The people who had their eyes on us earlier turned away, focusing on their meals. I froze to a spot, unable to speak or move until I felt a painful sensation around where he held. “You’re hurting me,” I winced.Quickly, he let go of my arm and his eyes softened as he observed the spot. “Does it still hurt?” I shook my head, resisting the urge to rub at it. Viola stepped out of the restroom, and I could see the fear in her eyes when she saw Massimo standing beside me.“You left her alone,” Massimo grated. “I needed to use the restroom. Good day,” Viola replied.“She was assaulted by someone while you were away,” Massimo said, exaggerating what happened. I widened my eyes, turning to look at him in surprise.Viola gasped and cupped my cheek with concern woven in her voice as she asked, “Are you okay?”I shook her palm off my face. “That’s a lie. He was only flirting with me,” I objected, and Viola let out a sigh of relief. “Same thing,” Massimo said then placed my hand in that of
22Sun, 3 Aug 2025 20:41“Are you okay?” Viola asked, placing a palm on my shoulder as we drove away from the shop, heading back to the mansion.A small smile graced my lips. “Yeah, I am. Thank you for standing up for me.”“It’s not a problem. I never liked her when she was with Massimo. She was too fake and sassy.” Viola shrugged, leaning into the car seat. “You know who she is?” My curiosity bubbled. “Yeah, she and Massimo were like…” Viola trailed off, winking at me. “Boning each other?” I inquired with the lifting of my brows. She nodded in response. “I see.”My heart constricted and jealousy drowned me, filling my lungs and veins. “Why didn’t he marry her then?” I inquired, slightly annoyed by this information.“Because he didn’t love her, she was probably just his play thing,” Viola answered.Her words struck a cord within me. What did she mean by because he didn’t love Leah? Did that mean that… nah, he was getting married to me for the contract. Viola kept talking about Le
Without looking up from my plate, I answered him. “The biscotti your friend brought as a wedding gift.”“I do not have friends. What are you talking about?” He asked. Without looking at his face, I could tell there was a frown creasing his forehead. “Well, that was what she said before comparing her ass to mine, telling me how you used to frolick around the streets of Calabria together,” I answered with venom dripping down my voice. The words left my mouth even before I could process them in my head.“What did she say her name was?” He questioned, ignoring the rest of the things I had tried to bring into the spotlight.Looking up at his face, I said, “Leah.” His demeanor changed. Something flashed in his eyes before it left, and he adjusted himself on his seat. Why did it seem like the name made his heart constrict or something? I couldn’t understand what expression he had on, neither could I try to decipher his thoughts. Silence hung between us, and it closed up on me, choking m
20Thu, 31 Jul 2025 14:04The moment those words tumbled out of his mouth, they hit me in the chest like bricks. A hollow pain settled in my heart, and embarrassment lapped over me like the waves of an ocean. I gripped the towel tighter around me, heat kissing my cheeks. The embarrassment I felt was mixed with annoyance, regret, and hatred. “I came here to discuss about Viola,” he said, and my heart sank. “Is she okay?” I rushed over my words, searching his eyes for answers. “I didn’t do it. I never meant–““It’s okay.” He interrupted me. “My mood has been soiled and I no longer want to talk about anything.”My stomach churned. Massimo’s nose wrinkled in annoyance, and he eyed me from head to toe as if I was something dirty before pivoting and storming away from me.Once the bathroom door banged shut, I released the towel, letting it pool around my ankles. I returned into the tub, sinking my body into the water but keeping my head up.I gripped the sides of the tub, my heart squee
I didn’t know what propelled me to pull her out of the bathtub or why panic was searing through me. Her body was limp in my arms, and my pulse raced. Numerous thoughts coiled around me, dark and suffocating. Was she breathing? Did she try to kill herself to escape the misery she felt? My chest grew tight, squeezing my delicate heart.Holding her body with one hand, my free hand roamed her face, trailing down her neck to check for her pulse. I scanned her pale face, my heart pounding violently against the walls of my chest. She coughed, snapping her eyes open. With a gasp and enlarged eyes, she shoved hard against my chest, and I released her.What the hell is wrong with you?!” She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest to shield herself.I froze to a spot, drenched and watching her stare at me in sheer embarrassment from under her wet lashes. Words tumbled out of her mouth, but I couldn’t hear anything. All I heard was the loud thumping of my heart against my rib cage. She wa
/Massimo’s PoV/In the darkness I stood, lighting the blunt hanging down my mouth and taking a hard drag. Its smoke rushed down my lungs, filling it with fire and rage. With two fingers, I pulled it out and pursed my lips, exhaling a slow stream of smoke that didn’t calm me, but fueled the beast within.The sound of my men struggling with the traitor cracked the silence of my warehouse like a whip, but I spared neither of them a glance. Tucking in my lips, I stuck the blunt in between them and rolled up the sleeves of my shirt to my elbows. My face maintained its neutral expression as I picked up a boning knife from the table in front of me and twisted it around my fingers. Swiftly, I spun on the balls of my feet and tossed the knife. It whistled in the air before landing hard on a wooden table a few steps away from me. A whimper filled the air, but it wasn’t from me or my men. I angled my head from left to right and it made popping sounds. I strode under the light, giving the m