NOT A SAINT~ALEXANDRO'S POV~I watched my mother take Lauren's hands in hers, their heads bent close together as they laughed over something I couldn't hear. The sight was surreal. My mother…a woman who had spent decades looking over her shoulder, trusting no one…was treating Lauren like a long-lost daughter within minutes of meeting her."You know when I first met your Lauren, I thought she must be using some kind of black magic on you," my mother said, looking up at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "My Alexandro, falling in love? Impossible."I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Very funny, Mother."Lauren's cheeks flushed pink, but she didn't look away from my gaze. That was one of the countless things I loved about her—she never backed down."It's not magic," Lauren said, her voice warm. "Your son just needed someone stubborn enough to not be intimidated by him."My mother's laughter echoed through the safe house. "I like this one, Alexandro. Much better than
NO MORE SECRET~LAUREN'S POV~I sat on the balcony of my room, staring at Lake Geneva. The view was beautiful, but I barely noticed it. My laptop was open to my article "Crime Hidden in the Streets of New York," but I couldn't focus. All I could think about was Alexandro and that woman at the restaurant.Three days. Three days without a call or text since I saw them together. I kept telling myself I had no right to be jealous. Our relationship started as fake. But my feelings had become very real, and that was my problem, not his.I tried again to work on my article, but the words blurred together. Why did I even come here? I wasn't helping find his mother. I wasn't helping with Viktor. I was just sitting in this beautiful mansion, useless and alone.The door opened behind me. I didn't turn around."There you are," Alexandro's voice was warm as he walked onto the balcony. He came up behind me and bent down to kiss my neck. I moved away, closing my laptop."Don't," I said. My voice
THE OTHER WOMAN ~LAUREN'S POV~The private jet touched down in Geneva just after dawn, the Swiss mountains rising majestically in the distance. I'd barely slept during the flight, my mind racing with everything I'd learned about Alexandro over the past twenty-four hours. The revelations about his past should have sent me running, yet here I was, thousands of miles from home, diving deeper into his dangerous world.Alexandro had been quiet during most of the flight, making calls in rapid Spanish and Italian that I couldn't follow. The tension radiating from him was noticeable, his usual controlled demeanor fraying slightly at the edges. Only once did he reach for my hand, squeezing it tightly before resuming his work. A sleek black Bentley met us on the tarmac, whisking us through the picturesque Swiss countryside. An hour later, we turned onto a private road that wound up into the hills, eventually revealing a stunning modern mansion of glass and stone nestled among the pines."
THE MAN I AM ~ALEXANDRO'S POV~ "Viktor Kuznetsov," Leonardo said. "Your father... he's gone crazy, Alex." The name hung in the air between us, heavy with decades of secrets and lies. My grip tightened on the gun, though I'd lowered it from Leonardo's direction. "Get out," I told Lauren, not turning to look at her. I couldn't bear to see the questions in her eyes…questions I wasn't ready to answer. "Alexandro…” she began. "Now," I cut her off, my voice harsher than I intended. "Get dressed and wait in the living room." I heard the rustle of sheets as she slipped from the bed, followed by the soft sounds of her collecting her clothes. A moment later, she brushed past me, fully dressed but with her hair still tousled from our lovemaking. The contrast between the intimacy we'd just shared and the coldness I was showing her wasn't lost on me, but I had no choice. Some conversations weren't meant for her ears. Once the bedroom door closed behind her, I turned back to L
CHRISTMAS DINNER SONG PLAYED: IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK MORE LIKE CHRISTMAS — Micheal Buble. ~LAUREN'S POV~ I paced in my parent's living room, straightening the already perfectly arranged cushions for the fifth time. My mother bustled around in the kitchen, humming happily as she prepared her famous lasagna—the special recipe she only made for important occasions. "Lauren, honey, stop fidgeting," Mom called out. "You're going to wear a hole in my carpet." "Sorry," I mumbled, forcing myself to sit down. "I just want everything to be perfect." The doorbell rang, and I jumped up, smoothing down my burgundy sweater dress. It had to be Sophia—I'd asked her to come early for moral support. When Emily had learned Alexandro was coming to dinner, her reaction had been... less than enthusiastic. "A trillionaire crime boss? Are you serious, Lauren?" she'd exclaimed over the phone. "Have you lost your mind?" I opened the door to find Sophia grinning, a bottle of expensive wine
MEANINGFUL ACT ~LAUREN'S POV~ I wanted to ask him so many questions, but I chose not to. I hated that he always had to drop everything just so he could go stand between enemies wanting to kill him or ruin him. But I knew this was what I had agreed to. When such moments came, I just had to accept it. The ride back to New York was quiet, mainly because Alexandro was on calls throughout the plane ride. I stared out the window at the endless blue sky, my mind racing. I was going back home, to my life, my job, and back to dealing with my cheating ex-boyfriend Patrick and his crazy fiancée Rosette. I knew I was in for a confrontation with Rosette when I got back to work…how I was taking more breaks than she who was engaged. The thought made my stomach tighten. What were Rosette and Patrick plotting against me now? Were they still feeding information to Julian Blackwood? I hadn't told Alexandro about what I found on Patrick's computer that night I sneaked into his office.
MAMA’S BOY ~ALEXANDRO'S POV~ I led Lauren by the hand toward the dining room, still feeling the warmth of her skin against mine. The morning light streamed through the large windows, giving the room a golden glow. Lauren looked around at the empty table with a raised eyebrow. "Where's breakfast?" she asked, her voice playful. "I'm making it," I told her with a smile. "Sit back and wait." She settled into one of the chairs, watching me with curious eyes. I held up a finger, signaling for her to wait, and walked to the side door that led to the garden. I stepped outside for a moment, breathing in the fresh morning air as I cut several red roses from the bushes my staff tended daily. I arranged them quickly into a simple bouquet and returned to the dining room. Lauren's eyes widened when she saw the flowers. I placed them in front of her and leaned down to kiss her, soft and tender. "You're spoiling me," she said against my lips, her fingers gently touching the rose p
A GOOD MORNING ~ALEXANDRO'S POV~The morning light came through the sheer curtains, softly lighting the room. I woke up, still feeling sleepy, but the warmth next to me was too nice to ignore.Lauren's breath was calm against my chest, and her hair spread across my arm like silk. I moved a bit, my hand brushing her waist, and she softly murmured something I couldn't make out, pressing closer to me. It was one of those mornings when everything felt still, caught in a perfect moment—until it wasn't.I don't know what sparked it first, maybe the way her thigh pressed against mine, or the faint scent of her skin, still carrying the trace of last night's perfume. Something sparked to life slowly and carefully, like a flame touching dry wood. I turned onto my side to face her. Her eyes opened, still heavy with sleep, but twinkling with a new desire. Something hungry."Good morning," I muttered, my voice rough with the effect of the moment.She smiled, her lips curving into that wicked l
BULLET & SEX~LAUREN POV~The silence of the room settled around me again, but it felt less oppressive now. I stood up, my legs steadier than before, and stared at the gun on the table. Tonight I'd been prepared to use it…to take a life to save my own. The thought sent a chill through me.I needed to clear my head.Stripping off my clothes as I walked, I made my way to the bathroom, letting the hot water floodgate away the fear and adrenaline that clung to my skin. I stayed under the spray until my fingertips wrinkled and my mind quieted.Wrapped in a towel, I padded back to the bedroom, drying myself methodically before pulling on one of Alexandro's shirts I'd claimed as my own. The soft cotton fell to mid-thigh, carrying a trace of his scent.My throat felt dry and dried out from the night's events. I made my way to the kitchen, remembering the wine cabinet Alexandro had shown me the first night. I found an unopened bottle of red, uncorked it with practiced ease, and took a long