FAZER LOGINMy vision blurred for a minute as I tried to steady myself but failed woefully. Leo was kidnapped? By who? And what did they want with him? These questions burned endlessly in my head, but I had no answer to any of them. I stood up and started pacing like a caged animal, phone clutched in one hand, the other raking through my hair until it stood up in wild tufts.I thought about calling Jamie, but quickly waved it off because I knew getting him involved would end up putting him in danger, and I couldn’t risk that. Then I considered calling Alessandro. I don’t know why he popped into my brain, but somehow I thought perhaps telling him about it would mean I wouldn’t have to deal with whatever this was alone. Then I remembered how things ended between us and how I made it perfectly clear to Bianca that I want nothing to do with either her or her brother. So I knew that was a no-go. Pride and stubbornness were the only things I had left that still felt like mine, and I wasn’t about to han
Nick’s POV It’s been a couple of weeks now, and so far everything has been going well. Jake and I are on good terms. School is fine. I’m no longer being stalked or harassed by weirdos from the club. Leo is settling down perfectly at school, which still surprises me every time I think about it. And Alessandro… Well… things are okay between us the way they should be. Distant. Civil. Quiet. Exactly how I need them to be right now.My classes stretched longer than the usual hours today because I finally had to do the presentation for the project I’ve been working on for weeks. By the time we were done, I was literally tired down to my bones. Jamie decided to drop me off rather than let me catch the bus, and I didn’t argue. The second I stepped inside the apartment, my bag slipped off my shoulders and landed on the floor with a dull thud. I dragged my feet lazily across the living room and collapsed onto the couch, not even bothering to take off my shoes.I don’t know how long I was ther
Nikolai’s POV The look Alessandro had in his eyes the last time we met at the annual meeting still burned behind my lids every time I closed them. Those eyes had looked at me like they held no regard for me at all. Like I was a joke. A mild inconvenience. Something to be brushed aside with a dismissive wave of his hand. That look made me angrier than the fact that my carefully laid plan hadn’t pulled through. And that is why I’m going to prove to him that he never should have underestimated me.A soft knock sounded at the door, followed by the sharp click of heels against the polished floor. “Brother, Vittorio is here to see you. Shall I send him in?” Sofia asked, sauntering into the room. “Yes. Please do,” I answered quickly, glancing at her before my eyes darted back to the file in front of me. She turned to leave but hesitated for a second. “Can I ask you something?” “Even if I said no, you’re still going to ask anyway. So just get it over with,” I responded calmly, meeting
“What would I have done?” I repeated the question under my breath, letting the words sink in. “I also don’t know, Ale,” I said finally. “But what I do know is that the man who looked me in the eyes and told me we ain’t his family, that we never were, doesn’t deserve any kind of mercy from us. So if he wants war, then that’s what he’s gonna get.”Ale sighed, the sound low and tired, before walking back to the couch. “But he is family, and we don’t fight with family. That’s our motto.” He said, lifting his head to look at me.“Fuck that,” I shot back. “He doesn’t care about that, so why should we? Why should we be merciful when he made it crystal clear that he was gonna join forces with anyone necessary, as long as it gets rid of you? No, Ale. Now is the time to stop letting him get away with things every damn time. We both know how dangerous he is, and if we keep ignoring these signs, it’s gonna be disastrous when it erupts. And it’s only a matter of time before it does.”He didn’t res
“Oh don’t be silly Bianca, I don’t hate him. Nor do I hate you. Although I still stand by the fact that I should have been the leader instead of him. I mean I was next in line after your father, everyone knew that. But no, he made the decision that your brother should take over instead, deeming me incapable of ruling. Do you have any idea how long I struggled to accept that? No one should give a child that much power at such a young age. It’ll end up burning them instead.” His voice was calm, but there was bitterness underneath it. I could see it in the tight line of his mouth, in the way his fingers drummed against the arm of the chair. He had never forgiven my father for choosing Alessandro. Something inside me snapped. “That wasn’t his fault and you know it,” I shot back, as my voice cracked. “Do you think it was also an easy thing for someone so young to accept? Do you know how hard he struggled to fit in? To do what was expected of him? Do you know how many things he had to giv
Bianca’s POVEver since I told Alessandro the truth, he has been avoiding me. Or should I say, he made it clear that he doesn’t want to see me. I mean, I understand the reason for him acting that way, but I am his sister. The only family he has, literally—that’s if you’re not counting our uncle Vittorio. And for him to just ditch me like that, just because of Nick… it doesn’t make sense. So I gave him the space he wanted. I stayed away. But today… Today I was going over to see him, and I wasn’t leaving until we squashed whatever beef we had.I had just finished with my last clients for the day and was headed to my car when my phone rang. It was Vittorio. I sighed, contemplating if I should just ignore it, but seeing as it kept ringing over and over again, I decided to just pick it up and see what he wanted.“Vittorio, what a surprise!” I answered coldly, placing it on speaker as I fastened my seatbelt.“Hello, Bianca. I honestly thought you wouldn’t pick up.”I scoffed as I started th







