LOGINGABRIELLE’S POVI love you Gabrielle.I froze. He finally said it. He pressed his temple against mine. “I thought loving you would make me weak, would make my sanity depend on you—and it does—but being strong doesn’t matter if you’re not in my life.”A single tear slid down my cheek. His thumb reached to wipe it away. “I love you so much it terrifies me. You mean everything to me. And I know I hurt you—”I shook my head, my temple rubbing against his. “No—”“I know I did,” he cut me off. “And I’m sorry I did. I’m sorry I’m so… damaged. You deserve better and I want to be that for you. I want to make things right.”Another tear followed until I burst into a sob. Slowly, he went on his knees, his arms right around my waist. “I’ll do anything to show you that you’re the only thing that matters.”Nothing could have prepared me for the warmth that spread through my chest at the sight of him on his knees, groveling and begging to make things right. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my
GABRIELLE’S POVDamon went still after that.His cold eyes looked more alive now, like he was finally breathing for the first time in weeks.I could feel his heart racing beneath my palm.My fingers curled slightly against his chest. “I’m not afraid of your truth. I’m afraid of losing you.”His jaw tightened.“I see the way you carry everything alone,” I continued. “And the way you punish yourself instead of letting me in.”His eyes dropped to my mouth and then back to my eyes.“For so long you’ve convinced yourself no one would ever love and accept the real you,” I said. “Let me prove you wrong.”He shut his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they were vulnerable. “I’ll tell you everything.”A knock shattered the moment.Fiorella stepped in from the corner, barely hiding her smile when she noticed Damon’s arm around my waist.“I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said, pointedly ignoring him. “But there’s something you need to see, Gabby.”Damon’s arm tightened instinctively.“
DAMON’S POVI woke up with her name on my lips. I was still on Rhys’s couch when my eyes opened, my body aching with every move I made. “Look who finally decided to wake up,” I heard her voice. “You look nothing like the drunk who paid a stranger to beat him up.”Slowly, I turned and my breath hitched. Was I dreaming about her again?Or was she actually sitting on the couch across from me?“Gabrielle…” I called out her name. Her expression was hard but I could see the relief in her eyes. “Yes? Rhys found you passed out in your car by the estate gate. You want to explain yourself?”I still couldn’t believe she was sitting in front of me. “I was waiting for you,” I whispered. “No, not that,” she said, looking away from me. “The man you paid was found with ten thousand dollars on him.”Oh, shit. She was mad. She turned back to me, her beautiful brown eyes hypnotizing me. “One hit. Two notes. That’s what he said. You had him hit you fifty times. So explain why.”I dragged a hand d
GABRIELLE’S POV “You heard me,” Phoebe said. “His name used to be Damien Gravari before he changed it.” I blinked. “Why would he change his first name but not his last? That doesn’t make any sense.” “I wish I could make sense of it myself,” she said, her voice dropping as she continued. “That’s what I need to talk to you about. You should be careful—” “I don’t want to hear what you have to say if you want to beat around the bush,” I said as I moved to get into the car. “Please, wait,” she stopped me. “Fine. I’ll be direct.” Hesitantly, I turned back to her. “Go on.” “Years ago, a massacre happened in a private island in Naples,” she started. “A large number of bodies were found by the shoreside. So the news called it The Bellariva Massacre.” I raised a brow. “Is this a fucking joke to you? A massacre? How come I never heard anyone mention it?” Phoebe shook her head. “The families involved carried out a massive cover up. It was popular for days after but suddenly,
DAMON’S POV I knew I had drank too much, and I knew I shouldn’t be going to see her in this state but I couldn’t hold back anymore. I pushed myself forward to press the button on Rhys’s gate. “It’s Damon,” I said into the receiver. “Open the gate.” The gate clicked open after a few seconds, too slowly for my liking. I shoved it and walked up the driveway. I took another swing from the bottle in my hand for good measure, the scotch burning in my chest. I reached the front door and banged on it. “Gabrielle!” I called, my voice rougher than I intended. “Open up!” No answer. I knocked again, harder this time until my knuckles were stinging. “I know you’re in there. Open the door!” Finally, the door cracked open but it was Rhys who walked out. His eyes gleamed with mischief when he saw me. “Hello to you too, dearest brother. What brings you here?” My jaw tightened. “You know why the fuck I’m here. Where’s Gabrielle?” “She’s not home at the moment,” he said, his
GABRIELLE’S POV“The baby is growing perfectly but I’d advise you to take the medications religiously so you can keep your food down,” the doctor said. “Ironic, isn’t it? The last time you were here was to get an IUD.”I was sitting in the doctor’s office with Fiorella. As promised, I let her drag me to the hospital the next morning.“I remember,” I said quietly.Reflecting on it, I was already pregnant at the time, but I didn’t realize it. We were still waiting for the test results when Anya’s call prompted us to leave Italy. The doctor offered a small smile as he scribbled something down. “Life has a way of changing plans. Your hormone levels explain the nausea but stress is not helping either.”Fiorella shifted in her seat. “So the baby is fine?”“Yes,” the doctor replied. “But she needs to eat. Even if it is in small portions throughout the day. It could be soup, crackers, or anything light.”I nodded even though my stomach turned at the thought.“And you should reduce emotional







