로그인Gianna.I woke up choking on air, and it felt like life was leaving me.My chest heaved violently, ribs protesting with every breath I dragged in, but my body… my body refused to move. It felt like I had been nailed to the ground, like every nerve had been beaten into submission.For a moment, I didn’t even remember where I was, then the pain came.It didn’t creep in gently. It slammed into me like a wave, sharp, burning, merciless. My back felt like it had been torn open, my skin raw, every inch of me screaming.A broken sound escaped my lips, that was when I realized I was on the floor. Right where Stefano had left me.My lashes fluttered weakly as I turned my head slightly, my cheek scraping against the cold tiles. The memory came back in flashes, whips cutting through my skin, the sting, the humiliation, his voice… deep, controlled, terrifying.A sob caught in my throat. I forced my eyes downward, and that was the worst mistake I could have made. My body… it was red and bruised wi
Gianna.It was a deafening slap, the kind of slap that makes your cheeks burn like a torch was used on it.My head snapped to the side, the sound echoing through the garden like a gunshot.I staggered back, my vision spinning as heat exploded across my cheek. Tears blurred my eyes instantly, my hand flying to my face as I tried to steady myself.“Papa…” My voice came out broken, barely a whisper.I looked at him through blurred vision, my chest tightening painfully.That wasn’t my father, or maybe… it was.Just not the one who used to carry me to bed when I fell asleep on the couch. His face was hard, and cold, like a stone left too long under the desert sun.There was nothing in his eyes, no warmth, no love… no remorse.“Wipe those tears,” he said flatly.“What?” My voice cracked as I squinted my teary eyes.“You’ll need more of them from today onwards.”The words sank slowly, not in my heart but deeper into my stomach, that was where it sank.Then they ripped through me, dispersing
Gianna.I felt a presence, which was the first thing I felt before I even opened my eyes. The eyes that watched me were heavy, close, and staring carefully.My lashes fluttered open slowly, my vision blurry at first… then it cleared, and I almost screamed.It was Luciana, she was bent over me, her face inches from mine, her sharp eyes scanning every inch of my expression like she was studying a corpse.I jerked backward with a gasp, my hand flying to my chest.“What the fuck!” I breathed, my heart pounding violently against my ribs. “Why would you do that?!”Luciana didn’t flinch; instead, she smiled calmly, almost amused.“I was wondering if you were dead,” she said simply, straightening up.My brows pulled together in disbelief. “Are you insane?”Her lips curved slightly, as my reaction entertained her.I dragged in a shaky breath, trying to steady myself as I pushed myself upright on the bed. My head throbbed faintly, like something was being used to hit it right in the middle.“Ho
Stefano.The door didn’t just open, it flew off its hinges.Wood slammed against the wall with a sharp crack, the sound echoing through the hotel room like a gunshot.For a second, everywhere was quiet, the bright lights slightly blurred my vision, then I saw him.My father, Don Vittorio Caruso stood beside the couch, one hand just withdrawing from Gianna’s face as if he had been touching her moments before I walked in.My jaw tightened, something dark and violent twisted in my chest.His eyes lifted slowly to meet mine, calm as ever, like he hadn’t just crossed a line he couldn’t uncross.“Well,” he said, straightening his suit jacket. “You look like a mess.”I didn’t respond immediately, he was the least of my worries right now.My gaze shifted to Gianna.She lay there, completely still, her body limp against the couch, the white of her dress now creased and slightly stained, her hair falling across her face like she had been discarded… well she was too trusting and that got her thi
Gianna.Run.The word echoed in my head louder than the pounding of my heart.For a moment I just stood there, staring at the open doorway of the changing room, my hands clutching the overlapping of the wedding dress as if my body refused to believe what had just happened.Did he really mean it?Behind me, I could still feel Stefano’s eyes on me. He was going to change his mind if I didn’t take action.“Run, piccola… run!”My body moved before my mind could catch up.I bolted, my legs weak but unyielding.The boutique door burst open as I pushed through it, the bell above it clanging wildly. Cold air slapped against my face and I stumbled onto the sidewalk, nearly tripping over the hem of the dress.People turned, some even stared, but I didn’t give two fucks about it.Freedom was only a few steps away.I ran toward the street, my lungs burning, my vision blurring as cars sped past. My heart hammered so violently against my ribs that I thought it might burst out of my chest.But one t
Gianna. He sat there with legs crossed, a cigarette in between his lips as he stared at the clothes the store women brought before him.“I don’t wear dresses. Let her try them on,” he said, looking away, uninterested.“This way, ma’am,” one of the women gestured at me. I followed her quietly into the dressing closet.The first dress I tried on felt heavier than the weight that sat in my heart. I wasn’t going to get married to that beast, this was only to boost his ego while I thought of a way to escape from here.I lifted my eyes to stylishly look for exits but there wasn’t any that wouldn’t bring me to where Stefano sat with legs crossed.“This looks beautiful,” the shop attendant smiled as she took a few steps backward to get a better look at the fitting of the dress.“I don’t… I don’t feel comfortable in it,” I lied. I just wanted to get it off my body, he didn’t deserve to see me in a wedding dress, only Javier deserved that.“Every lady would love to be with a man like Stefano C







