Chapter 20ALEJANDRO POV“What gave her out? I swear I wouldn’t have thought she was a spy.” Viper said as the craft soared through the clouds, taking us to Naples where we were going to settle this mess once and for all. Somehow Francesco needed to know who the real boss was. I guess letting him just be made him think that he could go around branding shit in my territory. He was still in disbelief that we had encountered that, and that the girl almost outsmarted him just like that while he was blinded by the blue British eyes. “A few things. One, how she seemed to know exactly who we were as soon as she walked it. Two, the wine bottle was already opened. If the gun plan failed, then the poisoned wine would definitely get us. And three, the fake Alissia name? Anyone could tell that she is a bloody descendant of Athelstan.” I pointed out causing him to shake his head in disbelief. He wiped a hand down his face before slouching into his seat, causing Kaito to chuckle where he was ca
Chapter 21RAYANA POVMy back hit the mattress as I plopped onto my bed, exhaustion seeped out of the pores of my skin, evaporating into space. I stared blankly at the white ceiling above my head, my thoughts scattered around the place. I became a spectator to a game called my life, trying to figure out where everything suddenly changed. It was not that fateful night I spent in jail. It had to be earlier than that. I went from being a normal, royal girl to somebody recognized by everyone globally, and that idea alone scared the shit out of me. Somewhere along the line, I drifted to a peaceful sleep because when someone knocked on my door, I almost jumped out of my skin. The door creaked open just as I pulled myself into a sitting position, my eyes taking in the subtle darkness that had already filled the room.Yahp! I must have dozed off there. “James…” I breathed out in surprise as my older brother came waltzing into my room on slow, defeated strides. He came to stop before my
Chapter 22ALEJANDRO POVThe sun had just set when we arrived in the heart of Naples. Something inside my wretched soul had told me that it would be just right to pop when the light of the world had just disappeared, right when the night started to blanket the world with its darkness. After all, I did not like dealing with my problems in broad daylight; too many eyes, and loud noises. The night, however; it was a perfect cradle for all evil things in this world. And I was just that someone whose middle name was evil!It was about 7 in the evening when we pulled up in an abandoned alley just behind Francesco’s pub. Unlike the rest of the environment which was bustling with people, this one was cold, deserted, and perfect for me to execute all that I had planned. I was thankful to my second in command for taking the time to learn and print the outlay of the pub to his memory, which made invading much easier.We left the car parked in the alley, hidden away by the dark of the night,
Chapter 23RAYANA POVI felt him before I could even see him. I threw my eyes toward the entrance and then watched from across the airport lounge as he walked through. Maybe it was just my mind, but his perfect strides were filled with so much confidence it looked as though he was moving in a slowed motion. My heart thumped against my rib cage, taking all of him in his might and how he seemed to have sucked all the air out of the giant first-class lounge with simply his being.Our gazes collided with what felt like an electrocuting crash that zapped through my brain, wrenching a tiny moan from my throat. Even from a yard away, this man’s stare held me captive. That was not normal. No way in hell or heaven that was normal.I hadn’t noticed he was walking with another man who was about the same height as him, except about an inch shorter, with a smaller frame. And unlike his perfect, Italian self, the man was Japanese. They stopped in front of me and reality suddenly walked back int
Chapter 24ALEJANDRO POVThe scars on my wrist pumped a dull ache into my arm as the car pulled in front of the big black iron gates of Windsor Castle- a telltale to the upcoming bad weather. I massaged it through my coat, careful not to disturb my little kitten as she was parading through emotions and questions in her mind while leaning against me.The ride from the airport was a silent one, and I was thankful because I got to bask in the silence and declutter the scenes that had cramped in my mind. It had been a busy week, one filled with blood and conspiracies, and being with Rayana gave me the sense of calmness I never knew I needed. The car came to a smooth halt as Kaito pulled it into the parking spot just before the castle. Rayana got up from the crook of my arm, leaving with her the heat of her body and the warmth that seemed to suck the coldness in my heart right through the arm she was touching. “You were not sleeping.” I pointed out as she fixed her hair, and then her ey
Chapter 25RAYANA POVThe morning arrived and I woke up with a start. My energy was fixated on solving this mess that James had dumped us right into as soon as I possibly could, and Alejandro’s presence gave me the assurance I never knew I needed. Somehow I felt safe and secure when he was here. And now that the said problem was none but an underworld group of people, I was more certain that we were going to deal with this accordingly and get done with it. With my mind running rampant about what could go wrong throughout our day, I left my room dressed in a black fluffy coat and jeans., my feet clad in leather boots. The weather forecast had foretold angry rain, and I knew better than to argue with Mother Nature. I stepped into the foyer to find Alejandro and Kaito already waiting. Their mere presence seemed to fill the entire space with so much testosterone I could hardly think. But it wasn’t just their presence. It was in the way one particular man carried himself. Even standi
Chapter 26ALEJANDRO POV“Okay, first of all, rude. Secondly, he is scary as hell. Thirdly, why the hell does he pretend like he doesn’t know you?” Rayana exploded facing James who had his hands pushed into the pockets of his coat. He glanced back into the direction we came from and shook his head slightly.“I came with company.” He responded nonchalantly. His response sparked something inside of me. I don’t know if my paranoia was getting the best of me, but something told me James William Mountbatten wasn’t being completely honest with us. I have been in this line of work all my life; I knew a deceitful facade when I saw one. “But that is no excuse to treat us the way he did. That man was downright arrogant. Like he had some formula to life or something.” A hint of a smile landed on my face at her sudden outburst. Looking at her expression; she was mortified. I couldn’t help but find that cute. The little baby had no idea just how ugly my world could be; just how horrible things w
Chapter 27ALEJANDRO POVIt was about nine in the evening when I walked to the open foyer of a giant family dining room that overlooked the green, large lands stretching for acres and acres. A steaming cup of hot milk was grasped tightly in my hand, and I could not help but let out a tiny laugh as I took a small sip. It was the most ridiculous thing I have ever been forced to but Agatha- bless her pure heart- claimed that hot milk was good for digestion and that I needed to drink hot milk daily. I couldn’t refute with her. Something about her motherly act as she obsessed over the idea had me silently sitting there and nodding as she presented the cup to me. It was a luxury I could never afford, even with all the money and power I had to my name. Somehow money couldn’t buy all things in the world!I eyed it one more time before taking another sip, then let out a large puff of breath that steamed against the cold evening air. My mind ran rampant as I tried to break down the happenst
Chapter 82 ALEJANDRO POVHeat spread through me like debris from the molten lava as I watched her shimmy into black suit pants and a white silk blouse. The pants were so long that they pooled around her feet and swept the floor when she walked into the closet, and I had to chuckle at her petite frame and height. Everything about my wife was so perfect! So mine!She left the closet a heartbeat later standing on heels which made her slightly taller so that the pants didn’t have to sweep on the floor. She had a small gold clutch in her left hand, and big, round earrings dawning her ears. Black sunglasses covered her eyes, and I had to pinch myself to see whether I was dreaming. And nope! I was very much awake and my wife was in front of me doing a small twirl to show me her outfit for the day, with the brightest smile plastered on her face. “Is this perfect?” “More than perfect.” I stood from where I was sitting and took lazy strides in her direction. I realized that she somehow manag
Chapter 81Hours bled into days, and with each passing day, I got lost in the beauty of Italy. This whole entire place was like something I had never seen. Yes, I used to come visit Rome with my dad on his diplomatic missions back in the days; but being cooped up inside heavily guarded hotels restricted me from exploring the space and falling in love with it. What we got back there was just the tip of the iceberg. Or maybe it was just Sicily that seemed to be carved out of a fairytale book, but I didn’t remember Rome being as any good! The intricate architectural designs, the culture, the damn food my sister and I stuffed our faces with… Everything was a die for. Our days were filled with exploring every nook and every corner of this place, and with every place we set foot on, I couldn’t help but balloon with pride at the idea of my man underhandedly ruling all of this!Heck! To think I was the Queen? HIS QUEEN?When he was out on business with the rest of the guys, he would leave
Chapter 80ALEJANDRO POVI was hard as fuck when I climbed into the back of a black Mercedes amg cls, Lorenzo on my side while Kaito took the passenger seat. One of the soldiers was on duty to drive us around the city as we took care of businesses, but all I could think of as we slipped out of the property was how I wanted to hold my woman in my arms as I fucked her so hard she’d shatter in pieces in my hold, then scream my name before kissing me with everything she had inside of her.“Block your cock a little, boss. We will be back in no time and you will have all the time to make love to your wife.” Viper called out on a soft snicker, probably fed up with my grunting like I was some type of a dog in heat. Maybe I was. Maybe this thing I was feeling was the exact thing any other normal man felt when he remembered they had a newly wedded wife waiting for them in the bedroom of their house; and that she would welcome him with a smile and a hug when he got off work after a long tiring
Chapter 79RAYANA POVFirst bits and pieces of awarenss found me laying on my back. A soft groan slipped past my lips as I stirred on the soft surface of the mattress, my body itching to turn to the side. I did just that, my right hand searching for something, for warmth and the entity I know should have been right there when I reached out. But all I touched was coldness and nothingness that sent panic unfurling in the core of my belly. My eyes flew open to take in the foreign surroundings, and slowly, memories from last night pieced together to form a clear picture in my brain. A smile formed on my lips as my eyes once again swept around the place. The whole setting was eye catching under the dim lights… But with sun streaking across the room? It was something I have never seen before. I peeled myself from the warmth of the blankets and the bed and padded across the place. Taking in every single detail of the room which was now going to be my cradle. The accents were a mixture o
Chapter 78RAYANA POVWhen Alejandro said ‘base’ I expected something along the lines of a big space literally in the middle of nowhere, probably in the woods. Some tents, camping tents, and a whole lot of camping material. A shooting arena of course, and some of the boxing stuff I saw back at the Vetro apartments. I sure as hell not prepared for a whole estate, with what one could simply regard the buildings as apartment buildings. There were a solid five of them, stretching about five floors from the ground. But the beauty of them all, the style, everything seemed to have come straight out of the history books with their caramel tones and everything. The minute we rolled through the black iron gates, I figured we were lost, probably took a detour, or stopped somewhere to ask Aunt Betty for a pack of her homemade cookies. I did not expect a whole neighborhood, a modern, suburban neighborhood to be a base. A small “wow” slipped out of my mouth when we came to the main house. I fi
Chapter 77ALEJANDRO POVMy ears clogged on ascending. Luckily I had a little good human to keep my mind occupied. Viper had made it a deal to call us into the small office at the back of the jet, between the lounge space and the bedroom space, to fill us in with the happenstances that had occurred in my absence. Some of the things he hinted was that maybe, just maybe, we have been hunting for the traitor from the wrong huddle. His words haunted me even an hour later as I lay in the lounger with Rayana’s body on top of mine, her head snuggled in the crook of my neck and her breaths coming out in small pants. Everything about her was just so perfect. So natural. Even the way she casually touched my cheek here and there while looking into the small device in my hand, all made me believe my little notion that she was indeed the rib of my ribs!“Check this out.” I drawled in a small raspy voice. Her attention flew to the tablet in my hand. I scrolled a few before clicking onto the link
Chapter 76RAYANA POVI woke up curled into Alejandro’s side, his whole being wrapped around me like a warm comforter. I let my eyes take him in fully, let them wander on every single nook and crook of his face. I printed each detail to memory, and for the umpteenth time, I was awed by the beauty of this man. Long lashes, thick eyebrows that only models could get from terrible laser operations, lips so full and lush that the V dipped so down low. He had these beads of sweat on his forehead that I just wanted to lick with my tongue because that’s how much I loved him. When sleeping, he looked so beautiful. No angry grunts, no heavy sighs, no tiredness that weighed so heavily on him that it was all evident in his simple glance… Just peace. His scent was the soothing elixir I never knew I needed. I was never really a big fan of scents and personal odors, but Alejandro made me find out things about myself I never really knew I had in me. If it were a few months ago I would cringed at t
Chapter 75RAYANA POVAlejandro balanced me on one arm as he attempted to open the door, but I beat him to it and twisted the door hand. He pushed it open to reveal a pathway of roses and candles all around. My mouth fell open in a small gasp of surprise as my eyes took in every little detail. Somehow in a span of few hours, they had managed to turn my bedroom into a whole honeymoon suite. The entire room was filled with red and white, from roses to the white small throw on the red bed… And everything else reminded me of the time he first took me. The time he claimed me and destroyed for any other man, living or dead. My breath hitched at the memory and heat spread all over my body like wildfire.“Wow…” I breathed out softly. Alejandro simply le
Chapter 74ALEJANDRO POVEvery time THAT thought crossed my mind, my whole body shook. Shivers rattled my bones and an unknown force slammed right into my chest, causing goosebumps to erupt all over me and sheathe my body like a second layer of skin.At some point, I almost freaked out thinking I was scared, that I was regretting all of this… But then I figured it was because everything was all too surreal. All unbelieveable. A man like me didn’t deserve this much happiness. A man like me with a closet so full of skeletons that they couldn’t be hidden anymore, deserved nothing but isolation for the rest of his life. Cause as they all love to say, people in our world were all beyond redemption. Right now, I was starting to wonder if that was even true.