LOGINSelena grabbed her bag, but I was frozen, staring at my phone. Mateo's last message glowed on the screen:
Mateo: If he shows up, don't let him in.
"Kat!" Selena shook my arm. "Did you hear me? We need to go."
"Who is he talking about?" I whispered. "If who shows up?"
"I don't know, but we're not staying here to find out." She pulled me toward the back room. "Come on. We'll lock up and go out the back door."
I glanced at the front window one more time. The red car was back again, parked across the street…
My stomach dropped.
"Selena... the car from this morning. It's back."
She looked, and her face went pale. "Shit. Okay, back door. Right now."
We rushed through the storage room. I grabbed my jacket and bag while Selena fumbled with the keys, locking the register and turning off lights.
"You're staying with me until we figure this out." She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the back exit. "Come on."
Selena's apartment was small but warm. Safe. Her cat, Miso, immediately curled up on my lap when I sat on the couch.
But I couldn't relax.
Every creak, every car passing outside made my heart jump.
"Here." Selena handed me tea. "Chamomile. It'll help you sleep."
I took it but didn't drink. My eyes kept drifting to the window, to the street below.
Was the red car out there? Watching?
"Kat, talk to me." Selena sat beside me. "What's going on in your head? "
I shook my head. "I don't know. I’m Just confused …I wish i spoke with mateo"
"Have you tried calling Mateo again?"
I checked my phone. Still nothing.
I dialed. Voicemail.
Me: Mateo, please call me back. I'm scared. What's happening?
Delivered. Read.
No response.
"He's ignoring me," I whispered.
Selena squeezed my hand. "Maybe his phone died. Or maybe he's in trouble too."
That thought made it worse.
"Try to get some rest," she said gently. "I'll stay up and keep watch, okay?"
I nodded, but I knew I wouldn't sleep.
I moved to her guest bedroom, crawling under the covers fully clothed. My phone stayed clutched in my hand, waiting for Mateo to call back.
But he didn't.
Around midnight, I heard it.
Knock. Knock.
I froze, heart hammering.
Selena's footsteps in the hallway. Her voice, low and cautious. "Who is it?"
Silence.
Then another knock. Louder this time.
I crept to the bedroom door, pressing my ear against it.
"I said who is it?" Selena's voice was sharper now.
And then I heard it. A voice from the other side of the door—low, smooth, dangerous.
"Open the door, piccola. You ran last time. Now I want you to crawl."
My blood turned to ice.
That voice.
The Don.
He'd found me.
"Selena, don't open it!" I screamed, rushing into the hallway.
She stepped back from the door, eyes wide. "Who the hell is that?"
"The man from the club. The one who..." I couldn't finish the sentence.
The door handle rattled.
"I know you're in there, Katarina," his voice purred through the wood.Selena grabbed her phone. "I'm calling the police."
"Don't." My voice came out barely a whisper. "He's... he's mafia. The police won't help."
The rattling stopped.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then his voice again, softer this time. Almost intimate.
"I'll be back for you, piccola. And next time, you won't have a door to hide behind."
Footsteps retreated down the hallway.
I collapsed against the wall, shaking.
Selena was already at the window, peeking through the curtains. "There's a car leaving. Red.The fancy one we saw outside the bookstore."
He'd found me.
And he'd be back.
I didn't think I'd sleep. But exhaustion pulled me under like a riptide.
And then I was somewhere else.
A marble hallway. White floors. Endless mirrors reflecting my naked body from every angle. No exits. The air smelled like blood and roses.
My reflection stared back at me—flushed cheeks, bruised lips, thighs slick with arousal I couldn't explain.
I was trembling, but not from fear.
From want.
Then he stepped from the shadows.
The Don.
His shirt was half-open, revealing a chest carved from muscle and danger. His belt hung in his hand like a promise. Those emerald eyes pinned me in place, and I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
"I told you," he said, voice rough like broken stone. "Run, and I'll break you."
I didn't run.
He was on me in two strides, pressing me hard against the mirrored wall. One hand fisted in my hair, yanking my head back. The other wrapped around my throat—not enough to hurt, just enough to control.
"You liked kneeling for me, didn't you?"
I wanted to lie. Wanted to say no.
But my body betrayed me. My lips parted. My legs trembled.
"Yes," I whispered.
He smiled—cruel and gorgeous.
Then he shoved me down to my knees.
"Show me how much."
I opened my mouth without hesitation, tongue out like I was starved. His cock was already hard, heavy, flushed dark at the tip. I took him deep, swallowing around him, tears slipping from my eyes as he hit the back of my throat.
"That's it," he groaned, fingers tightening in my hair. "My filthy girl. My obedient little mouth."
I sucked harder, faster, desperate to please him. He dragged me up before I could finish, spinning me around and bending me over a glass table that hadn't been there seconds ago.
My reflection stared up at me—eyes wide, lips swollen, need dripping down my thighs.
"You're wet for me," he said, dragging two fingers through my folds. "Disgusting."
I whimpered.
He didn't give me time to breathe.
He thrust inside me in one brutal stroke—no warning, no mercy—and I shattered.
"This is mine now," he growled, pounding into me. "Your body. Your mouth. Your screams. All mine."
His hand clamped over my mouth as I came, crying against the glass, legs buckling beneath him.
"You love being used," he snarled. "Say it."
"I love it," I gasped. "I love it. I love you."
He didn't stop.
He fucked me harder, dragging orgasm after orgasm from my trembling body until I couldn't tell if I was begging for more or for mercy.
And then he kissed my shoulder.
"Next time, piccola... I'll leave marks they can't hide."
I came with a sob, body convulsing.
I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, my thighs sticky, my heart racing.
I clutched the blanket, burying my face in it as shame flooded me.
What is wrong with me?
I was wet. Aching. And I could still feel his breath on my skin.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream.
But I couldn't forget the way it felt.
I covered my mouth with both hands, terrified the moan still caught in my throat would escape and wake Selena.
"I just need to grab some clothes," I told Selena the next morning before leaving her house.
I didn't want her to see the mess that was my family.
The second I put my key in the lock of my apartment, I knew something was wrong.
The handle was loose. The lock, scratched and damaged like someone had forced it.
I pushed the door open slowly.
The lights were off, but I could smell it immediately—cheap cologne and stale whiskey.
And then I saw him.
On the couch.
My father.
Passed out, mouth hanging open, arms spread like he owned the place again.
No.
No, no, no.
He'd been gone for three years. Why was he back?
My stomach twisted. I clutched my phone, checking for messages from Mateo.
Still nothing.
Me: He's here. Why didn't you warn me?
I started backing toward the door, my eyes never leaving the man who'd made my childhood a nightmare.
And then his eyes opened.He'd been awake the whole time.
"Where the fuck you think you been, girl?"
My throat went dry. I couldn't move.
"I asked you a question," he slurred, rising slowly to his feet. "You think you can run off and come back whenever you like?"
His voice was lower now. That meant something bad was coming.
"I... I just needed clothes," I stammered. "I wasn't... I didn't mean"
He stepped toward me.
My back hit the door.
"You got no say in anything anymore," he said darkly. "Not after what I did for this family."
My voice shook. "What did you do?"
He smiled.
Reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded paper, tossing it onto the coffee table.
A contract. My name printed at the top. His signature at the bottom. A seal burned into the corner—some kind of symbol I didn't recognize.
"I sold you, Katarina," he said simply. "You're leaving. Tonight."
The room tilted.
"What?"
"You heard me." He lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke in my face. "Giordano's men are coming to pick you up at eight. Pack something nice. He likes his girls pretty."
I stood there, frozen, as my world collapsed around me.
What’s worse? being betrayed by a stranger or by your family
Katarina POV“Don’t tell me to leave, Kat.”Selena’s voice cracked through the morning air. She stood with her suitcase by the gates, her hair pulled back tight, lips pressed thin. Behind her, the driver leaned on the car, waiting. The iron gates were half-open, and from this far you could already hear the faint buzz of reporters from the other side of the estate.I folded my arms, trying to look calm even though my chest hurt. “You promised Lucas you’d go back to him. Don’t start now.”“I don’t care about promises.” She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Fiorella is back. You think I can just leave you here with her circling like a vulture?”The early morning wind picked up, tugging at her coat. Her eyes flashed, stubborn, just like mine.I reached out and squeezed her wrist. “Listen to me. I’m fine. I’m not scared of her.”Selena laughed, bitter. “Not scared? She has a history with both of them. You think she came back for fun? She came back to ruin you.”I smiled, but it didn’t
The Japanese Special Guest POV… A Meeting at a secret back room clubThe bass from the club thumped through the walls, a steady, heavy beat that made the glasses on the table tremble. The back office smelled like old wood, leather, and expensive cigar smoke. No windows. Just one dim lamp hanging low over the desk, its light a tight circle in a room full of shadows.The French Minister was already in the room when I stepped in. He smelled of sweat and stale cologne. His jacket was crumpled on the chair beside him, his tie hanging like it had given up.His hands clasped too tightly in his lap. Sweat dotted his forehead, catching the light every time he shifted. His suit was perfect, his hair perfect — but his eyes… his eyes kept jumping to the figure across from him.He couldn’t see the figure’s face. He couldn’t even tell if it was a man or a woman. The voice was distorted, mechanical — it could’ve belonged to anyone.Without thinking, I tapped two fingers on the desk — in time wit
Vittorio POVThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was her.Katarina. Curled on her side, breathing soft, her hair scattered over my pillow like it had always belonged there. One bare shoulder peeked from under the blanket, pale in the early light. She didn’t even stir when I shifted.For a few seconds, I just looked at her. Something low in my chest tightened — like someone had their hand in there and was twisting it.Then last night began coming back in pieces. Not all of it — just flashes, blurred like a smudged photograph.The champagne on my tongue. Her scent — not jasmine, not roses — the kind of clean warmth that clings to a woman after she’s been asleep. Then another scent, sharper, sweeter. Jasmine. Fiorella’s scent.I remembered leaving this bed. I remembered going to Fiorella’s room.I’d gone to warn her. To ask her why she was here, why now. I told her to stay out of sight today. It wasn’t just any day — it was the campaign shoot for my election. Media everywhere.
Valentino POV“You didn’t answer my question.”I didn’t bother sitting down. I stood in the doorway, one hand braced on the frame, watching her like she might turn to smoke if I blinked.Fiorella didn’t flinch. Didn’t even try to fake surprise. She just shifted her weight, robe sliding across her thigh like the fabric had been trained to obey her.Her lips curled slow. “And which question was that, exactly? You’ve asked so many, Tesoro.”My jaw locked. “How did you know Jared?”For a second, she just looked at me. Then, instead of answering, she closed the space between us — soft steps over thick carpet — until the jasmine from her robe tangled with my breath.Not answering my question about Jared. Not even pretending to think about it. Just that slow, cat-like walk — bare feet against the carpet, silk robe swaying with each step. The lamplight caught her skin, warm and golden, and I could smell her before she touched me. Not just perfume — her. Heat. Sweat from whatever she’d been
Katarina POVThe knock wasn’t loud, but it still made my chest clench. When I opened the door, Vittorio was there — no tie, shirt hanging open like it had given up on him, hair a mess from his own hands. He smelled like champagne and something darker, heavier… the kind of scent that stuck to skin even after you left the room.“I can’t sleep without you,”His voice was low and rough, almost a growl, but there was a crack in it that made my stomach twist. “For a moment I just stared at him. He leaned on the frame, arm braced against the wood like it held him up. His suit was half-untied, tie hanging like a defeated snake. Eyes glassy. Hands that jittered just enough to prove he’d had too much and yet somehow locked on me like I was the only thing keeping him standing.Behind me, Selena sat up on the bed, eyes darting between us. Then she smirked, that cat-in-the-cream look on her face.“Oh no,” she whispered, “this is gonna be good.”I turned my head toward her and gave a quick, del
Valentino POVThe ice in my glass had melted hours ago, but I kept swirling it like I was waiting for it to tell me something.The room felt too quiet after I left Katarina at her door. Quiet enough for my thoughts to start lining up in that dangerous, obsessive way they did when something didn’t add up.And nothing about tonight added up.Not Jared’s death. Not Fiorella’s sudden return. Not the fact that the woman and child he’d been tracking for weeks — the ones who visited her grave — turned out to be her and a girl that looked too much like me and my brother to deny.I poured what was left of my drink into my mouth, the whiskey biting all the way down. It didn’t help.Then Jared’s face flashed in my head —I could still smell it if I closed my eyes — the sharp tang of blood mixed with soap. The bathroom tiles had been slick under my shoes. Jared was sprawled on the floor, the water still running from the tap, his shirt stuck to him like damp paper. His eyes were open, staring at







