登入0181~ Joan ~He looked at me for a moment.His face stayed completely blank, unreadable. The silence stretched long enough that I almost believed he was going to refuse. My pulse stayed steady anyway. The worst he could do was say no, and I already had a contingency for that.Then he proved himself worthy.“Consider it done.”Three quiet words. There was no hesitation. No questions about why or how. Just acceptance.Guess I have just met my gold luck, I thought, the dark satisfaction curling warm in my chest. A fool who thought I was falling for him, and now a tool willing to help me bury Aria Santoro. Perfect.I stood, rounded the table slowly, and swayed my hips with deliberate, practiced seduction. When I reached his chair I lowered myself onto his thigh, straddling one leg so that the heat of me pressed against the hard muscle beneath his trousers. I leaned in close, lips brushing the shell of his ear.“Don’t you deserve a little reward after all that?” I whispered, the seductive
0180~ Joan ~Today was the day I was finally going to claw my way completely into Emilio’s life.What an absolute fool he was, actually thinking a girl like me was head over heels in love with him. I threw my head back and let out a dark, wicked laugh. My heart beat for Luca, and Luca alone. Emilio was just a convenient tool to be used, fucked, and tossed away the second he served his purpose.He had invited me over to his private house for the very first time. I made sure to look as wildly sexy as possible. I pulled on a tight, cleavage-baring dress, painted my lips in a deep blood-red lipstick, and sprayed an expensive perfume that smelled so intoxicating he wouldn't be able to resist sleeping with me.When I pulled up and stepped out of my car, I was genuinely perplexed. The mansion was massive, giant even. I always knew Emilio made good money in the mafia, but I didn't realize he was this loaded. The entire front lawn was dead silent, not a single guard or servant in sight.By th
0179~ Luca ~An underground racing spot? Interesting. I stared out the window as Emilio parked his sleek sports car near the entrance of a massive, hidden warehouse beneath the city streets. The heavy bass of loud music pounded against the concrete walls, and the sharp smell of burning rubber and cheap gasoline filled the air."Yes, some thrill and fun will make sense, don't you think?" Emilio said, turning off the engine with a wide,confident grin. "It will give you a massive rush of adrenaline. You need to clear your head and think straight if you want to deploy your plans against Joan and the mole. Don't you agree? Besides, I still have one more big surprise for you."He was acting suspiciously cheerful now, and it was putting my nerves right on edge. What on earth could that surprise possibly be?Before I could ask, Emilio jumped out of the car and dragged me toward the registration desk. I wasn't about to use my real name down here in the criminal underworld, so I quickly regis
0178~ Luca ~After Aria vented all her raw anger and practically threw me out of her room, I didn't go back upstairs. I couldn't face the empty hallways of the estate. Instead, I walked out the back glass doors and sat down on a stone bench in the dark backyard.The cool night air hit my face, but I barely felt it. I reached deep into my coat pocket and pulled out a cigar. It was an old habit, one I rarely touched. I didn't think I had smoked a single cigar in over a year. But tonight, I needed it. I needed something, anything, to calm the burning storm inside my chest.I needed to get my shit together. Only problem was, I had no earthly idea how to do it.I was trapped in a nightmare of my own making. I didn’t know the full extent of what Joan was truly capable of,who was helping her pull the strings behind the scenes, or what her next move would be. I couldn’t afford to underestimate her for even a second, because if I did, my innocent daughter Isabella could end up in grave danger
0177~ Aria ~There was an immediate, heavy pin-drop silence in the dining room.My face had changed already, I am completely sure of it. Blood drained straight from my cheeks, but I didn’t even bother to look up from my plate or see how anyone else was reacting. Still, I could feel the burning weight of Luca's eyes fixed directly on me from across the table."Really?" one of the brothers broke the silence, raising his eyebrows in genuine surprise. "Why do you think so, Alessandro?""Well, I accidentally caught a glimpse of the contact name 'Isabella' on his caller ID just now," Alessandro explained, grinning like he had uncovered some top-secret intel. "And knowing Luca here, I almost thought he was gay! The last time we came to visit, he didn’t have a single female contact saved on his private phone!"The brothers instantly broke out into low murmurs, chuckling and nudging each other as the playful teasing rippled around the table.Honestly, I wonder how they were mafia men. Luca d
0176~ Aria ~There they were! Uncle Enzo and Emilio’s four brothers, sitting comfortably right in our living room. Truthfully, I didn’t know them that well yet. I just knew in a vague way that they were my cousins from my father’s side of the family.But seeing them standing here right now felt so surprisingly good. I needed this. I desperately needed a distraction from the heavy, suffocating cloud of heartbreak that had been following me around like a shadow.Emilio did this, I realized with a sudden warmth in my chest. I was completely sure of it. It was such a sweet,thoughtful gesture from him to bring his family over to brighten up the gloomy me.Uncle Enzo stood up first, his warm eyes lighting up as he stepped toward me. "Mia principessa!" he cheered softly, opening his arms wide. "It is so good to finally see you, my lovely niece!"He wrapped me in a big, warm bear hug that made me feel instantly safe and cherished.How were all these men high-ranking mafia guys? Looking at th







