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Chapter 36

Penulis: Bernice
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-25 10:46:30

Dominic’s POV

I downed the remainder of my whiskey, warmth spreading through my chest, before setting the glass down with a dull thud. The evening stretched long, but fatigue never came easy to me. Alessia was already in bed, and for the first time in ages, I was loath to get up and go to her.

As I pushed my chair back and rose to my full height, Matteo stood against the wall, eyeing me with the same craggy gaze he had previously displayed.

“Should I investigate the reporter?” he asked, his voice low but firm. Should I keep him at bay?”

I played with the cuffs of my shirt, thinking about it. “No,” I said finally. “Not yet.”

Matteo’s eyebrows knitted a little. “I don’t like him, Dominic. He’s trouble.”

My facial expression was neutral as I turned to him. “I know.”

We exchanged silence, and I gave him a curt nod, then turned on my heel and walked away.

The bedroom was dark, the city lights softly gleaming through the curtains. Alessia was curled under the covers, her breathing slow and
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  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 37

    Dominic’s POVI heard Sophia inhale loudly from the other end. “How could you?”I leaned back in my seat, rubbing my temple. “You’re going to need to be more specific,” I said.“You humiliated me,” she said curtly. “In front of everyone.”I let the silence linger, waiting. She wasn’t finished.There was a softness to her voice, the anger tinged with something in it. “Do you still even love me?”I closed my eyes briefly. “You know what the answer to that is.”A second breath, the first one quakier. “So, that’s it? You’re canceling our engagement as if it were nothing?”“It never meant anything.”A sharp gasp escaped her over the line. “You’ll regret this.” Her voice fell to a hissing whisper. “I swear to God. I’ll make you pay.”The call ended.I looked at the phone for a long moment and then put it down. There was no remorse, no guilt. If anything, I felt lighter.Sophia was my past. I wish she had dismissed the engagement because she was not going to be calm. She was never calm.If s

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 38

    Dominic’s POVAs soon as I laid my eyes on him, I knew there was no peace for the night.Damn it. How far can this mad man go?Diego was seated at a table across from ours. I knew what he wanted and I knew I wasn’t going to give him any story.Charity work news, my ass. He’s onto something else and I know that one of those lunatics sent him to Me. Are they attempting to get him killed? Or is he that foolish?I watched him, swirling a glass of wine in his hand as if he had all the time in the world. His eyes were fixed on me with an annoying smirk as a challenge hung in the air. The bastard was having the time of his life. I reclined back against my chair, twirling the glass of wine around my fingertips, neglecting his existence. He was trying to bait me, and I had no intention of falling into whatever sick trap he thought he was setting to win.But Diego had other plans.He stood, with a bottle in hand, and walked toward my table with an air that belonged to a man who believed the upp

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-29
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 39

    Diego’s POVAs soon as I stepped out of that restaurant I knew that Dominic Rossi was lying. Not a single man it takes to reach the top of the food chain, without stains of blood in his hands. His success was too slick and too clean, and I didn’t trust clean. It meant that something was being hidden.Men like him in the high ranked business men were not always clean. I just needed to find what they were hiding so everyone could see.I needed proof. Well, Mr. Rossi, I am going to dig up your closet dirt. Get ready, because your sweet days are going to be over.I chuckled and went immediately to my personal office that evening. It was a small, nondescript building just on the edge of Rome where I did more of my sensitive work. The hum of servers greeted me inside and my computers booted. I poured myself a drink and readied for a long night.I went with the obvious one which was Dominic. His name was associated with dozens of legitimate businesses, involving real estate and high-end tech

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-29
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 40

    Dominic’s POVThe vibration of my phone against the polished oak desk broke me out of my thoughts. I had been looking at financial reports before, but when Matteo’s name came across the screen, I recognized this was more important than the numbers.I answered, calmly. “Talk.”“You’re not going to like this,” Matteo’s voice crackled over the phone, his tone layered with the sort of weight that told me whatever he was about to say would be more than just bad news. “Diego Maze has been doing a bit of digging around. “Not only into you but also Alessia.”“What?” I railed and ground my teeth. The mere name was enough to make my hands tighten around the phone.Diego Maze!The self-satisfied journalist known for digging things up that should be best left to remain buried in the ground. I had not foreseen how far his curiosity would lead him.“What exactly has he found?” I spoke in low tones, but something dark curled inside under the calm.“He’s been tracking her history, Dominic. He’d flown

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 41

    Dominic’s POVThe moment I stepped out of the elevator, the office was in chaos. Phones rang nonstop, workers spoke in urgent whispers and every screen around them blared with financial updates and breaking news. The air was thick with tension, but everyone was afraid to make eye contact with me.“Mr. Rossi,” Matteo ran at me, color drained out of his face. "We have a serious problem."“Of course,” I said, pushing past him into my office. “What is this time Matteo?”The floor vibrated with discomfort, eyes buzzing toward me before reading my irritation. I opened the door and stepped in, my executive team already seated.Franco, my C.F.O., brushed a hand through his graying hair. "It's bad, Mr. Dominic. Really bad."I settled into the head of the table and looked at him the way a hawk does. "Explain."Matteo pushed a tablet over the table. "This."I glanced at the screen, and read the article’s headline. The Double Life of Dominic Romano: Mafia Boss or Corporate Mogul? The headline sea

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-01
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 42

    Flynn’s POVI had done plenty of questionable things in my life, but the thought of doing anything that would betray Dominic felt like I was striking a match at the end of a gas line. Dangerous. It was so foolish and so suicidal that I wondered if love was worth this level of stupidity.But here I sat, perched on the edge of a barstool in the house’s security room, phone pressed to my ear as Sophia’s cold, calculating voice played out on the other end.“You know what to do.” Her tone was snappy, and bracing. “You have one job, Flynn. Don’t screw it up. Be sure she sees the news and I hear she’s got an update about herself! Make sure she sees that one! Got it!”I rubbed my mouth with the back of my hand, the taste of half chewed sandwich in my mouth. My stomach tightened, not because I was hungry, but because of the heft of the order I had just received.“Yeah,” I muttered. “Got it.”The line went dead. I let out a slow breath, rolling my shoulders to shrug off the discomfort crawling

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-02
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 43

    Diego’s POVThe light from my laptop screen bathed my cluttered desk in a ghostly glow. I leaned forward, eyes skimming over the records I’d assembled over the past few days. Every bit of information I found led to something deeper, something darker than I’d thought. I thought I was on the verge of revealing Dominic for the criminal genius he was. But when I dug deeper, something else bubbled to the top.The name DeLuca.I froze. Pedro DeLuca was no petty mafia boss. He was a living legend in Rome, a man whose very name struck fear into the hearts of even the most hardened of criminals.His kingdom spanned countries, governing trade routes, illegal arms trafficking and a mesh so tangled that law enforcement was afraid to step in. And if Dominic was connected to him, this was no longer just about corruption. This was about survival.I scanned a document that included offshore accounts, money transfers and cryptic messages. Some of them traced back to Dominic, while others bore the unmi

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-06
  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 44

    Diego’s POVThe pain consumed me as I opened my eyes slowly.My head dropped down, the taste of blood like copper in my mouth. My eyelids were heavy, but the scratchy hands pulling me through the dust kept me awake. My body was a dead weight, impotent against their grip. With each step, stabbed with sharp spasms of pain, my ribs bruised, maybe cracked. My shirt was wet with blood, my own sweat mingling with the grime below.I could hardly see when they dumped me on the bare concrete floor. With an agonizing thud, my body landed on the ground, the impact against the concrete sending shock waves of pain through my back. A boot came crashing into my ribs, wrenching a strangled groan from my throat.“Get him up,” said a gruff voice.Gripping arms pulled me up, hoisting me into a chair. They bound me, the rough ropes cutting into my wrists, pinning me like a beast before slaughter. Phantoms circled around me, figures gliding with muted malice. I could hardly raise my head, but I felt their

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-07

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  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 73

    Alessia’s POVI breathed in the cool air, wishing every day could be as peaceful as this. The second we stepped into the mansion, I knew peace was a lie.After the SUV drove for what felt like ages, the huge gate appeared. After the gates, it took two minutes before the mansion appeared.I wasn't sure this was the main house, but it looked magnificent and much larger and wider than the last one.We got out of the car, and then I walked into the house. The second she saw me, Ella ran towards me and crushed me in a tight hug.“Thank goodness, you're alright. I was so scared I wouldn't see you again.”I smiled for her. The twins clung to my legs. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be here.A few hours later, while in my room. I heard the sound of cars coming into the compound. I closed the book I was reading and walked down to the living room.The first person I saw was Dominic. He stood across the room, and his eyes met mine as he looked up. He turned away just half a second later.I didn't u

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 72

    Dominic's POV:“What did you just say?” I asked, surprised.My hands froze, and I didn't feel the blood move in them anymore.“You heard me. If you kill me. Someone's gonna tell her the truth,” she said.“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked calmly, despite the anger and confusion I felt inside.Her lips curled up into a smile. “Bingo. I got you. You didn't think I would just let you win, did you?”“I know you, Dominic. It's not easy to tell you would try to get out of this…” she said, looking around. “Marriage.”“What is she talking about?” Diego asked, crossing his arms.Sophia looked me in the eyes and smiled. “Should I tell them, or are you going to do it?” She asked calmly.“For the love of God, just push the trigger already,” Max said.“He can't,” Sophia said. “Or he’s going to lose her. He knows.”The ugly smirk that appeared on her face made my skin crawl.“She's bluffing,” Matteo said.“Am I?” Sophia said, turning to look at Matteo. “You should know I don't ever do t

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 71

    Dominic's POVThe chapel was silent. You could hear the heartbeat of everyone present as the cold metal rested on my fingers.Sophia's eyes locked onto mine, her neck throbbed and she swallowed. Her voice shook as she spoke, but she tried to stay strong. “Y….you wouldn't shoot me.”I smirked, cocking the gun and stepping closer, closing the space between us. “Really? Would you like to test that theory?”Her throat danced as she gulped, and fear crossed appeared on her face. She had every reason to be scared.“D…don't do it, Dominic,” she begged, her words slipping out faster than I expected. “I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just…I did it because I loved you. I was….I was jealous.”“Bravo, honey. That's the biggest excuse I have heard from you today,” I thought.A bitter laugh escaped my lips. She dared to even try. She held my kids up and locked the woman I loved.“Jealous? Do you really think that excuses this?” I asked angrily.“Dominic, don't!” Don Pedro shouted. My eyes moved a

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 70

    Dominic’s POVThe hush inside the chapel cut through me like ice. Brass chandeliers hovered overhead, but I ignored the light. I stayed fixed on Sophia’s face, watching her play queen.“Dearly beloved,” the priest began, voice echoing, “we are gathered here to witness—”Every other thing the priest says was rubbish to my ears.Her lips curved into a predator’s smile as she leaned close. “Say ‘I do’ or your family dies,” she whispered, breathing warm against my ear.She still thought she could tell me what to do.I held perfectly still. I enjoyed the confusion and shock on her face.The priest cleared his throat. “Do you Mr. Dominic Rossi, take this woman, Miss. Sophia De Luca to be your legally wedded wife?”Sophia’s eyes flicked toward the guests. She gripped my hand so tight my bones ached. “Now,” she mouthed. Her tone stayed sweet for everyone else.I raised my head. The room tilted under the weight of every gaze, but my lips did not move.A soft murmur rose among the crowd. Don Pe

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 69

    Matteo’s POV“Down,” I hissed, yanking Diego behind a crumbling concrete post as the two guards at the gate made a slow patrol turn. Max’s voice clicked through the comms.“Visuals confirm. Two down, four more outside. East perimeter clear.”I tapped twice against my throat mic. “Team Alpha, hold the exit. Team Bravo, you're with me.”We moved low and fast, our feet barely brushing the mossy ground. The bunker loomed in the distance like a buried beast, hidden beneath layers of overgrowth and silence.We reached the entrance Flynn marked on the map. It was an old drainage tunnel half-covered in vines and thick mud.“This feels like a terrible idea,” Max started to complain. “I should have sprayed more perfume. Looks like I’ll get a stronger one.”“Flynn better not be lying,” Diego muttered.“He’s not,” I replied, crouching to lift the grate. “His bones are too fragile for the punishment I'd deliver if he did.”“You people never seem to make me forget my wrong life decisions,” Max comp

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 68

    Matteo’s POVThree hours ago…“We breach in twenty-four minutes. No delays,” I said, in a calm, steady low voice that sliced through the dim hum of the underground ops room. Everyone was dressed in black suits and was packing up some battle gear.I stood over the table where the maps, marked-up floor plans, thermal images, and a cluster of weapons lay sprawled like a puzzle waiting to be solved. My finger traced the red mark on the east side of the bunker’s outer wall. That would be our entry.Max was hunched next to me, his fingers flying across a tablet as he synced feeds from the drone. Rico checked ammo clips, slamming each one into the side pocket of his vest with mechanical precision. Dino ran a silent countdown under his breath as he timed the window between patrol rotations. Diego sat near the end of the table, soldering the final wire on a miniature drone, calibrating it to fly low and undetected.But the real piece of work sat in the corner. Flynn. He was bruised, looked pal

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 67

    Sophia’s POVToday was the day I got married. It felt perfect. The Rossi estate would bow to me.I stepped onto the marble landing, and every servant halted.I made sure everything had been arranged the night before.I stood in front of the large mirror admiring the silver wedding gown I wore and moved even when the maids were holding some parts with pins.She pulled the corset tighter. The door opened and another maid walked in. I could hear the orchestra rehearsing their notes downstairs.I was done in a couple of minutes and descended down the staircase with the maids lifting the hem of my dress.I stopped halfway and turned back to them with a glare. “Make sure the aisle is spotless. I will not have a single petal out of place.”I turned to continue walking down the stairs when I saw a decorator rushing in the hall and knocked over a glass vase in his panic. He apologized to the maid on the floor.“Are you blind or just desperate to be fired?” I snapped.He quickly apologized, sta

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 66

    Matteo’s POVThe rain had not stopped for hours.“We found him,” Ella said, breathless, as she burst into the surveillance van.Her voice cut through the silence like a blade. I turned from the monitors, where a flickering street camera had just caught Flynn slipping into a dark alley three miles from Dominic’s estate.“That's odd,” I murmured and pressed the earpiece. “What would he want back here?”“Maybe some evidence, paperwork or something,” Ella responded.She might be right, and I accepted her explanation without hesitation. “Let’s go, everyone. Now.”Max was already at the door, checking his Glock with total focus. Diego slammed the laptop shut and shoved it into his bag. Ella moved beside me without waiting for orders. Flynn had resurfaced, and he was headed straight into our den.I drew out my gun but lowered it and kept my eyes forward.We circled the side of the house until we reached a third-floor window. It was Dominic’s private study. No light seeped through the curtain

  • The Deadly Obsession   Chapter 65

    Dominic's POVThe second Domino's voice came, I relaxed. I had expected him to be here but not this soon.He stepped forward, but still a bit farther from me and ordered. “Drop the gun, Dominic. Now.”His voice was calm. I didn't move. I kept my gun aimed at Sophia.Her lips twisted into a sickening grin, like she had won. She proved that she was mad like I thought.My eyes were locked on Domino, studying him, but I still made sure Sophia knew she couldn't move. I had my eyes on both of them.I heard footsteps hurrying up the stairs, and then five more men walked into the room, each armed, and aiming a gun straight at me.I didn't move an inch. They didn't scare me.I could hear Sophia breathing heavily below me. She was still naked and didn't make an attempt to cover up.“Cover up,” I said, trying to protect whatever dignity she has left.“Why? Don't you…” she argued, but I wasn't having it.“I get you want the entire planet to see you naked, but it makes me want to puke,” I said, st

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