LOGINRico pulled into the rocky driveway at the old building meant for I Sette meetings. He turned off the engine and came out of the car, adjusting the collar of his deep gray jacket.Two days have passed since the talk he had with his mother. And in those days, he was summoned by the council members.They debated about making him Don after what happened. They want him to take responsibility for the damage caused at the ceremony. According to them, the violent act displayed could have been avoided. And that Rico made things blow out of proportion by coming there unannounced.Rico still laughs whenever he remembers how they twisted the whole thing. The way they laid out all that transpired that night, the tone of their voice, and their hardened gaze on him.They didn't need to say it, but he knew they were taking Marco's side, again.Too bad Rico doesn’t care for approval. He is already operating like a leader in practice, not title.And speaking of Marco, he is nowhere to be found. After
They were in Donna Marta's study room. The tension in there was scary, mostly coming from Rico. Calla held her breath, waiting for someone to say something. Anyone.Rico stood near the center of the room, his expression was unreadable. He refused to sit. Calla remained a few steps away, she stayed quiet and still, sensing this was not a moment to interrupt.Rico had agreed to speak with his mother, only if Calla was with him. A warm smile appeared on her face when he asked her. She didn't hesitate, knowing he needed her for support.He might be strong and fearless to those outside, but he's still very much human. Someone who feels physical and emotional pain.Donna Marta sat in her chair, one hand resting on the armrest, the other clutching her shawl tightly around her shoulders. For once, the woman who always carried herself with confidence looked smaller.“Why?” Rico was the first to speak. The single word cut through the room.Donna Marta lifted her eyes slowly. “Why what?”Rico h
Rico watched as his mother placed food into his plate. Not once, but many times, she had a wide smile on her face as she did."I know how much you love creamy Spaghetti alla Carbonara. So I had the chef make it for you," Donna Marta said, twirling the fork into the bowl of spaghetti, and putting it into his plate.She didn't look at Rico. Didn't sense the shift in his expression. All that mattered to her at that moment was making sure Rico was cared for. Had her attention."You were such a glutton when you were much younger," she continued, adding more spaghetti into the plate, laughing lightly. "We had to hire Nonna Luisa when you were a teenager to cook a meal specially for you."Rico's jaw hardened more, his shoulder tensing. He didn't know his fist was clenched tightly, until he felt a soft hand over his.His gaze pulled away from his plate, blinking multiple times as they dropped to the Calla's hands on his fist. He paused, then turned to her.Calla had a look so soft it slowly m
Calla had said those three words. Hearing it come out of her mouth felt strange in a good way though.She held her breath, watching Rico to see his reaction.Rico just stared at her. Like he was holding onto the words carefully, afraid they might disappear if he blinked wrong.Then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, something lighter passing through his tired expression.For a moment, nothing else happened. Not because there was nothing to say, but because neither of them rushed to fill the silence.Calla raised her hand after long minutes of staring at each other, her fingers brushed lightly through his hair again, more absent this time, like she didn’t even notice she was doing it anymore.“Are you tired?” she asked softly.“Mm," he murmured."Then you should sleep." She attempted to stand up from his lap, but he held her firm.“I’d rather stare at you," he uttered with a teasing smile.“You’re concussed,” she muttered, rolling her eyes, but there was no real firmness in it an
Once they were inside their room, Calla closed the door behind her and suddenly threw her arms around him. This time, it was tighter, filled with all the pent-up emotions she had been holding back downstairs.He sucked in a deep breath at the impact, but he still held her.She quickly pulled away when she heard him groan in pain.Her eyes moved over his face, taking in the split lip, the blood near his brow, the bruises already darkening his skin. Then her gaze dropped to his shoulder, where his shirt was torn and blood still slipped slowly from the wound.She gasped and stepped back to give him space.But he clearly didn’t like that. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he reached for her, trying to pull her back into his arms.She stayed where she was. "You’re hurt,” she said, shaking her head as she caught his hand. “I’ll have someone call for a doctor—”Rico immediately caught her by her waist before she could leave. “I didn’t complain when you hugged me downstairs, did I?” he said
Calla paced around the living room, gnawing on her fingernails, her other hand resting on her waist. Her nerves were off the roof."Still nothing?" She asked Donna Marta, who was on her phone.It was already midnight, and they knew this was the coronation night. As women weren't allowed in, Donna Marta has been trying to get the latest updates on the ceremony. Consigliere Dario purposely chose not to attend. According to him, he would never partake in such a gathering of lies, disguised as their Quintara tradition.Donna Marta had no other option but to seek information from other council members who still supported her. And right now, the only one who was responding had suddenly stopped. The last message he sent didn't make any sense. It was as if he typed it with trembling hands, the letters jumbled and uneven."We really need to get some sleep," Sophia said, legs folded as she sat on the couch, watching Calla through half-lidded eyes."No!" Calla said almost immediately, startli
"And who made that decision?”Calla didn’t turn right away. She felt his presence before she saw him. Her brows furrowed, wondering why he was out of bed. She saw the doctor leave, so she knew the bullet had been taken out. He should be resting and recovering by now.The air changed, tightening ar
The drive to the factory was quiet, the quiet that pressed against the chest and made every breath feel heavier than the last. Rico sat in the back seat, his elbow resting against the door, his gaze fixed on the dark road ahead as the city slowly disappeared behind them. Streetlights thinned out th
Rico stormed out of Calla’s house like the walls themselves had offended him, the door slamming behind him hard enough to rattle the frame. The night air hit his face cold and sharp, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning inside his chest. His breathing was uneven, his jaw locked so tight it
It’s been two days since Calla slipped out of Marco’s clutches. She wouldn’t call it an escape—more like being let go.That night had been a terror, not just for her, but especially for Eli. He’d been having constant nightmares, waking up drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Calla had run out of







