Chapter 1

Lucian

As I gazed out the tinted windows and saw her exiting the restaurant with a radiant, sun kissed carefree smile on her face, my hands clenched, my fingers tightened around the steering wheel. I felt a surge of anger within me. It wasn’t just about what her brother had done, It was about the fact she got to live a privileged life.

     Why does she get to be so happy while my sister is miserable after what her b*st*rd brother did to her?

      Sienna Morreti, 25 years old, is completing her residency program to become a nurse. Guess that matches her generous nature that Adrian would often brag about. 

      Adrian and I practically grew up together, but he always kept his sister away from everyone, including me. A wise decision on his part; he probably always knew what kind of person I would become.

       She'd always been breathtakingly stunning with elegant long, wavy hair and soft hazel eyes that always sparked with innocence. I had often caught her hiding by the stairs, trying to peek at us whenever I had visited Adrian at his house. Seeing her now become a woman and maturing is interesting, but something I learned after all this time is that all beautiful people are rotten to their core no matter how they try to present themselves.

      A bitter taste rose in my mouth as I watched her bid goodbye to a petite blond- haired girl and enter her luxurious car. Moving on with her life completely unaware of what I had planned for her.       

      Adrian will soon experience what I felt after I'm done with his sister, whom he loves so much. His betrayal cut too deep.

     He was supposed to be my brother.

     But I’ll have to get over it.

     I’ll show you, I'll show you exactly what I felt soon.

      After giving her one last look, I drove off.

                   ******************

That evening, I sat in my office signing off on paperwork when there were three knocks on the door that broke the silence. I knew who it was before the door opened. 

     Nico, my right-hand man, It was ironic that I needed him now because up until last year, I didn't need one as Adrian and I did all the work ourselves, but after his betrayal, I needed to take some precautions.

     “I’ve got some news, boss, our northwest warehouse has been hit,” Nico said. “It was Adrian again,” he added, his expression grim.

      I sighed with frustration. This game has been going on since I first bombed his biggest warehouse. I also left a note telling him that I was coming for more after finding out what he did. The audacity he has for retaliation after what he’s done.

      “Send the men to his east warehouse and tell me when the job is done,” I said with almost no emotion on my face. 

       There are some perks when your greatest friend turns into your enemy; you know all their secret bases.

      “But boss, we need to do something big this time; it can’t go on like this,” Nico urged.

      “I already have a plan,” I said casually.

       Nico’s eyes narrowed. “Are you going to share this plan with us anytime soon?” 

       “And are you ever going to tell me what went down between you two to end up like this?”

       The last thing I'm going to do is tell everyone what happened to my sister. She made me promise not to tell anyone, saying her reputation would be damaged if it got out. 

       Our Mafia world, though, is in the 21st century, but the people’s minds still work the old way. Valeria already gets so many looks from women at brunch for not getting married yet. I know many of my men think that way too, but they know they can’t say sh*t in front of me.

       One thing Adrian and I promised was that we wouldn’t let the women in our families go through the generational suffering and would always protect each other's family. It turns out he broke the promise first.

       I have no idea when he turned so vindictive and ruthless, but now I know I'm going to ruin him.

       “That's my business; all you need to know is he took something important from me,” I replied.

       “Come on, man, tell me,” he spouted out.

        My eyes narrowed at his tone. Nico was my first cousin. He does his job well, but sometimes his actions show his immaturity and age. 

        “Alright, alright, I won’t ask again. You don’t have to be so scary with me,” he grinned. 

         Another thing? He isn't scared of me at all like others, which he knows bugs me a lot.

         “All this bloodshed is getting to everyone’s head, so we’re all going to the bar later tonight. You can come too after you’re done brooding,” Nico says with a mocking smile on his face.

      “Get out before I shoot you.” 

      His laughter echoed as he left.

      As soon as the door closed, I opened my laptop and opened the Tracker app. I ordered someone to discreetly slip a tiny tracker in little Moretti's purse. For now this will do. Soon I’ll find a way to put a tracker on her phone too. 

      She’s at home considering it's nighttime, and Adrian doesn’t let his little princess work shifts after sunrise.

What's more surprising is that she convinced her brother to let her go out without her guards, which I thought was a bad move on his part. Knowing men like me are out there, ready and waiting to strike his weak spots. She seems like the perfect way to do that.

       Though I'm surprised, he’d always hidden her when she was younger but now has given her a lot of freedom, which is considered taboo in our world.

      Maybe little Moretti also has a streak for manipulation in her.

      I've been watching her for a while. I know everything about her. I know her daily routine, her social circle, and her favorite place to be, which is an art gallery not too far from where she works. I'm even familiar with her hobbies. I left nothing. 

      I'm going to use anything and everything to get close to her, get her trust, and make her love me.

      Once I have her where I want, I'll destroy her, shattering her heart into a million pieces in the most ruthless way. I will leave her broken and begging for me, and when she goes crying to her brother. He will know I did this. He'll realize we’re not so different after all, that we’re cut from the same cloth.