MasukI walked toward Ella’s bed and sat down beside her. She pulled herself up with much difficulty and looked down at our daughter. “She’s so small,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. The wait, the pain and everything were worth this—this joy and the deep love I felt in my heart. I met Ella’s gaze a
[FOUR YEARS LATER] EROS I was panicking more than Ella was. But I couldn’t take her screams, let alone look at her. She was covered in sweat from head to toe and her entire body was shuddering. This was partially my fault, I could say. She buried her head back on the pillow and let out another lo
Even in my absence, I had been sure that Mariella was okay. She was upset, which was understandable, but she was safe. Adonis had ensured it. I hurried into my wing and up to my room, unable to control the burdening feeling in my chest. I needed to let out all that I had been holding inside, to tel
Both Mom and Adonis scanned the room. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t have a good feeling about this. Ella was running away. Or perhaps hiding something from me. I sincerely wished it was the prior. Adonis took a deep breath and spoke. “Ma, I need to speak to Eros.” I was dumbfounded. I widened my
EROS With all the men guarding me, I felt like a child being carried to the principal’s office. Every fucking one of them had a brooding look on their face. And I had been seeing them every day for the past two months. No more. I was finally returning home. To my family. To my wife. I wondered ho
As I pushed the door, I noticed the girl sitting on the ground, holding a grey shirt to her chest. Eros’s shirt. Had she been holding onto him in this manner? Crying herself to sleep holding that one shirt? Consoling herself that he was alright? “Mariella?” Her eyes widened and snapped toward me.
“I’m so sorry, Mom,” he said, his voice breaking. “But you have to calm down.” Orlanda jolted his hands away with all her strength and stepped away from him, her eyes searing with rage. “Tell me what happened,” she demanded. “Eros has suffered the worst possible concussion. Subdural hematoma—” “B
EROS The restaurant wasn’t the fanciest, but I went along with it because Ella liked it. Her smile didn’t make me regret the decision, at least. I watched her as she took another sushi into her mouth, skilfully holding her chopstick, and pouted her lips to chew through the mouthful and laughed. It
“You said this is a family matter?” Adonis’s gaze shuffled between me and Papa, and he went on. “I’m involved in this because it is my damn family. And you’re not taking my sister-in-law anywhere.” This was the first time he had mentioned this out loud, that too, with so much pride. Papa’s eyes wi
“How did this happen, anyway? I mean Rocco, of all the people, it could’ve been.” “It was at a party. I really wanted to go, and he was the only one I trusted, who could sneak me out, drive me there and drop me back at home safely.” She sat at the edge of the bed and slumped, exhaling a ragged brea







