Stella Romilly's pov
I didn't know how I ended up back in the living room. All I knew was that the divorce papers were in front of me. As well as Antonio and Lisa sitting across me, holding hands like new love birds. I hated the sight. I certainly didn't want to live with them acting like a married couple.
“It's been four years Antonio. Four good years,” I muttered, tears flowing non-stop. I couldn't believe he was throwing all that away. What was I expecting getting married to a Mafia boss? I knew deep down that something bad was going to happen. But not this way. Not this manner. Not this marriage!
Antonio and I had been married for four years. I needed someone to invest in my business so I made a deal with him. We fell in love.
I fell in love.Then we married. We didn't want babies at that time so we were looking forward to spending time together. It was then that I found out he was one of the most powerful Mafia leaders in the world. It was a blow at first but I quickly got used to it except that the gut feeling buried deep within me couldn't stop bugging me.
Well, until now.
I pressed the ballpoint of the pen on the paper. It was a nice romance story between us. Like a damsel in distress and a prince.
A struggling businesswoman and a billionaire.
I was worth nothing now. He was going to do whatever he wanted and I couldn't do anything. I signed the paper and handed it over to him. I wiped my tears angrily and watched as he examined the paper.
“Good. You have two days to move out.”With that, he got up with his mistress and walked out.
To be broken was an understatement. A void had been created in my heart. A deep dark void I couldn't fill. Whether my head was pounding or not, I couldn't care less. I was nonliving. I walked to the kitchen to see the dishes laid out. Anna must have heard; coupled with my red eyes. She looked at me in pity as if to comfort me. I spotted the slices of bread and butter, bacon, eggs, cheese, sausages, and pancakes with honey and I felt nauseous. I had lost my appetite.
“Come eat” The old woman took a plate ready to serve me but I stopped her.
“It's no use. I'm not a member of the house anyway.” I uttered going upstairs.
I phoned my assistant to order Ken to pick me up and book a room at my hotel later in the evening.
As I got out with my traveling bag, I spotted Antonio making a call and Lisa ordering the bodyguards to pick up her many belongings. She had brought them. I scoffed.
I met them at the gate. Antonio cut the call to look at me. I had changed into a red turtleneck and black jeans. It was easier to move wearing that. I had left my blue dress in the mansion since it was Antonio's gift.
Lisa smiled.
“Have you packed everything?” he asked, looking at the single traveling bag I had. He really wanted me gone.
“Yep. I left all the dresses and jewelry you bought. You could burn them if you want. I don't care” I said out of spite.
I wanted him to be hurt but he just nodded. I paused to stare at his icy blue orbs.
“I don't want an ounce of your money.
Don't include it.”
He stared at me in dismay. I didn't bother to look at Lisa as I passed by them.
Ken helped me with my luggage when I got outside. I entered my white car and Ken drove me away. I looked back, just to see the guards close the door. I stared at the mansion before turning back to rest my head on the window.
When I entered my hotel room, I fell on my bed. Ken brought my luggage in and I told him to call my assistant in.
There was a knock on my door a few minutes later.
“Come in” I hauled.
I heard the clinking of heels and turned to my side on the bed to talk to her.
“Any information?”
“Yes Madam.”
I nodded for her to continue.
“The board has called. They want to have a meeting with you about the upgrade of your hotel.”
“Hmm and?”
“People are demanding a different product from your makeup brand.”
“Which different product?”
“Something like a waterproof makeup kit that is not harmful to the skin.”
“Oh,” I managed. Usually, an idea would immediately spring up to my mind but in this moment, none came.
“And?”
“Top skincare brand professor, Gerald Hardin wants to sign with you. He claims his daughter used your skin care product and she was happy with the results.”
“Good news.”
“Yes.”
“Get a model for the makeup brand and set up a meeting for the waterproof makeup with the scientists I talked to you about. We'll continue from there” I said, falling face flat on the bed.
There was silence and I turned to face my assistant.
“What are you still doing here?”
I watched as the lady moved from one foot to another, clasping the files tightly in her hand nervously.
“Are you sure you are okay madam?”
The last thing I needed was pity right now. Now that she had shown the littlest care, tears welled up in my eyes. I turned my head to the bed so she wouldn't see.
“None of your business”
“Yes madam” I heard her clicking heels fade as the door closed. She must have wondered what I was doing late at night, out of my home.
My ex-husband's house.
Reality was hitting me hard and I didn't know what to expect anymore.
“I love her!”
Those words of memory vibrated within me. I remembered when he held Lisa’s hand as I signed the divorce papers. I cried myself to sleep that night wishing it was all one hell of a stupid dream.
Stella Romilly's pov I was with my parents at an event one evening. It was my tenth birthday and my father forgot to buy me a present. As usual. He promised to make up for it by sending me to an event. But I realized soon enough that I wasn't the purpose. He quickly rushed to his rich friends to boast about the money he wasted on cars and houses. My mother and I sat in the corner as my father tried to fit in. When his friends brought their wives and children, I stood pulling my mom out to follow me. My mother was getting out when my father went to call a woman and her child to join them. I was confused and my mother held a shocked expression. The woman had bright wavy hair and rich clothing and her child who looked younger than me ran to her supposed father to hug him. I stared at my dress which was torn at the side because my dad couldn't care to get me a new one. “Mommy, why is Daddy bringing in another woman? Aren't we his wife and
Antonio Dante's pov"Good. Damn good ” my mother smiled as she set down her glass. “Good riddance. I didn't like her at all.” she twisted her face in disgust. “I like the new girl ”“Lisa” I corrected staring at her indifferently. “Lisa Haven”“Oh,” she took her glass and swirled the liquid with no care in the world. “She's got pretty eyes”I nodded. Lisa was the prettiest woman I had ever seen. From childhood, she had been. I loved her. I did. As I escorted my mother out of the house, she told me my father would be visiting soon. She had come mainly to express her satisfaction about my divorce. She never liked Stella and I didn't know why. I called Alfredo. He was my second.“Sir”“I'm coming to the office now, prepare him.”“Yes sir”I cut the call. “Lisa!”I called. Shortly after, I heard her light thumps on the floor. She was so delicate. So small. So pretty. “Baby”“I'm going out”“To where?”“To my office. I'll see you when I get home. Tell Anna to make dinner be
Stella Romilly's povLove hurts. It hurts so bad you can barely breathe. It was six in the evening when I was jotting down things in my notebook about my wrongdoings so far. I was on the high chair directly in front of the bar counter. I was in the bar across the street, pushing my mind back to what I did wrong in the past four years. I stared at the ones I wrote.These were the things I did in the past year. I couldn't remember what I did before that. Maybe it was the loud music. I should move, I thought. Except I couldn't. I was rooted to my chair unwilling to move. I was inert. There was no one to push me either. I raised my hand to request a drink. "Anything good!" I yelled at the bartender who nodded without bothering to look at me.Was I that unappealing? Maybe I stopped taking care of myself. Now I looked ugly. Lisa was prettier. She had captivating bright but deep brown eyes, it was confusing. Mine was just amber. An amber so light that it could pierce your soul. I heard that
Stella Romilly's povI didn't know how I got home. My hotel. I had no idea how I found the keys or how I ended up in my bed. It was morning. Afternoon really. I didn't know. I moved my hands on my bed blindly for my phone but it was nowhere to be found. My biggest mistake was opening my eyes because when I did, sunlight rushed through them. A sharp headache resounded in my head. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.I forced myself to get up from the bed. I rushed to the bathroom to check my face and my body. I stared at my reflection, a disorientated woman staring back. She had a huge bunch of messy brown hair. I had a long white drool that somehow got scattered on my face.My eyes fell in exhaustion and hungover. I touched my neck and then my collarbone. I was in one of my nightgowns. My heart raced. I tried to remember what happened last night but I couldn't. It only brought more pain to my poor head. I could only hope nothing happened. I would kill myself if a random dude took ad
Antonio Dante's povIt's been a whole month since I got divorced. Stella never came after the stunt she pulled. I was glad. She had to move as far away from me as possible. My eyes darted around the quiet park. I was glad I bought this park. It was perfect for my mind. I couldn't help but look to my side. It took some time for her body to shift into sight. Her amber eyes met mine sorrowfully.Her amber eyes shone like a luminous lamp. Bright. It was almost like a light in the darkness. It mostly shifted between hazel and amber. It was dark now. Dark as it could ever be. It was here to torture me. I glanced. And she was no longer staring at me. I shook my head as if I could get it off my mind. It didn't work. Her eyes haunted me. As I continually shot at the roundel in front of me, I heard another gunshot. I turned to look at her. It went straight to the centre of the board beside mine."Bullseye!" She exclaimed like she had done it for the first time. I sighed, putting my gun down and
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO,Antonio Dante's povI glanced ahead of me. We had two more miles to go. I looked ahead at Lisa. I watched as her blonde hair dangled in the bright white lights laced around the house. Her body was covered in dirt. I reached for her arm but she shook it away and ran faster."Gosh, Lisa! Wait for me!"She jogged even further. Her long blue sleeves clung to her skin. I summoned all my strength to meet up and pulled her back."Hey," she yelled after me. I scrambled in front of her almost falling over.I finished a mile and looked back. She was panting. Her dress had been soaked in sweat. "Slowpoke!" I shouted. I could see her roll her eyes. I rushed forward to complete the rest of the mile. I turned to shout at her to hurry up. To signal her that dinner will be ready soon. And that father didn't like us to be late. But not too far away, I could see her on the grass. She held her ankle tightly. Her face pumped up like she was trying hard not to cry. Her eyes were sque
Stella Romilly's povI sat in my office chair situated in my suite as I scrolled through houses to buy on the internet. I ended up not liking any of them. None of them looked like Antonio's. He had a very huge house. Almost like a hotel. The rooms were too many to count. There were long staircases and big balconies with the best of views.I didn't want his big mansion. I just wanted something similar to remind me of him. I can't let him go. I don't want to. My mind cast back to the time we married. The room he called ours. the feelings. The rush. The thrill. The excitement. His fingers on my skin. The butterflies he made me have. Oh, how his whispers made me melt.I took those thoughts off me, my body already reacting to his invisible touch. My fingers lightly tapped a website. It opened on a different tab and I scrolled, looking at many houses with similar styles.A thud on the table startled me. I looked up to see my assistant. She had a stern face as she placed the right amounts of
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, Antonio Dante's pov "Good news?"I almost squeaked. My father had never had any good news to tell for the last fifteen years of my life. "What good news?" I asked curiously. Nothing in this world could make my father happy. Or so I thought until this day. I glanced at the turkey again. Tall and proud. Hot juices spilled from its sides and my stomach growled without warning. "Now, now. The good news must wait," my father laughed merrily, his eyes, giving away every angle of happiness he was showing now. "You must eat something," he said before making to call the servant. "No father, "I protested. "I will dish the food for myself." I looked over to Lisa who had a nervous expression but still gave me the slightest smile. I ran my hands through my hair as I sat down, making notes to bathe as soon as I was done with my food. And of course, hearing the 'good news' my dad who barely smiled had to offer. I chewed on the food slowly, relishing its goodness while thin