Scarred By The Ferraro Brothers

Milan, Italy.ALINAMy father will kill me.Cold air bites at my skin, slipping beneath the thin fabric as shudders crawl down my spine. My teeth sink into my bottom lip, holding back the sound rising in my throat. The stylists tug at the corset strings, harder and harder, until it feels like they’re squeezing the air straight out of my lungs.I curl my hands into fists. One more pull and I swear my ribs will snap.I love this job. I do. But right now, it feels like death dressed in satin.My phone rings again, shrill, insistent, for the third time in less than ten minutes. Archer’s lips twist into a scowl, his eyes flashing irritation as the sound slices through the studio. I offer him a tight, guilty smile, then grab the phone before the crew loses patience completely.“Dad, I’m at work. I’ll call you back later.” My voice drops to a whisper as I slip out of the room.“You need to come home. Now.”The command in his voice freezes me.I press my palm against the corset, sucking in wh

Milan, Italy.AlinaI wish I could punch something in the face. Someone to be precise.The makeup artist put finishing touches on my face just in time for me to hear a loud knock on my door. I’m so attuned to my father that I can tell it’s him.I grab the big bouquet of white roses from atop my dresser, taking a minute long look at my form before walking to the door with heavy steps, my heart hammering against my chest.Someone wake me up. Please.My shaky hand reaches for the door, closing around the knob tightly. I drag in deep, ragged breaths, my lungs threatening to fail me as the air in the room suddenly thickens and my vision blurs.“Alina?” His gruff voice calls out from behind the door, causing me to reel myself back into the reality that’s about to become my life.“Y-yes. Coming.” I respond, my voice cracking out of fear and anxiety.It feels like a thousand needles piercing my skin at the same damn time.I pull the door open with a force I didn’t know I have, stepping out wi

Milan, Italy.Alina.The ride to Adrian’s house is quiet, save for the constant ringing of his cellphone.My grip on the phone tightens enough until my knuckles turn white with pain. I dial Jeremy’s number one more time and it goes to voicemail, just like it’s been doing.Adrian has moved my things to his even before we left the hospital, leaving me no other option but to go with him after my initial rebellion.I chew hard on my bottom lip, the taste of metal invading my mouth as I try to stop the tears pooling at the corners of my eyes. From my peripheral vision, I can see Adrian’s curious gaze on me but I ignore it and look away, knowing that if I look too hard, I’d do something I’ll never be able to undo.“Do you need anything?” His thick voice resounds in the car and I shake my head, not bothering to acknowledge him.I don’t know how much longer I can fight this but I do know that I won’t stop until I can get away from him.My fingers hesitantly click on Jeremy’s number again. Voi

Milan, Italy.Alina.“Let him go!” I yell at the two men dragging Jeremy by his hands out the door.Adrian’s grip is firm on my wrist, holding me back from running after them and helping Jeremy out. For the past few minutes, Adrian has held me down from moving while he instructs his men to deal with Jeremy.“No can do, Peony.” His calm, deep voice says, infuriating me.After they manage to get Jeremy out of the café, I yank my hand out of Adrian’s grip and wipe the tears streaming down my face, not looking back at him as I grab my purse and bolt out the door.I wave a taxi down, about to hop in when familiar, warm hands pull me back by the waist, his sandalwood scent invading my sense when he lifts me off the floor with an ease I used to know.My mouth opens to scream but nothing comes out. I bite hard on my lips to stop the sob from escaping, blinking away the tears spilling uncontrollably from my eyes.“You’re coming home with me.” He says and waves the taxi off.I drag in a sharp b

Milan, Italy.AlinaThis man is truly insane.“Excuse me?” I question, unable to believe my ears.There’s no way he just…..“What’s wrong? They looked pretty cool to me.” He folds his arms across his chest and leans on the wall, his light brown orbs staring up at me.I scoff, pinching my nose bridge to stop myself from lashing out, feeling the frustration stirring a headache above my brows with no mercy.“Really? What’s wrong? You don’t see anything wrong in sneaking into a woman’s room and replacing every single bit of her clothes, especially without permission?!” My high pitched voice echoes through the room, silence immediately following suit.“I don’t need permission to do what I want in my home, Peony.” His tone is calm and assertive, throwing me into a fit of rage as he glances at his phone.“Especially not when what I did is for my wife.”“Stop calling me your wife and that? That’s a laughable excuse for disrespect, Adrian. Did you suddenly forget that it’s my room and that W