LOGINMichael’s POVI stared at the pile of wedding magazines on Fernando's desk and wondered if I was already regretting this decision.There were at least twelve of them and somehow, after spending the better part of the afternoon flipping through them, I still hadn't found a single thing I actually wanted.I pushed one of the magazines aside and rubbed my forehead."This is impossible."Fernando glanced up from the documents on his desk."What is?" He asked."Everything” I answered.He smiled faintly."That's a little dramatic."I gave him a look."You're not the one planning a wedding” I shot at him.He chuckled while I leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling.It had been months since Fernando had proposed to me and somehow, we had managed to push the actual wedding planning further and further away.At first, there had been good reasons.Henry had needed time to settle back into school, Fernando had returned to managing his businesses and I had finally started building my ow
Theo’s POVI glanced at my watch for what had to be the fifth time in ten minutes.Andriel was late.Not terribly late, but late enough for me to start wondering if something had happened.I sat back in my chair and looked around the restaurant.It was one of those quiet, expensive places in Manhattan where the lighting was warm, the tables were spaced far enough apart to give everyone privacy, and the soft music playing in the background made conversations feel more intimate than they probably were.Normally, I would have been irritated because I hated waiting. But with Andriel, somehow, I had learned to be patient.Or at least I was trying.Over the past couple of months, everything between us had changed.What started as a few casual dinners had slowly turned into something neither of us could pretend was casual anymore.We had gone on a lot of dates, late-night walks, movie nights, long conversations that somehow lasted until the restaurant staff started giving us subtle hints tha
Fernando’s POVWalking into one of my largest companies again felt strangely satisfying.I stood inside the main lobby, looking around at the familiar marble floors, towering glass walls, and employees moving around with the kind of nervous excitement that only appeared when the man at the top suddenly returned after disappearing for years.It was my company after all, my name was still on the building, my office was still waiting for me and after everything that had happened, I finally had control over it again.I adjusted my suit jacket and walked toward the elevators. Mortis followed closely behind me."I still can't believe how quickly everything was restored," he said."Neither can I” I admitted when I stepped into the elevator. "But I suppose people move quickly when they are afraid of losing their lives.”Mortis chuckled."That's one way to look at it” he said then the elevator doors closed.I should have been happy, and I was, don’t get me wrong, but there was one thing that k
Michael’s POVThe moment I stepped into the restaurant, I knew I had made the right decision.The place was bright and elegant without feeling pretentious, with large windows allowing the late-morning sunlight to spill across the polished wooden floors. The soft clatter of plates and silverware mixed with the low murmur of conversations, creating the kind of atmosphere that made it easy to forget the chaos that had followed me for what felt like half my life.For once, I wasn't looking over my shoulder, I was simply meeting my friend for brunch and that felt strangely wonderful.I spotted Ashley. She was sitting near the window, already waving excitedly the moment she saw me."Michael!"I couldn't help smiling."Ashley!"She stood so quickly that the chair scraped against the floor. We both laughed as I walked toward her, and the moment I reached the table, she pulled me into a tight hug."Oh my God," she whispered. "You're actually here."I laughed against her shoulder."I'm here."
Michael’s POVI stared at Fernando. I genuinely had no answer for him, not even a single word.The ring was still sitting inside the open velvet box, catching the warm light from the chandeliers above us. The musicians were still playing softly in the background, but their music had somehow become distant, almost like I was hearing it from another room.Fernando remained on one knee, looking up at me. He was waiting, everyone was waiting and I hated that I couldn't give him what he wanted.My throat tightened."Fernando..."His expression softened immediately."Take your time” he said.That somehow made it worse.I looked at the ring again. The thought of marriage wasn't horrible, that was the problem. It simply felt…too soon.We had barely gotten our lives back. Only few moments ago, we had been celebrating the fact that the people who had spent years threatening us had finally agreed to leave us alone. We had just returned to a home that had been taken from Fernando. Henry was fina
Michael’s POVThe meeting had gone better than I could have imagined.For once, I had walked into a room filled with some of the most dangerous men in New York and walked out without anyone pointing a gun at me.That alone felt like a miracle.I sat in the back seat of the car as we drove through the city, staring out at the familiar streets passing by the window.Beside me, Henry was practically glowing."Dad," he said excitedly, "did you see their faces?"I laughed."I saw them.""They looked terrified” he mocked.Across from us, Fernando chuckled."I'd say they were more shocked than anything” he said.I looked at him."Still counts."He nodded."It does."I leaned back against the seat.For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to breathe.The meeting had worked. Every single one of the dons had signed the agreement, they had agreed not to attack Fernando, me, or Henry, they had agreed that none of them would attempt to interfere with our lives.And most impor
Michael’s POV I had lost count of how long I had been pacing the cold hospital corridor. Every time a door creaked open, every time a nurse walked by with a clipboard or cart, my heart shot up into my throat, thinking maybe it’s about her, maybe it’s news about Ashley. But it never was. Ashley
Michael’s POV The air shifted the moment the heavy double doors closed behind us. In the smaller sitting room Ashley had dragged me into, silence pressed against my ears, broken only by the sound of her shallow, angry breaths. She turned to face me, her eyes flashing like a blade in the dim light
Fernando’s POV I leaned back on the large table, the low hum of conversations in the dining hall still flowing like currents around me. I lifted two fingers in a simple command. “Emilio,” I said, my voice a low rumble that immediately cut through the chatter. “Bring me smoke.” He was at my sid
Fernando’s POV My car sat like a wounded beast on the outskirts of the city, its once-pristine body riddled with bullet holes. And across from me, standing too calmly for a man who had orchestrated such a stunt, was Harold. I clenched my fists, my chest rising and falling with fury that burned







