CHAPTER TWO
Antonio Morano sat at the built-in-bar in his penthouse, gazing out at the city's twinkling landscape. The whiskey in his glass cast a golden glow, mirroring the turmoil brewing within. His mind drifted to the woman he'd seen earlier. Her innocent smile and haunting green eyes like a specter. six years ago, on this very day, his mother's assassination had shattered his world. The memory still seared his mind, his mother's lifeless body, the sound of gunfire, and the face of the culprit. The pain and anger had simmered, fueling his relentless pursuit of justice. Antonio's grip on the glass tightened. His revenge had been years in the making. He has waited for this day. Patience had become his virtue, the key to unraveling the past. "Today's the start," he vowed, his voice low and deadly, as he opened a pack of cigarettes. With a swift motion, he downed the whiskey, feeling the burn course through his veins. The fire in his chest spread, fueling his determination. Just as Antonio's thoughts consumed him, the doorbell pierced the silence. His assistant's voice echoed through the intercom. "Boss, Miss Whitehead is here to see you." Antonio frowned. He lit a stick of cigarette and puffed the smoke into the air. "Send her in," he said, pouring himself another glassful of whiskey. As she entered, her stunning beauty and elegance momentarily distract Antonio from his dark thoughts. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her red dress hugged her curves, leaving little to his imagination. The diamond necklace he'd gifted her still adorned her neck. "Antonio, darling," She purred, approaching him with a seductive smile. He locked eyes with her. " What brings you here?" Sofia's gaze roamed the penthouse, her eyes resting on the whiskey glass. "aren’t you going to invite me for a drink?” He nodded at his guards and they vanished out of sight Sophia smiled. “well, I saw the lights on and thought you might be... lonely." She emphasized the last word, her voice filled with suggestion. Sophia stood at 5'8 and had a frame whose curves boasted a match with a Greek goddess. her stunning beauty was undeniable. she had a long honey blonde hair that rest comfortably on her butt and had two piercing on both ears. Her whirlwind romance with Antonio captivated Milan's elite. Their engagement was announced amidst ongoing war between Antonio's family and Milan's most dreaded drug lord. He raised an eyebrow, amused by her audacity. "You think you can just waltz in here anytime you like?" he arose from his stool. “you were supposed to be here tomorrow, not tonight.” Her smile faltered for a moment before she regained her composure. "Why not tonight?" she packed her hair in a ponytail. “I want to witness the showdown” He let out a low laugh and walked towards the window, his whiskey in his hand. "you of all people know better that I hate having uninvited guests.” Her eyes flashed with anger, but she maintained her poise. "I am not just a guest Antonio; I am your fiancée. I can come in here anytime I like.” "I'm not in the mood today, you should leave" he said, his tone final. Her face fell. She knew what he meant and how dangerous it would be to challenge his decisions, but she refused to give up. "Tonight is a great night. We should celebrate. And I can help you do just that" She walked towards him and rubbed his chest, then she took his glass of whiskey and placed it on the table. He stared at her as she ran her hand down to his dick and rubbed it against his trouser. She went on her knees and unbuckled his belt, causing his trouser to fall off his waist, revealing his huge manhood. He could see her nipple hardened as she wrapped both her hands around his cock. She moved her face closer to his cock and breathed the freshness of it before spitting on it. She gave it a light massage, her face upwards looking at him fight for his life. She spat on it again and took it in her mouth. She sucked it hard and could feel his hands holding her head to be steady, as he thrust deeper into her mouth. He pulled her back from his already fully hard cock, but she sucked on it again, slowly caressing the tip of his cock with her tongue. She knew his sensitive spot and made sure to focus her attention on it. “fuck! You’re a slut!.” He cursed in pleasure, as he continued stroking in her mouth. He hadn’t done this in a while because he was too focused on his revenge plan. Her tongue glide down to the underneath of his cock, a moan leaving his lips as she did so. She slid her left hand to his balls and gently caressed it, while still sucking his cock. Just as he was about to load her mouth with his seeds, the door burst wide opened. “don’t you know how to fucking knock?” he yelled with bloodshot eyes. “I’m so..sorry boss.” Viktor, his consigliere bowed his head. Antonio pulled his trouser to his waist and fixed his belt. “ well, did you interrupt me at the best part just to see my face? You moron.” “she is here.” Viktor announced. “who the hell is here?” he yelled again “the lady you ordered for, boss” “She better be the right one.” He pulled a gun from his coat hanging on the wall, and tucked it at his back. “else, you all won’t live to tell the story.” * * * * * * * Antonio walked into the room to see two guards pouring water on Luciana. Her ordered the door be shut. “what happened here?” he asked one of them “she passed out, boss” He laughed. “take the tape off her mouth” “where am I?” Luciana screamed immediately the tape was off her mouth. “you see, this is why I don’t like having girls around.” He pulled out a stick of cigarette and lit it. “too much noise.” He puffed the smoke in her face. “Let me out of here.” Luciana yelled, coughing from the smoke. "Not yet." He instructed Viktor to remove the blindfold. As the fabric fell away, Luciana's eyes fluttered open, blinking rapidly as if emerging from a deep haze. Her gaze was unfocused, like a patient regaining consciousness after anesthesia “ I know you.” She said, her eyes widened with shock. “ you’re the man from the gala… and my nightmares.” She whispered “hi baby girl, I am Antonio “Massimo” Bianchi, il più grande di tutti i tempi. Nice to meet you.” his smile widened. Luciana's gaze flicked to his outstretched hand. “whatever the fuck it is you just said, let me go!,” she yelled, ignoring his hand. Antonio chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He lowered himself, his left hand brushing against her ear as he tucked her hair behind it. “Not yet baby girl. I’ve been waiting for you . You have something that belongs to me” “what is it? Let me out of here” she struggled, but her hands were firmly tied behind her back He let out a short laugh. “you will have a great time here, I assure you” “tonto borracho!” She spat out in her language. He lit another cigarette, the flame dancing in the dim light as he chuckled to himself. Pacing around Luciana in slow circles, he seemed to be savoring the moment. But his amusement was short-lived, as the sound of raised voices drifted from outside the room. He strode to the door, his eyes squinting as he peered through the keyhole. A muttered curse escaped his lips. "Let her in," he growled, his tone abrupt. He turned back to Luciana, a sly smile spreading across his face. "It seems we have a visitor. I forgot to mention that." Luciana tried to balance her head to see who it was. She felt dehydrated and was losing her remaining strength. Just then, the door swung open, and a familiar scent filled the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the perfume. Antonio moved away from her, revealing a figure standing in the doorway. Luciana's eyes widened as she took in the familiar features. "Emily?"CHAPTER 39Antonio stood before his father’s casket, his shoulders hunched beneath the force of his sorrow. The mourners whispered around them, their hushed voices blending into an indistinct murmur.Luciana took a careful step forward. She could feel the despair emanating from him, the way it curled around the room like an unbearable storm. Her heart pounded as she reached for him.“Antonio,” she murmured, voice fragile with sympathy.He turned sharply. His eyes—red-rimmed, filled with unspeakable pain—locked onto hers with something darker. Something more dangerous.“This is your fault.”Her breath hitched. “my fault?”“You told me he would live,” he continued, voice breaking under the weight of his grief. “You told me everything would be okay, and I believed you.” A bitter laugh escaped his lips before his expression twisted into something cruel. “You lied to me.”She opened her mouth, but no words came. The weight of his fury pressed against her chest. Then—something else.A voice
CHAPTER 37Luciana cupped Antonio’s face in her trembling hands, her thumbs brushing away the lone tear that escaped his eyes. “Your father will be okay,” she whispered, voice thick with emotion. Then, with a weak smile, she added, “He hasn’t murdered my father yet, so nothing will happen to him.”Antonio was in his raw, vulnerable state, yet in that moment, he felt more human than ever. He saw the sincerity in Luciana’s eyes, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel the weight of expectation pressing down on him. He didn’t have to be the hero.He wrapped his arms around her waist, his grip tightening as he pulled her closer. Resting his head against her stomach, he let out a quiet, shuddering sob.Luciana’s heart pounded. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to create distance before this unspoken emotion took hold of her. But as his warmth seeped into her, she lost her composure.She knew this moment wouldn’t last forever, so she did the only thing she could. She let it
CHAPTER 36“WHAT HAPPENED?” Mia asked, her voice shaking as she knelt beside her father’s battered body.Ms. Grace’s face contorted in anguish. “We heard a noise upstairs and rushed down. When we got here, they were...like this.”Luciana’s eyes widened in horror. “Did you call an ambulance or Nurse Rossi?”“Don’t be foolish, Luciana.” Sophia rolled her eyes. “We can’t risk drawing attention to this. The last thing we need is for the press to get wind of it.”Luciana's gaze fell upon Mia, who sat on the floor, cradling her father's battered head in her lap. Tears streamed down Mia's face, her eyes red-rimmed and brimming with sorrow. Luciana had known Mia for only a short time, but the sight of her vulnerability now struck a chord. She seemed so fragile, so unlike the poised and composed woman Luciana had come to know.As Luciana watched, a pang of pity washed over her. She wished she could reach out, wrap her arms around Mia, and absorb some of her pain. The urge to comfort her was a
CHAPTER 35Mia curled the last strands of Luciana's hair, setting the style in place. She stepped back to admire her handiwork, then began to work on Luciana's makeup, expertly highlighting her features. With a final dusting of powder, Mia gave Luciana a satisfied smile. "You look stunning, and this dress will seal the deal." she said, dangling a skimpy dress in her hand."There's no way I expect you to make me wear that," she said, her voice laced with disbelief.Mia raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You've been wearing the same style for a while. It's time for a change."Luciana shook her head. "I agree with changing my look, but not to this."Mia folded the dress and sat beside Luciana, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've seen pictures of you, Luciana. You always style your hair and clothes in a similar way. I thought it was time for a refresh."Luciana's expression turned curious. "Where did you see pictures of me?"Mia flashed an enigmatic smile. "Antonio has every
CHAPTER 34 The night breeze whipped through the open window of the black SUV, as its tires devoured the miles of winding Italian roads. Antonio and the other men rode in silence, each one's mind consumed by brutal scenarios for Alessandro's demise. Antonio rolled his sleeve up, revealing the tattoo that symbolized his bond with Viktor. The inked image seemed to gleam in the dim light, a reminder of their unbreakable loyalty. He glanced in the rearview mirror, ensuring their backup team of eight men was still in tow. Donatello had argued against bringing such a large contingent, but Antonio knew Alessandro too well. He was certain their enemy had anticipated their retaliation after the video and would have assembled a formidable defense. Antonio's gut told him they'd need every man they had to take down Alessandro and his crew. In the front passenger seat, Domenico tapped his fingers against the dashboard. For what felt like an eternity, he'd been waiting for this moment,
CHAPTER 33“what?” Luciana sat upright on the bed. “you really think my father killed her?”“I didn’t say he did. I meant, if what I heard about the event was true, then it means he did. But I wasn’t present on that day, so I don’t want to make assumptions.” Mia replied.Luciana's face crumpled, and she covered her face with her palms. The sound of her sobs filled the room, heart-wrenching and raw. Mia quickly wrapped her arms around Luciana, trying to comfort her, but Luciana's grief was overwhelming. She didn't stop crying, her body shaking with each anguished sob.Luciana pulled her face from her hands, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy from crying. "I don't understand," she sniffed. “why would he do that? Why did he kill her?”Mia's hands moved gently, continuing to rub Luciana's shoulders in a soothing motion. Her face was filled with sympathy, and her eyes, with compassion. She didn’t know how to respond to Luciana’s anguish, and instead offered a gentle, comforting silence.Luciana