LOGINI lifted my gaze, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “Focused on what? Surviving you? You beat me for trying to breathe,you torture my friend for trying to help me,you lock me in this house like an animal,is this how you treat your future wife? Like a prisoner who exists only to obey?”Rossi’s eyes narrowed,he crossed the room in three slow strides, stopping so close I could feel the heat of his body,his presence was overwhelming tall, broad, radiating that ruthless control that never seemed to crack.“You still don’t understand,” he said, voice dangerously quiet. “I don’t treat you like a prisoner, I treat you like something precious that foolish people keep trying to take from me,your little escape attempt nearly got you killed,Lorenzo’s interference made you a target,every restriction, every punishment, is to keep you alive long enough to stand beside me at that altar.”I shook my head, frustration and pain sharpening my tongue. “Alive? This isn’t living. This is owne
**Rossi**The study door clicked shut behind Marco Romano and his useless shadow Vito, leaving the faint scent of his cheap cologne lingering in the air like a reminder of how fragile this alliance truly was.I stood at the window, watching their car disappear down the long driveway under heavy escort. Marco had looked tired. Weak. Exactly the kind of man who would sell his only daughter to save his crumbling empire. He hadn’t pushed hard about Lorenzo. Smart. He knew better than to demand answers when the answers would come wrapped in body bags.Kiara had performed adequately,she had kept her mouth shut about the belt, about the basement, about the broken fingers and shattered knees,she had fed her father the lie I wanted, even as hatred burned in her eyes every time she looked at me.Good girl.I poured myself a glass of whiskey and took a slow sip, the burn steadying the cold rage that still simmered beneath my skin. The obsession was growing sharper, darker. Every time she defied
**Kiara**The next morning arrived too quickly.I moved like an old woman getting out of bed, every shift of fabric against my skin sending fresh fire across the welts on my backside,I could still hear the sharp crack of the belt in my memory, could still feel the cold precision in Rossi’s voice as he made me count,no mercy,no hesitation.I chose a loose, dark grey dress that fell loosely over my hips and avoided sitting as much as possible,when the maid brought breakfast, I ate standing by the window, staring out at the guarded gardens,Lorenzo was still somewhere below me, broken and in agony because I had been foolish enough to believe escape was possible.Rossi entered without knocking, already dressed in a tailored black suit that made him look every inch the ruthless Don,his expression was closed off, cold, the same mask he’d worn since dragging me back from the alley.“Your father is here,” he said flatly. “He wants to speak with bo
The thought made me nauseous.Late in the afternoon, the door opened, Rossi entered, still in his suit, but with fresh tension in his shoulders,he closed the door and leaned against it, watching me.“You’ve been quiet,” he observed.I pushed myself up slowly, wincing. “What do you expect me to say? Thank you for not killing my friend? Thank you for hurting me instead?”He crossed the room and stopped in front of me. “I expect obedience. The wedding is in twelve days. After that, things will be different. But until then, you stay in line.”I looked up at him, defiance still burning despite the pain. “And Lorenzo? Is he still alive, or did you change your mind once I was out of sight?”Rossi’s jaw tightened. “He’s alive,for now,,he’ll never hold a gun again,never run after you again,that is the mercy you begged for.”Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. I wouldn’t cry in front of him again. “You’re a monster.”“Perhaps.” He reached down and tilted my chin up. “But I’m the monst
**Kiara**Morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, but it brought no comfort.Every shift of my body sent sharp reminders across my skin,the welts on my ass burned with a deep, throbbing heat that made even lying on my side painful,twenty-five strikes from Rossi’s belt,I had counted every single one through gritted teeth and tears, refusing to beg him to stop,not after what he was doing to Lorenzo downstairs.I lay there staring at the wall, naked under the silk sheet, hating the way my body still carried the evidence of his punishment. The marks weren’t just on my skin,they were a brand. A warning. Proof that defying the Don had immediate, merciless consequences.The door opened without a knock.Rossi entered, already dressed in a crisp black suit, looking every inch the untouchable crime lord,his ice-blue eyes swept over me, lingering on the way I winced when I tried to sit up.“Painful?” he asked, voice calm and detached, as if he hadn’t been the one to put those marks th
The men dragged him toward the SUV. He fought wildly, shouting my name. “Kiara! Don’t let him do this! Kiara!”I lunged after them, tears burning my eyes. “Rossi, no! That’s too much,he was only trying to help! Please, just let him go. I’ll do anything. Just don’t torture him.”Rossi caught me around the waist, pulling me back against his chest with iron strength. His voice dropped to a dark whisper against my ear. “You already did ‘anything’ by sneaking out to meet him. Now you watch the consequences. This is your lesson, Kiara. Every time you test me, someone bleeds. Next time it might be your father. Or your uncle. Or you.”He turned me to face him fully, his grip bruising on my arms. “Get in the car. We’re going home. And you will stay in my sight until the wedding,no more notes,no more escapes,no more illusions of freedom.”I was shoved into the back of the lead SUV, Rossi sliding in beside me,as we drove back through the gates, I could hear Lorenzo’s muffled shouts fading behin







