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42. The Problem I Can’t Ignore

Author: Ophelia Corrigan
last update publish date: 2026-03-31 04:10:25

ROCCO

Diana sat on one of the couches in my living room, those curious eyes of hers scanning every corner. I handed her a cup of coffee—hot, strong—and dropped into the armchair next to her, my gaze locked on her face.

“How the hell did you end up here?” I asked, no point in dancing around it.

“It’s a long story, Rocco.” She wrapped both hands around the mug, soaking up the warmth. “I’m here thanks to a user named Deadpool123.”

I frowned, trying to place it. That stupid-ass name rang a bell. Th
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  • PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL   48. I’d Do It All Again

    ROCCOI rolled my eyes and turned my head to look at her. Her face was so serious it actually made me pause for a second."Diana, I'm not made of glass, for fuck's sake. I'm fine.""Fine, my ass!" she snapped, her eyes flashing. "Look at your back, Rocco! You think this is fine? If you don't take care of these wounds, they're gonna get worse. And then how exactly are you gonna protect me if you can't even protect yourself?"I sighed, the irritation starting to fade under her persistence. She wasn't gonna let up until I gave in. I knew that."Fine. I'll rest. Happy now?"She looked at me with this relieved expression, but she still didn't seem totally convinced."It's not just rest. You're gonna follow my instructions. No lifting anything heavy, no physical exertion, and no playing chef around here. Or do you wanna end up back in the hospital?"I huffed, but I knew I didn't have a choice."Alright. We'll do it your way. But only because you're being a pain in my ass."She let out a rel

  • PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL   47. Soft Toothbrushes and Bad Decisions

    ROCCOI was standing there, staring down the shelf at the pharmacy, weighing my options. The list Diana had scribbled out before we left the house was crumpled in my pocket, items crossed off as I grabbed them. I ran my fingers over the toothbrush packaging, trying to figure out which one she'd actually want. Ended up grabbing the softest-looking one.Toothbrush in hand, I turned around and came face-to-face with the pad aisle. She didn't ask for them, but what if she needed them? That shit's unpredictable, right? I stared at the shelf, completely lost in the sea of options. How the hell is a guy supposed to know what to buy here? Let out a breath and grabbed the pack with the prettiest design, hoping that counted for something. "Fuck it," I muttered, tossing it in the basket.I left the house this morning as carefully as I could. Checked everything twice, made sure no one was following.Alessandro didn't seem suspicious. At least not yet. Diana disappearing from the Santoro mansion w

  • PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL   46. This Is My Revenge

    ROCCODiana pressed her hand to her mouth, horror written all over her face, but she didn’t say anything. Just let me keep going.“She left me a letter.” My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “Apologizing for not being able to open up to me about any of it. About what the fuck was happening to her.” I stopped, my jaw tight. “It destroyed me, you know that? Destroyed everything inside me.”I could barely look at her. The words came out like razor blades, cutting deep, leaving the bitter taste of every goddamn memory behind. The weight of the guilt, the rage… it was all right there, pulsing inside me like a wound that never healed.She stayed quiet. Just watched me, her eyes still locked on mine. No judgment. No questions. Just waiting for me to go on. And that only gutted me more.“I failed her, Diana.” My voice came out rough, thick with a hatred I couldn’t control. “I was the older brother. It was my job to protect her. And I failed. Miserably. I didn’t see what the hell was happen

  • PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL   45. The Day I Lost Everything

    ROCCOI woke up with my body feeling heavy, but it wasn’t the usual kind of tired. It was that good kind of tired. The kind that comes from spending the entire night fucking Diana until neither of us could take it anymore. I stretched, letting my muscles relax for a second before I noticed the lack of heat next to me. I turned my head, and the bed was empty. Fuck. Where’d she go?“Diana?”I lifted my head, scanning the room as my brain kicked into overdrive. When my eyes landed on her, she was on the other side of the room by the dresser. The morning light caught her hair, making every strand glow. She glanced at me over her shoulder, and that’s when I saw what she was holding. A photo. The fucking photo I’d forgotten was even there.“Was she your sister?” she asked, her voice low, like she was trying not to hurt me with the question.My first instinct was to frown. Talking about Martina was still hell. That wound had never really healed. But with Diana standing there, in my house, in

  • PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL   44. FIRE

    DIANAI kept washing the dishes, turning over everything he’d shared. It was hard to imagine how someone so deep in the mafia could still carry so much humanity the way Rocco did. The loyalty and honor he showed, in the middle of this dirty world of violence and greed, only made me like him more. But at the same time, his hands were stained with blood, just like every other man in my family.My family had always taught me that life in the mafia was a constant war, a battle for survival where weakness wasn’t tolerated. And here was Rocco, strong and ruthless, but also capable of a kind of tenderness I’d never experienced from a man. From the day he walked into my life, Rocco had been my safe harbor: protecting me, soothing me through my worst moments, accepting me exactly as I was, not as someone he wanted me to be.There was a long silence, and then I finished washing the last plate, flicking the water droplets off into the sink. When I turned around, there he was, leaning against the

  • PROTECTED BY THE DEVIL   43. A Taste of Something Real

    DIANAI set the soup on the table and glanced at Luca, who immediately looked away, embarrassed."He's so cute when he gets all shy like that," I commented to Rocco, watching Luca's cheeks turn red."Cute? Me?" he mumbled, scratching his head and staring at the floor.Rocco, seated at the table, let out a sarcastic laugh."I don't think I've ever heard anyone call Luca cute before. Maybe I should start using that, too."Luca rolled his eyes, trying to act annoyed, but the smile on his face gave away that he was clearly taking it in stride."Well, let's see if this soup is any good, then." Rocco picked up a spoon and took a bite, his expression unreadable as he assessed the taste.I watched him closely, trying to guess what he was thinking. He made a face, but then said:"It's fine."I laughed and went to check if he was telling the truth, taking a big spoonful myself."Oh my God, Rocco! It's way too salty!"He looked at me with an expression that said he already knew, then

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