FAZER LOGIN“Sit down beside me,” Steffano said.I ignored him and continued pacing back and forth in front of him. Slowly, of course. The last thing I wanted was to make noise that would wake the twins.I stopped when he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me down beside him.“Don't worry about Lucian. He'll manage." “I can't help it after everything you've told me. She's a dangerous woman, after all..."I really couldn't stop worrying.Not just for Lucian, but for my family too.“Yes, she is,” he said. “But trust me when I say this—Lucian may act like a fool most of the time, but when it comes to mission? He knows what he's doing. He's someone you can rely on. So relax, okay? It's getting late. You should get some sleep.”“I'm not sleepy,” I replied. “I've probably slept too much already.”“Really? Because I think I haven't slept enough. Can I sleep on your lap?”I grabbed a throw pillow and placed it on my thighs.“Go ahead.”I ran my fingers through Steffano's hair until his breathing grew h
LUCIAN“Where are you off to now?”I slipped on my leather jacket and glanced back at my father, whose face already screamed lecture incoming.“What was that about earlier?” he asked. “Why’d you send me to that meeting with the Saldivars?”“Oh come on, old man, don’t act like I ruined your entire day.” I grinned. “I even gave you something productive to do instead of spending hours watching dolphins and random animal documentaries on TV—OW!”I seriously don’t understand why I’m surrounded by violent people.From my friends… to my father… to my terrifying older sister, who thankfully moved to Australia with Mom.And then there’s—Alexa.Damn it.Stop thinking about her already. Move on, idiot.“Dad! That hurts!” I complained after he smacked the back of my head and twisted my ear for good measure.“Are you going out drinking again?” he asked suspiciously.I frowned.“Dad, even when I’m drunk, I still handle my responsibilities. I just had something important to do earlier.”“Important?
STEFFANO“I want to be a doctor!”“Yesterday you said you wanted to be a teacher.”“I changed my mind.”“If we watch a movie about lawyers tonight, I bet that’ll be your dream job tomorrow.”“You’re so annoying, Savvy. Why do you always argue with me?”“Okay, kids, enough,” Rebecca said with a laugh as she stopped the twins before their little argument escalated. “Finish your food and stop fighting.”“How about you, Mommy?” Stephie asked curiously.“How about me what?”“When you were little, what was your dream?”Rebecca paused for a second, actually thinking about it.“Did you already want to be a model back then?” Stephie guessed.My wife shook her head with a smile.“Nope.”“A doctor?” Savvy asked next.Rebecca shook her head again.“I wanted a family,” she said softly. “A complete one. I wanted to become a wife and a mother.”Stephie’s eyes widened.“That was your dream, Mommy?”“Yes.” Rebecca laughed softly. “Did I disappoint you guys? I didn’t dream about becoming a doctor or a
“Wake up, sleepyhead. You need to eat.”I was already awake, but I still couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes.My body felt heavy as Steffano started covering my entire face with kisses.“Come on,” he murmured. “I know you’re awake.”I slowly opened my eyes and forced a small smile at him. He gently brushed his fingers against my cheek.“I hate waking you up,” he whispered, “but you need to eat.”“What time is it?”“A little past seven.”My eyes widened slightly.“I slept the whole day again?” I said as I slowly sat up. “I couldn’t even visit Stephie again…”I honestly didn’t know how many days I’d been like this already.Waking up in the morning.Forcing myself to eat.Telling Steffano I was going to the hospital afterward.Only to end up falling asleep all over again.Then he’d wake me up at night and gently force me to eat so I could take my medication.I was starting to hate myself for being this weak.Steffano already had too many problems and responsibilities on his shoulders,
FERDIE“Why did you have to bring her here, Dad?”I quietly closed the bedroom door where Caroline was sleeping before turning to face my son, Michael.“Where else am I supposed to take her?”“Hasn’t it been enough already? You took care of her and spent a fortune on her while she was bedridden for months!”“Michael, enough,” Darius interrupted. “You’ve had a drink. Go get some sleep.”“Your brother’s right,” I added calmly. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”“No. We’re talking now.” His voice rose sharply. “This is simple, Dad. I want that woman out of our house.”“She’s still your mother. And if Rebecca were here, I know this is exactly what she would want me to do. Take care of her mother—”“No!” Michael snapped. “That’s bullshit! Take care of the woman who already destroyed our family once and still dragged our sister into her mess?”I swallowed hard and looked away from him.The photos the police showed us suddenly flashed through my mind again—the ones that made Rebecca look even guiltier i
“You’re a failure! No one’s ever going to love you, Rebecca! He’s going to cheat on you too!”I woke up to that voice screaming inside my head.I glanced at Steffano, who still had his arm wrapped around my waist, and carefully moved it away before slipping out of bed.My hand slowly reached for his face.I gently caressed his cheek.“He loves me,” I whispered shakily, shaking my head as if trying to convince myself. “He would never cheat on me. He’s not like you. He’s not like my father.”But then my hand froze against his skin.A memory flashed inside my mind.That day in his office.The sound.The look Giselle gave him.The way they talked to each other.Stephie’s doctor.My hand started trembling violently.I pulled away from him and hurried downstairs.To the bar.It had been a long time since I touched alcohol.Maybe this would help.Without thinking further, I grabbed a bottle of wine from the shelf, uncorked it, and drank straight from the bottle.No glass.No hesitation.I le
“You know, Mommy?” Stephie said while I was fixing her hair. “I met a lady at the hospital during one of my check-ups. She looked just like you. I even had an attack because I was so sad when she told me she wasn’t my mommy. But that wasn’t really you, right?”My hands paused for a second before I
I jolted upright when a loud sound tore through my sleep.One eye barely open, I searched for the source and saw the glow of a phone lighting up on the bedside table.An alarm.It was only five in the morning.I had slept for barely four hours. I couldn’t sleep last night. I ended up crying again.
“You’re such a good girl, sweetheart,” I praised Stephie after she finished her medicine.After meeting them, we had dinner downstairs. I didn’t feel awkward — mostly because of Stephie. She was talkative, cheerful, and full of life. For a while, she made me forget the reality of the situation I w
“Wake up, sleeping beauty.”I opened my eyes at the sound of that deep, controlled voice.When my vision cleared, I saw Mr. Wellington leaning against the wall, arms crossed, as if he’d been waiting for me to wake up.Instead of acknowledging him, I turned my back and pulled the blanket over my hea





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