Desperate Measures
Liya Glensdale would never have thought that her once peaceful life would one day end in a marriage with the feared and dangerous Aldo Marino. Caught in a deal to save her careless brother, Liya is forced into a crime world filled with power struggles, betrayal and shocking secrets.
Aldo, a powerful businessman and crime boss known for his ruthlessness sees Liya as merely a tool in a game against his rival, Damian Viktor. But as time evolves, their once-cold relationship grows into more than an alliance that neither of them could see coming.
As tension continues to grow and dangers mount, Liya must learn to sail the difficult and dangerous game while acknowledging the growing feelings between her and Aldo.
Together, they’ll face their enemies hiding in the dark but their greatest troubles may be the feelings they refuse to acknowledge.
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Chapter: CHAPTER 26: ComfortLiya quickly had her bath and headed to Aria's room. She was barely in the mood for breakfast. All she wanted to do was spend some time with the little girl. Just as she was heading there, she walked past Aldo in the hallway. She opened her mouth to greet him, but the look that he gave her made her shut her mouth immediately. She wanted to go after him and ask him what was wrong, but she knew better than to do that. She couldn't push away the feeling that something had happened. Something that had shaken him. Something that couldn't have been easily fixed. Liya knocked, trying to smile as she got into Aria's room. Aria was already up and refreshed, reading a book on her bed. Liya tried observing every single action that Aria made, trying to see if she noticed that something was going on with her brother. But Aria seemed like she was oblivious to whatever had happened to Aldo. “Have you read Frieda McFadden's newest book?” She asked out of excitement. “Yes, I have,” Liya said, try
Last Updated: 2025-04-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 25: Broken TrustAfter talking to Liya, Aldo knew that nothing would ever remain the same. He wanted to head to his room, but he knew that sleep was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He ended up going to his study to see if he would be able to go through some files that needed his attention. Business was the only thing that seemed to save him whenever he was drowning in thoughts. He tried going through them, but he couldn't get Liya’s voice out of his head. Her calm voice when she said she just wanted him to be real with her. He didn't know if all the answers that he had given her were the best but at least he was truthful to her. It was true that he and Damian were close. Very close allies and businessmen back then. Damian was more like an older brother and that was due to their age difference. He was a mentor but now Damian was more like a wolf hunting Aldo down. Aldo ran his hands through his hair in frustration, as he tried not to groan. A knock on the door brought him out of his dilemm
Last Updated: 2025-04-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 24: PhotographAfter checking up on Aria and going back to his office to check on the security cameras that Melinda had said she put in place, Aldo headed back to his study to go through a few documents that needed his attention. He checked up on Aria again and this time, she was really asleep. He couldn’t hold back his chuckle. He was glad she could sleep after all that they had been throughout that day. Liya decided to keep herself busy with something after Aria had left her room for hers. As she walked down the halls, she noticed the door to Aldo’s room was open. She had never been in there so she didn’t bother knocking as she walked into the room. It was the first time so she took time to admire it. The room was covered in white. Like a hospital. The only things that were of a different color were the mahogany doors and tables. She wondered how he managed to stay in an almost monochrome room. She was so lost in thought, that she didn’t even notice when he walked into the room. He tapped her sh
Last Updated: 2025-04-26
Chapter: CHAPTER 23: Sister TalkAria walked into Liya’s room. Liya had been able to regulate her breathing and stop herself from freaking out, panicking, and flinching at every single sound by some miracle. She didn’t know how she was able to do it, but she did it. Aldo had already left her to herself after he had hugged her and promised to protect her. She knew that he was either in his study or in his room, reading over a few files just as usual. It was like she had almost been right in front of death but was somehow lucky. For how long though?Aria’s knock on the door was able to bring her back to reality. She managed to smile at the girl, who returned the smile with the brightest one she could muster. “Do you need something?” Liya asked, and she shook her head. “I just wanted to see you before I go to bed,” Aria whispered, tip-toeing until she got to Liya’s bed, and sat down, taking her hand in her smaller ones.“That’s okay,” Liya whispered back, making both of them laugh. But then, Liya had other things in m
Last Updated: 2025-04-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 22: MeetingAldo walked down to the basement. He could finally breathe after so long. After making sure that his girls were okay, he could finally pay attention to things that were a threat to their safety. His men pushed the iron door aside, and he walked in, inspecting the room. He noticed the man they had captured sitting in a corner, tied to the chair. Aldo felt his hands ball into fists as he walked up to the guy immediately. His head was cocked to the side, as blood flowed from the sides of his mouth. Aldo looked over to the men who were standing behind the attacker. “Has he said anything?” he asked, and they shook their heads. “He just kept saying that he won't say a word until his boss feels like he is worth saving.”Aldo tried his best to hold back his laughter at the mention of that. The attacker obviously didn’t know the kind of person he worked for. He was just going to be one of the countless souls who lost their lives all because they were sent on missions that they couldn’t retu
Last Updated: 2025-04-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 21: Just In TimeAldo was going through some of the files that had been sitting at his table for the longest time. It was time that he focused on work properly, at least to take his mind off all the things that had been happening at home. His phone suddenly rang, and he rushed to pick it up. Melinda’s name flashed on the screen, and he frowned. He hurried to answer, hoping that there was nothing wrong happening at home. “What’s wrong?” he asked, with a sense of urgency in his tone.“Sir,” Melinda answered, panting. “The warehouse at the harbor is on fire.”“What?” he asked, hoping that he didn’t hear her properly, but she repeated the same statement. That alone made anger fill his body immediately. He managed to regain himself. He couldn’t be caught slipping. He hurried out of the office, into his car, and drove to the harbor.On his way there, Aldo hoped to God that Melinda was playing some kind of joke. He promised himself that he wasn’t going to react negatively if it turned out that she was telli
Last Updated: 2025-04-24