The small hotel room was drenched in darkness, save die the dim glow of a single lamp flickering in the corner. Heavy curtains shocked the city's neon light, and the air smelled faintly of smoke light, and the air smelled faintly of smoke and aged oak.Sophia sat slouched in a high-backed chair, a half-empty bottle of wine on the tabme beside her. She lifted the glass to her lips, but the taste no longer soothed her. Her eyes were distant, drowning in memories she wished she could bury yet couldn't escape.Her voice was low, almost a whisper but it echoed through the silence."All my life.. all my life I waited for him."Her grip tightened around the stem of the glass as images of her childhood flitted through her mind, long nights spent imagining the face of her father, Vittorio'. Who she never meet. The man whose name caused fear and respect, the man she had hoped would one day claim her as his own. "I dreamed of that moment," she murmured, her words trembling with both pain and ra
"I'll have to find a way." Marco kept thinking to herself as he drove through the night. The night was quiet when Marco's car pulled into the sweeping driveway of his mansion. The engine cooled with a soft humas he stepped out, his tailored suit still carrying the faint smell of cigars and gunpowder from the night gathering. The guards outside stiffened at his presence bowing their heads respectfully before returning to their posts. But Marco barely notified them. His mind was elsewhere, entangled in the haunting image of Alessa. He tossed his keys on the marble table in the foyer, his boots echoing against the polished floor as he strode into the cast living room. The penthouse was drenched in muted luxury: chandelier dripping like crystal, velvet drapes pulled against the moonlight, and the faint scent of aged leather. Yet none of it could distract him.His face lingered, like a ghost refusing to leave. "Alessa..." He murmured under his breath, his jaw tightened. He wanted her ba
"Don't you hear me? I'm speaking to you Alessa." Isabelle questions from behind Alessa's back but Alessa just stood there staring at the Fazalaro club sign board. She had just returned from seeing Marco and ofcourse just as she had suspected, Isabelle came looking for her as usual but this time she made sure she was untraceable.The screech of tires on the gravel announced sleek black car's arriving front of the Fezalaro club. The place was alive with its usual, energy , the faint thump of bass rolling out from behind the double doors, neo lights flickering in steady rhythm,and the scent of cigarettes and expensive cologne lingering in the thick sir. Alessa stepped out, her hand brushing smoothly against the cold metallic door handle as if she hadn't care in the worlf. Her hair, tied back in a sharp knot, glistened under the street lamp. The long slit of her dark dress revealed each confident stride she took. But before her heels could hit the pavement twice, a sharp voice sliced thro
Chapter 48: Reunion.It was 1 AM and Alessa was already seated in a corner at the Fezalaro club when her phone chimed. The notification lit up her Lock Screen, it was a text from Marco. A simple message that changed the entirety of her mood. I am not at the club, I won’t be there. Come towards the second bridge. Alone.Alessa was a little provoked, Marco's paranoia was now getting to her. But then, she could understand his plight. She had been staying with his prime enemies for over two weeks now, and now she was spotted going on a business meeting with them. And to make matters even worse, the prime enemies she has been living with, were her biological family. This would give no sane man peace. She picked up her bag and stepped out of the club. The parking garage was so quiet compared to the club. Her boots’ echo against the concrete was the only sound she could hear initially, but as she approached the BMW she had taken from Isabella’s fleet, she heard footsteps walking behind
The storm had rolled in just before midnight, turning Philadelphia's streets into slick black mirrors that reflected the flickering neon signs of the city. Sophia De Luca watched the raindrops race down the tinted window of her SUV, her fingers tapping an impatient rhythm against the leather seat. The mercenaries Matteo had arranged for her sat in silence. Four hardened men in nondescript black jackets who knew better than to speak unless spoken to. "Are we ready?" Sophia asked, her voice cutting through the hum of the engine. The man in the front passenger seat, Kovac, the Serbian with the scar across his eyebrow nodded once. "The Building is clear. No doorman, and no cameras in the stairwell. Just her." Sophia's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Then let's not keep her waiting." The rain fell in heavy sheets as they exited the vehicle, the mercenaries forming a loose perimeter around her. Sophia didn't bother with an umbrella. The cold water soaking through
The silence of the study was shattered by the sudden ringing of Marco's phone. He had been lost in thought, his mind still pounding on Sophia’s visit, when the sound jolted him back to reality. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his breath catching in his throat as he saw the caller ID. Tesoro Mio. (My Treasure.)That was what he had saved Alessa'’s number as—back when they had just signed their alliance. It was all part of his act of pretending to be in love with each other. But somewhere along the way, Marco knew the pretense had turned into something real, at least for him. It had been over two weeks since they had spoken directly, and seeing her name flash across his screen now sent an unexpected rush of energy through him. His thumb hovered over the screen, hesitating. He shouldn’t answer. Not after everything. Not after she had refused to come back when Gabriel had gone for her. It was quite obvious she was or at least is now working with Isabella since in fa