Chapter: 6Alessia The gunshots didn't stop. Each one shook the ground beneath my feet, rattling through my bones until I could no longer tell which sounds were in the room and which were echoing inside my skull. “On the count of three—” Pop. “I want you to—” Pop. Pop. Glass shattered somewhere behind me, and someone screamed before the sound was swallowed by another volley of bullets. I pressed myself harder against the wall, wishing I could somehow sink into it and become invisible to the chaos happening around me. “Run for that side door,” Nico barked. My eyes moved to where his gun was pointed. The service corridor door was halfway across the room, past overturned chairs and the motionless bodies of people who'd been alive barely ten minutes ago. He expected me to cross that? With my sisters here? “I can’t—” A sudden, sharp boom tore through the building, louder than a gunshot. A chandelier snapped from its chain and crashed to the floor. I screamed, ducking as g
Last Updated: 2025-12-29
Chapter: 5Alessia“The wedding should be as soon as possible,” Rafael suggested. “What’s the need to wait when she’s well above eighteen?”“Absolutely. There's no time to waste time.” My father replied, too quickly. I sat stiffly beside Nico, every nerve in my body stretched taut like wire. The scratchy lining of my dress rubbed against my skin. I could feel the warmth of him just inches away, but I didn’t dare look at him.My fingers fidgeted in my lap.Nico didn’t say anything to his father’s suggestion, and they kept talking as though we weren’t in the room. Across the table, Leone hadn’t said a word since the knife incident. His mouth was pressed into a sour line, and I could feel his gaze flitting toward Nico when he thought no one was watching.Coward.The conversation continued without us, drifting from wedding plans to talks of alliances. The longer they spoke, the more I wanted to disappear. Crawl back into my room, rip off this dress, bury my head into a pillow and cry until I could
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 4Alessia A light tap on my shoulder startled me awake.I blinked, disoriented, my cheek damp from where it had pressed against my palm. Mother stood over me, lips pursed in that familiar, disappointed line.“How can you fall asleep in a moment like this?” She hissed, tugging me upright. My dress bunched awkwardly beneath me. She ran her palms over the silk, brushing the wrinkles away. One hand came up to fix a stray strand behind my ear. “It’s time.”Right. I’d forgotten what I was waiting for. Forgotten everything, really, once I’d escaped back to my room. I’d curled into myself like a coward, trying not to replay the sound of low grunts and feminine moans. But the memory came anyway. Over and over again. Mother gave me one last look, then turned and left without another word. I followed, wobbling slightly in the nude stilettos she’d insisted I wear. When we reached the west wing, she stopped, and turned, her features softening slightly. “You’ll go in alone. Your father will make t
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 3Nico“Shit! Did she see me?”Bianca’s voice was shrill, bordering on hysterical. Her hands trembled as she yanked her dress back up, the zipper catching halfway. “Oh God, Nico, did she see us?”I reached for my shirt where it hung half-off a rusted chair. The fabric was still warm, my skin damp with sweat from where her back had pressed against me moments before. She’s not allowed down here,” Bianca muttered, shoving her heels back on with shaking fingers. “This part of the house is off-limits. What the hell was she doing here?”I smoothed the sleeves down, one button at a time. She stared at me, mascara smudged beneath her eyes, lips swollen from kisses that already meant nothing. She was a mess, hair tangled, chest heaving, breath stinking of wine and desperation. I’d barely touched her and yet she looked ruined.It wasn’t flattering.“Who was she?” I asked.Bianca blinked. “What?”“The girl.” I clarified, fastening the last button. “The one who ran.”She licked her lips, still flu
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 2Alessia I stood still as my mother tightened the last pearl button on the back of my dress. “Stop slouching,” she murmured. “You’ll make the dress look crooked.The gown she'd chosen was champagne silk, fitted through the bodice and slit high at the thigh. I'd never worn anything so revealing. It made me feel older. And not in a way I liked.“It's too tight.” I said under my breath.Mother ignored me. She stepped back to inspect me, and I caught the look in her eyes through the mirror as she studied my reflection, like she was assessing a painting she didn’t quite understand. She reached for the brush next, frowning and tugging it through my curls with more force than necessary.“Your hair…” she muttered, more to herself than me. “That shade has always been a problem.”“There’s nothing wrong with my hair,” I said quietly, though I didn’t really believe it.Auburn curls spilled down my back in loose, unruly waves, the color somewhere between cinnamon and flame depending on the light
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 1AlessiaI knew something was wrong the moment Sister Eileen knocked. Not because she ever smiled—she didn’t—but because this time, she wouldn’t meet my eyes."Pack your things, Alessia. Your mother is here."I blinked at her from behind my history textbook, my heart skipping once, then twice. “My… mother?”She gave a curt nod. "Now, Alessia."I hadn’t seen my mother in over two years. Not for holidays, not even after I turned eighteen. While the rest of the girls at Saint Theresa’s went home to their families, I’d spent every break here. They said it was for my safety, that being a Romano meant distance was survival.So why was she here now?By the time I stepped outside with my suitcase in tow, the answer was already staring back at me: a black Escalade flanked by two matte Range Rovers. Men in black shirts and darker expressions lined the entrance of the school. Girls gathered at the arched windows behind me, their whispers loud enough."Who are they?""Is she a V.I.P or something?"
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: 15Ares It’d been nine hundred and fifty seconds since I'd left Talia in the garden… four hundred seconds since I took a seat across from my father. My blood was still screaming from the interrupted moment in the garden, and I was a hair’s breadth away from losing my mind. If the old man had interrupted for anything less than a surrender, I was going to snap. He didn't acknowledge me at first. He just sat in his high-backed chair, slowly swirling a glass of amber whiskey, the ice clinking with a rhythm that grated my nerves. It was a power move… the oldest one in his book… meant to make me feel like a child waiting for a lashing. It didn't work anymore, but he kept on trying. My eyes drifted to the chessboard on the low table between his chair and mine. To Cesare, this wasn't a game; it was an altar where he played god. Over the decades, he had offered every man he marked for death one final, cruel hope: beat him at chess and keep your life. He loved the smell of their desperatio
Last Updated: 2026-01-22
Chapter: 14Talia "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here..." I blurted out, already spinning on my heel. My movements were clumsy as I tried to retreat back into the house. I needed to put enough distance between us before his presence consumed every rational thought I had. "D-don't go." The sound was a dry, splintered rasp that felt like it had been dragged through gravel. Did Ares just speak? Again? I turned back slowly, my breath hitching as I searched for the source of the sound. Ares hadn't moved his body, but his head was angled toward me, his features half-swallowed by the dark. "You spoke," I said breathlessly. His brows drew together, a deep furrow etching itself into his forehead. He looked at me with raw, disbelieving intensity, as though his voice had escaped from him against his own will… and now he didn’t know how to take it back. The realization sent a strange, aching thrill through me. Driven by a sudden, reckless courage, I moved closer, stepping into the heat of hi
Last Updated: 2026-01-22
Chapter: 13AresThis place hadn't changed in the four years I hadn't been here. I didn't know if the lack of change was comforting or merely a testament to the stagnant, rotting nature of my own mind. Dr. Theo cleared his throat, drawing my focus back to him. He had aged significantly. The last time I’d sat in this chair, he’d had a fringe of grey hair; now, he was totally bald.“I didn't expect to see you again, Mr. Marcelli.” Neither had I expected to return. Coming back here felt like admitting defeat, like acknowledging that the beast I’d tried to domesticate with silence was finally slipping its chain. “How are you?” he asked, sliding on blue-rimmed glasses that looked ridiculous against his aged skin. His fingers hovered briefly over a notebook, the exact shade of cobalt as the one he'd used four years ago, before tapping it lightly. Humans were obsessive creatures, no matter how small the fixation. They disguised their compulsions as habits, preferences, or aesthetics. Theo’s was the
Last Updated: 2026-01-17
Chapter: 12Talia“Is everything alright?” Siena asked, giving me a worried look. “You've been absent-minded lately.” Siena was the housekeeper's daughter, and Selene's best friend since childhood. They’d folded me into their little duo effortlessly. “I’m fine.” I said automatically.She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press, returning her attention to the dough she was kneading. It had been two days since Ares’ confession, and so far I’d done a commendable job of avoiding him. I knew those dark, hungry words hadn't been meant for me. I was merely a proxy for an obsession that belonged to my sister, yet my body didn't seem to care about the technicality.Selene breezed into the kitchen, clapping her hands once. “Okay, guys, what did I miss?” Siena shrugged, transferring the dough into a greased bowl, and covering it with a cloth. “Nothing,” she said casually. Then, with a sideways glance at me, she added, “Though I think there’s something Val isn’t telling us.”Every time they called me
Last Updated: 2026-01-17
Chapter: 11TaliaI swung the door open to my room, juggling the last of the shopping bags from Selene’s insistence that I come out and actually enjoy New York. I hadn’t been outside in days, and honestly, the walk through the bustling streets with her had been the only thing keeping me from wilting completely.Of course, the last thing I expected was to find Ares standing in the middle of my room. “Oh,” I said flatly, already bending to set the bags down. “You shouldn’t be in here.” Considering I hadn’t seen my husband in over two weeks, not since the morning after our wedding, this was not the most appropriate way to welcome him back. He turned toward me, his gaze tracking the movement of my throat as I swallowed. Then, as if this were a perfectly reasonable interaction, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small leather-bound notebook.It was unlocked, he wrote, tearing the page free and holding it out.I let out a short, incredulous laugh. “And?” I asked. “So was the front door. Would
Last Updated: 2026-01-15
Chapter: 10Talia My stomach dipped as the plane lifted, and I squeezed my eyes shut, a quiet prayer slipping past my lips before I could stop myself. “First time?” I startled slightly, suddenly realizing I’d forgotten Selene was seated beside me. Turning slightly, I met her calm, assessing gaze. “Yeah,” I admitted. She smiled, and adjusted her seat to angle more toward me. “It’s normal to be nervous,” she said softly. “I’ve flown plenty of times, but the first few minutes of takeoff still make me feel like my stomach is trying to escape. Here’s a trick: take a slow, deep breath. And keep talking.” “Talking?” I echoed, unsure if I could even manage the words. “Yes,” she said, smiling warmly. “About anything. About your favourite city, book, movie, whatever. We can even talk about Ares. I promise I won't snitch.” She nudged me lightly with her elbow, wiggling her brows playfully. The tightness in my stomach loosened just enough to let me notice the view outside the window behind her. In
Last Updated: 2026-01-09
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