Author’s Note: Content Warning. This chapter contains dark, potentially triggering sexual content with themes of dubious consent. Please read with care and know your limits. This is a dark romance after all.For those who stay—you’ve been warned. And if you can stomach it, I promise you it'll be worth it. ~~~ Alessandra's POV The party was a joke. I didn’t have fun. Not even a little. Not with him there. The Devil ..that Bastard was Breathing down my neck like he owns the air I inhale. He pissed me off, so I kissed Liam. Right on the lips. Jeremy didn’t care, not even a twitch. But Killian... Killian cared enough to break Liam’s nose and drag me out like a fucking prisoner. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to anyone. I Heard the bang of the door behind me like a bullet. “What was the meaning of—” I turned around and he was there. Already too close. Already towering. Already pulling all the oxygen out of the room. His eyes—dead. Not angry. Not cold. Just nothing. Empty metall
Alessandra's POV This place looked like a dream sculpted out of privilege.“God—this place is awesome,” Bree breathed beside me as we stepped through the entrance, and honestly, she wasn’t exaggerating. Not even a little.The ceilings were so high it felt like we’d walked into a cathedral instead of a clubhouse. Everything gleamed. Marble floors, golden accents that caught the moonlight filtering through the glass ceiling in the grand hall. The whole estate stretched on like a palace, quiet and glorious in that way only old money and Mafia Money could afford. I felt like I had to whisper, like talking too loud would ruin it. A membership costs one hundred thousand euros a year. That alone should’ve told me what kind of world we’d just stepped into. Not one you casually walk through in heels and confidence. We wandered first, because how could we not? The library alone was something out of a fairytale—towering shelves stacked to the heavens, with rolling ladders you’d have to climb
Killian's POV.I believed in patterns—ritual, rhythms .They kept me sane. Gave shape to a mind that never stopped spiraling never stopped calculating.But lately, those patterns had gone up in smoke.Because of her.The variable I hadn’t accounted for.Hazel eyes that flickered like wildfire.Dark honey-blonde hair, the kind you could twist around your fist and never let go.Legs that could wrap around a man's waist and cut off his breath. And that floral... that fucking floral chain that hugged her thigh like a secret— Her tattoo.something meant to be discovered, peeled away even if I couldn't come off, worshipped.Porcelain skin, untouched. But not unimagined.She was everything I had no business noticing.She was Jeremy's fiancée.Not girlfriend—fiancée. Locked in. Promised.And Jeremy… Jeremy was one of the few people I’d rather die for than betray. He didn’t say it out loud, but he noticed her too.Almost as much as I did.Almost.I’ve seen women from every corner of the worl
Alessandra's POV “Wait.”My voice cut through the moment, barely louder than a whisper, but enough to still his hands. He paused mid-motion, I reached up and pulled the blindfold down before he could finish knotting itOur eyes met.He was standing so close I could feel the warmth radiating off his chest. His breath ghosted over my cheek, and suddenly swallowing felt like a task too complicated for my body to remember how to do.“What is it?” he asked.I didn’t knowGod, I didn’t knowBut the words formed in my mouth before I could stop them“That day…” I breathed, “you helped with um ..my drool. And you… you sucked it off your hand.”His eyes dropped to my lips . His jaw tightened—“Why did you do that?” I asked, Not as an accusation. I needed to know. Needed it like I needed air.His gaze lifted again, locking onto mine, and I felt it.The way he looked at me—like I was a riddle he wanted to solve with his mouth.“I wanted to know what you tasted like,” he said, voice low, firm, un
Alessandra's POV My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing on the table, rattling like it was trying to remind me I still had to exist. Who the hell calls first thing in the morning.I didn’t check I just answered.“I’ve been calling you! What the hell is going on with you?”Stella. Of course.“What happened” I rasped, my voice still rough with sleep.“Remember that guy? The one who tried to force you to dance last Friday at the club?”“Why would I want to remember him, Stella? Can we not—”“He’s dead.”My eyes flew open. I sat up too fast.“What?”“Yeah. They found him in the boiler room on Saturday. Completely disfigured. The only reason they even figured out who he was because his phone was nearby. My dad was talking to my brother about it, and I snuck a peek at the before and after photo—it was definitely him. The club’s keeping it hush-hush.”Her words came too fast. My brain struggled to make them fit into something I could process.“Disfigured?” I asked, like I didn’t already feel sick.
Alessandra's POV ( at 5) *"Now I need you girls to promise me." She took our hands in hers—mine and Alex’s—like we were made of something fragile. She looked at us like she knew something we didn’t. "Promise me you’ll always look after each other." Alex rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll look after her and pray she doesn’t die.” She tipped her chin toward me, grinning. Mom stifled a laugh, but her eyes didn’t crinkle. "Can I go now? Dad’s getting new guns—he already taught me how to shoot." "You did what?" Mom’s voice was sharp like the scissors she used to trim roses with, the ones I wasn’t allowed to touch. Alex froze for a second. Then she kissed Mom’s cheek and ran off down the hallway, giggling like she hadn’t just dropped a live grenade. Mom exhaled through her nose, like she always did when Alex did something wild. "Alex has more in common with Dad," I said, softly. "I probably have more interests with you. I hate what Dad does." She didn’t answer immediately. Jus
Alessandra."Positive."The word slipped out in a whisper, barely louder than the pounding in my head.I stared down at the DNA test clutched in my hand, the letters blurring in and out of focus.I'd been so angry before I went to the cemetery.I’d gone up to my room to cry out the grief first, the kind that twisted your stomach until you couldn’t breathe.Then the anger came, hot and mean.I stormed into Papa’s room, ripped a hair from his comb without thinking twice, and drove straight to the lab to submit it alongside mine.Then I went to scream at my mother’s grave.Then cry some more before I passed out.The test was delivered in the morning.I kept staring at the percentage, willing it to change.It didn’t.He was my father.The man I was tied to, no matter how much I tried to rip the blood from my veins.I shouldn’t be surprised.I had one done before I left for Mexico—got some of the workers to help me slip samples out.Those results were positive too.Maybe a part of me thoug
Alessandra's POV You know the terrible thing about being engaged to someone who couldn’t get their shit together? It made it look like you couldn’t get your shit together either. Guilty by association. That was me.I was on my way to Killian’s place to pick up the wedding binder when Jeremy texted 'Lunch with my family. Two p.m.'It was 1:30. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” I wanted to scream. I had twenty minutes. Twenty. I couldn’t afford to be late, I was trying to be the perfect daughter in law .. plus who keeps Ronan waiting I pulled into a mall instead. Grabbed a dress that didn’t make me look like a hot mess , slapped on some makeup with the energy of a woman in crisis, and sped to Ronan's Manor.I eventually came out wearing a pale pink strapless mini dress with a bow tied at the back. Clean, simple, pretty. Over it, a long black trench coat to fight the moody weather, My hair was up in a claw clip, neat but loose enough to look like I didn’t try too hard. A pair of pi
Killian's POV While Italy had been fun... I had a company to be the CFO of—Crist Group. I could’ve been CEO. Should’ve, by most standards. But my father didn’t approve of that. Said he didn’t trust me...After I pissed him off To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t being cruel. He wanted to teach me a lesson, not like it was working or he had any luck there, we had a difference of opinion, he hated the fact that I worked for the government behind his back even though I did it for his sake . he came close to losing everything when he worked with the government, back in the day. It hadn’t gone well. It nearly ruined him. So no—he didn’t want that for me even though I came out Alive ,he was still upset and I wasn't going to fucking apologize cause definitely do it again and fucking enjoy it. It made things tense between us. Always had. Still I wasn’t made for boardrooms and quarterly reports he Also knew that I loved the thrill. The chase. The kill. Crist Group had been i
Alessandra's POV .The second my fingers brushed her shoulder, Lia jerked like I’d burned her.Her hand flew to the pregnancy test on the counter—snatched it up and stuffed it into her jacket like it hadn’t just been sitting there, staring at me in silence.She turned around a little too fast. Her smile was tight.“Oh, I’m so sorry. Was I gone that long? I’ll speak to Joyce about the wedding dress designer. Is that okay?”I couldn’t speak. My brain… froze.She definitely didn’t want me to see the test. If she had, she would’ve said something.Unless… unless she wanted Ronan to know first. Which, okay—fine. Plausible. It's normal for every wife.“She’s waiting to hear from you,” I managed to say, even though my blood was boiling in my veins.Please don’t be Killian’s.Please don’t be Killian’s.Please don’t be Killian’s.Why the hell did I even care? Right. Because she’s my soon-to-be mother-in-law. That’s it.Lia tapped my shoulder—like we were just two women sharing a bathroom and
Alessandra's POV . I’d searched my entire room for Cuddles. Torn through the sheets, yanked open drawers, even checked under the bed like he might’ve grown legs and crawled away. Nothing. I made it downstairs. Sam was almost done with breakfast by the time I walked in. Sam was the Cook slash house manager mostly Cook , but she didn’t live here . She came early, cooked all day if needed, and left by evening. She was Older, skin creased at the edges, She had some grey hair too and she was always calm. I’d never seen her smile. She had one rule: don’t touch her pots. I dropped onto one of the stools at the island, watching her flip something in a pan like she didn’t make the best meals I’d eat till I die. The minute I sat down, she dished breakfast and dropped the plate in front of me. I came down here for Cuddles—but he could wait. She made croissants. My mouth watered and I quickly had breakfast. “So… Sam,” I said, resting my elbows on the counter. “I know you don’t clean or any
Killian's POV. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, The numbers helped me or rather, the voice did. I could hear it counting through the Bluetooth in my helmet as I rode through the city like a madman. I would've ripped the helmet off just to feel the wind on my face—but I needed the voice more. It kept me grounded. She was getting married. Two months, eight hours, thirty-eight seconds. This time frame would be fucking hell. Thirty-six seconds. I needed to blow off steam—and the right target was just behind me. How the fucker hadn’t noticed, I slowed down a little to let him catch up, actually amused me. Rookie move. But still. I picked up the pace again. It was the middle of the night—the streets were almost deserted. I turned into a narrow, empty road, killed the engine, and stepped off the bike before he could catch up. I slipped into the woods. He actually followed. Amateur. Fuck ,I'm offended. He parked and stepped in with no hesitation. Definitely a rookie. I took
Alessandra’s POV I woke up to a haze, my vision blurry, my body sore. I tried to shift, to sit up, but the moment I moved, pain shot through me—specifically my ass. I groaned and dropped back onto the mattress, staying face-down, hips raised slightly because turning over felt like punishment. Memories from last night came crashing back like a flood. What the hell is wrong with me? It was like I didn’t even recognize myself. The things I let him do… no, the things I wanted him to do. I groaned again, burying my face in the pillow. One thing was certain, though—I was going home. Back to Killian’s. A smile tugged at my lips. I crushed it immediately. A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I sat up slowly, ignoring the burn that followed. “Come in,” I called out, voice hoarse. The door creaked open, and Uncle Diego’s housekeeper stepped in, a tray balanced in her hands. “Good morning,” I greeted, surprised by the weird bubble of happiness in my chest—somet
Alessandra's POVI’d come to the conclusion that I was overthinking things. The moment lunch ended, I rushed out first. I didn’t talk to anyone, not even Jeremy.The wedding was set for the last week of August—at least, I thought it was. I’d forgotten the date we agreed on, and I hadn’t seen Killian since. Four whole days. Nothing. Radio silence.He didn’t even come to watch me anymore. That stung more than I cared to admit.The house had been dull without Diego and Liam—they were both in Rome. It was just me now. I blow-dried my hair and tied it into a ponytail. Switched off the lights. Crawled into bed before I slept off.A few hours later…I kept tossing and turning. The air-conditioning was definitely on, so why did it feel so hot?“Wake. Up.”Two words. That voice. I’d know it anywhere.The fog of sleep evaporated instantly. I shot upright, my eyes scanning the dim room. And there he was—Killian. Sitting in the corner, hidden in shadows, the soft glow of a cigarette ember outlini
Alessandra's POV.As soon as I practically ran out of the garden, I slipped through the first door I saw and shut it behind me, pressing my forehead to the wood like it could hold me up. My breath came in sharp, shaky bursts. God, I hated Killian.The way his muscles flexed, Those tattoos....God help me, I’d been trying to memorize every single one of them And those stupid grey eyes I could just...No. Stop it.His attitude was trash. His mouth? Even worse.“That devil,” I muttered, pushing away from the door. “Who am I kidding—calling him a devil’s an insult to the actual devil.”“You good?”I jumped, spine straightening like I’d been caught stealing. Ronan stood there, arms relaxed, face unreadable. My mouth moved faster than my brain.“Yes, sir.”Sir?Shit my brain always short circuited.“Sir?” He repeated drawing it out.I blinked up at him. That didn’t sound right. What was I supposed to even call him?“Don,” I corrected.He didn’t say anything at first. Just looked at me, stil
Alessandra's POV You know the terrible thing about being engaged to someone who couldn’t get their shit together? It made it look like you couldn’t get your shit together either. Guilty by association. That was me.I was on my way to Killian’s place to pick up the wedding binder when Jeremy texted 'Lunch with my family. Two p.m.'It was 1:30. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” I wanted to scream. I had twenty minutes. Twenty. I couldn’t afford to be late, I was trying to be the perfect daughter in law .. plus who keeps Ronan waiting I pulled into a mall instead. Grabbed a dress that didn’t make me look like a hot mess , slapped on some makeup with the energy of a woman in crisis, and sped to Ronan's Manor.I eventually came out wearing a pale pink strapless mini dress with a bow tied at the back. Clean, simple, pretty. Over it, a long black trench coat to fight the moody weather, My hair was up in a claw clip, neat but loose enough to look like I didn’t try too hard. A pair of pi
Alessandra."Positive."The word slipped out in a whisper, barely louder than the pounding in my head.I stared down at the DNA test clutched in my hand, the letters blurring in and out of focus.I'd been so angry before I went to the cemetery.I’d gone up to my room to cry out the grief first, the kind that twisted your stomach until you couldn’t breathe.Then the anger came, hot and mean.I stormed into Papa’s room, ripped a hair from his comb without thinking twice, and drove straight to the lab to submit it alongside mine.Then I went to scream at my mother’s grave.Then cry some more before I passed out.The test was delivered in the morning.I kept staring at the percentage, willing it to change.It didn’t.He was my father.The man I was tied to, no matter how much I tried to rip the blood from my veins.I shouldn’t be surprised.I had one done before I left for Mexico—got some of the workers to help me slip samples out.Those results were positive too.Maybe a part of me thoug