Sophia's POVI felt him before I saw him. I raised my head to see him in the mirror. The hair on my skin tingled and danced as I felt my pulse ticked faster.“Hi, baby,” I greeted, secretly praying he didn't pull the trigger.“Baby?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.“I…” I started.“Shut it,” he cut me off before I could produce the best lie I had just created.“Where are they?” He asked.“Where is who?” I asked, faking ignorance.“Answer me one more time with a stupid question, and I'll make this quicker,” he replied.I knew he wasn't bluffing. He cocked the gun and moved his finger to the trigger.“Wait…for real. I don't understand what you're saying. I said, “Just relax and talk to me, please.” I could win the Best Actress award at the Oscars with my act. There was no way in hell I would lose this easily and let him find them. Not when I knew I still had leverage against him.Wasn't he supposed to be in Carlos's care? The idiot could never do anything, right? So much for teamwork. W
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Alessia's POVThe taxi parked a few streets over to the location. I walked to the last block with my head down, moving like an outcast.I got the shock of my life when I stopped at the entrance of Via delle Vigne. It looked empty and abandoned. The gates were rusted and everything screamed “you could get killed anytime and no one would notice.”I started to reconsider. “Maybe, coming here was a bad idea. I should head back,” I murmured.But I didn't. I kept walking like I had a dead wish.I stepped into the courtyard, scanning every corner. It was also empty and quiet.I gave up. “This was a stupid joke,” I mumbled but then light footsteps echoed behind me.I stood still, scared and prepared myself to run as fast as I could if things went south.I whirled around, my fists up ready to punch with my heart slamming.And then the figure stepped into the light. I punched hard.The figure fell and cried. “Holy hell. You almost broke my nose.”“Sophia?” I spoke, surprised. What was she doin
Alessia's POVHe waited no longer and kissed me passionately. His hands held tightly onto my waist, pulling me closer still.I gasped softly as his hands grasped my behind and slipped under my dress.My hands repaid in kind by sliding into his soft hair.How I loved how he kissed me—he wasn’t half-starved and I wasn't the only thing keeping him alive. His fingers trailed down my spine agonisingly slow, under the silk, revealing me inch by inch as if he wanted to memorise the skin.I grabbed his shirt, yanked it off quickly, pushed him back until his knees hit the bed behind him.He sat there breathless, but hesitated.Was he holding part of himself back?“I don’t want to take advantage when you’re like this,” he muttered from his thighs, his hands flexing.“You’re not.” I sat on his lap, I centered myself over his leg, I ground against his cock, and I touched every sexy part of his body that I knew would drive him insane. “You’re just what I need right now. Enough of the gabbing, take
Alessia's POVI didn’t remember sending the message.I just remembered the feeling—the way my fingers shook over the keyboard, the way rage clawed up my throat like a living thing trying to escape.“Okay. But let’s make it in my free time. I’ll meet you there in three days.”My thumb hesitated, breathing fast, my heart pounding so loud it filled my ears.I pressed the send button.The reply came seconds later.“Fine. But come alone.”A sick laugh bubbled up in my chest. Of course.I closed the laptop abruptly and rammed it on the bedside table. I was quaking with rage, my fists balled such that my nails gouged the palms of my hands. The need to scream, to destroy something, rode me hard. But I didn’t. I couldn’t afford to slip.Not yet. I wondered if I should tell Dominic.“No, he doesn't need to know yet,” I reasoned. “But what if he could help me find out who it was?”I wiped my face, forcing myself to stand, to move, to act normal.“What if it's a trap? Wouldn't that be working int
Alessia’s POVI don’t know how long we stayed like that, but I didn't want to break it up.My lips fought for entrance and I became desperate. His touch aroused me. I wanted him badly.The IV line tugged at my skin and pulled me back from my desire. “Ouch,” I groaned and looked down at my arm.“Easy,” he said.I didn't want it easy and I kissed him back. This time I was more hungry than the first.Dominic drew back slightly, just enough to catch my face in his glance. His thumb swept over my jaw so gently I thought he was committing the shape of me to memory.“Are you okay?” his low deep voice spoke.“No, I am not okay. I want you. Goddamn it. Can't you tell. Do I have to say everything,” I hurled in my mind. Yet, I kept shut and nodded lightly.What in the world was wrong with me? I resented how much I was inclined to lean in once more. He had wormed his warm fingers into me, and I loved it.“Yes,” I answered, a little softer than I had meant.He remained in that spot.Instead, he st
Alessia's POV:My eyelids slowly opened to the blinding light.I scanned the room tiredly and a soft groan escaped my lips. That's when I felt a warm hand on my forehead.I traced the warmth and saw Dominic right beside me. I hadn't noticed him before.“Wh…” I started, but he butted in.“Don't move,” he said in a low gentle voice.“What happened?” I asked, barely hearing myself.“You fell halfway down the stairs, but I caught you,” he answered.“Oh,” I groaned and tried to sit up, but a sharp tug at my lower arm made me hiss. I looked down and saw the IV line shaking into my vein.“Ugh, I hate drugs,” I muttered and moved my hand to yank at the tape holding it down.Dominic caught my hand before I could rip it out and chuckled gently. Was he laughing at me?“What's funny?” I asked.“You look so cute, but you can't. It's the doctor's orders. You were stressed.”The last word left his lips with a worried look on his face.“You think?” I asked, making it all worse, then changed my tone.
Sophia's POVThe last words ran in my ear like thunder. The door closed and I let out the breath I was holding.That's when I felt it. “Ow,” I groaned and raised my dress up to my thighs. There was a bruise forming on my lap and a small cut on my ankle.It must have happened when I fell.“Great, that's going to leave a scar,” I blabbered. “Just my lucky day.”I needed to get it clean, or it would be infected. It took forever because my father had made all the maids stop working for me until further notice. They didn't disrespect me, though.They couldn't. I would rip their tongues out if they dared.Walking to the drawer didn't hurt until I made a wrong step. “Shit!” I hissed. That was more from anger than the pain.I got the first aid out, applied it while I bit my bottom lip and threw everything on the table in front of me.“I didn't plan for this shit,” I complained.My eyes moved to the bed, and I started walking toward it. My leg hurt a little, so I sat on the soft foam.If it wa
Sophia's POVI paced around the balcony impatiently. I had lost a lot of time to Dominic. Why couldn't he pick me? And worse I couldn't get to Flynn? Why did he have to be so useless and her caught?I gripped the balcony railing tightly and almost ruined my newly polished nails. It hurt and I took my hands off it.“Ouch,” I groaned.I hated being back in this mansion. I saw the guards stand on patrol. I had lost half my men and some money to make my plan come true but it hadn't worked out.I continued pacing in my black silhouette heels. I refused to lose just like that. It wasn't an option, and I would never let it go over my dead body.I had wanted to be a good wife to him initially until his little witch came along. And he had two small demons to make everything worse.I needed to figure out something. Knowing Dominic, he would retaliate soon because he always kept to his word. I couldn't wait.My fists tightened at my sides. I stomped my feet on the floor and almost lost my stance
Alessia's POV“You can't be serious. I have been talking to you, Alessia,” his voice thundered.“And I don't want to hear it,” I replied.“What will you have me do?” He asked.“I don't know,” I answered. “You won't tell me anything. You act like you care but you don't. You keep hiding stuff from me and endanger me and the kids. You keep making decisions that I have no say in it.”“That was before. I don't force you to do anything,” he answered.I snapped. “Oh, really. Like the last time you locked me up in that stupid office room for how many days again?”“That was because I didn't know how to handle the situation. You were going to run off and I wanted to know if the kids were mine,” he answered.“Oh, great. How lovely. Now you know. Then what? You forced me to stay in a stupid house alone. You took my phone. Limited me from seeing my kids and best friend. And your crazy ex had to visit me and threaten the heck out of my life,” I lashed out.His face contorted to confusion. “Sophia w
Alessia’s POVI blinked, staring at him like an idiot. My heart raced wildly. Why did he have such an effect on me?His grip wasn't hard but possessive.“You're not going anywhere, Alessia,” Dominic said. His voice had a silent plea to it.I jerked back to get away from him, but he wouldn't let me go.His other hand came up to cup my cheek, and I slapped it away angrily.“Don't you dare touch me like you love me when all you give me are lies!” I said angrily.“Alessia, stop,” he said, still refusing to let me go.“No!” I suited and pushed against his chest, but he wouldn't budge.What was he made of? Iron?He looked at me like I was some child, and I got even angrier.“Let me go,” I growled.He didn't. He was steady, and he pulled me in, close enough that our chest touched.“I said, let go!” I screamed again.By now, I was sure the entire house couldn't tell what was happening because no one came, or they just couldn't hear me struggle.“I can't,” he said. “ I won't.”“You won't?” I g