Lily MontgomeryThe sound of the heart monitor was the only constant.That slow, rhythmic beep… beep… beep, as if it was trying to remind my body that it was still alive, even though my mind had erased everything.The nurse spoke to me. Asked my name.I said “Lily,” but… even that didn’t feel real.I looked at the white walls. The ceiling. The flowers on the table nearby. Everything felt borrowed. As if I’d woken up inside someone else’s life.I closed my eyes.And then…The first image came.Quick. Blurry. Painful.A man. Tall. In a black suit. Smiling at me. But it wasn’t a happy smile—it was a warning.My eyes shot open again.I tried to sit up. My body didn’t respond.“Miss, take it easy,” the nurse said, approaching. “Your body is still in shock. You need to rest.”“I… I saw someone,” I whispered.She smiled gently.“Matteo? He’s been here the whole time. Just went to get something to eat.”“No… it wasn’t him.” I swallowed hard. “It was another man.”She was silent for a second.
Matteo SalvatoreThe smell of hospital disinfectant still clung to my skin as I left her room.But my body was already somewhere else.My mind…Far beyond that white, silent corridor.The cold blood returned.The one that always shows up when I need to cut, destroy, avenge.Lily…My woman…My life…On that bed, full of tubes, with no memory.Because of someone.And I was going to find out who.Paolo walked with me to the parking lot, where our car was already waiting."Where to?" he asked.I slammed the door shut, looked out the window, and simply said:"To the garage where her car was taken."He nodded and started the engine.While the city passed by outside, indifferent, I could only think of the wheel spinning out of control, of the description the nurse had given me:brakes failing.It wasn’t a coincidence.It never is. And I knew exactly who did this. Or at least, who ordered it.My teeth clenched.If Nicolai thought he could invade our home, threaten my woman on the balcony, and
Matteo SalvatoreThe world collapsed the second she asked:"Who are you?"Everything around me went silent. The sound of the machines, the steady beep of the heart monitor, the nurse adjusting the cables — none of it existed anymore, except for that sentence.My knees gave out.I sank into the chair beside the bed, still holding her hand, as if her skin was the only thread keeping me alive.But she…She looked at me like I was a stranger.The woman I loved.The one I married.The one who gave me a son.Who survived every kind of hell with me…Now she looked at me as if I were just another shadow among many.I took a deep breath, trying to find some strength within myself, but there was none."Lily… it’s me… Matteo."She frowned, as if the name didn’t make any sense. Like it was just an empty word."I… I’m sorry," she whispered hesitantly. "I don’t remember…"I shut my eyes tightly. The pain hit me like a punch.This couldn’t be happening.Not after everything.Not after we had survive
Lily Montgomery"The smell of old wood brought back memories I didn’t even know I had. My grandfather Dimitri’s study was just like him: imposing, cold, but full of stories no one dared to speak aloud.He was seated in his black leather armchair, leaning on a cane that looked more like a symbol of authority than actual support. His gaze fell on me as if he were assessing whether I was still worthy of the blood running through my veins.'You’ve changed,' he said in that deep, slow voice. 'You have the eyes of someone who no longer wants to run.''Because I don’t,' I replied, sitting across from him. 'No more running. No more hiding.'He nodded, as if pleased. But before the silence could take over, I said:'Nicolai was at the party.'His face remained still. But his fingers gripped the head of the cane tightly.'And you're alive to tell me?''He didn’t want to kill me. Not yet. He wanted to offer a deal. Said if I gave him everything... he’d leave me alone. Said he only wants what’s hi
Lily MontgomeryI stepped back into the hall like someone walking into a minefield.My heart was still out of rhythm, my chest tight from the presence that had only just left me.Nicolai. That man terrified me—he sent chills down my spine.He had been here.In my house.In the middle of the party. Near my son. And no one noticed.I approached one of the guards."Please, watch the entrances. And place one of the men near Leonardo’s room, with the nanny.""Yes, Miss Lily."I wiped my face. I was sweating cold.I walked through Matteo’s men, all toasting, laughing, negotiating, as if there weren’t a predator walking among them like a wolf among lambs.My eyes searched for him, and I found him quickly, near the bar, talking to Paolo and Nicco—tense, like he always was when he was in protection mode.I took a deep breath and walked toward him, clutching the edge of my dress, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, as if that could give me any sense of control. But my legs were
Lily MontgomeryThe mansion lights were flawless. The main hall was filled with men dressed in black—discreet, yet dangerous. Mobsters, Matteo’s allies, the elite of our alliance. The soft jazz music played in the background, like a feeble attempt to pretend that tonight was just another fancy party and not a business meeting in disguise.I descended the stairs wearing the black dress I had chosen carefully. It wasn’t just elegance — it was armor. The tight fabric, the side slit, the high heels. Nothing protected me more than the appearance of someone who isn’t afraid, even when everything inside me screamed the opposite.As I greeted one guest after another, with that practiced smile, I could only think about Leo, sleeping safely in the room upstairs, and about Matteo, who was in the east wing of the mansion, discussing details with Paolo and the other bosses. Tonight, I had decided I would maintain the facade. Show strength.I grabbed a glass of wine from a waiter’s tray, took a dee