“You are late” Alejandro the Old Don was the first to speak up the moment his grandson finally walked into the meeting.“I'm here now” Alessandro didn't bat an eye at the man or even acknowledge his presence. He adjusted his cufflinks and took a seat. Jaw lines–rigid and unmoving. Eyes–dead and hollow.Right now he could only be worried about Louisa who left the estate without his awareness. He tugged at his tie and pulled it off, the veins in his neck throbbing with barely restrained fury.“You appear distracted Don” one of the older men called.“You seem more concerned about me than the actual discussion you should be getting to” Alessandro snapped rather too impatiently.He wanted out of there. To find Louisa. His fist curled on his thighs in an annoying squeeze as he remembered Louisa persuading him to let her be with Nina. He should call Nina but then he realized he’s never had her phone number. He leaned further into his seat. He was on the verge of losing it.Then his pho
Somewhere in a dark alley.A black Mercedes pulled up by the roadside.The car door opened and a woman slid in. She swatted off the scarf hiding her face.Vivienne.“Me being here doesn't mean I've forgiven you for bailing out on me last minute” she hissed so loudly, it traveled into the night more than a snake’s.“Get your acts together, I called Alaric and also asked him to alert the old Don on your behalf” Emilia rolled her eyes. “You being here is because you know you can't afford to lose to that woman Alesso brought in” she added.Vivienne’s face squeezed like she’d just taken in poison—she hated that Emilia’s words were always right. She was the kind of woman who knew just the right words to make you feel stupid.“You look like the Vivienne I know now, you were a mess earlier,” Emilia remarked.“Of course, I went back to the estate for a change of clothes. You wouldn't call me and expect that I show up in those tattered clothes that I just trashed in the bin”Emilia laughed lo
Louisa’s whole body stilled as his lips danced on hers.With adrenaline pricking at her senses, she shoved him off but not without leaving a glass-shattering slap across his face. The slap was split. Sharp. Hard.His neck slanted to the sides forcefully as she backed away from the corner he had her trapped in. Her heart raced a marathon.“You slapped me, Louisa…”“I won't hesitate to do it a second time if you don't stay away from me. You are sick Colin. You really are” she dragged the back of her palm across her lips in a desperate move to wipe off the wet sting of his kiss.“Is this why you called me here? To pull this sick joke on me…”He grabbed her arms and shook her as if trying to bring her back to her senses.“This is no sick joke, Louisa! We are married! This is our house…this is where you belong to” He yelled into her face causing her to pull away in fright.“Buying a house doesn't fix anything. Kissing me out of the blue won't change anything!” Her lips vibrated in anguish
“Who are they?” Nina’s voice infiltrated her ears again. “Who?…” Louisa glanced at her briefly, her brain in a haze. “These people we are going to meet of course” Louisa shifted uncomfortably in her seat “I got a text from my mother-in-law, I have no idea what she said happened to Colin…” “Is that your husband?” Nina cut in “Yes.” “Then why do you look so pale? Are you alright?” Louisa shifted a bit to stare into the rearview mirror and true to Nina’s word her face was as white as paper. She looked like a ghost. Her fingers caught the necklace around her neck and she began fiddling with it—a habit she had recently formed each time she was nervous. “Shouldn't Alessandro know of this?” Nina piqued and in that moment Louisa’s phone began ringing. Her heart thudded when she saw the caller ID. Alessandro was calling. He’d probably be so pissed at her. What should she tell him? That she was running off to Colin after hearing he got into trouble? No, she couldn't do that. Sh
“Can y’all please just stop!” Louisa’s voice shrieked so audibly enough for Vivienne to back out with an awestruck demeanor seeing her there.“Unhand me, you bastard!” Nina bit out at Alaric who made sure to pull her a good distance away from Vivienne before releasing his hold on her.Louisa stood there, jaws opened as she looked from Nina whose face was still flushed crimson to Vivienne whose hair was all over the place, looking so out of it, and then Alaric— shirtless and running a hand erratically through his hair.“Nina, what's going on?” She turned to Nina, worried to see her looking so agitated with soaked lashes that gave away the tears that'd been rolling down her face in the last ten minutes.“Did you follow me?” Nina asked, her countenance going from pissed to one of mortification. “You left in a hurry and I was worried something happened” Her eyes scanned the room again.“Oh I see, you made friends with this home wrecker already. Great! You two are just alike” Vivienne moc
“Mm”Vivienne moaned into Alaric’s kiss as he carried her up the stairs and down into one of the guest rooms. She began peeling off his shirt buttons in a hurry once the door was shut tight behind them and only when he held her hands did she stop, her face twisting into a massive glare of displeasure.“Why are we stopping? You don't want this? Fine! I'm leaving” She pulled her hands from his hold in a bid to leave. Furious.“No Bella, I just want to be sure we are actually doing this and I'm not imagining things” He heaved.Her brows lifted in amusement “So you've been wishing for this day to come, hm?” Alaric hesitated a bit, not sure he wanted to say this. He’s been foolishly dreaming of things he’d do to her if they ever kissed again. “Now is your chance. Take it or you'd never see another day again like this” Damn! His fingers slipped under her top, snapping the bra hooks open. Vivienne’s lips curled up into a satisfactory smirk as she ran a hand through his hair.“I've never