Chapter 6: Shadows of Deception"Don't hate the sinner, but the sin."My dad was not a good man, but he tried to instill in me some life lessons and how to live life. There was a verse he always read out to me, "Do unto others what you want them to do unto you," That was life's golden rule, apparently.I have tried to live by that rule. Now, I guess things have gotten out of hand.My guilt of being in a relationship with Luca while I'm betrothed to Bruno was going to come against me. That fear was eating me up.However, things had been going quite well, not until something unfolded, casting shadows over the empire that took Bruno lots of sacrifices to build. I found myself here even though I never wanted to be here. I craved a life of my own choice, but thanks to my father, I was stuck in this web of deception that threatened to unravel everything. Bruno's warehouse was attacked, and many of his workers were killed. His drugs worth over $50k were burnt—an assault orchestrated by Los
Chapter 7: Unveiling My Hidden Skills"A new day starts with darkness. We should learn to start new beginnings using our darkest side. Nothing ever goes as planned in this accursed world. Learn to make things go your way. The weak don't survive here." I think my dad should have been a psychology professor or something like that. Every morning before I started my day, I always remembered one of the quotes he always said to me. Well, life has its way of dealing with me. That was why I was so tired right now to leave my room. In the aftermath of the turmoil that had consumed our lives, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, uncovering hidden talents that would transform me into a formidable force. The deal I agreed with Nicolas still rang in my head every day. It echoed the thoughts of betrayal to me, but I refused to be a mere pawn in this dangerous game.I delved deeper into the dark underbelly of Bruno's empire, determined to unearth my own potential. I sought guidance from seas
Chapter 8: The Mole Within"Come on, Picco, don't feel sad when you fail or see yourself as weak. You just have to keep looking ahead and question yourself. Then you'll get to know your true purpose. The power in you is greater than what you think. You're born to conquer this world, not to be a pawn in it.”Now, I understand better why my dad always said that to me. The revelation of my hidden skills brought about a transformation within Bruno's empire, but it also cast a spotlight on the treacherous path we were in. The power I now wield had not gone unnoticed, and the hunt for the traitor within our ranks intensified. Nicolas and I had a deal—he doesn't kill me and I help him bring Bruno down. It was a deal I was reluctant to keep because I still needed Bruno by my side for now. As days went on, suspicion grew like a poisonous vine, intertwining with every interaction, and the once solid bonds of trust became fragile threads threatening to unravel at any moment.The unveiling of
Chapter 9: Confronting Truth "You're the only one who can sincerely question or judge yourself." Being in constant denial of the truth has always been the story of my life since I started to stay with Bruno. The thoughts of betraying him left a lingering sense of unease within me. I keep being anxious and worried that one day he will find out what I have been up to and how I always go to see Luca every day."Are you alright?" Luca asked looking at me straight in the eyes. Luca is one person that always reads me and somehow knows what I need at the moment or maybe he can sense something is wrong. Even though he doesn't know the right word to say, he always does something to make me feel a bit better."I don't know, I feel dizzy," I replied"Are you feeling low blood pressure? Do you want to get some food and water?" he asked, extremely worried.As I looked at him, I saw how adorable and lovely he was. I couldn't stress him more by saying no."Of course, please get me something. I'm s
Chapter 10: Luca's Dark Secret"I wonder if we can run away from our past or if it keeps coming back to haunt us. Trying to demise everything we've done to forget it. Yeah, I guess I will find out."As I looked at Luca, I could hear my heart pounding so loudly. It was as if I had a gun pointed at me and I was made to watch my Dad being killed right in front of me. This feeling was the worst I ever had in a while.It was a feeling I dreaded for weeks now. Ever since I first found out his secret. I have tried to forget about it, to pretend that it didn't exist. But it was always there, in the back of my mind, a dark cloud that threatened to rain on our happiness."Luca," I said, my voice trembling. "I need to know the truth. I need to hear it from you, so tell me. Is it true?"He sighed and looked down at his hands. "I know," he said. "I should have told you from the beginning."He took a deep breath and began to tell me his story. He told me about his childhood, about growing up in th
Chapter 11: Bruno's DescentThe mounting pressure was starting to get to Bruno. The war with Los Sombrosos was taking its toll, and he was starting to feel the strain. He was becoming more and more paranoid, and his temper was getting shorter and shorter.I could feel the tension in the air. It was like a thick, heavy blanket that was suffocating me. I could see it in Bruno's eyes, the way they were darting around, never settling on anything for too long. I could hear it in his voice, the way it was always raised, always on edge.Things are getting tense and something was about to happen. I just didn't know what it was.Bruno has been acting strange for weeks now. He was always on edge, always suspicious. He was quick to anger, and he seemed to be constantly looking over his shoulder.I tried to talk to him about it, but he would just brush me off. He said that he was just stressed out, that the war with Los Sombrosos was becoming what he never expected.I felt it was more than that.
Chapter 12: A Desperate EscapeI couldn't believe I was finally safe. I have been running from Bruno with Luca. He was the only person who could protect me, and I was so grateful to have him in my life.We are staying in a small apartment in Dallas, and we were both trying to rebuild our lives. It is hard, but we are doing it together. We are both determined to create a new life for ourselves, away from Bruno.One night, we were sitting in the living room when we heard a knock at the door. I froze. Immediately the thought of Bruno came to my mind. I have become very paranoid, has he found us? I was so stressed out..."Be careful, love," I said.Luca went to answer the door, and I held my breath. I could hear him talking to someone, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Then, I heard him say my name."Isabella," he called. "It's okay. It's just me."I let out a sigh of relief and went to the door. Luca was standing there, and he smiled when he saw me."Are you okay?" he asked.I
Chapter 13: MariaBruno and his men surrounded a strip club where the Los Sombrosos hang out. "Where's Nicolas?" Bruno asked. "I don't know sir,” one of his men replied.He has been waiting for this day for a long time. The Los Sombrosos have been a thorn in his ass for a while now and he was finally ready to put an end to them.He gave the order to attack, as his men charged forward. The Los Sombrosos were caught off guard, and they were quickly overwhelmed. Bruno's men fought their way through the building, and soon they reached the main room.Bruno and his team stormed into the room, guns blazing. De Mario and his men were caught off guard, and they quickly fell to the ground, dead or wounded. Bruno and his team advanced on De Mario, who was the only one left standing."De Mario," Bruno said. "It's over. You're finished."De Mario smiled. "Is that so?" he said. "We'll see about that."De Mario raised his gun and fired, but Bruno was too quick for him. He ducked behind a table, and