Chapter 97Alessia's POV On the ride to the Hotel, Karl had told me that he was taking me to his highest bidder. He didn't give me any other information except to behave if I wanted to keep my head.I knew better than anyone what exactly I had to do. I had to try and stay alive... somehow. In the past I had Alessandro. And then Damiano. Even Leo and Cleo showed up for me when I needed someone.But now, I was completely on my own.Suddenly the door clicked, and my eyes darted to it. They widened when I saw who it was, my body trembling."...you!"Xavier's lips tipped into a smile. "Yes, me," He muttered, that smirk still on his face. Just like yesterday he had worn a tuxedo and looked dangerously appealing.Smoothly he headed for the head chai next to the mirror where I stood. I took a few steps away from him. Avoiding him like a scorpion."You know, I find that hurtful," He purred."Well, I find it, surviving."He chuckled as he sat down. Before he could say anything, the door op
Chapter 96AlessiaI swallowed hard but somehow managed to steady my pulse and keep my face straight."I don't care about that. You can do whatever you want to me, but don't lay a finger on her?"He raised a brow. "Oh really. And what are you going to do to stop me?"The question made me freeze. I couldn't do anything. It even took all the strength in me to keep me from shitting myself. So there was nothing I could do except..."Anything," I mumbled.He frowned. "You're going to stop me with anything?""No," I snapped, then lowered my voice. "I'll do anything you ask me to do, just... let her go."He was silent for a while, before smiling. "Anything?"I nodded slightly. "Anything."I didn't have a choice. I wasn't expecting Damiano to show up and save us. Besides, Cleo was someone he cared for. I couldn't let anything happen to her because of me. Not that I cared about him, just that... I wasn't even sure why I was thinking about him right now.But I had to admit. A part of me hoped h
Alessia's POV The man's lips ached into a curve. Then he closed the gap between us and grabbed me by the jaw, his fingers roughly pressing into my skin. I tried to shake him off, but his grip on me was strong.His lips parted, but before he could say anything, his head blew into bits, flesh and blood splashing on me and Cleo like water from a sprinkler.I gasped, unable to contain the shock as his headless body fell to the floor. I couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe what just happened.Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching from my behind. A dread went down my spine as it drew closer, chill settling on my skin. I didn't know who it was, but I felt he was more dangerous than the man from earlier.Then a man walked by my corner and stood in front of me. The sight of him made bile crawl up my stomach. He had tattoos all over him, including his bald hair. His eyes, deep brown were the only thing that didn't have permanent ink on them. When he turned to me, his frown deepened. He l
ALESSIA’S POVPain.That was the first thing I felt. It was sharp and unrelenting. My skull throbbed, my body screamed, and every attempt to breathe sent fire crawling down my throat.Something warm and sticky slid down the side of my face, tracing a slow, trembling path along my cheek and jaw. I tasted metal mixing with the dust and bile on my tongue.The air was cold. Damp actually. It smelled of rust, rot, and something faintly chemical, like antiseptic gone bad. The faint hum of dripping water echoed somewhere nearby, steady as a clock, marking the seconds since I had woken up in this nightmare.My eyes fluttered open, heavily. The world came into view in fragments—shadows stretching across cracked concrete, a single light bulb flickering above me, walls smeared with grime. I tried to move. My arms didn’t follow.A sudden jolt of panic seized me as I tugged harder. My wrists burned against coarse rope, the fibers biting into my skin until I felt the slickness of blood. My legs st
ALESSIA’S POVI turned my head toward Cleo surprised. “You sound like you know him better than most.”Her lips twitched. “I do.”“Then tell me.”She hesitated, fingers tracing the rim of her cup. “Damiano’s always been that way — secretive, self-destructive, never trusting anyone completely. It’s not pride, it’s just his own way of surviving. Everyone he ever loved betrayed him. Friends. Family. People who swore loyalty to him turned around and tried to destroy him instead. That kind of pain leaves marks that don’t heal, Alessia. It hardens you.”I stared at her. I wanted to ask more—who betrayed him, what happened—but I knew she wouldn’t tell me. The look in her eyes told me not to pry.“I don’t care,” I muttered, staring down at my hands. “It’s not like I matter to him anyway.”Cleo smirked faintly. “You do, though.”I blinked. “What?”“You matter to him, more than he would ever admit,” she said with conviction. “You’re too blind to see it, but everyone else can.”I scoffed. “He mig
ALESSIA My stomach did a small, unpleasant flip. Great. One of them was charming, the other possibly possessed.But I kept my face calm, even bored. “Nice contact lens,” I said.He didn’t smile. Of course, he didn’t.Roman leaned toward me again, lowering his voice like we were sharing a secret. “I loved your dance, you know,” he said, gesturing to the seat beside him. “It was beautiful. You were beautiful.”I raised an eyebrow. “You were there?”He shook his head, lips curving into that same knowing smile.“Then how do you even know about it?”“It was filmed,” he said casually. “Aired, actually.”I blinked. “Aired. As in… broadcast?”Cleo laughed under her breath. “Oh, Alessia,” she said, amusement dripping from every word. “Where did you think I was last night?”The blood drained from my face. I turned sharply to Damiano. He wasn’t even pretending to look guilty. Just sitting there, calm as a storm before it hits.“You didn’t,” I whispered.But he had. He had taken off my mask. Not