The hum of the private jet was a low, steady purr as it cut through the sky, carrying them back to Hay Port. The honeymoon was officially over, though Maria had been the one to end it early. She hadn’t seen the point of dragging it out—she was pregnant, and all she’d done was spend her time in bed, too tired to do much else. If that was the case, she might as well get back to work before she became too heavy to move around. Gina sat across from them, typing away on her tablet, her sharp eyes focused on whatever report she was compiling. She was dressed in a sleek, navy-blue jumpsuit that hugged her figure, paired with black ankle boots. A silver watch adorned her wrist, catching the light every time she flicked through her notes. Her bobbed hair, jet black and perfectly styled, barely moved as she worked, her posture straight and unwavering. Maria was curled up in Luca’s arms, tucked against his chest as his lips brushed over her hair. His warmth seeped into her, grounding her
Maria leaned back in her chair, fingers drumming lightly against the smooth glass surface of her desk. The weight of responsibility never truly left her shoulders, but today, it pressed down a little heavier. She needed two assistants—one to help with A√ancii, and another to help her manage the HR division of SpitFire Technologies. Both roles were equally demanding, requiring people who were sharp, efficient, and, above all, trustworthy.She exhaled, tilting her head slightly as she thought about everything she had already accomplished. The SpitFire penthouse was her idea—one of the first major changes she had implemented as CHRO. Housing in Hay Port was expensive, and she had seen firsthand how employees struggled to keep up with rent while working long hours. Some lived far from the headquarters, and their daily commute often resulted in tardiness, exhaustion, and reduced productivity. It had been a problem no one had taken seriously, but Maria had.The penthouse changed everyth
Maria sat frozen in the hospital hallway, her fingers trembling as she stared at her hands. Gina’s blood had dried in streaks across her palms, dark and crusted against her skin. No matter how many times she wiped them against her skirt, the sensation wouldn’t leave.The scent of antiseptic filled her nose, but beneath it, she could still smell the metallic tang of blood. It clung to her, to her clothes, to her skin.She had never felt so helpless.The bright fluorescent lights overhead buzzed softly, the only sound in the eerily quiet corridor. Nurses moved in and out of rooms, their voices hushed, their steps careful. The world continued around her, but Maria felt stuck in place, unable to breathe, unable to move.Gina was in surgery.She had been rushed into the emergency operating room almost the moment they arrived, doctors and nurses working frantically to stabilize her before she was wheeled away. Maria had barely caught a glimpse of her face—pale, lifeless, her body unnatur
Luca had been nineteen when he found her.Back then, he was already making a name for himself in Hay Port’s underworld. A rising star in the mafia, one of the best hitmen they had, feared for his efficiency, respected for his brutality. He was young, too young to have as much blood on his hands as he did, but he had been climbing the ranks steadily, determined to carve a place for himself.Determined to find her.Maria.He had spent every spare moment searching for her, following trails that led to dead ends, chasing whispers that always faded before he could reach them. He had no family, no roots, nothing except the memory of the girl he had sworn to protect.And then, in the middle of all that chaos, he met Gina.That night had been another routine job—accompanying his boss, the second-in-command of Hay Port’s mafia, to an underground auction. It was nothing unusual. These men bought and sold everything: drugs, weapons, secrets. And people.Luca had been standing just behind his bo
Edwards Kale sat in his office, gripping the arms of his chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. The muted hum of the city outside did nothing to drown out the chaos storming inside his head. His wife was dead. His company was unraveling. And everywhere he turned, Luca Avancii's shadow loomed over him like a damn executioner.He knew Luca did it.Grace was a lot of things-jealous, possessive, reckless-but she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't have taken a knife to Luca's secretary without thinking she could walk away unscathed. But now she was gone. Shot dead in a police cell, with no evidence, no witnesses, and no trail leading back to her killer. The security cameras had conveniently gone into a system upgrade overnight, and there wasn't a single damn guard with a straight answer.It was Luca.But how?How much power did Luca Avancii actually have?A knock on the door shattered his thoughts. Edwards clenched his jaw, already knowing who it was before the man stepped inside."Mr. K
Luca’s hands gripped Maria’s waist as he lifted her onto the edge of her desk, his touch firm, commanding. His dark eyes drank her in, filled with an insatiable hunger.“You look good like this,” he murmured, sliding his hands up her thighs, pushing her dress higher. His fingers brushed over the small swell of her stomach, pausing there, possessive. “Full of me.”Maria exhaled, her breath uneven. “You’re staring again.”Luca smirked, fingers slipping between her legs, teasing the damp heat beneath. “Damn right, I am. You’re carrying my child, Marie.” His voice dropped, a rough, possessive rasp. “Do you know how fucking hot that is?”Maria shivered, gasping softly as he stroked her slowly, deliberately. “Luca—”“Shh.” His fingers curled, rubbing her just right, making her body tense. “I want to feel how much you need me.”She let out a breathless moan, hips shifting against his hand.Luca groaned, leaning in, his lips bru
The location of the prototype was a secret buried so deep that only three people knew the truth—Gina Frazer, Luca Avancii, and Horace "Horus" Hill, Luca’s right-hand man in the underground.No one else was supposed to know.But now, someone thought they did.The events leading to this moment had begun years ago, deep within the bloody hierarchy of Hay Port’s underworld. Back then, Luca had been a rising force, a young hitman and recruiter with an instinct for power. He had served under his boss, the second-in-command of the Hay Port gang, a man ruthless enough to survive but not strong enough to reach the top. That weakness had cost him his life.His death hadn’t been a clean one. It hadn’t been honorable.He had been executed—murdered by the son of the gang’s first-in-command in a power move meant to secure his own ascension. But if the son thought he could take what wasn’t his, he had made a fatal mistake.L
By 1 PM, the news broke."Gina Frazer, General Secretary of SpitFire Technologies, confirmed dead after a tragic explosion at a local hospital. Authorities suspect foul play."Her name was everywhere. On TV. In tabloids. On social media. A photo of her—cold, lifeless—flashed across every screen. People mourned. Investors panicked. And behind the headlines, enemies celebrated.It was the second tragedy in less than a week.Just days ago, Grace Kale—wife of Edwards Kale and Co-Ceo of Kale Industries had been found dead in her prison cell after being arrested for stabbing Gina Frazer. Some called it karma. Others called it cover-up. But now, both women were gone, and the war between SpitFire Technologies and Kale Industries was about to get bloodier.Luca didn’t attend the press conferences. He didn’t make a statement. He didn’t show up in public to demand justice.He did nothing.Not a single tear.Not a
The morning light slipped through the cracked blinds of their small one-room apartment, casting soft golden streaks on the peeling walls.The air smelled faintly of last night's cheap instant ramen, mixed with the slight musk of Luca's cologne. It wasn’t the most ideal setting to start the day, but for Maria, it had become the norm.Maria stood by the only mirror in the room, adjusting her school uniform. The fabric was thin, a faded gray that had seen better days, but it fit well enough. Her blouse was neatly tucked in, but the hem of her skirt sat a little too high on her thighs. She stared at her reflection for a moment, running a hand through her tangled hair. The mirror barely showed her face—cracks ran through its surface like an old photograph.Luca, who had just buttoned his shirt halfway, paused mid-motion when he caught sight of her in the reflection. His brows pulled together, eyes narrowing in a way that she had come to reco
Maria had once dreamed of a wedding — a real one.A soft white dress that brushed the floor, heavy with lace and hope. A church full of family she never had. Flowers trembling in her hands as she walked down an aisle toward a man who would look at her like she was everything he had ever wanted.She could almost hear the music, soft and trembling, almost smell the fresh-cut roses.But reality had given her none of that.Edwards hadn’t proposed with a trembling voice or shining eyes. There had been no tearful promises.One day, without warning, he had simply said, "Let’s make this official."And then he took her to a courthouse — a gray, crumbling building that smelled of bleach and dust and lost hopes.No celebration. No flowers.Just a grim-faced clerk in a too-tight suit, sliding papers across a counter. Just Edwards' hand on her back, pressing her forward like a deal being closed.A cold exchange of v
The city lights flickered like dying embers in the distance as Maria sprinted through the empty streets, her breath sharp, her heart hammering in her chest like it was trying to escape her ribcage. They were still behind her. She could hear them—footsteps pounding with ruthless intent, voices barking cold, clipped orders that cut through the silence of the night like gunfire. “Find her!” one of them snarled, rage lacing every syllable. Maria’s stomach twisted, a knot of panic anchoring deep in her core. She didn’t know where she was anymore—what street, what block—only that every turn felt like a trap, every shadow a threat. The city had always been big, but tonight it felt endless, merciless. The cold air sliced at her exposed skin, making every step feel like a punishment. Her shoes—cheap, worn down, barely holding together—slapped against the pavement with frantic rhythm. She had barely esc
Maria woke up to an unfamiliar stillness.The penthouse was too quiet, too cold, as if it had been abandoned overnight. The usual soft hum of the city that crept through the double-glazed windows felt muted today, as if the world had decided to hold its breath.Her hand instinctively reached for the other side of the bed, but it was empty. Not just empty—untouched.The sheets were smooth, still pressed, a stark contrast to her side where the blanket twisted around her legs. A chill ran down her spine, her brows knitting together as she sat up, the silk strap of her nightgown sliding down her shoulder.Edwards had come home last night, hadn’t he?She remembered waiting for him, curled up on the velvet chaise by the window, watching the minutes drag by. The clock had ticked past midnight, then one. Still, she waited. She had convinced herself that he was just busy. That was always the excuse.Important meetings.
Miles away, in a room thick with sour smoke and the metallic stench of old blood, Mikael smiled too — but it wasn’t laughter he tasted. It was war, bitter and electric on his tongue.Mikael sat at the head of the table, one hand loose around a glass he hadn't touched. His fingers tapped once, twice — a sound like a ticking clock — then stilled. Not a man's patience. A predator's.The men gathered around him were a mix of old blood and new money, each one bringing something to the table: favors, weapons, information.But tonight, it was the man seated at the far end who commanded the most attention.Edwards Kale.He looked nothing like the arrogant bastard he once was. The man who had once dared to challenge the Avancii name now sat hunched, gaunt, a shadow of pride smoldering in his ruined eyes. His hands trembled as he shoved the folder forward — like the paper itself was poisoned — then clenched them into fists against the polished wood
Maria whimpered softly beneath him, her hips instinctively rocking back, greedy for every last flicker of sensation, every last pulse of him spilling into her.Slowly, reverently, Luca shifted, slipping an arm under her, gathering her close."Easy, mi amor," he rasped, his voice rough and sweet and filthy all at once.With aching tenderness, he coaxed her onto her side, spooning her against his chest.His cock slid deeper with the shift, drawing a broken gasp from both of them.He groaned low, forehead pressed to the nape of her neck."Fuck," he breathed.His hand splayed over her lower belly, protective, reverent, possessive.Maria trembled, overwhelmed, her hand flying down to cover his, threading their fingers together over the soft swell of her stomach."Mi esposa perfecta... madre de mi hijo..."(My perfect wife… mother of my child…)Maria turned blindly, seeking him, and he caugh
The past two weeks had settled into a rhythm—a ridiculous, clingy, over-the-top rhythm. Maria was always on the phone. If she wasn’t calling Goodness to complain about Luca eating the last of her ginger biscuits, she was on the phone with Nune as they gossiped about Ichiro’s latest death-wish stunt. And when Mafalda finally came back after a week of complete radio silence, their group chat exploded. Maria, Nune, Alexei, and Goodness had been frantic, their messages unanswered for days, their calls going straight to voicemail. Then, as if nothing had happened, Mafalda popped back into their chat with a single message: Mafalda: I live. Relief crashed through the group chat like a tidal wave. Maria: WOMAN, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Goodness: We were about to stage a fucking rescue mission! Nune: Is he dead? Do we need to help hide the body? Alexei: Are yo
A few days had passed, yet it felt like mere minutes for the women.The estate, once a fortress of power and control, now stood in disarray. The grand halls, which had witnessed whispered secrets and stolen laughter, now echoed with the wails of its most beloved occupants. The very walls seemed to mourn their impending separation, shadows stretching long under the glow of the chandeliers, as if reluctant to let go of the mischief and warmth that had once filled the space.Maria, Mafalda, Nune, Alexei, and Goodness clung to one another, their arms locked in desperation as though sheer force could prevent what was inevitable. But their husbands—men who commanded entire empires, men who had the world at their feet—were wholly unimpressed by their theatrics.To them, this was inevitable.To the women, it was unbearable.Luca stood at the far end of the room, his arms crossed, cigarette burning lazily between his lips as he watched M
The room was thick with the scent of tobacco and expensive cologne, the kind that settled into leather and power. It was the kind of space where fortunes were made, alliances were tested, and destruction was decided with a single word.Malachai sat at the head of the long, obsidian conference table, fingers drumming idly against the polished surface. The dim glow from the chandelier overhead cast a golden sheen across the room, reflecting off crystal glasses filled with aged whiskey.Luca, seated to his right, flicked open his lighter, the flame briefly illuminating the sharp angles of his face before he lit his cigarette. He inhaled deeply, letting the smoke coil around him like a ghost before he passed the lighter across the table to Rafael DeSantis. Rafael took it with a nod, his own cigarette already perched between his lips.Aziel Tau leaned forward, sleeves rolled up, his forearms flexing as he tapped a few keys on his t