LOGINLuciano’s POVI was halfway through my third call when Dante walked in without knocking. That was unusual. Dante never just barges in. Ever.I ended the call immediately. “What is it?” I asked, wondering what must have made him act so differently today. He didn’t answer right away. Just walked closer, his expression tighter than usual.“Marcello’s dead,” he said.…For a second, I just stared at him. Then I let out a short breath. “That’s not funny.”“I’m not joking,” he said, his facial expression as serious as ever. Silence stretched between us, and I studied his face, believing maybe it was a joke. Which made no sense because Dante had never cracked a joke since I knew him. His face remained serious, and it became apparent that he wasn't joking at all. My jaw tightened. “How?”Dante shook his head slightly. “The details are still messy. But it’s confirmed. He was found in one of his private suites at his club. There were no witnesses and no sign of clear entry.”I leaned back
Mariella's POV I walked into the dimly lit room and closed the door behind me. The place was really stuffy, like all the air had been traded for smoke. I coughed a couple of times, swinging my palm across my face multiple times to clear the smoke out. And then I heard his voice. “And you are?” Marcello. He was sitting on a swivel chair with his back to me. The place was dark, so I couldn't make out exactly what I was seeing. But the moonlight from the window made his silhouette quite clear. He seems to be staring out the window with a smoke pipe in his hand.“I was hoping you would guess by my voice,” I answered. The swivel chair slowly turned around, and he was now facing me. He chuckled softly and shook his head. “You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that,” he said. “To what do I owe this surprise?” “You're not going to ask how I got in here in the first place?” I asked, placing my hand on my hip in a sassy way. He shook his head.“That would be unnecessary,” he said. “You're h
Mariella's POVOf course, it didn't take long for Sophia to spill the beans. It's not like she was one to display any sign of integrity whatsoever. According to her, he was at a club in London that he secretly owned. She texted me the address and a secret code word supposedly only known by insiders. Those were enough for me to get in.From St. Albans to London was like half an hour distance by train. It was a short trip I was willing to take to put an end to this madness. Of course, I couldn't go in the day for two reasons. One, clubs aren't exactly functional during the day. And two, I had no one to watch over the twins, so it made sense to leave when they were already fast asleep. Hence, I decided to wait till nightfall. ----Nightfall finally arrived. I never realized how long twenty-four hours actually was until today. I was basically watching the clock all day till sunset. I tucked the kids in bed rather early tonight, convincing them with the idea of going out for ice cream tom
Mariella's POV“Mama…are we going to the zoo?” Antonio asked as I drove. I wasn't in the best of moods, but I couldn't exactly pour my anger on him. “No, Antonio,” I responded as calmly as my voice would let me. “For the sixth time, we aren't going to the zoo.” He went silent…at least for now.In the meantime, memories of what I saw at the Grand Meridian hotel room replayed countless times in my mind. I clutched the steering wheel tightly, my blood boiling in anger as I consistently restrained myself from stepping on the gas pedal too hard. I didn't even know it was possible to get as angry as I was.I originally planned to go to St. Jude's Convent. But I figured it would be too obvious and Luciano would instantly know where to look. And with what had happened, the last person I wanted to see was Luciano. We eventually drove out of town, arriving at St. Albans at about two o'clock in the afternoon. I drove to the nearest hotel I could find and lodged there with the twins.----It
Luciano’s POVMy head felt like it had been split open. And a dull, relentless throb pulsed behind my eyes as consciousness forced its way back. My body felt like it was made out of lead. I tried to move, but something wasn’t right. The air smelled different. Very different from my house. Where was I?My eyes opened halfway, and I blinked multiple times, trying to unblur my vision. The place didn't look familiar at all.Then I felt something…like fingers trailing slowly across my chest.I froze, and my vision snapped into focus. And I saw Sophia… lying beside me with no clothes on and with her head on my shoulder. And watching me like she had nowhere else to be. Her fingers moved lazily against my skin again. Then she winked at me, and something in me snapped. I shoved her off, hard.She fell back onto the mattress with a soft laugh, completely unfazed.“What the hell did you do?” My voice came out rough. Before she answered, my head felt like it had been hit with a rod, and the me
Mariella’s POVThe night wind brushed gently against my face. Yes, I was by the window, stuck in the silence he left behind when he walked out of the door. I had literally cried my eyes out and felt almost no relief. I couldn't tell if I was the one who was wrong for feeling hurt by his cheating or if he was wrong for not properly acknowledging my feelings. Even if he didn't do it, couldn't he at least try to put himself in my shoes? I didn't want to lose him, especially not to the likes of Sophia. While I mused on the thought, I heard a beep on my phone. My eyes lazily glanced at it. And after a little hesitation, I went over to check it out. My eyes lit up the moment I unlocked the phone. It was a text from Luciano. I stared at it for a second longer than I should have, my thumb hovering over the notification icon. Then I opened it.> We need to talk.I sat there, staring at the message, when, almost immediately, there was another message. > Come to the Grand Meridian. Rooftop l
Mariella's POV Luciano, being Luciano, did indeed leave without even attempting to talk to me. I know I shouldn't be disappointed after all, it is him at the end of the day, but it hurt. “How could he not even care that he had hurt me?” I muttered to myself. I sighed. I was the one expecting too
Mariella’s POVThe morning after the dinner felt like waking up in a house that had been subtly redesigned while I slept. The air was different—sharper, colder, and smelling of a perfume that wasn't mine. It was a heavy, floral scent that seemed to cling to the velvet curtains and the silk wallpape
Mariella's POV The dinner was supposed to be a formal introduction, a way to cement my place in the De Luca household. Instead, it felt like I was thrown into a den of lions.I stood before the full-length mirror in my room, the diamond necklace Luciano had given me cold against my neck. I looked
Mariella's POV I woke up the next morning, surprised that Luciano had indeed been serious about getting a doctor. I had said I was dizzy last night, but that was more because of everything that had been happening. I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers unconsciously knotting the silk of my robe







