Stolen by the Mafia Boss

Caterina.I hated... no... that wasn't a suitable word. I loathed parties.Especially when it was my engagement party.The chandeliers above gleamed with the brilliance of a thousand crystals, casting an ethereal glow over the grand ballroom. Laughter and chatter echoed around me, voices mingling with the soft strains of a string quartet in the corner.The air was thick with the scents of fresh roses and expensive perfume.The place was perfect, every detail meticulously arranged for an evening of celebration.I should have felt honoured, proud even, to have a gathering this perfect in my name. Instead, my stomach kept turning with every passing second."Smile, sweetheart." The voice came from beside me, smooth yet commanding, as if daring me to disobey. Allesandro's hand rested on the small of my back, possessive and firm. His touch turned, not with passion, but with a reminder of ownership.I plastered on a polite smile, the one I’d practised in the mirror. A hollow expression tha

Caterina.My palms stung from the fall, but it was my pride that burned hotter.Fuck Luca.I had barely registered the ache in my knees when hands descended on me. Large, rough hands... different from Luca's... gripped my arms and hoisted me upright."Let go of me!" I screamed, thrashing against the hold, but my captor didn't relent. My vision was blurred with anger, my chest heaving with shallow, rapid breaths.What kind of power did Luca hold that none of the party goer could even stop him?Not even my father could stop him.My vision was blurred with anger, my chest heaving with shallow, rapid breaths.Then I saw him again... Luca, the arrogant bastard who'd dropped me like a sack of flour. He stood a few feet away, brushing nonexistent dust from his suit, completely unbothered. His green eyes flicked to mine, calm and cold, as though he hadn't just shattered the last bit of control I thought I had over my life.“Don’t waste your energy, amorino,” he said, his voice maddeningly smo

Caterina.The bastard.My pulse still raced, an unwelcome reminder of the last few moments in Luca's suffocating presence. I didn’t want to admit it, but the man had a way of getting to me. The quiet menace in his voice, the unyielding way his eyes pinned me like prey... God... even the way he brushed my hair back, like he owned me. He didn’t. I started walking abruptly, my legs shaky beneath me as though my own body betrayed me. The silence in the dining room was heavy though Luca had long since walked away, leaving me to stew in the aftermath of... whatever that was."Loathe keeps things interesting," he'd said. I clenched my fists, willing the rush of heat on my cheeks to vanish. Focuse, Caterina.There was no time to wallow in the mess of emotions this man stirred in you.I needed answers. Taking a steadying breath, I turned on my heel and strode toward the door. A dark skinned man stood just outside the door like a sentry. His expression would make the statues of gods

Luca.The cool afternoon air kissed the back of my neck, a stark contrast to the warmth of the woman's body pressed against mine.Rissa. Her hands trailed up my chest with an eager familiarity, and I let her, though the effort not to recoil irritated me more than it should.Rissa had been predictable since the day I met her... a safe harbour in a world that constantly demanded sharp reflexes and unrelenting focus. The daughter to one of my father’s closest friends.I didn't need to explain myself to her, nor did I have to pretend I cared beyond what was required. She gave without expectation, though I knew she wanted more.Her laugh was soft and breathy as I trailed kisses down her neck, my hand skimming the curve of her hip."You missed me," she murmured, her tone tinged with smug satisfaction.This was something the group chat would hear about later. I didn't respond.The statement was a lie, and I wasn't in the habit of feeding fantasies. Tonight, she was little more than a distr

Caterina.Goodness!I had to keep my steps measured, and a leisured pace as I walked the vast grounds that was Luca's perfect estate. It would do me no good to appear in a hurry, not when those guards patrolled these perimeters with watchful eyes, and the stupid cameras were positioned in such a wag that they documented my every movement. It was all a performance though. One I played out carefully, studying my surroundings under the guise of idle curiosity.At least he didn't lock me in that cursed room.Luca had money... the kind one could only hope to make through generations of work. And all that showed in his estate. Horrible thing was a labyrinth of neatly trimmed hedges, grand fountains, and paths winding toward different corners of the property. A paradise, but an extravagant one nonetheless.And a cage for me.The thought was almost enough to make me turn around that instant, before I caught sight of someone standing by the marble fountain ahead. Blonde hair, expensive heels