LOGIN“Get dressed quickly. Renzo won't start until you're there,” Rosa said, her voice sounding slightly dull as she fought to keep her emotions under control. “He has to take his medicine on time,” she reminded him.Luciano nodded, rising from the bed. He called out to his son as he headed toward the door. “Renzo, you start eating. Daddy will be down as soon as I’m dressed.”“Okay, Daddy!” Renzo chirped. He was far too excited about finally having his father around to deny any request Luciano made.Soon, Luciano appeared at the breakfast table, looking every bit the formidable Don in a crisp white shirt, black tie, and a perfectly tailored black suit. When he arrived, he found Renzo clutching a piece of bread and jam in his small hand, eating with a look of pure deli
Rosa finished preparing breakfast for all of them, and to her surprise, she didn't feel nauseous. Perhaps her pregnancy was becoming unpredictable, or perhaps the baby in her womb was already relishing its father’s presence, just like its elder brother.She shook her head at the thought, trying to dispel the idea. She looked toward the stairs; Renzo and Luciano hadn't come down yet.She glanced at the spread she had laid out on the table. She had prepared the bread and jam for Renzo, but for Luciano, she had plated Bresaola and Parmigiano. She knew him too well; she knew he wouldn't be able to stomach just bread for a meal. As the coffee began to brew, filling the kitchen with its rich, bitter aroma, she decided to go upstairs and see for herself what was taking the father and son so long.She climbed the steps carefully and slowly. Just as she pushed open the door to Renzo’s room, he emerged from the bathroom with Luciano, a trail of steam following them like clouds. Renzo was bundle
The question hung in the air, cold and heavy. His parents had separated when Luciano was too small to even remember the lines of his face. There had been no one to teach him how to fight the shadows. Even his mother had been a distant figure, leaving him to face the terrors of the night alone until he simply stopped sleeping altogether to avoid the dreams.He didn't want to explain that he had learned to fight monsters by becoming one.“Renzo, let’s get you showered,” he announced, his voice regaining its authoritative edge as he stood up. He looked at Rosa, his gaze unreadable. “While we do that, Mommy can make us breakfast.”Rosa watched him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she shook her head. Even in a moment of vulnerability, he was still the bossy, commanding man.
Luciano reacted instantly. He withdrew his hand and pulled Rosa’s top back down, his movements sharp and efficient as he covered her. Rosa scrambled into a sitting position, reaching for Renzo and scooping him into her lap in one fluid motion.“Shhh, baby, I’m here. Mommy is here,” Rosa cooed, rocking him desperately in her arms. But Renzo’s sobs only intensified; his eyes remained clamped shut, his body rigid as if he were still trapped deep within the nightmare.Seeing him like this, Rosa’s own eyes welled with tears. “Renzo, baby, please wake up. Open your eyes for Mommy.”“No, Mommy!” Renzo wailed again, the word breaking into a ragged sob. “I won't open my eyes. They will kill me.”Watching Rosa’s helplessness and his son’s terror, Luciano felt a pained emotion he had never known—as if his heart were being hollowed out of his chest. He moved quickly, reaching out to take Renzo from her arms. Rosa looked up at him, her face tear-streaked and her expression filled with a dazed con
The sensation coursed through Rosa like an electric current, leaving her paralyzed by a mix of fury and a feeling she refused to name. Her hands clamped onto the covers at her sides, her breath hitching in shallow pants.“Luciano, stop... this is my body... you can’t do this,” she protested, her voice little more than a ghost of a whisper.Luciano didn't pull away. Rosa reached down, her hand finding his head with the intent of shoving him back, but then she felt the warm glide of his tongue against her skin. He left a trail of warmth across her skin, his lips lingering at her navel as if he were worshipping the life growing inside her. The sensation shifted into something deeper, something far more like lust.Rosa clamped a hand over her mouth, desperately muffling the moan that threatened to escape.But Luciano didn't stop. Rosa’s breathing accelerated, her heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her body was acting of its own accord, betraying her despite her mind’s fr
The next morning, Rosa woke to find Renzo curled tightly against her. She smiled, pressing a lingering kiss to her son’s temple. Taking a deep breath to steel herself for the day, she started to turn—only to freeze. Her eyebrows shot up in shock.Luciano was there. His head was resting on the mattress right beside her pillow, though his body was still slumped on the floor.She didn't move at first. She simply stared at his face, noting his slightly parted lips and the rare, relaxed softness of his features in deep sleep. She couldn't fathom why he was here, or why he would choose to sleep in such a punishing position. None of his behavior made sense to her anymore.Despite herself, her heart ached. She couldn't stop the instinctual surge of worry from bubbling up. Reaching out, she slowly shook his shoulder.His eyes snapped open. For a split second, he stared at her as if she were a dream he wasn't ready to leave.“You’ll have a backache and neck pain if you stay like that,” she whis
Rosa drifted into a deep sleep following their passionate sex, but rest eluded Luciano. His gaze remained fixed on her, his eyes refusing to blink even for a moment. Since she was facing away from him, he propped himself up on one arm to catch a clearer glimpse of her features.A few stray strands o
Luciano fixed her with a flinty stare, well aware of the chaos brewing in her mind and the damage her sinful mouth could inflict. He was paying for her body, but he wasn’t about to let his family in on that sordid detail. His tone dropped to a sub-zero temperature as he warned, “You’re overstepping
With a pounding heart, Rosa stepped out of the room and descended the stairs. Below, in the center of the living room, stood Luciano’s mother, Francesca, and Laura, facing him. The moment they caught sight of Rosa on the staircase, their expressions froze, their mouths dropping open in pure shock.
Rosa glanced at the time on her phone after ending the call, then grabbed her bag. She told her manager she had to leave five minutes early due to an emergency, and he agreed. She quickly changed out of her uniform and back into the black knee-length dress she had worn that morning. Without wasting







