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The stinging afternoon light piercing Milan’s eyelids jolted her from a heavy slumber. A muttered protest left her lips while she scrubbed at her face, squinting at the room. She saw a bowl of water and a wet white towel hanging around it. It seemed like someone had been tending to her. Befuddled at first, her blood began to boil once she realized where she was until the previous night’s bargain surfaced. “If you promise to follow my rules, I will move into your house,” “I promise,” She couldn't fathom what had possessed her to agree to his terms. Living under his roof was a death sentence for her secret; he’d surely detect her pregnancy before her flight to the States. Milan’s mind was filled with schemes on how to avoid Vito and live in a completely different world from him. Except that was nearly impossible.9 years ago, she had fled Italy with her father and elder brother, because of Vito and the Salvatore family, and now she was trying to
Mateo braced himself, his voice tinged with dread. “I didn’t know you were coming.” Vito’s sharp gaze flicked past him, straight to Milan’s door. His face grew stony as he calculated that he must have come from there, but his voice remained calm, making the air feel thinner. “Do I need to inform you before coming?” Mateo felt a chill run down his spine. He hesitated before he spoke the truth that he had no reason to hide from his boss. “She’s been sick.” Vito’s violet eyes darkened. “I know.” That was all he said before walking past Bang. Mateo stood there, unease crawling up his spine. He couldn't bring himself to go to his room, which was doors away, so he went back to Milan’s room to find out what was happening. Vito quietly entered Milan’s room. She was asleep. Her face was pale against the pillow, and her long lashes fluttered as she struggled to find rest. She looked unwell at first glance, which made his heart tighten with concern. Her hand rested protectively on her sto
Mateo’s expression darkened as the memory surfaced unbidden. The way Vito had carried Milan that first day. The possessiveness. The intimacy. The unmistakable claim in his tone and actions even though he swore he wasn't her lover. “What do you think he’ll do,” he added, his voice dropping lower than usual, “if he finds out?” They both knew exactly who he meant. The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. Milan’s fingers curled protectively over her stomach. “If he finds out,” she said softly, “everything ends.” At that exact moment, the phone on the bedside table lit up. VITO. Mateo’s eyes remained on the screen even after he read who was calling. His jaw muscle tightened before he looked away and swallowed his initial words. “I’ll excuse you,” he muttered. “I need to think this through. And I’ll talk to Andrea. We need to know if this… plan of yours will even work.” Relief flickered across Milan’s face. “Thank you.” Before she could say anything else, the phone on
Vito gave Milan one of his mobile phones when he dropped her off at Angels Den the next morning. He pressed it into her palm and told her to use it when she sensed someone stalking her, or if Antonio ever showed up. Then he added, quietly, “You can call me anytime. Do not hesitate to call me.”Milan nodded and thanked him, her fingers curling around the phone as if it were a lifeline. She opened her mouth, the secret burning on her tongue, the words begging to be released before they poisoned everything.But she stopped herself.He would never find out… not if she didn’t tell him. And Andrea had promised to keep her secret safe.“Do you have something you want to say to me?” Vito asked.He hated that he’d asked. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t care about her or even look at her again. Not when every glance stripped away his control. But the pull was stronger than reason.Milan shook her head. “No.”Then, asked softly, “See you soon?”Vito didn’
The words were out before he seemed to consider them fully. Vito opened his mouth again, clearly about to retract the offer, thinking she’d refuse, or worse, be uncomfortable. “I’ll stay,” Milan said, catching him off guard. Vito blinked. She met his intense gaze even as her heart raced. “Just for the night.” Vito couldn't promise her that so he kept mute. He started the car and raced home, unaware of how much weight that silence weighed on Milan and how she kept telling herself this was a bad idea. She wasn’t drunk enough anymore to blame it on the alcohol. If she was being honest, she was blaming it on his violet eyes- they were so dark, and mesmerizing, on the way they seemed to strip her bare every time they lingered on her for half a second too long. Finally, she couldn’t take it. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Milan asked. Vito glanced at her, genuinely puzzled. “Like what?” She shook her head quickly, turning toward the window. “Nothing.” Her voice softened as h
Vito returned with a bottle in hand, uncapped it, and stood close enough that only she could hear him and feel his stiff erection pressing her thighs. “Open your mouth.” Milan’s breath hitched. She hesitated only a second before obeying. He tilted the bottle and let the liquor burn its way down her throat. Antinori. The taste she knew too well. The same drink she ever shared with him. It lit something reckless inside her. Vito pulled the bottle away, his eyes lingering on the alcohol that had poured on her throat. “That’s enough.” Milan laughed, soft at first, then freer. She laughed and smiled happily as her fear dissolved into heat and movement. She stepped onto the dance floor and let the music take her. She had always loved to dance but she had stopped because it didn't fit into her plan in the US. She had won many dance competitions in ICS, and Vito loved to watch her dance. Now swaying her hips to Italian music while glancing at him made her feel wild and aroused.
The house felt strangely hollow that evening. Milan stood by the dressing table, slipping on a pale blue dress that fit as if it had been made for her. Every piece of clothing Vito had brought her seemed to match her size perfectly, except the shoes and watches, which were slightly large but sti
“You need to stop drinking,” Vito finally spoke to Milan, his voice low, controlled, but with a touch of rage. “You’re hurting yourself.”She scoffed, grabbing her glass from him. “Oh? Don’t tell me you’re going to forbid me from drinking too.” Before she could take another sip, Vito reached out, t
Vito approached the bed, his footsteps calm and measured. “Relax, Milo. You are safe here,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. Milan wanted to speak, to explain everything she felt, but words failed her. Instead, she just nodded slightly, her chest rising and falling as she tried to control h
Milan’s eyes flashed with shock as Vito admitted, “My uncle, Luca. Four years ago. He backstabbed me.” She looked dumbfounded, trying to process the weight of his words. It was unnerving to think that the man who had taught him to kill had been the first person he ended up killing himself. “Lu…







