"Do not speak to her that way, she is your mother!""She is not my mother!" She spat, her lips curled in disgust. Her words, once again pierced Carmencita's soul and she stumbled backward as though a physical blow was delivered straight to her chest. After all those years, it still struck hard each time she faced her onslaught of resentment. "You think you know everything, do you not? You have no fucking idea what I have been through or how I survived. You know nothing about me!""Please, My Lady, let us leave...""And now, she wants to run. Yes, go ahead. F*cking run, Carmencita!"The elderly woman squeezed her eyes shut and finally turned back to look at her with tears in her eyes. "I am not running away from you, I would never!""Now, she is back to acting as a fucking saint when she is not. I do not need any of your sympathy, and I certainly do not need you here. Now, leave, run away, and never come back""Vicenta, I know we made mistakes in the past," Carmencita admitted as mor
Vicenta stood in stoic silence as Rosana's words sank in, her expression betraying nothing of the inner turmoil that raged within her. Despite her best efforts to remain aloof and detached, she couldn't deny the truth of her words—that her parents had loved her, and had sacrificed everything for her, even if they had made mistakes along the way.The mistake had claimed her father's life and she could still remember the way the knife sliced through his neck before his lifeless body fell on the ground. She could still remember how Carmencita had tried to shield her from the horrible sight but it was too late, she had seen it all. And what had she done at the end? Reject the same woman countlessly without even trying to listen to her. Wait, was she crying? No, she couldn't show weakness, not now. She had built her entire identity as Sergio's mistress around being strong, around never letting anyone see her vulnerable side. So she kept her face impassive, her posture rigid, as she turned
Lucretia stood at the bow of the boat, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sky was a riot of orange and pink, the colors reflecting off the calm surface of the lake. Finally, she said yes to him after weeks, not because he didn't give her an option but because she also wanted a chance with him, she wanted more of what he had to offer. Over the weeks, he had showed up at her doorstep with a bouquet of her favorite flowers and a heartfelt letter. He sent her a heartfelt text message first thing in the morning, telling her how much he missed her and how he wanted her. That was followed up with a surprise lunch, custom-made desserts, flowers, gourmet chocolates, love notes, and gift baskets. He even went as far as to organize a picnic in the park, complete with her favorite foods which she rejected all the time. Despite his efforts, she remained distant and guarded, unsure of what she wanted with him. But Enzo refused to give up. He knew that winning back her heart would take ti
"Are you happy with him?" Rosana finally asked after some time. She had been silent since they left the room and tried to process everything. "Yes, I am""What changed? You did not sound so enthusiastic when we last spoke about him"Lucretia nodded and took a deep breath. "He gave me enough time and space to realize myself and what I wanted. He knew about my past but still accepted me without thinking about my class or if I had a fucking degree or not. He accepts me the way I am"She explained how everything started and how it ended with them confessing their feelings and fears on a boat. She was happy and Rosana could see it but despite the heartbreak and the shock, she couldn't bring herself to hate them. Her best friend was happy and that was all that mattered. Lucretia may have lied to her, but she also willingly told her the truth. The only reason they made an unprompted confession like that was because they realized something—That they were in love and wanted a fresh start wit
"Your father is waiting in his study" Rosana looked down at the luggage she was holding and sighed. She couldn't help wondering why her father urgently needed her in his study. What could be so important? She wasn't even allowed to drop her bags before her mother conveyed the message. "Is anything the problem, Mammà?" "No, absolutely not," Aria responded with a faux smile. She looked worried and anxious and Rosana could tell because she kept rubbing her hands. She gave her mother a suspicious look and turned to look around. Surely, this was not the atmosphere she expected to meet after being away for the past three years. "I will drop my bags first and then I will meet him in the study" Aria smiled and returned to the kitchen while Rosana headed up the stairs. Once inside her room, she smiled and dropped her bags on the neatly dressed bed. The room was clean which meant that Aria had taken care of it in preparation for her homecoming. Rosana looked at the ring on her middle fing
"Ro, la facciamo?" Sergio asked and held out his right hand. He was now standing beside her, facing her. He was cut an imposing figure, his tall frame encased in a black suit that spelled splendor. The fabric clung to his well-muscled chest, and the first three buttons were left undone, revealing intricate tattoos that snaked up his chest. The sight made her edgy but she couldn't look away. He wasn't even wearing a tie. Why her? She kept asking herself. How could her father do this to her? How could he force her to marry someone she didn't even love? Someone that looked deadly? Someone that spelled terror? She had always wanted to marry Allen and none other. But standing before the congregation, dressed in a white wedding gown and standing beside a man who was not Allen broke her frantic heart. Her eyes twitched, threatening to spill tears but she clicked her tongue with her teeth and tried to stop it. Her trick worked. Even if she cried in front of everyone, it wouldn't change a
Rosana followed him quietly. She was too traumatized to speak or notice that he was holding her with his bloodied hand. The same hand he had used in pulling out the man's heart. When they finally arrived in their bedroom, Sergio opened the door and ushered her in. "Welcome home!" She looked around the room in fright and finally turned to look at him. He was still standing behind the closed door, not making any attempt to step further into the room. She lowered her gaze to his hands and shivered when she saw it covered in blood. "Why?" She croaked, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Why did you kill him?" "He deserved to die, Amore" "Aveva una famiglia" [He had a family] Sergio scoffed and started walking towards her, causing her heartbeat to accelerate unusually. She took a step backward, trying to avoid him. If she had her way, she would've vanished completely. "Do not try to run away from me, Bambolina" He groaned and took another step closer but she stepped away. She was shaking
NEXT-MORNING After tossing and turning in bed countlessly, Rosana was finally able to sleep at dawn. She had expected Sergio to join her in bed but he didn't. How could he when he was still pounding his mistress and making her scream the whole night? Soft beams of morning glow fell into the room, causing her to stir a bit. She didn't have enough sleep and that was because she didn't want any. Aside from the uproar that was caused by Sergio and his mistress, she couldn't sleep because she was afraid he might walk into the room and try to hurt her. Besides, she had not forgotten the deadly look on his face after she slapped him. Rosana sighed and rubbed her eyes lazily. She was not fully awake but she could sense another presence in the room. Someone else was in the room, beside her. Immediately, she forced her eyes open and the first person she saw was Sergio. He sat beside her on the edge of the bed with a glass of whiskey, watching her with a pair of soul-piercing dark metallic