LOGINEmilio and Chase met at a cafe they decided upon. Reaching the second floor, Emilio spotted Chase already waiting for her. He walked to him and the two shook hands before taking their seats."One cappuccino, please," Emilio told the waiter."I'll take the same," Chase stated.Once the waiter left, Emilio turned serious, his one leg resting above the other."Did you find the footage?" he asked. "The lady who seemed to meet an unknown guy.""Yes. I did retrieve it. But you should know that she's already dead. I went to her home today after a report was filed. Someone killed her at point blank. It's a mercenary work," Chase said in a low voice.Chase slid a small flash drive across the table. "You’ll have to dig for the unknown man. He’s completely off the record."Emilio nodded and slipped the drive into the inner pocket of his leather jacket. "I appreciate the legwork, Chase."The waiter returned with their orders, and the two men lapsed into a brief, necessary silence as they drank th
The sharp ring of the phone echoed in the room causing both of them to stop."Damn it," Domenico cursed, his jaw tightening. "I'm not answering that."When the phone rang again, Renata broke the sudden tension with a breathless laugh. She sat up, pulling the sheets up to cover herself. "You should check it," she said, offering a playful shrug. "It might be something important.""Next time, it's going on silent," Domenico muttered, clearly frustrated by his own oversight as he reached for the device.Domenico’s brow furrowed as he saw Emilio’s name on the screen. He answered and stepped out onto the balcony while Renata retreated to the washroom, gathering her scattered clothes as she went."Emilio," Domenico said, his tone clipped. "You picked a hell of a time to call."There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a sharp, knowing sound of amusement. "Wait, really?" Emilio teased, his grin audible through the phone. "Don't tell me you were—oh, forget it. I'll call you later."
Domenico’s eyes widened, the breath leaving him as if he’d been struck. Elena's and Luca's presence didn't matter at that time.Without a word of explanation to anyone, he took Renata’s hand, and steered her straight back to the car.The drive home was silent. The moment the bedroom door clicked shut behind them, he turned to her, his gaze burning with intensity. "You didn't lie, did you? About your feelings?"Renata bit her bottom lip, her heart hammering against her ribs. "I didn't," she breathed. "Seeing that woman... hearing about your past from someone else... it made me realize. I was jealous, Nico. I felt like I didn't know those parts of you, and that scared me. That’s why I finally said it."Domenico moved into her personal space, his hand coming up to cup the nape of her neck, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw until she was forced to look directly into his eyes. "You said you loved me," he repeated, his voice dropping to a low, raw rasp. "Say it again."Renata started to
They headed back down toward the town, the cobblestone streets feeling more familiar now.As they strolled through the main square, the atmosphere was light and sunny, momentarily making Renata forget her earlier grumbling.However, that peace was interrupted by a familiar, high-pitched voice.“Nico! You’re back so soon!”Renata felt her muscles tighten instinctively as Elena appeared from a nearby flower stall, clutching a small bouquet of wild lavender.She looked just as bright and cheerful as the day before, her eyes instantly lighting up as she spotted them.“Hello again!” Elena said, beaming at Renata before turning her gaze back to Domenico. “I was just telling my father that I saw you yesterday. He couldn’t believe it! He’s at the café just around the corner if you want to stop by and say hello.”Domenico’s expression remained polite but distant, his hand firm on the small of Renata’s back. “We’re just passing through today, Elena. We have a lot to see.”“Oh, of course, of cou
Domenico felt emotional hearing her words. It had been years since anyone told him he looked like his parents, at least, not in a way that felt like a compliment.Usually, people only compared him to them when speaking of authority, power, or the ruthless leadership expected of a Veronesi.“Thank you,” Domenico said in a low voice. His fingers lightly grazed the glass of the picture frame. “If it weren't for you, I don't think I would have ever been able to step foot inside this room again.”Renata stayed silent for a moment, simply watching him. She had so many things to thank him for as well, but seeing this usually cold, untouchable man melting right in front of her made her heart ache with tenderness.“Nico,” she said, turning to face him fully. “We’re in a relationship now. There’s no need to thank me for being here. Because if I started thanking you for everything you’ve done for me, I don’t think a single day would be enough to finish the list.”Domenico’s gaze softened, and he
Renata woke up the next day feeling full of energy. It wasn't just her body that felt rested; her mind felt lighter than it had in years.However, when she rolled over, the bed beside her was empty.“Where did he go?” She muttered as she sat up and spotted her breakfast already set out on the table with a small note resting against a glass of juice.“Enjoy your meal. I’ll be back soon.”"How could he be so cute?" she whispered, a soft smile appearing on her lips as she traced the neat, firm handwriting. “No one had ever bothered to write me a note like that before—” she said. It was a simple gesture, but it felt incredibly intimate.Before eating, she headed into the bathroom for a long, refreshing shower. The warm water helped wake her up completely, and she felt a sense of peace as she dressed in something light and comfortable. Once she was ready, she sat down to her breakfast, making sure to take her multivitamins."Thank God, I didn’t forget of he’d nag me," she chuckled to herse
Renata hadn't expected Domenico to actually bring her into the heart of the city, let alone out in public.They arrived at a high-end restaurant situated at the top of a glass tower. Their table was in a semi-private lounge, not boxed in by walls, but partitioned off to allow the natural light to f
Renata stood quietly on the balcony of her room, her hands resting on the railing as she looked out over the vast garden that stretched across the estate. The morning breeze moved gently through the trees, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the grounds below. For a moment, the peaceful view a
Paolo stepped forward quickly, raising his hands as if he could calm the chaos that had suddenly erupted in the room. He tried to regain control of the situation before it spiraled further out of his grasp.“Giovanni, you cannot take my second daughter like this,” he said firmly, forcing authority
Natasha paced back and forth in her room, biting her nails. She was still in shock after what had happened at the church.Everything had unfolded too suddenly.The ceremony had barely begun before chaos broke out.She stopped walking for a moment, her heart beating faster as the scene replayed in h







