in. I took a deep breath before opening it again. Looking around the room, I spotted Luca sitting on the couch with Sin resting on the wall as the two of them talked amongst themselves.


    ¡°Niki. ¡± I said , but it was barely a whisper, making it difficult for him to hear. I used my tongue to wet my dried lips before trying again. ¡± Niki¡±


    His eyes shot towards the direction of the bed, and he wasted no time in getting to my side and immediately scooped me up into his hand, hugging me tightly.


    ¡°Mani, amore. Baby, I¡¯m so d you are okay. I will never let anyone hurt you again or let my anger get the best of any form of reasoning.¡± He buried his face in my hair.


    I held on to him. He came for me; he still cared for me. I thought he would never hold me in his arms again, but now I knew I had nothing to worry about. Luca stood up from his seat and came closer to the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you are awake,¡± Luca said, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Call Doctor Fernandez,¡± Sin ordered. Luca quickly rushed out of the room. The door opened again, and Luca walked in with familiar-looking faces.


    It was the same doctor who had treated Sin when he was shot along with Samantha. Sin let go of me slightly when they entered the room.


    Samantha eyes met mine, and she walked over to the bed, giving me a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you are awake.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sam.¡± My voice cracked. Samantha stood up from the bed to stand beside Luca so that the doctor could examine me. He did a little checkup and pointed an ophthalmoscope at my eyes. He checked my heartbeat, blood pressure, and so on. After he was finally done checking to see if I was okay, he stood up from the bed.


    ¡°The heartbeat is okay, and the blood pressure is too. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem, but I suggest you rest and eat the necessary nutrients; no hard work, and maybe a little walk a day will be okay.¡± He said this, talking directly to Sin.


    ¡°What about the baby?¡± I stuttered out, worried; he didn¡¯t mention anything about the baby being okay, and that worried me.


    ¡°Amore, the baby is okay. The doctor already checked to see if the baby was okay, and she is, just like her mother. ¡± Sin assured me, and a sigh of relief left my mouth until his word clicked.


    ¡°She¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a girl. Pap¨¤ polo Angelo,¡± he says with a smile on his face.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a boy, then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl, even if the littlebatant turns out to be a boy. It doesn¡¯t matter as long as he or she is okay and healthy.¡± Sin said.


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t angry about the baby?¡± I asked again, just to be sure.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, love. I can¡¯t wait for him or her to be born.¡± Excitement shone in his eyes.


    ¡°Thanks for saving me.¡± I whispered, looking at Samantha and Luca for a brief moment before ncing at Sin.


    ¡°Forgive me foringte, amore,¡± he whispered, pulling me closer to him.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    Chiama il dottor Fernandez a casa-call doctor Fernandez to the house.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Papa Polo Angelo, Daddies Little Angle


    Il mio polobattente, my little fighter

 HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN

    The water trickled down my hair to my shoulders and back in the same manner. I washed the vani-scented soap off my hair as it stuck to my body. Turning the water off, I stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my body.


    I stand in front of the mirror, wiping off the fog from it, to get a better look at my reflection. I looked at the tiny, barely visible scar on my forehead and let out a sigh. You could hardly see it except if you were very close to me, and my hair ys a major part in covering it up.


    I walked out of the bathroom and into the closet, looking for afortable shirt to put on. It was in the afternoon, and I had already had my lunch. After dressing up, I walked out of the closet to the bed to lie on it. I took out my phone, went through my message box, and replied to the messages sent by my aunt and Stephanie. I chatted with Stephanie for some time before she went offline since she had a lecture. I got tired of lying on the bed and thought of what to do.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I was about to get up when I heard a knock. The door opened, and Samantha walked in, closing it behind her.


    It¡¯s been a month since I was rescued, and Samantha has been checking up on me constantly. Serena and Alexander also came to check up on me a week after I got back home. Alexander already knew about me being kidnapped because Sin had told him, but Serena had no idea. When she found out about it, she was angry that we didn¡¯t tell her about it.


    We still haven¡¯t told them about the baby, and Sin thinks it would be a good idea to hold a family dinner with everyone present to announce that I was pregnant. I wanted to recuperate first and get my energy back, so I have been on bed rest.


    I was getting tired of being locked up here; my view of the outside this past month was through the window. I wasn¡¯t allowed to do this. I wasn¡¯t allowed to do that. It was kind of frustrating.


    Sigh..


    I climbed down from the bed, and Samantha quickly rushed to the bed to hold my hand. I huffed. She won¡¯t let me do anything; she and Sin are so alike.


    ¡°You do know I¡¯m capable of walking by myself. Right. ¡± I say to her as we both make our way to the couch, taking a seat.


    ¡°Yeah, I do, but the doctor said you need to be onplete bed rest, careful, and avoid stress,¡± she eximed.


    ¡°But right now, you and Sin are the ones stressing me out.¡±


    ¡°We are just worried. The week you were gone was hell for us, especially Sin. He kept ming himself for everything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not his or your fault. We had no idea what Zoey was like, and right now, I don¡¯t want to think about it. So you need to stop hovering around me, feeling guilty. I just want everything to go back to the way it was,¡± I said, and she nodded.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I understand. I will try not to be too much.¡± We looked at each other, smiling, and I pulled her in for a hug, thankful to have her as a friend. ¡°So when are you telling the rest of the family about the baby?¡± Samantha asked about changing the subject.


    ¡°Tomorrow, Niki already invited them over for dinner tomorrow evening,¡± I answered, my hand on my tummy, feeling the small baby bump there.


    ¡°I wish we knew the sex of the baby.¡± She whined, and Iughed.


    ¡°Well, Niki thinks it¡¯s a girl. His little angel.¡± i said,


    ¡°What about you? What do you think it is?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I¡¯m just happy he or she is safe and healthy.¡± But after I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to be a boy-handsome, smart, brave, and strong, just like his dad. I slowly massaged my tummy, a smile still on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so eager to know; I can¡¯t believe you want it to be a surprise.¡± She whined again, and I stared at her in amusement.


    She was right; Doctor Fernandez hade over two days ago to check on the baby since it was three months old. The heart beat, and everything was okay, but I told him I didn¡¯t want to know the sex of the baby yet until it was born, and Sin agreed with me. I think it would be worth the wait to try to guess if the baby was a boy or girl.


    ¡°You could always ask Dr. Fernandez to tell you if you are that eager to know,¡± I told her, and I watched her face light up then dim again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be able to contain my excitement and might end up spilling it out,¡± she says, shaking her head. ¡°I guess I have no choice but to wait.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of choices, don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice the way you and Alexander kept stealing nces at each other.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s eyes widened, and she gulped nervously, avoiding my gaze. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± she sttered out in a rush, a blush creeping up her face.


    ¡°Of course you do. Something must have happened between the two of you because he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off you. He looked like a lost puppy trying to get your attention while you kept looking elsewhere, pretending not to notice, just to nce at him when he wasn¡¯t looking,¡± ¡°I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°Wow, you really should be a detective.¡± She says it slyly, and I gave her a nk look before she let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Okay, you are right; something did happen between us.¡±


    ¡°Quit holding out on me; I¡¯m dying of curiosity here,¡± I say to her with a pleading look, and sheughs.


    ¡°We kind of¡­¡± she paused, clearing her throat. ¡°Thingssortofhappenedandwekissed,¡± she said in one breath.


    I squealed, pping my hands in excitement. ¡°When did that happen and how?¡±


    Samantha looked surprised at me. ¡°You understood what I said.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± I answered in a duh tone. ¡°You both kissed each other; now quit stalling and tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°It was the time you got kidnapped; I was depressed and didn¡¯t know what to do. Sin had invited Alexander over to talk about what was going on. I was sitting by the poolside until I felt a presence beside me, and that¡¯s when Alexander came to sit beside me. We talked for some time, him mostly. He was trying tofort me, and in the process, things got a little bit heated up. I don¡¯t know who leaned in first, if it was him or me, but the next thing I knew, I had my lips pressed to his, making out. ¡±


    I squealed again. ¡°You both look good together.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±¡® she asked sceptically.


    ¡°Yes, I saw the way he looked at you. He really likes you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I don¡¯t know. I guess I will see how things turn out between us, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will give in to him easily. You¡¯ve got to keep them on the leash.¡± Samantha joked, and the both of usughed.


    She really knows how to brighten my day.

 HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN

    ¡°Please. Please.¡± I gave my best puppy face.


    ¡°No, Mani, you need rest.¡± Sin said. ¡°And nice try with the face; no matter how insanely cute you look, I¡¯m not going to fall for it.¡±


    I huffed, making my way out of the bed to the balcony. I was trying to convince him to let me go out of the house, even if it¡¯s for an hour. But instead, as always, he is being stubborn; he won¡¯t listen to me. All he keeps saying is that I needed more rest. Like what I have been doing for the past one month wasn¡¯t enough. I stood there in the balcony for a few minutes waiting for him toe out as well, to convince me, but he didn¡¯t.From N?velDrama.Org.


    That stubborn man


    I left the balcony when I couldn¡¯t handle the cold anymore, walking back to the room to find it empty. I walked out of the room and down to the dining room to find him sitting there, happily munching on his dinner. I red at him, but he didn¡¯t bother acknowledging my presence. His focus was cast down on the te of spaghetti and meatballs in front of him.


    I took a seat opposite him, at the extreme end of the dining table. I sighed as loudly as I could, hoping to get his attention. He ignored me and kept eating, like it was something he had never tasted before.


    A te of spaghetti and meatballs was put in front of me. I sighed again, sipping on the ss of juice before mming it on the table loudly, and yet again, he still ignored me.


    ¡°Are you seriously just going to ignore me like you didn¡¯t hear me?¡± I said, frustrated.


    He looked at me. ¡± oh.! I didn¡¯t realize you were saying something; it¡¯s not like you were using actual words,¡± he stated inly.


    I gasped out, my lips cast down in a pout. ¡°I just wanted to get a little bit of your attention, but I guess I¡¯m not that important again.¡± My voice breaks, and tears start pouring out of my eyes.


    Sin stopped eating; he stared at the tears on my face. He stood up, walking towards me, resting at the edge of the table beside me. His hands were on my cheeks, wiping the tears off my face with his thumb. He leaned a little, then kissed my forehead. His lips trailed down to my cheek, moving down to rest behind my ear.


    ¡°Amore, you should have been an actress instead of a doctor. Seeing how good you are at it,¡± he kissed my cheek again, rising up from the table and making his way back to his seat with a smirk on his face.


    Dang it.


    I actually thought he was going to fall for it. I wiped the remaining tears off my eyes, ring at him.


    ¡°Do you know how many times you have used that trick on me this past few weeks?. You really need to up your game.¡± he stated, his lips lifting up in a smirk as he continued eating.


    I really need to think of something else; I can¡¯t let him win. I was tired of staying cooped up inside doing absolutely nothing and justying in bed watching movies.


    What should I do?


    I racked my brain, trying toe up with something, until an idea struck me. I knew this was childish and dramatic, but I hoped it would work.


    Sorry baby.


    I rested my hands on my tummy, pretending to talk to the baby. ¡°Baby, Daddy is being mean to mummy. I just wanted to go out for a little bit of air, but he keeps saying no.¡± This caught his attention because he was looking at me.


    I continue. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just you and me, baby. Mommy loves you okay, even though we are locked inside all day like prisoners, dying of absolute boredom. It¡¯s you and I against the world, only you and I.¡±


    Sin sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. ¡°Fine, you can go out for just an hour.¡±


    I smiled cheekily. ¡± Three¡±


    ¡°One hour, Mani.¡±


    I sighed. ¡± see. I told you, baby. It¡¯s just you and me.


    ¡°Two hours,¡± he said sternly, leaving no room for arguments. ¡°Samantha and Mateo will be going with you.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with that; Sam and I could have a little girl¡¯s day out.¡± I replied nonchntly.


    A smile instantly appeared on my face. ¡°It looks like I was wrong, baby. Daddy does care for us,¡± I said, standing from my seat and letting out a quiet squeal before making my way upstairs. I can¡¯t wait for tomorrow.

 HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN

    ¡°Amore,¡± I felt someone shaking me awake, and I pulled away. I moan, dipping my head more into the pillow. ¡°Come on, baby, you need to get up.¡± It was Sin; his fingers traced my face.


    ¡°No,¡± I whined. ¡°I want to sleep some more.¡± I heard his huskyugh.


    ¡°I know, baby, but it¡¯s already 12 p. m. and you haven¡¯t had anything,¡± he whispered, and my eyes shut.


    ¡°Food!¡± I eximed. I jumped out of bed, sprinting to the bathroom.


    I quickly lean down on the toilet seat, letting out all the contents ofst night¡¯s dinner. I groaned. I felt a presence behind me, clipping my hair with one hand while the other rubbed my back.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± he asked and i shook my head. Nauseousness built up inside me again, and I spilled my guts out, my throat hurting.


    When I felt it was safe for me to stand, I flushed the toilet. I brushed my teeth, trying to get rid of the taste of vomit on my tongue. After I was done, I sshed my face with water. I walk back to the room with Sin trailing behind me. I got back into the duvet, and my eyes shut.


    ¡°Amore.¡± Sin called out. He sounded worried when all I wanted to do was sleep and try not to throw up. I feel drained.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy and tired,¡± I whisper, making him lie by my side, holding me.


    ¡°I know, baby, I already called doctor Fernandez.¡± He whispers. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, amore.¡± He says this and continues to hold me, kissing me.


    We stayed like this for some time till we heard a knock on the door. Sin stood up from the bed to open the door, and doctor Fernandez walked in with his nurse behind him.


    ¡°She keeps throwing up.¡± Sin exined, looking worried.


    ¡± It¡¯s normal for her to throw up; that¡¯s one of the signs of pregnancy.¡±  Doctor Fernandez exined to Sin, briefing him on other symptoms and some other things that he thought necessary. I didn¡¯t hear a word he said as I kept on drifting off to sleep just to force my eyes open again.


    He checked my blood pressure and the baby¡¯s heartbeat and was able to leave after Sin confirmed and was satisfied to know that everything was okay.


    ¡°Are you hungry, baby?¡± Sin asked, sitting on the bed. He pulled my head into hisp.


    I checked to see if I still felt nauseous before responding to him. ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know what I want.¡± I say, and he hums.


    ¡°What about pancakes? I know it¡¯s already noon, but I can ask Sarah to make some pancakes for you.¡± I paused.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want pancakes.¡± I say.


    ¡°Omelettes and sausages?¡± he asked, and I shuddered.


    I scrunch my face up. ¡°I want the soup that Sarah makes with some chicken in it.¡±


    Sin thinks for a moment. ¡°Chicken Torti Soup,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Okay then.¡± He leans down to kiss me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, princess,¡± he says, getting up from the bed. ¡°I will be back.¡± He kissed my temple and left.


    He came back thirty minutester with a tray of hot soup and a ss of juice. He ced the tray on a small portable table that was on the bed. I sat up, pulling it close to me, and started eating.


    After I finished my delicious lunch, I finally felt like myself again. I gave Sin a cheeky smile, and heughed in amusement, taking the table with the tray off the bed.


    ¡°Do you still think you can go out?¡± he asked, rememberingst night¡¯s dinner.


    ¡°Yes, I need to get ready.¡± I got off the bed to walk to the bathroom.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Samantha and I decided to go to the spa, relieving every stress in my body. We had a lot of fun rxing andughing. When we got up, we parted ways as Samantha went to her room and I went up to freshen up before dinner.


    I made my way back down, the Sin family were already around. I walked towards the dining room and saw Sin standing by the entrance with a man facing him. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I knew it wasn¡¯t Alexander because he was taller than whoever this man was. I watched them conversefortably as I approached them.


    When Sin noticed me, he smiled. ¡°Come here, bambina.¡± I walked toward him, standing by his side.


    I could feel the other man¡¯s eyes on me when I walked past him to see Sin. ¡°Nonno, meet Normani, the woman of my heart.¡± I looked at Sin, shocked.


    Did he just say grandpa?


    They both chuckled at my expression, and I turned to look at him. I gulped nervously. Fuck. This man looked scary.


    ¡°The name is Tommaso; I have heard so much about you from my little tyrant.¡± His face held no emotions; it was hard to tell if he liked me or not. It felt like his eyes were piercing through me, seeing through me like an open book. He kept on assessing me, and I stood there fiddling with my hands in a nervous act.


    Oh God. I think he hates me.


    From what I heard about him, he was hard to please and really strict. HIs approval was something that didn¡¯te easily?


    I looked at Sin before returning my gaze back to Tommaso, staring at him not knowing what to say or do when suddenly a loudugh boomed the room.


    Tommaso wasughing, showing off his pearly white teeth. ¡± Wee to the family, pumpkin,¡± he said, dragging me in for a hug. I smiled, feeling the weight being thrown off my shoulders.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said when we pulled away. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Violenta.¡±


    ¡°I prefer it if you called me grandpa; it sounds less formal. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± I smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the dining room; I¡¯m sure they are all waiting for us,¡± Tommaso says, pointing towards the dining room.


    Sin squeezed my hand, smiling at me. We followed Tommaso, walking into the dining room, and Serena immediately stood up, making her way to us, and she pulled me for a hug.


    ¡°How are you, dear?¡± Serena asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I answered, smiling sheepishly at her.


    ¡°I can see that; you are glowing so well. I almost thought you were pregnant.¡± She joked, looking at me, while I tried not to choke on my saliva.


    She took my hand, dragging me to the table, and I took a seat beside Sin, who was sitting at the head of the table with Tommaso seated at the other end. Serena took a seat on the other side of Sin, next to Alexander, who was sitting opposite Samantha. Trying to subtly steal nces at her, I inwardlyughed at how she blindly ignored him. I see she meant it when She said she wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for him.


    Athena was sitting beside Samantha; I¡¯m surprised she came. With the way thest dinner turned out, it was obvious she didn¡¯t like me, but maybe she had a change of heart. I can¡¯t really tell since she didn¡¯t look my way.


    As dinnermenced, everyone talked amongst themselves. Sin, Luca, Alexander, and Tommaso spoke in Italian. From what I understand, they were talking about some shipmenting in from Hong Kong. Dinner went as fast as it came, and we all moved to the lounge room.


    The maids walked in with a tray in their hands, and everyone took a ss of wine, except for me. I was the only one with a ss of juice, which caught the attention of Sin¡¯s family.


    They sure do not miss anything.


    Sin kissed my cheek, and I turned to look at him. He kisses me again in a kind of reassuring way. He pulls away, looking at his family.


    ¡°I invited you here to let you know that Mani is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God. ¡± Serena¡¯s eyes lit up, and both hands were locked on her mouth. I¡¯m assuming it was to stop herself from squealing.


    ¡°Congrattions,¡± Alexander says, hugging me. He turns to Sin, and they both do a weird handshake before hugging. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, big brother. You found the right woman for you.¡± I blushed at his words.


    The next person to hug me was Tommaso. He patted my back softly in a fatherly way, whispering congrattions.


    He then moved to hug Sin. ¡°Spero che tu non abbia intenzione di fa diventare una mamma,¡± he asked sternly, and Sin smiled.


    ¡°Never,  Ho intenzione di fa mia. In ogni modo possibile.¡± He wrapped his hands possessively around me.


    ¡°good.¡± Tommaso says, making way for Serena.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for both of you,¡± she squealed. hugging both Sin and I. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a grandma.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are Serena.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°How far along are you?¡± she asked, smiling, sitting beside me.


    ¡°three months.¡±


    ¡°I can always help babysit when you guys want to spend some time alone,¡± she offered, her voice filled with excitement.


    ¡°Mom, you have to wait till the baby gets here.¡± Sin jokingly scolded, and she pouted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it; I¡¯m already excited to meet my grandchild.¡±


    We allughed at this; the room was filled with joy and celebration. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. I wish Stephanie and my aunt Sera were here to celebrate such a joyful asion in my life. Sin must have noticed my change of emotions, and he gave my hand a light squeeze. I smiled at him to let him know I was okay and that he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    The conversation continues; everyone excitedly talks about the baby, ying a guessing game on what the baby¡¯s sex might be. Someone stood in front of me, blocking the light, my eyes trailing up from the expensive heels to clothes and jewellery, settling on Athena¡¯s face.


    ¡°Can I speak to you in private?¡± She says.


    I saw the look on Sin¡¯s face and knew he was about to say no. ¡°Sure,¡± I quickly said.


    I looked at him to see him looking at his sister, like he was drilling a hole in her head to see what she was up to. I pecked his cheek, calming him down, before standing up. Athena and I made our way out of the lounge room and back to the dining room.


    She gazed at the walls behind me for some time. She took a deep breath and then looked at me. ¡°I want to apologize for the way I treated you during thest family dinner. I was misled by someone I trusted, even at that. It was wrong for me to treat you the way I did without giving you the benefit of doubt.¡±


    I was shocked that she was actually apologizing to me. I didn¡¯t bother hiding my expression. ¡°I hold no grudges against.¡± I told her truthfully, with a smile on my face, to which she reciprocate. ,¡± What do you mean you were misled by someone you trusted?¡±


    She sighed, wetting her lips. ¡°Zoey had told me nasty things about you before the dinner, and I was stupid enough to believe her because I thought she was a friend,¡± she exined, feeling guilty.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; Zoey fooled us too.¡± I say to her. I pulled her in for a hug. I thought she was going to push me away, but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me back.


    When we pulled away, we both had smiles on our faces. Athena wasn¡¯t a bad person, and she didn¡¯t hate me; she just hated the person Zoey made me out to be.


    ¡°Friends?¡± Athena asked, and I smiled.


    ¡°Friends.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back before my brother starts thinking the worst.¡± she jokes.


    ¡°Go ahead; I need to get a ss of water first.¡± I say to her, and she nods, walking back into the lounge room.


    I made my way to the kitchen but stopped when I saw Alexander and Samantha in a heated discussion. Alexander looked annoyed. He whispered something to her and then grabbed her face, kissing her. I blinked quickly, leaving the kitchen before they noticed me, a smile on my face.


    Those two look great together.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Trantion


    Spero che tu non abbia intenzione di fa diventare una mamma. I hope you don¡¯t n on making her a baby mama.


    Ho intenzione di far mia. In every possible way, I n on making her mine. in every way possible.

 HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

    It¡¯s been a week since the family dinner, and Sin has been AWOL. always disappearing every single time I set my eyes on him. He wakes up before me andes back after I have gone to sleep. I didn¡¯t know what to think about it and thought of confronting him, but all he said was, ¡°I need you to follow me somewhere this evening; dress formally before leaving the room.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to think much about his secretive behaviour, but that didn¡¯t stop my mind from running wild. Was it because I had gained weight and didn¡¯t look as sexy as I did for him?


    Sighed.!


    I got up from the bed to get ready. I walked to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and immediately hopped in. I had an hour and thirty minutes to get ready.


    I walked back inside the room once I was done showering, drying off my hair and body. I walked into the closet to look for a dress, shoes, and other necessities, keeping them safe on the bed, before taking my seat in front of the mirror to have my makeup done. I did a very light make-up-a little bit of powder, mascara, and nude lipstick. I wasn¡¯t a fan of heavy makeup; I always loved simple, natural makeup. As for my hair, it was already dried. So I left it down, curling the tip.


    After my hair and makeup were done, I assessed myself in the mirror one more time and then stood up, picking up the blue Curtail dress and putting it on. I put on silver stilettos and a silver ne and earrings, which made me look sophisticated. natural but still elegant. I looked at myself in the mirror, my head raised in admiration.


    I was already done getting ready when my phone pinged. I picked it up to see that it was Sin telling me to meet him outside. I put my phone in my mini bag before walking out of the room and out of the house to where Sin was.


    ¡°Amore,¡± he said, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°Hi. ¡±


    ¡°You look breath-taking.¡± Hepliments me, and I blush, letting out a quick thank you andplimenting him as well.


    We got into the back seat of the car, with a driver at the front. The car started, driving away from the mansion.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Vipera, I made dinner reservations for the two of us.¡± He smiled, holding my hand as the car continued to move, heading in our direction.


    We got to our destination in no time. Sin got out to open the car door for me. I took his hand in mine, and we walked into a fancy-looking restaurant. A woman who appeared to be the manager bowed nervously when she saw Sin and I.


    ¡°Mr. Violenta, it¡¯s a pleasure to have you here.¡± She mumbled, getting just a head nod from Sin. She gulped before speaking. The room is ready. ¡°Right this way, please,¡± she gestured with her hands for us to follow, leading us into an elevator.


    She pressed thest button, standing at the far end of the elevator. The door pings and is opened. We all stepped out into a corridor with a different set of doors. I¡¯m guessing this is the VIP section. She stopped at thest door, opening it before ushering us in.


    The room was beautifully arranged.


    At the middle was a table with a beautiful red tablecloth and only two chairs opposite each other. There were flowers and candles surrounding it.


    But what caught my attention was the transparent ss surrounding the room, making it possible for anyone to see what was going on outside. It was dark outside with the streetlights on, enhancing the beauty of the room.


    Sin pulled out a chair for me, and I smiled, thanking him as I took my seat. He walked over to his seat. ¡°I will leave you lovely couple to it; a waiter will be assigned to the room; he is going to be in charge of everything you need.¡± The manager said


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say this to her as she bows and leaves the room.


    It wasn¡¯t long after we heard a knock at the door before it opened and a man in a waiter¡¯s uniform walked in. He had in his hands a bottle of wine and two sets of ss cups.


    ¡°Good evening. I¡¯m Joshua, and I will be your waiter for the evening.¡± He smiled as he greeted us.


    ¡°There are menus for you already on the table; you just need to press the bell at the centre of the table when you are ready to order,¡± he says after pouring out the wine, while mine was a ss of juice. He put the bottle back on the ice bucket and left the room.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± Sin asked.


    ¡°I love it. I like how quiet and private it is, and also the view is great,¡± I said with a smile, as did Sin¡¯s.


    We took a sip of our drink, and a smile stretched my lips as I looked outside the windows. I opened the menu, looking at the different Italian dishes, some of which I was familiar with and others I had no idea about. I was conflicted and didn¡¯t know which to choose, so I left the decision to Sin.


    He clicked on the button at the center of the table, and the waiter knocked before entering. Sin told him our choices, ordering the same food for both of us.


    It took up to thirty minutes before Joshua came back inside with our food, and we thanked him as he made his way out. I looked at the food in front of me, a bista fiorentina. I cut a piece of steak, put it in my mouth, and almost moaned out loud at how delicious it tasted.


    ¡°Do you like the food?¡± Sin asked, taking a bite from his te.


    ¡°I do; it tastes really great,¡± I answered, stuffing another piece of steak into my mouth. We continued eating, and in no time we were done with our food. We sat there talking about a lot of things, including the baby. I wanted to know if Sin knew about Samantha and Alexander being together, so I decided to ask him.


    ¡°Alexander seems to fancy Samantha.¡± I say this to him, trying to see what his take is on his brother following Samantha.


    He smiled, then nodded. ¡°I know. He told me about his feelings and wanted to know if I was okay with him dating one of my men, seeing as she was part of the Mafia.¡±


    ¡°What did you say to him?¡± I asked curiously.


    He shrugged his shoulders before replying. ¡°That I had no problem with him seeing Sam; I¡¯m just happy that he finally found someone he cares for.¡±


    I squealed. ¡°Those two look good together. They make a perfect couple.¡±


    He chuckled, and then I remembered the way he acted this week. ¡± I thought I had done something wrong. I thought you were angry at me because you always leave early ande backte. You won¡¯t even spend time with me.¡±


    ¡°I was not angry at you, amore; I had to take care of some things,¡± he said, getting a little frustrated. ¡°I need to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He sighed, looking nervous. ¡± after the incident between you and Jason, I had been so angry that I wanted to hurt you the same way I did. And I¡¯m not proud of it, I let the anger cloud my mind, making me male foolish mistake. One that had to do with me cheating on you.¡±


    When he said those words, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a stab in my heart. No matter how hard I tried to justify his anger, it still hurt .


    Irrespective of everything, I didn¡¯t want there to be a strain in our rtionship, and i knew if he had been sound in mind, he would never have done that to me.


    ¡± Who is it?, was it Luna .¡±


    ¡± The heavens no.¡± I felt relieve a bit. ¡± it had been an old acquaintance of mine, which isn¡¯t still an excuse.¡± I saw the shame and regret In his eyes, making me sigh.


    ¡± I forgive you¡­.¡±


    ¡± amore¡­. what I did¡­.¡±


    ¡± I just want to forget about it all. Like you said, you were hurt, and wanted to hurt me back by sleeping with some whore, because you thought I slept with Jason. I do understand and I would like to put it behind us, honestly.¡± I told him, with a smile on my face.


    Sin lets out a sigh, wetting his lips nervously. And i wondered if he had anything else to say. ¡°I know the way things started for the both of us and how I took you against your will, taking you away from your friends, family, and career. I pushed you into a world you had no idea about, hurt you because I thought that was the only way I could make you mine. I believed the pictures and stories that Zoey had nned out, which resulted in you getting kidnapped and hurt. I¡¯m the only one who is responsible for everything you had to go through this year,¡± all I did was stare at his eyes; I could see the emotions swimming in them. The pain, regret, guilt, and most of all, love. love for me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you, Mani. I¡¯m sorry that I had no better way to approach you and thought the only way was to take you against your will. I am sorry I took over your life when you had so many dreams you wanted to aplish. I¡¯m sorry, amore; please forgive me.¡± He joined both our hands together. ¡°Give me one more chance, amore, to make it right for you and our baby.¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize the tears that filled my eyes till Sin used his free hand to wipe them off my face. ¡°No crying, amore, I hate seeing tears in those beautiful eyes of yours,¡± he said, keeping his hand on my cheeks. Despite his words, I couldn¡¯t stop the tears as they uncontrobly fell from my eyes.


    ¡°Do you forgive me, amore? Do you forgive this sinister for hurting you?¡± He pleaded. I nodded my head, staring at his eyes thatid out all his emotions bare for me to see.


    He got up from his seat and came to my side, slouching down. He ced both hands on my cheeks, wiping the tears off. He looked into my eyes, his lips parted, and he uttered the one word I so desperately wanted to hear him say.


    ¡°I love you, Mani. Ti voglio bene.¡± I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. He wasted no time in kissing me back. When we pulled back, I had a smile stered across my face.


    ¡°I love you, Niki. Ti voglio bene,¡± I said, and a warm smile that captured my heart even more made its way to his face.


    He looked, and I noticed he was thinking about something. He had a nervous look on his face and kept taking a deep breath. He held my hand as he spoke.


    ¡°Normani Parker, thank you for forgiving me and loving me despite everything. I want you to know that there is no one for me but you. If you were in a room filled with different women of different sses, I would still choose you because there is no one else but you. I will always choose you, this time without any doubt or hesitation,¡± he said, pausing for a brief moment before speaking again.


    ¡°Mani, I never thought I would ever love someone the way I love you. You made me feel again, letting go of every anger and pain I ever felt before. Whenever I see you, I can¡¯t help but feel happiness filling me up to the point where it bes overwhelming. In sickness, in health, and in death, I will always love you. I want to grow old with you, making love as we cuddle together. I want to taste the meals you make, even though they arepletely horrible.¡± Iughed at thest part.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we make it official, amore?¡± Tears streamed down my face again when I saw the mighty Niki Violenta drop down on one knee, taking a small ck box. He opened it, showing a beautiful diamond ring in front of him. A smile on his face, full without any hesitation.


    I stared at the ring in awe. my hands on my mouth, trying to control the tears, knowing what was toe.


    ¡°Normani Parker, will you marry me and be Mrs. Violenta?¡± he finally asked. I nodded my head rapidly; my entire body was shaking to the core.


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Yes. I will marry you.¡± Fresh, hot tears streamed down my eyes as he took my ring finger, sliding the ring gently onto my finger. Sin stood up, pulling me up as well. He held me tightly to his arms, showering me with lots of kisses and promises.


    I pressed my lips to his, kissing him like never before. ¡°I love you.¡± I stared down at the ring with a huge smile on my face.


    ¡°I love you, Amore.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Niki.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± As Sin suggested, the look in his eyes held promises of what¡¯s toeter tonight, and as my breath hitched, I clenched my thighs together, trying to contain myself.


    I nodded my head, agreeing since I didn¡¯t trust my voice. Be took my hands in his, and we both made our way out of the room. My steps halted when we got close to the elevator, and Sin looked at me with a puzzled look.


    ¡°What about the food? You didn¡¯t get the bill yet,¡± I said, pointing in the direction of the room.


    ¡°I own the ce, bambina. So don¡¯t worry your pretty head about it; it will be sent to me. He exined, he chuckled at my surprised reaction, and he dragged me into the elevator. He pressed the button key, waiting for it to get to thest floor.


    I looked anywhere but at Sin, taking deep breaths to calm myself and erected heartbeats. The door pinged, opening, and we made our way back into the car.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY

    The ride back to the mansion was filled with tension-the sexual kind. I couldn¡¯t wait for us to get home; I wanted him so badly. I had to do everything to keep myself from jumping on him at the restaurant.


    As soon as we got home and into our room, my body was mmed against the wall with my lips on his. His lips let mine, moving down to my neck and shoulder de as he sucked, making my breath heretical.


    His lips pressed on mine again, devouring them in soft kisses. My hands wrapped around his neck while he bit softly on my lips. I pulled away, trailing kisses on his clothed chest, my hands on his neck, moved to rest on his hips.


    I knelt down in front of him and hurriedly unbuckled his belt, dipping his pants down. He groaned when I grabbed hold of his cock. I gave it a hard squeeze, using a bit more strength, causing him to wince in pain as he stared down at me, stunned.


    ¡± cheat on me again, and I would make sure i have your dick cut off as a trophy decoration. Am i understood.¡± My voice came out powerful than I thought, and I actually saw he gulped at my threat as he nods his head, causing me to smirk. ¡± Good boy.¡±


    I took the tip of his cock in my mouth, swirling my tongue around it.


    He grabbed a hold of my hair, grabbing it and bunching it into a makeshift ponytail.


    I licked my way down his shaft, taking a hold of his balls as I gave them a light squeeze.


    ¡°Fuck, Amore. You have no idea how sexy you sounded when you threatened to cut off my dick.¡± He groaned when I bobbed my head down, covering his cock with my mouth. I looked at him innocently, with a little bit of tears in my eyes, while his cock shot at the back of my throat. He started thrusting in and out, making me gag. ¡± So fucking sexy.¡±


    His hands on my hair tightened a little, his thrust became faster, and his eyes closed for a brief moment. When he opened his eyes, the pleasure was evident in his face, and his dark orbs darkened even more.


    ¡°Sto per entrare in que tua be ba.¡± His words made me moan. He continued to buckle his hip faster and faster until I felt his hot cum in my mouth, some dripping past my lips. I wiped it off, getting to my feet. He took off his pants but left his boxers on with his sick tugged back inside.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had your fun; now it¡¯s my turn.¡± Sin says, iming my lips. He unzipped the back of my dress, and it fell to the floor.


    Sin lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist, and carried me over to the bed,ying me down. He takes off the zer and his shirt, throwing them across the room.


    ¡°You look divine, bambina.¡± I gulped, taking in the godly sight in front of me. He grabbed my leg, pulling me towards the end of the bed.


    He trails hot kisses on my leg, moving up without leaving any bit of skin untouched. I let out small whimpers at how slow he was going.


    ¡°Niki, please.¡± I whined, feeling frustrated.


    ¡°Patience, amore.¡± He hooked his hands on my pants, pulling them down my legs and throwing them across the room.


    Sin came closer, his breath fanning my exposed clit, sending waves of pleasure across my body. His hands gripped both my thighs to pull me closer, and finally his lips touched my crotch.


    He kept on teasing me, not giving me what I wanted. I whined, buckling my hips around his mouth, but he kept repeating the same thing.


    ¡°Niki.¡± I whined, moving my hips towards his mouth.


    He slipped two fingers in me without any warning, making me throw my head back at the burning sensation, whichter turned into pleasure. His fingers began to go in and out of me slowly and sensually while I moved my hips against his thrust.


    ¡°Niki. ¡± I moaned when I felt his tongue inside me. He sucked on my core, adding more pleasure to what I felt.


    I felt something build up inside me; I knew that was about to happen, and he knew it too.


    ¡°Niki. ¡°I screamed out in pleasure when I felt myself getting close to my orgasm.


    He kissed the inside of my legs, his mouth attacked my heat, and a wave of orgasm flowed through me like a wildfire. I moaned, dropping my hand to his hair, pulling him closer.


    ¡°please. ¡°I begged, wanting to feel him inside me. He kissed me, and I tasted my juice on his lips. He pulled down his boxers, throwing them across the room. In a quick instance, he came up and kissed me again, this time roughly different from the other kisses.


    He was dominant as ever, taking control as he stuck his tongue into my mouth. I breathe heavily when he lets go of my lips to unclip my bra. He took off my bra, flinging it across the room. My leg wrapped around his waist. He started kissing my cheek, moving down to my neck and going to my right breast, sucking it. He softly pinched the previously sucking bud.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I said as he repeated the same action on the other breast. I buckled my hips, grinding on his dick, making him grunt loudly.


    He pulled his mouth away; his hands gripped my hips, moving to my thighs, spreading them further apart. He reached down, cing his hand on his dick. slowly moving it up and down my entrance with his eyes on me.


    He mmed into me without any hesitation, and I moaned, watching him let out a deep grunt as he went deeper inside me, filling me up. I felt like I could feel every vein as he slowly guided himself out of my pussy, only for him to m right back inside me. His hips moved in a certain rhythm that made me gasp with each push inside me.


    ¡°Fuck your pussy is so tight,¡± he groans, his hand finding its way around my waist. Gripping me, he thrust out of me, just to thrust back inside me at a fast pace.


    My nails dragged at his back, making hisses. He grunts, his thrust going faster, and the bed starts to shake.


    ¡°So fucking beautiful,¡± he whispered, thrusting more quickly and harder.


    ¡°Fuck. Niki.¡± I moaned when he touched my sweet spot. I start to feel another orgasm building up in me.


    ¡°Don¡¯te yet, amore.¡± Sin groaned, flipping me around gently so that I was lying on my stomach. He raised my hips, making me lean on all fours.


    He entered me with full force, invading my pussy with his throbbing cock. We moved together in perfect sync. I moaned when he pushed in deep inside me, feeling his palm smack my ass.


    I let out a whimper, not expecting it. I closed my eyes, and my hips buckled up and down his dick. He reached up, cing his hand at the back of my head. He grabbed a chunk of my hair and yanked me up, his face close to my ear.


    I smiled to myself when I felt his warm breath in my ear, making my pussy throb even more than it already does.


    I moaned, and the feeling beneath my stomach started to get stronger. Within a second, she moaned, coughing hard. My back ached against his stomach, and he smacked my ass, still pounding into me.


    I moved my hips backward, colliding with his thrust, moving back each time he moved forward.


    ¡°Fuck like that, don¡¯t stop.¡± His words made me move my hips even faster. Within a second, he pulsed inside me at a rapid rate. I moved my ass slowly, earning a long and hard groan from him.


    He pulled me out of him, and Iid on the bed with a contented smile on my face. He flipped me over. He wrapped his hand around my waist, and he dragged my tired body closer to him. My head rested on his hard chest. I heard his heart beating fast as he tried to hold his breath, just like me.


    ¡°Are you okay, amore? I hope I wasn¡¯t too rough.¡± I raised my head to stare at his face and saw his brows furrowed together.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay. In fact, I¡¯m beyond okay¡±. I giggled, and he chuckled in amusement.


    ¡°And the baby?¡± he asked again, with a hint of concern.


    ¡°If the baby was in any harm, I would have told you. Quit worrying.¡± I pecked his cheek, and he smiled. I rested my head back on his chest, our naked bodies tangled together. My lips parted, letting out a soft yawn while my eyes were slowly closing, my body tired from the night¡¯s exercise. I was so close to drifting off when I heard Sin whisper softly, and my lips subconsciously raised up in a smile.


    ¡°Good night, soon to be Mrs. Violenta.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Mr. Violenta.¡±

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE

    I stifled a yawn and stretched my body as I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked a few times to get adjusted to the light just to find Sin staring down at me with a smile on his face.


    ¡°How long have you been looking at me?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°For an hour now.¡± My eyes widened, and heughed. ¡°You looked so beautiful and peaceful.¡± He speaks in his groggy morning voice, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°I need to shower and get dressed,¡± I say, yawning again.


    I made an attempt to get out of bed, but Sin wouldn¡¯t let me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his lips to mine and pulling away. ¡°Where do you think you are going? I still haven¡¯t had my breakfast yet.¡±


    ¡°Niki,¡± I whined. He hummed, trailing kisses down my naked chest to my stomach, till he got to my waistline.


    He puts his head between my legs, kissing my thighs until he gets to my wet fold. ¡°So fucking wet.¡±


    Sin¡¯s tongue soaked into my fold, and I let out a whimper and moan with every flick that made him go further. I screamed when the tip of his tongue slid into my fold, causing my legs to shake due to immense pleasure.


    I pressed my legs together, not being able to hold them as my hips buckled up.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Keep your legs open, amore.¡± Sin grabbed onto my thighs, spreading them apart. His mouthtches onto my swollen clit. sucking it and pulling it gently.


    ¡°Fuck Niki, right there,¡± I moan, feeling my orgasm building up. He kept on sucking on my clit, cing his hands on my waist to hold me still.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I reached my climax, cumming in his mouth. He licks it all up with a swirl of his tongue.


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Sweat covered my forehead, and my legs shook a little. Sin lifted his head up from my legs and kissed my lips before pulling back with a smile on his face.


    ¡°That was a delicious breakfast, amore.¡± Sin says and Iughed. I slid out of the bed naked as I walked to the bathroom; I stumbled a little, and Sin was by my side within a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Careful, amore,¡± he says worriedly, holding onto my arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a little bit sore.¡± I said this to ease his mind. I gently removed my hand from his, pecking his lips before making my way to the bathroom.


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to shower, and I didn¡¯t feel like standing, so I opted for a bath. I turned on the water, mixing it until it was warm enough. I put in some scented flowers, then stepped in. My back rested against the Jacuzzi with my eyes closed as the bath helped soothe my ache.


    I used my hand to wash my body; I felt something cold touch my skin, and my eyes opened. I looked down at my ring finger to see the engagement ring Sin had given me yesterday, and a smile lit up my face.


    I can¡¯t believe I was engaged to Sin and will soon be Mrs. Vinte. Would I be able to perfect the role of a donna like I was supposed to? I closed my eyes again, and my hand rested on my baby bumps as I slowly hummed a luby my mom usually sings for me.


    When I felt the water turning cold, I got out, wrapping a towel around my body. I walked back into the room and found it empty, with no sign of Sin. I looked at the bed to see a note on it, and I walked towards it, picking it up to read.


    ¡°Gone out for some work; I will be backte today. Take care of yourself and my little angel, and don¡¯t forget to call me if you need anything. I love you.¡± I smiled, reading through it again. I must say, he had the worst handwriting, but in a cute way. I took the paper with me, going inside the closet to get dressed. I then ced the paper inside my jewellery box before leaving the closet and the room.


    I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. Samantha and Sarah were the only ones there.


    They both sat at the counter, with Samantha munching on a te of pasta in front of her. They both turned in my direction when I walked.


    ¡°Good morning Sarah, good morning Sam.¡± I say taking a seat at the counter close to Samantha.


    ¡°Good morning, dear. Let me get you your breakfast; you must be starving.¡± At the mention of food, my stomach grumbled and my mouth salivated.


    Sarah got down from the stool to dish up a te of meatball soup. She ced it in front of me with a nce of juice, then took a seat back on the stool.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t see you yesterday. I went in to check on you, but Luca said you went out with Sinst night, and you guys got home prettyte,¡± Samantha says, taking another bite of her food.


    ¡°Yeah, Niki took me out for dinner.¡± I picked my spoon up, taking a piece of meatball soup. I was about to put it in my mouth when I almost had a heart attack at the way Samantha screamed, scaring the crap out of me.


    I turned to look at her and found her focused on my hand-more precisely, the ring on my finger. Her mouth was opened wide, like she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. My gaze shifted to Sarah, who had a motherly smile on her face when she stared at my ring finger.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Is that what I think it is?¡± Samantha eximed, her hands pping to her mouth in shock.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Iughed when she squealed getting down from her stool, her food long forgotten.


    ¡°Oh, my God! oh my God!¡± She kept on repeating, taking my hand in hers to stare at the ring in awe. ¡°Girl, this is up to like 59. 60 carats in them.¡± She gasped out.


    My eyes widened, and I looked down at my finger as well. ¡°At 59. 60 carats, how much would that be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like 71. 2 million dors,¡± she replied, fanning herself with her hand.


    I almost fainted hearing her reply, ¡°71. 2 million dors.¡± It was freakishly expensive. I knew the ring was going to be expensive, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this expensive.


    ¡°God! Girl, I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Samantha says, dragging my shocked self in for a hug. I hugged back when I finally was able toe out of whatever shocked phase I was in.


    ¡°Congrattions,¡± she whispered, breaking the hug. Sarah also made her way over to me for a hug, congratting me as well.


    ¡°When is the wedding?¡± Sarah asked with a sweet smile on her face.


    ¡°It has not been decided yet.¡±


    ¡°This calls for a celebration.¡± Samantha smiled excitedly. ¡°We are going clubbing.¡±


    ¡°Sam, in case you are forgetting, I am pregnant. I can¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to drink; we could just dance and spend the night out having fun. Please, please, please.


    ¡± Fine¡±


    ¡°Yah..

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO

    Samantha and I made our way inside the club. I had already informed Sin about my ns to go out with Samantha in the morning. He wasn¡¯t kin to the idea at first, but after a little bit of convincing, he finally let me go, but only if I agreed to go to one of his clubs.


    I was putting on a ck gown that stopped at my mid-thigh with a low shoe, while Samantha had on a short, tight red gown and really high ck heels. When we got inside the club, the sound of music filled the room, with red strobe lights dancing everywhere. I made my way upstairs to the VIP section while Samantha went down to get us a drink.


    I stared down at the people on the dance floor; some were making out while others grinded their bodies together. At the centre of the club were half-naked girls dancing on poles and i stood watching them in awe.


    How they were able move like that and do those marvellous splits still left me stunned.


    Samantha walked in with two red cups in her hands; she handed me one and I smelt it to know what was inside.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, it¡¯s a fruit juice.¡± I took a sip of the juice first, then drank the rest of it.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go dance!¡± I had no time to object as I was dragged back downstairs to the dance floor.


    Samantha started dancing, swirling her waist and getting a lot of stares, mostly from guys. I joined in, dancing along with her. My body moved to the beat. I was so into it until I felt wrapped around my body resting on my baby bump. My back leaned against a hard chest, and a hot breath fanned my face.


    ¡°You look really sexy,¡± a husky voice said. I turned around, captivated by the eyes of this handsome stranger.


    ¡°As much as I would love to dance with you, I would have to turn you down.¡± I wrapped my arms around his neck. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m pregnant and already engaged.¡±


    His lips were raised by the side. ¡°You look even more sexy with that baby bump and about your fianc¨¦, screw him; I will be sure to give you a wonderful time.¡±


    ¡°That sounds so tempting, but I love him.¡± I pouted, leaning closer to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Can¡¯t I change your mind?¡± He leaned down, and his lips captured mine in a deep kiss. Our mouths moved together in perfect sync, and our tongues battled for dominance, but each on its own.


    When we pulled apart, I was in a daze; his hands were still wrapped around my waist and mine around his neck with our eyes locked together.


    ¡°You guys are so weird,¡± Samantha¡¯s voice interrupted whatever moment we were having. I had totally forgotten that we were dancing together.


    ¡°Did you really have to ruin it, Sam?¡± Sin asked, rolling his eyes at her.


    ¡°I was tired of watching you guys¡¯ cheesiness.¡± She cringes, looking at the two of us. I blushed and pressed my face against Sin¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m going to get another drink; I think I need one after being put through such an ordeal.¡± She smiled, then walked to the bar.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Sin suggested, leading me out of the crowd.


    ¡°What about Sam?. We can¡¯t leave her here alone,¡± I said to him, looking back at the bar for her but not seeing her there.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would mind if we left, since she is a little bit busy.¡± He smirked, pointing to the far end of the club that had little light. I saw Samantha pressed against the wall with Alexander¡¯s tongue down her throat.


    I didn¡¯t realize Alexander was here either.


    ¡°He had called to check on how you were doing, and I told him about you going to one of our clubs with Sam,¡± Sin exins as he continues leading me out of the club.


    We got to where Sin¡¯s car was parked, and I got in with Sin in the driver¡¯s seat. I took out my phone to text Samantha and let her know we were leaving. It didn¡¯t waste much time before my phone buzzed.


    Samantha: I¡¯m going home with Alexander. See you tomorrow.


    I smirked at her text, resting my back on my seat, when Sin drove out of the private parking lot. He ced his free hands on my exposed thigh, rubbing his thumbs around it in a teasing manner, and my breath hitched.


    With the pregnancy, my hormones were heightened, making me feel horny most of the time. He stared at me for a brief moment, and he smirked when he noticed my state.


    I just can¡¯t wait to get home.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE

    Sin¡¯s Pov.


    Mani looked so calm right now as she snuggled close to me in her sleep. Her shallow, soft breath against my neck was what seemed to calm me at night, knowing she was within my reach. It brings me absolute peace.


    The rm buzzed beside the bed, and I quickly turned it off, though I doubt it would have made any difference. My little princess was one who could sleep through a tornado.


    And just like I thought,


    She let out soft snores against my bare chest, nestling into me even more. making it hard for me to get up from the bed or leave her. She looked so damn cute, but I knew I had to leave. There were things I needed to attend to and settle. looked down at her naked body, remembering what happenedst night-a night I never thought would happen to me-but after I saw her, I knew she was going to have my heart, no matter how hard I tried not to feel.


    But now, I couldn¡¯t care less; I wanted her in all aspects. As my other half, she will always be by my side. I smiled at the thought of it. I looked down at her again, leaning in to kiss her forehead and lips.


    I moved down to her tummy, tracing my fingers on the baby bump, and I kissed her bare stomach. ¡°Good morning, angel, when daddy goes to work. Be nice to mommy and don¡¯t worry her too much. Daddy loves you, little angel,¡± I whispered softly, covering her up with the silk sheet and duvet.


    She stifled a yawn and stretched her body, slowly opening her eyes. I watched her blink a few times, trying to get used to the light. Even with the bed hair and all, she still manages to take my breath away.


    ¡°How long have you been looking at me?¡± Sheughed when she caught me staring at her.


    ¡°For an hour now¡± Her eyes widened and Iughed. Could she get any cuter? ¡°You looked so beautiful and peaceful¡± I said, My voice sounded groggy in the morning.


    She didn¡¯t bother questioning me any further since this wasn¡¯t the first time she had woken up to me watching her. ¡± I need to shower and get dressed.¡±


    She made an attempt to get out of the bed but held her down, refusing to let her go. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pressed my lips a kiss on her lips then pulled away with a smirk on my face¡±


    ¡± Where do you think you are going. I still haven¡¯t had my breakfast yet.¡±


    ¡°Niki¡± She whined trying to get up again even though she knew it was impossible. I hummed, trailing kisses down her naked chest to her stomach till he got to her waistline.


    I puts my head between her legs, kissing her thighs till i gets to her wet fold. ¡°So fucking wet¡±


    Let¡¯s just say, it was the best breakfast ever, lifted my head up from her legs to kiss her lips before pulling back with a smile on her face.


    ¡°That was a delicious breakfast, amore.¡± I said slyly and sheughed, sliding out of the bed bare naked and walked to the bathroom, I awe her stumbled a little and hurriedly got up from the bed, racing to her side


    ¡°Careful amore¡± I said worriedly, holding onto her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a little bit sore¡± gently removing her hand from mine, pecking my lips before making her way to the bathroom.


    I got out of the bed in one swift motion, making my way out of the room to a spare bedroom. I could have easily entered our bathroom but I know I won¡¯t be able to keep my hands off her and might end up wearing her out.


    I walked into the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth first then hopped under the hot guzzling shower, begin to wash myself.


    After I was done I got out, headed back into the bedroom. I had a lot of things to take care of but hopefully I will be back before dinner so that I can spend the rest of the evening with Mani. We need to start nning for the baby, she was due in six months.


    We had to set up the nursery, but since we don¡¯t know the sex of the baby yet. It would be a mixture of both pink and blue.


    I made my way to the closet, I already had spare clothes for her. After the incident with Mani and Jason I had moved a bit of my things to this room and forgot to move them back. I put on my boxer then a ck Armani suit. I put a little bit of gel on my hair,bing it to the back before wearing my Rolex. and LOUIS VUITTON MANHATTANN RICHELIEU SHOES


    After I was fully dressed, I went back to our bedroom. I guess Mani was still having her bath. I walked out of the closet to the bedside to retrieve my wallet, making my way to the door but halted. I didn¡¯t want to leave, with her still in the bathroom so I decided to do something I had never done in my lifetime. I took out a piece of paper and pen jotting down words in my messy but fair handwriting.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡± Gone out for some work, I will be backte today. Take care of yourself and my little angel, don¡¯t forget to call me if you need anything. I love you¡± I know it may sound cheesy but I knew it was going to bring a smile on her face and they brought a smile to mine.


    I folded the paper, dropping it on the bed then finally made my way out of the room and house. I walked to the parking lot, getting into my favourite Bentley car then drove off, out of the mansion to one of my warehouses.


    My men bowed their heads slightly when I walked past them. I made my way down to the basement with two of my men trailing behind me. Luca had gone back to New York to handle some things for me, while Mateo was home, guarding Mani.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR

    SIN POV


    The door of the basement opened, and I walked in with disgust and anger on my face. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± I say, taking a seat as I watch Zoey squirm in the rope tied around her wrist, which was raised above her head and hanging above the cell.


    ¡°How does it feel to get the taste of your own medicine?. Do you feel guilty now for what you have done, or do you have that sick delusion in your head that you are better than Mani?¡±


    ¡°ye¡­ yes Sin. I ept the fact that I was wrong; I shouldn¡¯t have done that to Mani. Now please end this torture; I can¡¯t feel my arms anymore; please, Sin.¡± She cries out desperately.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± I slowly stood up from my seat, walking towards her. ¡°And did you have mercy on Mani and my unborn child when you tried to kill them?¡± I put on my armor¡¯s leather glove, grabbing the bloody knife from the table.


    I ced the tip on the wound on her forehead, exactly the same spot Mani had been injured. I dragged the tip of the knife down the open scar, just to make her pay for what she had done. She screamed, her body shaking with immense pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sin. I made a mistake, but I have learned my lesson. If you would just let me go, I will never show up in front of you and Mani ever again,¡± she says through shaky breaths.


    I took in her appearance; her body was covered in a lot of scars and bandages, yet I still wasn¡¯t satisfied. Her plea seemed to intensify the anger in me as I thought of how Mani had been scared and how she must have pleaded with her to let her go.


    ¡°Why should I do that, Zoey? It¡¯s not like you gave Mani a chance. She had considered you a friend, and yet you betrayed her and everyone¡¯s trust. ¡± I spat out at her, shing her on the chest with the knife.


    She screamed again, groaning in pain. ¡°I just wanted you. I love you so much, even now as you torture me and hurt me. I still love you. can¡¯t help it.¡±


    I never knew she had such an obsession with me. Was this how Mani felt when I kept forcing myself into her life? It was good that things turned out for the best, but that wasn¡¯t an excuse for how I acted in the beginning. Zoey was obviously not mentally stable; how did we miss it for so many years? She was really good at hiding behind the shadows, pretending to be innocent.


    I had taken her from Italy the time she lost her baby despite Nonno¡¯s warning. I had assumed the reason for his hatred towards her was because she was of a different ss from us, but now I can see that he saw something in her that we all were too blind to see.


    Right now, I don¡¯t see the old Zoey; all I saw was a woman who had a gun pointed at a scared Mani, ready to pull the trigger. I grabbed a hold of her neck, squeezing it tightly. She struggles to breathe; her eyes roll backward. I took a step back, letting go of her neck. She coughs loudly, greedily gasping for air.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When she was finally able to breathe again, I formed my hand into a fist and sent a hard blow into her stomach. This time, when she coughed, she had blood dripping from her mouth to the ground.


    She sobs through the pain, and whatever content she was fedst night came pouring down her bare body to the ground.


    I gave her a disgusted look. Her eyes were slowly closing, and her breath was uneven. I grabbed a fistful of her hair, bringing her face close to mine. She tried so hard to focus on me, but her eyes kept closing. I tugged her hair hard, and she yelped, screaming in pain.


    ¡°Jason and Luna would have been here, sharing in your pain, but of course you had to give them an easy death, since you were so desperately trying to cover your own tracks. But you don¡¯t have to worry. You would be receiving every punishment they had escaped from.¡± I said it coldly to her without any hint of remorse. ¡°Like I promised Jason, I would bring you close to death just to revive you and do it all over again till i finally get bored and I put you out of your miserable life; until then, enjoy every torture you get.¡± I let go of her. I was about to leave the basement but stopped.


    I turned the two men into the room. ¡°Have fun, but leave her alive. I¡¯m still not done with her. I say to them.


    ¡°Yes, Capo,¡± they both replied instantly, a smirk on their faces as they stared at Zoey like she was a piece of meat.


    Sick bastards.


    I let out a dark chuckle and was making my way out of the warehouse when I heard the ringing of my phone. I checked the caller ID to see that it was my brother Alexander calling.


    ¡°Fratello,¡± I said, putting the phone to my ear.


    ¡°Ciao., I wanted to check on you and Mani.¡± There was a silent pause. ¡°How is the baby?¡±


    ¡°They are all fine; right now she and Samantha are out clubbing.¡± I was on my way there. I noticed him take a deep breath at the mention of Samantha¡¯s name.


    ¡°Which club is that?¡± He asked. I knew his reason for asking and smirked.


    ¡°The diavolo. Meet you there at 8,¡± I said slyly.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± he replies before ending the call. I put my phone back in my pocket, I left the warehouse, making my way to my princess.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE

    Samantha and I had hit the spa recently and also went to the salon to get our hair done. It¡¯s been a long time since I had my hair treated, and I wanted something different instead of my natural long hair.


    My hair was well taken care of; it was trimmed to my shoulder de and dyed whitevender. I was sceptical at first when I chose the colour, but Samantha urged me to go ahead with it, saying I would look spectacr. I¡¯m so d I listened to her; even Sin seemed to love it.


    I will admit he was shocked at first when he walked in our room and saw me with what looked like short, purple shoulder-length hair. I thought he hated it at first since he stood by the door not saying anything, but now he ys with my hair every chance he gets,plimenting on how lovely I looked.


    I let out a giggle at the thought of it.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you allughing, baby girl?¡± Sin asked me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Nothing, just remembered something, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And what memory is that? That¡¯s got youughing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Really¡±


    ¡°yeah. ¡± He looked at me like he was about to say something but changed his mind, and I gave him a smug look, sticking my tongue out.


    He continued scrolling through the TV. ¡°What movie are we watching?¡± We were currently in the living room, looking for a movie to watch.


    Sin decided to take a free day off today to spend with me; we cooked breakfast together this morning. Well, Sin did the cooking, and I took care of setting the table, which is equally important as cooking. It takes great effort.


    After eating, we went to the library to read together; I took a romance novel while Sin took a crime-solving book.


    Go figures.


    We stayed in the library for some hours, till I got tired of reading and Sin suggested we watch a movie together, which brings us to now. It was already five In the evening, we were going to watch a movie to while away the time as Sarah prepared dinner.


    ¡°How about the Titanic?¡± I screamed excitedly.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great movie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried, amore; you end up crying your eyes out every single time you watch the movie,¡± he says, concerned.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m bound to cry; it¡¯s an emotional movie, and my hormones are running high right now.¡± I stated it with a ¡°duh,¡± tone, like it was something he was supposed to know.


    ¡°I hate seeing you cry for whatever reason.¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t cry this time. I already know what¡¯s going to happen. ¡± I said it with a childish pout.


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± he lets out a defeated sigh, ying the movie.


    I snuggled closer to him, resting my body on his and asionally grabbing a handful of popcorn from hisp as we watched the movie.


    At the end of the movie, I was already bawling my eyes out. I was in the second pack of tissues that Sin so generously ced on the table.


    ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t going to cry.¡± He says it sarcastically, like he didn¡¯t believe whatever promise I made at the beginning of the movie.


    ¡°I know I said I wouldn¡¯t, but I can¡¯t help myself. Poor Jack, why did he have to die like that?¡± I wailed, blowing the snot out of my nose.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I suggest we not watch it. This is like the hundredth time you are watching this movie.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say a hundred, maybe fifty times,¡± I countered back with a sheepish smile. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why he had to die; they could have shared it together.¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Baby, it couldn¡¯t carry both weights. They would have eventually sank, and it was freezing cold.¡±


    ¡°I know, but still.¡±


    ¡°What was more important was that Rose survived,¡± he said, and I turned to look at him.


    ¡°And why is that?. Since when did you be a Rose fan?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything but stared at the TV as the screen yed a role. I nudged his shoulder lightly; he looked at me with a broken expression.


    ¡°It might be a different scenario, but I still understand what Jack must have felt because that was what I felt at the thought of losing you. He was ready to sacrifice his life for her just the same way I would, because you matter to me.¡±


    My expression turned sour; I didn¡¯t feel any ounce of joy or butterflies from his words. Instead, they felt like knives repeatedly stabbing my heart.


    I did something he and I would never have thought I would do. I held his chin tightly, maintaining eye contact as Sin looked at me, shocked and confused.


    ¡°Never say something like that again, Niki. What is the essence of saving me when you won¡¯t be here by my side? Can a human live without a heart, Niki?¡± He shakes his head, still in shock. ¡°So how do you expect me to live when you aren¡¯t here with me?¡± I burst out crying. ¡°How could you think that sacrificing your life for me would do any good?¡± I hit him on his chest repeatedly, not being able to stop the tears from my eyes.


    Sin grabbed both my hands, stopping the assault on his chest. He scooped me up in one go, cing me on hisp.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, amore. That¡¯s so dumb of me to say.¡± He slowly patted my back as I straddled his body. My head resting on his chest, I let out a series of hups. ¡°Sshh, you know I hate seeing tears in those beautiful eyes of yours.¡±


    ¡°Then never say something like that again.¡± I raise my head to stare at him.


    ¡°I promise. Never again. Please stop crying.¡± He used his thumbs to wipe the tears off my face.


    ¡°I love you, Niki.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I love you too, amore.¡±


    Sin¡¯s hands went around my waist, and I ced my lips on his. I trailed his hand underneath the long shirt I had worn, squeezing my butt, and I yelped.


    Our tongues fought for dominance before he finally won. His hands continue to move higher inside my shirt. I wrapped his hand around his neck, grinding my hips on his rising bulge.


    We were so into it that we didn¡¯t hear the sound of a footsteping towards us until we heard the sound of a throat clearing. I freeze at my spot in shock, while Sin casually pulls away with an angry look on his face for being interrupted.


    I turned to look at the person who had walked on our make-out section and saw Dr. Fernandez standing behind us; his ears were red, and he avoided any eye contact.


    I hurriedly got off Sin¡¯sp, tidying up the shirt I was wearing. I took a seat beside Sin, a blush stained my face. I cleared my throat, trying to ease whatever awkwardness was in the air. At least for me and Dr Fernandez, Sin doesn¡¯t look bothered about it.


    ¡°I will check on the baby.¡± Dr. Fernandez said, rushing to my side. I guess he wanted to get things done and get out of the house. I don¡¯t me him; I would too if I was in the same situation as him. Sin got up from the chair so that I couldy down.


    My head rested on the hand of the chair while I stroked my belly gently. It was time for my monthly check-up, and Sin needed Dr. Fernandez¡¯s confirmation also. I was already in my fifth month.


    It was quiet for a while as Dr. Fernandez examined me like he always does anything hees to check on the baby.


    ¡°The baby¡¯s heartbeat is okay; blood pressure is okay. There seems to be no problem at all,¡± he says to Sin. ¡± She is free to travel. I already picked a male nurse for her, who would be on the ne in case of anything.¡±


    ¡°Change it to a female nurse.¡± Sin suddenly said, causing me and Dr. Fernandez to give him a questionable look.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong with the male nurse?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    His jaw clenched. ¡°I don¡¯t want another man¡¯s hands touching you.¡± He spoke sternly.


    Ugh. Him and his caveman act.


    So possessive.


    But I love it.


    I smiled slyly. ¡°Why can¡¯t a male nurse take care of me when Dr. Fernandez can?¡± I asked teasingly. ¡°I had no idea Dr. Fernandez wasn¡¯t considered a male.¡± I looked at Dr. Fernandez and saw him trying to hold back the smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s different; I know Fernandez. He has been a family doctor for as long as I can remember. Apart from him, I don¡¯t want any other male touching you¡±.


    ¡°But Luca, Alexander, and Mateo are all males, and you don¡¯t seem to have any problems with them.¡± I asked again, watching him sigh in frustration.


    ¡°Amore. ¡± He groans.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I replied, smiling cheekily.


    ¡°I will get a female nurse once I get back to the hospital.¡± Dr. Fernandez says


    ¡°good. I need the name of the nurse as well; I don¡¯t want just anybody close to my family. especially if it concerns Mani and the baby.¡± Sinmanded.


    ¡°Sure, of course. I will send it to you tomorrow.¡± Dr. Fernandez nods. ¡°I best be on my way; have a wonderful evening.¡±


    ¡°And you too.¡± I replied, watching his retreating back as he made his way out of the living room.


    ¡°Do you really have to go all caveman on him?¡± I teased.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Sin responded, kissing my lips possessively. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go have dinner; our little angel must be angry.¡± He pulled me up from the chair, his hands resting on my bulgy bump.


    ¡°Even with a baby bump, you still look beautiful, amore.¡± Heplimented me, pulling out a seat for me, before taking one close to me.


    ¡°Thanks, Niki.¡± I said, smiling.


    It wasn¡¯t up to five seconds before Sarah and a few maids walked in with different varieties of food, cing them in front of me, and my mouth salivated.


    We wasted no time digging in. It was just the two of us; Samantha was staying over at Alexander¡¯s. Things were getting cosy and serious between them. They had decided to make it official a week ago.


    When she told me, we squealed together, pping in excitement. I was so happy for them; I couldn¡¯t wait for things between them to progress even more. That way, we won¡¯t just be friends but also inws.


    Dinner went by in the blink of an eye, and the foods, as always, were delicious. It was in the middle of the night when Sin and I decided to rest a little in the lounge. We were cuddled up together, talking about a lot of things, mostly the baby. I had a ss of juice in my arms while Sin had a ss of wine.


    We talked for a long period of time until I finally started feeling sleepy. I rested my head against his shoulder with my eyes closed.


    ¡°Are you sleepy, baby girl?¡± Sin whispers in my ear. I hummed and snuggled closer to him, enjoying his warmth. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± he says, but I refuse to get up and keep on leaning on him.


    He pulled away, getting up, waiting for me to do the same, but I remained seated. I looked up at him with sleepy eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like walking,¡± I whined with a pout on my face. I raised my arms, stretching them both wide for him and heughs, then proceeds to lean down, picking me up in bridal style.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I yawned softly, cuddling close to his chest.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX

    I was in Sin¡¯s office; I was bored and had nothing to do in the main time, so I decided to keep myself busy. I stood behind him while he went through some documents. I roamed my hands over his hair, feeling the amazing texture of it.


    ¡°How is your hair this soft?¡± He shrugged, keeping his focus on the document in front of him. I slowly massage his scalp, and Sin sighs in contentment. His hair had grown so much, and an idea came to my mind.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Muah Muah..


    God! I can be evil sometimes.


    I took out the Mickey Mouse rubber that I had used to pack my hair, letting it fall off my shoulders. I gathered his hair up into a ponytail. My hand worked through his hair swiftly; I brought two strands to each side of his face, but he was so focused on what he was doing that he didn¡¯t even notice.


    After I was done, I wrapped my hand around him, resting my head in the crook of his neck. I kissed him gently on the soft spot, and he groaned. I pulled my hand from behind him and gently moved it to his front, putting me on his desk. I took in the sight of his face; he looked so cute yet hrious.


    ¡°Why do you have that look in your eyes?¡± He asked me questions, looking at me like he was trying to figure out what I was up to.


    ¡°What look?¡± I put on an innocent face.  pretending to have no idea what he was talking about.


    ¡°You look like you are up to no good. Only mischief.¡± He says it again, tilting his head as he watches me, his hand rubbing on his chin.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about. I¡¯m too good for mischief.¡± I joked, and my face lit up in a smile. I struggled to maintain eye contact with him instead of his hair. I didn¡¯t want him to be suspicious.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe a word you just said?¡± I shrugged, saying nothing. Sin¡¯s lips parted, but before he could say anything else, a loud knock on the door interrupted him, and Alexander came inside. He had his head cast down to his phone.


    ¡°Ciao, fratello,¡± he says, lifting his head up. I watched as his eyes widened when i moved from the desk, making my way to stand behind Sin. Still trying to hold back a grin, i discreetly cing a finger on my lips, letting him know  not to say anything.


    Alexander bit down on his lips, his face slowly turning red. He cleared his throat, which almost sounded like augh being covered up.


    ¡°Are you okay, brother? Why are you so red?¡± Sin asked, confused.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± heughed, not able to contain himself, then used a cough to cover it up.


    ¡°Okay, what is going on with you?¡± Sin spins his chair to the side, looking back and forth at Alexander and I. I did my best to keep a straight face, trying to look confused like I, too, was worried about Alexander¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check if there are any snacks in the kitchen.¡± I stated, making my exit.


    When I got out of the office, I giggled while walking towards the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you allughing?¡± Samantha asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± I said, walking to the fridge and raiding it for any snacks. I settled for a bag of chips, before leaning  both my elbows at the kitchen counter, munching on my chips.


    ¡°I doubt that; with that smile on your face, you¡¯re definitely up to no good,¡± Samantha says, giving me a suspicious look. I shrugged my shoulders,ughing.


    She shakes her head, smiling. ¡°When are you meeting, Serena and Athena?¡± she asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Around noon, and you areing with me.¡± Samantha rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Alexander is here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he already texted me.¡± She takes a handful of chips.


    We carried on chatting till we heard the sound of heavy footsteps making their way to the kitchen. Samantha¡¯s mouth was opened wide when Sin and Alexander walked in.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m handsome and sexy, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough reason to ogle at me like I have something on my face.¡± Sin is frustrated.


    No matter how hard I tried topose myself, it became difficult, and I ended up bursting outughing. The minute theughter escaped my mouth, Alexander and Samantha joined in too.


    Sin looked at us like we had gone crazy, which seemed to intensify ourughter. He took out his phone, I¡¯m guessing, to turn on the camera. His face had so many emotions, and when his eyes met mine, I gulped.


    I took slow steps back, looking for an escape route, while he took threatening steps towards me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would pull such an evil act on me,¡± he says, taking another step towards me.


    ¡°But you look so cute.¡± I whined, moving backward.


    His face screwed up in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m not cute. Men aren¡¯t cute.¡±


    My back hit the wall of the kitchen, trapping me from going anywhere as Sin ced both hands on either side of the wall.


    ¡°You are my cute teddy bear,¡± i said. Horror showed on his face before it turned into a smirk.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was cute when I pounded into that tight pussy of yours.¡± His voice was raspy. I moaned at his words. Our faces were a meter away till we heard the sound of throat clearing.


    ¡°I seriously did not need to know,¡± Samantha says, giving us a sly look. I had totally forgotten that they were still here. A blush crept up my face, and I hid my head on Sin¡¯s chest to avoid the embarrassment.


    ¡°Then you should leave. It¡¯s my house after all,¡± Sin stated in a bored tone.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you guys corrupt my Principessa.¡± My head shut up when I heard Alexander¡¯s words, and I scoffed. If anything, I should be the one worried about Samantha corrupting me, not the other way around.


    I threw her a yful re, and she smirked, sticking her tongue out. Alexander took hold of her hand, and they both left the kitchen.


    ¡°What makes him think Samantha is that innocent?¡± I murmured, more to myself, and Sinughed.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN

    ¡°Hey Mani, Samantha!¡± Athena greeted. I hugged her, then I hugged Serena, before we both made our way to the car. With Serena and i at the back and Athena and Samantha at the front,


    ¡°Today is going to be a long day; I hope you are prepared.¡± Athena asked.


    ¡°I wish I could say I am, but I would be lying.¡±


    ¡°You are already in your fifth month, which means we have less time to prepare for the wedding.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of things to do. But first, I have to get the venue since the wedding will be held here in Italy. ¡± Serena said, breaking the silence.


    Sin and I already picked a date for that wedding; it was two months after the baby is born. We decided to wait until I delivered, and I also didn¡¯t want to walk down the aisle looking like a sack of rice. I wanted the wedding to be in Italy, where his father was.


    We drove around, looking for the perfect wedding venue. Serena wanted the best of the best; she said it was a once in a lifetime asion, and it had to be great and memorable.


    ¡°At this rate, we won¡¯t have a ce for the wedding.¡± I groan, whispering to Samantha and Athena.


    ¡°I get you, girl, but I won¡¯t me my mom. She had never expected Sin to fall in love, let alone settle down. She would do anything to make sure the wedding pushes through as a sess.¡± Athena exined. ¡°Besides, this is thest stop for today.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t get a venue now, Athena and I can help you look for more, then send you a video and screen shot of the ce.¡±


    ¡°Thanks guys.¡±


    ¡°When are you and Sin leaving for New York?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, Dr. Fernandez already gave us the go.¡± I said that to both of them, and they nodded.


    We walked into thest ce of the day and were awed at how beautiful the ce looked. It was like It had been taken out of a fairy-tale book. I wasn¡¯t the only one; the girls and Serena also thought the same. We were all mesmerized by how great the ce looked.


    I watched as Serena¡¯s eyes lit up and she stared at me. I nodded my head, letting her know that I agreed with her also. Finally, we have found the one. Serena handled the reservation, giving the date and time.


    ¡°Now that we are done, let¡¯s go have ourte lunch,¡± Athena squealed, and we all agreed. We walked out of the ce and into a small restaurant by the side.


    Lunch was fun; we chatted amongst ourselves. Serena and Athena told us about Sin¡¯s childhood stories, telling us about the crazy things Alexander and him had done in high school. Samantha and Iughed, hardly believing most of what they say because of how they are now. I think I understand why Nonno called Sin a little tyrant, because he sure was a tyrant.


    We were about to leave the restaurant when my phone rang. I pulled it out of my bag and checked the caller ID. It was Sin. A small smile crept across my face.


    ¡°Judging from your face, I can already guess who it is,¡± Samantha teased, and I smacked her arm.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are saying.¡±


    ¡°Quit pestering her, Sam; she and my brother are so wiped. They can¡¯t stay apart from each other even for a day.¡±


    ¡°Athena and Sam, let the poor girl be.¡± Serena says, smiling sweetly at me. I picked up the call, bringing the phone to my ear.


    ¡± Hi.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Have you found a venue yet?¡± His voice sounded really sexy over the phone.


    ¡°Yeah, we have. We are at a small restaurant close to the venue ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay, send me the address. I wille pick you up.¡±


    ¡± okay. I love you.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± he says, hanging up. I quickly texted Sin the location of the restaurant before settling my phone down.


    ¡°Niki will be here to pick me up. You guys can go ahead.¡±


    ¡°No way, we will wait till he gets here. We aren¡¯t leaving you alone here, especially when you are heavily pregnant.¡± Serena said, leaving no room for argument.


    We waited for thirty minutes till Sin¡¯s car pulled up at the front of the restaurant. We all got up and left the restaurant. Athena, Serena, and Sin exchange pleasantries before I get into the car.


    ¡°See you at home.¡± I waved at Samantha as the car drove off.


    We drove in silence for some time till I broke it since I wanted to ask a request from him. I fiddle with my finger, not knowing what his reaction might be.


    ¡°Niki, I want to ask you something. I hope you won¡¯t get mad.¡±


    ¡°What is it, amore?¡± He says this, focusing on the road.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Zoey.¡± His hand on the wheel tightened and his jaw clenched. ¡°I want to see her before we leave for New York.¡±


    ¡°No. ¡±


    ¡°Please, Niki, she was someone I held dear before all this happened. I just need a little bit of closure.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t; please just let me see her.¡± I begged.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we get home.¡±


    I sighed, looking out of the window as we drove past different houses and buildings. I know it wasn¡¯t going to be easy and he won¡¯t let me see her but I just wanted to, I don¡¯t know, maybe see if there was still a hint of the Zoey I knew still there.


    It was stupid of me to wish that, but that is what I needed to know.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT

    Sin and I were putting decorations and baby clothes in the recently finished baby nursery. We had shopped for baby clothes that were unisex. Sin had put everything up by himself; I helped a little. He refused to call anyone for help, saying he wanted to do it himself.


    ¡°Check this out,¡± I said, presenting him a pink baby bodysuit with the inscription ¡°daddy¡¯s little angel.¡±


    Hees behind me, pulling me toward him, nting a kiss on the side of my neck. ¡°I love it,¡± he replies, spinning me around for a real kiss.


    I giggle. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s okay to set up the nursery now when we leave for New York tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It will be easier for us; that way we don¡¯t need to rush to set up the nursery when wee back with the baby.¡±


    I nod, ¡°So how is the cribing along?¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    He smiles, covers my eyes with his hand, and leads me over there. ¡°It was hard putting them together, but I was finally able to do so,¡± he chuckles.


    I pulled his hand off my eyes, and I was weed with the sight of a beautiful crib. There are hot air balloons soaring through the clouds, and stars are creating a perfectly dreamy collection for any little boy or girl in a soft colour. I ran my hand through it, noticed a small red heart by the side of the crib, and smiled.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked nervously. ¡°Do you think this is the right way to put them, or should we just call someone to fix them? I think we should call someone to fix them.¡±


    I took his hands in mine, shaking my head. ¡°We don¡¯t need to call anyone; it looks..¡± I maintain eye contact with him when I say the next word. ¡°Perfect,¡± smoothing my thumb along his sharp jaw


    His lips stretched in a smile, shing those pearly white teeth of his. He leans down and kisses my lips.


    Right now, right here, is all that matters. It wasn¡¯t about how we came to be or what happened between us, but how we were able to ovee everything. We loved each other, and I know we will continue to love each other for a very long time.


    My tummy rumbling was what caused us to pull apart. I blushed at the sound it made while Sin grinned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get food in that tummy of yours before you start getting  cranky.¡± He jokes, smiling at me like he always does, he stares at me with those beautiful dark orbs. ¡°What do you want to eat? Are you craving anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I have no idea what I want to eat. Why don¡¯t you surprise me?¡± I say, running my hands around his hard chest.


    He takes my hand off his chest and smiles deviously. ¡°Why don¡¯t I make you something to eat since you aren¡¯t allergic to any food? How about making pasta with pomodoro and basil?. It has always been one of my favourites since I was little.¡± He whispers to me, taking my hand in his, and we both leave the nursery room.


    We made our lengthy way down to the kitchen, with him stealing nces at me. I blush every single time. We have been together for nearly a year now, and yet I can¡¯t stop the anxiousness and butterflies from swimming around in my stomach any time he stands close to me, looks at me, or even touches me.


    We walked into the kitchen and were greeted with the wonderful aroma of many different foods prepared by Sarah and the assisting maids. When they noticed our presence, they dropped what they were doing, bowing their heads slightly.


    ¡°I will be using the kitchen for a while; why don¡¯t you all take some rest or go hang out in the pool?¡± Sin says, his hand still holding mine.


    I saw the excitement on their faces when they were excused. I was sure if they weren¡¯t so scared of Sin, they would have squealed in joy. They respectfully bow their heads before making their way out as they chat happily amongst themselves.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± he said, pulling out afortable seat for me, and I eagerly obliged. He pulls an apron around himself, going over to the fridge and opens it to take out the necessary ingredients.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you out after lunch.¡± He said, closing the fridge after getting everything he needed.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I questioned, watching him chop the onion and vegetables.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of you meeting her, but if you say you need it, then I can¡¯t stop you,¡± he says, lighting up the stove.


    I knew it was about my request to see Zoey; I thought he wasn¡¯t going to let me meet her the way he had bluntly refused.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± A lovely smile graced my face. He nods as he continues to cook, pouring the diced ingredients into the pot. He takes a seat beside me, and we both wait for the food to get cooked.


    When it was finally ready, Sin served me a te first, with a ss of water by my side. It smelled so great, my mouth watered. I moaned loudly when I took my first bite. I threw my head back like it was the best thing I had ever tasted.


    His foods were always amazing, leaving me wanting more. He was more skilled, and if he decides to pursue this as a career, I am certain he was going to be famous. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t do.


    ¡°Amore, you might try toning down the moan. You don¡¯t want them thinking we are doing something nasty, not that I mind¡±. He chuckled at me and went over to the pot to serve himself a te of Pasta con Pomodoro e Basilico.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it; it¡¯s like a foodgasm.¡± I said to him, taking another bite.


    Sin takes a seat beside me,ughing. ¡°Only you, amore,¡± he says, with amusement sipping from his voice.

 HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE

    The drive to the warehouse was in silence; I was a nervous mess. So many emotions were swimming through me. I felt pain, betrayal, fear, anger, and most of all, sadness. We pulled into the warehouse, and I sucked in a breath, fiddling with my finger. Sin wrapped his hands around my sweaty ones with a look on his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this; we can go back home if you¡¯ve changed your mind.¡± I shook my head, letting him know that I was ready.


    We got out of the car and went into the warehouse. We were led down the stairs of what looked like a basement, outside a locked room. Two guards stood outside the room; they nodded at Sin, and he waved them off.


    ¡°Can I talk to her alone?¡±


    ¡°No, Mani, I don¡¯t want the two of you alone. She ¡­.¡± I kissed his lips, cutting him off. I managed to calm him down. We both caught our breath when we pulled apart.


    He sighs. ¡°I will be right here.¡± I nodded and slipped into the room.


    I pped my hand against my mouth to stop myself from screaming when i saw her. Zoey was unrecognizable with her hands chained up to the ceiling; the only thing that indicated her being alive was the shallow breath that filled the room.


    She had so many scars running from her face to her body, with dried blood sticking to her body. I slowly took a step closer to her as tears fell from my eyes. She must have sensed my presence because her head raises and she struggles to keep her focus on me.


    ¡°Why are you here? Have youe to glut?¡± She voiced it weakly, and her eyes held so much hatred for me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the reason why I¡¯m here,¡± I said, taking a breath. ¡°Why, Zoey, were you my friend?. I even consider you like a sister to me, so why do we have to meet like this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, stop the sentimental talk.¡± She muttered, her eyes burning holes in me. ¡°Quit pretending like you aren¡¯t happy to see me like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not pretending, and you know it. Even despite everything, I still care about you. Yes, I hate what you did, and I don¡¯t know if I will ever forgive you, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I care. I will always care,¡± I said softly.


    She scoffed, groaning weakly. ¡°Normani Parker, ever so noble. Always wanting to see the good in people.¡±  She took a painful breath. ¡°I will admit, I regretted it.¡±


    At her words, I felt a spark of hope lit up inside me. Maybe the old Zoey is still there-the nice, carefree, and loving Zoey.


    ¡°I do regret it,¡± she says again. ¡°Not having done something when I had the chance. I should have killed you when I noticed the way he started looking at you. I should have gotten rid of you and that bastard of a child. ¡°She spat at my face, looking at me with pure hatred.¡±


    I guess I was wrong to hope; some humans just never change. No matter how hard you try to see a glimpse of the good person you think they are, they end up failing you beyond your expectations.


    I wiped the spittle off my face with my cloth. When I looked back at her, I saw her eyebrows furrowed together. She was looking at my hand, and more specifically, the ring on my finger. Her face turned red; I don¡¯t know if it was from the blood on her skin or anger, but I¡¯m guessing thetter with the next words that came out of her mouth.


    ¡°You fucking filthy whore, that should have been me. That should have been mine,¡± she screamed, repeating the words over and over again.


    Her eyes bore into mine as she kept on repeating those same words. She looked deranged; her body swigged in the air, and blood gushed down her hands. A sob escaped my lips; I couldn¡¯t bear to watch her anymore. It was obvious she wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind.


    I walked close to the door, opening it. I gave Zoey onest look to see her still screaming at herself, constantly saying, ¡°It¡¯s mine; I won¡¯t let you take it from me.¡± I got out of the basement and ran into Sin¡¯s opened hands, crying my eyes out. His hand softly patted my back as he whispered sweet words to me. I wrapped my hand around his embrace, relishing the way his strong arms held me.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He pulled away, using both thumbs to wipe away the tears from my eyes. Embracing me one more time. ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t well, Niki; she keeps chanting to herself,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I figured that out. Come on, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± He put his arm around my waist, and we gently made our way out of the warehouse to the car.


    I got in, strapping myself in my seatbelt. Sin starts the car, driving out while my gaze was out the window, my mind drifting back to what had happened a few moments ago till I felt Sin hand  on mine, cing it on myp.


    ¡°What is going to happen to her?¡± I asked with my gaze still at the window.


    ¡°You know very well what is going to happen.¡±


    I shifted my gaze to him. ¡°Is that the only solution?¡±


    We stayed in silence for a while; none of us said anything. I looked out the window; my other hand was ced on my tummy.


    We got to the mansion in no time, and we both got out and entered the house. Sin helped me up the stairs to our bedroom,ying me on the bed.


    He pulled the duvet up my body, kissing my forehead. ¡°Get some rest.¡± He made his way to the door.


    ¡°Niki,¡± I called out to him before he could leave. He turned to look at me, letting out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill her, but I won¡¯t make life easy for her either.¡± He said that and left the room.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY

    I was woken up by the sound of the shower running. I yawned, stretching my body a little. I heard the water, and my attention shifted to the bathroom door which opened, with Sin walking out all but naked, like the day he was born.


    I must admit he had the perfect butt. I continued to look at him moving around the room, admiring the wonderful view presented to me.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I said, watching him walk into the closet. He came outter with his briefs on and walked to me to kiss my lips, morning breath and all.


    ¡°Good morning, princess.¡± He sits down on the bed beside me, with his tanned body right in front of me. ¡°How was your night? You kept tossingst night.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult, sleeping on my back, and my legs ache.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a foot massage?¡± He offered, but I shook my head, turning his offer down.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use the massage chair; I¡¯m sure you have other things to do before we leave.¡±


    He kissed me on my lips, and I instantly kissed him back. He pulled away and shifted to the edge of the bed. He took my legs, cing them on hisps.


    ¡°You are more important.¡± He starts massaging my legs, and I sigh in contentment.


    I rested my back on the headboard, enjoying whatever magic he was performing right now. Itsted for thirty minutes, and I took my legs off hisp when I felt the soreness ease from my legs.


    ¡°I need to freshen up and also check on my things to make sure I didn¡¯t forget anything. Why don¡¯t you get dressed?¡±


    He stood from the bed, pecking my lips, then made his way back to the closet. When he came out this time, he was fully clothed, dressed in a suit and tie.


    ¡°What do you n on doing till we leave for the airport?¡± Sin asked me lovingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; to be honest, I feel sozy right now.¡± I shrug. ¡°I guess I will try to get some sleep before our flight.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I will see youter.¡± He pecked my lips once more before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.


    I took out my phone to check the time and saw it was 8 a. m., so I decided to go through my Instagram, checking on the new feeds. I saw that Stephanie had posted some pictures and pressed the ¡°like¡± button. We had chatted recently; she had asked me for a video call, and of course I turned her down.


    I still haven¡¯t told her about the baby, and I don¡¯t know what her reaction might be. Let¡¯s not forget about the fact that I was engaged. I knew she would be hurt. We don¡¯t keep secrets from each other. Anytime something good or bad happened, she was the first person I would always run to, but now it was different.From N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked down at her pictures on the phone and sighed. She will be graduating soon, probably a few months after the baby is born. I won¡¯t deny the fact that I missed her so much. I thought of Uncle Carson; I did keep him updated on everything here, except the kidnapping and the fact that I was pregnant.


    I turned off my phone, putting it on the table beside the bed. I ced my hand on my tummy, trying to find the perfect position to rest my body. After tossing and turning for some time, my eyes slowly drifted closed, falling back to sleep. I don¡¯t know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes, I could tell it was already noon. I got off the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up.


    Once I was done, I quickly dressed up, putting on light makeup. I checked my stuff to make sure I didn¡¯t forget anything, and after making sure I had everything I needed, I made my way downstairs.


    ¡°Amore,¡± I hear a very deep, familiar voice, stopping me in my tracks as a smile makes its way up to my face. I turned around to see Sin standing at the entrance of the house.


    ¡°You look beautiful.¡± Heplimented me,ing to stand in front of me.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I heard the sound of footsteps and saw the maids walk down with our packed bags. I didn¡¯t really pack much; I took a few of my clothes and some baby clothes.


    It was just Sin and I traveling back; Luca was already in New York, and Samantha was staying in Italy, but she said she would be in New York before the baby is born. I knew she wanted to spend some time with Alexander; their rtionship was really progressing well.


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± I smiled at him, and we both made our way outside the house to where the car was parked.


    I hurriedly brought out my phone to text Samantha to let her know that we were leaving; we had already said our goodbyes yesterday, and she couldn¡¯t be around since she spent the night at Alexander¡¯s.


    She instantly texts back, telling me to let her know when I get home. Sin and I get into the car, and Mateo drives off, taking us to the airport. Mateo wasing with us back home; he was my personal bodyguard and friend.


    When we got to the airport, Mateo got out first to open the door for me, and I stepped out of the car, and there, standing with pride right in front of me, was Sin¡¯s private jet. This one was different from the one we were used to in Italy.


    How many jets does he have?


    Sin got out of the car and stood beside me, his hand wrapped around my waist. Mateo handed our bags to the worker while we made our way inside the ne.


    Once we got inside, I shivered at the coldness of the air conditioner, wrapping my arms securely around my body. I looked around, taking in the view from the ne, and I was amazed. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised because any property Sin or his family owns tends to leave one speechless.


    This jet was different from thest one; almost everything was ck, from the seats to the wall; they all looked luxurious.


    ¡°How many private nes do you have?¡± I asked him, baffled.


    Heughed, taking in my expression. ¡°I¡¯ve got five, amore.¡± He said as we walked fully inside the ne.


    ¡°You can sit wherever you findfortable. You were asleep throughout the morning, so I doubt you had anything to eat. Order what you want, and they will make it for you.¡±


    I nodded at him and found a ce to sit, with Sin besides me. A feminine figure stepped into the ne in a nurse¡¯s uniform. We nodded at each other, and she took a seat two or three seats behind us.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long flight; there is a bedroom right at this corner if you want to rest.¡± Sin says, pointing in the direction of where the bedroom was.


    ¡°okay.¡±


    Since I was hungry, I pressed the bell, alerting the flight attendant. I was craving a chicken sandwich right now, so I ordered two with a ss of juice.


    When I was done eating, I took out my phone to continue the story I was reading. As I was reading the story, I turned to see what Sin was doing and saw him typing on hisptop. He looked calm and distracted, probably going through his emails. His brow furrowed, and he bit his lips while typing frantically on hisptop.


    He must have noticed my gaze on him because his eyes shifted from theptop to look at me as I diverted my eyes to look down at my phone and looked at Sin, who was staring at me.


    ¡°You stink at pretending.¡± He says amused.


    I scoffed. ¡°I am not pretending; I was actually reading,¡± I mentioned to the phone in my hand.


    ¡°I never said you weren¡¯t, bambina,¡± he chuckled, raising his brows. A blush stained my cheeks and


    I bit down on my lips.


    I was going to respond to him, but I stilled, feeling something hit my stomach in a hard kick. I groaned, clenching my stomach, and my lips parted in a gasp.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is it the baby?¡± Sin asked, concerned. The female nurse was by my side in an instance, both looking at me worried. The nurse¡¯s mouth kept moving, but I had no idea what she was saying.


    I looked down at my tummy with tears falling from my eyes. The worry in Sin¡¯s face intensified, but the nurse had a smile on her face and a clear idea of what was going on. She stood up from where she had knelt beside me, going back to her seat, giving Sin and me some privacy. Sin looked at her retreating back, confused, before focusing on me.


    ¡°Come on, amore, say something.¡± His shaky voice asked while he looked at my tear-stained face. I took his hand and ced it on my stomach. He had a look of confusion in his face that turned into awe when the baby kicked again.


    I saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes when the baby continued to kick. Augh escaped his lips, making meugh as well.


    ¡°Seems like my little princess would be good at football; she really knows how to kick.¡± He jokes.


    ¡°She could be a he.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a girl; I told you already. I feel it deep down that it¡¯s a girl,¡± he counters with a smile on his handsome face.


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy the baby is okay and healthy.¡± I groan out, my hands still on my tummy with Sin ced on it. ¡°She sure does know how to throw a kick. ¡°I said it subconsciously, not realizing what I was saying.


    ¡°I see you agree with me.¡± Sin teased me, and Iughed.


    ¡°If you are so sure, who am I to doubt?. Besides, we will find out when the baby is born.¡± I yawn, my eyes slowly dropping.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get you to bed.¡± We both stood up together, and Sin had his arms around me, directing me to the bedroom.


    When we got there, I didn¡¯t have time to admire the beauty of the room as I was trying to fight off the sleep in my eyes. I knew immediately when my body touched the bed that the battle was lost. I heard the footsteps of Sin trying to leave and held on to his shirt.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Stay. ¡°I mumbled out. The bed slowly deepened with his arms around my waist, and I dly weed the sleep.


    I wasn¡¯t certain for how long I was asleep for, till I felt a hand on my shoulder with a soft whisper calling out to me.


    ¡°Amore, Amore. Wake up,¡± I heard Sin say, and I opened my eyes to find him hovering around me.


    ¡°What. ¡°My voice sounded croaked.


    ¡°We are here.¡± He whispered. ¡°Our bags are already in the car. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    I got off the bed, fixing my appearance a little, and my hair matted into two while Sin waited for me patiently to be done.


    After I fixed myself, we both got out of the room, hand in hand, and got out of the ne to where the car was parked. Mateo was at the front of the car, driving us to the mansion. It took us up to an hour, but we got there safely without any hups.


    We reached the gate of the mansion, and I noticed the number of securities had been heightened. They did a little check-up to make sure it was actually Sin and I before the gate was opened. It took us three minutes to see the mansion; it was just like I remembered it to be, but a little different at the same time.


    There were more lights shining through the darkness of the night, enhancing the beauty of the mansion even more.


    ¡°Wee home, amore,¡± I heard Sin say as he looked down on me, and i couldn¡¯t contain my excitement.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO

    I had woken up to an empty bed and a refreshed body. I looked at the clock beside me and was surprised to see that it was 5 p. m. in the evening.


    Wow, I must be really tired.


    It was the firstfortable sleep I had had in weeks, and this time around, I was able to get my much-needed rest.


    It¡¯s been two days since we came to New York. Sin had told me yesterday that he was inviting a guest over today for dinner and that I should dressfortably. What does that even mean?


    Comfortable as in casual orfortable in formal but simple wear. I was confused.


    I got up from the bed and quickly showered, putting on a white dress, pairing it with silver ballet feet. I don¡¯t think I can handle working in heels now. I decided to use a little eyeliner and mascara with my pink lip gloss. Since my hair was already short and reaching my shoulders, I chose to leave it down instead of putting it up in a ponytail.


    I just hope it wasn¡¯t anything fancy.


    I took out my phone to take a quick picture of myself and sent it to the group chat, which consisted of Athena, Samantha, and me. I scroll past the pictures, moving on to the ones with Sin and me. A smile graced my face at how beautiful we looked. We had made so many memories in just a year. I stopped at the picture of Sin, and I, both of usying in bed, with my headying on Sin¡¯s bare chest. I could remember every event that took ce like it was yesterday.


    I looked in the mirror to assess my appearance, and my eyes shifted to my bare ears. I can¡¯t believe I forgot to put on earrings. I took out a silver earring and clipped the first one to my right ear. I was about to do the same to the other ear when the door opened and Sin walked in. I wore my earring, picking up my purse before spinning to face him.


    ¡°Amore, you look breathtaking.¡± He says it with a charming smile.


    ¡°Well, I tried to look asfortable as I can and at the same time pleasant since you didn¡¯t tell us who the guests we were expecting were.¡± I said, admiring his ck Amarni suit.


    His dark hair was styled backward, making his jawline more sharp than ever. His stubble gives him a rugged but handsome look.


    ¡°You still look beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°You always look beautiful no matter what you wear.¡± Hispliments cause me to blush. He ced a small peck on my cheeks, his arm resting behind my back.


    ¡°The guests are already here. Come, let¡¯s go. ¡± He opened the door, and we both got downstairs and walked to the living room. I halt in my steps, causing him to stop as well.


    My eyes were opened wide in shock as I heard the familiar voices of my family. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± I said, not believing my eyes.


    ¡°Yes, amore, I invited your family over. I think it¡¯s time they know about the both of us.¡± I smiled at his words, throwing myself into his arms.


    When we pulled away, nervousness filled me up, and I took a step back due to anxiety. Sin looked at him, putting both his hands on my cheeks.


    ¡°There is nothing to worry about; they miss you and will be happy to see you.¡± He assures me


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Niki. I have kept a lot of secrets from them.¡± He leans down to kiss my forehead.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because they care about you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡± He kissed my temple.


    ¡°I know so, baby girl, and beside you, you have me by your side every step of the way.¡± I nodded, holding hands, and we walked into the living room.


    My eyes first locked on Amelia. She looked just like she did when Ist saw her. Her wavy, dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her beautiful features shone even more.


    My gaze shifted to my aunt, Sera; her hair had grown longer than before, almost reaching her hips, and her skin was looking great and nice. It showed that things were really going well for her. I guess the job she works in pays very well. I settled on Stephanie; she still looked the same but better. She was dressed in expensive-looking clothes, her hair was short and dyed ck, and finally, Uncle Carson appeared. I looked at them all and also saw that they were assessing me as well, their eyes more focused on my stomach in shock. Stephanie was the one that seemed toe out of it first.


    ¡°Mani,¡± she yells, walking towards me, her eyes opened wide in a hug. We hugged for some time before moving on to hug the rest of the family. The happiness in their faces was visible, which helped me rx, knowing they weren¡¯t mad at me.


    ¡°Congrattions, sweetie!¡±


    Congrattions, Mani!


    ¡°Congrattions. ¡±


    They both wished me at the exact same time. I know they were referring to the baby; I could see the question in Stephanie and her aunt Sera¡¯s eyes, but neither of them said anything.


    ¡°What¡¯s the gender?¡± Amelia asked, with joy in her eyes.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. I want it to be a surprise, but Niki thinks it¡¯s a girl.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a girl,¡± he defends, and we allughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr..¡± Carson asked, his hand stretching out. I know it was an act; he didn¡¯t want anyone to suspect that he knew Sin.


    ¡°Violenta, but I would prefer it if you called me Niki. ¡± Sin says, going along with his act. But hisst words left not just me but Uncle Carson stunned. He had just asked him to call him Niki instead of Sin.


    Uncle Carson was quick to recover from his shock state and smile, while Sin winked at me as he shook hands with my aunt, Amelia and Stephanie. After greetings and pleasantries, we were directed to the dining room for our dinner. Sin pulled a seat out for me before taking a seat beside me at the head of the table, and the rest of the family followed suit, smiling at Sin¡¯s affection.


    We all started eating, enjoying the wonderful meal prepared. I picked up the ss of juice in front of me when I heard a loud gasp from beside me and saw Stephanie staring at my ring finger.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± She asked, staring at the ring.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    A loud squeal escaped her lips, and she pped in excitement. My aunt and Stephanie¡¯s parents looked at Sin and I with a smile on their faces.


    ¡°Congrattions.¡± They all said it again, and we thanked them.


    Stephanie and I chatter among ourselves. We had dinner and a cake for dessert, sharing it among ourselves.


    When we were done with dinner, Stephanie locked hands with me, and we both walked out of the dining room, leaving Sin and the rest of the family.


    ¡°I am happy for you, Mani, but what the hell?¡± She whispered a yell. ¡°Since when did we start keeping secrets?¡± i sighed, closing my eyes.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on keeping it a secret. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you or what your reaction might be,¡± I exined to her calmly. She gave me a defeated look, and I knew she couldn¡¯t stay mad at me forever.


    ¡°With that aside, I need your help with the wedding. Samantha and Niki¡¯s family are taking care of things, but I still need you for the preparation and, most of all, to be my bridesmaid. That is, if you want to.¡± With glossy eyes, I looked straight at her, silently begging her to agree.


    ¡°Of course I will, but you need to tell me everything that has happened these past few months,¡± she says, hugging me a little bit tightly, and I chuckled.


    ¡°What would you like to know?¡±


    ¡± Everything. For starters, why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me your fianc¨¦ was a freaking greek god?¡± She squeaked, and Iughed. ¡°I know for sure I was drooling my ass out when he opened the door.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on my face as I watched her recall her encounter with Sin. She lowered her eyes. ¡°On the scale of 1 to 10, how good is he in bed?¡±


    ¡°Steph.. ¡± I gasped with a blush.


    ¡°What..¡± she looked at me like she just asked what the weather was. ¡± Don¡¯t hold out on me now, spill,¡± I smiled, biting my lips.


    A grin pulled at her lips. ¡°Judging from the smile on your face, he must be really good. Fuck Mani, you¡¯re so lucky. I thought you were going to be a virgin forever. That guy must have done some magic on you.¡±


    I held my hand out to my mouth to shush her. ¡°Steph, do you mind keeping your voice down?¡± We don¡¯t want them hearing from the dining room.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. ¡± She raised her hands in surrender, then whispered. ¡°How big is his dick?¡±


    ¡°Stephanie.. God! Do you ever have any filters?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m joking. There¡¯s no need to get so worked up.¡± She winks. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go back to the dining room and save your poor fianc¨¦ from being tortured by my parents and your aunt.¡±


    We walked back into the dining room, and I was surprised by the sight I saw. They were all casually talking to each other, like this wasn¡¯t their first time meeting. Sin had a smile on his face like the rest of the family. We spent up to three hours together as a family. I wish the rest of the family back in Italy were here.


    ¡°We will be leaving,¡± my aunt Sera stated.


    ¡°Wait, what. Stay some more.¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, Mani; Niki offered for us to stay, but we don¡¯t want to impose; besides, he already booked us a penthouse suite in a very luxury hotel,¡± Carson responded.


    I nodded my head in understanding and was touched by the care Sin was showing my family. ¡°Okay, I will call you soon.¡±


    ¡°You look happy, pumpkin, and it brings joy to me,¡± my aunt said again.


    ¡°I am happy; I never thought I would be, but I am,¡± I told her, a smile ced on my lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice to know; we have to go now. Bye¡±. I hugged them onest time as they left.


    After they left, I went back to the room to freshen up, changing into nice, clean pyjamas. I waited for Sin toe into the room.From N?velDrama.Org.


    The minute he entered, I walked up to him.¡±Niki, I really appreciate what you did today.¡± I said it in an overly sweet voice. ¡°I don..¡±.


    I was stopped mid-sentence by Sin¡¯s lips on mine. As soon as I felt his lips on mine in the softest possible way, my eyes voluntarily closed. A tingly sensation grew across my body. I parted my lips and kissed him back. This kiss wasn¡¯t intense; it was gentle and passionate. It was like pouring our feelings into one single kiss.


    My hands found their way to his dark hair, softly twirling around a stain of his hair around my finger. Our lips move in sync with each other, almost like they were fighting for dominance.


    My finger gripped the material of his shirt, knowing that I would turn into a pile of mush. if I didn¡¯t. Desperate for air, we both pulled away from each other but didn¡¯t let go of each other.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me; I know how much you missed them. There was no way we would marry without their blessings.¡±


    I tiptoed, bringing his lips back to mine. I moaned into the kiss, enjoying the feel of his lips.


    When we pulled back, I pecked him onest time. We bothy under the duvet; Niki pulled me close to him, and I snuggled into him. My head rested on his chest with his hand on my hair. My eyes closed as I weed the darkness with a smile on my face.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE

    I was already six months and a week pregnant. I feel so bloated, and not in a cute way. My hormones are really working on me now; I get mad and sad for no reason, making everyone work on eggshells around me. I can¡¯t help it, though.


    It¡¯s been a month since the surprise family dinner and still has been really between my family and I. We keep in touch more often; Stephanie and I chat and hang out together more often than we did in the past. I had added her to the group chat, introducing her to the girls. Let¡¯s just say they hit it off pretty fast; they were like the best of friends, and that made me really happy.


    While Sin on the other hand seemed to be always business, that man just doesn¡¯t take a time off. He hasn¡¯t been giving me much attention or even being around me for a long period of time in a month, which was very frustrating. I know that he has lots of work to do; he told me he had a lot of work to do before the wedding. He is mostly tired, but I wish he would spend time with me also.


    Most of all, he hasn¡¯t even touched me, which is much more frustrating. Hees home every night when I¡¯m asleep and leaves before I wake up. Sometimes I see him for a few hours, but no matter how many times I have tried to see him, he always denies me, and now it is starting to piss me off.


    I¡¯m currently in the library, sitting on the couch as I angrily flip over the pages of the book, even though they did no wrong. I huffed, rubbing my face with a hand, and I flipped the pages of the book again, having no clue what was going on in it. I couldn¡¯t concentrate, no matter how hard I tried. I have been touch-deprived, and that has been driving me crazy.


    I heard the library door open but made no attempt to see who had entered. I mmed the book down, and my head fell back to the couch.


    ¡°I wonder what got you this pissed,¡± Sin¡¯s voice said; he sounded to be in a flirty mood. I quickly turned around, not being able to help the expression on my face.


    He chuckles. I tilt my head to the side, cocking an eyebrow up. He still had that cheesy smile on his face, and I felt my blood start to boil. ¡± You.¡± I hissed at him.


    ¡°Me?¡± he asked, confused. I rolled my eyes at this, huffing. ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°My hormones are high; I am horny every time. I want you, I want you to touch me. but no, every time I try to make a move, you always turn me down. i want your big, massive dick in me,¡± I snapped.


    He gave me a lustrous look, making my knees feel weak. It¡¯s a good thing I was sitting down. His dark orbs were burning into me. He bits his I. P. S. before slowly releasing it, and something starts to throb inside me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you missed me that much, amore.¡± I red at him, but he didn¡¯t seem fazed at all and kept walking closer until he got to the couch. He leans in to whisper in my ear. ¡°Vuoi il mio cazzo enorme in que tua figa stretta e bagnata.¡±


    My breath stilled when he brushed his hand on my neck, moving my hair to the side to get more ess to my neck. I felt the wetness of his tongue like a soft stripe against my soft skin. He moved back, lifted my face up, and kissed me.


    As our lips locked together, the need for me increased. Heys me down on the couch, lifting my dress higher.


    His breath hitched. ¡°No panties.¡± He says it huskily. I shrugged, taking off his shirt.


    ¡°Mi fia perdere il controllo, amore!¡± He growls, removing the dress from my body, and I was bare in front of him since I had no bra on as well.


    ¡°You are such a tease, little temptress.¡± His eyes darkened when he saw my now bigger breast and he immediately dove in.


    He kept sucking and nibbling. I moaned, holding his hair, begging for more. His lips moved from my breast, trailing kisses down my body, from my big tummy till he got to my pussy. He gets down on his knees, and my legs spread apart for him.


    His lips meet my clit as he suckles and fingers me; his teeth grab a hold of my bud, swirling it, and his tongue dives right inside me. I was a moaning mess, and my legs were shaking. It didn¡¯t take long before a wave of orgasm rushed through me, and he t-scoped everyst drop.


    He stood up, taking his pants off. ¡°I want you to sit on the table with your legs spread out for me,¡± hemends, and I dly oblige. I got off the couch to sit on the library table, my legs spread out, ready for him.


    I gaped when he took off his boxers, getting wetter just by looking at him. His hand cupped my pussy, making meugh with my head on his chest. He ced his dick around my entrance. I spread my legs wider, waiting for him, but he didn¡¯t push it in.


    He kept on teasing me, moving it around my clit, and I groaned. letting out a soft sigh. ¡°Enough forey, Niki. ¡°Will you just fuck me already, quit teasing me, and just¡­¡± I was cut off by him mming into me and pushing deep into me.


    ¡°Shit..¡± I moaned, my legs wrapped around his waist, enjoying the feel of him inside me. The irritation on my face waspletely wiped off and reced by pleasure.


    ¡°You miss this, don¡¯t you? You miss me pounding into you.¡± His voice was raspy. I could feel him rubbing against the walls of my vagina.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I do.¡± I moan. ¡°You fuck me so good.¡± My moans and words seemed to turn him more as he thrust into me faster. He smacked my ass and I yelped, biting down on my lips. I looked at him with so much pleasure and desire for him to see.


    He kept on mming into me, showing me mercy. I screamed, begging him for more, and heplied. I clenched onto him, and he grunted. I could feel the orgasm building up in me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over, amore; we are going to continue this in the bedroom.  I want you to spread out on the bed and wait for me after dinner. Do you think you can do that for me, baby girl?¡± I eagerly nod.


    ¡°Oh fuck,¡± my walls tightened, and I let myself go. Sin kept on thrusting into me; I moved my hips, meeting every move.


    ¡°Sperma in questa figa stretta, ¨¨ tutto tuo.¡± I purredFrom N?velDrama.Org.


    His eyes widened at my word, bringing him to the edge. I feel him spill his seed inside me, filling me up. I moaned in contentment.


    Our breaths were hard and our bodies sweaty. Sin chuckled, pulling out of me. ¡°I love you.¡±


    I smiled at him. ¡°I love you¡±.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR

    ¡°Niki, let go of me.¡± I whined as he wrapped his hand around me, refusing to let me go. It was the next morning, and as much as I loved cuddling with him, I needed to use the bathroom.


    I wasying on my back while I cuddled closer to Sin. My head was on his hand while the other hand was on my tummy. I tried to move, thinking he wouldn¡¯t notice, but he tightened his hold on me, so I stopped trying.


    ¡°Come on, I need to pee. Get off me, you oaf.¡± I said to him, attempting to move his hand away.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t saying that yesterday when you begged me to thrust into you while you moaned.¡± I blushed at his words. ¡°Besides, you feel so warm right now.¡± He says it again, nuzzling his face in the crook of my neck. The feeling of his stubble on my skin sent tingles down my spine.


    I hold still for a minute, wanting to let him rest a little more. It was up to five minutes before I felt like I couldn¡¯t handle it anymore.


    ¡°Niki Alvize Violenta, you better let go of me this instant, before I end up peeing on the bed.¡± I growled. He removed his hands, and his eyes snapped open, watching me with amusement as I sprinted out of the bed butt naked, racing to the bathroom.


    I felt a calmness in me when I relieved myself. I decided to shower since I was already in the bathroom. I got into the shower, leathering my body with my vani-scented soap. I shampooed my hair. When I got out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my body.


    Looking in the mirror, I found a bright smile stered on my face. It was obvious what the reason for my smile was. Sin had kept his promise after our exercise yesterday. After dinner, she showered andid on the bed, legs spread out, waiting for him.


    When he got into the room, he had a cocky smirk dancing on his face. Let¡¯s just say we had little sleep. We kept going on and on like two starving animals. I guess making up for not touching for a month was the best.


    I dried my body, wrapping a towel around my head before walking out of the room. It was empty; I guess he was in his study downstairs. I made my way to the closet, looking for something warm andfortable to wear. I picked a very long, light dress, mating my hair into two. I was toozy to apply more than a moisturizer and balm.


    I looked at myself in the mirror onest time. I walked out of the closet, put on my fluffy slippers, and left the room. I made my way downstairs to see the new maids that were assigned to the house working and tidying it up.


    ¡°Do you want me to make you breakfast, miss?¡± A young maid asked, bowing slightly at me.


    I shake my head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to; I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I think I¡¯m going to cook.¡± I watched her eyes widen, and she nervously fiddled with her fingers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Mr. Violenta would like that.¡± She says it nervously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± I waved her words off, waking up the cab. I was in the mood for some noodles. I took out two packs of noodles for Sin and me.


    Humming to myself, I turned on the stove and started preparing my noodles just the way I saw Sarah do it back in Italy. I waited for a few minutes for it to cook as I continued to hum to myself.


    I heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the kitchen, and I turned to see Mateo walk in. He looked at my puzzle, then to the stove, and back at me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I could see the horror in his face.


    I rolled my eyes at this, pointing to the pot on the fire. ¡°Cooking,¡± I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. The question is why.¡± He says horrified. ¡°I thought Sin banned you from making anything in the kitchen.¡± I pout at his words. ¡°Mani, you are a horrible cook; why don¡¯t you let the maid do it for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a noddle, and I have seen Sarah cook it so many times. How hard can it be?¡± I questioned, cocking my brows up.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what you said thest time you baked a cookie dough.¡± He stated, Petrified.


    Ungrateful bastard.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop going to the toilet for almost two days,¡± I scoffed, folding my hands together across my chest.


    ¡°It was a mistake; I mixed the ingredients up, and besides, that was ages ago.¡±


    ¡°It was two weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so. I¡¯m not evening cooking for you. It¡¯s for Sin and I,¡± I countered, dishing the food on two separate tes.


    ¡°May his soul rest in peace, i need to warn him,¡± Mateo says, rushing off to Sin¡¯s office.


    I looked at his retreating back as he raced towards Sin¡¯s office, and I rolled my eyes. I ced the tes of noodles on a tray along with a cup of coffee and juice. I bnced the tray in both hands and then made my way to Sin¡¯s office. I put the tray on one hand while I use my other to open the door.


    When I got into the office, I was really focused on a radical Mateo, as he mumbled on and on about me being in the kitchen and cooking. Sin¡¯s eyes shifted to mine, then to the tray in my hand, and his eyes widened. I watched as his throat bubbled up and down.


    ¡°Amore, Mateo was telling me you made breakfast for me.¡± He spoke very slowly, like he was talking to a child. His eyes looked at me, begging me to say no.


    I walked to his desk, cing the tray on it. I gave my best innocent smile. ¡°I was in a good mood, and I wanted a te of noodles, so I decided to make it the way Sarah does.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I made it for you too.¡±


    He gulped. ¡°I wish I was hungry, but I can¡¯t. I appreciate the thought, though.¡± He says,  He smiled at me, looking at the food,  then back at me, petrified.


    ¡°But it took a lot of time for me to make it for you.¡± I pout, my eyes blurry.


    Panic rose in his eyes when he saw I was about to cry while Mateo scoffed beside me, not buying whatever drama I was up to. Sin stood up from his seat and made his way to me. He wrapped his hands around me in a hug, trying to calm me down.


    ¡°Sin man, you can¡¯t possibly fall for that. She is obviously faking it,¡± Mateo said. I got out of Sin¡¯s embrace, looking at Mateo. I discreetly stuck my tongue out to him before facing him again.


    ¡°Niki, Mateo is being mean to me.¡± I cried out. Mateo¡¯s face turned sour, and he red at me, watching as Sin softly patted my back, cing soft kisses on my cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, Amore; why don¡¯t Mateo  have my food as a peace offering?¡± Mateo looked like he was about to faint at Sin¡¯s betrayal, and he started speaking very fast in Italian.


    ¡°Non puoi assolutamente fare questo; sai quanto ¨¨ pessimo il suo cibo. far tutto quello che vuoi. Solo non farmi passare attraverso quest¡¯uomo. ¡°Sono uno dei tuoi uomini migliori e fidati e sono venuti anche per salvarti.¡± Mateo kept on rambling; his eyes looked like he was about to cry any moment now.


    Wow, I have never seen someone cry over my food before.


    I feel so touched.


    Sin gave him an apologetic look, pushing the food to him, while Mateo, on the other hand, kept on shaking his head even though he couldn¡¯t turn down Sin.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I eat this outside?¡± He suggested, hurriedly carrying the te, but I shook my head, telling him no.


    Sin walked back to his seat, and I followed, sitting on hisp and pushing the te of noodles towards him, while mine remained in front of me. We both watched as Mateo groggily picked up the te and took a seat opposite us. I gave him a cheeky smile and twirled the noodles around my fork before taking a bite.


    Okay, I admit.


    It tastes horrible.


    I forced myself to eat it and watched as Mateo forced himself, scuffing it down as fast as he could. Sin and I watched him, not saying anything; his face was red, struggling to swallow every bit of it.


    When he finished eating it, there was a victorious smile on his face, and he looked at us with a wide grin. His eyes then cast down to the te of noodles in front of me, and his brow furrowed.


    I felt Sin¡¯s breath fan the back of my ear. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?. You only had one bite.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat noodles again; I saw the maid prepare pasta earlier. I think I would have that.¡± Mateo¡¯s mouth was open wide with a baffled look across his face.


    ¡°It was nice to see Mateo enjoy the food,  you can have mine if you want more.¡± I batted my eyes innocently at him, causing him to stand in a hurry, moving backwards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he is hungry, love,scia stare il povero..¡± Sin scolded yfully.


    I smiled sweetly at Mateo, and standing up from Sin¡¯sp, I took the tes, cing them back on the tray, before picking  it up, and began making  my way out of the office. When I got to where Mateo was, and I stopped.


    ¡°I  admit, I suck at cooking.¡± I tapped his shoulder lightly and smirked as I left the room, making  my way back to the kitchen.


    I did the dishes, since it was my mess and I had to clean it up myself. I didn¡¯t want to trouble the maids; they were stubborn at first and wouldn¡¯t let me tidy up after myself, but after I ordered them not to, they had no choice but to step down.


    After I tidied up the kitchen, I had my breakfast before making my way upstairs to get ready. Samantha was already in New York. She camest week with Alexander, but Serena and Athena were still in Italy. They had to settle some things beforeing.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE

    Since Samantha was here, I thought it would be a great idea for she and Stephanie to officially meet. So I had asked them if they wanted to hang out today, and they both agreed. Samantha wasing over to the house while we were picking Stephanie from her apartment.


    I walked into the closet to look for something nice to wear, humming my favourite Whitney Houston song. It¡¯s been stuck in my head all day. I changed into a blue dress, picked up my brush from the table, and started singing and dancing to the song in my head.


    Oh, I want to dance with somebody.


    I wanna feel the heat with somebody.


    Yeah, I want to dance with somebody.


    With somebody who loves me


    Oh, I want to dance with somebody.


    I want to feel the heat.


    Yeah, I want to dance with somebody.


    With somebody who loves me


    Somebody who, somebody who


    Somebody who loves me


    Somebody who, somebody who


    To hold me in his arms, oh


    I felt two strong muscles slowly wrap around me. I jumped and screamed a little, looking over my shoulder to see Sin standing behind me. I sighed in relief then turned towards him.


    ¡°You scared me,¡± I whispered. ¡°You should not sneak up on a pregnant woman like that.¡±


    Heughed and then pecked my lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you,¡± he says, nuzzling his head on my neck. I rested my head on his chest, while my hands were securely ced on my tummy.


    My phone buzzed, and I let go of Sin¡¯s hand, picking it up from the table. I unlocked it, clicking in through the message to see that Samantha had texted me to let me know she was close by. I replied to her before putting my phone back on the table, before trying to move away from Sin, but he won¡¯t let me.


    He starts cing wet kisses on my neck. I was sure it was going to leave a hickey.


    ¡°Niki, Samantha will soon get here. I need to finish getting ready.¡± I moaned, my eyes shut.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we have a little bit of time,¡± he says huskily, spinning me around gently, then cing me on the desk. He lifted my dress up and took out my pants.


    My phone buzzed again, and I didn¡¯t need to check it to know it was Samantha. I guess she was already here. I made an attempt to pick it up, but Sin took it from my hand. He opened a drawer, putting it in.


    ¡°Leave it.¡± I looked at him hesitantly. My lips parted, but before I could say anything, Sin¡¯s lips met mine. silenced whatever word I wanted to say. I moaned into the kiss and groaned when he ended it.


    Sin wasted no time in taking off his pants, and without saying anything, he thrust himself into me with full force. His lips attacked my neck again with his wet kisses while his hips pushed against me faster. I wrapped my finger around his neck, pulling him closer to me.


    ¡°You feel good, Bambina.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡± I moaned, begging him when he pulled away from me. I kept hearing the phone buzz in the drawer, but right now my hormones were high, and what mattered right now was getting my release.


    Sin ced my legs around his waist and started mming into me harder and harder, going deeper into me. I put my hands on my lips to control my moans as we both found our release. But he didn¡¯t pull out of me; he continued thrusting in, and his ball smacked my ass.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He thrust a few more times before spilling into me. He smiled at me, kissing my lips, down to my neck, then back to my lips again.


    We continued kissing each other; our tongues danced, exploring each other. After a few minutes, we pulled back.


    ¡°You always seem to amaze me.¡± Sin says, smiling down at me. His lips locked on mine again, but the sound of my phone still buzzing interrupted us.


    Shit! Samantha.


    I pushed Sin away from me, because I knew that with him near, I couldn¡¯t think straight. I took the phone out to see that Samantha had left me up to ten messages, asking where I was.


    ¡°You always managed to distract me.¡± I whined, staring at Sin, who had his pants back. He raised his hand in a joking surrender before pecking my lips and leaving me to get ready all over again. I quickly texted Samantha to let her know I would be down in a bit and asked for thirty minutes.


    I rushed to the bathroom to shower again, then walked back to the closet for a set of new clothes. This time I settled for a yellow jumpsuit, redoing my hair and makeup as fast as I could. When I was done, I put on white sneakers and silver earrings.


    After checking myself one more time in the mirror, I picked up my phone and bag from the desk and made my way downstairs to where Samantha stood waiting for me with a cocky smirk, like she had an idea of what kept mete.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked innocently.


    She smirked as she came close to me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you left me here for up to thirty minutes to get a quickie from Sin, Mani.¡± She ced both her hands on her hips, looking at me like she was interrogating me.


    I let out a guiltyugh. ¡°You can¡¯t really me me here; Niki can be so distracting. Have you seen the way he is? Good genes run in their family. If you were in my ce and Alexander was in front of you, would you have been able to resist?¡± I rambled out.


    ¡°I understand what you mean. They really do have great genes,¡± she nods in agreement. ¡°But don¡¯t think you are off the hook.¡± She says it sternly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Stephanie has been blowing up the group chat wondering where we are.¡±


    We got outside of the house to where the car was parked, and Mateo opened the car door for us, huffing and puffing every now and then. He sat at the front, ring at me once in a while. Samantha noticed it and looked puzzled at us.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on with you two?. Why have you been ring at Mani, Mat?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Sam; he is just being a child.¡± I rolled my eyes, smirking at him.


    Mateo scoffed at this, focusing on his driving.


    Samantha nudged me, asking what was wrong again, and I told her I was going to exin it to herter.


    We stopped in front my old apartment, waiting for Stephanie toe outside. I saw a model-like figure walking towards us and instantly knew it was Stephanie; her mouth was wide open, gasping at the car in front of her. Mateo opened the front door for her to get in, and the journey to the mall began.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Mani.¡± Stephanie said with wide eyes. ¡°This is a Rolls Royce Ghost, a freaking Rolls Royce Ghost.¡± Iughed at her reaction.


    ¡°I know right.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he lets you drive his car, especially one this expensive.¡± She says it again with wide eyes.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s hers. Sin gave it to her,¡± Samantha chipped in.


    ¡°Sin, who is Sin?. Why does it sound familiar?¡± I watched as Stephanie¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion. Shit. She had no idea Niki was Chinese. I gave Samantha a look, and she quickly understood what I meant.


    ¡°Oh, I meant Niki. It was a slip of the tongue.¡±


    Samantha hurriedly said in a very calm, doubtful tone. ¡°I¡¯m Samantha, by the way, but I go by Sam. Nice to officially meet you.¡± I hope Stephanie doesn¡¯t ask any more questions; we both watched as she looked between Samantha and I before a smile made its way up to her face. She turned her back slightly, taking Samantha¡¯s hand in a handshake.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to officially meet you too.¡± Stephanie squealed.


    We all started talking amongst ourselves; the road to the mountain was fun and exciting. Samantha and Stephanie were like two long-lost sisters. Yes, they have been chatting with each other for some time, but looking at them interact, it¡¯s obvious they have a lot more inmon.


    We climbed out of the car when Mateo parked it in the parking lot. The girls and I made our way to the mall, and immediately we entered, our eyes lit up. We walked around the mall, getting different clothes and shoes. Stephanie and Samantha were on a shopping spree, buying anything that caught their eyes.


    We had moved to the baby¡¯s section to look for more baby clothes to buy even though we already bought like a thousand. Sin had already setup the nursery here also; it was not like the one in Italy; there were a little bit of changes, but it was beautiful all the same.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± I asked, looking at the both of them.


    ¡°Victoria Secret.¡± Samantha and Stephanie both responded at the same time. They looked at each other with a smile on their faces.


    We walked into the shop, and the girls squealed while looking around for some sexy thongs and lingerie. My feet were already aching, so I took a seat in an empty chair and watched them. My gaze shifted to


    Mateo, who had been following us for up to three hours, is now standing beside me. His face was emotionless as he looked around the shop for any threats. I poked him in the waist, and he turned to look at me with a tiny re on his face.


    ¡°You seriously are mad at me.¡± I asked, giving him the sweetest smile ever. He didn¡¯t fall for it and just went back to looking around the mall.


    I poked him again, making him turn to look at me. ¡°Okay, I promise not to torture you with my food again. Will you stop being mad at me, hmm, hmm, hmm?¡± I pout, giving my best puppy face. I watched as the side of his lips slowly raised up, making me do a victory dance in my head.


    The girls were done with shopping, and after paying for what they bought, we made our way outside, back to the car.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a sleepover tonight? Just us girls.¡± I suggested it, looking at them expectantly.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s the weekend tomorrow, so I don¡¯t have any ns.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either; I think Alexander would be able to survive without me for a day.¡± Samantha shrugged, agreeing with me.


    ¡°So we are having a sleepover!¡± I squealed.


    ¡°Yah.¡± This time the three of us squealed, excited

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX

    We were in a spare bedroom; we hade up after dinner. When I told Sin about us girls having a sleepover, he had no problem with it, though he was a little hesitant to let me go. Samantha and Stephanie had dragged me out of his hold to the bedroom where we were now.


    We were sitting in a circle on the bed with candy, snacks, and pizza. My back rested on the headboard with a cheese pizza in my hand. Samantha and Stephanie wereughing their asses out as I told them what had happened this morning between Mateo and me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you put a poor Mat through something like this.¡± Samantha wiped away the tears by the sides of her eyes.


    ¡°Well, I originally made it for Niki, but he pushed it all on Mateo.¡± I shrugged, taking a bite of my pizza.


    ¡°Mani, you are a horrible cook. There is no hope for you; cooking isn¡¯t just for you.¡± Stephanie said it, emphasizing more on each word. She grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl lying on herp.


    ¡°I know that now.¡± I whined.


    My phone pinged beside me. I unlocked it to see it was a message from Sin. A smile made its way up to my face, and I instantly replied. I was waiting for his response when Samantha dragged the phone out of my grasp, putting it on the table beside her.


    ¡°This is the tenth time he has sent you a message in the span of an hour,¡± she eximed. ¡°It¡¯s a girls¡¯ night, meaning no boys allowed in whatever way, and that includes texting.¡± I sighed dejectedly but nodded anyway.


    ¡°Good, now I believe Stephanie has some juicy stories to tell us.¡± Stephanie¡¯s hand was raised half way to her mouth with a handful of popcorn, and she stared at Samantha, surprised.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do. Don¡¯t think for a moment that I didn¡¯t see you texting on your phone, giggling and all. My eight sense tells me it¡¯s definitely a guy, so tell us who is the guy that¡¯s got you all blushing and happy.¡± Samantha asked, crossing her legs and waiting for Stephanie, who looked like a deer caught in a headlight.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m seeing someone.¡± Samantha positioned herself so she wasfortable, looking at Stephanie in anticipation.


    ¡°I already told Mani about him thest time we met.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Wait. You are still seeing him.¡± I gasped out. I had asked Sin about it to know if it was actually Luca or if it was simply a coincidence, but Sin told me he had assigned a few of his men to watch over my family. He wanted to make sure they were safe and had no threat directed at them, and that was where Luca came in.


    Sin had assigned him to watch over Stephanie for some time; he had no idea they were in any kind of rtionship. When Sin found out, he wasn¡¯t mad, but he had asked Luca what his intentions were, and Luca told him he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to bring her into this world.From N?velDrama.Org.


    I agree that it was filled with danger and all. I thought he had ended things with her when we left for Italy, but I guess I was wrong. With the look on her face, it was obvious things between them had progressed extremely well.


    ¡°We kind of ended things months ago because he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to be with me, saying something about it being dangerous. Then he went AWOL, and I heard absolutely nothing from him. Two months ago he came to my apartment looking for me; imagine the shock on my face when I saw him standing at the other side of the door, looking as handsome and dreamy as ever. ¡± she smiled, recalling the memory.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give him the time of day or even a tiny bit of my attention; after all, he had bailed on me for four months, but he looked so adorable and handsome. He is very persistent also, so I decided to give him a chance, and things between us have been rosy since then. Believe me, he is the best,¡± she said, and I could see how much she really loved him.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m speechless.¡± Samantha says, stunned. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, girl.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Steph; you deserve every good thing thates your way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks girls¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s his name? I need to know the charmer that warmed himself into your heart,¡± Samantha asked, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Luca.¡± Stephanie says she was filled with excitement while Samantha looked like she was struggling to catch her breath.


    ¡°Who. ¡± She asked again, probably thinking she didn¡¯t hear her well.


    ¡°Luca, Luca Ramirez.¡±


    Samantha turned to look at me; I could read the look in her eyes. She asked if it was what she thought it was or just a coincidence. I blinked my eyes twice to let her know it was the former; she quicklyposed herself, and the smile returned to her face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I will make sure to introduce you both to him.¡± Stephanie smiles cheekily. ¡°Enough about me; it¡¯s your turn. A little birdie told me about you seeing a certain someone¡¯s younger brother.¡±


    ¡°I see Mani already told you.¡± Samanthaughed, shaking her head.


    ¡°Come on, spill; tell me more.¡± Mani keeps holding out on me, saying, ¡°I need to hear the rest from you.¡±


    That was how the night progressed, with the three of us talking about the men in our lives, omitting a little bit of detail. We talked about the crazy things we have done. Samantha and Stephanie started sharing stories about me while weughed and had fun.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN

    ¡°It¡¯s time for your hair and makeup.¡± Samantha said in a sing-song voice. walking into the room with Stephanie behind her.


    I don¡¯t know what these two are up to; I haven¡¯t left the room since morning because they won¡¯t let me. It¡¯s been three weeks since we had a sleepover, and we have been hanging out a lottely. They helped keep mepany whenever Sin wasn¡¯t around.


    But today I had no idea what was going on. When I woke up this morning, the left side of the bed was empty, and before I could step out of the room, I saw Mateo standing outside the door. He refused to let me pass, saying he was ordered to keep me inside the room for a few hours, which turned into a whole day because it was five in the evening.


    Whatever I needed, be it breakfast or lunch, was brought up here by a maid. I tried calling Sin, but he won¡¯t pick up any of my calls, and now Samantha and Stephanie are trying to prep me up, but for what exactly?


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked; Samantha shrugged, not responding, while Stephanie smiled. I guess they had no ns on telling me what they were up to. I puffed while taking a seat in front of the mirror.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve already showered, so let¡¯s get straight to it. I¡¯m going to do your makeup while Sam will take care of styling your hair.¡± Stephanie started taking out the makeup kit.


    She got right into it,ing to stand at my front while Samantha stood behind my back. I had no idea what to do, so I sat still while they did whatever they had in mind.


    I remained rooted in my spot for close to an hour; I wasn¡¯t allowed to see what they were doing till it was done, and I felt like my ass had been practically gummed to the seat. I couldn¡¯t even move to relieve myself. I thought of how I was going to endure this torture until Stephanie pulled back, still blocking the mirror.


    Samantha was already done with my hair like thirty minutes ago, and she decided to do my nails as well. She and Stephanie arrived at the same time. They both stood in front of me in awe, their mouths open agape.


    ¡°You look really beautiful, Mani.¡± Stephanie said, looking at me in admiration while Samantha nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time she saw herself.¡± Samantha suggested, and they both made their way to both sides of the mirror, taking down the white cloth they had used to cover it earlier. I looked at the person on the other side of the mirror, and I was stunned. She doesn¡¯t look like me; whoever she was, she was like a freaking goddess.


    The makeup was simple yet elegant and sophisticated, and my hair was matted in a short box style.


    ¡°Is that really me?¡± I gasped out, pointing to the mirror, not believing my eyes.


    ¡°Yes, it is. Niki would be so mind-blown when he sees you.¡± Samantha gushed out.


    ¡°So this has something to do with him; no wonder he was ignoring my calls.¡± I pouted a little, and the girlsughed. ¡°Thank you so much, girls.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡± It¡¯s nothing¡± Stephanie says. ¡°We need to get you dressed up; it¡¯s almost time.¡±


    ¡°I will go get the dress.¡± Samantha rushed out of the room before any of us could reply and rushed back in in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Wow, how did you get to the guest room and back so fast?¡± I teased, and we allughed. I stared at the dress bag as Samantha slowly unzipped it. was met with the sight of a pink shoulder-less long dress. It was beautiful.


    ¡°Do you need help with the dress, or you got it?¡± Stephanie asked as I took the dress from Samantha.


    ¡°No, I think I got this.¡± I walked into the closet, getting rid of the clothes I had on. It was perfect and could fit over my bump. It must have been hard for them to get the perfect size without me putting it on.


    Once I was fully dressed, I got out of the closet and gave the girls a little spin show, and they both pped their hands, gushing over me. Stephanie had a pair of sunset-pink Michael Kors heels in her hands. She walked over to me, helping me put it on. I spread a little bit of perfume to help me smell nice.


    ¡°Our work here is done; you have to wait for Sin here in the room.¡± Samantha said, throwing a kiss at me before leaving the room with Stephanie.


    I slowly walked to the bed, taking a seat to wait for Sin. I didn¡¯t know how long I waited until I heard a knock at the door. I stood from the bed and looked in the mirror to see if anything was out of ce.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I yelled, adjusting my dress. My eyes shot up when the door opened and Sin walked in; he was wearing a dark blue suit, his hair styled backwards.


    He walked towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist. ¡°Hi.¡± His breath fanned my neck as he whispered in my ear.


    ¡± Hey¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful as always, amore.¡± He bit my earlobe, moving on to nib my neck. ¡°I so badly want to rip that dress off you and take you right here and now as my namees out of your delicious lips.¡±


    Iughed, leaning on him. ¡°As much as I would love to, I doubt Samantha and Stephanie would appreciate their efforts being thrown down the drain,¡± I said, resting my arms on his that were ced securely on my tummy. ¡°You don¡¯t look bad yourself,¡± Iplimented.


    ¡°It took quite a while, but it was worth the wait. You look breath-taking!¡± Iughed, blushing a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± Sin took my hand, and we both walked out of the door. Mateo wasn¡¯t guarding the door anymore, and the house was awfully quiet. We both walked down the stairs. When we reached thest set of stairs, a loud surprise was being yelled, and I took a step back, frightened. My hands wrapped around my waist prevented me from any mishap.


    When I was able to get rid of the shock, I took in the appearance of the house. The room was filled with a lot of people; some were Sin¡¯s men, and some I had no idea who they were. There were pink and blue flowers used to decorate the house.


    I noticed that the females were in pink gowns simr to mine while the males were in a blue suit, just like Sin. On the banner ced in front of the ceiling was an inscription that read, ¡°Happy Baby Shower.¡±


    A smile made its way to my face, and I struggled not to cry; I didn¡¯t want to ruin the makeup that Stephanie had taken so much time to do.


    ¡°Wee to your baby shower. Since there isn¡¯t going to be a gender reveal party, we decided to throw a party for you to celebrate with us and everyone.¡± Samantha says, hugging me.


    We separated and I was immediately pulled into another hug by Stephanie. We squealed,ughing together. When we pulled back, I turned to see Sin watching me with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper to him.


    ¡°Anything for you, amore.¡± I kissed him, showing him how much I loved him.


    When we were pulled apart, Sin pecked my lips with a smile on his face before he was dragged away from my side by Alexander.


    ¡°Mani. ¡°I heard someone yell. I looked over to where the voice came from and saw an excited Athena making her way towards us. We hugged each other,ughing like two crazy people.


    ¡°You look beautiful; the both of you did a really excellent job.¡± She said this to them, and they bothughed, hugging each other.


    I looked around the room, and I spotted my aunt talking to Serena at the end of the room. I excused myself from the girls and made my way over to them.


    ¡°Aunt Sara, Serena.¡± I said, hugging them.


    ¡°Mani, you look great, dear. I know I have said it before, but congrattions, dear,¡± my aunt said, smiling at me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the baby to be born; I¡¯m so excited.¡± Serena chips in, giving me a motherly smile.


    ¡°Me too, Serena, but he or she is one hell of a kicker.¡± I joked, and we allughed. ¡°When did you get to New York?¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°oh. Yesterday. I wanted to let you know, but since this was a surprise, I had to wait. ¡± Serena exined.


    ¡°Have you started picking a name yet?¡± My aunt asked, staring at my baby bump.


    ¡°Yes, Niki and I have beening up with a lot of boy and girl names, but we still haven¡¯t decided yet.¡±


    ¡°I have never seen my son this happy. Thank you foring into his life.¡± Serena took hold of my hands, giving them a little squeeze.


    ¡°How many times would you like to thank me? It¡¯s been up to a hundredth.¡± I joked, and the three of usughed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± I pecked her cheek, leaving her and my aunt to go back to conversing with each other. Stephanie¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t make it; she told me they sent their apologies and promised to make it up with me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for pictures.¡± Athena screamed. We all made our way to the photo booth the girls had set up. It has a mixture of pink and blue designs, making it look cute.


    We gathered around, and I took a few pictures. I first talked with everyone, then with the girls, my aunt, and Serena. I took a couple of pictures with Sin before taking a personal one.


    I looked up to the far end of the room, close to the garden, and saw a figure standing there. I instantly recognized who it was. Luca. He raised a ss of wine to me in the form of a toast. I nodded my head, acknowledging him with a smile on my face.


    I knew the reason why he didn¡¯t want to show his face. Stephanie was here, and she had no idea about Luca¡¯s involvement with Sin. He still hasn¡¯t told her anything yet, but Sin had already given him the go-ahead as long as he was sure she wouldn¡¯t break their oath. I also helped vouch for it.


    Stephanie wouldn¡¯t do anything that would harm them. After we were done with the pictures, I heard the sound of a ss clicking and turned to see Stephanie trying to get the attention of everyone.


    When she manage to gain their attention, she stopped, cing her drink down on a table close to her. She cleared her throat before speaking. ¡°I know this kind of party usually ends with the revealing of the baby, but since that is not happening because my best friend over there wants to keep us in suspense,¡± Everyoneughed lightly at Stephanie. ¡°There are two balloons with two different colours; now this part is for the two love birds.¡± She handed Sin and me a dart for us to aim at the balloons. ¡°We are going to count to three, and the two of you will aim for the balloons at the same time.¡±


    ¡°One, two, three.¡±


    We shot at the target, blue and pink confetti fell from the sky, and a resounding pping filled the room. Sin leaned down, capturing my lips in his, as the people cheered on. When we pulled away, I walked over to where the girls were, pulling them in for a group hug. This wouldn¡¯t have been possible with them.


    I was really thankful and grateful to have them here with me.

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT

    I was nine months pregnant and ready to pop the baby out of me at any time. Right now I¡¯m in the room getting ready for dinner with the whole family, but we aren¡¯t having it here. We were all going to gather at Serena¡¯s house.


    I had no idea there was a Violenta family house here in New York, just like in Italy. That was where Serena and Athena were staying. Alexander, on the other hand, has a ce of his own.


    Serena has invited the whole family to dinner tonight, which brings us to now. I was in an armless white gown, but it didn¡¯t show much cleavage. I didn¡¯t want anything too tight. My hair was immactely done in a French twist, and my make-up was amazing. I did natural makeup, highlighting my cheekbones.


    After I was done, I put on low, t silver sandals and essories. I looked at the mirror to make sure there was nothing out of ce before making my way downstairs. Sin was already waiting for me downstairs.


    He looked like he had just rolled out of a magazine. He had on a ck suit with a white t-shirt and a white tie, which matched my dress. He also had on a pair of ck shoes, polished to perfection.


    His eyes snapped up when he noticed my presence, staring at me in awe. He walked towards me, bringing his hand up to help me down thest flight of stairs.


    ¡°You look beautiful, Amore.¡± Hepliments. His eyes scanned me from head to toe, causing me to blush.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look that bad yourself.¡± I say to him, cing a hand on his toned chest.


    ¡°Thanks Amore. Shall we.¡±


    ¡°yeah.¡±


    We walked out of the house to the car parked out front. Sin opened the door for me, helping me get in, then walked over to the driver¡¯s seat and got in as well. The drive to the Violenta mansion was filled with various talks about the family and how the mansion came to be.


    When we arrived at the mansion, I was stunned at how beautiful the ce was. Whoever was in charge of designing the Violenta mansions and house was really doing a great job. Sin got out of the driver¡¯s seat, rushing to my side to open the door for me. He took my hands in his, throwing his key to the chauffeur, and we both made our way to the porch or the house.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sin pressed the doorbell, and we both waited for it to open, but we didn¡¯t wait long as a maid opened the door, bowing slightly. His hand wrapped around my back, and we both walked in. I could hear the sound of a voiceing from what I was guessing would be the living room.


    We made our way to where the voices wereing from; Samantha, Alexander, and Stephanie were already here, and they were all chatting together with Serena and Athena. When they saw us, they smiled and got up from their seats. We all hugged each other one at a time, then Sin and I took a seat on an empty couch.


    ¡°You look beautiful, Mani.¡± Serena said, giving me a warm look.


    I smiled. ¡± not as good as you look, Serena.¡± I said, and sheughed.


    ¡°I doubt that; you are literally glowing. Pregnancy looks good on you.¡± Athena gushed, smiling at me.


    We heard the sound of the doorbell ringing. ¡°I guess my parents and aunt Sera are here.¡± Stephanie said as Serena stood from her seat, making her way to the entrance of the house.


    ¡± My mom and your aunt are literally best friends now, they text and call each other more often. I don¡¯t know how they do it with the age difference, my mom should be ten to fifteen years older than your aunt.¡± Athena jokes, looking amused.


    ¡°You know they don¡¯t care about it, I¡¯m just d she has a genuine friend, who doesn¡¯t hang out with her for money¡±¡® Sin said, he pecked my cheek, getting up from his seat.


    Sin nodded at Alexander and he stood up, the both of them left the living room, leaving us girls alone.


    ¡°Speaking of glowing, look at you. ¡°I point to Samantha. ¡± You are glowing, one would think you are also pregnant. You and Alexander must be hitting it off a lot. ¡°I said, wiggling my brows.


    Stephanie and Athenaughed when Samantha looked at me with wild eyes, clearly cut off guard. She covered her face with her n trying to hide the blush.


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡± she muttered. ¡± Yes, things with Alexander and I are really great but we haven¡¯t really done the deed yet¡±


    ¡°wait¡­ what? ¡± Athena yelled, saying exactly the same thing I was thinking.


    ¡°What do you mean, you haven¡¯t done it yet, you guys have been going out for almost five to six months. ¡± I was baffled not believing what she was saying. I have seen them together and they hardly keep their hands away from each other, not to mention the time Sin held me back when I asked her what she would have done and she agreed with me.


    So hearing her say they hadn¡¯t gone that far was so sure real, especially when it¡¯s Samantha we are talking about.


    ¡°We have done other things but not that. ¡± she said in a low tone.


    ¡°Okay why, I don¡¯t understand. Is he like a virgin, though I doubt that. ¡± Stephanie chipped in as well. Looking at Samantha like she was a kind of alien.


    ¡°Believe me as gross as this is, seeing, it¡¯s my brother you are talking about. Alexander is not a Virgin¡± Athena cringed as she spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t feel the urge, Alexander doesn¡¯t want to rush anything¡± Samantha exined. ¡± You know the kind of rtionship I have been into, it¡¯s always about the lust with no real feelings and Alexander knows about this. He doesn¡¯t want me thinking he is like those other losers and I know he isn¡¯t. I admire his effort for trying to make this work, now I know of the other fun things to do apart from sex in a rtionship.¡± her eyes beamed with joy and contentment.


    ¡°You really love him. ¡± I whispered, a smile on my face.


    ¡®Yes, yes I do. ¡± She admits without a second thought, a smile on her face as well. ¡°speaking of men¡± She said facing Athena. ¡± Mani is with Niki, we know Stephanie is with a guy named Luca and I am with Alexander. So Athena, any man in your life.¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow.


    The three of us had our eyes focused on Athena, I was also curious to know the man in her life. We have been friends for sometime now and she hasn¡¯t said a word about a guy. I¡¯m starting to think she was gay.


    Athena looked at us nervously, gulping every second. She fiddled with her finger, looking at both sides to see if anyone wasing before moving forward in her chair and the three of us followed her action.


    She wet her lips, looking at the directing Sin and Alexander had gone to before whispering. ¡± Yes¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s great but why are you whispering?¡± Stephanie whispered.


    ¡°Because l don¡¯t want Sin and Alexander to listen in on our conversation. ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think they would find this more suspicious if they walked in to us whispering amongst ourselves and besides, you are a full grown ass woman, I doubt they will bully any guy you fancy¡± Samantha mumbled.


    Athena rolled her eyes, letting out a frustrated groan. ¡± That is not the reason.¡± She paused, wetting her lips. ¡± It¡¯s because the guy I¡¯m seeing is none other than Lorenzo¡±

 HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE

    ¡°What!. are you out of your mind. Niki will go ballistic if he finds out you are dating Lorenzo Romanov¡± I whispered a shout, looking at Athena like she had gone insane.


    Why would she date Lorenzo Romanov of all people? After everything that had happened between her family and his. She goes and dates him, knowing fully well that Sin and Alexander will never agree to this. This was part of the deal they made to keep the peace, stay out of each other¡¯s business.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would do something so insanely stupid. There are a lot of men out there why him¡±. Samantha gasped out in disbelief while Stephanie looked to be confused.


    ¡°Why do you think I don¡¯t bring it up, because i know my mom and brothers will be against it. Especially Si¡­., I mean Niki. Not after what his family did to ours. ¡± She muttered, looking at the entrance one more time to make sure no one was sneakily listening to our conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused here. Who is this Lorenzo guy and why is it such a bad idea if Athena dates him.¡± Stephanie asked with furrowed brows.


    Samantha, Athena and I looked at each other, taking a deep breath. There was no way to tell Stephanie about Lorenzo without telling her the full story.


    Before any of us could say something we were interrupted by Serena calling out for every one that dinner was ready.


    ¡± This isn¡¯t over¡± I said sternly to Athena and the four of us stood up making our way to the dining room.


    My aunt, Amelia and Carson were already here, i rushed over to them, hugging my aunt first before Amelia and Carson. Stephanie did the same. Sin and Alexander walked in as well with Alexander walking closer to where Samantha stood and Sin stood by my side.


    He took out a chair for me, getting a peck from me, taking my seat. He walked over to take a seat at the head of the table. The rest of the family took a seat as well with the maids walking in with the food.


    We immediately dived into the food after it was set on the table, we talked amongst ourselves. Mostly talking about the wedding preparations. The girls and I asionally steal nces at each other, knowing what disaster it would cause if the Violenta men get a wind of this.


    Stephanie was the only one who didn¡¯t understand the gravity of what Athena just told us. I looked at her and saw her brows furrowed while picking at her food. She seems to be deep in thought and feel bad that she was in the dark about everything that was going on.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡± Have you two finally settled on a name for the baby¡± Serena asked, directing the questions mostly at me.


    I held onto Sin¡¯s hand that was ced on the table. A smile on our face as I nod my head. ¡°Yes, we have. Niki and I decide to name him Marcellus Micheal Violenta, after his dad and mine. If it¡¯s a girl Aurelia Abrie Violenta, Abrie after my mom¡± I replied and Sin gave my hand a light squeeze, smiling at his mom. my aunt. eyes went blurry, her hands pped around her mouth to hold back the sob.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, I¡¯m sure your parents are proud of you.


    ¡°Thank you aunt Sara¡±


    ¡± I see what you both did with the name.¡± Alexander stated and I smiled at him.


    ¡± I¡¯m excited to meet the baby¡± Amelia squeals, a wide smile on her face.


    ¡°Honey, control yourself. Mani is already in herst month. ¡°Carson scolded jokingly, making Amelia pout and everybodyughed.


    ¡± Don¡¯t scold her uncle Carson, she was just excited. We all are, at this rate the baby might end up popping out sooner than we expect. With all the ¡­.. ¡°I was cut short by water dripping down my thigh.


    Did I just pee myself?


    I gasped out, looking at everyone shocked. Every conversation ceased, all eyes on me. All full of concerns. Sin shook my hand and I turned to look at his worried expression.


    ¡°Amore, What is it?¡± He asked, concerned.


    ¡°I think my water just broke¡±

 HUNDRED AND FORTY

    They all froze for a second till a felt pain in my stomach and the next thing I knew I was yelling out to them, mostly Sin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just freaking sit there, do something¡±.


    That seemed to have woken them, and everybody stood up from their seat rushing to heaven knows where. Sin was by my side, helping me up from my seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay Mani, remain calm. How far apart are your contractions.¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think 15 minutes apart. ¡± She makes a sound agreeing with me.


    ¡°We need to get her to the hospital so that way we can have more urate readings¡± I nod. I took little steps with Sin holding onto my hand.


    ¡°we need to get everything you need, I will text Mateo to bring them to the hospital. ¡± He gave my hand to his mom, bringing out his phone. He typed feverously on his phone.


    I felt a hand on my chin, making me look away from Sin. It was Serena, she had a smile on her face which made me rx a little bit.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°follow my lead Mani. ¡± she instructed and nodded. ¡± Breathe in. ¡°I did exactly what she said. ¡°Breathe out.¡± We repeated this process four times, I smiled at her warmly, to let her know I appreciated her effort.


    Sin rushed back to my side, his phone strapped back to his suit pocket. ¡± Mateo is going to meet us at the hospital with everything while Alexander already has the car running. ¡°He kisses my lips. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you holding our little princess.¡±


    He helped me outside to where the car was parked with Alexander at the driver¡¯s seat and uncle Carson at his side. Sin helped me get into the car before getting in as well and Alexander drove off, out of the mansion to the hospital. The rest of the family followed behind.


    I have been so excited to see him or her but now that it was finally about to happen I felt this fear gripped onto my heart. I have been preparing myself for when the baby arrives but not for the birthing process. But one thing is for sure, couldn¡¯t wait to meet him or her, I ced my hand on my tummy, rubbing it.


    It took deep breaths to calm myself and ease the pain, breathing in and out like Serena had taught me a few minutes ago.


    When we got to the hospital, Sin got down quickly, rushing to my side. He helped me out of the car and scooped me up, racing into the hospital. We walked into the reception desk to see a nurse there.


    ¡°She is inbour, we need to get her a room. ¡± Sin said. The nurse seemed to be confused for a moment, looking between Sin and I.


    ¡°will you get your fucking ass moving, can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s about to give birth. ¡± Sin spat, ring at her.


    ¡°I should be the one shouting, not you, caveman.¡± I joked, trying to ease his nerves. His face rxed a little but he still had a re directed to the poor nurse.


    The nurse hurriedly directed us to a room. It was a nice room, with a couch, TV and fridge inside. Sin walked towards the bed, puts me on it. I felt another contraction hit me and I groaned in pain.


    Sin seat beside me, holding onto my hand like his life depended on it. ¡± It hurts, Niki. ¡± I whispered


    ¡°I know amore, but it¡¯s going to be okay. You are doing great. ¡± He said, pecking my lips. His hand rested on my stomach, rubbing it to help ease the pain.


    The rest of the family were waiting inside the room but right now I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to anyone or even bother about their presence. The door opened and a Female doctor walked in with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Hi Mr and Mrs Violenta. I¡¯m Dianna, Dr. Fernandez had filled me in on your pregnancy report ¡°shees towards me, checking her time on her wrist watch. ¡°How far are the contractions?¡±


    Sin looked at his wrist watch as Mateo entered with the bag Sin and I had prepared down. ¡± 10 minutes apart.¡±


    Dianna pped her hands together looking at Sin and. ¡± We need you to get you out of the dress and into afortable hospital gown¡± Sin and the rest of the family left the room, leaving only Dr Dianna, a nurse and me. They helped me out of my clothes and into the gown.


    ¡± Who would you like to be with you during the delivery.¡± Dianna asked.


    ¡°Niki and my aunt¡± I smile at her.


    ¡°Sure love, let¡¯s get you wheeled up to the delivery room. ¡± The door opened and two male nurses walked in with a gurney. Iid on it and was rolled out of the room.


    Sin rushed towards me immediately as they got out of the room, his hand held mine following us, as well as my aunt.


    My aunt came to my side, smiling down at me. She held my other hand. ¡± your parents will be so proud of you, I know l am. ¡± I smiled.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything extraordinary. ¡±


    She brushed the hair off my face. ¡± of course you are, you are bringing a life to this world, Mani. ¡±


    I was rolled into the delivery room, pulled up and ced on the bed. I held on to Sin¡¯s hand and my aunt as many thoughts clouds my mind. My aunt hummed beside me to keep me calm, while Sin talked to me trying to distract me from the pain of the contractions.


    After what seemed like hours, Dianna walked in to check on me again. ¡°The cervix is 5cm, 3 more and you are ready to push. ¡± I nod, not having the energy to talk.


    Sin by this time wasn¡¯t talking again, I may or may not have screamed at him to zip it, because his conversation wasn¡¯t helping. I know he wasn¡¯t mad at me but I still felt bad forshing out at him when he was only trying to help. I looked over to him, he looked tired, exhausted. My aunt had stopped humming beside me and was struggling to keep her eyes open.


    ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡± I whispered to Sin, not wanting


    to wake my aunt up


    ¡°5:30Am¡± he answered, stiffing out a yawn.


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry I yelled at you¡± I said with a timid voice, trying not to focus on the pain.


    He shakes his head, looking at me. ¡± You don¡¯t have to apologize Amore, I don¡¯t know the amount of pain you are going through right now but if shouting at me, bruising my bones with your strong grip helps then I would dly ept it all.¡±


    I looked at his tired eyes and sighed. ¡± Why don¡¯t you take a short nap, I will wake you up when it is time¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to sleep when you are in pain¡± Sin grumbles out.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept since yesterday morning, you need rest.¡± I tried to reason with him but he grumbled some more, refusing to listen to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I will rest when I know you and the baby is okay¡± I huffed, rolling my eyes at his stubbornness.


    The door opened and Dr Dianna walked in again with the same group of nurses three hourster, she checked me and confirmed that I was fully dted. I woke up my aunt by my side since I was ready to push.


    ¡± Okay Mani, I need you to take a deep breath and give me a big push. ¡± Dianna said. I let out a scream, pushing with all my might. I held on to Sin¡¯s hand tighter than before, I was definitely crushing it with the way I was holding onto him but he didn¡¯t flinch orin about it.


    Instead he brushes my hair, whispering sweet words to my ear making me rx a little. I don¡¯t know how long I kept pushing, but I was beyond exhausted and tired. I almost gave up but the thought of seeing my baby was what kept me going.


    ¡°Just a few more Mani, then you will see your baby. Don¡¯t give up. ¡± Dianna said.


    ¡°You are doing great, Amore, don¡¯t give up. ¡± Sin whispered.


    I kept pushing and pushing as much as I could, feeling weak.


    ¡°one more Mani, one more. Give us onest big push, you can do it. ¡±


    I did as Dianna had said and pushed really hard before I heard the sound of a baby crying


    ¡± It¡¯s a boy¡± Dianna said, she nodded at Sin and he stood up to meet her, cutting the umbilical cord.


    She walks towards me with my son in her hand. ¡± Mummy, meet little Violenta. He is one healthy boy.¡± Dianna said, putting the chubby baby boy in my arms and l smiled. He had Sin¡¯s dark hair with his features. I didn¡¯t know the colour of his eyes because they were closed, but he looked so much like Sin. I kissed his forehead, while he calmed down. My aunt was by my side cooing at him, taking a hold of his tiny hand. I looked at Sin who was already back to my side. He looked mesmerized as he watched our little baby boy.


    ¡°I guess your little princess is actually a little prince. ¡°I joked and heughed, rubbing our baby boy¡¯s head.


    ¡°I was so sure it was a girl, but I¡¯m happy either way. ¡± He said, kissing his forehead.¡± mio polo principe, hai messo a dura prova. mamma ma sono felice che tu sia qui ¡±


    I felt a sharp pain below my tummy, making me scream. My aunt was quick to take the baby from my hold, while I kept on screaming.


    ¡± What¡¯s going on doctor. ¡± Sin asked, worried.


    Dr. Dianna looked between my opened legs. ¡± It seems like there is another baby ready toe out. ¡°She said.


    ¡°Another baby, I had no idea I was having twice¡± i screamed pushing with all my might.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing good but I need you to push with everything in you. ¡± Dianna said and I held on to Sin¡¯s hand. Pushing with everything I had.


    ¡± Yes Mani, I can see the head. One more push¡± i prepare my head mentally and push as hard as I can.


    ¡°That¡¯s it Mani, don¡¯t stop. You can do it¡± I pushed once more and I felt the babye out of me. I heard a very loud wailing and I raised my head up to see Dianna holding onto another baby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a baby girl. ¡± Dianna said. ¡°Despite being hidden, she is healthy, it seems like her big brother was protecting his little sister. ¡± she joked, handing the baby to me after Sin cut her umbilical cord.


    ¡°She is beautiful. ¡± My aunt cooed beside me.


    ¡°Yeah she is. ¡± Sin said with a satisfied smile on his face.


    ¡°I guess you have your little princess now¡± I joked.


    ¡°I told you, I had a feeling it was a girl. ¡±


    ¡°yeah but we thought it was one baby and now it¡¯s two. Niki, are we really ready for not just one but two babies. ¡± I asked, worried.


    ¡± Amore, we may not be ready but I know we are going to do everything we can to love them, protect them and cherish them always.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó


    TRANSLATION


    mio polo principe, hai messo a dura prova mamma ma sono felice che tu sia qui ¨C my little prince, you gave moma hard time but l¡¯m happy you are here

 HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE

    At exactly 9:55 Am and 10:00 Am, Sin and I¡¯s baby boy and girl were born. How did l go a full nine months without the doctor noticing I was carrying two babies instead of one.


    They were beautiful.


    I was wheeled back to the room while the babies were taken to be cleaned. The rest of the family had gone home earlier to get freshened up, they had no clue yet and I told the doctor not to tell them. I had asked my aunt and Sin to go home and freshen up as well, after a lot of persuasion my aunt agreed to go, wish I could say the same about Sin.


    This man was filled with all kinds of stubbornness.


    I heard a soft knock at the door, it opened slowly and I saw Serena, Samantha, Stephanie and Alexander walk in first followed by Athena, Amelia and Carson.


    ¡°Hey. ¡± Serena said in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Where is the baby? ¡± Stephanie asked.


    Before Sin and I could answer, the door pulled open and a nurse walked in with one baby in her arms. She walked towards me, cing the baby in my hands. I looked down at the baby boy in my hold, his eyes still closed. I cooed, rubbing my thumb over his head.


    The family gathered around me, staring at the baby in my hands, a series of aww and wow filled the room and Iughed softly, trying not to wake him.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told us the gender¡± Samantha whined, her gaze never shifted from the baby in my hold.


    Iughed, shaking my head. ¡± It¡¯s a boy¡±


    ¡°called it¡± Stephanie whispered a shout. ¡± pay up.¡± She said, stretching her hand out to Athena, Samantha and Alexander.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys bet on the gender of the baby. ¡± Serena said, baffled.


    ¡°I thought it was a girl because Niki kept saying he was sure.¡± Samantha pouted, brought a five hundred dors bill and handed it over to Stephanie, Alexander did the same as well.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Niki was actually wrong about this¡± Athena eximed yfully. ¡± what happened to father knows best, when ites to things like this.¡±


    I looked at Sin, my lips shifted up in a smirk. ¡± I won¡¯t be so sure about that. ¡± I say to Stephanie.


    She looked confused, same as the rest of the family. Sin justughed, walking to the door and opening it, I watched their expressions as the nurse walked in with another baby in her hands.


    They all looked surprised, Stephanie and Samantha had their mouths opened wide watching as another nurse safely put the baby in Sin¡¯s hand.


    ¡± Twins.¡± Amelia asked, surprised, looking at the babies in Sin¡¯s hands and mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right ¡± Athena gasped out, looking to see if Sin and I were pulling a prank on her. I nodded at her and she squealed, rushing towards Sin.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about having twins.¡± Carson questioned and I smiled.


    ¡°Believe me, we are also surprised as well. ¡± I say to them. ¡°I guess Niki wanted a girl so badly. ¡°I joked and the familyughed.


    ¡°Oh my God! She is beautiful.¡± Serena said, walking closer to Sin to get a better look. Athena, Samantha, Stephanie and Amelia followed along.


    ¡°Do you want to hold him?¡± I asked Alexander who was still looking at the baby in my arms. His eyes were clouded for a moment.


    How could I havepletely forgotten about the baby he lost.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Alexander looked unsure at first, but he set his hands for me to ce the baby securely in his hold. I looked back at Sin to see he had given the baby to Serena who was sitting on the couch with Athena, Stephanie and Amelia beside her.


    Samantha had already left them to stand beside Alexander and Carson. They totally ignored Sin and I, their attention solely on the babies. Iughed at this.


    ¡°They look so much like Niki. ¡± Carson said beside Alexander.


    ¡°I know right, how could they take their father¡¯s features? I feel so betrayed. ¡± I feigned being hurt and theyughed.


    Alexander gave the baby to Samantha who has been pestering him to let her hold him. He walked towards Sin. ¡± You did good, big brother¡±


    They did their usual handshake.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to hold her, Serena¡± Amelia whined, making Serenaugh as she handed the baby to her.


    ¡°Good job kid¡± Carson said, making me smile. ¡± You are going to be a great mom¡± He looked like Sin who was by my side. ¡°I know you are going to be a great dad to the babies and a good husband to Mani¡±


    Sin nods his head. ¡± Thank you Carson. ¡±


    ¡°I know we don¡¯t need to worry about Mani any more because I know she is in good hands and that you are going to love and cherish her for the rest of your life, and I know it¡¯s going to be the same for the babies.¡± Carson smiled at Sin.


    ¡°Thank you, Carson; that means a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it looks like someone is about to wake up.¡±


    Samantha squealed, walking over to me. I took the baby in her arms with the rest of the family gathering around me. Sin took our baby girl from Amelia¡¯s grasp.


    I caress his little head softly, kissing his forehead.


    He fussed a little, moving his little head, then his eyes started opening slowly until we were able to see the very familiar blue eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s got Mani¡¯s eyes, thank God.¡± Samantha jokes? ¡°I was beginning to think Niki¡¯s features were dominating.¡±


    ¡°She is waking up as well,¡± Sin says, his eyes twinkling with pride. He brought her closer to me so that I could get a better look at her. Her eyes opened slowly with the same blue eyes as her older brother¡¯s.


    ¡°They are so adorable, I could just take them home with me,¡± Athena squealed.


    ¡°No one is taking my babies anywhere.¡± Sin growls out a little, getting possessive of them.


    I shake my head with a grin on my face. Carson was right; he was going to be a great dad. I smiled at him and got one in return.


    The door opened, and a nurse walked in. She smiled, sending greetings to everyone, which they all dly responded to.


    She took the baby in my arms, putting him in the crib beside me, before taking the other from Sin and putting her in the crib beside me as well. She walked over to Sin and whispered something in his ear before leaving the room.


    ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t you guys leave so that Mani can rest?¡± Sin asked, and a lot of groans filled the room, but they didn¡¯t argue with him as they made their way out of the room. The girls waved at me before leaving.


    ¡°You should go too; you¡¯re tired. Go home and rest; you also need to shower.¡± I say to him.


    ¡°No, I want to be here with you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Niki, quit being stubborn. Just go home; we will be here waiting for you. We aren¡¯t going anywhere, and beside, you can send Mateo here if you are that worried.¡± I said, trying to reason with him.


    He didn¡¯t say anything for some time, like he was thinking it through, then he sighed and got up from his seat. ¡°I will be back.¡± He pecked my lips, walked over to where the babies were, cing a kiss on their foreheads.


    He made his way to the door and stopped to look back at me. I waved at him to go with a smile on my face, with him smiling back, before walking out of the room.


    It wasn¡¯t long after he left that Mateo came in. ¡°I heard you gave birth to twins,¡± he asked, the excitement dancing in his eyes, but he was trying to y it cool.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I pointed towards the crib, and his eyes widened. He walked over to the crib, looking down at the babies in awe.


    ¡°Wow, they are so tiny. ¡± He said, amused.ughed at this. I have never seen Mateo behave this way.


    ¡°You know you can hold them if you want to.¡±


    Mateo gulped, looking at the babies, then shook his head. ¡°What if I hurt them or break their bones?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t hurt them; I know that for sure.¡± I said cheekily to him. ¡°Besides, you are their godfather.¡±


    He looked at me shocked that I actually remembered my promise; his eyes twinkled with happiness as he picked one of the babies up. I watched him handle them with care, and I sighed in contentment. I stifled a yawn, exhausted. I didn¡¯t want to go to sleep without getting cleaned up, so I pressed the button by the side of the bed, alerting the nurse.


    When a nurse came in, I told her I wanted to freshen up. She helped me out of the bed and to the bathroom as I bathed and changed into clean new clothes. I was assisted back to the room and bed.


    I looked over at Mateo to see he had put the baby back in his crib. He took a seat on the couch, watching over them. My eyes slowly close, weing the wondend of dreams with a smile on my face.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been asleep, but when I woke up, Mateo wasn¡¯t in the room again but Sin. He was standing close to the window, holding the two babies in his hands.


    ¡°Sai quanto ¨¨ felice pap¨¤ di conoscerti, hai reso me e tua mamma davvero felici. Pap¨¤ far¨¤ sempre in modo di proteggere te e tua madre sempre, p mia Violenta¡¯s,¡± he cooed. ¡°Marcelo, devi sempre proteggere tua sorellina.¡± He kissed their cheeks.


    I didn¡¯t realize I was crying until I felt the tears fall down my cheeks. I wiped the tears off my eyes as Sin turned to look at me. He smiled, walking close to me.


    This moment will forever remain in my heart.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    TRANSLATION


    Sai quanto ¨¨ felice pap¨¤ di conoscerti, hai reso me e tua mamma davvero felici. Pap¨¤ far¨¤ sempre in modo di proteggere te e tua madre sempre, p mia Violenta¡¯s. ¨C Do you know how happy Daddy is to meet you? You¡¯ve made your Mom and I really happy. Daddy will always make sure to protect you and your mom, my little Violenta.


    Marcello, Devi sempre protegge tua sorellina ¨C Marcello. You always need to protect your little sister.

 HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO

    Today was the day of the wedding. I was finally getting married to Sin. It feels so surreal, like I can¡¯t believe it. I was a nervous wreck, and there was nothing I could do to ease my nerves. This was a happy asion, but at the same time I felt scared. I couldn¡¯t wait to call him my husband, and that brought a smile to my face. Right now I was sitting on the bed with Aurelia in my hands, feeding her while I watched her silently. I had already fed Marcello and given him to Sin; he wanted Marcello to dress up with the men.


    It¡¯s been two months and three days since I gave birth to them, and I couldn¡¯t be happier looking down at my beautiful baby girl; her blue eyes sparkle just like mine. Her features were like Sin¡¯s; she had his longshes and brows. I knew she was going to grow up into a beautiful girl. I noticed that she was done, so I stood up from the bed, trying to burp her before putting her down on the bed.


    The door opened, and Samantha, Stephanie, and Athena walked in. ¡°It¡¯s time to get you prepped and ready for your big day.¡± Athena said, closing the door softly behind her so as not to wake Aurelia up.


    I smiled at them. They have really been supportive and helpful during the preparation. Athena was even more happy that we were going to be official sisters.


    The door opened again, and this time it was the beauticians. They walked in, sending greetings our way, which we dly responded to.


    ¡°You are already glowing without any makeup on.¡± Stephanie said, smiling at me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say giggles. ¡°How are Niki and Marcello?. Do they need anything?¡±


    Samantha smiled. ¡°Father and son are doing great and are getting ready. You need to get ready as well; I don¡¯t want you showing upte.¡±


    Athena walked to the bed, picking up Aurelia as gently as she could so she wouldn¡¯t wake up. ¡°I¡¯m going to take her to my mom. Sara and Amelia are there with her; they can help get Aurelia ready.¡± I smiled at her as she left the room.


    The beauticians began their work. working on my hair, face, and nails. Samantha sat on the bed, flipping through a bridal magazine, while Stephanie typed on her phone, taking pictures every now and then.


    I stood up and walked into the closet after getting prepped for an hour. I put on my beautiful white gown with a little bit of gold mixed in; it hadce long sleeves with the re starting from my hips to the ground. I couldn¡¯t see myself in another gown but this one. I felt like a queen. A smile lit up on my face. I walked out of the closet, and a gasp filled the room.


    Samantha goes behind me to help with the zipper. ¡°You look really beautiful, Mani; Niki will be mind-blown. I must say, he is one lucky man.¡± I heard a hint of quiver in her voice.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you are about to cry,¡± I say, turning to look at her. ¡°If you start crying, then I won¡¯t be able to hold my tears back, which would ruin all their efforts¡±. I point to the beauticians.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to cry, I promise.¡± She raised her hands up in a form of surrender.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to ruin the moment, but there is something missing,¡± Stephanie¡¯s voice cut in. I looked at her puzzled, wondering what was missing.


    I watched her hand in her bag, bringing out a ck velvet box. She walked towards me with a smile on her face, pushing the box towards my face. I raised a brow, giving her a questionable look. ¡± What is this.¡±


    ¡°A gift from yours truly. ¡± I smiled, taking it from her. I opened it and found a beautiful set of golden ne and earrings.


    A gasp filled the room. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. ¡± I said, taking the ne out of the box. I saw the note inside and l picked it up to read.


    ¡®I got you something fit for a queen, I can¡¯t wait to call you Mrs. Violenta¡¯


    Samantha took the ne from me, putting it around my neck. I took out the earrings, clipping it on my ears.


    ¡°He kept pestering me about the design of your wedding gown. I thought he was just curious to know how you look in it but wow, Niki really out did himself. ¡± Samantha says. I smiled and sat on the chair while Stephanie put on my heels. I thanked her and she took a picture of us together. They were also ready as well, they had on a golden dress.


    We kept on taking pictures until we heard a knock on the door. Serena¡¯s head popped in, her eyes reached me and the look in her eyes made me feel warm. It was a look of pure happiness and love


    She walked over to me, taking a hold of my hand. ¡°You look beautiful dear, I know my son is going to treat you well or he is going to hear it from me.¡±


    Iughed, shaking my head.¡± Thanks Serena. ¡± Shepliments Samantha and Stephanie. ¡°It¡¯s time Mani.¡±


    I got up from my seat making my way out of the room with the girls behind me. We walked out of the house to the front of the house where the car was, decorated with flowers and ribbons. Carson stood there with Amelia and Athena. Amelia was holding on to Aurelia, my baby girl had on a beautiful white dress.


    I walked over to them, hugging the three of them. I turn to look at Carson with a grin on my face. His expression was sad and happy.


    ¡°You look like a beautiful princess¡± He says pecking my forehead. ¡°I wish your parents were here to witness this wonderful asion and see how big their daughter has grown but I know they are watching from up there in heaven with a proud smile on their faces.¡± He tells me and I nod, trying not to cry. ¡°You are like a daughter to me, the minute I took you in those years ago, we considered you ours. I¡¯m happy and honoured to walk you down the aisle. My baby is all grown up¡± He says, Making me let out augh. I fan my face with my hand, trying to stop the tears from falling off my eyes.


    We hug again for a moment, before breaking away


    ¡°Are you ready, my princess. ¡± he asks and I nod nervously. Carson opened the door for me to get in before getting in as well. The rest of the family followed behind us as we made our way to the church.


    We got to the church in no time, the girls helped me with my gown. We made our way up the stairs of the church stopping at the entrance. Serena and Amelia had already gone in first. Then Samantha, Stephanie and Athena walked in.


    I locked my hand with Carson when the door slowly opened. The music erupted inside the room and I felt my heart racing like a hummingbird. I heard people gasping In delight when I stepped in, my entire body was filled with anxiety. They all stood on their feet, waiting for us to walk in.


    I look round the church taking in the beautiful decorated view. Hundreds of beautiful pink and red flowers were ced round the altar with white benches. The seats were filled with some familiar faces while the rest, I had no clue who they were. I took in a deep breath with every step we took, getting closer to Sin. I kept my eyes down as we continue walking down the velvet carpet, my hold on Carson¡¯s hand tightened.


    I raised my head up to look at Sin when Carson and I stopped walking. I took in his handsome features. His jet ck hair was slicked back, he had on an expensive crisp ck tuxedo his ice eyes glistened under the light, making my knees weak. his gaze fell on me with his lips curved into a smile.


    My beautiful Italian Mafia king. He was looking breathtakingly gorgeous.


    Carson held my hand, passing it to Sin warm hands and l felt the chills erupt in my body. Carson kissed my cheek ¡± Take care of her. you hurt her, I¡¯m going to hunt you down .¡±


    Sin smiled, answering him. ¡± i promise to always love and cherish her. ¡± They both shook hands before Carson left to go take his seat . I looked over at the direction Carson had walked into and saw Serena holding Marcello. She smiled at me, waving his small hand towards me. Iughed turning to face Sin, who had his eyes on me.


    The priest started but I couldn¡¯t hear a word he said because I was too busy gazing at this beautiful man In front of me. I blushed when his eyes stayed in mine, not backing down or looking elsewhere but me. It was like he was in a trance, his face refused to leave my face and the smile on his lips couldn¡¯t be washed off.


    ¡°Do you, Niki Violenta, take Normani Parker to be yourwfully wedded wife, for better or worse. For riches and for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do you apart. ¡±


    ¡°Yes I do. ¡± Sin said, putting the ring in my finger, grinning at me. I could see the look on his eyes that promised to have his wicked ways with me once the wedding was over.


    The priest turned towards me. ¡°Do you, Normani Parker, take Niki Violenta to be yourwfully wedded husband, for better or worse. For richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do you apart. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do¡± I responded, putting the ring in his finger with a smile on my face


    ¡± by the power vested on me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss you¡­ ¡± I jumped a little when Sin lips smashed against mine, cutting the priest off. His arms wrapped around my waist and mine around his neck, chuckling against my lips, as he deepens the kiss.


    I heard cheers and yells around us. Sin refused to break apart from me, making them cheer even louder. His strong hand lifts me up a little, spinning me around and I squeal against his lips.


    He sets me back down, his hands still held onto my waist. We both had a smile on our faces, staring into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Congrattions to you two ¡± The priest says, smiling lovingly at us.


    We nodded at him in appreciation before turning to face the crowd. Everyone was on their feet, pping their hands. I turned to look at the girls,


    Samantha was beside Alexander, Stephanie beside Luca and Athena was with Mateo. Luca had told Stephanie everything the week I had given birth. Stephanie was beyond pissed at us, she didn¡¯t want to talk to us. We had betrayed her trust. She ended things with Luca and we thought that was thest time we would ever see her because she went MIA for weeks.


    When she came back, we girls had a talk. We cried our hearts out and settled things between us. She has just recently forgiven Luca a month ago and they were back together even stronger than before while Athena hasn¡¯t told anyone in the family about Lorenzo apart from us girls. She wanted to keep it that way at least for now.


    I smiled at the girls, happy and they instantly smiled back, a smile on their face. Sin held my hand and we both walked down the aisle together with flowers being thrown at us. Sin leaned down to whisper to my ear. ¡± Can I have you now.¡±


    I giggle. ¡°Not yet husband¡±


    ¡± Husband¡± He chuckles, looking at me lovingly.¡± I like the sound of that. ¡°Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you refuse to tell me where we are going. I feel like we have been walking for hours. ¡± i heard Sin chuckled softly, as he kept on leading me to heaven knows where. My eyes were blindfolded, making it hard to know where we were


    ¡± patient amore. Besides, it¡¯s only been three minutes since we got out of the car. ¡±


    I scoffed.¡± Yeah, but I have been blindfolded throughout the ride.¡±


    ¡°so impatient, amore. Few more steps Mrs. Violenta.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I grinned, liking the fact we were officially married.


    I squealed when I felt him lift me up bridal style, with the warm weather surrounding me. I felt giddy and couldn¡¯t wait for him to take off the blindfold.


    I felt my feet touch a wooden floor and the cloth wrapped around my eyes slowlying loose. I gasp at the view of the beach in front, watching the waves move the water. Though it was dark, the moonlight shone on the water, enhancing it beauty and making it more enchanting.


    It was fucking gorgeous.


    ¡°Wee to Maldives¡± Sin says, a smile on his face.


    We stood at the woods entrance of a cabin with the perfect view of the beach. I was awed. There were bright colourful flowers surrounding thepound, just like the cabin Sin had taken me back in Italy. Sin held my hand, waking me through the house.


    There were beautiful white couches surrounding the firece with a sparse kitchen shone underneath the dim light. Anxiety and anticipation eats me up. This was our honeymoon and I know what is toe but that didn¡¯t stop the nerves I felt. I felt my feet being lifted up the second time this night, Sin carried me bridal style to what I assumed would be the room.


    I helped him open the door and he wasted no time in putting me on the bed. His hand moved from my waist to my hips then down to my ass, giving it a light squeeze. He pulled closer to me, his erection hard against my body. I felt his lips at the crook of my neck and I lost every bit of control had. He kissed my neck, sucking and nibbling, I quiver from the feel of his hot lips on my skin.


    He held my chin, smashing his lips against mine. I felt his want, desire and lust as his lips pressed against mine. He pulled back, getting rid of his shirt. His abs glitter against the light and I bit my lips, moaning at how delicious he looked.


    ¡°Help me out of my dress. ¡± I said, trying to look as innocent as possible. I felt the heat in my core when his fingers brushed against my skin, lifting me up my post ¨C marriage, white bridal short dress . His eyes instantly took in my body and he gulped.


    ¡°sei bellissima¡¯ He said, staring at the white lingerie. His hands moved around my body, appreciating every curve. ¡± You are perfect. ¡± He took off his pants, while I took off my heels, ne and earrings. Laying back on the bed, waiting for him.


    Sin leans in and we share a very passionate kiss. When he pulled away, he kept on trailing kisses down my body. From my neck to my shoulder de, stopping at the bridge of my breasts. He smirked devilishly, unhooking my bra. His lips covered my nipples, sucking and kissing the sensitive bud, making me moan out in pleasure.


    I wrapped my legs around his waist, my hand tugging and pulling on his hair. I ached my body up as pleasure flowed through me. He hummed, pulling away, staring at me with lust filled eyes.


    ¡°I love every inch of your body, all your curves and all your edges. It¡¯s perfect, just for me!¡± He slowly takes off my panties, his eyes never wavered from mine. He threw it across the room, leaving wet kisses inside my thigh. Anticipation built up inside me, waiting for the feeling of his lips against my core.


    I shivered, my toes curled up when he drove his tongue inside me. I grabbed onto his hair, pulling him close, a shuttering moan like music to his ears escaped my lips. He thrust two fingers into me, hitting my spot. My legs tightened around him while I grind my hip on him, meeting his thrust.


    Hot pleasure filled me up, my moans became long and high pitched. My leg quivered, shuddering against him as I reached my peak. He had a victorious smirk when his lips left my core. He leans down to peck my lips, getting up to take off his boxers. I eyed him like he was a candy, wanting him in me already. He pressed his lips against mine one more time, his tongue explored my mouth. I moaned, pulling his body closer to me


    He breathes huskily, his dark orbs glitters. He got a hold of his erection, settling it at my entrance before pushing into me. I gasp at how big he was, filling me up even after the number of times we did it.


    He dove into me deep, my nails dug against his back. I was a moaning mess, yelling and screaming as he pondered into me. ¡°More.¡± I whispered.


    He thrust into me roughly which helped amplify the pleasure I felt. His thumb rubbed against my clit and I gasped, holding and squeezing my nipples.


    He stopped abruptly when he felt getting close to my peak.¡± Not yet, baby girl.¡± He chuckled. ¡± You are not allowed to cum till I tell you to.¡± He says, kissing the pout off my lips.


    He continues thrusting into me and I moan, meeting his thrust. This went on for up to thirty minutes till screamed his name, cumming. He held onto my hips, going in and out of me. He came in me, filling me up.


    it¡¯s a good thing I got my birth control shotst month. Thest thing I wanted right now was another baby. I already had two, which was enough for now. I know Sin always liked to go bare with me, so I took in the alternative to visit Dr Fernandez.


    Sin fell beside me at the other side of the bed with me cuddling close to him. My head rested on his chest, his hand behind my bare back. I waspletely exhausted, Sin pulled a nket over us


    My eyes slowly close on its own ord, smiling as I fall asleep inplete bliss.

 HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR

    We had woken up ages ago, and did a little bit of morning exercise. If you get what I mean. Right now, we were sitting outside. Well, Sin was sitting on a chair with me on hisp. We were both enjoying the wonderful view of the ocean as well as the fill of the warm air against our skin.


    Sin kissed my shoulder, bringing my attention to him. He held my head, pulling me to his never ending kisses. I could never get tired of this. He pulled away, smirking at my red stained face.


    ¡°I wonder how the babies are, I miss them already.¡± I say, resting my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, they are safe.  I know my mom and your aunt will take good care of them. My mom adores her grandchildren a lot, same as your aunt.¡± Sin runs my back softly.


    ¡°I know, but still¡± Tears formed around my eyes and I blinked a few times, trying to stop them from falling down.


    ¡°Amore, it¡¯s only for three weeks then you can see them again. We don¡¯t know when we will ever get the chance to spend time alone with each other. Besides, you can always call or video chat with them. I¡¯m sure my mom and your aunt won¡¯t mind if you want to see Marcello and Aurelia¡±


    ¡°I miss them so much. Can we call them now¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± He holds my hand to his lips, leaving soft kisses. Sin took out his phone, clicking on video, calling his mom. We didn¡¯t wait that long before she answered.


    ¡°Niki, Mani¡± Serena greeted with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Hi Mom¡±


    ¡°Hi Serena¡±


    Sin and I said it at the same time. I waved at her with a smile on my face, looking behind her to see if I could get a glimpse of my babies.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t both of you be enjoying your honey and doing what other newlywed couples do?¡± Serena asked, a warm smile still on her face as she scolded us.


    ¡°We are having a great time, mom. You don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± Sin answered, yfully rolling his eyes. ¡°Mani misses the babies and wants to see them.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± Serenaughed, shaking her head. ¡°They are with Sara and Athena.¡± The camera shifted, and I saw that Serena had gotten out of the bed, leaving her room downstairs. I heard the sound of Athena making baby noises andughed at the thought of her ying with the children.


    Serena shifted the camera so that we could get a better view of them. I saw Athena and my aunt sitting on the couch with Marcello and Aurelia in a small baby crib in which they moved to and fro, cooing at them.


    When they noticed Serena¡¯s presence, they turned to stare at her. I heard Serena say something to them, but I couldn¡¯t understand what she said. Athena nods while picking up Aurelia, while my aunt picks up Marcello, facing them toward the camera.


    ¡°Oh, my babies, hi,¡± I said, watching their ears peak and their eyes look round for me. ¡°Mummy misses you guys so much:¡± I whispered, and Sin kissed my forehead. ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t troubling your aunt, grandma, and great aunt,¡± I say.


    ¡°Believe me, these two have been little angels. They hardly cry,¡± Athena eximed,ughing.


    ¡°They are true Violenta,¡± Sin responded, looking proud, and the rest of usughed.


    ¡°The two of you don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± My aunt smiled at us. ¡°Enjoy your honeymoon, and let us take care of the babies. If there is an emergency, we will let you know. So go make us more babies.¡± A blush crept up my face, making the rest of the familyugh out loud.


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± I grinned. I waved at them before giving the phone to Sin. He talked for a while, speaking to the babies mostly in Italian even though they didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. I stood up from hisp, making my way back inside the cabin to the bathroom for a quick shower.


    I continued scrubbing my body with my vani-scented soap, and I hummed to myself, feeling much better after seeing that my babies were okay. I heard the door of the bathroom open, and a familiar cologne hit my nostrils. Sin leans down, cing kisses down my shoulder de. His hand moved down my body, cupping my breast; he pinched my nipples, getting a loud moan from me.


    His hand left my nipples trailing down till he got to my clit. He rubbed his thumb around it in a teasing manner, ying with my clit. He removed his hand, bending my body. My hand rested against the wall, my ass ready for him.


    He felt his tip tease around my asshole before he pressed deep into me. ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed, moving my body to meet his thrust. He pulled out of me, then mmed into me roughly, making me squeal at the intensity.


    Moans and groans filled the walls of the bathroom until we both got our desired oue. I turned around, panting. His face was close to mine; he leaned down, capturing my lips. in a passionate kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not done with you, Mrs. Violenta.¡± A devilish smirk graced his face. He picked me up, taking us out of the shower to the bed. He made good on his promise by sharing his wicked ways with me.


    TRANSLATION


    sei bellissima. You look beautiful.

 EPILOGUE

    Seven years have passed since I got married to Sin and had the twins. My caring, loving husband and our two lovely children make up my existence, yet I still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    I grinned when I thought of the girls. Alexander and Samantha have been married for five years, and a year after their wedding, Giulia, a beautiful baby girl, was born to the couple. Emma, their youngest child, was born two years ago.


    Luca and Stephanie recently got married, and they are currently on their honeymoon. She was enjoying herself to the fullest. Luca had brought her to Bora Bora, and she had sent a ton of pictures. You can only imagine my delight when she told me that Luca had proposed to her four months prior.


    While Athena got married to Lorenzo a year before Samantha and Alexander. They have three beautiful boys and a girl. I¡¯m sure you are wondering how this happened.


    When Sin and Alexander found out about their rtionship, it was chaotic. They argue all the time; Sin and Alexander even went as far as threatening Lorenzo. When Sin and Alexander found out that Samantha, Stephanie, and I knew about this, It was the worst.


    Sin wouldn¡¯t talk to me, even when I tried everything to get his forgiveness. Itsted for a month and a half. It was the worst time of my life. Samantha and Alexander kept arguing over every little thing because he felt betrayed.


    I¡¯m thankful we were able to get through it. The brothers were able to see past their grievances and anger. They saw how much Lorenzo loved and cherished Athena, and they had no choice but to give their blessings.


    The union between both families was beneficial even though that wasn¡¯t the n. It made Violenta and the Ramirez family untouchable.


    My aunt Sara also found a man of her own, and they both reside in London with their children. She and Serena still hang out; they were the best of friends.


    Uncle Carson and Aunt Amelia were traveling the globe. Their trip was sponsored by Sin and Luca. They asionally send us images of the ces they have travelled.


    I flipped the pancakes in the pan so that the top could be crispy while watching the sausages cook in the other pan.


    I know what you are thinking. What the hell am I doing in the kitchen?


    Well, I spent a year after getting married learning how to cook. I registered for a cooking ss, and believe me, it wasn¡¯t easy. I almost gave up on how frustrating it was trying to make the food as edible as possible. I didn¡¯t want the twins to fall sick.


    After a year and a month of learning, you could say that I was a pretty decent cook. though not anywhere near as good as Sin. Speaking of Sin, I feel a hand wrap around my stomach, making me smile.


    ¡°Good morning, amore.¡± A deep, husky voice whispered in my ear. I turned around, and my eyes met those of Sin¡¯s dark orbs.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I chuckled before we both leaning in for a kiss.


    ¡°How is our little tyrant?¡± Sin asked, looking down at my stomach.


    ¡°Good. With the amount of kicks I receivedst night, I won¡¯t be surprised if I¡¯m told he was having a party in there.¡± I joked, smiling softly.


    ¡°I guess he can¡¯t wait toe out; he is just excited.¡± He smiled down at my bump. He put his hand on my stomach, rubbing it softly.


    I was six months pregnant, and this time we decided to know the gender and making sure to see if I was carrying two babies instead of one. We don¡¯t want any surprises.


    ¡°Where are Marcello and Aurelia?¡±


    ¡°Aurelia is still sleeping, but Marcello woke up an hour ago. He¡¯s in the living room,¡± Sin stated.


    My eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Marcello is up and not Aurelia. That is so unlike him.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. You could imagine the shock I felt when I saw him sitting on the couch, hands crossed, just staring at the TV screen. ¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°I feel like that boy is out to get me.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, smiling. ¡°Niki, your son isn¡¯t out to get you. I¡¯m sure Marcello doesn¡¯t have anything evil nned up his sleeves. ¡± I exined, but he didn¡¯t seem to believe a word I said-even I didn¡¯t believe the wordsing out of my mouth.


    ¡°We both know that¡¯s a lie.¡± Sin eximed. ¡°I won¡¯t be fooled by his innocent and cute facades.¡±


    I pecked his lips, turning back to the pancake on the stove. ¡°Maybe he got up early and didn¡¯t want to go back to sleep, so he decided to watch TV.¡± I turned off the stove, tidying up the kitchen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that one bit,¡± Sin replied adamantly.


    I spun around to look at him; my eyes shifted to the door, and I almost had a heart attack. I squeaked, pressing my hands to my chest. Sin looked at my puzzle before turning his head to look behind him.


    There at the entrance of the door was little Marcello, hands crossed. His eyes shifted from me to Sin, then back to me. A full-blown smile made its way to his lips; he raced towards me, and I bent, stretching my arms wide for him to fall into.


    ¡°How is my little prince doing this morning?¡± I cooed, and heughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not little any more,¡± Marcello says, with an adorable pout at the side of his lips. I ruffled his hair,ughing.


    ¡°You will always be my little prince.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything; his eyes left my face to look at Sin with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Good morning, old man.¡± Marcello left my side, walking towards Sin.


    Sin scoffed, sending a yful re at Marcello. ¡°I¡¯m not old.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Marcello mutters, smiling. ¡°Aren¡¯t you like fifty years old?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirty-five.¡±


    ¡°I see no difference. Old man¡±


    Sin looked at Marcello, his face filled with disbelief as he stared at his seven-year-old son. ¡°Morning, son.¡±


    The two of them had a stare-down; no one said a word till Marcello¡¯s side of his lips lifted up into a smirk. His eyes twinkled with mischief. He gave his father onest look before leaving the room.


    ¡°I think I might have gone too far with the prank.¡± Sin says, watching his little body retreating back.


    ¡°You think!¡± I scoffed. ¡°You do realize you blew up his favourite toy car selection,¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He shrugged, looking at me with innocent eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it on purpose. How was I supposed to know the cars were going to explode?¡± He tried defending himself. ¡°Besides, he was the one who started it first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you started it first,¡± I eximed, pointing a finger at him.


    Don¡¯t get me started with both father and son. They always had a new prank up their sleeves, plotting against each other. Sin pranks Marcello, Marcello retaliates. Marcello pranks Sin; Sin retaliates.


    A week ago, Marcello had turned Sin¡¯s favourite car into graffiti. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but Sin thought it was a wise decision to take Marcello¡¯s favourite toy cars and put a firecracker in the middle of them. He thought it was a fake and wanted to use it to scare Marcello, but the thing ended up blowing up, which resulted in today.


    But don¡¯t be fooled; the two of them loved each other, and I know Marcello loved his father a lot. No matter what happens, despite whatever prank is yed against each other, they cuddle up together at the end of the day, bonding with the family and having a great time.


    Aurelia was just like me-a bit of a nerd-and Sin and Marcello adore her. They were protecting and spoiling her. They give her literally anything she asks for but know to correct her when she does something wrong.


    I sighed, dishing out the pancakes onto the tes. Sin pecked my lips, helping me set the table. I had given the maids a week off because I knew they had families they wanted to spend time with.


    I walked to the dining room, taking a seat beside Sin. Marcello and Aurelia are on either side of us. We held our hands together, saying grace before eating our breakfast.


    ¡°So what do you two have nned for the day?¡± I asked the twins, causing both of their attention to shift to me.


    ¡°Xavier and I are having a y date.¡± Aurelia was the first to answer, and as she gave a heart-warming smile, her eyes twinkled with excitement.


    I wasn¡¯t given a chance to reply before, when Marcello and Sin both grumbled out


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Xavier¡±


    The way they said his name, doing nothing to hide their displeasure. I ignored them, instead focusing my attention on Aurelia.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, sweetheart.¡± I beamed. ¡°Will he being over?¡±


    ¡°No, mommy, we are going to the park today.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Marcello mutters under his breath.


    ¡°What about you, Marcello?¡±


    ¡°Well, I did have something nned out for today.¡± He replied, looking directly at Sin. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s your lucky day, old man; I¡¯m following Aurelia to the park.¡±


    ¡± No¡­¡± Aurelia whines in displeasure.


    ¡°Well, deal with it. I need to make sure that Xavier boy doesn¡¯t try anything funny. I don¡¯t trust him one bit.¡±


    ¡°You do know he is the same age as you , right?¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t change a thing.¡± Sin mutters, supporting Marcello.


    ¡± Mom.¡± Aurelia whines, her eyes pleading with me for an assist.


    ¡°Aurelian is going to have her y date with Xavier without any watchful eyes.¡±


    ¡± Amore..¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Mom.¡± Both father and son yell out in distress.


    ¡°Quindi aiutami Dio, se qualcuno di voi interrompe l¡¯appuntamento di gioco di Aurelia con Xavier, risponderai a me. Mi sono spiegato bene. (So help me God, if any of you disrupt Aurelia¡¯s y date with Xavier, you will be answering to me. Have I made myself clear)¡± My gaze shifted from Sin to Marcello, and they both gulped, nodding. ¡°Good, now let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Aurelia smiles as she sits, sticking her tongue out to Marcello, who only grumbles in return before turning to look at his father; he didn¡¯t say anything, but somehow Sin was able to understand, and a smirk grew on both their faces, telling of nothing but destruction.


    Heaven knows what they are up to now.


    Yet I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that made its way to my face; the feeling of contentment enveloping me like a second cloth, leaving nothing but peace and happiness being surrounded by family.

 Luca and Stephanie

    I gulped down my drink and set the ss back on the table. I took a deep breath and then raised my hand to signal the bartender.


    ¡°Another shot,¡± I said.


    He frowned. ¡°I believe you have had way too much for the night, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    I shook my head quickly, but stopped when it made me feel a bit dizzy.


    ¡°No¡­ pe, another shot.¡±


    I thought it was wonderful that he continued to disy care, but after I patiently waited, he simply groaned and went to get my drink.


    In the end, his worry wasn¡¯t going to help me much. I also knew how to control my alcohol intake while always being the good girl. I was a little tipsy, but not at all intoxicated.


    After a while, I was certain I had had a little too much to drink, but I still wasn¡¯t intoxicated enough.


    I need to head back to my home; now that Mani is touring the world, the apartment we shared for nearly five years feels empty.


    It¡¯s been three months since she left, but I still haven¡¯t found a roommate I feelfortable with. Or maybe it¡¯s the fact that no one could rece her, and I was missing her dearly.


    I turned to face the dance floor. Everyone appeared to be having a good time while enjoying the music, drinks, and dancing. For me, this was a familiar scene. But for some reason, being here seemed odd. I remember the first time I had walked in here with Mani months ago, when I convinced her to go clubbing with me and how adamant she had been.


    Thinking back to that night, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I never would have thought herck of presence would affect me this much. We had literally been together since our diaper days; we hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to say a proper goodbye when she left. It was frustrating enough that I haven¡¯t heard from her since her graduation, and every time I tried calling, it always went into voice.


    Every single time, I want to believe she was doing okay and having the time of her life. I didn¡¯t want any negative feelings to creep in, yet sometimes I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something terrible had happened to her.


    Shaking the thought from my head, I pushed myself off the wall, but I miscalcted.


    I had left the bar to go to the bathroom, which is why I was now resting against the wall rather than remaining there. But a new group had just arrived, and they were loud and crowded, and I was feeling unsteady. I moved to avoid them, once I made the decision to leave, I had to make my way through the entire room, through everyone who was dancing or loitering with their drinks.


    I didn¡¯t mean to fall; I wasn¡¯t even aware that I was shaky, and wearing strange height heels wasn¡¯t helping. I felt as though my legs were about to give out before I could catch myself.


    Shit.


    With my arms out in an effort to break my fall without breaking an arm, I squinted my eyes because I was too terrified to close them.


    However, that didn¡¯t ur. I smacked into someone as opposed to falling to the ground. Undoubtedly, he had no intention of helping me. Prior to our collision, he appeared to be passing in front of me without realizing I was in the way.


    He seemed tall and had a muscr build beneath his suit, which was my initial impression of him.


    My hands were now grasping his bicep with one hand and letting go of the other to his peck. My face was already mashed up against his chest when his arms rose to grab me as I crashed into him, stabilizing me.


    I briefly felt happy that I didn¡¯t wind up falling face-first on the ground. Since everyone in the club seemed to be so focused on themselves and one another, I had no doubt that a few individuals would have tripped over me on their way.


    I looked up at that point and my throat tightened.


    He¡¯s sexy. My second impression of him was that. He was holding me close with one hand on my waist and the other on my shoulder, pressing me up into his chest. not that I wish to relocate. This must be how instant attraction feels, I reasoned to myself.


    ¡°Easy now, Tesoro,¡± the man said. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    His voice was so delectably deep that I just gaffed at him by blinking. He had a good voice, a good body, and an attractive face-the whole deal. The interest of a man like him would never have piqued my interest before.


    ¡°Tesoro,¡± he said after a minute when I didn¡¯t reply, arching an eyebrow. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    My cheeks immediately became hot, and I realized I was flushing. He was holding me firmly and somewhat tightly to his chest, so I cleared my throat and tried to get away only to realize I couldn¡¯t. He swiftly let me go after appearing to understand it as well.


    But he did it a little too rapidly, and I stumbled a little, almost sliding back into the wall, before he grabbed me again and pulled me back against his chest with his hands on my waist. This time, we struck a slightly more personal position. If anyone saw us, they would assume we were together because he had his hands around my waist and mine were on his chest.


    ¡°Caro, are you here alone or with someone?¡± He enquired. ¡°You appear intoxicated.¡±


    My head shook. ¡± Not intoxicated¡±, I rified. ¡°Just slightly inebriated.¡±


    Sincerity be damned, looking at his face was doing me no good; all it did was induce daydreaming. My hands flexed on his chest because if he released go, I was certain I would fall.


    His other eyebrow shot up, but I could see from the look on his face that he wasn¡¯t exactly rmed despite the weird woman hanging off of him.


    ¡°We should perhaps rx for a while . You seem to need it ¡± He made the offer.


    I agreed as I thought it was a fantastic idea. He turned me around and led us to the area where there were seats, but he didn¡¯t release off of my back fully. There were a ton of open tables, and he grabbed us one because it appeared like almost everyone had moved to the dance floor. Until I sat down, he had my hand, but after I did, he stood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water, so please wait right here, okay?¡± I once more obediently nodded and observed him leave as he did. Was he going to return? I pondered. Guys with his physique unquestionably did not enter clubs alone and would not exit them either. Why bother wasting his time by helping me?


    Initially, why is he so worried?


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    The moment a ss was ced in front of me, I startledly looked up. The man returned and sat down next to me in the chair while keeping an eye on me. I lifted the ss and drank a few swallows of the water, assuming he intended me to, before realizing how thirsty I was. The entire ss was drained by me before I put it back on the table. I caught his approval-smiled look when I looked at him.


    His elbows were resting on the table when he whispered, ¡°Now. Why are you out alone and thiste, when you are so gorgeous?¡±


    I was beginning to question whether the booze wasn¡¯t the cause of my cheeks glowing because my face was still heated. The attention was making me ufortable, but I couldn¡¯t tell if this person was trying to get me or what he was doing specifically.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a damsel in distress,¡± I slurred. ¡°Regardless of this situation, I don¡¯t need protection or to be in thepany of others to have fun and feel good about myself.¡±


    His eyebrows shot up like he was surprised, but then he was chuckling.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I never said you were a damsel in distress, Caro.¡± I sucked in my lips and shot a frown at him. He just continued to look amused.


    I could go out and have some fun at a club, but why would I want to bring a man back to my apartment?


    I wasn¡¯t going to do that, even with how appealing he looked. Although there was a lot on him to look at, I could hardly meet his eyes. Particrly, my gaze kept drifting to the spot where his suit¡¯s missing tie ought to have been. Instead, he wasn¡¯t wearing one, and the top two buttons were undone, showing his toned chest, throat, and a sliver of corbone.


    ¡°You know,¡± the man said, and I looked up to see him smirking at me. ¡°You are way too beautiful to be out here by yourself; thest thing we need is for this horny bastard to think they can take advantage of you. Il cielo sa che ci vuole ogni ruota del potere per non strappare i loro hi lussuriosi (Heaven knows it takes every wheel of power not to pluck their lustful eyes.)¡±


    My back began to straighten, and I let out what may have been a squeak. The smirk on his face belied the intense seriousness of his eyes. Despite the fact that I didn¡¯t understand what he had said, my body tingled as a result of how extremely hot it sounded.


    Hoping he wouldn¡¯t notice how his presence was affecting me, I inhaled deeply.


    decision to end the night was made. Even though his gorgeous sight felt like a blessing to my eyes, he was still a stranger to me, and I was eager to put this night out behind me and head back to thefort of my bed.


    This time, my legs didn¡¯t desert me as I got to my feet to get away. But I didn¡¯t go very far before I felt something grab my arm. The grasp wasn¡¯t firm. The grasp would havee off if I had continued walking because it was soft. However, I hesitated and turned around to face him.


    He was standing near by, bringing my attention to how much bigger and taller he was than I was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I deserve to at least know your name?¡± He questioned, sliding his hand down to hold mine. His hand squeezed gently around mine, and I could tell my fingers were trembling.


    I wet my lips, and a feeling of warmth filled my body as I stared into his eyes in a daze.


    ¡°I¡¯m Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie,¡± he says with a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Luca.¡±


    ?????


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have stepped forward to help.


    Maybe I should have kept to Sin¡¯s request and watched her from afar.


    Yet, the more time I spent monitoring her every move, the more I wanted nothing more than to know her instead of hiding in the shadows.


    So yes, maybe this was a mistake, but it was one I would dly make if it meant making Stephanie King¡¯s mine.

 Athena And Lorenzo

    I could be doing anything with the rest of my day, probably watching Netflix and chilling, if I was up for a bit of fun, I could always go clubbing. But that wasn¡¯t the case tonight; instead, I was being prepped for a ball I wished not to attend.


    Only if there was a way to escape having to attend and watch those pretentious fuckers pretend to get along with each other.


    ¡°Do you really need me there?¡± I asked, letting out yet another sigh.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Be, my childhood best friend, responded, giving me a pleading look. ¡°I can¡¯t do this by myself; it¡¯s torture having to go there and pretend to care. I need you there, Athena.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just skip this year¡¯s ball? I¡¯m sure your parents won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Be sighed exasperatedly. ¡°I wish I could, but my dad is too stubborn to listen to reasons, he is running for a political position and wishes I would apany him since my brother can¡¯t attend this year. I¡¯m really hating the fact that he had to go on a business trip at this time.¡±


    ¡°You know how much I hate attending this event; not even Alexander could make me go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m your one and only best friend.¡± She grins.


    ¡°Ugh, do I at least get to eat first? I haven¡¯t had anything since breakfast.¡± I asked. My head was pounding, and I certainly wasn¡¯t ready to spend the day preparing for the ball on an empty stomach.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course, I will get a maid to whip up something for you.¡± She was out of the room before I could say anything, and after thirty minutes, she returned with a tray of food.


    My stomach grumbled in agreement as I threw off the bed covers and practically leaped towards the table. My mouth watered at the sight of the toast, marmde, and fruits.


    ¡°So who exactly will be attending the ball? It seems important if your father is pressuring you to go. I know Alexander can¡¯t go since he has other matters to attend to and Sin hasn¡¯t been back in Italy for three years now,¡± I asked, between mouthfuls.


    ¡°um¡­. i . Don¡¯t really know,¡± she stuttered out nervously. ¡°I already got us a dress, so you don¡¯t have to worry about what to wear.¡± She says, changing the subject, and I decided not to pry further; she probably had no clue. I just wanted to get the night over and done with.


    After my meal, I immediately went to the bathroom to freshen up while the makeup artist we invited was prepping Be. Once I was done with my shower, the women assigned to getting me ready began working their magic on my hair and face as time seemed to move at lightning speed.


    When they finished, they moved away from the mirror, giving me ess to my reflection. My hair was curled so that it cascaded down my shoulders in voluminous waves that looked foreign on my face. The makeup on my face was simple yet elegant and divine.


    I was dressed in a deep red corseted ball gown that, despite crushing my insides, spoke nothing but sophistication. On top of my bosomys a diamond ne paired with simr earrings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you look beautiful?¡± Be beamed. ¡°You sure will be turning heads.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I was born beautiful,¡± I replied with a bit of sass. ¡°And you aren¡¯t looking bad yourself. You look amazing.¡±


    Be looked ethereal in a lc ball gown made of a fabric so soft, it felt like it would crumble upon touch. Her makeup, like mine, was simple yet elegant. Her hair was pinned up with two strands by each side of her face, making her green eyes prominent.


    ¡°Well, I do n on gettingid afterward. So I might as well look my best.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to put up with the torture for the night, don¡¯t I need to be rewarded?¡±


    I scoff. ¡°And what do I get in return?¡±


    ¡°our never-ending bond of friendship.¡± She smiles cheekily.


    ¡°Nice try¡­.¡± I say with a smirk. ¡°Dinner at your family restaurant for a month.¡±


    ¡°What? You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°You know how freaking expensive it is to book a table there and have been craving some minestrone. Your restaurant makes the best minestrone.¡±


    ¡± True.¡± Be answers, bobbing her head. ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    ¡± Yes¡­.¡± I squealed excitedly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± The earlier we get there, the earlier we get to leave.¡±


    ????


    The party was in full swing, and just as I expected, most of the influential Italian family was in attendance. dressed in their very best attire, looking posh and elegant. Everyone was conversing andughing amongst themselves, pretending they were excited to see each other.


    I rolled my eyes, bored out of my mind, and it had only been an hour since we got here. I couldn¡¯t wait for the time to move faster so that I could return to thefort of my bed.


    My eyes wandered around the room, taking in the familiar faces before settling on one particrly dreadful one.


    He stood there, tall and mighty, conversing with some of the influential men, and I felt the anger begin to boil in my skin. He must have noticed my eyes on him because his face was turned in my direction. His gaze met mine, and I watched as his brow furrowed before the frown on his face was reced with a very annoying smirk.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that Lorenzo was going to be here.¡± I whispered a yell at Be. ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She says it with a face full of guilt. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t want toe if you knew he was attending. Besides, you just have to avoid. I doubt he is crazy enough to start a conversation with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, he sure is, seeing as he is making his way toward us.¡± I whispered, and her eyes widened as we both watched Lorenzo walk towards us. a devilish smirk on his face that I wish for nothing more than to scratch it off.


    I thought of walking away, but I knew that would only make me look weak, which was something I didn¡¯t want. I turned to look at Be, who had a worried look on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me; I can handle him myself. Why don¡¯t you carry on having fun?¡±


    ¡°There is no way in hell I¡¯m going to leave you.¡± She replies, adamant.


    ¡°Come on, Be. I know you have been eyeing that Andrew guy for a while now, and he seems interested in you. I thought your n was to getid tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, bros before hoes.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at this. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s the other way around?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I can handle Lorenzo, Be, so don¡¯t worry.¡± I reasoned with her and saw the hesitation in her eyes. I gave her shoulder a little nudge as a form of encouragement.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡± Yes.¡± I say it with a smile. Thest thing I wanted was for her to be wrapped up in whatever was going on with Violenta and Ramirez.


    ¡± Fine. Signal if you need my help.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± I replied, watching her walk away, but not before throwing a re at Lorenzo, who seemed amused by it.


    ¡°Athena.¡± Lorenzo says, stopping a few feet away from us. My name rolls out of his lips in a sultry tone, his gaze taking in my appearance, and his smirk deepens.


    ¡°Lorenzo.¡± I replied, my voice filling with venom as I mustered up a fake smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise to see you here alone, out of the clutches of your brothers,¡± he said before taking a sip of his drink.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need them to protect me; I believe I can very well handle myself even from the likes of you.¡±


    He slightly chuckles, then nibbles down on his bottom lip and thus responds. ¡± Feisty. I like it.¡±


    My anger rose at how unaffected he seemed. ¡°How exactly do you sleep at night, knowing you are nothing more than a backstabbing little bastard?¡± A victory smirk grew on my face when I saw the cold expression in his face and how his jaws were clenched together.


    The look in his eyes was dark as he gazed at me, but it was soon wiped off and reced with his revolting smirk. His prating hazel eyes meet with mine as he takes a bite of his beverage. Strong and pervasive tension prevails. We both pretended to be happy while hiding our savage animosity towards one another. There was nothing I wanted more than to go for my dagger that was concealed in my holster and sever his neck as the blood spurted out.


    ¡°Il mio esuberante angelo, if you¡¯re so curious to know, I slept like a fucking baby.¡± He replies, advancing toward me until we were both out of breath. His lips brushed across the side of my ear, moving very slowly. ¡± e solo perch¨¦ tu lo sappia, niente di me ¨¨ poco (And just so you know, nothing about me is little)¡±


    When he whispered those final words, which were dripping with sensuality, heated me to the core, my heart leaped into my throat. His tattoos, which I assumed ended at his chest, trailed up his arm before blending into his clothing.


    His torso was wrapped in a skin-tight shirt that twisted, exposing the muscles rippling beneath the material. Even though arge part of me wanted to murder him, I couldn¡¯t help but want to rip off his shirt and give him a passionate kiss.


    His hazel eyes spoke so many stories and concealed so many secrets despite not being very lively or alive.


    He possessed a quality that piqued my interest.


    I wanted to know more about this man, yet I wanted to put a bullet through his head for what he had done to my family.


    Then an idea struck me. This was my chance to get revenge for my family and make him pay for what his family did to mine, even if it meant giving myself to the enemy. In addition to seducing him, I had to y his game so that I could progressively learn more about him while he thought he was winning. When he finally drops his guard, I strike since I know all of his vulnerabilities, as well as his strengths and family information.


    ¡°Really,¡± I implied, biting my bottom lip. ¡± and how do you n on proving it?¡±


    ¡°Be careful, il mio esuberante angelo, you don¡¯t want to start what you can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°Then you know nothing about me.¡± I bit my lips very slowly, watching his eyes follow every movement. ¡°Nothing¡¯s more interesting than a beautiful woman who craves danger. Or don¡¯t you agree with me, Lorenzo?¡±


    He took a sip of his drink, and I saw that he had a rose tattoo on his left hand, that his jet-ck hair was pulled back with gel, and that there were a few sparse hairs on his forehead that were dozing. His all-ck suit appeared to be hand-tailored. Elegant and young


    We both remain mute as we stare at one another like ravenous animals fighting for the final meal. You could feel the tension slowly escting between us. I lick my lips in want as i slowly sweep my hair off my shoulder. Lorenzo grinds his teeth and murmurs something to himself. I struggle to control my smirk. recognizing his desire for me.


    This time, I was the one who closed the distance between us. I ced my hand on his chest without breaking eye contact.


    ¡°Dance with me.¡± I whisper in his ear, taking his drink from him and cing it on the table before sping his arm and dragging him to the dance floor.


    I walked slowly in his direction, pressing my chest into him and encircling his neck with my hands as I did so. With our faces close to each other, I begin to move gently but seductively against his body, tease him with my fingers that are softly caressing his nape.


    I smirk when I hear a slight yet husky groan escape his mouth.


    ¡°Non sarebbe meglio se fossimo entrambi nudi? (Won¡¯t it be better if we were both naked?) I whisper as I lean into his ear and gently bite his earlobe.


    Be was watching me with wide eyes and anxiety as I was taken off the dance floor before I could process anything. I signalled to her that everything would be alright.


    The process of luring Lorenzo was so much simpler than I had anticipated.


    The hallway is empty as Lorenzo rings us up. He ms his lips into mine without any prior notice. The ballroom¡¯s distant quiet music is audible.


    Since he¡¯s tall, I bnce myself by wrapping my arms around his neck and standing on my tiptoes. He deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue into my mouth, turning the kiss into a sloppy, hot one.


    ¡°Your ce.¡± I moaned between the kisses, heat rushing to my core as I felt his hands dangerously exploring my body.


    He doesn¡¯t reply, but picks me up without warning and continues to walk down the hall. He stops in front of an elevator and presses the button. while we wait. I break the kiss and question him. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°my ce.¡± He simply replies confirms my word. Then he just continued to kiss me as we entered the elevator.


    ¡°Just so you know, Athena, i don¡¯t n on going easy on you.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I expect nothing less.¡±

 Samantha and Alexander

    I was feeling devastated, and I couldn¡¯t help but me myself for what had happened to Mani. If only I had not gone out this morning, if only I had kept to my routine and brought her meal up to her room like I usually did these past few days, then she wouldn¡¯t have gotten kidnapped. especially not when she was pregnant.


    No..


    None of this would have happened if only I had given her the chance to exin when she first pleaded with me. Maybe then we would have figured out who was betraying us, and now we had to work faster at finding her before something bad happened.


    Sighing, I swing my legs, which were deep inside the pool water, while wiping the tears from my face. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had cried this much. Was it those times when I struggled to stay alive as my father carried on with his assault, or the time he¡­


    Shaking the thought off my head, I try not to think about the past, knowing it would bring nothing but pain and nightmares.


    ¡°You have been in here for quite some time; are you okay?¡± Alexander¡¯s voice boomed off the walls, causing my attention to shift from the pool to him.


    ¡°Of course not. Not until Mani is found,¡± I answered, and the air filled with awkwardness.


    There was no doubt that I was one of Sin¡¯s men and have worked for him for a long time. I probably met his family on one or two asions, but I have never been alone with any of his family members, especially not his younger brother Alexander.


    My eyes wandered around his features, taking in every detail. Just like his brother, Alexander Violenta was graced with a wless face, one that was bound to capture the attention of women. Just like Sin, he was blessed with a great height, standing tall and powerful, and his eyes spoke about nothing but danger and mystery.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Yet unlike Sin, he has a bit of warmth, making him look less intimidating, but I knew better than to let my guard down. He was, after all, a violent man. And the Violenta men weren¡¯t ones to be missed.


    ¡°Nothing is going to happen to Mani; Sin will find her; that, I¡¯m very certain of,¡± he says after a few seconds have passed.


    ¡°I want to keep an open mind, but I can¡¯t help but worry, given the condition she is in.¡±


    ¡°What condition?¡± He asked, giving me a puzzled look-that was when I realized my mistake.


    ¡°Uh, you know, she had been downcast and depressed since her argument with Sin.¡± No one but Sin Luca and I knew about the pregnancy, and I wasn¡¯t sure if Sin had already told his brother or not, but one thing was for certain: It was my ce to tell him the news.


    I wasn¡¯t really sure if he bought into my lie, but if he didn¡¯t, he wasn¡¯t saying anything about it. Instead, an emotion I didn¡¯t recognize flickered in his eyes briefly before his stern gaze reappeared.


    ¡°You should go back in; the weather isn¡¯t friendly. Thest thing I need is for you to catch a cold.¡± The way he said it and the concern in his eyes made me squirm in my spot, sending down emotions I didn¡¯t realize I was capable of feeling.


    Get a hold of yourself, Samantha.


    This is Sin¡¯s brother we are talking about.


    Thest thing I needed right now was to miss any form of pleasure in business or even feel any form of attraction for this man.


    Besides, he was Zoey¡¯s ex-boyfriend. They may have broken up, but that doesn¡¯t mean she was over him. They almost had a child together; having any form of feeling or attraction would mean betraying her, and I could never do that to a friend.


    I sighed, returning my gaze back to the pool. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the cold; beside, it feels rxing.¡±


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t mind if I keep youpany.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being graced by the mighty presence of Alexander Violenta; why in the hell would I turn down suchpany?¡± I joked sarcastically, and surprisingly, he smiled. Granted, it was a half smile, but it was still more breath-taking than I imagined it would be.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you haven¡¯t lost your wit,¡± he says, taking a step closer to me before plopping down beside me, his legs deep in the water.


    ¡± You know you don¡¯t need to beat yourself up for what happened to Mani. My brother is already on the guilty train, ming himself for what has happened. Thest thing I need is for you to do the same, because what happened wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± His voice was soft and somewhatforting, which brought me some relief.


    ¡°Yeah, that much I know.¡± I stated this with a sigh. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t my fault, but I can¡¯t seem to register it up here,¡± I replied, pointing to the side of my head. ¡°I¡¯m stuck with those what-ifs, and I know I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself if anything happens to Mani. I feel so useless not being of help; it¡¯s been a long time since I felt this pathetic.¡± I whispered thest part, feeling breathless.


    ¡°Take a deep breath, Samantha. I know half of this is about Mani, but I don¡¯t think that is all. What really is the problem?¡± He asked me softly, and I found the feeling of nervousness beginning to take control.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± I said, fudging my nose with my fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do. I know we don¡¯t see eye to eye, but trust me, I¡¯m good at listening.¡± He says, nudging my shoulder with a smile on his face.


    ¡°With everything happening, I can¡¯t help but think back to the past. I¡¯m scared of losing someone dear to me again; the one reason I joined the mafia was because I never want to feel this weak again. I thought if maybe I became stronger, I could protect the people I care about. Right now I¡¯m reminded of what my mom had to go through in the hands of my father, what i had to go through. I¡­.¡± I was suddenly on the brink of a full-blown meltdown, and I tried shaking it off as I wiped the tears that had escaped.


    I could hear him calling my name, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to answer him. He took both of my hands into hisrge, warm hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Breathe, Samantha. in and out. You don¡¯t have to talk about it if it¡¯s too hard for you.¡± I slowly caught my breath and nodded. Hearing him call me by my full name somehow made my heart flutter.


    The way he said it was soft and sincere, like he actually cared. I know I was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel butterflies when he looked at me.


    ¡°Why do you suddenly care about how I feel?¡± I asked, puzzled. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for years, and never once have you looked my way or spared me the time of day, so why now?. Do I look so pitiful to you?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?, That I never once looked you sideways or spared you the time of day, Samantha.¡± He asked, his eyes holding nothing but seriousness. ¡°Do you really seriously think I¡¯m doing this all out of pity?¡±


    ¡°Then why, Alexander¡­¡± I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes closed for a while as he took a calcted breath before pulsing them back open and staring directly into my eyes with so much intensity and emotion that I couldn¡¯t discern.


    ¡°Because I care. I care for you, Samantha. I really don¡¯t know when I began feeling this urge to protect you and keep you safe, but the thought of seeing you hurt does something in me. and not in a good way.¡± His fingers caress my cheek. ¡°Non hai idea di quanto controllo ci vuole per non rivendicartie mio. (You have no idea how much control it takes not to im you as mine.)


    My eyes widen at his words, and the tingle in the pit of my stomach intensifies. I wasn¡¯t sure who was the first to lean in-was I the one to make the first move, or was he the one?


    All I felt was the intensity with which our lips collided with each other. Fireworks exploded as my lips moved in sync with his. Alexander grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss while doing so. Our tongues were battling for dominance, but I wouldn¡¯t give it up that easily. when he tried to gain dominance in the kiss, but I would fight back just as hard. He moved one hand from my waist and around to squeeze my butt cheek, which caused me to gasp, which only gave him the upper hand. I submitted to him and let him dominate the kiss.


    My heart was racing a marathon inside my rib cage.


    When we did break apart from our kiss, we were both panting for air. It¡¯s like we both forgot to breathe while we were lip-locked.


    ¡°Um¡­.¡± I stared at him, speechless, not sure what to say.


    I have never been rendered speechless by any man before, especially not with a simple kiss, and Alexander Violenta managed to do just that.


    ¡°I know Bambina; I have been told to have such an effect ondies.¡± He smiles, and his thumb caresses my lips.


    I know his words were a joke in a way to ease me up, but instead it felt like I had been thrown a bucket of cold water.


    Fuck


    How the hell did I forget Zoey?


    I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. I shouldn¡¯t be kissing Alexander and feeling this way.


    This was wrong.


    I pushed back away from him, watching his brow furrow in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this was a mistake.¡± I hurriedly said, raising myself to my feet as I raced out of the pool, ignoring Alexander¡¯s call.


    It was best to kill whatever feeling I had going on. I should have focused instead on Mani, yet despite the zeal to forget, I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces.


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