IsabellaDamon had carried me into the tub filled with cold water. As soon as my body came in contact with the water, I instantly sighed in relief. Marie came to me with a small figure half wrapped in a cloth and laid the pink infant on my naked chest.I leaned my back against the foam headrest and let my child lean against my skin. He squirmed and cried, but Marie said it was all part of the process, even though my heart was aching as I desperately searched my mind for what to do to ease his sorrows somehow."If he doesn't cry, his lungs wouldn't be strong. You have to let him cry, princess," she had told me before I struggled with her, and Damon carried me into the bathroom. Even now, he was still crying, but I felt a bit assured as Damon held my hand and began to rub soothing circles over my knuckles. "You are so strong," he whispered. "I'm so proud of you." He whispered again, and this time his hand reached up to caress the head of the infant that laid on my chest. I smiled, bu
DamonAfter Isabella told me that I should handle Cassandra, Valentino, and her allies, I got to work instantly, telling Ted to pull out the old files he had on the trust of those she committed."So what do we do with them?" he asked. "We pick the weakest link. We pick the one most sympathetic to the lower City. Find me a couple of them and show them the pictures."A few days later, I received a call from Ted while I was out in town on a meeting with Nicholas."We have a number of them. What do you want us to do?" he asked. "Tell them to come to my place," Nicholas said with his arms raised. "I'm sure we'll do a good job convincing them." I smiled and told Ted to do the same. Six men, members of the lesser families, came through his gate.I recognized Antonio and George to be some of them and stopped myself from snickering behind my mask. The men bowed when they saw me, but it was clear that their initial fear of me was gone. I smirked behind the mask and looked at them.I loved se
IsabellaGeorge knelt in front of me in the gazebo. I had given Alessandro the go-ahead to let him come to the mansion. He came accompanied by three more people that I didn't recognize."There was a mistake, Princess. If I had known…”“I know you think that I am a benevolent figure of never-ending kindness that might accept you. But you must understand that given my position, I simply cannot forgive you right off the bat. You have to prove yourself to me. You have to prove yourself to the city. You have to prove your loyalty, and it will cost you more than it did the last time," I found myself saying.Shortly after that, I left the men alone and made a beeline for the nursery where I felt my son squirming and crying in his cot. The maid I had instructed to stay with him was trying to keep him calm, but she was failing miserably, making me laugh.I stretched out my hands, and just as she placed him in it, the infant settled down. Shortly after passing him and singing to him, I felt ar
IsabellaPerhaps it was Donatella's face that was the most surprising, but the days following my declaration and official ascension to the throne were followed by endless visits to my family's estate.I had to temporarily move there because I was worried about the constant movement and how my son would take it. However, according to Julio, it also applied pressure to bring Cassandra back to the city.She had disappeared a few days ago, and I believed she went to have her child."I must say, he's a very handsome boy," Nicholas said as he carried my son and began to walk around the new nursery. The baby cooed in his arms and raised his little fists towards his face. I smiled but began to miss the little bundle of warmth that he provided. I had once complained to Damon, and his reply was,"You'll just have to get used to it. Or are you going to take my son away from me?" Damon said with a smile.***To my surprise, Cassandra didn't show up over the next few weeks. I began to genuinely w
Elena "Dev'essere pazzo…” He spatial at me calling the attention of the closest chef beside me. No…I want mad. I kept my head down as the restaurant manager yelled at the top of his voice. The last time I had looked at him, as he spoke, his spittle that went flying out from his mouth ended up washing my face. "Once beaten, twice shy" was something I was quite accustomed to. I knew that my manager would take silence as a sign of submission. Men like him preferred ego play rather than being right. I said nothing, and he continued to fire rapid Italian at me. Of course, I had done nothing wrong, but the man just liked to make a mountain out of a molehill. Couple with my exhaustion from my classes earlier in the day, I was in no mood to argue. “Perché stai intralciando tutti? Sei così disoccupato? Perché devi starsene lì in giro sembrando un pomodoro! Sì, un grande idiota!” I was apparently an idiot and a tomato according to him. The large kitchen bustled behind me, but some of
Elena Evenings were my favorite time. I would finish work or school and happily skip to the dark streets of Rome with one destination in mind. Aside from the tourists, which offered much entertainment, it was a favorite place to be after a tedious day at work. I cut through the crowded streets using alleys and backways, easily navigating the darkness as though I were familiar. And I was familiar with it. I knew the path like the back of my hand and wasn't afraid to tread there even at night. My destination was the arena. The arena served as my escape from reality. Sandwiched between school and work, I was constantly torn apart by responsibilities. Not forgetting Pablo's consistent calls, I was truly stumped and needed some respite. The building was a warehouse. It wasn't dilapidated and old, but it was refurbished. I heard that some rich mafia man found it amusing to watch people fight without the strict rules of MMA. The arena, however, was a cheap dump littered with adrenaline
Elena I could hardly believe my luck. Winning the fight had earned me over €3,000, making me glad that I had taken my large bag to fit my profits in. Edmond and Paul rattled me with questions on how I knew the tattooed man would win. I just smiled knowingly at them and put my hand on my lips, signifying that they should keep silent. "When we leave, I'll tell you," I said. Because the fight was over, the arena had soon become empty. I still stood on the table, however, hoping to catch a glimpse of Damon again. Perhaps if I had known the fighter, I would have been eager to talk to him at the restaurant. I whipped my head from side to side, checking the back and craning my neck to catch the tall man. I saw him behind the iron mesh that covered the circular cage. He was talking to someone and had his head bent in concentration. He suddenly moved slowly and a pale an wrapped itself around his shoulder. Oops. “Let's go too.” I said to the guys who looked just as ready as i was. Feelin
Elena Sending Pablo the money did nothing but cripple me. I woke up the next morning under a cloud of depression that didn't lift even as I made my way to school. It seemed like the heavens were in a similar opinion because the weather was gray and bleak. My shoulders slumped, and my lips turned downward as I sat on the bus, contemplating my life and where I had gone wrong. Was it at the switch from eight years ago? Or was it with my job? The job paid well as a waitress, but if not for Pablo and his never-ending calls for money, I would have been in a different situation by now. But that wasn't the case. This week however proved to be a ray of sunshine. With the extra money I made from betting and sending to Pablo, I would save up the rest and use part of it to buy groceries for the coming week. As soon as I got off the bus, I was hit by fat droplets of rain. "Holy virgin, can't you spare me?" I muttered to myself. I was already tired and exhausted from talking to Pablo and wor