MasukGiovanni POVGiovanni is in the VIP lounge, sitting on a sofa that tries to appear comfortable but isn’t. One of his men gave him an update about the Catholic orphanage Anna lived in.The headmaster had been arrested and publicly condemned. Meanwhile, the nuns are awaiting trial for covering up the
Anna POVDaisy and the hookup are stunned, but honestly, I am, too.As Daisy starts to talk again, Giovanni glares at her with his icy demeanor, and her mouth clamps shut. All they can do is glare at me, and the hookup throws the skirt that started the argument on the floor before they storm off.I
Once she helps me take our selection to the cash register, I try to not make it obvious that I’m vibrating with excitement. Not because of the new clothes, but because I know that this bill has to be obnoxious.And it is. The number that appears sucks the air from my lungs. How is it possible that c
Anna POVI wake up with a sound that’s half-moan, half-gasp, finding that I’m alone in my room and Giovanni is nowhere in sight.It was a dream.I bury my head in my hands, embarrassment burning under my skin. I had that kind of dream about Giovanni of all people. And the worst part is that I still
Giovanni tilts his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of good girl would hear that and come to have a look?”I try to stand up, but Giovanni’s grip on my legs is unyielding, and he has me pinned to the floor. I feel the heat in my face, and I know he’s not letting go of me until I resp
Giovanni POVBy the time night arrives, Giovanni has yet to put the thoughts of Anna out of his mind, despite having told her that she doesn’t interest him. Specifically, his mind keeps returning to the way she undressed that morning at the hospital, staring him down before her innocence got the bet
They whisk me into the attached bathroom, saying they were sent to clean me up and make me presentable for the family dinner. Like the bedroom, the bathroom feels like it’s from another world. The bathtub is massive, with little jets and more temperature controls than I’ve ever seen before.Unlike m
Another maid opens the walk-in closet again. “And if you want to eat, you can eat what you want when you want to. Just like you can wear what you want.”“Honestly, I’m glad those nuns have been arrested,” a third maid says. “Treating children like that? How despicable.”That earns a murmur of agreem
Anna POVAt the time, I didn't understand what the nun meant by those words.Now, repeating the same act in front of Giovanni as he watches me with a cold, analytical gaze, I understand.I thought he'd look away like the nun did, but he doesn't.I break first, the intensity of his gaze and feeling o
Not this room or this mansion, but this life. This life that I didn’t get to choose, and maybe I expect that Leandro can understand and help me.Instead, he laughs, giving me a smile that feels strange. “If you try anything like that under my watch, neither of us will survive our father’s wrath. Gio







