LOGIN**He was her dream. Now he’s her nightmare.** Madeleine never forgot the man from the gardens. Five years ago, Dom was her fleeting escape. A quiet, thoughtful soul who saw her as more than just a girl in a convent. They whispered dreams under the moonlight, shared stolen moments that meant nothing and everything. Then he vanished, leaving her questioning everything. Now, trapped in the world she swore she’d never belong to, she comes face-to-face with the man who once made her believe in something pure. But Dom doesn’t exist. In his place stands Rafael Andoletti. A ruthless mafia don who rules with fear. A man whispered about in the darkest corners of the city. The man who just forced her to drink poison in a room full of criminals. At first, she’s just another threat to him. A would-be assassin. Then he remembers her, and he spares her life. Rafael never wanted this life. He was forced into this world of darkness, but seeing Madeleine ignites one undeniable truth. He’ll never let her go. She’s horrified by the monster he became. He’s consumed by the woman who gives him a glimpse of the man he could have been. She wants to run. He won’t allow it. Because she was always meant to be his… and Rafael is ready to burn the world down to keep her.
View MoreDearest Readers,This is usually when I say my thank yous, but this time it is going to be a litle different.For those of you who stuck around to the very end, I thank you for your patience. I know it must have been frustrating.It has never taken me this long to finish writing a book. I was in the middle of working on a new chapter for this book, when I received a frantic phone call from my sister. My mother had overdosed on some really bad medication, and she suffered acute liver failure. She refused all medical treatment, and we were left powerless, watching her die a slow, nasty, agonising, traumatic death.Everytime since that day, when I returned to this book, I was reminded of that moment. Writing through that grief has been incredibly hard.Nevertheless, I tried to keep giving you my best, since you deserve nothing less than that, and I still loved Madeleine, Rafael, Betsy, Ethel, Frankie and even Paulie so much.When I return with a new book, it will be with the usual frequen
Madeleine“What do you mean leave?” I ask and shift Noah over to my other hip. “We just go here, and I’m exhausted.”“I get that,” Ethel replies, and without even asking takes Noah from me. “But this is really important to me.”He settles against her almost immediately. He drops his head on her shoulder and goes straight to sleep. “Babies can feel your stress,” she whispers.I scowl at her. “How did you know I was here?”“It’s a small place,” she says and slowly walks over to Betsy who landed on the fancy, leathing couch against the wall, and hasn’t spoken since Ethel walked through the door. “I got to know people here, went to every hotel and BnB in town, and told them that I was expecting my sister… I asked them to phone me when you showed up.”“And they just did it?”“I work in the clinic, so… yes, people trust me. People are different here. They make friends quickly, and they really like to gossip.”I smile at her. I haven’t been here long, but I noticed that I blurted almost half
MadeleineI committed the strange name to memory before I went to the kitchen, and used the stove burner to light Ethel’s letter on fire.I washed the ashes down the drain, and went back to the office where I spent almost every day of my life for the past three months. Rafael feels close here.Frankie just watched while I cried, but he never left. Not even once. My eyes were swollen shut, my nose blocked up, and my throat raw.But I felt better than I had since Rafael died. Lighter somehow. Through hazy eyes, I looked at the old captain who gazed longingly at my son.I wasn’t the only one who was grieving. “You can pick him up,” I offer. My voice was soft, barely audible.Frankie swallowed hard and I could see him fighting the tears. “Thank you.”For a short moment, everything felt almost normal. We were a little family. Noah and his Uncle Frankie. “How is Paulie?” I asked.The captain didn’t answer me until he sat down with Noah perched his lap, a big, wrinkled old hand protecting my
MadeleineI refuse to accept that Rafael is dead. It makes no sense.We had a baby. He was right there. He thanked me. He said goodbye.He said goodbye.I sink to the bed we shared for less than a year, and hold our son close to my chest. He’s asleep. Calm. Only lets himself known when he needs something.Just like his daddy.I stare at our wedding photograph on the nightstand. He was a handsome groom. And he looked happy. His eyes are lit up, the smile is real, his body almost relaxed.Noah squirms a little in my arms and I look down at him. He takes after Rafael. His daddy’s double. With the serious frown between his eyes and the disapproving scowl, I might as well look into a mirror.I smile and get up to move the baby to his crib. It’s been a long day. They wouldn’t let me see him.He had a closed casket. I sat in the church and stared at the coffin, the photo of Rafael the only reminder that he was inside. I wanted to scream at them to open that damn thing. I had to make sure
RafaelI sat in my office, elbows on my desk, head cradled in my hands, the sonogram picture in front of me. The tears came quickly and easily then.Madeleine was quiet the whole way home. She just stared out of the window, soft tears rolling down her face.I opened my mouth several times to say so
RafaelThe lights are low. Madeleine is sleeping peacefully in her hospital bed. Hand tucked under her head, arms still over her belly as if she’s not aware that the baby who used to be there is on the outside now.Everything happened so fast. We barely made it to the hospital. Madeleine had the ba
RafaelI get up from the stool and walk over to my suitcase. Ignoring the dull, gwaning pain in my hands, I pull something that looks like a credit card out, and grinning, I hold it up for the others to see. “I’ve been checking in with the guys every so often.”“How?” Madeleine asks.“Is that a phon
MadeleineI could finally relax. The danger had passed. Rafael assured me again and again that all his enemies were neutralised - his words, not mine.Slowly, but surely, the past started to slip away, as it always does, and I started to relax. Started to believe that we were finally safe.The mont
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
reviews