LOGIN“Ah!” Laura gasped in pain as she collided with a hard wall of muscle. Her eyes shut instinctively as she braced herself for the fall—but it never came. Instead, she found herself caught securely in a pair of strong arms.She slowly opened her eyes… and met a pair of dark ones watching her intently.“God, you’ve become so solid—like a mountain,” she muttered, her tone half-complaining, though her gaze lingered over his broad frame.He wore a crisp white shirt that clung to his body as if molded to his skin, the top buttons left open, no tie in sight. A black jacket rested over it, paired with tailored black slacks. Effortlessly sharp… and undeniably attractive.For a moment, Laura let herself look—really look.Then she realized… he was doing the same.His gaze moved slowly over her, deliberate, intense—taking in every detail. Beneath the beige trench coat, it felt as if he was stripping her bare with nothing but his eyes.Laura was a supermodel—stunning, confident, with a body most wo
The next day, Rosa went to meet her attorney. He was both shocked and thrilled to see the evidence they had obtained against Alberto and Rita. Now, he was completely confident that they would win the case at the very next hearing. He assured Rosa that he would try to secure the earliest possible date for the next hearing.After Rosa left his office, the attorney made a call to Luciano.“Mr. Mancini, I have good news,” the lawyer said as soon as Luciano answered the call. “Miraculously, we’ve obtained solid proof—a confession video of Alberto Bellini and Rita Bellini, in which they admit to all their crimes, including how they had Carlo Bellini and his wife murdered.”Hearing this, Luciano froze.The color drained from his face, and for
Samuele smiled faintly.“Because I’m a good reader, Rosa,” he said. “And I can read your face. It tells me you have something… something that makes you confident about your victory.”His words caught her off guard, but she quickly masked it with a frown.“Faces can lie,” she said. “Didn’t you read that too?”He nodded, a soft smile still on his lips.“They can,” he agreed. “But I know my heart wasn’t lying. It’s never deceived me.”Rosa looked at him—and this time, she really looked. She didn’t shy away from his gaze as her eyes lingered on his face.Then she exhaled softly.“Okay, fine… you’re right,” she admitted. “I happened to find something that could turn everything in my favor. And finally… I’ll get what I’ve wanted for so long—justice for my parents… and those criminals behind bars.”“What is it that makes you so confident?” Samuele asked calmly.Rosa bit the corner of her lower lip. She was conflicted.She hadn’t even told her attorney yet—and she wasn’t going to tell Samuele
She hesitated for a moment, then met his eyes.“You never have to be scared of me either,” he continued, his voice lowering. “I can’t stand seeing that fear in your eyes.”His hand slowly dropped.“If my presence makes you uncomfortable… I’ll stay away,” he said after a pause. “But I need you to know this—no matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you.”A faint, almost sad smile touched his lips.“Even if it’s from a distance… I’ll still watch over you. Okay?”“You don’t have to,” Rosa said quickly, shaking her head, her eyes wide with shock.She couldn’t bear the thought of him waiting for her… because it would be an endless wait.She was going to leave eventually—without staying in contact with anyone.Samuele was a good man, and Rosa didn’t want him to end up heartbroken.That was why she kept refusing him so firmly. She knew he might be the best man she could ever find… but she also knew she wasn’t good enough for him.A woman like her—scarred not just in body, but in heart
Rosa stood alone on the dark road, beneath a flickering streetlight, waiting for a ride.One by one, her ride requests kept getting canceled. She had been waiting for far too long, but no taxi passed by.This area—where she had come to meet Laura—was in the opposite direction from her home. Walking back would take at least two hours.And at this hour… in the darkness… she knew better than to take that risk.So she stayed where she was, standing under the faint neon glow spilling from the restaurant behind her—drawing what little comfort and courage she could from it.Suddenly, a car pulled up beside her.Her body tensed instantly.
Laura’s lips quivered, tears spilling down her cheeks.“I’m sorry, Rosa… I swear, I didn’t know that… that they would—”Her voice broke. She covered her mouth, unable to finish the sentence.“I hated you,” she admitted, shaking her head. “And… I still do. But I never wanted Uncle Carlo to die. He deserved to live—longer than any of us.”“Stop lying!” Rosa snapped, slamming her hand on the table in front of her, her voice rising despite the quiet restaurant. “You hate me—and you hated my father too. How could you all do this? You’re monsters… all of you.”Her chest heaved, her heart twisting painfully, rage burning through her veins.“No… that’s not true,” Laura cried, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. “I loved him, Rosa. He was everything I had.”Her voice cracked as more tears fell.“He always supported me—no matter what I wanted, no matter what I did. Why would I hate the only man who ever made me feel seen? Like I mattered… like I was someone.”She swallowed hard.“He tr
The next morning, Rosa woke up in Luciano’s arms, his hands still gripping her breasts as if they were his favorite thing to hold even in sleep. The intimacy of it made her feel awkward and unsettled.She hadn’t planned to stay the night. She had meant to leave once he was done. But he hadn’t been
Luciano’s hand shot out instantly, and he grabbed her handcuffed wrists with one of his hands, pinning them against the headboard to stop her from bruising herself further. He leaned in, his dark blue eyes fixed on hers as he granted her wish, catching her nipple between his teeth and biting down ev
“We thought Luciano disposed of you like garbage and had you shipped out of the country,” Vittoria said, her lips curling with cruel satisfaction. “We never expected to see you again.”It was deliberate. A knife twisted into old wounds.“So how did you crawl back into Rome?” Chiara added in a mockin
“Please… call me Samuele,” he again insisted firmly, yet softly.“Samuele,” Rosa swallowed at the casual use of his first name. “I don’t need a phone. When I have some spare money, I’ll just buy a used one,” she replied.Samuele shook his head slightly. “How about this? Let me buy you a phone, and y







