LOGINNgl, this chapter was hard to write. I've been feeling unmotivated lately and the chapters are coming slower than I'd like. But I'm pushing through because this story and these characters mean too much to give up on. If you're still here, thank you. Every comment, and every read…it honestly helps more than you know. Especially on the days when the words don't come easy. Now, back to the chaos. Giuseppe broke Isabella out. The adopted brother and the forgotten son. Probably we would have more of his backstory…I don’t know. I miss writing soft Lorenzo and Louis moments just as much as you miss reading them. The romance, the quiet mornings, the way Lorenzo looks at Louis like he's the only thing in the room. I promise there's more of that coming.
Chapter Ninety One: Not Blood The entrance was hidden behind a false wall in a laundromat that had definitely been a front for something since the 1980s. Matt pulled open the dryers, revealing a narrow staircase that descended into dim light. The air smelled like damp concrete and secrets.William followed close behind, his heart pounding. "This is where you get your information?"Matt glanced back at him, a smirk playing on his lips. "This is where I get everything. Information. Contacts. The kind of people who don't exist on paper.""Right." William swallowed. "And you brought me because…""Because you're the only person I trust." Matt's voice was quiet, sincere. "And because I wanted to show you who I really am."William's chest tightened. He followed Matt down the stairs.The underground was a labyrinth of narrow hallways, flickering lights, and doors that led to rooms William didn't want to know about. Men in dark suits stood against the walls, their eyes scanning everyo
CHAPTER NINETY: I CHOOSE HIM The study was silent. Louis stood frozen in the doorway, his face pale, his voice barely a whisper. "Isabella is alive?" Lorenzo's jaw tightened. His eyes met Louis's, and something in them shifted…guilt, maybe, or fear. "Close the door," Lorenzo said quietly. Louis stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He didn't sit. He stood there, arms crossed, waiting. "Explain," Louis said. "Now." Lorenzo exhaled slowly. "After everything she did…after she tried to have you killed, after she manipulated everything, after she nearly destroyed us….I couldn't just let her walk away. I couldn't let her go free, she would continue to be a threat to our peace” Louis stared at him. "So you locked her in a mental hospital." "She's not in a hospital," Lorenzo said. "She's in a facility. A private one. She's alive, but she's contained. She can't hurt anyone anymore." Louis's voice was hollow. "Did you ever plan to tell me?" Lorenzo looked away. "I was going
CHAPTER EIGHTY NINE: THE SECRET Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the tangled sheets. William shifted closer to Matt's body, his hand resting on Matt's chest, his cheek pressed against his shoulder. The steady rhythm of Matt's heartbeat was the most soothing sound he had heard in weeks. He wished he could do this every morning. Forever. Matt groaned, his voice rough with sleep. "William dear, you can stop pretending to be asleep. I have to go." William moved closer, his lips brushing Matt's jaw. "Why don't you spoil me a little longer?" He tilted his head up to see Matt's face. "Good morning." Matt's eyes softened. He brushed the hair from William's forehead. "Good morning. How are you feeling?" William smiled. "Better. Much better." Matt kissed his forehead, his lips lingering. "I'm glad." William pulled him closer, his voice low. "I hope I didn't push too much last night." Matt leaned in, his lips brushing William's ear. His voic
CHAPTER EIGHTY EIGHT: CANDLE WISH The door burst open. "WILLIAM! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Chloe launched herself onto William's bed before he could even open his eyes. He grunted as her small body landed on his chest, knocking the air out of him. "Chloe…" He groaned, half-asleep. "What time is it?" "Time to celebrate!" Chloe beamed. "Get up, get up, get up!" William rubbed his eyes, blinking at the sunlight streaming through the curtains. "It's too early for…” "It's your birthday!" Chloe grabbed his arm, tugging. "You can't stay in bed all day. Louis made breakfast….and there's cake…and presents. …and…” "Chloe, let the young man breathe." Louis appeared in the doorway, smiling softly. He was holding a tray with a small cake on it, a single candle flickering in the center. "Happy birthday, William." William stared at the cake. He didn't feel like celebrating. He didn't feel like doing anything. Chloe bounced beside him. "Come on, come on! You have to blow out the candles!" William
CHAPTER EIGHTY SEVEN: TRUST TO EARN Louis was still slumped against the hospital wall, his hands shaking, his breath shallow. The door to Lorenzo's room was closed. The chaos inside had faded, but the silence that followed was worse. The door opened. The doctor stepped out, his face tired but calm. Louis forced himself to stand. "How is he?" The doctor removed his gloves. "He's stable. The seizure stopped. We've flushed the substance from his system." Louis's legs almost gave out. "He's going to be okay?" "He's going to be okay because of you." The doctor's voice was firm. "If you hadn't stopped that injection when you did…if you hadn't noticed it was the wrong time, the wrong medication…" He paused. "You saved his life, Signor Volterra." Louis blinked. He didn't feel like a hero. He felt like he was going to collapse. "Can I see him?" "Give us a few minutes to monitor him. Then you can go in." Louis nodded. He leaned against the wall, his head spinning. Any
CHAPTER EIGHTY SIX: HOLDING THE LINE Days has rolled into weeks had passed. The hospital room smelled like antiseptic and stale coffee. Louis sat beside Lorenzo's bed, his fingers wrapped around Lorenzo's hand, his eyes fixed on the pale face that hadn't opened its eyes in days. Lorenzo's chest rose and fell with the help of machines. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound that kept Louis sane. The door opened. Anya walked in, her face tight, her tablet tucked under her arm. "Louis." He didn't look up. "Any change?" "Not yet. But that's not why I'm here." Anya sat across from him, her voice low. "Lorenzo being in this state is dangerous. I can feel something stirring between the higher ups. They're testing boundaries." Louis finally looked at her. "What do you mean?" "Lorenzo has extended family overseas. Cousins, uncles, people who have been waiting for a moment like this. They've never had power before…but now they see an opening." Anya pause
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US. The mansion felt different with Chloe in it…brighter, louder, like someone had turned up the volume on a song Louis didn't realize had been playing too low. She sat in a wheelchair, not because she couldn't walk but because she tired easily, her bod
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE BLOOD ON THE STREET The private jet sat on the tarmac, engines humming, ready to take him to Zurich. Lorenzo stood at the bottom of the steps, one foot on the first stair, when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. The estate. "What." The voice on the other end wa
CHAPTER SIX: THE GRANDMOTHER Louis stood in the middle of the bedroom, staring at the massive bed like it was a cage about to snap shut. He should be getting ready for bed. That's what normal people did. They brushed their teeth, they changed into something comfortable, they lay down and clos
CHAPTER FIVE: MARRIED TO A CRAZY ONE IN MILAN. The private jet felt ridiculous. Louis had never been on a plane that felt more like a hotel room. Leather seats that reclined into beds. A table set with actual silverware. A flight attendant who kept asking if he wanted anything…champagne, caviar







