LOGINGIOVANNI’S POVI left her room but couldn't shake the image of her lying there looking so small. My hand still felt warm from touching hers.What the hell am I doing?I paced my room for an hour before giving up and heading downstairs. If I couldn't rest, I might as well do something productive.The kitchen was quiet, the servants having retired for the evening. I flipped on the lights and started pulling ingredients from the refrigerator.I was halfway through dicing tomatoes when Enzo appeared in the doorway, watching me closely, a small frown on his face. "Don’t tell me you’re cooking for her?”I rolled my eyes. "Shut up," I muttered, focusing on the cutting board?"First letting her back to her room, now this." He leaned against the doorframe. "You're really working hard to get her to forgive you. huh?"My jaw clenched tightly. "I said shut up, Enzo."But he just snorted. "What's next? Flowers? A heartfelt apology? Maybe a-""Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I snapped, poi
GIOVANNI’S POVI stared at the barrel of the gun pointed to my head and I froze, half-sitting, half-standing."Don't," he said, his voice deadly calm. "Don't you dare sit in my house like you're a welcomed guest."Enzo moved and the other guard too but I raised a hand, signaling them to stop."Where the hell is my daughter?" Robert's hand was steady, his finger on the trigger. “I heard from some very reliable source that you’re turning the entire city upside down to find her.”"Sir." Enzo started."I'm not talking to you." Robert's eyes never left mine. "I'm talking to the man who was supposed to protect her. So I'll ask one more time… where is Arya?"This was a mistake. Coming here was a terrible, terrible mistake.But I had already committed and with a gun pointed at my head, I didn't have many options."I don't know," I said honestly, slowly raising my hands to show I wasn't a threat. "That's why I'm here. I'm trying to find her.""Trying to find her?" Robert's laugh was bitter, da
GIOVANNI’S POVI stared at the barrel of the gun pointed to my head and I froze, half-sitting, half-standing."Don't," he said, his voice deadly calm. "Don't you dare sit in my house like you're a welcomed guest."Enzo moved and the other guard too but I raised a hand, signaling them to stop."Where the hell is my daughter?" Robert's hand was steady, his finger on the trigger. “I heard from some very reliable source that you’re turning the entire city upside down to find her.”"Sir." Enzo started."I'm not talking to you." Robert's eyes never left mine. "I'm talking to the man who was supposed to protect her. So I'll ask one more time… where is Arya?"This was a mistake. Coming here was a terrible, terrible mistake.But I had already committed and with a gun pointed at my head, I didn't have many options."I don't know," I said honestly, slowly raising my hands to show I wasn't a threat. "That's why I'm here. I'm trying to find her.""Trying to find her?" Robert's laugh was bitter, da
ARYA’S POVWithin minutes, I had three beautiful white blouses laid out but as the associate rang them up, she frowned."I'm so sorry, but we're actually out of stock in the white button-downs in your size.” She actually looked apologetic. “These are display models, and they've already been purchased by another customer who's picking them up tomorrow."My eyes widened. "What? But I need them.” "However," she said quickly, seeing my distress, "we do have something that might work even better. A professional sheath dress that’s perfect for an office environment. Would you like to see it?"I glanced at my phone. Thirty-five minutes left. "Yes. Please and hurry."She hurried to a different section and returned with a white dress that had a modest neckline and hem that would fall just below the knee."Our dressing rooms are right over here. Try it on… I think it'll be perfect."In the dressing room, I pulled off my coffee-stained shirt with shaking hands and slipped the dress over my head
ARYA’S POVThe next morning, that hope was tested.I woke up late, my cheap alarm clock had died sometime in the night, and scrambled to get ready. Then I realized too late that my only professional-looking shirt had a stain I hadn't noticed in the dim hostel lighting.By the time I made it to the office building, I was fifteen minutes late and had coffee spilled down my front from the too-full cup I grabbed on the way.Just perfect.I rushed into the office, out of breath, looking like I was attacked by a caffeinated tornado.Ethan Traynor stood by the reception desk, eyeing me with a murderous stare. "You're late." He snapped. I cleared my throat and smoothed my skirt with my free hand. "I'm so sorry. My alarm didn't go off and then-""Fifteen minutes late on your first day." He cut me off. "Do you understand how that looks?"I hastily nodded. "It won't happen again. I promise.""That's what everyone says." He gestured to the coffee stain spreading across my shirt. "And you're d
ARYA’S POVI chuckled. "Their mama is a mess.""Their mama is surviving." Cherry's expression turned serious. "Which is more than a lot of people can say. You left a bad situation, you're keeping yourself and the baby safe, you're looking for work too!""That's going nowhere." I set down the cereal bowl, my appetite gone. "I've been to every place in the city that's hiring. No one wants someone with no experience, and mysterious gaps in their employment history.""Then come work with me." Cherry had suggested this at least five times already. "The club is always looking for cleaners or you could bartend, you don't have to dance. The money's good, and most of the guys are harmless.""No." I said immediately, shaking my head. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't. I don't want my baby growing up around that kind of environment.She huffed. "It's not that bad.""Cherry." I took her hand. "I'm not judging you. You do what you need to do, and I respect that. But it's not for me. I just... I
GIOVANNI’S POVI surveyed the Grand Palazzo Hotel with a critical eye. The morning sun casted golden light across the building, and even from below I could see the meticulous preparations taking place on the rooftop.Luigi appeared at my elbow almost instantly, slightly out of breath."Mr. De Santi
His hands were everywhere, sliding over my skin with a confidence that made me gasp. Giovanni's mouth was hot against my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive spot below my ear and I arched into him."Arya," he groaned, his voice thick with desire. "You feel so-"His body pressed against mine, all
I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back.The cloud-like wedding dress fit me perfectly, I looked like a fairy tale princess.An unconventional choice, Mario had said but it was stunning.I didn’t actually think Giovanni would allow me wear the
MARCO’S POVThe meeting room was thick with tension before anyone even spoke.I sat beside Robert at the long table, watching as the Delgado family's head capo, a man named Salvatore with silver streaking through his dark hair and eyes like chips of obsidian, settled into his chair across from them







