ANMELDENEnzo’s POVThe line went dead.I stood frozen in the middle of my dimly lit penthouse, phone still clutched tightly in my hand. Lila’s voice kept replaying in my mind — calm, determined, and distant. *"I need space… Real space."*No yelling. No accusations. Just a clear boundary. Somehow that made it hurt even more. She hadn’t shut the door on me forever, but the wall she had put up felt colder than outright rejection. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a long, heavy breath.I couldn’t sit still. Before my thoughts could drown me, I dialed Adrian.He picked up on the third ring. “Enzo. You good?”“Not really,” I admitted, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city lights stretched out below like a sea of stars. “I just got off the phone with Lila. She asked for complete space — no calls, no flowers, no surprise visits. Nothing. She wants time to think everything through.”Adrian stayed quiet for a moment, then sighed. “You agreed?”“Of course I did. What choice did
Lila’s POVI finally reached home after dropping Elena back. The mansion felt unusually quiet today. I changed into comfortable clothes, made myself a strong cup of coffee, and sat down at my desk. For the next three hours, I finished all my pending work — replying to emails, checking reports, and clearing every single task that had piled up. Only when my mind was completely free did I pick up my phone.It was time.I dialed Enzo’s number. My heart beat faster with every ring. He answered on the second ring.“Lila?” His voice was deep, warm, and filled with hope.I took a deep breath. “Enzo… I thought about everything you said. About Sofia, that night, and all your apologies.”There was silence on the other side. I continued before he could speak.“I need space. Real space. No more flowers, no surprise visits, no calls every day, nothing. I need time to think clearly without any pressure. If what you’re saying is true, then prove it by respecting what I’m asking right now.”A few sec
Elena’s POVI stared at Lila, my arms still crossed tightly over my chest. The ropes were gone, but the anger in my body hadn’t faded even a little.“You met Enzo,” I repeated flatly. “That’s what this whole kidnapping drama is about?”Lila nodded, looking exhausted. She pulled a chair closer and sat down in front of me, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.“I didn’t plan to do it like this,” she said quietly. “But I needed to talk to you alone.”I raised an eyebrow. “So you had me tied to a chair? Really classy, Lila.”Lila winced, then gave a small, sheepish smile. “Oh come on… it’s just me playing with you. You also did it first, remember? Now forget that thing.”I narrowed my eyes but let it go for now.Lila took a deep breath and started talking.“I ran into him two weeks ago. Completely by accident. I was at a café in the city, and he just… appeared. He looked different. Tired. Broken, almost. He begged me to sit down and hear him out. I almost walked away, but something in h
Elena’s POV Three days after the engagement party, I was rushing through my parents’ house like a storm, backpack slung over one shoulder and suitcase rolling behind me. “Mom, have you seen my charger?” I called out, checking under the couch cushions for the third time. “You’re going to miss your flight if you don’t hurry!” Mom shouted from the kitchen, sounding more panicked than me. Dad stood near the door, arms crossed, watching me with that familiar mix of worry and reluctance. “You really have to leave so soon? Work couldn’t wait a few more days?” “I wish it could,” I said, finally spotting the charger and stuffing it into my bag. “But I’ve already postponed too much. I need to go back.” Mom came out wiping her hands on a towel, eyes a little misty. “Call us the moment you land, okay? And tell Adrian to take care of you.” “I will.” I hugged her tightly, then turned to Dad. He pulled me into a firm hug, holding on a second longer than usual. “Be safe,” he muttere
Adrian’s POVI had seen Elena in expensive dresses before, but tonight felt different in a way I could not quite explain without sounding like a fool.Maybe it was the color. A soft champagne shade that seemed to catch the light every time she moved, warm and delicate and somehow still impossible to ignore. Maybe it was the way the dress fit her so perfectly, fitted through the waist and falling in graceful layers that made her look like she had stepped out of something far too beautiful to be real. Or maybe it was simply Elena herself, because she had that effect on me whether she was wearing silk, anger, or one of those stubborn little expressions that usually meant she was about to say something sharp.Tonight, though, she looked breathtaking.Not in the empty way people used that word when they wanted to sound poetic. I mean breathtaking in the truest sense of it. The kind that actually made my chest tighten for a second and reminded me, very inconveniently, that I was still ca
Adrian’s POVI stood on the balcony of my villa in Italy, the morning sun warm on my face, but my mind was already running at full speed.Engaged.The word still felt strange, but in the best way. Elena had said yes. She was going to be my wife. After all the mistakes, the fights, the months of trying to prove myself, she had chosen me. The diamond on her finger was proof of that.I wasn’t the type to get excited easily, but today I felt it — a quiet, deep satisfaction mixed with something sharper. I wanted this wedding to be perfect for her. She deserved the grandest celebration money could buy, and I was going to give it to her.I turned and walked back inside, where Marco was already waiting with a tablet in hand.“Boss,” he said, straightening up.“Listen carefully,” I told him, voice low and firm. “The engagement party starts tomorrow. I want everything perfect. Venue, flowers, food, lighting, security — nothing less than flawless. Hire the best chefs, the best decorators. Mo
Lila's POVMorning sunlight sliced through my bedroom curtains hitting me square in the face while I groaned rolling over expecting some peace after last night's restaurant revenge feast but instead the doorbell rang sharp and insistent three times before 9 AM like the universe itself conspired aga
Lila's POVMy thumb still hovered over the sent message heart pounding wild in my chest that smirk barely fading when my phone lit up again almost instantly buzzing hot against my palm with his reply coming through faster than I ever expected from someone so mysterious. *"Fuck baby girl stop teasi
Elena's POVThree days dragged heavy and slow through the penthouse silence with Victoria's venomous words echoing endlessly in my head like a curse I couldn't shake loose no matter how hard I tried. I'd barely slept more than an hour straight reliving that horrific street moment over and over aga
Elena's POV I stumbled out of Alex's hospital room still shaking from Victoria's shrieking meltdown my hands trembling as I gripped the cold metal doorframe trying to steady my racing pulse while nurses hurried past whispering about the commotion. Marco waited outside leaning against the sterile







