LOGINVito woke to a soft, insistent tapping on his bedroom door. For a brief second he let himself believe it was Aurora following their morning routine. He glanced at the small clock on his bedside table and froze. It was still too early for the little girl to be up. The wine from the night before and the consequence of yesterday’s violence hummed at the base of his skull.He swung his legs out of bed, slid his feet into slippers, and walked to the door feeling a little unsteady. Grief had a way of unmooring him that alcohol could not. He opened the door and saw Aurora standing there clutching her Barbie doll, her iPad, and a pencil stylus. Her eyes were wet but she had not yet cried.Vito simply watched her. The sight of her made his heart fierce and tender in him at the same time. He had learned to carry a lot of things for other people, and he would always care for this child. He heaved a deep breath, feeling at a disadvantage when she only looked at him with crystal tears in her vi
Vito stood by the window, his tall frame outlined by the vague light of the city outside. The glass of Antinori in his hand gleamed dark red, the liquid swirling lazily as though mocking the turmoil inside him. His palm, still wrapped in the torn fabric Milan had used to stop his bleeding, pulsed faintly beneath the bandage. He stared at it for a long time, remembering the way her small hands had trembled while tending to him.A heavy sigh left his lips. He didn’t want to think about the wave of anger that had overtaken him earlier, when she spoke of Giovanni. The sheer thought of the man’s hands on her, the bruises she described, the fear in her voice… All of it made his heart twist painfully.Abusive relationships were not rare in Italy. Men like Giovanni existed in every corner of the world, hiding behind wealth and power, pretending to love while destroying what they possessed. But hearing Milan’s voice break, and seeing the pain in her eyes as she spoke hurt him harder than he ex
“What are you looking at?” Vito’s voice snapped Milan out of her trance. “You have your drink, woman.”She blinked, then smiled mischievously. “I want your drink,” she said without thinking.He arched his brow. “You know I only share my drink with my people, don’t you?”She leaned forward on her elbow, smirking. “Do I?” Her laughter was soft, teasing. “But you gave me your drink this afternoon, and I’m not one of your mafia members.”Vito’s lips twitched, though his eyes stayed cold. He shook his head, exhaling a long, quiet sigh that carried more amusement than frustration.If only she knew how much restraint it took for him not to pull her into his lap.And if only she knew how close he was to forgetting every rule he’d made for himself.“You seize my drink,” he corrected evenly.Milan rolled her eyes, the faintest smirk tugging at her lips. “Same thing, best friend.” She tipped back her glass, finishing the last drop of wine before pouring herself another.“You know, before this af
Milan could hardly breathe. Having Vito’s powerful presence standing before her was overwhelming. Too overwhelming. His eyes looked darker than ever, smoldering with an intensity that gave her a fleeting, dangerous thought: that he wanted to kiss her.Damn it if that didn’t send heat flooding between her thighs.She swallowed hard, tearing her gaze away in a desperate attempt to calm her racing pulse. “What... do—move back a bit.” Her small hands pressed against his chest, a feeble attempt to create distance, though she knew her strength was nothing compared to his.Just standing near him made her dizzy. Her breath hitched as her thoughts spiraled out of control.“Are you okay?” Vito’s low, husky voice sent a violent tremor down her core. Her nipples stiffened at the sound, and she cursed inwardly.She was getting aroused just by his voice and if that wasn’t too threatening for her sex deprived self, then she didn't know what was.But why was her body reacting to him—Vito Salvatore,
It had been four years since Vito Salvatore gained full legal custody of his cousin, little Aurora, and it hadn’t been easy. Raising an autistic child was never simple, and it became far harder when she refused to speak.Had Aurora always been autistic? That was impossible to answer. But after the traumatic arson incident, the bubbly girl had retreated into herself, becoming quiet, reserved, and extremely cautious of strangers. Reserve was a gentler word.Aurora barely acted as if she recognized anyone besides Vito. Her therapist claimed it was because they had been the only ones in the house that day, and that Aurora might have seen Vito as her guardian angel. But Vito knew better. She had been terrified and helpless. And that fateful day, he had been too far away, caught in his own vices at Angels Den when Luca had called to say he had to leave the mansion for an event.Back then, Mrs. Luigi hadn’t started working with them, and there were no live-in staff. Only Luca, Aurora, and Vi
“She’s not my girl. She’s…uhmm. Just a long-time best friend,” he muttered before he walked away and left her bewildered. Best friend? Was that really what he thought of her? No, it couldn’t be. “But that’s what he just said,” Milan reminded herself, her mind unconsciously trying to reconcile his words. After a long silence during which Mrs. Luigi simply smiled and nodded while giving Milan an assessing look, she finally spoke, her tone carrying a note of approval. “It’s a good thing you’re not involved with a man like Vito.” “Why would that be a good thing?” Milan asked softly. Mrs. Luigi exhaled deeply, the weight of her sigh filling the room before she caught herself and smiled again, her expression shifting into a cheerful grin. “I would like to match you with my Mateo. He is good-looking, tall, has a reasonable job, and will take care of you.” “You can go home now, Mrs. Luigi.” Vito’s cold voice cut through the quiet of the living room from wherever he was, and Milan fel







