LOGINIt had been exactly one month and thirteen days since Rico went missing, and there was still no sign of him—no proof that he was alive.The air in the mansion remained heavy and gloomy, as if everyone had already accepted that Rico was gone. That he was never coming back.The guards continued to patrol the compound and the surrounding woods day and night, just as they had always done. The maids cleaned, cooked, and served in silence, their heads always bowed. The rest of the staff carried out their duties without question, quietly moving through each day.The calls and messages from people claiming to know Rico’s whereabouts had reduced over time. Even after Donna Marta doubled the reward, no one had come forward with anything real.Donna Marta wasn’t herself either. With only a few days left before Marco would be declared Don, she had tried everything. She had argued with the council members, tried to make them see reason, brought forward evidence, and reminded them of what Marco and
The car slowed to a halt. The rumbling sound from the engine stopped. Bruno was the first to step out, his long legs quiet against the gravelled ground.Calla slipped out of the car, slowly, her eyes taking in her surroundings. They've been driving for almost three hours, and she was close to getting car sick. But seeing where they were, she finally understood why it was far from the city, surrounded by trees and bushes.She clutched her purse tightly to her chest, gulping and trying to maintain an easy composure. Bruno glanced at her once and started moving forward, heading for the front door. Without needing to be told, her legs quickened behind him, her eyes still taking in the old, abandoned-looking building. The roof looked weak, and the walls had molds and vines climbing over them. She wondered if this was actually where Rico held his meetings with his people. "This way." Bruno's voice caused her to turn to him, realizing that she'd stopped moving. She sighed and walked again.
There was a saying that the walls had ears. And in this situation, Calla was the wall with the ears. She stood frozen, eyes and mouth ajar in shock after what she had just heard.If Marco were to be made Don, what would happen to Rico? To the Romano family? Does this mean they all believe Rico was dead?Till the ones inside the room paused their conversation, and the door fully opened, Calla didn't notice. She stared at the ground, blinking rapidly, trying to push the tears back. How dare they forgive the man who wants to take Rico's life and position?"Lyra!" Donna Marta quickly held Calla, steadying her from falling. Calla blinked again, holding her forehead. She had felt lightheaded again. "Uh—" she tried to say, but no word came out."Have you been standing here all this time?" She asked, brows furrowing. Calla's breath hitched. She didn't know how to answer that. It was completely wrong to eavesdrop on people's conversations, and even worse when those people were talking about
Calla sat on the couch, arms hugging her knees to her chest, heart beating fast and loud. Luxe sat next to her, her hand on Calla's shoulder, rubbing slowly. Sophia sat on the other couch, the TV remote in her hand.Calla had a maid look after Eli, in his room. She didn't want him to see her this unsettled and impatient. Sophia pushed a button on the remote control, and the television flickered to life, the sudden brightness drawing everyone’s attention.Calla still sat frozen on the couch, her eyes fixed on the screen. Even Sophia, who had been trying to stay composed, didn’t look away.The news channel logo appeared, followed by a serious-looking reporter.“This is a special broadcast,” the woman began, her tone firm. “The Romano family has just released a statement regarding the disappearance of businessman Rico De Romano.”Calla’s grip tightened around her legs. Her heart was beating even faster, and her ears were ringing. Then the screen switched and Donna Marta appeared.She st
After Bruno dropped Calla back home, she still couldn't shake off a thought that silently kept making its way into her head. Bruno mentioned that Marco is the one they strongly suspect of being the one behind Rico's accident. And he has achieved his aim. He was now Capo.What if the people Marco hired were also ordered to bring Rico to him? What if the car and phone were tossed into the river on purpose to divert the investigation from a possible abduction? What if... Marco has Rico locked up somewhere dark, constantly torturing him? She immediately shook her head, her hands placed against her ears, knees brought to her chest. She hadn't said any of these suspicions to Bruno, for fear of him thinking she'd gone crazy, or was being unrealistic. He also refused to tell her if they were planning anything.An annoyed groan slipped past her lips, followed by a yawn. Calla glanced at the clock, seeing that the short hand was pointing at two, and the longer hand was pointing towards eight.
Calla didn't know how long she had stood at the edge of the bridge. She didn't know how long the tears had been pouring. Or how long her legs trembled before they almost gave in.All she felt was Bruno's strong arm quickly wrapping around her, and pulling her away from the edge. "Careful!" He said in a hurry, holding her further away. "That was risky, Miss Calla."She didn't respond. She broke down, hard and loud. Her voice echoed into the quiet night. She gripped his arms, sobbing into his shoulders, soaking his shirt as she slowly slipped to the ground. Bruno sighed, still holding her, letting her cry to her heart's content.When she had calmed down a bit, she pulled away from him and he gently helped her stand to her feet. "Sorry about that," she said, sniffing and wiping her fingers over her cheeks. "I didn't mean to worry you... over at the edge."He nodded, fixing his shirt. "I thought you were about to jump," he muttered, but she caught on.Calla let a faint smile tug the sma
Calla hesitantly got to her feet, a huge lump in her throat, and her lips quivering. His eyes stayed on him, as if waiting for him to change his mind. To tell her he was only joking, but he didn't sway.She slowly took off her dress, undoing the buttons at the back, and letting it drop to the floor
It's been a full day since Rico made Calla touch herself, and him jerking off to her. Not much has happened since then. Rico was out of Calla's sight and somehow, she was okay with that. She still hadn't gotten to speak with her brother, but she would trust Rico this once, that Eli would be guarded
The drive to the airport was quiet and still, with Calla trying to hold her breath throughout as the tension in the car was heavy.Rico hasn't uttered a word since he last spoke to her, and his eyes were glued to his iPad.It was suffocating in here. She couldn't move her feet or twist her body. Sh
The cold water from the shower trailed down the red and black ink on Rico's broad body. He had his eyes closed, and his hands didn't move to grab a soap or sponge.He tried to breathe in slowly, calming the storm that had formed in his chest and the series of memories flashing through his mind.He







