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Seventeen
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2025-01-21 20:35:00I have been tossing and turning most of the night because there is no way in hell I can sleep in a strange place full of mafia men knowing that my friend isn’t safe. When I think of the mission I am supposed to do, it gets even worse. I hear a knock on the door, and my heart jumps into my throat. The door swings open, and I scramble to sit up, regretting not locking myself inside the room. Alessandro and Luca step inside, both changed from the outfits they had on last night. Luca has a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. I push myself back against the headboard, my eyes darting between them.
“Morning, sunshine. Time to go,” Luca says, throwing the duffel on the bed, startling me for a moment.
“Get up,” Alessandro commands, his voice cold. I get to my feet slowly, keeping as much distance as I can. I am never a morning person, but given that I wasn’t getting any sleep either, I just want this day to be done with so that I can have my
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The Don's Forbidden Muse Eighteen
I am frozen.I blink twice just to make sure this is not just another one of my dreams. She is supposed to be missing, along with Alessandro’s other mistresses. That’s what Dell said—they all vanished, and the feds were trying to figure out what had happened to them, or rather, what Alessandro had done to them. So unless Mia has a twin, someone somewhere has been lying or hiding something because this woman here doesn’t look like someone who has been missing for over six months. She looks healthy, happy even.She is drop-dead gorgeous. The picture I saw of her didn’t do her any justice. As a photographer, I know that photos are usually the best version of someone. For her, it’s the total opposite.She has a cascade of fully curly hair, and I’m wondering why she gets to have that much hair. I would kill to have such hair without having to add clip-ons. I know it’s all hers because of the way she has styled it in an
Last Updated : 2025-01-21The Don's Forbidden Muse Nineteen
I don’t like that she is so calm about this, but she seems to know what she is doing, and I just want to get this job done and get my friend back so that we can go home. As we approach Alessandro’s compound, my sense of unease keeps growing. If Maria sees me again, she will know that I have had more than one encounter with her husband, and that is the one thing that I don’t want. The gate opens, and my heart beats even faster. Luca walks out, looking displeased. Mia slows the car when he steps in front of it, making her stop. She smiles and lowers the window as he approaches.“Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Luca demands, his eyes narrowing.Mia leans out of the window, completely unfazed by his question.“Hi to you too, Luca. I haven’t missed you at all,” she says, and I can tell from Luca’s expression that they probably do not like each other. There seems to be a negative tension b
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The Don's Forbidden Muse Twenty
My heart is beating so fast as I get into the car with Luca. He starts the car, and Alessandro and Mia are just staring at us as we drive off. I don’t know why I thought having that outburst was a good idea. I already regret not holding back my anger. I should have just kept my mouth shut and left. But no, I had to be stupid enough to think I could yell at someone who could kill me without batting an eye. I should have just thought about the fact that I haven’t gotten Bella yet, but I let my temper win. I could tell I pissed him off; he was trying so hard to act nonchalant, but I could see it. And now I am terrified of what he might do to me.What if he kills me?He said no one leaves, and I just looked him in the eye and threatened to reveal everything to the feds. He is going to kill me. Hell, he’s probably sent Luca a text to finish me off.“He is going to kill me!” I blurt out, my voice trembling. Luca turns to look at me, compl
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The Don's Forbidden Muse Twenty One
"Why did you lie to your mom that you and Wycliffe are back together?” I ask Bella on the call, and I can hear her scoff. She blatantly lied to her mom about where we spent the night when her mother asked why we stayed out for so long.“Uhm… because we needed to tell her something that didn’t involve us going to a nightclub that belongs to a mafia group and almost getting shot, not to mention that we were abducted by the mafia too,” she says, and I shake my head in disbelief.I mean, she kind of has a point, but I thought given her father is very familiar with what was going on and her mother isn’t as green, they wouldn’t be as surprised, but her lie worked, so it’s okay.“And now you’re going to have to find a way to keep up with that lie, unless you intend to get back together with him.”“Ew.” I laugh at that.They had a pretty nasty breakup, and I was even surprised w
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The Don's Forbidden Muse Twenty Two
What the hell is she doing here?She is just as gorgeous as I remember her, with her hair in bouncy curls and dressed in a red floral summer dress that matches her complexion perfectly, making her look like an angel. Her eyes land on me and she smiles. I don’t know why I sigh at that smile, but I do.I think, in a scared part of my mind, I fear she might know about her husband’s proposal to make me his mistress and all the encounters I’ve had with him. When I was lost outside her place that day, she thought I was just some lost stranger. But right now, I don’t know who she thinks I am or what her husband might have told her about me. My heart is beating so fast, and I can feel the heat rising.“Renée, it’s so nice to see you,” she says as she walks over and stretches out her hand for a handshake. I hesitantly take it, hoping she can’t tell how nervous I am by the way my hand is shaking.I clear my thr
Last Updated : 2025-01-23The Don's Forbidden Muse Twenty Three
Bella and I are seated in a quaint little coffee shop, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the soft chatter of patrons around us. This place always has the best coffee, and even though it can be a bit pricey, people tend to love it. I’m stirring my latte absentmindedly, my mind still reeling from everything that’s happened.“So, Morales said Dell was okay?” I ask Bella. She nods, taking a sip of her cappuccino.I called her when I was done with my shoot, and she told me she was already out of the station. Morales had been at Dell’s place and was certain that Dell was okay. Apparently, Dell forgetting to lock the door must have been because he left in a hurry.“Yes, he said he will have him call us the moment he is back from the mission they went on,” she says. I don’t know why she seems so calm about all this. I know she knows Dell better than I do, but it just doesn’t make sense.“B
Last Updated : 2025-01-23The Don's Forbidden Muse Twenty Four
I watch as Alessandro steps out of the car and swallow hard. He’s wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. For the first time since I’ve met him, I see tattoos peeking out from both his upper arms. As he approaches, my heart starts to race uncontrollably. He always makes my heart beat faster, mostly because he scares me, but today, it’s different. As much as I’m scared, it’s not just fear making my heart race—I find him undeniably attractive. It’s probably the rolled sleeves or the visible tattoos, but something about him today is captivating. He steps so close that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. His cologne, musky and intoxicating, fills the air around me, making my head spin.His gaze locks onto mine, and as much as I want to, I can’t look away. I should be terrified, especially given the outburst and threats I directed at him the last time I saw him. But strangely, I
Last Updated : 2025-01-23The Don's Forbidden Muse Twenty Five
I can’t tell how long we’ve been staring into each other’s eyes or how long I’ve been holding my breath, but when he moves back, I let out a long sigh of relief. His eyes move from mine to my lips and then back to my eyes, and he smirks.“You were wrong to say you weren’t afraid of me,” he whispers, his voice low yet dangerous. “You should be.” He removes his hand from my waist and grabs my wrist.“You challenged me and my power, and no one does that. No one still alive, that is.” The moment he says that, fear floods my veins, and the little confidence I had earlier vanishes.He starts dragging me toward a van parked nearby, his grip on my arm very firm.“You threatened me with the FBI and thought you could get away with it?” he shouts, and I know this is it for me. All my sins have caught up with me, and today is the day I die.I knew he was going to make me pay for that
Last Updated : 2025-01-24
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The Don's Forbidden Muse Five
I should have gotten in the car and driven away, but I didn’t. There’s a part of me that feels if I leave without getting the answers I came for from Jamie, it would feel like Alessandro has won. This isn’t about him—it’s about Luca. And if I have to sit in this car and cry my heart out while I wait for Jamie to show up, then so be it.I didn’t bother looking back to see where Alessandro went, but when I got in the car, I couldn’t see him where I had left him. I take a deep breath, trying to push away the storm of emotions he’s stirred up. My hands are still shaking as I fumble inside my bag for my handkerchief. My mind is a jumbled mess of anger, grief, and exhaustion. I don’t know why he thought saying all that to me was okay.I hear a tap on my window and sniffle as I quickly wipe my tears with the back of my hand, looking up.It’s him.I’m tempted to roll my eyes. I don’t have the energy to deal with him again.“What do you want, Alessandro?” I ask in a flat voice.He taps the win
The Don's Forbidden Muse Four
My mind is racing, spiraling out of control, and I can’t stop it. I can’t think. I can’t move.I can’t breathe.The gun is pointed straight at me, and my chest tightens painfully. I can’t see clearly; my vision is blurry, and I can feel the panic attack slowly taking over. My breathing speeds up, turning into gasps for air. It’s all too much. My legs feel weak beneath me, and I feel like they’re going to give out at any second.A gun. A goddamn gun.I’m gasping for air, each breath shallow and insufficient, until the sobs start—gut-wrenching, uncontrollable. My entire body is shaking as memories flood me, drowning me. I’m not here anymore. I’m back there, on that day, hearing the shot.The sound of it echoes in my mind, loud and clear, as if it just happened. I see Luca falling, his blood staining the ground. My heart feels like it’s being ripped apart all over again.I’m clawing at my chest now, desperate for air, desperate for something to ground me, but nothing works. Nothing. And
The Don's Forbidden Muse Three
I just stare at her as she walks toward me, too frozen to move even if I wanted to. Motherhood has done Maria good, no doubt. It’s a thought I can’t shake as she gets closer. She’s radiant, more stunning than I remember. Time has softened her, and, contrary to what anyone would expect, motherhood has only made her more beautiful. Her features are sharper but still delicate. Her skin glows, her hair falls in soft waves around her face, and even her casual outfit—a simple blouse and jeans—looks like it was made for her. I hate that I can notice even the tiniest details that make her this beautiful. How much more beauty can one person have?“Renée?” she says again, her brows furrowed in surprise, her lips curving into a half-smile. “I thought I saw someone who looked like you. What are you doing here?”I clear my throat, shrugging. “Nothing,” I reply, my voice clipped.She tilts her head, studying me. “Are you in therapy too?”I remain silent. It’s obvious. This building kind of hosts th
The Don's Forbidden Muse Two
I’m seated in an armchair across from Dr. Hensley; her office is as familiar to me as the scent of lavender she always diffuses. I’ve never been much of a fan of coming here, but when you go through a traumatizing and life-altering event like the one I did, you don’t get much of a choice. It’s been years since I last saw her, but she hasn’t changed much. Her warm smile and attentive eyes make me feel like I’ve stepped back in time.“It’s good to see you again, Renée,” she says in a calm, steady voice, just as I remember. “It’s been what, two years, two and a half years?”I nod, my hands twisting together in my lap. “Something like that.”“And what brings you back to me after all this time?”I shrug. “You’re the only therapist I have in the country,” I joke, and she smiles, nodding.“That’s good to hear. Have you been doing more sessions back at home?”I look away when she asks that. I haven’t been as committed as I was supposed to be. When the nightmares stopped, so did the sessions.
The Don's Forbidden Muse Chapter One
Two Years Later“Roses?” Luca asks in a soft, curious voice.I nod. “Yes,” I say, smiling up at him. “But not just any roses. Red roses.”He chuckles, his arm brushing mine as we walk side by side. “Red roses, huh? Not white, not pink?”I nod again. “I love roses.”“You know, I never thought you’d be a rose-loving kind of girl. Roses seem… too ordinary,” he says, and I shrug.“I’m just an ordinary girl, Luca.”He shakes his head. “Not even in the slightest,” he says. “So, red roses it is.”I laugh. “If I were ever to get married, it would have to be red roses. They’re passionate, bold… beautiful.”“Point taken.” He gives a playful, mock-serious nod, and I nudge him with my elbow.“It’s just a joke,” I tease, grinning. “The marriage part. You don’t have to take notes. I mean, marriage? Who does that anymore?”He stops, turning to face me, his expression suddenly solemn. “I do. With you.”My smile fades, replaced by something warmer, something deeper. “Luca…”“I’m serious,” he says, tak
The Don's Forbidden Muse Chasing After Her Ghost
PrologueTwo Years AgoMy phone is pressed to my ear, my hand shaking slightly as I pace around the room. My wedding dress brushes softly against the floor with every step I take, the delicate lace catching the light streaming through the tall windows.Saying I am nervous would be the understatement of the year.“I feel like I’m going to throw up,” I say in a shaky voice."Renée.” His voice is calm and warm, steadying me even through the phone. “Breathe, amore. Everything is going to be perfect,” he says, and I sigh, smiling.I stop and stare at my reflection in the floor-length mirror, taking in the nervous girl staring back at me. She is beautiful. I am beautiful. This dress is perfection, and it makes me feel beautiful, so I hate that I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach. “What if something goes wrong?” I whisper, voicing the fear that’s been eating me up all morning.It’s not like many people liked the idea of us getting married. Even getting here, we had to fight for it.
The Don's Forbidden Muse Epilogue
One year laterThe soft click of the camera is the only sound in the room as I lean in closer, adjusting the angle to capture the perfect shot. My client is seated on the velvet chaise, draped in delicate lace. Her confidence radiates through the lens, and she is beautiful. The natural light streaming through the tall windows bathes her in a warm glow, highlighting every curve and detail.“Beautiful,” I murmur in a steady voice as I guide her. “Tilt your chin slightly… yes, just like that. Perfect.”This is my world now. My studio, my work, my passion. It’s been over a year and a half since I found my footing in this country, and my boudoir photography has taken off in ways I never imagined. Had someone told me I would stay here and make it my home after all the tragedies that happened, I would have laughed in their face. But here I am. High-end clients, features in glossy magazines—it’s everything I dreamed of an
The Don's Forbidden Muse Ninety Five
I open my eyes, and the splitting headache is a clear reminder of the hangover from last night. I think I might have had a little too much to drink. My body is tangled in soft linen sheets that aren’t mine. I quickly sit up, blinking against the brightness streaming through the curtains. For a moment, everything is hazy—the room, the night, and the nagging sense of regret clawing at the edges of my mind.I push myself up slowly, the cozy carpet beneath my feet unfamiliar. Panic starts to creep in as I take in the space. A strange home. My mind is slowly piecing everything together, and then it hits me—Luca. The bar. The bathroom. His bed.“Oh my god,” I whisper, my hands flying to my face.What the hell have I done?The events of last night quickly come crashing in. What we did didn’t just stop in that bar bathroom. Somehow, we ended up here, and we didn’t stop until... I shake my head, trying to will the memories
The Don's Forbidden Muse Ninety Four
The restaurant is quiet. Too quiet. I’m seated at the center of it, watching the soft shadows cast across the empty tables around me by the flickering candlelight. The dress delivered earlier fits like a glove, hugging my curves and making me feel beautiful, but I’m slowly starting to feel less and less beautiful as time keeps passing by. Sitting here alone in this massive restaurant feels uncomfortable.I swirl the wine in my glass, the rich red liquid catching the light. I sigh and take a sip. It’s my third—or is it my fourth? I’ve lost count. I don’t normally get drunk on wine, but if I keep taking one glass after another, I’ll be tipsy by the time this date even starts. I glance at my phone for the umpteenth time, the screen lighting up with the same message he sent over forty-five minutes ago:I’ll be late, but I’m on my way. Order something, love.That word love feels hollow now. I check the time again,
