LOGIN_______________She didn’t show. Can't say I was surprised when the maid came to tell me I’d be having dinner alone.Took me a while to convince Romano to let me spend the night in his home while he was away on an errand that I had to put together last minute. Pretty sure Peter would be cussing me out for disturbing his sleep, but I had to make sure Romano was out throughout the night. I didn’t rush my dinner. I ate like my refined self. Took my time, drank my wine, and took a few minutes to rest.“Thanks for the meal” I said to the maid.She was visibly uncomfortable. Can’t say I blame her. Everybody seemed to have that sort of reaction to me.“Thank you, sir” she responded and began clearing the table.“You heard Romano about showing me to where I’d be spending the night, right?” I rose to my feet.“Yes, sir. Right this way” she immediately dropped the dishes she was gathering to see me to the room Romano prepared for me.We get to a door that’s on the far side away from Ayla’s roo
______________Making up my mind to leave my city in a heartbeat is something I’ve been doing lately. Either it’s to get to a meeting, or it’s to see her. Either ways I was here without prior notice.“Who said you could show up at my house unannounced!” A furious Stefano tells from his balcony.“When did visiting a partner become a problem?” I replied.His men surrounded me, but I didn’t care. As much as they couldn’t see mine, they were everywhere. There was no possible way I was entering an enemy’s territory without protection. Peter is in the car. The doors are still open in case there's a shootout, something I won’t take past Stefano.“I should feed you to the dogs for assuming we are partners just because I agreed to a deal.” Hmm.How rude. But I say nothing because, truly I did overstep and I was in his city. I’d let him enjoy the power he’s feeling at this point. I didn’t come here to fight so he’s lucky.“Send him up” he finally said after glaring at me. Maybe he was expecting
___________We sat in silence at a coffee shop in an area not far from the clinic. Neither Beth nor Rosa had said anything since I asked that we leave the doctor's office. I couldn’t blame them, I mean, they just heard devastating news about me, what can they say?“Let’s go swimming” I said, breaking the silence.“Uhh sure, w-when do you want to?” Beth asked, avoiding eye contact, and I smiled.“Can you girls relax. Acting like this won’t change my results. I am already fucked as it is, I might as well enjoy the last of my days”“Don’t say something so stupid. We are going to figure this out” “How?” Rosa asked Beth the same thing I wanted to.“I-I don’t know. How about you call Moretti? Tell him about the baby. You said he likes you, so he won’t kill you, that’s a win, right?” I didn’t even think of Cassian, but now that he was on my mind, telling him is the same as telling Stefano.“No. Just because he enjoyed sleeping with me doesn’t mean he likes me. I am not stupid,” I said, and
______________“Are you sure today is a good idea to do this?” I asked the girls.We were seated in a car covered by tinted windows. I had no idea where Rosa had gotten the car, but it was a smart idea. We were outside a local fertility clinic. After our tea this morning, the girls grew scared for me and decided to meet again in the evening, which was now.“Trust me. It took me weeks to find this place, but it’s the best thing to do now with little time” Beth says, looking back.I had no idea until now that she could drive. Crazy but pretty cool.“But is it not too soon-““Too soon? What do you mean too soon? You’re not planning on keeping it, are you?” Rosa faced me with her eyes wide open.I sat in the back while she sat at the passenger's side. She wasn’t smiling, and I sighed.“I am not mentally prepared is what I mean”“You don’t have to be mentally prepared, you just have to be sure you want to do this. Do you want to do this?” Rosa asked.“I mean, we will support you with what
_____________I couldn’t remember the last time my mind got troubled over a girl. Strike that, I don’t think there ever was a time I got this bothered over a woman.“I need a mix, give me everything strong” Peter said to the bartender who looked too frightened to speak.“None for me.” There was no way the drink would go down my throat.“Bullshit, give him the dirtiest of your dirtiest mix as well” Peter gave me the stink eye while he spoke and I didn’t say anything.The thoughts running through my head were wild. What would I do if it were Ayla who was pregnant? Would that stop me from feeling the way I felt for her? What did I even feel for her?“I don’t know why you are so worked up over a pregnant chick but let me ease your troubles”I didn’t move an inch as I watched Peter take out the phone from his pocket and set his laptop on the counter. One that I didn’t even notice he was carrying. That was how preoccupied my mind was.“Let’s see, there’s a lot of messages here that I would
________Since Ayla….No, since they all left I have had more time to focus on my biggest issue.“Did you find anything out there?” I asked Peter in my office. He was seated opposite me while Gustavo stood by the door guarding as usual even though he was my consigliere.“They’ve started moving again,” Peter said after a moment. “And this time faster than before.”My jaw tightened slightly.“How close?”“Not close enough but with the rate at which they are going. They would be closing in on us anytime soon”I stood slowly, adjusting my suit. I hated having to dress so formally when I was in the office.“They’re already in America.” Peter’s eyes darkened.“You’re sure?” I asked sternly. There was nothing I hated more than mistakes.“I don’t deal in guesses.” He actually doesn’t.I moved toward the window, looking out over the city like it already belonged to someone else.Because if I were right, it soon would.“Does Luke know about this?” I asked gently.That night at the party this is
___________My heartbeat was so loud it felt like my ears were going to burst from the sound.So many heads were turned in my direction, murmurs broke out, people were talking to each other, my hands grew clammy and my knees went weak. Shit, this has got to be the end of me I thought, because there
_______________The ballroom was already alive by the time we arrived.Soft music drifted through the air, blending with quiet laughter and the clinking of glasses. Women in elegant dresses moved like they belonged here. Graceful, composed, untouchable.I felt none of that, after so many years I s
___________________Who would have thought that in two weeks, my world will begin to fall apart.It started with something small, too small that I thought it normal. It was just a missed period, I mean everyone has that once in a while so I ignored it, then I overthought it, then I panicked. I coul
___________ "What would you like miss?" The young bartender that approached me asked with a smile. "Just a glass of water thank you" I said returning his smile and his brows dipped, it was weird to be in a crappy hotel like this and asking for a glass of water when everybody else was guzzling d







