(Alessio's POV) The drive to the party was a quiet one. Lisa didn’t speak to me; her eyes were fixed outside the car window, and I could see her sad face from the side mirror. Speaking harshly to her earlier was never my intention. I just snapped in anger when I noticed she wasn’t wearing the crystal necklace she had promised never to take off. If I wasn’t so observant, I wouldn’t have realized it was missing. I don’t know if she was created on the same day stubbornness was, but she never listens and always wants to act on her own. Still, I felt bad for raising my voice at her. The fear in her eyes—the one I hadn’t seen for a while—reappeared after I shouted at her. If I hadn’t reacted so harshly, she would have been smiling, admiring the beautiful night view of Rome. Instead, her head was resting against the car seat, her gaze lost outside the window, reflecting her sadness. She wasn’t even looking at me, let alone talking to me. I don’t like seeing her this way. I prefer
(Lisa's POV) "She is no one." His reply to the man broke my heart a billion times. He had spoken in Italian just so I wouldn't understand what he said, but little did he know—I did. After he told me about the mafia party we would be attending, I had asked Isabella to teach me a little Italian, just so I wouldn't feel too foreign at the party—at least, I'd be able to respond when someone greeted me in Italian. I was getting tired of explaining to everyone that I didn't understand the language. Isabella was kind enough to teach me the basics. Though I didn’t fully grasp all the words she taught me, some of them stuck in my brain. "How do you say 'she is my girlfriend' in Italian?" I had asked with a smile. "Why would you ask me that? You should be learning the important words first," she replied. "Just tell me. I want to know." I pouted, and she smiled before telling me how to say it in Italian. "Lei non è nessuno," she said with a smile, making me furrow my brows. "What
(Alessio's POV) If only she knew I had said that just to protect her, she wouldn't have been so mad at me. I couldn't possibly tell Vincenzo that she is the woman I love. Saying that to him would mean risking her life more than I already have. I haven't even found the strange caller who claims to be watching my every move, and if I had told Vincenzo that Lisa is the woman I love, it would have spread around the hall. They already believe I'm someone who doesn't have a heart. It's not that I can't protect her, but I didn't want her life to become a nightmare because of me. Saying she was no one to me meant no one would pay much attention to her. Isabella will definitely get it for me, because I’m a hundred percent sure she was the one who told Lisa. It had to be her; Lisa can’t just wake up one morning and know some words in Italian. When she couldn’t stand me anymore, despite how I had ordered a drink for her, she stood up to leave. I stopped her, only for her to tell me she
(Lisa's POV) I felt the aching in my head as my eyes slowly opened. The blood coming from my head mixed with my skin. Even with my eyes open, I couldn't see clearly until I heard the massive horn of a train coming from a distance, with its light shining from afar. My eyes widened in shock as I realized I was in a tunnel where trains normally pass by. I was lying on the tracks. How the heck did I end up here? Then I recalled how someone had struck a baton against my head, leaving me unconscious. Who on earth could have brought me here? This thought ran through my mind a thousand times in a row. The sound of the train grew louder, signaling that I needed to get out of here if I didn’t want to be crushed by it. I tried to stand up, only to discover I couldn't move my feet. My feet were tightly bound together, making it impossible to move them, let alone stand. As the train's horn got louder, fear gripped me. I kept struggling to stand, but it was futile; I couldn't loosen t
(Writer's POV) Bianca had her leg crossed over the other as she waited for someone at the far end of the bar. She entertained herself with a cigarette, losing her patience as she waited for the man she was supposed to meet. "Another bottle of vodka," she ordered a waiter who quickly brought it to her. She gulped it down in one go and returned to smoking. Having lived like a gangster for more than a decade, she was used to drinking and could withstand alcohol no matter her intake. "Why the heck is he wasting time?" she fumed. She took her phone from her bag, and just as she was about to call him, he showed up in front of her. "Hi, Bianca," he grinned. "What the heck took you so long?" she growled. "You're not the only one who pays me for an assignment, Bianca," he replied, sitting in the chair across from her. "Were you able to see the woman Don Alessio came with at the party?" Bianca asked, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "Yes, I did. I was one of the security guards the
(Lisa's POV) I stood by the window in my room, watching the men on guard. Though my eyes were fixed on them, my mind wasn't. My heart still ached from Alessio's behavior. How he had walked out on me, not caring how I’d feel, replayed in my mind, adding to the sadness I was already feeling. If I had my way, I wouldn’t think about it, but the memory of him leaving continued to haunt me, even when I tried not to dwell on it. Was it wrong to ask where I stood in his life? He couldn't just have sex with me whenever he wanted and expect me not to question what kind of relationship we had. Some of the men who spotted me bowed with smiles, but I didn't wave at them as I used to because my heart was heavy with pain. My phone rang, and when I picked it up from the table, I saw it was my dad calling. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before answering. “Dad!” I said, ensuring I sounded cheerful so he wouldn’t ask why I was sad. I wouldn’t even know what to tell him, because all
(Alessio's POV) "Really? I'm the most important person in your life?" she asked with a smile, her face turning red. I hadn't intended to say that out loud. I felt compelled to respond because she kept insisting that the sex we had were meaningless. How could it be meaningless? I didn't just have sex with her, I made love to her. When she confronted me about where she stood in my life and what she meant to me, I was almost tempted to tell her how much I loved her. But I held back, which is why I chose to walk away from her instead of expressing my true feelings. It's so hard for me to say those three words to her, even though I know I'm madly in love with her. It feels pointless to say it. Whenever I think about my dad and how he was killed by the woman he always confessed his feelings to, it weighs me down. It's not like Lisa could do the same thing my mom did, but I just didn’t want to tell her how I felt. Maybe it’s because I’m still traumatized by what happened to my dad.
(Alessio's POV) "What did you just say?" I asked, pretending I didn't hear what he had just said. Who does he want to kill? Lisa? He'd better be joking. "I told you to get a woman pregnant and have an heir, not form a relationship with her!" he snapped, but my angry eyes only glared at him. Gone are those times in my childhood when I was so scared whenever he showed up in front of me. I admit I used to be scared—so scared of him—but not anymore. Not when there's a monster living inside of me. "Send her back while you still can, Alessio, or her dead body will be the one that returns to wherever she came from," he added, making my anger boil. "You think I'd let you kill her under my watch? I won't back down, not without a fight," I sneered. He smirked and walked closer to me. Being chubby, he was shorter compared to my height. "Are you in love with that woman?" he questioned, and I clenched my fist before answering. "I don't need to answer your question, Salvatore.
(Lisa's POV) I went back to the head teacher's office with Alessia, and Kayla's mom smirked at me, her arms crossed. "Are you here to finally kneel before me?" she asked, her voice laced with pride. My anger was burning, but I was trying my best to stay calm, and it was all for Alessia. "I thought this was a preschool where kids are brought up in love, without anyone being treated unfairly." "What are you talking about, Ms. Simpsons? You should be apologizing, not telling us how to handle this school. We treat every kid equally," the head teacher said, while Kayla's mom blew air onto her manicured nails, awaiting an apology that would never come. "You call this treating every kid here equally?" I fumed, showing them the bitten wound on Alessia's wrist. "Kayla was the one who bit my daughter first, and rather than handling the situation equally, you pinned the blame on my daughter!" I snapped at Alessia's teacher. Being a mother has really changed me a lot. I was no longer the
(Lisa's POV) "Thank you so much, mister!" I thanked the repairman with so much excitement in my voice after he handed the phone to me. "It wasn't easy to bring it back to life, but I'm glad I did," he said, smiling back at me. I grinned at him, placing the phone on my chest with a broad smile. "The phone must be of sentimental value to you, right?" he asked, and I nodded with a smile. "Was it given to you by your boyfriend?" he teased, but I covered his question with a laugh. I paid him for his service before leaving. The excitement inside of me didn’t leave my face for even a second. I was just so happy to have the phone back to life. Returning home, I sat on the sofa, watching the videos of Alessio from five years ago. It’s been five years, but I never get tired of watching him. I was addicted to watching the videos of him, and anytime I did, I always had this sad smile on my face. Oftentimes, I wondered how life would have been for the both of us if I hadn’t betrayed
(Alessio's POV) It's her birthday today… it's something I can't forget, since everything about her was stuck in my brain like a tattoo. If she were here, we'd be celebrating her birthday, but I don't want her to be here, neither do I want to see her. Five years have passed, but the pain still lingers as if everything had happened yesterday. Her betrayal is still intact, and the pain she inflicted on me when she betrayed me is still fresh. It's like it never heals no matter how much time has passed, and it only makes me burn in fury. Do I still hate her? That I can't really tell, but one thing is for sure, I never want to see her face again. It would only remind me of how much of a fool I was for falling in love with a woman like her. She took my love for her for granted. Even when I didn't tell her how much I loved her five years ago, I did say it so many times through my actions and the way I treated her differently. I never want to see her face. She and my mom are
(Lisa's POV) "I think it's best if you get a new phone, Miss," the phone repairman advised, but I shook my head in disagreement. It was my very first gift from Alessio, and I couldn't let go of it. It's been five years since I last saw Alessio. Five years, but nothing seems to have changed. The feelings I have for him was still there like it was just yesterday, but my betrayal toward him still haunts me in my quiet moments. Every day I long for him—for his smile, for his touch, and to hear the way he talks. But I was scared... scared to reach out to him and most especially scared to go to Italy. I knew I could easily see him if I went to Italy, but the deadly warnings he gave me before we separated were still fresh in my ears, so I couldn't dare go back to Italy even if I desperately longed to. The only thing that was left with me were the memories of my life with him, before my unforgettable betrayal. "You need to try your best. The phone is important to me, and it's not so
(Lisa's POV) "It's been a while, Lisa. How have you been?" Nathan asked me with a smile. I furrowed my brows at him, wondering if he had forgotten what he did to me, but nevertheless, I beamed a smile at him. If he hadn't shattered my heart, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to know a man like Alessio. "I've been good. What about you?" I asked, trying my best to be formal. There was no reason to be informal with him. "I've been good too. Where have you been all this while? I constantly go to your workplace, but all what your boss keep saying is that you're on a business trip. I couldn't go to your dad, because you must've told him what I did to you." "Exactly, Nathan. I'm glad you still remember what you did to me. So why do you keep going to my boss asking about me?" I asked sharply. "It's because I miss you, Lisa," he murmured, and I chuckled, finding his words so funny. "You miss me? What about the woman you were with? Didn't she sponsor your business like you claimed
(Lisa's POV) I betrayed the man I love and the man who loves me, and no matter what my reasons were, it wasn't justified. I had a chance to ask him about it, but rather than confronting him, I acted rashly. He lost everything. A lot of innocent souls died because of me, and it's best if I leave. If he had wanted to kill me, I would have accepted it, but since he wanted me out of his life, I will do as he says, even though it hurts being separated from him. Staring at the entrance of the airport, my tears fell down my cheeks, but I wiped them off with a sob. With the despicable thing I have done, I don't know if I could live a normal life. I will forever be haunted for betraying him and for killing innocent souls. I sniffled one last time. I made to enter the airport, but I bumped into someone. "I'm sorry," I managed to say, but fresh tears fell from my eyes and down to my cheeks when I saw I had bumped into Angelo. "Angelo," I said, nearly breaking into tears. I had
(Alessio's POV) "How long have I been unconscious?" I asked. "For a few days," Ivan answered. I sighed, trying to sit up on the bed, but Ivan quickly stopped me from doing so. "You shouldn't do that yet. Your wounds are still fresh," he said, but I ignored him and sat up on the bed, enduring the pain. Every part of my body was filled with injuries. It hurt and itched at the same time. "Where's Salvatore?" "He left a few minutes before you woke up," Ivan replied. "Is it true that Enzo destroyed everything, including my house and the clan?" Ivan looked at me and sadly nodded his head. "We lost the mobsters at the clan. The innocent maids also died from the explosion." "No single person survived?" I asked, hiding how bad I felt. "No one, Boss Alessio. We have nothing left," Ivan answered, wiping his tears, as he was too emotional to control them. I failed to protect my men. If I hadn't been trapped under Enzo's custody, none of this would have happened. "Aren’
(Writer's POV) "What did I just hear you just say? You gave who to who?" Salvatore sneered. He had booked an early flight to Rome so he could know the happenings of the clan, only for him to meet dead monsters and a destroyed clan. Lisa took in her lips, unable to say anything. Salvatore had always said she'd betray Alessio, and she felt so embarrassed because his instinct came to pass. She betrayed the man who loves her. A man who always showed up whenever she was in danger. She made a promise… but couldn't keep her promise. She was just like his mother. "Have your tongue been cut off? Repeat what you just said!" he snapped at her, and tears strolled down her eyes. No matter how much she cried, it wouldn't justify what she had done. "I didn't mean to betray him," she began sobbing. "I thought he killed my dad, so I gave him an apple injected with succinylcholine. He became weak because of it, and Enzo was able to trap him. Enzo has him in his custody and it's all
(Writer's POV) "Did Don Alessio answer the phone?" Isabella asked Ivan in a panicked voice, while Ivan shook his head with a sigh. "Why would Lisa even think of leaving the house?" Isabella murmured, her worries palpable. She had earlier gone to Lisa's room to talk to her, only to find out she wasn't in her room. When she got worried, she asked Ivan for help, and he looked into the surveillance cameras and they both found out that Lisa had sneaked out of the house by secretly entering the car trunk of Alessio's car. "Do you think Don Alessio has seen her already?" "I don't think so, Isabella. It's unlike him not to answer the phone either. Something seems off and I can feel it," Ivan muttered. Isabella swiped her hand through her hair in frustration. "Why can't Lisa just believe that Vanessa was indeed a spy?" "Asking questions won't do. If Alessio still doesn't know she's not in the house, then we should find her before he does." Isabella nodded, and just as they were about t