"Her Bloodline"AntonioThe door to the meeting room shut behind me with a soft thud. Inside, the room was quiet but tense, nothing unusual. My capos and senior associates sat around the long polished table, each man alert, waiting for my cue to begin. The scent of strong coffee lingered, mixed with faint traces of leather and paper.This meeting wasn’t just about business, it was about the preparation for the upcoming shipment through Calabria, and it was high-value and high-risked.I stood at the head of the table and got straight to it.“Lorenzo,” I said, eyes meeting him across the table, “Report on the Calabrian arrangements.”He leaned forward, easy confidence on his face. “We’re in good shape, the route’s clear, our contacts have confirmed passage. Local authorities have been... handled, quietly.”His voice was casual, as always, but I watched him closely. Matteo had shared a few things with me recently, I wasn’t jumping to conclusions, but I was listening with sharper ears n
“Uncovering the Truth”ElisaThe dream had plagued me again, it was the same voice, hoarse, terrified and full of love that was echoing in my ears. “Elisa… run.”Every time I heard it, something in me twisted, it wasn’t just a dream anymore, it was Something real, and it was digging its way out of my memory, piece by piece.The De Luca name, once foreign and meaningless, had started to feel like a coat I was finally learning how to wear. I didn’t know the whole story yet, but I could feel the truth pressing against the surface of my mind, waiting for the right moment to break through.Antonio’s office was always locked, and I knew for a fact that it held answers.That morning, Matteo pushed me harder than usual in training, the secluded courtyard was quiet except for the sound of fists hitting pads and shoes scraping stone. The sun was already hot, but Matteo didn’t ease up, his blows were sharp and fast, and forced me to respond faster. I welcomed the pain, the ache in my arms,
“Judgment Hour”AntonioThe knock on my door came before sunrise, two sharp taps, followed by silence. Matteo never knocked unless it was serious.I pushed the sheets off my body and stood up, barefoot against the cold marble floor and walked to the door. When I opened it, the expression on his face said everything I needed to know, this was definitely an emergency.He didn’t need an invitation, he stepped in and closed it quietly behind him.“What is it?” I asked, already bracing myself.He held up his phone, “Lorenzo moved a shipment through Lucio's port last night.”That woke me up faster than a slap, I stared at him. “Lucio’s port? You’re sure?”Matteo nodded once, “Confirmed, one of our guys on surveillance caught it, there were trucks, cargo, and Lorenzo himself, on-site.”He turned the phone toward me, the screen showed images of last night, three trucks lined up under the cover of night, and the next photo had Lorenzo, his face partially visible, standing near the containe
The Red Mark Elisa The air in “Gulio's restaurant" was thick with the scent of garlic, cheap wine, and something else… something metallic and sharp that prickles at the back of my throat. It wasn't the blood yet, not literally, but the anticipation of it. Tonight, the menu featured My target, served cold. The restaurant was drowning in soft music and whispered conversations, but I heard nothing except the pulse of my own heartbeat. The scent of expensive wine, the overpriced sizzling steaks, and polished wood fills the air. A place like this reeks of power, a place where men like Antonio Romano make deals over bloodstained money and fine liquor. I adjusted the tray in my hands, careful not to spill a single drop of Chianti as I weave through the maze of linen-clothed tables, I was just another server blending into the scenery. "Little girl" That’s what they’d called me on my way into this restaurant. They'd underestimated the hunger that gnaws at me, the years of traini
Home is a LieElisaNaples felt different under the cloak of night, the familiar chaotic energy seem muted, replace by a stillness that mirrors the turmoil churning within me. My escape from Calabria had been a blur of adrenaline and fear, the image of Antonio Romano’s knowing smile seared into my eyelids.My shoulder burned, but I kept driving ,my pace steady as I approach the Bianchi villa. The weight of failure clings to me, pressing into my ribs like an iron vice.Antonio Romano should have been dead by now, but Instead, I was the one who ran.I push through the pain, ignoring the faint tremor in my fingers as I entered the estate grounds. The villa looms ahead, a fortress of stone and blood, standing tall against the night. This was home or at least, it was supposed to be.But something is wrong with the picture I was seeing.The front gate is open, the usual guards that was always at the gate were missing. A whisper of uneasiness slithers down my spine, Pietro wouldn’t be this
The DealAntonioThe Bianchi villa smelled of blood and betrayal, I sat at the center of the lavish sitting room, not touched by the chaos that had just erupted moments ago.The polish marble floors was stained with the blood of fallen men, their bodies slump over the grand table where a meal had once been served. Pietro Bianchi sat before me, the once proud and ruthless man now reduce to a trembling coward.And I despised cowards.My men secured the remaining household staff and guards, forcing them to their knees, no one dared to speak, no one dared to move.The message had been clear, Antonio Romano had come for blood, and blood had been spilled, but now, my attention was on one person.The woman standing in the doorway, her chest rising and falling in rapid breaths, her dark eyes flickering with anger, calculation, and something I couldn't quite name.She moved with a lethal grace that even in the chaos that transpired at the restaurant, had caught my attention. Most assassins w
Unchosen Chains Elisa The world had fractured in the space of a single gunshot. One moment, I was bracing myself against Romano, the enemy I’d come to eliminate. The next, my own father lay dead, the echo of the bullet that ended his life still ringing in my ears, fired by the very man I’d targeted.Rage, a slow-burning ember, began to ignite within the icy shock. It wasn’t solely directed at Romano, not yet. It was a white-hot fury aimed at the man who had given me life, only to so readily discard it.Everything blurred around me as I was dragged from the Bianchi villa. The iron grip of Antonio’s men was unyielding, their hands bruising my arms as they shoved me into a waiting black SUV. “ Let go of me,” I finally managed, my voice hoarse and trembling, though more from the emotional impact than any physical struggle.One of the guards grunted, tightening his grip. “Silence..Pietro was dead, I should have felt something, maybe grief or anger, anything at all. But all I could t
Three Days in Darkness ElisaTime blurred in the dungeon, I had no idea if it had been hours or days since they threw me in here. There were no windows, no clocks, just the dim glow of a single overhead bulb that flickered unpredictably, leaving me in suffocating darkness.My body ached from the rough handling, my mind continuously replayed the scene at the villa like a broken record. Pietro’s face, contorted in fear, then surprise, then nothing, Romano’s cold eyes, his deliberate pull of the trigger.Hunger gnawed at my stomach, but I refused to touch the food tray they left. Not because I thought it was poisoned, Antonio wanted me alive for now, I was sure of it. But because eating would mean accepting my captivity.I wasn’t ready to do that.I lay on the cot, staring at the ceiling, my mind drifting in and out of memories of the past. Pietro’s cold, calculating stare, the sharp sting of the training sessions that had taught me pain was just a weakness to be burned out.And then
“Judgment Hour”AntonioThe knock on my door came before sunrise, two sharp taps, followed by silence. Matteo never knocked unless it was serious.I pushed the sheets off my body and stood up, barefoot against the cold marble floor and walked to the door. When I opened it, the expression on his face said everything I needed to know, this was definitely an emergency.He didn’t need an invitation, he stepped in and closed it quietly behind him.“What is it?” I asked, already bracing myself.He held up his phone, “Lorenzo moved a shipment through Lucio's port last night.”That woke me up faster than a slap, I stared at him. “Lucio’s port? You’re sure?”Matteo nodded once, “Confirmed, one of our guys on surveillance caught it, there were trucks, cargo, and Lorenzo himself, on-site.”He turned the phone toward me, the screen showed images of last night, three trucks lined up under the cover of night, and the next photo had Lorenzo, his face partially visible, standing near the containe
“Uncovering the Truth”ElisaThe dream had plagued me again, it was the same voice, hoarse, terrified and full of love that was echoing in my ears. “Elisa… run.”Every time I heard it, something in me twisted, it wasn’t just a dream anymore, it was Something real, and it was digging its way out of my memory, piece by piece.The De Luca name, once foreign and meaningless, had started to feel like a coat I was finally learning how to wear. I didn’t know the whole story yet, but I could feel the truth pressing against the surface of my mind, waiting for the right moment to break through.Antonio’s office was always locked, and I knew for a fact that it held answers.That morning, Matteo pushed me harder than usual in training, the secluded courtyard was quiet except for the sound of fists hitting pads and shoes scraping stone. The sun was already hot, but Matteo didn’t ease up, his blows were sharp and fast, and forced me to respond faster. I welcomed the pain, the ache in my arms,
"Her Bloodline"AntonioThe door to the meeting room shut behind me with a soft thud. Inside, the room was quiet but tense, nothing unusual. My capos and senior associates sat around the long polished table, each man alert, waiting for my cue to begin. The scent of strong coffee lingered, mixed with faint traces of leather and paper.This meeting wasn’t just about business, it was about the preparation for the upcoming shipment through Calabria, and it was high-value and high-risked.I stood at the head of the table and got straight to it.“Lorenzo,” I said, eyes meeting him across the table, “Report on the Calabrian arrangements.”He leaned forward, easy confidence on his face. “We’re in good shape, the route’s clear, our contacts have confirmed passage. Local authorities have been... handled, quietly.”His voice was casual, as always, but I watched him closely. Matteo had shared a few things with me recently, I wasn’t jumping to conclusions, but I was listening with sharper ears n
"Heretic Blood"ElisaThe name De Luca no longer felt like a distant curiosity, It had weight now. It was real, heavy, and impossible to ignore. The photograph and the ring weren’t just random things I’d stumbled on, they were pieces of a puzzle I didn’t even know I’d been solving.They were mine, somehow, they were part of me.And if I couldn't get answers from anyone here, it would be Bianca. I’d seen her father in that photograph, the first one I had received, that meant something I was sure. There was a crack in the wall of lies I had lived in all my life, I just needed to keep chipping away at it.I found her in the greenhouse, It was late afternoon, the sky outside glowing with a soft golden hue that filtered through the glass ceiling. The scent of flowers wrapped around me, there were lavender, orchids, something citrusy and wild. The greenhouse was warm, calm, and nothing like the rest of this estate.Bianca stood near the far corner, misting a delicate orchid, her hands mo
"Hunter's Calm"AntonioI couldn’t shake the memory of the kiss off, It had come out of nowhere, and I had responded in a way I hadn’t expected. Elisa’s reaction to the kiss, sharp and full of fire, had surprised me. There was something about the way she resisted, about the way she pushed back, that intrigues me. It wasn’t just about the kiss, It was about the challenge she gave.But I wasn’t in the mood for challenges right now.I walked down the hallway from my suite, my mind still clouded, I’d just dealt with the scene of Elisa in my study. She’d been searching through my things, trying to piece together something I didn’t want her to know, that pissed me off more than I cared to admit. But I couldn’t ignore the spark that had flown between us, but I needed to regain control fast, and I needed to focus.I crossed the corridor, ignoring the guards stationed by the stairs. They stood straighter when they saw me, but I didn’t acknowledge them. My mood right now was too volatile t
"Fangs Beneath Skin"ElisaHis kiss wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t romantic. It was hard and demanding, like he was trying to prove something, it shocked me, but I didn’t back down.I wasn’t going to be the girl who melted into his arms, I wasn’t going to be his prisoner or his plaything.So I fought him.I kissed him back not because I wanted to surrender, but because I wanted to show him I could match his fire. My hands gripped his arms tightly, my nails digging through the fabric of his jacket. Our mouths clashed like two forces unwilling to yield, each trying to dominate the other, his control met my resistance, and the air between us sparked with something dark and tangled.The taste of him, clean, sharp and familiar coated my lips. I hated that it stirred something in me, a heat, a flicker of want I refuse to admit.Then reality came rushing back.What the hell was I doing, this was Antonio, the man who is holding me against my will, the man who killed Pietro, the man I tried to kil
"Fangs Beneath Skin"ElisaHis kiss wasn’t gentle, it wasn’t romantic. It was hard and demanding, like he was trying to prove something, it shocked me, but I didn’t back down.I wasn’t going to be the girl who melted into his arms, I wasn’t going to be his prisoner or his plaything.So I fought him.I kissed him back not because I wanted to surrender, but because I wanted to show him I could match his fire. My hands gripped his arms tightly, my nails digging through the fabric of his jacket. Our mouths clashed like two forces unwilling to yield, each trying to dominate the other, his control met my resistance, and the air between us sparked with something dark and tangled.The taste of him, clean, sharp and familiar coated my lips. I hated that it stirred something in me, a heat, a flicker of want I refuse to admit.Then reality came rushing back.What the hell was I doing, this was Antonio, the man who is holding me against my will, the man who killed Pietro, the man I tried to kil
"The Storm Between Us" AntonioThe drive back from the warehouse felt like it took an eternity, the tension in the air still clung to me, it was thick and suffocating. The breach was more than just a problem, it was a message. Someone was testing us, pushing us, and I wasn’t in the mood for games. The moment I had cleared the scene, I could feel the weight of it all pressing in, the pressure to react.I let out a slow breath as the car pulled into the driveway of the estate. This place should have felt like a refuge to me, but tonight it was just another battleground in my mind. The house was quiet, too quiet for my liking. The staff had likely gone home, leaving me to face the remnants of the mess in peace or in solitude, as I preferred.I pushed open the front door, the familiar scent of leather and old wood immediately filling my senses, but even as I stepped inside, the comfort of the house could not wipe away the unease from the warehouse, it lingered like a shadow. I made m
"The Locked Drawer"ElisaAntonio had left the estate the day before, called away on urgent business at one of his warehouses, whatever had happened was serious enough for him to leave without much explanation. I had overheard Matteo say something about sabotage and missing shipments.But all I could think about right now, was what the note that was left outside my door said, “They’ve lied to you, look deeper.” And also the photograph, of the man with the ring that matched mine.I hadn’t slept properly the nights before, the images wouldn’t stop replaying in my mind. And now, with Antonio gone, the silence of the estate tauted at me like an opportunity.Today was the only window I might get.I moved carefully through the hallways, keeping to blind spots I’d memorized over weeks of observation, the Romano estate was a fortress, but like any fortress, it had cracks. I didn’t need to go far, the offices weren't my destination, neither was the basement or the weapons rooms. I was going