Se connecterARIELLA I froze. It wasn’t inappropriate. It wasn’t… that. But it was.... Familiar. Too familiar. Asher laughed, reaching up to ruffle her hair, messing it up playfully as someone would do with a younger sibling. “Hey, stranger,” he said. Leon stood beside them, smiling brightly, clearly loving
ARIELLA I exhaled. “Okay.” “I’ll see you later,” he said. “Don’t be late for dinner,” I responded. “I want a promise.” A small smile slipped into his voice. “Okay. I promise.” “I love you.” I couldn't help myself. “I love you too.” The call ended and I stayed there for a moment longer, star
ARIELLA The truth was… maybe I did. Maybe I had seen them before. Maybe I had grown up around them. But I didn’t actually know who had died. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Maybe.” Leon frowned again. “Then why didn’t you go to the funeral?” I hesitated. “I guess I should have,” I admitted
ARIELLA After breakfast, I tried to keep the morning as normal as possible. For Leon, and most importantly…For myself. “Mom,” Leon said, looking up at me, “should we go and prepare my study room? You told me that I could help.” “Of course,” I said. But before we walked out, I turned toward Marg
ARIELLA I held his gaze. “I can’t survive without you,” I said again. “You won’t have to,” he replied quietly. “I’m going to be okay. I’ll come back. I have to. You and Leon are waiting for me. I won’t break that promise.” He lifted my chin gently so I had no choice but to look at him. “I just
ARIELLA I woke up to feel light kisses on my face. I opened my eyes to find Asher hovering over me, pressing soft kisses against my skin. I let out a small laugh as he brushed his lips against mine before straightening. He was already dressed. Tie in place. Hair perfectly styled. Everything about
ASHER I kept a much closer eye on Dinara and Dominic after my talk with Luca. Dinara seemed eager to push their plan forward quickly, wanting it done before things in the famiglia truly settled. Dominic, though, still hesitated; he kept stalling, trying to push whatever they were planning further d
ASHER I sit straighter, my pulse quickening. “And I told myself, I was going to tell you, and you were gonna help me.” She shakes her head. “And they told me the hard truth, opened my eyes, Asher.... That you weren’t Don yet. He was just teaching you the ropes by then. And you didn’t really have a
ASHER When the flight landed back home, I was tired and a little frustrated, but I was also determined, determined to fulfill the promise I had made to Ariella and Leon. I had to work fast. I had to be diligent. I had to be careful. On my way there, I watched the cameras at home. I just wanted to
ASHER The second shot tore through the air, a hot, sharp sting across my shoulder. Pain flared, but I didn’t falter. My instincts kicked in before my mind could process. I spun, gun raised, and caught the glint of Dinara’s weapon aimed directly at me. Her eyes were unflinching, burning. The chaos







