LOGINPriya pov “Karl, it's very late. You should get going.”“And leave you in this condition? Never.” His tone was very firm “I'm literally fine, I can breathe normally, and I don't feel like I'm gonna pass out anymore,” I insisted, though my voice still had that slight, pathetic nasal quality to it. I tried to sit up straighter, attempting to look like a woman who had her life together and not a woman who had just spent the last twenty minutes crying her heart out.Karl didn't even blink. He just reached over, grabbed a stray pillow from the floor, and propped it up behind my head. “You’re staying in bed, and I’m staying in that chair.”“Karl, you are wearing a towel,” I pointed out, my eyes inadvertently wandering down to his damp, muscular torso before I quickly snapped my gaze back up to his face. “You can’t stay in my bedroom in a towel. It’s… It’s a health hazard. For me. For my sanity.” I whispered the last sentences under my breath, but I think he heard it.He looked down at h
Priya povIt was an airy night, and the moon was high outside my window, casting long shadows across the duvet. However, the room itself felt warm and safe because of the man sitting beside me. It was late, and the silence of the apartment was only broken by the soft sound of Karl’s breathing. He hadn't left my side for a single second the entire day. Even now, though my fever had finally broken and the heavy fog in my brain had cleared, he was still acting like I was made of glass.He sat on the edge of the mattress, his expression focused and serious as he dipped a small cloth into a bowl of cool water. He wrung it out carefully and reached over, dabbing my forehead with a tenderness that made my throat ache. I watched him, my heart feeling heavy with a type of affection I wasn't used to. I was used to being the strong one, the one who took care of everyone else, but Karl had stepped in and completely taken over. He had ignored his phone, ignored his business, and ignored the wo
Massimo pov I haven't slept properly in days. Ever since I left Sandor’s house and he blocked me from seeing Valeria, my mind has been a mess. He looked me in the eye and told me she was his, but it felt like a lie. To make things worse, Karl has completely disappeared. He isn't picking up his phone or returning my messages. It feels like I’m standing in a dark room, and the walls are closing in. My phone dinged on the coffee table, breaking the silence of my apartment. I grabbed it, hoping for a sign of life from Val or a call back from Karl. Instead, it was an email invitation to the Bel Gala. The Bels are filthy rich politicians. We do business together often, mostly the kind of deals that happen in the shadows, but I wasn't in the mood for a party. One of their kids has a massive crush on me. It makes every interaction incredibly uncomfortable and awkward, but I knew I couldn't just ig
Valeria pov None of this was making sense to me. Why is there a woman here who looks just like me? And why has she kidnapped me? Why does she hate me?“Sandor was right. You are pathetic.” She spoke again. It felt so eerie looking at her that I didn't even know what to think. “What? You know Sandor?” “Oh honey, I know everything about you.” She ended her sentence with an innocent smile, as if what she was doing was completely normal.“What do you want from me?” I asked with clenched teeth. Her smile faded almost immediately.“You have ruined all of my plans, everything.” “I don't even know you…”“Shut up.” She cut me off sternly.“Do not talk when I'm talking. Now, where was I, ah yes. You have ruined every fucking plan of mine you stupid pathetic girl. You were supposed to weaken Massimo to break him, but instead, you only made him stronger. Every plan of mine to bring
Massimo pov The VIP lounge was quiet, except for the low hum of the air conditioner and the clinking of ice in Antonio’s glass. Normally, when Antonio and I met for a business meeting, I was usually focused and productive, but tonight, I couldn't stop looking at my phone. I remember speaking to Valeria recently. She expressed how she wanted to help a little boy and his mother so badly. And I know Valeria and her tender heart. She wouldn't stop until she helped, but now, she was saying something that was contrary to what we agreed on. Being with her for this long, I knew she'd try to interfere, so I told her not to, but now, I don't even know what to think. I was staring at a message she sent me this morning when I inquired about the little boy. “You know what, I think the boy will be fine, so I don't think it's needed anymore.” It felt so cold and so not like her, almost like someone else had sent it. “Massimo,” Antonio said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Are y
Valeria’s POV My eyes darted around the small, suffocating dark room as the first wave of real panic set in. My breath was coming in short, jagged gasps that seemed too loud in the silence. Deep breaths, Valeria. I told myself, but my brain felt like it was short-circuiting. I was sitting on a cold, wooden chair, and my hands gripped tightly in my lap. The only source of light was a tiny, rectangular window high up on the wall, so small and narrow that I doubted even a squirrel could squeeze through it. My palms were slick with sweat, and a dull throb started to drum against my temples. How did I get here? One minute, I was trying to be a Good Samaritan, and the next, the world had turned upside down. Now I can't help myself or Matteo, ugh I'm so useless. Can't I do anything right? My phone has also been taken away, so that means I can't even call for help, and I don't know if I'm trackable. Has anyone even realised that I'm gone? I mean, it has been just a day, but still, som
Massimo pov“Zara, what are you doing here?” She walked towards me, slowly, sensually. Her hips swayed from side to side. She wore a black short dress that showcased her smooth, long legs. “I came to see you silly. It's been so long.” She said as she stopped, sitting on my desk. She stared at me s
Valeria povThe apartment Karl brought me felt cold and empty. Mostly because it was snowing in Paris, and Massimo had still not returned. I was starting to feel restless. I paced up and down in the room. I was in a basic top, and draped around me was the bed cover. I didn’t want to wear anything
“W..what are you doing?” I asked as I swallowed the lump that seemed to be stuck in my throat. “Number one rule of being an Alessandro. You don't get to wander around like a normal human being. You need protection.” He muttered, and I almost scoffed. He was still dangerously close to me. I was in
Valeria POV“Sandor has disappeared.”My father said it so calmly, like it was totally normal that my fiancé, my soon-to-be husband had just vanished.For a moment, I thought I misheard him. “What do you mean, disappeared?” I asked slowly, my stomach twisting. “How?”He didn’t even flinch. “Valeria







