เข้าสู่ระบบ**Bianca**The drive to Enzo’s house passes in absolute silence. It is just the two of us in the truck: he drives, and I sit in the passenger seat. But despite having no witnesses, we each keep to our own sides, and he remains deep in thought.When we arrive, we are greeted by Enzo, the Don, and his wife. Everyone welcomes me kindly, but I cannot shake this strange, completely out-of-place feeling. We head upstairs quietly so as not to ruin the surprise. Ilaria holds a cake in her hands and asks me to hide in the kitchen while Enzo goes to get my cousin. I suppose I must be the main surprise.A few minutes later, Enzo returns with my cousin slung over his shoulder, while she fights to get him to put her down. I stifle a laugh watching the scene from my hiding spot. Ari is just wearing an oversized t-shirt; it is obvious he caught her completely off guard.“Surprise?” Ilaria exclaims, slightly confused by the situation, mirroring the rest of them. But she immediately breaks the awkward
**Bianca**The day drags on endlessly. Anxiety gets the better of me, and I don't know what to do to kill time. It is not like I do much in Chicago—there is nothing to do there either—but I suppose living with the constant dread that Edoardo will show up at any moment to hurt me does not let my brain relax; here, by contrast, I feel a strange peace.Fabrizio lets me know he will not have time to come back for lunch, and although it saddens me, I appreciate that he is thoughtful enough to let me know. It feels so bizarre to have this kind of communication with a man; Edoardo never includes me in his decisions or his schedules, not that I care—quite the contrary: the less I know about him, the better for me.When it is finally time to get ready for the birthday, I take a relaxing shower and look for an outfit. Edoardo made sure Dome packed only loose, simple things—no easy task considering my wardrobe; back home, everything in my closet is tight and revealing by his orders, but I suppos
**Bianca**He lets go of me, grabs my suitcase, and walks down the apartment hallway.—Come with me.—Fabrizio, I’m serious, —I warn him as I follow him.— I know I sound like a crazy person, saying one thing and then another, and maybe I’m confusing you with my actions, but I’m not stupid. I know perfectly well that whatever is happening between us has no future.He stops in front of a door and turns to look at me.—I already told you we’ll talk about that later.He opens the door and shows me a simple room, just like the rest of the house, with a double bed and sky-blue sheets.—Make yourself at home; the room has a private bathroom. I’ll try to be back for lunch, but if I can’t, I’ll have something brought to you. There are two of my men at the door to keep you safe. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask or call me directly.—All right, —I accept and step into the room.He follows me, wraps his arms around my waist to pull me against his body, and kisses me again.—I’ll be rig
**Bianca**Manhattan welcomes us with its congested avenues and towering skyscrapers. I look out the window at the city landscape, and for a second, I can admire it, imagining that I'm a normal girl who can stroll through the streets."Had you never been here?" Fabrizio asks after hanging up the call that kept him busy most of the trip from the airport.They seem genuinely busy with whatever they're planning, because he hasn't stopped working since we left Chicago. What surprises me is that I don't feel uncomfortable because, even when he isn't talking to me, he manages to make me feel accounted for—whether it's stroking my hand or my thigh, or having me rest against his chest or in his lap while he types or takes calls. He doesn't ignore me the way Edoardo does, who only looks for me when he wants...I push my thoughts away from that path because I don't want to sour my mood; this opportunity isn't going to present itself twice, and I'd rather make the most of it, disconnecting from
**Bianca**The bedroom door chimes, interrupting our conversation, and a flight attendant's voice sounds on the other side."Sir, apologies for the interruption, but we're about to take off. You need to return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts."Fabrizio grunts, annoyed, but answers:"We’re coming."He looks up at me, and I gently stroke his hair. Today, it catches golden glints more than usual, mixed in with his brown strands."I'll be fine," I assure him, not sure if I'm trying to convince him or myself. "Please, don't ruin this."He stands up without letting go of my hips, and I feel his whole body brush against mine."All right. We’ll take off, and I’ll let him live... for now," he clarifies, "but only if you promise me that while you’re with me, you’ll forget about everything else.""What does that mean?" I ask, my throat suddenly dry.He pulls me tighter against his body, and I can feel the restrained hardness in his pants, which frightens and thrills me in equal measure.
**Bianca**"If that bastard lays a hand on you, I’m going to kill them, Bianca. I swear to God I’ll kill both of you."Edoardo’s threat echoes in my head while Fabrizio kisses me. I know I shouldn’t be doing this, that I shouldn’t be here (least of all like this), but the weight of the past few weeks has worn down my self-control, and despite the fear, I can’t hold back.Seeing Fabrizio was the balm for my wounds that I didn’t even know I needed.When Edoardo announced this trip, I thought it was some cruel joke on his part. I didn't believe it until I saw Fabrizio. Even now, I feel like I’m dreaming, and I’m terrified of waking up."If he finds out about this, he’ll kill us," I whisper between gasps when he pulls away from my mouth to kiss my neck.I feel like I at least have to warn him, even though it’s painfully obvious. The thought that something could happen to him, that Edoardo’s reach could extend to him, terrifies me. But when I have him this close, kissing me, stroking me, m
EnzoMy hands are sweaty as I wait, which feels ridiculous considering I’m married to that woman—but this time things are different. In this story, we’ve definitely done everything backwards.“Where are you planning to take her?” Antonio asks in that ridiculous, over-the-top concerned tone he only
Arianna I run my hands over my head because it has started to ache."I’m very confused, Ilaria. I don’t even know what I want.""And that’s okay too. Give yourself time; you don’t have to make a decision right now.""Do you think he’ll be willing to wait? Enzo isn’t exactly an example of patience.
Enzo Desperation dominates me, my lungs collapse, and I feel a terrible pain in my chest that extends to my left arm. I stand up agitatedly, wanting to run but not knowing where, thirsty for blood, but above all, willing to give everything to get her out of there."I have to talk to the Arabs," I
Arianna "I know, and it was stupid of me to say something like that. I was just scared—scared of feeling exactly what I'm feeling right now." "And what are you feeling?" "An atrocious fear of losing you both, of them hurting you, of them harming you. Arianna , look at yourself! Look at what t







