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Chapter 23: When Masks Begin to Crack
Last Updated:
2025-04-17 07:02:18
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The Lie that Binds Chapter 24: Awaited Midnight Intrusion
Serena.The moment Serena ended the call, a wild rush of adrenaline surged through her veins. Her breath caught. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she shot up from the bed, pacing her bedroom like a caged animal.What had she just done?If her conscience was a person, she imagined her glaring at her with disgust, like she was so stupid.She felt stupid.“God,” she whispered under her breath, dragging her hands through her damp hair. “What am I doing?”Her thoughts were spinning faster than she could contain. Her mind screamed at her that this was a mistake—a reckless, emotional blunder. But her heart? It thudded with anticipation.Meanwhile, across the city, Stefano rushed through his closet, grabbing his timberland boots and spraying his cologne. He was dressed in a Calvin Klein V-neck shirt, and plain, baggy dark blue Denim jeans and a black leather jacket on top. In a matter of minutes, he was ready. He walked into the corridor of his smoke-drenched manor. The air smelled faintly
Last Updated : 2025-04-18The Lie that Binds Chapter 25: Kisses and Fireworks
“So…” Serena continued, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed beneath her chest, “…are you gonna come in, or are you gonna stand there staring at me all night?”Stefano's lips twitched into a rare, genuine smile. And then, he laughed. A soft, deep rumble that seemed to vibrate in the air between them.It was a laugh that did something to her—something dangerous. Her skin prickled. Her breath caught. God, what was that?She moved aside, and he walked in, bringing with him a lingering scent of leather, musk, and smoke. The door clicked shut behind him, and just like that, the world outside ceased to exist.“Would you like something to drink?” she asked, voice calm, masking the tremor she felt deep inside.He didn’t answer immediately. He was busy looking around—taking in the stark yet sensual contrast of her living room. It was minimal, but every piece was chosen with sharp taste. The sage green accents, the clean blacks and whites, the cool marble countertops. It surprised him. Just like he
Last Updated : 2025-04-18The Lie that Binds Chapter 26: The Art of Slow Ruin
The kiss started slow.Soft. Searching.But then it deepened, like the slow build of a storm breaking across still waters. Tongues tangled. Breath hitched. The heat between their bodies surged until it felt like the air around them would combust.Serena's hand cradled his cheek, her thumb tracing the edge of his jaw as she kissed him harder. Her fingers slid into his thick black hair, tugging just enough to make him growl softly against her lips. She tiptoed instinctively, pressing her entire body against his. Her breasts molded to his chest, the sheer satin of her nightdress leaving little to the imagination. His body was solid heat, and her knees weakened as his arms held her, anchoring her, melting her.“Hmm.” A moan escaped between them—hers first, then his, like a dark harmony. And then she felt it—his arousal, hard and insistent against her thigh. Her breath caught.Stefano kissed her with devotion and danger—like a man starved, like a man who had wanted this too long and finall
Last Updated : 2025-04-18The Lie that Binds Chapter 27: The Language of Bodies
Infact, he was yet to start.She barely had time to brace herself before she felt him press against her, his tip teasing the entrance of her soaked warmth. Her breath caught again, her entire nerves tensing with anticipation. Then—he pushed in.Slowly… then fully.Her gasp was instant, sharp and breathless. He filled her completely, as though he had been carved precisely to fit within her. Her hands gripped his arms, her nails digging slightly into his skin. The stretch was deep, the pleasure laced with pain—but it was the kind of pain that made her feel alive.He stilled, just for a moment. Letting her adjust. Letting them both feel the gravity of what was happening.Then—he began to move.Slow at first. Deep and Deliberate.Each stroke was a revelation, a rhythm that made her tremble. Her legs wrapped instictively around his waist, urging him closer, urging him deeper. Their bodies moved in perfect synchrony, as though this was something they’d done a thousand times in another life.
Last Updated : 2025-04-20The Lie that Binds Chapter 28: The Morning After
The next morning.Serena woke up first, the golden slivers of Milanese sunlight peeking through the cracks in the blinds. For a moment, she didn’t recognize where she was. The bed was too soft, the room too quiet, the warmth beside her too steady.Then she turned, and her heart skipped.There he was. Stefano De Ricco. The man she was sent to destroy. The man who had stolen her breath, her body, and now—perhaps dangerously—pieces of her soul. His arm was draped loosely over the sheets, his face softened in sleep. His dark lashes cast faint shadows on his cheekbones. He looked younger like this. Less ruthless. Less haunted. Less mafia kingpin and more man.They were still naked.Her eyes trailed down the sharp lines of his torso, the rise and fall of his chest, until her gaze landed between his legs. Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away. Morning wood. Of course.Serena bit her lip.She was supposed to feel guilt. Regret. Shame. But none of those things showed up. Instead, there
Last Updated : 2025-04-20The Lie that Binds Chapter 29: The Other Side of Obsession
Marco.Back at the manor, the quiet halls of the De Ricco estate carried an almost eerie stillness. The morning sunlight filtered in through the stained-glass windows, casting colored patterns on the marble floor. But Marco Sanchez wasn’t looking at any of that.He stood by the expansive bay window of the east corridor, unmoving. His arms crossed tightly across his chest as if bracing himself against a storm only he could feel. His jaw ticked, his heart beat hard in his chest—not from adrenaline or fear, but something far more dangerous.Jealousy.Longing.Turmoil.The woman his boss was falling for—the woman who had so easily infiltrated Stefano’s dark, guarded heart—was the same woman who had stolen his breath the moment he saw her.Marco closed his eyes and tried to breathe, but his memories dragged him under.It had been weeks ago. A mundane day, or so he thought. He and a few of the crew had been at the Milan train station, waiting for a delivery that never came. The usual tensio
Last Updated : 2025-04-20The Lie that Binds Chapter 30: The Layers Beneath
Stefano and Serena.The morning sun had climbed higher by the time Serena and Stefano left the quaint breakfast café tucked in a quiet corner of Milan. The clink of cutlery, the scent of buttery croissants, and the way his hand brushed hers across the table lingered in her mind like a melody she didn’t want to end.Afterward, they wandered into a small, contemporary art gallery nestled between two centuries-old buildings. The space was quiet, awash in natural light that spilled through skylights and danced across canvases and sculptures alike. The air was tinged with the subtle sharpness of paint, aged wood, and varnish.Serena moved slowly, eyes flickering from piece to piece. Abstract swirls of color, brushstrokes that looked like chaos until you stood back and saw the pain, the love, the story buried in them. She didn’t say much, just absorbed.Stefano walked beside her, silent for a while. Watching her, not the art.“You look like you belong here,” he murmured finally, hands burie
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Still at the De Ricco Night Club.The club throbbed with life—bass pulsing like a heartbeat through the floors, lights slicing through foggy air in neon streaks. Serena and Stefano had claimed a corner of the dance floor like it belonged to them. Music pumped around them, bodies moved in hypnotic rhythm, and yet all he saw was her.She laughed—god, that laugh. And it was reckless and full and entirely free. Her head thrown back, eyes sparkling under the strobe lights, hips rolling against him with a confidence that made his blood burn. Stefano couldn’t stop his hands from wandering—her waist, the small of her back, the edge of her thigh where her short dress ended and his temptation began.They ordered shots—two, then four, then she lost count. The tequila burned, but so did the way he looked at her as she licked the salt from her wrist. He dared her to outdrink him, and she tried. But she was already drunk on something else. Him. The night. This impossible feeling growing bigger by t
Last Updated : 2025-04-21
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The Lie that Binds Chapter 48: The Frenemies
MarcoSitting alone in the car garage, Marco leaned back against the hood of the black Maserati and stared at the cracked white ceiling for a while, his mind running circles around itself.What the hell was Stefano thinking?Entrusting delicate, multi-million-dollar business to a woman he'd only just brought into the fold? A woman who was gorgeous enough to scramble any man’s brain at twenty paces—and who, Marco knew, wasn’t just the shy, sweet little thing she pretended to be.No. Serena was something else entirely.Smart. Sharp. Dangerous, if she wanted to be. He could sense it.And Stefano—the damn fool—had paired them together.Trouble. It spelled trouble for him. Big, flashing neon kind.Marco scrubbed a hand down his face, letting out a long sigh. He already knew the fight ahead wasn’t just about recovering the stolen RH-57s. No, his real battle was going to be keeping his eyes—and his damn hands—off her.Focus. Just focus.Maybe...maybe he could make her forgive him. Maybe they
The Lie that Binds Chapter 47: The Empty House with Heavy Secrets
Still in the diner room.The clink of cutlery and the low hum of morning faded quickly once Stefano left. He kissed Serena goodbye like she was porcelain, with whispered promises he’d be back the next day—just needed to “smooth out some tension” with an associate in Palermo.Translation: Someone would either end up dead, paid off, or buried beneath wine barrels.Marco watched the entire thing from behind his coffee, silent. When Stefano left, the entire manor felt like it exhaled with him.Susan had taken the car to the market. The guards, as always, weren’t allowed to linger in the estate when Stefano wasn’t home. That left her and Marco. Alone. In a house too damn big, too damn quiet, and too full of unspoken history.Serena stood up from the dining table first, scooping up their empty plates and heading toward the kitchen. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she clenched them tight until the trembling stopped.Behind her, she heard Marco push back his chair slowly. The long scrape o
The Lie that Binds Chapter 46: A Dangerous Alliance
The lovebirds went back to the countryside—Stefano’s hidden territory. Neverland looked the same. Quiet, dreamy and deceptively innocent.But Serena was a mess inside.As Stefano’s car curved around the final bend to his secret decadent abode, she stared out at the endless, rolling green hills. They looked so serene it made her want to scream. Like the universe itself was mocking her—beautiful, peaceful, while inside her chest, a hurricane was tearing her apart.She pressed her forehead to the glass, watching droplets of last night’s rain race across it.God. What was she doing?It wasn't just the intense sexual attraction anymore. Honestly, it never had been, but thats if she'll admit itFalling madly in love with Stefano De Ricco had not been part of the mission objectives. It hadn’t even been in the fine print. And yet here she was: heart dangling like a bloody carcass, right over the mouth of a wolf."Talk to me," Stefano broke the silence, his voice low, pulling her from her spir
The Lie that Binds Chapter 45: The De Ricco Club
The third one was next.They were leaving the countryside now. The city shimmered in the late evening light, buildings painted gold by the setting sun. Stefano’s car cut through the streets like a sleek panther, and Serena’s heart beat with an odd blend of anticipation and adrenaline. The farther they got from the countryside, the more she sensed a shift in his energy. He was less guarded now, more primal.It seemed like he tended to enjoy the silence more during the drive. Because he still didn’t speak much, but his hand rested on her thigh, thumb brushing slow circles over the fabric of her dress. Possessive. Teasing. As though silently reminding her who she belonged to.After what seemed like forever, they pulled up in front of a building with mirrored glass windows and black marble walls. “De Ricco Noir,” the silver sign above read. The entrance was velvet-roped and guarded, but as soon as Stefano stepped out, doors opened and heads bowed.This club was nothing like the one they’d
The Lie that Binds Chapter 44: The De Ricco Armoury
Off to another one.The car sped down a gravel path carved into the mountain's edge, flanked by olive trees and thick wild grass, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze as the wheels kicked up small rocks and dust. The scenery was peaceful—deceivingly so. Serena sat in the passenger seat as usual, trying to still her hands in her lap. The flower Stefano had bought her earlier still lay on the dashboard, its petals soft and delicate against the cold reality of where they were headed next.Stefano had said little since they left the winery. But the look in his eyes—the way it had burned when he showed her that hidden world below the vineyard—had stayed with her. A part of her wondered if she had seen too much. But another part… wanted more.About ten minutes later. "We’re here," Stefano said, his voice slicing through the quiet.They pulled up to what looked like an abandoned stone chapel nestled into a clearing, its rustic facade blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
The Lie that Binds Chapter 43: The Wine That Bleeds Red
Stefano and Serena. The duo got into the car and embarked on a journey to see the source of Stefano's wealth and power—his ‘establishments.’ Legitimate and Illicit included. It was the most delicate moment of Serena’s mission. Any slip, one wrong look, or one misplaced word, would make him suspicious, crumbling everything immediately.The air between them was thick,tense yet intimate, charged with everything left unsaid. Stefano said nothing, his fingers tapping the wheel in quiet rhythm, his presence a force on its own.Serena sat composed, but inside, her heart raced each time his gaze lingered. The silence, broken only by the hum of the engine, only deepened the pull between them.This silence was no awkward accident. It was more like a warning and a promise that what was to come was dangerous. The winding road eventually opened up to a sweeping estate nestled between the gentle rise of vineyards. Row upon row of lush, deep-green vines stretched across the horizon like veins p
The Lie that Binds Chapter 44: The De Ricco Armoury
Off to another one.The car sped down a gravel path carved into the mountain's edge, flanked by olive trees and thick wild grass, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze as the wheels kicked up small rocks and dust. The scenery was peaceful—deceivingly so. Serena sat in the passenger seat as usual, trying to still her hands in her lap. The flower Stefano had bought her earlier still lay on the dashboard, its petals soft and delicate against the cold reality of where they were headed next.Stefano had said little since they left the winery. But the look in his eyes—the way it had burned when he showed her that hidden world below the vineyard—had stayed with her. A part of her wondered if she had seen too much. But another part… wanted more.About ten minutes later. "We’re here," Stefano said, his voice slicing through the quiet.They pulled up to what looked like an abandoned stone chapel nestled into a clearing, its rustic facade blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
The Lie that Binds Chapter 42: The Neverland Tour
Serena. She had to act like everything was fine—perfect even. Her smile was light, her posture poised, and her voice delicately threaded with warmth. But beneath the charm, Serena’s pulse fluttered like a bird trapped in a gilded cage.Stefano’s eyes were sharp, watching her every expression.“But why do you look so worried?” she asked, her voice laced with gentle curiosity as she crossed the room toward him.“I had some intense business matters, that's all.” He brushed it off with practiced ease, a ghost of tension still shadowing his words. It was a lie—she could see it in the flicker behind his dark gaze. But he was also… afraid. Not of her. Of something else. Something that might have happened to her. The idea lingered between them unspoken.But just when she thought she had escaped his scrutinizing gaze, she heard him ask. “Your lips… what happened?” Fuck! That bastard, Marco, had bit me. She shrugged it off, “I dunno… probably brushed too hard or bit too hard, I don't remembe
The Lie that Binds Chapter 41: The Consigliere
Marco.Through the hidden door he had installed during the latest round of upgrades to the house, Marco slipped out of her room like a shadow fleeing daylight. His breath caught in his throat, each exhale shaky, his pulse thudding like a war drum in his ears. The hallway was quiet—too quiet—but he didn’t dare slow down. Guilt clawed at his chest with every step as he moved swiftly toward the east wing of the manor, to his private suite tucked far from hers.When he finally pushed open the glass doors to his veranda, the cool night air slapped against his face, awakening his senses with a jolt. He leaned over the railing, gripping it until his knuckles turned white once again, his chest rising and falling in short, sharp bursts.What the hell are you doing, Marco?His reflection in the glass door behind him stared back at him like a silent accusation. This wasn’t just a lapse in judgment—it was betrayal. Not just in thought, but in action… He had touched her, kissed her with a roughn
