MasukCarlino's POV I couldn't bring myself to reply."I think you're Carlino," she murmured, her words slurring together as her fingers tangled deeper into my shirt. "You are, aren't you?" She staggered against me. She was so entirely certain. She hadn't bought my lie for a single second."Where are you taking me, Carlino?" she asked, blinking heavily. "Huh? You think I don't know?"I stayed quiet, listening to her rambling. Even if I wanted to respond, what could I possibly say?"My heart tells me you're Carlino," she continued, cutting through my silence. "And I love you. My heart can't lie to me. It won't."She spoke with such fierce confidence. Even dead drunk, there was something utterly captivating about her. The way she stumbled over her words, the way her body moved completely out of her own control—it was beautiful.Suddenly, a loud laugh burst from her, shattering the quiet of the bar. "He is," she nodded to herself, laughing again. "He is. Okay, okay. Wait..." She twisted aroun
Carlino's POV"Carlino…" he began, unable to finish."You do not touch her, Aiden," I said slowly, my eyes locked onto his."Yeah, I know bro. My mistake.""I told you not to call me bro, Aiden.""Yeah, whatever.""I'm serious, Aiden, you do not have the right to touch her, not even in my absence," I warned."I'm sorry," he apologized.I moved forward, leaving him behind, as I tried to control my rage. A few seconds later, I heard his footsteps jogging after me until he caught up. As usual, he began rambling about one thing or another, but none of it registered.My thoughts were elsewhere. On Lina. I wondered what she was feeling right now. Had she believed the lie I fed her? Or had she simply chosen to ignore it because she couldn't bear my presence? Another question suddenly surfaced in my mind."Why did you use Ace when you called out to me?""Have you forgotten that was the name you wanted to use when you first came to California?" he responded.Oh. I had forgotten."Should we g
Carlino's POVWe stood frozen, locked in each other's gaze as silence settled heavily between us. The world around me seemed distant, every sound dulled into a meaningless hum. This was exactly what I had spent years avoiding. So how had I ended up standing before her?I felt her fingers tighten around my shirt. The shock in her eyes was unmistakable. Slowly, she pushed herself upright, refusing to let go.What should I do?My only option was to remain calm."Wait…" she started. "What am I actually seeing?" she questioned in a whisper, uncertainty trembling beneath every word.She took a cautious step back, her eyes searching my face as though she was desperate to find proof. Her stare was sharp and unwavering, moving from my face to the rest of my body, studying every detail."Carlino?" she whispered, my name leaving her lips like a fragile question. Hearing her say my name did something to me. A strange warmth spread through my chest before I could stop it.“What are you doing here?
Carlino’s POVAfter Ruciano ran away, my attention shifted back to the girls. It was the first time since their birth that I had stood this close to them, seeing them up close. I lowered myself onto the ground, kneeling, meeting their height as they stared back at me just as intently.I studied them in silence, taking in every detail. Erla had my eyes—something I had always known, but never seen this clearly, this close. Even her nose mirrored mine. She looked like a smaller, softer version of me. A girl shaped from my reflection. Rotha, on the other hand, was unmistakably her mother’s child. Every feature belonged to Lina. The long dark hair, hazel eyes, skin tone. Everything.Something stirred in my chest, something hot, buried, long restrained. Emotions I had kept locked away clawed their way back to the surface. Still, I forced a smile as I called them closer.“You’re beautiful,” I said quietly, almost gently.“Thank you,” Erla replied simply.Rotha on the other hand said nothing.
Carlino's POV“San Diego? Aiden, have you completely lost your mind? You know I can't go back there,” I said as I headed toward my office, only for Aiden to step in front of me and block my path.“You have to, Carlino. We already told him we're coming. It took us a lot of words to be able to convince him for the negotiations just to secure this meeting. You don't understand—this man is stubborn. If we miss this opportunity, there won't be another one. We're already at a disadvantage. You have to do this. This is business, Carlino. Your business. Why do you lose all sense of reason whenever Lina is involved?”That struck a nerve. Before I knew it, I had grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the side of the car. The impact rattled the vehicle. Aiden grunted as the files in his hands scattered across the ground.“What the fuck, man?” he hissed.“Don't you dare, Aiden. Don't you fucking dare talk about Lina like that.” My grip tightened around his collar. “We may be friends,
Carlino’s POVMoving to New York had been one of the hardest decisions I had ever made. Not because the city was unfamiliar or because the work was heavy, but because staying here meant staying away from Lina. From Tesoro. From the only place that had ever felt like home in a way I could not explain even to myself.I had forced restraint into my bones like it was something permanent. I did not look her up. I did not ask questions about her. I did not let Aiden slip her name into conversations unless it was absolutely necessary. It was the only way I could keep myself from breaking every promise I made to leave her life untouched.The house Aiden got for me sat high above the city, glass walls overlooking the restless lights of New York. Everything inside was designed for function, not comfort. It had everything a man like me would need—office space, security systems, silence thick enough to drown thoughts.But it did not have warmth. It did not have her. It had only been a couple of h
Lina’s POVThe meeting room was colder than the rest of the house. Not in temperature. In feeling. Men filled the long table, their suits dark, their expressions darker. Conversations died as I stepped in beside Carlino. Not because I was important. Because I was unexpected.
Lina’s POV Punishment in this house never arrived screaming. It came neat. Silent. Calculated. Like him.I knew I’d crossed a line at dinner the night before. I just didn’t think the line would bleed this much. It happened after the wine was poured and the men started
The sun crept from behind a veil of thin morning clouds, pale gold light spilling across the room. It slipped through the narrow gaps in the window panels and struck my hand where it lay above the covers, warm and intrusive.I turned away with a quiet groan, dragging the blanket with me to the cool
It had been two weeks since I’d been trapped in this hellhole. Carlino was barely ever home. According to the staff, he was either at the hotel or out of the country. Same routine. Same absence. Bella was the only reason I hadn’t lost my mind yet.Still, every now and then, that stupid t







