LOGINTwo days had passed since Rico last saw Calla. And tonight, the focus was shifted onto something else.The old hall had not been used for celebrations in years, yet tonight it was alive again.Hidden behind the back of a private estate on the edge of the city, the building looked plain from the outside. Tall gates, stone walls, armed guards, and nothing that would draw attention from the road. Anyone passing by would think it was just another rich family property.But inside was a different story. It was full of power, greed, and men hungry for control.The ceremony to name a new Don had already begun. It was held at night, after the city had settled and most people were indoors. It's believed that darkness was always kinder to men like these, as it covered faces, secrets, and sins.Dark curtains covered the walls. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm golden light over polished floors. Round tables dressed in black cloth filled the room, each set with glasses, silver cutlery, and expensive
Once Calla got back to the mansion, she tried to act normal as possible. Rico made her promise not to say anything, or let anyone know he was alive. And she would keep it that way.The guards around the compound narrowed their eyes at her, but she didn't glance at them. They obviously had seen her appearance and how her hands trembled at her sides.Rico made sure to dry her clothes—while she was in his—and have her wear it in the morning. A guard held the front door open and she slid inside. She sighed heavily, pushing forward, her feet still quiet against the clean marbles.Calla peeped around, making sure Donna Marta or Sophia were around. She held her trembling hands against her chest, and went for the stairs."Where have you been, dear?" The voice caused her to halt at the spot, her hand midair on the railing. She gulped, turning towards where the voice came from, slowly. Her eyes met that of Donna Marta, Sophia and Eli, all eating breakfast.Luxe had already gone back to The St
Rico watched as Calla stared at him, her gaze torn between understanding and pain. He hated that he was the reason she was feeling this way. He hates how he couldn't keep his promise of making her smile always. And most of all, he hated how he couldn't be by her side all the time.“So all this time… you were alone," she whispered, and her voice broke something in him. "I should have been here with you..."His eyes softened slightly, and a sigh slipped from his lips. “I'm not alone. Not anymore.”Calla pushed out a smile as tears slipped down her cheeks. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his torso, fingers gripping his shirt tightly.Rico held her close, one hand at the back of her head, the other around her waist. “I’m so... so sorry,” he said against her hair. “For every night you cried. For every day you searched. And for every second you thought I was gone.”Calla held him tighter. “Don’t disappear on me again,” she whispered.His arms tightened around her. “Never l
After they left the alley, Rico took her back to the place he had been hiding in.He pushed open the door to the small room and stepped aside for her to enter first. This had been where he stayed for a while now, tucked away in a part of the city no one would think to search, and hidden enough that almost nobody would know how to find him.Calla stepped in slowly, her eyes moving around the room.It was simple and quiet. A narrow bed sat against one wall, and the sheets were neatly made. A small table nearby was covered with maps, papers, markers, and a few phones. A chair rested beside the window, though the curtains stayed drawn shut. In one corner sat a duffel bag and a stack of clothes, nothing more than what a man needed to get through each day. There was no comfort in the room, and no warmth—just survival.Calla’s chest tightened as she took it all in. This was where he had been, while she cried herself to sleep. While the whole city believed he was dead. And while she stood by
The loud bang from the gun filled the night, echoing throughout the alley. But the rain caught most of the noise, concealing it from potential witnesses.Tommaso's body slumped motionless unto the floor, thick crimson leaking from his head. Calla stared at the blood as it mixed with the puddle of rainwater, she held her palms against her ears, blocking out the gunshot noise, her hands trembling.Rico stared at the unmoving body, no emotion on his face. He muttered under his breath a curse, and slipped the gun back into his waist, turning to face Calla.Their eyes met, for the third time this night. Calla was still shivering from what had happened. Everything was happening way too fast for her to process—the near assault, Rico suddenly being alive, the gunshot. She didn't even notice when Rico walked up to her, and grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her ears—a little gasp formed at her throat, as she snapped out of it.Her eyes scanned Rico's face, the cold stare was still ther
Maybe it was the stormy weather that was messing with Calla’s sense of reasoning. Maybe it was the desperation that had built up so much it overflowed… or maybe she had finally lost it.Because the real Calla would never think of following a total stranger into a dark alley, alone, the old Calla would have smacked the shit out of the present Calla.The alley stretched ahead, narrow and dim, the kind of place that swallowed sound and light whole. The rain had reduced, leaving the ground damp, small puddles catching what little glow came from the street behind her.Calla hesitated for a second, her heart thudding hard against her chest, her instincts screaming at her to turn back, to walk away while she still could. But the man ahead didn’t stop walking. He didn’t even look back to check if she was still following.Like he already knew she would.Calla swallowed and stepped forward. Each step felt heavier than the last, her senses sharp now, picking up every little sound, the soft echo
Calla stared at the figure sleeping peacefully beside her. A low exhale slipped from her lips as she remembered how Rico had broken down in her arms earlier. He really was in pain. Seeing him like that made her wish she could somehow take that weight off his shoulders, even if only a little.She wi
Rico was not used to being looked at that way. People usually looked at him with fear, with caution, or with expectation. They looked at him like he was something to respect or something to survive. No one ever looked at him the way Calla just had, as if she could see past the title, past the power
Calla sat by the window of her room, her eyes watching the wide yard outside, and the water flowing from the fountain. The statues looked beautiful, something out of an ancient painting, but she couldn't see it anymore. Not after what Donna Marta told her about it.It made her wonder how many peopl
Rico yanked the door shut behind him, the sound echoing through the quiet hallway. His jaw clenched tightly as he took long, heavy strides away from the room, shoulders vibrating, and anger burning hot in his chest.He dragged a hand over his face and through his hair, trying to calm the restless s







