Vittoria struggled to break free, but Vincenzo’s fingers clamped around her arm like shackles. Her feet stumbled over her gown, forced to keep pace with the relentless pace he set.
In a final surge of desperation, she glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of Giuliano drawing his gun, his eyes ablaze.
Further back, her father did the same, striding through the garden with a gaze locked on them, each step a silent warning that blood could spill at any moment.
“Let me go,” Vittoria demanded, her voice low but laced with steel. She yanked her arm with force, making Vincenzo pause. “At least let me say goodbye to my famiglia.”
“You’ll see them tomorrow,” Vincenzo replied curtly, reasserting control with a tight grip on her arm, as if the matter were closed.
“Please, Vincenzo,” Vittoria pleaded, her voice breaking as she was dragged through the garden. “Let me do this, just this.” She persisted, turning instinctively, her eyes meeting those of her father and brother, now just a few steps away, advancing.
“Make it quick,” Vincenzo ordered, halting abruptly. “But listen well: if either of them so much as breathes too close to me, I’ll turn this garden into a graveyard. And I promise you, cara mia, the blood spilled won’t be mine.” He released her with a rough gesture, his eyes flashing with irritation.
Vittoria stumbled back, the weight of his threat still thrumming through her skin. Without thinking, she moved toward her father and brother.
“For the love of all that’s holy, don’t do this,” Vittoria begged, her voice trembling as she threw herself between them, her body shaking. “If you react, he’ll shoot,” she whispered, fighting to hold herself together.
“He won’t pull a damn trigger, ragazza,” Alfonso declared, wrapping his daughter in a fierce embrace while glaring at Vincenzo with a menacing stare. “That figlio di puttana is just bluffing, trying to play the big man at our expense.”
“And what does he plan to do with you?” Giuliano asked, his voice low and heavy with guilt, suffused with a choking sense of powerlessness.
“What do you think a man does with his wife, caro?” Vincenzo taunted, moving slowly toward Giuliano, a caustic smile curling the corner of his lips. “Relax, Don Alfonso. I promise to take such good care of your principessa that she’ll never forget my name.”
“If you dare touch a single hair on her head…”
“Don Alfonso, accept the inevitable. She’s my wife now,” Vincenzo interrupted, tilting his head slightly, as if doing Alfonso a favor by stating the obvious. “And as you well know, in the mafia, we take our vows seriously: till death do us part.” He paused, a cold smile curling his lips. “I assume you have no interest in receiving her back, do you? Because in that case, she’d return in a coffin.”
“Just one word, Don Alfonso,” Giuliano snapped, his eyes locked, jaw clenched, gripping his pistol tightly. “Say it, and I’ll end this now.”
“Tempting, Giuliano,” Vincenzo remarked, resting his hand on Vittoria’s back with the calm assurance of a man in complete control. “But sadly, Papà would disapprove. Not here. It’d be uncouth to stain the garden, especially in front of the guests.” His voice dropped, impassive. “Rats, as you know, prefer to skulk in the shadows.” He paused briefly, savoring his sarcasm. “Your time’s up. Andiamo.” He concluded, taking Vittoria’s hand and turning his back, closing the conversation like a door he had no intention of reopening.
“Don Alfonso?” Giuliano pressed, his voice taut, eyes fixed on Vincenzo as he walked away with his sister.
“This isn’t how you win a war, Giuliano,” Alfonso replied through gritted teeth, his gaze boring into Vincenzo’s retreating figure.
The urge to draw his gun and blow that bastard’s brains out pulsed through his veins, but he held back.
He knew wars weren’t won with rage but with cold blood and strategy.
As they crossed the gates to the street, a black car waited. The driver, spotting them, hurried to open the door.
With a courteous gesture, Vincenzo extended his hand to help Vittoria, but as expected, she refused.
Vittoria steadied herself against the doorframe and climbed into the car alone, clinging to the last scraps of her pride.
“As you wish, cara mia,” Vincenzo murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he rounded the vehicle and took his place beside her.
The car rolled forward, and Vittoria’s eyes tracked the vehicles escorting them ahead and behind, a moving fortress.
She stayed silent, her face turned toward the window, refusing any eye contact.
Now alone, far from the last shred of safety she knew, she felt the weight of the silence between them.
Vittoria didn’t know what to say or how to act. Everything around her felt alien, and he, even more unpredictable.
After long minutes on the road, the car passed through the gates of a sprawling private estate.
Armed men patrolled the grounds, stationed at every strategic point like pieces in a dark chess game.
The vehicle glided silently down a tree-lined avenue, meticulously trimmed, before stopping in front of an imposing mansion.
Before the engine fully stilled, the driver was already outside, hurrying to open her door with an almost rehearsed formality.
Vincenzo stepped out with unhurried ease and, for a moment, stood still, watching her back in silence, like a predator studying its prey.
In a sudden, firm motion, he closed the distance and swept her into his arms without warning.
A cry escaped Vittoria’s lips, startled and laced with the sting of humiliation as her sense of control was abruptly violated.
“Put me down!” she demanded, her voice thick with anger and shame, thrashing in his grip.
Her hands pushed against him, her feet kicked at the air, but Vincenzo didn’t yield for a second.
He strode toward the door with resolute steps, indifferent to her rebellion, as if carrying his unwilling wife was merely part of the ritual.
“Benvenuta, Signora Lucchese,” Vincenzo murmured, his voice slow and dripping with sarcasm, completely ignoring her protests.
The door swung open before them, and he crossed the threshold of the mansion like a man claiming what was his, unhurried, unrepentant, as if the world outside no longer mattered.
“Why are you doing this?” Vittoria asked, her voice taut, still struggling to break free from his hold.
But no answer came. Vincenzo continued walking in silence, climbing the stairs with steady steps, as if she hadn’t spoken a word.
The bedroom doors opened, and the moment her feet touched the floor, Vittoria instinctively backed away, taking several steps to distance herself.
With infuriating calm, Vincenzo reached inside his jacket, his eyes never leaving her for a single moment.
When he drew a knife, the glint of the blade sliced through the air between them, and Vittoria’s heart raced, as if she sensed nothing was under her control.
“Let’s start the fun,” Vincenzo murmured, his voice low, almost a husky whisper, as he advanced toward her with deliberate slowness.
Vittoria backed away instinctively, her chest heaving with quickened breaths.
When her heels hit the edge of the bed, she lost her balance and fell back onto the mattress, her hair spilling across it like an unintended invitation.
Vincenzo leaned over her with calculated ease. The smile that curled his lips was more dangerous than any weapon.
“You’re trembling, principessa, and I’ve barely begun,” he said, his voice grazing her ear, warm as his breath itself.
With an almost cruel calm, Vincenzo slid the knife along her cheek—not touching, but close enough for her to feel the cold metal and the weight of his control with every inch it traced.
The blade glided downward, carving a suggestive path along her neck until it reached the bodice of her dress.
Then, in one precise motion, the fabric tore under the cut, his eyes never leaving hers—steady, provocative, undeniable.
“I want to hear more than protests tonight, especially when I make you moan,” he whispered, his voice rough and languid, like a dangerous promise that sank straight into her skin.
Vincenzo's surrender only fueled Vittoria's fire; her lips glided up and down his length in steady, unyielding strokes—firm and torturously slow—alternating deep, enveloping sucks with teasing flicks of her tongue that sent shivers racing across every inch of his skin.The wet sounds mingled with his ragged groans, filling the room with a raw, intoxicating rhythm that drowned out everything else.The slick heat of her mouth claimed him completely, so scorching and drenched that every second felt like an invitation to lose his mind.Vincenzo arched against her, breaths coming in jagged bursts as he tangled his fingers in her hair, tugging with restrained force while guiding her rhythm, too overwhelmed to handle the blaze alone.His whole body ignited: muscles coiled tight, chest heaving in erratic waves, head thrown back in utter surrender, each thrust of her lips pulling him deeper into a vortex of raw need.The clash between her softness and the fierce hunger in how she devoured him
The office took on a rare lightness as soft laughter rippled through the air, breaking the usual stiffness and replacing the weight of recent days with a moment of genuine ease.“Does Vittoria know?” Edward asked, narrowing his eyes with curiosity as he watched Vincenzo close the laptop.“She knows there was someone before her,” Vincenzo replied, standing up smoothly. “But not that it got as far as an engagement.” He added, calmly removing his white coat. “Our relationship has always been complicated, less about the past and more about the intensity of the present.”“I see,” Edward said, tilting his head slightly as he studied him.“That’s about it,” Vincenzo murmured, letting out a heavy sigh. “It was nice to feel a bit of normalcy for a few days.” He looked at his friend with a tired half-smile.“You miss it, don’t you?” Edward asked, standing as well, his gaze fixed on Vincenzo as if he already knew the answer.“Every day,” Vincenzo admitted without hesitation, his voice raw with h
In the office, Vincenzo watched Lily swing her little legs in the air as if she were on a ride, her innocence shining through a smile that brightened the room and softened the weight of the place.“Uncle Vince, this chair is the throne of my castle,” Lily declared, settling Bubu beside her like he was her royal advisor. “When I sit here, it feels like everything turns magical.”“That’s exactly how it should be, my princess,” Vincenzo replied, his voice gentle. “Only someone with true courage can turn a simple chair into the most magical throne in the whole castle.”“Sit up straight, Bubu, because you’re important here in the castle too,” Lily whispered, as if sharing a secret just between them. “You’re the guardian who keeps me safe.”Then, she gently held the bear by his paws and settled him in her lap, leaning in to press her little mouth to his fabric ear, as if he could really whisper a secret back.“What?” Lily pretended to hear something, bringing her hand to her mouth in mock s
In the days that followed, the rhythm in Savoca held steady. Fabrizio took charge of the family’s interests with unwavering resolve, making every decision with precision and keeping a sharp eye out for any hint of trouble.At the same time, he kept Vincenzo in the loop on any shift that might affect their business, a calculated move to bolster his image of loyalty and prove he could be trusted.He doubled down on caution, limiting his contacts to only trusted associates and family, steering clear of any outsiders who might raise suspicions about his intentions, especially if he was indeed being watched.In Bath, life settled into a firm routine. For every checkup or chemo session, Vincenzo was there, always attentive and ready, using small tricks to make the process easier and less painful for Lily.When he wasn’t at the hospital, he poured himself into Vittoria, exploring the city with her and taking trips to nearby towns, as if they were truly living out a honeymoon.When Lily’s che
The hours dragged on in the room, marked only by the steady drip of the IV and the stories Vincenzo spun to keep Lily entertained.Lily stayed nestled against Bubu, drifting between short naps and moments lost in the fantastical world that captivated her so.Helen remained by her daughter’s side, steadfast, hiding the exhaustion etched into her face behind soft smiles meant solely to comfort Lily.When the infusion finished, the nurse returned and carefully removed the catheter, covering the spot with a colorful bandage.Lily watched closely, as if it were another piece of fantasy keeping her strong.“See, Uncle Vince? Me and Bubu did it,” Lily murmured, her voice faint and weary, a reflection of yet another session faced with bravery.“You sure did, my little star,” Vincenzo said, gently squeezing her small hand with affection. “Another victory to make your sky shine even brighter.”The bedroom seemed to lighten in that moment, warmed by the smiles that spread across everyone’s faces
Three days later, the bond between them had grown even deeper, strengthened by every shared moment.Vincenzo kept showing Vittoria the city, like he was opening the doors to his world, guiding her through streets steeped in memories, hidden coffee shops, and places that revealed pieces of his past.Monday arrived with a quiet weight, as if time itself was heralding the start of something inevitable.“How are you holding up?” Vittoria asked, slipping her arms around his waist in a gentle, intimate gesture.“I’m good,” Vincenzo replied, letting the simplicity of his words mask the intensity of what he truly felt. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before stepping back.“Yeah,” she said, her soft smile lighting up her face. “I’m going to whip up a delicious lunch, just the way you like it.”“Can’t wait,” he said, stepping closer again and pulling her by the waist. “Call me if you need anything,” he added, brushing her cheek tenderly. “Ti amo, bel