ELENA "You own the original?" Lucas was surprised and clearly intrigued and I gave a slow nod while sipping on my champagne like it was a walk in the park."Do you sell it?" He quickly asked and I almost spitted out my drink as my voice turned cold---sell what? A painting Lorenzo had gifted me years ago on my birthday just because I gave it a mere awe-filled glance at an event he took me to.THEN"I got you something Ellie" came from the bedroom and I raised my eyebrows, surprised at that as I cleaned up my washed face."What is it?" I yelled out, folding up the towel and hanging it before moisturizing my face."Come see" he said with an air of mystery that had a smile coming on my face as I wore my robe and left the bathroom behind, fixing up my hair and checking for spots left undried when my eyes caught on something by the bed.It stood on a pole of sorts, it took my breath away."Happy birthday" he grinned at my reaction and I slapped his chest with a goofy smile on my face."Why
ELENA I never imagined the day would come when the man I loved would be reduced to nothing more than a memory, his presence fading into the cold stone of his tomb. My knees ached from kneeling on the cold ground for so long, but the pain was nothing compared to the emptiness his sudden death had left in my heart. As I closed my eyes and ran my fingers lightly over his tomb, a part of me clung to the impossible hope that he would respond—that he would reach out, just as he always did, and gently pull me into his arms, lulling me to sleep like before. But the silence was deafening, and the cold stone beneath my touch only reminded me of the cruel reality—Lorenzo Russo—my husband, the powerful mafia don whose double life I barely understood—is gone. I felt someone gently pulling me by the shoulder. But, I remain rooted in my spot. “Elena, it’s time,” my father said, his voice firm yet laced with the quiet comfort only he could offer. It was time to lay my husband to rest. As the w
DELUCA The drive back to the estate was shorter than I had anticipated—or perhaps I had been too lost in my thoughts to notice the distance from the cemetery to Lake Michigan.Elena.I muttered her name under my breath, the sound barely audible over the hum of the engine. Seeing her reaction at the cemetery had been... unexpected. Surprising, even, compared to everything I had heard about her.I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes for a moment as her image flashed before me—young, bold, fierce, and simply captivating. For years, I had seen her face on the front pages of Chicago’s magazines, always untouchable, always out of reach. I had known there was something about her that intrigued me. But seeing her up close? That was different.A sudden surge of anger made me tightened my grip on the armrest."That son of a bitch!" I growled, my voice sharper than I intended.Lucas, seated across from me, raised an eyebrow. He had been my childhood friend, my business partner—the only man
ELENA The moment we arrived at Lorenzo’s mansion, my mind was fixated on the not-so-tiny box in my hands.Lorenzo had always been generous with gifts, often surprising me with presents whenever he returned from a business trip. But this one was different. Why? Because it could either hold the answers I desperately sought—or something far more dangerous.As soon as I stepped out of the car, I ignored the staff’s greetings and headed straight to my room, my pulse quickening with every step.Inside the master bedroom I once shared with Lorenzo, I swiftly locked the door and tore the box open with urgency.A small note fluttered to the floor."Be careful. They are watching your every move."My breath hitched. My gaze snapped back to the box, and my stomach dropped when I saw what lay inside—a pistol.A sudden knock on the door nearly made me jump out of my skin.Heart pounding, I realized I was still wearing my heels. I quickly slipped them off and shoved the box’s contents under my pill
DELUCAAs I stepped into the office that morning, my mind was set on one thing—something I needed to handle before attending to any other business."Good morning, sir. I brought your coffee," Nicole, my secretary, said, placing the cup on my desk.As she leaned forward, the neckline of her dress dipped just enough to offer a tempting view. She was petite, her curves more pronounced than her frame suggested. Her face wasn’t striking, but those curves? They more than made up for it.I didn’t bother looking away. I knew she wanted me—her lingering glances, the way she always found reasons to be close. All it would take was a few words from me.I cleared my throat, a silent reminder that the show was over. She straightened, adjusting her dress with a knowing smirk."I'll be at my desk, sir."I gave a curt nod.But she wasn’t the one I wanted. The only woman I wanted to hear screaming my name while I was fucking her probably hated me right now. And that was the real problem.Back to the ma
ELENA I walked into the casino, my heels clicking against the marble floor. The air was thick with the scent of whiskey and expensive cologne. Laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the space. I hadn’t been here since my husband’s death, but tonight, I was here for answers.As I walked past, heads turned. Men let out throaty murmurs of approval, while women cast secretive, admiring glances."Mrs. Russo, welcome—"I turned toward the voice that had just called my name, though I had been heading to the lounge."Forgive my manners. My name is Marcel," he said smoothly. "I must confess, you look even better in person than in the papers."I didn’t bother asking how he knew my name—that would be a lost cause. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, tall and slender, with tattoos on his arm that caught my attention."Can I buy you a drink?" He chuckled, then shook his head. "That sounds stupid, right? Since you own the place."I decided to save him from his misery by laughing heartily.
DELUCAThe last time I had been to this lounge was the day before Lorenzo’s death. That night, I had to confront him personally—even though I had stayed out of the business ever since we became partners.The reason for that confrontation is known to only a few people to this day—and I’d prefer to keep it that way.When I turned down Luca's invitation to go to the club, I came here hoping she might show up. The fire I saw in her sharp hazel eyes at the cemetery told me she was hungry for the truth about what happened to her husband.And I had been right. She’s here for answers. I underestimated her—maybe more than I’d like to admit.I just hadn’t expected her to confront me so directly.She walked into the lounge with a boldness that made it seem like she’d been coming here all her life. Her heels complemented the elegant lines of her legs, and her skin glowed under the lounge lights, a perfect match for the warm amber tones. Her long, dark hair framed her magazine-cover face and casca
DELUCA Barely had I closed my eyes when the nightmare came rushing back like a vivid vision. I had gone to Colton’s room to check on him, even though Mother had said he was sleeping soundly. As I was descending the stairs to join her in the living room, I heard voices — sharp, angry voices — and froze. "Where's Vito Adrian?" one of the masked men shouted at my mother. "He… he’s away on a business trip," my mother replied, her voice trembling. She knelt in the center of the large living room, her hands covering her mouth as though it might keep her fear from spilling out. There were four of them. The one in the middle raised his gun and, without hesitation, shot her twice in the head. A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. Their heads snapped toward me, and suddenly they were chasing me. A loud knock at the door yanked me from the nightmare. I jolted awake, panting, my skin damp with sweat. My eyes drifted toward the air conditioner. It was working perfectly, hum
ELENA "You own the original?" Lucas was surprised and clearly intrigued and I gave a slow nod while sipping on my champagne like it was a walk in the park."Do you sell it?" He quickly asked and I almost spitted out my drink as my voice turned cold---sell what? A painting Lorenzo had gifted me years ago on my birthday just because I gave it a mere awe-filled glance at an event he took me to.THEN"I got you something Ellie" came from the bedroom and I raised my eyebrows, surprised at that as I cleaned up my washed face."What is it?" I yelled out, folding up the towel and hanging it before moisturizing my face."Come see" he said with an air of mystery that had a smile coming on my face as I wore my robe and left the bathroom behind, fixing up my hair and checking for spots left undried when my eyes caught on something by the bed.It stood on a pole of sorts, it took my breath away."Happy birthday" he grinned at my reaction and I slapped his chest with a goofy smile on my face."Why
DELUCA Flashes of cameras led me into the building the event was being hosted at. It was an important event that intrigued me and made me excited to cause a bit of trouble within these rich and pompous men that liked flaunting their money around just to make themselves known.As soon as I walked into the circular place, the whole attendees gave me a wide berth as an attendant led me to my seat on the guest of Honor part.It only housed four seats, I occupied one with Lucas seated beside me, not knowing how I'd regret that move when she came.It wasn't long after I had taken my seat when a sort of hush went through the still standing crowd, everyone stood transfixed to a spot, staring at someone or something with such awe in their gazes.I was intrigued, standing up just to see a smiling Camilla who soaked up in the attention like she owned it-- I signed and began to take my seat once again when my eyes found that of none other than Elena.She stared at me with an intense look, one th
ELENA Sarah was already bouncing around the room, holding up two completely opposite dresses and asking which looked more “Saturday-slay” appropriate. I gave her a small smile as she spun toward the mirror, already lost in her fashion world. I admire that about her—how she could simply live in the moment, find something beautiful in the middle of chaos.“Text me when you get to the store,” I said softly.“I will,” she replied, pausing in her whirlwind of activity to glance at me. “You sure you don’t want to come?”“I need to check on Dad,” I murmured, glancing at my phone. “And figure out what I’m wearing to this… ridiculous event.”She gave me a quick hug and a knowing smile before grabbing her purse and slipping out the door. The silence she left behind hit me harder than expected.I sank onto the edge of the bed and called Dad. The line clicked once, then twice, before his voice came through—sleep-rough, but steady.“Elena?”“Hey,” I said, trying to sound upbeat. “Just checking on
DELUCA We had gotten down to the location, the insistent beeping of the GPS tracker as we drove down the secluded highway indicated that Colton was still on the move but was getting considerably slower than before, his gas must have been giving up on him.It soon came to a stop and I felt my heartbeat increase as fear racked through my whole body, I couldn't fail in protecting him, not this time at least.I urged the car to go more faster by stepping on the accelerator and was soon flying down the streets, cutting down corners as I followed the map and soon the sound of shooting began to fill my ears and fear clenched it's fist around my heart as I felt a rapid headache begin to form behind my eyelids.Arriving at the destination and finding shots being fired at Colton's blue truck had my blood boiling as I immediately pulled out my gun, rolled down the side of my glass window and just as they turned to check up on what was happening, I shot one straight to the skull and heard curses
ELENA I growled loudly as I flung the box against the wall, rage pulsing through my veins. This had been my one chance to get something—anything—to move forward, and it turned out to be a lousy prank?Dante was really testing me, pushing my limits just to see how far my patience would stretch.I had never felt such a mix of fury and resolve to make him pay. A dark thought kept circling in my mind—what if he had something to do with my late husband’s death? But too many pieces of the puzzle didn’t fit, and the frustration was eating me alive.I’d been here before—frustrated, running in circles, grasping at straws, hoping for a clue, anything to advance my investigation.And now, this? This was all I had to show for my effort? It made me feel like I was failing—like I was disappointing my late husband—and the thought tore painfully at my chest."Hey, you good?" came a voice from the door.I spun around to see Sarah standing there. I had forgotten to close the door when I came in. She l
DELUCA My fingers drummed a random beat on the table in my office as I sat lost in thought. I wondered just how far I’d have to go to repay the debt Elena was collecting from me.She was still in the dark about the vile dealings of her late bastard of a husband, and while I didn’t want to hurt her, she deserved the truth.Why it had to be me who told her—I was beginning to resent that part. I’d tried to delay sending the package I promised, but it was inevitable. I had to follow through soon or it would count as reneging on a debt owed."You good?" filtered into my ears, and I sighed deeply, palming my face as a headache started to creep in.Lucas whistled lowly with a smirk. It never took him long to figure out what was going on with me. I wasn’t surprised."I don't see the problem here," he began."But I do," I cut him off quickly."What do you see as the prob—""Me!" I exclaimed, pausing before continuing. "Why does it have to be me who sends the package?""Because you should...?"
ELENA Once again, I was playing with fire. Tracing my fingers along the shelves, I hoped to find something—anything—that could give me a clue or some knowledge about what led to my late husband's death.I was getting frustrated as I neared the end. With a sigh, I slammed my palms against the shelf in anger, sending dust particles flying into the air, which made me cough softly.I was angry at hitting another dead end. Deluca was taking his sweet time sending the package he promised, and since that last time at the casino, I hadn't seen him again.It felt like he was starting to avoid me, and I couldn’t understand what I had done to warrant such behavior.A click echoed through the silent office, and I ducked quickly, praying I was fast enough not to be shot.For a moment, nothing happened. But when I raised my head to check, I saw a small square hole in the shelf where I had slammed my hands—inside it was a small box.Glancing around cautiously, I pulled it out and dusted it off. Aft
DELUCA The past few days had been indescribable—chaotic activities, quiet betrayals, eyes watching from every shadow. But tonight, the air tasted different. Clean. Cold. Like the city was offering me a moment to breathe. I took it.I never liked others handling my business. Not even my own men. If it wasn’t me or Lucas, it always felt like a risk—like giving someone else the blade and hoping they didn’t slip it between your ribs.That thought was still lingering when I saw the telltale glow of blue and red flashing in my mirrors. A cop’s flashlight cut through the darkness ahead like a spotlight on a stage. I slowed the SUV, jaw tight, knuckles resting calm on the wheel.The flashing lights didn’t rattle me.I’d seen enough of them in my lifetime to know what they meant—this wasn’t a warning, and it sure as hell wasn’t a war. No, this was theater. A flex. A performance meant to shake cages and remind people like me that the law was still watching.Problem was—I didn’t shake.I steppe
ELENA The day I married Lorenzo and the four years I spent with him, I truly believed my nightmares were finally over.My dad had slowly begun to come out of the shell he had built around himself—a shell formed from the pain of losing my mother. I never thought I’d see him smile again, yet somehow, Lorenzo made that possible. He became the son my father never had. I thought buying us a house was the sweetest thing Lorenzo could’ve done… but no, he stole my heart over and over again—especially with how he carved out time from his busy schedule just to visit my dad and keep him company.I looked down at the ten-year-old boy in front of me, playing quietly with his toys.“He’s adorable, isn’t he?” came a soft voice beside me. I quickly wiped the corner of my eyes and turned to see one of the caregivers.“Yes… he is,” I replied, lowering myself to his level, watching him with gentle affection.“We’re really going to miss him,” she said, her voice tinged with emotion.“What do you mean?”